A new chapter, one that is actually important for later in the story. On another note there will be a romance for this story. I want it to be with a female, not sure who yet, still debating. If anyone has suggestions would love to hear it. There will be no male/male in this story, no matter how much it looks to be happening.

Enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think.

"We should be very careful while we are here. Markarth isn't the safest place," Hadvar warned as they entered through the gates.

"What do you mean?" Mikael asked.

Hadvar didn't need to answer, screams answered them as another person stabbed a woman. Even he couldn't believe that just happened. He didn't think Markarth was this bad, but it seemed to be the worst city in the Skyrim.

"What was that?" Mikael asked ugently, his hands already lit with magic. He knew there was danger, he could feel tension and fear thick on the air. He heard the guards shouting out warnings that no one come close, but he still didn't know what had happened.

"A man killed a young woman for the Forsworn," Hadvar answered quietly.

"Forsworn?" Mikael turned to him with a quizzical look. Havdar shook his head, he didn't want to be here. They shouldn't be here, they should be somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Bretons that use to rule Markarth. I don't know the whole story, but involves Markarth being taken over by them and then Ulfric Stormcloak helped retake Markarth back for the nords," Hadvar explained.

Mikael nodded, unsure if they were safe here. They hadn't met any Forsworn until now, but that didn't mean much. "Let's get a bed for the night. Tomorrow we can head to Solitude," Mikael murmured and started walking forward.

They were about to enter the inn when a man stopped them. "I think you dropped this," the man said, his voice showing his nervousness.

"I think not," Mikael stated about to continue forward.

"Did you see what just happened?" the man asked.

Mikael laughed, "Kind of hard to do that," he mocked. "I heard enough that I didn't need sight to know what happened."

He waited for a few moments waiting for the man to say more but all he heard was retreating footsteps. He scowled at the note left in his hands and passed it over to Hadvar. "Please tell me it's not another mission."

"All it says is to go to the temple of Talos," Hadvar stated. "I would advise you not to do this."

"Why? What's the worst that is going to happen? We find out what's going on here and why there is Forsworn in Markarth," Mikael answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Mikael, If the Thalmor catch you in the Temple you be accused of Talos worshipping," Hadvar warned.

"What's the chances of a Thalmor being here? Nil to none. Most of them are at Solitude or scouring Skyrim for worshipers," Mikael reminded him.

"I still think this is a very bad idea," Hadvar muttered and began leading the way to the abandon temple.

~ooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Hadvar paced inside of the castle. He was awaiting his turn to speak with the Jarl. This city was a lot more corrupt than he first thought. Mikael was in Cidhna Mine for murders he didn't commit. He had been framed from the start by the Silverblood family. He had tried to stop it but there was no way to.

"What is it you want?" Jarl Igmund asked of the man pacing back and forth in his hall. He wore Imperial armor, a blade strapped to his waist, with a shield to his back. He didn't know what the Imperials wanted with him now. He didn't have any more men to give them without leaving his own hold short of protection.

"I want you to release Mikael," Hadvar demanded.

"Mikael?" Igmund stared at him in confusion. He hadn't heard of this Mikael and didn't have a clue what this man was talking about.

"The man that was recently arrested for murders he didn't commit. He was investigating the corruption in this hold and was framed, sent to Cidhna mine," Hadvar spat belligerently.

"What makes him so special that you demand his release?" Igmund asked curiously. His gut told him something more was going on. He now knew why he didn't know of this arrest. The Silverblood's had stepped in and probably framed him. Hopefully he could use this man to clean his city, but he needed more information about this man.

Hadvar sighed, he knew Mikael was going to kill him when he found out what he was about to say. He could already hear Mikael's rant and feel his glower. "He's the dragonborn and Jarl Balgruuf the Greater's younger brother," Hadvar stated.

Igmund stared mutely at the man. He couldn't believe what he just heard, he almost didn't believe it, but he had heard the Greybeards call. As for this man being Balgruuf's brother he hoped that wasn't true, it could put the trading contract between him Balgruuf in jeopardy. He wasn't going to think of that, not until he had proof. But that the dragonborn was arrested in his city, that alone could create problems if people found out who that man was.

He swallowed thickly, a man that was blessed by the gods, Akatosh himself was in the Cidhna mines. This information couldn't get any worse. He had read some of the reports of what went on in that mine, when he could get his hands on those reports.

He turned to his housecarl and nodded to her. He prayed she understood what he was relaying. He didn't want to say the words out loud. Not a chance in the nines would he say them, it was bad enough he had no control over his city. The damned Silverblood, ruled this city, they didn't have him in their back pocket, but they mine as well have. They had his hands tied, due to their money and influence.

~oooooooooooooooooooooo~

Mikael smirked as he felt for a pulse. The King of Rags was dead, he had silently slit his throat. Hopefully that ended the foresworn attacks in this city, now all he needed was a way out of here. He had felt a note but that was of no use to him. He felt around the table for any marks, scratches anything that was a telling sign of where this hidden entrance was.

He tapped the table, trying to think like the man he just killed but he wasn't that delusional of a person. He scowled darkly, anger getting the better of him. He needed out of here, there was no way he was spending years down in this decrepit pit.

With a frustrated sigh he headed back to where the other prisoners were. His plans of escaping were out and shortly the King of Rags would be found. Once he was found his hours would be numbed, he knew he wouldn't make it the day.

Lightly he dragged his hands along the wall, trying to remember his way back. He stopped when he felt bars. It wasn't the touch of bars that stopped him, it was the slight draft, so very slight that most would have missed it. He felt around for a handle, or opening through these bars. He wasn't betting on it, but he was pretty sure he just found the escape route. At least he hoped that was so. He tucked his shiv in to the back of his pants and felt around frantically for an entrance.

He let out the breath he had been holding, his shoulders slumping in relief when he had finally entered the cage. He moved slowly, keeping a hand pressed along the wall, while he crouched low, trying not to make a sound. The last thing he needed was to be caught.

His other hand was lit with a fireball spell as he inched his way through the tunnel. He stilled when he heard movement, his breath stopping, his heart thundering in his chest. He waited, listening carefully, trying to use his other senses to feel for the thing that had moved. His body stilled more when he heard a sound he was very familiar with. Spider, there was a spider very near. He shivered in revulsion, memories of him and Hadvar making their way through Helgen keep. He had promised himself that he would never fight another spider and yet here he was.

He calmed his racing heart and focused on the danger. He allowed the fireball to leave his hand and prayed to any divinity that was listening that he hit his mark. He heard the angry scream that no human and most animals couldn't make. He shot another in that direction, just in case, you never know if it was still twitching.

When silence met his ears and charred something met his nose he resumed his inching through the tunnel. He hesitated when the ground changed to something more solid, foreign to him. Slowly he reached down and touched the ground, trying to make heads or tails what he was walking on. He knew it was metal, old, and like nothing he had come across in Skyrim or Cyrodill. His back stiffened when he heard a swooshing noise, something he had never heard before. Along with that swooshing noise was metal on metal, a groaning that was rhythmic.

He was lost, the new noise was distracting him too much that focus was becoming a thing of the past. There were too many noises, he could faintly hear movement but didn't know where, or what it was. He wasn't even sure if it was close or his imagination. He moved forward a bit more and his body when on alert, his gut screamed for him to duck and rolled. He didn't hesitate, he did it. He could feel it now, something large and not alive was near, chasing him as he rolled around. He didn't know what in the Oblivion it was, but whatever it was had a blade.

He stopped rolling for a moment, firing a fireball, then continued rolling once more. His head was spinning with all the rolling but he forced himself to ignore it. He shot another fireball and heard the thing collapse. He was about to get up but there was another one coming. He could hear it plainly now. Once more he found himself rolling around on this metal ground. This one took four fireballs before it fell to the ground.

He really wanted out of this place he had enough. Then he wanted to grasp one of the Silverblood around the neck and squeeze until he stopped breathing. He didn't care which one right now, just one of them or all of them.

He crouched once more, this time very low, keeping one hand on the ground while he inched his way along this walkway. He didn't know what it was, or who made it, but it was the best name he could come up for it, a walkway. He just hoped it wasn't a road of some type leading him to a more dangerous place. That was the last thing he needed.

He groaned in pain as he walked into a very solid wall. His nose throbbed, meeting the metal wall. Slowly he rose to his feet, and felt around the metal wall for a way out. His eyes widened when he figured out what he was feeling – a door. He might have just walked into his exit. He grin split his face as he felt around frantically for a way to opening his salvation.

He almost laughed out loud in relief when it opened.

That laugher died within him when he felt more people near. He didn't know if these people were friendly or enemy. He couldn't take the chance, not with what he just went through. His hand erupted in fire, ready to set anyone of them on fire.

"We aren't going to harm you. I am housecarl to Jarl Igmund," Faleen stated urgently. She hissed out her frustration when she saw the man was blind. She didn't know what in the nines he was doing down in Cidhna but to be blind down there wasn't the healthiest thing.

"Where's Hadvar?" Mikael demanded coldly, never once allowing his magic to subside.

"He's with the Jarl, I have sent a guard to fetch him," Faleen answered calmly, hoping it would calm the blind nord. She still couldn't believe what she was looking at. Jarl Balgruuf when he was younger. Change the man's clothes, accent, beard, and you have Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, only about ten years younger and in better shape.

She paced back and forth, waiting for the Imperial soldier to show up. She could see that this man wasn't going to calm until - he saw or heard or however he tells a person apart – someone he trusted. She didn't blame him one bit, especially with what he just went through.

"Mikael?" Hadvar shouted as he ran towards his friend. The guards had fetched him saying his friend had gone insane. He had ran for all he was worth to where they said he was.

"Your voice is music to my ears. So I am finally out of that pit," Mikael murmured tiredly, his shook his hands extinguishing the magic. The tension left his body and he slumped against the nearest wall. "How long was I in there?"

"Three days," Hadvar answered quietly as he walked to Mikael's side. He grabbed Mikael's pack, slinging it over his shoulder and then placed his other hand on Mikael's shoulder. He hesitated for a second, unsure if this was alright with Mikael. When the nord moved with him he didn't bother taking his hand away.

"The Jarl has a room ready for you in the Keep, along with some food waiting," Feelan stated.

"Good, there is no way I am staying in that inn until the owners are dead," Mikael snarled.

Silence descended, no one knew what to say to those words.

~ooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Igmund sat on his throne still in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he has seen last night. It was a younger Jarl Balgruuf, with slight differences. Different hair, beard, and build, but other than that they could have been twin except for the age difference.

This put him on edge, it would be so easy for Balgruuf to find out his brother was in Cidhna mines. If that happened, all the treaties, contracts made over the years would die. He knew Balgruuf would nullify all contracts they had going, for good reasons too.

"He's resting quietly now my Jarl," Feelan stated as she stood by him.

"What of his companion?" Igmund asked, worried that he might step in and inform Balgruuf.

"He went to the market for supplies, they leave in the morning to Solitude," Feelan answered, looking worriedly at her Jarl.

"Damn. If he leaves and Balgruuf's finds out that we didn't do something to help or protect him on his travels… And now this Cidhna mine business…" Igmund hissed, slumping his chair with his head in his hands.

"My Jarl, we could assign a housecarl to him. That should satisfy Balgruuf, showing that are willing to protect him after the incident," Feelan suggested.

"Who? Most of the guards are corrupt, I wouldn't trust them to protect him," Igmund bit out.

"What of Argis the Bulwark?

"Ha, he wouldn't follow a blind nord. He's a fighter Feelan, now someone to lead a person around by hand," Igmund scoffed.

"And yet Mikael escaped the mine without help, fought a few dwarven spiders, and spheres, along with a spider," Feelan reminded him.

"True," Igmund murmured thoughtfully.

"I'll order Argis to the keep, and inform the guards of Mikael's Thane status," Feelan stated about to leave to do her job.

"Have Vlinderal Hall readied for him, I want it fully furnished," Igmund ordered.

~oooooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Mikael groaned as he slowly woke, his body was throbbing from the fighting he did yesterday. Most of his cuts and bruises were healed for the healer that had been here yesterday, but that didn't mean they didn't still hurt. She had only healed the worst of it.

"Your finally awake," Hadvar murmured, grinning when he saw the surprised look on Mikael's face. "You've been sleeping most of the day. The Jarl here wishes to speak with you as soon as possible."

"He'll have to wait. I need food, a bath first before I speak with the Jarl," Mikael stated, slowly crawling out of bed. He shivered slightly as his bare feet touched the cold stone floor. He could already hear people working in the kitchen and smell the food.

"I'll grab you food, though I don't know where you will go for a bath," Hadvar told him, glancing around the room finding no water other than what was in the ewer. He noticed a basic built into the wall, but it was empty, so it made no sense to him. He would have to have one of the serving girls fill the water for him. He hated that he would have to have someone else do what he could easily do himself for Mikael.

Hadvar stepped out of the room and nearly jumped. By the door stood a large nord with one blind eye, a shield strapped to his back and a sword to his waist. This nord was a fighter, you could see it in the way he held himself and watched as he exited Mikael's room. "Who are you?" Hadvar demanded.

"Argis the Bulwark," the man answered in a deep voice. "I am housecarl to the new Thane."

"New Thane? You mean Mikael?" Hadvar uttered, shocked at what was happening. He stuck his head back into the room. "Mikael you want to come out here."

"What?" Mikael muttered, biting off his grown as he moved. He walked to the door one had out in front of him.

"It seems while you've been sleeping the Jarl has been busy," Hadvar muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Mikael asked annoyed.

"My Thane, I am Argis the Bulwark your housecarl," a deep voice answered him.

"Thane? I am not a Thane, and I think you have the wrong room," Mikael bit out.

"You are Mikael, the dragonborn of legend and Jarl Balgruuf the Greater's brother?" Argis asked in amusement. The man couldn't deny it, from what everyone told him this man look a lot a like the Jarl from Whiterun.

"Who told you… HADVAR!" Mikael snarled. "Who in the eight also knows this stuff?"

"It was the only way to get you out of Cidhna Mine," Hadvar retorted.

"And yet it seemed I got out of there on my own. I don't remember any guards helping me fight, or coming to save me," Mikael snapped. He turned to the other man, his new housecarl. "I may be Balgruuf's brother, but I am not the dragonborn. So you can get that ridiculous idea out of your head."

"Mikael, you can't deny it. You absorbed the dragonsoul at the watchtower in Whiterun, then shortly after the Greybeards called for Dovahkiin," Hadvar reminded him, not backing down from the angry look. He glanced at the other man and noticed the amusement on his face.

"I have you key to Vlindral Hall," Argis murmured, trying to hide his amusement. It had shocked him at first that his new Thane was blind. He had heard the story of this man's escape from the mines many times by many different people. He found it amusing, that it took a blind man to escape a mine that no one else has been able to.

"What is this Vlindral Hall?" Mikael asked tiredly.

"It's the house that I have given to you," Igmund stated, he had come to investigate the raised voices.

"So you've made me Thane, given me a house, why?" Mikael asked sharply.

Igmund fell silent, he didn't want to discuss this with these two men standing there. He nodded to them, watching as they disappeared. "Political mostly. Balgruuf and I have many contracts, and having you harmed in my city won't sit well with your brother as you well know. To make things smoother I have given you honors that most aspire to," Igmund answered honestly.

"Now that I am Thane to your hold what do you expect of me?" Mikael sighed tiredly, motioned for the man to follow him back into his room. "It was never my plan to stay here. We were to head to Solitude this morning."

"At the moment this is an honory title, I expect nothing of you," Igmund answered tiredly.

"Jarl Igmund, your city is in chaos, just because the Mad King is gone, doesn't mean anything until the Silverblood is taken care of," Mikael warned. "Your people fear them, and your guards…"

Igmund nodded, not sure what to say. He already knew that the Silverblood's had too much power. They had money, and own many mines. At the moment his hands were tied. "When do you leave?" he asked, changing the subject before it got out of hand. This was something he didn't want to discuss.

"After we eat," Mikael answered.

"Take Argis with you, he's a good fighter," Igmund ordered, then left the room.

~ooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Hadvar watched the new man carefully. He didn't like that he would have to trust Mikael's life to this man so he had to make sure this man was capable. So far they had taken out a few foresworn, bandits, and a thief. Argis had been a great benefit, staying by Mikael's side, allowing the man to fight, but also protecting him.

They were camped right now. Argis' suggestion, saying it wasn't safe to travel this area at night. Hadvar had to agree. He had also noticed that the man kept the camp the way they had set it up. He always placed things back where he got them, not changing their placements. That was really good, Mikael expected a camp to be set up a certain way, making it easier for him to move around.

Mikael was staring into the fire, Argis was patrolling the area. He was cooking the evening meal, right now it was whatever they had in their pack. He was gland they had restalked before leaving.

Hadvar stopped when he noticed Mikael's head lift up, his body alert. "What is it?"

"I don't know…" Mikael murmured rising to his feet. He could hear a sound, but didn't recognize it. He knew this sound, he was sure of it. He was positive he had heard it before. He focused harder on the sound and stilled, his breath caught for a moment. "DRAGON!" he shouted.

Argis looked up at the sky seeing nothing, but he knew now to trust Mikael's hearing. If he heard a dragon, there was a dragon either nearby or coming. He kept watch of the sky and in the distance, on top of a mountain he saw a dragon flying. It was well out of their range, but not paying any attention to them. "Its near the top of that mountain," Argis announced, pointing towards the distant peak. Hadvar nodded, relaxing slightly as he once more took a seat on the log near Mikael.

When they first started this trip he had thought that he would have to lead Mikael by the arm all around Skyrim, but that wasn't the case. It seemed the man followed the sound of one's footsteps, it was actually amazing to witness. He had met a few blind people, and they usually depended on others or turned destitute. But Mikael was different, he hated depending on anyone. He had learnt that through Hadvar one night while Mikael slept. It was how he learnt not to change the layout of the camp.

Argis did another round of the camp, paying special attention to the shadows. He glanced behind him when he heard noise. Mikael was heading to his tent after just finished eating.

"How long have you been travelling with him?" Argis asked as he watched the fire.

"Since Helgen, about a month, maybe less," Hadvar answered. "When we reach Solitude, my orders will change and I will no longer be following him."

"You were ordered to follow him?" Argis asked inquisitively.

"By General Tullius, while we were in Helgen," Hadvar stated.

"I heard Helgen was destroyed," Argis murmured, glancing back at the tent where Mikael slept. He was shocked that the man made it out. If he hadn't been travelling with the man he would have assumed that this Imperial soldier had done all the work, but he knew now that wasn't so. Mikael would have fought too.

"It was many lives lost, burnt to death by the smell," Mikael answered when he exited the tent.

Argis didn't jump, but Hadvar did. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Hadvar asked.

"With the pack of wolves stalking us? No," Mikael answered with a smirk as he heard the both of them jump to their feet. Both went searching for the wolves he heard, he knew they wouldn't have to look far.

He knelt by the pot serving himself up some more food. He sighed, wondering what he was going to do. Hadvar expected him to join the Legion, but it was the Thalmor that stopped him. He had heard of Ulfric's rebellion and agreed with him about kicking the Thalmor out of Skyrim. He wanted to do that himself, but being a Jarl's brother he needed to think about the whole. He needed to figure out who all it will affect if he joined Ulfric's. He knew Hadvar would be upset, but he couldn't let that change his mind.

He thought of his brother who was a supporter of the Imperials. If he supported Ulfric the probability that his brother would be killed or dethroned, were high. But was that such a bad thing? Balgruuf had forced him to stay at his castle for three days. He had tried to force him to believe a lie, a lie about their parents. That still angered him like nothing else.

He shook his head, Balgruuf will have to look after himself if he decides to side with Ulfric. He won't let the man kill his brother, but other than that he's not stepping in. If Balgruuf loses his throne, then it was meant to be.

"Mikael, everything alright? You look pensive," Hadvar murmured.

"Everything will be," Mikael answered cryptically with a slight smile.