Serana walked along the Falkreath road, the slight bit of snow crunching beneath her feet as she did. She kept her hood over herself as she walked, eyeing the guards that made their patrols. As she made her way towards the exit of the town. She had visited Falion whom Arthius had convinced to move to Falkreath to be closer to them, a sort of special caretaker of sorts for Serana. As she walked up the path towards the manor, she chuckled at the bandit construction that looked over the path. Behind her, she saw the boulders that rolled into a tree and then back up at the wooden construct. She chuckled as she envisioned him side stepping them as they tumbled towards him and taking out his bow. He would quickly take one or two of them out with a quick shot and then race around and up the steps with his sword drawn to finish the rest off. As she lost herself in thought, she caught a gleam of light and noticed an elven arrow sticking out the side of the construct. She walked around and up the rickety piece of wood, plucking the arrow free and holding it in her hand. She smiled down at it, feeling the metal and remembering when Arthius had it enchanted to defeat her father. A slight breeze swept by as she gazed at it, bringing her back to reality. She sighed as she put the arrow away before looking up at the view. She had yet to read the new letter that he had sent, she had no reason to look forward to reading how it would be even longer before he would return to her. She turned to the path once more and continued up to the manor, knowing it would prove useless to resist opening it in the long run.
Arthius looked across the other side of the encampment as he held his bow in hand, aiming it at the guard standing in the watchtower. Karliah gave a quick nod to him before releasing her arrow, sending it flying into the back of the guard on the other tower. Arthius' arrow found its target immediately after Karliah's, sending the guard back before collapsing. They moved quickly around the wall and unlocked the gate just a second after putting the lock pick inside. They then moved with the shadows, slowly approaching each tent of the sleeping occupants and quickly silencing their breaths within, whether they were asleep or not. They quickly moved through tent after tent, making their way to the small shack at the end of the encampment where their goal was lying. They met each other's glances as they crouched in front of the two doors to the small building. Synchronized, they quickly peeked through the windows on each door before ducking back down. They swiftly restrung their bows before standing and briefly aiming before shooting through the glass at their targets, shooting them before they had a chance to react, before once again ducking back down. They kept quiet for a moment, staring at each other as they waited for any signs of activity. As Arthius was about to speak, a creak of the floor came from within the shack. The doors burst open as the large Redguard readied his battle axe, looking to eliminate whoever had killed his comrades, only to find nothing outside the doors. He was confused for a moment, gazing upon the snowy camp.
"Hey!", he shouted across the campsite.
He searched for any movement among the tents. His breath paused, making him shudder at the sight of the puddles of blood forming outside the tents. He slowly turned back around, hoping to barricade himself inside the shack until morning. When he turned around, he found himself staring into the face of a shadowed figure crouching atop the shack in the darkness, with an arrow pointed directly at his face. The Redguard quickly raised his arm, hoping to block in some way or at least take the arrow in his arm. As he did, from behind he heard a brief crunch of the icy ground before he felt two objects pierce into his sides. His arms shot out in pain, but before he could scream the arrow was released and sent in-between his eyes, killing him instantly. The large man staggered for a moment before slowly falling back and sinking into the snow. Karliah leapt off the roof of the small shack as Arthius rose to his feet, the effects of his armor fading to reveal himself from the shadows. The two of them then made their way into the small shack. Beside the two lying on the ground, the shack was empty beside a chair and a rug. There was a groan from one of the men on the ground, disturbing the new found peace. Karliah nodded to Arthius as she inspected the rug. Arthius swiftly knelt down, quickly slicing the man's throat open before rising once more as Karliah lifted the rug from it's spot on the ground revealing a wooden entry way. Karliah opened it, looking down the hole at the small ladder leading into the makeshift cellar. Arthius joined her gaze as he stood behind her for a moment before she quickly turned and went down the ladder, with Arthius quickly following. After closing the opening above him, they were left in the dark for a moment before the bright glowing ball rose from Arthius' hand, lighting up the small corridor to the door on the other side. They silently stepped forward, swiftly but quietly to the door, pressing against it for a moment before pushing it open and glancing around. It was a small room, dimly lit with a chest in the center. The musk of the damp room hit Arthius sharply, almost making him gasp for breath behind the mask. As if reading his mind, Karliah swiftly stepped forward and opened the chest, snatching the document that was inside before quickly turning and stepping towards the door. Arthius quickly followed; glancing back at the simple chest that had held what they were here for, before turning back towards the open doorway and through the corridor and up the ladder after her. They made their way through the now silent camp and into the night, leaving nothing but their arrows and blade marks behind as proof of their existence that night.
After the short ride back to Riften, they made their way through the streets until they were able to slip into the Ratway and eventually the Ragged Flagon. As they approached the all too familiar bar, their gaze fell upon the only current patron as he leaned back on his stool, taking a small swig of his tankard as he did. Arthius quickly lowered himself, ceasing the sound of his footsteps as he silently approached the red haired man whose back was turned to him. As Arthius slowly began to stand up straight, preparing to pounce, the voice of his comrade caught him off guard.
" You've still got plenty of years to go before you can pull one over me, lad", Brynjolf said as he spun himself around on his stool, a small smirk appearing on his face as he caught his guildmaster's surprised glance. As Brynjolf brought the tankard up to his lips for another swig, Arthius quickly turned, kicking one of the legs out from under Brynjolf's stool as he want. Brynjolf made a small choking sound as the ale caught in his throat before toppling over with the stool, making a crash as they both struck the hard ground. As Arthius hopped over the bar to inspect a few of the bottles, Karliah simply walked past Brynjolf who was now wiping the ale from himself as he picked himself up off the floor. She took a seat on the stool beside the spot Brynjolf had been previously sitting as Arthius settled on a bottle of Black Briar and began to empty the bottle's innards into two separate tankards.
" A damn waste of ale if you ask me" Brynjolf said as he now stood, patting himself off before bringing up the empty tankard. Arthius simply passed Karliah her tankard before removing his cowl and taking a deep swig from his own.
" There's plenty more where that came from, whether it's ours or not" Arthius spoke, letting a small sigh escape his mouth before taking another sip.
" Is that anyway for a Jarl to speak?" Karliah spoke simply; her soft voice just as unwavering as ever.
"He's a thief before anything else, may I have to remind you, lass?" Brynjolf said as he leaned against the bar, the smirk returning to his face. "And speaking of which, don't you have something for me?" he said, raising his eyebrows just slightly. Karliah retrieved the parchment from her pouch and handed it over to Brynjolf who gladly accepted it with a nod.
"And speaking of which…" Brynjolf said as he put it away, "wouldn't someone of your stature be busy with something more important than a simple recovery task for a few septims? Especially with what's taken place recently" Brynjolf asked. Arthius sighed, rubbing his face as he did before placing his tankard on the bar top.
" Being important in a room of politics isn't a feat worth reaching towards. Being important is a bit tiresome" Arthius said.
" Be as it may, you're still the thane of Whiterun, aren't you?" Brynjolf asked as he leaned over, taking the untouched tankard from Karliah without any opposition from her.
" As well as the Thane of Falkreath, which if I'm not mistaken supports the Stormcloaks" Karliah simply stated.
" That little brat of a Jarl has no interest in politics" Arthius says, "And as for being the Jarl of Whiterun, I doubt that would mean much to Ulfric at this point". There was a pause after this, the only sounds filling the air was the occasional drip of water and the squeaks of rats in the Ratways.
" You don't know that" Brynjolf spoke, breaking the silence. Arthius continued to look down at his tankard, sloshing the contents around inside before bringing it up to his lips for another sip before placing it back down.
" And what would you suggest? I simply walk up to the gates of Whiterun and request an audience?" Arthius asked, tipping the tankard with the tip of his finger as he leaned forward, giving Brynjolf a skeptical look as he did. Brynjolf leaned back a bit on his stool, his eyes looking towards the ceiling as he thought of a response.
"Why would Ulfric be in Whiterun?" Karliah said before Brynjolf could think of his response.
" The Companion's told me he was there" Arthius simply said to her before looking back to Brynjolf, beginning to continue their conversation.
" I'm not asking if he's there or not" Karliah interjected once more. "I'm questioning why Ulfric would be in Whiterun still"
There was a small pause; Brynjolf sat back in his chair as he began to think about this, and Karliah simply awaited the response.
" Yes...I've thought about that as well" Arthius said.
" Maybe it's a statement. Perhaps he's trying to make a point that he isn't afraid of being on the front lines" Brynjolf spoke.
" I doubt that" Arthius said, " Ulfric just took the trade center of Skyrim, the most bustling city in any of the holds; he has nothing to prove "
" Perhaps you have a bit more to gain if you do indeed pay Ulfric a visit" Karliah said.
" I'd rather not take the risk of being shot down by the guards if it turns out that Ulfric isn't welcoming any visitors" Arthius said, " We still have no idea what's going on in the city since the Companions were forced out"
" Well...if you're not eager to do that, you could always just use the hidden passageway into the Companion's underforge" Brynjolf said. Arthius' eyes darted up to meet Brynjolf's gaze for a moment, watching him for a few moments before Brynjolf brought his tankard up to his lips. Karliah continued to quietly watch them as Arthius broke his gaze. Arthius mulled this over for a moment, considering his options, the route he could take, and what he could realistically come to gain for his risks and efforts before looking back up at his comrade.
" How did you know about that passageway?" Arthius asked.
Proudspire Manor, Solitude
Lydia continued to pack her supplies for the next few days on the road. As she did, Jordis continued her persistence on the housecarl who was growing more and more tiresome of the continuous repetition of their conversation.
"...but what if that maniac does something reckless, or even makes an attempt on my Thane's life!? What kind of housecarl are you to allow someone like that to simply-" Jordis spoke frantically; she was obviously panicked by the thought of the final possibility, before Lydia cut her off.
" Do not speak out of your place, girl! Might I have to remind you that I served him long before you did?" Lydia said with a menacing scowl, taking a breath before easing her expression as well as her tone as she continued placing supplies inside of her pouch, "And as for your concerns, I severely doubt that fool would be able to pull anything over our Thane. He is the Dragonborn, in case you've forgotten". Lydia simply stated.
" Yes but-" Jordis began.
" And as for the other concern, if our Thane believed him to be a meaningful threat, I can assure you he would have dealt with him at the moment of their encounter instead of simply letting him continue on his ways" Lydia said with a bit more sternness in her voice.
" But what if-" Jordis began again.
" Listen!" Lydia raised her voice as she turned to Jordis with an angered glance, " Our Thane shared this information with us in case anything would come of it and he would find that he'd like our assistance without having to catch us up to date. He did this trusting that we would be able to hear his words and keep them in mind for when it comes time to act, and the time to act is when he commands it, not for us to take the information and act upon it as we like! If you intend to break that trust by pursuing this idea of your then feel free, but don't you dare call yourself a housecarl after deceiving the one you swore to serve" Lydia said, letting her gaze remain this time as she stared down the shaken girl before her. After a moment, she sighed, turning away from Jordis as she continued to pack. After she had finished, she set her pouch beside the door for the next morning's trip.
Dragonsreach, Whiterun
Ulfric sat upon the throne in Dragonsreach, letting his head lay on his fist as he listened to the strategies laid out before him. He glanced at the flickering candles for a moment as the light radiating from them covered most of the room in a slight tinge of orange that faded the further from the source it went. He looked as though he were lost in thought for a moment; or at least he could only assume as he realized that the conversation had stopped and he looked to see Galmar as well as one of his captains staring up at him from the map that they had set upon the table in front of him.
" Right, continue" Ulfric said unapologetically. After a moment, the captain; a young, light haired Nord who held his helmet under his right arm, continued his report.
" As I was saying, the advance troops have made it through Helgen with only a small group of bandits to deal with" The captain said as he skimmed his finger across the map.
" And what of Helgen, anything left to sustain our troops for the meantime?" Ulfric asked.
" After a bit of searching, reports say that enough food and drink were found to sustain the party for a few more days if you choose to keep them there" He answered, with a bit of hesitation.
" But why keep the forward party there? Wouldn't it be wiser to have them scout ahead as the main forces come towards the hold?" Galmar said, looking to Ulfric with crossed arms.
Ulfric sat back for a bit, taking in a small breath before slowly rising from the throne and stepping down to the head of the table in front of him, placing his hands down beside the map. The captain glanced up at Galmar who was giving his full attention to Ulfric, awaiting what would come next.
" What lies ahead of our troops at this moment?" Ulfric asked. Both Galmar and the captain leaned in to inspect the map.
" Falkreath" They said simultaneously. Ulfric nodded before putting his finger on top of Falkreath and bringing it around in a circle around the hold.
" And who may I ask, resides in the Hold of Falkreath?" Ulfric said. The captain paused, looking up to Galmar with a curious look.
" The Dragonborn " Galmar said, letting a small sigh release from his nostrils. There was a small pause before the captain spoke up.
" But the Dragonborn hasn't shown any interest in the war. In addition, he's the harbinger of the Companions who were simply removed from the city. I doubt-"
" The Dragonborn is not simply a companion. Reports show he hardly acts on his role of Harbinger aside from an occasional visit " Galmar spoke, almost snapping at the captain.
" And unlike the Companions, the Dragonborn never spoke of not having a side, but instead spoke against the war altogether. In fact, he'd spent the last year doing what he could to lower tensions " Ulfric spoke.
" B-but, even if he were opposed to the war, he's simply one man " The captain said. As Galmar was about to unleash upon the ill-informed Captain, Ulfric raised his hand to stop him. Galmar immediately withdrew, simply sighing as he stood back in place. Ulfric then turned to meet the young Captain's gaze.
" And what about the Dawngaurd? It's no secret that the Dragonborn helped lead an assault on the castle just off the coast of Solitude. And though we may not have much information about the group, we know they're strong in numbers and experience. On top of that, if worse were come to worse, their base stands just southeast of Riften" Ulfric spoke as he turned to the throne, sitting himself.
" Not to mention the rumors that surround the Dragonborn involving every damn faction that could come to mind within the borders of the country" Galmar said with a small gruff of his voice.
" Those are just rumors spread by the locals and the guards who are too bored by their posts" The captain replied, turning towards Galmar.
" Possibly, but all rumors have at least some truth to them " Ulfric spoke as he moved back into his previous position upon the throne.
" However, " Galmar began, "I don't believe we should be too concerned. Reports shows that the Dragonborn hasn't left Haafingar since we first took Whiterun "
" That's true, but considering the situation, I'd rather not surprise the Dragonborn, let alone directly upset him" Ulfric spoke. After a ,moment, Galmar let his head drop as he thought about this.
" I've decided...perhaps it is time to host a discussion" Ulfric spoke. Galmar and the young Captain looked up at him. Ulfric continued to look forward for a few moments, as if to let his words soak in.
" Galmar, have a courier ready, I'm going to write a letter. Captain, have the main forces await further instructions after they've reached Helgen. Make sure to ensure that they do not proceed with any plans until I give the word, understand?" Ulfric said as he stood.
" Y-yes my liege" The captain spoke. Ulfric nodded to him before walking past Galmar and up the stairs toward the Jarl's quarters. Galmar and the captain gave him a nod as he went before they departed on their own assignments, walking out if Dragonsreach, leaving the room silent, but not empty.
After a few more moments, Arthius dropped from above and silently landing in a crouching position. He slowly stood, walking over to the map laid out upon the table. He quickly took out his journal and wrote down everything he could see, including camps, trails, and destinations certain groups were headed towards. After he had done so, he quickly made his way to the back of Dragonsreach and opened the door to The Great Porch, glancing up at the dragon trapping mechanism he remembered using so long ago as he ran to the edge, leaping over the railing as he quickly made his descent. He quickly climbed down a bit before climbing around the cliffside until he reached the cloud district. He leapt over the wall and quickly but silently made his way through the city until he had reached the underforge. Once the wall had closed behind him, he finally allowed himself to sigh, pulling off his Nightingale mask and bending over, placing his hands on his knees. After a moment of rest, he exited through the secret passageway and soon found himself riding through the night atop the skeletal horse. As he rode, there was only one thing occupying his mind.
"Looks like I might have to head home"
Author's notes: Okay, so those of you (if there are any left) that were regular readers of my story back in the day are probably wondering "What the actual hell, it's been over a year since the last chapter, why now?", and you're right to wonder that. Wel that or you're still on the hype train that some of you appeared to be on one year and two months ago. If so, kudos to you. I honestly don't know what got me back into the spirit of finishing this chapter, I guess I just found a gap in free time now that school's on hold. That and maybe the hype for Skyrim remastered. I'm not gonna promise a regular story progression like my last one where I'd crank out a new chapter every day, then every few days, then every few weeks, then every...actually now that I say it I guess it makes sense this chapter took so long to come out. Anyways, idk if this will continue but considering how much fun I've been having writing it again, it might just.
Be sure to leave a comment...review? I don't remmeber. And if you like the story, gimme a follow/ favorite. Above all else those really help get me in gear. Hopefully I'll see you soon.
~ Azlan