One

One

"Famain? Anna?" cried Ursanne. Her face was pale as she ran through the streets. Passing guards and civilians stared as she rushed past, holding up her ragged skirt. "Where are you?" she ran across the bridge as fast as she could. It swayed violently and she nearly toppled over. Below the bridge, however, were the people she was looking for. Famain, the young Redguard was crouched at the edge of the filthy river, playing with a small wooden boat. He was about ten years old, scruffy and a little on the thin side. He was so immersed in his little game with the boat he didn't hear his foster mother's anxious calls. Famain pushed the boat out into the middle of the river. It bobbed for a few minutes on the surface, before sinking after a particularly large wave hit it. He groaned as he watched it sink to the murky depths of the Larsius River. Beside him, someone else groaned too; his 'sister', Anna. She was two years younger than Famain, and his devoted follower. She resembled her mother in appearance, with her brown eyes and slightly gaunt features, but instead had very dark, shoulder length hair. She peered over the bank into the muddy water, squinting to see if she could see the toy boat.

"I think that one's gone for good." she said, sighing. She stood up and began to clamber up the bank. "Come on!" she called to Famain "Mother will be worrying by now!" Famain slowly got to his feet and followed Anna up the hill. When he reached the top, his eyes met the miserable and squalid town he called home. He loathed it here. You couldn't walk around the streets without bumping into a beggar or stepping in something squishy and foul-smelling. The residents often spoke of the beautiful and idyllic Cheydinhal or the wondrous Imperial City, but no matter how much he yearned to go to such places, he knew his possibilities of setting foot in either area where very slim. The roads through Cyrodiil where long and treacherous and were often swarming with bandits and an array of wild beasts. It would be impossible for a commoner like himself to make it to those cities in one piece. The only safe ways of getting around were by boat or on horse, something neither he nor his foster family would ever be able to afford. Glumly, he trudged back to the family shack behind Anna. When they got back, they were greeted by Ursanne's angry shouts.

"Where have you two been?" she screamed, her face bright red with fury. "You both know the streets aren't safe for two so young! You know the type of people that live here along side us!" she glared at the two youngsters. Famain stared at his feet, a little embarrassed. Anna beside him stared guiltily at the floor too. He quickly glanced up at Ursanne. Her face was still a violent shade of scarlet, but her features had softened a little. Aleron, her husband was sat by the fireplace, smoking his pipe. He got to his feet and put a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Let's just be glad that they're safe." he said in his low voice. Ursanne nodded stiffly and move out of the door way. Anna hastily ran up to their shared room. Famain, on the other hand followed Aleron to his chair. The Breton sat down and began to puff his pipe once more.

"Thanks." murmured Famain quietly. Aleron nodded in appreciation and smiled.

"Ursanne has been more uptight recently over the murder of Gellius Terentius." he lay his pipe down on the table beside him. Ursanne, who was cleaning the window sill, shot her husband a look; she didn't much like him talking about those sorts of things to someone so young. Aleron ignored her and continued. "You've probably heard people muttering it about in the streets." Famain nodded.

"Yes, they keep hushed about it 'cause the guards don't like it being discussed openly." Aleron smiled grimly.

"They wouldn't would they." he said, chuckling. Famain took a step closer so he could catch every word. He didn't know much about the count's son's murder, but it defiantly intrigued him. Not much else that interesting happened in Bravil. All he knew was that last week, Terentius went missing and three days later City Swimmer the Argonian found his body drifting just outside the town in Niben Bay. There had been much controversy over his killer's identity, but Famain knew little of it.

"Well," said Aleron, making Famain jump "You might have heard everyone arguing about what happened." He leaned closer to make sure that the young boy could hear him. "The guards, who don't want to get of their lazy backsides, are just dismissing it as a freak accident and are saying that Terentius fell into the bay and drowned." Famain held his breath, eager to hear more. Aleron cleared his throat. "Anyway, from what City Swimmer has been telling everyone, most people have come to the conclusion that someone killed him. She says she found him lying in the water with a large gash in his chest, probably made by a sword or dagger." He stopped, picked up his pipe and smoked it for a minute. Famain waited with bated breath. Although he knew a murder was not something to be excited about, he couldn't help being so interested. Aleron smiled at him, obviously reading his face. "Now," continued Aleron "some so-called 'witnesses' say that they saw a Dunmer with him when he disappeared and that they saw this Dunmer walk Terentius outside the gates then return without him. The only problem is," he coughed "the only problem is there are very few Dunmers in this town, particularly males. This particular one is said to be about eighteen and noble. I don't think any of the noble Dunmers around here are that young, do you?" Famain sniggered quietly. The Dunmer nobles of the Bravil Castle were most certainly not eighteen, or indeed any younger than thirty or forty. "You see my point, don't you? Not only that, but there is no record of a male noble Dunmer of that age visiting Bravil in over six years." Famain looked at him, wondering how he knew such information. As if reading his mind, Aleron said "A friend of mine from the pub 'borrowed' the visitors list to check." Once again, Ursanne shot her husband a disapproving look. Famain hoped that she wouldn't stop Aleron's story. He loved his foster mum dearly, but she was always very over protective. When Aleron got tickets to see a match at the Arena (a once in a lifetime opportunity) she refused to let Famain and Anna go as she argued they were too young. In the end, none of them went, as neither of the Loches could find someone to watch over the two children. Aleron cleared his throat once more. "What most of us down at The Lonely Suitor think is that it was a Khajiit. Aia was wondering down by the bay looking for deer when she saw a Khajiit hacking away at Terentius. She says she hid among the brambles and watched this Khajiit slaughter Terentius, remove something from his corpse then hurry off. A poor looking guy she said he was. None of the guard believed her of course. Again, they couldn't be bothered to do anything. They just said she was telling her stories again." Famain looked into his foster father's eyes.

"Who do you think he was, and why did he want kill Terentius? As far as I know he was a clean man who didn't get into to much trouble." To his surprise, Aleron boomed with laughter.

"You evidently don't know much about him then do you?" Famain shook his head. "Thought not. You see, Gellius Terentius is about as clean as my finger nails." The Redguard looked at him, bemused.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Aleron sighed.

"He's on Skooma! He goes to the den at least once a week." Famain looked at him once more, still confused. "You see, Skooma-" a loud bang issued from the corner of the room. Ursanne was once again bright red and furious.

"That is ENOUGH!" she bellowed, her hair flying. "I do not want one so young poisoned by all this murder stuff and other such nonsense!" Aleron recoiled slightly in his chair. Ursanne turned to Famain. "Come on, off you go to bed!" not wanting to argue with a furious Ursanne, Famain hurriedly scuttled up the stairs and into his room. It was small and rather cramped, with his and Anna's beds squished next to each other. She was already in her nightgown and was sat on her quilt clutching her moth-eaten teddy.

"What was mum shouting about?" she asked as soon as he closed the door. "I think all of Cyrodiil heard her." She chucked her bear to the far side of her bed.

"Dad telling me about Terentius' murder." said Famain, his voice muffled as he attempted to pull his jerkin over his head. Anna clambered nearer, her eyes bright.

"Please tell me!" she asked imploringly. Famain smiled and recounted Aleron's story. When he was finished, Anna let out a long, low whistle. "Wow!" she said in an excited, but hushed tone. "I would never have guessed!" She fiddled with a hole in her covers. "I wonder what that Skooma stuff is." Famain nodded in agreement.

"What ever it is, mum doesn't want us to know about it. It must be something really bad."

"Yeah…" muttered Anna. She stared at the wooden ceiling for a few minutes, and then smiled mischievously at Famain. "What would you say to doing a little investigation of our own? You know, trying to find out who the murderer is, and what in Akatosh's name Skooma is?" Famain grinned.

"Brilliant!" he shouted. Footsteps echoed up the stairs. The pair dived into their beds, and just in time; Ursanne opened the door and suspiciously studied the two children. Sensing no movement, she quietly re-shut it. Anna grinned at Famain and gave him the thumbs up. As they drifted of to sleep, Famain's dreams were filled with plans and ideas of how to execute this idea under Ursanne's watchful eye.