Chapter 3
As they walked through the forest silently, Malborn turned to the Dragonborn and said, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," replied the Dragonborn with a look of curiousity.
"Why did you let those three Thalmor live? The ones who had captured me outside of Windhelm. After seeing you slay that dragon, I know you could have done the same to those Thalmor," asked Malborn.
"I try not to kill every enemy I run across. If there's a way to handle a situation without taking a life, I'll opt for the peaceful way," said the Dragonborn, "I know taking a life in defense can sometimes be unavoidable, but in truth I... I feel guilty for every time I've killed someone who attacked me. Even the Thalmor. Afterall, they are people too."
"I'd hardly call them people. More like monsters. Do you know they killed my whole family?" said Malborn, "I was only 9 years old when it happened. My parents were simple blacksmiths who had never hurt anyone. My parents were good people. And when they refused to make armor for the Thalmor soldiers, they were murdered in their own home as traitors to the Aldmeri Dominion. I watched from inside a wardrobe as Thalmor thugs beheaded my father, cut my mother's throat and burned my little sister to death with a fire spell. Do you know how old my sister was? She was three years old. Three. How could she have been an enemy to the Thalmor? They killed so many innocent families during that purge. They're cold-blooded monsters, ravaging the world, no different than the monsterous dragons you slay."
"I... I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your family. Delphine told me they killed your family, but hearing it from you... I just can't imagine a child going through that," said the Dragonborn.
"When I was hired to serve drinks at the Thalmor embassy I had planned on poisoning their stock of wine. But... But years went by and I just never had the nerve to go through with it. I was too afraid of what would happen to me afterward. It wasn't guilt or respect for their lives that held me back. It was fear. I suppose I'm not a hero like you are," said Malborn as he looked at the ground.
"I don't really think of myself as a hero," said the Dragonborn, "Just a confused woman."
Malborn smiled at her, "You're too humble, my friend."
They approached the village of Shor's Stone. The sound of clanging metal and the scent of the smelter filled the air of the small mining town. Little stone houses with thatched straw roofs lined the small sunny road leading through the center of the town. Delphine didn't see any Thalmor in the area, and they decided it would be safe to walk through.
"Wait here. I'm going to see about buying us some breakfast and supplies," said Delphine, walking toward a woman who was stirring a large cooking pot over a fire.
Malborn and the Dragonborn stood by the entrance of the town watching the miners load iron ore into a large round smelter. An Orc and a Nord with pick axes walked by them and stared.
"Hey Odfel, take a look at that girl," said the Orc to his friend with a nudge.
"By the gods, she's pretty. That is one lucky little wood elf," said the handsome bearded Nord.
Malborn smiled sheepishly. Those men actually thought he was married to the Dragonborn. As if a meager servant like him could ever be with someone important like her. It would be like a Jarl marrying the old housekeeper who sweeps his floors. She would someday be remembered in history for her deeds. If he died tomorrow, no one would even know or care.
As he thought about her, he had to admit his first impression of her was wrong. When he had first met her and agreed to smuggle her sword into the Embassy, he thought she looked weak. He'd imagined the Dragonborn would be a strong muscular warrior rather than a delicate young woman. But seeing her take down a dragon had changed his mind about that. She was strong and heroic. He was glad to have her by his side. The thought of Thalmor assassins didn't worry him anymore when she was near.
Delphine walked up the road to them carrying a large brown loaf of bread. The trio sat on the edge of a low stone fence and ate their breakfast. The Dragonborn finished her small slice of bread and set her hand down, accidentally brushing against Malborn's hand before resting it upon the stone wall.
Delphine hopped down from the low wall and reached for her satchel saying, "We should head on to Riften. It'll be good to see Esbern again, that is, if he's actually there."
Malborn stepped down and said, "Wait. Let me carry the gear. The two of you have done everything so far."
"Fine by me," said Delphine tossing the satchel to him. He reached down and picked up the Dragonborn's satchel as well. The combined weight of the two satchels felt heavy to him, since he was smaller in size than either of the women, but he endured it without complaint.
As they continued south, they left the snow behind them and enjoyed the change in weather that the southern region brought to them. The midday sunlight gleamed through the branches of the mighty oaks spreading warmth upon their faces. The walk grew easier as well, since they no longer had to trudge through snow and slippery ice. As they approached an old stone fort on their right, Delphine held out her arm to stop them and whispered, "Wait."
She crept low to the ground and peered out at the distant fort. There was someone standing upon the high roof of a guard tower, and another person leaning outside the barricaded gate. There were likely more people inside the protective walls of the fort.
"I don't think they've seen us," whispered Delphine.
"Who are they?" asked Malborn in a hushed tone, "Bandits?"
"Possibly," said the Dragonborn, "But it's difficult to see from here."
"Let's go around," said Delphine, "There's no need to start a confrontation right now. I want to get to Riften as soon as possible."
"I agree," replied the Dragonborn.
They slipped silently through the old oak and maple forest, keeping their distance from the stone fort. As the Dragonborn walked over the fallen branches and old leaves of the forest her gaze occasionally fell upon Malborn. She looked at his long elven ears, the slight bit of chest hair protruding from the top of his low cut shirt, his dark lips. She imagined kissing his lips and her heart skipped a beat again. There was something appealing about him that she couldn't explain. He wasn't at all like the rugged adventurous soldiers she had taken notice of in her past. Moreover, she'd never felt attraction to an elf before. She didn't feel brazen enough to confess her new feelings to him. She thought about the looming fact that Malborn would reach Morrowind tomorrow, and that she would likely never see him again. The thought of it filled her with sorrow. She wanted to spend more time with him, learn more about him, and not have to say "goodbye" so soon.
Within an hour, Riften came into view. The beautiful old city rested beside a shimmering river, and the river's many streams flowed beneath the raised streets and many wooden bridges above. The weather there was the best in all of Skyrim. The good farmland outside the city offered Riften delicious food, and the river brought with it a wide array of fish. The marketplace of Riften was central to life in the city.
They entered the city as Delphine led the way.
"The ratway should be down here," said Delphine, pointing at a round door below a wooden flight of stairs.
As they descended the creaky old stairs, the Dragonborn kept her eyes open for Thalmor. They were known to sometimes visit Riften, and she didn't want to be surprised by them.
Delphine ducked her head down and went through the circular entrance of the ratway followed by Malborn and the Dragonborn. The permeating stink of the old sewer was unavoidable, and the sludge that spread across the stones made the walk slippery and uncomfortable. They passed several vagrants and drunkards as they trudged onward through the dark damp sewer. Yet, when they reached the back of the stench-filled place, the Dragonborn could hardly believe her eyes.
"Is that a tavern? In the middle of the sewer?" she asked with a laugh.
Just as she stepped into the dimly-lit tavern, the Dragonborn was knocked with such force to the side of her head that she fell hard onto the stone floor. The world seemed to be spinning around her through the throbbing pain. She moaned and opened her eyes. Looking up, barely conscious, she saw the blurry figure of a Thalmor Justicier standing over her.