C50
REAP AND REVERSE PART 2
Syndia stared straight at Sandra, Sandra stared right at Syndia. She was in deep.
But it obviously no longer the Sandra they knew. It was...her. By the bloodshot eyes of fire, by the way she tightly gripped on her blade and the fighter stance she was in... But how did she turn back? That's impossible! The spell wasn't designed to wear off like that.
"You."
Syndia warned the others to stay back. Astrid became amused, but Arnbjorn did not like this one bit.
"YOU!"
The angry woman charged right up to Syndia, who stood still, and grabbed her by throat and slammed her against the wall. Syndia kept calm and refused to struggle, but placing her hands on the Dragonborns wrists and stared her dead in the eye to find a way to deal with this peacefully, or else the whole Sanctuary would turn into a bloodbath.
"Hello again." Syndia welcomed, deadpan. She always was this snarky in the face of danger. By danger she meant the enraged werewolf that was her sister.
"I smelt that scent as soon as I awoke. I know where I am. The stench of death rots in this place."
The Dragonborn bellowed to Syndia, her eyes piercing in their nord fury. You could almost see the steam that arose from her head.
"Why did you bring me here?"
An astute question. Syndia had contemplated many times to tell her the truth, but ultimately, that would bring a reaction to that could be anything. But at least she knew how to lie to her. Just to keep it all under wraps. But bit by bit, it was all falling apart. Syndia was running out of time.
"You fainted after the battle at Solitude. You helped slay fifteen dragons I recall...more like fourteen, one giant black one managed to get away."
Syndia reminded her. Her lies were more a distortion of the truth. She refused to raise her voice and kept calm through out, raising concern and worry for her brothers and sisters, ready at the aim with their weapons. Cicero was about to comment, only for Veezera to slam his lizard palm on his mouth.
The Dragonborn looked around at them all. Each of them. Astrid, who had a straight face, Arnbjorn who was in between curious and peeved, but had his axe ready, Veezara who pretty much covered Cicero's face as he shifty underneath the lizards grasp...Gabriella with spells at her call, Festus doing the same thing and Nazir with his scimitar.
Her eyes trailed from one to another. Then they came down to the little girl in the red dress, namely Babette. She stared at Babette with familiarity. The girl glared at the Dragonborn with her ebony eyes. She had an even worse stench. The scent of a notorious bloodsucker.
A series of images were forced to enter her head and made her to drop Syndia. She put her hands on her head as it ached. This vampire was good. For a little one. Diga's stubbornness drove her to ensure she didn't appear weak.
"You've been asleep for days." Syndia commented.
"I brought you back here for your safety."
The Dragonborn lifted her head up to look at the woman with those engaged eyes. The whole thing was very ironic. Who in their right mind... her face matched with her feelings of skepticism.
"My...safety...you. You thought it was safe to bring me back to the very realm of people I hate! Very smart of you Assassin...very smart."
Syndia lifted her chin at her. She was confident she could prevent any deaths on this day. Well, at least to those she cares about. She was well aware of that fact. However a premature awakening was not what she had planned. Something was up.
"And you're smart enough to threaten me while all this people you hate, who are expert killers mind you, surround you and are ready to strike a moments notice. You're lucky they're not tearing you apart by now."
The Dragonborn grumbled and scrunched her fist. No way was she going to get the better of her! Neither were these monsters.
"What do you want with me?" She demanded, the scowl on her face never ceased.
Syndia raised her hand to ensure that everyone would be able to calm down and retract, She then looked at Astrid, who then gave her a nod of approval.
"You're a unique specimen my friend. The tides of fate have turned. But hate us as you may, I personally think you have more use out there than in here." Astrid commented. "Unless you prefer to die. But you would at least die by a murder method of your choice."
There a power that flowed throughout the Dragonborn and she was ready to use it. As angry as she might be, as much as the hatred in her heart bled for these murderers, she had to remain civil, for the moment. Each of them were skilled in the art of death. It reminded the Dragonborn of her beloved Companions. Each of them. Except the both of them were different as night and day...
Diga stood there in the circle of crimson and raven clothed men and women and thought that fate must have led her here and said fate had more in store for her what she had noted for herself. And amongst the flows of magic and tension the rung in the air like dirty laundry, she was not ready to die today.
She withdrew herself and stared at each of them again, growling.
"Calm yourself Diga." Babette called out. "They always said you smelt like wet dog. Now be a good doggie and be gentle."
The Dragonborn stared at her with a keen eye. The little girl amongst all the adults. That irritating scent of a vampire yet...it was familiar to her. And she called her by that name.
The name that very few called her.
"Babette..." The Dragonborn muttered. Wait...her name. That name. What...
More visions arrived. They seemed to scale back to years gone by. They had speared back far enough to know that what she had once been. Those young years as the Knight...
Sitting outside of Riften, before the days that Grelod became the horrendously old crone (She was still a crone to an extent, ruling with a fist. She'd became worse in the progressive years), by the docks, Diga sat on the edge of the walkway, looking over Lake Honrich's crystal clear waters, watching the fisherman in the boats. Dragonflies flew about as the sun was beginning to set, the sky turning into a hue of orange, but Diga watched the moths nearby fluttering about by a nearby torch that was lit by a guard.
A young girl, full of fire and heart with her dull-brown hair in a ponytail, dangled her legs over and wearing a pretty red and blue dress and held hope to the world that she would defend it some day. She didn't it, but the very heart she had was full of life and determination and dared to dream of a brighter world.
Another girl in a red dress more vivid brown hair sat next to her.
"You know Babette, one day I'll become a sellsword, dedicated to bringing the light to this land."
Diga exclaimed proudly. How she longed for the call of adventure!
Babette gave off an evil smirk. She was always like that.
"So you're becoming a Vigilant of Stendarr when you grow up?" She joked.
Diga chuckled arrogantly.
"No...I just. Don't you ever get the feeling you're just born for something more?" She queried, looking at the fisherman who bagged some Abecean Longfin.
The other girl shrugged.
"I try not to think about it. I doubt Grelod would let you play with the wooden swords again."
Diga laughed.
"But when I'm older. I'll prove myself!"
"Prove yourself lass?"
Over came a young boy, a tad older than Diga, wearing a black long sleeve shirt and blue pants and dashing red hair stood before them. He had a different accent, thick but cute to Diga.
"Oh Bryn you wouldn't understand. All you care about is how much gold you're gonna get!" Diga criticised. The boy was also quite boisterous and was offended by her words. He sat next to Diga by the docks.
"Oh I am hurt Diga! I am hurt. Aye, I'm not gonna hide my intentions in stating that I'm gonna join the Thieves Guild when I'm older."
Babette looked at him with skepticism.
"Yes, because stealing spoons from the drawer is super cool! As is the lemons from the kitchen. Imported lemons I might add. You don't see them everyday." She mocked.
Diga rolled her eyes.
"To oblivion with the lemons. Should have made the merchants to take them back. They're horrible...just like Bryn's dreams."
The children laughed as they mocked each other for their goals. Babette was the quietest of the lot, observing the boy and girl, both of them unaware of their goals.
"Hey did you guys hear there's another orphan arriving today. Didn't state what town they were coming from, but some big shot is bringing her over." Bryn said, with a touch of excitement.
Diga crossed her eyes and rose an eyebrow.
"And this big shot will be swimming in Gold from here to Markarth?" She said sarcastically.
The group became interested in meeting said orphan and hurried on back within the walls to wait for them and ran to sit on some barrels beside the bunkhouse, Brynjolf fiddling with a toothpick and the girls chatting about the new orphan. They waited by Riften's entrance, eager to meet them. Bryn cracked his fingers and had a nasty smile on his face.
"Your unc' Delvin been teaching you a thing or two Brynjolf?" Babette mocked.
The red-headed nord gave back his devilish grin.
"Of course Lass. He's the master of sneakin'. When you both see me when we're older and I'm rich as a King you won't dare mock me. Or see me when I'm stuck to the shadows like a legendary Nightingale. "
Diga and Babette laughed at one another, making Brynjolf angry and shaking his fists at them.
"You'll both see."
In that moment, the front gates opened. A man, well furbished in a navy suit of an unusual style, adorned with a moustache, seemed foreign to the children. Beside him with a hand draped around her shoulder, was a young girl around their age. The girl had raven hair tied to the back of her haid, beautiful grey eyes and olive skin, wearing a dull orange dress and thick brown boots, had a dead face that intrigued Babette. Diga knew that look at too well. She'd seen it many a time before.
"That looks like the face of a girl who's seen a lot." The deathly pale girl noted.
Bryn crouched beside them. "Aye lass. Tragedy is the origin of our sorry lot. We better follow them back to Honorhall or Grelod will have our hides."
As they passed the three, the man turned to Diga and gave a strange look to her as he wandered past. She sensed something in him, strange and peculiar and that wasn't a good feeling.
"Come on!"
They all raced back to the Orphanage in haste.
Once they had returned, Grelod ordered the rest of them to fall in line, standing in front of the beds on each side of the room and await the entrance of the next child.
The older woman greeted the man as they entered. He had the scent of smoke about him and to Diga held the air of a man brimming with septims like he did earlier.
"Ahh you must been the man who found this lovely young girl. I received your message." Grelod said with a smile. It was so fake, everything cheery about Grelod was only when new orphans arrived and for other adults.
"Don't worry about a thing. Felt sorry for the girl. Left all alone. Her father had an accident and I'm a busy, busy man as you can see..."
This man, Diga couldn't tell if he was imperial, nord or breton. But she made her feel deeply uncomfortable and almost ill to the point she almost heaved out her entire stomach contents.
Grelod nodded.
"We'll take care of her. Thank you Mr. Johnson."
Bryn could see Diga was becoming far more pale than normal and nudged his friend.
"You feelin' alright?" He whispered.
"I'm fine Bryn." Diga muttered back, lying with confidence in such subtlety.
The man nodded and kept an eye on Diga on the way out, almost making her faint, with Brynjolf grabbing her hand.
"Careful lass."
Grelod knelt down to the girl, who, still looked like she just saw Sithis himself.
"Well now, you're here in my Orphanage little one. So you're Michella huh?"
Michella dipped her head down, struggling to look into her eyes. Grelod pushed her chin back up by force, making Diga quite angry at the sight that she no longer felt weak.
"Speak."
The girl gulped. She was frail and scared, like most of the children who were brought there.
"Yes."
Grelod nodded.
"You do as I say, when I say. You don't. You get a beating."
The children had all gone to bed, except Michella, who sat on her bed in the corner of the room, still, her hands wrapped around her knees and head buried in her lap. Diga was still awake, seeing the poor girl. She got out of bed and tiptoed towards the girl.
She stood beside the bed and jumped and sat on it's edge and looked down on Michella. Her hair was black and in a neat ponytail. Her olive skin gave the impression that she may have been a redguard perhaps.
"Hey..." Diga whispered. She aimed to ensure the girl would survive. She did that with most new children. There have been those who have died at the Orphanage. Everyone would believe Grelods word that they died of an illness unknown.
Michella looked up. Her eyes held a stone cold death stare to them. So much sadness written into those sky blues.
Diga smiled at her.
"You can call me Diga." Diga muttered.
"Everyone calls me the Knight of Orphans. I protect all the children here from Grelods meanness. You need anyone to talk to, or anyones head smashed in, you come to me okay?"
Michella nodded as a tear dropped down her face. Diga attempted to wipe it away from her face, but the girl shirked away.
"Its okay, we all know what you've been through. Each Orphan who's come through Riften's front gates has had the same face you've had. In a matter of time, you'll come to adjust. And we take care of our own."
Michella looked at Diga with a confused face.
"Just smile for me once and I'll leave you alone okay?" Diga requested.
Michella didn't know how to force herself to push the edges of her lips up.
"Smile or I will force you to smile." Diga threatened, but not really.
It took a moment, with Michella's lips twitching.
"While you've been through something horrible, think of something that once made you happy, and cling on to it." Diga explained. This was something she had done with all the Orphans, who just could not find a reason to be happy. While they had every right to be sad, they were alive and had plenty of time to adjust and bring in a new strength with the comfort of family to remember what was once important in life.
Michella tried to think of a time. She thought of her father, a kind man, playing with her. Suddenly a warmth over came her and a smile just naturally came. It was a wondrous smile and Diga thought the girl would be just fine.
Diga got off the bed and went back to hers.
"Thanks for doing that. We're going to have fun okay?"
Michella nodded and smiled.
"Goodnight Chell."
The Dragonborns head hurt badly. What did this mean? She stared at Babette. None of this made sense. Only a small selection of people knew her actual name.
"Are you purposefully trying to make me more insane?" She scolded as she glared at Syndia.
Syndia looked down.
"No. Even if I did tell you the whole truth, you'd never understand it completely. I recommend speaking with Augur of Dunlain in Winterhold. He'll tell you a story."
The Augur...yeah she kind of remembered Tolfdir telling her stories about him...once a profound and brilliant mage overtaken by his own brilliance and became something more. But according to him, he's in the Midden, which is currently overridden with a magical backlash crisis for some reason.
"Am I supposed to learn a lesson in all of this? Seriously no one is ever straight up with their answers are they?" Diga noted, pretty pissed off with all of this.
Syndia lifted her head.
"I know it's a lot to take in. But we have a situation that's becoming more dire by the second. And it's...imperative you return to Winterhold at once."
The Dovahkiin grumbled. As long as she's nowhere near the Sanctuary, she would be able to cope. She would still personally roast them but now wasn't the time to cause a stir.
"Yeah alright alright. I'll go there. Might take me a while."
Astrid smiled.
"Allow me Thane of Falkreath. Take Shadowmere. He's usually by the pool. He hasn't been ridden in a while. Let's just say he's one of us."
She wasn't keen...she missed her horse Kodlak...a reminder of her once loved predecessor and friend. She took another look at Syndia as if to say, are you sure? The Dragonborn took a huge breath, trying to take this all on board. She shook her head. This was crazy. This was nonsense.
"Go now...we might not have much time." Syndia. "Come with me, let's go get you Shadowmere."
Diga ran outside in haste. She slowed down, examining the moths nearby and listening to the crickets in the distance. She took a deep breath and looked at the pool to her left, bubbling and black so it seemed. She rose an eyebrow.
"Where in Talos' name is this horse?" Diga complained.
Syndia soon followed.
"Patience sister."
The woman glared at Syndia, who nodded her to look towards the pool. Suddenly, she heard a cluttering of hooves getting louder and louder, then suddenly a horse burst out of nowhere. And not just any horse.
A horse of ebony fur, a dark crimson emblazoned with black hand symbol of the Dark Brotherhood and the one thing she could tell was the glowing red eyes that this was not of aedric creation.
Shaking her head, she repeated in her mind that this was going to fine and she definitely was not crazy. She got up on the horse. It made her miss Kodlak. A lot.
"Dragonborn." Syndia muttered
"Yeah what?" She replied abrasively.
"Be careful."
She wasn't sure what the blonde was getting at, but none the less, she fled off with Shadowmere into wilderness and into the uncertainty that was the realms of Skyrim
Psst...Portalborn has a TV Tropes page now!
