Vanya set her cup of tea on her side table and fell into her bed. It had only been a couple of weeks since the mine had reopened and already so many people had shown up. If it got much busier she might have to send a letter begging Drovas to come back.
I don't think I'll ever be that desperate. She propped herself up with her pillow and picked up her tea. She wanted to go to Milore's house but she was far too interested in relaxing and perhaps taking a nap. She smiled as she thought about how Milore had run into the tavern that night after she'd prayed to Azura hollering that Niyya had miraculously gotten better. Not completely better, but apparently the redguard had spontaneously sat up and started asking all sorts of questions. Her pains were gone and though she was still a little weak, she was up and eating well. Vanya had returned to the shrine to thank Azura and she could have sworn she smelled the fragrance of the soap she'd offered on Elder Othreloth as he walked by. She supposed it was only right that the priests use up the items that were brought in as a reward for their service.
She felt herself dozing off when she was jolted awake by a shadow falling over her, nearly causing her to spill her tea in her lap. It was Geldis and he looked concerned.
"Jesus Christ, Geldis!" she huffed as she set her cup down. "You gave me a heart attack. What is it?"
"Apologies," he replied, blinking away the expression he sometimes gave her when she used phrases he wasn't used to. "A guard just informed me that Captain Veleth wants to see you immediately."
She sat up, staring into his eyes. They both knew what it was about. "Okay." She got to her feet and straightened her clothes. "I'll go right now."
She crossed the marketplace toward Morvayn Manor wondering what more the captain could want from her. She had told them everything she knew. When she entered the manor, the Second Coucilor ushered her to Veleth's office. The captain was standing looking deep in thought when she entered the room. He approached and closed the door behind her. "Greetings, Vanya," he said as he walked over to his desk and sat against the edge, then gestured toward the chair next to him. "Please, sit."
She obeyed, not able to tell his mood. He certainly seemed serious, which made her very uneasy. She had to raise her chin high to look up at him, his focus directed around the room behind her.
"I've learned some things over the last few days," he began. "Elder Othreloth tells me that someone has recently been leaving offerings at the Ulen ancestral tomb. There was mention of a Vilur Ulen when we spoke last, do you remember?" His eyes slid to her face.
She nodded, "Yeah."
"All the members of the Ulen family are dead and have been for many years so the sudden appearance of offerings added to what you heard at the shrine makes me believe they are connected. Someone is planning to finish the task that Vilur failed."
"To assassinate Councilor Morvayn?" Vanya guessed.
"Exactly."
"But why?" The First Councilor seemed to be very well-liked by everyone, she couldn't imagine who would want to kill him.
"Do you know much of the history of the Great Houses?" he asked.
"I just know their names, but not much else."
He heaved a sigh and looked out over the room once more."Suffice to say that House Redoran and House Hlaalu have a history of political disagreements and that some members of the Ulen family, being a part of House Hlaalu, decided to try and make an example of Councilor Morvayn. Fortunately, our dear First Councilor has a very effective captain of the guard," the corner of his mouth quirked up. "and the plot was foiled."
Vanya's nerves kept her from smiling at the captain's levity, she didn't understand what any of this had to do with her.
He continued, "Unfortunately for the Ulen's they were put to death for their treachery. Which brings us to our current situation where someone has decided to repay justice with revenge. The question is, who?" His dark eyes, nearly burgundy in color, met hers and her stomach fluttered uneasily "That's where you come in."
She stared at him, stunned. "What can I do?"
He pushed off the desk and began pacing around the room. "The priests have not seen who is leaving the offerings, or so they claim. My men and I have been trying to watch the temple but between guarding the Councilor and keeping the peace with all the new people in town, we can scarcely keep up as it is. Not to mention, I don't want to scare off the culprits by making the guard presence too heavy. So..." He turned and walked back to lean on the desk once again. "I need you to go down into the tomb and wait for them to bring another offering."
"Why me?" she nearly wailed.
"Because you already know of the matter. I can't risk anyone else finding out about my investigation. Besides, you would draw no suspicion going to the temple since you are frequently there anyway."
"I- I can't go into a tomb looking for an assassin," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Vanya, you must. I have no other leads. If we can't identify this person, then all we can do is wait for them to strike. All you have to do is tell me who it is. That's it. I'll take care of the rest." He was looming over her, leaning one arm on the desk in front of her and she swallowed nervously under the intensity of his gaze. He was a big guy, at least as tall as Teldryn and much bulkier. She felt very boxed in and she didn't like it one bit. Still, she would hate to say no and have something bad happen to the First Councilor. It would be her fault and she could never live with that. She dropped her eyes to her hands before bringing them over her face with a groan.
"When am I doing this?"
"Today," he replied immediately.
She dropped her hands and glared up at him. "Are you crazy? You spring this on me out of nowhere and you want me to do it today?"
He chuckled as he straightened back up, crossing his arms. "What difference does it make if it's today, tomorrow, or next week? You certainly won't want to participate more by waiting. Besides, I have good reason to believe the offering will be made today. Come here." He walked behind his desk and picked up a sheet of paper. "I have a drawing of the tomb and I will walk you through exactly what to do."
She had been waiting for an hour at least, situated behind a pillar in the far corner of the room. Captain Veleth had insisted she come straight here to wait and to not leave unless she saw the offering made or he came for her. If she was waiting too much longer she'd blow her cover by her stomach growling. From her vantage point, she could see the center of the room where there was a large pit filled with ash and bones. The ash she could handle, the bones creeped her out a little. The air was musty and she was glad for the cloth around her mouth that the captain had given her to keep her from coughing or sneezing. He had certainly thought of everything. She felt only a little bit resentful about it.
She was starting to ache from trying to not shift around too much when she froze, hearing the door to the tomb creak and quiet footfalls. Her stomach was a tight knot as she peeked between the wall and the pillar, waiting for the person to come into view. The steps grew closer and she thought she should be seeing someone but still saw nothing, though it did seem like the ash floating in the air was being drawn by a gentle current. The movement stopped. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure it was audible. She didn't dare to even take a breath.
After what seemed like an eternity, the form of a hooded dunmer woman blinked into existence. Vanya nearly gasped but managed to clamp her lips together. Invisibility? No wonder she had not seen the woman the other day. She narrowed her eyes, trying to identify the woman in the dim lighting the sconces provided.
The woman knelt down to set her offerings on the edge of the pit then stood back up. She fished into a pocket and pulled out a small vial as she muttered, "Why does he always make this with Bittergreen?" She tipped the vial into her mouth, the hood sliding back slightly with the action. Before she disappeared Vanya's eyes widened in recognition.
Tilisu Severin!
