Chapter 10

The cold wind blasted Nirano's face once more, spraying him with small ice shards and causing him to loose his footing once more. He slid down several feet and stabbed his dagger into the ice to stop himself. There he lay, hanging on to his dagger staring down at the miles upon miles of endless snow.

He had left Sari at the bottom where there was a lake and grass for her to feed on. She would not wander too far and she knew how to protect herself from Wolves and other animal predators.

So he pulled himself together and started to continue to march up the steep, icy mountain. He wondered when he would reach White Top. For what seemed like hours later, he finally found himself standing on flat ground. He was shivering from head to toe, so he drank the Warmth Potion Ocheeva had given him before he left.

He suddenly felt ten times better, almost as if he had sunk into a warm bath. He looked around at the surrounding landscape. It was a rugged icy terrain, and he doubted whether anything could survive up here. How did Gumar live? He wondered…

Around Nirano was nothing. Everywhere he looked was white and the only way to go was forward. Luckily he would not have to climb anymore, which he was extremely grateful for. So he huddled his arms together and walked on, with determination to prove his first mission for the Dark Brotherhood successful.

So, Nirano never weakened his pace. He set foot after foot forward and was very grateful for the clothing the Brotherhood had given him upon his arrival. Not only did it shield him in the night, it also seemed as if it were enchanted to keep him as warm as possible for the climates it was subjected to.

Nirano suddenly stopped and dropped to the ground. About one-hundred meters away he saw a small fire. Gumar must be one of the only living organisms this high up so it must have been him. Nirano climbed up higher so as to get a good location to snipe Gumar from when his suspicions were confirmed. It was indeed Gumar as his daughter called his name several times from the tent.

Nirano wondered how she would feel when she discovered her father's dead body. Horrified to say the least, but he mustn't' dwell on that thought. Guilt would not aid him on this mission. He remembered Ocheeva's orders however and he was not supposed to allow anybody else to witness the murder. So Nirano knew archery was out of the question. He would not die silently with an arrow in him. He would have to be assassinated via blade.

Nirano drew Halek out of his sheath and examined him. It was a beautiful dagger, flawless in shape and more deadly than any other blade he wielded. It was small but it was coated with a deadly Electrical Enchantment. Nothing would stop it once it had pierced flesh.

The daughter went back inside the tent and Nirano stole this opportunity to make his way closer. He snuck quietly through the trenches of snow and found himself behind a log near the tent and the fire where Gumar was sitting. Nirano prepared Halek for his duty and crept silently behind Gumar, when he heard the daughter coming out once more. He flung himself to the ground, right behind the log Gumar was sitting on!

Luckily for Nirano, it was a fairly big log and it would hide him as long as the daughter did not walk to close. Fortunate enough she did not and she returned to the tent. So, Nirano slid himself back up and with a slight twitch covered Gumar's mouth with his hands and quickly jammed Halek into his back. Gumar twitched violently as the Electrical currents flowed through him and he fell backwards three seconds later, smoke rising from his back. Nirano pulled Halek out and sheathed it. Then he proceeded to run silently down the cliff.

He let himself fall all the way down the long mountain he had climbed. It was not overly steep so he did not hurt himself, he simply slid down quickly. A minute or so later he found himself on the bottom, not enjoying his wet, cold clothing at all. He called Sari to him and she came momentarily galloping. He climbed on her and set her off towards Cheydinhal once more to claim his reward. On his way back, he thought he heard cries of anguish from behind him…