Shadow in Darkness, I'm trying again. Options

[seerauna]

Okay, I'm going to try this again. This time I'm doing Dark Brotherhood making it a little easier, because I like assassins so much. Black Hand is my inspiration with his wonderful tale of Sethyas Velas. Anywho, hope you enjoy this one.



Leyawiin, Near the Five Claws Lodge
I tensed instinctually as I pulled the bowstring back, matching the bow’s own tension. My heart pounded as I released it, for I was releasing an arrow meant to kill an innocent person. The Argonian Weebam-Na was destined to die for something he didn't even know had happened.

When the arrow hit the Argonian's scales, I was surprised by the intense force behind the arrow. Normally arrows did not make it past a couple inches. Mine slammed into his throat, it went all the way through to emerge, barely visible, out the back. I flinched away from the gruesome scene, appalled by what I had done.

I scurried to retrieve my arrow and fled to the relative safety of a nearby inn. To anyone standing nearby I seemed relaxed as I sat at a table, but really my muscles were so tense I could barely move. As near as I was to the bar it wasn't quiet, but even so everyone could hear the sudden bloodcurdling screams that came from outside.

I rushed outside with the rest of the people at the inn along with much of Leyawiin, as much to see the results of my handiwork as to not blow my cover. A woman was standing next to the body of the unfortunate Argonian.

“Bejeen, what did you do!” One man yells, his voice sounding strained. Bejeen, whose face before had only the single emotion of terror, now showed a mixture of anger, shock, and the ever-present terror. Several other faces mirrored hers.

“I did nothing to my husband! Why would I? He is the only one that took in a lonely starving maid…” Bejeen trailed off sobbing.

“No.” My sudden statement surprised even me. “No, she didn’t do this. What reason would Bejeen have to kill her husband? To me this looks like the work of the Morag Tong, which as far as they are from here isn’t very likely, or the Dark Brotherhood, which is much more likely. You might want to find the killer or you might have a string of assassinations on your hands.”

I paused momentarily to take a quick breath. “Don’t blame Bejeen for something she cannot control. That would be the worst thing for you to do.” I said, my voice gradually growing fainter until it was barely a whisper, I walked as fast as I possibly could from the throng of onlookers.

I went back to the inn I had fled to. I asked the publican if she had any rooms left. One look at my face had her quickly giving me the key to a room upstairs.

“Okay…” She trailed off.

“Shadow Kear.” I supplied her with my name. Although it probably wasn’t a good idea, I was past caring.

I walked upstairs and collapsed on the bed, my emotions taking control. Guilt suppressed any of the joy of the kill I might have felt before. My horrified mind repeated one question over and over. What had I done?

The feeling of sweet relief as the black abyss of sleep swept over me was drowned out when I fell into a dream of the previous day’s events, of what had led me to this murder.

I was walking through the town of Leyawiin repairing gear and restocking supplies as needed for my adventuring habits. I saw an Argonian walking in my direction. It was clear he wanted to talk to me. My lips formed the beginnings of a snarl.

“What do you want lizard?” I hissed at him. His appearance made my otherwise pleasant, if sometimes cold manner, unpleasant and rude.

What he was about to say was drowned out by a sudden urge to stab him with the dagger hidden beneath my armor. This Argonian would die.

In a rush of fur and claws I was running, running from the sudden bloodthirstiness that had engulfed me. My emotions were primarily horror and a sadistic glee at the thought. I ran from my glee.

I woke covered in sweat. The dream had been so lifelike it could have been happening at that moment. The last thing I wanted was any more surprises.

So imagine my now familiar and unwanted surprise when I found the Imperial that would later lead my life in a direction I never wanted it to take, standing at the foot of my bed.

EDIT: Took some of Illydoor's crit and fixed the beginning up a bit.

This post has been edited by seerauna: Apr 20 2009, 01:16 AM

[seerauna]

It's midnight and I am not tired at all. Might have something to do with all the chocolate I ate... Anyways, here's the next update.



I think I was still mostly too much in shock from my murder of Weebam-Na to really consider anything but going to kill Rufio. Looking back I think that was why Lucien had come so early. To catch me with my guard down and use my shock to work to his benefit.

I had set out at dawn and 'borrowed' a horse to make traveling easier and faster. Just for the sake of speed I decided to forsake the road and travel through the forestland.

Entering the forest I had my breath taken away. I had never realized how truly beautiful the forest was in the early morning with dew glistening on every surface in sight and the sun filtering though the leaves making the light take on a soft green color. The heady scent of pine trees made me slightly dizzy.

My horse had no such problem and was galloping as fast she could go within the limitations of the trees once we had been in the trees for a minute or so. I guess it wanted to go back to the stables.

Now that I was out of the city my emotions threatened to overwhelm my already overflowing mind. What was I doing trying to kill someone? Here, just a few hours after my first deliberate murder. I had killed for food, money, and out of self-defense, but never in cold blood.

This terrified me and I had enough sense to realize that after I joined the Brotherhood I couldn't walk away. If I did they would hunt me down.

But wait. I took a moment to look at it from a different perspective. As with every other kill, I had a motive. But with the Dark Brotherhood the motive was to take care of someone else's problem just like I had done with myself. Did it make it right? No, but it did make it acceptable.

In a sudden movement my horse stopped abruptly, nearly throwing me from the saddle. I hissed in annoynce and leaned down. "What is it girl?" I whispered to the mare gently. My question was answered not by the horse, but by a Legion forester tapping me on the shoulder. I started because I hadn't seen him in my wild run through the woods.

"Miss, what are you doing so far from the road? It's dangerous out here you know." He said sternly. Obviously he hadn't taken in what I was dressed like and the fact I had a bow on my back and a dagger clipped to my waist. I dismounted to make it easier to speak to the forester.

"I was trying to find an Ayleid ruin. I've heard rumors that there is one out here..." My tail swished along the ground impatiently with leaves and dead grass catching in my fur. The Legion officer shook his head in disgust. "Crazy adventurers. They'll all die one day." he muttered to himself. I was mounting while he talked. Louder he replied to my statement saying, "Go on then Khajiit. No use trying to stop a suicidal adventurer. Not so fast next time though okay?"

He was a little too late on that last bit. I had already galloped off at top speed. I had a very long way to go.

The rest of the journey passed in a blur of weariness, trees, and occasionally the path. It seemed to take months to get to the Inn, but probably only took three or four days.

Now for the present problem. How was I supposed to get in and out without being seen? I had seen a Forester outside the building practicing his archery. I grimaced when I realized what I'd have to do. Time to practice a little of my own marksmanship.

I snuck up behind the forester, paws making no noise on the soft, springy grass. I pulled the bowstring back, and it creaked quietly. The grim irony of the moment didn't elude me. I let go after I carefully aimed for the throat, allowing for the dropping of the arrowhead. The forester fell forward dead. I ran to grab my arrow and stowed it back in my quiver after wiping the dark blood on the grass.

I quickly entered and saw a wooden trapdoor to my immediate left. The other thing my eyes took in was a person standing behind a counter, thankfully turned the other way. I crept towards the trapdoor taking care to open it noiselessly.

I swiftly descended to the floor below using a ladder. I instictively knew that Rufio was at the very end of the hallway. After picking the relatively average lock on the door I learned that I needed to trust my instincts more. He was there.

I wanted to make this quick. Nothing fancy, I just went over and sliced the one place I knew would definitely silence this man forever. I pulled the silver dagger from my waist and slit his throat.

This time there were no feelings of overwhelming guilt, just a strange sense of satisfaction at getting my mission accomplished. A sudden sense of weariness swept over me and I went to the next room over, closing the door as I went and climbed into the bed. I was asleep in seconds.


I woke up who knew how many hours later. I was up on my feet in a split second. A cold feeling descended on me. I sighed. Lucien was back.