The adventures of Arthago chapter III, A Province united Options

[Agent Griff]

So let's kick this chapter off shall we? A small bit of info at what's to come further in the series: At the end of this chapter, Arthago will move to a whole new province and I think many of you already know which province it is. Anyway, let's enjoy Hammerfell while it lasts shall we?

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After the defeat of Lord Vhosek's rebellion, things went back to normal in all of Hammerfell. Some local kings and rulers however, seeing that Lord Vhosek managed to battle the King and even defeat him, albeit for a short time, started a fight against King Lhotun's rule as well. Since I was one of the highest ranking knights in Sentinel, with the exception of Marshal Daron and a few other senior knights of the order, I was often sent to these small kingdoms to stop the rebellions. The first kingdom to revolt, a few years after Vhosek's uprising, was the small kingdom of Santaki which was close to the Dragontail mountains. I was sent there, together with a few other knights below my rank, to stop the rebellion.

We arrived there after a few days ride. The capital of the small kingdom was the town with the same name, Santaki. The kingdom, albeit small, had its own knightly order, the order of the Hawk. That meant that the Kingdom had some importance in the politics of Hammerfell but it also meant that other smaller kingdoms may gather around Santaki and fight against Sentinel. I never really understood why Redguards or men in general fight eachother if there's no other foe to fight against. Maybe to heighten their skills? No, the answer was quite simple really. For Power. Once a man got ahold of better, he never could really let go of it. The more power you have the more power you crave. King Lhotun obviously had too much power for the regional kingdoms to bear, so they rebelled against him. Quite simple if you look at it from a political point of view.

The capital was a rather big town. It was quite smaller than Sentinel though but bigger than any other town I had seen before. The seal of the order that was etched on my cuirass was concealed by a cloak and so were the seals of the knights under my command. I didn't want someone to see that knights from Sentinel had arrived to settle affairs with Santaki. The palace was not a big or tall building, it was merely three storeys high. I could see an open balcony leading to the throne room at the last floor. There were also knights of the Hawk standing guard near the palace. Even though they came from an issolated kingdom such as Santaki those knights looked fierce.

Once we reached the gate of the palace, a knight stopped us to ask us of our business with their king. I didn't exactly think of an excuse on the way so I had to improvise.
"We come from Sentinel to bring word on King Lhotun's movements." I said in an official tone.

"Sentinel eh? Why do you have to bring the news to the King personally? I thought that sir Greklith was in charge of intelligence." the knight said with a suspicious voice. He was also constantly looking at my knights who were behind me.

"Our duties are to transmit this information to his Majesty personally." I said, trying to keep the lie going. He seemed to believe me.

"Very well then. If the King specificaly required that you meet him I won't interfere. Carry on!" the guard said as he opened the gate. How polite of him! I'm sure that he will be pounding his head after I slay his treacherous king.

A few minutes later we were standing in front of the king of Santaki. He was a man close to old age with a small beard and long, flowing, hair. He looked at me and my men with his brown eyes and asked what my business was in Santaki. He seemed confused and I felt sorry to slay him because he looked like an innocent man.

"What is your business in Santaki, travellers?" the king asked.

"We come from Sentinel with news and counsel." I said, with a soft tone that calmed him down a little.

"Counsel? What counsel? I think I can handle my own kingdom, despite my advancing age." the king said with a hostile voice. Alright so he didn't like advice. It wasn't as if he had much choice when it came to the advice I was about to give him.

"King Lhotun of Sentinel advises you to lay down your outrageous claims and slanders against him. He also advises you that uprisings are very dangerous for men of advanced age such as your fine self." I said in a cold voice.

"Men as myself? King Lhotun now mocks me! I will not lay down my just claims! Hammerfell must be free!" the old king shouted.

"The king of Ephesus had the same opinion regarding the King's counsel. He dissapeared shortly after he made his opinions public and his cousin now peacefuly rules the kingdom. I would not want the same happening to yourself." I said, trying to scare the old king.

"I know why you're here. Lhotun sent his assassins after me. He is a coward not to face me in just battle!" the old king shouted.

"Neither I nor his Majesty see a brave, young King fighting against an old man as a just battle. I think you will agree with our opinions." I said with a sarcastic tone. This man was really pushing my indulgence to the very limit.

"Your king is a filthy coward! And so are his men!" the old man shouted.

Before the old king could say another word he fell down on the floor. His throat was pierced by a small dart. Blood started flowing shortly until it reached our feet. Our job was done! Slaying old men with darts really wasn't my style but at least it payed well, well enough to manage the estate that Lord Vhosek left me. Before the guards could react we were already outside the palace and into the crowded streets of the city.

Once we reached the gatehouse, one of the knights under my command entered as the others, myself included, exited the city. Shortly after, the guard inside the gathehouse fell out of a small window. The knight inside had done his job well. He was more lightly armoured than the rest of us and he was adept in sneaking around and stabbing people when they weren't looking. He then fired a flaming arrow into the sky. The army waiting for us outside soon stormed the town with the gates open. The town guards and even the knights of the Hawk surrendered once they saw what was pouring through their open gates. The King would be pleased to hear of my actions, conquering a town without any loses and slaying a king without anyone noticing. Being an assassin though, didn't quite fit me. I lusted for the thrill of battle again. I had not fought anyone since Vhosek's rebellion. I had to return to Sentinel to report my deeds and receive my rewards anyway. I wonder what Marshal Daron has to say? I had not spoken with him since the days of the rebellion and I was anxious to speak with him again.


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That's it for the start of the chapter! I've followed advice and have used spaces between dialogue lines, tell me if you like it how it is now or if you liked it more the way it was before.

[Agent Griff]

I'm glad you liked the last update and the introduction of the bounty hunter. And to explain a little since Metal Mallet has failed to reveal how he knows of this character, Leo Oakheart isn't merely a secondary character in this story. Since you too are a member of TES Fiction Jack, I point you to this thread. It surely explains more than I could.

Linky: http://www.tesfiction.proboards102.com/ind...&thread=211

But enough shameless plugs! Let's get on with the story.

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After the chance meeting with the bounty hunter and the clash with the Taneth guards, I continued on the road to Rihad, this time on horseback. With that aspect of my image as a knight repaired, all I needed now was to reach the city and meet my contact. Said contact was, from Lhotun's word, a man infiltrated in king Sorian's court as a lowly courtier. From him I would get all the information I required so as to infiltrate the royal court of Rihad and reap havoc. I was disappointed however that I no longer had my two companions. Beomir wasn't really one for diplomacy but he had the cunning of a eunuch while Belwin didn't seem impressive outwardly but had great skill with the College of Illusion, a very potent type of magic if used properly. On my own, I was nothing more than a travelling warrior but together with them, I could have been mistaken for a lesser lord seeking king Sorian's favour.

For the time being however, I was content that I had a horse and that I was making good time to Rihad. As night started falling, I could see its great walls looming in front of me. Rihad was on the very southern edge of Hammerfell, close to the Cyrodiilic border. Knowing I was so close to a foreign province gave me goose-bumps. I had never travelled to any other province, except that ill-fated voyage to Daggerfall when I returned to Sentinel to find the city under siege. The notion of travelling to such an exotic land as Cyrodiil was currently out of my agenda, but with a man like Lhotun as my master, who knew were the future would take me? If I was lucky, I could probably end up with a patch of land to my name. If not, I could end up as an ambassador in some far away Nordic kingdom.

As I rode slowly towards the city however, the words of the bounty hunter kept coming to mind. I tried not to think about it, yet one way or another I always ended up thinking about what I could do the next time I met the bounty hunter. Fighting him seemed like the plainest option, yet he had great skill and even greater reach with that two-handed sword of his. If there was one thing I didn't like, it was fighting with long shafted weapons like spears or, to a smaller extent, greatswords. There was however the option of canceling my bounty. That was unlikely however, at least in the bounty hunter's eyes since I wasn't royalty. If I could speak to Lhotun though, I may have a chance of canceling the bounty on my head. Either that or surrendering to Clavilla of my own will. The latter choice however meant certain death.

It was clear that I was getting closer to the Imperial Province by the increasing patrols of the Imperial Legion that I met. It seemed surprising, now in retrospect, that the bloody skirmish I had in the woods with the Taneth guardsmen wasn't seen or heard by any passing legionnaires. As I thanked the Divines for granting me the luck of escaping, I neared the gates of the city. They were well-manned by guardsmen wearing the coat of arms of Rihad on their tunics, each and every one of them holding either a bow or a halberd in their hands. In case of an attack, the city wouldn't be easy to conquer. Lhotun had given me precise instructions of only infiltrating the king's court however. His instructions expressly forbid any involvement which was military in nature. Simply having a brawl with some Rihad guardsmen and revealing myself as a man of Sentinel was enough so as to be considered military provocation in the eyes of some rulers. I didn't really know what king Sorian was like, but from Lhotun's words he seemed like a decent king.

He was known to have one legitimate son who was, at seventeen years of age, the sole heir of the kingdom and at least two other illegitimate children, a son and a daughter. The son was almost nineteen years old and the daughter was of little consequence. In Hammerfell, unlike in other provinces, it was rather frowned upon to have bastards since it was considered as a stain on the honour of you family. Sorian however, was more open-minded about certain taboos of Redguard culture. In an unprecedented move, he even allowed his first illegitimate child a place at court alongside his father, sometimes acting as an adviser.

If it was true, then I was eager to meet this who would challenge so many traditions, merely to have one of his sons next to him. The thoughts of king Sorian soon passed from my mind as I entered the gates of Rihad, however. After paying to toll for passing into the city, along with a group of merchants, I made my way towards the tavern where I would meet my contact in the city. Even as dusk came into being, flooding the whole city with blood-red rays of light, I could still see that Rihad was a city with traditional Redguard architecture, despite its Forebear status. While making my way to the tavern, I also caught a glimpse of the famous Rihad concubine market, a great expanse of covered stalls and buildings which served only one use. I had not come to Rihad for the whores however, I had come with politics in mind. I would discover to my surprise though that the aforementioned elements often mix freely, at least in Rihad.

My contact was a pale-eyed man, tall and gaunt. The fact that he was cleanly-shaved only sharpened his features. He looked at me with those pale eyes of his, eying me as soon as I entered the tavern. Oddly enough, he was an Imperial. This was the first time I had ever met an Imperial working for Lhotun yet I suspected that it was not my last time. Much as his faction, Lhotun was always open to new ideas yet paid attention to Redguard tradition at the same time. It was my faction in name only, I knew very well that he controlled all of it yet I did not voice any displeasure, neither publicly nor privately. In truth, I cared little for his organization since Lhotun used it more like a group of enforcers to do his bidding. As the figurehead of these enforcers, I was now doing a great job. Taneth had been well shaken, it was now Rihad's turn.

"Great weather we're having this time of year eh?" The Imperial asked, trying to appear innocent. In truth, it was his password. I would have to answer properly if I wanted to convince him that I was the man he was looking for.

"The rains will wash away all rust." I said, trying to keep a serious face with an innocent voice at the same time. The Imperial smiled.

"It's great to finally meet you Arthago. Or, should I call you Vilamon?" The Imperial asked with a sly smile.

"At least while I'm in Rihad. How did you know my cover name however?"

"A mysterious Breton came in town recently, looking for a certain fellow who goes by the names of Vilamon and Arthago. That was all I could find out however. I don't think I've ever seen a more uptight man all my life." The Imperial said in an almost trivial manner.

"Was he by chance tall? With piercing blue eyes?" I asked as my face slowly went pale. Well, as pale as a Redguard can get.

"Aye, and with a sword almost as menacing as his attire. All clad in black he was. Safe to say, people all gave him a wide berth." The Imperial said as he looked at me intently, "Is there any problem?"

"I met such a man on the road to Rihad, yet I don't know how he could have overtaken me." I said, trying to mask my fear and replace it with mere surprise at the fact that the man had beaten me to Rihad. The Imperial gave me a knowing look and nodded.

"I sense there is more to this matter than you choose to reveal. Your words might say something, yet your eyes give me a very different message. Something tells me that the sharp end of that bloke's sword is meant for your throat." The Imperial said, speaking softly so as not to be heard, "You will find, Arthago, that Rihad is a dangerous place and it is good to have staunch friends in dangerous places. Men like myself, if I might say so. Severus Scaevola, at your service Sir Arthago. I can assure you that I can be trusted with many secrets."

"You seem to be quite astute when it comes to reading the expression of a liar," I said with a sour grin. "And I can assure you that I can be trusted to holding a man to his oath. Even a king." There was something about the Imperial's smile that somewhat unnerved me, much like the bounty hunter's lack of a smile. It was the smile of a cunning man who couldn't be trusted.

"Then your retribution must truly be terrible to witness. I am sure the late king Sosscan of Bergame can testify to that." Severus said with one more sly grin. Sosscan was the king that I had tortured and killed after finding out that he was indirectly behind the death of Marshal Daron. "But I would have no reason to fear you, as long as I am faithful to both you and your liege-lord King Lhotun."

"That is correct. I have found to my disadvantage however that men involved in politics rarely keep their given word, be it of their own choice or forced by the whims of others. I know however, and trust, in my King's ability to gather men of great skill and loyalty around. Especially the latter." I said as I patted Severus on the shoulder. "Enough of this grim talk however. Tell me about the affairs of king Sorian. I wish to know everything of his court and of his courtiers. Last of all, I wish to infiltrate his court and become one of his most trusted courtiers, so that I may ease this city's fall afterwards."

"Cruel words from one who would value honour and loyalty so much." Severus commented as he sipped from a mug of ale he had at hand. He invited me to sit down at a table and ordered a drink for me.

"I value loyalty and honour, yet only loyalty for my lord, King Lhotun. Loyalty for others, I have very little. Honour, even less so. At least, that is what I have come to find." I said, somewhat saddened, as I thought about the many dishonourable things I was forced to do in Lhotun's service.

"Very well then. I am of the same school of thought, Sir Arthago," Severus said with a slight bow of his head. After telling him to call me solely by name, he went on. "If you would wish to know about the affairs of the realm, and about all the lords, great and small, that make up the king's court, I would gladly tell all there is to know. By far, the king holds supreme power in the realm. The people respect him while his nobles find him to be a just ruler, if somewhat harsh at times. Sorian treats loyal subjects well, and his friends even better, but he reserves right of judgement when dealing with traitors to the realm and those who offend him or his family. Regarding his family, he has one legitimate son and two other base-born children whom he cares for greatly. His legitimate son and heir, Rhaenor, is a hot-headed seventeen-year-old who is brash in all his affairs. He is currently in a dispute of sorts with his father regarding a tournament in Elinhir he was not allowed to participate in."

"A great amount of information from someone who is only a lowly member of the court." I said with a slight grin. Severus frowned at the notion of being a lesser member of the king's court.

"Be that as it may, let me continue for there is much more to know. As I said, the king has his common-born children close to heart, unlike many rulers who do not even have knowledge of their many bastards. The son, Lucan, is very different from his half-brother. He is much more quiet and mindful of his surroundings. Pertaining to his father's decisions he never has any bold remarks to make, unlike his younger half-brother, nor any complaints. He just accepts them without even flinching. His father loves him well, yet none of the nobles accept his presence at court. They accept him only because of his father, since any insult brought to Lucan is considered an insult to Sorian. I believe I've already told you how Sorian deals with those who insult him or his family." Severus said, sometimes pausing to drink from his mug or belch. I found it impressive that he could keep so many small details intact and relay them with little pause.

"The girl does not concern my affairs. Go on with Sorian's personal retinue and court." I said with a rather blunt voice. Severus simply emptied his mug then continued. It seemed that he was instructed to accept most of my commands.

"Well, let's just say the king is rather open-minded when it comes to his retinue. He keeps a mute man as a bodyguard and an exile from Wayrest as one of his closest counselors on most matters." Severus said plainly.

"A Breton at the court of a Redguard king? That is truly unheard of." I said, surprised at what I heard. Severus kept a straight face however. He seemed to be used with the surprise visitors in Rihad had at hearing about the exiled Breton advising the Redguard king.

"Oh, but Sir Conrad Hornwood is truly flesh and bone. Actually, I think he would take offense at your doubting the fact that he can handle his position at court. He's been serving the king for some time now, a close counselor on most affairs, both personal and concerning the state. Most nobles frown upon his presence yet, as I've said, Sir Conrad has won their grudging acceptance through both skill at arms and the favour he has with the king. I'm sure, however, that the nobles would gladly slit his throat given the opportunity. Also, remember that these are Redguard nobles we are speaking of. These men have trained from infancy in the art of combat and I can assure you, from the duels I've seen, that they are all quite proficient when it comes to skill at arms. Sir Hornwood himself has fought a few of them in duels, I'm sure he could have a lot to tell you." Severus said, ending his sentence with one of his knowing smiles. "The mute man who guards the king with his life is one of those Redguard nobles who fought Sir Hornwood in his early days. He was sharp of tongue, slandering Sir Hornwood's heritage and calling him a pauper knight come to Rihad to beg at king Sorian's table. Surely enough, Sir Conrad took offense and proved to most of the nobles at court that he was a force to be reckoned with. Before fighting Wayn, for that is the noble's name, Sir Conrad made a wager with him. If he won, he would cut off Wayn's tongue for all his insults. If Wayn won, Sir Conrad's life was forfeit. We all know what happened afterwards."

"That is all fine and well, yet my goal is to infiltrate the court itself, not only to hear about the people who make it up. I suppose you cannot help me directly with this task." I said with a rather pessimistic tone. I was used, by now, to be sent around on errands instead of cutting to the head of the matter. It was at this point that Severus' limited position revealed itself.

"Well, I am in a predicament with some nobles." Severus said as his eyes glanced around the tavern, somewhat embarrassed, "That situation will end however, sooner or later. I know just the man you need to talk to however."

Seeing his grin as he said those words instantly made me realize that what he was about to propose wouldn't be easy.
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That was it for this chapter which introduces Rihad. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

This post has been edited by Agent Griff: Mar 13 2008, 09:59 PM