The Fall of Lord Kelvyn

By Commentaholic

A/N: My most recent chapter put me on the favorite stories list of my most favorite reviewer, Arty Thrip! It also made me get almost 150 hits in the first three days of its release. Reviews were somewhat lacking, but I'm fine with that, as long as my loyal reviewers keep finding my flaws and bringing them to my attention.

Before I end this author's note, I'd like to thank all of you who got after me time and again to add more description. When I finally did it, I felt all the more proud of myself. Arty Thrip, Dualkatanas, I thank you both.

Commentaholic: Oh, and before I forget!

*plunges head into a bucket*

-Resurfaces 2 minutes later-

Commentaholic: -gasping for air- I hope you're happy Dualkatanas

For explanation, see Brothers in Arms by Arty Thrip, chapter 17 Reviews

Disclaimer: I don't own Oblivion, sadly, like the other Oblivion fanfiction writers, I am merely a poor imitator. This is probably my second disclaimer, and it's overdue

Read and Review!

Chapter 9, Part 3: Scarlet Ambition and Past Revelations

Why am I doing this? Velvet asked herself as she trudged up Hero Hill's treacherous slope. The scorching sun shone down upon the grassy woodlands, making Velvet feel as though she was baking alive inside her dark shrouded armor. In her hurry to depart Fort Farragut that morning, Velvet had snuck out, forgetting to bring a change of clothes. Velvet glared angrily up at the sun, nearly falling as she stumbled over a stone hidden in the tall grass that covered the steep hillside. Returning her gaze to the ground before her, Velvet stepped around a small hole in the ground. For perhaps the twentieth time in the last hour, she cursed not having Shadowmere along. Unfortunately, in order to give Helen the slip, Velvet had been forced to send the loyal horse on a roundabout path to the south.

Ever since the incident in Leafrot Cave, Helen had taken to following Velvet around, keeping an eye on the secretive Dunmer from a safe distance. This, of course, had not been unnoticed by Velvet and had immediately prompted an increase in Shadowmere's pace to the insane rate of speed that the magnificent horse was accustomed to using. Once Velvet was sure that she had escaped Helen's line of sight, she had whispered hurried instructions to Shadowmere. Many would have seen this and questioned Velvet's sanity, but Velvet would stake her life on the fact that Shadowmere was as sentient as any person: Man, Mer, and smarter than most of the Beast Races. In fact, she had staked her life on that fact on multiple occasions. Shadowmere had come in handy many times, ever since Lucien had grudgingly allowed Velvet to use the black, ruby-eyed stallion.

Velvet had slipped from Shadowmere's still-moving form, crossed the sparsely cobbled road, and disappeared into a nearby tree. Shadowmere had disappeared around the bend in the path within a few moments, stones and dirt thrown into the air by the horse's flying hooves. Helen came along a few minutes later, the Breton and her horse both breathing heavily from the effort of keeping up with Lucien's demonic steed.

Helen, spotting Shadowmere's distinctive tri-spiked hoof prints, paused to give her horse a rest before continuing. While her horse caught its second wind, the vampire took a look at the landscape, her enhanced eyes searching for anything out of place. Twice her eyes had passed over Velvet's hiding place, but had failed to see the Dunmer's green eyes gleaming out from the branches of the nearby tree's leafy branches.

After Helen had disappeared around the bend in the road, following Shadowmere's trail, Velvet had waited a few minutes, out of habit, before dropping from the tree's leafy haven. Velvet hated keeping secrets from Helen, but some things were necessary to protect the people she cared about. As close as they were, Velvet still couldn't let Helen in on this situation… at least, not yet anyway.

When Velvet crested the nearest hill, she spotted the stone steps that she'd seen on her first trip to this landmark. They marked the final stretch to the summit. In the time of the Ayleids, these white stone steps had gleamed, leading up the hill to the altar on the peak, where the ancient Elven race had performed their rituals to their archaic gods. Now, after years of plundering by collectors and thieves, the steps were few and far between, pockmarks and gaps in the intricate stonework sullied the memory of the once great race that had ruled Cyrodiil.

Velvet carefully stepped upon these stone platforms and proceeded upwards toward the peak of Hero Hill. Once on its high peak, she gazed towards the distant city of Cheydinhal, unwitting location of her safe haven in this cruel world. It had been weeks since she'd been in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, but she still saw it as her home. An unexpected gust of wind made her cloak billow about her, awaking Velvet from her reverie. She shook her head, trying to focus; she had a job to do.

She redirected her gaze into the woods south of Hero Hill, searching for the small structure where she'd sent the Redguard. Spotting it through the tightly packed trees, she proceeded down the slight incline to the east, following the unmarked trail that curved down the hill and towards the cabin.

The same question that'd been bugging her on her way up the hill reared its ugly head once more: Why was she doing this? It's not as though the Redguard was particularly strong. Come to think of it, she couldn't think of a reason why she'd spared his life, sent him here, and was bringing him both the scroll she'd promised, along with an offer that he couldn't refuse. But here she was, helping him. The uncertainty bugged Velvet all the way to the cabin.

Shortly after returning to Lucien to report the contract as completed, she had taken some time in the Imperial Archives, researching her potential partner. It had been difficult to track him down, not knowing his name. In the end, the discovery had come from the Arena's win/loss records, found while pursuing a slight hunch brought on by the Redguard's apparent combat past. Velvet had been idly perusing the dusty tome amidst the towering bookcases, when she'd come across an artist's rendition of the warrior. It showed the man beaming while posing with his foot atop 3 Argonian bodies, next to another Redguard who was wearing iron-plate armor. The description below the portrait read: "Rhesus, Bloodletter, shortly after defeating three opponents at once. Next to him is his long-time friend, Owyn, Blademaster of the Arena".

"Rhesus, huh... Maybe you are more than you appeared at first glance." murmered Velvet.

Of course, she would have made the offer to him anyway; this just made it more certain. Although, she admitted, she had never been to see him fight before he had "died." Where, then, was this nagging feeling of familiarity coming from?

She raised her fist to knock on the door as she pushed the question out of her mind. This was the here and now; she had to focus on what was happening, not why it was happening.

Rhesus was reading a tattered old copy of Mixed Unit Tactics when he heard a small knock on the door. Usually, Rhesus wouldn't enjoy reading, but with the lack of anything better to do, he'd been forced to find other ways to entertain himself. The small cabin that Velvet had directed him to had contained a small library containing weapons and armor manuals, along with the histories of past wars. Rhesus had almost read the entire collection while waiting for the Dunmer to show up. She was 2 days overdue, and Rhesus was getting worried.

Rhesus peered through the window to see who it was at the door before opening it, with relief, revealing Velvet's cloaked figure. It never hurt to be certain of who you were letting into your hiding place. He trusted the Dunmer out of necessity, but also for a reason he couldn't explain. She seemed familiar somehow.

Velvet stepped inside, pulling off her constricting and hot cloak, throwing it onto a nearby chair. She shook out her cascading red hair, which settled into a waist-length rogue's knot, which started at her scalp from a silver band encrusted with jet-black stones, and trailed down her back. It felt good to be out of the sweltering sunlight. After Rhesus had closed the door, the room was relatively cool, thanks to the enchantment that its previous owner had cast shortly before meeting his untimely end on the tip of Velvet's blade. Ever since she'd found this place while on that assignment, she'd been using it as a home away from home whenever she was in the area.

She turned to Rhesus, who had been standing just inside the door with a half-expectant, half-nervous look on his face. She pulled her satchel from its location on her shoulder, leaning her heavy claymore against the wall as she did so. Opening the worn leather bag, she reached in and pulled out a fresh roll of parchment, pilfered from its location in Lucien Lachance's study in the sublevels of Fort Farragut. The air grew heavy with the sudden exposure to the power contained within that crisp, papery parcel. It had taken Lucien altogether too long to discover how to produce the reusable scroll that Velvet had requested. At first, Lucien had been curious as to the reason for her request, but had acceded to her wishes as he always did. In fact, Velvet had thought, frowning, Lucien had been acting strangely lately, particularly when Velvet was around. Lucien had found any excuse to extend their training, claiming that she would need it for upcoming missions. Velvet didn't believe a word of it, though. She'd known for months of his attempts to redirect the serious contracts to other sanctuaries, particularly Banus Alor's. Velvet had smiled when she had found out, Banus was a cringing crybaby, withal questionable love life. It would do him some good to finally get some action.

Snapping back to the present, Velvet extended the hand grasping the scroll towards the Redguard. "Here you go, Rhesus." Velvet said, "According to my source, that scroll should keep you alive, as long as you keep using it every three days. I'm sorry, I couldn't get the effect to last forever, but the scroll shouldn't run out of uses."

Rhesus took the scroll with caution, easing it from Velvet's open palm. He ignored her knowledge of his name, it was safe to assume that she had her sources of information. Once it was securely in his hand, the Redguard unfurled it hurriedly. His eyes darted across the parchment; he recognized some of the markings from Celedaen's scrolls. He sighed with relief; he was going to be just fine. He turned to Velvet, saying, "I can't thank you enough."

The Dunmer turned from the bookcase, which she'd been perusing. With a wave of her hand, Velvet dismissed his thanks. "It was but a trifle. If I'm right about you, you'll have plenty of opportunities to pay me back. As you may remember, I have an offer for you."

Rhesus nodded, bringing his full attention to bear on Velvet, whose slender figure had sunk into a chair by the unlit fireplace. She indicated that he have a seat in the chair opposite hers.

Rhesus sat in the indicated chair, attempting to appear relaxed. When it came to deals with the Dark Brotherhood, one had to be prepared for anything, but one did NOT try to back out of said agreement. Even if this wasn't the case, Rhesus was honor-bound to offer his assistance to the person who had spared his life.

The Dunmer assassin opposite him stared at him, and for the frst time, Rhesus actually had the chance to get a good look at the young, red-haired woman. Her eyes were brought into prominence by the drastic contrast between her glittering green eyes and her unmarred, pale purple skin. Under closer examination, the apparent innocence of those emerald orbs vanished, and one could spot the cool, calculating gaze of her sharp mind.

Underneath the dark cloak, which now lay in a heap on the chair by the door, she wore a suit of black leather. This leather suit fit tightly on her lithe form, accentuating the subtle curves of her athletic build. The beauty of the young Dunmer was misleading, though. Contained within those spry limbs was a strength that spoke of years of training and practice with the claymores she seemed to prefer.

Velvet's dark red hair swept past her ears, loose scarlet strands slipping over her leather-clad shoulders as she leaned towards Rhesus.

"If you were listening when we last saw each other, you may have heard me mention something about me forming a group."

Rhesus nodded, apprehensive of what was coming. Apparently, Velvet deemed this "group" to be controversial, even among murderers. Why else would she hide it from her dark brethren.

"What I didn't get to mention, before being interrupted by Helen," Velvet continued, "was the goal of the group. Have you ever heard of Sundercliff Watch, Rhesus?"

"No, is it significant?" Rhesus asked.

"It is a secret Ayleid fortress, perhaps the only one still standing, far to the east. Inside it, according to recently discovered ancient tomes, is a massive labyrinth of tunnels, ruins, and underwater caverns. Also in the tomes, there was hinted to be a weapon of unimaginable power, said to be created by Mehrunes Dagon himself," Velvet paused to brush her hair out of her eyes. She obviously wasn't accustomed to having her hair loose. Velvet continued, "The Dark Brotherhood's ruling council sent a pair of scouts to investigate, but neither came back. I knew them well, neither would have fallen victim to anything less than an army." Velvet looked down, blinking away tears.

Rhesus understood; he had lost comrades before as well. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. She looked back at him, her eyes clear again.

"Akhur and Deem-La were my close friends and fellow elite assassins; they should have made it there and back unscathed. This leads me to believe that what is protecting the weapon or the catacombs is quite powerful," Velvet gestured toward Rhesus, "which is why I think that you might be helpful in this venture. You and I, along with a couple others are going to go there, retrieve the weapon, and get out alive. ALL of us." She pounded her fist on the armrest of the chair for emphasis.

Rhesus could understand family honor, pride, and prestige; but what seemed to be a simple retrieval mission simply reeked of vengeance: vengeance for the Dark Brotherhood's honor, and for the fallen brethren. As much as he wanted to help, he had other priorities first.

"Listen, I'd love to help you, but I have to find my wife first," Rhesus said carefully. When he saw Velvet's eyes glower fiercely at him and her leather-gloved fist tightened, if that was at all possible. Rhesus raised his hands in an attempt to forestall her rage. "I promise, once I reunite with my wife, I will help you on your suicide mission."

Velvet's fist uncurled slightly as she thought this over. A warrior with nothing to distract him was better than 10 warriors with other things on their minds. If she wanted the weapon, she'd have to play along with his stupid little errand.

"Very well," Velvet said in a low voice, "I'll help you find your woman. But as soon as it's settled, you work for me." She offered her gloved hand to him.

Rhesus grasped it and shook it, glad that she had not killed him for even daring to argue with her.

Velvet stood up, reaching for her cloak, saying, "What's her name?"

"Tierra," said Rhesus, "She used to be in the Kvatch City Guard."

"I'll look into her whereabouts. While I do that, you'd better re-train your blade skill, you'll need it. There's a practice dummy in the basement." Velvet said as she pulled back the threadbare carpet on the floor, revealing a trap door. She grasped the iron ring handle and pulled. The trap door lurched up with a metallic groan, revealing a rickety wooden ladder that descended into the darkness below.

Velvet turned to leave, pulling her cloak on as she strode towards the door. She pulled her hood over her head as she grabbed the door's handle and opened it, releasing a draft of sweltering air to plunge into the comfortable room. She closed the door and started down the path. Rhesus watched her go for a few seconds, and then turned back towards the trap door. It was then that he noticed that she'd left her claymore behind. Grabbing its sheath, Rhesus almost lost his balance as he picked up the heavy weapon. Why would a girl wish to wield a claymore that even he would have trouble swinging? He threw open the door and ran outside, calling, "Hey, Velvet, you forgot your claymore!"

Velvet felt for the heavy weapon on her shoulder, feeling for its familiar hilt. After her hands hit nothing but air behind her, she cursed and started back up the path. How had she not noticed the absence of the comforting weight of the lengthy weapon?

As Velvet neared him, he took the time to examine the somehow claymore. The sheath was brand new, specially designed to provide minimum resistance when the weapon was drawn. It had a long rectangle cut out of the middle, revealing the cold steel blade. The gleaming blade was pitted with notches and scratches, where blades and shields had met the mighty sword, and had likely been rent asunder. The grip was wrapped in the same dark leather that Velvet's suit was made of, and in the pommel at the bottom of the grip was a flawless ruby. Along the intricately carved cross-hilt was a word inscribed in the surprisingly elegant Dunmer script. The carved designs seemed familiar, but the words were new. Rhesus had never learned to speak it fluently, but he had learned the alphabet from the Dunmer Gladiator who was often found practicing archery and hand-to-hand in the Arena Bloodworks. Rhesus had barely managed to translate it before Velvet arrived to take the claymore. Rhesus was surprised, instead of the name of a person, god, or even of the strange names that weapons usually had, the Dunmer script was of a single word: Cropsford.

Velvet reached over and snatched the heavy blade from under Rhesus's appraising gaze with almost superhuman ease. She slung the sheath's strap over her shoulders without a word, turned, and began down the hill once more.

Rhesus remembered where he'd seen the blade before. It was HIS claymore, from 20 years ago.

A/N: Well, I decided that it might be better to extend this chapter again, into possibly 5 parts. I feel like I need to give Velvet and Rhesus more time to reveal their backstory.

Oooh, egads, the plot thickens... Cropsford, eh?

Once again, forget any inconsistencies, I'm trying to cram history in after I've already set up a timeline.