Chapter 22: Unfathomable
Mahrig
It might have been days, maybe even weeks since I had been captured. I constantly felt drugged, and slipped in and out of consciousness. Or maybe it was the infection that set up in my arm that I could barely keep at bay with my less than adequate healing abilities. My foggy mind didn't help in the restoration efforts, and no one here seemed too inclined to help my suffering. They kept me in a cage like an animal, and glared at me as if I were about to be slaughtered like one. A blonde woman made an appearance often, Astrid, I believe I had heard her called. She seemed to be the lion keeper around here, and kept the other's with the murderous stares at bay. A young vampire girl kept me fed and watered, and didn't seem as ill toward me as the others did. Though I knew her intent was not of a saint due to the fact that she was a vampire. She was just merely keeping me alive, barely. I had no doubts that this was the dark brotherhood's lair. The skulls and bones that scattered the shelves were hint enough that people didn't survive long around here.
I tried so desperately to remember the events and the route that they took to bring me here, but the pain from the wound in my arm had left me delirious and unable to think. It was a deep wound that needed treatment, but I surmised that a drug had been introduced into my veins during the scuffle. It all had happened so quickly that I scarcely remembered much. Even in my current situation I doubted my mind would clear of the events considering the pain I had felt before being abducted. I had felt helpless after Gareth had rushed out of the tent. I had revealed too much and scared him away. I should have just left him alone. If I had maybe I could have avoided this situation altogether. Instead I had stumbled out blindly into the storm away from the guards and security the town provided. I didn't listen to Gareth's warnings and this was my punishment. It served me right for always charging into the unknown.
I tried moving my arm, immediately halting the action as the pain rendered my body paralyzed. I couldn't even make a sound. The only thing echoing off the earthen halls was my sharp intake of breath, and the joyful laughter that could be heard from farther down the dirt and stone corridors. As the pain slowly subsided my body shook with tremors. I could feel the swell in my throat as tears threatened to break the surface. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't allow my captors the pleasure. Here I was, trapped and imprisoned once more in my life. I had failed miserably at making a life outside of captivity and this was my punishment. The God's were punishing me for loving a man that was not allowed to love me back. So many different possibilities swirled around in my already dizzy mind.
"We decided it's time to talk, so you can move freely around your cage now. We won't administer anymore drugs." The small voice shook me from my own inward spiral of emotions. The Vampire girl stood at my cage with her hand outstretched holding a mug. I couldn't bring myself to look into her eyes. Such eyes did not belong to a child, it was blasphemous. I was hesitant to receive the drink she presented me which gained a chuckle.
"You never turned down sustenance before, even now after reassuring you that we will no longer drug you, you refuse?" I nodded slowly, which took more strength than it should have. The girl sighed and placed the cup on the ground inside of my cage, withdrawing her hand.
"It's medicine for your arm. It took a bit of convincing, but Gabriella finally made it." I turned my gaze toward the cup. It could be a trick, it could be the last thing I would taste before death. Maybe they were done with me. I wasn't much entertainment for them, and most of them looked as if they would rather just end my miserable life than watch me take another ragged breath.
"Why would…" My voice came out as a croak. A frog could have made more of a human like sound. It was the first time I had attempted to use my voice since being captured, the first opportunity really.
"It will help with that as well. We don't want to kill you Dragonborn, or do you prefer Weaver?" I froze as the usage of my past name crossed her cold dead lips. My half lidded eyes finally found hers and I mustered the coldest glare I could possibly imagine.
"There's the fire I was looking for. Drink up, Astrid will be in soon to talk to you about a deal we have in mind."
With those words the unchild left. Leaving me with nothing to contemplate but drinking the contents of the mug. My curiosity had been sparked. A deal? What kind of deal could they possibly want to strike with me? They must have been insane to presume I would agree to any sort of deal after the way they had abducted me, or the way they had treated me since my abduction. After all they were the dark brotherhood, so their sanity had already been in question. I tried to move once more but was paralyzed by the pain once again. I thought long and hard about my options. If they had wanted me dead they would have immediately done it. They would have left my body for the villagers, or worse Gareth, to find. No, they had plans for me. Plans I wasn't sure I was going to like. My options were few. Refuse the mug and suffer, or suffer trying to make my way to drink the mug. The only option I had that would seemingly sustain me would be to comply. I was about to experience an unfathomable amount of pain.
Gareth
Krahmer had become quiet in our search for Mahrig. Too Quiet. He only seemed to talk when locating contacts and using bribes. He seemed less than inclined to share his thoughts and simply urged us to follow suit. He had a few contacts in Skyrim that had information on the whereabouts of the dark brotherhood, or branches of different informants that could possibly point us in the direction. Some of the contacts he spoke to were less than dignified, but I didn't care. I simply prayed to the God's that Mahrig was still among the living and to find her before anything happened. Our odds of finding her had been looking slim, but on the fifth day, we struck a plethora of information from a little witch that Krahmer called "The Widow Maker." Her real name was Anise. She was an old woman who occupied a shack just outside of Riverwood below the mountain that contained Bleak Falls Barrow.
"The Dark Brotherhood puts fear into those they have dealings with. I won't lie, I've had a few of my own." The little woman motioned us into her small shack. At first I was hesitant, but Theo barged in giving my doubts a push to the side. I followed. Krahmer sat in a chair and produced a small sack from his larger bag, giving it to Anise. She opened the bag and peered inside. Whatever the bag held filled her features with delight.
"I'm getting too old for my line of work, thank you. Collecting these would have taken quite some time for me. I doubt you collected them yourself, so I know the price you paid was well worth the information you seek." Krahmer nodded, not breaking eye contact with the little woman. She chuckled.
"Well, I suppose I owe you anyways for sparing me back in Cyrodiil. I told you it would pay off to have friends in low places." She sat the bag on her bed and sat down.
"I can tell you where the Dark Brotherhood Lair is, but I will need to add a memory block for personal reasons. I can't have you revealing where you obtained the information from if things don't go as planned. I may not have many more years to live, but I want the years I have left." She winked at Krahmer and gave a devilish grin to Theo and I.
"Whatever you need to do. We just want the information." Theo blurted. Anise nodded in his direction.
"Can I offer any of you some tea? It's a special blend I came up with myself. A little bit of Snowberry mixed with Nirnroot, and a tad of cinnamon to knock the chill from your bones." Krahmer kindly declined as did the rest of us.
"Fear not, I won't kill you. Age has softened an old woman. My mortality is more in question each day, and one thinks of all the bad they have committed when so close to death's door. It's true I am a necromancer, but I have never killed an innocent for my work, Not directly anyways. I mix poisons for people, but I have no say in how they are used. The dark brotherhood has come to me many times in need, often leaving me with threats instead of payment. I say it's about time I repay the favor in kind." She poured herself a cup of tea and started to take a sip, lightly waving her hand over the steam that wafted from the cup.
"Rumor has it that the Brotherhood Sanctuary is West of Falkreath, hidden in an enclave in a meadow below the surrounding surface. You can't miss it really if you know what you are looking for. Just follow the scent of death." She paused and raised her hand as if remembering something.
"Also you should know that the door will not open for you. It is sealed by dark magics and will only open for those who know the incantation. More than likely it is a riddle that you must answer." Krahmer raised his brow.
"I've heard of these doors, each one containing a different incantation. Would you happen to know the specific one?" Krahmer asked as Anise sat her cup down on a side table.
"I'm afraid I do not. In my years of youth I did most of my dealings with the brotherhood in Cyrodiil. You know very well how that turned out for me and them." Her eyes wandered the wooden planks of the shack floor.
"I can't thank you enough for what you did for me In Cyrodiil, but you must understand its not easy for one to turn away from a life of darkness the way you expected me to. My ties to the Brotherhood weren't broken even after the sanctuary in Cyrodiil was destroyed. Remaining agents sought me out and requested my poisons. They killed my sister and have been using my niece as leverage to do as they please. I've begged my niece to seek me out so that we can disappear, but she never replies." Krahmer nodded as the old woman spoke.
"All I ever expected of you was to move on from your late husband's lifestyle. It got him killed, and I knew you would be next." Krahmer's words confused me. I understood that they knew each other from the past, but I wasn't very interested in the moment as to how.
"I suppose you are right, and I have done my part." She sighed and glanced in my direction.
"I can sense your urgency as clear as if it were my own. You seek the knowledge of the sanctuary and I have told you. Follow the smell of death west from Falkreath. Most claim it to be the stench of the many graves inhabiting the massive graveyard, but I know from experience that most of those graves are empty." A look of guilt crossed Anise's features. In any other circumstances I would have struck this woman down, but something about her was earnest. The way she almost seemed sorrowful for her actions in life.
"You will have to devise another way of gaining entrance, or find an agent to coerce, but I warn you. The Dark Brotherhood trains their people to undergo untold amounts of pain. It will have to go beyond the limits of extreme to work." With that Krahmer stood and nodded with a slight bow.
"I understand, and you should know that I have made more than a few break before." Anise slightly smiled and nodded.
"That I know all too well, but the youngin's needed to hear it." She motioned toward me and Theo.
"I suppose it might be too much to ask, but I'll do it anyways." Anise stood and walked us to the door. She took a deep breath and spoke.
"If you are able, I would like you to bring little Babbette to me." Krahmer froze at her request.
"I thought you had given up that whim." He looked more concerned than angry.
"My time is ticking, as hers should be. She is an old woman such as I, even more ancient, stuck in the body of a child. We once shared a bond in my own youth that I cannot just dismiss. She is the reason I dabble in necromancy, but I have never been successful in my attempts. I know someone who has found a way, and I intend on keeping my end of the bargain with her." Krahmer shook his head slightly as if he were trying to reconsider her words.
"Her deeds cannot go unpunished." Krahmer finally spoke. The old woman sighed and nodded.
"I suppose ripping the darkness from her soul is not something a Paladin would be interested in doing." The slight hint of sarcasm in the woman's voice lead to a more patronizing tone.
"I want to give her the chance she was not afforded in the past. She didn't ask for the curse of Vampirism, and so she was not able to live with humans after she was infected. The only place she had where she could be accepted was the Dark Brotherhood. Some of them may be monsters, but they are not all hopeless. Some found the Brotherhood as a sanctuary, other's were raised into it, and then there are the cold blooded killers. There are shades of gray. Just, please consider giving me a chance with her. That is all I ask of you." Krahmer stared long and hard at the old woman. Anise's eyes now held a sense of begging in them.
"I'll consider your request, but I cannot make any promises." He finally spoke.
"That is all that I can hope for child." With that she handed us each a small vial of magenta colored liquid.
"The memory block potion. I need to see you drink it so that I can cast my spell and make sure that my name does not leave your lips."
Mahrig
Astrid sat in a chair outside of my cage as she played with her knife that emitted a faint red glow. Her silken Blonde strands shaded her eyes from me like a curtain. Her voice was low when she spoke, sending icy chills over my form.
"This can go one of two ways. We either hand you over to the Templars, or you can help rid them for all of us." I felt the cold steal against my back as I leaned against the cage, my prison. I heard her words, but only the first part made sense to me. The second part was ignored. I wouldn't kill men that were simply following orders and doing what they thought was right. I think Astrid could sense my resolve because a bit of irritation entered her now exposed features at my silence.
"We have three targets we want to lure out and kill, but they simply keep sending Templars to do their bidding. We figured you would be a nice bargaining chip in this little game of chess." Astrid threw her knife into the cold dirt, picked it up, and repeated the process many more times.
"The Templars and Priests have been rooting out my people for centuries. It's time to hit them back where it hurts." I sat in silence as she spoke. Until I found words that could easily pass through my aching throat.
"They will just appoint new people to higher positions. Killing them won't stop their pursuit of you or me." Astrid stood from her chair and walked around the cage nearest to the side I leaned against and caught my eyes as she crouched.
"That's not the point. My point is to place fear into them. They will think twice before pursuing us if we start taking action instead of running away with our tails between our legs. We will kill their high ranking members, and continue doing so until either none of them are left or they leave us alone." Astrid let a tinge of venom enter her voice as she spoke. A suicide mission it would be, and I would be the bait?
"I can't help you in this condition." I pointed toward my arm that had miraculously already begun feeling better. I still thought it critical to point out my obvious wound to keep her mind busy, buying myself time to plot an escape.
"The infection in your arm will be gone within a days time, provided you drank from the cup Babbette brought you." Astrid rose and walked back to the empty chair in front of my cage.
"We are going to arrange a meeting. We will pose that for security reasons and negotiations we will request High Priest Athor Lidiuh. However we will not reveal ourselves as the Dark Brotherhood. We will be posing as Missionaries." Astrid spoke matter of factly. I took the opportunity in her smugness to point out my own obvious situation.
"I don't know why you are telling me this considering it doesn't look as if I have a choice in the matter." Astrid chuckled at my words.
"But dear girl, We are simply giving you the opportunity to join us. To join the Dark Brotherhood."
I would have laughed if my body would have allowed it. The hilarity of the options I had was far too much for my fragile mind to comprehend at that moment. Maybe I was still delirious from whatever was finally leaving my body, or maybe the entire situation was causing me to lose my grip on my sanity. My voice found power with my next words, cracking like a bull whip, gaining Astrid's undivided attention.
"What makes you think I'm going to join the likes of you? I'd much rather wither away in this cage." Astrid clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth as I finished what I had to say.
"Well, that's rather disappointing to hear. You would be a strong ally to have amongst us. I had seriously believed you would be open to the idea considering your past." She shook her head in mock disappointment.
"What could you possibly know of my past?" She had gained my attention once again, and I could tell she took pleasure in it which made my stomach roll.
"Weaver dear Weaver, we are the Dark brotherhood. There is hardly anything we don't know. Our organization, though as small as it may be nowadays, has contacts spread far across Tamriel. Do you really think we would let someone as important as you slip under our noses?" She pulled a familiar leather journal from a satchel that was secured at her side.
"Did you read this in completion?" Astrid waved my mother's journal for me to see.
"When did you have time to take my journal?" I asked with a bit of anger entering my voice.
"Right before we snagged the big prize. You made it simple enough trudging out into the storm like that. You literally handed yourself to us on a Silver platter." She waved her hand in dismissal.
"It's not like we wouldn't have been able to get you in the end anyways. You just made it simple for us. I read up on your mother, skimming through most things until I found the Juicy details. You would be worth a lot of money, but as I said before I would rather you be an ally." She placed the journal back into the satchel, causing me to lunge forward, ignoring the pain that struck my senses as I flung myself against the cage.
"Give my journal to me!" Astrid stepped away from the cage and gave a hearty laugh.
"Aww, as long as you are in that cage I think I'd prefer to hold onto it, you know, so the rats don't chew it up." She started to walk away causing a panic induced shout to stir within me. My mother's journal. I couldn't let her just walk away with it. I felt the power surge through my body as I prepared the shout to leave my tongue.
A stabbing pain pierced my neck, and breathing became sparse. I couldn't retract my lungs the way I needed to. My hands instantly found my throat where a strange vibration began to center. Out of my peripheral I noticed a figure step away from the shadows holding what looked like a tome.
"Oh Festus, I didn't see you there." Astrid smiled as she turned toward the older man. His grey balding head turned in my direction centering his beady eyes on me. With the flick of his fingers I felt something solidify under my fingers. A collar of sorts formed around my neck. I could finally breathe, but whatever power this collar held vanquished the shout that I had prepared to release.
"Astrid, I thought you would be wiser than this. The girl was ready to shout you to pieces." Astrid's laugh only increased in vibrato.
"Dear Festus, always looking out for me. I bid you thanks." With that she left, taking my mother's journal with her.
Festus approached my cage, and the once stony look he gave me turned into one of devious intent.
"We are going to have a little fun you and I." He placed the large spell tome he held down on a nearby table, and opened a drawer where he produced a rather large leather roll. Placing the roll on the table he unfolded it to reveal the many tools and torture devices it held. My stomach was already weak, but the sight that was now present before me caused a nervous panic to form in my deepest pits.
"Normally I prefer magic to do my bidding, but today I think I'll use some tools. It's been a while since I've played with them." He revealed the rusted set of tools, and took pleasure in whatever emotions my face gave away.
Gareth
Theo tested his luck at trying to pass the memory block that was now in effect for all of us. No matter how hard he tried, or how sly and witty he attempted to be, he could not mention the old witches name or even describe her. Every detail that pertained to her was locked away in our mind, and could not be accessed through verbal, or written speech. I didn't attempt such foolish actions. My complete attention was on recovering Mahrig, and making the Brotherhood pay for her abduction.
A darker sense lurked in the back of my mind as well. Neither Krahmer nor Theo knew of what had transpired the night of Mahrig's abduction. They were also ignorant to the fact that my death would involve the dark brotherhood. A part of me was scared to die, but mostly because there were so many things I wanted to say to Mahrig. I wanted her to know I loved her as well, but if I were to die after having told her, it would only make the pain worse for her. I wasn't even sure at this point if I would be able to talk to Mahrig when we found her. I was sure that if fate was to play out the way it was meant to that she would still be alive, but how much time we would have together was unknown to me.
Krahmer's mood seemed to darken as well the closer we came to Falkreath. The glances that he sent my way made me wonder if he could sense my unease as well. I was normally pretty adamant about hiding these kinds of things from people. My emotions were all concealed within me and nothing was on my sleeve at the moment. The more time I spent around Krahmer however proved to me that he was more sensitive to the people around him than I could possibly comprehend. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew something was wrong. We wouldn't have time to discuss anything thankfully, because we didn't plan on stopping in Falkreath. It was going to be a straight through journey.
It had been two days since we had been given the information we needed to find the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary and every step closer to the Sanctuary was one step closer to Mahrig. I had long shed the fear of losing my own life. The only thing pushing me forward in that moment was finding Mahrig.
"We still need the incantation for the door you idiot." Theo blurted behind me as I trudged forward, following the foul stench in the air. Krahmer had fallen behind. His steps more thoughtful than they had previously been in the earlier part of our journey.
"I know, but there are a few things I would like to try if we are not able to catch one of the agents." I wasn't even phased by Theo's mannerisms, and I think Theo was slightly offended that he couldn't heat my temper.
"I doubt even Sir Holy Knight's power can bust down a door that evil." Theo retorted finally. It took him awhile to come up with a reply. I could tell the closer we came to the Sanctuary that Theo was on edge as well. We would need a plan to access the sanctuary, and I seriously doubted that we would be able to just grab an agent as they slipped in or out of the door. We would probably have better luck trying to sneak into the Sanctuary behind one of them.
The Dark Brotherhood agents were known for their combat prowess. They were some of the most deadly assassins right up with the Morag Tong in reputation. The farther west we traveled, the stronger the stench became. The wind shifted direction causing me to lose the scent momentarily, but Theo was there to pick the trail back up, which took us off of the road, and through the woods for a bit until a path was visible.
The path was grown up, but had clearly been traveled recently. Theo leaned down to focus on something that had caught his attention. I scanned the distance that revealed a few hills, and trees that blocked the rest of my sight.
"Blood, and it's fresh." I heard Theo say.
"It doesn't surprise me. We are approaching a den of assassins." Krahmer replied weerily. Theo's posture shifted uncomfortably.
"Yes, but this blood trail looks as if it is leading away from the sanctuary." Krahmer frowned slightly at the revelation. I however, did not take time to consider the meaning. I picked my pace up, almost at a run to the concealed area ahead.
Breaking through the tree's I was presented with a view that would have been quiet tranquil if the atmosphere had not been so dark. A little meadow of flowers lay within a valley, blanketed by the surrounding hills. A dark pool of water inhabited the small area surrounded by nightshade flowers. I could sense a dark energy to the left of the enclave, one that was far more sinister than the atmosphere of Falkreath as a whole. What I was presented with struck hope in my mind, but also a hint of panic. The door that was said to be protected and sealed, was open, and the entrance was bathed in blood. I stood frozen, staring into the dark entrance, fearful of what I would find inside. There was always a chance that Mahrig had escaped. A twisted energy seeped from the darkness, neither good nor evil. It was almost void, but I could feel the power it emitted from where I stood.
"This isn't a good sign is it?" Theo asked as Krahmer took a sharp intake of breath as they too witnessed what Gareth was seeing.
The stench of death was overpowering my senses as we made our way down the darkened halls by torchlight. I could tell that fresh death was mixed with old death, the two smells intermingling within the earthen halls. The first body we came across was a dark brotherhood member. The black and red robes the dark elf wore had a black handprint in the red design of the centerpiece she wore. The black hand was the signature of the Dark Brotherhood, and many knew it well. Whatever had killed the woman before us had taken its time. The slices of skin that hung from the bones looked as if they had been skillfully carved as a form of torture. The ending result would have been death by blood loss. Krahmer pushed forward as I found myself stunned at the sight before me. I couldn't take my eyes off of the body on the ground, terrified that the next body we would find, would be Mahrig's.
Theo gasped as Krahmer came to a stop on farther down the corridors. I instantly rushed into action as the bile climbed into my throat. What I saw however was not what I had expected. The room was lined with bodies, all seemingly killed by a single blow, a wound I could not identify any kind of weapon making. It seemed as if something had had cut right through them and cauterized the wounds as it cut. The sight was too much for Theo, who was now leaning over losing what little content his stomach contained. I could see the sweat forming on Krahmer's brow in the torch light and his movements became more skittish than they had been before. I took a step closer to the carnage that was laid out in front of us, my boot coming into contact with an Argonian head that rolled slightly from the force.
"We have to find Mahrig. These people appear to be Dark Brotherhood members." I stepped over the numerous bodies that decorated the Evil Sanctuary as I spoke. It was almost Ironic. The halls of the Brotherhood lined with bodies of its own dead inhabitants. The farther into the Sanctuary I traversed, the colder the atmosphere became. The temperature was almost bone chilling, and the wind was picking up. It made no sense that there would be another entry into the sanctuary. From my understanding there was only one door to this sanctuary. It was true that other secret entrances had been discovered in other sanctuaries that had been cleared, but this one looked as if it had been thrown together in a short amount of time, and not well kept at all. The amount of wind that was pouring into the halls would need a much larger entrance than some secret tunnel.
Krahmer grabbed my arm as a bright light flashed through an entryway of what seemed like a makeshift grand hall. I could almost make out a chant in a language that was foreign to me. The hall in which the flash of light came from was moderately well lit.
"We should approach with caution." Krahmer whispered. I did as he asked, and we made our way slowly to the entrance, peering around the corner only momentarily. There was a small figure curled up in the corner, a strange aura of lights dancing around the form. I could hear the small voice babbling inaudibly. Their face was covered by a cloak that was tightly wrapped around them, no doubt to fend off the chill that swept through the halls. The small feminine hands were covered in blood, and holding on to what looked like a worn leather journal, a Journal that looked so much like the one that belonged to Mahrig and had disappeared from her things the same night she had been abducted. Realization hit me, Mahrig. I took three rushed steps forward only to be stopped dead in my tracks. The face came into my view with lightning speed as she jerked her head toward me. The features that looked so much like Mahrig, were foreign and twisted into fear as the wild crazy glow in her eyes paralyzed me. Krahmer grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
"She's not herself right now, we need to give her some space." Krahmer's fear level had risen to almost match my own. The woman I was staring at was Mahrig, but not Mahrig. I couldn't see the Mahrig I knew anywhere in her eyes at the moment. All I could see was fear, and pain, and something I couldn't describe.
The wind around her body picked up, stirring small objects around the room as if a small cyclone was about to form. I stepped forward once more, afraid that Mahrig would be harmed by whatever was happening to her. Objects began flying around the room as I stepped closer. Krahmer silently pleaded with me by holding onto my leg plate, before letting go in defeat. I continued to make my way toward Mahrig who now held her eyes closed and gripped the journal in her hands. It looked as if an internal struggle was happening, something seemed to be possessing her. I wasn't for sure, I could only speculate in my panicked mind. Mahrig's eyes came open once more and found me, or were rather looking through me. The fear in her eyes almost looked as if it could reach out and grab me, dragging me in.
"Nooooo!" The piercing scream that escaped Mahrig stung my flesh and rattled with pain deep inside my own being. The room went completely white as I felt Mahrig's presence pass me. I couldn't move, as if the cold had seeped into my body, and I was now frozen into place. I tried to turn, but a sickening pain sliced through my actions.
I fell to my knees as I felt the dagger lodged deep within my back. The Handle scraping against the two plate pieces that it had slid between. I could hear another woman's screams fill the hall and my mind as I lost consciousness.