Chapter Two:

Into the Keep

Milos called me and then tossed a sword at me as I was groggily getting up. After nearly decapitating myself (who needs a headsman to do it?) and shooting Milos a glare that would've made his ancestors proud, I grabbed some Imperial gear and examined it.

"Oh thank the Nine!" I exclaimed. "It's a woman's size!" I turned on Milos and Hadvar. "Turn around! I don't want you two to see me while I'm changing!"

"There's a Dragon outside, and you're worried about us seeing your naked body?" Hadvar asked in disbelief as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, I know; priorities. Just. Turn. Around."

Hadvar and Milos looked at each other and then faced the wall. I changed as quickly as I could into the light Imperial gear. I shoved the Imperial helmet on my head and then grabbed the iron sword from the bed I was resting in.

"Okay," I said. "Let's go."

Hadvar used a pull chain and we silently crept through a hallway. Hadvar stopped us as we reached another gate.

"Hear that?" he whispered. "Stormcloaks. Maybe we can reason with them."

I nodded in agreement as Hadvar opened the gate with another pull chain. I was about to sheathe my weapon as we walked through when the Stormcloaks grabbed theirs. Both Stormcloaks had iron battleaxes, and they knew how to use them.

"For Ulfric and the Stormcloaks!" the woman yelled.

I parried her blow, not wanting direct contact with my sword (or my body, for that matter) in case my sword would break from the pressure behind it. I still didn't know how reliable a weapon it was.

Luckily, the battleaxes made them both slow. I kicked my leg out and hit the female Stormcloak in the knee she cried out in pain and tried to grab me with one of her hands, but I'd already jumped back. Milos came up behind her and stabbed her through the back, showering my face with her blood.

I ignored it and moved to help Hadvar. He was grappling with the Stormcloak, weapons long forgotten. I followed Milos' example and went up behind the Stormcloak, running my blade across his throat.

The Stormcloak died instantly. Hadvar stooped to recover his sword from the ground.

"What happened to you?" Hadvar asked.

I ripped off a piece of the blue fabric of one of the dead Stormcloaks and wiped my face. "Milos decided that I needed a shower."

"You shouldn't wipe it off; you look better with it on," Milos said with a toothy grin.

I frowned at him and then tossed the bloodied fabric to the side. "Okay. Ready."

"Let me see if I can get that door open," Hadvar said as he sheathed his sword.

Milos hefted one of the battleaxes up and weighed it in his hands. Seemingly satisfied, he sheathed his sword to his side and gripped the battleaxe.

"I wish it were an actual blade instead," Milos grumbled when he caught me looking. "Much faster."

"I would've thought you to be the sneaky type, Argonian." Hadvar opened the gate and walked through. "We'd best hurry; that Dragon won't wait for us while we sit around enjoying each other's good company."

We followed him through the door and down some steps until we reached a hallway. Suddenly, the keep shook and Milos grabbed the collar of my armour.

"Look out!" Hadvar cried.

Milos yanked me backwards just as some of the roof came down, effectively cutting off our path, but it hadn't totally covered-up a door.

"Damn, that Dragon doesn't give up easy," Hadvar muttered.

"We can go through here," I said, pointing to the door.

Milos put a clawed finger to his lips (or what lips he had) and pressed his ear against the door.

"Two men," he told us. "Sounds like they're trying to get to some potions."

"Can you tell if they're Stormcloaks?" I asked.

Milos held up a finger to silence me. "... They're Stormcloaks."

"Then we've got the element of surprise." I crouched low and silently opened the door as Milos moved away. I crept quietly behind one of the Stormcloaks, covered his mouth and slit his throat. He went down with a gurgle that wasn't unheard by his comrade.

Milos was there instantly, and slammed his battleaxe into the Stormcloak's chest. He breathed his last as Milos tried to pry it out of him.

"Damn. Argonian's got an arm," Hadvar muttered.

Milos eventually gave in, but seemed happy that the Stormcloak I'd killed had an iron greatsword.

"Happy now?" I asked him.

"Much happier," he replied, "but I could do without the Dragon."

"See if you can find some potions," Hadvar ordered. "They may come in handy."

I went to where one of the Stormcloaks had stood near some barrels and searched them. I chuckled as I fished out a few health potions, which were always in fancy red bottles.

"He was trying to open the wrong barrel," I told Milos with a smile.

Hadvar put two bags beside us. They weren't exactly small, but they weren't very large either.

"We can put what supplies we find inside these bags. It'll save us some hands from carrying, and we could use our weapons more effectively," Hadvar explained.

I carefully placed the few potions I'd found inside of one of the bags and slung it over my shoulder. Milos found a few golden Septims after some vigorous searching and pocketed them. It was a good idea; we'd need them when we got out... or if we got out. I also grabbed some arrows that one of the Stormcloaks had on him, hoping to find a bow later on.

We exited the storeroom to the hallway, where our path was now blocked from behind rather than in front of us. The hallway twisted and turned and took us lower underground, but I didn't mind. At least the Dragon wouldn't be able to fit through.

We made it to a torturing chamber, where the torturer and his assistant were being attacked by a single Stormcloak.

"A torture room," Hadvar breathed. "Gods, I wish we didn't need these."

We ran in to take the Stormcloak by surprise. She saw us coming and immediately knew that, even if she defeated the burly torturer's assistant, she didn't have the energy to get past us. In a desperate attempt, she swung her iron sword around quickly to keep us at bay, but she backed herself into a pillar. I called for some magicka in my left hand and cast fire at her. She held up her shield, but it soon erupted into flames and burnt her arm. Hadvar moved in for the kill and stabbed her through the chest.

While Hadvar was speaking to the torturer, I found a few lockpicks in a bag and started to pick the lock on the centre torture cage. A dead mage lay inside, surrounded by a few potions that he'd probably intended to use on himself. After picking up the golden Septims lying around, I grabbed the potions and did the enviable task of undressing the dead Breton. At least he'd had the decency to wear undergarments.

The Novice hood and robe I'd taken off of him would be a nice change from the Imperial armour I was wearing, but I didn't feel like taking my time to change again. The torturer's assistant decided to tag along with us, and we were all too happy for his help.

We left the torture chamber, passing several other cells that had been carved into the stone, and entered a large chamber with a stream passing through the middle and two bridges. A female Stormcloak spotted us almost instantly and drew her weapon.

"For Ulfric and the Stormcloaks!" she shouted, alerting her comrades of our presence.

I drew my longsword and ducked underneath her iron greatsword, and slid my blade across her stomach. I got past her and ran for the next Stormcloak while Milos dealt with the first. Using the fire in my palm, I saw oil and ignited it. The Stormcloak who was unfortunate enough not to have noticed it screamed and beat at the flames, but it was no use; he was a dead man walking.

Before he dropped the longbow in his hands, I wrenched it from his grasp, grabbed one of the iron arrows at his back and fired as quickly as I could, hitting another Stormcloak with a bow in the shoulder. He staggered into the wall but fired his own arrow at me. I ducked instinctively and nocked another arrow, this time taking a breath before I let it fly. This one hit home, right through his throat. I looted the rest of the arrows from the Stormcloak who I'd taken the longbow from and looked around. Milos had decapitated the first Stormcloak, and there'd been another on the ground by the stream that Hadvar and the torturer's assistant had dispatched.

"I'd better stay back and help with the old man," the torturer's assistant said, almost wearily. "You go on ahead."

Hadvar didn't argue and moved onward. I kept my new bow out and tested the string. After tightening it quickly, it seemed well enough. At least I wouldn't miss at a crucial time. I looted the Stormcloak I'd hit in the throat with an arrow, hoping that both of the arrows I'd wasted on him were still in good condition. One was, but the other was bent and broken. I slipped the arrows into my new quiver and followed Hadvar and Milos further.

Milos stopped by a lever to a drawbridge and pushed it. It was stuck fast, so he went around to the other side and pulled it. I pushed it while he was doing so to help. After a lot of creaking from the bridge, the lever finally gave way and I fell onto Milos. He groaned as I did.

"Sorry," I said, and then offered my hand to help him up.

Milos took it and grunted as he got to his feet. "I think I may have hurt my tail a bit..."

I chuckled. Of all the things Milos always obsessed about, it was the horns on his head, and his tail.

We walked over the bridge, Hadvar first, me second, and Milos third. A great shaking once again came over the keep, and the bridge collapsed as Hadvar and I made it to the other side. Terrified for Milos, I ran to the ruin of the drawbridge and looked down. Milos was dusting himself off, a frown apparent on his reptilian face.

"I'm okay," he said. "I'll just go down this tunnel and see if I can't meet up with you."

I nodded and rejoined Hadvar, who had a curious smile on his face.

I glanced at him and then nocked an arrow into my bow. "What?"

"You and the Argonian are getting along well," Hadvar said, his smile not leaving. "Know each other well?"

"Milos and I... Well, we were in Cyrodiil at the same time. We became friends, and then he had to leave for Black Marsh. I was actually surprised to see him today, but then the Dragon swooped in and I had a different lizard to be surprised about."

"I'll second that." Hadvar unsheathed his sword and glanced down a tunnel. "This way is blocked," he said. "We'll go down this way instead; with the lamp."

I searched the skeleton lying near the lamp and pocketed some more gold. As we were about to proceed on, I heard splashing coming from behind us. I pulled the arrow in my bow back and whirled around, taking aim at whoever or whatever was behind us.

Milos raised his hands. "It's me, Taryn," he said, and then held up a coin purse. "Look what I found. Now we have a place to put all this gold we're finding."

I grinned and relaxed. "Any more and we're going to be rich, Milos."

We took some time to dump the coins we'd found into the purse and then Milos tied it to his belt. We proceeded onward, taking only one turn before we descended ever further under the ground (or, at least, I thought we were under the ground. The next chamber we saw had light streaming through a hole on the roof), to a chamber where webs covered the floor and ceiling.

I loosed an arrow on something I saw moving. It squealed in agony and then died, but not before I saw what it was.

"A giant spider..." I muttered.

"Frostbite spiders," Milos corrected me. "And it looks like it's got friends."

Two more spiders shifted out of the darkness and examined the new body. Milos and Hadvar charged forward and stabbed the spiders through their heads, avoiding their poison. Seeing movement on the ceiling, I loosed an arrow. A screech resounded throughout the chamber, much louder than the three Frostbite spiders before it, and it crumbled onto the ground. The spider was easily the size of all three smaller Frostbite spiders put together, and then some.

"Another one!" Hadvar shouted.

I let another arrow fly, but I missed. The giant Frostbite spider touched the ground and scurried over to Milos and Hadvar, who were avoiding its deadly poison-coated incisors. I ran forward, slinging the boy over my shoulder, and drew my blade, running it along the left side of the spider's legs. It screeched and turned towards me, but stopped as soon as it had started. Hadvar yanked his iron longsword from the giant Frostbite spider's head and looked at the blade with disgust.

"Let's not do that again," he said, wiping the blade on his armour.

Milos and I agreed. We proceeded onward, stopping for a short rest beside the stream and taking a drink. Milos sifted through his pack and pulled out some bread.

"Where'd you get that?" I asked.

"I found it lying around—."

"I don't want any."

Milos grinned. "Do you even know when we're going to eat again?"

"As soon as we get out of this cave, I'm killing the first deer I see."

Hadvar was laughing at us. "Well, you two do seem familiar. Were you more than friends at any time...?"

Milos and I looked at each other, and then burst out in laughter. "No way!" Milos cried, holding his chest in an effort to stop himself from laughing. "There's no way I'd be courting Taryn! She'd kill me if I tried!"

"That, and I made it incredibly clear back in Cyrodiil that, if he mentioned it, I'd saw off his horns." I grinned. "Milos and I are just friends. We'll stay that way."

Hadvar smiled and rubbed the stubble on his face. "Well, we'd best keep moving."

Shouldering our packs, we continued into the cavern that the keep had become, with occasional munching noises coming from Milos. He was eating the bread he'd found. I suppressed a gag and tried to block out his eating sounds.

Hadvar crouched and held out his arm. "Hold up! There's a bear up ahead. Can you see her?"

Milos and I crouched like Hadvar and looked ahead. Sleeping, a gigantic, russet-brown bear was lying in the light that the holes in the ceiling provided.

"I'd rather not tangle with her right now," Hadvar continued. "We might be able to sneak by. Just watch your step, and take it nice and slow."

We stayed far from the bear. I debated attacking it so we wouldn't have to sneak around, but taking the sleeping animal by surprise didn't sit well with me. People who were awake and didn't know I was there, I could handle. Especially in this kind of a desperate situation.

After successfully getting past the bear, we stood up and began to jog. We traveled further down until we saw a light at the end of a tunnel.

"This must be the way out!" Hadvar exclaimed. "I was starting to wonder if we'd ever make it."

We ran for it, the scent of freedom filling our nostrils, despite the stitches in our sides. We burst out into the open mountain air and came to a stop, looking over the valley with grateful looks on our faces.

"Wait!" Hadvar crouched behind a rock, and we quickly followed him. Above us, the Dragon roared, the black mass soaring through the skies as Skyrim's oldest and deadliest predator. Hadvar sighed. "Looks like he's gone for good this time. But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back."

I released the breath that I realized I'd been holding in. Something about that Dragon, made me shiver, not from cold or fear, but another feeling. I didn't know what to make of it. Milos glanced at me suspiciously, but didn't bring it up. I had a feeling he would later, though.

"Closest town from here is Riverwood," Hadvar explained as he led us down the rocky path. "My uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you two out. It's probably best if we'd split up. Good luck; I wouldn't have made it without your help today."

Hadvar stopped for a rest and watched us go. We followed the twisting path until we were only a few yards from the river, and then we found a few strange stones.

"Ah," Milos breathed. "Guardian Stones. The Thief, the Mage, and the Warrior. They're the basic Guardian Stones, though I'm sure there's more around." Milos walked up to the Warrior. "I'll take this one."

I stepped up to the Thief almost immediately and put my hand on it. Immediately, a magical beam of light shot up to the heavens above.

I heard Milos chuckle. "Old habits die hard, huh?"

"Says the Argonian who's carrying a sword larger than an Orc child," I retorted. "We should wait here for Hadvar. I think he'd like the company, and then it won't be so awkward to explain to his uncle the situation we're in."