Chapter Eleven: The Brotherhood
My eyes shot open as a hair-splitting scream filled the air. I recognized the cry as the voice of Faida. I wasted no time in sitting up, grabbing my sword that laid on the floor beside my cot. I was still in my nightwear when I got to my feet. I saw a shadow run out of the tent ahead of me, immediately recognizing it at Gaius. I ran after him towards the distant town in the early morning hours.
He left heavy footprints in the snow as he ran from our tent, and I used those prints to run in as well. The adrenaline was keeping me warm enough, as the thin fabric I slept in barely did anything to keep in heat. Soft, slow snowflakes fell from the sky ahead of us, but we didn’t let them distract us. We had to reach Faida.
When we reached the hamlet, the woman ran to meet us. She trembled in fear, running straight to Gaius for protection. My cousin wrapped her up in his arms, whispering softly to try and comfort her. I started to ask what had happened before I heard clatter and crashing in her inn. I left the two and cautiously headed inside. The door was already ajar, but something was blocking it from behind. I pushed hard against the heavy wooden surface, flinching as my bare feet stepped in a puddle of crimson. I allowed myself no time to be disgusted as I shifted my gaze to look across the inn.
There were at least two fresh corpses littering her tavern, one of which had been blocking the door. From the commotion in her room, I could tell the murderer was still there, as was his next potential target. I rushed to Faida’s room, gripping my blade as it was my only form of protection. Sadly, I had grown used to seeing the familiar red and black armor of the Brotherhood, so spotting the woman leaning over one of my fellow agents was less alarming than it should have been. My ally, a woman of no bigger stature than me, was pinned helplessly beneath the heavy Nord. The hushed whispers of the assassin were met by her responses of gasps and blood-drowned gurgles. The agent’s teary, pain filled eyes shifted over to me. It was disheartening to know I was the last thing she saw as she drew her final breath.
The Nord followed her gaze, her brown eyes narrowing slightly as she rose to her feet. Despite her race, her voice was Cyrodillic in origin. “There you are,” she taunted, adjusting the thin fabric that covered the lower half of her face. Her malachite daggers dripped blood from the edges. With weapons as sharp as those, it was easy to see how she easily killed off our unsuspecting soldiers. Her approach was sudden and swift, allowing me only enough time to raise my blade in defense and back away. My weapon was much too large and slow to contend with hers for very long. A sudden pain across my left shoulder and chest told me I had been hit, but I didn’t take time to examine it. There was no time between her assaults.
In a daring move, I simply dropped the sword that wasn’t giving me much protection as it was. I concentrated on maneuvering around her attacks, letting her tire herself out and become reckless in anger. Her breathing grew labored and turned into growls after several misplaced attacks. I side-stepped one more, the heel of my foot nudging a light metal object away from the open hand of my dead companion. The dagger slid against the fireplace in the center of the room. I ducked to avoid a fatal slash, stealing a glance at it.
I quickly recognized the knife as my only chance at killing her. After only a few moments of internal debate, I turned my back on the Nord, moving as swift as I possibly could to reach the weapon. Her breathing told me she was right on my heels, not giving me much time for retaliation. Using my momentum and lack of weight, I forced myself to slide the remaining distance. My nimble fingers found the blade as I turned to face my attacker. She was still moving fast, my guess was to trample me and pin me, but I used it to my advantage. Without so much as a second thought, I thrust the blade upwards, burying it deep into her abdomen until it was forced to stop as it collided with her vertebrae. She cried in pain but the force wasn’t enough to stop her. I forced her over my head as I knelt on the floor, sending her into the fire pit behind me. Ash and sparks were sent over the edges of the stone as she collided with the wood and flame. The woman screeched and screamed in agony, trying to claw her way out of the pit. My dagger must have shattered the back bone, as everything below the site of impact refused to move. I forced myself to my feet, backing away from the fire that was beginning to billow dark smoke.
The cries were deafening to me, as where the pleas to end her life. The sounds must have resonated outside was well, as Gaius shoved his way into the tavern, Faida in tow. His eyes stared at the woman consumed in flames before finding my own gaze. The assassin finally fell silent and his attentions where rested solely on me. “You’re bleeding,” he stated, walking over to me.
I dropped the dagger from my blood-soaked hands, allowing myself to look over the injury. “I’m fine,” I comforted, moving my arm upward to get a better look at the separated flesh. “It looks worse than it feels.”
“They’re dead then?” Faida asked, hesitantly forcing herself farther into her inn. Her eyes ran over the soldiers and their respective blood spots covering her floor.
I nodded slowly. “She killed the last agent as I came inside. I couldn’t save her.” I paused, looking back into the fire pit as the woman’s flesh began feathering away. I covered my mouth and nose with my arm as the rancid aroma of charred flesh and boiling blood began filling the inn. “She put up a good fight,” I started, hesitantly adding. “She was looking for me, just like the others these past few weeks.”
There was silence for a few moments until Faida broke it with her coughing. She started to open some of the windows, disregarding the cold for the luxury of breathing in clean air. Gaius carefully went to our fallen comrade that barred the door, dragging him a few feet from the entrance and closing his eyes. He then returned to the door, pushing it open the rest of the way to help with circulation. Faida looked back at me. “Where’s the other bodies?”
I pointed to her room. “Unfortunately, she killed the other agent in your room. We’ll clean up the mess for you.”
She shook her head in dismissal, “What about the other assassin?”
Gaius paused as the air grew tense around us. He cautiously turned toward me and Faida. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up in alarm as I voiced both Gaius and my concerns. “What other assassin? There was only one when I came in.”
Faida looked between us, the color visibly leaving her cheeks. She started to speak again, but Gaius cut her off, his voice trembling. “Where’s Father?”
Without any other warning, my cousin sprinted out the door, hurrying to the outpost across the way. I charged after him, pushing past the patrons that tried to come in to see what had happened to the town’s pub. I crossed the path as Gaius disappeared inside, but stopped as I heard a soft whistle. I turned slightly, looking across the snow-covered hamlet for the source of the familiar noise. Near the mill at the far end of the town, I saw a torch light. The outline of the person baring the torch became more visible and I sighed in relief.
Leaving my cousin to check on the Commander, I walked down the road. My feet froze in the snow and my breath clouded the air ahead of me, but I was still thankful for the winter storm that had blown through the night before. They let me trace the footsteps of anyone who had wandered through, namely the assassin. I followed the prints until I reached the mill, approaching the Nord who held the torch. Kaita looked me over as I entered the torchlight, frowning. “You’re going to freeze dressed like that. Where in Oblivion are your shoes?”
I chattered in the cold, “That really isn’t the most pressing concern right now.” I looked past her as I heard a faint groan. I crumpled body in the snow behind her shifted slightly, moving as a dying deer in its final moments of life. I cautiously walked over, letting her follow with the torch to get a better view. As the light hit the black and red armor and illuminated the stained snow around it, I sighed in relief. “You caught him.”
Kaita hummed softly. “I heard the innkeeper scream for help and nearly ran into him as I left camp. He didn’t put up much of a fight.” She walked closer, adding, “He isn’t dead. I figured you Imperials would actually want one alive for once.” She dug the end of the torch into the snow, freeing her hands to turn the assassin on his back. Blood had puddled on the snow where he was once curled up, dripping from a hole caused by a protruding arrow in his chest. He had other lacerations, namely on his leg. The extent of the damages told me he couldn’t walk without serious restoration. In an odd turn of events, we had the upper hand.
I walked over to the shivering male, studying him with a frown. I could only make out the grey-green, tear-filled eyes of the would-be assailant from under his cloaked face. I took a deep breath before looking back at the outpost. “I don’t want the entire town to know about him yet. There’s no telling what they’ll do before we get the information we need.” Kaita nodded before I continued, “Can you watch him here until I get Gaius and my uncle.”
“Of course,” she told me, kneeling next to the man. “Just be quick. I’m not sure how long we can stay discrete before the curious eyes of the townsmen find us.”
“Thank you,” I responded, immediately hurrying back up the snowy hill towards our post. I was assured that my uncle was all right, given that the assassin ran at the first sign of struggle. Even if he had broken into our outpost, he wouldn’t have done much damage. The commander was protected by at least 10 other agents that he shared the quarters with. If someone was attacked, the assassin wouldn’t have made it as far as he did. My assumptions were proven right as I entered the dwelling, finding Uncle Oritius seated by the fireplace, strapping on his boots. Gaius stood close by. “I found the other one,” I told them, causing them both to look back at me. “One of the hunters nearby heard the commotion and took him out for us.”
“Are we sure that was all that entered the town?” my uncle asked, looking at Gaius in concern. “I don’t want everyone wandering about with killers around.”
“Faida said she just saw the two of them,” he replied. “The second one must have gotten scared and ran off.”
“He’s still alive,” I replied, wrapping my arms around myself. The gash on my left was starting to grow sore, but I muscled through it for the time being. My uncle stared at me curiously. “The hunter missed his vitals and crippled him. He should be able to speak just fine, though.”
“Interesting,” Uncle Oritius muttered, rising to his feet. “Where is he now?”
“By the mill,” I started. “The woman was kind enough to watch over him until we could properly take him into custody.”
The man nodded, looking me over. “Put on some boots and grab a mantle. I’ll meet you both by the mill. We need to keep him alive, so we might need your talents. As for Gaius,” he started, chuckling faintly. “We might need some intimidation.”
I nodded to him as he headed outside into the dark, cold of early morning. I walked over to the chest at the foot of his bed, rummaging through for extra boots and a fur hood. Gaius walked over to me, asking, “Was it Kaita?”
I nodded with a small hum. “She was heading into town when she saw him. I suppose we’re lucky she was guarding the south road.” It had been several weeks since the rescue at Mistwatch, and Kaita had rarely left my side. She set up camp a little way outside of Dragon Bridge, close enough for us to keep an eye on each other but far enough that it didn’t arouse suspicion in my uncle’s eyes. That was saying something. Since the attacks grew more and more frequent, he kept both me and my cousin within arm’s reach. I was rarely given tasks involving leaving Dragon Bridge, the exceptions being my “courier trips” from Tullius. Kaita took the information back to Windhelm when I wasn't able to sneak away. I only managed to see her when she came to the inn posing as a hunter selling her kills. Neither of us didn't mind the simpler work, but after so many successful ventures together, we were starting to miss the action.
“It’s a little alarming,” Gaius started, scratching the hair on his chin, “They either slipped past her on the way into town, or came on the north road.” He paused. “If it’s the latter, they came in right by our tent.”
The thought forced an involuntary shiver down my spine. I tried to shake the feeling as I pulled out the items I was searching for. “I guess it’s a good thing we decided not to light a fire then. Our tent is well hidden in the weeds, but any light would make it easily noticeable.”
My cousin took a deep breath, carding his callused hand through his hair. “We’re going to need to be more careful, Talia. We lost three tonight, and you and I could have easily been among them.” He looked down at me in concern. “This is getting out of hand: three tonight, two last week, five the week prior… How many more are we going to lose?”
I shut my eyes a moment as I forced myself to my feet. I had mentioned to Gaius the attack during my hunt with Ulfric. I hadn't told me who I was with, as not to make him suspicious, but the story was enough to make him upset. Neither of us told Uncle, though in hindsight, we could have prevented so many more deaths if we did. I didn't have to tell him how much guilt I felt. “I should just give myself up then,” I asked, moving to sit on the bed and pull on the boots and mantle. “Whoever this ‘Listener’ is, he’s bent on killing me and destroying what I hold dear. Maybe he’ll leave everyone else alone if I let him have me.”
Gaius frowned, grumbling his words in annoyance. “That’s not what I meant.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It isn’t just about you anymore. We all have death threats now. Do you think I should give up too? How about Father?”
I shook my head quickly. “No, I…” The thought made me sick. I wouldn’t want anyone, especially Gaius and Uncle Oritius, giving into those monsters. I looked up at him, letting him know I understood his meaning. “I'm sorry. I'm... I'm just scared Gaius. What are we going to do?”
Gaius took my arm, gently helping me up. His expression softened as he replied, “We’re going to start by talking to the member of the Brotherhood. The commander will decide from there.” He started out the door, waiting for me to follow as well. “As for you and me, we're just going to have to trust each other and have each other’s backs, just like we’ve always done.”
I leaned against him as we walked, comforted mentally and physically by the connection. “Right,” I agreed, taking a calming breath. “We have to protect each other. Always.”
“Always,” he echoed, staring ahead. We walked down the hill towards the mill where we made out the outline of my uncle. On approach, we heard him questioning Kaita about what happened. She was calm and collected. She had no reason to fear my uncle. He couldn’t know she was a Stormcloak and by giving him respect he had no reason to doubt her loyalties. I broke away from Gaius to get closer to the injured assassin. I looked over his injuries before calling over to my uncle. “He’s going to bleed out in an hour or so, and this arrow will need to be removed.”
The commander put his attentions on me and the killer, dismissing Kaita with a small wave. My fellow Stormblade had no problems heading back to the warmth of her tent, only stealing a glance at me when she reached the bridge. My uncle leaned down in the snow opposite of me, looking over the male himself. He scoffed, “I’d say let him bleed, but we really can’t afford losing him.” He looked up at my distracted cousin who watched Kaita walk off. “Gaius,” he started, the young man flinching at his name. “Remove the arrow. Talia will have to be ready with the magic as soon as it’s out to avoid killing him.”
I nodded in response, readying my hands around the wound. Uncle Oritius held the assassin’s shoulders to the ground as Gaius gripped the arrow roughly. A whimper from his veil told me he was afraid. If he were anyone else, I would comfort him, but I had no kindness left for the beasts that associated themselves with the Brotherhood. As my cousin tried to determine the quickest, least damaging way to remove the bolt, the injured male’s frail voice whimpered, “You... you’re Gaius Maro?” His young, almost childlike tone caught us all off guard, but the question itself was more alarming.
“So what if I am?” Gaius responded, glaring down at him. “It isn’t going to do you much good knowing that now.” He looked over at me, asking quickly, “Ready?” With my nod, he gripped the arrow’s shaft, ripping it from the chest of the young man and tearing new holes in his armor.
His cry of pain broke the otherwise silence of the town. My uncle frowned, looking up to make sure none of the townsfolk were coming to investigate. Other than the initial outbreak, however, our new prisoner managed to keep himself quiet. I immediately began my healing on him, knowing well that Gaius could have easy severed more arteries withdrawing the arrow. His blood was turning his armor more red than black, but part of me felt as though he got what he deserved. So many of my comrades had been lost because of his organization. At that moment, I simply wanted to let me die the way my allies had, yet I found myself saving his life.
The male cringed as the magic began its work, hesitantly relaxing in the relief I was able to give. His labored breaths slowed until he could speak again. “Thank you.”
I withdrew my hands, glaring down at him. “‘Thank you’? You’re thanking us?” I scoffed slightly, crossing my hands over my chest. “I’m only healing you because you’re an asset. If given the word, I could just as easily end your life.”
“I... I know,” he whispered, his voice shaking in slight fear. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, I swear. You just can’t let them know I’m alive. Please.”
“You’re not in a position to be making requests,” our commander murmured, his tone softer than I expected. “Your Brotherhood is killing off my subordinates faster than we can replace them. You have death warrants on my children. If anything, you should be asking what you can do for us.”
“I’ve ever only killed one person, and he certainly wasn’t someone you knew,” the man whispered, staring up at us desperately. “I’ve been blackmailed into this business. I want out. I’ll help you if you help me. I’m begging you.”
Gaius and I stared at the commander, awaiting his answer. Uncle Oritius pursed his lips as he simply stared down at the male. He carefully tugged off his hood and veil studying the face of our prisoner. He was also a Nord, but extremely thin, almost sickeningly so. He was also very young, probably not seeing his 18th winter. Judging by his trembling lip and glossy eyes, I could guess he was terrified. Luckily for him, my uncle had a soft spot for children. “Help me get him to his feet, Gaius. We all need to get out of the cold.”
I stood back up, allowing my cousin to take my place and pull the man out of the snow. Uncle Oritius stood at his other side. He could only put weight on one leg, so he leaned wholeheartedly against my uncle. I took the torch from the ground, using it to light their path as they trudged up the hill towards the outpost. Gaius muttered under his breath, “Do you think it’s a good idea to have him in our quarters?”
“He has no weapons and can’t stand on his own. If we can’t hold our own against someone like this, we really don’t stand a chance against the rest of them,” the commander muttered, looking up at me. “After we get inside, you and Gaius can go get properly dressed and tend to your wounds. I’ll take care of him and see what he knows.”
“Yes sir,” I responded, taking a deep breath. When we reached the steps of the outpost, I buried the torch head in the snow, extinguishing the flames. I waited just outside the door for Gaius, turning my gaze to the inn across the road. I could see several of our members helping clean Faida’s tavern for her through the open doors and windows. Our fallen were laid neatly on the snow beside the porch, awaiting the priest from Solitude to give them their rites before they were sent back to Cyrodiil. I felt a frown tug my lips. In all, we suffered the loss of 13 members since our arrival in Skyrim those months ago. I knew most personally. We trained together, ate together, even cried together on occasion. Thirteen good men and women lost because of one man’s hatred for my family. It wasn’t fair.
“Tali?” Gaius’ voice caught me off guard, causing me to flinch before looking over my shoulder. “Are you going to be all right?” I shrugged, humming in response. He forced a smile. “Let’s go get warm and then see what Father says. I have a good feeling with this assassin’s help we might be taking the fight to them.”
We wordlessly walked the short distance out of town to our tent. Gaius opened the flap for me, letting me enter our dwelling first. I thanked him quietly before going over to my uniform that laid neatly folded in the nightstand. I decided to keep the mantle for myself- my uncle had plenty of his own- and made it an addition to my uniform. Both of us changed quickly, mostly so we could return to the warmth of the outpost.
When we went back inside, we found the building completely empty except for the young assassin and the commander. Both were seated on the floor, the injured male leaning against the wall. He was out of his stained uniform and seated in his under armor. As expected, his body was just as sunken as his face. I knew that would tug on my uncle’s heart stings more than it should, but I trusted his judgment on how comfortable he was willing to be with our would-be killer. I heard them talking in soft mumblings at my approach. The young male went silent as he stared up at me, causing my uncle to look back at us. “I’m sure you’ve figured out who they are by now.”
“Your children, Gaius and Talia,” he started, frowning some. He couldn’t meet either of our gazes as his head hung low. I sat down in a chair nearby, frowning at him, while Gaius leaned against the table. I detected his faint shivering. From the amount of time he had spent inside, I surmised he should have been warm by then. That only meant one thing: he was afraid of us.
I put aside my discontent and hatred for the moment, addressing him with a softer tone. “We aren’t going to kill you. You’ve surrendered and agreed to help us. The worst that could happen to you now is getting sent to Castle Dour Prison, and even there it’s warm, guarded, and you are given plenty of food to sustain you.” He looked slightly relieved but remained leery of Gaius. It was for the best. My cousin was far less likely to have sympathy for him than the rest of us.
Uncle Oritius turned back to look at the captive. “He was telling me everyone he knew to have a contract on them. The list is… extensive.” He frowned slightly. “You know all of us now. I think we deserve to know your name.”
The Nord nodded weakly. “Nismyn,” he muttered.
“Not a very Nordic name,” Gaius commented, a mock in his tone.
He shook his head in reply. “I wasn’t raised by Nords.” He paused. “I was raised by some Dunmer, so they named me after them. I’d like to avoid talking about that if you mind.”
“How about telling us about how you joined the Brotherhood then?” Gaius pressed.
“I’d like to avoid that too,” Nismyn whined. He forced his brown eyes to finally stare up at Gaius only to be met by his untrusting, hateful gaze. “I… I’ll tell you other things, but I’d like to leave my personal life out of this. It’s painful to talk about.”
Uncle Oritius started to speak, but he was cut off by his son. “It’s painful to know that because of you and your friends, innocent members of our guard have lost their life in humiliating, dishonoring ways. My friends have died because of you and you think you get to pick and choose what you’re going to tell us?” Gaius was nearly growling his words at that point. “I don’t care who you are and what you’ve been through, kid. You’re alive, which is more than I can say for my friends. You’re going to answer whatever questions we ask, regardless of how ‘painful’ they are.”
“Gaius,” he muttered softly, looking over at him.
Nismyn shook his head. “He’s right. Sorry.” The commander looked slightly surprised but allowed him to continue. “I was dropped off here in Skyrim a few years ago by the Dunmer and really didn’t have much of a chance of survival. I scraped by for a while with what little money I had until it ran out. Unluckily for me, someone was watching out for me. They promised to give me a place to live and food to eat if I was willing to steal something for them. It sounded like a fair deal at the time, until I realized I would have to kill someone to get the job done. I was so hungry…”
“You did it?” I asked softly, listening to his story. Gaius seemed unmoved by the tale, but the commander was just as interested as me.
The Nord nodded slowly. “It was… easy.” His voice faltered a little. “I went to collect my pay, but they refused. Instead, they told me if I didn’t join their cause they’d just turn me in to the city guard for theft and murder. To this day, I think that would have been the better option. Regardless, I was initiated into the Brotherhood, but never given a real mission. I think they just wanted a grunt man to do the chores for them that they were above: cleaning, cooking, shopping. They never asked me to kill again, until tonight.” He looked at my uncle with teary eyes. “I couldn’t do it. Once was enough for me. I ran away as soon as I got the chance. I just want out. I don’t care what you do with me as long as I don’t have to go back.”
Uncle was silent for a long moment before drawing a deep breath. “You won’t be going back. You need protection and we need information. I think we’ll be able to make a deal.”
“You’re going to trust him?” Gaius asked, huffing. “What if he’s lying so he can get close enough for a kill? We don’t know how these assassins operate.”
“He’s all we have to get ahead of them. If he’s lying, he’ll pay for it. If not, what kind of people would we be if we give him back to the people that essentially kidnapped him?” My uncle looked back at Gaius with a small frown. “I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to trust me.”
“He’s right,” I started, as much as I hated hearing myself agree. “Besides, he’s nearly a child. He’s lived with them most of his life. If he’s willing to tell the truth in exchange for safety, he’ll have all the information on them we need to know. If they resorted to sending him into the field for them, they must be running low on members or extremely desperate.”
“A little of both actually,” Nismyn muttered, looking between the three of us. “We didn’t have that many people to begin with. With your agents killing and maiming the ones we do have, our numbers are at an all-time low. The Listener is also getting impatient waiting on you to slip up. He’s nearly abandoned all contracts except the ones related to you.”
“Who’s the Listener?” Gaius and Uncle Oritius asked in near unison.
“The one who talks to the Night Mother,” he answered. “She gives all the contracts. We aren’t sure how, but he hears them and gives them to us. Lately, he’s been so caught up on the Maro Clan though. No one knows if it’s the Night Mother’s wishes or his own, but he wants you all gone.”
“Who is he, though?” I asked softly, grabbing his attention. “What’s his name? That would be a good place to start collecting information on him.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. No one ever calls him anything but Listener. He hates it when we call him anything else. Astrid may know, but I’m never going back to find out.” He shivered slightly.
“Astrid?”
“She’s our leader and the only one the Listener takes orders from, but even she doesn’t get involved with his ravings over you three. If I'm honest, no one does. They're all too scared to defy him though. We all just try to avoid him. I've personally only seen him four or five times.” He paused to study our faces. “He looks an awful lot like you do, sir.” He smiled sadly at my uncle.
“He’s Imperial by birth? Well at least that’s something,” the commander hummed. “Can you tell us where your hideout is? We lack the numbers now, but I’d like to open a full out assault on that place as soon as possible.”
Nismyn nodded. “Southwest of Falkreath, right off the road,” he yawned widely. “I’m surprised most people don’t notice it and investigate, but I’m sure a looming metal door with a skull on it is more than enough to drive off halfhearted explorers. Those with the courage can’t get inside, anyways. It’s sealed magically and password protected.”
“What’s the password?” Gaius asked, his tone only the faintest bit kinder. I assumed he was relieved we were finally getting some answers.
“When the door asks the question, you answer with ‘silence, my brother’. It will open immediately for you.” He hugged himself, shifting his gaze to his crippled leg. “I suggest going during the day, though. They tend to be more active during the night. It’s harder to spot a killer in the shadows after all.”
As he yawned again, the commander rose to his feet. “Thank you. If you don’t mind, we’re going to make sure the information you given us is true. It’s not that I don’t want to trust you, I just can’t be too careful.” The young man nodded. “In the meantime, find a bed and get some rest. You’re being placed under my supervision until I can confirm everything you’ve told me.”
“You’re letting him stay here?” Gaius questioned again, amused by the idea.
“For the time being,” Uncle Oritius confirmed. “He doesn’t exactly possess the tools to kill anyone under my supervision. Further, the Brotherhood will be after him just as much as they’re after us if they find out he’s alive and helping us. If the information comes back valid, he’ll be more use to me here than in Castle Dour. If not, he can be Tullius’ problem.”
Gaius started to object, but I cut him off. “As long as you know what you’re doing, sir,” I glanced at Gaius, noting his displeasure but overall acceptance.
He helped Nismyn into the closest bed before walking over to his desk at the far side of the room. Gaius and I followed when he motioned us over. “I’ll send two or three of our boys to Falkreath to search for the door and begin asking around for the Brotherhood’s movements.”
“I take it we won’t be going on that mission?” When he shook his head, Gaius asked, “What will we be doing then?”
“We need to carry on like normal, otherwise the Dark Brotherhood will know we’re planning something.” He carded his hand through his messy, bed-head hair. “I was going to send someone else to do it, but I think keeping the both of you here has been a mistake. This will serve as both a mission and safety precaution. I want you to travel between the holds to meet with our contacts. Check their status, note any problems, see if they need help doing anything. Then analyze the guard rotations: their movements, where they frequent most, where more patrols are needed. Record anything you think will help ensure the emperor’s safety.” He paused, looking at us both closely. “But I need you to keep on the move. Don’t stay longer than a day in any hold. Sleep only in populated cities. I think sending you out there where no one knows your movements will be better than keeping you stationary here.”
Gaius considered the mission, scratching his beard. “I’d at least like you to know where we are, in the event something does happen.” He looked up at his father, smiling faintly. “Write up a day by day schedule, but leave it fairly vague just in case it falls into the wrong hands. I’ll keep one on me and you can keep one here at the outpost.”
“I suppose it would be best. If someone manages to catch me off guard, I will need one of the other agents to fetch you for me.” He began scribbling some notes on a parchment.
“How long will we be out for?” I asked curiously.
“A week or two at least.” He didn’t lift his eyes from the page as he dipped the quill into the inkwell again. “I want to make sure our new asset’s information wasn’t false and the Brotherhood isn’t going to retaliate and wipe us all out.”
“You should come with us then,” I muttered softly. I hated the idea of leaving my uncle to face the entire guild of assassins on his own. I tried to reason he had more than enough of our agents to protect him, but they weren’t fairing so well against lone and paired assassins. It would be easy for an entire squad of them to come in the night and wipe us all out. All I had was faith that Nismyn wasn’t lying about their numbers being low.
The commander shook his head. “I need to stay here and run things. All three of us unaccounted for will definitely draw their attention.” He sighed and looked over the schedule before handing it to Gaius. “Will that work, son?”
“Yes, sir.” My cousin smiled softly as he folded the paper in half to pocket it. “I’m going to pack and tell Faida I’m leaving. I’ll meet you outside before I go.”
“I’ll be expecting you after I write up my copy.” He paused and looked over at me. “Are you going to be all right to travel. I know you haven’t been outside of the hold since traveling to Riften, but I assure you there’s more of Skyrim than this. You might even enjoy yourself.”
I held my tongue as I nodded. I wished I could correct him, but I knew better. “I’m excited to explore, sir. It will be good for both of us to get out of here for a while.” Content with my answer, he took another piece of parchment to scribe the schedule. I dismissed myself and followed my cousin out the door.
The sky was lighter, but Mundus was still hidden behind the thick, grey clouds. Both of us stopped at the edge of the porch, looking up at the sky. “You probably should tell Kaita,” he started. “She needs to know we won’t be here so she won’t be stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do.”
I hummed in response, shifting my gaze to the far end of town. “I was planning on it. I’ll find out if she wants to come with us or head back to WI-, home.” I corrected myself before I let the words leave my lips. I avoided looking at Gaius to see if he had caught my mistake. “Go ahead and tell Faida. Don’t worry about packing my bag. Epona’s already geared up with whatever I need.”
“Alright…” Gaius replied hesitantly, walking down the steps and crossing the path to the inn. “Don’t take too long. Father will be done soon.” I watched him enter the inn before I started down the hill towards the bridge.
Kaita’s camp was out of sight of the bridge, but not incredibly far from the village. Situated on elevated ground, it was hard to see from the road, but gave her a good vantage point for spotting oncoming danger. I reasoned she was sleeping, since she had no reason to be awake since most of the town was on alert after the attack. I called out to her when I neared the camp so I didn’t startle her, but was immediately answered by her response. Curious, I started up the hill on a less steep grade. “I would have thought you’d be sleeping by now.” I paused only a moment as I spotted her seated near the fire with a Stormcloak courier beside her. The courier rose when she saw me, alerted by my armor. “I’m an ally!” I told her, raising my empty hands to show I meant no hard.
The woman relaxed slightly when Kaita nodded. “That’s Talia Bear-Tamer. She lives with the Imperials and gives us the information we need.”
“My apologies, Stormblade,” the courier started, saluting me. “I’ve had a lot of trouble getting here, so I’m a bit on edge.”
“No need to apologize,” I smiled at her, returning the salute before walking over to the fire. “I forget how easily I blend in.”
Kaita patted the ground beside her. “Take a seat and catch your breath. You’ve had quite the journey. Galmar better have a good reason sending you this close to Solitude.”
The Stormcloak shook her head. “It was Jarl Ulfric, actually.” I tilted my head slightly as she looked over at me. “He wants you both back in Windhelm soon. We’re planning on taking Falkreath Hold and The Reach, so he wants to talk with you both before we begin our assault.”
“That’s mighty bold of him, given we haven’t taken Whiterun yet. Strategically that would be the best place to start.” Kaita furrowed her brows as she looked up at the woman.
The courier smirked slightly. “They’re starting that campaign today, actually. Galmar thinks it would be best if we work quickly to take every hold back. The more time between attacks, the more likely word of our success will reach Cyrodiil. They’ll send more troops to protect the opposing holds and make our job more difficult.”
“We’d best get to Windhelm then and hear their plan,” Kaita responded, looking at me. From my expression alone, she could tell we needed to speak. She looked back at the Stormcloak. “Thank you for coming this far. Run ahead of us and tell Jarl Ulfric we’re coming. We shouldn’t be far behind you.”
“Aye, Stormblade.” She saluted before walking back towards the road. “Oh,” she paused, “Galmar wants you to stop in Whiterun on the way to Windhelm. He assures us the city is already ours and wishes to treat you both to drinks.” Kaita rolled her eyes, dismissing the woman with a wave of her hand and small smile. When she was out of sight, her attention was put on me expectantly.
“Gaius and I have been assigned to wandering the holds. Uncle says it’s for the emperor, but I think he just wants us out of Dragon Bridge awhile. Either way, we have a schedule we’re supposed to follow. Now that we’ve decided to kick-start the war, I’m not entirely sure how all of this is going to play out.” I took a seat next to her, sighing as I leaned back on my elbows to get comfortable. “Penitus Oculatus agents are still under immunity, correct?”
“As far as I’m aware,” Kaita hummed, looking over at me. “You’ll always be safe around Stormcloaks, but if you’re worried about your cousin, we could always tell him.” Her voice trailed off, making me look over at her. She held a small smile. “You know you’re going to have to eventually.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know.” I shut my eyes as I thought. “It might make things easier if I do. I might convince him to stay in Windhelm until the fighting is over. He may even join us.” It was optimistic thinking, but wasn’t too far-fetched. I opened my eyes and looked back towards Dragon Bridge. “I don’t think he’d leave my uncle though, and there is no way my uncle would turn his back on the empire. I’m just afraid they’ll be in more danger if I do.”
The Stormblade shrugged. “It was just a suggestion. Either way, being assigned to traveling Skyrim will be a big help. Gaius won’t have to come up with an elaborate lie about where you are.”
“I’m worried about him,” I admitted, sitting up. “I don’t want him traveling alone with everything going on.”
“Do you want me to tell Galmar and Ulfric where you are then?”
I quickly shook my head. “No. There is no way I’m missing out on retaking the holds for him.” Kaita smiled slightly, but I ignored her. “They might need me in the fight. There will be plenty of wounded and displaced people to care for in the aftermath as well. Gaius…” I hesitated. “Gaius can take care of himself well enough. He’s much better than I am at fighting. I’ll just tell him which holds to avoid for the time being and hope that’s enough for him.”
Kaita nodded, rising to her feet. “Where are you to supposed to head first?”
“Markarth,” I said, standing as well. “We’ll come out on this road.”
“Great!” she hummed, beginning to pack up her camp. “I’ll meet you out here with Valk and Glaer.”
I nodded in agreement and allowed her to pack up, heading back towards the town. I took a deep breath as I reached the bridge, trying to decide how to tell Gaius what I was doing. I reasoned he wasn’t going to be open to the idea of going to Windhelm with us, so I decided to just tell him I was needed elsewhere. I’m sure he had figured out by now I was doing something to aid Skyrim, but I hadn’t the slightest idea how much he knew about my double-life. He kept secrets well enough though, so I wasn’t worried. As long as I didn’t confirm anything, he was safe.
I crossed the bridge, immediately spotting my family standing outside the outpost. I hurried over to them, apologizing for the delay, but Uncle Oritius didn’t seem to notice. “I’m having second thoughts about this. I know the two of you are more than capable at keeping each other alive, but there’s always the risk.”
Gaius, carrying a heavy pack on his shoulders, smiled at him. “You worry about us too much. We’ve fought plenty of battles harder than this. We aren’t children anymore.”
“You’re my children,” he reminded, looking between the two of us. “You’ll always be my children, and I’ll always worry.”
I felt a smile tug on my lips. “We’ll come back to you, promise.” He looked over at me with a sad smile. “Just be here when we get back, okay?”
“I will, Talia,” he bowed his head slightly before looking back at Gaius. “Remember what I said. We need to establish security, but I want you safe too. Look out for Talia.”
“Yes, sir,” he responded, turning towards Faida as the young Nord approached.
My uncle turned towards me fully. “You look out for Gaius.” I bowed my head in affirmation before hearing him sigh. He walked over to me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I leaned into him, smiling more. “I still see you both knee-high. I forget just how strong you’ve become.” He chuckled softly. “Please be careful, Tali.”
“We will,” I assured him, kissing his cheek as he pulled away. “We’ll be waiting to hear from you.” As my uncle headed back into the outpost, I looked back at Gaius. He held Faida’s hand in his own, a small smile on his face that matched her own. I walked over, teasing them both. “It will just be a few weeks. After that, I’ll take you both to the temple myself.”
Faida giggled, looking over at me kindly. “Don’t let him get into too much trouble.” With my nod, she looked back at him. “Come home to me, all right?”
He gently kissed her forehead before backing away. “Of course, love. You’ll be with me all the while in my thoughts. When I return, I’m holding Talia to her offer.” He smirked over at me before continuing, “I’m going to marry you.”
Faida’s eyes brimmed faintly with tears as she nodded to him. She gently kissed his hand before pulling away. “Get out of here,” she teased, shooing us away with her hands.
I bowed to her slightly before walking towards the bridge, stopping only once to make sure Gaius was following. He hurried to catch up to me, a sigh leaving his lips. “Where’s the temple here again?”
I giggled softly. “Riften, completely across Skyrim. I’m sure they’ll let you arrange a marriage in advance though. Who are they to deny you love?” I crossed my arms over my chest, looking ahead.
“We’ll have to stop by the temple while visiting then,” he chuckled. “I swear to you, I’m going to marry her before we leave Skyrim.”
My smile faded. “About that…” My voice trailed, causing him to grow suspicious and frown. “I’m having to leave again. Kaita just told me I’m needed.”
Gaius took a deep breath. “How long?”
“I don’t know exactly: four or five days, at least.” I heard him grumble something under his breath. “What?”
He glanced at me, but the gaze met mine as more of a glare. “You realize either one of us can get killed, right? We have no idea who we can trust other than ourselves. You want to up and leave a life-or-death mission to play hero somewhere?”
I frowned at him. “I figured you could handle it, Gaius. You won’t be alone in the cities and you can see anyone coming for miles on the roads. Like I said, it could just be four or five days. You should probably avoid Whiterun for now though, and take caution in The Reach.”
“That still isn’t very safe, Talia! There’s a reason he assigned both of us together and not alone. We need to watch each other’s backs.” He paused, shaking his head. “I am more than capable that taking care of myself, but you… You need to be looked after. If you get killed because of a crazy stunt you’re trying to pull or because you let your guard down around the wrong person, I will never forgive myself. Father will never forgive me.”
I huffed, growing annoyed. I had to take a deep breath to avoid saying something I shouldn’t. “I have done more myself these past few months than you could ever know. Both you and Uncle fail to see that I am just as much a warrior as the two of you. If you can’t handle being by yourself a few days, feel free to come with us.”
“Where?” Gaius asked. His stare told me he wanted to know more than where I was going. He wanted to know everything. He wanted his suspicions laid to rest. I felt a knot in my chest, but I obliged him.
“To Windhelm.” Silence followed my reply for several moments. “I have… friends there. They’ll make sure you’re safe until all of this blow over.”
Gaius looked ahead, refusing to answer. His eyes rested on Kaita and the horses she looked after. I realized he was piecing everything together. He was not foolish, but I had left him in the dark too long. His expression was a mix of hurt and annoyance. I started to speak to him again, but he cut in, “What about Father? You want to just leave him here? Make him wonder what happened to his children?” He didn’t wait for my response. “I’ve been covering for you this entire time, hoping you knew what you were doing. I thought you were just helping the people. I didn’t think you had joined the Rebellion!”
“Gaius…” I whispered, feeling guilt grip my core. “They aren’t the bad guys.”
“So, we are?” He demanded.
“Not you, and not Uncle either,” I felt my breathing elevate. “It’s complicated. You have to just see for yourself.”
“I don’t plan on it, Talia.” His tone was dismissive, holding a slight growl to it. By that time, we were near Kaita. She started to greet us, but quickly realized it was a bad time. She turned her back to us, busying herself by braiding her horse’s mane. Gaius didn’t care that she was close by, continuing, “You’re leaving me, your kin, to go run a war to save people that could care less if I live or die. You realize how awful that is?”
“It isn’t like that, Gaius,” I tried reasoning. I stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop. “I want you to help me. You said you’re not always brave enough to do the right thing. This is your chance. Come with us to Windhelm and meet Ulfric. Help us free Skyrim. He’s already promised me the Penitus Oculatus will not be touched by Stormcloak hands. He just wants things back the way they’re supposed to be.”
My cousin stared down at me. I could see the conflict in his dark-colored eyes. As he drew a deep breath, he looked away from me and stepped past, continuing down the road towards Markarth. “I’m not joining a rebellion. You can choose to go off and start a war with your own people if you want, but I’m not doing it. Go with Kaita, or come with me. I don’t care anymore. Just know, I’m not covering for you anymore. This is madness.”
“I thought we had each other’s backs, Gaius?” I growled in return, my voice shaking in frustration.
“I thought we did too.” He turned and looked at me, waiting for my choice. His expression was unreadable as he put up a wall to guard his emotions. I knew I had hurt him. I knew he was scared for me. I knew he once again wanted to do the right thing but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He didn’t know what to feel, so he made himself feel nothing.
I stood between the two: Gaius to my right on the road to Markarth and Kaita to the left on the road to Windhelm. My fellow Stormblade barely looked over her shoulder at me. She hid her emotions just as well, but it was for different reasons. She knew my choice long before even I did. She pulled back her long, fiery hair before climbing on her coal-colored mare. She began to untie Glaer’s reins from her saddle as I felt myself step forward.
I took them from her hand before adjusting them over my stallion’s neck. She wordlessly spurred her horse down the road ahead of me, leaving me alone with Gaius. I turned to look at him, seeing him still wait for me. “I… I hope you’ll change your mind.” My voice was barely audible, but he must have heard it. Without saying anything else, he turned and began walking down the road alone.
I forced myself onto Glaer’s back, taking off after Kaita. She had waited for me around a bend in the road, a sad smile on her face. As I caught up, I found myself matching pace with her, but avoiding her gaze. She called over to me, “He’ll be fine. Let him think things through a while. At least he knows now…”
“Right…” I muttered, trying to reason within myself I had made the right choice in telling him. “He knows where to find us if he changes his mind or runs into trouble.” Kaita nodded and I continued. “Let’s just worry about Whiterun. I could sure use a drink.”
Kaita giggled softly. “I thought you didn’t like alcohol.”
I smiled faintly, scoffing, “Lately, it’s sounding increasingly appealing.”
<< Chapter Ten ~ Chapter Twelve >>
Replies
Really need to petition to get you a writing job at Bethesda. You and Ben could show their writers a thing or two.
I've actually been considering. A couple of my friends that I give hard copies to said the same thing. Hah. I don't think it's good enough to send to Bethesda, honestly. I'm afraid they'd laugh at it. XD
Your story is a better civil war than any of those guys could have written. I'd be fine worth the game being delayed til today if it meant getting a civil war plot this intriguing.