The swamp around Morthal was a hazy mist when we got up the next morning. Marcurio ordered our breakfast and some food for lunch, while I went out to give the horses there's. I stood on the porch of the Inn for a moment and looked around, I saw a house had recently burned down. I thought about asking, but something said if I wanted a couple of day's of quiet, then I should just leave. My mind made up, I went in and ate breakfast, Marcurio and I left with out my curiosity being satisfied.
I sat at the junction of road outside Morthal and tried to decide which way I wanted to go. Either way had it's hazards, I took the left deciding on the shorter route through Labyrinthian. I warned Marcurio about the frost troll's and that fire was their greatest weakness, to try and stay out of their arm's reach. My plan was to ride behind him, summoning a flame atronach and to continue riding on of possible. The horses would have a bit of a problem climbing the frozen step's up there, but should be alright for a gallop through. I would do any close fighting from horseback, he was to stay well away from the creatrures and keep going, I would catch up.
As we gave the horses a breather at the top of the entrance, I pointed out the best way through and the route he should take. We didn't actually see and Frost Troll's, but I knew they would be here, so I caste a detect life spell and sure enough, there were two. I told Marcurio where they were and we altered our plan slightly.
When we hit the bottom of the step's, the first Troll came out, I caste a flame atronach just outside it's arm's reach and that kept it occupied. I kept watch behind us and needed to recaste the spell when the creature started following us. As we neared the second one, I caste a muffle spell on the horses hooves, I knew it wouldn't work completely, but it would get us close. We were almost even with it's hiding spot when it came out, both of us kicked the horses into a gallop. Marcurio cast a fire bolt right in it's face and I caste a flame atronach within a few feet of it.
The horses soon outdistanced the frost troll and we galloped onto the tundra north of Whiterun hold, Dragonsreach visible in the distance. When we slowed the horses down and walked them to the pond we could see in the near distance. It would be a good spot to eat lunch and let the horses relax, graze and drink some water. The horses were cool from their run by the time we got to the pond, so I unsaddled them and took their bridles off but put some hobbles on. Marcurio had heated up some bread with butter and cheese on it by torching a rock and then setting the slices of bread on top. Two apples and some mead and our lunch was complete.
We sat looking in opposite directions quietly eating for a little while, then Marcurio asked me what our plan's were. I told him I planned on spending a week or so at the Manor and forging another suit of armor, as I thought that I really needed to go and talk to the Greybeards and find out what it is they had summoned me for and IF they though I might be "Dragonborn" as some where suggesting. It wouldn't fool anyone for long, but there weren't that many Altmer in the Dawnguard, so one seen heading up to High Hrothgar, would be noticeable. There actually were quiet a few Altmer running aorund Skyrim, so different armor might point anyone looking in the wrong direction, if only for a little while.
Marcurio nodded and said he would wear one of the robe's that he had and not carry a warhammer on his back, as he was known to do, that would help also. I suggested that he might like to take a vacation from traveling and cozy up with a barmaid in a nice warm tavern with some mead or ale. He gave me such a dirty look I almost laughed. "As the Companion's might say, your my shield-sister where you go into danger, so do I". I conceded and we saddled the horses back up and headed to the Manor.
Other than some wolves that I calmed and sent on their way, it was a very un-eventful trip home. I had time to think about what kind of Armor I might want to make. Steel plate would be an obvious choice and generic enough that I would blend in well. I had a set of Ancient Nord armor that I kept, Bjorn had alway's liked the way I looked in it, said I had sexy leg's, but it might not be as strong as I would like, I'd have to think on that one. Plus an Altmer running around in Ancient Nord would defiently attract attention I might not want. I had a couple pieces of Dwemer armor, but I really hated how bulky it was. Ebony was a bit expensive, I did have some ingot's and I knew where I could mine more myself.... it was a thought. I would see what I had on hand and what pattern those item's best suited.
As we headed up a hill into the heavily treed area that was Falkreath Hold, I sighed at being out of the direct sunlight. Chasing vampires at might had made my eye's very sensitive to the bright light on the tundra or ice fields. We skirted an area I knew to be the home of several Spriggin's, unless or until they became a hazard to other traveler's, I would leave them alone. Cresting a rather large hill, we could see the lake in the distance, we would be home in an hour or so.
Rayya met us at the stables saying she had seen us in the distance and had put on some stew and added a couple apple tarts to the oven for baking, they should be done by the time we cleaned up, in the new bathing room, that the workers had dung. Before I could ask, she said while digging the extra room on the west side, they had hit a spring, but by routing water pipes under the forge, then back to the bathing pool and waterfall, we had hot water. Pipes then took the dirty water back to the underground stream. The new storage room was on the east side, not as large as I might like, but the base rock from the mountain meant they couldn't go any further.
Rayya said she would care for the horses, if Marcurio and I wanted to clean up before dinner. Marcurio beat me down the new stairs to the basement level and soon as he saw the steam coming up from the pool, he started stripping off his armor. He made a quip that I could either be modest or clean, he really didn't care which, but he was going to soak in that beautiful hot water. I shook my head and picked his armor and other thing's up off the floor and placed them on a bench, placing a towel next to those things.
As I started taking off my heavier armor, I realized neither of us had thought to grab clothing. So in just my Gambeson, I walked back up stair's and grabbed us both some robes, I left my Armor and other thing's on my bed, walking back down to the bathing room in just my under-garments. I hadn't realized that Rayya had come in the house til I heard her sharply indrawn breath. I looked at her over my shoulder and realized she was staring at my back. I hunched my shoulders up and told her that some Deadroth have very sharp claws, which was the truth, just not the right one. She nodded and I saw a new respect in her eyes and hated that it was for a lie, but the truth....well that would take some explaining and I didn't feel like doing so so right now.
Marcurio was lounging on an underwater bench when I got back to the bathing room, with a bottle of ale. I placed our clothing on the bench next to his armor and pouch and stripped off my under-garments. He told me their was soap and a cloth on a ledge to the left of the waterfall and then made a quip about tan-lines. I stood under the falling hot water and let the tension run out, then I soaped up and washed. Dunking under the water to rinse off, I walked over to another underwater bench and put my head on the pools ledge.
"I may never want to leave", Marcurio said in a sleepy tone. I remarked that he didn't have to leave the house if he didn't want to, but if he drowned himself in the pool, I would turn him into a thrall and make his death a misery. He chuckled at that, opened his eyes and said he might just forego dinner in place of a nice warm bed.
I told him goodnight and closed my eye's to relax more. After a few minutes I knew it was a bad idea to stay in the water, I'd drown myself. So I dried off and went upstairs. I climbed into bed after eating a little of the food Rayya had made, closing my eye's I fell into a very restless sleep.
The room was blurry as I opened my eye's, by the time I could focus, I knew I was in a dungeon cell. I could hear the cries of others and smell the sour stench of fear. I remembered eating and then climbing into my bed, I must have been drugged to get in this cell and not remember anything. Damn her to Oblivion, she will wish she had killed me. I shivered from the cold and I looked down to find I was wearing only my under-garments, even my necklass and rings were gone. I got to my feet and staggered to the bar's, looking both ways down the hall. Their were many cell's, in most of them Nord's, the man in the cell across from mine noticed I was standing and walked to his bar's. I asked him if he knew where we were and he said no, but it must be in the far north judging by the cold.
When I asked him why he was in here he replied "Treason", which is basically what they have told everyone who has asked. He tipped his head one way then the other and looked into my cell, then snorted and said it figured. He took off his shirt and balled it up around an apple and threw it across to me, it barely made it and I thanked him. He said it was no problem and they should have at least had the decency to leave me with some kind of clothing. I put the shirt on, it wasn't much and it was threadbare, but better than nothing. I put the apple down on the stone bench and moved some of the hay to the front of the cell so I could stand on it to get my feet up off the cold stone.
I heard the scrapping of metal on stone in a pattern that suggested someone walking down stair's, I noticed my new friend had moved to the back of his cell and was motioning for me to do likewise. As the sound grew louder I could tell it was at least two in armor and one wearing soft leather boot's. As I caught a look at the first of me people walking down the step's, I closed my eye's and felt a huge rock sink to the bottom of my stomach. Thalmor and not just any agent, but the High ranking Justicair inquisitor, lovely.
They stopped in front of my call and the Justicair, looked at me with a sneer on her face. "So, we finally caught you." she even had a sneer in her voice, when she said that. I replied, that yes, you finally did catch me, but it would be nice to know what it is she thought that I had done. My family won't stand for my being accused falsely. She laughed and said first my family would have to know that I was here and second, I was being charged with treason against the Aldmeri Dominion. I would be questioned to find out what other traitor's I might know. With that she shot out a bolt of lightning that flung me against the back wall, when I tried to gather my magic to fling back another spell, I couldn't, all my magic was gone. She laughed and said that they had given me a potion that caused all the persons magic to dissipate.
I was wide eyed with horror, as they left laughing. I hadn't expected a sword in my jail cell, but I had figured that I could use my magic to get out. A couple hours later we heard footsteps again, this time it was the two jailers with a man between them. A rather large Nord, with his hands bound behind him and a gag in his mouth. The jailers opened a cell door and pushed him so hard inside that he fell forward, the only thing keeping him from going head first into the stone was quick reflexes that had him landing hard on his shoulder. I looked at the Nord across from me and he shrugged, " They come in and pour the same liquid into him as they have you, plus put that gag in his mouth. It's spelled their, he has gotten his hands untied and tried to take it out". I looked at the man and wondered if his language was that foul that they would gag him so or maybe he bit one of them like an animal.
I piled some of the cleaner hay onto the bench and sat down on it. It was very scratchy, but better than sitting on the cold stone. I put my knees inside the shirt and laid their on my side. What could have been several minutes or hours later, more boot's came down the step's. I sat up looking out in the direction that they came from. I need not have craned my neck, because they stopped right in front of my cell.
One was a wizard, because he caste a paralysis spell on me, the others came into the cell and yanked my arms behind my back, tying them tightly.When they where done one of the men had me by the arms the other grabbed my hair and yanked my head backwards. The wizard came into the room and poured the contents of a vial down my throat, he used magic to close my mouth and pinch my nose off, it was either swallow or choke. I swallowed and the world went all hazy, but I could feel them dragging me away from the cell.
When I came to enough to know I was awake, I way chained with both arms out above my head and my legs shackled to the ground. My shirt was again gone, so much for the nice gesture, it was a tattered rag on the floor in front of me. In my mouth was a gag, probably similar to the one the Nord had.
The Thalmor High Inquisitor, walked into view. She grabbed my hair and looked me strait in the eye's, "I want to know, who your co-conspiritors are and because I don't wish to hear any lies right now, I won't even ask questions right now." She smirked and walked to the wall slightly to my left, from the right came a rather large Altmer carrying a whip with several tails and attached to each tail was a piece of metal. He rubbed the whip's handle across my face and then down between my breasts, his hoarse laughter mocking me as I tried pulling away.
He went around behind me and ran the handle down my spine, I gritted my teeth for the pain I knew would be coming. When the first lash hit, I glared my hatred at the woman across from me, I could feel the blood dripping down my back from the open wounds. It stung, but was tolerable or so I thought. The woman leaned forward and said " You will tell me what I want to know". I heard the soft footfalls of the boots that the man had been wearing. They stopped directly behind me and I felt a liquid pour down my back, it burned like liquid fire and a gasped in surprise.
The torturer gabbed my hair and yanked my head back, so that my throat was exposed to him, he bit into the side of my neck and then bit his way up to my ear. He whispered exactly what he would do to me once the Inquisitor was gone. He ran the whips handle down my back again and a few seconds later, I felt the lashes again and again. I could not have screamed aloud if I had wanted to, but I knew I was. The woman Walked up to me than and grabbed my face, looking in my eyes, laughed and told the Torturer he could do whatever he pleased as long as I was left alive to answer questions and he didn't remove the gag. She turned around and walked away.
As the lash came down again, I woke up screaming. I Heard a chair fall over in the distance and booted feet running to me. Before I even realized what I was doing I sent a firebolt blasting at Marcurio as he rounded the doorway. He dived back around the door and caste a light spell, both he and Rayya peeked around the doorframe. He motioned Rayya to stay and walked cautiously to me, by then I had stopped screaming and was staring blankly. Marcurio sat down next to me and put one arm around me, he knew me well enough to know not to confine me. I wrapped both arms around him and started sobbing. Marcurio looked at Rayya over my head and motioned for her to leave, she nodded and walked out.
When the sob's had stopped and tear's where still falling down my face from remembered pain. Marcurio said if I wanted to talk it out, he would listen, sometimes that helped with letting go of a nightmare. I sighed and started from the begining of the dream, when I got to the point I had woken up, I paused. Marcurio got up and grabbed two bottles of ale, handing me one, then setting back down so that my head was again resting on his shoulder and I was wrapped in one arm.
So I continued the nightmare, that had been reality. The Torturer lashed me at least five more times and then came and poured more of that liquid down my back. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a combination of a healing potion and salt water. It burned like fire, but healed the torn skin at the same time. This time when he grabbed my hair and started biting my neck, he had a knife in the other hand that he used to cut off my undergarments. He used that knife to make tiny little cut's on my breast's, I won't go into detail, but I'm sure you can imagine what else he was doing. I felt Marcurio's nod against my head and how his whole body tensed.
I am not sure how long he continued that cycle of lashes and physical cruelty, but the last time, he didn't pour that liquid down my back, just took me to my cell and threw me in. I know it was a least two or so days before the woman visited me again. This time, when they had me chained to the posts, she asked questions, I gave her no truthful answers, not even my rightful name. I started giving the names of people that I knew she knew. I also knew that while everyone of them had secret's, they weren't what she was looking for. I Never did give her exactly what she wanted.
From the man in the cell across from me I found out that they questioned me every few days, I always came back in the exact same state and the torturer, always came and told the others exactly what had been done to me, that it would be them next. When he told me it had been a month since I first was brought here, the man that was gagged in the other cell was taken out and didn't come back. At first I thought they had killed him, but my new friend said no, they always dumped the dead down a trapdoor at the end of the cell block.
Several week's later we heard loud noises in the room's above us, that sounded like fighting. Not an hour later, the torturer came running through the cell block, he tried unlocking the trapdoor, but two arrow's sticking out of his spine, prevented him from moving.
The most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life walked passed me and grabbed the torturer by the shirt front and lifted him up like he was a child. Long sun-gold blonde hair, scruffy beard from not shaving for a day or two, tall enough he would have to bend down to go through most doorways and muscles that were trying hard to escape his armor. He carried the man back and put him on his feet in front of my friends cell, another man patted him down and took the key he found and opened the cell.
He opened the cell door and hugged my friend, he gave him a pack that contained leather armor, which he put on. Then took the sword from the man when he came back from opening the rest of the cell's. When he got to mine, he did a double take and gasped in surprise. "Brother, it's an elf." His tone said exactly what he thought of Elves in general and Altmer in particular. The Beautiful giant turned around with the torturer still in his grasp, almost like he had forgotten the man was their. He had eye's the color of a clear winter sky, I could have drowned in them.
My friend grabbed the key out of his hand and walked into my cell, when he lifted his hand towards me I backed up. He said his name was Finn and it would be okay, so I didn't move when he placed his hand on my shoulder and I felt the healing spell take all the pain away. He looked over his shoulder and asked if they had any other clothing. He was thrown a shirt and pair of pant's by a new man that walked in.
I don't know why I turned, not like a totally naked woman can be modest putting on clothing, but I heard the four men growling in shared pain and anger. My new friend Finn turned quickly and grabbed the torturer from his giant friend and slammed him against the bar's of the cell that he had been in. After hitting him enough that his face was a bloody mess, he healed the man and pushed him harder against the wall.
Finn turned and looked at me and asked what I would like done with the man. I tucked my head down and told Marcurio I was very ashamed of my answer, I shivered from the cruel thing I had done. I told Finn that I wanted him chained naked to the post's that he would find in the next room and then they could leave if they wanted.
Finn and the man I was to learn was actually his brother left, but my beautiful giant stayed behind. I grabbed the whip from the table and lashed him about 3 times, then all my strength was gone. I leaned against the table and looked at the instrument's on it. I shuddered when I saw some of the things on that table and realized what he had done with them.
My giant walked over to me and crouched down to look at me eye to eye, he said his name was Orin and if I didn't have the strength to exact my revenge, he would do what ever I wanted to the man. I told Orin, that all I wanted was for him to die as painfully and with as much humiliation as I felt. Orin nodded and asked a couple question's, glancing at the table next to me and grimacing. He got up and lashed the man a few times, then grabbed a hand full of salt from a table and spread it on his back. He walked in front of the man and laughed and then said some things that I couldn't hear. He then walked over to me and picked me up and carried me outside.
I sighed and told Marcurio that Orin was one of the best friends I have ever had, he had died in The War, fighting the Aldmeri Dominion, along with myself and the others from that day. Sometimes Macrurio, I thought we might have ended as Lover's, but then Bjorn would enter my mind. I don't think he would begrudge me the love of another man.... as long as he could respect that man, but I couldn't.
Marcurio laughed and handed me another bottle of ale. I drank it down and relaxed against his chest, falling into a relaxed sleep, listening to his slow steady heartbeat. Marcurio took a drink of his ale and cursed mentally men that could turn something as beautiful as lovemaking into less than even paid for sex, using it as a mean's of torture. He snorted and thought about what he might have done to that man, no telling if the others had gone back and done worse than Zyne knew about, he would have.
Rayya walked in and asked it everything was alright, Marcurio said no, but they would be by morning. Could Rayya possibly grab that other pillow and put it behind his back? and please help take off the boot's, he didn't want to disturb Zyne. Rayya laughed and put a second pillow behind Macurio's back and took off his boot's and then helped to arrange him and Zyne so they would both be comfortable sleeping.
Marcurio said thank you and took one more swig of the ale before putting the bottle on the table and closing his eyes, disturbed because he had alway's assumed that the scar's on Zyne's back really had been from Dreamora talon's, just like she said, he should have known better. He drifted into sleep, thinking ill thought's.
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