CHAPTER 8: The mysterious night visitor
"Your ancestors are rooting for you" – Eleanor Brown
Sophie heard a bell chime upon entering the Wawnet Inn aided by the rude blond. The establishment was bustling with activity. The tavern's round wood tables were almost all full. The patrons were so absorbed in conversation they did not pay any mind to the newcomers, even one of them being a wild wolf.
The blond managed to take Sophie to the only table available that, thankfully, was right by the fireplace. The bare chair was a tad bit too hard for the redhead's taste, but sitting by the fire to dry her clothes and warm up more than made up for it. Lullaby sat on the floor right next to her.
"Make sure she does not get in any trouble until I am back, all right?"
Lullaby replied with an assertive bark and the blond left in the direction of the counter. Sophie looked at the female wolf inquisitively.
"What is such a nice girl as you doing with that airhead?" she asked pointing at the blond with her thumb.
The wolf tilted her head and let out a confused grunt. Sophie sighed and looked around, assessing the inn's busy interior. There were about 9 tables in the hall besides her own. The smell of freshly poured ale and mead permeated the air. Sitting at the tables were all sorts of people, from farmers to soldiers. The walls were decorated with famous landscape pictures. A message board was nailed to the wall near enough for her to read the ads.
"Brave adventure needed to exterminate goblins that
invaded my farm. Good pay in advance.
Deal with Merttra Maulhand in Skingrad"
"Do you have a strong arm and a clean record?
Come join the Fighter's Guild in Chorrol.
Lodging and meals included"
A section of the board was filled with wanted posters. The parchments contained sketches, some quite unrealistic, of the criminals and bounties for their capture. There was a dunmer wanted for stealing a cart, a nord for disorderly drunk behavior, a bosmer for the murder of a prized sheep, another nord for extremely disorderly drunk behavior, and…
Sophie noticed a poster that made her tense. She looked around but the other patrons did not seem remotely interested in her presence there. The girl looked back at the poster just to make sure she was not mistaken, but there it was. Her caricatured face was stamped on the parchment. It read:
"Sophitia of Trebiel
Age: 16
Female, imperial, medium-high, red hair, green eyes
Potentially dangerous, direct approach not advisable
Wanted for murder and prison break
Reward of $1,000,000.00 septims
Any useful information should be reported to the Imperial Legion"
She stood still, trying not to call attention. If the people around noticed the resemblance, everything she did thus far would be for nothing. The girl kept screening the room for signs that somebody had recognized her, but it did not happen. The redhead almost jumped when the blond came back and dropped 2 hot water basins on the table with 2 hand towels.
Sophie took off her metal gloves and cleaned her hands with a shy "thank you". She watched her reflection, the wet mudded hair alongside the dirt and bruises in her face made her almost unrecognizable. She truly relaxed for the first time that day.
"I ordered some drinks and food. Nerussa will bring them soon enough."
She nodded in understanding, her eyes trailing to the purplish mark on his left cheek.
"I… I am sorry," he eyed her confused, "for that," she pointed at the wound, "I do not usually do that… I lost my head."
"Do not worry about it, I have been way worse for wear," he shrugged, "besides, you do look like you went to Oblivion and back. What is your name anyway?"
"I am So…," she caught herself at the last minute, "I am Sonia."
He raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled.
"I think I will just call you Red for now."
"Please, do not," feelings of guilt fading away quickly.
Their conversation was interrupted by Nerussa who arrived with a trail. She put two portions of stew and two glasses on the table along with a water jar. A plate with raw meat pieces and a clean water basin was put on the floor for Lullaby who started digging right up.
"Bon appetite," Nerussa said while leaving with the used basins and towers.
After she returned to the counter, the boy poured them both the water.
"I tried to convince her to let us have some wine, but she told me she does not sell to children who do not know the difference between a Surilie 399 and a 415."
They both chuckled and he proceeded to enjoy his meal while making slurping noises that would certainly give Lady Elena a fit. Sophie assessed her stew, it seemed to be made of carrots, potatoes, and some sort of meat. It had a strong smell she was not used to. She stirred the contents of the clay bowl for a while. Eventually, an angry howl from her belly gave her all the encouragement necessary for a spoonful. A little too spicy, but it was very tasty. The next few spoonfuls came quite naturally and, before she knew it, she was already half-way through the dish.
"This is great," Sophie complimented the food feeling refreshed.
"Yeah, I know. Nerussa is a great cook," he smiled, "I always stop by when I go to the Imperial City."
"When you stop by… What is it you do?"
"Me? A little bit of everything. Courier, bounty hunter, treasure searcher…"
"An adventurer, then."
"I guess you can say that, yes."
"And you travel a lot?"
"Apart from Black Marsh and Summerset…" he held his chin pensively, "Lullaby and I have been to every single province. But I know some much better than others. Why? Do you have something on your mind?"
She took a sip of her water and turned her gaze to the wolf who had finished her meal and was laying at her master's feet. After a while, she looked back at the youth as if measuring him.
"Can I hire you to escort me?"
He put down the glass he was holding and sighed.
"Look," he seemed to be searching for the right words, "you are not a very good liar and I am sure you have your reasons for not telling me your real name and all but," he grimaced, "it makes me think you may be too much for me and, as a general rule, I do not accept a contract without knowing exactly what I am getting into."
"I understand."
"Besides, I am already on a tight schedule and you need to rest for tonight. We are at the entrance of the Imperial City, anyway. Blades-for-hire come and go through that door every day."
Afterward, they finished their meal in silence and the boy and his wolf left the establishment to continue their journey. Sophie learned from Nerussa that Chorrol was a 3 days journey on foot. The owner also referred her to a khajiit merchant who was staying overnight, he was a tough negotiator but had a good inventory. The redhead exchanged her heavy armor for a cotton white shirt and black leather pants. She also bought fur gloves and boots and a green cape with +3 speed enchantment. The new outfit was much lighter and easier to move in.
When finally in her room, she took a long warm bath, cleaned up, and bandaged her cuts and bruises. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the mattress.
Sophie woke up to the sound of a waterfall. Once sleep was brushed off, she realized she was laying on a flower bed. The sound of a whining animal called her attention and she turned around to find the friendly nymph. The woman was petting a brown rabbit who seemed to be bleeding from his right paw.
The nymph signaled for Sophie to approach, what she did.
"He hurt himself with a torn. I need to close the wound. Can you hold him for me?"
Sophie nodded and secured the scared animal in her hands. She fought not to squeeze too much while containing his efforts to break free. The nymph positioned her hands right above the little rabbit.
"Sana Luminare"
A white glow enveloped the woman's hands as well as the small creature. Soon, the animal calmed down, his wounded leg now fully recovered. Sophie let go and he happily bounced off through the woods.
"Is that healing magic?"
"Yes."
"That was impressive… I could not ask the last time, who are you?"
The nymph giggled merrily
"Have you not guessed yet?"
Sophie looked at her confused. She was pretty sure the two of them had never met, although, there was something familiar. Sophie just could not put her finger on what exactly. The dark hair, the face… where had she seen her? Realization suddenly hit her! A portrait in Evergreen's family quarters! She looked at the woman with wide eyes, stubborn tears escaped through their corners.
The nymph offered her another warm hug that Sophie took without hesitation. They stayed there for a while. The older woman doing what she could to comfort the girl whose life had taken such an abrupt turn in such an unforgiving way. The nymph gently untangled Sophie when she felt calm and regular breathing. The redhead allowed herself to be taken away from the embrace reluctantly.
"Is this real? Where are we?"
The nymph smiled.
"This is a dream. A transcending plane where the ones still in Nirn and those who have ascended can coexist for a moment."
"Why have I never seen you before?"
The woman's smile fell slightly.
"It takes a lot of me to come and see anyone in this way. That is why we can only talk briefly."
"Thank you for your help earlier. Can you see the future? How did you know what was about to happen?"
"No one can divine to where the flows of time will go, not even the Septims. We can see small pieces of possibility. Flashes of the different futures that may or may not be. I saw that I could be of help, but I did not know that for certain," she squeezed the youth's hands, "nothing is set on stone, just like in the elder scrolls."
Sophie nodded in understanding. She gasped when an idea came to her head.
"Can you see where the last prince is?"
A sad expression found its way into the woman's face. She sighed deeply before answering.
"The Septims all hold the blood of dragons in their veins. Time is part of their very essence; they are one and the same," she approached the river behind them and threw a bunch of leaves in it, "do you see them floating?" Sophie nodded, "we are like them in our journey, one may swing from one margin to the other, but always forward. When I try to peak into someone's future, I search for them in the river of time and the future they are headed to at the moment," she dipped her hand in the water, disturbing it, "dragons, however, are like the waves, they run in the river while being part of the river itself… and no seer, no matter how skilled, can find a wave in a river."
She embraced herself while shivering.
"That is why Jagar Tarn caught us off guard."
"But the emperor could do it! He knew he was going to die!"
"No, he divined your future, not his," Sophie made a confused expression, "the Amulet of Kings, it is an ancient relic that reacts only to their dragon blood. It amplifies their powers, allows them to feel when important events are about to pass and tap into the future of those around them."
"I see, and since we do not know who the prince's companions are…"
The nymph nodded.
"So, is there no hope?"
"You forgot what I just told you," the woman looked deep into her eyes, "the Amulet, it reacts to those of the Septim bloodline. It will know if it reaches his hands. When your majesty handed you the Amulet, he entrusted you our only chance of ever finding the bastard prince of Tamriel," she held Sophie's shoulders with her hands, "that is why you must succeed."
A moment of silence perspired between them. The redhead reviewed in her head all the knowledge that had just reached her ears. Sophie was no seer, but she alone could envision at least a hundred ways of how this could go wrong.
"Grandma, is there anything else you can do to help me?"
"Well…" Lady Ria measured her granddaughter with her eyes, "I believe we still have time…"
Sophie woke up with a startle. Her heart thumping in her chest in tune with the loud and heavy knocking on her room's door.
"Excuse me," said Nerussa's voice from the other side, "your time is almost up. The room must be vacated in one hour!"
"All right, I am up. Do not worry," Sophie said while sitting on her bed.
The redhead observed the shinning sun already up high in the sky while listening to Nerussa's paces getting distant. She unbandaged her wounds, assessing the many black and blues. Her right leg was not numb anymore and moved normally. However, she now could feel the slaughterfish's bite and it hurt… a lot.
She took a deep breath and positioned her hands over her injured legs.
"Sana Luminare"
The limbs were engulfed in a familiar white glow. Sophie felt the pain diminish slowly and then focused on the wounds on her arms and face. She stretched her now immaculate arms and legs, satisfied with the result. Breathlessness and dizziness came to her for a moment. She laid back down and waited for the sensation to recede. Lady Ria told her not to overdo it or she would deplete her Magicka. She would have to practice performing the spell for a prolonged amount of time and to heal more serious injuries.
Sophie raised once she was feeling better and got dressed in her brand-new gear. She braided her hair and hid it behind the cape. As a last touch, the redhead covered her face with the hood to avoid recognition.
Before leaving, Sophie checked the contents of her backpack. She decided to hide the Amulet in the middle of a roll of thick bandages and put it at the very bottom. The girl strategically left the coin pouch in a more obvious position. Once the backpack was fastened and over her shoulders, she left the room.
The ground floor of the inn was already crowded with travelers. Sophie sat on a free table at a corner and ordered bread, apples, and warm milk for breakfast. She ate her meal while reading the morning edition of the Black Horse Courier.
THE END OF THE SEPTIM LINE
The communication office of the White-Gold Tower (WGT) announced this morning at 7 am that Your Royal Majesty Emperor Uriel Septim VII has passed away. The details of your majesty's death are yet to be disclosed. The WGT spokesperson has not confirmed or denied that our beloved emperor was the latest victim of the stream of assassinations targeting the family. Your Royal Majesty Emperor Uriel Septim VII will be buried this Sundas alongside his three sons at Green Emperor Way. The noble and prestigious Elder Council will be in session next week to discuss the empire's succession. Your Royal Majesty Empress Caula Septim has issued no comment on the matter.
Other articles discussed the implications of the Septim's murders and discussed the failures of the royal guard. One specifically caught Sophie's eye. It was an interview with a high-ranking Mage's Guild scholar called Tar-Meena who specialized in daedric cults.
Mrs. Meena, how does the end of the Septim line affect the balance between Tamriel and Oblivion?
It affects us greatly. You see, the Septims were not just a royal line. During the First Era, Divine Akatosh made a covenant with Saint Alessia to seal the connection between Oblivion and Mundus. This is how the Ayelids were defeated. Their superior power came from their daedra allies. The Nine Divines vowed to keep that barrier between our worlds as long as Alessia's heirs held the Amulet of Kings.
Are we in danger of a daedric invasion now there is no heir?
It is not so simple. According to the historical record, the daedra were never able to summon the portals to come here themselves. They would always need someone from our side to strike a deal and bring them. It was never clear why; it may have something to do with their demonic nature.
Would anyone make this deal?
The common cyrodiilan may not be aware, but there are a number of daedric cults in Tamriel. I can assure you that most would take the opportunity to deal with higher ranking daedra.
Thank you for your time, Mrs. Meena. Let us pray the Divines to have mercy on us.
Upon finishing her breakfast, she looked at the other patrons. The redhead remembered what the adventurer from the day before had said about mercenaries. Sophie went to the counter to settle her bill and also asked Nerussa to refer her to one. The owner pointed to a heavily armed imperial woman sitting at a table.
"Excuse me," the woman shot Sophie an unfriendly expression at her approach, "I heard you may be able to assist me in getting safely to Chorrol."
"Well," she reclined at her chair, "it all depends on the price."