"So the Jarl wants you to go to Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve some ancient artifact? Sounds like my kind of adventure. Although I'm not entirely fond of the Draugr that lurk within that ancient tomb." Sofia said as we approached the gates of Riften.
"What are Draugr exactly?" I ask.
"They're like zombies, but way whiter than usual. I sometimes wonder if they still have their bits and pieces attached to them if you get what I mean. If not I feel rather sorry for them." She said as we approached the gate. The guards attempted to have us pay a visitors tax or sorts. Seeing how this was obviously a scam, since none of the other holds were enforcing such, I decided to do an old persuasion tactic I learned as a bandit. They let Sofia and I in with no trouble. That's when another living obstacle seemed to appear. "Hey you, get over here. I want to talk to you." A brute Nord with black hair leaning on a pole said. I approached him as I was told. "I don't know you. You in Riften looking for trouble?" He asked.
"Just passing through." I replied. He seemed to have been through his fair share of fights, and looked more experienced than the likes of I.
"Yeah? Well, I got news for you; there's nothing to see here. Last thing the Black-Briars need is some stranger stickin' their nose where it doesn't belong." He said.
"Who are the Black-Briars?" I asked.
"The Black-Briars have Riften in their pocket and the Thieves Guild watchin' their back, so keep your nose out of their business. Me? I'm Maul. I watch the streets for 'em. If you need dirt on anythin', I'm your guy... but it'll cost you." He said.
"Dirt eh? I'm not exactly clean myself." In a stroke of honesty.
"Then you're stupider than you look. You better watch your ass around here elf." He blabbered before he walked away. As much as I felt insulted, I figured he wasn't worth my time since we were on the lookout for Inigo. We walked to Mistveil Keep and stepped into the Riften Jail where a guard by the door said, "Hey, you're not allowed in here."
"A friend gave me this letter." I responded handing the guard the note. "He says he knows me, and that his name is Inigo."
"You mean the crazy Khajiit? What could he possibly want with you?" He asked.
"I'm just as clueless as you are. But it's possible he knows something about me that I do not." I said. "Don't worry, we'll keep our hands off our weapons."
"Very well, but we'll be watching you." He said as he opened the door. We entered the jail. Even for a prison, it was eerily quiet. The only thing that made a sound was the muffled buzzing of an insect as we approached the cell, where a blue Khajiit with white face paint dressed in rags sat on the chair. "Lady Death, you will see me soon." He said to himself as he stared at me with dark orange eyes. It was then I felt like I knew him from somewhere, but how? I approached the cell door. "Come to kill me at last have you? Thank the gods, I can bear the guilt no longer." He said surprisingly in first person rather than third in the traditional way of Khajiits.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"I know I must die. Beware though, my newfound honor demands I defend myself." He replied.
"Are you the one who sent the letter?" I questioned the prisoner. "How is it you know me?"
"I am in no mood for jokes!" He suddenly shouted, standing up and hanging his head low as he approached and violently kicked the cell door. Sofia leaned on a beam watching the scene unravel. "Strike me down! Take your revenge!"
"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. Just who in Azura's name are you?"
"You don't remember? Ah." The blue furred fellow said before sitting back down on his chair. "That could very well be my fault also. I am your so-called friend Inigo. I was the one who tried to kill you. I tried anyway! Kill me I say!"
"If that's the case, then you didn't do a very good job." I said as I rubbed the wound at the back of my head. "Why are you here?"
"After I shot you, I finally realized my mistake and tried to turn myself in. Your body was gone however. The guards did not believe me. They said I was wasting their time. I had to pay them to put me in this cell. It is where I belong. I needed to repent. I need to repent."
"If you thought I was dead, then why were you waiting here for me?
"I heard tales of a remarkable adventurer, both brave and resourceful, a Dunmer with one eye red and one eye purple. I knew it was you, it had to be!" He answered. I began to question how long I've had this selective amnesia of mine. I henceforth wondered what happened in the time span from when Inigo shot me in the head to the moment I awoke on an Imperial cart. "I didn't know if you were coming for me, so I sent a letter to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun hoping you'd come across the Innkeeper. Anyways, you're here. Are you going to kill me or not?" He asked.
"What would I kill you for anyways?" I questioned.
"I see that I must relive it again." He said. "Your memory is not what it was. We met on a job in Bruma in Cyrodill."
"What kind of job?"
"The killing kind. While we lived as bandits we were hired by a lord named Dupan to kill his brothers. With them gone, Dupan would inherit a great fortune and promised us gold in return. Do you remember none of this?"
"I'm afraid not. Please, do continue."
"Before we left, Dupan told me that if only of us returned from our mission, that one would get the other's reward also. I was hooked on Skooma at the time and had a bit of a debt problem. So…"
"You attempted to kill him for your half of the reward?" Sofia intervened.
"I tried. That is what matters. It was not an easy choice. He and I only knew each other for a short time but I had grown to like and respect you. We got along well and fought bravely side by side. I threw that all away for gold and skooma." I stayed silent as I felt similar feelings to when I first became a bandit.
"I threw a decent life away just for the name of gold. I don't remember if I told you this or not, but I was once a farmer in Kvatch, at least I think I was. I can't recall why I became a bandit, but what matters is that I did. So if anything I know how it feels to look back and regret past actions. Didheydinhal you get the reward when you…tried to kill me?"
"No. Dupan was murdered by his sister before I made it back to his keep. She found out about his plan and was in such a conniption when I arrived that she threatened to kill me if I didn't leave. The deal died with him. Money is an evil like no other my friend. It is just that I only die by your hand." I stood there silently, wondering if killing him was really worth it. As far as I could look back, not many people I came across were willing to die in repentance for their crimes. This was something else entirely. Whether or not I was really the adventurer he was looking for, I defiantly felt a connection with him, something I felt like I have been lacking for the longest time. I looked at Sofia. "What do you think?" I asked.
"Well, he did try to kill you. There's no excuse for that." She said. "But…what if he were to come along with us?"
"You think that's the best idea?" I asked.
"Why not? I'm sure an extra blade can do us some favors. He does owe you after all." She said. I nodded before turning my gaze back to Inigo.
"Regardless whether you think you deserve to die, it is clear that you recognize what you owe. Come along with us Inigo."
"I…fight with you?"
"Yes, repay your debt by spilling the blood of our foes."
"Or die defending you!" Inigo said with enthusiasm before he stood up, his body full of energy. "Yes, I accept! I feel lighter in my heart than I have been in a long time. Now that you have given me this opportunity, it will feel like old times."
"Just watch where you aim that bow of yours." Sofia joked.
"Do not joke about such things. The sadness I feel for what I have done is brutal enough, for now." He said. "Anyways, thank you so much Don."
"Don?" I asked.
"Your name is Adonis right? You liked to be called "Don" when we worked alongside each other." Inigo explained.
"Don K'hotei eh? Seems like a good nickname." I said. "By the way, this is Sofia. She is a new friend of mine."
"Pleasure to meet you Inigo." Sofia greeted.
"Likewise. So, where are we headed once I'm out of here?" He asked.
"Bleak Falls Barrow. I was tasked by Jarl Balgruff with retrieving something called a Dragonstone. It's supposed to hold some importance to the recent dragon appearances." I answered as Sofia and I made our way back towards the guard. "I would like for Inigo to be released. I'll watch over him."
"You're certain about that? Damn cat's been in here long enough if you ask me." The guard said before he handed me the key. "Just tell him to keep his claws sheathed." I then walked back to Inigo's cell where I helped him get dressed back up in his normal clothes; a Crimson Archer Outfit, a rare find in Skyrim. Having completed getting him out of the cell, we continued our journey to Bleak Falls Barrow.