A noise in the hall startled her and she darted inside the wardrobe to hide, the diary in hand. It was Kleppr. He closed the door shut behind him. Emilie gasped. The middle aged man sat down on Hroki's bed. "Oh Hroki" he cried. "Why did you have to do it? I gave you everything you could have ever wanted...I just wanted you to be happy. This isn't my fault!" the man slammed his fists against the bed. Emilie tried to stay as still as she could. "I loved you. I loved you so much. More than you knew..." the man began mumbling and Emilie could barely hear him. She inched closer...
"I didn't mean to hurt you..." Kleppr spoke softly. Emilie put her ear at the wardrobe door to hear better. "Don't talk to your father like that!" he screeched and Emilie jumped back, hitting the wardrobes back panel. Kleppr shot up to his feet. "Whose there?!" he shouted. Emilie bit her tongue to stop herself from making a noise and tried to keep balance. Kleppr looked over to the wardrobe, staring at it for a minute. He moved towards it.
"Kleppr!" Frabbi screamed, startling the man. He stopped in his tracks. After giving the wardrobe a quick glance he stormed off, closing the door behind him.
"Thank the gods" Emilie tried to catch her breath. That was far too close for her liking. Everything could have been ruined.
The brunette sneaked over to the door and opened it slightly; the way was clear.
She made a dash for it and stumbled into Roggar as she turned the corner.
"What happened? Did you find anything? Did he see you?" Roggar bombarded her with questions.
"No he didn't..." Emilie tried to calm herself and catch her breath. "No thanks to you. Where were you?" she demanded, crossing her arms.
"Trying to distract him but I turned away for a second and he was just...gone. I didn't know where he went until I saw him coming out from there. I was sure the game was up..." Roggar furrowed his brow.
"Well it almost was but...anyway I found something. We need to go somewhere quieter" she whispered.
"Yeah alright...the Shrine of Talos should be fine. We better go". Roggar lead the way.
The Shrine of Talos was practically empty ever since the worship of Talos had been banned. Of course many people still worshiped Talos, but in the privacy of their homes. Not somewhere so public. That was just asking for imprisonment.
The shrine was derelict. Completely silent. The two went to the far end of the room, behind the statue of Talos himself.
"So what did you find?" Roggar asked anxiously.
"Hroki's diary" Emilie smiled unveiling the small journal.
"Gods! What does it say?" his voice heightening with each word.
"It needs a key..." Emilie replied, bringing Roggar right back down to earth.
"Typical" he sighed. "The key could be anywhere".
"Maybe...but it would have to be somewhere private. Obviously Hroki was secretive about her diary. If it's not in her room then..."
"Then it's on her..." Roggar answered correctly.
"Exactly" Emilie replied.
"But we didn't find anything. Verulus wouldn't lie, I know it..." Roggar began.
"I think I have an idea where the key is..." Emilie said adamantly.
"But that's not all" she said. "I heard Kleppr...talking" she started.
"Talking? I thought you said he didn't see you?" Roggar questioned confused.
"He didn't" Emilie confirmed "He...he was talking to himself and..."
Emilie stopped.
"And who?" Roggar asked.
"It could be nothing. Maybe it's grief-" Roggar cut her off "And who?" he demanded.
"And Hroki..." she said in disbelief.
"What?!" Roggar's eyes widened.
"I mean she wasn't there obviously but...he thought she was...I think" Emilie wasn't making much sense.
"You're sure? This sounds a little...weird, and if it's true...well" he looked at her.
"I know...he could have killed her and probably not even remember" she said worryingly.
"If we're going to accuse someone of insanity, especially a grieving father, we need more evidence than this. I think we should leave this...for now anyway"
"I agree" she nodded. "We should get to the Hall of the Dead" Emilie said after a few moments. She went to move but Roggar stopped her.
"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked sincerely,
"I'm fine" she affirmed. Roggar knew she was lying, but also knew it was best not to push her. She had a short temper.
Emilie was secretly shaken but she couldn't show any emotions. Any weaknesses. She had to be tough.
Degaine was going insane. He had been locked up inside Cidhna Mine ever since he found Hroki's body in his room. It was becoming unbearable. He hadn't had any ale in days.
"Did I say you could stop!" a guard screamed at Degaine when he had stopped mining for a moments break. Sweat was pouring off of him. He was drenched. He wanted a drink so bad. It was slowly killing him. Every bone, every muscle, every hair...was on fire. He was burning, from the inside out.
He hadn't went this long without a drink in almost fifteen years.
He fell against some ore.
A guard made his way down towards him.
"You better get up" Odvan, another prisoner, warned Degaine trying to help him to his feet.
"What's the point. What's the point in living...like this!" he bawled.
"Hey!" another prisoner overheard him and came rushing over. He grabbed Degaine by the rags he was wearing and lifted him up into the air "You trying to get yourself killed? You can't show fear; the guards prey on that. They enjoy it. You can't be weak in here" the older man loosened his grip.
"I just want to die. I can't take it anymore" Degaine cried lowering his head, and the man pushed him back to the ground.
"I've been here five years. I've suffered more loss than you can ever imagine...this place can break you if you let it, or it can make you." He eyed Degaine; "But you're weak. You're crutch for mead will be your downfall. You won't last a week" the man scoffed and spat on the ground before turned to walk away.
The rage built up in Degaine. His blood boiled and, as if he couldn't control his body, he flung to his feet and tackled the man to the ground punching him in the gut, the neck, the eye and everywhere and anywhere he could. His fury was unstoppable.
Prisoners riled up and gathered around to watch the fight chanting things like "Braig!", "Fight fight!", "Kill him!" and "Crush him!".
Guards tried to wade through but kept getting pushed back. One guard hit the enormous orc on the back and he backhanded him across the face, sending him flying into another row of guards. Chaos ensued.
Degaine was on top of the man, sending his right fist into one side of the man's face and his left connecting with the other. Blood sprayed everywhere.
Suddenly, Degaine felt a pain in his chest as he was kicked onto his back by the man. Now he had the upper-hand.
Degaine tried to crawl but a fist slammed down into the back of his head before he felt himself being turned over. The man, face bloodied and screaming, sent fist after fist down upon the drunk knocking him into next week. Degaine grabbed a lump of dirt and threw it into the man's eyes, blinding him and giving him his chance.
Degaine pulled himself to his feet and ran at the man again, tackling him into a large pole. The two fell to the ground and rolled over back and forth, trying to hurt the other as much as they could.
Degaine grabbed the man by the face, digging his claws into his skin and ripping them outward. Then he went for the eye.
He digged his fingers into the sockets, trying to gouge out the man's eyes. He was having none of it however. The man punched Degaine under the chin, almost knocking him unconscious.
The man unleashed a barrage of punches upon Degaine, knocking some of the few teeth he had across the ground. Degaine vomited blood.
As Degaine lay on the ground paralyzed from the agonizing pain the man stood up and grabbed a nearby pickaxe.
"Kill him!" and "End him!" came from the crowd enjoying the fight, and holding back the guards. The man stood over Degaine, pickaxe in hand.
"Do it..." Degaine said staring deeply into the eyes of the man. He raised the axe above Degaine's head and paused for a moment. Then he brought it down.
Down onto the ore behind Degaine. Everyone went silent. Degaine, to his shock, was able to open his eyes.
"I won't kill you" the man said panting. "There's a fighter in you...and gods knows we need that" the man clasped Degaine's hand and lifted the crumpled man to his feet.
"You're not weak. Its your will to live that is. I was like you once...but I got over it. You will too" the man said.
"Alright everyone...fights over!" Borkul the beast shouted, and everyone moved away. Mostly with moans that they didn't see anyone die. The guards just scratched their heads. One kicked some gravel.
The man escorted Degaine over to the nearby shadows.
"You let me live..." Degaine said, still in shock.
"Like I said...we need fighters for whats coming. Markarth is going to change" the man wrapped some cloth around his fists, and gave Degaine some water.
"Use this, clean the wounds. You get infected down here you die" the man revealed.
"Wh-Who are you?" Degaine asked holding some cloth to his head wound and jumping when the stinging pain came with it.
"Braig. I was imprisoned here against my will...a long time ago. A very long time ago"
"So...what did you not do?" Degaine said smilling.
"I spoke to Madanach. That was enough for the guards to lock me away. Just associating with the Forsworn was my crime"
"Madanach...the leader of the Forsworn rebellion. Been a long time since I heard that name" Degaine held some cloth to his eye.
"Yeah, he's still alive. Still planning. Has been for years. Everyone's forgot about him but I can tell you one thing; he hasn't forgot about them" Braig wet another piece of cloth.
"What's he planning?" Degaine inquired.
"No one but him really knows. A rebellion? Even his own bodyguard, Borkul, doesn't know. Though he's more brawn than brains"
"What's he in for?" Degaine inquired nervously.
"You really don't want to know, trust me. The fact he's Madanach's bodyguard speaks for itself. The mans a brute"
"Odvan's like you, they framed him for a murder he didn't commit because they were too lazy to find the real killer. They don't care, their all corrupt. See them guards up there? All mercenaries hired by the Silver-Blood family".
"Whose he?" Degaine pointed to a Nord nearby looking shifty.
"Grisvar the Unlucky. A thief that never learnt his lesson. He got caught so many times that now he's stuck here, forever".
"And him?" Degaine looked over to a Breton man, crouched on the ground.
"Uraccen. He got framed too, murder of a Nord nobleman. He joined the Forsworn and had to kill a few guards to get away from being captured. Not that it helped. They don't take kindly to guard killers down here. He had to leave his daughter behind. Uaile, I think her name is" Braig went silent "We don't talk about family much down here..."
Braig stopped and sat there, emotionless.
"I had a daughter y'know. Aethra, she was so beautiful. So kind. There will never be anyone like her" Braig's face turned crimson.
"When they were about to lock me up she pleaded to the Jarl to let me go. She begged. Y'know what they did?" Braig looked at Degaine, not really wanting an answer.
"They cut her head off in front of me and locked me up anyway. She'd be twenty-three now..." Braig snapped a piece of cloth, and wrapped it around his fists.
"Why...why are you telling me this?" Degaine asked.
"There is only so much loss you can go through in life. But you carry that with you. You make the sacrifices count for something. You have to...justice has to be done. They have to pay for what they've done. You have to stay strong"
Degaine stayed silent and Braig nodded.
"Anyway...we better get back to work before Urzoga starts rolling heads" Braig wiped his eyes red raw.
Degaine remembered what he said "You can't cry down here, show no fear".
He was in too far now. Whether he liked it or not he was being lead down a path. There was no backing out. His fate was entwined and sealed with the rest of them.
Emilie and Roggar arrived at the Hall of the Dead. Verulus was preparing her body for burial.
"Wait!" Emilie called out "Did you find any other possessions? Anything?" She quizzed bopping up and down.
"No I told you about everything...what is all this about?" he looked her up and down "Why are you bopping?" Emilie cut him off "I need you to open her up".
"Open her...are you serious?!" Verulus went pale from shock. "Did Bothela put something in your drink?!" he said genuinely worried.
"I believe she has something inside her. Something she swallowed." Emilie continued.
"I'm not sure about this..." Verulus said unnervingly.
"If I'm wrong you can lock me up in Cidhna mine for being mad. Trust me Verulus" Emilie pleaded.
"Ok...but you better stand back. This will be messy" He said clearly unsure.
Verulus took an embalming blade from a nearby table and made the first incision just above the stomach. After several more cuts, her insides were visible. He removed the stomach and cut it open, spilling the contents out onto the table. To everyone, including Emilie's surprise, a key fell out with it.
"Gods...you were right" Roggar said in surprise looking at the key.
Emilie picked it up, inspecting it. "Its not too damaged. Should be ok" she assured.
"What is this for?" Verulus began. "Thank you Verulus! We'll talk to you later!" Emilie shouted over her shoulder rushing out of the Hall of the Dead, with Roggar in tow.
They stood in the shadows "You gonna open it up or fiddle with it?" he asked impatiently.
"Give me a sec!" she said delicately pushing the key into the lock, hoping it wouldn't break. The diary clicked and the lock fell off. It was successful.
Emilie opened the diary and began on the first page:
20th Sun's Height 4E 201
Dear Diary,
We kissed for the first time tonight. It was incredible. Who would have thought he would be such a good kisser? Not me anyway. I know father won't agree and no one will understand...that's why he, no WE have decided to keep it a secret. Its for the best. His wife can never find out.
But for now,
Hroki
"His wife..." Emilie said open mouthed.
"So she wasn't as innocent as people are saying" Roggar said.
"Don't judge until we know the full picture" she said. "There is six months worth of diary entries here...this is going to take some time to get through" she flicked through the pages.
"Yeah well we've got this far, no point in stopping now" Roggar commented.
"We need to find out what happened to this girl...she deserves justice" Emilie said in a frustrated and pained tone. Roggar decided not to push it.
"What else does it say...what was her last entry?" Roggar asked.
Emilie flicked through until she found the last entry; "Wait..."
"What is it?" Roggar leaned over her trying to get a peek.
Emilie read out the last entry:
30th Evening Star
Hogni is going to pay. He threatened me, told me to shut my mouth or else. Biggest Mistake Ever, and his last. Soon everyone will know his secret. He can rot in Cidhna mine for all I care. He deserves to pay for what hes done. He's a murderer.
"He's a murderer" Emilie read aloud in disbelief and looked over at Roggar.
"So Hroki was going to reveal Hogni's secret...a day before she died. Hogni killed someone before. But...who did he kill?"
Yes, a storm was coming to Markarth. It was coming fast and not everyone would make it through. Lives would change, for better or worse. It will wreck everything in its path and when it is done, only one side will prevail.
Ok so this is probably where the story really starts. I'm planning on completing it in 30 chapters, but possibly less. Anyway please review! :) Thanks,
TheRedApple