The dusky light of early dawn bathed the streets of Whiterun as Kodlak entered the doors of the guard barracks directly behind the dungeon guard he restrained and dragged there with him. There were two off duty guards playing cards at a table near the door. They glanced up when the dungeon guard entered and ignored him. Kodlak stepped out into view and the two men sitting at the table scrambled to their feet.
"Good morning, Harbinger," one of them said. The other nodded but said nothing. Kodlak tilted his head in acknowledgement.
"Will one of you please fetch Commander Caius? I need to speak to him. Now," he said. The two men both nodded and tripped over each other trying to get through the door to do as he bid.
Kodlak stood, still holding the dungeon guard by the collar of his uniform, and waited for Caius to appear. After several minutes, a sleepy-looking Caius stepped through the doorway of the barracks sleeping quarters. His eyes lighted on Kodlak and he smiled briefly, then he saw that Kodlak was restraining the guard that stood next to him and the smile faded. He cleared his throat.
"Good morning, Harbinger. What brings you to the barracks this time of morning? And I see you've brought one of my guards?" Caius said.
"There is an urgent matter that you need to deal with immediately. Can we talk in your office?" Kodlak asked in a tone that suggested it was more command than question.
Caius' eyes darted between the guard Kodlak was holding and Kodlak's face. "S-Sure, right this way." He stepped back through the door, and Kodlak followed him down a long hallway. There were rooms on either side, mostly sleeping quarters. There was a kitchen and dining area on the right as they passed. At the end of the hall on the left, Caius unlocked the door to his office and motioned the two men inside.
Once they were all inside, Caius shut the door and Kodlak released the guard he'd been holding. "What is this about, Harbinger?" Caius asked.
"Do you make it a habit of restraining and abusing prisoners? Especially female ones?" Kodlak got straight to the point.
Caius nearly choked. "I would never! I don't know what you're talking about!" He looked at the guard Kodlak brought in, who was staring at his boots.
"What is he talking about? Answer me, or Divines save you, you'll have outhouse duty for a month!" Caius' features contorted with anger and his cheeks were crimson.
"I had nothing to do with it," the guard mumbled, still staring at the floor. "She was already like that when I came on shift. They told me she'd attacked a guard without provocation, and no one could come in to see her. They said the Jarl ordered her execution for this morning, and it wouldn't matter if she was dead before then. Then he showed up and threatened to summon you to the dungeon, so I took him to see her. And now we're here." Caius' mouth gaped like a fish. He opened and closed it several times, trying to think of something to say.
"Which prisoner?" Caius finally sputtered, but the guard stared at the floor and refused to speak again.
"Lunara Aeresius," Kodlak said finally.
"What?!" Caius yelled in disbelief. "She attacked another guard? What is with this girl?"
"Judging by the condition I found that girl in, if she attacked a guard she had every right to do so," he spat. "When I left her, those animals had stripped off her clothes and strung her up like a pig ready for slaughter, and she was barely alive. You cannot sit here and pretend like there is any justification for that kind of retaliation. And if I find out they did this on your orders, Caius, I swear to all the Divines I will make it my personal mission to have you executed." His voice was threatening, and Caius took a step back and swallowed.
"I can assure you Harbinger; I ordered no such thing. I didn't even know it had happened until just now and I think whoever hatched this plan was counting on me not finding out until she was already dead," Caius replied, hoping his voice didn't betray his nervousness at Kodlak's words.
"I believe you're right," Kodlak sighed. "Please, let's sit down. I have much to tell you and not much time." Caius motioned to the chairs across from his desk, and Kodlak and the guard took a seat. Caius sat down on the opposite chair, and Kodlak quickly told him the story.
When he finished, Caius was speechless. The story seemed outrageous to him, and yet—he didn't find it altogether impossible. Doubt about the girl's guilt had gnawed at the edges of his mind since his exchange with Vilkas in the temple. Something hadn't added up, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Kodlak had filled in most of those blanks, but now he had another problem. He didn't know who had done this to Lunara and who the operatives were inside his ranks. For Divines' sake, he hadn't even known Sinnir was an assassin. He turned to the guard who sat, hands folded in his lap and staring at the floor. He'd said nothing throughout Kodlak's story either.
"You, boy," Caius said, and the guard's head snapped up to look at him, "Who ordered her move to isolation?" The guard shook his head and clamped his trembling lips closed.
"If you know you'd better speak up, or you'll go to the block with them when I find them." Caius threatened. The guard shook his head again and refused to speak. Caius got up and bound him to the chair he sat in. "I'm coming back for you." He motioned toward Kodlak, "Please come with me." He headed out the door with Kodlak following. Caius closed and locked the doors, and both men stomped out of the barracks.
The sun had risen fully, and it had to be almost midmorning now. Worry creased Kodlak's features as they marched back to the dungeon. The guard told them her execution was to take place at dawn. What if they were too late? And why would the Jarl have set the meeting time to be midday if he planned to go through with the execution anyway? One thing at a time.
They entered the Dragonsreach dungeon with Caius leading the way, his face contorted into a thunderous rage, enough to send the dungeon guards scurrying away without speaking. Kodlak followed in the same manner and entered the isolation cell block.
"She was down there, at the end," Kodlak said, pointing. Caius nodded and went the direction Kodlak had pointed. Kodlak followed, and he could still smell the blood in the air, but as they grew closer, he noticed the silence. He paused and shook his head like he didn't trust his own hearing. No, there were no sounds coming from that end of the hallway. Caius reached the cell first, only to find it empty with no sign Lunara had ever been there.
Caius let out a string of obscenities that would make a dremora blush and almost smiled at the fact that the missing girl had taught him a few of them. He turned to Kodlak and said, "Well, now what?"
"Now," Kodlak said, rolling his shoulders, "we crack heads until we find who did this. Are you ready?"
Caius nodded. "This should be interesting."
Lunara opened her one good eye. She lay face down on a wet metal floor. There was water dripping from the ceiling onto her head. She rolled over and tried to sit up. Her body hurt all over. It was dark and freezing in this room. She had brief flashes of memories, but each one hurt her head even more. She remembered being attacked in her cell, and being stripped of her clothing, beaten and left in the isolation cell. She couldn't remember being brought here. How long had she been here? She reached out into the darkness gingerly and felt metal bars on each side of her. Those beasts attacked her and then put her in a cage? Her pulse pounded in her ears as fury and panic rose into her chest. Each heartbeat made her head ache in answer. She had to calm down. She was alive, if only just barely, and who knew for how long. She'd have to think of something if she wanted to stay that way. She took a deep breath and strained to listen. She heard the drip of the water falling from the ceiling. The sound grated on her raw nerves. As her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she could see a strip of light that illuminated a small area of the floor with dim light. There's the door, she thought. She thought she heard the murmur of voices on the other side of it, but the pain in her head grew unbearable and she blacked out again.
Vilkas paced the main hall of Jorrvaskr. His meeting with the Jarl was in twenty minutes and Kodlak had not returned that morning. His worry grew about both Lunara and Kodlak with each hour that passed. Something must have happened, or he would have returned by now. Farkas watched him, unsure of what he could do or say to ease his brother's anxiety. Before he could do anything Vignar appeared inside the front doors of Jorrvaskr. "Are you ready?"
"Aye, as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," Vilkas replied
"Let's get going then," Vignar said as he turned and disappeared through the doors again with Vilkas behind him.
They climbed the stone steps to Dragonsreach and entered the palace. The main hall was massive with high ceilings that light filtered through casting shadows on the floors. Vignar led Vilkas up the steps to the next level, where there were two massive tables set on either side of an enormous fire pit. Jarl Balgruuf sat on his throne looking bored as his steward, Proventus, announced their arrival.
Vignar bowed slightly and stepped to the side as Vilkas walked to the bottom of the steps leading to the throne and bowed slightly.
The Jarl regarded him with an almost imperceptible tilt of the head. "My name is Vilkas and I am part of the Companions of Jorrvaskr," he began.
"Welcome Vilkas, I know who you are. What did you wish to discuss with me today?" Balgruuf asked.
Vilkas swallowed, uncharacteristically nervous. "I am here to appeal on behalf of a prisoner awaiting sentencing. It's my understanding you haven't decided yet?"
"I have not. I have had some questions about the circumstances of the accusations. Perhaps you can shed some light?" Balgruuf said.
"I believe I can, my Jarl," Vilkas said. He took a deep breath and told the Jarl everything he knew about Lunara, the Shadow Syndicate and any other details he thought might be relevant. He left nothing out, no matter how outrageous it was or how crazy it made him sound. All that mattered was keeping her alive. The entire hall was silent as he finished his story. Everyone looked to Jarl Balgruuf in anticipation of his reaction. He had opened his mouth to finally speak when the palace doors burst open and there was a commotion in the lower hall. Everyone turned to look toward the noise as Kodlak, Caius, and another guard Vilkas didn't recognize ascended the stairs to stand behind him, each of them holding a single man, bound and gagged, wearing guard attire.
Irileth, the Jarl's housecarl, reached for the sword at her hip, but Jarl Balgruuf stopped her. "What is the meaning of this interruption?" Balgruuf demanded, glaring at Caius.
Kodlak and Caius exchanged a glance as Vilkas studied Kodlak's face, finding it unreadable. Kodlak nodded to Caius, who bowed his head.
"Begging your pardon my Jarl, but this couldn't wait, and it concerns the prisoner being discussed just now," Caius said.
Balgruuf waved his hand, "Out with it and make it quick, Commander, I'm a busy man and my patience is wearing thin."
Caius nodded, detailing the events of the last few hours. It had been easy enough with Kodlak's help to scare the men into giving up the three guards responsible for Lunara's treatment. It had been harder, however, to get the culprits to give up any useful information about whether Lunara was still alive.
"We interrupted this meeting because they said you ordered her execution to take place at dawn today. They refused to say if it actually happened. Kodlak saw her early this morning, her clothing stripped off, chained and beaten within an inch of her life, and now she is missing from the isolation cell."
Vilkas' eyes widened with shock and then immediately narrowed with anger. He turned toward the Jarl and growled, "if you were to have her executed anyway, why did you agree to speak with me?"
"Watch your tongue when you speak to me if you wish to keep it," Balgruuf replied in a growl that matched his. "I did no such thing. I have given no order for any executions today. I also do not take kindly to guards abusing prisoners, regardless of what crimes they stand accused.." He turned his attention to the bound guards standing behind Vilkas.
"You will speak the truth to me, or I will have your heads. And if taking your heads isn't enough of an incentive, I'll take the heads of anyone you care about. Do I make myself clear?" His voice thundered through the large space of the great hall. No one dared to speak, but the three guards nodded their heads and the men removed their gags. "Now tell me, where is the prisoner?"