Day Twenty-one

I slept in since the party would not be starting until much later. When I did get up I ordered a hearty breakfast. It was good, but the eggs had a funny taste to them. I assumed it was from some regional spices. I finished them anyway and went in search of Lydia. I found her at the blacksmith's. She seemed to be on good terms with the big man, very good terms. They were laughing and whispering as I approached.

"Are you ready to go, Housecarl?" I asked to interrupt their banter.

"Whenever you are, Thane," she turned to the blacksmith. "Bye for now. Say hello to your wife, Sayma, for me. Tell her to stop putting in so many late hours at work. Wouldn't you agree, Ralos?" Wink.

"I guess. She was glad to give me a hand last night, though."

"I'll bet she was," Wink.

"Is something wrong with your eye?" I asked.

"Have it your way, Ralos. I'm ready to go."

I hurried to the stables just to get away from the confusion of Solitude. I found Delphine waiting impatiently for me.

"You sure took your sweet time," she said as a greeting. "Anyway, here's your invitation. You're not going like that, are you?"

"What's wrong with this?" I said, getting heated, "It took me almost an hour to decide on these. They are the latest in fashion."

"He got them from Sayma last night," Lydia added, again winking.

"Ahh," Delphine said, "So you must have dressed in the dark afterwards. Well, it doesn't matter. Here's the clothes you should wear. You can change in the carriage on the way there."

I looked over the clothes. They were nice but no better than what I had on. I was about to argue further when a sudden pain nearly doubled me over. I could feel my stomach gurgling and I even wondered if the ladies next to me could hear it. Something was not right.

"What's wrong with you?" Delphine asked.

With some effort I managed to straighten up. "Nothing. Thanks for the clothes. I'll change on the way. Coming, Lydia."

"Actually, you must arrive alone," Delphine said. "She can accompany me and we'll meet at the rendezvous. I'm sure we'll find something to do while we wait."

"I'm sure you will," I say with a knowing grin, as I hopped into the carriage.

"You can try anyway, but I don't know if she'll go for it. Try some wine first and she's partial to moonstones. Tell you what, if she does, you'll let me know, right? Maybe we can all...find something to do."

The carriage pulled away and I saw both of them look at each other and shrug. They're not fooling me, though. All of a sudden my stomach grumbled loudly and I had to concentrate on containing myself. Those damn eggs, I'll bet. At least I was alone in the back of the carriage.

The carriage ride was not as long as I was hoping. My stomach is still unsettled by the time we arrived. The driver, who had taken to covering his nose with a scarf, could not have left quicker. In fact he nearly ran over another guest who was making his way on foot.

"I'm glad to see a fellow Nord," the man said, introducing himself as Razelan.
"And you arriving by carriage, no less. I salute you, sir."

The man was obviously already drunk, so much so he had to sit down before he fell down. I told him I would see him inside but hopefully he would pass out and fall back into the bushes. I had a feeling he follow me around like a puppy if I let him.

I glanced at the guard waiting by the entrance. He was trying to look intimidating but I recalled my teenage training at being newly wealthy and approached him confidently.

"Your invitation, please," he said harshly. I don't think he liked seeing so many Nords around.

"Of course," I said, but it was not in the pocket I thought it was. I searched a couple more pockets but came up empty. The guard was growing impatient when I suddenly found it stuffed in the back of my trousers. I think I put it there while I buttoned my new shirt. I handed it to him.

The guard seemed suspicious that it took so long and gave it a close look. Too close, it seemed. He pulled his face away from it and wrinkled his nose.

"Sorry," I said, "I think I may have dropped it in the stables."

"So it seems. You may go in."

Inside, I did not get more than a few feet when my way was blocked by a tall female Thalmor.

"I am Elewen, Thalmor ambassador. I don't believe we've met."

So this was her party? She had the look of someone not used to being trifled with. "My name is Ralos Ravenclaw, newly named Thane of Whiterun."

"Ah, yes. I remember seeing your name on the guest list. But I know nothing else about you. Tell me more, Ralos."

"Pardon me, Miss Elewen," a familiar voice said from the bar. "The champagne is running low already and I think I just heard Razelan show up. What should I do?"
I looked at the bar and saw Malborn dressed as a servant.

"Why must I be bothered with this? If that drunk so much as touches a glass..."

I did not bother to listen to the rest. I used Malborn's distraction to move into the parlor to mingle until I got the signal from him. These nobles were so full of themselves. How could anyone stand them? Finally I caught a wave from Malborn and slowly made my way to the bar. He pretended to make me a drink while whispering.

"The guards are watching everyone too closely, even me. You need to create a distraction so I can slip you out of here."

"Me? I thought you had a plan."

"That is the plan. Now go, we don't have much time."

Razelan entered the parlor. "Do not worry, dear Lords and Ladies, the party has arrived!"

"I think I just found my distraction," I told Malborn, "Just be ready."

I watched from the bar for a minute, absently eating some food from a bowl on the bar. Razelan tried to get a drink from one of the serving girls but she told him she was not allowed to serve him. He threw his hands up, pouted, then sat on a bench near the door, probably contemplating leaving. I had to act now.
"Whoa, you weren't about to eat these, were you?" Malborn asked.

"What? These chocolate treats?" I asked, looking at the bowl I was next to.

"Why?"

"Chocolate treats? It's a good thing I stopped you. These are rat dropping I just swept from under the counter. I meant to throw them out. You'd better hurry."

I could almost feel my skin turning green and my stomach had renewed its gurgling but more so, as if a pair of rocks were tumbling through my nether regions. I ignored it as best I could and stepped up to the serving girl. I took the first glass I saw and gulped it down. My throat burned and I was hoping it also burned whatever may be lingering from my snack. I took two more glasses.

"If you don't mind me saying," said the server, "you don't look well, my Lord. You look as if you swallowed a dung beetle or something."

"Close enough."

I took my drinks over to Razelan, making sure Elewen was nowhere near.

"You look thirsty, my friend," I said to him. "You should help yourself to some of their finer wines."

"I would like nothing better than to slake my powerful thirst on their free beverages," he said with a slur and a flourish of his hands, "But Elewen, that frigid bitch, has cut me off. I'd like to empty a bottle just to smash it over her head and use the jagged edges to..."

"Before you go any further, perhaps I can help you out. You may have one of mine. My stomach is already protesting the first."

The man's face lit up, "You, Sir, are a Prince among all these pinchpennies and lickspittles," he drained half, "If there's anything I can do to repay you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually, there is something you can help me with," I said and moved in a little closer, though his fuming breath strained my stomach. "There's a little serving wench I'd like to sneak out of here to teach how to properly serve a guest, if you know what I mean. I need a distraction to accomplish this, however."

"Is that all?" he said, a little too loudly, "Distractions are my speciality. Stand back and behold my handiwork!"

I casually made my way towards the bar while Razelan cleared his throat and stood in the center of the parlor.

"I would like to propose a toast," he started, "to our mistress of ceremonies, Elewen! Of course I mean that figuratively. Nobody in their right mind would take that Draugr crotch to bed. Not without a shaft of the undead to fight that blight, am I right?"

The guards began to crowd around Razelan now, ready to take him down with a nod from Elewen. I signaled to Malborn and he took me through a door behind the bar. I noticed Razelan saw me leave with the wood elf and a strange look passed over his face. He did not think... no, it's obvious I'm not... damn. Once inside the back room my stomach squeezed into a ball again and I had to lean against one of the barrels as a disturbance bubbled through my guts.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Malborn asked.

"No, but I may be getting brown shorts soon. What's next?"

"Your equipment is in that chest. Be quick about putting it on, I have to get back."

I walked over to the chest, still hunched over. I did not know how long I can hold this pain in. I dressed as quickly as possible then told Malborn I was ready.
"All right. The plans you are looking for are either through this door in a room or across the courtyard in the Thalmor's solar. Good luck."

The elf left and I could hold back no longer. The sudden relief was almost worth enduring the horrendous, putrefied stench that filled the room. Almost. I opened the door and crept out into the hall as furtively as I could in my armor. For once, I thought I was doing a pretty good job of sneaking. Some things were beyond my control, however. I could hear two guards in an adjacent room talking.

"What do you think about all these mages running around?"

"I don't care, so long as they leave the whores... wait, what's that awful smell?"

I had left the door open too long. "Crap," I said.

"That's exactly what it smells like... hold on, you didn't say that." I heard a sword unsheathed. "Who's out there?"

"Crap," I said again and reached for my sword.

Just as I get set, a Thalmor clad in full elven armor peeked around the open door. I slammed my sword onto his helm. It staggered him but that armor must be a lot stronger than it looked. Before I could hit him again another guard came out of the room and hit me with his sword. I backed up until both were in front of me and used my frost shout on them. They both slowed down and I noticed a mage inside the room put a shield up and launch a shower of sparks at me. I moved out of the way and attacked the first guard until he fell. The other guard got in one more shot at my back but then his body crumpled at my feet as I lopped his head off and sent it rolling to the feet of the mage entering the hall. He inadvertently step on it, unbalancing him into the door. I used the distraction to sidestep into an adjacent room and quickly healed and drank a potion labeled 'for shocks'. The mage crept around the doorway and was met with a fair length of steel to his face. He managed to bring up some more of his hand lightning, but two power slashes from me and he was begging for mercy. He suddenly stood to run but I caught him and ran him through with my blade, penetrating into the wood of the door and pinning him up in the air. I let him dangle there while I used my healing magic to repair the burns he inflicted. I retracted my sword then dragged the guards into the room with him and closed the door. I cracked the window at the end of the hall since the air still reeked.

I searched the room they were in and upstairs as well but I found no plans of anything. Looks like I would need to search the solar. I found the door to the courtyard and stepped out into the cold air. I snuck to the edge of the wall and peeked around to see if anyone was out here. I was spotted instantly. This sneaking business could suck Ysmir's sack-beard. I ran out and turned a corner around a wall to meet the guards. Instinctively a bellowed a war cry I once heard my father's man-at-arms do. It had scared the Hells out of me and now it did the same to the guards. For some reason they all took off running from me as if I had sprouted five heads and they all breathed Hellfire. I did not question it, I just ran for the building.

Inside, I encountered another guard with his back to me. Two swings and he was taken care of. Some servants ran up the stairs while two mages attacked me with more lightning. Their spells were effectively draining my strength so I ran upstairs to find a better place to fight. I healed with magic as I ran into a bedroom. They seemed reluctant to follow me and I heard them split up in the hallway. Perfect. I treated my blade with some poison I had found in my travels and quickly dispatched the first one to enter my room.

Now that I was down to one mage I reapplied the poison and took the fight to him. I found him in a different room and left him crumpled in a corner. Inside the room I saw a safe in a corner but I did not like my odds at opening it. To my surprise it was unlocked. They must have been pretty sure of their security to do that. Fools. Inside I found a literal treasure trove of gems, gold, and jewelry. What lovely fools! I was nearly skipping with joy as I searched the rest of the building. I did not find much more wealth but I did find a couple of dossiers that must be what Delphine was referring to, though I don't see what help they would be.

On my way downstairs I was attacked by the servant I had forgotten about. He only had a dagger and no armor so the fight lasted only until I ended up disembowelling him.

"He had guts, I gave him that. Get it?" I cursed when I remembered Lydia was not there to enjoy my sophisticated humor.

I heard someone moaning in pain down in the cellar so I decided to check it out. Maybe they found out about Malborn after all.

I used a key I found on one of the guards to open the door to the cellar. I crept down the stairs and stopped just as another guard came into view. I continued as best I could to sneak up on him. He finally noticed me but it is too late. His head wound up in a pile of straw in a corner. Love those one-hit beheadings. I searched him for valuables and found another key but what it is for I had no idea. I found a chest with another dossier in it which I added to the others. I looked into the only occupied cell and I was actually relieved not to find Malborn. A beaten man dressed in bloody rags was shackled to the wall by his wrists. I went inside to set him free.

"I told you everything I know," he said without looking up.

"I'm not here to torture you, fool," I said, "Are you so defeated by these elves you can't even lift your head?"

"You're not one of them. You're a Nord, like me. What do you want?"

"I'll explain later, if I feel like it. First, tell me what you know. What have they been asking you about? Some handsome, unstoppable rogue of a Dragonborn, perhaps?"

"No, though one did mention hearing of a prancing fool claiming to be the Dragonborn. His companion sounds like a hot piece of honeynut treat, though, if you know what I mean. They are looking for a man named Esbern. They think he is in Riften which is where they dragged me from, literally."

"Prancing fool? I'll cut all their damn heads off and prance around the pile while relieving myself on them. Now who's the fool?"

"There you are," a voice said from behind me. "I've been wondering what happened to you."

I looked to see Malborn standing outside the cell. "My stealth needs a little work. I had to use my sword to neck technique on them all. Help me with this guy."

Malborn and I freed the Nord who said his name was Etienne Rarnis. He managed to stand on his own and none too soon. As I stepped out of the cell, two guards came down the stairs.

"Halt!" is all they were able to say before I force shouted at them. They tumbled like rag dolls into the back wall where Malborn and I dispatched them quickly enough. I told Malborn I would finish up here. When I was done, I gave it a jiggle then joined him next to Etienne.

Malborn looked oddly at me, "You know, there's a bucket over there for that sort of thing."

"I had a pledge to keep. Now how do we get out of here. I've got what I came for, and more," I said, thinking of the glittering loot in my pockets.

"It'll be tough," sayid Malborn, "Your shouting and fighting has left the whole place on alert."

"There's a trap door over there," Etienne pointed out, "I've seen them use it if you can find the key."

I remembered the key I found just a few moments ago and gave it a try. The door opened. A fetid reek wafted out but it seems like a secretive enough way to go. We dropped down and closed the door behind us. Not far along we ran into a frost troll waiting among a pile of old bones and a fresh kill, a mage by the robes. Now I almost hated having to kill the thing. I used my force shout again then the two of us attacked the thing. As we were fighting I saw arrows zipping into its face and chest. I glanced over to see Lydia waiting by the exit with her bow. A few healing potions later, the troll was dead and we all met outside.

"Now the Thalmor are going to be hunting me the rest of my life," said Malborn.

"I could make that a very short time, if you'd like?" I suggested. He backed away slowly then ran away. The freed Nord stood by himself not far off.

"Nice to see you again, Honeynut," I said to Lydia, "Thanks for the help."

"Honeynut? Did you hit your head?"

"Nevermind. Where's Delphine? I've got the papers she was looking for."

"She went back to Riverwood. She said if she's gone too long, Ognar eats all the horker loaf and holds oiled Khajiit wrestling matches."

"So she has me...Khajiit wrestling?"

Lydia shrugged, "I guess they really put up a fight, too. The loser gets shaved."

"I don't mind encountering the occasional shaved Khajiit myself. Anyway, I can't believe she left after sending me in alone to do her dirty work. I know she doesn't care for men but, that's just cold-blooded."

"Funny you should mention that thing about men," Lydia said.

"Oh yeah," I said, suddenly interested, "Do tell, and don't leave anything out."

"I think it's just you she doesn't care for."

"That's it? Whatever, she just hasn't experienced the full potential of what Ralos Ravenclaw brings to the table. Let's go find a place to hole up for the night. I want to be nice and rested before dealing with this woman."

"Lead on," Lydia said.

"Hey, you don't think I prance, do you?"

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything but..."

"Forget I asked. I walked right into that."

"Sure you didn't prance into that? And you are particular about your clothes..."

"Nevermind!"

Solitude was the closest place to get some decent rest so I struck off in that direction. Half way there I came across a small building and I heard that disembodied voice again, beckoning me to enter the temple and rid it of the scourge of evil.

"Did you hear it that time?" I asked Lydia.

"Hear what?"

"That woman's voice, the same one I heard at Orphan's Rock. She just told me to enter her temple and help cleanse it of evil."

"Sounds personal," Lydia said, "I want no part of it. Any woman telling you to enter her temple must have something wrong with her."

I marked the location on my map and hurried Lydia along. Darkness was falling quickly and I would rather not be traipsing through the woods when I was already so tired. Plus, this would be the perfect place for thieves to lay a trap and take all the loot I had just acquired.

We made it to the Winking Skeever in time to get food while the kitchen was still going. After a meal I could barely stay awake and only had time to secure my loot to my person before I passed out on the huge bed.