Chapter 50

Malborn ushered Jane through the first door and they quickly stepped into a supply room. Razelan's loud and obnoxious voice could be heard even back there despite the door behind closed.

"Good," Malborn mumbled quietly. "I don't think anybody saw us... come on."

Jane nodded and her soft burgundy shoes quietly glided over the smooth stone floor as she walked. Malborn opened another door at the other end of the hallway and they entered into a spacious kitchen. A female Khajiit eyed them suspiciously as she stood over a massive black pot that rested on top of a fire. She wore a simple tan dress and her ears twitched in their direction.

"Who comes Malborn," she purred with a light gravelly tone. "You know I don't like strange smells in my kitchen."

"Just a guest feeling ill," Malborn replied hastily and he waved his hand at the cat. "Don't worry about it."

"You know this is against the rules," the Khajiit persisted.

Jane remained quiet as Malborn sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You want to debate rules with me, Tsvavani? I didn't realize that eating Moonsugar was permitted. Perhaps I should ask the Ambassador-"

"Hush," Tsavani growled, and her tail angrily swished back at forth. "Get out of here. I saw nothing."

Jane resisted the urge to chuckle and she quickly followed Malborn into another side room. She spotted the chest that she knew held her belongings but Jane patiently waited for the Bosmer to explain everything to her.

"Your gear is in that chest. I'll lock the door behind you."

Jane began walking over to the brown leather chest when Malborn suddenly grabbed her arm. He peered down at her with a hardened expression.

"Don't screw this up."

"I won't," Jane grumbled quietly and she tugged her arm from his grasp. "Thanks. I can take it from here."

Jane hastily flipped the lid of the chest open and then she unbuckled the collar of her cloak and dropped it to the floor. She glanced back at Malborn with a scowl and he hastily turned away from her and waited outside the door. She fumbled to get her armor on with sweating palms. The more she thought about the task at hand the more her anxiety grew.

This is reality, Jane's thoughts whirled. If you get caught you're either dead or going to be tortured for information.

Jane shuddered as she tossed the shrouded cowl over her head and secured Lynne's ebony dagger to her hip. She re-checked all of her supplies were secure and then walked back into the kitchen. Malborn took one glance at her and then he ushered her back into the room and towards another wooden door.

"Hurry up!" He hissed angrily. "I need to get back before they notice I'm gone!"

The door shut behind Jane with a firm click and she was left alone in the dingy hallway. Loud male voices floated from somewhere at the end of the hall. Jane slowly crept forward with her hands ready to conjure and she took a peek into the first room.

It was unoccupied and mostly contained a bunch of empty wooden crates, chairs, tables, and other random objects. The entire room was covered in a thick layer of dust and long white cobwebs hung down from the ceiling.

Yuck... do they know what a feather duster is?

Jane continued down the hallway and paused just near an open door. She knew there were at least two Altmers around the corner and she listened to their conversation for a moment with great interest. She knew they would eventually say something of great importance and she wanted a refresher for when she reported back to Bo.

"Did you see those robes march in this morning? Who're they with? More of the Emissary's treaty enforcers?"

"No," the second voice replied. "They're high mages, just in from Alinor. I guess Herself is finally getting worried about all the dragon attacks."

"Ah, good. I've been wondering how we were supposed to defend this place from a dragon."

"If a dragon does show up, maybe we'll get lucky and it will eat the mages first. Might give us enough time to kill it."

"Ha... I'd like to see those arrogant bastards taken down a notch. Always looking down their noses at us lowly footsloggers."

Jane wrinkled her nose as their loud harsh laughter floated into her ears and she pursed her lips. She tensed as she heard some movement and she quickly unsheathed the ebony dagger.

"Guess we'd better get back to our rounds."

Jane hastily pressed herself against the wall and flipped open the scroll of invisibility that she had snuck into the little satchel on her hip. She only had three of them, given to her by Lynne just before she left Solitude. Jane knew she had to use them wisely and this was her first opportunity.

A glimmer washed over her body and as soon as the Altmer guard stepped into the hallway Jane lurched forward and grabbed his head from behind. She clamped a hand around her mouth and quickly brought the blade of the dagger across his golden neck in on swift movement. At the same time, she dragged him backward, trying not to wretch as hot blood spewed out from the wound. She slowly lowered the Altmer's dead body down to the cold stone floor as silently as she could muster. It wasn't an easy task and she struggled not to get crushed under the dead weight.

Jane's heart hammered so loudly in her chest it filled her ears. She tried not to look at the bloody body of the Altmer and she quickly pressed forward before she was completely consumed by her thoughts. She could have tried to knock the Elf out instead but if her attempt had failed, she knew she'd be in deep shit. Her invisibility spell was broken but the second guard in the other room was completely unaware as he stood with his back to her. Jane quickly conjured up a bow and knocked a ghostly purple arrow. She stepped around the corner and quickly aimed at the back of the Altmer's neck and fired without hesitation. A loud gurgle escaped his lips as blood spluttered from an arrow pierced through his neck.

This time she let the body fall down to the floor with a loud crash. Jane dashed across the room and pressed herself against the fall wall, waiting with hushed breath for who she knew was a Wizard to appear. The more people she could take out silently, the better, and so she readied another arrow and waited for the Altmer to come to her.

A moment later a robed Elf glided down the stairs to her left. He had two spells readied in his hands but Jane was faster. She aimed the spectral bow at his head and let her arrow loose. She flinched as the arrow met its mark and it went directly through his head.

Jane quickly clenched her eyes shut and bent over for a moment, struggling to breathe. She felt nauseous and so she quickly felt inside her satchel for a green stamina potion and downed it back in one big gulp. Her hands stopped shaking and she was able to take a deep breath and continue up the staircase with a clearer mind.

It's either kill or be killed, Jane told herself over and over. Kill or be killed.

Jane slowly crept up the staircase with her bow aimed. So far, the mission was exactly like the game but she wasn't taking any chances that there might be more guards or Wizards. However, when she reached the top landing she heard only silence. The further she moved down the hallway the more she realized she was really alone. She allowed her bow to fizzle out but kept the dagger poised in her hands as she checked rooms along the way. Jane didn't bother looting anything and eventually, she made her way into a larger area decorated with several benches and wilted flower pots. She spotted a dark black metal door and decided to see if that was the one she needed.

The moment Jane stepped into windy outdoors she spotted another Altmer guard standing near a fence just down the way and so she hastily crouched down and pressed herself against the wall. She cast another conjure spell and aimed another spectral arrow at the Altmer's head and fired.

Once again, she met her mark. Jane thanked her past self for practicing archery for so many weeks back in High Hrothgar as she silently moved forward, completely unnoticed. The wind whipped at her face and it was beginning to grow dark. She wondered how much longer she had before Bo grew worried and stormed the Embassy looking for her.

Please have patience, she thought fiercely. I'm slowly but surely getting through this.

Jane thought about her route for a moment as she peeked around the corner of the stone wall. She decided to go around the stone walkway instead of cutting across the courtyard. She took out one more guard before she slowly crept down the snowy steps towards the doors of Elenwen's Solar. Her footsteps made no noise as she drifted through the snow.

She tensed as Jane realized somebody was standing there. She silently cursed herself for forgetting about another Wizard. This time his position was trickier. She couldn't quite get near the Elf without giving herself away and she really wanted to remain stealthy as much as possible. An idea popped into Jane's head and so she hastily retreated behind a cluster of bushes and quickly cast two spells.

First, she conjured a Flame Atronach. She watched as it glided down the snowy courtyard. Jane smiled slightly as she heard a small shout of alarm and the Wizard rushed forward to attack it. She quickly conjured another Atronach just for fun and watched as the Wizard dealt with the both of them with frustrated shouts.

Just as the last Atronach burst into bits as the Wizard destroyed it Jane knocked her arrow and aimed at his head. She gave herself a silent cheer as she once again met her mark and the Wizard's body went flying. Bright red blood splattered across the pure white snow and Jane shuddered as she looked away and made a run for the door. Before she entered through the heavy metal door she quickly used one more of her invisibility scrolls, and Jane was glad she did.

The moment Jane entered the room she spotted a guard staring directly at the door with a quizzical expression and she hastily threw herself towards a side room. Her heart nearly burst out of her chest when she realized that the Elf probably heard the door open but was confused when nobody was there.

As Jane predicted, the guard shuffled forward to inspect the door. She readied her conjured bow and hid behind the wall, waiting until he was within her aim.

She hesitated for a half a second, realizing that she needed to be as silent as possible. Jane hastily retracted the bow and it accidentally scraped it along the stone wall. She quickly let it drop as she heard more movement and it disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Jane reached for her ebony dagger just as the guard wandered to where she was waiting.

Once again Jane leaped forward and clamped her gloved hand around the Altmer's mouth. She winced as she brought the sharp blade against his golden neck and hot blood spewed down the front of his golden armor. His body shuddered as he died and Jane crumpled under the weight of his dead body. She somehow managed to lower the guard down to the floor and when he was safely laying on the cold stone she let out a small puff of air and wiped at her sweaty forehead.

Fuck, Jane sighed. That was close.

Jane took half a moment to catch her breath and then she peeked around the corner but nobody was there so she crept forward and took refuge behind a huge potted plant close to the office where she knew she needed to be. Two voices echoed loudly from within the room and Jane listened with bated breath.

"But... I need that money! I earned it. I have my own expenses you know-"

"Silence!" A male voice replied, his voice nearly a shout. "Do not presume, Gissur. You are most useful, but do not presume. We have other informants who are less... offensive."

"But no one else has brought you such valuable information," Gissur shot back. "Have they? Etienne, he's talked, hasn't he? He knows where that old man is you're looking for... he told me himself."

"You'll get the rest of your money when we confirm his story. As agreed."

"So, he has talked! I knew it!"

Jane felt a tingle in her nose and her eyes widened. She clamped a hand over her mouth and the other quickly pinched her nose. The last thing she needed was to blow her cover with a stupid sneeze. After one long panicked moment, the sneeze passed and she nearly sighed out loud in relief. Unfortunately, she'd missed some of the conversations in the process.

"You'd like to come downstairs with me, is that it, Gissur? Shall we loosen his bonds and put you in a cell together? You can ask him anything you like and see how he answers."

"No, no... I'll wait outside."

"That would probably be best," the Altmer sneered. "Now get out!"

Jane waited behind her hideout and she watched as a sullen looking Nord with dark hair and a green tunic began walking down the hall towards the main door. She readied her bound bow and prepared to strike the Altmer he had been speaking with before he could reach the basement below. She remembered that he was a powerful Wizard and the last thing Jane wanted to do was have a massive fight. The moment his robbed figure appeared she aimed an arrow at his head and fired.

Perhaps he had heard it. Jane really didn't know what made the Elf jerk back but he did and the arrow landed in his shoulder with a sickening crunch. Rulindil gasped and quickly tore the arrow from his flesh with a snarl and he readied two spells in his hands as he spun around, looking for the source. Adrenaline coursed through Jane's body and she quickly knocked another arrow and fired it but the Elf spotted her and he fired a massive fireball in her direction. Jane rolled away just in time. She felt the heat from the fireball on her back and she quickly dropped her bow and fumbled for the dagger on her hip. She knew that magical warfare with the Wizard was probably not a great idea. She needed to end this now.

"Come here, you bitch!" The Elf shouted.

Jane knew she only had one chance as she hid behind a corner. She took one peek and found Rulindil striding towards the stairs with his back towards her. Jane had never thrown a dagger before but she knew she wasn't completely shit at aiming and so she threw it with all her might, praying for a miracle.

The dagger landed squarely between the Altmer's shoulder blades and he stumbled forward. This gave Jane a chance to conjure her bow and she quickly fired an arrow as he spun around. It landed in his gut and Jane forced herself to knock another arrow as he doubled over. She aimed an arrow in her head, once again feeling nauseous but she pushed it down.

Her hesitation was enough for Rulindil to cast a weak lightning spell in her direction. Jane cried out as the electricity crashed against her body but she fired her arrow and it met her mark as she gasped for air and fell down onto her knees. It was all too much and she swiftly threw up on the stone floor of Elenwen's solar.

When she was finished retching Jane sat back on her calves with shaking hands. She couldn't look at the dead body close by and instead, she reached into her satchel with shaking hands and quickly drank two potions. Her breathing slowly went back to normal and she was able to slowly stand up. It was eerily silent in the room and Jane quietly told herself that the end was near. She was almost finished.

Jane recovered the dagger from the Rulindil's back and shuffled into a side room which contained nondescript furniture and a worn wooden chest. It was surprisingly unlocked. Jane had brought a handful of lock picks with her although he had really never used one before. Bo had shown her briefly before she left so she had a base understanding of how it actually worked.

Jane popped the lid open and rifled inside for a moment until she found a key. She also found a few dossiers as well that she stuffed into her pack for later. Her energy was fading fast and she knew she needed to get out soon.

When Jane entered the basement using the key she had retrieved from the chest, she was greeted with a familiar sight. However, the screams that issued from below the wooden balcony made her blood run cold.

She shuffled forward and conjured her bow. Only a lone Altmer guard occupied the room. This time it was a female and she happily tortured a prisoner in one of the cells. Jane aimed the arrow at the Elf's exposed neck and fired.

The woman gasped as an arrow punched through her throat and the prisoner shouted in surprise. The guard's body crumpled to the floor with a loud crash of metal and Jane swiftly ran down the stairs towards the cell and unlocked the door.

"Which one of you knows about Esbern?" Jane inquired quickly, and she glanced around at the two other men occupying nearby cells.

"I-I do," Etienne responded quietly.

Jane finished removing the shackles from the first prisoner's wrists and he fell down to the floor with a small cry and thanked her for freeing him. Jane quickly did the same with the rest of the prisoners and then she freed Etienne as well.

"I need you to tell me what you know," Jane started.

"Okay," the man mumbled quietly, and he rubbed at his sore wrists.

Etienne quickly explained Esbern's whereabouts to Jane and when he was finished she nodded and glanced back towards the balcony.

Jane knew that Malborn was already captured and quickly dashed up the eastern set of stairs to find him shackled and flanked by two Altmer soldiers. She ran as fast as she could, taking the one closest to her by surprise and she crashed into him with her shoulder. Before he could react, Jane brought the ebony dagger down and stabbed him in the neck just below his helmet.

The second soldier had time to prepare himself and quickly drew his sword as Jane scrambled away from him and conjured a bound sword. A loud crash echoed around the room as their sword met and Jane allowed the Altmer to push her back. She wanted him to be closer and the moment she fell back against a nearby wooden crate it exposed his neck to her and Jane quickly brought her other hand forward and stabbed him in the neck as well.

In the process, her bound sword was pressed painfully into her injured shoulder and when she stabbed his neck hot blood gushed out from his golden skin and completely soaked Jane. She spluttered and gave a frustrated scream as she pushed the Altmer's dead body with all her might and stood up.

Her chest heaved and she glared at Malborn with a stormy expression as she wiped the blood from her face. Bile rose up in her throat and she hastily knocked back a stamina potion and let out a shaky breath.

"You're welcome," Jane snarled quietly, and she stepped closer to Malborn.

"S-Sorry," Malborn stammered nervously, and he stared down at Jane with wide eyes. "Looked like you handled yourself perfectly."

"Yeah, you could say that," Jane replied sarcastically.

Jane turned away from the man and began searching the soldier's bodies for a key. When she found it, she gestured for Malborn to follow her and they wandered back down the stairs to where three prisoners were waiting. They eyed her with shocked expressions but Jane ignored them. She knew she looked like death but she didn't care. All she could think about was getting back to Bo.

"Come on, we're getting out of here."

Four men silently followed Jane as she walked over to a trap door located on the nearby floor. She hastily unlocked it and flung the door back before sliding down the hole without a second thought. She stumbled down to the ground. A horrific stench filled the air and she clamped a hand over her nose and tried not to gag. It suddenly dawned on her that there was a troll at the end of the cave that she'd have to either fight or try to run past.

"Fuck!" Jane roared loudly, and she kicked at a nearby rock.

The men remained a pace back and they watched Jane with a nervous expression. She knew none of them could fight.

Jane was done. She was exhausted and caked in blood from her head to her legs. She wanted nothing more than for everything to be over but there was still one last fight. Jane strode forward, with the men quickly following behind her, and she swiftly made her way through the winding rocky cave until she arrived near a sharp edge. She stared down at the snow-covered rocks with a scowl and then peered out over the edge. She could see the massive brown form of the troll and she decided to take the easy way out.

She conjured a bound bow and began firing at the Troll as fast as she could. Arrow after arrow pierced its thick hide and the troll screamed in anger up at Jane, unable to reach her. After what seemed like forever the troll began to slow as its strength was depleted by Jane's assault.

Suddenly one of the prisoners leaped down the cliff and tumbled to the floor with a loud grunt. The troll fixed its attention on the man and began running towards him.

"What are you doing!" Jane bellowed, and she dropped her bow.

Jane quickly conjured an Atronach and leaped down onto the snowy rocks. She rushed towards the troll while her conjured creature tossed firebolts at it with an elegant twirl. Jane shouted again and jumped onto the back of the troll just as it was reaching for the frightened man. She gripped Lynne's dagger between both hands and threw her entire weight into her swing. There was a loud crunch as she punched the blade through the Troll's skull.

It screamed one last time and then collapsed to the ground. Jane down fell into the snow she picked herself up with a loud groan. Her entire body hurt, but she was angrier by the idiot that had willingly run into the troll.

"Are you stupid!" Jane shouted. "What the fuck do you think I was shooting at!"

The man cowered against the rocks and Jane realized that she was screaming at a victim of torture. The other prisoners and Malborn slid down the cliff and joined her. Nobody said anything and they watched as Jane sighed and rubbed at her neck for a moment.

"Let's just... get out of here," Jane mumbled, and she stumbled away from them, her feet slipping on the icy rocks.

Eventually, the group found the exit to the cave. Jane sucked in a deep breath of fresh air and then wrinkled her nose as the smell of blood also reached her. She could feel the blood had dried and small flakes of it floated away as she moved. She began to walk away from the cave exit.

"Where are you going?" Malborn called after her, and he glanced between Jane and the huddled prisoners.

"None of your business," Jane huffed angrily. "We're done here. I'm going home."

Jane only had a rough understanding of where she was as she began to stumble and half jog in what she hoped was the right direction. Her legs felt like jelly and on more than one occasion she fell down onto the soft snow with a frustrated growl. It took all of her energy to stand up again and she had to force herself to move forward.

The sun had just set and it was almost completely dark out but eventually, Jane made it to the main road and she began to call out for Bo as she stumbled forward, unsure of where he would be.

"Bo!" Jane shouted again.

Jane sighed in relief as a moment later Bo appeared from behind some trees and he quickly galloped his horse over to her. His eyes widened as drew closer and he quickly threw himself down to the ground just as Jane collapsed. He swiftly caught Jane in his arms and he clutched her to his chest. The cut on her shoulder ached fiercely but she was too exhausted to even react in pain.

"Jane!" Bo cried out frantically. "Is that your blood?"

"No," Jane murmured sleepily, her eyes half closed.

It had begun to snow again and Jane sighed as soft little snowflakes floated down from the dark sky. The last thing she remembered was Bo hoisting her up onto the horse when everything went dark.