After three days in the wild, Iona finally found her hometown, Riften. Surprisingly enough, the security was not much more drastic than before. Anyways, she couldn't enter by the main gate now, could she?
She still had the keys to Honeyside, Nora's house. Seeing the guards, she saw only one possibility to reach Honeyside's outside door : go underwater, then, by the small docking bay.
Heavy armors are good for that in the matter, they allowed her to easily stay underwater. She was getting out of breath when she finally reached her objective. Climbing the small dock, she managed to enter Honeyside without getting caught.
Entering it, she soon heard talks from downstairs.
Preparing her weapons, she sneaked her way down. What a relied she had when she saw Brynjolf and cie, and no guards. Upon sheathing her weapons, they all turned to her.
Everyone was battle ready, except Brynjolf, seeing Iona's wet self, he got by her side, asking himself out loud, "Lass? What happened?" Offering her a cloth to use as a towel.
Wiping her face, she answered the thief. "I had to go by the water to enter. What are you doing in here?"
All the thieves looked at each others before a white haired woman answered, "Don't act like you don't know! Your Stormcloaks friends blasted through all the ragged flagon, killing everything that moved. We're the only ones left alive."
"By the nine..." said Iona in a breath.
"Excuse Vex, lass." said Brynjolf. "Since her death... everything... just went from bad to worst."
"I can relate to that..." huffed Iona.
"So that's true, you went rogue against Ulfric?"
Tightening her fists, Iona firmly answered "Yes."
A bald man exclaimed "Martial laws are bad for business. If we can be of any help, just say it."
"Well... that was easy..." everyone looked at Iona with intrigued look, "I came here for you all, I'm going to kick Ulfric out. But I'll need your help."
"To kick Ulfric, you'll have to take care of the Stormcloaks... I hope you've got an army, lass..." said Brynjolf.
"I'm going to get it just after you. To break through the defenses to take out Ulfric, I need thieves... the best there is in Skyrim..."
"Well, at last, you got me lass..."
"Me too..." added Delvin.
"Count me in!" exclaimed Vex.
There was but one thief who didn't answer, a young Khajiit with fur as dark as the night. "Mah'ika answers your call."
"The thief guild is behind you, lass, when do we act?" asked Brynjolf.
"I can't say it to you now... I need to do two more things before acting here."
"Which are...?"
"Getting the help of Cyrodiil and liberating high rock with the Breton knights."
"As crazy as your former lover are you, lass?" Iona simply smiled, while Brynjolf turned to Mah'ika. "Could you look after her for me?"
"You can count on that one." answered the Khajiit, nodding in approval.
The thief guild got in easier than she through, not bad, it brought her closer to her goal.
After spending a night in Honeyside, Iona and her newly designated companion began their way to the country of Cyrodiil. They had to keep quiet all day, hiding from the patrols. They had passed the borders by noon, but they still had about a day of travel before finding Cheydinhal. The temperature outside was pretty good, and, even as the night closed in, it did not change much.
The two stopped and set up camp between two hills in the mountain path.
Iona was pocking the flames with a stick, thinking deep about how all of this could end up... But she couldn't stop now, not this far. Her thought got cut by Mah'ika, who just finished his fish, asked her, "What are we here for exactly?".
"We need to get the rebels of Cyrodiil to help us." responded Iona, like a machine, still pocking.
"What is the plan?"
"We find the Lawhawk, we convince him, we get prepared to free High Rock." Iona, lifted her gaze on the cat-man. "So, what's your story?".
"This one's story?" asked back Mah'ika, unprepared for such a question. Under Iona's eyes, the Khajiit's will broke and he began his tale. "There is not much to say about Mah'ika's story. This one was born in Skyrim without knowing his parents. Soon, his talents for sneaking made the dark brotherhood want him. As you might know... The assassins got wiped out. Free from them, Mah'ika soon traveled with other Khajiits, merchants, before entering the thief guild some years after, try to ignore one's nature and it comes rushing back, this one guess."
"That's quite the story, actually." answered Iona, realizing that, indeed, we often follow our nature despite our greatest efforts.
"And you, what tales have you?" asked the Khajiit.
"I...em... my story is nothing like yours. Simple childhood in Riften, got trained by my guard of a father and became Housecarl for Thane Nora Raunbag." saying her name made Iona remember her face, a smiling face she gave after their first kiss, soon replaced by her deceased one, empty eyes, blood at the side of her lips. Without knowing, her gaze returned to the fire and she became silent.
Mah'ika felt he opened fresh wounds in her, didn't said a thing more, and got to sleep.
Without feeling it, Iona fell asleep too.
In the morning, Iona was the first to wake up, looking at her companion, rolled in a ball of fur, his tail moving from time to time as to signify "This one's alive, don't throw Khajiit away!". Thinking about a scene where Khajiits would disturb each others in their sleep, letting one end with the tale of another in the mouth, made Iona smile, and almost laugh, if not for her trying to hold it.
"What so funny?" asked Mah'ika, eyes still closed and now stretching by extending his whole self against the ground.
"Nothing." responded Iona, still holding a laugh with difficulty, because of the cat-like habits of her dark-furred companion. "Let's resume our way." she managed to add.
By noon, they arrived at Cheydinhal. The city was about as big as Riften, only the sewer's smell was missing.
"So, what are we searching for?" asked the Khajiit.
"A clue to let us find Lawhawk."
"Like the sign of a hawk on the side of a statue representing the champion of the oblivion crisis?"
"Exactly... wait what?!" Said Iona turning to see the statue. "Where did you saw it?" she asked trying to spot the hawk.
"Here, come where Mah'ika stand."
Iona did as asked and saw that a very simple bird form appeared on this particular angle on the statue.
"Maybe if we follow the beak of it..." proposed the Khajiit.
The two followed the direction shown by the sign and ended up facing a well.
Looking down in it, Iona said "We can't see a thing in here..."
"Allow this one..." said Mah'ika, holding himself on the well while he used his Khajiit's night vision, to see inside it.
After few seconds, he let loose of his hold. Upon hearing a splash and a cat like cry, she seriously wondered about the well-being of the thief.
"You can come down, just know that it's a good fall." finally said Mah'ika.
Searching for any living souls around her, Iona finally jumped down. Landing in a small layer of water. Her knees took a good hit, fortunately for her, she still recover pretty quickly from injuries.
"It's pitch black, can't see anything." said Iona.
"Hold onto Mah'ika." answered the Khajiit.
Moving her arms everywhere, trying to find her comrade, Iona finally got hold on something fluffy.
"That's this one's ears..."
"Sorry..."
The cat-man let out a sigh and took Iona's hand to lead her through a tunnel.
They finally arrived at a lit up place.
Blinded by the light, Iona tried to let her eyes adjust to it.
She soon saw a big cave, big enough to hold about half Cheydinhal in it. Inside it was a lot of people, looking like they were working. Walking in it, dumbfounded by the view, they got stopped by a brown Khajiit. "Are you new here?" he asked.
"Quite, we're searching for someone who call himself, the Lawha-"
Iona couldn't even finished her sentence, the Khajiit already had his dagger pointed at her as Mah'ika had his own pointed at the other's belly.
"Nice one." he said.
"He could return the compliment." answered Mah'ika, another dagger just up his head.
Putting the dagger away with her finger, Iona said, "We're not here to fight, I'm here to talk with Lawhawk, is he here." the Nord and the Khajiit held looks for long seconds while Mah'ika felt a little forgotten, still pointing his dagger.
"Follow me." finally said the other, putting his daggers away.
They arrived in another part of the cave. Here, was a nord woman around a table, looking at a map of Cyrodiil.
"What is it, Sa'shar?" she asked without lifting her eyes.
"Those two wants to see you." answered the Khajiit, leaving.
Lifting her head, her piercing blue eyes looked right at Iona's, like she was reading her soul.
Iona couldn't say a word, facing such a stunning being. She saw her share of fights, as could witness her marked face, but still, she was beautiful, a deadly flower. Unlike Iona, the flower looked like she was born with thorns.
"Spit it out." she ordered.
Iona snapped out of it by lightly shacking her head, "We're here to seek your help. I'm I-"
"Iona Northsan, I know. What help might the rogue Stormcloak need from bitter twilight?" cut the Lawhawk.
"Help to free High Rock, Skyrim and finally, to fight against the Thalmors."
The woman looked at Iona in the eyes again, analyzing her soul.
"Skyrim is already free."
"It's not. Ulfric is closing everything, cut from allies and defending his own fortress of madness, trapping his people and sentencing them to death."
"So that's true. The wrench's death got him mad?" mocked Lawhawk.
"I beg you pardon? What did you call her?" said Iona, all ready to explode.
"And now, that's a look I like!" smiled the Lawhawk as Mah'ika felt he better stand aside. "I was talking about the bitch's death that got Ulfric mad."
"Raarg!" screamed Iona, launching a punch at her.
Lawhawk easily caught it and headbutted Iona, making her fall on her butt. "That all you got little one?" she mocked.
Iona launched herself again, once more, her enemy caught her fist, but got headbutted instead this time.
Lawhawk got a little disoriented by the hit. That let Iona enough time to deal a powerful blow to her face. Unfortunately, Lawhawk had the time to recover and used her thick forehead to receive the punch. Iona, now dealing with a pretty strong pain in her fingers, didn't saw her enemy's next move. Lawhawk caught Iona's face with only one hand and pushed violently downward, making Iona's rear skull hurt the ground bad.
Mah'ika have had enough staying idle. He prepared to unsheathe his daggers, but Lawhawk responded with a "Don't think about it, Kitty. That's a talk between your master and me" pointing a white rapier sword at him.
While she was distracted by the Khajiit, Iona unstrapped and used her shield to bash Lawhawk away. Destabilizing her, Iona got up and said, "You want to go with weapons? Let's see what you got." preparing her axe as well.
Lawhawk smiled and responded with a fighting stance.
Followed something that Mah'ika couldn't believe, Lawhawk had a stunning speed with her rapier, but still, Iona blocked all her strike with even more speed and precision.
Her opponent began to feel tired while Iona, her, was still ready. Lawhawk had enough of this, she decided to make a single strike. Launching herself with her sword, Iona made the rapier's pointy end slide at her side while she, aimed her axe for the head. Stopping few centimeters from Lawhawk's neck.
Lawhawk looked disappointed, "Why stopping?"
"It pains me... but I still need you."
"You'll get my help, but first, Cyrodiil must be freed, you're in?"
"Agreed."
"You're in luck, it's tomorrow. Stay for the night. Sa'shar!"
At the hearing of his name, the Khajiit from earlier came in.
"Show them the armory for their weapons and armors and lead them somewhere to sleep." ordered Lawhawk. She tuned to Iona, "We'll talk again tomorrow morning." she ended.