Chapter 29
Tamsyn and Marcus decided to wait for the Housecarls at the Windpeak, since that was where they had arranged to meet. Cicero was disappointed they weren't staying with him, but after showing them around – and cautioning them against the traps – Marcus privately felt the less time he spent in the Sanctuary, the better for his peace of mind. He'd seen enough horror movies to imagine what the place might have looked like in its heyday.
On the afternoon of the second day, Argis showed up with Lydia in tow. She was still bandaged in a couple of places, and now sported a black patch over her right eye, but the look of grim determination on her face told Marcus at once that Argis would have had a fight on his hands attempting to leave her behind.
Tamsyn noticed immediately how Argis held Lydia's chair for her, approached her only from her sighted side, fetched and carried for her.
"He's got it bad," she whispered to Marcus, nodding to the big, sandy-haired Nord.
Marcus grinned. "You think? Poor Cicero! I hope he won't be too upset."
"I got the feeling it wasn't that serious between them," Tamsyn murmured. "I'm sure he'll be fine." She crossed the room to Lydia, greeting the Nord woman warmly. Very soon, they two women had their heads together, speaking quietly in the corner.
"Everything go alright?" Argis asked his Thane as he approached. "With Cicero, I mean?" The one golden eye fixed on Marcus was full of concern.
"Yeah," Marcus smiled. "We're good. In fact," he chuckled. "It looks like I've got a brother now." He almost laughed at the look of horror that crossed his Housecarl's face. "It's nothing like that," he assured him, and told him what had happened – leaving out the parts about his conversations with his "inner dragon."
Relief swept the big Nord's features. "I'm glad, Thane!" he said. "Really I am. I might not agree with everything Cicero stands for, but I really liked him. Is he meeting us here?"
"In a little while," Marcus said. "We have some things to go over before we leave. Tamsyn's been making the arrangements."
"I'm sorry, Lydia," Tamsyn was saying as the two men joined them. "If I was at Master level in Restoration, I think I could save your eye. As it is, I've only just made it to Expert level."
"It's alright," Lydia said, putting up a brave front. "Losing an eye isn't the worst thing that can happen to me. And with some help from the right people, I think I'll be fine." She threw a warm look at Argis, who grinned like a fool in love. "Thank you for fixing the hand, though."
"My pleasure," Tamsyn said. "I'm glad I caught it that the bones weren't mending properly, or you might always have had trouble with it."
"Honored to see you again, my Thane," Lydia said respectfully to Marcus. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to redeem myself."
"This isn't about redemption, Lydia," Marcus told her kindly. "I never doubted your loyalty to me or your ability to do your job. You were overwhelmed. It happens to all of us. I'm grateful you've pulled through, though. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Lydia gave him a grateful smile, and the four sat themselves at a table in the corner of the inn to bring Argis and Lydia up to speed. Cicero joined them about an hour later, slipping in unseen and startling Lydia when he spoke right behind her.
"This must be the fair Lydia whom Cicero has heard much about," he purred.
Lydia jumped and the other three startled. No one had seen him come in. Marcus relaxed when he realized it was Cicero and swiftly introduced him to Lydia. Cicero gave her an extravagant bow, took her hand and kissed it as they do in Cyrodiil. Lydia blushed and giggled, and Argis scowled.
"Alright, you con artist," he growled. "Quit playing around!"
"Ooo!" Cicero giggled; "Cicero is delighted to see dear Argis again, too!" he snuggled up to the big man, to Argis' embarrassment and Lydia's delight.
"He's a funny guy," Lydia commented to Tamsyn. "Is that why he wears a jester's motley?"
"Not exactly," Tamsyn demurred. "Cicero, sit down and behave. We've been going over what we know with Argis and Lydia, and we'd like your input."
Marcus noticed how quickly Cicero settled down once Tamsyn had focused his attention on something else. He pulled out the drawing Tamsyn had made of Northwatch Keep. Her sketch on the table at the Sanctuary had been good, but they needed something more portable.
"The layout is fairly linear," he explained. Two entrances, but one will be heavily locked. That's here by the forge. Cicero is going to try and get that open for us."
"Then what?" Argis asked.
"Then the girls are going to sneak in that way, locate the children and get them out. Tamsyn assures me this back door is closest to the prison cells. If there are any other prisoners, they'll release them, too, and get them out."
"There shouldn't be that many guards at that end," Tamsyn said. "Above all we need to be quiet about it."
"What will you three be doing?" Lydia asked.
"We're going in the front, as quickly as we can to take out any potential threat to you two, and to keep this area clear so you can get the prisoners out."
"Marcus, if they know there's an assault going on outside, they may…" she didn't finish, but they all knew what she meant.
"That's why we're going to give you about ten minutes, once you're in," he said. "Ten minutes to get in, find them and eliminate any guards hovering around. Get them out as quick as you can. Once we start our diversion, it may draw them off."
"And we get to kill the hated Thalmor?" Cicero asked eagerly.
The look on Marcus' face was grim. "Kill them all," he said. "Leave none to report back."
Cicero bounced happily in his seat. The Housecarls nodded, and the look on Lydia's face mirrored her Thane's.
"I've arranged for Harlaug, the ferryman, to take us to the jetty on the point north of the Keep," Tamsyn said. "He's ready to go whenever we are."
"Let's go kill someone—uh, I mean, some Thalmor!" Cicero giggled, seeing Argis throwing him a warning look.
"Hold up a minute," Tamsyn said. "I've made a few things that will hopefully help us get in, get out and get gone." She passed around a few potions of invisibility. "They won't last long," she warned them, "maybe a minute or two. And if you attack someone they'll know you're there. These rings will make you quieter," she went on, handing one to Marcus, Argis and Lydia. "Don't pout at me, Cicero, you already have one."
"What about sweet Tamsyn?" he asked, trying to hide his disappointment.
"I have my spells," she said. "I'll be fine. This is for you." She handed him an amulet of silver and sapphire.
"Ooo!" Cicero squealed. "What does it do, pretty Tamsyn?"
"It should enhance your lockpicking abilities," she explained. "We'll need to get that back door open as quickly as possible. This should help."
"Cicero will treasure it always!" he cooed, hugging her.
"Is that it?" Marcus asked, anxious to be moving.
"That's it," Tamsyn nodded.
"Good," he said. "Let's go."
They left the Windpeak together and made their way to the end of the beach, not far from the Sanctuary, Marcus realized. They all piled into the skiff and Harlaug put up the sail, tacking against the wind, and they set off.
Marcus experienced a sudden sensation of nostalgia. He remembered Lynne and him taking the kids to Davenport and renting a sailboat. Marcus had always loved to sail when he was a boy, and he and his family had gone many times up to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, when he'd lived in northern Illinois. He father had had a cabin on the lake and a boat, and he and his sister Peggy had spent many hours plying the waters of the lake. He had that feeling now, of being completely and totally at ease.
Without thinking, he began helping Harlaug set the sail when the wind direction changed as they left the protected harbor of Dawnstar and headed along the northern coast of the Pale, westward towards Hjaalmarch and Haafingar. Skillfully, Harlaug navigated them through the coastal waters, avoiding shoals and sunken wrecks, yet keeping the mainland always in view. The sun dipped low in the west by the time they made it to Solitude. By mutual consent, and an added incentive of a larger coin purse, they continued on toward Icewater Jetty, where Harlaug dropped them off.
"I won't stay," he told them. "Not for any kind of money. I thank ye for yer assistance on th' trip, Marcus," he continued. "Ye'd make a decent sailor; ye seem t' know what yer doin'. But wit' th' fort over there an' th' castle over there, this ain't no place t' be lingerin', if ye catch my drift. Good luck t' ye!"
So saying, he poled his way back out to deeper water, set his sail again and caught the westerly wind back home.
"It's alright, now, Cicero," Lydia was saying, rubbing the little man's back. "We're here, and we're back on dry land."
"Cicero hates boats…" the jester moaned, his face pale even in the moonslight. The poor man had been sick over the side of the boat at least three times, and even the stamina potions Tamsyn had given him hadn't helped. She gave him one now.
"We're not moving now, Cicero," she said kindly, casting a healing spell on him as well. They were far enough away from the fort that she felt it safe to do so.
"Promise Cicero we won't take a boat back home?" he pleaded.
Marcus chuckled and patted the jester on the back. "That's a promise," he said. "We wouldn't be able to take one from here anyway."
They waited for a bit until Cicero indicated he was recovered enough to continue, and then crept along the shoreline until they pulled nearer to the fort.
In the full light of the two moons they could see three archers above the wall on top of the bailey. One guard stood outside the gate. There were almost certainly more inside.
"We need to take out that one on the gate," Marcus murmured.
"I can hit him from here, Thane," Argis rumbled, but Marcus shook his head.
"Too great a risk that he'd cry out if you did," he said. "Cicero?" he said, turning to the little Imperial. "We're counting on you, Brother."
Cicero gave a feral grin. "And if I spy a singing bird, I'll snap its neck before it's heard…" he whispered, slipping into the shadows and disappearing from view.
"What a creepy little man!" Lydia said softly, revising her former opinion of the last Son of Sithis.
"Yeah, but he grows on you," Argis chuckled.
The only way they knew Cicero had accomplished his task was that the guard suddenly, for no apparent reason, sunk down to the ground and lay still. The rear gate opened just enough for one small, lightly-armored jester to slip through, and Marcus motioned to Argis. "Let's go," he said. "Cicero's going to meet us out front once he gets the door open. Tamsyn, Lydia, you know what to do."
The women nodded and headed for the rear gate.
"He's going to have to come through the courtyard to meet us, though," Argis said, worriedly.
"Yeah, I know," his Thane replied.
"Won't he run into more of those guards?" Argis protested.
Marcus grinned. "I'm counting on it!"
The two men worked their way carefully and quietly around the perimeter of the fort, hugging the stockade wall, which linked the spaces between the building on the north side and the one on the south. The main entrance was in the stone wall along the south side of the fort.
There was two guards standing sentry duty at the entrance, and Marcus pulled back from the corner.
"Two," he murmured to Argis. "Let's wait and give Cicero and the ladies a bit more time."
So they held their position until Marcus felt enough time had passed. He pulled out his invisibility potion and Argis followed suit.
"I'll take the one furthest away," he said quietly. "You take the near one. Ess bee dee, okay? Silent, But Deadly."
Argis nodded and they quaffed the potions.
Immediately the two men vanished from view, but while they were silent, Marcus could tell that Argis was slightly ahead of him by the footprints in the snow.
Damn! he thought. Well, we can't account for everything. Let's hope they don't notice.
Cicero worked as quickly and quietly at the lock as he could, and finally got it open on his fifth attempt. He motioned to the two women, standing by the gate in the shadows, that they could get in, then melted into the darkness and drew out his invisibility potion. Not that he needed it. The Son of Sithis was very familiar with blending into places where light never showed. Unseen; unheard; unnoticed until it was too late.
He would never have imagined so short a time ago that he would have called the Dragonborn "brother", but the Blood Bond was a sacred oath that few would dare to break. The fact that the Dragonborn had initiated it, there in the Sanctuary, in front of the Night Mother herself, was practically a holy experience for Cicero. The last time someone had sworn the Blood Bond with him was thirteen years ago, in the Cheydinhall Sanctuary. Dearest Andronica had pledged to be his closest Sister until death took them.
And now he was Blood Brother with the Dragonborn, who perhaps did not fully realize the sanctity of the vow he had made, but he had sworn to never harm Cicero, as Cicero was sworn to never harm dear Marcus. While he knew that the Dragonborn was not…and could not be…a Dark Brother, Cicero could accept that. He had a family now, and it was more than he had had for many long, lonely years.
A glint of gold from the roof across the way caught Cicero's eye, and he grinned to himself. Lots of lovely shadows to hide in from here to there. Who needs a potion?
The Thalmor soldier felt only the briefest moment of pain and pressure when Cicero sunk his knife into the joint between the top of the armor and the helmet, right up to the hilt. The long, keenly sharp ebony blade with the stamina drain almost certainly punctured a lung from this angle, robbing the mer of any breath he might have used to cry out. The location also ensured the carotid artery was severed, causing bleed-out within minutes. The soldier sank to his knees with a groan, and Cicero helped him to a prone position, confiscating the Elven arrows before moving on.
He had to admit, his blade was seeing more use since meeting with Tamsyn that first time, and now he had a chance for some long overdue payback against the foul, cursed elves who had taken his mama from him. He hoped they had not harmed the children, or dear Marcus would tear them apart before poor Cicero could get to them!
There. Across the courtyard. There were three more Thalmor soldiers on the roof of the other building, where sweet Tamsyn and lovely Lydia had gone. While Cicero had no doubt he could hit them from here, he knew they must proceed quietly. Cicero knew how to be quiet. The jester, the fool, was a façade he wore to deceive others. This was not only business, it was personal, and Cicero had no intention of letting an opportunity like this slip by due to carelessness.
There was a catwalk that connected the two roofs across the courtyard, but it was far too exposed. Cicero chose instead to slip down the wall and drop lightly to the ground. There, clinging to the shadows once more, he made his way quickly and quietly, blessing the little silver and amethyst ring sweet Tamsyn had given him that kept the soldiers above from hearing him.
Back near the forge, he used the low stone wall around it to give himself a slight boost to reaching the roof, which was lower here. It was still a bit of a stretch, however. Cicero was a small man, and not as young as he once was. But the rough stone wall provided plenty of finger and toe holds, and his soft jester's boots easily conformed to the mortar gaps between the stones. Once on the lower roof, he ducked swiftly into the shadow of the wall and began to scale this as well. When he reached the top he found himself directly under an observation post built into the corner.
Cicero quickly pulled the invisibility potion from his pouch and downed it in one swift draught, waiting for his body to fade from view. He almost giggled at the absurdity of it, but clamped down on those frivolous feelings. Concentrate.
The elf on top of the observation post was one of the mages, and no one saw the feral grin on Cicero's face as he oh-so-carefully and quickly slit the mer's throat with one dagger and shoved the other up under the ribcage on the left side, piercing the heart. Death was swift and inevitable. Wiping his blades on the Thalmor robes, Cicero heard some noises of combat from the courtyard below and realized that dear Argis and the Dragonborn were taking care of business at that end. But the two soldiers still on the roof posed a threat to their success, so Cicero unsheathed his bow and decided to return at least one of the elven arrows he'd picked up….his way.
The force of the shot carried the one closest to Cicero over the edge of the wall out of sight, but Cicero had seen enough men and mer killed by arrows to know his had struck true. He leaped off the observation post and ran past the campfire, heading for the catwalk, intending to get a better angle to pick off the last archer.
The Thalmor archer, however, turned at just the wrong moment and saw Cicero running across the roof. He nocked an arrow and let fly, and it hit the Imperial jester in the side. Cicero fell from the catwalk and lay still.
Down in the courtyard, Argis saw Cicero fall and screamed out, "NO!"
He hacked down the Thalmor soldier in front of him and ran towards the crumpled heap. Arrows whooshed past him, sticking up in the snow, but he made it to Cicero and covered him with his ebony shield. It left the little man's legs exposed, but at least he wouldn't get hit in another vital area. Scanning the roof, he found the archer and drew his own bow. He grabbed the two closest elven arrows and nocked one of them. His first shot went wide, but the second struck the elf in the chest, and she toppled over the edge of the roof to join her companion in the snowdrift outside the wall.
Argis felt for a pulse and was relieved to find one. He packed snow into the wound to slow the bleeding and turned back to the battle. He wished he could do more for Cicero, but he couldn't give him a potion while he was unconscious, and he didn't know any healing magic. They needed Tamsyn for that, and she was inside.
His Thane was battling two Thalmor at once, one of them a mage who summoned a Frost Atronach as Argis watched. Training the bow on the mage, Argis took several shots, hitting only a couple times as the wizard kept moving around. Frustrated, he sheathed the bow and drew his sword. He hated atronachs…especially the frost kind. Those bastards hurt! But he wasn't doing any good with his bow if he couldn't hit the man behind the magic.
Rushing forward and hoping Cicero would be okay, Argis began the hack and slash dance with the atronach, dodging the heavy pounding blows, until it finally dissipated. His Thane had taken out the soldier, and had pulled back just long enough to drink a stamina potion. He was breathing hard.
"How's Cicero?" Thane Marcus called.
"Alive," Argis shouted back, worried, "but he needs healing."
"None of you are leaving here alive!" the Thalmor mage declared, shooting an Ice Spike at Argis, who dodged out of the way.
"I've got a news flash for you, buddy," Argis' Thane said, rushing forward, "the only one who's going to be dead around here is you!" Dragonbane swooped forward, and the Thalmor looked in surprise at the gap across his midsection where his robes had been sliced open. A line of red wept across the abdomen, and he doubled over. The Blades sword flew, and so did the Thalmor's head when it left his body.
Quiet took hold again in the courtyard, and the two men rushed back to where Cicero still lay. Argis removed his shield and Marcus knelt next to the little Imperial, picking up his head and cradling it in his lap.
"Cicero?" he called anxiously. When did he suddenly become so attached to the homicidal maniac? "Cicero? Come on, Brother, stay with me! Wake up!"
Cicero's eyelids fluttered and he coughed.
"Cicero…is coming….Mother…" he said weakly.
"Not on my watch," Marcus said grimly. "Tell Mom she's got to wait. Drink this," he ordered gently, holding the strongest healing potion he had to the little man's lips.
At first Cicero refused, and had to be encouraged and coaxed to take a few sips. As the restorative coursed through his body and began repairing the damage, however, he sat up a bit straighter and held the bottle himself, finishing it off.
"Cicero thanks you, Brother. That was a near thing! Cicero saw his entire life parade before his eyes. So many deaths…" he sighed. "So many lovely deaths….it was wonderful to see them again!" He laughed weakly, ending up in a coughing fit, and Marcus had to rub his back until he stopped.
"Are you good to go on?" he asked worriedly.
"Cicero can continue," the jester affirmed. "But he would like to know what arrows they were shooting at him. They hurt!"
Nothing would do but that they find the two archers who had fallen over the side of the wall and confiscate the glass and ebony arrows they were using.
"Wow!" Argis exclaimed, impressed. "I've heard about ebony arrows, but I've never seen one. These look wicked!"
"You keep them, Cicero," Marcus said generously. "It's only fair."
Cicero giggled and cooed and thanked his dear brother, and the three men made their way back to the courtyard where Cicero managed to pick up a few more glass arrows that hadn't broken upon impact with the hard ground. When Cicero was ready they turned their attention to the entrance into the fort itself.
Tamsyn and Lydia slipped through the rear gate and kept to the shadows, waiting for Cicero to give the signal that he'd picked the lock. It took him a minute or two, and Tamsyn began to fret that Marcus and Argis would charge in before she and Lydia could find the children.
Lydia wasn't very happy about being relegated to herding prisoners out. She wanted to be in the thick of it, dishing out some well-deserved revenge on the bastards that had cut her, crushed her, beaten her and left her for dead.
But her Thane had looked her in the eyes and said, "I'm counting on you to protect them," and she knew she would not disobey. But she still hoped to get in a few blows of her own on any guards that might cross their path.
Tamsyn touched Lydia's arm and motioned her to follow. Cicero had finally gotten the rear door open, and had slipped away into the shadows. Together the two women eased into the chamber just inside. It turned out to be some kind of armory or storeroom, as there were weapons and dry goods everywhere.
The Arch-Mage pulled out a small white bottle, and Lydia did the same. They drank, and immediately became invisible to each other…and Lydia suddenly saw a problem neither one had anticipated. Wearing rings that muffled their movements, and being invisible to each other, she had no idea where Tamsyn was.
"Straight ahead are the prison cells," Tamsyn whispered in her ear, making her jump.
"How did you know where I was?" Lydia hissed.
"Detect Life spell," the Arch-Mage murmured. "There's two levers at the end of the room ahead that open the cells. But just beyond that is a small chamber with at least one guard. Let's go get the children, but be careful."
Lydia nodded, before realizing Tamsyn might not see it. They crossed the room swiftly and silently, looking into the cells on each side. Lydia began to panic. Though there were prisoners here, they were all adults. None of them were children.
"Crap!" she heard Tamsyn mutter behind her. So she had noticed it, too.
Lydia saw the levers and took hold of the first one, throwing it back, then followed swiftly with the other. The cage doors clanged open, and weak cries of amazement emerged from the cells.
"What's going on?" an Altmer voice called from the room beyond.
"Lydia!" Tamsyn hissed. "You're visible!"
"That's fine by me," she grinned as two Thalmor soldiers came into view. "Get them out, Tamsyn! I'll hold these bastards off. I want them to see who killed them!"
Tamsyn grabbed one of the doors and opened it wider, revealing herself.
"Where are the children?" she asked one of the prisoners.
"What?" the Nord man mumbled.
"The children!" Tamsyn insisted. "Where did the Thalmor take the children?"
"There aren't any children here," a Breton woman said.
"Are you sure?" Tamsyn demanded.
"Hey, I'm just a prisoner," the woman protested. "It's not like they're going to confide in me!"
"Alright!" the Arch-Mage said in exasperation. "Come on, all of you, we need to get you all out of here."
"Are you insane?" an Argonian demanded. "The courtyard is crawling with Thalmor. We'll never get out of here!"
"You leave that to me and my friends," Tamsyn said. "Start moving down to the door down there. I'll be with you in a minute!"
Lydia had already taken out the two soldiers, but an interrogator in mage' robes had joined them, and he was blasting her with alternating casts of fire and ice. Lydia was valiantly holding her own, but gritting her teeth against the pain.
Tamsyn shot her with a Heal Other spell, and Lydia felt the burst of energy and renewal course through her, giving her the boost she needed to keep going. Another soldier came running in from corridor to the left of the chamber beyond the doorway, and Lydia pushed further in to give Tamsyn room to cast her lightning spells at the mage. He shifted gears immediately, now there was a spellcaster directing Destruction magic at him. He backed up to let the soldier take the brunt of Lydia's attacks and summoned a Frost Atronach, which squeezed him back into the torture chamber, from which Tamsyn knew there was no other exit.
"Well, that wasn't very well thought out," she mocked him. She hit the atronach with a Flames spell from one hand and shot an Ice Spike at the soldier with the other.
Lydia managed to slip under the soldier's guard as he doubled over and got her Warhammer around his neck; she proceeded to head-bash him into unconsciousness and crushed his skull when he was down for good measure.
The atronach pounded down on Lydia, and she swept the Warhammer sideways, cracking the ice legs at the knees. Under the continual assault of the Flames spell, it was all that was needed, and the atronach dissipated.
Lydia charged around the corner and ran headlong into a fireball. Shrapnel flew everywhere.
"Gah!" she cried, murder in her eyes. She swung the Warhammer with everything that was in her again and again and again, heedless of the damage the mage was doing to her, only aware that somewhere behind her Tamsyn kept healing her, and the Thalmor in front of her needed to die. She didn't stop until Tamsyn finally held her arm back.
"Lydia! Lydia!" the Arch-Mage called to her.
The Housecarl stared wildly back at the Breton girl with her one good eye.
"What?" she yelled, irritated.
"He won't feel it," Tamsyn said. She deliberately didn't look down at the mess that had been the Thalmor.
Lydia relaxed and nodded. "I'm sorry," she began, but Tamsyn hushed her.
"No," she said. "You're not sorry, and it's okay. He deserved it. Let's free the prisoner."
"I thought we did that already?" Lydia asked.
Tamsyn stepped delicately around the mess on the floor. "There's one more here. Hello?" she stepped over to the man manacled to the wall.
"Who…are you?" the man asked wearily.
"I'm Arch-Mage Tamsyn," the girl told him. "This is Lydia of Whiterun. We're here to get you out, Thorald Grey-Mane."
"What?" he blinked. "I didn't think anyone knew I was here! Who sent you? How did you know my name?"
"She's a Seer," Lydia said proudly. "She knew you were here."
"We came to find some children the Thalmor kidnapped," Tamsyn said. "Do you know where they're being held?"
"Children?" Thorald muttered. "No, there are no children here."
Tamsyn's heart sank. Where were they? How could she tell Marcus this was all for…almost nothing? At least they'd managed to free Thorald and the other prisoners. But where were the children?
Then this was all a set-up, Tamsyn realized. Elenwen can use this intrusion to complain to the Empire about Marcus, and the Empire will be forced to arrest him…but only if someone is alive to tell the tale.
"Come on, Lydia, help me get these off him," she said now. "Quickly. We need to find Marcus as soon as possible."
"Thane Marcus wants us to lead the prisoners out of here and wait for him," Lydia said.
"Thane Marcus expected his children to be here, too," Tamsyn said wryly, "because that's what he was led to believe."
They freed Thorald and led him back where the other prisoners all waited by the rear door.
"I can't offer you armor," Tamsyn said, "but if any of you need weapons, take the ones here."
Thorald picked up an elven war axe right away; the others also armed themselves from the weapons on the walls.
"Now what?" the Nord man demanded.
"We fight our way out of here if we have to," Thorald said.
"I'm a farmer, not a warrior," the man insisted.
"That shouldn't be necessary," Tamsyn assured them. "My friends have already swept the exterior. All you need to do is get away from here and go home."
She opened the back door and peered out, making sure it was clear, then pointed the way to the open rear gate.
Not waiting to be told twice, the prisoners headed out and soon vanished. Thorald held back.
"I don't know who you are, but you've done me a great service," he said. "I can't go back to Whiterun, though. It's too risky. If you could give my mother a message from me, however, I'll be in your debt."
"You want me to tell her to 'suffer the winter's cold winds, for it bears aloft next summer's seeds'," Tamsyn smiled. "Is that right?"
Thorald gaped. "Yes!" he said in wonder. "How could you possibly know that?"
Lydia grinned. "I told you she was a Seer!"
Thorald gave a wary smile, thanked them again, and disappeared through the gate.
"What now?" Lydia asked.
"We go back inside and work our way toward the menfolk," Tamsyn said, bringing a firebolt online in one hand and electricity in the other.
Lydia smirked at her. "I like the way you think!"
Marcus noticed almost immediately that there were no traps in this fortress. That was a relief, actually. He was tired of trip wires and trigger plates. It amazed him, going through Labyrinthian with Cicero, how the little jester managed to waltz right over something that he would set off, with near deadly consequences. Poison darts shooting from the walls, swinging scythes making like pendulums across the corridors, or the worst, iron gates with spikes like punji sticks slamming into him.
There was none of that here. What there was here was Thalmor. Lots and lots of Thalmor. Either they were soldiers in their gold and green armor, wielding weapons of moonstone and glass, or they were black-robed mages summoning atronachs and flinging fireballs at him. He only hoped Tamsyn and Lydia were having an easier time than he and Argis and Cicero.
As the drawing Tamsyn made indicated, the fortress was very linear in its progression from one corridor to the next chamber, through another corridor and into the room beyond. They fought their way down stairs, up stairs, under stairs. They killed every Thalmor that crossed their path. Marcus knew well enough that if any of them survived, they might potentially retreat to where his children were being kept before the ladies could get to them. In addition, survivors meant tales could be carried back to Elenwen, and he had no intention of her finding out from anyone other than him exactly what had happened here. She might be the fucking Thalmor Ambassador, but he was the Dragonborn. No one touched his family without reprisal.
Eventually, Marcus and his two companions found themselves in a lower level area, and heard noises of combat from above. Magic was being cast, and he heard Tamsyn cry out as she got hit.
What is she doing here?! he thought frantically. She didn't try to bring the children through this way, did she?
Maybe their escape route had been cut off, he thought, and she and Lydia had had no choice.
"Up here!" he called to Argis and Cicero, running for the stairs. Cicero stopped only long enough to cut down another Thalmor mage as he emerged from a room under the upper level before the man could even get a spell off.
The three Thalmor facing Tamsyn and Lydia didn't know what hit them when the Dragonborn Shouted out his Unrelenting Force. Blown against the far wall, past the Arch-Mage and the Housecarl, who had backed into a doorway upon seeing Marcus wind up for the pitch, the wizard and his two soldiers groggily attempted to gain their feet. It was useless, however, as the two Housecarls converged on them and swiftly took them out.
"Thank God you're safe!" Marcus breathed. "Where are the children? Where's Blaise and Sofie and Lucia?"
"They're not here, Marcus," Tamsyn said unhappily.
"WHAT?" he roared, and Tamsyn flinched. He forced himself to calm down. "What do you mean, they're not here?" he demanded evenly. "Elenwen said—"
"Elenwen's note told you to present yourself here to 'pay for your crimes, or your children would'," Tamsyn pointed out. "She never said the children would be here. It was an assumption we both made." She hung her head. "I'm sorry."
At this point Marcus broke into a string of expletives that made Tamsyn pale, Lydia blush, Argis shift uncomfortably and Cicero look on with delight and admiration.
"I hope you feel better for that," Tamsyn said stiffly as Marcus seethed. "Because it won't help you get the children back."
"Well, where the hell are they if they aren't here?" he demanded. Fear…cold, palpable fear clenched his gut. "Tamsyn, you don't think she already—"
Tamsyn shook her head. "No, Marcus," she said gently, putting her hand on his arm. "I don't think she's done anything rash…yet. But I need you to do one thing as soon as we get outside."
"What's that?" he asked, tiredly.
"Use your Aura Whisper," she said. "I want to know if there was anyone outside watching."
"You think there's more Thalmor waiting nearby?"
"If there are, Cicero will stabbity-stab-stab them, like he's done these here!" Cicero crowed.
"No," Tamsyn said. "I'm hoping I'm wrong, but I think Elenwen has set you up. There may be Imperial observers out there, just waiting to see if anyone besides the prisoners leave the fortress."
"Why wouldn't they arrest the prisoners?" Argis asked, and Lydia poked him in the ribs.
"They won't care if a few prisoners escape," she told him. "They would want to capture whoever was responsible for freeing them. If Elenwen tipped them off, so she could lodge a complaint, they'll be watching for us."
Marcus nodded. "I see where you're going with this," he said. "If a few prisoners escape, then it was just a lucky jailbreak and the Empire can sweep it under the rug. But if we get caught leaving—"
"General Tullius will have no choice but to order your arrest to keep peace with the Dominion," Tamsyn finished.
"Does sweet Tamsyn have any more of those invisibility potions?" Cicero asked.
Tamsyn nodded. "Not many, but enough for each of us to have one. It might last long enough for us to slip out the back and make it to the ocean. We can swim across the inlet to the other side and follow the coast back. We can pick up the road near Ravenscar Hollow and be back in Solitude before tonight, if we put a good foot under us."
Marcus rubbed a hand across his face. "This doesn't help me find my children, though," he muttered.
"I think Elenwen has kept them at the Embassy all this time," she said. At the look of horror in Marcus' eyes, she quickly added, "Not in the basement, Marcus! I'm sure of that! Not yet, anyway. They're probably under house arrest either upstairs in the Embassy building itself, or over in Elenwen's Solar."
"That place is nearly impregnable, from what I hear," Lydia remarked.
"I got in once," Marcus admitted, "which is what got us into this mess in the first place. But I used subterfuge to finagle an invitation. I doubt Elenwen is going to invite me in for tea and sympathy any time soon."
"No," Tamsyn smirked, "but I might be able to get in. She's as much as demanded that I explain myself to her."
A slow smile spread over Marcus' face. "You're going to go talk to her?" he asked.
"Certainly," Tamsyn replied smugly. "But I believe the best defense is a good offense. When I'm done with her, she won't know what hit her."
The group headed back to Solitude, after Marcus pin-pointed a few Imperial observers near the main gate, hidden behind some rocks and trees with his Aura Whisper, and Tamsyn confirmed a few more around the back with her Detect Life spell.
They drank their potions and slipped away unseen. Marcus figured that even if they'd been seen going in, they weren't seen coming out, and since the Empire had no legal authority to intrude into Northwatch Keep, which was a Thalmor-held property, they would only come to the conclusion that the intruders had been killed inside. Even if the prisoners had escaped, Tullius would be able to tell Elenwen truthfully that none of the intruders had been observed leaving the Keep.
They arrived in Solitude late in the evening and immediately headed to the Winking Skeever, where Marcus procured rooms for them all. They gathered in the largest room where the men would be staying to discuss what to do next.
Tamsyn spread out a large piece of paper on a table and began sketching with Marcus looking over her shoulder. In a few moments, they had put together a fairly accurate rendering of the layout of the buildings and grounds of the Embassy.
"This is going to require even more stealth," Tamsyn told them. "This is my thought, you can tell me if you think it will work."
Cicero was munching on a sweetroll in the corner, but Tamsyn could practically feel the tenseness about the man. He didn't like public places, and being in the inn made him nervous. It was ironic, after all, since his façade was that of a merryman; she would have thought he'd welcome the chance to show off in front of people.
"Argis and I will take a carriage to the Embassy and go in by the main gate," she said, pointing it out on the map. "But we'll stop the carriage before we get there to drop off Lydia, Cicero and you, Marcus."
"Why does dear Argis get to go with sweet Tamsyn to the Embassy and not her poor, dear Cicero?" the jester pouted.
"Because I need you to help us get inside over the wall and help find my children," Marcus pointed out patiently.
"Besides, Cicero," Tamsyn added. "It will be expected that the Arch-Mage will have a bodyguard with her, and you don't fit the image physically. They might recognize Lydia, so I can't take her in, and she will be needed to calm the children down anyway. I'm sure they must be terrified."
Marcus rumbled deep in his chest. There would be payback for this insult.
"Cicero just wanted to know," the little man shrugged. "He is more than happy to help his dear Brother get his sweet children home safely."
"Argis," Tamsyn said. "You won't need to do much, unless things get ugly. I'm hoping they don't. It's the last thing we want. Our job is to stall Elenwen and keep her occupied long enough for the others to do what they need to do."
"How do we know the children are there?" Lydia worried.
Tamsyn sighed. "We don't," she admitted. "But I can't think of any other place Elenwen would hold them. They'll either be upstairs in the Embassy itself, or upstairs in her Solar, which is here, behind the Embassy on the other side of a small courtyard."
"I've been in both buildings," Marcus said. "Each one has some bedrooms upstairs, for either guests or the emissaries themselves. The guards change out every few hours, and the ones who are off duty stay in the barracks, here." He pointed to it on the map.
"Should we eliminate them?" Cicero asked, a gleam in his eyes.
Tamsyn shook her head. "Not unless they attack first," she said firmly. "Remember, Argis and I will be inside. If you start taking out the guards, Elenwen's bound to notice, and that could go badly for us."
Cicero subsided, dissatisfied, but accepted the judgement.
"How do we get the children out?" Lydia asked. "They're not exactly going to let us walk out the front gate with them."
"There's a tunnel under the grounds that leads away from the place," Marcus said. "With any luck, it will be vacated. I had to kill the troll that had taken up residence there, but if there's another one, we'll kill it, too."
"But the way to the tunnel begins under the Solar," Tamsyn pointed out. "If the children are being held in the Embassy itself, you'll have to find another way to sneak them out."
"I'm not leaving without my children," Marcus said firmly. "If that means I have to fight my way out of there and start an international incident, I'm prepared to do just that."
Tamsyn nodded. "I understand, Marcus," she said softly. "Hopefully it won't come to that. We should all grab a few hours of sleep," she advised. "We can't do anything until morning, anyway."
Marcus spent a restless night, drifting off and waking up only to roll over and try to get comfortable. Argis was sound asleep next to him, and Cicero had curled up in the bedroll in the corner that he'd made up for himself. He'd insisted on sleeping there, saying comfortable beds made one careless…or dead.
Perhaps it was that last comment that had Marcus on edge. More likely, however, was the worry that was eating away at him. The morning would bring the tenth of Rain's Hand, and Elenwen's note had declared that if he didn't show himself by the fifteenth, that she would exact her revenge upon Blaise, Sofie and Lucia. They were running out of time, and he was still no closer to rescuing them than he'd been upon discovering they'd been taken in the first place.
No, that was not entirely true. He was closer, and he'd had the satisfaction of exacting a little revenge of his own at Northwatch Keep. He didn't know how long it might take for the news to reach Elenwen, but Talos help her if she harmed his children in retaliation. The sooner they could get to the Embassy, the better.
So it was that he was already awake, dressed and ready when the ladies knocked on their door when the sun came up.
"Are you all ready?" Tamsyn asked, following Lydia in. Marcus noticed she was wearing her Arch-Mage's robes this morning. This was official College business for her today.
"Yeah, but I'd kill for a cup of coffee right now," Marcus muttered.
Tamsyn chuckled. "I know how you feel," she grinned. "I could use a good, strong cuppa Joe right now myself."
"What is this 'coffee' you keep talking about, Thane?" Lydia asked.
"It's nectar of the gods," Marcus smiled sardonically.
Tamsyn giggled. "It's a very strong, non-alcoholic beverage brewed from the beans of a mountain plant," she explained. "Where we came from, it was a great way to wake yourself up in the morning."
"Hmm…" Lydia pondered. "There's a plant called kaffre that grows in Elsweyr, that the Khajiit use to brew a dark, black beverage from. Maybe it's similar?"
Both Tamsyn and Marcus stared at the Housecarl.
"I will love you with every fiber of my being if you can get some of it for me!" Tamsyn breathed. "The plant as well as the beverage!"
"That goes for me, too," Marcus grinned. "I'll double your salary!"
"You don't pay me now," Lydia pointed out. "Twice nothing is still nothing." But she was smiling as she said it.
They ate a quick breakfast and packed up their belongings. They made their way down to the stables and contracted Thaer to take them to the Embassy, dropping Marcus, Lydia and Cicero off along the way.
"Are you expected at the Embassy?" Thaer asked doubtfully. "They don't like people poking around up there."
"I have business with Ambassador Elenwen," Tamsyn assured him. "She'll see me." She'd better see me, the Arch-Mage thought privately.
The drive was uneventful, and would have been pleasant if not for the need which necessitated it. It was a warm spring day – well, warm for Skyrim, anyway – and flowers were in bloom everywhere, taking full advantage of the short season. Winter still held on in the shadows, however, as there were patches of snow under bushes, or in the lee of a copse of trees.
They headed south and west out of Solitude, taking the road towards Dragon Bridge, but they turned off long before they got that far and headed back north, climbing up a little-used road toward the Thalmor Embassy.
Thaer stopped when asked to let Marcus, Lydia and Cicero off before continuing on up to the gate. Marcus hoped the Thalmor wouldn't take it into their heads to question the carriage driver too severely about the passengers who traveled with him.
He led the way down the hill out of sight of the wall and began to work his way around the hilltop to the side of the wall closest to the Solar.
"LAAS," he Whispered, pin-pointing no less than six guards on duty, patrolling the grounds. Distance kept him from penetrating the Solar itself. He would have to get inside before he could be certain the children were there.
"This is where we need to go over," he said.
"How?" Lydia asked. "That's a sheer, stone wall. There's nothing to hang onto!"
"Cicero can get over, if you give him a boost," the little man said.
"Good," Marcus replied. "Take this rope with you," he said, handing it over. "Tie it to the iron fencing along the top of the wall, and let it down. I've knotted it every couple of feet or so, to give us a better grip."
Cicero nodded and slung the rope over his head so it rested across his body. Marcus and Lydia gripped hands and lowered them for Cicero to stand on, then lifted him as high and as fast as they could, muscles straining to the screaming point. Cicero was small, but that didn't mean he was a light-weight.
The jester leaped at the height of their toss, grabbing the iron grating and pulling himself lightly up and over. He quickly knotted the roped around a secure post and tossed it over the side, then ducked into the bushes that grew against the Solar.
A guard came around the corner and noticed the rope immediately.
"What's this?" she mused out loud.
"Nothing you need to worry about!" Cicero muttered, slipping up behind her and covering her mouth with his gloved hand. The other drew the Daedric blade across her throat, and she slumped without a whimper. Cicero dragged her body into the shrubbery and hid there, waiting for Lydia and Marcus to make it over the fence.
"Any trouble?" Marcus whispered.
"Oh no!" Cicero chirped quietly. "It was no trouble at all, dear Brother," he grinned, indicating the guard hidden away behind him.
"Was that really necessary?" Lydia frowned.
"If sweet Lydia doesn't want to be discovered too soon, then yes," Cicero said primly. "It was entirely necessary!"
"Alright," Marcus soothed. "Let's not get our undies in a bundle, okay? We're here to find my children, not start a blood-bath."
"We're not going to have much time before that guard gets missed," Lydia said.
"We need to get into this building and search it," Marcus said. "Cicero, look for a back way in. Check the windows. Be careful. I don't know who may be inside."
Cicero nodded and slipped away down the back of the building.
"Where are we going, Thane?" Lydia asked.
"No where, yet," he replied. "Let's wait and see what Cicero might find."
So they waited, and were forced to hide when another guard came by on patrol. This one only came to the corner and glanced down their way, but Marcus and his Housecarl had pulled back into the bushes and the guard didn't seem inclined to come any further down the walkway than the corner before turning back.
There was a sudden commotion at the main gate, and Marcus crept to the corner of the building to peer around. He could see nothing, but many guards were moving in that direction, including the three or four he could see in the courtyard.
"Cicero!" he hissed.
"Cicero is coming, Brother!" the little man said quietly, moving up to them. "What is happening?"
"Looks like Tamsyn and Argis have arrived," the Dragonborn said.
"And wouldn't I love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation," Lydia grinned.
Thaer dropped Tamsyn and Argis off, but did not stay.
"They don't like us hanging around here," he apologized.
"It's alright," Tamsyn said. "We can walk back. It's not far."
Thaer raised his eyebrows. The trip had taken nearly three hours by carriage. What did she consider a far distance, then? Shrugging, he turned Nestor around and headed back to Solitude.
"Well, we're here," Argis rumbled. "What now?"
"Now I confront Elenwen and hopefully keep her occupied long enough for the others to find the children and get them out," Tamsyn said.
"And what do I do?" Argis scowled. "Stand next to you and look like a lump?"
"No," Tamsyn chided him. "Just look threatening enough to make the soldiers keep their distance. If things get ugly, and I hope they don't, it will be good to have you at my back."
"If you say so," Argis replied, a part of him hoping things got ugly.
As they approached the gate, they were stopped by a soldier and a mage.
"Halt!" the mage said. "No one is permitted here unless it's on official business."
Tamsyn raised her chin and stared coldly at the man. "I am here on official business. I'm here to see Ambassador Elenwen."
"I'm sorry," the mage said, clearly sounding the opposite. "But the Ambassador is not receiving visitors at this time."
"She'll see me," Tamsyn glared. "Tell her the Arch-Mage of Winterhold is here."
To his credit, the mage only blinked his surprise, but he swiftly recovered and the haughtiness returned.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asked, barely hiding the snide tone in his voice.
"Young man," Tamsyn frowned. "I have traveled for many hours to get here after re-arranging my schedule to accommodate this trip. I am not accustomed to bandying words at the gate with a mere lackey! Either you take me to the Ambassador at once, or you may tell her from me that it will be a cold day in Oblivion before another Thalmor 'advisor' is permitted on College grounds!"
"But I—" the mage protested, torn.
"That's it!" Tamsyn snapped. "Let's go, Fenris," she said, pulling Argis around to walk away.
Once out of earshot, Argis muttered. "But we didn't get in—"
"Wait for it…" Tamsyn smirked, glad that her face was turned away. She kept walking, striding purposefully down the road.
"Arch-Mage!" the wizard called after her. "Arch-Mage, please wait!"
Tamsyn adjusted her features before turning around. "Yes?" she demanded coolly.
"Please forgive me, Arch-Mage," the man said, oozing charm and sincerity that never made it to his eyes. "If you would be so kind as to wait inside the Embassy, I'll see if the Ambassador has a few moments to spare."
"Well," Tamsyn considered, "as long as you bring her quickly. I'm a very busy woman and I have a lot of work I'm putting off while I'm here. Lead on. Come along, Fenris," she said, gesturing to Argis. The mage ran ahead of them to alert Elenwen.
"Fenris?" Argis whispered.
"Can't take the risk they've heard your name linked to Marcus," Tamsyn muttered.
"Oh! Okay!" He scowled at the soldier who opened the door for them. The woman drew back a bit at the ferocity of the glare, and Argis smirked privately. This play-acting was kind of fun!
They had been waiting only a few moments before Elenwen joined them in the grand ballroom of the Embassy.
"Arch-Mage!" she purred. "What an unexpected surprise! You're much…younger than I anticipated."
"Ambassador," Tamsyn nodded formally. "You can hardly be surprised at my coming here after that most insulting letter you sent me. I came here today to demand that you explain yourself."
"Explain—" Elenwen's eyes narrowed. "Why, I'm not sure what you mean," she said smoothly. "I thought my letter was quite plain."
"It was, indeed, if your intention was to offend me," Tamsyn said firmly. "But I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding, because not even the Ambassador of the Thalmor would be foolish enough to offend the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold."
Whatever Elenwen had expected in the new Arch-Mage, it certainly wasn't this! This child had the audacity to lecture her, to take her to task for the tone of her letter! Savos Aren would have been tripping over himself in apology by now!
"I assure you no insult was meant, Arch-Mage," Elenwen replied. "I must say I am confused – honored, mind you, but confused as to why you couldn't have written sooner. I expected a letter, not you showing up on my doorstep."
"I prefer to deal with people face to face," Tamsyn said, with just a hint of warning in her voice. "That way there can be no misinterpretation that so often happens with the printed word."
"In that case, why don't we retire to my office here where we can be more comfortable," the Ambassador offered. "Your man may wait here."
"Don't treat me like a fool, Ambassador," Tamsyn said, frowning. "Would you travel Skyrim without your entourage? Do you visit the Blue Palace without at least one or two guards dancing attendance on you?"
"Of course not—"
"Then don't ask me to leave my bodyguard behind," the Breton girl replied shortly. "Fenris stays with me."
"As you wish," Elenwen simmered. "Please, this way, Arch-Mage." She opened a door at the far end, and Tamsyn found herself in a room she recognized from the game. A bar of sorts stood at one end near a door into a hallway. Behind the bar, stairs led to the upper level. At the opposite end of the room, down a short twisting corridor, was a door that led to the rear courtyard.
Elenwen gestured for Tamsyn to sit down in one of the chairs surrounding a low table, which was set with food and drink. Tamsyn immediately chose the chair facing the window, and saw the fleeting look of annoyance cross the Ambassador's face as she was forced to sit with her back to the window. Elenwen picked up a goblet and bottle of wine. "May I offer you some refreshment, Arch-Mage?" she asked.
"Not at the moment, thank you," Tamsyn said. "I'd rather get down to the matter of your letter. You seem to be under several misconceptions."
"Really?" Elenwen drawled, raising an eyebrow. "Enlighten me, please."
"I'll be happy to," Tamsyn said, keeping her face neutral. "First of all, the College of Winterhold is not affiliated with the Mages Guild in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. As such, we are wholly unconnected to any Charter held by that organization. The Aldmeri Dominion has no voice in matters that pertain to the College."
Damn her, Elenwen thought. She may be young, but she's done her homework.
"I may have spoken in haste," she allowed. "Ancano's death was very upsetting for…all of us here at the Embassy, and to think he may have been the victim of foul play—"
"There was no foul play," Tamsyn interrupted, winning her a pained expression from the Ambassador. "As I understand it, his position was as an observer, and he was there at the forbearance of Arch-Mage Aren. Ancano very often overstepped his authority to the point of interfering in research projects being conducted by the students. He was reprimanded on several occasions by our Master Wizard, Mirabelle Ervine, to keep his involvement strictly to observing."
"Ancano was only attempting to give us the most detailed reports possible," Elenwen said dismissively. "You can hardly fault the man for doing his job." Damn Ancano to the Void for his foolishness! Elenwen fumed privately. He's gone, and I have to clean up after him…again!
"Did his job include interfering in a research project to the point of initiating a near-disaster at the College?" Tamsyn demanded. Elenwen opened her mouth to answer, but Tamsyn went on relentlessly. "Did his job include being directly responsible for the death of not only our Arch-Mage Savos Aren, but our Master Wizard Mirabelle Ervine as well? Did it include attempting to use an artifact of ancient power to – how did he put it? – 'Re-make the world'?"
Behind the Ambassador, through the window, Tamsyn could see three figures sneaking into the Solar across the courtyard.
"I think you exaggerate, Arch-Mage," Elenwen said stiffly.
"I was there, Ambassador," Tamsyn stated flatly. "I was witness to the events. What I can't understand is how you let someone with such a huge character flaw like that rise to such a position of power and responsibility within your organization?"
"I can assure you that whatever Ancano may have done toward the end, he acted on his own," Elenwen said, and it rankled being on the defensive like this. This girl bears watching, she told herself. This is the second time I've underestimated someone.
"Really?" Tamsyn remarked dubiously. "Because he made it quite clear that he reported everything directly to you. How is it possible you were completely unaware of his actions?"
"Arch-Mage," Elenwen smiled, "How can you be so certain that Ancano is at fault here? By your own admission, this…artifact you found…was powerful enough to have affected anyone who attempted to study it." There! I've got her now!
"And yet it didn't," Tamsyn replied in the same flat tone she'd used earlier. "When we brought it to the College it was stable. Several of our scholars were studying it, yet none of them were affected by it. Even our Master instructors felt nothing. Ancano was the only one whose ambition and lust for power precipitated the emergency."
I'll bet she sent him to the College to keep him from taking over her position here, Tamsyn thought.
"I assure you, Arch-Mage," Elenwen said, trying desperately to keep the pleading note out of her voice, "that the Aldmeri Dominion has nothing but respect for the College of Winterhold. That Ancano was perhaps the wrong person to send there as an observer appears now, in hindsight, to have been a mistake. Please believe me that such a thing cannot and will not happen again on my watch."
"Let us hope not," Tamsyn said, smiling to indicate she was willing to forgive. Marcus and the others were inside the Solar now, and she needed to give them as much time as she could before she and Argis got the flock out of Dodge. "I think I would like that glass of wine now, if you're still offering it."
A look of relief flitted through Elenwen's face, so quickly that Tamsyn might have missed it if she hadn't been looking for it. The Ambassador poured two glasses of wine and offered one to Tamsyn. She glanced at Argis, but the big Nord gave no indication that Elenwen had done anything funny with the wine. Just to be on the safe side, however, she put her lips to the goblet and only pretended to drink.
"I wonder if you would satisfy a question I've had, Arch-Mage," Elenwen began, a glint in her eyes. Tamsyn was immediately on her guard, but gave no sign as she smiled at the Thalmor.
"I make no promises," Tamsyn said, "but please feel free to ask."
"I understand that you've been seen in the company of…the Dragonborn. How well do you know him?"
Let's go fishing! Tamsyn smirked to herself. Keeping her voice neutral, she replied, "Not well. He needed assistance from the College, I was assigned to help him. End of story."
"But what is he like…as a man?" Elenwen pressed. "Does he have…family?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Tamsyn shrugged. "We never talked about it. In point of fact, we had a falling out after I helped him with his task. He said some rather hurtful things to me, so I'm glad I don't have to see him on a daily basis." Under the table she pressed her foot on Argis' to keep him from reacting. Thankfully, the big Nord seemed to get the hint and remained impassive.
"Pity," Elenwen said thoughtfully. "I was hoping you could introduce me to him."
Tamsyn spent several more minutes chatting on a more friendly footing with the Thalmor Ambassador, letting her believe that bygones were bygones, before rising and gesturing Argis to follow her.
"I'm glad we straightened this whole mess out," she told Elenwen. "I believe the College needs to move in a more progressive direction, and I would like to put this entire unfortunate incident behind us."
"I am also glad we've been able to discuss this openly, without rancor," Elenwen smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "If you like, I can have one of my carriages return you to Solitude."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Tamsyn declined. "I'm on my way to Dragon Bridge from here. There's a young man I was told had a talent for magic, and I'd like to interview him to see if he'd like to come to the College to study."
"You take a personal interest in recruiting new students?" the Ambassador inquired, lifting an eyebrow.
"Of course!" the younger woman replied. "We need new students, and I prefer the 'hands-on' approach."
She made her farewells and turned with Argis to leave the complex and head back down the road. She walked on for at least half a mile before she pulled off the road into a cluster of rocks and shrubbery that hid them from view of the Embassy.
"Oh. My. Gods!" she breathed.
"Wow!" Argis smirked, impressed. "I haven't seen acting like that since a bunch of mummers came through Markarth a few years back!"
"I should get an Academy Award for that performance!" Tamsyn giggled.
"A what?" Argis grinned.
"I'll explain later," she said. "Come on, we have to work our way around to the Reeking Cave. That's where the others will come out, if they've been successful."
"I hope they make it out of there alright," Argis murmured.
"So do I, Argis," Tamsyn said fervently. "So do I!"
Marcus, Lydia and Cicero slipped into the Solar and found two guards flanking the stairway heading up.
"Hey! What are you doing in here?" one of them challenged, only to grab his throat as it suddenly sprouted an ebony dagger.
The other guard advanced with a glass mace in one hand and a stream of frost in the other.
"Tiid!" Marcus Shouted, and felt time slow down around him. He ran forward, slicing through the elven armor with Dragonbane, feeling the electrical charge shock the soldier as it sliced through the moonstone breastplate. He whirled around and slashed the man's back with the Blades sword, which only glanced off the metal, then left the guard for Lydia and Cicero to finish up as he sprinted up the stairs. Time resumed its usual pace, and two more guards rushed down with glass greatswords drawn. Though their weapons were slower, they used them effectively enough to block the dual-wielding Marcus was attempting. It was too soon to Shout again, and the female guard was pounding him with Ice Spike after Ice Spike. He bashed her with the hilt of Dragonbane and when she recoiled he ducked under her swing and got on her other side.
"We've got them, Thane!" Lydia called, rushing up the stairs. "Find the children!"
There were four bedrooms up here, he knew. He'd been here before. All the doors were closed, however, and he couldn't tell which one his children were behind.
"Sofie! Lucia! Blaise!" he cried out. "Where are you?"
"PAPA?" came Lucia's voice from the far end of the hall. "Papa! It's Papa! We're here!"
Three more guards stepped out into the hallway from the other rooms.
"Hold on, kids! I'm coming!" he called. The soldier closest to him made the mistake of trying to strike out at him without some kind of magic in the other hand. Marcus cut him down in short order. Cicero caught the mage across the middle with his Daedric dagger, but took a firebolt to the face for his efforts.
"Argh!" he snarled. "If you fry the Fools of Hearts, then I'll undo your manly parts!" he promised, sweeping low with the retrieved ebony dagger.
A piercing shriek filled the corridor as the Altmer mage crumpled to the floor to bleed out his last.
Lydia brought her Warhammer down on the last soldier's head, and Marcus was finally able to make it to the door at the far end of the Solar. It was locked.
"Dad!" he heard Blaise call out. "They locked us in and took the key! We can't get out!"
"I wanna go home!" Lucia wailed. He heard Sofie comfort her little sister.
"Cicero, can you get this open?" he asked.
Cicero examined the lock. "This is a really fine lock, Brother," he said finally. "Cicero could get it open, but even sweet Tamsyn's locket only helps a little."
"I'll get it open, Thane," Lydia promised. "Stand back, children!" she ordered. She swung the Warhammer with everything in her, and watched as it broke the handle off the door. She swung it again and dented the lockplate. Some bits of wood splintered away.
"Damn thing must be made of stone, painted to look like wood," she muttered.
"Here," Marcus said, "let me give it a few whacks."
A few whacks indeed was all it took. On the fourth swing, the door crashed open. Marcus shoved the Warhammer back at Lydia and ran forward to scoop up Lucia and Sofie, kneeling down to bring Blaise closer.
"Thank the gods you're alright!" he breathed, and he didn't even care that he was crying. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, Dad," Blaise said, squirming with embarrassment that a stranger was seeing his Da hug him. "They threatened a lot, but they didn't actually do anything."
"They kept asking us questions about you," Sofie said. "They wanted to know if we believed in Talos."
"I told them I believed my Papa would rescue us!" Lucia smiled through her sniffles.
"Yeah, that was pretty good of you, Lu," Blaise grinned. "They didn't like that at all, especially that blonde-haired lady they called 'Ambassador'." He looked at Marcus. "Is she really the Thalmor Ambassador, Dad?"
"Yes, she is," Marcus said grimly. "But let's hold off the questions for now. We need to get out of here. Lydia, take them downstairs. Cicero and I have something to do here before we leave. We won't be long."
"I don't want to leave you, Papa!" Lucia whined.
"It will be alright, sweetheart," he assured her. "Go with Lydia. Uncle Cicero and I have something to do and we'll be right down."
When the children left, the little jester looked up at Marcus with liquid eyes. "'Uncle' Cicero?" he repeated tremulously.
Marcus chuckled. "Yeah, you're my Brother, right?"
"Ohhh yesss!" Cicero squealed. "Cicero now has a bigger family! He has nieces, and a nephew!"
"Well save the celebrations for later. Come with me."
Marcus led the way to Elenwen's private chambers. He'd been here before, when he'd looted her safe. Just out of curiosity, he tried opening it again and found it locked tight. It was a shame he didn't have the time to get it open. He wondered what other interesting things she might have put in there since his last visit.
He brought Cicero over to the desk and sat him down, pulling paper, pen and ink toward the little Imperial. "I want you to write what I'm about to tell you," he told his Brother.
"But why is Cicero writing it?" the little man asked. "Why isn't my dear Brother writing it for himself?"
"Plausible deniability," Marcus grinned. "I want to be able to truthfully say I didn't write this. And if it's in your handwriting, they can't prove I had anything to do with it. Since Elenwen doesn't know what my handwriting looks like, it won't matter. She'll know who it's from, regardless. Now write."
And Marcus dictated his short letter to Cicero, who giggled and chuckled and guffawed as he wrote, sanding the letter and blowing it off before placing it where Elenwen couldn't fail to find it: pinned to her pillow with her own steel dagger.
They rejoined Lydia downstairs, and Marcus led the way to the basement door, after absconding with a key off the desk in the main office.
"Now I'm going to have to blindfold you, kids," Marcus said. "There's a lot of unpleasant stuff down here I don't want you seeing. He rummaged in a nearby dresser and found a dress that he tore into strips, binding the children's eyes. "Uncle Cicero, Lydia and I will guide you. We'll be going through a room, down a ladder and through a tunnel. Just trust us, okay?"
He cautiously cracked the door open and crept down the corridor to peer into the torture chamber. There were two guards, and Marcus motioned Lydia forward, indicating she should take them out while he and Cicero got the children to the trap door. She nodded and moved forward.
Marcus held Lucia close, covering her ears as well as he could. Sofie had her hand on Cicero's elbow while Blaise kept his on the jester's shoulder. The two older children could hear the sounds of combat, and went a bit pale, but the noises Lucia heard were muffled, and she couldn't make out what was happening. Besides, her Papa was here now, so everything was going to be alright.
Lydia came back breathing hard, but her eyes were shining. She had retrieved a few more journals from the chest near the desk. There were no prisoners to be released. One of the journals was a dossier on him.
This should make very interesting reading! he grinned to himself.
From there it was a simple matter of guiding the children down the ladder and through the tunnel. The troll's body was nothing more than bones now, having been picked over by other vermin. A skeever near the entrance was the only thing that had dared to come back into the cave.
Beyond that was open sky and fresh air, and Marcus removed the blinds. The children were delighted to be free, though Lucia clung to her Papa and wouldn't let anyone else carry her, even Lydia. They quickly met up with Tamsyn and Argis and started the long, weary trek back home. For the first time in a long time, Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. His children were safe!
Elenwen stood in her private quarters staring out the window, a vein pulsing at her temple. Ten guards dead. Ten! Her private Solar vandalized yet again, and her hostages gone! But what she found far more irritating and intimidating – though she would never admit that to anyone – was the note pinned to her pillow. She had no doubt who had written it.
"Elenwen. I have reclaimed what you took from me. If you ever harm my children again, the next dagger will find its way to that cold, lifeless lump you call a heart."
It was unsigned, but no signature was needed.
"Tsavanni!" she called. "Tsavanni! Get in here!"
"This one comes," the feline whined behind her. "What does the mistress require?"
"Clean this mess up," Elenwen ordered. "And be quick about it! I haven't got all day to wait around for you to do your job!"
"This one will be quick," the Khajiit promised, raising an evil-looking ebony black blade over her head. "The Ambassador will never know Tsavanni was here."
[Author's Note: I do hope you'll forgive this insanely long chapter, but there was no easy place to leave off. I had to get this story arc finished. Wow! That was an emotional roller-coaster for me! So, the children have been rescued and everyone is heading home. Next up Marcus realizes that he rides the fence almost as well as Balgruuf does. But is that the best place to be? We'll see. Thanks for staying with me so far!]