Pity

"Miraak?" The soft, feminine voice broke the former Dragon Priest out of his slumber. He was immediately irritated at being woken up and forced to feel the aches and pains of his body. Miraak had been dreaming he was not here in this icy, dark prison, but somewhere where he still had his freedom, his dignity, his everything.

Miraak would choose Apocrypha over the situation he found himself now.

The man kept his eyes closed as he heard the jingling of keys and the rattling of metal. He was exhausted, in pain and hungry. The last thing Miraak wanted was for the cause of his misery to come back.

The door screeched open after a few moments of noise. Miraak felt the Last Dragonborn's power as she stepped into his cell. The call of her soul was invigorating. He felt anger bubble up inside of him. Her soul should have been his.

"Are you awake?" The woman asked. She guessed he was but was just not reacting to her. He had done that the last time she had come here, refusing to acknowledge her presence. She had left quickly both times she had come to see him, too full of guilt to stay long. "The guards tell me you're not eating. I brought food."

Why do you care? Miraak thought to himself. Do you feel guilt? Pity? I don't want either of those things.

Not hearing his thoughts, the woman stepped closer. She paused. Miraak could smell something then, something good. His stomach growled loudly at the scent of food. His guards had brought him a meal several hours ago but Miraak had refused to eat. That slop hadn't been fit to feed a Skeever. He had thrown up the meal before that. The guards had laughed.

"Miraak?" No response. The female Dragonborn hadn't really expected one though. Miraak was likely furious with her, and he had every right to be.

The woman walked forward and sat down in front of the First Dragonborn. He still didn't move. She looked over at his form, seeing that the Skaal hadn't bothered cleaning or dressing his wounds. They had taken his robes, leaving him in thin clothing that did nothing to ward of the chill. His skin was much paler than any normal person and his wounds and bruises were more prominent because of that.

The former Dragon Priest's arms were chained around a column, his back pressed against it. A gag was around his mouth and the back of his head. She could see spots of fresh and dried blood over the material. The man's ankles were chained too, but the metal lengths were loose enough that he could move his legs. The Skaal wanted to make sure Miraak suffered and was not given any opportunity to escape until his execution. They hated the First Dragonborn with a passion.

The woman set down the tray she was holding beside her. There was a plate of fresh fruit on it, a soup made of chicken and herbs and some soft bread. The Skaal guards had given her odd looks when she brought the food with her. They wondered why she was bringing such a meal for the vile tyrant.

"Miraak." The woman called his name once more. "I know you're awake. I'm not leaving until you respond this time."

The First Dragonborn wished he could speak. If he could, he would tell this woman exactly what he thought of her. Had she not been such a fool, then he would not be here. He would have at least died with some dignity.

"Miraak… I know you're angry but I'm willing to help you." The woman was close to pleading, the guilt evident in her voice. "Just trust me this once?"

The man almost scoffed at the offer of help from the woman. A part of Miraak was even glad the Last Dragonborn felt guilt. Any sort of pain she was in was was well deserved.

But even though the First Dragonborn hated her, he knew it would be wise to listen and take whatever help he could get. Even if at this point Miraak felt like his life was meaningless. He had lost the most important part of himself, thanks to both Hermaeus Mora and his new Champion.

Miraak ended up relenting to her request. He was hungry and his mouth was watering at the thought of edible food being so close. He decided he would take her help. He would use her guilt to his advantage. He was already fantasizing of what he would do when he was free. Fantasies were all he had for the last few days.

If the Last Dragonborn was able to free him then Miraak would take his revenge. Once healed, he would kill Hermaeus's Champion for all the humiliation he faced. After that, the Skaal would face his wrath. Then he would take Solstheim once again… Though that would be unlikely, as Miraak was now. As he would be.

The First Dragonborn opened his eyes and raised his head then, knowing the woman would not leave until she got what she wanted. He blinked a few times, to focus his eyes, and then glared coldly at the woman before him.

The Last Dragonborn looked back at him sadly, before gesturing to the tray beside her. Once again, Miraak's stomach rumbled as he eyed the food.

"Will you eat something?"

Slowly losing the glare, the man sighed through his gag. He nodded. His stomach was in agony with its emptiness. Without nourishment, his body couldn't heal the multitude of wounds and bruises he still bore. His magic was useless, this prison enchanted to drain magicka.

Gently, the woman moved to untie his gag around his mouth. Miraak almost moaned in relief of having it taken out. It made his mouth painfully dry, causing his lips and the corners of his mouth to crack and bleed.

"I won't let them put this back on." The Last Dragonborn murmured softly, balling up and setting the piece of fabric beside the tray of food. Miraak said nothing in return. The warrior then focused her attention on the chains. She stood up and stepped behind Miraak. After many frustrated minutes, she had to give up. She could not unlock them, not even with her proficient skill in lockpicking.

"I can't unlock the chains from yours arms." The woman spoke as she sat back down. "I'm sorry, you're going to have to let me do this."

What was one more humiliation? Miraak was willing to go through with this to have another chance at both freedom and revenge… And to stop the constant ache of his empty stomach.

The Last Dragonborn set the tray in her lap and picked up a glass of liquid first. She barely looked at the man as she lifted the glass to his dry lips. At the first mouthful, Miraak grimaced. It was a healing potion, fairly bitter in its potentness. He drank it all down, feeling the effects almost immediately. His body began to heal as he finished the glass. It didn't fully heal him, but Miraak was relieved that it had at least healed the damage around and in his mouth. That had been the most painful.

After that, Miraak devoured his first good meal in Nirn. The Last Dragonborn looked at him as little as possible as she fed him. Embarrassed for herself and him, likely. The man didn't do the same, not caring if he was staring at her. He wanted to make her uncomfortable as he took some enjoyment from such a trivial thing.

After Miraak finished a majority of what was on the tray, she set it back on the ground. Miraak closed his eyes again, his gesture for her to leave. Instead, the Last Dragonborn moved so she was sitting beside him. Neither spoke. One because she couldn't think of what to say. The other because he couldn't .

"I'm sorry." She murmured softly from beside him. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Rage once again began to flare up inside Miraak at her apology. As if an apology would make things right. This was all her fault. Hermaeus was likely still laughing in his realm. Reveling in the pain his former Champion was now in.

"I'm so sorry they cut…" The woman trailed off once more, still horrified at what the Skaal had done. Horrified that someone could one day do it to her if they wanted to prevent her from Shouting. Her ability was a part of her now, she could not see herself without it. For Miraak it was probably more so. His Thu'um had been a part of him for thousands of years.

The Last Dragonborn's guilt brings her here to see him, Miraak knows. Forcing her to try and help him. Helpless as he was without his voice, without his tongue. No apology from her could fix this.

"If I had known what would happen, I would have never done what I did. I swear. I just wanted… I don't know what I wanted." The woman admitted. "I'll get you out tonight. I promise. You won't have to stay here much longer."

Miraak hated relying on his enemy but he had no choice. Eyes still closed, he nodded. He heard her sigh in relief.


The female Dragonborn vowed to free Miraak as she sat beside him in this cold cell. It was only right, as his situation was her fault.

The warrior should have let Hermaeus Mora kill Miraak. Instead, she had tried to intervene, feeling pity for Miraak and his situation. If she saved him, she hoped Miraak would be grateful. Maybe he would listen to her, maybe it would be the start of his change into becoming a better man. Maybe he would one day become every bit the hero she had become for Skyrim and Solstheim. There were so many things the woman had hoped would happen, if Miraak lived.

But things hadn't gone how the Dragonborn envisioned them.

Hermaeus laughed at her request and then warned her that both of them would face consequences for her decision. She would have to share some of the pain he meant for Miraak. She accepted, willing to take some punishment if it meant Miraak would live. She believed this was the right choice.

The woman didn't notice Miraak attempting to speak, wanting desperately to tell her how foolish she was. He knew Hermaeus would not let him live without making sure he suffered. Death would be the better option but he was unable to say a word before his Master began his assault.

The Daedric Prince first violently punished Miraak for defying him. His pained cries still lingered in the woman's mind when she thought about what she had witnessed. After much too long, Miraak was then ejected from Apocrypha. The Daedra had then turned his attentions on the horrified Last Dragonborn. She had screamed and lost consciousness much sooner than her rival had.

The female Dragonborn woke up in the Skaal village, wondering how she came to be here. Her body ached but she had been healed of her wounds. She got up to find Freya sitting outside her room, guarding her. The Dragonborn immediately began to question the Nord woman.

Freya explained that she had been unconscious for two days after appearing in the center of the village in a blinding flash of light. The day prior Miraak had appeared the same way but, as he was heavily injured, the Skaal had easily taken him prisoner.

The Last Dragonborn had demanded to see Miraak immediately, thankful he was still alive. It was a miracle the Skaal hadn't killed him. He was their people's enemy.

It was later that she found out what the Skaal had done. To make sure Miraak would never be a threat again, they had severed his tongue. The guards had boasted about it when she was taken down into the prisons. The woman had been appalled but none of the Skaal seemed to think what they had done was wrong. To them, the tyrant deserved his fate. He was a threat and they had taken care of it the best way they could. Never again could Miraak use his Voice to beguile the people of Solstheim.

Miraak was chained and gagged, left to sit in their icy dungeon until his execution, which was to be in several days. They were planning a celebration after his death and needed time to prepare. They knew Miraak would not be able to free himself, the prison preventing anyone from using their magicka.

The female Dragonborn hastily made her exit the first time she saw Miraak. He had sensed her and quickly turned to face her. She could feel the weight of his burning gaze and the hatred behind it.

The warrior knew then that all of this was her fault. Miraak would still die despite her efforts, but now he would die powerless and humiliated. Hermaeus had made sure to send Miraak to the people who truly hated him.

Guilty, the woman curled up in her room that night but forced herself to see Miraak again the next day. He ignored her that time. Later, she demanded the Skaal turn him over to her. They refused, saying that Miraak was their prisoner to deal with and they would deal with him the right way.

The Dragonborn then decided she would take matters into her own hand and free Miraak herself.

The former Dragon Priest couldn't do as much without his Voice. The female Dragonborn was much more powerful than him this way. And without a way to use his Thu'um, Miraak was no longer a threat to Solstheim. He was to the Skaal however. Even though the woman was angry at what they had done, she did not wish for them to die. Miraak was still a powerful mage and warrior.

The woman would need to take Miraak away from Solstheim and keep him far away from the Skaal. He would so he could not take his revenge. The Dragonborn decided she would be his keeper, preventing him from doing evil but allowing him to have some sort of life as her way of apology. She was sure she could defend against any of his attempt on her life.


"I'll get you out… I promise." The Dragonborn swore out loud, breaking the silence. "I'll make up for all this. Somehow."

Beside her, Miraak sighed in resignation, knowing he had little choice in the matter. She was his only hope out of this hell. Once he was free, he would find someway to regain the use of his Voice. Though he had never read anything in Apocrypha about regrowing parts of a body, there would have to be something, somewhere. If not, then he would create some way.

He would have his Voice back. He would not accept anything less.


Don't really know what I was doing with this once but here it is anyway. I'll admit it's kind of rushed.