Chapter XIII

Their first night had gone smoothly, without so much as a single unwanted visit by the local wildlife.

With the rising of the sun, they had all agreed to get going, Tam leading the way.

For Magoza, there was a deep sense of excitement. She was going to be reunited with her father, and with Valerie. Also she was going to leave Morrowind, a place that now held painful memories, not only for her, but for the two Dunmer and perhaps even Hides as well.

The group of six were heading southwards along the main road. The plan was to cross the border into Skyrim on the road to Riften. According to Tam, they should hopefully be crossing the border sometime tomorrow morning.

Llandri of course kept wanting to rest. Tam graciously had allowed it, despite Hides' concerns. Rasha shared those concerns, but to a lesser extent. Her friend Faldan on the other hand was happy to get in as many breaks as possible.

Looking across at Tam, who was dressed in the same steel-plate armour she'd had back in Skyrim; albeit without the helmet or gauntlets, Magoza found that she still couldn't quite believe she was here, that they'd run into each other as they had.

But it hadn't been a coincidence as everyone else thought. She had been led to the warehouse on the docks by the ghostly apparition that had appeared before her. She had thought the ghost was Nora, but it might not have been. Magoza couldn't even remember what the old lady in Rorikstead had looked like, let alone why a dead spectre would be helping her.

She had known the old woman for all but an afternoon. For the Nord to be haunting her, frightened Magoza no end. What did she want from her? Was her motive simply to help as she had done so far, or was there something more to it?

The Orsimer hadn't told anyone about it of course, simply because she dare not. She didn't understand it herself, and telling the others would just cause problems.

So instead, she would keep it to herself, at least for now. After all, it seemed she was the only one that could see her, and saying something might cause the others to think she'd gone mad. Though perhaps she had. A lot had happened to her relatively quickly. She'd gone from just another stronghold Orc, to fleeing for her life. Since then things had never been the same, for good and ill. Unfortunately, so far it seemed more of the latter.

Magoza turned her gaze over to the Khajiit. Before today, she couldn't recall ever laying eyes on one. From what she'd heard, she had expected her to be more beast-like, but she just looked like a hairy elf with odd eyes.

"What is it?" Rasha asked her politely.

"Nothing," Magoza replied, focusing on the road ahead.

"Sure?" she asked, getting in step with the Orc.

"Hey!" Brendarr shouted at the Khajiit. "She said it were nothing!"

"Brendarr it's okay," Magoza assured him.

"It's harassing ya for no reason."

"I'm hardly harassing her," Rasha said to him.

"I'm not speaking to you!" he shouted, continuing his unwarranted assault.

Llandri grabbed her son by the shoulder. "I don't know what's gotten into ya recently," she said heatedly. "But ya have to stop being so negative towards every person we meet!"

"Oh, come off it mother," he started. "It's a Khajiit, not a person."

"That's enough!" Llandri yelled at him. "If only yer father could see ya now."

"Don't bring him into this!" Brendarr warned, freeing himself from her grip.

"He'd be appalled by how yer behaving."

"Don't speak fer him!"

"I knew him fer twenty-three years!" She shouted back at him. "I think I can speak fer him!"

"Well don't!"

"Ye've become a hateful person!"

"I ain't!" he rebuked.

"No," she said, "I s'pose ya always were."

"What!?"

"Ya hated Magoza before she helped rescue us. But ya still hate Hides fer some reason, even though if it weren't fer him, we'd be slaves down in Blackmarsh!"

"His kind-"

"Don't start with the whole race is guilty thing, 'cause that makes both me and you slavers!"

Brendarr glared at her. Everyone had stopped walking, staring at the scene that was unfolding before them.

"I'm disappointed in ya, Brendarr."

His shoulders sagged as he looked down to the dirt. "I'm sorry, mother."

"I have nothing more to say to ya."

There was a long silence. The only sounds was the wind blowing through the trees, and the creaking of the oversized mushrooms which surrounded them.

Magoza felt awful, like it was her fault. She felt that if she hadn't stared at Rasha as she did, then none of this would have happened. Now Llandri and Brendarr had fallen out at a time when the two needed each other the most.

"Perhaps we should take a rest?" Tam suggested, a look of deep concern on her face.

"No," Llandri said dismissively. "We should keep going. We can rest when it's evening."

"Then that's what we'll do," Tam agreed. She began to walk forward, the others slowly falling in line behind her.

Brendarr scowled at Rasha, but otherwise said nothing.

"Excuse me?" Meratur asked the young dark-haired Nord woman. "Have you seen a woman, in her later thirties with long blonde hair a slightly larger than average nose, wearing Imperial armour with a hole in it around the stomach area?"

The woman blinked at him. "Sorry, but no." She quickly hurried off.

"What about a Khajiit!?" he called after her, but she was already moving behind the wall of a building, out of sight.

"Excuse me," he said as he saw a man walking at the opposite side of the street. "Have you seen a Nord woman with long blonde hair wearing Imperial armour with a hole around the stomach?"

The man glared at him. "I'm not helping you find Talos worshippers!" he said angrily before moving off.

"But I'm not," he began. But just as before, the man was moving behind a building, out of sight.

Meratur had decided to ask around, seeing if anyone had seen Valerie or the Khajiit. He was asking for them, and not Rontag as felt he'd get a less than positive result if he asked about a bearded Nord in the capital city of Skyrim.

Meratur felt as though he wasn't getting any closer to finding them. He had already asked at least two-dozen people, and none of them had seen Valerie, the Khajiit, or anything suspicious.

Some had mentioned the sound of breaking glass, but that had been Wren last night, fleeing when Durza had moved in with her sword drawn, ready to slay her where she stood.

Thinking of Wren filled him with confused feelings. He felt as though he could trust her, but knew she had proven herself untrustworthy. He cared for her as a friend, but also knew that he barely knew her.

"No one knows anything!" Durza barked as she approached him.

He turned his gaze towards her, nodding solemnly. "They've just vanished."

"I say we return to Wren's house and see if there's a hidden room."

"Why?" he asked, not understanding what Durza was insinuating.

"To see if she's using them as cattle," the Orc said as though it should be obvious to him.

Meratur shook his head vehemently, disgusted by the insinuation. "I refuse to believe she would do that!"

"How much do you know about her again?"

He kept shaking his head. "No, I cannot believe that she is capable of doing that."

"Can you risk it?"

"And if they aren't locked in a secret room?" he questioned. "We'd have wasted precious time."

"Again, can you risk it?"

"I cannot risk wasting time on a non-existent room."

"Then I will waste the time," Durza told him. "You continue your search out here."

"Fine!" Meratur relented reluctantly. "Do what you want!"

Durza placed her hand upon his shoulder and squeezed it hard, almost painfully so. "You are concerned for them, I understand that, but do not speak to me like that!"

He stared intently at her before pulling free of her grip. "I need to keep looking."

"I will be at the house if you need me," the Orc said, moving off.

Meratur turned, heading the other way, angry at what Durza had said. That's when he noticed music in the distance. He began to hurry, knowing that it was most likely the two Redguards. Perhaps they had seen something?

He stopped behind the small crowd as the two played on the stage. It wasn't long before he started pacing back and forth, his patience wearing thin.

It seemed like an eternity before the two noticed him, calling an early end to their performance. Some in the crowd complained, but they dispersed quite quickly nonetheless when it became apparent the two were not going to continue.

The two stepped down from the raised platform.

"Something wrong?" Kalon questioned. "You look worried?"

"Have you seen Rontag or Valerie?" he asked them, clutching onto the faint hope that they had.

"Not since the other day when they first arrived. I showed them to your elf friend's house."

"Have you seen them since then?"

"No, I just said. Have they gone missing?"

"Yes, sometime yesterday."

"Well I haven't seen them." He looked to Jalia. "Have you?"

She shook her head. "No, sorry."

"Dammit!"

"Have you got any ideas where they might have gone?" Kalon asked him.

"No, none at all."

"Sure they didn't just leave without saying goodbye?" Jalia asked. "Nords aren't known for their manners."

"No, we were going to head off together."

"You were leaving?"

"Yes, we were going to return to Jehanna."

"Is that in High Rock?" Kalon questioned.

Jalia rolled her eyes. "Yes, Kalon, it's in High Rock."

"Well I didn't know!"

"Can't you two stop arguing for a single moment!?" Meratur yelled at them.

The two went silent, staring at him in surprise.

"The Khajiit," Meratur said, trying to keep himself calm. "Have you seen the Khajiit that was with them?"

"No," Kalon said. "Not since they first arrived in the city."

Meratur looked around, unsure what else to do. They had vanished, and he had no clue as to where. He wondered if he was blowing this out of proportion, but something had happened to them, and it was important that he find out what.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He looked back to the two Redguards. "Have you seen any Vigilants of Stendarr?" he asked.

"No," Kalon said. "Why, do you think they might be behind it?"

"I'm not sure." He began to move away. "keep your eyes open," he said to them.

"Will do!" Jalia called back.

"I'm going home for a rest," the Altmer called back. "Just keep an eye out!"

"Okay!" Kalon shouted after him with a shrug.

Meratur quickly headed back to Wren's house. While he wanted to find the two Nords and their Khajiit friend as quickly as possible, he hoped desperately that Durza had not found anything. If she had, then it meant Wren truly was a monster, a liar and certainly not an ally of his.

The look of pain on her face said it all.

Rontag closed his eyes, not wanting to watch any longer. Something struck him in the gut, and his eyes snapped open. The High-Elf torturer glared at him.

"Close your eyes, or look away again and I will kill her!" she threatened. "Is that understood?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now, all this will end if you simply tell me the whereabouts of Taemwyn Alderin Orthar."

Rontag said nothing.

"Very well," the Thalmor said, as another stream of sparks struck Valerie, causing her to cry out in pain.

Rontag did as he was asked. He kept his eyes on his wife. Saw the agony in her eyes, tears streaming out of his own.

Earlier, when the two had been alone, Valerie had made him promise not to reveal where Tam was. He had vowed never to break another promise to his wife ever again. It appeared that perhaps making such a promise had been a mistake.

While the thought of him giving up the whereabouts of Tam sickened him, watching his wife tortured was far worse.

"I know she and the two dogs are with her!" the woman snapped. "Just tell me where, and I'll let you both go!"

"That's not going to happen," Valerie wheezed. "You get information, we die."

The High-Elf didn't look pleased. "You think you're clever? You are but a pathetic animal next to me!"

The Thalmor raised her hand ready to strike her with yet another vicious spell, when the iron door opened, the yellow head of a male Thalmor peeking in.

The High-Elf turned around. "Why are you disturbing me!?" she said with disdain.

"Elenwen, the-" The male Thalmor ducked as a fireball flew at him, barely missing his head.

"Don't say my name, fool!" she snapped.

"Apologies, but the Khajiit has escaped."

"Do I have to do everything!?" she yelled. "I thought you were supposed to have killed him while I dealt with these two?"

"Yes, but somehow he managed to slip away. The guards feigned ignorance on the whole matter. Perhaps to remove blame from themselves."

"Well they're idiots. See that they are properly punished."

He bowed his head. "Of course."

"I mean it!" she shouted. "I don't want a pathetic punishment either!"

"I will see to it."

"Just get it done, or you'll find yourself joining them!" she yelled. "Do I make myself clear!?"

"Yes, yes of course," he stammered.

"Now leave!"

He did, quickly closing the iron door shut behind him. The Thalmor who had been identified as Elenwen turned back to the two Nords.

"Where were we?" she questioned. "Oh of course, you were telling me where Taemwyn was."

"No, we weren't," Valerie said, before spitting at her.

"It is disheartening to see you wish more pain and agony. You Nords may have endurance, but it does no last. Just ask the new Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric. He knows the full extent of my hospitality first hand, and you soon will also." Elenwen turned away from them. "The interruption and smell of burning flesh has made me feel a little peckish. I will leave you to contemplate your near futures. When I return, we will begin anew." The Thalmor pulled the iron door open, closing it shut behind her, leaving the two alone.

"We have to give her what she wants!" Rontag pleaded.

"No," Valerie said.

"I can't stand to see you tortured a moment more!"

"If we tell her, we die as cowards, as the ones who sold out a friend for their own benefit. Is that what you want?"

"No, it isn't. But I also don't think I can hold my tongue much longer."

"That's why she's making you watch," Valerie told him. "She's tearing at your soul, smashing at it. The cracks are forming. You just have to make sure the cracks don't break."

"I don't know if I can."

"If the roles were reversed, I don't know if I could either," she said. "But stay strong, that's all I ask."

"I'm not sure I can."

"Sovngarde awaits if you do."

"I don't think even the promise of Shor's halls can make me withstand seeing you in such pain."

"Be strong," she told him. "I take strength knowing you're here. Don't let me down."

Rontag raised his head high. "I won't," he said, trying to force himself to believe he could.

So far, the enemy hadn't laid much of a finger on him, except a single blast of lightning earlier on; yet he still felt exhausted and emotionally drained. He felt like he could almost feel Valerie's pain. It wasn't pleasant, and he could not even imagine what agony she was going through.

He closed his eyes in an effort to try and force the whole situation out of his mind, something that was difficult to do when one was hanging by his wrists.

"Rontag," Valerie's aching voice called out.

He looked across at her, trying to remain strong. But just looking at the pained look in her eye made him feel weak.

"I love you," she told him sincerely.

Rontag shut his eyes tightly. "I love you too," he replied. His heart felt like it was breaking. The position they found themselves in was his fault. They were only here because of the dream he'd had. Perhaps Tam was right, maybe it had been given to him by some sick Daedra, all so that they could be captured by the Thalmor.

Thoughts like that would do him no good, and he knew it. They would get through this, they had to. Somehow they would be found, they had to be. To die at the hands of these vile elves, while chained to the wall would not grant him passage to Shor's halls.

At least he didn't think it would.

Perhaps true bravery was to stay strong, even when hope was all but a memory.

He had to try to remain strong. Giving what the Thalmor wanted made him a traitor. He forced himself to focus on that, because it was all he had to stop himself from relenting.

The Khajiit, Jo'Agro flailed his arms as he was caught, the elf slamming him against the stone road.

The two were a few imperial miles outside of Solitude. Far enough away that Jo'Agro had thought he'd escaped, clearly he hadn't. Fortunately it wasn't the Thalmor that had caught him up. Unfortunately it was the odd-looking elf, Wren.

"Where're you running to"?" she demanded, as she sat on his back. "And where's Valerie and Rontag?"

"This one does not know. Now let Jo'Agro free!"

"Jo is the prefix in Khajiit names given to wizards is it not?" she asked. "Is there one for liar?"

"Khajiit is not liar!"

"So where are the two Nords?"

"Jo'Agro does not know."

"Do you not know enough to die?"

"The Thalmor have the Nords," he relented. "Inside Thalmor Headquarters in Solitude."

"Why do the Thalmor have them?"

"To find whereabouts of the Altmer woman, Tam."

"Their Blade friend?" she questioned.

"Yes."

"So, what did the Thalmor offer in exchange for the Nords?"

"Khajiit did no such thing!"

"Tell the truth, or the insides of your head will be adorning the roadway."

"Thalmor offered much magic. Khajiit informed them of the Altmer's presence in Winterhold. Thalmor sent assassin, but failed. Thalmor then sent other to kill Altmer, but that one failed also."

"And why are you running away?"

"Thalmor tried to kill Jo'Agro. After so many years of giving elves information on the College, and then information on the elf they sought, they tried to repay Khajiit with death!"

"Figures," she said. "I take it you're not an official agent of theirs?"

Jo'Agro shook his head.

"Well they don't like loose ends," Wren told him as she climbed off him, allowing him to stand up. She looked at him intently. "I ought to kill you, but instead I think you'll find your own death." She pointed. "Leave!"

The Khajiit turned and ran.

Wren wondered if she'd made the right choice to just simply let him go. She had meant what she said though. He would find his own death. The Thalmor weren't a group of people anyone would want to be a fugitive from, especially when you were a Khajiit in the harsh lands of Skyrim. From what she had learned, or at least suspected from the way they acted, they were insecure about their superiority. Taking any sign of opposition as an insult. Escaping their clutches was seen as such an insult.

Now came a decision. Did she try to rescue the two Nords, potentially putting herself into their cross-hairs, or did she simply find and tell Meratur? Would he even believe her?

Truth was, that even if he did believe her, he would most likely die in any attempt to rescue them. That is if he decided it a worthwhile effort to begin with.

As the Khajiit vanished over the horizon, she turned and slowly began to make her way back towards the city. Nightfall was when she planned on getting inside the Thalmor Headquarters. Her biggest fear was that they had been moved to the Thalmor Embassy that lay up the mountain.

That was unlikely though, as it would be nigh on impossible for them to get them out of the city without being noticed, and she doubted Legate Kjald the new military leader of Skyrim would stand for it if they were spotted. Even if they claimed a legitimate reason. In Kjald's eyes, their obsession with the Blades wasn't a legitimate reason.

She didn't think it was either.