Chapter 13
The corridor beyond the door stretched ahead for perhaps sixty feet, ending in a windowed wall with a cabinet in front of it. To her right, about halfway down, an opening in the wall revealed part of a storeroom, and to her left, a bit closer to her, a door was opened into the hallway. In the room beyond, she could hear voices.
"Did you see those robes march in this morning?" one said. "Who're they with? More of the Emissary's treaty enforcers?"
"No," said a second. "They're high mages, just in from Alinor. I guess Herself is finally getting worried about all the dragon attacks."
'Herself'? Edna thought, amused. It seemed there was no love lost between Elenwen and the guards in her employ.
"Ah, good," the first one gloated, satisfied. "I've been wondering how we were supposed to defend this place from a dragon."
"If a dragon does show up, maybe we'll get lucky and it will eat the mages first," the second one laughed. "Might give us enough time to kill it."
"Ha!" the first one chuckled. "I'd like to see those arrogant bastards taken down a notch. Always looking down their noses at us lowly footsloggers."
Edna shook her head. Seems it was the same the world over – the low-ranking soldiers always being treated like shite from those higher up. She could almost feel sorry for the two Altmer in the next room. Almost. But she was here to do a job, and she couldn't do that if they were standing there, just beyond the door, in her way.
She eased just past the door, enough to be able to peer into the room. One of the guards was leaning up against a sort of bar area. She couldn't see the other, and had to assume he was on the other side of the bar. Carefully, she nocked an arrow and pulled it back, letting it fly. It hit the guard in the head and he slumped like a sack of rocks.
"What was that?" the other exclaimed, and Edna scurried to retreat across the hall to the storeroom. Unfortunately, it didn't have a door, and she was forced to duck around the corner where she couldn't see if anyone was coming for her. She sheathed her bow in its holster and drew her sword.
"I'm going to find whoever did this…" the guard exclaimed, and Edna could only assume he had stopped to examine the body of his companion. Footsteps came closer, and she froze in place, scarcely daring to breathe. If he came around the corner, she was ready for him. But the footsteps retreated to the door that led to the pantry, and Edna moved back to the doorway and poked her head out briefly. The guard was testing the handle of the door, jiggling it to see if it would open, and his back was to her.
Sneaking had never been a skill she had employed well, and she knew he'd hear her if she tried coming up on him silently. She pulled back into the room and sheathed the sword, bringing out her bow instead. Behind her, a table holding overturned chairs and a few pieces of silver would provide a bit of cover if he came in, and she got behind the table as quickly and as quietly as she could. And not a moment too soon, since the guard entered and stood in the doorway, the lights from the hallway beyond outlining his form. Edna shot once…twice…and a third time. The guard sank to the ground before he had time to conjure a sword or bow of his own.
Unsure how many more guards might be in the area, Edna paused to consider her next move. The information Delphine needed might very well be in this building, so it was probably a good idea to start her search here. She doubted Elenwen would keep her special secrets in a storeroom, however, so that meant going into the other room and seeing what the layout of the building was like.
A door slammed somewhere up ahead, though, and she froze. Footsteps clacked on the floor, heading her way. She stepped into the hallway and gripped her bow firmly. Sliding against the opposite wall, where the door was, she carefully peered around, and just as quickly ducked back. A black-robed Justiciar was approaching from the other end, but it seemed he hadn't noticed her.
Once more, Edna readied an arrow and slid around the doorframe, firing off two arrows in rapid succession. One hit, but the other clattered uselessly against a bookshelf behind the Justiciar as he dodged the second shot and fired off a quick healing spell.
"You will die this day, dog!" the Justiciar snarled. He summoned his magicka and sent a bolt of pure electricity her way that hit the doorframe. The smell of ozone filled the air, and Edna barely managed to duck behind the wall to avoid the shock spell.
She rounded the edge of the door again and shot two more arrows, point-blank, as the Justiciar had move up considerably, but though they pierced through his armored robes, they failed to kill him immediately. He turned and attempted to escape back the way he'd come.
Frustrated, Edna sheathed the bow and drew her sword and shield. Coming back around the edge of the doorframe she Shouted, "FEIM!" and faded into insubstantiality as she ran up to the Justiciar, who lashed out with a sword made of pure energy. The mer's eyes widened in horror as the sword passed cleanly through her without leaving so much as a scratch.
"Nice try," Edna grinned, coming back into solidity once more, and she shield-bashed the mer, and as he reeled from the blow, she swept her shield in a slicing manner, designed to cut as well as knock her opponent back.
The Justiciar stumbled over the low table, knocking over the bottle of wine and the platter that held cheese and fruit. Falling to the floor, he babbled, begging, "Please, don't kill me!"
"Not an option," Edna said coldly, jabbing with her sword and finding the mer's heart. She let him bleed out on the floor and paused again, breathing a bit harder than she liked, and waited to see if any more Thalmor were going to join the party on this side of the wall.
But the music in the next room and the murmur of the guests never ceased, and Edna blew out a breath of relief. Wiping her sword off on the Justiciar's robe before sheathing it, she saw that, in addition to the bar – where more food and drink sat – there was a nook that held a couple of common cupboards, and a flight of stairs that led up.
We'll take the stairs next, she thought. Let's see if Elenwen keeps anything secret there.
Unfortunately, the only thing above was a guest room and small dining hall, as well as a door in a foyer that clearly led outside. Edna wasn't ready to head outside yet, but from the windows she had a great view of the courtyard below, and a separate building across the way. There were also several more guards and Justiciars here. Most were on the entrance side of the Embassy, but there was a small handful roaming the courtyard outside the separate building.
Edna had seen buildings like this before, in Cyrodiil. The roof was made up of panels of glass, to let in lots of natural light. They were known as solars, and the rich and entitled often used them as greenhouses to grow plants indoors. Her own parents had a solar back when they lived in Bruma.
That must be where she keeps the good stuff, Edna thought. To make sure she hadn't missed anything, she swept through all the rooms once more, finding nothing of interest. She headed back downstairs, still hearing music and voices on the other side of the wall.
The back of the room, where the Justiciar had come from, ended in a short hallway with some shelves and a cupboard, with another door that led outside.
Now let's just sit and think about this, Edna, she cautioned herself, moving back into the room and doing just that. You walk out there into that courtyard and you're going to have a fight you really don't want. She knew she would be outnumbered and overpowered in less than a minute. She wasn't fooling herself: she'd been lucky so far, but that luck couldn't hold forever.
"Do you have any ideas how I can sneak over there?" she asked the dead Justiciar facetiously. He didn't respond, but the beginning of an idea began to form in Edna's mind, and she chuckled. "That just might work," she smiled. Looking down at the Altmer, she grinned. "Thank you. I'll just take these." She began to strip him of his robes, boots and gloves.
The robe had a hood on it, which suited Edna just fine. It was easy enough to throw the robe on over her armor. The Justiciar had been a bit taller and beefier than her. The gloves and boots, however, necessitated removing her own and trying to find a way to hide hers from view. She had no potions with her, choosing to leave those behind. But her sword was not one issued by the Dominion, nor was her bow.
Think, Edna, think!
A burlap sack in the alcove caught her eye. There was nothing in it, but it was large enough to hold her boots and gauntlets. She left her own hooded helmet on, since the Thalmor hood covered it well enough. That just left her bow and sword – Justiciars tended not to use them, preferring to rely on magic. Edna knew some magic, but not enough to hold her own against a Justiciar. The sack was too small to fit the bow and quiver of arrows, but she was able to drape the robes around her sword enough to hide it from casual view.
She sighed. Nothing else you can do, girl. Just get out there and let the chips fall where they may.
She kept a tight grip on her bow, shoved the quiver into the sack as far as it would go and exited the Embassy building.
Outside, full night had fallen, the skies were overcast and only the lanterns around the perimeter of the courtyard, where the iron-walled walkway was, illuminated the area enough to see. What light there was reflected off the snow, enhancing visibility somewhat, but it was still dark. Edna was thankful for that, as she hoped it might hide the fact that she wasn't an Altmer.
Bluff, Edna, she encouraged herself. She straightened her shoulders, but kept her glance cast downward, only peering up from under her eyelashes to see where she needed to go.
"Must be new around here," one of the guards said.
"I don't remember seeing her before."
"You there," the Justiciar in front of the solar ordered. "Come closer.
She was perhaps ten feet away when he realized she was not who she pretended to be.
"Intruder!" he shouted, summoning a Frost Atronach. "Get her!" He moved swiftly away from the door as the icy behemoth lumbered towards Edna.
"Oh, boy," she muttered. Throwing off the robe, Edna dashed behind a stone planter, hoping to keep it between herself and the Atronach. She dropped her sack and her bow where she was and pulled her shield off her back and drawing her sword in one swift, fluid motion.
A guard in gold armor approached quickly from her right, while the Justiciar kept trying to hit her with electricity.
This is not good, Edna! Keep moving!
She wished more than anything that Kaidan – or Lydia – was here now to act as her shield. But they weren't, and she had to stay ahead of all the things that wanted to kill her here. She tumbled past the guard just as the Atronach brought down its huge, icy fist, which hit the guard instead. He crumpled like a stack of cards and didn't get up again. Edna bashed it with her sword, and as it staggered back – but not nearly far enough – she took the opportunity to dash for the walkway, which would take her around behind the solar.
"She's over there!" the other guard exclaimed behind her, and another blast of lightning hit the spot she had been in just seconds before. She had a lead on the Atronach now as it attempted to negotiate its way around the planter, so Edna briefly held her sword in her shield hand long enough to conjure a ghostly wolf form and sent it against the other guard. It opted instead for the more immediate threat of the Atronach, and Edna gave a snort of disgust. The familiar wouldn't last three seconds against the ice giant, but it was three seconds where it wasn't looking for her. Running up a slight ramp, she got around behind the solar and ran headlong into the Justiciar coming her way.
"You will see the power of the Thalmor first-hand, Imperial dog!" he snarled, bringing a sword of arcane energy into his hand.
"That's 'Imperial bitch' to you," Edna said sweetly. "It's a title I take great pride in where your kind are concerned." She struck out with her own blade, but it was blocked, and the Justiciar backed up a few feet to put room between the two of them.
"You will not leave here alive," he promised, slashing at her head, but Edna' shield was there first and she smashed it into his face, bloodying his nose and lips.
"Oh, that's a given," Edna mocked him, "if you think you can take me, that is."
A rhythmic thumping in the ground under her feet warned her the Atronach was on its way. The guard was still out there, too, but the Atronach was the more immediate concern. She needed to take out the Justiciar and that problem would be solved.
"You are but a dog," he insisted, slashing again, "and I am your master!"
"I am Dragonborn," Edna intoned. "I have no master! FUS RO DAH!"
The thu'um boomed out across the courtyard, and though Edna worried she might have just made more trouble for herself, it seemed the guards on the other side of the fence were unable to get through to this side.
The force of her Shout blew the Justiciar down the walkway, where he smashed into the corner and lay still. Not trusting this, Edna hurried forward. The Justiciar moaned, and the Atronach was barreling down on her. A swift jab, just as the summon raised its fist to strike ended both its existence, and the one who had summoned it.
That just leaves the other guard, Edna thought. Where did he—
A stabbing pain struck her in her side, and she saw a ghostly arrow protruding from between the plates of her armor. She felt the warm wetness of blood seeping down her side and gasped. Another ghostly arrow flew towards her, and Edna was unable to avoid this one. It hit her left arm just above her shield, and she felt her fingers go numb. The shield slipped to the ground and clattered on the walkway stones.
"I'll end your miserable life!" the guard vowed.
"Not if I take yours first," Edna said grimly. With her bow halfway across the courtyard and her shield arm numb, she only had her skill with her sword and her Shouts to get her through this. She couldn't even cast a spell with her off hand, as she was unable to make the complicated gestures required. The tingle at the back of her throat eased, and Edna knew she could Shout again.
"WULD!"
She came upon the guard so quickly he had no time to switch weapons, or conjure a sword instead. With the momentum of her Shout to empower her, she ran him through with her sword and watched him fall to his knees. A quick sweep of her blade from behind finished him, and Edna groaned, shifting to relieve the ache in her side and arm. She fired off a healing spell before reclaiming her bow and shield, and the sack that held her own boots and gauntlets.
Taking a moment to sit on the edge of the planter as she swapped them out, she listened for any sounds of activity from beyond the iron-grated, stone-walled fence that separated the courtyard from the entrance to the Embassy, but all was quiet. She could only imagine the guards out there were so conceited that they couldn't possibly imagine their compatriots inside failing to eliminate an intruder.
She wished she had a stamina potion right now. She was tired. A healing spell was all very well and good, but it didn't relieve fatigue. She'd heard from mage friends of hers in the past that extra training in Restoration could help replenish stamina as well as health, but that was far beyond her limited skills.
She stared at the solar, rising up on the other side of the courtyard. It was actually quite pretty, and the stained glass glimmered from the lights shining within. But it only meant she had another large building to search, to see if there was any information the Thalmor were hiding about the dragons returning. Under her breath, she cursed Delphine and her paranoia.
That huge black dragon that had destroyed Helgen, that had raised that other dragon at Kynesgrove – Alduin…he was the one raising the dragons and bringing them back to life, and he didn't strike Edna as the sort of creature that would align itself with petty mortals. She doubted she could convince Delphine of that.
She sighed, getting to her feet. The healing spell had done its work and repaired the injuries to her flesh, even if it couldn't repair the damage to her brand-new armor. She scowled. That was another thing to lay at Delphine's feet: putting her in danger like this while she stayed safely hidden away. Once more, she wished Kaidan or Lydia could have been with her.
You're stalling, Edna, she scolded herself. And while you dilly-dally out here, you give Elenwen a chance to miss you in there.
She moved over to the door of the solar, leaving the Thalmor armor behind her in the snow. Crouching, with her bow gripped firmly in her hand, she opened the door.
Kaidan paced up and down the room at the Winking Skeever. He hated this. He knew he should have gone with the Dragonborn; he knew it! But Edna had insisted, and there really wasn't a way to get both of them inside the Embassy without arousing suspicions. He could never have gone there and 'made nice' to the worm-eating bastards that had tried to kill him. He could never have been there without wearing his armor, much less his sword, and not have them question who he was and who he had associated with, just as they had interrogated him in that shithole prison, repeatedly, day after day after endless day, until Edna had found and rescued him.
He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the elderly woman he had sworn to protect was actually the Dragonborn of legend! He never imagined where his oath could have taken him when he first made it, before either of them knew who she was. He was so proud of her, of being able to travel with her and be her shield. He gave a half smile, remembering how he had convinced Farengar it would be healthier for him to treat Edna with a bit more respect – and that was even before they knew who she was!
He thought back to the legends he'd read and heard of, about the Dragonborn of the past. He couldn't recall much; in point of fact, not much was known about them, other than that they were said to have been gifted by Akatosh himself with the blood and soul of a dragon in the body of a mortal. He remembered a book they'd found at Delphine's, which he was itching to take, but hadn't. The Book of the Dragonborn, it was called, and it bore the symbol of the Imperial dragon crest on its cover. He wondered if there was something in that book that could tell them both a bit more about her blood. When they got back to Delphine's, he'd inquire if he could have the book.
Delphine. Yes. That damned Breton innkeeper who jumped at shadows and saw Thalmor hiding in every cupboard. Her paranoia got the Dragonborn into the mess, and it left him sitting here waiting like a lump for her to return – if she was able to. The thought of Edna being hauled off to some Thalmor prison to be tortured the way they had abused him…it didn't bear thinking about.
It nearly drove him mad to have to sit here and wait, but what else could he do? If he went to the Embassy to look for her, it would blow her cover and put her at risk. But how long was too long to wait?
He looked at the candle on the hearth. It was the tenth hour of the night. The Dragonborn had been gone only for a few hours. And if the party at the Embassy was like any other party he'd heard about, it would go on until the wee hours of the morning. Surely it wouldn't take that long for Edna to find whatever information she was looking for and return for him here?
Kaidan considered heading up to the Embassy to wait for her, then dismissed it just as easily. The Dragonborn had told him to wait here. This was where she would come looking for him. He had to be patient and trust her.
His finger brushed over the ring she'd given him, and he smiled, feeling a stinging sensation in his eyes and nose. No one since Brynjar had ever given him a gift before. And even Brynjar's gifts had been practical – a new dagger or bow, a new pair of boots, or the time he gave Kaidan a whittling knife and taught him how to carve bits of bone into interesting and useful items. There had never been anything fun or sentimental. Each birthday was pretty much like any other day out in the wilds; learn one more skill.
Edna's birthday was coming up, he knew. He probably could have gone out and bought her something, but he wanted it to be something unique and special. Something no one else had.
Determinedly, since he had nothing to do but wait, Kaidan brought out a bit of bone and his scrimshaw knife and set to work, hoping to take his mind off his worry.
The guard across the room from her had her back turned to Edna, oblivious to the danger she was in. But raised voices from a room to her left gave Edna pause.
"But, I need that money!" a man complained. "I earned it. I have my own expenses you know..."
"Silence!" an Altmer ordered. Edna assumed he was likely a Justiciar. "Do not presume, Gissur. You are most useful, but do not presume. We have other informants who are less... offensive."
"But no one else has brought you such valuable information, have they, Rulindil?" Gissur pressed. "Etienne, he's talked, hasn't he? He knows where that old man is you're looking for, he told me himself."
Rulindil's tone was testy. "You'll get the rest of your money when we confirm his story. As agreed."
"So he has talked! I knew it!" Gissur gloated.
"Everyone talks, in the end." It was clear Rulindil was past being bored with the conversation. "Now, I have work to do. Leave me to it, if you ever want to see the rest of your payment."
There was a long pause before Gissur spoke again. "Can I... I could help you. He'd talk to me. He trusts me."
A decidedly evil chuckle arose from Rulindil. "You'd like to come downstairs with me, is that it, Gissur? Shall we loosen his bonds and put you in a cell together? You can ask him anything you like, and see how he answers."
Gissur quickly backpedaled. "No, no. I'll... I'll wait outside."
Rulindil: "That would probably be best. Now get out!"
Uh oh, Edna realized. I need to move!
The only available cover was another bar-like area to her right, and she scooted quietly over, hoping the guard wouldn't hear her. By a stroke of fortune, Gissur exiting the other room, muttering to himself, distracted the guard, whose face settled into a sneer as she watched the man leave.
"He can't treat me like that," Gissur grumbled. "He needs me. Rulindil, pah! One day, the shoe will be on the other foot. I knew he was telling the truth. I always can tell. They're scared of the dragons, too, aren't they? Paying too well. They don't know anything! Etienne must know something related to the dragons... who else might know? Greasy Thom... no, they'd see right through him..."
The door closed behind him, and the sound of footsteps echoed across the floor on the other side of the room, and down a flight of stairs beyond Edna's view. A door clanked solidly shut a few heartbeats later, and Edna was alone with the guard.
Well…that even's the odds a bit, she thought with satisfaction. She crept closer to the corner of the bar, still crouched – though her knees protested – and peered out into the room. The guard had turned towards the room on the other side, presumably to watch Rulindil as he left the floor, but it was clear she was bored, and not quite as attentive as she should have been. She was humming a tune just under her breath.
Edna drew her dagger and stole closer to the mer. Rising swiftly, she grabbed the woman's shoulder and sunk her dagger up to the hilt into the Altmer's kidney.
Crying out, the guard attempted to flee, but Edna had an iron grip on her shoulder and stabbed with the dagger again, this time angling it upwards to get under the rib cage to puncture a lung. The mer wheezed as it collapsed, and shortly after, all was quiet once more.
Directly to Edna's right was the flight of stairs leading upstairs, that she had seen upon entering the solar. Ahead of her, across the room, was the chamber where Gissur and Rulindil were arguing. A short corridor led off to the right from there, giving her options, but Edna decided to check the upstairs first, this time drawing her sword, prepared to fight her way through again, if necessary.
The rooms above, however, were vacant. There was nothing of interest here except a safe in what she suspected was Elenwen's private bedchamber, and a bottle of Colovian Brandy sitting on a table nearby. She carefully wrapped the bottle of brandy in a shirt she found in the wardrobe and put it in her burlap sack. The safe was locked, and it took a few of her lockpicks she'd brought with her to get it open; inside was a fair amount of coins and jewelry, which she added to her sack.
No sense letting the Thalmor have funding for their next war, she grimaced. Other than that, there was nothing here that suggested any secret documents or information about the dragons. Edna headed back downstairs and entered Rulindil's office. Here she found a desk with no drawers, a wardrobe and a display case that contained two daggers of elven design – far nicer than the steel dagger she was currently using – and a couple of unenchanted jeweled circlets.
But they could be enchanted, Edna thought, when I learn a few more.
This lock wasn't as difficult as the safe upstairs, and the Dragonborn quickly got it open and took everything inside. There was nothing else here, except a doorway that led to a landing with a flight of stairs leading down. This must have been where Rulindil had gone. Not willing to head down yet, she moved out into the main hall and headed down the short corridor that led to a sort of library or study. One wall was practically wall-to-wall bookshelves, filled with scores of volumes. Another desk with no drawers occupied the middle of the room, and directly across from the doorway where she stood was another landing leading down to another flight of steps to the lower level. There was a key on the desk, which Edna took, hoping it would give her access to something important further on.
Behind the desk was a sort of open shelf display which held not only books, but potion bottles and other minor decorations. A basket of lavender sat on a low shelf with a stack of more books above that. A deer skull perched on another shelf, and a drum and lute on yet another. She wondered if Rulindil actually played the instruments, or if he had confiscated them off some unfortunate, Talos-worshipping bard. Just in front of the shelves, behind the desk, was an unlocked chest, and when Edna opened it she found three leather-bound dossiers, as well as a folded piece of parchment.
Now we're getting somewhere!
Edna opened the letter and found it addressed to Elewen, written by Rulindil himself, but clearly not yet sent.
"Dragon Investigation: Current Status
by Rulindil
A Thalmor report on the return of Dragons
First Emissary Elenwen,
We anticipate a breakthrough in our efforts to uncover the party or power behind the dragon resurrection phenomenon. An informant has identified a possible lead, whom we have brought back to the Embassy for a full interrogation. The subject is obstinate, but by all indications is holding back the information we seek. I have authorized Intermediate Manual Uncoiling - I do not expect more will be necessary, unless you feel time presses.
I know you prefer to be present for the final questioning; I will inform you immediately when the subject is fully receptive. Two days should tell the tale.
In the meantime, if you wish to audit our technique, your expertise is welcome, as always. I have placed the prisoner in the cell closest to your office stairs, for your convenience.
-Rulindil, 3rd Em."
Grimly, Edna crushed the note in her hand before shoving it into the bag with the dossiers. That bastard was torturing people downstairs! The 'possible lead' Rulindil spoke of had to be this Etienne person mentioned by Gissur, and the Dragonborn growled a very unladylike description of someone who befriended another, only to turn them in to the Thalmor.
Time being of the essence in this case, Edna decided to hold off on perusing the dossiers for later and scanned the wall-to-wall bookshelf. Several titles were familiar, but one set of four books caught her eye: Rising Threat, vols. I – IV.
Taking down the first book she skimmed it quickly and decided this had to come with her. All four volumes went into her bag. As she quickly searched the other titles, she noticed a copy of The Talos Mistake, which set her teeth on edge, and The Adabal-a, a history that went back to the First Era. She took the latter but left the former where it was. The only other books of note were a complete set of The Argonian Account, but she didn't have enough room in her sack. It was time to head downstairs. She knew that must be where Rulindil had gone, to further 'interrogate' Etienne. She hoped she could get there in time to rescue the poor man.
The door at the bottom of the stairs was locked, but when Edna tried to key she'd found on the desk, it went in and turned easily. She eased the door open and peered in. There was a sort of balcony area, and she crept to the edge. Below was a scene out of a nightmare. Rulindil sat at a desk in front of a set of cages, similar to the one she'd found Kaidan in. Next to him, on the floor, was another chest. A small table against a support post in the center of the room held torture devices, a few bloody bones and some rags. Edna felt her gorge rise along with her rage.
She could see a man in the cage closest to her, shackled to the wall as Kaidan had been. This must be Etienne. A gold-clad guard was in the cage beating him as Rulindil sat, calmly watching.
"Stop! Please!" the poor man begged in weakly. "I don't know anything else. Don't you think I'd have told you already?"
"Silence," the guard ordered. "You know the rules. Do not speak unless spoken to. Master Rulindil will ask the questions."
"Let's begin again," Rulindil said, already bored.
"No..." Etienne pleaded. "For pity's sake... I've already told you everything..."
Rulindil was unconcerned. "You know the rules." He nodded to the guard, who began thrashing Etienne again
"Noooooo!" the Breton man howled in agony. Edna had heard enough. She began to work her way silently down the stairs to get to the lower level, but all the while she could hear the 'interrogation' continue.
"Start at the beginning, as usual," Rulindil ordered. "If you persist in this stubbornness I'll have..."
"No, wait!" Etienne implored. "I was just... catching my breath... why wouldn't I tell you again? I don't even know anything... There's an old man. He lives in Riften. He could be this Esbern you're looking for, but I don't know. He's old and seemed kind of crazy. That's all I know."
"And his name is...?"
"I don't know his name," Etienne said desperately. "Like I've told already a hundred- Ahhhh!"
Edna heard the crack of a whip once more.
"You know the rules," Rulindil said sternly. "Just answer the questions. And where can we find this nameless old man?"
"Like I said, I don't know!" Etienne insisted. "I've seen him down in the Ratway. Maybe he lives down there, but I don't know for sure."
Rulindil sighed in disappointment. "That will be all for now. I must say I continue to be disappointed in your lack of cooperation. I hope next time you will do better."
Etienne moaned. "What else do you want from me? I've already told you everything. Listen, if you let me go I can take you to Riften, show you where- Gaaaaah!"
The crack of the whip came again as the soldier said grimly, "Silence, prisoner!"
Soft weeping came from the cage, but Rulindil seemed unconcerned as Edna finally made it to the doorway. He was not twenty feet from her, and she would have shot him in the back, if she wasn't so certain she could have taken him out in one shot. The guard left the cage and closed the door, relocking it, then turned away and headed down to the opposite end of the chamber.
Well, she'd had worse opportunities. She probably wouldn't get another. Drawing her sword and slipping her shield off her back, Edna rushed forward and struck out at Rulindil. The Justiciar stiffened and cried out, but quickly rose to his feet and cast a healing spell on himself before throwing off a lightning bolt. Edna caught the bolt on her shield and felt the tingle as the electricity conducted itself through the steel. Fortunately, the handle and the inside were wrapped and padded with leather.
She swept the shield horizontally across the mer's body, knocking the breath out of him, just as the guard at the other end of the room realized something was wrong and rushed back, conjuring an arcane blade.
Now she had both the guard and the Justiciar on her, but Edna swiftly feinted with her sword and followed through with a shield-bash against Rulindil. Of the two, she felt he was the bigger threat. The Justiciar staggered back, leaving Edna an opening which she gladly took, bringing her sword down in a vicious overhand attack that hit Rulindil in the collarbone and cleaved downward, sticking halfway into the ribcage. The mer slumped to the ground, dead.
"You'll die for that," the guard threatened, and Edna was afraid the woman might be right. Her sword was now lodged in Rulindil's rib cage, and she couldn't take the time to loosen it while still fending off the blows from the arcane blade. Again and again, the sword made of pure energy slammed against her shield, and Edna did her best to keep it between her and the elf.
"You are weak and pathetic," the guard taunted. "The Thalmor are clearly the superior race!"
"You're a bunch of racist bigots," Edna spat, taking advantage of the pause between blows to attempt another sweep with her shield. The Altmer stepped backwards to avoid the strike, but stumbled against the small table, and Edna pressed her advantage.
"FO!" she Shouted.
The guard shuddered as the entire top half of her armor frosted over, and crystals formed on her face.
"What was that?" she cried, a note of panic in her voice. "What sort of magic is that?"
"The best kind," Edna grinned wickedly, and shot a stream of frost from her free hand. Now the Altmer backed up in haste, into the center of the room. Her sword had fizzled out, but she easily conjured another one.
The rawness at the back of Edna's throat told her it was too soon to Shout again, and she was almost tapped out of magicka. The Frostbite spell just wasn't strong enough, and in hindsight she realized that Sparks might have served her better, for it would have drained some of the mer's magicka pool.
But as the mer stepped back to consider her next move, Edna stepped over to Rulindil's body and yanked her sword out of him. Feeling a bit more confident now, she advanced on the guard. For a few moments they circled each other, waiting for an opening, but the guard was already unnerved by Edna's Shout and seemed determined to end this quickly. She rushed forward and slammed her blade down, which Edna easily caught with her shield.
Thrusting forward from under that shield, she drove her sword up and under the ribcage, finding the heart. Blood pooled out of the guard's mouth, and her eyes stared down in disbelief.
"Bitch…" she whispered, and Edna chuckled.
"Now you're learning," she grinned, as the woman slumped to the floor, the light extinguished from her eyes.
Swiftly, Edna wiped the sword off on the rags before sheathing it and checked on Etienne. He was unconscious – or at least, Edna hoped it was unconsciousness – so she went over to the chest and found it to be unlocked. Inside were two more dossiers, which she grabbed and stuffed into her bag without looking at them.
She found the key that had opened the door to the basement also opened the cage, and she stepped inside. She checked for a pulse on Etienne and found one, just as he came around.
"I told you," he moaned, "I don't know anything about it." There was a hopelessness in his voice that brought a lump to Edna's throat. Kaidan had been more aggressive, but even he had almost given up.
"It's alright, son," she soothed. "I'm not here to torture you."
The Breton man did look up then, confused and puzzled. "What? Who…what do you want then?"
"There's no time for long explanations," Edna said briskly. "Let's get you out of here."
She worked the latches on the shackles and Etienne slumped to the floor. She wished she could have offered him a healing potion or spell, but she had neither…an oversight she intended to remedy at the first opportunity.
"That sounds good to me," Etienne groaned as he got to his feet. "There's a hatch over this way," he went on, exiting the cage and gesturing her to follow. "I've seen the guards use it to…get rid of bodies," he added grimly. "It must lead somewhere."
"Hold on a moment," Edna said, holding up a hand. "You might know something important, that I'm trying to find out."
"I damn well hope so," Etienne snorted. "If it helps you to twist them up, I'm glad to help. They're after some old guy named Esbern. Something to do with dragons. I gathered it from listening to them talk when they thought I was out." He shrugged, then grimaced in pain as the recent ministrations of the Thalmor reminded him what condition he was in. "I've seen a guy in Riften who they seem to think is him," he went on, wincing. "Not much to go on, I know. I don't even know where he lives, or his name. But they seemed pretty excited about it. That's it. That's all I know. Now, let's get out of here."
"Lead the way," Edna invited him.
They headed over to the trap door Etienne mentioned, but found it locked, and the key Edna had didn't work.
"Well, that's not good," Edna muttered.
"Listen up spy!" an Altmer voice rang out. Turning back towards the balcony, Edna could see two Altmer guards, and it looked like they had Malborn in custody.
"Damn, blast, bother, knickers and spit!" she cursed under her breath.
"You're trapped in here," the soldier advised, "and we have your accomplice. Surrender immediately or you both die."
"Never mind," Malborn muttered darkly. "I'm dead already-"
"Silence, traitor!" the guard ordered, backhanding Malborn. "Now move…slowly."
This last was directed towards her, Edna could only assume, since the guards remained at the top of the balcony, waiting for her to show up.
"Stay here," Edna cautioned Etienne. She had no intention of giving herself up, but the possibility that one or both of them might have a key to the trap door was enough incentive for Edna to want to work her way back over and up. She thought of using her bow, but again, she wasn't sure she could take out one of them, let alone two, before they might attack and kill Malborn. Damn the mer! How could he have been so clumsy as to get caught, after all his cautions to her? It told her one thing, however: that time was running out. No doubt Elenwen had already discovered Edna's absence from the party and had put two and two together.
She kept to the shadows at one side of the room where another flight of stairs had come down. No doubt this was where the first set she'd seen in Rulindil's office ended up. She hugged the wall and tried to move as quickly and as quietly as she could. Once again, fortune seemed to be favoring her, for she reached the stairs and made it to the top without them noticing her.
Now she could plainly see Malborn, looking completely defeated, but surprisingly not restrained. She could only see one of the guards, however, as the other was beyond the doorway to the balcony. Giving a mental sigh of frustration, Edna realized there was only one way to do this. She drew her sword, hefted her shield and rushed in, putting herself between the first guard and Malborn by bull-rushing the guard backwards.
"Go!" Edna barked. "Head downstairs!"
"And get cornered when they kill you?" Malborn argued, drawing a pathetic looking iron dagger.
"I said go!" Edna thundered. "You're in…my…way!"
Intimidated, Malborn ran, leaving Edna to face the two guards alone. They had standard weapons, and did not conjure any, nor did they use magic against her, for which Edna was grateful. This was a straightforward melee fight, even though it was two against one. But the Dragonborn had faced worse odds.
The first guard had a moustache, which was not all that common for elves, and it was the only way she could really tell them apart. He had a steel longsword. The other had green eyes, rather than the more common amber ones, and he wielded a cruelly-hooked mace.
They attempted to flank her, but Edna moved over to the railing and leaped lightly over. She landed hard, however, and felt the shock in her lower extremities. But it meant that the two soldiers would now have to come at her one at a time through the doorway. She could already hear the clattering of the boots across the floor and down the stairs. She swiftly fired off a healing spell to ease the pain in her ankles and moved to cut them off, both figuratively and literally.
Mr. Moustache was first, and Edna took him out quickly with a bash and a sweep of her shield, followed through with a slice from her blade. Green Eyes took a bit longer, but it was clear to Edna that these two weren't as skilled as the guard who had been torturing Etienne. When all was silent, she rummaged in one of the mer's belt pouches and found a key different from the one that let her in here. Returning to the two men waiting for her, she unlocked the trap door and they descended.
Immediately, Edna smelled troll. She could even hear it grunting and growling up ahead. Inwardly, she sighed. She was already tired.
"Troll ahead," she told the others. "Get out. I'll handle it."
Etienne nodded, but Malborn suddenly seemed to have found some backbone.
"No, I'll…I'll stay and help."
"You've only got a dagger," Edna scowled.
"I know, but you put yourself at risk to save me," he said. "No one's ever done that for me before. It doesn't mean I forgive you for getting me into this mess, but…well…"
"It's Delphine you should be mad at," Edna scolded. "Not me. She sent me on a wild goose chase, so don't think I'm happy about that."
"Let's just get out of here," Etienne urged.
"Right," Edna agreed. "Follow me, and escape if you can."
The tunnel led to an overlook, a short ledge from which they would have to jump down to leave the cave. Below, the troll was already working itself up into a frenzy.
"Now!" Edna cried, and all three leaped at once, with Etienne and Malborn hugging the right-side wall of the cave in order to avoid the troll.
Rather than draw her sword, however, Edna decided to try something different. She summoned up what little magicka she had and released it, casting a Calm spell on the troll.
The troll only roared in fury, advancing so swiftly that Edna barely got her shield up in time. The powerful swipes of the creature nearly numbed her arm, and she yelled at the other two, "RUN!"
Bashing with her shield gave her enough time to draw her sword, and Edna prayed she'd be able to do enough damage before the creature could regenerate itself. Fire would work well, here, she knew. Trolls were pretty much the same, whether they came from Skyrim or Cyrodiil; the ones in Skyrim, however, were bigger.
But the only fire she had was Flames, and she knew she didn't have enough magicka to take the troll out with it, as it was a continual draw on her meagre magicka pool. Again, something she intended to remedy, if she survived this. Once again, she cursed Delphine under her breath.
For several minutes she bashed and slashed at the troll, and while she was doing damage, it didn't seem as though it was enough.
"FUS RO DAH!" she finally Shouted in frustration, and the troll went flying backwards to lie stunned against the far wall of the cave. Rushing forward, Edna laid into the troll as though there would be no tomorrow, and at last, all was quiet. She looked around, not seeing Etienne or Malborn, and assumed they had escaped as she had ordered them to do. Sighing with fatigue, a glimmer caught her eye at the back of the cave, under the ledge. There was a body here in black robes; a necromancer from the look of it. He must have either wandered in here, or been dragged here for the troll to consume at its leisure. A book, a torch – still lit, so it couldn't have happened very long ago – and a belt pouch lay near the body. And a beautifully carved gold box gleamed in the light. It was this which had caught Edna's eye, for it lay on the packed snow, open, and a rose-pink gem floated above the interior of the box, gleaming and sparkling. It was beautiful, and Edna couldn't help but gasp.
"You're coming home with me!" she declared, all fatigue now forgotten as she gathered up the book and the contents of the pouch. The necromancer had a couple of alchemical ingredients on him, but other than a handful of septims, nothing more.
She left the cave and was surprised to see Etienne standing there, waiting for her, shivering in the cold. Malborn was long gone.
"Etienne!" she exclaimed. "You shouldn't have waited for me. You should get yourself to someplace warm!"
"I'll be fine," he insisted. "I couldn't leave without thanking you, Miss—"
"It's just Edna," she smiled. "Edna Valerius. Are you sure I can't at least give you some coin?"
"I wouldn't say no," he allowed. "Look, you didn't have to help me," he went on, embarrassed. "You don't even know me. But you did help, and for that, I thank you."
"I'm glad I could get you away from those bastards," Edna assured him, handing him the few coins she'd picked up inside.
"If you're ever in Riften," Etienne said as he turned to go, "look me up in the Ratway."
"I may yet do that," Edna promised. "And Etienne?"
He turned back, eyebrow raised.
"It was Gissur who sold you out. I heard him."
A thundercloud came over the Breton man's face, and he jerked his head in thanks.
"That's two I owe you," he replied, then dashed off into the night.
Weary again, Edna turned her own steps towards Solitude, trudging through the doors of the Winking Skeever and up the stairs to the room she shared with Kaidan when the sky was just beginning to lighten before dawn.
Kaidan leaped to his feet seeing her, crossed the room in two strides and crushed her to him. "Thank the gods you're alright!" he cried, his voice unsteady.
Surprised, Edna could only manage, "Why, Kaidan, what's wrong? I told you I'd be careful."
Sinking to his knees, shoulders shaking, Kaidan put a hand over his face. He refused to look up at her.
"Kaidan…" Edna crooned, kneeling down. "I had no idea, my boy…no idea this would affect you so badly." She tentative put her arms around his shoulders and he leaned into her. Silent sobs wracked his body, and it was several minutes before he could speak coherently.
"I felt…so helpless…" he barely whispered. "I kept thinking of you…up there with…with those Thalmor bastards! And me…sitting here, unable to be there…to protect you." He wiped his eyes with the inside of his gauntlet – the spikes on the outside would have prevented any other way. "I knew what might happen if they caught you…I kept thinking of them…torturing you, and me…me not being there…" He stopped, unable to continue for a long time, and Edna merely held and rocked him, as she had done for her niece and nephew when they were small.
"It's alright, Kai," she crooned over and over. "I'm here, I'm fine. It's all over now. We don't have to do this again."
It was a long while before Kaidan got himself under control.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"For what?" Edna smiled. "For caring about me? My boy, I never had a son, but it's been a long while since I've looked upon you as the son I never had. I know I can't replace your own mother, whoever she was, and I don't intend to try. Just know that I'm very fond of you, Kai, and very, very proud of the man you've become, especially when I see where you came from."
"You wouldn't be so proud of me," Kaidan said, subdued, "if you knew some of the things I've done."
"Who hasn't done bad things in their life?" Edna scoffed. "Who hasn't had moments where they weren't as good a person as they could have been? I haven't even told you half the things I've done! Now, we'll have no more talk like that. I'm exhausted, and need some sleep. In the morning, we'll head back down to Riverwood and talk to Delphine."
Kaidan nodded, but privately scowled at the thought of having to talk to Delphine again. Once more, she had put the Dragonborn's life at risk while she stayed safely hidden away. While he had once thought he might like to learn more about the Blades from her, now he was of the mind that Delphine had long ago strayed from the true purpose of that august organization.