Weaver

by The Lucky Lady

Mahrig, a woman who suffered a life of imprisonment in Cyrodiil due to the mysterious nature of her birth, has fled to Skryim to begin a new life. After a series of events that leads to her near execution and destruction of a town, she is joined by A Paladin named Gareth. Gareth soon finds himself battling self doubt and regret as Mahrig struggles to find a place in the world.

27. Ratway Showdown

Chapter 27: Ratway Showdown

Mahrig

I stirred to the slight shift of Gareth's weight at my side. He was still asleep, but the faint twitching behind his eyelids made me wonder where his dreams had taken him. It seemed to be a peaceful dream thankfully. His breathing was even and his face was vacant of the tension that was normally present in his muscles. I enjoyed watching him sleep. The chill from outside had finally crept in on us once we had settled our bodies down to rest. We were clothed once more, laying mere feet from the stream on the moss of the cavern floor. We had fallen asleep cuddled there, aiding in keeping each other warm.

My body wouldn't let me resume my sleep, so I decided to rekindle the fire. The cavern had been well illuminated by the many fluorescent plants that adorned the walls and covered the ground. The intensity of such large clusters in the cavern had given off a fair amount of light. Enough for us to move around and take in our surroundings.

I sat in awe for a moment, taking in the cavern with much more detail than I had on arriving. There were plenty of shrub bushes, and even some small trees. Plenty of flora occupied the area. I glanced up taking in the cavern ceiling. A large crater in the center would no doubt let the sun light in to aid the growth of the plant life. Upon closer inspection, a few more craters came into view. The sky was beginning to lighten, but my sleeping body had become quite chilled, and I needed warmth before we set back out for Riverwood. After all, we were in a far northern region and it was always colder there.

I sat by the small fire, feeding smaller twigs and sticks I had found to kindle the flames. I had a few larger pieces set to the side, waiting for the flame to create enough embers to consume larger portions. It was quite relaxing feeding the fire, something I wouldn't normally ponder on. The way the flames seemed to instantly overtake anything given to it calmed me. It was something in this world that seemed to be a constant, or at least had the expected outcome.

My body had a few aches. Some from the previous battle and others were for an entirely different reason. A reason that aided the fire in warming my cheeks as a blush crept into my features. Gareth and I had made love. It had been a night of passion, laced with sorrow. Gareth had also confided in me, of things I could have never imagined. Things that made my heart ache as I glanced back toward his still sleeping form. How someone could harm a child or even a young man like that was beyond me. I wasn't completely naive to the world. I knew those types of things happened and I would never turn a blind eye to them, but they weren't the type of things I let my mind linger on.

Gareth's revelation brought a few other things into perspective. I could understand why he chose the path he was on. If anything as evil and twisted had happened to me, I would have sought an out from those memories and nightmares as well. It also brought Gareth's feelings toward Theo into light as well. Though, I would argue a hundred times over that Theo wasn't that type of person. He hadn't been raised in those twisted cult practices, and thankfully to my knowledge he held no interest in forcing anyone to do anything they weren't comfortable with. If anything, Theo was rather selfless. He had proven that upon making his decision to leave. Before that he had professed his love, but pointed out that he knew I was meant for another. He didn't want to come between us, or cause me confusion. He simply wished for me to understand how he felt, so I wouldn't feel abandoned when he left. The more I thought of Theo's actions, the more my heart hurt. I had never meant to hurt him.

I felt a presence behind me, causing me to instantly turn. Gareth smiled warmly. I had been lost in thought, not realizing that Gareth had finally awoken. He knelt down and started rummaging through the bag he had brought. My bag had been left with Krahmer before my nefarious charade to gain access to the Embassy. Delphine had made me give everything I needed smuggled inside to the Bosmer Malborn. Malborn… The wood elf had been killed, and I wasn't able to do anything about it. Malborn had acted on his own. The defeated look on his face could have filled a book with knowledge. He didn't want to be on the run for the rest of his life, and it seemed as if those were his only options. The Thalmor knew who he was, and knew that he had aided the trespassers. Malborn gave his life both out of greed and selflessness. It was almost incomprehensible to imagine both motives within his actions.

I watched Gareth's motions as he pulled a cloth wrapped item from his bag. He stood up and took a few steps to where I was knelt by the fire, and took a seat. He unwrapped the bread, and offered me a piece. I smiled and quickly brushed my hands against the padded noble wear I wore before taking it. I couldn't help but feel the blush return to my cheeks as I shied away from his gaze. He almost looked as if he were glowing, no doubt mere tricks played by the flickering flame of the fire. Yet, he did beam a smile in my direction that revealed the pink stains within his own cheeks. We were like two teenagers that had exchanged their first kiss. It felt foolish, but I couldn't help the way I felt. The things that happened between us had felt so natural while they took place, but in that moment I felt completely embarrassed.

"Did you sleep well?" Gareth's voice joined the sounds of rushing water and burning kindling. I nodded slightly as I took a bite of my morsel.

"I woke up a bit chilly, but yes. I've got a few aches in my bones, but once we get moving I'm sure they will fade and join all of my past injuries before the embassy." Gareth chuckled slightly at my reply.

"There's no need in rushing off." His tone turned serious.

" I bet the Thalmor are still skulking about as they usually do. By now they've probably harassed every carriage driver and hauled away every Nord within a five mile radius for questioning." I could hear the venomous tone Gareth had revealed settle in the back of his throat as he spoke. It was clear to me, it had been for a while, that Gareth was not fond of the Aldmeri Dominion. I had my suspicions that it had something to do with The White-Gold Concordat. Banning the worship of Talos was a fast way to get on any religious faction's bad side. Gareth may have had his doubts, but he was still a man of faith. I doubted that anything that would ever happen between us would shake his feelings towards his path in life. He had shown regret, but deep down I knew he really cared for everyone he helped. It wasn't just his servitude to the divine's that urged him to continue helping the innocent, but the Aldmeri Dominion wasn't going to tell him how to live his life or who he could and could not worship.

Gareth's green eyes could have perforated the flames of the fire as he spoke. The fire's reflection danced off of his glistening emeralds, giving off an eerily accurate presentation as to how he felt toward the Thalmor.

I pulled the dossiers from the bag, scanning over the first two, gaining what knowledge I could from each one, which wasn't much. One was for Ulfric Stormcloak, the leader of the rebellion in Skyrim. The second, was on Delphine. It seemed that the Thalmor themselves had no useful information on the dragon attacks. Delphine had wagered that the Thalmor were somehow behind the return of the dragons. As far fetched as her ideas had been, a small part of me had thought it possible. Who else would gain from the weakened empire, other than the Aldmeri dominion. However, searching through the documents on my lap, that notion quickly faded.

It was the third dossier that intrigued me though. Upon opening the first page of the dossier, following the formal introduction and description of the dossier, was a name that was unfamiliar to me. Esbern, Blade Archivist. Delphine had explained that most of the blade members had either been wiped out by the Thalmor or gone into hiding, and had mentioned that she hadn't crossed paths with another blade member since their dissolution. Yet as I gazed down at the occupation of Blade archivist, my curiosity was intrigued. Delphine would definitely be interested in this information, and that somewhat put my mind at ease knowing that sneaking into the embassy wasn't all for nothing. However, my mind was still troubled knowing that we didn't find any leads to the return of the dragons.

Maybe an hour or two had passed, Gareth and I both exchanged ideas concerning the dossier. The other two dossiers were all but forgotten. The night before, however, was still obviously fresh on both of our minds. It didn't matter how much I struggled against the blush that kept creeping across my cheeks. Each glance toward him filled my mind with images from the night before. His still disheveled hair, the way his eyes caught mine through his barrier of lashes as he stole glances himself. I bit the inside of my cheek. It was all I could do to quell the desires that were rapidly arising.

We needed to leave soon to get the newfound information back to Delphine in Riverwood. The trip would take nearly four days and we still needed to meet up with Krahmer. Krahmer had agreed to meet us at the Solitude sawmill. From there we would take a small row boat across the River Channel and land on the Morthal marshlands, a partially frozen swamp. We had anticipated this plan in the event that there were complications. Our unlucky streak prevailed, meaning we would traverse the northern coast heading east and stay in the wooded area following the road, but at a good distance away. We would follow the outskirts of the peninsula in which Solitude adorned, passing underneath the arch, and clearing the docks. From there we would need to make our way to the Saw Mill. It was the lengthier route, but it wouldn't be crawling with Thalmor like the roads leading to Dragon's Bridge.

Gareth and I settled on our plans and headed out. It was going to be a long journey, and I found myself inwardly chastising my body's inability to resume sleep that previous night. It was cold and dreary. The sun's rays had been blocked by large puffy clouds that threatened more snow. That was all we had needed. More snow. As if we weren't trying to rush things. Although, maybe it would be nice. To travel a bit with it just being Gareth and I. My cheeks instantly gained some of the warmth that had escaped upon stepping out into Skyrim's frozen grasp. If I could have helped it, I would have preferred to stay snuggled up to my paladin in the cave for a while longer. However, fate would not have it, as it had plans for us to be elsewhere.

The trip back to the sawmill had been a dreadful one. There were more Thalmor running about than I had anticipated. Gareth had been right to assume they would be crawling all over the place. They scoured high and low. We had narrowly escaped detection after stumbling up on a docked ship at the far east point of the peninsula. The ship had more shady origins. It wasn't well kept, not like the empire ships that often docked at the docks in solitude. No, this one was more than likely manned by a crew of questionable individuals. However, that did not stop the Thalmor Justicars that demanded to board and search the premises. In the process they had begun a scuffle on deck, that led into the ships bowels. Gareth and I had decided that our best course of action would be to avoid the scene at all costs.

A stone faced Krahmer had been waiting for us at the sawmill. The trip from the cave and up around the peninsula had taken longer than anticipated, setting our arrival in Riverwood back a couple of days. I could see by the fresh worry lines as his features softened that Krahmer had not slept much since our last meeting. I wanted to hug the older man, with recent revelations, but I wasn't sure how he would react to such a gesture. Taking things in stride would do for now.

It was around noon on the fourth day since departing the Solitude sawmill that we arrived back in Riverwood. Delphine was in a fit of sorts as we strolled up to the sleeping giant inn. She was pacing, her attention was lacking, and her features were almost distraught. She hadn't noticed our arrival, which led me to worry just a bit. The Delphine I knew was not one to let her guard down, and this sat me on edge a bit.

I cleared my throat as our little travelling party came to a halt. Delphine looked up momentarily, more out of annoyance than curiosity. Her eyes finally registered us standing before her. A big sigh escaped her excreting the tension that had caused her stiff pacing movements.

"Dragonborn…" Relief was apparent.

"She has a name." Krahmer mumbled almost inaudibly from behind me. It was becoming all too clear to me that Krahmer did not hold this woman very highly in his thoughts.

"We've returned." I voiced.

"You don't say…" Delphine chided sarcastically. Her face softened even more as she stepped forward. A small smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"I was beginning to worry about you Dragonborn. There've been some people here questioning me about you." I raised my brow a bit, wondering if she had been naive enough to enlighten them. I had a pretty good idea of who it might have been, but I didn't want to reveal too much. I wasn't sure how Delphine would take the news of me being a fugitive of sorts. Although, she herself was in the same boat with the Thalmor. It just wasn't safe sharing that sort of thing with people. Yeah, maybe the people you were close to. I could understand that now, but Delphine was still moderately new to my ring of acquaintances, and there was still much that I didn't know about her.

"I Didn't part with any pertinent information if that's what your scowl is about," Delphine retorted to Krahmer's obvious disposition.

"I Didn't think that you would, considering how secretive you are." Krahmer answered blatantly.

Delphine gave a small smirk and motioned for us to follow her inside. Her eyes scanned the busy streets of Riverwood, darting back and forth from the many faces to the shadows before opening the door to the Sleeping Giant Inn. I could understand her caution, and I sympathized greatly with her secretive and evasive nature.

Gareth

"Are you sure about that?" Delphine questioned Mahrig with a doubt ridden expression.

"Why did you send me there if you weren't going to believe me?" Mahrig replied with her own question. I could hear a faint grunt from behind me where Krahmer stood.

"It's not that I don't believe you, let me reassure you of that. It's just hard to believe that the Thalmor know nothing about the return of dragon's. It all coincides too perfectly. This war, the Dominion puppetry, all of it to gain power. To complete what they could not accomplish in war. What better way to weaken the empire further than to release dragon's upon their numbers in the last frontier." Delphine continued her ramblings for a while longer.

I watched as Mahrig ruffled through her bag, producing the multiple dossiers and notes we had accumulated in the embassy. She sat them on the wooden table of Delphine's secret underground room beneath the sleeping giant inn. Pushing them forward she spoke with an even tone, breaking off Delphine's accusatory speech.

"They are just as clueless as we are about this whole dragon situation. However…" Mahrig pushed one dossier closer to Delphine, the coarse leather book soon gaining everyone's attention.

"They know of someone who might be able to bring some clarity regarding all of this. I don't think he is a friend of theirs considering he's been hiding from them much like yourself." Delphine picked up the weathered book and flipped through a few pages.

"Esbern?!!! He's alive?" Delphine's seasoned features softened as she skimmed over the pages.

"That old fool. I would have figured they caught him by now." Delphine's eyes darted quickly from page to page eventually finding Mahrig once more.

"They think he is located in the Riften Rat way. Terrible place to live, great place to hide though…" Delphine's words faded to thoughts. I could already see the imaginary gears begin to turn. I had the sneaking suspicion that we would soon be taking a trip to the rift once more.

"He was our archivist within the Blades. The knowledge that man holds in his own mind could rival the Arcaneum within the college of Winterhold. Maybe even the realm of Hormaeus Mora." Delphine added jokingly.

"So yes, if anyone is going to have the slightest idea about what is going on it's going to be Esbern, meaning-"

"We find him first." Mahrig finished Delphine's statement. Delphine nodded.

"Glad we are on the same page Dragonborn."

Mahrig's eyes seemed to Glow with determination, Delphine's holding a similar cast.

I couldn't decide if I had too much time, or too little time to reflect on the things that had transpired between Mahrig and I in the cavern up North. I became painfully aware that her father was nearby every time I let my mind wander to that amazing night. For the most part his presence made me shy away from those memories, but I wanted to relive them so badly. I wanted to feel the raw emotion that we shared. I didn't want it to feel like a dream. I didn't want to feel like it wasn't real. Looking at her now though, you wouldn't be able to tell. She was the same sweet and pure essence that was kind enough to share her light with the world. A light she continued to shed even on the darkest nights and heated battles we encountered on the road to Riften. For all we knew this could be a trap. I would be ready though. I had to be. Nothing in this world would take her from me without a fight. I had to be ready for anything.

I wasn't fond of the Rift. The people I yearned to help more often than not turned out to be part of the problem as well. It was hard to decipher who was honest, and who played a part in deceiving you. Trust was hard to come by in these lands, and I couldn't help but to wonder what had come of Theo. Sure I wasn't too fond of him, but somehow shedding some of my emotions toward druids to Mahrig had lightened the intensity of my dislike of Theo. Talking through these things had made me come to some sort of realization that Theo was nothing like the women who used me. Sure he was a flirt, and it was obvious his mind slipped to less than virtuous thoughts around Mahrig, but mine had as well on many occasions. I just hadn't been ready to admit it. He was a young man, and Mahrig was an attractive woman. It was partially natural for him. Though I was still sure his druid side led him to want to procreate, I'm sure he would never try anything on Mahrig without consent. I had been unfair to him. I really did hope the Rift hadn't been too harsh on him. I still hoped that he held some shred of respect after having lived here for some time.

It was strange how quiet Mahrig was for most of the trip. Usually she would hold idle conversation with us, or at least try to. This time though it felt forced. I knew why as well. Each time her attention would find me, a deep crimson blush would appear. She probably felt the same awkwardness I did around Krahmer as our minds entertained such thoughts. He would easily discern such behavior from two blushing messes. It was easier for her and I just to avoid eye contact at the moment. No need to let Krahmer in on something so intimate. I needed to get my emotions under control, as well as Mahrig.

Maybe the timing had been terrible. This wouldn't have been such a problem if we had been given more time. More time to just hold each other, express our feelings. If we could have been in a more intimate setting, if the morning after hadn't been rushed by urgency to complete our journey from the North. The looming threat of the Thalmor had hung heavy on our shoulders on our way back to Solitude. We couldn't afford to let our guard down, which had left no room for us to speak on the matter. I almost felt as if the element of danger we had been in had forced our hands in the matter. We always seemed to be in the middle of something or another. Always staring death in the face can make people do uncharacteristic things. Were we premature in our decisions?

No. This was doubt that was speaking. What happened between Mahrig and I was natural, not forced. Sure we lived in an almost constant danger, but our desiree's had been hanging from a thread since that stormy night in Ivarstead. It wasn't fair of me to assume something so pure between us was a whim. Though, I do wish so badly that we had been given more time to spend together. That lack of time is what caused such doubt to blossom in my mind, and I could only wonder if Mahrig was dealing with a similar struggle. If she were, her face didn't give it away. I could tell she was guarded though, trying her best to quell whatever thoughts plagued her mind. With Krahmer so near, I did my best to do the same. He was her father after all. No need to sully his opinion of his daughter, though I doubt that was possible. This man had spent the last decade or more trying to free her from the nightmare of a life she was forced into. He spent too long believing she was dead. I'm not sure, if I had been in the same situation, that I would have had the strength to go on.

Our journey took us through Shor's stone. It was a strange sensation. One I had hoped would not arise. Shor's stone had been the town where Mahrig had taken her leave from me, in an effort to escape the people who had vigilantly hunted her down. I didn't feel any ill will toward her, though a part of me wishes she had trusted me. Although, if she had, where would we currently be? Would we still be just travelling companions? Would Mahrig still love me? It had been our separation that had spurred my feelings for her. It haunted me, but pushed me forward harder. Her absence nurtured my feelings for her. Without her only then was I able to painfully realize how lonely my life had been. She was my warmth, and that fateful day in Shor's stone had left my mind and heart to the mercy of a blizzard in her absence. I didn't want to think of such things, not while her face beamed with a smile as she passed on lookers in the town. We were just passing through, we wouldn't be staying, and there was no reason for these dark thoughts to stay either. I would leave them within the town as we passed through. She was with me, after all we had been through, and that was greater than ifs or buts.

We arrived in the city of Riften at sundown. The town was still abuzz with life, which made our entry into the city less conspicuous. We had surmised that the Thalmor would already be following this lead as well. We had new information, and we figured they knew we would follow through with it. It was a race to find the Blade's archivist, and we could only hope our little delay wouldn't put us behind too much. Our journey here would take us to some less than respectable places. Just being in Riften was bad enough. I felt a pang in my chest just observing that fact. There were still good people here. They were just hard to find, and they were struggling to hold onto their light. Most of the good ones left clung to the beliefs in the temple of Mara. Mara's light was a beacon to the city, and probably the only reason it hadn't fallen into complete chaos yet.

Normally I would pay my respects to the matron of love and compassion, Mara. Especially with the recent turn of events with Mahrig. However, I hoped that the Goddess would understand our current urgency, and accept my prayer of gratitude as we passed the brightly lit temple on our way toward the bowels of the disposed city. Mahrig took a quick glance toward a red haired man that stood in the city's center, no doubt trying to sell some made up concoction. Falmer blood elixir. What in the world could falmer blood even be used for?

"That must be him." Krahmer spoke in a hushed tone.

"Brynjolf." Mahrig stated.

"Not really sure how Delphine knows him, not even sure I want to know why." I stated dryly. Just looking at the obvious swindler before us made my stomach churn. How many people had this lad tricked out of their hard earned money for something that could potentially harm them?

"I'd rather not converse with the likes of him. I'm sure there will be a price for it." I added, trying my best to push aside the distaste that was surfacing.

"If he can direct us to the ratway quicker, it will be worth it." Mahrig spoke as she stepped forward, maneuvering around the small crowd. He was clearly in the middle of his rehearsed sales pitch. But the view of Mahrig's small frame working her way through the complacent bodies didn't escape his attention. I wish it had, because the look he gave her was devious. She was his next target I assumed.

The crowd quickly dispersed after Brynjolf's last potion was sold. Mahrig stood quietly, waiting for him to finish his final transaction. The young Bosmer woman that had bought the final potion went on about how her husband could stand to be less giving. She had hoped that the potion would toughen him up a bit, to help him say no more often. Whether she was actually looking out for him or not, I couldn't be certain. Not in a town like this.

"Running a little light in the pockets aye lass?" Mahrig's composure gave nothing away.

"I don't see how any of that is your business." She stated blatantly.

"Oh, but it is love." He glanced up through hooded eyes, taking in the towering figures that lingered near Mahrig's back. Krahmer and I kept our gazes steady. Civil but intimidating.

"Bodyguards, eh? Maybe you have more wealth than you let on." He observed.

"I'm looking for someone down in the Ratway." Straight to business. I guessed Mahrig didn't want to hold the conversation any longer than she had to. I didn't blame her.

"Many people dwell down there. People that would terrify a pretty little thing such as yourself." He chuckled, adding an eerie atmosphere to his words.

"I'm looking for a specific man. Esbern." She had lowered her voice, trying not to catch unwanted attention.

"That one is probably the most disturbed of them all." Brynjolf cooed matter of factly.

"So he's here? In the Ratway?" Mahrig asked hopefully. The hope in her eyes was mirrored by a sudden change of greed in Brynjolf's.

"The Ratway is a mess of tunnels that twist and wind in a maze of sorts beneath the city. The dwellers are what you should fear though. Get lost down there, and it's unlikely you'll return to the surface. Would be a pity if that were to happen." The gleam in his eyes as he spoke made Krahmer's composure falter. The slight twitch in his face was enough to bring Brynjolf's attention to him.

"Though I suppose you may be capable. I could show you, for a price. Make it easier." There it was. We had all been waiting in anticipation. We knew his motive would come to light sooner or later.

"I think we'll pass." It was Krahmer who answered as he turned on his foot to walk toward the Keep.

"We only needed to confirm his whereabouts. That will be all." Krahmer's voice grew distant as he covered ground. Mahrig gave the indifferent Brynjolf a nod, and turned on her heel as well.

Mahrig

"Lass wait!" I heard the red headed Nord call out. I wanted to keep walking, but there was a change in his voice. I turned to peer back at him.

"There's some Thalmor skulking around in there as well. Three to be exact. I think you might be looking for the same person. Best keep your guard up." He nodded in parting before turning away.

"Thank you." I voiced, not sure if he heard me. So they were here already. That was just our luck, but at least we had warning, and probably wouldn't blindly run into them down there. I just hoped that we could reach Esbern first, wherever he might be.

"How much?" I voiced, forcing myself not to look in Gareth's direction. I knew he wouldn't approve striking a deal with Brynjolf.

The red haired Nord stopped in his tracks, slightly looking back through the curtain of waves. I couldn't tell if he was smiling or not, but I did have an uneasy feeling that was steadily surfacing.

"Depends lass. How much is this information worth to you?" How much was it worth to me? How could I answer that without giving too much away? I knew he wasn't the type of man to go easy on such a deal. My hand snaked into the edge of my pocket that was barely visible beneath my leather cuirass. As soon as my fingers felt the leather pull string of the pouch, Brynjolf turned giving me the full view of his face. A wry smile sprouted on his lips.

"That a girl." He spoke softly.

I felt a hand on mine. I looked up to see Gareth's strained expression. In my place he chunked his own coin pouch toward the swindler. I tried to protest, but my attention was caught by the lightning fast reaction Brynjolf exerted. His hand snaked out effortlessly to catch the weighted pouch Gareth had supplied. He observed the weight of the pouch with an exaggerated up and down motion of his hand.

"This should cover it nicely." He grinned. Slipping the pouch in his pocket he retrieved a rolled up parchment, tossing it in our direction.

"His room is located in the corridor marked with a star." brynjolf smiled.

We trudged through the muggy halls of the under city tunnels. The hand sketched map of the Ratway was all too convenient as Gareth had pointed out to me. I surmised though that all sorts of people might seek the Ratway out as a place for hiding. There was no telling what individuals hid down here, and Brynjolf had found a way to monetize it through anyone who might be searching for them. Looking over the map in the dim torchlight, I noticed a round corridor we would need to pass through to gain entry into the Ratway. The scripted and rather delicate handwriting labeled the place as the Ragged Flagon.

It's a bar for less than, honest people…" Gareth breathed a whisper close to my ear. He had noticed my attention on the area as my finger hovered over the round end of the first floor cistern.

"We'll need to keep our heads low as we pass through. The Thieves guild is rumored to occupy it." Krahmer added from behind us. Normally Krahmer was a front man, but this time Gareth had convinced him to guard the flank. I had no doubt in my mind that Gareth was prepared to throw himself in front of any threat that presented itself to us. It made my heart hurt just a bit, that he was willing to risk it all for me. Though, I would do the same for him.

It was getting harder to push my thoughts away. Something in me thought we would act differently around each other after the night we broke into the embassy. Maybe it was pride, or duty, but we had slipped back into our same routine. Gareth was the proper Paladin, and I the Dragonborn. No, I didn't dream silly things like getting a house and settling down with him. I wasn't foolish enough to think I could avoid my destiny, whatever it might have been. I did long for something though. I wasn't sure what. Maybe a secret kiss when Krahmer was preoccupied or a brush of his hand against mine. Something, anything. I needed to know that night was real, and I hadn't just imagined it in my delerium after being wounded.

I did catch glimpses of him stealing glances at me. Maybe he did want to reach out, the way I wanted to. We hadn't been afforded much privacy after reuniting with Krahmer, and I wasn't really comfortable with him sensing a change between Gareth and I. Maybe that was it. Gareth wanted to respect me in front of my father, not that what happened wasn't respecting me, but rather it was personal. Not only that, but Gareth was in fact a Paladin. They had vows to uphold… although. Krahmer was a Paladin, and also my father. He didn't seem the hypocritic type, but that didn't mean he wasn't a changed man. Just seeing the sadness in his eyes when my mother was mentioned made me almost feel as if he somehow felt responsible. Maybe somewhere in his mind he blamed himself, thinking that his broken vows is what caused their downfall.

I was reading too much into things. I always did that, making my mind a jumbled anxious mess. There was no room for wandering thoughts when an enemy could jump out of the shadows at any moment. I needed to be prepared. Gareth however, beat me to it as a strange looking man sprung from the shadows, ready to make his blow. Gareth instantly pushed me back, causing me to collide with Krahmer's ready frame. His firm hand on my arm maneuvered me to his side, his sword coming into view. The man's first swing missed Gareth by a hair. The studded glove he wore pulsated with a red glow that illuminated Gareth's eyes as it narrowly missed his face.

It was hard for most people to move around in heavy armor, but Gareth made it seem so effortless. He was nimble on his feet, side stepping the punch and placing himself behind his opponent. The man hadn't expected such a large target to be so quick, catching him off guard he stumbled trying to keep up with Gareth's speed. A loud crack and a meaty thud echoed through the otherwise quiet tunnels. It happened so quickly I had little time to avert my gaze. Gareth had snapped the man's neck with little effort. It wasn't something I liked to watch, but I had seen worse. It didn't mean I wanted to stare though. This man had intended us harm yes, but he was sort of unarmed right? It just felt weird to me. Though Gareth had refrained from using his sword against him. He had resorted to hand to hand as well, leveling the battlefield.

Another body we would leave behind. Krahmer and Gareth both fell silent for a moment. It only lasted a few seconds, but I could guess it had been a prayer. It was common for the two, and they did it quite often. A moment of silence for the departed. We continued on into the next segment of tunnels. Stepping into a more spacious corridor. It was dark, but the torch light from the door across the room revealed a path riddled with bear traps and trip wires. I wasn't the seasoned Veteran that my two companions were, but I had definitely come a long way. A younger me would have waltzed into the room unaware of the danger that lay at my feet. Ofcourse, I knew Gareth would be aware of such traps as well. We could have taken our time to disarm them, but we had more pressing issues to attend. Stepping around and over the traps before us, we continued on.

I took a moment to look at the map once more before we rounded the corner to the final spacious room. This would lead us to the Ratway tunnels, but first we had to traverse through the Ragged Flagon, and try our best not to attract too much attention from the tavern patrons.

Travelling through the Ragged Flagon hadn't been as uncomfortable as I had imagined. I actually noticed a few of the patrons smiling and carrying on as if they were in a popular tavern above ground. I knew to keep my eyes averted for the most part, and maybe it was the environment that had made me assume such an idea, but… I had pictured a dark and gloomy place, infested with rats and maybe even a few sickly individuals. However, I was surprised that wasn't the case at all. Sure the surroundings were a little musty, and maybe even unsanitary, but the people seemed like ordinary folk. Not like the man who had attacked us back in the tunnel. I could see light shining through the ceiling from the surface. Upon closer inspection, I realized why. The well that had been erected in the middle of Riften adorned the ceiling of the Ragged Flagon. It was strange. To think that people drew water from a cistern. The water that the town gathered was from a pooling area of an underground bar. The water seemed clean enough, but I had my doubts. Looks could be deceiving.

We made our way to the door that would lead into the deepest reaches of Riften. The Ratway. We had turned a few heads, but thankfully no one had accosted us. Most of the patrons had worn a similar leather entourage. Organized crime…I thought to myself, almost gaining a chuckle. If this was the Thieves guild, it oddly made me feel better. Sure a few of them looked a little rough, but by the looks of the place, I'd say they did more drinking than actual theft.

The tunnel through the door led to a winding staircase that led us farther into the ground. It was rather well lit by torchlight which was surprising considering people here were usually the kind that wanted to stay hidden. I supposed even they traveled to and from. They couldn't survive on nothing could they? They probably snuck out every now and again for supplies and whatnot. The farther we descended, the more sound that presented itself to my ears. Voices. A few of them. I could almost pinpoint the sharp accent of a high elf female. The others seemed to notice as well, slowing our pace to try and listen. Krahmer stepped forward.

"Well, better prepare yourselves. They're probably here for two reasons. To kill you, and take Esbern away." His face grew grim.

"Completing the first task would make the second one much easier. They'll stop at nothing to complete them." Krahmer despised the Thalmor it seemed. Just as much, if not more, than Gareth.

Krahmer's hand began to glow with a cool blue aura. A ward spell. Thalmor usually travelled in threes. It wasn't uncommon. An armsman, archer and a mage. The ultimate combination, making them hard to defeat in battle. A small group yes, but when those skills were combined it could be used to bring a small army of men to their knees. The Aldmeri Dominion didn't play around when it came to discipline and technique. They would be hard opponents to overcome, but maybe we'd get lucky. We had quite the little team ourselves.

"Don't look so nervous." I looked up to see Gareth's grin. His battle hardened frown had disappeared, replaced with a smile as he looked at me.

"We already took out a few of them at the embassy, piece of cake." Gareth was right. We had dealt with them before, but why was my stomach in knots? I was so set on finding Esbern first, that I had let doubt slip into my mind. It was imperative to find him. He could possibly help us with the dragons, however if the Thalmor got to him first, we would probably never be able to find him, unless it was his discarded corpse.

"Right." I agreed, putting on a small show of a smile for Gareth. I readied myself. We crept forward. We would need to be sneaky, and catch them by surprise. Problem was…

I twirled my hand focusing on our feet. Being dramatic sometimes like that helped the process of not overthinking an incantation. It was possible to overthink, just as it was possible to not focus enough for a spell. It needed to feel natural to be successful. That's something I had learned in my long hours of study at the college of Winter hold. I muffled our footsteps. Of course, my skills were still lacking a bit. I could muffle the sound of our steps, but the clanking of armor would be up to Gareth and Krahmer. They would need to be careful while moving still, but it would definitely help. I still had so much to learn, which is one of the reasons why someone such as Tolfdir had been more deserving of the title Arch-Mage.

I pulled out front of the two leading them toward an archway at the bottom of the staircase. My light cuirass and robe would be much more ideal for sneaking. I peered around the edge of the frame leading through to another doorway. I kept moving, until I could clearly hear the words the previous voices spoke.

"They've got to be here somewhere." The woman spoke, her haughty voice making the hair on my arm rise.

"Maybe we beat them here. Our informants haven't matched up anyone to their descriptions." A male voice interceded.

"Since when do you take the word of a lowly human? You know sentiment is their weakness. For all we know they're in cahoots with those two." Her sharp voice echoed through the halls as she spoke. I sat frozen at the edge of the short hall, I would need to get a look at their positions, but… they sounded so close. I was scared that peeking around the corner might attract attention to me. There was no way of knowing which way they would be facing. I had no choice. Gareth wouldn't like it, but our options were limited.

I felt the incantation more than whispered it. I couldn't chance the slightest sound being this near. My ghost walk commenced. I could feel something inside of me detach from my physical form. One loud heartbeat left an echo in my ethereal form. I pulled away, stretching out and into the corridor adjoining the hall. There were two in sight. A female and male Thalmor agent. The corridor was an open platform, showing another level further below. The room had a ledge or walkway to the far left wall where another door was located, and across the open floor directly adjacent from my position was another doorway, and a few barred walls. The doorway was open, and the stairs led down to the floors below. I could almost bet that was where the third Thalmor had gone. It was just two of them at the moment. My vision dimmed. I needed to release.

I snapped back into my body, fighting the urge to suck in the air that my body had been starved of. I could once again feel my pulse pounding in my ears. It was painful, not letting my lungs expand with the air that would give them release. I was confident we were far enough away now, but the open corridor carried sound so easily. I needed to move away from the door. My lungs struggling for air would sound a loud hiss and I knew it.

I turned, my vision blurry, and chest aching. Surprise caused me to lose my struggle, the sharp intake of air was somewhat muffled though. It didn't ring through the halls as I had anticipated. Gareth's mouth covered mine as he forced air into my lungs. That act alone was what kept us from being found out. The force he exerted expanded my lungs without my body fighting to inhale. I knew he was probably mad at me, and he was doing this because I had been so reckless, but it didn't stop my blush from appearing. I could feel the heat bleed into my features, or maybe it was relief because of the air expanding my lungs.

He pulled back, looking at me, as I fought to steady my breathing. I could see the disapproval in his eyes. He disliked my ghost walk spell, and had told me that before. Yet, I had used it again. I knew very well if we made it out of this I had a lecture waiting. My Paladin made it his duty to protect me, and that would come first. No time for an argument. Krahmer on the other hand had just simply turned his head. He was still trying to listen to the elves on the furthest side of the corridor.

"Two of them." I mouthed, barely letting any air pass my lips, although I still struggled to control my breathing. It was barely audible, but both nodded as if they had understood.

It had looked to be a female mage, and the male archer. Meaning both would be ranged opponents. The Armsman had probably gone ahead. Probably the smartest move with such compact tunnels. The Armsman would be able to combat easily in close quarters. These two probably stood guard, waiting for anyone who tried to enter or leave the Ratway. This was going to be difficult to get the jump on them, but I was sure Krahmer and Gareth both knew what would happen. I would need to send a shout across the room to catch them off guard. If I sent a shout their way, knocking them down or at least stumbling them it would give us time to traverse the ledge and make it to cover again. There was no chance we would be able to sneak across it unnoticed.

"Fus Ro." I felt the shout leave my being, passing across the corridor and colliding with the gated wall and door frame. The two elves flew backwards giving us the chance we needed to advance the ledge, through the door and into the hallway where we could position ourselves for battle. I didn't dare use all three words of the force shout in these tunnels. I didn't want to bury us alive.

The female mage was on her feet as we rounded the corner on their side, Krahmer's ward instantly shielded us as a fireball exploded on the surface, rattling debris in the area and knocking back an old barrel with rotten cabbage. She readied another one as we recovered from the first, Gareth's ward went up as well as we advanced on her. Luckily, the archer was still down. It looked as if I had knocked him back hard enough to put him out of the fight. He was out cold… or dead.

"Surrender to me now and I'll spare your lives." The mage crooned. I guess she knew we had the upper hand in the fight, and was resorting to means of intimidation. I hid behind the wards Krahmer and Gareth held in front of us. I would need an opening to take her out. Trying to get close to her with her volatile spells could end in disaster, and as soon as I fired a spell I knew her ward would come up as well. I could feel my strength returning. If I could shout once more Gareth could advance on her. She might try and ward the shout, but it would still shake her enough to stall casting another fireball.

She released another ball of fire, this time aiming beside us. It exploded on the wall nearest to me, causing a searing pain to lick my flesh before I could erect my own ward in defense. My right ear was ringing, slightly throwing me off balance. The impact had been so loud in such cramped quarters. The pain in my head grew. I clamped my hand against my ear, hoping the pressure would somehow dull the pain. I felt the warm liquid seeping from my ear. That mage had busted my eardrum.

I needed to shout, and soon. Krahmer's ward faltered first, the quick retraction of power caught the mages attention. The flame licked her palm once more, but I didn't hesitate. Spinning head or not, this was my chance.

"Fus!" I shouted. The mage staggered. She hadn't anticipated my shout thankfully. She had been set on taking Krahmer out after his ward faltered. Gareth didn't hesitate either. Dropping his ward he rushed forward, sword in hand. The mage didn't even get a chance to feel the warmth of flame upon her palm.

Gareth's sword slid clean of the mage's body. Her limp form slid to the ground, leaving a silence that was rather eerie. He turned to look at the fallen archer. He knelt down, placing his hand to the elf's throat.

"Dead. Most likely from head trauma." He spoke. Did I feel guilty? Always. There would always be that guilt of killing another being, whether they be bandits or twisted aristocrats. Taking another person's life wasn't something I took lightly. The guilt would have to take a back seat this time though. We had a job to finish. I grabbed a small vial of healing potion from a clasp on my belt. Taking a few swigs of it, I sighed as I felt the relief begin to spread in my ear.

We descended the stairs down to the second level cautiously. There was no telling who or what all we had alerted with our little showdown. Gareth hadn't been satisfied with my intake of potion, and had quickly healed what the potion lacked. The heat from his hands was always comforting.

I'm not sure how long we were there, but it felt like an eternity. One thing I was certain of though, was that the place was crawling with loonies. A large Nord dressed in a chef's attire had promised to marinate us before serving us to his comrades. Cannibals didn't sit right with me, and apparently it didn't sit well with Krahmer either. The large meat hook and cleaver the Nord had been swinging around hit the floor shortly after the man's rolling head.

I tried my best to follow the map, but I was sure we got off track a few times, until We recognized our surroundings once more and realized we had been going in circles.

We eventually found our way to the correct area. We spotted a few figures scurry toward the shadows. What caught our attention though was a large door that looked to be fortified with fresh wood, and large metal hinges. I knew it had to be the right place. We had searched so long just to find the corridor. I stepped forward, eager to find out who was on the other side of the door. This was it.

A loud shuffle to my left caused me to halt. I saw the elven sword snake out from the shadows. This really was it. For me at least.