Hello, hello! Chapter 4 here! I hope if anyone has actually been reading this that they've enjoyed it so far, as I've enjoyed writing it. Reviews are always appreciated! ^^;

Anyhoo, in this chapter Grelod the Kind gets sent to Sithis.

I stared at him for a moment. This kid thought I was an assassin…? Clearly there must've been some mistake. "I'm sorry boy, but I'm not who you think I am."

Aventus gave me an odd look "Of course you are! I prayed, and you came, and now you'll accept my contract."

"Contract?"

"My mother, she... she died. I... I'm all alone now. So they sent me to that terrible orphanage in Riften. Honorhall. The headmistress is an evil, cruel woman. They call her Grelod the Kind. But she's not kind. She's terrible! To all of us! So I ran away, and came home. And performed the Black Sacrament. Now you're here! And you can kill Grelod the Kind!"

At first he sounded as if he were about to cry, but his voice then rose in excitement. I could see there was going to be no arguing with him. I'd have to go and kill this woman now. I suppressed a sigh before getting a brainwave. If I was going to kill someone, I may as well get paid for it. The coin purse Delphine had given me was beginning to get rather thin. "Assassins don't come cheap, boy."

Aventus looked a little panicked at first, but then apparently it was his turn to have a brainwave now. "I have a family heirloom you can have. It's supposed to be sort of valuable. I hope that's all right."

I nodded and left the house without another word.

Hopping out of the carriage, I approached the Riften gate.

"Hold there." Said a guard "Before I let you into Riften, you'll need to pay the visitor's tax."

Visitor's tax…? I narrowed my eyes. "What's the tax for?"

"For the privilege of entering our fine city. What does it matter?"

"This is obviously a shakedown." I stated, folding my arms.

"Alright, alright, keep your voice down!" said the guard in a quick, hushed tone "You want everyone to hear you? I'll let you in, just let me unlock the gate." He went over and unlocked the large, heavy wooden doors. "Gate's unlocked, you can head inside when you're ready."

Inside, the town was sunny and a faint smell of fish permeated the air. This was a very pleasant change from Windhelm. I walked a bit, searching for the Orphanage. It was fairly easy to find, located directly behind the market stalls.

Upon entering, I eavesdropped on the conversation coming from the room next to me.

"Those who shirk their duties will get an extra beating! Do I make myself clear?" Came an old woman's voice, like the squawk of an elderly crow.

"Yes, Grelod." Came the reply from each of the children.

"And one more thing! I will hear no more talk of adoptions! None of you riff-raff is getting adopted. Ever! Nobody needs you, nobody wants you. That, my darlings, is why you're here. Why you will always be here, until the day you come of age and get thrown into that wide, horrible world. Now, what do you all say?"

"We love you Grelod, and we thank you for your kindness." Was the unenthusiastic reply.

"That's better. Now scurry off, my little guttersnipes."

With that, Grelod retreated into her room and the children scampered outside to play. Another woman, who was apparently an assistant of some kind, began to cook a meal in a cooking pot that hung over the fire. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Cautiously, I slipped behind the woman and into Grelod's room, closing the door behind me.

She was sitting at a desk, apparently doing paperwork of some sort, with her back turned to me. I frowned slightly. If only I had a dagger, and not the clunky axe that Delphine gave me. I was going to have to be smart about this.

I swiftly employed a strip of cloth as a gag, shoving it into the confused and enraged woman's mouth. Before she got the time to properly react, she was lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. I stood there for a moment, holding the axe that still dripped with blood. I did it. I killed her.

That was actually... enjoyable somehow, I'd admit. The thrill was wonderful. I had the strangest urge to do something stupid with the blood, like paint my face with it or lick it up. I stood there a few more moments, marveling at how beautiful it was. The blood, the cut… I shook my head to clear up my head. What was wrong with me? Blood couldn't be beautiful… Could it? I wiped my axe on her dress, cleaning the blood from it and painting her green and white dress with the gorgeous shade of red. I returned the axe to its holster and then exited the Orphanage as if nothing had happened.

To my surprise, I was breathing normally. I frowned slightly. Wasn't killing wrong? Shouldn't I have felt… Guilt, or something? Strangely, I still only felt the thrill. I decided to head to the inn to drink and sleep on it, as it was getting rather dark. Surely it would all make sense in the morning… Wouldn't it?