DRAGON CRISIS

Destiny Unraveled

XII

16th of Sun's Dawn, 4E 203

Loro found it difficult to sleep after the discussion he had with the rest of the Companions. Troubled and unable to relax, the Harbinger left his quarters at the crack of dawn to enjoy the refreshing morning air. His leisurely stroll took him from the quiet backyard of the Jorrvaskr to the barren stone terrace of the Skyforge. After staring at the darkened sky for a while, gazing at the still visible constellations, Loro made his way down the stairs and toward the Temple of Kynareth. An inkling of curiosity arose in him as he approached the building, wishing to enter the sky deity's sacred place. In the years he had spent in Whiterun, never once had he actually visited the Temple. Would I even be allowed an entrance? he wondered before heading to the marketplace. As expected, the entire city was still asleep and there was no one on the streets. Loro rather liked the quiet; it was different from Aela's incessant yelling. Be nice, he chastised himself halfheartedly. Sighing, Loro left the marketplace, making his way to the main gate. As he passed the Drunken Hunstman, he was met by a familiar figure calling out his name. Oh, for fuck's sake. Loro resisted the urge to scowl as Tarhrin approached him.

"Good morning," the Elf said happily.

Loro scoffed, "Well, it was until now."

Tarhrin hummed. "Don't be so grumpy so early."

Loro rolled his eyes. "How can you be so chirpy so early?"

"It is a gift, my friend," Tarhrin said as he approached the Orc. "Also, I have wonderful news for you."

"Oh?" Loro asked uninterested.

"Last night, I got an idea," Tarhrin continued unbothered. "Well, in truth, it was inspired by Ziiah's curious idea."

Not surprising, Loro thought bitterly.

"Seeing as she's not interested in the civil war," Tarhrin said, "and you've already heard my preposition to the Jarl last night, I thought about inviting you all to my estate."

Loro was silent as he stared at the Thane for a long moment. "All of us?"

Tarhrin nodded. "Yes. You, Ziiah, mistress Kaani as well. Anyone else that gets involved in this matter, I suppose."

Loro laughed in Thane's face, much to the latter's discomfort. His fit went on for a prolonged period of time, far exceeding the polite. As he realized that the Elf was not joking, his chuckles subdued, replaced by a nervous cough.

"Something particularly funny?" Tarhrin asked offended.

Loro shook his head, coughing as he stifled another laugh. "No, no. I was just surprised."

"Must be quite a surprise," Tarhrin commented. "Still, you're welcome."

"I didn't accept your invitation yet," Loro said, adding, "Thane Tarhrin."

Tarhrin chuckled as he leaned toward the Orc's ear, whispering almost threateningly, "It wasn't an invitation but an order, Harbinger."

The subtle shift in his tone indicated the gravity of Tarhrin's suggestion. Though he was larger, faster, and stronger by a considerable margin, Loro picked his battles carefully. Harbinger or not, Loro thought, against a spymaster of his caliber, I'm dust in the wind. He nodded silently as the Elf smiled and retreated. Despite the smiles, the tension was still in the air and Loro was certain that whatever the idea was in the Bosmer's head, he would see it done whether Loro liked it or not.

"I see I'm not the only one having difficulties sleeping."

The men turned their attention to the source of the interruption. Ziiah was standing at the entrance of the Drunken Huntsman, leaning against the doorframe. Both of the men noticed something different about the girl. Out of her usual Guild armor with numerous buckles, she had been wearing a loose exposing shirt fastened by a thick belt with a simple leather jacket over it, paired with dark brown leather pants and black leather boots. Her hair was fully braided and pulled up in a ponytail, revealing her long neck. Hanging from her hip was the Nightingale sword and several satchels of gold while strapped across her torso was the Nightingale bow.

"Quite a look you have over there," Tarhrin commented.

Ziiah smirked. "Well, I realized that people don't actually recognize my face but my outfit. Hopefully, I'll draw less attention this way."

Loro tried not to look at her growing bosom as it heaved with each breath - and step - she took. Tarhrin, however, seemed unbothered by her display as she approached them casually.

"You look ready to travel," Loro said, looking at her eyes intensely.

Ziiah frowned, noticing his glare. "Yes? We're leaving for Riverwood."

Loro glanced at Tarhrin. "Riverwood? I thought we were on our way to your estate."

Tarhrin smiled. "It is just a short stop on the way."

Loro rolled his eyes.

Ziiah ignored their exchange, changing the subject. "I've been meaning to ask you, Tarhrin, could you extend your invitation to two others?"

Tarhrin hummed. "I suppose if I knew whom I'm extending it to?"

"The two warriors that traveled with us," Ziiah said. "The redhead and the Imperial, dressed in weird armors - Nyx and Veilheim."

"Alright," Tarhrin nodded. "Where are these gentlemen? We should head out soon."

"They're in the dungeons, I believe," Ziiah sighed. "They were brought in for questioning about the murder at the Bannered Mare but they apparently did something stupid and are now locked up."

Tarhrin glanced at the Harbinger. "Would it be too much to ask for your help?"

Loro scoffed. "Ziiah is the Thane. If anyone can get them out, it's her."

Tarhrin looked back at Ziiah. His silence was sufficient for her to sigh in defeat.

"Fine," Ziiah said. "I'll head up there while you stay here with Kaani. Help her with the bags. We will leave as soon as I return."

Tarhrin smiled while Loro nodded. She tried not to roll her eyes as she made her way to the Dragonsreach.

"Doesn't this look familiar?"

"The bars?"

"Among other things."

"I guess."

Veilheim sighed. "Could you at least try to pay attention?"

Nyx gave him a blank look. "We're locked up."

"Congratulations," Veilheim seethed, "you're not blind."

Nyx sighed. "What would you have me do, then? Unless you have a way out for us, me paying attention to anything you say is rather irrelevant."

Veilheim smacked his comrade across his head, causing the Imperial to yell upon impact. "We're in this mess because you had to be a smartass and pay attention to a guard's grammar!"

Nursing his head, Nyx scoffed as he felt offended by the Nord's claim. In retrospect, he would later note, the grammar truly wasn't as important as his obvious displeasure with being treated as a common thug. In the moment of a heated exchange, Nyx had let his sarcastic side shine through which resulted in their incarceration.

"Fine, I'm sorry," the Imperial finally said. "Can we move on now, please!?"

Veilheim groaned. "It's too late for apologies."

"Ancestors, I've missed you."

Silence fell upon the prison cell as the two men exchanged shocked looks. Looking over their shoulders, their gazes fell upon a small ledge that was barred by an escape door. Through the bars, two ruby eyes shone brightly amid the darkness of the tunnel beneath.

"Elvaynu?" both men exclaimed.

"What do you mean, they're gone?" Ziiah asked, bewildered.

The guardsmen groaned, "I don't know, my Thane. They just disappeared through the grate in the cell."

Ziiah frowned. "Show me."

When the guard didn't move, she said it again with a more firm tone. Forced to obey the Thane, the man led her to the farthest cell in the dungeons. Ziiah subtly took notice of her surroundings along the way. Most of the cells were occupied, either by rugged thieves or drunks. Insults and cries of plea echoed in the halls of the prison, most of them directed at her. However, a silent one caught her eye - an Alik'r as well, still dressed in their signature robes. Dark skin, a permanent scowl, and strong frame, she thought, definitely Alik'r. She hadn't seen one in a while, which made it all more curious. Unknown to her, though, he found her curious too. His frowned eyes never left her person as she walked down the prison hall.

"This is it," the guard said as they reached the cell.

Ziiah entered the cell and quickly noticed the opened grate door. Trap door, she corrected herself. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the lock had been treated with extreme heat and it had almost melted entirely.

"Who knows about this?" Ziiah asked.

"The Steward," the guard answered. "What is the problem, ma'am?"

Ziiah sighed. "Nothing. Carry on. I will see myself out."

The guard nodded and excused himself, leaving her alone in the prison. Once out of earshot, Ziiah took a look around the cell. They left nothing, she thought. There were no messages or notes. They were caught off guard, she concluded before looking at the trap door again. Busted out by a mage, she thought as her hands ran over the melted lock. Ziiah chuckled, recalling her own prison break not so long ago. Standing up, she left the prison and headed to the barracks.

Veilheim and Nyx realized that they had agreed on something for the first time in a long while as they glared at the immortal child in their presence.

Babette didn't appreciate their staring though.

"Sister," she said, referring to Elvaynu. "Your comrades are making me uncomfortable."

Elvaynu chuckled. "What do you want me to do? Tell them to stop?"

"A snide comment would suffice," Babette mumbled.

"Alright," Elvaynu said before turning to the men. "Gents, she's not interested."

Veilheim scoffed. "We're not either."

Elvaynu feigned offense to which both Nyx and Veilheim rolled their eyes in annoyance. "How dare you? She's such a sweet girl, a perfect maiden. Imagine her as a blushing bride."

"All I can imagine is her teeth in my neck," Nyx mumbled under his breath.

"Want to see what it's like?" Babette sniggered as her face - and her teeth - came dangerously close to the Imperial's face.

Stumbling backward, Nyx put some distance between himself and the unchild. He was growing more irked by her presence with each passing moment they spent together. Being stuck in a sewer for an extended period of time didn't help ease off the tension. If anything, it made it worse.

"That's enough," Elvaynu said softly, diverting their attention. "We are close to the barracks."

The group was silent as they approached a single door at the end of the sewer tunnel. Placing her index finger against her lips, Elvaynu reminded the others to stay quiet. Slowly, she pushed the door open and eyed the room ahead. Once she was certain it was clear, she entered the room, beckoning the rest of their group to follow. Still crouching, she hid behind a door frame that lead into the hallway of the barracks. She could hear a conversation happening nearby and raised her hand to stop the others from following her.

"But, milady," she heard a male voice say, probably that of a guardsman. "We cannot leave without the Jarl's consent. He issued a curfew and it's barely dawn."

"I'm here on the Jarl's orders," another, feminine voice replied. "Check the city thoroughly before dawn, in case the assassin is still within walls."

A short silence followed before Elvaynu heard a loud sigh. "Yes, milady."

Several pairs of feet stumped as the guardsmen left the barracks. Meanwhile, Elvaynu pondered on the familiarity of the feminine voice. It was confident and melodic, almost that of a bard. Who are you, she wondered.

"You can come out now."

Startled, Elvaynu took a tentative step backward. She signaled the others to do the same but was surprised to find Veilheim and Nyx leaving their hiding spot. The men rushed to the hallway, beaming as they did so.

"Divines, am I glad to see you," she heard Veilheim laugh. "How did you know where we were?"

The feminine voice chuckled. "I'm a thief, Veilheim and Whiterun was once my home. I know every crook and cranny of this place."

"I guess being a Thane has its perks," Nyx commented. "Did the Jarl really call for a search?"

"Yes and no," the woman replied ambiguously. "By the way, is she here?"

By she, Elvaynu figured the woman was referring to Elvaynu herself which alarmed her even more. She felt Babette's hand on her shoulder and when she turned around to face the vampire girl, she saw utter panic on her face. She was pleading with Elvaynu to leave but before they could even move, Nyx and Veilheim appeared from the hallway, smiles adorning their features.

"Come on Elvaynu," Veilheim chirped. "She's a friend, she can help us."

Frowning, Elvaynu slowly emerged from the shadows and followed her comrades to the hallway, followed closely by Babette. As she walked through the doorframe, she was stunned by the woman standing in front of her. A moment of silence followed before the woman embraced her. Taken back, it took Elvaynu a while to figure out what was going on. As she broke the embrace, she took a good look at the woman and her unnatural golden eyes.

"Ziiah?" she asked, almost in disbelief.

She smiled. "It's been a while."

For a moment, Elvaynu didn't know how to react. It was a long time since she last saw Ziiah. The girl from Windhelm had grown up and matured. Her scrawny and lanky body had grown more curvaceous, resembling a woman's body. The mischievous glint in her eye was still present but not apparent as it used to be. Instead, she radiated confidence, presence, and power.

"It certainly has," Elvaynu said softly as she brushed away a stray hair strand from Ziiah's forehead.

Ziiah took hold of the Dunmer's hands. "We have to be quick. Kaani is waiting for us with others."

"Kaani is here?" Elvaynu asked.

"No time for questions," Nyx said. "Ziiah, what's the plan?"

Ziiah glanced at the entrance to the barracks before answering him, "We have two hours to get out of the city and another hour to disappear from the hold entirely."

"That's more than enough time," Nyx said.

"Barely," Ziiah said. "We're going to Riverwood first."

Elvaynu frowned. "Why Riverwood?"

Before Ziiah could answer, Veilheim piped in instead, "Ziiah's trinket was taken by someone in Riverwood."

Ziiah gave the Nord an annoyed look. "Thank you for the explanation."

Veilheim gave her a wide grin.

Ziiah rolled her eyes. "Once we're done in Riverwood, we're heading to Tarhrin's manor in Falkreath."

"Tarhrin?" Elvaynu asked. "Thane Tarhrin?"

Ziiah looked at her. "You know him?"

The Dunmer glanced at Babette. "We know him alright."

"Meaning?" Nyx asked.

Babette sighed. "It's a long story and not a pretty one."

Nyx and Veilheim exchanged worried looks while Ziiah contemplated the entire plan.

"Do you trust this man?" Elvaynu asked Ziiah.

Ziiah looked to the side. "Not really but he's our best option."

Elvaynu was still hesitant which worried Babette. On the other hand, she knew that they had to leave Whiterun as soon as possible and if that meant trusting a decieving Bosmer - so be it, she thought.

"Alright," Elvaynu said. "Lead the way."

Ziiah gave her a grateful smile before taking them all to the main gate.