When I woke up on this particular Sundas, I wasn't so refreshed. I had rented a room at Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm when I was passing through. I thought a bottle of ale would clear my head of all the restlessness, so I headed down stairs after putting on my tunic.
"Hello Elda," I said trying to hide my discomfort. I guess it didn't work.
"Bad night? You sound like you just came out of a skeever nest, look a bit like it too." I smoothed my hair down as she said this.
"It wasn't great. Dreamed 'bout all the dragons. One attacked Riverwood last time I was there. Horrible creatures, seems like they never go down. This one flew away though. Left the city frosted and burnin'."
"Sounds awful, hope they don't come here. Eh, have this, on the house." She handed me my much wanted ale and I nodded thanks. She left me for my thoughts, too bad I was too lazy for my own.
"So what's the word around the city?" I said after a few drinks.
"Words going around 'bout that Aretino boy performing The Black Sacrament." I looked up in disbelief.
"What?" I had heard from others that The Black Sacrament was a means to summon an assassin. Many people might have reasons to do this, but a child? It seemed ridiculous.
After awhile of listening to the bard, talking to the others at the inn, and just plain procrastinating, I decided to stay another night. I paid Elda for one more day before heading out and traded a few leeks for some bread.
When I walked outside I was glad I changed into my fur armor. It was extremely cold, even for Windhelm. As I was walking I began to notice the conversation of Idesa and the young Cruel-Sea boy. Idesa was completely dismissing the Aretino child being cursed. Although, when the boy told her he was going to invite him out to play, Idesa fessed up. She said that those rumors were true. After they walked off I ran right up to the door of the residence and decided to investigate.
I hesitated before knocking and figured that wasn't the best option, so I set to work on the lock. The lock wasn't too difficult, I had it picked in a matter of moments and entered the house. The house was mostly barren with the exception of some tables and beds. As I descended the stairs I heard a weak voice repeating the same thing over, and over, and over again.
'Sweet Mother, sweet mother send your child unto me. For the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear... So tired, so, so tired... Sweet Mother..." I felt only pity for this child. I knew already that he was an orphan like me, and even sent to the same orphanage for some while. Also, he escaped, as I did eight years ago after Grelod stuck a hot coal in my mouth. A shook myself out of my hatred, and coninued up the stairs.
I turned into a room where the boy was bent over a circle candles. In them a full skeleton lay with human flesh spread upon it, and in it's chest, a human heart. I stood in silence, reveling in our mutual childhood pain. After a moment he finally looked up.
"Are you okay?" I knew it was a stupid question, but it was all I could think of to say.
"Finally! My prayers have been answered! It worked! I knew you'd come, just knew it! I did the Black Sacrament, over and over. With the body, and the thing. And you came! A Dark Brotherhood assassin." He sounded so happy, I couldn't do anything to reply.
"It took so long," he said, "but now that you're here, you can accept my contract." He looked at me with such growing madness, madness that reminded me yet again of our similiarities.
"Contract?" I figured I may as well hear the boy out.
"My mother, she died. I'm all alone now. So they sent me to that terrible orphanage in Riften. Honorhall," he said these things with hatred and sadness. He continued to tell me of how the cruel Grelod the Kind wasn't very kind. Of how he ran away and performed The Black Sacrament, and now that I was here I could kill Grelod. I didn't have the heart to reject this request, and many people would be better off without her anyway
I would be able to get to Riften in a few hours, so I went to tell Elda to forget about my room. "I won't be needing to stay, just give it to someone else."
"Alright, but why the sudden change in plans? Where are you going?"
"I have important business in Riften." I definitely wasn't going to tell her about my actual plans. Most people already thought I was a lunatic without this, and perhaps I was. But I had to keep it quiet no matter how hard she pressed for the information.
"You don't sound like yourself. Aesia, please tell me what you're going to do. Nothing ever good comes when you get like this. You don't need to get anymore of a reputation. Your known well enough for coming out of the Imperials land but supporting the Stormcloaks, and even they aren't sure of you since your half Redguard and half Nord." The people around here had no idea that Elda had known me and my late family since I was a child, so she knew more than anyone when I was up to something.
"Elda, nothing else is going to happen. I promise I won't get into anymore trouble." And I meant it. Nobody would miss Grelod, and no one would catch me. "I'll return soon."
"And how soon is that. Before you've said that and didn't come back for years. What if something happens to you? How will I know?"
"I'll carry a letter around from now on so that it can be delivered to you if something does happen, which it won't. Now, I have to go." This time I didn't give her time to reject. I was determined to do this no matter what. I owed it to Aventus and to myself.
When I got outside the people's stares followed me. This wasn't anything new, and I knew why they were staring. Even though I was all Nord by the looks of it, I didn't hesitate to wear my Hammerfell garb. I was a bit of a contridiction I suppose, but that's alright. It would just keep the racist ones from ranting about how "awful" everyone else was to me. But I was a Nord at heart, and anyone else who said otherwise they're going to have a problem.
I had alittle over 10,000 gold with me, so I treated myself to a ride to Riften. It was uneventful for the most part. Ran into a few packs of wolves and one or two bears. The carriage drivers in Skyrim were useless, didn't help me at all whenever we ran into trouble. But Riften was worse than the road, if I didn't watch my back thieves would take everything of worth from my pockets.
I went towards the gate, ready to embrace whatever challenge came my way from here on out.