Once she was settled, small fire crackling at the entrance to the small cave, she pulled out the papers and scrolls Sheogorath's crystal thought she should have. She chewed on a piece of dried fish as she opened the journal first. She chewed thoughtfully as she perused the journal. It was the personal and professional affairs of some smith, filled with dry accounts of purchases of iron and steel, and weapons and household items sold. She turned a page and hear ears pricked up. She sat upright, fish discarded as she read and re-read the page. Dragonbone. The unnamed smith had made dragonbone weapons, and apparently with great frequency. He detailed how the bone worked differently than metal, and Dar'adhavi grinned. This was perfect. She tucked it away, intending to hire Gjalund to deliver it to Eorlund.
Eagerly, she pulled the scrolls, all thought of hunger forgotten. The thinner scroll was unrolled first, and she read it, brow furrowing. A prophecy. She scowled at it as she read it to herself.
"'Among the night's children, a dread lord will rise. In an age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with light and the night and day will be as one.' Well, the dragons have returned, anyway."
She glared at the paper again, then sighed and tucked it aside. Whatever it meant, it would likely happen, and nothing she could do would change it now.
She unrolled the second scroll, thrill of discovery dampened by the nonsensical prophecy. Her brow raised, however, when she saw the Aldmeri Dominion crest on the head of the missive. Her other brow rose to join it as she read. Then her ears pinned back and she swore.
"Those bastards," she growled once she had calmed slightly.
Her tail was still lashing in fury as she wound the scroll again, placing it back in her pack. That one, she vowed, would be kept close, until she could make her way to Elswyr. The Mane would see that, and receive it from her own hand. She glared at it again, mind racing. She had proof, now, that the Aldmeri Dominion lied to the Khajiit. Once that got out, the Thalmor would be hunting her with more vigor that they were now.
"Let them try," she snarled, pulling the loose papers closer.
The first scrap that came to hand only furthered her rage. The An-Xileel were selling those Argonians who would not cooperate to the Thalmor. She sneered and tucked the scrap away. It was incriminating enough to use as blackmail, but she would rather find other avenues. The second sheet only confused her.
"Dear Councilor Saldin,
In a manner of days I believe we'll be ready. Our forces hidden within Ashfallow Citadel have been training night and day, ready to strike when we give the signal. With Captain Veleth distracted by the ash spawn attacks, the timing seems perfect. I've waited nearly a decade to exact my revenge upon Lleril Morvayn for the death of my ancestor and I long for the moment my blade will be drawn across his throat. The next letter you'll recieve from me will include his head in a sack. Display it proudly in the halls of House Hlaalu, brother.
Vendil Ulen"
She set the letter aside, poking the fire as she thought. This likely had to do with Raven Rock, given the mention of Captain Veleth, but she didn't know this Lleril Morvayn. She shrugged, securing it in her pack with the rest. She'd hand it off to the captain when she returned, and then it would be his problem.
She pulled another scrap, baring her teeth in a feral grin. Oh, the Emperor would like this one.
"I am quite certain, Amaund, that the Dark Brotherhood is, if not a myth, than at least out of business. But, if you wish to waste your time in some backwater in Skyrim, I won't stop you. Just bring Rexus with you when you go."
She tucked that aside, and pulled the final scrap. It was a page, torn from some ancient tome, and she idly scanned it. She perked up with the mention of a dragon, and paid more attention.
"…Soul Cairn is the Ideal Master's guardian, the dragon Durnehviir. While little is known of the nature of this beast, it is known that no matter how many times he is slain, he will always return to extract his vengeance."
Dar'adhavi considered that, making a note to ask Paarthurnax when she returned to Skyrim. She shifted, pulling her cloak around her as she stared into the flames. She had much to do, now, and was still no closer to finding this Miraak. Well, maybe Sheogorath would offer some assistance.
And maybe fish will learn to sing, she grumbled as her eyes slid closed.
She woke, sore and annoyed. She got the impression that Sheogorath was avoiding her, which raised several more questions than she had answers for. She gathered her things, grumbling to herself about the vagaries of Daedric Princes, and finished the hike to Raven Rock.
Raven Rock was just waking up when she arrived. Dar'adhavi stopped at the edge of the town, trying to see if she could spot Crescius. One of the Redoran Guard approached her as she lingered.
"Are you lost?"
Dar'adhavi shot him an innocent look. "This one was tasked by Crescius to locate the remains of his ancestor. This one has succeeded, and sought to inform him."
"Hmmm." The dunmer studied her. "Fine. His house is just there."
She followed his direction, knocking on the door she was directed to. It swung open under her fist and she ducked inside.
Crescius had half-risen from his table when she walked in. "You're back! I take it you found something?"
Dar'adhavi nodded. "This one did. Here."
She handed over the journal. "He had found a tomb, and was slain by dragur. This one has cleared the tomb, and left the way open, should any wish to follow her."
"Thank you for this. I'll head over and see for myself."
He rose, brushing past Dar'adhavi in his hurry. His wife sighed as the door swung closed.
"Here, you've earned this." She handed over a small coin purse. "I'm Aphia. You are more than welcome to stay with us during your stay in Raven Rock."
"Dar'adhavi thanks you," she replied, giving a small bow, "but she will likely be staying with Glover. Although, she is seeking one named Miraak, if you know anything?"
Aphia's brow furrowed. "I know that name…" she murmured.
"Do not worry yourself. Dar'adhavi thinks he has powerful magic hiding him. She will continue her search."
She bowed again and took her leave, seeking out Captain Veleth. She found him on the wall, glaring out at the ashlands.
"Ah, if it isn't the helpful Khajiit. What brings you up here this morning?"
Dar'adhavi pulled the letter she had found loose and handed it to Veleth. "This one found this. She does not know the players, but since you were mentioned, you should see, yes?"
Veleth read the letter, stormclouds darkening his expression. "This-"
He looked up at her. "Arano needs to see this. Come with me."
Dar'adhavi sighed as she followed the captain to Morvayn Hall. She figured she'd be asked to attend to the assassins at Ashfallow Citadel. She flicked an ear thoughtfully as she walked.
Foiling an assassination attempt would make it easier to get Marrowind, if not back under Imperial control, at least more likely to look favorably on an alliance.
As they approached the Hall, Dar'adhavi ducked aside, trotting over to the forge to collect the scroll case the Emperor sent. She trotted back, flicking an ear again when she saw both Captain Veleth and Adril Arano waiting for her. She smiled slightly as she met their disapproving looks.
"Apologies. This one needed to fetch this, as well, if she is to speak with Morvayn." She showed Arano the scroll case, and his eyebrow arched higher.
"Well, aren't you full of surprises," Arano murmured. "Since you have been helpful with the ash spawn, and finding this…" he sighed. "I do hate to ask more of you, but-"
"But you hold evidence of a threat to your lord's life, and you wish this one to seek it out, yes?"
Captain Veleth nodded. "I'll come with you, just to confirm what you find."
Dar'adhavi nodded slowly. "Very well. But this one does need to speak with Morvayn at some point. Better once the assassins are dead, yes?"
The men looked relieved. Dar'adhavi headed back to the forge to secure the Bloodskaal blade and the other documents. She poked through Glover's inventory, grabbing a few dozen glass arrows. She grinned at Glover as she walked to the main gate. Veleth was waiting for her, discussing something with a guard in low tones as she approached.
He broke off at her approach, as the guard trotted off, presumably to follow his orders.
"Ready? Ashfallow is about an hour away."
Dar'adhavi nodded, and the two followed the faint path east. Neither spoke for some time, but it was a comfortable silence. Dar'adhavi spent the journey studying Captain Veleth, quietly judging what she knew of him.
She slowed to a halt as the citadel came into sight, and she sighed.
"A moment, Captain."
Veleth stopped, turning to face her.
"According to the letter this one discovered, there is likely at least a small force within. You seem to be the type to attract attention. This one is better at sneaking around, unobserved."
Veleth sighed, facing the citadel. "You're right." He seemed to mull over the options, then faced her. "Go in and clear it out. When you're done, I'll go in and confirm who was involved."
Dar'adhavi let out a soft sigh, and Veleth grinned.
"Let me guess. Too many warriors who would insist on going in ahead?"
She grinned. "Something like that, yes. It is good to see sense, especially in one in command."
She ducked into the underbrush as he laughed. She pulled her bow free, focusing on the stone walls ahead. They were crumbled, half buried in the ash. There was a flicker of movement, and Dar'adhavi shot the dunmer through the throat. Two more appeared, and quickly fell beneath her arrows. Once she was certain the outer guards were dealt with, she slid along a shadow to enter the keep proper.
It was Nordic in design, though drifts of ash filled most of the convenient nooks. She made a quick circuit of the main level, but she wasn't expecting to find much. The ash lay almost entirely undisturbed. The assassins weren't using the main levels. She twitched an ear as a small breeze blew past her whiskers. Down, then. Dar'adhavi wasn't too surprised. Most of the buildings in Raven Rock seemed to make more use of the subterranean levels than ground level. Although, given the eruption, she couldn't blame them too much.
She slunk down the curved staircase, keeping an ear cocked for any sounds. She paused at the base of the stairwell, pinning the guard across the room to the wall behind him. Mentally, she raised her estimation of these assassins as she continued on. The guard would have been nearly invisible against the stone, if her eyes hadn't adjusted as quickly as they had.
Dar'adhavi pinned her ears back as she studied the hall ahead. There were several grates across the path, and she suspected that opening them would both be complicated, and attract attention.
She settled back on her haunches and considered. She could hear at least five people ahead, and could scent the regular passage of several more. While she was certain she could slip through undetected, she didn't much care for the odds. And in a fight between a thief and many assassins, the thief would come off the poorer.
That decided her. She slid back into the ruins of the fort and trotted back to where Veleth was waiting.
"Done so soon? I'm impressed."
She scowled. "Hardly. There is a hall, that is well-traveled, and well barred. A distraction could be helpful."
Veleth straightened. "What kind of a distraction?"
Dar'adhavi twitched her tail as she thought. "There were… three in the first section, before the first barrier. Two beyond that, and more further on, although this one could not give an accurate account."
"Hmm. Alright. Though, I am trusting you to watch my back."
"But of course! If you are overrun, they will seek out Dar'adhavi. And if Dar'adhavi cannot hide behind your armor, they might singe her fur, yes? So you will be watched over."
Veleth laughed as he headed into the ruin. She guided him toward the stairs, and he nodded approvingly at the dead guard.
She drew the shadows around her as she found a decent spot, then waved to Captain Veleth. He grinned and marched to the first door, drawing his battleaxe. The first assassin went down under the first swing, and the two dunmer across the hall fell to Dar'adhavi's arrows. She moved to get a clearer shot as the first barrier hissed open. Veleth took care of the closest assassin while she shot past him to take care of the archer at the end of the hall. Dar'adhavi moved forward, ducking behind an open door, as the second barrier hissed open and five more dunmer rushed the hall.
She picked off the two in the rear while Veleth made short work of the faster three. After the fight ended they both stood, ears straining.
"This one believes that is all of them, Captain," Dar'adhavi said, returning the arrow on the string to her quiver and sheathing her bow.
Veleth nodded, bending over the corpses. "I think you're right." He pulled the helmets off, cursing under his breath at some of them. "Damn. Tilisu, Mirri, and Vendil Severin."
He rose, dusting off his hands. "Well, this settles that. I'll meet you back at Raven Rock. Arano needs to know what happened."
Dar'adhavi nodded. "Yes. This one wishes to poke around a bit more."
"And pocket anything that looks valuable?" He laughed softly. "Ah, well, you've more than earned it. Meet me back at Morvayn Manor when you've finished." With that, he left, muttering to himself.
Dar'adhavi watched him go, then carefully spent the next hour stripping anything that looked valuable from the keep. She slipped the keys to the Severin house and safe into her pouch, to be explored at her leisure that night, then took her own leave, following Veleth's tracks across the ash fields.
Once back in Raven Rock, she brushed as much ash out of her fur as she could, much to the amusement of the guards at the Bulwark.
"You're fighting a losing battle there, Khajiit," one said kindly.
She ignored the barbs and headed into the town. After a brief stop at the forge, she opened the door to Morvayn Manor, unsurprised to see Arano looking impatient. She walked in, and the Second Councilor grabbed her arm, pulling her in front of the Councilor.
"Excuse me, Councilor Morvayn? I have some wonderful news."
Lleril looked up from a document, surprised. "Adril… I haven't seen a smile on your face like that in a long time."
Arano gestured to Dar'adhavi. "This visitor has single-handedly dealt with a threat that could have ended your life. Vendil, Tilisu and Mirri Severin weren't who they appeared to be. I'm afraid they were here to avenge Vilur Ulen's death."
Lleril looked shocked. "Vendil? But he's done so much for Raven Rock… how could this be possible?"
"They did it to gain our confidence, councilor. They had us all fooled. I should have been more vigilant. I'm sorry."
"Don't say that. It's not your fault, old friend." He turned his attention to Dar'adhavi. "What you've done for me… for all of Raven Rock… goes far beyond what I would have expected from a traveler to our town. For this, you have my deepest gratitude. Now. I'm certain Adril was prepared to reward you appropriately for everything you've done. However, since a bit of coin hardly seems like enough… I've decided to provide something more substantial. Since the Severin family, or whoever they were, turned out to be criminals, their property is now forfeit. As Councilor, I hereby award you Severin Manor and everything contained within. You've earned your citizenship here, and I hope you'll consider staying with us as a member of our community."
Dar'adhavi bowed. "This one thanks you, but cannot accept."
"Oh? And why not?" Lleril seemed almost offended.
Dar'adhavi tugged the Imperial scroll loose, handing it over to Arano. "This one presently serves the Ruby Throne."
Lleril snatched the scroll case away, pulling the scroll free and scanning it. "Hmm. Well, the house was a gift to you, made before this was known. That stands. It's yours. This, however…" he looked up, meeting her gaze. "You are not here to drag Solstheim or Morrowind back into the Empire, are you?"
Dar'adhavi bowed again, tail twitching. "No. This one seeks out the one called Miraak. Although, should Solstheim wish to rejoin the Empire…" She grinned. "Unlikely though that might be, Dar'adhavi will see that happen."
"Mirak… I feel like I know that name…" Lleril turned to Arano, brow furrowing.
"Yes, I know. The Earth stone, maybe?"
They both seemed distressed at being unable to recall, and Dar'adhavi nodded. "Very well. This one needs directions to the Earth stone, then." She stopped as she felt a yawn start. "Or perhaps her new home? It has kept this far, surely it can keep until tomorrow."
Arano smiled at her. "Severin Manor lies at the far edge of the town, and the Earth stone lies not too far beyond it."
Dar'adhavi bowed and took her leave. She paused outside of the Manor, brow furrowing as she studied the sky. It had taken on an eerie cast, and strange clouds were forming overhead. She shrugged it off as she continued to Severin Manor. She had noticed something similar last night, although she was too focused on her treasures from Apocrypha to pay the weather much mind.
And the guards didn't react to it. Maybe it's common weather patterns for Solstheim.
She saw Glover leaving the local tavern with several others and raised a hand in greeting. He walked past, a blank expression on his face.
"Glover?" she asked, confused as the group passed by.
"The master calls," Glover replied, face still blank.
"I am his hands," a dunmer woman added. Dar'adhavi recognized her as the alchemist in the market.
Arano's wife walked past. "He draws near."
Dar'adhavi watched them leave, then, tail twitching and hackles raised, she followed them out of town. They led her to a large standing stone, already crawling with others from the town. Glover joined one of the guard in hammering away at a large stone, while the others began working on other, similar blocks. Dar'adhavi circled the stone, eying the shape of the stones already in place.
It looks like a temple.
Halfway through her circuit, she stopped, staring at a dunmer who was also observing the builders. He turned to her, eyebrow arching.
"You there… You don't seem to be in quite the same state as the others here. Very interesting. May I ask what it is you're doing here?"
"This one is here seeking out the one called Miraak."
He pursed his lips in thought. "Miraak, Miraak, It sounds familiar, and yet I can't quite place… Oh. Wait, I recall. But that makes very little sense. Miraak's been dead for thousands of years."
Dar'adhavi pricked up her ears at that. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure, but it is fascinating, isn't it? Perhaps it has some relation to what's going on here. Quite unexpected. I'm afraid I can't give you any answers. But there are ruins of an ancient temple of Miraak's toward the center of the island. If I were you, I'd look there."
She glared inland in the direction he pointed at. "Hmm. And do you know what these here are doing?"
"Building something, clearly. And yet they don't seem to have much to say about it. I'm very interested to find out what happens when they finish."
She flicked an ear. "Should we stop them, perchance?"
"Certainly not! Doing so would interfere with whatever is going on, and I would be unable to see how this all turns out."
Dar'adhavi sighed. "And who are you, exactly?"
"I am Neloth, of House Telvanni. I came out here to study the ashlands, but this is far more interesting. The same thing is happening at all the stones. Facinating, really."
Dar'adhavi huffed a breath, then turned to find the temple.
"Do come find me if you learn anything interesting!" Neloth called after her.
She raised a hand in mute agreement, then sought out her new home, and the first bed she could find.