Chapter 6

Middas, the 6th of Sun's Height, Year 202 of the 4th Era

The Silver-Blood Inn looked the same as it had on the previous day. The bar was well-lit, but the tables were shadowed. Kleppr manned the bar while Frabbi waited tables, and they both bickered with each other loud enough for everyone to hear.

Eltrys halted just inside the door. "Perhaps you should ask the questions?"

Daenerys felt like rolling her eyes. However, she was now a mercenary, and he was her client. That made him the boss. "I'm an outsider. You're not a noble, but you're known and respected in Markarth. She'll more likely answer your questions than mine. I'll be right behind you."

"Very well," he sighed and started toward the bar.

She followed a step behind Eltrys and slightly to his side the way a bodyguard should. She didn't think he truly needed a bodyguard. He was a wealthy man and could get away with asking questions. However, if he did need a bodyguard then a large man would be more intimidating than her, but it was his money. She followed him trying to keep an eye on everything. She had her hood up to hide her face and that blocked some of her vision, but she didn't hear or smell anything suspicious.

Frabbi met them before they reached the bar. "Eltrys! You haven't been here in quite a while. Let me get you a table for you and your… friend." Before Eltrys could reply she guided them to the table farthest from the bar in a dark shadowy corner. "Here you are. Best table for quiet conversations."

Eltrys took the closest chair, the one that put his back to the room. Daenerys took the other chair and moved it so her back was to the wall. She wanted to keep an eye on both Frabbi and the room.

"Now, what can I get you and your lady friend to drink?"

"Actually, Frabbi, I just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Well, now, I've been known to get talkative after a drink or two. How about you buy all three of us a round of some Black-Briar Special Reserve, and maybe that will loosen my tongue."

"Well, um." Eltrys looked to Daenerys.

No wonder Eltrys needed help. He was awful at this. "Yes, a drink sounds lovely. Three Black-Briar Special Reserve."

Frabbi tilted her head and frowned. "Danyen? Is that you hiding in that hood?"

Daenerys shrugged. "My, that sounds like a question, and we don't have our drinks yet. Maybe, I could answer your questions if you answer his questions, but I'd like my drink first."

Frabbi nodded briskly. "Very well, three Black-Briar Special Reserve coming right up." There was more snap and less politeness in her words.

"Why did you order for us?" asked Eltrys. "I prefer Honningbrew mead to Black-Brair, and despite the name there is nothing special about the Special Reserve."

"I know that," replied Daenerys. She had learned a few things while working as a tavern maid. Black-Briar mead was a bit more potent, but Honningbrew was sweeter and smoother. Black-Briar Special Reserve was made in winter by skimming off the ice. It was a strong brew, but bitter and overpriced as well. "They make a lot of their money off selling drinks. We're not really paying for drinks. We're paying for information and her time."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," said Eltrys. "Maybe you should talk to her when she returns?"

Daenerys nodded her agreement. "Very well, I'll talk to her." At least she felt like she was earning her gold. By all rights Eltrys should have been the one asking the questions, but he was so obviously clueless about how to go about it.

Frabbi returned and placed a drink before each of them before taking a seat herself and sipping her own drink. "Well now, that hits the spot." She winked at Eltrys. "Now, aren't you the flirt? Rhiada back at home with a babe on the way. The mysterious Danyen hiding her face, and now you're trying to pick me up as well. I have to warn you, just because Kleppr has a tiny prick, I'm not just going to hop into bed with you two. You're going to have to work for it."

"What? I? No!" spluttered Eltrys. "I love Rhiada."

"Eltrys," interrupted Daenerys firmly. "Let me do the talking." Or else Frabbi would lead him around by the nose.

"Sure," agreed Eltrys.

"Well then, I guess I know who wears the pants and who wears the skirt."

Daenerys had the feeling that Frabbi was being deliberately difficult. "Not at all. Eltrys is a good man and a wise man. Most men are too foolish to admit when they can't do something well. They'll jump right into the river without checking for mudcrabs. Eltrys hired me to help him get some answers."

"Hmm, like Vigilant Tyr hired you to watch his back? What happened to him? The two of you went out and I haven't seen him since yesterday. He never came back." Her words became sharper as she went along making it an accusation despite just stating the facts.

Daenerys knew this question was coming and was prepared. "What do you mean he never came back? We parted ways after we killed the scamps. Didn't he come back here?"

"No, he did not. It sounds like you were the last one to see him."

"Eltrys! Looks like we found another one for your list. Vigilant Tyr didn't tell me where he was going, but I thought he was coming back here. Now he's missing." She looked over to Frabbi. "He is missing, isn't he? Did he even rent a room?"

"He did," agreed Frabbi. "But after he walked away with you, he never returned. Now here you are with a completely different look and hiding your face, mage. What else do you have to hide?"

Daenerys was tired of Frabbi's suspicion, even if it was warranted. She kept her voice low, but she let her anger and frustration loose. "I'm hiding my face because two of the damn guards thought I was a whore. I didn't want to wear that dress, but it was all I had. Look, I get it. You don't like magic and you don't like mages. I wouldn't be back, but I need this job. I trusted the wrong man, and when I caught him cheating on me, the bastard threw me out and that smock was all I had. I'm not a whore, and I will not 'thank' the guards 'properly' for merely not arresting me. All I want to do is to make enough money to money to get back home to High Rock. That means helping Eltrys find some answers about all the people who keep turning up dead in this city. And, if Vigilant Tyr is missing, then he goes on that list."

Frabbi looked properly chastised by her rant. "Well, I guess men are pigs, even to mages, and you are trying to get back where you belong. Fine, ask your questions, but there is no big secret about who is killing everyone. It's the damn Forsworn."

"Thank you, Frabbi. For what it's worth, I agree, but the question Eltrys wants to know is whether they are killing at random or if there is some pattern. Why Margret? Why Vigilant Tyr? And, why Eltrys's father?"

"You think I know?" asked Frabbi. "They're murdering daedra worshiping savages. They don't need a reason."

"Yes, but Vigilant Tyr and Margret stayed here. What can you tell us about Margret?"

Frabbi shrugged. "She came from money. She demanded our best room and paid for a full month, in advance mind you. She ordered our best dishes and sneered at them half the time. My daughter may not cook for the emperor's table, but she's good. Other than that, nothing I can tell you."

"What about her room? And Vigilant Tyr's room for that matter? Has the guard been here yet to search their rooms?"

"Are you joking?" Frabbi laughed. "That's not going to happen. You know what our guard is like. They keep the scum in line… No offense meant. You couldn't help it, getting thrown out into the streets, but what did you expect to happen running around dressed like you were?"

Daenerys chose to ignore Frabbi's casual insults. "Could we get a peek into their rooms then?"

"Well now, I can't just hand their keys over. Privacy, after all." She looked over to Eltrys.

Daenerys caught the hint. Eltrys was too easy with his money. Frabbi wanted another bribe. "Well, if they're dead how much to rent their rooms?"

"Hmm, I suppose we're not sure Vigilant Tyr is dead, but since he hired you to watch his back, I guess I could make an exception. Ten septims for each room. Twenty in total. You can look at Margret's old room now. There are still some of her things laying around. You'll have to give me some time to get Vigilant Tyr's room made up proper."

Daenerys translated that to mean that Frabbi wanted to rob it first of any gold and valuables. She looked to Eltrys. "Will twenty septims be a problem?"

Eltrys shook his head. "No, I'm good for it." He reached for his coin purse.

Daenerys felt a lot less guilty about her deal with Eltrys after watching him count out twenty septims without batting an eye. He could afford it.

Frabbi slipped the coins into her apron pouch. "Well now, I'll get the rooms prepared. I'll be back with the key shortly."

Eltrys took a sip of his Black-Briar Special Reserve and made a face. "I hope we find something in their rooms. So far this has been useless."

"No," disagreed Daenerys. "Not useless. We learned that Margret is very well off, but the guards aren't doing anything about her death. That's not normal. Usually, the guards care when someone rich gets murdered. Did the guards do anything when your father died?"

Eltrys frowned. "No, mother complained about that a lot."

"Well, that's a pattern." She wasn't just stringing Eltrys along. It could just be Nord indifference to the sufferings of any other races, but maybe there was something else going on.

Frabbi returned with the keys and laid them on the table. "Here you go."

Daenerys took the keys. "Eltrys, why don't you stay here? I'll check them out. I don't want to start any rumors about you having an affair."

"Might be too late for that," teased Frabbi. "But you're right. Disappearing together would make them ten times worse."

"So, I guess I'll just sit here and sip my mead then," complained Eltrys.

"You don't have to sip it," said Frabbi. "Drink up. I'll bring you another when you're done." She turned to Daenerys. "This way." She walked off without even looking back to see if Daenerys was following her.

Daenerys had to scramble to keep up. She was certain that Frabbi wasn't this rude to all her customers. Whether it was because she was a mage, a Breton, or poor she didn't know. Nor did she really care why Frabbi was a bigot.

"That's Vigilant Tyr's room," she said as she pointed out the room closest to the privy and kept walking. "So, who is this man you caught cheating on you? I'll want to stay away from him."

"Sagyval," replied Daenerys spitting out the first Breton name that popped into her mind. He actually wasn't a bad choice. He was a traveling merchant and sometimes stopped in Markarth. Although he was likely either dead or a vampire now.

"That old goat?" Frabbi laughed. "Oh, dear you aren't the first and won't be the last to fall for his honeyed words. I hadn't heard he was back in Markarth, though. He usually stays here."

"He found someone else to live with." Daenerys put all the bitterness she felt about Markarth into her words.

"Ouch, well, don't fry him with your magic. I won't say he doesn't deserve it, but you'll end up in the mines." She came to a halt. "And here's Margret's room. Best room in the inn. You bring those keys back as soon as you're done."

"Thank you, Frabbi." She managed a polite tone.

Margret's room was large, clean, and tidy. The bed was made, and everything was put away as if no one stayed here. She opened the wardrobe and found several nice dresses in it. She found it ironic that one had much the same cut that got her accused of being a whore. The difference was that Margret's dress was dyed red and had intricate embroidery. The bed was stone carved out of the rock, but it had a thick feather mattress and soft sheets upon it. She found a vanity with cosmetics and was tempted to pocket some of them. They would probably sell them for good money. However, she didn't want Frabbi to label her a thief. She also suspected that Frabbi had already pocketed the best judging by the complete lack of jewelry and perfume.

She thought it odd that a well-used copy of Imperial Cyrodilic, fourth era, year 195 edition lay upon the writing desk. Daenerys was wearily familiar with that dictionary. She had to use it a lot when she was learning to read and write under Gerdur's tutelage. The only difference was that Gerdur's had been an old year 153 edition. It was a thick and heavy book, not the kind of thing that one carried around for casual reading.

After some more searching, Daenerys found a crumpled-up paper that had fallen behind the desk. She retrieved it and smoothed it out. What the hell was this? The top half of the page was a series of numbers, but it wasn't a ledger. There was an odd pattern to the numbers. They came in pairs. The first of the pairs ranged in the hundreds, but the second was usually under twenty. The whole thing ended after just a few lines with a frustrated scribble. Apparently, the writer, presumably Margret, had made a mistake and started over. In the middle of all the numbers, she spotted three letters: t S-B. That she could guess at. S-B had to be Silver-Blood. These had to be initials. So, who was t S-B? It suddenly hit her that she wasn't looking at anything financial. This was a code. Did that mean Margret was a spy? If so, for who? This was certainly a clue. However, a code this complex had to have a key. Did Margret have it on her? Or had she missed it.

Daenerys decided to try Clairvoyance. It was a tricky spell. It usually required that one had a good knowledge of a destination place, person, or object and the spell would provide the path even if that path led through unknown areas. Margret's code key was an ill-defined target, but that might be enough if it was hidden in this room. Daenerys summoned her Will, Focused, and used the complicated double-think Seeming of convincing herself she already knew the answer. To her surprise the spell worked and pointed directly at the dictionary. She grabbed the book and leafed through it. No papers fell out, nor were there any in the binding… Then she cursed herself for a fool. This was a book of words, with page numbers. She looked at the first pair. 352-17. On page 352 the 17th word was 'meeting'. Daenerys quickly flipped through the dictionary and started writing down words.

Meeting at the treasury house tomorrow. Took them long enough. These people act like they own everything. t S-B is the younger brother, but he's obviously the one in charge. Makes all the deals, bullies local landowners into selling to him. Even employs that girl at the door to deter trouble-makers like me. I am

The rest was blotted out in a frustrated scribble. Daenerys left the dictionary and stuffed the translated note in her beltpouch. Eltrys was probably wondering where she was by now, but she went to Vigilant Tyr's room rather than returning.

The vigilant's room was a small rectangle of a room, barely large enough to move around the furniture. Its contents consisted of a bed, a chamber pot, a wardrobe, and a small table. It didn't take long to search the room. She found a prayer book titled, Daily Meditations on Stendarr's Mercy. She also found a packet of letters. Glancing through them they seemed to be reports about suspected daedra and monster infestations from all over Skyrim. She glanced at one of them about a series of murders in Windhelm. It sounded serious, but it lacked details. Daenerys shoved the whole stack of letters into her beltpouch. She could study them later.

She returned to Eltrys and found Frabbi at his table. She was standing up and leaning over to talk to him in a way that gave him a view right down her cleavage. There was no way that was accidental. Daenerys cleared her throat. "I'm done. You can have the keys back."

Frabbi took them from her and dropped them into her cleavage rather than her apron pocket. "Well, I hope you found what you were looking for." She walked off with a deliberate sway of her hips and immediately started berating her husband loudly.

Daenerys moved her chair closer to Eltrys so they could speak quietly and sat down. "I did find something in Margret's room. She was a spy for someone. I have no idea who, but she was planning to meet with someone called t S-B at the treasury house. Her notes refer to t S-B as the younger brother, but he's in charge."

"Thonar," said Eltrys. "Thonar Silver-Blood. My wife Rhiada works for him in the Treasure House. He's a very important man. The Silver-Bloods are the strongest clan in Markarth. Do you think they're involved in these murders?"

"I have no idea. Maybe we should ask your wife?" That seemed obvious to her, but Eltrys was not impressing her. "What does she do at the Treasury House? For that matter, what kind of business is the Treasury House?"

"They call her an assistant, but if the Treasury House were a tavern, she'd be a tavern wench. The Treasury House is one of the few banks in Skyrim and the richest. It's backed by all the silver in the Cidhna Mines. They make loans to many of the clans and rich merchants. They're powerful men, and they don't like to be kept waiting. So, having a pretty young woman serve them drinks and something to eat keeps them in a good mood. Or that's how she describes it anyway. She'll have to quit soon. It won't be long until she's starting to show."

"Well, it sounds like she would be in position to hear if anything was going on. You wanted answers. Are you scared of your wife? Or, getting cold feet now?"

"No, no. I want answers. I just wasn't expecting where this would lead…" He fiddled with his mug a bit. "I didn't really want her involved, but it's getting late. I haven't even told her yet that I'm looking into things. I do need to get back home, so… I'll talk to her tonight and let you know what I find out when we meet up tomorrow."

"Very well, you're the boss, boss." First rule of mercenary work, the boss was always right unless he was going to get you killed, then it was every mercenary for themselves. Still, she had trouble believing Eltrys. He was paying her fifty septims a day for a few hours each evening? "So, let's not meet at the Shrine of Talos tomorrow. I'll be uphill from the smelter by Ghorza gra-Bagol's smithy."

"That sounds fine. Can you look into Weylin tomorrow during the day? It's not like I helped much tonight."

Daenerys had to agree that was true. For fifty septims a day, she could poke her nose around the Warrens. "I suppose I could, but what do you expect me to do?"

"Same thing you did here. Ask questions. Search his room. Talk to Garvey for that. He runs the Warrens. It might help if you tell him that I sent you."

"It would also help if I had a few coins to bribe him. Twenty should do."

"Fine, fine." Eltrys reached for his purse and counted out the coins. "This is costing me more than I expected."

Daenerys felt a little guilty, but she shrugged and pocketed the coins. She was a mercenary now after all. "Yes, and Margret was a spy who died. You have me poking into her death. This is dangerous work." Which was all true. "I've also produced more results than you expected in a single night."

He nodded. "I can't argue with that."

.oOo.

She insisted on walking Eltrys home. He'd hired her as a bodyguard, so she was going to do her job. After that she returned to Molag Bal's house. She passed a couple of guards, but apparently her mage robes worked. They did nothing more than look her way suspiciously.

Rather than going straight to sleep, she opened up the packet of letters she'd found in the vigiliant's room. She started with the mysterious murders in Windhelm. Three women had died, and their bodies had been cut apart, but the report lacked details. Vampires were skulking about the hills of Winterhold. Jarl Kraldar was trying to hunt them down without much success. In Dawnstar someone was opening a museum dedicated to the Mythic Dawn, the cult to Mehrunes Dagon. The Mythic Dawn had been behind the Oblivion Crisis and had almost destroyed the world. All the Vigilants had were rumors, but they requested anyone in the vicinity to investigate. She found a letter mentioning a corrupt house in Markarth, no doubt this letter had brought Vigilant Tyr to Markarth. The other letters had even less detail. The Glenmoril Witches had been spotted in Falkreath. Some boy in Windhelm was performing the Dark Sacrament. Vampires were looking for a place called Dimhollow crypt which was located somewhere in northern or western Skyrim.

She even found a note about herself. They had her name, that she'd killed a dragon by Shouting, and that she might be associated with the Red Comet in the sky. The note was almost two months old and didn't even mention that she was going to see the Greybeards. The note urged any vigilant who encountered her to try to recruit her support. Nothing about the Dragonguard, Al-Du-In, or more recent events.

She slept restlessly again. She dreamed again of the dragon of Helgen, Al-Du-In, but not in Helgen. Instead, he fell upon a city built upon a marsh. He ravaged the town, not even doing it to feed. He just burned it down as surely as she had destroyed King's Landing. She found herself fleeing from his attack and following a path through the mountains. The opening to the path was disguised by clever stonework so it looked like a solid wall, but up close it revealed a narrow ravine. She heard the shrill cry of a bird and the rustle of wings. She saw an exquisitely beautiful woman with dark black hair and skin as pale as ivory lying in a stone tomb, but she was still alive. Upon her back was a scroll that unrolled…

Daenerys awoke screaming. She couldn't remember what she saw on that scroll but even the glimpse of it unrolling in a dream made her feel like a tiny insignificant grain of sand upon an endless beach. She looked down and found the mace of Molag Bal had returned to her side within easy arms reach. That didn't even really surprise her. She didn't think the chest would hold it. She was surprised when she looked at the tattoo on the back of her left hand to find that there were now three birds inside the cage. Apparently, Karliah had recruited another Nightingale.