Falkreath hadn't changed in the time since Leola had last been there. At this point, she wasn't even sure how long it had been since her mother had died, only that she'd taken their horse by her mother's instructions, ridden straight to Windhelm as fast as the old thing could take her, and hadn't been back since.
They had the driver stop just outside of the town, because along the way, Ulfric pointed out that there was a possibility Samuel had spies watching for their arrival in town. In two groups, about ten minutes between them, they left the carriage and began walking to the Falkreath watchtower. Ulfric said that it had just been built ten years ago, having been a crumbling ruin before, but now it was patrolled by the town's guards and used for its original purpose.
Leola went with Erith and her father, while Aventus waited by the carriage to walk with Elienne. The walk was mostly in silence, and they were greeted by Falkreath guards when they arrived. They were more than willing to let the group stay there for the day while they sorted out their plans, and set them up with some sleeping bags around the fire at the base of the tower. It wasn't long before Aventus and Elienne arrived, and the group sat around the fire to talk about their plan.
"We had an idea," Aventus told them, nodding towards Elienne. "If Samuel has people watching for us, they're just expecting the four of us - they won't expect Elienne. She can go into the town and find Bottar and Shelur in the inn, and she can tell them that we're camped in the watchtower."
"I can basically be all our communication," she said. "I can also meet Aventus's agents when they arrive, to tell them what the plan is."
"Samuel's people won't expect Cassius or Naniena either," Aventus said. "They expect the four of us, along with Shelur and Bottar, and if they're watching, they already know that Shelur and Bottar are here looking for Daedric activity."
"That's a good idea," Ulfric told him with a nod. "Bringing Elienne was obviously the right choice."
"But of course," Elienne said with a soft laugh.
"So what do we tell them?" Leola asked.
"Bottar knows Cassius," said Aventus. "We tell Bottar that Cassius is on his way here with a friend. Elienne will wait not with Bottar and Shelur, but near them, and once Bottar and Cassius start talking, she comes straight back here to let us know. We tell Bottar that once he has Cassius and Naniena with him, the four of them are to go to Lakeview Manor. Any spies won't know where they're headed, and by the time they realize that they're at the Manor, they won't be able to get inside to tell Samuel without being spotted."
"The four of them watch the manor until we arrive, and then we all storm it," Erith finished off, grinning. "Have I told you I love the way you think?"
"Many times, but I do love to hear it," Aventus replied with a grin. "So it sounds like a plan?"
"It sounds like a plan," Leola said. "We should all get some sleep - there's no chance of Naniena and Cassius getting here before nightfall, so we can afford to send Elienne there after we've all rested."
"Of course," said Aventus.
"Could one of you wake us in, say, seven hours?" Ulfric asked one of the guards, who was quick to agree. Satisfied that they wouldn't oversleep and secure in the knowledge that the town's guards would keep them safe, they were all quick to doze off, having been wide awake all through the night as the carriage drove on.
When Leola woke up, it was to the sensation of one of the guards gently shaking her shoulder. She blinked in the light to adjust for a moment before pulling herself into a sitting position. "I - ugh…has it been seven hours already?" she asked sleepily, and the guard shook her head.
"No," she said. "Come with me - we need to speak in private."
"Er, alright," Leola mumbled, stumbling as she rose to her feet before following the guard outside. They stood on one of the walled fortifications of the tower. Another guard was at the end of the wall, and another was by the tower's door. The guard who had addressed Leola had removed her helmet and was holding it beneath her arm - she was either an Imperial or a Nord, Leola couldn't quite tell, and she had short, tousled brown hair, blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles across her cheeks.
"My name is Louisa Caerellia. Look, before we speak, there's something you need to know - I'm supposed to be a spy for Samuel, from the Thieves Guild," said the girl, and Leola's eyes widened.
"You - what?" she asked.
"I was given instructions to watch for anyone in your company," Louisa replied. "I'm supposed to report back to him immediately if I spot any of you."
"Then why haven't you?" Leola asked.
"I never intended to," said Louisa. "Your mother did my family a great favour once long ago, before I was born - she tracked down and killed the vile man who killed my older sister after he escaped from the jail. Any cause that you are chasing down can't be anything but righteous, and I intend to help you."
"I - oh," Leola mumbled, nodding. "Alright. Well, thank you."
"I listened while you were discussing your plan," Louisa said. "It's almost a perfect plan."
"Almost?" asked Leola, raising an eyebrow.
"Almost," Louisa confirmed with a nod. "Samuel knows that your two friends - Bottar and the Orc - are already here. He does know that they're not here looking for him, but he has eyes on them anyhow. My sister, Oraina, is also working for him - except that she's with Bottar and your Orc friend right now. She told them the same thing I just told you, that your mother did our family a favour and she owes you and wants to help, so she's been helping them try to track down the Daedric shrine you're hunting."
"Then the letter that Erith and my father sent-" Leola said quickly, her eyes widening.
"Yes," said Louisa with a nod. "Luckily, they were vague - I saw the letter after Shelur and Bottar went to sleep. Oraina brought it to me and told me that your group was on their way here. Luckily, your friend was vague in her letter - all she said was that something had come up and not to leave Falkreath, instead to wait for you to arrive. It didn't have an estimated time of arrival, though."
"We told Kayd that it would be a few days," Leola said.
"That's what Kayd told Samuel," Louisa replied. "Luckily, when Oraina reported the letter to Samuel, that was the only information they had. They're expecting you in a few days."
"So we still have the advantage of surprise," said Leola.
"Not when Elienne shows up at the inn to tell Bottar, Shelur, and Oraina that you're here and what your plan is," Louisa said. "Oraina will know everything and all she has to do is tell Samuel. He'll move, or he'll fortify the manor - he'll make sure you can't overtake him."
Leola's eyes widened. "Oh no," she breathed. "How do we get to Bottar and Shelur without Oraina finding out everything? Why is your sister even helping Samuel?"
"They're romantically involved," said Louisa. "It's complicated, but she thinks he loves her and she'll do anything for him, even after what your mother did for our family. She thinks it doesn't matter because it was before we came along."
"How can they be romantically involved? Samuel is married," Leola said, a frown on her lips.
"Oraina's his mistress," Louisa said with a shrug. "The long-term plan doesn't include Runa."
"Is he going to kill Runa?"
"No," Louisa said. "He just doesn't want to be with her. She was just a way of making himself respectable in Windhelm. He's been brewing plans for years, Leola, and you coming along did nothing but give him a new plan."
"What else has he tried to do?" Leola asked.
"Before you showed up here, he intended to kill your father. He had a plan to make himself High King - it all fell through, though, now that Ulfric has an heir and something that will make him even more powerful is being dangled in front of him."
Leola paused, glancing around. If one of these guards was working for Samuel, if a girl at the inn who was helping her friends was working for Samuel, if Minette's best friend was working for Samuel…
"Louisa," said Leola in a soft voice, "exactly how many people are working for Samuel?"