It's cold in Cidhna mine….

damp, dark, and dirty. Sarydos stands just inside the Mine/Prison, His palms wrapped around the cold Iron bars, he stares outward as the guards walk by each of which follow their own pattern back and forth. Every now and a guard will stop a take a look at him just standing there, probably wondering what he's doing. Garbed in nothing but rags, Sarydos no longer looks like the proud Dunmer he is. The dusty air gives him a slight cough every from time to time and the mine's chill brushes against his skin. Now more than ever does he wish he was back in Whiterun with Jenassa, resting in a soft bed, their bodies lying intertwined, pressed closely to her warmth… What he would give for such a thing.

"Are you just going to stand there until you collapse from hunger?"

after a few second he turns his head to see who is speaking.

Across the mine's main chamber sits a Breton by a small fire, he wears only a pair of ragged pants and his long grey dirty ponytail hangs down his back, there are dark circles under his eyes and he is extremely thin, so much so that his most of his bones are visible through his shin. Sarydos walks down the wooden ramp and over towards the fire. He settles down by the fire across from the Breton.

"What are you in for, new blood?"

he asks

"Nothing. I'm innocent"

Sarydos replies staring into the fire.

"Innocent? So was I, for the first one. The other murders were all me, though." he says "My advice? Serve your time at the pickaxe and get out. You don't want to end up getting a shiv in the guts over a bottle of Skooma."

Sarydos looks up at the Breton from the fire.

"I need to speak with Madanach."

he says

"If you're asking, that means you're the new lifer. Tough luck, friend. Those guards sold you out but good. No one talks to Madanach, I'm afraid. Not without getting past Borkul the Beast... And you don't want to talk to Borkul the Beast."

he speaks with the same sly tone he's had the entire conversation.

Sarydos looks over towards the wall to see a large Orc with skull facepaint guarding a cage door that leads to a tunnel. Nodding in reply to the breton, Sarydos lifts himself onto his feet and heads towards the Orc. Seeing him spproach from the corner of his eye, the Orc turns towards him.

"The new meat. So soft. Tender."

he chuckles. Unafraid, Sarydos continues to him.

What was it like killing your first one, huh?"

Borkul asks

"I didn't kill anyone… well, at least not the people I was accused of killing… Some of them, that is…"

"Liar."

is his only response.

"I need to see Madanach."

Sarydos states

"You want to talk to the King in Rags? Fine. But first you got to pay the toll. How about you get me a shiv? Not that I need one, but it's nice to have in case I need to do some "shaving."

He laughs

"I don't have one."

"Then find one." He snarls "That dung heap Grisvar's been known to make a few."

Eager to see Madanach, he heads down the indicated tunnel until he comes across two prisoners mining, one Breton the other is a Nord. "Grisvar" sounding like a Nord name, Sarydos approaches the Nord.

"Are you Grisvar?"

he asks

"Huh?! yeah… why?"

the Nord says startled and suspicious of the new prisoner.

"I need a Shiv."

"Wanna keep yourself safe, huh? I've got an extra but it's not free. Get me some Skooma and it's yours."

"Where would I get some Skooma?"

"Duach has some. He's over that way." he points "See if you can convince him to part with it. Do that and I'll have your shiv for you."

Sarydos heads in the opposite direction back through the main chamber and down the opposite tunnel. Stayinng on the path leads him to another Breton.

"Are you Duach?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I hear you have Skooma. I need it."

He stares at Sarydos for a moment

"That's not going to happen."

Sarydos decides to ask nicely for a change.

"Please, I need it badly…"

Duach looks at Sarydos again and decides to give it to him

"Getting the shakes, huh? All right. Take it. Old gods keep you."

"Thanks."

He says as he rushes off back to the other tunnel.

He reaches Grisvar.

"Here's your Skooma."

"And here's your shiv, just promise never to use it on me, ok?"

Feeling ridiculous running back and forth fetching things, Sarydos heads back to Borkul the Beast.

"Here's your shiv."

"All right, head on in. But don't try anything in there. Madanach is smarter than you think."

Borkul opens the cage door and Sardos begins to make his way down the dirty tunnel, after about a minute he finds himself in a small dirt room with a bed and a chest. Next to the bed is a table and chair, sitting at the table is a man, not very impressive in size or appearance. But seeing how there is no one else in the room, Sarydos concludes that this is Madanach. As Sarydos approaches the man he speaks up.

"Well, well. Look at you. The Nords have turned you into an animal. A wild beast caged up and left to go mad."

He turns around to face Sarydos, He is an older Breton with thick White hair braided in several places and a thick bushy mustache that almost conceals his mouth as he speaks. His Face is dirty and wrinkled, Sarydos could only imagine what hes been through.

"So, my fellow beast, what do you want? Answers about the Forsworn? Revenge for trying to have you killed?"

Sarydos looks over the man for a moment before responding.

"I Want my freedom."

Madanach stands up out of his chair to fully face Sarydos.

"Your freedom? Yes. But even if you were to escape Cidhna Mine, your name would still be stained with all that blood."

Realizing that Madanach is right, Sarydos carefully weighs the options in his head and decides that if he is going to have any chance of getting out of Cidhna mine… out of Markarth he was going to have to work with Madanach and the Forsworn.

"Can you help me?"

at this Madanach laughs.

"Can I? of course I can but I think the correct question is will I?

"Alright then, Will you help me?"

Madach looks Sarydos over and after a moment responds.

"You're one of us now, you see? A slave. The boot of the Nord stepping on your throat. Maybe if you understood that, I could help you." He clears his throat then continues.

"There's a man named Braig inside these mines. Besides me, he's been here the longest. Tell him I sent you. Ask him why he's here. I want you to know how widespread the injustice of Markarth is."

Sarydos turns around and heads back down the tunnel asking Borkul where to find Braig, once he is pointed in the right direction he makes his way past Grisvar and another Breton mining. He finally reaches the end of the tunnel and finds another old Breton there mining silver.

"Are you Braig?"

The man stops mining, he turns towards Sarydos still gripping his pick axe firmly in case of trouble.

"Yeah why?"

he asks

"Madanach sent me, He wants me to hear your story."

"My story, huh?" he asks, setting his pick axe down and taking a seat on a nearby rock. "Everyone in Cidhna Mine has a tale. Let's hear yours first. When was the first time you felt chains around your wrists?"

"This was the first time."

Sarydos says, slightly embarrassed at his lack of experience when it came to being arrested.

"Then it's all fairly new to you, huh?" he says "It doesn't matter whether you've been there once or a hundred times, the feeling never gets any better."

He puts his hands together letting his fingers lock before continuing.

"I had a daughter, once. She'd be 23 this year. Married to some hot-headed silver worker or maybe on her own learning the herb trade." He begins. "The Nords didn't care who was and who wasn't involved in the Forsworn Uprising. I had spoken to Madanach once, that was enough."

He stops for a moment before continuing

"But my little Aethra…" he says, his voice getting a bit higher, noticeably upset by the story. "She didn't want to see her papa leave her. She pleaded to the Jarl to take her instead."

Tears begin to flow down his face mixing with the dirt.

"And after they made me watch as her head rolled off the block…. they, they threw me in here anyway, to dig up their silver."

As he finishes he wipes away his tears in an effort to conceal his pain. Sarydos just stand there, he can't believe just how cruel the Nords could be. he struggles to find the right words.

"I'm… I'm sorry to hear that…"

"My daughter is the one who needs your sympathy…. I'm just a poor Forsworn who's only regret is not killing more Nords before I was locked up…"

He turns his back to Sarydos, picking up his pick axe, and returns to his mining. Shocked by what he had just heard, Sarydos quietly walks away from the man and back to Madanach. When he arrives Madanach is still at his desk writing.

"I've spoken to Braig."

Madanach stops writing.

"Have you?"

he asks, putting his quill in the inkwell

"Yeah."

"Imagine hearing a story like that, over and over. Each time a different family…. Each time a different injustice."

He leans his head downward for a moment.

"Your meddling above ground reminded me of how removed I've been from the struggle." He says looking back up. "My men and I should be in the hills, fighting."

"Does this mean you'll help me escape?"

Madanach turns his head to look at Sarydos and after a moment he answers.

"Yes, but I need a show of loyalty from you. I don't need a shiv in the back while we break out."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Have you met Grisvar the Unlucky?" He starts " He's rightly named, and he's also a thief and a snitch. He's outlived his minor usefulness. Take care of him, and then we can leave Cidhna Mine for good."

"Ok but I'll need a Shiv."

"Ah, Borkul muscle one out of you on your way in? Fine. Take this one."

He reaches into his desk and pulls out a shiv then turns around handing to Sarydos. Sarydos takes the shiv then leaves to take care of Grisvar so he can escape. Sarydos had no reason to hate Grisvar but if he was ever going to get out of there so he could finish his search and return to Jenassa, Grisvar would have to die. Rounding the corner with shiv in hand Sarydos finally found Grisvar, he was in the same place as before still mining silver. Sarydos readied himself, sneaking up close to Grisvar. Suddenly he acted, putting a hand over Grisvar's mouth to muffle the screams he shoved the shiv deep into Grisvar's side. Panicking, Grisvar tried to escape but his struggling was in vain as he was stabbed repeatedly. The prisoner next to Grisvar was also surprised, When the attack started he leapt away from Grisvar and held up the Pick axe in defence but lowered it when he realized what was happening now he just stood there watching as the stabbing unfolded. Piercing flesh over and over again the shiv was flinging blood everywhere, Grisvar's body trembled and his legs grew weak at the loss of blood. Letting Grisvar drop to the ground to die, Sarydos made his way back to Madanach, blood covered his ragged clothes and the shiv. As he walked by many of the Breton prisoners as well as Borkul the Beast watched him carefully. He made his way down the tunnel back to Madanach's chamber.

"It's done, Grisvar is dead."

"You've finally become one of us. Come with me." He said, getting up from his seat. "I think it's time I announced my plans to you and your new brothers, though they've probably already figured it out."

Sarydos and Madanach walked back to the main chamber where the Forsworn prisoners had already gathered awaiting Madanach. The thin Breton with the ponytail from earlier was the first to speak.

"What's going on, Madanach? You wouldn't have old Grisvar killed unless you weren't planning on needing him."

Madanach smiled at this.

"My brothers, we have been here long enough. It's time to leave Cidhna Mine and continue our fight against the Nords." He announced to all of them. "Through this gate, just beside my quarters, is a tunnel. A tunnel that leads right through the old Dwarven ruins of Markarth, into the city. Well, what do you say, my brothers?"

"The Reach belong to the Forsworn!"

they shouted together in reply.

As they began funneling through the gate to the escape tunnel, Madanach turned to Sarydos.

"I say you've earned an early pardon. Let's go."

They follow the other prisoners through the Dwarven tunnels cutting down Frostbite Spiders and Dwarven Mechanisms as they went, till' they finally reached the end of the tunnel. When they got to the door, there was a Breton woman standing in front of it. She was clad in Furs and bone and her face was decorated with tribal patterns, Madanach approached her.

"Madanach. I've brought what you asked for."

she says

"Good work. Get ready while I have a word with our favorite outsider."

The other prisoners start getting dressed in fur armor similar to the woman's, Madanach approaches Sarydos.

"I had Kaie recover all the things the Nords stole from you. You better get ready before we break out into the city. And take this. It's blessed with the old magicks. Something to remember me by. Time to finally see the sky, and make it rain red."

He says handing Sarydos a set of fur/bone armor. Sarydos begins putting the armor on.

"What happens now?"

He asks as he puts on the armor.

"Now? I announce to all of Markarth that I have returned. Don't worry about your name. They'll know who to blame and fear after today."

Sarydos looks at the headdress Madanach handed him, putting it on should hide his face and hopefully keep people from recognizing him, He puts it on.

"It'll take years, but I'll organize the Forsworn again. We'll reclaim our land, and then, when power is ours, we'll have peace. A kingdom. Until then, let me offer you a warning. Beware the Forsworn. No place in the Reach is safe from us now."

Madanach says.

Sarydos simply nods in response and they head out the door. When they emerge from the tunnel it is late in the afternoon, the sun is setting and many people had started to head home. The Forsworn are met there at the door by none other than Thonar Silver-Blood and a number of Markarth Guardsmen.

"Madanach? What's going on here?"

Thonar demands an answer.

Madanach makes his way to the front of the group while Sarydos stays near the back.

"We're escaping!" He proclaims "You've poisoned the Reach with your tainted silver for long enough, Thonar!"

After this Madanach lunges forward armed with a Ebony War-Axe, he lands his attack right on mark. The War-Axe spits open Thonar's head killing him instantly, the battle has begun. The Forsworn easily cut through the group of guards, They make their way through the city hacking up Guardsmen as they go. Spells and arrows fly through the air and civilians run for cover. Bodies litter the street as they fight their way to the main gates, Panic ensues as nordic blood runs down the stone streets of Markarth and the Forsworn finally reach the front gates. They burst through the gates cutting down the two guards there as they all rush out of the city and into the wilds of the Reach. Sarydos isn't sure where the Forsworn will lead him but anywhere is better than Cidhna Mine….