Chapter 2: Continuing the Legacy
It felt as if ages had passed since Ava encountered the strange jester at the side of the road. She couldn't remember if it had been weeks or months-time had a funny way of slipping by without her noticing. She found it odd that, unlike most of the individuals she'd come across from time to time, she never could quite forget him. He was pretty unusual, after all. Maybe even mysterious...She'd find herself thinking about how happy he was that she helped him. She was also happy to make him happy...It had felt good, because she never made anyone happy anymore. She wasn't happy anymore... and she doubted she'd ever be happy again after what she was about to do tonight...
She sat at a table in the corner of the Bee and Barb in the city of Riften drinking a tankard of Ale...waiting. She thought of the promise she made to a certain boy in Windhelm. She came across the boy quite by accident. She came to the city of Windhelm empty handed-no food or coin at the moment. Having no coin meant no staying at the inn, so she searched around the city for a warm place to stay. It was the coldest night she'd seen thus far, so she was desperate for shelter.
Ava had overheard some talk of some abandoned house in the city. Supposedly a killer had been frequenting the place. Ava was hoping he would be out of town on this occasion. After a while spent searching, she found a rather large home that appeared to be empty. This must be it. It had to be-it certainly met all the requirements. Ava crouched down in front of the door, her numb fingers fumbling with a lockpick. She held her breath, listening for that precious click. After a few clumsy attempts, she managed to get the door open.
The door made a high-pitched whine, causing Ava to quickly glance behind her in hopes that nobody noticed. She breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that only the shadows of the nearby houses were lining the streets at this hour. She entered the home, happy to see the signs of abandonment within. Furniture sat lonely and unused from room to room, and cobwebs painted the dingy walls.
Upon further inspection, she found a set of stairs leading to the upper level. After taking a couple of steps, she heard a faint noise coming from above. It sounded like someone was...chanting? She almost bolted out of the house, but remembered that the killer (the "Butcher", they called him) was presumably a man. This sounded more like...a child. Maybe this wasn't the right house.
Curiously, Ava continued to move toward the source of the chanting. She hunkered down in the shadows, creeping ever so slowly. She came to a room with the door open. She peered around the corner, seeing a young boy on his knees as if in prayer. A chill ran over her body when she spotted a skeletal frame stretched beside him on the floor. Various items and ingredients were scattered about him, and candles were laid about in a circular form.
The chanting that had first caught her attention was now but a whisper from the boy's lips. Ava could hear him crying softly, and he began cradling his head in his hands.
"Sweet mother...sweet...mother..." the boy began to sob while gently rocking forward, as if to soothe himself. "Why...won't this...work?" he sniffled.
An intense mixture of sympathy and fear came over Ava. This poor child looked so sad...so alone. Ava felt as if she were looking in on herself as a child...She felt a sudden force drawing her near to the troubled child. She said nothing-she stood upright and slowly walked into the room.
It was as if the boy felt Ava's presence move into the room with him. His muffled crying ceased and he slowly tilted his head toward her. "You're...here? It-it worked?!" The boy jumped up on his feet and bounded over to her. "Oh...I'm so glad to see you! See? I did everything I was supposed to! You know...with the body...an-and the things!? Oh, I can hardly wait till you do ole' Grelod in! That old hag has it comin'!" the boy exclaimed, his expression now showing pure joy.
Ava was completely taken back by what she was hearing. This ritual was to have someone murdered? This seemingly innocent young boy was planning to assassinate some old woman?!
" Wait...what?!" was all Ava could say. "Who's...Grelod?" she asked, a look of disdain on her face.
"Why, that Grelod's a mean old witch! She runs the Honorhall Orphanage in Riften...I ran away from that awful place, but my friends are still there. She treats all us kids terrible...beats on us...she won't even let us get adopted! She has it comin', though...now that you're here!" the boy beamed.
"Orphanage...what happened to your mom and dad?" Ava inquired, wondering if there was anyone she could take the boy to...perhaps some distant family member of his.
The boys expression quickly turned into one of pain, "...They're both dead. That's why I had to go to the orphanage."
"Don't you have any other family you can stay with? Uncles? Aunts?" Ava continued.
"No...I don't know anyone else. Just my mom and dad, and there both...gone..." the boy frowned, looking down at the floor. Ava could see his eyes begin to well up with tears, "So please, please...you gotta help me! Get rid of that old hag so I can go back! " The boy clasped his hands together begging, "besides, I promised all the other kids I'd get rid of her so she couldn't hurt them anymore...please..."
Ava stood at a crossroad...would she do it again? Would she kill again, even if it was for a good cause? The boy stood before her, his face wet with tears. He was begging her...pleading with her. His life was eerily similar to hers. Before her stood a young child forced into darkess by circumstances he couldn't control or comprehend-much like her. She thought back to that night. She had to do it to survive. How was this poor fragile child any different? Could she really live with not fixing this? Ava suddenly felt sick at her stomach. Not only did she feel compelled to murder this Grelod lady-she also knew she was quite capable of it...without feeling, without remorse. She could feel that familiar icy feeling tickling the back of her neck. She knew what she had to do.
Ava said nothing to the boy, only nodded. At the sight of her acceptance, he lunged forward giving her a tight squeeze.
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much! I knew you'd come to save me! I just knew it!" he cried tears of joy, causing Ava to feel a confusing mixture of emotions.
"Just do me a favor and go back to the orphanage in a couple of weeks, okay? She'll be gone by then. You don't need to stay all alone in this city with a killer loose and no one to care for you...understand?" Ava asked of him, to which the boy agreed.
Ava shook her head slightly, as if to shake off her memories of the boy. She looked at the bottom of her now empty tankard, realizing that she needed to just do it and get it over with. She'd waited long enough.
She slipped quietly out of the tavern and into the dark streets of Riften. There were a few people wandering the streets-thieves, no doubt. Ava figured they had their own business to tend to and wouldn't notice her anyway. She searched in the shadows, until the Orphanage caught her eye. Noone was looking. Now was her chance.
The door was conveniently unlocked, so she let herself in. The silence of sleep filled the Orphanage. Ava saw all the young children laying in their beds peacefully. Ava figured it was the only peace these poor children received. She checked the place out a couple of days prior to make sure the boy was telling the truth...and sadly, he was. The woman abused them in the open and without shame or remorse. The people of Riften sarcastically referred to her as "Grelod the Kind".
Ava quietly stepped past the sleeping bodies to the door she hoped would lead to Grelod's room. She slowly turned the handle, cracking the door and peeking in. There she lay fast asleep. Ava closed the door, and slowly approached the sleeping woman.
She stood beside her bed, studying the womans haggard old face. Deep lines trailed across her forehead pooling up around both eyes...probably from years of scowling. As the old woman slumbered, Ava noticed how peaceful she sleeped. Then she wondered how the woman slept at all knowing what she did to those innocents. Then she felt it...that feeling...it overcame her.
Ava's eyes widened, as the world seemed to shut out around her...a darkness filled her mind...filled the room. The world died away and all that was left was Ava, with her hand now gripping the hilt of her dagger, and the withered old woman she was going to kill. She watched the woman's chest move with each breath...the last few breaths this woman would take in this lifetime. Then she did it, as if in one fell swoop. She placed her hand over the womans lips, pressing hard...it was as if a dark hand was pressing down on her own, giving her unimaginable strength. At the same moment she sliced open the old woman's throat, watching the crimson liquid flow out. She felt warm blood bubble up between her fingers as it sputtered from Grelods mouth.
Ava closed her eyes and inhaled, taking it all in. Her own blood felt like ice running though her veins. The only thing warming her was the blood of her victim. A few more gurgling sounds came from under her hand until they came no more...the old woman quit struggling. It was all over after a few final twitches. Ava looked down at the body and then back to her blood-soaked hand, and gave a sigh of relief. The darkness surrounding her dissipated just as quickly as it had formed. It was over.
Ava shuffled out of Grelod's bedroom, and was making her way through the children's room, when she heard a movement behind her. She quickly turned, her eyes meeting those of a golden-haired and green-eyed girl. She stood frozen with a dagger in one hand and the other hand covered with blood. The girl was sitting upright in her bed...she'd just witnessed Ava leave Grelod's room.
Ava wasn't sure what the girl was going to do. She watched silently, never turning her gaze away from the child. Then, much to her surprise, the little girl smiled...Yes, she smiled. She knew what Ava had done, and she was happy. Ava made her happy.
Ava brought a bloody finger to her lip, "shhhhhh..." she gently smiled back at the child, who now may have had a chance at life. The chance Ava never had as a young girl. Then, like an icy wind, Ava was out of the Orphanage and lost into the night.