Astrid wakes with her body in more pain than she ever has experienced before. She slowly opens her eyes, and it takes a while to adjust to the almost dark room.
"Ah, you are awake."
She lifts her head and stares at the Altmer in front of her. He is dressed in Thalmor robes, sitting with his arms crossed against his chest.
"Who sent you to kill me?"
Astrid shakes her head and pushes against the wall to bring relief to her arms. She is shackled to the wall, the iron biting into her wrists. "I do not know."
The Altmer pushes himself out of the chair and fists her hair, pulling her head to look him in the face. His golden tinted skin was almost red in anger. "You were sent to assassinate me, and you are telling me you do not know who send you. Speak before I cut into you."
Astrid feels the scalpel against her ribs, pressing slowly into her skin. "Please I …." She sobs as the sharp blade opens her skin. "Only our leader knows who performed the Black Sacrament."
Astrid was sent to assassinate the head of the Justiciars in Skyrim, an Altmer named Ondolemar, in Markarth. Everything went smoothly until she opened his bedroom door. He was waiting for her and hit her with a lighting spell before she could flee.
"Do you really think I would believe you? I want a name!" The scalpel cuts deeper and Astrid feels the sharp point pressing against her rib before sliding between two. She screamed and the Altmer grins. "You can scream as much as you like, no one will hear you."
He slowly pulls the scalpel away before putting it against her arm. "We can play for a long time, or you can tell me who send you." The blade leaves a deep cut as he pulls the scalpel from her wrist down to her elbow.
Astrid screams and embraces the darkness with joy.
The splash of cold water wakes her with a start. The pain of her torture almost pulls her back to the welcome darkness.
"No, you will not get to escape into darkness again." The Altmer places his hand on her, and Astrid feels the warm touch of a healing spell on her wounds. The pain slowly lessens until it fades.
He pulls her head by her hair and Astrid whimpers when she faces the now naked Altmer "We will start over. Who send you?" His hands push her legs apart before plunging his manhood into her.
Astrid bits her lip not to cry out and she can feel blood running down her chin. He leaves her hanging by her arms after he finished only to take the scalpel from the table.
"You humans are nothing more than animals, but I like to use your women for my pleasure. I need a name."
The scalpel cuts into her stomach under her navel and Astrid feels her bladder empty as the pain racks through her body. "I do not know." She screams, tears running down her face.
For days she had to endure his torture. He will cut into her only to heal her and to start all over again. Astrid's brain is slowly shutting down until she does not feel the pain when he cuts into her.
Ondolemar stops when he cuts into her ribs again and she does not even whimper. He unlocks the shackles and let her slide to the floor where she pulls her legs against her chest and closes her eyes.
Food and water are placed in front of her and the Altmer pulls her into a sitting position. He lifts her head. "I will not kill you, but you will find out who send you and will inform me when you know. I will give you one month before I come for you and your family."