Golde Apple Farm

I cried most of the way to Golde Apple Farm, silently in the back of the carriage. Once I had to ask the driver to pull over, becoming physically ill as I had with Grelod. I didn't mind the pain, I deserved it for choosing to be an assassin, for choosing to take on an extra job while I was there. And a tiny part of my brain kept reasoning that as long as it hurt, I was still me, I was still Everlee the way I had come to see myself.

Despite how time seemed to move slow for me that day, we made it to Golde Apple Farm in good time but I knew I was in no fit condition to meet with them. Rather, I moved some ways off their property to set up camp, though it wasn't necessary either. It was far from dark, but for once I had little else to do, so I sat there, back against a tree, and tried to stop obsessing about my new unwelcome profession.

I got up the next morning, picking up camp and doing my best to wash myself in a nearby stream. I knew that it wasn't me that the couple was interested in adopting but I felt that I should represent Lynn and Honorhall in the best possible manner, and looking like I hadn't bathed or slept was not the way to go about that.

Walking up the gently winding path past the golden apple trees that littered the estate I had to admit that the farm was beautiful. I could see Lynn growing up here, playing with a dog in the yard, sneaking an apple from the tree. It wasn't the life she was used to, but it was one she deserved, one I think she would grow into.

The house itself was fairly large for the typical country estates. It was two story, and unlike most buildings in Skyrim, it was not made of stone. It appeared to be stucco, a pale peach color, something I had only seen rarely, typically within the elven sectors of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. Each windowsill on the first floor contained a potted section with an assortment of flowers.

I knocked on the door, hoping that the couple was as pleasant as their home.

"Hello, you must be Everlee!" said a woman whom I assumed was 'Hannah' from Constance's letter.

The woman was about my height, also a Breton, but she was rounder. Her face was full and she had dark brown curls that fell from her head. Her smile was genuine as she unexpectedly brought me into a hug. When she let go a man had approached behind her, tall and lanky with blonde hair. A Nord or perhaps an Imperial, it was hard to tell. It was possible he, like me, had mixed blood. He had a kind, but quieter demeanor than his wife.

"Lynn has told us all about you," the woman said. "Though she didn't say how young you were. It's good to finally meet you, come in, come in."

The woman ushered me in and saw me to a comfy sofa. It was warmer in the south and so the fireplace was not on, a window open to let in the breeze which smelled sweet because of the flowers and trees. It was suddenly jarring to me how the last several nights of my life had been spent in such darkness. I had assassinated three targets, almost been killed, and very nearly let Vilkas get carved up by a madman.

The woman offered me pie, and I took some. Jacob was mostly quiet, but when he looked at Hannah and thought I was distracted he had a giant grin as opposed to the small smile he gave me. They seemed happy, content as Hannah chatted with me, telling me how excited they were that Honorhall was finally adopting out and their plans for the future. She told me she'd already had a room prepared for Lynn and showed it to me. I asked her some questions I had prearranged, constantly making myself aware of my surroundings, looking for something odd or out of place.

They told me all about their stories, their struggle to have a child. She told me she knew of Lynn's pickpocketing, the young girl had used her skills on them the first day. Instead of reporting her to the guard or getting her in trouble with Constance they had spoken with her, having a long chat. They had let her keep the locket she had pickpocketed, the one that been handed down through the women in her family for generations, the locket she had hoped to find a daughter for.

The whole thing was a fairy tale. It felt almost too good to be true and I kept waiting for something to happen, for Hannah to say something that was jarring, or for Jacob to draw a blade. I waited to hear screaming from the cellars or see a dead cat rotting in their kitchen. The fact that my mind seemed to be unwilling to wrap itself around the happiness that was the couple disturbed me, especially since my instincts said this couple was on the level. I had no reason to be looking for such darkness from them.

Except that some darkness had slipped within me.

I smiled at them, the day coming to a close. They offered me a place to stay as it would be dark soon so that I wouldn't have to travel into Riften at night.

"Oh, please, we have a guest room and it would be an honor to have you, you've been so lovely," Hannah said.

I smiled at her, telling myself this was going to be Lynn's mother soon. Mentally I was happy for the girl, but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to feel it.

"No, it's quite alright. I'm expected there tonight, there is a room awaiting me," I said, lying almost second nature to me now.

"We would not want to see you come to harm," Jacob said. "The journey itself tends to be mild from here, but the streets of Riften at night can be a dangerous place."

"I promise that I am always careful," I assured him. "And I thank you for your concern. But I really should be going."

It took ten more minutes before I could get myself away from the couple that doted on me as I knew they must also do with Lynn. I left with an open invitation to come by and visit at any time and with promises that they would write me when their adoption was approved about Lynn and her progress. I assured them that I thought they were a lovely couple and that she could not be going to a better home and that I had but to speak with her before giving Constance my approval.

On the walk to Riften I kept picturing Lynn and her new life, and slowly it felt like warmth was seeping into me even as the twilight brought cooler air. I had done some terrible things in the last few days and I would probably be forced to do more, but I had done good too. I had helped Lynn and I was sure I had helped others in my time with the Companions. But even in Riften, even at what was the start of my thieving career, I had found a way to make someone's life brighter.

Perhaps I couldn't be the old Everlee, not completely. But I could still at least continue to try to balance the scale in favor of the good I had done, as opposed to the crimes I had committed. For the first time since leaving the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, I looked forward to what came next.

A. N.: Ok, so after this things should get a tad more normal/bright for our protagonist since we have gotten her first contracts out of the way. And we are finally (after a very long time) coming back to Riften. Thank you all for being a part of this story!