We entered the dwarven ruins from one of the gated rooms on the right side of Madanach's corridor. Now that I knew it was there, it seemed so obvious. It was barely hidden from sight, and it annoyed me that I hadn't seen it before. A part of me knew it was unreasonable to expect this of myself, but the other part of me just couldn't help it. It was just so… there.

I wasn't angry at Madanach anymore. I hadn't been for a while, I think. Resentful, maybe, but now we were breaking out of Cidhna Mine. We were breaking out of Cidhna Mine. No one escapes Cidhna Mine, and here we were. Doing just that. I felt a little giddy.

I had a few questions for the King in Rags, but I only managed to ask how he had managed to keep the ruins concealed from the guards all this time before he hushed me, wanting to focus on the escape because we "weren't home free yet".

We overtook the other prisoners who were more than happy to let Madanach take point, and Madanach lead us swiftly and easily through the tunnels that suggested that he had run this route many times prior. Our progress was only hindered by a stray frostbite spider and a couple defenses left over by the dwarves, all of which we dispatched while barely slowing our pace.

A couple minutes in, the wound in my side began to flare, but it was a dull pulse rather than a sharp pain, so it didn't worry me. I kept my eyes on Madanach's back, wondering what I would do if I hadn't left my shiv embedded in Grisvar's neck.

Around me, all I heard was the sound of excited breathing and the clambering of a dozen set of feet. However, as we went further into the chilly ruins, and, as I slowly learned, closer to the surface, I began to hear other noises. They were muffled as if I was holding my hands over my ears but ever present. It wasn't hard to guess what was happening.

Our trek came to an end at the foot of a cracked stone ramp. A slight figure was waiting for us, moving forward as we approached, an arm raised in greeting. She was dressed head to toe in the fur Forsworn garb.

"Madanach," the woman greeted, approaching us briskly but calmly. "I've brought what you asked for."

"Good work," he said, taking a leather sack, and a familiar quiver and bow from her. "Distribute the weapons and help the others prepare while I have a word with our favourite outsider." He turned back to me, handing me the materials he had just acquired. "I had Kaie recover all the things the Nords stole from you," he explained. "Here's your quiver an bow. Your armour, daggers, and everything else should be inside the sack. There's also a… gift for you. It's blessed with the old magicks. Just something to remember us by."

I gaped unbecomingly at him for a moment before uttering my thanks. As I grasped the handle of my bow, I felt my heart rise into my throat and I almost kissed it.

"You better get ready before we break out into the city," he said.

And so we all did. Modesty be damned, we all stripped out of our rags and donned our armour. For the first time, I got to examine the extent of the damage Nepos the Nose and Uaile and caused me. A sizeable portion on the forearm of the right sleeve of my armour had been eaten away by the old man's fireball. Around the hole, and much of the right side of the main body were charred and discolored. There was also a hole in the right side where Uaile's dagger had pierced through, and the leather was still stained with a shocking about of blood. One of my gloves was in similar condition. The rest of my gear, while also a little stained, was completely functional.

I dug through the rest of the items in the sack, I found my three daggers, my gold – thank the Eight – and many other smaller items that I'd had on me. At the bottom of the bag, I found a full set of Forsworn armour. It almost seemed to shimmer with the old magicks Madanach promised, and I was oddly touched by the gesture.

Even so, I decided to put on my Thieves Guild armour. The bandage on my burned arm was clearly visible through the right sleeve, but as damaged as it was, it was still more inconspicuous than walking around in furs and bones and antlers, and I was more comfortable in it anyways. I held my hood in my hands, debating for a moment, before I put it back in the bag. Then I slung my quiver over my shoulder and tucked my daggers away.

I felt ready.

Geared up, I wandered back to Madanach. He was just finishing putting on the last of his attire. His always-calculating eyes lingered over the gaping burn in my sleeve before returning to my face. For a second, his mask slipped to show a little disappointment, and I realized that he had wanted me to put on the armour he had given me.

"What?" I teased despite myself. "Were you hoping I'd drop everything and join your cause?"

"I suppose it was a long shot, but I have recruited stranger," he shrugged nonchalantly and sighed. "After all these years, it's time to finally see the sky again." A dreamy look penetrated his blue-grey eyes, but they quickly hardened again, setting into steel. "I'm going to make it rain red."

I swallowed uncomfortably, the weight of what I had just taken part of settling on my shoulders. Just how far would the Forsworn go to take back their city? My thoughts traveled to Garvey and Omluag in the Warrens.

"What happens now?" I asked warily.

"Now? Now I announce to all of Markarth that I have returned. I'd give it a while before you come back, but you needn't worry about your name. They'll know that it's mine to blame and fear after today."

"I think I'll give it more than a while," I said, and we both allowed ourselves a little laugh. The sound surprised us both. I wondered how often Madanach laughed.

"It'll take years," he continued, and by now, the prisoners had all been equipped and were gathering around, listening intently. His volume rose accordingly. "But I'll organize the Forsworn again. We'll reclaim our land, and then, when power is ours, we'll have peace. A kingdom." A few grunts of agreement. "Until then, let me offer you a warning. Beware the Forsworn. No place in the Reach is safe from us now."

"For the Forsworn!" Kaie shouted, and others echoed her immediately.

"FOR THE FORSWORN!"

"Hopefully the next time we meet, it will be in more favourable conditions," said the King, no longer in rags. "Until then, elf."

I realized then, that in all the time I had been in the mines, I hadn't given my name to anyone. Not that I wanted to be rude. It's just that no one asked. I considered telling him then, but I think we both preferred that I remain anonymous. I would just be the stubborn outsider who was mildly interesting that one time. I could go my way, and they could go theirs. Besides, by the time I had come to a conclusion, Madanach was already at the top of the stone ramp, standing before the golden metal doors typical of Markarth.

Uraccen and Kaie nodded at me as they passed, following their king. Borkul the Beast even offered one of his toothy grins, clapping me on the back with a force that made me stagger. Braig paused at my side, placing a paternal hand on my shoulder.

"Good luck," I whispered, but whether he heard me or not, I couldn't say, because at that moment, the prisoners at the top of the ramp pushed the doors open, and the ruins were filled with a cacophony of metal clanging against metal, and the screams and shouts of battle from outside.

A could feel goosebumps rise on my arms and the back of my neck. I had been in a few small skirmishes throughout my years, but never had I been in the midst of a full out war. Just listening to the sounds beyond the dwarven tunnels made me waver.

Now's not the time to hesitate.

I stowed my bow, withdrew a dagger, grabbed the sack, took a deep breath, and shot out after them.

The sky was just starting to brighten a little with the rising sun as I emerged. Or was the sky darkening with the setting sun? But that didn't matter now. Time would reveal itself eventually. First thing was orienting myself and getting out of Markarth as if it was Oblivion itself.

And in that moment, it might as well have been. Fighting had broken out everywhere, and the stones of the city seemed as if they were on fire, bathed in bloody, red light.

I crouched low, falling back into easy habits as I let the shadows shroud me. Madanach must have somehow gotten in contact with a force of his outside the city. They would cause a bloody distraction which would allow their leader to escape, meet up, and then they would fight their way back out again. It was early (or late) enough that the city streets were empty of most residents, and the disorganization of the guards showed they had not been ready for such an attack.

I made my way down to the marketplace unseen, taking a detour around a staircase that was particularly crowded, and another to bypass a magically started fire. People clashed everywhere. I saw Borkul a couple times, his sheer brawn hard to miss even in the dim lighting, but I kept moving.

This is it. I can finally get out of this gods forsaken pl—

My mouth fell open as a uniformed figure stalked past me, close enough for me to reach out and touch him.

And before I realized it, that's exactly what I was doing.

Except my dagger was in my hand, the blade glinting off the fires as it arced toward his throat.

He caught my arm reflexively, bending it back until the blade clattered on the floor. His gaze lingered on the burned hole in my sleeve, and then he looked at my face.

"You!" Guard – no, Ranmir - seethed.

Stendarr have mercy. Why am I such an idiot?

I used his momentary shock to aim a high kick at the back of his head. Not the most practical of places to aim, sure, but I had a goal. I wanted to see his face, and that meant that the helmet had to come off.

Sure enough, the metal headgear flew off his head with a clang and rolled a fair distance away. The blow itself didn't do much harm. In fact, he didn't so much as stagger as my boot connected. He did, however, loosen his grip on my arm, and, this time, I successfully pulled away, retreating a few paces back and pulling out another dagger.

Ranmir was a typical Nord. Tall, imposing, with braided blonde hair and blue eyes, and the three scars on his face (one straight down from his hair line through his right eyebrow, another across the bridge of his nose, and the last along the right side of his jaw) only made him look fiercer. He was younger than I thought he'd be. Given his insanity, I thought he would be at least through his third decade of life, but the man before me barely looked past two. He was all raw talent and arrogance, and I immediately knew his type. He was the way he was because everyone was too afraid to tell him no. No one would ever be as great as him in his eyes.

"Miss me?" I couldn't help goading him. In truth though, I was scared. I simply did not have the abilities to contend with this guy.

He looked at me with pure hatred.

"I should have killed you while I had the chance," he hissed.

"Well here's you chance."

But he never got it.

Just as the words left my lips, a massive, green fist connected with the side of his head, and the Nord went flying a few meters as if he had just been hit by a mammoth.

Borkul the Beast winked at me as he ran by, and I only stared stupidly as he disappeared again into the throng of battle with a shout.

I was shaken out of my stupor as Ranmir stirred, and I jogged over to him, grabbing my dagger and disarming him in a fluid movement as I crouched down next to him. I couldn't help but grin vindictively.

"Looks like the tables have turned, hm?"

"Kill me then, and get it over with," he ground out. His eyes looked a bit unfocused.

"I should. You have no idea how much I want to," I replied. "But I'm not a killer, and death is too kind for the likes of you."

I reached back and grabbed an arrow from my quiver.

I maintained my smile as I dragged the point of the arrow along the scar on his jaw. I was enjoying the power shift, but he didn't so much as flinch. I had to give him credit. He wasn't all talk.

So fine. I didn't want to look a second longer than I had to at his stupid mug anyways.

My smile vanished. Viciously, I jammed the arrow into one of his knees. The guard threw back his head, crying out in pain and releasing a river of curses and insults, one arm swinging out to try and hit me, but I easily avoided it.

"What was that?" I leaned closer, cupping my hand next to my ear as if I couldn't hear him above the clamor of the surrounding battle. "What about the other knee, you ask? Why, that's a great idea!"

His other knee received similar treatment, and his scream was cut off as he bit his lip bloody. I was about to reach for another arrow, but my arm stopped halfway. Slowly, I lowered it back to my side.

How easily, in the end, he had been dispatched. I had built Ranmir up in my head as some truly evil being, but he was only human. A gifted human with a violent streak, but a human nonetheless, and young.

Pained tears trickled from Ranmir's clenched eyes. It would be a miracle if this man were to ever walk properly again. In Markarth, where the numerous stone steps required the functionality of as many joints as possible, Ranmir would find that it would simply not be feasible for him to continue working here. If he survived this battle, he would leave, broken and shamed, maybe to the countryside, maybe to a small village, but he would never be in a position of power anywhere again. And for his type, powerlessness was a fate was worse than death.

He may be some sadist who enjoyed causing others pain, but I received no joy in the torture of others. I stood up and nudged him with the toe of my boot.

I was done here.

"We're done here," I said, looking down on him. He said nothing, but if he loosened his jaw even the slightest bit, he would have been whimpering, and his pride simply wouldn't allow it.

I had learned my lesson from Uaile. I kept an eye on him as I retreated, and like a fox, slunk back into the shadows. If the Divines were kind for once, it would be a long, long time before I lay eyes on Markarth again.

So this chapter concludes the Escape from Cidhna Mine quest. I know it's been a long journey with a bizarre and inconsistent updating schedule, but I do want to see it through to the end, so thanks once again to all of you continuing to read this story.

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Stay golden, homies.