This chapter has been edited due to content. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
JASH
I finished yet another bottle of Spiced Wine as the carriage pulled into Dawnstar. My crest was lying flat against my skull in an attempt to protect me against the bitter cold of the night. Lightning, the last unicorn in existence and my loyal mount, followed the carriage as though it was freezing. Serena was seated against me and of course she didn't feel the weather like I did.
While I was more than proud of being a Saxhleel, in the night my cold blood did nothing to help me. If we weren't about to arrive in the snow-ridden town then I would be drinking Skooma. Not only would it keep me warm, it would make the fear in my mind fade for a short time. In other words, it would allow me to think.
After I jumped off the carriage, I gave the driver some gold for a room. Then I prepared to mount Lightning but was stopped by a subtle glance from Serena.
"You'll ride my reindeer if you need a mount." I told her, though I knew that wasn't what her glance referred to.
"You're freezing, Jash." Serena said.
"Once we get past Dawnstar I'll start drinking Skooma."
"I know you want to get to Scouts-Many-Marshes, but you won't help him if you've frozen to death."
If not for the vampire being an egg-sister, I would've discarded her advice. Even though my scales felt like they were about to fall off and shatter like glass, I didn't care. If Scouts died because I delayed I would never forgive myself. What if he was dead by morning?
"Scouts might not have much time." I hissed. "These next few moments might be crucial in saving him."
"And he might be dead." Serena pointed out. "You might be risking your life for someone that can't be saved."
"Ours is to save him!" I screamed in Jel.
As the anger passed through my body like the tide, I felt myself grow calm. I hated the idea of waiting but Serena had a point. She wouldn't have suggested delaying Scouts' rescue if she thought racing to him now would save my husband.
"You are right, egg-sister." I said and Lightning walked away.
"Let's warm up at the Windpeak Inn until dawn." Serena said and we walked side by side.
As we walked the short distance to the inn, I thought back on the conversation with Babette in Solitude. The vampire was hundreds of years old and trapped forever as a small child. As a member of the Dark Brotherhood, she loved using that disguise for personal fun and contracts. Who would think to not trust a scared child? The first time I had seen her my soul had sunk deeper ever into myself. I hadn't yet truly accepted myself back then and was terrified of how evil could fester in the young.
In Solitude she had endured the sun to tell me about Scouts being captured. She had informed me of where and who had taken my husband. Lokir, a Dark Brotherhood Initiate I had thought dimwitted, had kidnapped my husband and taken him to Frostflow Lighthouse.
The lighthouse was close to Dawnstar. Hence taking a carriage from Solitude to help speed up the journey.
Babette had also informed me that the Brotherhood needed more Potions of Sobriety. It was a potion I had made to make sure Scouts never had to endure a drunk and high husband. While traveling through Skyrim I needed help surviving. So I drank heavily and consumed the highly addictive Skooma.
The potion had a bad side effect that made it more than useful to the Dark Brotherhood. A side effect that made me create a unique scent to differentiate my creation from another's. It was hard to get Chokeberries and so it was unlikely anyone could recreate that scent. Not that I used actual Chokeberries in anything but poisoned apples.
The deadly side effect had been discovered on accident. Once I had found that if one took a Potion of Sobriety and then took a sip of wine less than a week after, that person would die. Or, if they didn't die, they would be in intense pain. Pain that made the Brotherhood very happy.
After dealing with Lokir I would brew a few more Potions of Sobriety purely for the Brotherhood. I would give any extra to alchemist shopkeepers that had earned my trust. There were many alchemists who had tried to reproduce my own potion with little success. Yet there was still a market.
"Thane," Thoring shouted and a few patrons turned to look at the nearly frozen Saxhleel. "It's good to see you again. Will you be singing?"
"I need to save my strength." I replied with a sad smile. "Another time I'll sing for you. But for now I'll take a room and some ale."
"Of course."
He wouldn't ask me why I was here for his sanity. I had saved Skyrim but there were rumors about my darker dealings. Dealings that saw me entering a mysterious door and slaughtering anyone for some coin. Coin I didn't need as I was rich enough. That's why the dryskins turned to look at me with distrust in their eyes.
Though that could also be because my race, the ancient and proud Saxhleel, were distrusted by the majority of dryskins and Khajiit. I could never be certain from where hatred for me came from. Just that I deserved it a lot of the time.
Serena and I were silent until we were behind a shut door with a cool ale to drink. There was one bed which may or might not be used this night. I didn't feel like sleep would come to me and my egg-sister would make sure that I didn't try to make an escape before dawn.
"It's strange." Serena said as we began to drink.
"What is?" I asked in Jel due to sheer exhaustion and was glad that my egg-sister knew me well enough to understand my words.
"The Dark Brotherhood are a faction of ruthless assassins. So why do they make sure a lighthouse keeps running?"
"I was the one to make that decision." I said in the Common Tongue so she would understand me better. "I came across a tragic scene of a family destroyed by the Falmer. When the Dark Brotherhood moved I decided to make sure Frostflow Lighthouse always has a fire burning. It was the least I could do to honor the dryskins' memories."
My thoughts of the murdered dryskin family quickly turned to those of Lokir.
Lokir. The Dark Brotherhood Initiate. One of the many it was my duty to help grow into his greatness. Yet he betrayed me in the worst way possible. He had thought, foolishly, that I was lying about my love for Scouts-Many-Marshes. It was easy to see how that mindset could foster in the young as I was the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. I killed for no other reason than it brought me pleasure.
But no matter the justification for the foolish mindset, those of the Dark Brotherhood should know better than to assume. Than to take actions that could ruin my plans. Lokir had been with the Brotherhood for years and yet had never learned his place. Had never learned to truly listen to me. Had never truly learned to think before acting.
And so Lokir had kidnapped Scouts with the thought that I needed my husband out of the way so I could sit beside Elisif. He probably thought that one day I would kill her once she outlived her uses.
"You want to kill Lokir." Serena said and I nodded in reply. "But what about the tenants of the Dark Brotherhood?"
"You mean the one about not killing one of my Brothers or Sisters?" I asked and it was her turn to nod in reply. "Lokir harmed, possibly killed, Scouts. Harming Scouts is an attack on myself, the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. So what Lokir has done has removed him from the Brotherhood. When I kill him I won't be killing a member of the Brotherhood, I'll be killing a Nord."
No comments:
Post a Comment