After looking over the horses at the Riften stables, I decided to save my coin and purchase at another stable. I was not the best judge of horseflesh, but I knew enough to know when a horse was not fit for hard travel. I made the journey back to Windhelm on foot. Instead of travelling the Shor's Stone road, however, I took the other route. At the very least it would provide a change of scenery, and it might even provide me with a meal. I was provided with a few meals from different bandits along the way, for which I was grateful. I did not like to enter a city or a settlement if I had not recently fed. If I went too long without feeding my face would take on a gaunt, sunken appearance, and my eyes became bloodshot, making it difficult to blend in. I gained enough attention as a stranger, there was no need to draw more. Also, a skilled vampire hunter would recognize the signs. The journey back to Windhelm took no more time than the one to Riften had, and upon arriving at the city I made my way to the Aretino residence. I was surprised to overhear some of the guardsmen mention Grelod's demise. I had thought the news would take longer to travel. I let myself into Aventus' home and the boy met me at the top of the stairs.

"You're back!" He smiled. "Does that mean…?"

"Yes. The contract is complete." I affirmed. Aventus' smile grew wider and he threw his arms about my waist. I stiffened for a moment, then patted his back.

"I knew you could do it! I just knew it! I knew the Dark Brotherhood would save me!" He crowed, waving his fists in the air. I smirked to myself and folded my arms across my chest, leaning on the door frame.

"Have you been taking care of yourself as I asked you to?" I queried once he was finished.

"Yes, I have. Sadri came to check on me, the day after you left."

"The respectful term for Dunmeri is 'Sera', and you will use it when referring to them." I corrected.

"I didn't know that. But I've been bathing and trying to keep clean. You were right about the, um… night soil." He wrinkled his nose.

"Of course I was." I commented. "It was good of Sera Sadri to come and see you."

"He brought some more food. I don't think I'll be able to eat it all, so I'll probably take it with me when I go back to the orphanage."

"Do you still have the coin I gave you?" I pressed, and he nodded. "Hire a carriage to take you there. I would accompany you, but I have business in Markarth."

"Is it another contract?" He asked, bouncing on his toes.

"It is not your concern." His smile faded, and I sighed. "The less you know of my business, the safer that you will be. Do you understand that?"

"I guess so." He mumbled.

"Good. I will help you pack, then escort you to the carriage." It did not take long, seeing as all he needed were his clothes and the food that remained. I showed him how to carry the coin purse so that no one could see he wore it. Just as we were about to leave the building, Aventus spoke up once more.

"Wait! I almost forgot!" He ran back up the stairs while I remained at the door. He returned with a plate in hand. "I know you said that you didn't need anything, but I want to give you something anyway." He pushed the plate into my hands. "I know it's not much." He looked down at the floor, shuffling his feet. I looked down at the plate, studying it. He was correct in saying that it was not much, but it was likely all he had without paying me in the coin I had given him.

"Thank you, Aventus. This is very kind of you." I slipped the plate into my pack and picked up his bag off the floor. "Now, we must be off." We stepped outside, and as Aventus locked the door I called flames into my hand, heating it.

"What are you doing?" Aventus queried.

"Is anyone approaching?" I asked in turn, and he looked about.

"I don't see anyone." He replied. I overcharged the spell, burning my hand. Once my hand was nearly blistering I pressed it against the stone of the wall, leaving a hand-shaped imprint. When I removed my hand pieces of skin remained behind. "What did you do that for? Doesn't that hurt?" Aventus' eyes were wide and the blood had drained from his face. I healed my hand before answering.

"I am protecting what you have left the only way I can, short of sitting on the roof day in and day out." I prodded him towards the gate. "Anyone who knows what they are looking at will know that this building is under the protection of the Dark Brotherhood. Everyone else will see an odd mark upon the wall."

"You didn't have to hurt yourself, did you?" He pressed.

"It was faster than painting the print upon the wall, and pain can be ignored." I replied. Upon reaching the gate we were hailed by a guard.

"Where are you taking the boy, Elf?" He spat out the last word as though it left a foul taste in his mouth.

"I am escorting him to the carriage, which he will ride back to Riften." I explained.

"Likely story, Elf." He sneered. "You, boy! Did this Elf hurt you?"

"Of course not! She's been taking care of me. She brought me food and clothes and books and everything." Aventus frowned up at the guard.

"What is the problem, guardsman?" I asked tiredly. "I have business elsewhere that I must attend to." The guard did not answer me, but flagged down one of his comrades.

"I have to stay at my post, but he can escort the both of you to the carriage and make sure that you're not up to something." I rubbed my brow and sighed.

"I care not who accompanies us. I am delayed enough as it is." I pushed past the guard and walked through the gates. I heard the second guardsman hurry to catch up with us.

"What d'you think that was about?" Aventus asked.

"Do you." I corrected absentmindedly. "What that was 'about' is undignified and uncalled for."

"I don't get it." He replied.

"They are prejudiced against me because I am an elf and a woman." I answered, my upper lip curled.

"They're what?"

"They dislike and mistrust me because of who and what I am." I explained. "Relations between men and mer have always been… tense, but the Great War served to make said relations worse than before." When I had been in Hammerfell, I had nearly been killed on sight because of the shape of my ears. I had not been left alone in all of the time I fought with them. I had needed to resort to feeding upon my guards whenever I was able. It was during that time that I had perfected my Sleep spell.

"That doesn't make any sense." Aventus replied.

"Men rarely do." I agreed. We arrived at the stables and the carriage. Aventus climbed into the back, and I continued towards the driver. "You will take the boy to Riften." I stated, handing him some septims. "He will pay you the rest when you arrive." The driver nodded, accepting the coins. I walked back to Aventus and handed him the dagger I had purchased in Riverwood. "Keep this hidden, but close at hand." I whispered. His eyes widened as he took it from me.

"Thank you." He replied. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be an –" He cut himself off with a glance at the guard. "I'm gonna be just like you, so I can help lots of children."

"If that is your wish, then you must train." I told him. He hid the dagger beside the coin purse and sat down. "Take care, Aventus." I stepped back from the wagon and called out to the driver. He flicked the reins, putting the carriage into motion.

"'Bye, Lycoris!" He called, waving. I raised a hand in response, then turned towards the guard.

"Are you to escort me to my destination, as well? Or is this far enough?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Where are you headed?" The guard demanded.

"That is none of your concern." I informed him. I then turned on my heels and walked away, following the road west.


"Speak to Madanach, in the city of Markarth, in the province of Skyrim." Far easier ordered than accomplished. Once I entered Markarth, I headed directly to the inn. There was a commotion behind me, but I paid it no attention. I sat down at the bar and ordered a drink, then proceeded to ask after the local rumours. Forsworn activity, shrine of Azura, a beggar was kicked out of the Temple of Dibella, and the Hall of the Dead was closed, whatever that might be.

"There's a Vigilant of Stendarr in town." The barkeep mentioned. "He's just on the street, outside the abandoned house." While that information was helpful, there was nothing else of note. I frowned into my drink. No mention of the Dark Brotherhood, the Black Sacrament, or a man named Madanach. I finished my drink and left the inn, nearly running over a man on my way out.

"Gods. A woman attacked right in the street." The man shook his head. "Are you all right? Did you see what happened?"

"I only just arrived. I must have missed it." I shrugged. The man frowned for a moment before holding out a slip of parchment.

"Oh, I think you dropped this. Some kind of note. Looks important." I made no move to take it.

"I did not drop it." I told him.

"Well, it's not mine. It must be yours." He waved the note at me, waiting for me to accept it. I stifled a sigh and accepted the note.

Meet me at the Shrine of Talos.

"When?" I asked, looking up, but the man was gone. I pocketed the note with a noise of disapproval. It was still early in the day, and thus I decided to wander the city. The man had piqued my interest, and it would do no harm to see what he wanted from me. On the other hand, however, I knew that there were Thalmor within the city. If the shrine was still open, which it appeared to be, it was likely an ill-laid trap for Talos worshippers. I avoided the main thoroughfare and the Vigilant, opting to take the 'scenic route' through the city. For obvious reasons I had no love for his kind. While I greatly wished to slay him, I could not do so in broad daylight. Not with a contract on the line. While it had not been the Viglilants who had taken my first true family from me, it had been men and women like him who had slain them. I stopped at the alchemical supplies store, purchasing ingredients and creating a handful of potions and poisons. I kept the potions and sold the poisons. From there I travelled to the Jarl's Keep, Understone.

"What are you hiding, priest?" A man demanded as I entered. A Nordic man was arguing with a man wearing Arkay's robes. The two men argued back and forth for a few minutes, and the Nord left. I approached the priest.

"If it's about the Hall of the Dead, no, you can't go in there." The priest informed me.

"What is the Hall of the Dead?" I asked. "I have never heard of such a thing."

"New to Skyrim?" He asked, and I nodded. "I was confused at first, too. The Nords call their mausoleums the Hall of the Dead. It's where people in the city are buried. Fathers. Forefathers. Mothers. Foremothers." I blanched. Barbarians, all of them.

"That Nord did not seem pleased with you." I commented, nodding in the direction the other man had left in.

"I can't talk about it. Rest assured, the Jarl hears everyone's concerns. You will be able to visit the dead again soon."

"Bosmer do not inter their dead in such a manner. I am not here to visit kin." Nor would I, even if they had been. "It seems that there may be a problem. For a price, I may be able to assist you."

"I was going to suggest the Jarl hire someone to sort this mess out, anyway." The priest shrugged. Someone, or something, had been eating those interred within the Hall of the Dead. The priest had been unable to discover the culprit thus far. I agreed to look into the matter. The priest gave me the key and bade me to be cautious. I followed him to the door leading into the Hall and entered, leaving the priest outside. I locked the door behind me and took a few steps forward.

"Not many would walk blindly into a crypt, smelling of steel and blood, but not fear." A voice intoned, echoing off the stone walls. "I feel the hunger inside of you. You see the dead and your mouth grows wet. Your stomach growls." Anyone who knew anything about the Bosmeri religion would know that my kind were cannibalistic. The practice had mostly fallen out of favour, but there were still some few who followed the Green Pact to the letter. "It's all right. I will not shun you for what you are. Stay. I will tell you everything you have forgotten." I raised a brow. I had forgotten nothing. The people to whom I had been born were among the few who still practiced cannibalism, and I had remained with them until I had been sold into slavery, a transgression I had never forgiven. I heard footsteps and a woman walked into my line of sight. "You were young when you first tasted human flesh, weren't you? A brother or sister had died? An accident, of course."

"You are correct on the first count, but not the second." I replied. "I was raised on the flesh of the dead." I had, for the most part, curbed my appetites whilst travelling. Although I did not need to partake, but there was nothing quite like feasting on the flesh of someone you killed. The woman rose a brow.

"It isn't often that I meet someone who admits to their appetites." She commented. "Most of our kind block out the memory of their first meal. The shame is too much."

"I presume it because of you that the priest has closed the Hall?" I asked. "Rather bold of you."

"We have a sanctuary. A place where we can sate our appetites without judgement. It's inside Reachcliff Cave. But the dead have stirred from their slumber recently, and I was forced here." She explained. "If you would like, meet me there. We can fight our way to Namira's embrace together." I should have known that Daedra would be involved. However, Namira was, overall, not the worst Prince one could worship.

"Where is this cave?" I asked. The woman beamed and gave me directions.

"Until then, tell the people of Markarth their dead won't be disturbed, anymore. We have bigger plans ahead."

"I will not be able to go immediately. I have business in Markarth that has been put off for far too long already."

"Perhaps I can help you." She purred, stepping towards me.

"What can you tell me of a man called Madanach?" I asked, and her eyes widened.

"The King in Rags? He's in Cidhna Mine. Has been for twenty-some-odd years."

"Once my business with him is complete, I shall find this cave and assist you." I promised. It had been a long time since I had consumed the flesh of the dead.

"You're not going to kill him, are you?" She demanded, and I shook my head.

"No. I need only speak with him." She must be one of the Reach women, a member of the Forsworn I had heard so much about.

"Good. I am Eola, by the way."

"I am Lycoris." I replied. "Where is this mine?" The woman laughed.

"It's not quite as simple as that. It's a prison, right here in the city. No one's ever escaped from it." I smiled grimly.

"I have heard that statement afore, and it has not stopped me. I need to know everything about this prison."


Once Eola and I parted ways I informed the priest I had dealt with the issue. He thanked me profusely, handing me his amulet in pay. I left the Keep, re-entering the city. After a short time wandering I located the shrine to Talos. I was not surprised to see that the man was not yet there. He likely wished to wait for the cover of darkness, which was not for a few hours yet. I cast an Invisibility spell upon myself and sat upon the floor, thinking over what Eola had told me of Cidhna Mine. From the sounds of things, it would be difficult to sneak in, and even more so to leave. I would need to do both twice. I could perhaps commit a small crime and have myself thrown into the prison, but I did not wish to serve a sentence of any form. It would also inspire little confidence in my skills as an assassin were I to be tossed in as a prisoner. I knew not exactly how much time had passed when I heard the door to the shrine creak open. I rose to a crouch, summoning a Bound Bow and recasting Invisibility. I dispelled the Bow when I saw that it was the man from earlier. He walked down the ramp into the shrine, his back turned to me.

"You wished to see me?" I stood and dispelled my Invisibility. The man jumped and spun about to face me.

"Divines, you startled me!" He put a hand on his chest. "Don't do that to people!"

"I say again: you wished to see me?" I repeated, putting a hand on a hip. He nodded.

"I'm sorry to drag you into Markarth's problems, but after that attack in the market, I'm running out of time." He looked over me, head to toe and back up. "You're an outsider. You're dangerous looking. You'll do."

"I'll not do a thing lest you explain." I snapped.

"You want answers? Well so do I. So does everyone in this city. A man goes crazy in the market. Everyone knows he's a Forsworn agent. Guards do nothing. Nothing but clean up the mess." He gesticulated as he spoke. "This has been going on for years, and all I've been able to find is murder and blood. I need help." He sighed, lowering his arms. "Please. You find out why that woman was attacked, who's behind Weylin and the Forsworn, and I'll pay you for any information you bring me." I folded an arm across my chest, holding my chin in my other hand. I needed to complete my contract, but at the moment, I could not think of a way to enter the Mine. I also needed coin.

"Very well." I answered. "What can you tell me of the woman who was attacked?"

"Margret? She wasn't from Markarth. The air about her screamed 'outsider'. Visitors to the city usually stay at the Silver-Blood Inn. It's just off the main market, you'd have seen it when you entered the city."

"I know where it is." I told him. "What can you tell me of her attacker? This man Weylin, I presume?" He nodded.

"He was one of the smelter workers. I used to have a job down there myself, casting silver ingots. I never knew much about Weylin, except he lived in the Warrens, like all the other workers. It's just under the road, when you turn left after exiting the shrine."

"Will you be here through the night? Or should I meet you somewhere else?"

"No, we'll meet here. I won't be going anywhere, not for a while."

"I will return once I have found sufficient evidence." I told him. I walked up the ramp and exited the shrine. I went to the inn first and asked the innkeeper about Margret. He informed me that she had been staying in his best room, rented through until the end of the month. I rented it in turn, paying him a few extra septims to look the other way. He handed me the key and I went to the room to search it. I found the woman's diary in the night table. Margret had been an agent of General Tullius', sent to procure the deed to Cidhna Mine. She suspected that the Mine's owner, Thonar Silver-Blood, was beginning to suspect that she was not who she claimed to be. I put the diary into my pack and exited the room. I asked one of the inn's wait staff about the Silver-Blood family. They were all, apparently, avid supporters of Ulfric, as well as the owners of nearly everything in the Reach. They ran the Treasury House, which, from the explanation, I took to be a usurer's place of sorts. The young man gave me directions to the place and I handed him a septim before leaving. As I exited the inn I was halted by a guard.

"You. I've seen you snooping around. Asking questions."

"I did not realize that asking questions was illegal in Markarth." I snarked.

"Back off. You don't want to know what happens to troublemakers here." He growled.

"I find myself curious. What does happen to outsiders in Markarth?" I folded my arms across my chest and smiled. It was more a baring of teeth than a smile, however. The guard shook his head.

"This is your last warning, outsider. We keep the peace, here. Stay out of our business." He stormed off, and I kept my eyes on him until he passed out of my sight. I was not very impressed. Someone – a well-paying someone – felt threatened by me. From what I had learned in Margret's diary, I had a good idea of whom it might be. I climbed the stairs across from the inn and headed for the Treasury House. A young Reach woman was behind the counter within, and I approached her.

"The Treasury House is really just for patrons of the Silver-Blood family." The woman informed me. "You don't belong here."

"I need to speak with your employer." I replied, looking around. "Is he here?"

"I'm afraid he's asked to not be disturbed. He has important business."

"Business?" I smirked, raising a brow. I handed the young woman a hundred septims and she gave me a small smile.

"Go right on in." She shook her head over her right shoulder, towards my left. I nodded my thanks and made my way further into the building. There was a set of stairs that lead to a door in the back, and I made my way up them. I opened the door, letting myself in.

"What are you doing here?" An older Nord man demanded, sitting at the table. "I told them no visitors." I sat down across from him at the table.

"Someone in Markarth does not like 'outsiders'." I drawled. "First the Imperial woman, Margret, was slain. Poorly, might I add. And tonight, as I left the inn, I was approached by a guard. All for asking a few simple questions."

"You mean the Imperial agent?" Thonar scoffed. "How many dogs is the Empire going to send after me?"

"That does not explain the guardsman you set on me." I leaned back in the chair.

"That's what happens around here when people don't mind their business. You're lucky you got a warning at all." He sneered. "This is my city. You Empire-lovers should learn to stay out of it."

"For the Forsworn!" A voice called out, causing both Thonar and I to leap from our respective seats.

"What? By the Gods, Betrid!" Thonar drew a sword and ran down the stairs. I followed more slowly. Two of the servants had drawn weapons, and were attacking those within the Treasury House. The young woman I had spoken to was crouching behind the counter, tears streaking down her cheeks. A Nord woman had been slain, and the older, female servant was in the process of raising her as an undead thrall. I was rather impressed with her spellwork. It was not an easy spell to cast. Thonar cried out and launched himself at the woman, while I stayed out of the way. A Nord man came running down from the other side of the building, also brandishing a blade. He, at least, was wearing armor. However, body armor does not help when one catches an Ice Spike to one's face. Thonar, having slain the woman, turned on the man. He was slashed by the man's dagger across the face, but slew him regardless. Thonar, breathing heavily, dropped his sword and fell to his knees beside the Nord woman's corpse. "My wife. They killed her." I walked down the stairs and walked past him, turning back around to look down at him. "Damn Madanach. Damn his Forsworn backside." I folded my arms across my chest, drumming my fingers against my arm.

"Tell me of Madanach and the Forsworn."

"They're my puppets. I have their 'king' rotting in Cidhna Mine. He was supposed to keep them under control." I raised my brows and stilled my fingers.

"You bargained his life for his army."

"When their uprising was crushed, I had Madanach brought to me. He was a wild animal, but a useful one. I offered him a stay from execution if he used his influence to deal with any annoyances that came up. Competitors, agents, idiots." I nodded to myself.

"Your own army of assassins." I commented. "I shall see myself out."

"You and Madanach are animals!" He shouted after me. "I'll see you both rot in Cidhna Mine for this!" I left the Treasury House and walked across the bridge to the shrine of Talos. I highly suspected that Thonar was the one Madanach wished to see dead, and after what I had learned, I would not blame him if it were the case. The man was still within the shrine, I was pleased to see.

"Thonar Silver-Blood." I stated, closing the door behind me. "He gave Madanach his life to be his hidden blade."

"What? I didn't think… we have to get out of here!" The man's eyes were wide with fright as I walked down the ramp. "I have a wife, a child on the way –" I cast Invisibility on him.

"You should have thought, then." I replied. "I believe that the guards are in his employ. Hide here, wait for a few hours, and then leave the Reach. Change your names." Something was pressed into my hands, and from the weight, it was a fair amount of coin. I shook my head and pressed it back into his hands. "You will need it far more than I." I guided him behind the shrine and pushed him into a crouch. I could not see him, but I could hear his heart pounding.

"You found out what I asked –" The door to the shrine creaked open and I held a finger to my lips before walking back to the base of the ramp. A handful of guards stood in the doorway.

"We warned you, but you just had to go and cause trouble. Now we have to pin all these recent murders on you. Silence witnesses. Work. Work. Work." The guard looked around. "Where's Eltrys?"

"I did not know that was the name of the man who hired me. I do not know where he is."

"We had a nice little deal going between Thonar and Madanach until the two of you started snooping around. Well, you wanted to find the man responsible for those killings? You'll have plenty of time with the King in Rags when you're in Cidhna Mine." I sighed. This was not how I had wanted events to play out. However, if I slew these guards, there would simply be more waiting for me outside. I had no wish to go through Markarth and slay all the guards.

"Very well, then." I held out my arms, palms facing each other.


I was stripped of my pack and armor and given rags to wear in their stead. The guards then led me further into the mine and pushed me through a small hole in the floor. It was not a long drop, and I landed on my feet. I landed in a small room with a cot and a bucket in one of the corners. An Orcish woman was waiting for me.

"All right, prisoner. Eyes front. You're in Cidhna Mine, now, and we expect you to earn your keep. There's no resting your hide in a cell in this prison. Here, you work. You'll mine ore until you start throwing up silver bars. You got it?" I remained silent. "Good. Now get down there." She gave me a shove as I walked past. Looking back, I saw that someone from above the hole had lowered a rope ladder for her to climb out. There were tunnels leading off from the main room at the bottom of the ramp, where a Reach man sat beside a fire and an Orcish man stood beside a cell door. Behind that door was where I suspected Madanach was. There would be no way to sneak past the Orc, however. I wondered if I might not be able to seduce him… but if he held actual loyalty to Madanach, that would do nothing, and I did not intend to remain for very long.

"What are you in for, new blood?" I looked towards the man seated beside the fire, who had spoken.

"Asking too many questions." I replied with a smirk. "I need to see Madanach." The man's brows rose.

"If you're asking that, you're the new lifer. Tough luck, friend. Those guards sold you out but good." I nodded in agreement. "No one talks to Madanach, I'm afraid. Not without getting past Borkul the Beast." I flicked my eyes over his shoulder to the Orc, then back to him. He nodded. "You don't want to talk to Borkul the Beast. Heard he ripped a man's arm off and beat him to death with it. He's old-fashioned like that."

"Then I suppose it is a good thing I am not a man." I continued past him towards the Orc. I caught the man's shake of his head as I walked past.

"The new meat. So soft. Tender." The Orc leered at me. "What was it like, killing your first one, huh?" I smiled, remembering the event.

"The best day of my life, in actuality." The Orc's leer turned into a wide smile.

"A true killer, like me. The Gods put us here to fill their halls with souls. You'll fit in fine down here."

"I have need to speak with Madanach." I informed him. The Orc rose a brow.

"You want to talk to the King in Rags? Fine. But first you got to pay the toll." I folded my arms across my chest and waited for him to continue. "How about you get me a shiv? Not that I need one, but it's nice to have in case I need to do some 'shaving'." He chuckled darkly.

"Let me through." I growled, glaring up at him.

"Those eyes…" He said softly. "All right, killer, go on through." He opened the door. I made to walk through it, but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. "Don't try anything. Madanach knows more than you think." I shook the Orc's hand off and walked through the tunnel. At the end was a room-like cave, complete with a bed and desk. A man I presumed to be Madanach sat at the desk, writing a letter. A Magelight hovered above his head.

"Well, well. Look at you." The man spoke, turning his chair to look at me. The Nords have turned you into an animal. A wild beast caged up and left to go mad. So, my fellow beast, what do you want? Answers about the Forsworn? Revenge for trying to have you killed?"

"I apologize for the delay." Madanach rose a brow. "The Night Mother has heard your pleas and relayed them to me."

"The Dark Brotherhood is only getting here now?" Madanach fumed.

"There have been… staffing issues, of late." I admitted.

"The only way you could get in here was getting thrown in? Really?" He asked. Were I younger, I might have flushed.

"It was the simplest way." I demurred. "A contract has been asked for, and I am here."

"Much good it does." He scoffed. "How do you plan on getting out?"

"This is not the first time I have been somewhere deemed 'inescapable'." I answered. "There will be a way out." Madanach studied me.

"You're not exactly what I'd think of as an assassin." He commented.

"I do not see what bearing that has on our discussion." I folded my arms across my chest.

"What do you know about the Forsworn?" He asked.

"Very little. I have no argument with your people if yours have none with me. Why do you ask?"

"You're one of us now, don't you see? A slave. The boot of the Nord stepping on your throat. Maybe if you understood that, I could help you." My lip curled.

"I know far more about being a slave then you ever will." I spat. "I was a slave, a true slave, for nearly as long as you have been alive. You know nothing of slavery." Madanach's brows rose.

"That mightn't have been the best of terms." He conceded. "It's not quite slavery, what my people go through under the Nord's thumbs, but almost."

"You wish something of me, other than the contract. What is it?" I demanded.

"Straight to the point, then. There's a man named Braig inside these mines. Besides me, he's been here the longest. Tell him I sent you. Ask him why he's here. I want you to know how widespread the injustice of Markarth is."

"You wish to win me over, to fight on your side." I observed. "Why? I am here to accept and carry out a contract."

"I have a way out." He confessed, and I rose a brow. "I have for some time."

"Then why remain?" I pressed. "It seems foolish, to me."

"With next to no allies on the outside, and without a guarantee that Thonar would end up dead?" Madanach shook his head and looked away. "That would have been foolish."

"I thought it was him." I put my chin in my hand. "You seek the Dark Brotherhood as an ally?"

"I did, once. I can't say I'm very impressed with your performance just yet." He growled.

"Unless you wish for me to slay your companions, there is little I can do to 'impress' you." I pointed out.

"Don't do that." He barked.

"I did not say that I would." I replied. "I will go and speak to Braig." Madanach nodded and returned to his writing. I left the cell and asked Borkul where to find Braig. The Orc pointed towards one of the tunnels. I followed the tunnel to its end, where I found a man mining.

"Don't reach for a shiv around me, or we'll both regret it." The man called over his shoulder.

"Madanach asked that I speak with you." I informed him, staying a few paces away from him.

"He wants me to tell you my story, huh? Everyone in Cidhna Mine has a tale… let's hear yours first. When was the first time you felt chains around your wrists?"

"Young," I snarled, "and that is all I will say on the matter."

"What about a family? Anyone waiting for you on the outside?" He pressed. He had stopped mining, and was now leaning against the rocky wall.

"None of blood." I had made sure of that, long ago.

"I had a daughter, once." He stated. "She'd be twenty-three this year. Married to some hot-blooded silver worker, or maybe on her own learning the herb trade." His voice hardened as he continued. "The Nords didn't care who was or wasn't involved in the Forsworn Uprising. I had spoken to Madanach once, and that was enough." The man sighed. "But my little Aethra didn't want to see her Papa leave her. She begged the Jarl to take her instead. And after they made me watch as her head rolled of the block, they threw me in here anyway, to dig up their silver." His voice broke as he nearly sobbed, and I decided in that moment that I would slay the Jarl of Markarth, contract or no. "Every family in the Reach has a story like mine. There are no innocent onlookers in this struggle. Just the guilty and the dead." Braig took up his pickaxe once more and turned his back to me, returning to work. I stormed through the tunnel back to Madanach.

"How many children were slain when the Nords retook Markarth?" I demanded upon my return. Madanach turned once more from his writing to face me.

"You've spoken to Braig." He observed.

"You did not answer my question." I snapped.

"Honestly? I don't know. It wasn't just us that Ulfric –"

"Ulfric Stormcloak?" I interrupted.

"Yes. You didn't know?" He asked.

"No, I did not." I curled my hands into fists and forced them to my side.

"Imagine hearing a story like that, over and over. Each time a different family. Each time a different injustice."

"Tell me that there is someone in these mines that I am allowed to kill." I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms.

"As a matter of fact, there is." Madanach smiled and clasped his hands in his lap. "Grisvar the Unlucky." I turned on my heel and left Madanach once more. There was only one tunnel through which I had not yet gone, and it was down this one that I walked.

"Which of you is Grisvar?" I demanded of the pair of men. The Nord leaning against the wall slowly raised his hand. "Leave us." I snapped at the Reach man, who fled nearly before the words had left my mouth.

"Wh-what do you need?" Grisvar stammered.

"I am extremely outraged at the moment. I need a means of which to release my anger, and Madanach guided me in your direction." The man relaxed slightly upon hearing my words.

"I think I might be able to help with that." He levered himself off of the wall and stepped towards me.

"More than you may think." I answered. I raised a fist and punched him in the gut. My anger combined with my vampiric strength nearly threw him the length of the room. Grisvar fell to the ground, winded. I walked over to him and hit him in the ribs with my shin. I felt one of his ribs crack and he was thrown into the wall. "This is rather boring." I commented. "I should have expected this, seeing as you have been incarcerated for Y'ffre knows how long." I considered dragging it out further. I could, quite literally, tear him limb from limb if I wished to. However, doing so would attract far more attention than I needed. I grabbed Grisvar's ankle and pulled him off of the wall so he wall lying on his back. I raised my foot and brought it downwards, crushing his chest. I left, every other step making a small squishing sound. The man I had sent out of the tunnel stood beside the man seated at the fire. I was still angry. I would need to fight something that was not so easily slain if I were to completely calm down. I could feel the eyes of the three men in the main chamber of the mine watching me as I returned to Madanach. "Grisvar has been slain." Madanach eyed my bloodied foot.

"Do you need healing?" He asked.

"It is not my blood. Also, if I had, I could have taken care of it myself." I could hear someone approaching from behind and I turned to face the tunnel entrance.

"Boss, Odvan says that she killed Grisvar." Borkul reported.

"I told her she could." Madanach replied.

"She – you – stomped a hole in his chest." Borkul looked over at me.

"I am aware of that fact." I folded my arms across my chest. The Orc looked me over, perhaps reassessing his opinion of me.

"You're all right." He stated, a small smile upon his lips.

"Gather the others. It's time we left this place." Madanach ordered. Borkul saluted, fist to chest, and left. Madanach rose from his desk and extinguished the Magelight. He was a few inches taller than I was, which did not surprise me. Because of my short stature I tended to be underestimated, which suited my purposes. Madanach gestured for me to lead the way through the tunnel, which I did. There were a handful of men waiting in the main chamber. Odvan or Borkul must have related how I had killed Grisvar, for the Reach men all took at least one step back upon seeing me. Borkul, however, did not. He shot me another grin.

"What's going on, Madanach?" The man who had been sitting by the fire asked. "You wouldn't have old Grisvar killed unless you weren't planning on needing him."

"My brothers, we have been here long enough. It's time to leave Cidhna Mine and continue our fight against the Nords. Through the gate just beside my quarters is a tunnel. A tunnel that leads right through the old dwarven ruins of Markarth, into the city." Madanach looked around the room, meeting the gaze of each of his men. "What do you say, my brothers?"

"The Reach belongs to the Forsworn!" They chorused. Madanach smiled broadly and looked over at me.

"I say you've earned an early pardon. Let's go." I followed immediately after Madanach, who led us towards his hidden tunnel. There was a dwarven metal door past the gate.

"Have you ever tested the tunnel?" I asked.

"I know where it leads." Madanach replied, sounding affronted.

"I do not doubt that. I ask if you have cleared it of any of its inhabitants."

"Ah. No, I have not."

"Then I shall go first. Wait for a minute, then follow."

"I didn't realize we'd bonded so well." Madanach tried to nudge me with his elbow, but I moved away from him.

"We have done nothing of the sort. You still have a contract to give me." I pushed open the dwarven door. "One minute." Madanach nodded and I closed the door behind me. I cast Invisibility upon myself with one hand, and summoned a Bound Bow with the other before proceeding through the tunnel. There was layer upon layer of spider webs, which did not surprise me. I made my way down the tunnel, listening carefully for the spiders and whatever else lived within the tunnel. There were three spiders, who were easily dispatched. Large spiders were nearly as easy to kill as small ones, if one was a decent archer. An arrow to the eye will kill anything, no matter its size. Madanach and the others caught up with me not long after. "The point of you waiting for a minute was for you to remain a minute behind me." I informed him, dispelling both my Invisibility and Bow.

"If you had reached Kaie before I did, however, she might have attacked you." He replied.

"Do not walk in front of me. That applies to all of you." I raised my voice so the others would hear.

"Yes, ma'am." One of them answered. We encountered a pair of dwarven machines. I had read of them, but never before seen one. I called a Thunderbolt spell to hand, and shot it at the one on my left. Thankfully, I did not miss, but it did not kill the thing. The construct advanced upon me and I rolled out of the range of its blade, calling another spell to hand. Once I was standing again, I threw another Thunderbolt at it. The construct collapsed, falling into several pieces. The other men had taken care of the other construct with little trouble. The seven of us continued through the tunnel, encountering no more enemies. A Reach woman waited for us at the end of the tunnel.

"I've brought what you asked for." She gestured with one hand towards a large satchel on the floor.

"Good work." Madanach embraced the woman while the other men went through the larger satchel. The woman, whom I assumed must be the Kaie Madanach had mentioned earlier, handed me a small satchel. "Kaie recovered all the things the Nords stole from you. You'd better get ready before we head out into the city." I breathed a sigh of relief at seeing my armor again.

"Thank you." I said to the woman as I dressed. I had long ago been broken of any modesty I once had. Removing the rags and dressing in my armor affected me not in the least. I heard someone draw in a sharp breath when I removed the 'shirt' I wore, and I assumed that they had seen my scars. Or, perhaps, the brand upon my right shoulder blade.

"You weren't exaggerating." I heard Madanach murmur.

"I do, on occasion, lie. However, I avoid exaggeration wherever and whenever I can." I informed him. I suspected that he did not mean for me to hear him.

"Here, take this." I turned to look at Madanach, my ragged shirt still in my hands. "It's blessed with the old magicks. Something to remember me by." I took the offered garments and held the armor up to my chest.

"Whomever made this intended for it to go to someone with a larger frame than mine." I observed. "I'll not be able to wear it 'til I have it altered." I put the gift into my pack and slipped into my leathers. I let out a sigh and ran my hands over the leathers before strapping the armor pieces on. "Now. Tell me who you summoned me for." Kaie frowned at me, then turned her eyes to Madanach.

"Not just yet." Madanach demurred. "That depends on who we find outside."

"Very well. If we encounter any guards on our way out, which I suspect we may, we will not have time to speak further. Where will I find you after?"

"Druadach Redoubt. It's northeast of Markarth. Do you have a map?" I handed it to him, and he marked the location. "I'll see you there in a few days' time, then."

"If that is what you wish." I took the map back. "Or, I could simply travel with you."

"Your name in Markarth would be ruined." Madanach warned me.

"I cannot see myself returning to this place outside of business." I replied.

"All right." Madanach bowed his head for a moment. "Let's get going, then."


The eight of us slaughtered our way through Markarth. Any who did not raise a blade were unharmed and allowed to flee. This was the case with most everyone outside of the guards and what remained of the Silver-Bloods and their associates. It was still dark out, and my hood was up, so unless I returned to Markarth in the same armor it was unlikely that I would be arrested. Madanach made a point of entering the Treasury House and slaying all those within who raised a blade. I did not see the Reach woman from the last time I had been there, which called Eltrys to mind. For a moment I wondered if he had escaped, then shrugged it off. It made no difference whether or not I concerned myself over it. We made camp a few hours outside Markarth. Even though the men had not been inactive whilst in prison, they were still unused to such physical labor. It had been years since any of them had walked this distance, or for this amount of time. Kaie and I took the first watch, as we were the least tired.

"What did you mean?" Kaie asked me, once the men had settled down. "Back in the mine, when you asked who he summoned you for."

"If Madanach sees fit to tell you then you will know, and no sooner than that." I replied. "My business is with him alone." She did not seem to like my answer, but she did not pry further. The night passed, and Kaie woke the two men who were to take the next watch before retiring for the night. I was still not tired, so I did not. I could have slept, but I chose not to. I could remain awake for days upon end. At the end of a week, I would be as tired as a non-vampire would after having stayed awake for two days. At the end of said week I could have a night's rest and be fully functional in the morn. I did not need more sleep to balance the time in which I had been awake. It made travelling alone simpler.

"Thank you for your discretion." Madanach said. I looked over my shoulder to see that he was awake and standing behind me.

"Late I may be, but were I indiscreet I would have been dead many times afore now." I scoffed, looking skyward.

"Yes, well, thank you all the same." I remained silent. "She's my daughter."

"You do not wish for your family to know of your not-quite-legal dealings." I hypothesised.

"No, we have quite a different take on the Brotherhood than the rest of the world." He replied.

"Thonar Silver-Blood is dead. I assume it was for him that you contacted me." I commented.

"Yes." Madanach lowered himself onto the grass beside me. "From what Thonar said, it sounds like his brother Thongvor was killed earlier."

"I would not know." I replied. "I was never introduced to the man."

"I wanted you to kill the Silver-Bloods, and they're all dead." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It looks like you came all the way out here for nothing."

"On the contrary, I learned a great deal." I countered. "My cover for coming to Skyrim was to join the Stormcloaks. However, knowing what I do now, that is no longer my intention."

"Would you kill him for me?" Madanach asked, and I smiled.

"Perhaps. Surrounded by guards as he no doubt will be, it will not be an easy contract."

"And a great deal of coin." Madanach conceded. "What about Igmund?"

"Who is Igmund?" I looked over at him.

"The Jarl of Markarth." He informed me.

"I had already planned on doing so." I admitted. "After learning that he condones the murder of children, I have decided that he no longer deserves to live."

"I can live with that." Madanach looked up at the stars. "I never realized how beautiful they were."

"That is what happens when something is taken from you. You do not realize how much you miss a thing until it is gone."

"I didn't think you would hear what I said earlier." Madanach confessed. "About exaggerating." He explained, once I raised a brow at him.

"I thought as much." I looked back at the stars.

"That brand... that's Daedric lettering, if I'm not mistaken."

"Which you are not." I replied.

"Those were only used in Morrowind, when the slave trade was still legal. Which means you're a lot older than you look."

"I am three hundred and fifty years old, if you must know." I told him. "Nearly three hundred and fifty one, now."

"How long?" He asked quietly.

"The better part of fifty years." I replied, just as quietly. We sat in silence for a time.

"I can't believe – I never even asked you your name." I saw Madanach shake his head out of the corner of my eye.

"Lycoris." I heard something move in the brush and quickly cast Detect Life, only to see that it was a fox. "You should rest more. There is a long walk ahead of us." I told him, rising to my feet.

"And you?" He asked. "Are you going to rest?"

"You need not worry for me. I will be perfectly fine." Once I found something to eat, but I need not tell him that. Madanach returned to his bedroll and I slipped out of camp.


We pressed on in the morning. Madanach had informed me that there was no time schedule for Igmund's demise.

"Honestly, I don't really care how long it takes. With the civil war and all, it might not be a bad thing for him to be in charge. Better him than one of Ulfric's supporters."

"Then he will live, for the time being. Tell me when you wish him slain, and it will be done." I promised. "I will be in the Reach for some time yet. I have yet to conclude all of my business in the area."

"How will I get a hold of you?" Madanach asked.

"That… is a good question." I conceded. "I suppose you could send a courier after me, but I cannot guarantee that I will receive the message quickly."

"Where do you plan on going after here?" He pressed.

"Once my business in the Reach is concluded? I have a few plans, but nothing concrete. Why?"

"If I know where you're going, it'll be easier to send a courier after you." He pointed out.

"I will find myself in Solitude at one point or another." I informed him. I then sped up, which meant that he would either cease speaking or pick up his own pace. He chose the former. I ended up walking beside Borkul.

"If you can kill a man as easily as you killed Grisvar, how'd you end up in Cidhna Mine?" He asked.

"I had a need to speak with Madanach." I answered. "Also, slaying all the guards of Markarth would not endear me to its people." He laughed.

"The Forsworn don't look at the Brotherhood the same way everyone else does." He told me.

"Madanach said much the same thing." I replied. "What of you? Do you count yourself among the Forsworn?"

"Aye, I do." He nodded. "Before you leave the Redoubt you should get someone to teach you the call signs. Might save your life out here." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. I did not know what he was talking about.

"Perhaps I shall."

"The Dark Brotherhood is damn near worshipped by the Forsworn. I don't understand a lot of it, but someone'll be able to explain it to you, if you ask." He continued. "Something about their gods."

"You call yourself Forsworn, but you do not worship their gods?" I queried.

"I don't have to worship their gods to be Forsworn." It was not long after that we arrived at the Redoubt. It was little more than a cave, but for them, it was home. I understood better than most would have. After I had slain the family I had been born into, who had sold me into slavery, I had been taken in by a coven of vampires. I had been turned at fifty-eight years. For three quarters of a century we lived in peace, keeping away from villages and farms. Another coven slaughtered the occupants of a nearby village. The local lord hired a group of mercenaries to slay any vampires they found in the area. My coven-sister and I had been hunting, which saved our lives. When we returned we saw the mercenaries still there. Their numbers had been reduced greatly, and they had been drinking. She and I slew them all. My coven-sister was slain, and I was wounded. After healing myself and taking a few days' rest I murdered the lordling in his home. I was one hundred and thirty three years old then. That night I was approached by the Dark Brotherhood. A cry rose from within the camp, and I shook myself out of my reverie.

"The Reach-King's back!" Madanach was well-loved by his people, even with the time he had been gone.

"He's brought an outsider." I heard a few murmur. I held my tongue. Madanach was still a client, and I had no desire to antagonize him or his kin.

"Da trusts her." Kaie stated. "That's good enough for me." The ones who had seemed the most ill at ease with my presence were mollified by her words. A few of the Forsworn handed out alcoholic beverages, something they called jenever. A fire was lit, a spit prepared, and a cow was slaughtered. I coated my glass with magick, chilling the jenever as I watched the Forsworn celebrate the return of their King. I was leaning against a tree, away from the celebrations.

"What's such a pretty little killer like you doing sitting all by yourself?" Borkul asked, leaning on the other side of the tree.

"Observing." I answered. Madanach himself was not dancing, though many others were. He sat on a log, laughing and drinking. Occasionally he would look skyward, smiling broadly. "I have not been to a celebration such as this in… a very long time."

"You don't drink much?"

"Not only that. I do not tend to socialize." I told him. I looked him over out of the corner of my eye. He was well-built, especially for an Orsimer. Not many would call them attractive, by any definition of the word, but I had yet to be disappointed by one.

"That's a damn shame."

"I am of a mind to rectify that. For tonight, at the very least." I tossed back the last of my jenever. "I simply need to find a partner who will be up to the task." Chilling my hand with a hint of ice magick, I took a step toward him and ran a finger down his chest. "What say you?" Moving quickly, he grabbed my upper arms and slammed me against the tree. I smiled and ran my tongue along my teeth. "Come now. Surely you can do better than that." Borkul grinned and pulled me away from the tree. He spun me about and guided me toward one of the many tents and pushed me in, following closely.