Chapter CXLV – No Good Deed

Aeyrin let out a satisfied groan as she plopped down on the bed.

This wasn't even their most challenging adventure, not by a long shot, but she still felt quite exhausted. She still kept thinking about it. What kind of deal could the Jarl have going on with those monsters? Did he let them live if they avoided his citizens and supplied lumber? But they didn't really avoid his citizens, did they? Though granted, that woman by the watchtower could have just been a traveler. But that wasn't any better! Why should travelers through the Hold be subjected to this threat?

And what if it was a different deal? Sacrifice one every now and then to keep the lumber flowing?

It all just left a bad taste in her mouth.

At least they did get a few hundred for their loot. That was encouraging – they really needed some to be able to stay at the inn longer. The claymore really was enchanted and it fetched a good price. And the leather armor was of a decent value too.

She sprawled herself on the bed, kicking her leather boots off and curling herself on the blankets. Her muscles still ached, more from their stay by the Lady Stone than the battles, but it was a pleasant sort of ache with those memories still vivid in her mind.

Bishop stayed by the door for a while, tinkering with the Dwemer trap. He didn't have any poison left to dip the dart that hit the assassin in it again. It was a waste, since Karnwyr had killed that man right away. But still, he had one last poisoned dart left and that one was going to guard them through the night. It proved to be a decent tactic. Even if the poison didn't affect any assailants right away, they managed to stop them for a bit in shock and the sound of the trap gave the two of them a chance to react. He tended to leave his knife under the pillow every single time now, even outside when they were in their bedroll. This time, he would be able to get it quickly even in the darkness.

This was all just a precaution, hopefully. They were safer here in the city than outside. Assassins would have a much harder time staying inconspicuous here. Especially with the Penitus agents around.

At least they assumed there were some around. There was no way to tell with so many soldiers in the city.

Those soldiers. They were still out there, constantly mobilizing. At least tonight they hadn't barged into the tavern to draft people forcibly, but Bishop and Aeyrin were sure it wasn't the last time they saw the unpleasant spectacle.

When he was finally done with the trap, he took off his boots as well and draped his shirt over his head.

It was pretty late, but they could still have some fun before the much deserved rest.

He jumped onto the bed next to her and stretched himself out on it with a groan as well. Aeyrin instantly shuffled on the sheets to snuggle herself to his side before she rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest, rubbing him idly and playing with his hair there.

"So, any other surprises planned for tomorrow?" she chuckled at him. She certainly wouldn't mind making more pleasant memories in this place.

"Heh, no, unfortunately not," Bishop smirked. They could always return to the island at some point though, whenever they needed a respite from overbearing Imperials and vampires.

"Hmm, so where do we go? We could check out that notice board. Or ask around…" she mused, already wondering what kind of places were here to explore in the lush forests. Or hopefully outside the forests too. That was still a more comfortable prospect.

"I don't know," Bishop shrugged a little before he shuffled on the bed and turned himself on his side, facing her. "We'll figure it out tomorrow, princess. There's no rush." He leaned in, placing a languid kiss on her lips and nipping at her bottom lip teasingly. "Right now, we should really concentrate on something much more fun."

Aeyrin giggled in response. That certainly sounded like a good idea. She leaned in to kiss him too, softly running her hand over his firm pecs. She always loved the feel of his muscles under her hands. Back in her younger years, she would have never considered herself to be someone to fawn over such things, but she did. Her fellow clerics and initiates at the temple would laugh at her for being such a cliché – falling head over heels for a toned Nord. But then again, she didn't mind one bit.

Bishop ran his hand up and down her flank and hip, stroking her gently through her clothes. He only kept up that languid treatment for so long though. Soon, his gentle kisses and nips turned into a deep passionate kiss as his hand moved to cup her breast, his tongue slipping into her mouth eagerly.

Aeyrin let out a muffled moan against his lips and she hooked her leg behind his upper thigh, pulling them closer together. His hand kept playing with her breast for a while before he moved it to her hip again and slid it under her shirt with the intention of taking it off.

This would definitely be even better without any clothes.

Suddenly, the door to their room swung open harshly, startling them both. They instinctively let go of each other and stared at the perpetrator incredulously. Who would just barge into their room like this?

There was a guard standing there with two more at his heels. At the first moment, they both thought of those stupid Imperial drafts, but then they realized that none of them wore the usual Legion armors or insignia. They were Falkreath guards with a white and purple symbol of a stag's head on their gambesons.

The guard stepped inside the room promptly without even giving them a proper chance to realize the predicament.

The trap!

"Wait, no!" Aeyrin yelped, but it was too late.

SNICK!

The tripwire broke, springing the trap instantly. The dart was let loose from the Dwemer device perched atop a cabinet and it hit the guard right into his shoulder, breaching the chainmail easily and burrowing into his flesh. Dwemer mechanisms always packed such a punch – no leather or chain stood a chance against them. Maybe plate would. But the guard was not that lucky.

"What the fuck?!" the guard gaped at the dart in his arm. He didn't even express any pain, just shock. He quickly grabbed the dart and yanked it from his shoulder, this time letting out a small grunt. But they knew the damage was done.

"You just assaulted him!" a second guard snarled at them angrily. All three of them promptly unsheathed their weapons in a menacing gesture as they all stepped inside the room. The remaining patrons in the tavern began gathering outside, peeking into the room to see the spectacle.

"W-wait. That was… an accident," Aeyrin quickly made a soothing gesture with her hands. This was bad. But they had the antidote, it would be harmless with the antidote. They just needed to ease this tense situation first.

"What the fuck are you barging in here for anyway?" Bishop scoffed. "That was just a fucking security measure. It wouldn't have 'assaulted' him if he stayed the fuck out of the room we paid for!" They could do whatever they wanted in their room. If they wanted to construct a fucking swinging blade there, it was nobody's business.

"Off the bed! Now!" The third guard yelled at Bishop and the second one promptly pointed his sword at him in a threatening gesture.

Bishop was beyond confused. How the fuck did this shit deteriorate so quickly? It was their own fault. They had no right to barge in here like that. But he did get off the bed begrudgingly. They just needed to explain this. And find out what was going on.

"Hands behind your back," the guard with the sword nudged Bishop's forearm with its tip, nicking him in the process a bit.

What?

"What the fuck? No! You came in here and sprung the trap! It's not our fucking fault!" Bishop seethed in return. This was fucking ridiculous.

"Hands behind your back now, scum!" the guard yelled. He did not seem placated, though it was no wonder with Bishop just yelling back at him. Aeyrin quickly stood up and made another soothing gesture with her hands. This could all be explained if they just gave her a chance. They could tell them about the Penitus agents – they would confirm why the two needed these measures.

"Just, wait a second, please. This is just a misunderstanding," she quickly stammered, but another guard promptly pointed his own sword right at her throat.

"Shut up! Do not interfere with our authority," he snarled.

"You are under arrest," the guard who had nicked Bishop sheathed his sword, but he grabbed Bishop's wrists roughly and yanked his hands back.

"What?! What the fuck for?" Bishop growled as he tried to get out of the man's grip, but before he could, the last guard, who was still holding that dart in one hand, clapped one of his wrists in an iron cuff, then promptly the other. They were uncomfortably tight and he couldn't move his hands more than a few inches apart.

"What are you doing? This was just a mistake, please," Aeyrin pleaded with them, but the guard by her side adamantly held his sword to her neck, keeping her at bay. It was even more confusing, however, when the third guard, the one with the dart, didn't move towards her with a second pair of cuffs.

"We didn't do anything! What the fuck?!" Bishop wriggled in his cuffs again, but it was pointless. They were not coming off.

"Shut the fuck up already and move. Now!" the guard near him nicked his bare back with his sword, urging him to move. It wasn't a very painful nick, but he chose to do it on one of his more recent scars after the lightning burns and Bishop couldn't help but hiss at that. He was so fucking confused. Were they really getting arrested for that stupid trap?

Another nick and Bishop moved reluctantly with the man's arm gripping his elbow and shoving him forward. He threw Aeyrin a panicked look, but nobody was trying to arrest her. Though the man with his sword to her neck was worrying him. Did they want something with her? Did they just try to get rid of him like this? What the fuck was all this about? It made no sense.

"No! Wait! Where are you taking him?" Aeyrin tried to step closer in panic, but then she felt a slight burn on her neck as the guard pressed his sword to her more.

"Quiet already," the guard by her side hissed.

"But…" she tried to speak, but she felt another soft burn on her neck. The guard dragged Bishop out of the room in the meantime, leading him from the tavern.

What was happening?

"Go. I'll… make sure she doesn't interfere," the last guard, still gripping the dart tightly in his hand, nodded at the one threatening Aeyrin. He looked a little… pale.

The sword was finally lowered from her neck and the man by her side nodded as well. He walked out of the room promptly, shutting the door behind him, but before Aeyrin could rush towards it, the last guard blocked the exit, standing in her way adamantly with his hand on the hilt of his axe.

"What's happening? Please, let me go, I need to…" she looked at the man desperately, but he only raised his hand and stopped her with a shake of his head.

"You can't interfere," he sighed before he gulped loudly. He was likely starting to feel a bit sick. "Was this poisoned?" he showed her the dart in his hand.

"Y-yes. I have an antidote!" she quickly stammered. She would cure him and then he would tell her what was going on. He would be grateful, right?

She promptly rushed towards Bishop's pack and pulled out the small vial of the antidote. She handed it to the guard without question and the man didn't even stop to suspect her of any ill play. That was fortunate. More suspicions wouldn't help anything.

He downed the potion in one go and waited for a second. After a spell, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"Thanks," he mumbled. He looked reluctant to actually thank her, but the relief on his face was palpable. Aeyrin had to try something. She needed to get Bishop back as soon as possible. Especially with how angry those guards seemed.

"It was just an accident. We have to trap the room. We didn't know anyone was gonna come in," she gave him a pleading look again, but he only shook his head at her.

"Why the fuck would you need to trap a room at an inn?" he scoffed.

"We… we need to… there's…" Should she say it? She was not sure. Maybe just… something similar. "There's some… hired thugs after us. We need to be careful when we sleep."

"Not surprising that someone would send thugs after his kind," the guard scoffed.

Alright, granted, Bishop wasn't the most agreeable sort, especially in situations like these, but that didn't mean he should get arrested for it!

"Look, I'm sorry he was a bit… brash, but… we… we didn't know what was going on. You just… barged in here and… we panicked," she tried to explain as she absentmindedly brushed the blood off the scratches on her neck. Not like they weren't brash and aggressive. What did they expect the response would be? "Why… why did you come here anyway?"

"To arrest him. Did you not get that?" the man scoffed at her.

What?!

"Before the… trap?" she gaped at the man. They came here to arrest him in the first place?

"Well that didn't help the matter," the guard rolled his eyes.

"But why? He didn't do anything," Aeyrin stepped closer to the man, trying to plead with him for answers again. There was one thing that popped to her mind. The vampires. Maybe the deal with the Jarl was more than it seemed. Maybe someone spotted Bishop there, slaughtering the monsters. But why not her? Why just him?

He was the one to actually kill them, true, but… this still made little sense.

There was another thing that popped to her mind, but… she really didn't want to think of that possibility. That would have happened right away when they entered the Hold. Not right now so randomly. Right?

"Can't say," the guard only shrugged at her.

"'Can't say' because you're forbidden to or because you don't know?" she gave him an uncertain grimace. Did they even know why they were arresting him?

The man only shrugged again, unwilling to answer. Well, that was no help at all. She needed to find out what was going on already.

"Why are you keeping me here? I need to go. I need to find out what's going on. Please, let me go," she gave him the most miserable look she could, trying to soften him up, but the man's expression didn't change one bit.

"We can't have you interfere. I'll leave you be after a while, when he's safely behind bars," he sighed. "Get some rest. You're not gonna find out anything now anyway. It's the middle of the night."

'Rest'? Was he insane? How could she rest right now?

"I… I can't. Please, just tell me what's going on," the pleading voice she kept talking in was making her feel even more on edge. She kind of felt like breaking into tears right then and there. Maybe it would help. But she was at a complete loss. She also had an urge to just force her way past the man, but she had to control herself. She couldn't get herself arrested too, as comforting it would be to be with Bishop again, she needed to help him instead. To get him out as soon as possible.

Why was he always getting arrested? This was becoming a disturbing pattern.

"I can't," the man sighed again, clearly exasperated already.

"Who can? Should I… speak to the Jarl or something?" she prodded. She really wasn't sure if she could convince him that eliminating his lumber suppliers was a good thing, but at least she needed to talk to someone who could resolve this.

"He's asleep. It's the middle of the night," the guard scoffed.

Yes, she got that, but she was willing to wake up anyone and deal with their grumbling if it meant she would get some answers.

She didn't know what else to do. This man wasn't responsive to her pleas and questions and he still wasn't moving. She really had the urge to shove him out of the way and run. But she needed to stay calm. It was just prison. Everyone was asleep. Bishop would be relatively fine until she could leave the room, surely.

Gods, she hoped so. A horrible thought popped into her head about how this might be another Brotherhood plot.

Dammit. She needed to talk to someone.

She sat down on the bed and buried her face in her hands desperately. This was unbelievable. She really wished it had been that stupid dart that landed him in prison. This was much worse, whether it was those vampires, or… no… it had to be the vampires. It happened right after that. It made the most sense.

Her hands were shaking from the stress and the fact that the unhelpful man was still standing there, staring at her, didn't really help.

"You should really get some rest. Nobody's gonna tell you anything anyway," the man grumbled, likely fed up with watching her in that state. She couldn't help it, even if she wanted to do anything for his benefit.

"I'm not gonna 'rest'! My fiancé was just arrested and I don't know why," she snarled at him. Though she did feel a tinge of warmth spreading through her when she called Bishop that. It was probably the first time she said it like this. It was kind of heartbreaking that it had to happen in this situation.

"Oof. Maybe best you don't know," the man cringed.

What?

What was that supposed to mean? Because he was a 'murderer'? Because someone saw him kill those bloodsuckers? She had the urge to defend Bishop's actions, but without knowing the reason for his arrest, she might just be admitting even more crimes.

She could do nothing but groan in frustration. This was excruciating. This was what they got for ridding the world of bloodsucking monsters? Maybe it was true – no good deed goes unpunished.

And how long was that asshole gonna stand there?!

She needed to leave.

…

"Alright… I think that's enough," the man standing by the door mumbled almost incoherently.

He only stood there for no longer than ten minutes, but that was too long. A minute was too long. A second was. Not just because of how excruciatingly uncomfortable it was to be sitting there, despairing, while he just stared at her, but she just couldn't take it. She needed to go outside and talk to the Jarl or someone. She needed to know what was going on.

The moment those words left his lips and he opened the door, Aeyrin rushed past him and out of there. She had the presence of mind to merely put on her boots in the time she was in the room, but no more than that. Nothing else was important after all, not when Bishop was in this mess.

She didn't stop for a second. She ran across the common room, for once uncaring about the people that stared at with curiosity and judgment in their eyes. What did that matter? What did any of this matter, any of their talk and gossip? There were much more important things to focus on.

She bolted outside and ran. It… kind of reminded her of her last escape from that place.

Gods, how she hoped this time it wouldn't turn nearly as tragic.

She rushed straight towards the longhouse through the moonslit night. There was barely a soul outside. The Legion apparently either moved out for a nighttime attempt of their assault or they were asleep too. It was only her and a few guards patrolling the streets lit by lanterns and the bright moons above on this clear night.

She stopped by the longhouse, but there was already another obstacle in her path.

Two guards stood by the entrance diligently with their hands on their weapons. The second they spotted her they nodded at each other.

That didn't bode well. But she was not going to get deterred.

"Go away," one of the guards sighed tiredly. "It's the middle of the night."

"I need to speak to the Jarl," she insisted. She didn't care one bit what time it was.

"It's the middle of the night," the woman repeated. "He's asleep. As is everyone else. Leave."

Gods dammit! No!

"It's urgent. I really need to talk to him. It's important," Aeyrin almost whined at them desperately. Why was everyone so uncooperative?

"It's not. If someone's being attacked or something, tell us. Nothing else is urgent," the woman rolled her eyes while her fellow guard just stood there silently.

It was urgent! She didn't even know why this was happening – nothing beyond her theories. What if it was the Brotherhood? What if those men were assassins? What if they didn't even take him in jail? She had ben reassuring herself by looking at the soul gem ring to check if it was still shining, but that was no guarantee. If he was in jail, they would have taken it from him anyway. And if not… well the Brotherhood may have acted faster than he would be able to react to.

"Was someone arrested just now?" she asked. At least she needed this information.

"Yeah. He's in jail and he's not going anywhere, so it's not urgent. Got it?" the woman scoffed at her dismissively.

Well… at least he really was in jail. Why was that a good thing? And what if the Jarl was corrupt to the point of having dealings with the Brotherhood?

"Please, I really need to talk to him. I need to know why he was arrested," she pleaded with them. Every guard was just so unhelpful to her. What was going on?

"No. Look, we were told that you're likely to pester us. Nobody sees the Jarl now. Those are the orders. He's not getting up because you're throwing a fit."

What? They were told that she would cause a scene? Well… it wasn't unreasonable to assume if the Jarl, or anyone really, knew that they were here together. Anyone in her place would make a scene. She did not like the woman's attitude, but that was far from important right now. She couldn't wait until the Jarl got his precious beauty rest. She needed details.

"So you know why he was arrested?" she instantly got hopeful. They were clearly told about the situation. They must have known.

"No, we don't. We were just told that someone was arrested and that someone else was likely going to be coming here demanding answers. You're not getting any now. Come back in the morning," the woman shrugged.

But what if something happened to him until the morning?

She couldn't just let this go. She couldn't relax. She needed something. Some reassurance that he was alright. That this wasn't some Brotherhood plot. That he wasn't already dead.

"Can I see him?" she asked again. Maybe the Jarl was asleep, but the guards in jail surely weren't and neither was Bishop.

"How many times do I have to tell you?!" the woman snapped at her.

"Not the Jarl. The man who was arrested," Aeyrin quickly raised her hands up in mock surrender.

"No. You can't see him either. You would need special permission to see a prisoner from… you guessed it: the Jarl."

Dammit. This was completely fruitless. She still didn't know anything. What else could she do?

With a dejected sigh, she stepped away from the longhouse and walked down the road, pondering on her next course of action. Where was jail? Was it under the longhouse? Or somewhere else? Maybe she could… break in? She could take Bishop's potions. The White Phial. She could take his lockpicks, even if she couldn't really use them, she could try. She just needed to do something.

Stupid vampires. Stupid Brotherhood.

Couldn't they just get some respite from all this? She couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hey, you!" a voice suddenly called out to her. A man was jogging towards her in a Legion uniform.

Gods, not this. Not now. If that asshole was going to try to draft her into the Legion, she was going to punch him.

"I'm a citizen of Haafingar. Leave me alone!" she snarled the second that man was near. She was so tired of this all. The stress was taking a lot out of her and her patience was already long gone.

"Whoa. Calm down," the man made a soothing gesture with his hands. "Agent Horacio. Penitus Oculatus," he introduced himself promptly, likely to reassure her of his intentions.

Oh good. It wasn't a Legionnaire. Not really.

But… wait. Why was a Penitus agent approaching her?

By the Eight! What happened?!

"Are they here?! Is Bishop dead?" she yelped, covering her mouth as a shocked gasp escaped her lips. She couldn't help her mind going there instantly.

"Fuck, calm down," the man shook his head at her promptly, a little wide-eyed over her reactions. She couldn't help it. She was so on edge she felt like she would snap at any second. "I saw you talk to the guards by the longhouse. I just… I thought you might think that. Since… you know. We're here to watch out for plots like these and… the guards can't tell you anything."

"'Plots like these'?" Aeyrin's voice quivered a bit as she repeated the words. "So it is them?"

"No. Just let me talk, please," the man let out a little exasperated chuckle, but his eyes were full of concern. Like he was going to break some awful news to her anyway. "Look, when we saw him getting arrested, we investigated right away. To see if this wasn't some Brotherhood plot. We had to verify that the guards weren't replaced and stuff and that this was based on a real arrest warrant."

"And?" Aeyrin prodded impatiently. Why did everything take so long to explain things?

"I'm sorry. It's legit. There's a… bounty. A big one."

Oh Gods. No.

This was the option she didn't even let herself consider.

"The Jarl doesn't want people to know. I don't know why," the man started to whisper. "Maybe he's trying to leverage it. Or he still needs to think about how to make this public so that he looks like some hero or something. I really don't know, but all the guards that are in the know are forbidden to tell anyone why he was arrested. You know, I was kinda pissed that we're protecting some fucking bandit, but… I got to see the bounty then. I thought he looked different in the picture but then someone pointed out that it was that kid and not the older guy… uhm… never mind. Doesn't seem right. But… that's not in our jurisdiction."

He saw the bounty. The bounty was actually here to be seen, not just results of some rumors coming from Whiterun or something. It could have been dug up from archives by some busy-body as Bishop had always feared. Or… or that person who had been sending them anonymously struck again.

The bounty for twenty thousand drakes on Bishop's head.

"I'm sorry, I don't know if you knew about the bounty or not. Just… he's in jail. He's not gonna get killed, I promise. Not… not by the Brotherhood," the man placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder, but it was no comfort.

Even if he hadn't said it like that, she already knew. She knew all too well.

She couldn't do anything about it now. Not until that fucking Jarl got his damned sleep.

But she knew.

Bishop was about to get executed.