15th of Heartfire, 4E 201
Damn, I am completely swamped! It’s like there are no other sellswords in all of Skyrim! I have over two dozen jobs to do in three cities. Sometimes a person will approach me in the street and directly ask me for help.
Once, a clearly insane Argonian in Riften actually grabbed my arm and thrust a Dwemer lexicon into my hand. Putting that back where it belonged was a surreal journey.
And all of that was after I woke up on the floor of a damp and chill shack nearly ten days ago. No one had lived there for years. The floor was covered in dirt, snow, and blood. A dark-clad Nord woman was lounging atop a bookshelf, watching me. She was Astrid, leader of the Dark Brotherhood.
She demanded that I repay the kill I “stole” from them when I killed Grelod the Kind. She had gathered three people, bound their hands and feet, and covered their heads with black hoods. Astrid told me there was a contract out on one of them, and I had to choose which one while she watched.
I told her exactly what I thought of her proposal.
Then I released the three prisoners. One of them, Fultheim, was a mercenary; so I paid him to escort the woman Alea home. Vasha, the Khajiit, asserted he was able to take care of himself. I just shrugged and let him go. Once we were outside, I was able to figure out that we were in a marshy area south of Morthal, showed the three where we were, and we went our separate ways.
I’ve spent the subsequent days doing jobs and trying to decide what the hell to do now. A Legion soldier visiting Morthal told me to notify Commander Maro of what I had done. I know where that will lead. The Legion will use this opportunity to destroy the remains of the Dark Brotherhood, and chances are I’ll be asked (if not ordered) to accompany them.
It means I’ll have to face Loki. I never liked him, but he was a teammate. He was one of the deadliest killers I ever knew. No average Legionnaire will be able to beat him. It’ll have to be me.
I’m pondering this now while sitting on my bed in my house. Yeah, I own a house now.
I did so many things in Riften the Jarl let me purchase property and made me a thane. It’s nice to be able to have a place to store all of my belongings. I could’ve gone without the housecarl though. Oh well, I bought Iona a few decent outfits and told her she didn’t need to wear armor inside the house. That’ll keep me from hearing it clank as she walks.
With the teleport spells I purchased from the school of witchcraft, I’ll be able to come home every night. Of course, now this means I have to manage this property. I’ve already stocked the larder and installed a strongbox into a wall. I’ll keep the box filled with coin in case Iona needs to purchase necessities while I’m away. Iona adopted a cat after asking my permission. I didn’t mind.
Before I leave for my next job, I plan on adding something to the doorframe outside. I’ve noticed a number of interesting marks near doors and on market stalls. They’re all over Skyrim, but they’re especially visible in Riften. It took me a while, but I found a book that taught me what they meant. I’m going to add my own little “shadowmark” to my house that will make it very clear that anyone breaking in here is in for some very deep trouble.
And if any Thieves Guild member wants to object, they’ll learn exactly what that trouble will be.
No comments:
Post a Comment