Chapter 14
The next day, Aria determined to act normally around Vicente, in spite of her realization the night before. Her resolve was tested after lunch when Teinaava came up to her in the training room.
"Pardon me, dear Sister," he said, "but Vicente has asked for you."
She willed herself not to blush and thanked her Brother before heading to Vicente's room. No sense keeping him waiting.
When she arrived, his door was open and she could see him sitting at his table, studying a roll of parchment. She felt her pulse quicken as she studied him. Her eyes tracing the way a loose lock of hair curled around his ear. Then she remembered her resolve to act normally and knocked on the open door to let him know she was there. "Teinaava said you wanted to see me, Vicente?"
"I did. It just so happens I have another contract available," he gestured to the parchment, "one that requires an expert in infiltration. Based on your recent performance, Lucien and I feel that you are our best choice."
Aria grinned at his praise and approached the table. "What is it?"
Vicente retuned the grin. "As always, you fail to disappoint me." He slid the parchment across the table. "Your target is a Dark Elf named Valen Dreth. He currently resides in the Imperial City prison. He thinks he's safe in prison, but unfortunately, he is tragically mistaken."
"Unfortunate for him, at least."
Vicente's smile broadened. "Indeed. Anyway, a prisoner recently escaped from the prison using a set of secret tunnels connecting to the Imperial City's sewer systems. It's a perfect way inside." He pulled a map from the pile of papers on the table. Aria leaned over and saw a detailed diagram of the Imperial City Isle. Vicente pointed to one spot. "Just outside the Imperial City Prison is a grating that leads to the sewers. It has been recently tightly locked, but I will provide a key. It should be easy enough to locate Dreth in his small cell once you make it through the sewers and Imperial basement."
Aria read over the contract in front of her. "It doesn't sound too difficult."
"Oh, just wait. You will receive a bonus if you fulfill the contract without killing any of the prison guards." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Valen Dreth has been imprisoned for many years. His tongue is sharp, but his body is limp and frail. He will prove an easy, pleasurable kill."
"So I can been seen by the guards, as long as I don't kill them?"
"Correct, although I wouldn't recommend it."
Aria grinned, thinking of the fun she could have with that. "And the key you mentioned?"
"Come back and see me once you're ready to go. I'll give it to you then."
"One more question. Can I make a copy of this map?"
Vicente nodded. "Certainly. As a matter of fact, I'll make a quick copy for you while you get ready."
Aria nodded and left, already thinking about how to fulfill the contract. If she left now, she could make it to the Imperial City before midnight, which would work perfectly for sneaking in. She went to grab her equipment. Her armor was in good shape, so it didn't take her long to get ready. She quickly threw her shortsword across her back and slid her Blade of Woe into her boot, then returned to Vicente's room.
Vicente was talking with Ocheeva when she arrived. They both turned when she appeared in the doorway. "Aria," Ocheeva said, "Vicente was just telling me about your contract. I must say, I'm impressed with your daring. No Dark Brother or Sister has successfully infiltrated the Imperial City Prison in over three hundred years. This will be a true test of your abilities."
Aria nodded eagerly, then turned to Vicente, who picked up a key and a piece of parchment from the table. "The Imperial Sewer key and a map of the area, as promised." He took her hand and placed the items in it, squeezing her hand briefly as he did so. Aria looked up and saw something flicker in his gaze, but it was gone before she could identify it. He leaned down and kissed her cheek briefly. "May the Night Mother go with you, dear one."
Ocheeva gave her a hug. "Be careful, dear Sister."
"I will. I'll be back before you know it." With that, Aria turned and left the room.
The sun set over the Imperial City that evening, washing the city with a riot of colors. As the light died, the reds and oranges faded into shadows. A full moon rose, lighting up the coming night and illuminated countless stars. The shadows deepened and night animals began coming out. Owls hooted in the trees as bats silently fluttered overhead on their nightly hunt, and far away, a wolf's mournful howl filled the night.
Outside the Imperial City Prison, a different kind of creature of the night waited patiently. Aria watched the shadows grow from her place beneath a small pier. She waited for night to completely fall. For over an hour, she waited in the shadows, watching for any signs of movement. Finally, when she was sure the coast was clear, she eased out of her hiding place.
The Imperial City Prison stood on the hill high a over her. From here, the soldiers patrolling the walls looked like moving dots. The prison seemed heavily fortified. She was really glad she didn't have to go in that way.
At the base of the hill, next to the water, a small tunnel protruded from the rocks, the end sealed by a locked grate. Aria crept over to it and fit the key into the lock. When she turned it, the grate creaked open on rusty hinges. She waited for a moment, listening for any new sounds. Nothing. She slipped inside and swung the grate shut behind her.
The tunnel stretched off into the darkness. Aria hesitantly put one foot in front of the other, silently cursing Vicente for not teaching her that fire spell he'd mentioned. She kept her right hand lightly against the wall as she walked, wondering how in the Void she was going to find the entrance to the Imperial basement.
After a few paces, the tunnel opened up. Aria couldn't tell for sure since she couldn't see anything, but she thought she might be in a large room. She didn't dare take her hand away from the wall, so she followed the right side of the room until she came to another passage. There, she paused.
This was going to be harder than she thought. She couldn't see her hand in front of her face, and the sewers were a maze that stretched under the entire Imperial City. She should have asked Vicente to teach her that spell before she left, or at least brought a torch with her.
She started feeling her way down this new passage. She decided to use trial and error to find her way. There was no other option. She couldn't tell how much time passed. She tried to memorize her route, but the twists and turns and the total darkness disoriented her.
Some time later, she stopped at an intersection. She had no idea where she was. It had been hours and she could still barely see. She was starting to wonder if this contract was even worth it.
Then she heard it.
Very faintly, she could hear voices echoing down one of the passages. She decided to follow them. Whether they lead her in the proper direction or not, they might lead her to a place where she could get her bearings. Just as she was about to keep going, something scurried over her foot. Aria gasped and jumped back, landing in a puddle of rancid sewer water.
This is just great, she thought. I'm lost in the sewers, I'm hungry, and tired, and have no light, and now I've got rats and probably mud crabs to keep me company. I wanna go home.
Once she got her heart rate back under control, Aria started walking again. After what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes, she found herself standing at the top of a staircase. A ladder of metal rungs set in the wall led to a metal hatch. Aria climbed the ladder and found that the hatch hadn't been closed properly. That explained how she had heard the voices. Through the crack, bright torchlight stung her eyes. The torch was held by one of two men in Imperial armor.
What luck. The voices she'd been following belonged to Imperial Prison guards. All she had to do now was wait for them to get out of the way. She listened as they arranged to meet for drinks later, then eased out of the hatch when they moved away. The clinking of their armor covered the sound as she swung the hatch back to the way she found it.
For the next hour, she wove her way around the guard patrols, watching them until she learned their patterns, and slipping through the shadows behind them. The closer together the patrols came, the closer she felt she was getting to her target. At last, the passages she was following led her to a hole in the stone wall. Aria peeked in and saw that the ground sloped up and emptied out into a small room. Sunlight from a narrow window burned her eyes.
She was about to slip inside when she heard voices. She froze and listened. The tone of the voices was casual, like someone was having a simple conversation. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, so she crept closer.
"...have to admit, I'm going to miss you, Dreth. The late-night beatings, your pitiful little cries for help..."
There was a sound of metal rattling. Aria stopped just inside the passageway and continued listening. "Phillida, you filthy cur!" a second voice shouted. "I told you I was going to get out of here! My time's almost up, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Yeah, well, what's it been? Seven, eight years? We've had a good long run, you and me. I always knew it would end someday."
Metal rattled again. "Eleven! Eleven years in this rat-infested hole! But I'm getting out, and you'll still be stuck in here!" Dreth's words dissolved into a fit of maniacal laughter.
Aria heard the other man scoff. "Oh, yeah? And where will you go?Huh? What will you do? You can't survive out there, Dreth. You're an animal. You belong in that cage."
"I'll remember that when I'm lying on the beaches of Summerset Isle with your wife, you Imperial pig!"
The first man, Phillida, laughed. "Right. And you'll be rich, too. Oh, and you'll become a king!" His voice lowered as though he had stepped closer. "You know what I think, Dreth? I think you'll be back. You lot always come back..."
"You'll see, you Imperial dog!" Dreth yelled. "When I get out of here, all of Tamriel will know my name! Valen Dreth! Valen Dreth!"
Dreth kept shouting as the other man said something about getting him to shut up. Aria peeked around the corner and saw a Dunmer in the opposite cell, shouting after a guard as he walked away. She ducked back behind the corner, waiting for the guard to leave and Dreth to settle down. Hopefully, he would fall asleep, making her job that much easier.
Aria waited for several hours, marking the passing time by watching the bar of sunlight move across the floor of the cell. She heard the occasional guard come to check on Dreth, who seemed to be the only prisoner in this hallway. She was bored out of her mind, but didn't dare move from where she was lying on the floor against the wall.
The sun finally went down and the prison wing was covered in darkness. A guard came in and lit a torch at the end of the hallway. Once he was gone and Dreth had settled down for the night, Aria continued to wait and listen. Sure enough, the sound of slow, regular breathing indicated that Dreth was asleep. The door to the cell she was waiting in was unlocked, so she slipped into the corridor. The torch at the end of the hallway cast a flickering light over everything, but what caught Aria's eye was the glinting of a key on the table.
She crept over, picked up the key and returned to Dreth's cell door. She slipped the key into the lock and turned it. The slight squeak of the hinges caused Dreth to turn and mutter in his sleep. She sneaked over to the sleeping niche and looked down at him. She drew her dagger from her boot, but stopped when the thought hit her: why not have some fun with this?