Chapter 43 - Squabbling and scheming
Saliyah
Evening of 26th Hearth Fire, Darklight Keep, The Rift
There wasn't much to do around Darklight keep since our raid of the Broken Helm hollow and eradication of Rogen and his bandit clan so I took that opportunity to get some rest... and to get away from some unsavoury individuals. I suppose Erevas and to some extent even Forentus were the only reasonable members of Janus' court as they didn't ooze hostility the moment we entered their home. The rest, however...
From what I've personally experienced so far, the Nord Thaevarr seemed to be the worst. The way he acted during the hunt for Rogen's bandits... It felt as if he were deliberately antagonizing us, trying to provoke me in particular into a violent response which he could in turn use as an excuse to get us all kicked out of the keep.
He almost succeeded, too.
It became clear I had to watch that one very carefully. I didn't know what his game was but I would get to the bottom of it, sooner or later.
In the very similar way, Brexto the Imperial displayed nothing but hostility the day we first laid eyes on one another. The only difference being I perceived him more as an annoyance than a real danger. He definitely didn't seem so willing to act on his threat like his Nord friend. Yet, if there was any truth to the stereotypes about the races of Tamriel, then Brexto could prove himself even more dangerous in the future. Imperials were more likely to stoop down to plotting and underhanded schemes to achieve their goals and would readily use a willing tool, such as the bonehead Thaevarr.
I knew too well where the guile of Imperials can lead so I was unwilling to take any chances.
Lastly, there was the High elf, Siridith. Even though she sided with Brexto, wanting us gone too, I could tell she was largely motivated by genuine fear. Considering her folk were the most prideful, arrogant bastards on Nirn, it was almost funny. It wasn't like I disregarded her, didn't think she'd cause trouble for me and mine... but compared to Thaevarr and Brexto, she was the least of a threat to us.
During my stay at Darklight keep I did my best to avoid those three. Sometimes it was difficult, though, as they (to be fair, it was mostly Brexto) kept pestering Janus, questioning his decision to let me and my comrades stay. Janus wouldn't be convinced to 'expel' us for which I was immensely grateful yet this spiel was starting to get irksome for all parties involved.
At times I seriously considered getting back at them in some clever way that couldn't be instantly traced to me but that would hardly solve our problem.
Instead I dedicated my free time to teaching Laelette the ways of our kind since there was scarcely any time for that as we were traveling a lot.
It seemed that our battle with the bandits of Broken Helm hollow changed something in the young vampire because she showed little to no emotion lately. Heck, even getting her to speak at all was quite a chore.
Yes, I realized killing someone for the first time would leave a mark on the person, as anyone put in the same position would agree. If Laelette needed some time alone I would understand. But it had been four days since the raid and she didn't seem to have broken out of her gloomy state of mind. Something had to be done, especially when she couldn't focus properly on my lessons.
Getting her to talk was... difficult, at first. She responded evasively to all my questions, always trying to change the topic and growing irritable when I wouldn't lay off. Then I brought up my lessons... and the likelihood of her becoming a true monster if she didn't heed those; a dirty tactic perhaps, even more so when I basically accused her of being ungrateful without explicitly saying it... but it got through to her.
Laelette finally snapped.
"I never asked for any of this! If I had the choice I would've rather stayed in Morthal, with Thonnir and Virkmund! Instead I'm stuck at the other end of the province, in some dusty crumbling old ruin, fighting day and night not to lose my sanity and become a bloodthirsty beast! Only a couple days ago I killed a man for the first time – I don't care he was a bandit scum, I should've never been there to begin with! I don't want to be here, I want to go home, to my family... but I can't! Damn Alva, that filthy whore! And Movarth, and the rest of his kind, too!"
And then she broke down crying.
I comforted her as best I could but it didn't seem enough to calm her down... In the end I called off the lessons to give her some space. Putting so much pressure on someone who literally lost their entire life just wasn't fair. Much to my surprise, she seeked me out the following day (or night, specifically) to continue the lessons, in a visibly more agreeable state of mind. I suppose it did her a lot of good to vent properly for once.
In the meantime, Theo helped Hjorild and his men with plundering the now vacant Broken Helm hollow and moving the spoils to the keep. There was enough coin to keep the construction works running for a few more weeks; it was hardly a long-term solution but still, better that than nothing. Other than that, though, Theo didn't interact much with the inhabitants of the Darklight keep, preferring to stick with us. Not that I blamed him after the (hardly) warm welcome we received after first entering the place.
While I mostly stayed out of the way of vampires in Janus' court, Aressius tried to socialize with them. I thought it was his way of convincing them to warm up to our presence; in all fairness though, the ex-priest was that way with everyone. Suffice to say his efforts brought mixed results; there were no problems with Forentus and Erevas and even the ever-suspicious Siridith grew to tolerate his presence. On the other hand, Thaevarr and Brexto rebuffed him with barefaced doggedness though I expected nothing less from those two.
So far neither I nor my comrades heard a single civil word from them... and something was telling me that Brexto might be concocting another scheme. Well, it was a waste of time because we wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon... but if he truly intended to waste time and effort on continuing this spat, then I'd gladly challenge him at his own game.
Between tutoring Laelette, training, conversing with Janus and deflecting intrusive questions from the bald Imperial boor, I found myself exploring the premises of the keep. I could see for myself how the construction works progressed; it hardly seemed to slow down, despite the Heartwood mill being defunct and abandoned. The remaining suppliers were more than happy to do more business with us. I doubted they knew what they were dealing with, though.
Of course, the builders that worked on the keep knew they were sharing space with vampires and they usually took great care to stay out of our way. Having to deal with six vampires, the lord of the castle included, was probably difficult to stomach on its own. Now that there were ten of them, after we came along... Good thing that Hjorild and his men kept the peace around here. Some of them were running with Janus' company for good many years and Janus himself trusted them... And it appeared the feeling was mutual. While they didn't show much trust towards us in particular, we weren't met with an outright hostile attitude either.
Incredibly enough, some of the guardsmen were actually willing to talk to us, despite their reservations which was more than I could say about Brexto and his little flock. I always wondered how those people found their way to this uniquely mismatched society and I found their stories quite intriguing. Some had their family members or loved ones turned by vampires and sought to help them... or end them altogether.
After all, nobody would want to spent an eternity as a blood-sucking monster... and those who didn't mind such fate needed to be put down preferably before they began taking lives.
Anyway, their goals led them to Janus and his company and it would prove an experince that would completely change their outlook and lead them to stay. A shame most of those stories didn't have a happy ending; the ones they sought to help either begged them to put them out of their misery or were too far gone. A few of the newly turned vampires agreed to join Janus' clan only to fall victim to the various incidents that followed.
Janus won many mortals on his side by saving them from near-certain death and some others joined simply because their friends or family members served at Janus' court before the Thalmor chased them out of Skingrad. For obvious reasons, only the carefully picked individuals ever knew of his clan's existence yet still many people came and gone in the following years... until they finally settled in Skyrim.
And from what I've seen and been told, things were looking up for them for the first time in years.
Or perhaps I should say 'us' since I'd become a part of this, too.
Very much unlike the men guarding the keep, workers avoided my kind like a plague. Sure, they might've been promised they wouldn't get hurt during their employment but that was hardly any assurance for ordinary folk like them. In their mind, there was no such thing as a 'good vampire'. They couldn't speak about their employers either and not only because their contract (if they even knew of the concept, that is) bound them to secrecy. Saying they worked for vampires would've sent the wrong message to other folk, made them think they were minions of vampires, or worse, they were vampires themselves... and that would result in either exile or lynching and murder.
In any case, I understood why the workers wanted to have nothing to do with us. Why, anyway? No point in fraternization since they'd be gone as soon as all the works were finished.
The only ones among them to ever hold a conversation with us were Grosta, her son and the young worker we saved from the ruins of Heartwood mill. In terms of physical health, they were doing well but... they were still coping with the events at the mill and what followed after. That was especially true for Grosta; losing her work, her job, her husband...
She told me once that before this tragedy struck, she was convinced Leifnarr was cheating on her because of how often he would travel to Riften. To learn that not only she was wrong about his apparent infidelity but that he endured savage torture at the hands of the same brigands that sacked her home, refusing to say a thing about his family's coin, only to give in and die at the end.
Compared to all that, sharing a living space with 'bloodsuckers' seemed but a minor trifle. Grosta did have something of a panic attack when she learned she'd be living alongside vampires and she almost ended up taking her son and running from the keep. Thankfully Hjorild was there to talk her out of making this mistake. Where would they go, anyway? With the civil war raging and bandit clans popping up all over the province they wouldn't get far.
In the end Grosta agreed to stay, at least until she found an opportunity to start anew someplace else, and although she appeared cautious around my kind she did show some degree of trust in me.
I did save her hide, after all.
There was also the boy we found in a cell in Broken Helm hollow, an orphan from Riften, as it turned out. He didn't stick around long enough for us to learn his name, at least. As soon as he recovered somewhat from the ordeal back at Broken Helm hollow, he left. By the time the news of his sudden departure reached me, it was too late to do anything. A couple of servants mentioned the boy talked about Windhelm; I suspected that was where he ran off to.
If he said anything, one of us would've escorted him to the Eastmarch's capital. Alas, what was done was done; all we could do was hope he'd make it there safely.
Aside from personal drama and some petty squabbles, nothing important really happened in Darklight keep. The construction works proceeded as planned and with no special missions to take part in, I could devote most of my time to tutoring Laelette.
It came as something of a surprise when Illia, Janus' steward, came to my quarters to tell me the 'lord of the castle' requested my presence. At first I thought it was about another band of cutthroats that needed weeding out, and their riches in dire need to be confiscated to finance the keep's expansion.
What I didn't expect was to walk straight into a fierce argument between Janus and his vampiric court... or its three problematic members, to be precise.
"I grow tired of your damn paranoia, Brexto! I tolerated it back when we journeyed around Cyrodiil but now, when we'd finally had the chance to settle down and things've finally started looking up, it's become more trouble than it's worth!"
Janus was not the kind of person to be angered easily. But when something, or someone set him off... you wouldn't want to be anywhere near when it happened.
I knew I didn't.
"With all due respect, my 'paranoia' kept us on our guard throughout the years and saved our clan from the very mistakes that you and the other founders made!" Brexto argued while Siridith and Thaevarr sat beside him, listening to the heated exchange. "And I refuse to stand by and watch as my efforts are being rendered useless; just because we've managed to secure a safe hideout for us doesn't mean nothing can threaten us here!"
The ex-count glared at the Imperial before him. "And if I'm to guess, you're convinced that this danger you keep raving about lies solely with our most recent guests, am I right?"
"Correction, my Lord – they are your guests." Thaevarr cut in. "You let them into our home without ever asking for our opinion."
"An excellent point, friend." Brexto agreed.
For some strange reason, none of them had noticed my presence thus far. I decided against announcing it, though, curious what my opponent had to say.
"Janus, you've had my support ever since I was allowed to join with this company... and despite the more unfortunate choices you made in the past. But I can't possibly condone you making important decisions without involving us." Brexto continued, his expression grave. "This kind of behavior is irresponsible and I refuse to entrust my life – our lives – into the hands of someone who takes rash and careless decisions in grave matters such as this."
Janus sat back and glowered at the outspoken Imperial with simmering rage. When he finally spoke, it was in a deathly cold tone. "Is that so, Brexto? Then why won't you enlighten me on how much better you would handle all the matters that come with leadership?"
"... I beg your pardon?" It was painfully obvious Brexto didn't realize what he had brought upon himself.
"Please, don't insult me further by playing ignorant!" The ex-count barked out, prompting startled looks from other vampires at the table. "You really think I wouldn't understand what you're insinuating here? That things would run much more smoothly around here if someone else were to be the leader... preferably you?!"
While Siridith and Thaevarr shared uneasy looks, Brexto stumbled over his own words trying to recant his earlier and admittedly brazen accusations. However, Janus would hear none of it.
"When was it, Brexto? The moment you decided that everything I've been doing for us wasn't good enough, that I should be replaced by someone more competent, in your view? And what, pray tell, made you think you were the most deserving of leadership? Or better yet, if I refused to step down and leave quietly, without a fuss, would you set this entire clan against me?!"
Janus stood up, ending his rant in an enraged roar that had everyone present quaking in their shoes.
"These accusations are most untrue, my Lord-" Brexto started, only to be shouted down again.
"I am no one's Lord, Brexto!" Janus gritted out and leaned forward, which made him appear even more menacing. "You would've known that if you weren't so blinded by your own damn ambition! Haven't I done enough for you? I took you in, I helped you turn from a half-crazed skooma addict-looking wreck into someone better, stronger, always in control and never to give in to their urges – And what do you do in return? You come here accusing me of neglecting my duties, questioning me as if I were some lowly criminal, and you're not even above using your comrades to strengthen your own position – and for what, exactly? Is it lust for power, one of those things that matter the least around here? Or you're simply jealous?"
My thoughts exactly... I watched with some pleasure as Brexto sputtered, trying and failing to produce a response to the accusation.
"I'm too well aware this little dispute started the day I invited Saliyah and her companions into our keep; you have disputed my decision back then and continue to do so even now, when they did nothing to warrant your rejection! And don't think I'm not aware how you've used Thaevarr to fan the fires, to provoke further conflict!"
The sight of Brexto's gobsmacked expression was priceless. The Imperial wasn't too subtle with his machinations and now it came back to bite him. On the other hand Thaevarr looked like he was trying his damnedest to disappear. No telling what Siridith was thinking... yet judging by the way she kept glancing between other court members, she must've had no idea this was going on. Then her gaze landed on me; had she been still a mortal, I was sure she'd be blushing.
I couldn't help it but take joy in watching all this unfold.
"You have nothing to say for yourselves?" Janus continued. "Such as for what reason would you plan to provoke my guests into an action that would surely have them branded as traitors and our enemy? Or you, Thaevarr; what could you possibly gain from allowing yourself to be played like a cheap fiddle in someone else's scheme?"
Silence was the only answer, which only seemed to infuriate him further.
"Well? Anything to say at all... or do you truly think you're above explaining yourselves to me?!"
The implication being those two idiots actually intended to challenge Janus' authority... which I knew for sure wouldn't end well for any of them.
"I do not!" Brexto finally managed to regain his speech, squeaking in a tone rather unbefitting of somone of his stature. "It's- I do not understand why you would trust that intruder so readily-"
"Did you have wax in your ears when I explained that?!" Janus snapped back harshly. "Saliyah and I knew each other long before I met you and I know for certain she'd never do anything to put us in danger."
Brexto opened his mouth but the former count of Skingrad halted him before he could utter a word.
"Before you even say it – Yes, her companions are hardly likely to cause harm. Laelette is but a fledgling that hardly knows what to do with herself, let alone concoct some nefarious plots. Aressius is a priest of Arkay, good grief – what could he possibly do, sprinkle you with holy water?! And Theodric's been acquainted with Sal for Gods-know-how-many years; if she trusts him, then I have no reason not to. You would've seen that if you actually bothered to think about all this instead of clinging to your paranoia and thinking that you know better than anyone else around here!"
"I did what I thought was the best for us!"
"That's exactly the problem! You never asked what the others thought and simply expected them to follow you without question! And before you start going on about how I never bothered to hear my comrades out, explain to me why Forentus decided to give Sal a chance, despite his reservations – which he made quite clear, mind you – or why did Erevas? Nothing to say?"
Brexto seemed to be sinking in his chair as he was losing the argument badly, coming up with no fair points on his own.
"If my memory serves me, you were the only one to explicitly vote against allowing Saliyah and her associates into the Keep; Thaevarr didn't vote, neither did Siridith. You wouldn't even consider it – which I find particularly ironic, given back when you showed up at my doorstep, my friends back then allowed you to stay, despite your suspicious behavior!"
I found the debate to be more intriguing with each passing second... and nobody except Siridith knew I was there.
"Oh I still remember how hard you tried to get into everyone's good graces... and how some reacted to that; an annoying toady at best, and at the worst, an intruder putting on the charade of a stereotypical bootlicker to conceal less than benevolent intentions!"
This reminded me of Venarus Vulpin, the man who almost single-handedly destroyed our clan. Nobody expected his betrayal, nobody saw through his charade... not even I.
"And can you blame me?" Brexto spoke up quietly. "I was alone; I had nothing and no one. Every day was a struggle to survive; against the world and against everyone who was out for my blood, be it random mercenaries, Vigilants, self-proclaimed vampire hunters... and my friends and family who cut all ties with me the moment my affliction was discovered. You and yours were literally my only chance to live even a semblance of a normal life. I would've stopped at nothing not to lose it even if it meant groveling at anyone's feet. I never stopped to think I might've been putting people off with my behavior."
"I know. It's strange to see how tables have turned, though." Though lowering his voice, Janus' expression remained severe as he regarded Brexto who seemed to no longer have the strength to argue. "To bring this little discussion to a close: Saliyah and her companions are staying here and that's my final decision. If they prove to be a problem I'll be the first to deal with them... but such scenario is highly unlikely, I know that for a fact. Now, why won't you do us all a favor and go back to your quarters to... reflect on your attitude as of late?"
"I'll take my leave, then." Brexto rose from the table and walked to the exit without even looking up. If he noticed me standing at the door, he showed no outward reaction.
"I'm surprised you didn't join him, Thaevarr."
"Sir?" The Nord seemed bewildered by the question Janus directed at him.
"Don't act so shocked; aren't the two of you the best buds these days?" The ex-count asked sardonically. Receiving no answer from Thaevarr, he sighed. "No matter. Your allegiances aren't my business as long as they don't threaten us. But you'd do well to think whether you'd rather be your own man or a mindless drone only fit for following orders."
"May we take our leave?" Thaevarr asked a bit forcefully. It seemed Janus' remark hit a bit too close to home.
He took no offense to his tone, though. "Yes, please; I'm not holding you here against your will."
There was a sound of wood scraping against stone as two chairs were pushed away from the table, their former occupants standing up and leaving in a hurried manner. Thaevarr didn't seem to even notice me standing in the door; either that or he was dead-set on ignoring my presence. On the contrary, Siridith looked as if trying her hardest to disappear as she passed. The she-elf was a picture of timidity, something I'd never seen among her kind in all my years. It was kind of funny considering that Altmer would consider such behavior outright disgraceful.
"You know, it's considered rude to spy on other people's conversation." Judging by his almost nonchalant tone though, Janus didn't seem too bothered.
"If I may point out, it only counts as spying as long as you're hiding your presence. And I was literally in plain sight."
Janus was not amused by my comment.
"You've been growing rather brash, lately. I don't know if it's agitation or simple boredom but it won't help your reputation amongst your peers around here. But it's your responsibility to uphold your standing... and besides, we have more pressing issues to discuss."
Oh, good. Now that he mentioned it, I was growing a little antsy as of late. Some work as a distraction was probably what I needed.
"Well then, what kind of disaster are we facing this time?" I asked as I took a seat at the table.
"Another of our suppliers has gone silent. Half-Moon mill was supposed to deliver another load of lumber a couple days ago; no one showed up so far." Janus rubbed his forehead in thinly veiled frustration. "That's another snag in our plans within a couple weeks."
"Maybe it's just plain old bad luck." I suggested.
"Either that, or someone's trying to sabotage us for whatever reason." The Cyrod scowled. "I'm not about to take any chances, however. Too much work has been done here and I don't intend on throwing it away."
"How many suppliers do you even have?"
"Well, for the more basic materials like building stone, wood or clay, we buy from the locals, provided they have something to spare with their Civil war and everything. Sawmills in Falkreath, Riverwood and Ivarstead supply us logs, so used Heartwood and Half-Moon mills until recently." Janus explained. "Any mine or quarry in this province will gladly sell us building stone at a cheap price and settlements near rivers and lakes have abundance of clay, though Darkwater crossing has been our biggest supplier."
I shook my head in bewilderment. With so many options, I didn't understood why Janus made a fuss over a couple of missing deliveries. When I told him that however, he just laughed.
"Better to plan for the future than leave all to chance. When we started out here, Darklight Keep was little more than a crumbling old ruin; my first goal was to make it liveable – clearing out rubble, brace the unstable walls and ceilings, repair cave-ins. Once that was done, another idea was to repair the walls and expand the buildings, as you've seen. Even now it's still work-in-progress... and then I remembered what your old clan did back in the day; using the worst of the robbers and murderers as a sustenance? Brilliant idea... and I wanted to implement the same here. And I suppose this could keep going on."
"So you keep piling up ideas for improvements and putting them to practice before even getting the previous thing done." I observed. "Now I know why you're so desperate to keep a steady flow of building materials." I thought he could do with a bit more restrain on the ever-progressing expansion of the keep, preferably before the coin would dry out.
I didn't say that out loud yet Janus seemed to know anyway. "I don't worry about spreading our resources thin; we make do... we always do. But back to the problem at hand..."
And it wasn't hard to guess where this discussion would lead.
"I need you to go out there and investigate the situation. Whatever is going on at Half-moon, nothing will convince me it's just a freak accident."
"It might not be as serious as you think," I noted. "But if you deem it necessary, I can make the trip. Just tell me where exactly I'm going."
"The sawmill is near the borders of Falkreath and The Reach, on the road to the west leading right along Lake Ilinalta. Falkreath is officially under Empire's control yet there were some strange happenings as of late so I would watch your back if I were you."
"Don't I always?" I smirked; one of the rare times I didn't need to be careful about my fangs showing... "Still, that's a fair distance from here; the delivery might've gotten delayed on the road. Anything can happen on such long travel."
"I need to know the mill is still operational." Janus repeated. "There's no point in waiting around for a delivery when there may be no sawmill left standing to dispatch it."
I was starting to make peace with the prospect of a possible goose chase across Skyrim. If he was so worried about his supply lines being cut... "Will I have to bring one of your friends with me, to make sure I won't get out of line?"
"Not this time," The ex-count replied. "It wouldn't be the best idea considering the current state of affairs. Best if you handle this alone... or with one of your comrades, if you so choose."
Knowing I wouldn't have to deal with Brexto and his sheep gave me quite a relief. And since I had the choice, I knew exactly who I'd bring with me...
"I'll look into it; shouldn't take more than a couple days."
Falaere
27th Hearth Fire, The Winking Skeever inn, Solitude
Another day, another rigorous practice... another off gesture, another botched line, another wrong expression.
Becoming 'Falicia Softshade,' a shrewd business woman and a shameless supporter of the Aldmeri Dominion, was more difficult than I thought. It turned out I hardly knew how 'Thalmor toadies' acted; I simply didn't have the time to observe their behavior while having to flee from the Alinor tyrants for decades. An hour didn't go by when Aenndis- Malborn didn't have to point out flaws in my performance. While I was making progress, it just wasn't fast enough... and the party would take place the very next day.
Imagine the pressure, knowing one misstep could land me in a Thalmor dungeon... or worse.
I spent most of our time in Solitude in my room at The Winking Skeever, practicing my 'routine'. Of course, I took great care to keep my voice down; you can never be sure someone wouldn't tell on you to the authorities. True, this part of Skyrim might be controlled by the Empire but considering their (uneasy) alliance with the Dominion, I would've been doomed anyway.
Once in a while, I took a walk around the city; let's face it, being cooped up inside the tavern all day could draw some suspicion, too. Though at first I had to watch out for the guards; no way the wouldn't remember the robbery at the sorcerer's store... which I happened to have a hand in.
Well, I needed those Invisibility scrolls and had the old coot not put some outrageous prices on them, I wouldn't have to resort to breaking-and-entering.
Luckily, my crime seemed as good as forgotten because I hadn't been accosted once while I was outside.
I didn't see much of Farlas and Lydia since they were busy running errands for Companions and whatnot. They made it clear they would stick around for our break-in to the Embassy though I wasn't sure what good it would do since neither of them could accompany me inside. Farlas assured me he'd think of something to make my mission easier yet I was skeptical; picking a fight with Thalmor was like inviting all kinds of plagues and distasters to your doorstep.
Besides, I was on my own for over twenty years and I didn't wind up dead; a walk in the most dangerous place in Skyrim couldn't be that bad... or that's what I kept telling myself.
So I was back in my room, getting into character and polishing my 'grand performance' for Elenwen's party when Malborn showed up, knocking on the door a few times and letting himself inside, like he always did. He always seemed so worn out when he came back from work at the Embassy yet he never complained. Maybe it was knowing that I was about to (hopefully) bloody the Thalmor's nose that kept his spirits up.
"Just keep up your performance, don't mind me." I didn't miss the teasing undertone in his voice.
"Oh sure, I'm having the time of my life right here." I scoffed at his remark.
Easy for him to say since he didn't have to play the part of a pro-Thalmor sycophant, the act that had my skin crawling with revulsion. Then again, having to cater to every whim of Elenwen and her entourage and hide the disgust every time when speaking to them couldn't have been a walk in the woods either.
Not to mention that by helping me, he was putting his own life in peril.
As I continued to rehearse my role for the Embassy party I kept glancing at Malborn who plopped down on an old armchair, as if all his energy was suddenly drained out of him; leaning back, staring at the ceiling with an almost blank look in his eyes... as he did every time he returned from his job at the Embassy. I suspected there was some truth to what the inkeeper said the other day... about the high-and-mighties at the Embassy treating their servants like dirt.
It must've been difficult to work up there, that I knew. But on the other hand, I noticed Malborn's mood improving once he got the chance to take a breather. And a certain part of me thought it might've had something to do with my presence, despite our complicated history...
Yet I didn't want to dwell on that.
Malborn didn't say a word, almost the entire time I practiced my act. The moment I got to the monologue disparaging the Bosmeri culture and religion though, he couldn't help it but chuckle.
"If my parents were here to hear this, they would've hated you."
No wonder; being the traditionalists, his family hated the Thalmor and I was pretty sure they disliked me being a child of a Dominion loyalist, even though they never said it explicitly. Their opposition of the Dominion was justified of course... and it got them killed in the end, like many others.
For a moment, I feared that the display of my (still somewhat lacking) acting abilities might've offended him, but I didn't see a trace of anger in his expression.
Surprisingly, it was the opposite.
"If you were some random person spouting off these things, I would've probably lost it and beat you senseless."
A part of me wanted to question his nerve to do harm to a lady... yet instead I said "Well, it means I'm doing something right, at least."
"Almost right," Malborn corrected. "I'm not expert at this sort of thing but I can tell you're kind of forcing this 'uppity' attitude; I know that as a pro-Dominion you're supposed to despise those 'backwards, primitive traditionalists' but you need to tone it down otherwise someone might realize it's not genuine. That alone might give them a clue that you're not who you claim to be, or they might start giving you questions that you may have no answers for. Either way, you'll end up outed as a spy... and we both know what the Dominion does with those."
Of course I knew, instantly thinking of the Blades; the things Delphine would have to say about that...
"Didn't know you took acting lessons." I remarked wryly.
"I didn't; it's just another skill I kind of picked up along the way. It saved my hide a couple times." Malborn didn't elaborate on that, though... and I wasn't about to question him. Divines know I had to do some questionable things to survive.
"I still have time to get this right; the party's only tomorrow."
"You'll only get until afternoon to practice; don't know if Delphine told already but the party takes part in the evening, before sunset."
I raised an eyebrow. "And how did you learn this?"
"Elenwen wouldn't shut up about it the entire time she had us scrub the Embassy and everything inside from top to bottom." Malborn groaned. "Seriously, that woman is a slave-driver; she couldn't croak soon enough, if you ask me."
There was nothing amusing about this but I just couldn't help it. "The more you say about her, the more I'm afraid of meeting the woman." I chuckled.
"She's pleasant enough, as long as she's in public." Malborn replied. "Horrible shrew of a woman or not, even someone like her can't afford to make herself look bad in front of others. Imagine how her superiors in Alinor would react to that; Dominion can't afford to damage its relations with the rest of the world – not until they're ready to start another war, that is."
And wasn't that bit completely true...
"Any other interesting info our mutual 'friend' might've let slip, like what other people I might run in at the party? Or how many guards I should expect? Where to find the info I'm after?"
"Everyone who's anyone in Skyrim so you can expect the Jarls – except the Stormcloaks, of course; I even heard that General Tullius was invited, but other than that, I don't really know. Elenwen doesn't share stuff like that with lowly peons like us." He scoffed, voice dripping with sarcasm. "As for the guards, I've seen no less than two dozens of footmen roaming the place. Met an odd Justiciar or two but those never stay long; too busy chasing down Talos worshippers, you see."
That was a weight off my back; Justiciars were some tough whoresons. "That should make my job easier, I suppose. And where does Elenwen keep the dirt she collected on the rest of the world?"
"The records are kept in the Solar, a house behind the main Embassy building that Elenwen uses as her personal office and residence." The fellow Bosmer lowered his voice. "The word is there's a dungeon just beneath it where most interrogations are conducted. Every once in a while I saw the Justiciars take someone they snatched around Skyrim inside... and nobody's seen them again."
It wasn't too difficult to figure out what happened to those poor people. At that moment, I remembered the missing thief Delphine mentioned; perhaps that was where the poor bastard ended up... Might want to look into that, if I get the chance.
"There's a lot of intel in the archives the Thalmor collected over the years; it might take some time to sift through all that... and that'll only increase the chance you'll be discovered. Just take what you need and get out of there – fast." Malborn warned. "Better you come back empty-handed than never make it out of there. I don't care what Delphine has to say about this – no kind of info is worth getting killed."
"I'll keep that in mind." What else was I supposed to say? Those archives possibly held information vital to dealing with the dragon menace. If the Dominion didn't intend to share it then there was no choice but to take it by force.
"Please do; I don't want to add you to the list of people I've lost over the years." Even though we hadn't parted ways on good terms, my heart was still moved by his quiet confession. It made me wonder what kind of horrors the man witnessed after fleeing Valenwood.
As if with a snap of fingers, his tone changed dramatically from forlorn to business-like. "Now, have you made up your mind as to what you want smuggled into the Embassy? I don't think you'd want to sneak around in a ball gown and nothing else."
Now that would be very inconvenient, wouldn't it?
"I don't really need all that much; some Muffle and Invisibility potions, a couple potions, maybe a dagger just in case I'd need to-" I cut myself off as I realized one important detail. "Damn it, the dress! Delphine said she'd have it fetched to my room but I still didn't get anything."
Malborn frowned. "Strange, Delphine doesn't just forget like that. I hope there isn't a problem."
… Such as Delphine getting outed and jailed before we could even put her plan in motion? Even though I didn't really see eye-to-eye with the Breton, I hoped this wasn't true.
When there was next a knock on the door, I was more than just a little concerned...
Malborn instantly froze in his seat, sitting ramrod-straight as his hand reached shakily for a dagger at his belt.
"Fal! You in there?"
And just like that, my fears were alleviated. I would recognize the Dragonborn's voice anywhere.
"It's open!"
And Malborn stared at me as if I went nuts.
The door handle moved and Farlas let himself into the room with his housecarl in tow. I noticed he carried a small bundle in his hand.
"Hope you weren't getting too bored in here." The half-Imperial noted before glancing at Malborn. "I see you found a new friend."
Hearing the way he said the word 'friend' I tensed up. I didn't know if he really thought Malborn was another fling of mine... but I was pretty sure I'd lose it and tear him a new one if he didn't keep his damn mouth shut.
Fortunately, I was spared any wry comments as Malborn spoke up. "The name's Malborn." Even knowing I was acquainted with them, he still kept his distance from the visitors.
The Dragonborn raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that Malborn? Delphine's partner in crime?"
I saw my fellow Bosmer go white as a sheet. Delphine was a dangerous name to drop in a conversation; at least Farlas remembered to keep his voice low.
"Keep your shirt on, Malborn." I said with a chuckle. "Thalmor don't frequent this tavern. Besides, Corpulus doesn't even want them here; said they scare away his patrons."
"See? Nothing to worry about."
Malborn didn't appear reassured, though. I could swear he had the potential to become even more paranoid than Delphine... for a good reason, of course.
"Anyway, our 'mutual acquaintance' sends a gift." With this said, the Dragonborn passed me the bundle. "If you're going to a reception, you should at least wear something that doesn't make you look like a beggar."
I knew instantly what this was about. Delphine sure took her sweet time... "Any reason our 'mutual friend' took so long?"
Lydia shrugged. "Busy... or so she said."
I narrowed my eyes. "What does that mean?"
"Long story short, she ambushed us on our way from the Blue Palace, gave me a dress and told me to give it to you." Farlas explained. "Said she needed to go check out the 'crime scene' and wouldn't be back until tomorrow."
"Is she mad?!" Malborn cried out, horrified. "The Embassy's on a plateau with absolutely no cover around it! She's gonna get herself killed!"
What was that crazy woman thinking?
"We told her the same thing; going up there is suicide. But she'd hear none of that." Lydia shook her head. "Said she knew what she was doing."
"... But why?" I just had to ask. There had to be some reason for this madness.
"Apparently, she decided she needed a contingency plan to get the intel on dragons, in case you fail." Farlas continued. "My guess would be she wants to look for a chink in the defenses, a weak spot that could be used to slip inside the place."
"Seriously? And when- if she finds it, what happens next?" I was pissed, no sense in denying that. "What's the point of the fake invitation, a made-up persona, these whole spy games if we can just do the old-fashioned breaking-and-entering?!"
Malborn immediately shushed me. "Calm down, someone might hear us!"
"No, she said we're still sticking to the original plan. That way, assuming everything goes smoothly, by the time the 'gracious hosts' realize some of their documents are missing and not just displaced, we'll be all long gone. Less of a chance of them finding out who was the culprit and it's better that way... 'cause if it somehow gets traced to us, we'll be in for a pretty damn miserable time."
It was a fair point, of course. A guest finding their way where they weren't supposed to be – that wouldn't be the first possibility Elenwen would consider. A break-in, on the other hand... I'd have more than enough time to leave Haafingar before the heist could be connected to my person. Still, if someone as skilled at espionage as Delphine was looking for a contingency plan, maybe my odds of success weren't as optimistic as she made them to be...
Too late to back out now, though. I'd just have to see this through... and hope to be alive at the end.
"I know... I'm just wondering what our 'friend' is up to, that's all."
"With someone like her, one might never know." Lydia drawled. "Your friend would know all about that, wouldn't he?"
Malborn avoided answering the question altogether. In this particular situation though, that might as well mean 'yes'.
"Thought so," Farlas chuckled quietly. "Anyway, we won't keep you any longer. Just remember to meet us back at Katla's farm before you leave for the Embassy. You-know-who will be there too, and I imagine she'll have something important to share with us."
I was curious to know what that would be.
"I suppose I'll see you tomorrow." I said.
The Dragonborn nodded. "Alright; I'll let you practice." With that, he and the housecarl left the room.
The moment the door closed behind the two of them, Malborn gave me a very strange look.
"Those are some... interesting people you're running with." He intoned. The man couldn't have know that 'interesting' just didn't cut it. I mean, one of them could breathe fire and snacked on dragon souls; and as for Lydia, I saw her hack a man's head off with a single stroke. Definitely not someone to mess with.
"Are those two a couple, by chance?"
I involuntarily chuckled at the question. In all the time we travelled together, I didn't see a hint of a possible romantic or sexual relationship. Lydia was willing to do a lot of things for 'her Thane' but I doubted spreading her legs was one of those... and Farlas didn't seem the type to jump at the chance if it presented itself.
But of course, what could I possibly know?
"No, she's his housecarl actually."
It took Malborn a couple moments to connect the dots. "So he's a Thane, a nobility? Besides being this... Dragonborn? How did that happen?!"
I shrugged with a smile. "That, my friend, is a long story..."
Author's note: Well, it's been a while since the last update. A lot of things has happened; first, we almost had another World War breaking out because old Trumpa-Loompa thought it a splendid idea to off an Iranian general during peacetime. And once that got somewhat sorted out, then the COVID virus from China (or should I say JYNA?) rolled in and now we have practically world-wide pandemic.
Some countries cope with all this fairly well... some not so well. It looked like a huge shitstorm in China at first before things got somewhat stable over there. A lot of governments gave the Chinese a lotta grief for being 'incapable of managing the pandemic'; now look how tables have been turned! We have the completely-fucked Italy with over 90k infected and 10k dead where people over 75 years old are left to die (that's a fact BTW), Spain, France, Germany and other countries where the pandemic slowly spirals out of control...
And then there's the US. I guess the COVID-19 wasn't as much of a hoax as old Trumpa-Loompa thought. How very interesting he did a complete 180 just a week ago, saying how he knew it was a pandemic long before it arrived to America. Too bad his 'foresight' didn't translate into appropriate action, otherwise you wouldn't have 100k+ infected people on his hands.
In here, we have around 2 600 infected as of today. It might not seem as much but compare it with the total population of around 10 mil. people and it ain't nothing to laugh at either, considering the real number might be a lot higher. Well, we have restrictions of movement (leave home only for work or to buy the essentials, no gatherings of any kind, etc) and I've been on home office for two weeks so far. I hope things get better soon (not only back home, but everywhere) but considering some dumb-fucks don't give a shit about anyone but themselves and keep breaking the quarantine and allowing the virus to infect even more people (like those inbred retarded spring-breaker shitheads from Florida - you know who I'm talking about, google Brady Sluder if this doesn't ring any bell), this shit-storm is gonna last for months, if not years.
But enough rambling from me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always, thanks for reading, review, favorite or follow; compliments and/or critique always welcome, and don't forget: wash your hands often and wash them well, don't leave home unless you absolutely have to (shopping for essentials, or going to work) and when you do, always wear a face mask, and for the love of FUCKING TALOS, keep your distance from other people! You can never know which one of the people coughing might actually have the coronavirus; hell, you can't even be sure that you aren't infected yourself! It's so easy to mistake the COVID-19 for a flu, and sometimes, you can even spread the disease without having any actual symptoms. In short, our governments can implement as many counter-measures as they want but at the end of the day, whether it makes any impact depends on every single person... and that means even YOU.
So stay safe and stay healthy, everyone; see you next month!
