Chapter Forty-Two:

Imperial Presence

Let me get this straight: I was sad for Sventius' death, but I knew nothing about him besides the fact that he'd brewed potions for Kodlak, had a daughter, and was an ex-Thalmor. That was it. He helped me to escape, and I was going to find a way to honour his memory. Maybe I would be able to find his daughter (I think her name was Viranirn...) and tell her where her father's resting place was.

So I stayed a few days up in the mountains with Angi honing my archery skills. During that time, Angi had told me about her life. She lived with a mother and brother, and she and her brother hunted for food and furs together. Their mother had taught them the bow. It was why she was so good.

She'd also killed those Imperials who'd killed her family with those skills. I wondered why she didn't just move to a different Hold entirely, but I assumed there was some sentimental value there. But Helgen was burnt to the ground. I found myself wondering which house was hers that I had passed for the two times I had been there.

Angi was curious about me, and I found myself telling her some things that would have remained secret to others. It was a thing about strangers: friends will judge, but strangers don't know you well enough to. I told her about Anvil, Arnand Bienne, my prolonged trip to Skyrim, my falling-out with Milos (the circumstances as to why I kept to myself), the involvement of the Thalmor... I told her everything besides my lycanthropy, Kodlak, and the whole Dragonborn thing. And she listened very well, offering what words she could when she felt they needed to be given.

I had made a marker of sorts for Sventius while I was there. I didn't want to find his daughter and then appear a complete and blundering idiot for forgetting the exact place he was buried and tell her to have a happy hunt or anything. So I fashioned a very crude tombstone out of a rather large rock, a chisel and a hammer. It was the best I could do for him at the time.

About four days after I had arrived at Angi's camp ("arrived" meaning shot at and dragged inside) and trained with her, she told me I passed her little tests on composure, precision and speed, and then sent me on my way with directions to Falkreath and a hunting bow and iron arrows. She'd initially wanted to give me hers, but I'd refused since the Empire would probably be looking for her. And if they found her, I wouldn't want her to use just a practice bow to defend herself.

So I was off to Falkreath. I was hoping to find a wagon there to hire to Riften, and was halfway there before I realized I would have to sell something to get money in order to hire that blasted wagon. It was a mopey trip, to say the least.

I had hardly stepped foot within the town boundaries before guards rushed past me and nearly knocked me over. A few hollered at me for being in their way, and others simply ignored my presence entirely. One of them stopped though.

"Get into the town!" he ordered.

"W-What's going on?!" I exclaimed uncertainly. "Why are all the guards going that way?!"

"Bandits attacked some homestead called Pinewatch up there," he explained quickly, and then began to jog away. "Go to the inn! We'll take care of it!"

Raesa! Claevius! I remembered the old woman I'd helped outside of the general store in Falkreath. They recently moved in to that old place...

I followed after the guards, but by the time I reached them they were exiting the homestead. They muttered curses and stood around the homestead, sealing it off from outsiders and searching the ground for clues. I noticed Raesa's wheelbarrow was tipped over, and some common items had been flung about, some stuck in the soil.

"Hold, citizen!" A guard made his way to me, holding his arm out as if to grab my shoulder. "This area is off-limits! Official business only!"

I jabbed a finger at the guard. "Let me pass! I need to get at those bandits—!"

"They've already gone." He gestured around the farmhouse. "The residents are missing too. Probably gone to some hideout of theirs."

"Look; I'd like to get inside," I told him. "I know those people." Well, one of them. "Let me help!"

He planted his hands on his hips, although I noticed one hand slowly make its way to the hilt of his sword. "You some kind of sell-sword?"

"Not really," I admitted. "Just a very concerned and armed citizen."

The guard looked around at his comrades. Some had already begun to wander off back to Falkreath. He sighed, and nodded to me.

"Very well," he affirmed. "But those bandits might come back."

I wasted no time and entered the farmhouse. I wanted to find some sort of clue. All I could see though were strewn plates and pots. It was as if the old couple had just sat down for a meal when they were attacked.

But what would bandits want with two old Imperials...? I concluded my search for anything useful and travelled down the stairs into the basement. The bookshelf was completely empty, and anything else of note was missing. Perhaps the two had been hoarding some sort of stash? It seemed unlikely though.

Disappointed and annoyed, I made to leave Pinewatch. My bow smacked against the pole by the bookshelf and its string snapped. I groaned in annoyance and placed it on the dresser by the stairs to see if I couldn't fix it. When it was evident that I couldn't, I found myself glaring at the wall.

And at a small brown button.

A sudden draft made me curious of the empty bookshelf. Now that I examined it a bit more, I could see that there was some light coming from underneath it. I wasted no time and pressed the button. With an unearthly groan the bookshelf swung outwards and revealed a tunnel. The wall had seemed to be broken years ago. Wine was also left in a bucket at the foot of the back of the bookshelf.

An offering of some sort...? I moved the bucket and delved into the tunnel, absently grabbing my broken bow as I did. I could hear voices up ahead.

A large, cavernous room appeared as I left the tunnel behind. I ducked behind some wooden foundations when I spotted some figures moving on some bridges above the ground. I decided to sneak past them by going below.

The ground was littered with crates and boxes, some a bit older than others. To my left, I spotted a few torches that illuminated a trapdoor. A Nord bandit was laughing at two people bound and gagged on top of the trapdoor. Raesa and Claevius!

I slowly began approaching him. His hand finally touched the lever that would likely send them plummeting to their deaths before I yanked an arrow out of the quiver on my back, clapped a hand over his mouth and jammed the tip into his neck. He choked a bit and spat some blood into my hand, but I kept a firm hold of him until he was dead.

Raesa was obviously surprised to see me, but grateful nonetheless. Claevius was confused by me, but a reassuring glance from his wife worked wonders. I first untied them and then quietly led them up the ramp to the tunnel. When they began their brief trek back into Pinewatch, I returned to the trap, pulled the lever to open it, and then shoved the body of the dead bandit into it. He was quickly impaled upon the spikes.

I left it open to make it appear as if he'd let Raesa and Claevius die, but I hurried to follow them out of the lair. When Claevius and Raesa were safely back in the basement, I smashed the button on the inside of the cavern to break it and then slipped into the basement as the bookshelf shut. The bandits wouldn't be able to escape.

Raesa opened her mouth to thank me when I pressed a finger to my lips to quieten her. I wasn't sure if the bandits would hear us or not. I led them out of the farmhouse, and only when the door was firmly shut behind us did I let out a breath of relief.

"Are you two okay?" I asked the old couple.

Raesa nodded and threw her arms around me, giving me a big hug (that I hadn't really expected). "Thank-you so much, Taryn! I thought that was the end of us!"

"No problem," I replied, giving her a squeeze back. "I was worried when I saw the guards..."

Speaking of which, the one I'd spoken to earlier (I recognized the chips in his helmet) approached us. I guessed that he was probably surprised.

I addressed him first. "The bandits are hiding in a cavern behind the bookshelf on the lower level," I explained. "The button to open their hideout is on its right. If you get some men now and sneak inside, you can catch them by surprise. They're well-supplied and I doubt a simple bookshelf will hold them for long once they realize they're trapped within."

Dumbfounded, the guard merely nodded and began running back to Falkreath. I sighed loudly when I realized I'd just drawn attention to myself again. The Thalmor will have a field day...

Claevius was a large Imperial man with grey hair, a short beard, and very prominent green eyes. He smiled and offered a large hand to me. I hadn't really needed Raesa to tell me that he was a soldier; his stance and his scars could easily tell me a hundred stories of him. I took his hand and shook it firmly, although he squeezed a bit hard.

"Thank-you," he said in a startlingly deep voice. "Raesa told me you helped her earlier at the general store. And now you've saved our lives. We owe you a debt we may never be able to repay."

I smiled weakly, a bit embarrassed. "U-Uh, I don't want you to feel indebted. I just came to help, is all."

"Still." Claevius smiled broadly. "We haven't yet been formally introduced. What is your name?"

Knowing full well the customs of the Imperials (being one myself and having stayed in Anvil for so long. Madness, isn't it?), I grinned. He already knew my name through Raesa. "Taryn Greystone. And you?"

"Claevius Victus," he replied, bowing his head a little. "I am a retired soldier of the emperor. And my wife—."

"Raesa Victus," she interjected, snuggling herself into Claevius' outstretched arm. He happily obliged her by bringing her closer to him. "Former shopkeeper. Now we're just trying to live through our retirement."

Wait a second, Victus?!

"You wouldn't, by some chance, happen to know someone by the name of Elana Victus?" I asked tentatively.

The old woman's eyes lit up. "Why, yes! She's the daughter that I told you about before! Do you know her? Have you seen her?!"

I immediately shook my head, ignoring the urge to take a step back from the onslaught of questions. "N-No ma'am. I just heard the name a few times and thought there might have been a relation."

But Raesa was clearly brightened-up. I took my leave of them afterwards and began to head back to Falkreath as they began the cleaning process (Claevius told me that if I dared help them any more than I already had he'd knock me out to stop me), only to realize that, even if I sold my bow, I wouldn't have enough money to get to Riften.

"Shit!" I exclaimed sullenly. "Damn bow..."

I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me. Fearing it to be a wild animal, I immediately grabbed an arrow from my quiver and ignited flame magicka into my left palm. But it wasn't a wild animal. In fact, it was a horse.

Its eyes were an eerie red and its coat was as black as the night sky, but it didn't at all give off an "evil horse" vibe. It slowly approached me once I'd placed my arrow back into my quiver and deactivated my magicka, nudging its snout against my hand. When it decided I'd petted it enough, it turned to its side. I immediately noticed the note attached to it.

I plucked it from the horse and began reading.

Greystone,

We have made it safely to Winterhold. We are wounded and had to take an express wagon to get properly treated at the College, but we'll be all right. Javin was made unconscious from the fight, so we couldn't immediately come after you, and even my training could not aid us. And we could not stop in Riften—too many bloody Thalmor patrolling the area.

I've sent my most trusted friend to find you. Her name is Shadowmere. She will take you to us. You won't have to worry about guiding her anywhere. Provided she finds you, I expect to see you within three days' time.

My duties as Listener have taken me to Dawnstar for the time being, but rest assured I will likely be back in Winterhold before you. The cat is out searching for an Elder Scroll, and will likely be back even sooner than I.

Merely mount Shadowmere. She will do the rest.

Yours,

Aldren

I studied the note a bit longer before I glanced at Shadowmere. She whinnied a bit and seemed to gesture for me to climb on.

Well, I hope I've seen stranger things, I thought, and then quickly mounted the black horse. Oh! Like discovering I might have grandparents! Sheesh...

"Take me to the others, girl," I told her.

She wasted no time in beginning to gallop to the north. And frankly, I think I nearly had a heart-attack from her speed. I solemnly reminded myself to tell Aldren to warn me next time... If there was a next time.

I sincerely hoped there wouldn't be.