Okay guys, I realize that it's been a bit since I posted and I apologize, but this chapter turned out massive and I wrote it all at once before I decided to split it into three parts. So, here you go, a little present in the form of three new chapters at once.
-JazzyKat
It was of no surprise to Ter'im the townsfolk stared at him as he limped through the town toward the alchemist's shop. He smirked under his mask and contemplated spooking the nosy passersby, but decided against the trouble it would cause with the guards.
He managed to get into the Thaumaturgist's Hut and barked out an order of shock resistance potions and potions ingredients to replace his dwindling supply. Lami, the girl tending the shop merely raised an eyebrow at him before slowly gathering his order together. The wooden door creaked open behind him and Ter'im turned around to catch sight of a stocky, but well built Nord.
"Ah, Benor, here are those Rockjoint cures you asked for." Lami called, abandoning Ter'im's potions and hurrying to give the newcomer their goods. Ter'im felt his eyebrow begin twitching and his fingertips frosted over for the briefest of seconds until he heard the Nord speak.
"Lami! I am fine and can wait. My friend here, however, cannot. I'm sure he'd like to get his potions and get back home to his spouse as quickly as possible. Besides, it's rude to abandon a customer like that."
Lami hung her head and handed Ter'im the bundle with her eyes downcast. Ter'im nodded stiffly at Benor and muttered a quiet word of thanks to Lami. Ter'im managed to make his way back outside and halfway to the Jarl's longhouse when he heard a call behind him.
"Stranger! Wait up for a moment. Let us go and grab some mead at the inn. I apologize for Lami's behavior. I do not know what has gotten into her. Ever since that house at the edge of town burned, she's been harsher and more irritable toward people."
"A bit of mead sounds wonderful, actually. Do not worry about it, Ter'im is used to being treated unkindly in this cold land. You say Lami has been worse since that house burned? Who lived in the house?"
"That my friend I do not know. But, as for the mead, only the best is served here at Moorside Inn." Benor showed Ter'im up the steps and ushered him into the warm inn. Ter'im observed the sparse crowd, his whiskers twitching under his mask as he waited on Benor to order their drinks.
At the bar, the innkeeper, Jonna, seemed quite keen on offering the town's latest scandal.
"Might suspicious that Hroggar's house burned down with his wife and kid inside and the next day, he's wrapped up in Alva's furs. Never did trust Alva, always seemed shifty to me. Oh, well, nothing much I can do about it anyway. What can I get for you two?"
Ter'im's ears perked at the gossip and made a note to inquire about Hroggar and the shifty Alva, but he pushed his interest aside long enough to order some spiced wine. Benor ordered himself the standard Nord mead and pushed Ter'im along to a table, far enough away from the wailing bard. Ter'im winced as the orc butchered a high note, pulled his mask of and fixed Benor with an incredulous stare.
Benor didn't much more than raise an eyebrow at Ter'im's bare face and simply took a sip of his mead after commenting dryly, "He sounds alright once you're drunk enough."
Ter'im wrinkled his nose and sipped at his wine, coughing at little at the sour taste. Benor patted him on the back and handed him a piece of honeybread. Ter'im nodded his thanks and dipped the bread down into his cup.
"What's his name?" Ter'im asked absently, choking when he heard Benor's answer, suddenly feeling the contract paper burning a hole in his pocket.
"Name's Lurbuk. Can't sing for much, really."
Ter'im's blood ran cold and his mind started racing even as he heard the dry harsh voice whisper through his ears, "Kill him my listener, I have commanded it."
A jolt at his elbow had Ter'im shaking the voice off and snapping back to attention to where Benor was clumsily mopping up some spilled mead. Ter'im pushed the voice out of his mind with some effort and turned his attention back to Benor.
"Perhaps you should go see the Jarl if the burned house bothers you so much, friend. I'm sure she'll have a well enough explanation to suit your needs," the Nord offered around a mouthful of horker.
Ter'im clapped Benor on the back in thanks and headed back out into the cold air. He found the Jarl's longhouse easily enough and clambered up the wooden steps as quietly as he could.
Inside as Ter'im's eyes adjusted to the change in light, he saw an imposing, stern faced woman perched in the throne.
He approached her warily, conscious of the guard posted around the room.
"Hail there stranger. What brings you to my walls this day?"
"Hail, Jarl. I have heard rumors from here to the mountains about the burned house. May Ter'im inquire about the issue?"
"You may. I myself have had my suspicions about the cause of the fire, but I have to run a hold and don't have the spare time to go investigating. Perhaps you will look into this matter for me?"
Ter'im bowed, his hand crossed over his heart. "Ter'im will find the cause of the fire. What would you have him to do should he discover the true criminal?"
"Find enough evidence and I will grant you some of my guards to hunt him down and kill him."
Ter'im nodded his head and straightened out of his bow before turning on his heel and heading outside. The sun had fallen past the horizon and Ter'im took in the quiet night for a few moments.
'Better get this done and over with then.' He muttered under his breath, ducking around the sleepy guards that were halfheartedly patrolling the city. Ter'im found his way inside the burned husk with ease and looked around the ashes on the floor. He found a couple of rings, barely touched by the heat, some ruined books, a heavy iron pot and some scraps of cloth, but nothing of any major value or any evidence.
He stepped on a loose board by chance and saw the top of a chest under the floor in the corner. Ter'im headed for it, already pulling his lockpicks loose when he felt his fur stand on end all over. Ter'im paused; his ears cocked waiting for some noise and heard the faintest whispers of a child's laughter and the roaring of a great fire. Ter'im stepped toward the chest again, against his will and this time felt a cold shudder roll down his spine.
Another step forward and Ter'im bit nearly through his tongue when he saw the form of a little girl materialize. She giggled and held out her hand to Ter'im.
"Are you gonna come play hide and seek with me? That other lady promised to come play with me, but she said it had to be night first."
"Of course I'll play with you. You just have to tell me what you can remember about your house burning. Can you do that for me?" Ter'im asked, playing along and trying to act like he wasn't scared out of his mind.
"I'm sorry mister. I can't remember that much, just that there was a lot of smoke and the cold lady was holding me. Then I woke up here. You should come find me tomorrow night and we'll play hide and seek with the cold lady!"
"Okay, little one. Ter'im will find you tomorrow night."
The girl giggled and disappeared from sight. Almost instantly the air around Ter'im was warmer, and the sounds of the marshes filtered back into the night around him. Before he slipped off to sleep Ter'im scribbled out a quick note to Ulfric and Vilkas and promised himself that he'd pay a courier in the morning. Slipping out of his armor and crawling in the furs on the bed, Ter'im let out a deep breath and settled in to sleep on what he'd learned.
