Roggar was a man of very few words. He always preferred action to talking, but he does have brains, and a great 'sense' for reading people. That's why he knew Frabbi's reaction to Hroki's death was genuine. She couldn't have killed her. She was too distraught, too devastated. On the other hand, he knew only one thing when he saw Kleppr's reaction to Hroki's death: he was hiding something.
Roggar helped escort Frabbi back to the Silver-Blood Inn, wading past the crowds that had gathered outside. "Please everyone stand back" he said pushing people out of the way.
"I wander what happened?" Lisbet said. "Has someone died? We have a right to know" Imedhnain questioned.
"Please everyone when we have news we will tell you. Now go about your business" Roggar insisted.
"It must be Kleppr...Frabbi must have snapped" Kerah gossiped. "I'm not surprised, you saw how she was last night. I thought she was going to kill him there and then! Then again, Kleppr was in a foul mood too" Hogni spoke in a hushed tone. "Yeah...I don't remember much of last night" Kerah rubbed the back of her neck. "Probably best..." Hogni said to himself.
"They were always fighting...but I can't believe it. Impossible. Who's going to run the Inn now?" Rhiada said shaking her head. "How about we all stop judging until we know the full situation, hmm? You are supposed to be there friends..." Muiri being the only pillar of sense, as usual.
"If there's a killer around here we deserve to know. This is our hold!" Cedran raised a fist, shouting fiercely.
"You'll know as soon as we know, now please go about your own business" Roggar sighed, he wasn't very fond of the residents of Markarth.
Kleppr arrived at the Inn shortly after Frabbi left to go identify the body. He was drunk. Very drunk. After doing a quick and somewhat lazy search for his family he collapsed on a chair by the bar. In what felt like moments he heard commotion coming from outside and rushed to find out what was happening. That's when he heard the cries. Frabbi's cries. His heart sank and a lump formed in his throat. Something was very wrong. He stood outside the Inn and could see the crowds gathering around the Understone Keep. He could see Endon standing nearby.
"Hey Endon" he shouted "What happened?" he tried to stand up straight, but remained hunched over.
"I-I don't know Kleppr...but I think maybe you should go see. I think maybe...you should go see" Endon looked down and walked away. 'What's gotten into him?' Kleppr made his way towards the crowds, shoving past them. That's when he saw the male guard coming from the crowd with..."Frabbi?!"
Frabbi looked up and could see the expression of confusion on Kleppr's face. "Frab...what's going on? Why are you crying?" he moved towards her. The crowd was shocked to see Kleppr was, well, alive, and standing...sort of.
"He's alive...but..." Hogni began. "If he's alive then...who died?" Rhiada continued.
"Died?" Kleppr was shocked. He grabbed Frabbi as she fell against him. "She's gone..." Frabbi burst into tears. "W-who's gone..." he held Frabbi's face in his hands, staring deeply into her eyes, he could see the pain. "Frabbi...who's gone..." he asked again, not really wanting the answer. Tears began to build up in his own eyes, the truth revealing itself to all.
Frabbi stared into his eyes for a few moments. "Hroki" she said quietly. "It's...Hroki she-she's gone...our baby's…our little girl's…she's dead Kleppr..." Frabbi completely broke down against Kleppr, her cries muffled only slightly by his shirt. He couldn't speak, he couldn't cry. Everything around him faded away.
The crowd went silent. It was shocking. A girl of only seventeen years, dead. The crowd wanted answers, but not this.
"Let's go home" Kleppr whispered into Frabbi's ear and they walked side-by-side back to the Inn. The crowd began to disperse as they all made their way back home.
Kleppr swung open the tavern door and brought Frabbi over to the fire which was all but gone out now. He started it back up as Roggar entered the Inn. "Maybe you should sit down sir" he advised. Roggar took his helmet off and ruffled his dark hair.
"I'm fine. I just need to keep busy and..." Kleppr knelled down beside the flames. "How...how did she die?" he asked.
Roggar sighed. "She...had blows to her head" Roggar told the truth, refusing to soften it, make it anyway less.
"Where was her...where did they find her?"
"The Warren" Roggar shuffled, clearly uncomfortable. This was one of the worst days of his life.
"Was...was it...quick?" he looked back at Roggar who was standing awkwardly.
"Yes sir...very...instant" he lied. Sometimes a lie is better than the reality.
"Good...good" Kleppr looked back at the now blazing fire. "Was...did she..." he stopped himself. "Was she...dressed?..." he gulped heavily, wiping his eyes.
"Yes...sir. She wasn't...as far as we can tell nothing like that occurred to her" Roggar had never done this before, trying to tell a parent's worst nightmare in the best way he could. It was difficult.
Kleppr sighed and stayed silent for a minute. "Where are you from?" he asked.
"I'm from here. Well not here but...I'm from Falkreath." Roggar answered.
"I've been there. It's a nice place...lots of families. Quiet" Kleppr stared deep into the flames and warmed his hands.
"It is" Roggar confirmed.
"I have to go out..." Kleppr jumped to his feet. "Sir? I wouldn't advise that" Roggar began.
"Well no offense...but this is my Inn...and if I want to leave I will"
Roggar nodded. "I know but...your wife" Roggar pointed to Frabbi who sat in the chair watching the fire.
"I'll be back soon...I just need to do something. Can you watch her?" Kleppr said.
"Yeah, yes of course. Of course".
"Thank you. I won't be long" Kleppr threw on an overcoat. He looked distraught, which was expected. But there was something else. Roggar couldn't put his finger on it...but Kleppr knew something. Something valuable. Why would he hide it? Roggar thought as Kleppr left the Inn. Whatever reason, Roggar was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Lisbeth made her way back to Arnleif and Sons Trading. She decided to close shop for the day. Not like she was getting much business anyway.
She spotted Cosnach hiding in the back of the shop, looking worried.
He spotted her too. "Lisbeth?" he worried.
"It's me Cosnach" she sat on the bed beside him.
"What will I do Lisbeth?" he looked at her, teary eyed.
"You stay calm...and wait for things to settle down" she replied putting a hand on his cold cheek. "You can't lose your head now, we need you to be strong".
"But this is all my fault Lisbeth...that girl is dead because of me. I deserve to be punished for my crimes...don't I?" Lisbeth grew red with fury and slapped Cosnach across the face.
"You listen to me...that girl is dead but there's nothing we can do about it now. You can't blame yourself. She knew what she was getting into. We need to move on and stay strong...like we always do".
"I don't know if I can this time...her blood is on my hands". Cosnach studied his hands as if there literally was blood on them.
"Her blood is on all of our hands...you remember that" Lisbeth stared hardly at Cosnach before tapping him on the back firmly.
"Get some rest. They're going to start asking questions and you'll need to be ready". Cosnach nodded and lay down.
"One more thing" she said. "If you dare tell anyone what happened...I will kill you". Cosnach wasn't shocked, he knew what Lisbeth was capable of.
"Goodnight" she grinned.
And Cosnach knew in that moment that prison was the very least of his worries.