A Wood Elf in Windhelm, Stranger in a Strange Land? Options

[Grits]

Uh oh, is Sten’s Ma a Stormcloak? Time will tell what that unease was about.

Kynesgrove! Wow, that’s a handy grooming spell. I could use one called “Brush Poodle.”

Ooh, Susanna has met her fate. Her loss hits much harder in Lili’s story since we have come to know her. You painted the scene very well, stark detail but not too gross.

Wow, with those names we have to be dealing with a bunch of Nords. Oh, and they’re in Windhelm. They have to be Nords!

Poor Susanna, and I feel for Stenvar.

[haute ecole rider]

First of all, to those who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

@ghastley: In all my playthroughs, I've never run into the glitches you describe, though I have heard of them. Maybe it's because I don't mess up the timing (that's the key to this quest, I've learned through my research into said glitches). That said, my presentation of this quest does not exactly follow that of the game, so enjoy!

@Acadian: As I mentioned to ghastley, I'm not exactly following the game version, but actually writing it more as a proper murder mystery. While you mention Jessica Fletcher, CSI and Law & Order are my guideposts here. I hope you enjoy my version of this quest. Thank you for the compliments regarding my pacing - I prefer to sit back and let my characters do the actual typing, and they do a good job of it, IMHO. You get to reap the rewards!

@SubRosa: You and I are thinking alike regarding the best skills for a given environment; we will see that Lili's instincts work best in close quarters like dungeons and crypts, while Sten's far superior vision will work better outside in the open. Hmm, I suspect we will learn more about Lili's past experiences with vampires, evil or otherwise. Eventually. And as Sten has Lili's back, so Lili has Sten's back. I'm glad that the start of the Blood on the Ice quest hit you the way I wanted it to. I know many of us are familiar with the quest, and I suspect all of you have been waiting for this ever since I introduced Susanna the Wicked way back in the first installment. I wanted her death to have more impact on everyone in the game, and it looks like I have accomplished my goal.

@Grits: I doubt Sten's Ma would have been a Stormcloak, given that Sten himself does not have much respect for either side of the Civil War. No, his unease has another source. I knew you would appreciate that spell of Lili's - it sure comes in handy with stinky dogs, muddy horses, etc. Though we won't see her using it much with cats . . . It was a struggle describing the crime scene without delving into too much graphic detail, as you know I tend to do (Daedra heart, anyone?). Such detail will be coming up later, but I will provide a Surgeon's General warning prior to those posts, so you all know to read it on empty stomachs. I'm glad you feel for Sten, we will find out more about the relationship he had with Susanna another day.

And now we start a new day - the most eventful one for Lili and Sten. Looking over my manuscript, I see that this day alone has twice as many posts as any of the preceding days. I think it's well worth taking the time to really delve into this mystery and explore the investigation. As I approached it, I began asking myself questions about the way the quest was written in game, and realized I had several issues with it. I hope I've addressed most, if not all, of these issues with the way I've written Fredas 22 Last Seed.

**************************************

Fredas 22 Last Seed - An Investigation

Ma -

Susanna is dead. I can’t write any more.

“Stenvar! Stenvar!” A violent shaking, accompanied by whining, roused Sten from a black slumber. Groggily he pushed back against the hand on his shoulder. “Stenvar!” The voice cleared into Nil’s light tenor. “Stenvar, wake up!”

Elda’s sharp voice interrupted the cook’s frantic attempts to rouse Sten, and a sudden onslaught of cold liquid washed the last of the drunken fog from Sten’s mind. He gasped and floundered into a seated position, his head ringing from Star’s anxious barks.

“Be quiet, dog!” Elda snapped at the excitable Husky, whose yipping subsided suddenly. “Nils, go back to the kitchen and get that tea made. This man needs a moment to get his wits together, and that hangover cure of yours’ll help.”

The small man disappeared up the cellar steps as Elda dropped the bucket beside Sten and knelt down in the puddling water. She pulled back the sodden furs briskly and handed him the rough towel she always kept over one shoulder. “Are you awake, now?” Her voice matched her eyes, rough and red-rimmed with grief, the same grief that came crashing down on Sten.

“Why did you wake me?” Sten mumbled into Elda’s bar towel, and winced at the pounding that increased in speed against the inside of his skull. “Why didn’t you just leave me be?”

Elda rubbed her eyes with the heel of one hand. “Look, I know you’re as heart-broken as we are,” her voice turned gruff. “But Lilisfina is in trouble.”

“T- trouble?” Sten frowned, trying to recall the sequence of events last night. How they had returned from that gruesome scene in the graveyard to a even more horrific scene at Candlehearth, where patron and staff alike sat in stunned shock, the usual patter of life gone with the vanished barmaid. How Elda and Nils had brought up a few kegs of summer ale from the cellar and tapped them, then left the ale unattended as patrons helped themselves. How Lilisfina had sat with him, the grief in her gaze mirroring the heartbreak in his chest as they drank. And drank. And drank.

Sten frowned as he struggled to recall how he had come to his bedroll next to the large boiler in the cellar. He gulped at the bitter brew that suddenly appeared in his hands upon Nils’s return from the kitchen. Then Elda’s voice resolved into words. “— and she went to the City Guard quarters to talk to the watch leader from last night. Then we get a message from Thane Free-Winter that she had been arrested!”

“Wait, arrested?” Sten choked on the hangover cure and set the mug down with a bang. “Arrested for what?” He struggled to his feet and looked around for his gear.

“Murder,” Elda would not meet his glare. “Susanna’s murder, that is.” She pressed a folded parchment into Sten’s hands. “This is from Thane Free-Winter. The messenger said you are to come to the Palace immediately.”

“Here,” Nils held out Sten’s zwei-hander and attached baldric. “Best not to go in your full gear, but you should at least have this.”

“Look, Sten,” Elda caught his woolen sleeve, “all of us here at Candlehearth know Lilisfina could not have killed Susanna. Giordano is already on her way there to protest the arrest, but I’m afraid they won’t listen to her.”

The parchment rustled in Sten’s shaking hands. Stenvar, if you are still the Wood Elf’s sellsword, come to the Palace immediately. She has need of you. Thane Free-Winter.

By the time Sten reached the Palace, the last dregs of his hangover had disappeared, to Sten’s short-lived relief. As Nils had feared, Giordano stood at the foot of the long table in the Great Hall of the Palace, frustration in her voice and fists clenched, as the Jarl’s housecarl Gjalmar Stone-Fist shouted her down. “It’s the same work as the other three murders, I tell you!” Viola remained undaunted as the big Nord, the bearskull helm on his head making him seem taller than most men, bore down on her. Her eyes flashed up at him. “There is no way that Wood Elf could have done all four of these murders when she hadn’t even arrived in Windhelm until five days ago!”

“Are you saying Captain Ironhand is wrong?” Stone-Fist’s growl reverberated around the Hall’s stone columns. At the head of the table, nearest the throne, Sten saw the Jarl seated, his head in his hands. Beside him stood the slight frame of the elderly steward, Jorleif, who watched with crossed arms and impassive face.

“Yes!” Giordano’s shout brought Sten’s gaze back to the duo in front of him. She stabbed a finger in the direction of the heavily armored guard captain who stood just past Stone-Fist. “That man has done nothing but sit on his arse for the past six months while women are being killed and horribly mutilated, but as soon as a little Wood Elf walks into town he decides he has found the Butcher!”

“For the last time, woman,” the guard captain shouted as he stepped beside Stone-Fist, “there. Is. No. Butcher!”

“Stop hiding your head in the yellow snowdrift, fool!” Spittle flew from Giordano’s lips as she leaned toward the guard captain. Nils darted forward and interspersed himself between the Imperial woman and the two armored Nords. He restrained Giordano’s increasingly agitated gestures as they began to border upon insulting and tried to press her away. As the two Nords began to follow after the little cook, Sten found himself stepping behind Nils and blocking them. Free-Winter and Shatter-Shield joined him, one at either shoulder. Sten didn’t speak, only locked gazes with the Guard Captain. Behind him Star growled softly.

“Jarl,” Free-Winter’s voice rang down the table, “I call my right to question the Wood Elf in custody.”

“We are interrogating her this morning!” the Captain protested. Sten’s heart sank. Interrogation be damned, it’s more torture than anything else.

“I am a Thane of Windhelm, and as such I demand to exercise my right to conduct any such interrogation!” Free-Winter’s voice took on a well worn battle tone. At Sten’s left, Shatter-Shield’s hearty second was a mere echo.

Jarl Stormcloak raised his head and sent a weary glance at his frustrated housecarl. “They are my Thanes, Gjalmar. They are closer to the people of Windhelm than you or I.” His sigh drifted down the long table. “Very well, Thanes, you may conduct the interrogation.” He turned to the outraged Watch Captain. “Captain Ironhand, please take them to the dungeons.”

“No, my Jarl,” Free-Winter shook his head. “I would prefer to conduct the interview here, in front of the people of Windhelm and my Jarl. That way no one can accuse either Shatter-Shield or myself of protecting a murderer.” At his words Sten glanced around in surprise. Seems like half of Windhelm, Nords, Dark Elves and Argonians, are here!

“You’re not going to let me breakfast in peace, then?” Stormcloak complained. He tossed down his dagger and rose to his feet. “Very well, let’s get this done with.” He nodded at his steward as he seated himself gingerly on the stone throne. “Jorleif.”

The impassive man uncrossed his arms and snapped his fingers. As servants appeared from both sides of the Hall and began clearing away the remains of the morning meal, others pulled benches away and rearranged the table sections into the shape of a squared crescent, with the open end facing the tall entrance doors and the cross bar nearest the throne. Jorleif glanced at the Jarl, who nodded his approval, then turned back to the two Thanes still waiting near the doors. “The court is yours, Thanes,” Jorleif called down the great chamber.

Free-Winter turned to Sten. “Do you still work for the Wood Elf?” At his nod, the elder sighed. “It would be best for you and for the lass if you stayed by the doors, and held your own counsel unless called for.” His gaze shifted to Star. “The dog, too.”

“But I am her sword-arm,” Sten protested softly. “My place is at her shoulder, same as Gjalmar’s for the Jarl.”

“You are in the Jarl’s court,” Shatter-Shield turned to him. “As much as we trust your judgment concerning your employers, we ask you to trust ours in this matter.”

A clatter of arms from the east side of the hall drew everyone’s attention to the dungeon entrance. Guards clapped their hands on hilts as the lean watch leader entered the Hall, followed by the small figure of the Wood Elf. Sten fought the urge to move to take his place at Lilisfina’s side, and bit his lip at the sight of the shackles restricting her movements. Still, she stood tall, back straight beneath the weight of the chains at wrists and ankles, and she moved with care after Silverblade.

As the guards led her within the arc of the tables and positioned her to stand facing the throne, Lilisfina shot him a glance. He inhaled slowly. She’s in good spirits. Trying to make me feel at ease? Not happy, but not desperate or despairing, either. Just calm. Well, if she can be calm, then I’ll be calm, too.

“Good morning, Lilisfina,” Free-Winter greeted her from the right table. She turned her head in his direction. “I’m sorry to see you in such straits. There seems to be some confusion about your role in the latest murder.”

“Good morning, Thane Free-Winter, Thane Shatter-Shield,” her voice slid smoothly into the chill air of the Hall. “I agree there seems to be some confusion.” She turned her head back to the throne and the scowling Jarl seated there. Sten saw her incline her torso in a half-bow. “How may I be of assistance, Jarl Stormcloak?”

Good lass, Sten approved silently. Show the man your typical courtesy.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Nov 29 2024, 06:50 PM

[SubRosa]

Lil has been arrested? WTF? She is a wood elf and newcomer, so I smell a case of rounding up the usual suspects and putting all the blame on them. It is a lot easier than you know, actually investigating a crime. Or maybe the real killer was clever enough to somehow throw blame onto Lil?

In any case, a murder wrap in Skyrim sounds like a trip to the executioner. So Sten better work fast to get Lil sprung!

I love "the yellow snowdrift". Given that I know to watch out where the huskies go, and not to eat that yellow snow, I can easily guess what it refers to!

I like how you refer to Jarl Ulfric as Stormcloak, in the old English fashion of referring to a lord by his title, rather than his given name.

Clever of the two thanes to demand that Lil's interrogation take place in public. That way her testimony cannot be simply buried or changed when it does not match what law enforcement wants it to be.

A courtroom drama! I had not been expecting this. Good! I am sure all of us have played this quest numerous times, and by now know every twist and turn to expect. You have thrown the cannon storyline out the window here by introducing a new element, and given us something different and refreshing instead. Congratulations on taking a well-trod path and making it a new exploration again.

Lil's spirits are holding up. Or at least she is not allowing others to see them flag. That is good at least. It shows the strength of her character.

[Grits]

Poor Sten! Rough night, rough morning, and it’s not getting any better.

What the heck, they arrested Lili?! Oh wow, they’re going to hash it out in the middle of Jarl Ulfric’s court! This is great! I’m glad you’re putting your own spin on this quest.

I love how Lili calmed Sten down with a glance. She’s so cool!

[Acadian]

Drinking their grief and troubles away clearly didn’t work – except for giving Sten a hangover and getting Lili tossed in the dungeon. Certainly an unexpected turn of events!

I’m thinking the thanes were wise to insist both on interrogating the Wood Elf themselves and doing so as publicly as possible.

Lili’s entrance into the Jarl’s ‘court’ displayed a presence that belies her size. And she has not been neglecting her speechcraft, I see. I imagine her restrained and polite – even dignified - approach will be more successful than the confrontational attempts of Giordano.

[Renee]

Interesting Lili corrects Oengul about the curse of vampires. "Not all of them" she says. True. I'd say Serana is not all bad, for instance.

Oooh, The Butcher quest. Cool, glad you're writing this up. I might have to blur my eyes occasionally, just 'cause here's another quest none of mine have done, yet. Damn, Susanna.... I like her. She gets killed??

Lili catches a scent, a-ha. Lili's like a forensics specialist in our terms!

I like the way Giordano speaks.

Wait, Lili got arrested?? The player gets arrested? So it's probably because Lili described how Sus had been moved from somewhere else. And some lunkhead authorities automatically think she knows more than she's saying. Thing is, Lili's got alibis left and right, I'd imagine. She's always around someone, right?

That's a good idea, having the interrogation being performed in public. I'm surprised Ulfric allows it for an elf. Guards clapped their hands on hilts as the lean watch leader entered the Hall, followed by the small figure of the Wood Elf. .... Aw jeez, this is silly. They really think the little elf is responsible.

[haute ecole rider]

In response to the universal question: Yes, the City Watch arrested Lili indeed!

@SageRose: Yes, you have it summed up - blame it all on the newcomer because what Windhelm resident would be so evil to commit all these crimes? It does put a black eye on the Watch's reputation. And the Captain of the Watch, who outranks our Jyta Silverblade, btw, is very typical of the Windhelm nobility. I figured someone would catch the yellow snowdrift reference, and yes, it's exactly as you imagined it! You are correct in saying that I tossed the canon out the window and went with my own path. The game quest served as my guideline, but how I got from A to B to C is a very different route, so hopefully you will enjoy the journey.

@Grits: the fact that Lili and Sten could communicate so effectively with mere glances is a demonstration of how far their relationship has come since that cold Sundas Lili came to Windhelm. Now it's Fredas and they have a good bond - moving too fast, or fate?

@Acadian: you are not the only one to call out the fact that the Thanes wanted to interrogate Lili in front of both the Jarl and the people of Windhelm. Of course, it's intended to prevent any coverup on any one's part. The Thanes are especially experienced in the ways truth can be hidden from those who deserve to know.

@Renee: Don't squint too hard - I tried to write this day a bit more intelligently than the way it was presented in the game. And Giordano was a heap of fun to write - she is a colorful character both in the way she shamelessly pursues poor Captain Cruel Sea and the way she harangues the guard on their inaction regarding the multiple murders. Of course, her investigational abilities lack a certain thoroughness . . .

And now we determine Lili's innocence - or guilt?

*******************************

Fredas 22 Last Seed - Interrogation

Lili managed to execute a graceful half bow to the Nord on the throne. “How may I be of assistance, Jarl Stormcloak?”

His scowl deepened as Jarl Stormcloak lowered his hand from his bearded chin. “Are you aware of the gravity of your situation here, Elf?”

“Yes, Jarl,” Lili lowered her eyes slowly. She could sense the hostility in the man before her, as well as those that stood at the table to her left. “I stand charged with the murder of Susanna the Wicked, committed just last night.”

“Do you have anything to say for yourself, then?” Stormcloak countered with a soft growl.

“Only that I am innocent of any such crime here in Windhelm,” Lili kept her tone steady. These men are determined to see me executed for something I didn’t do, simply because I am a Mer. How to convince them otherwise?

The Jarl shifted restlessly on his throne, and Lili sensed his attention shift to the two Thanes at the right hand table. “Begin your questioning, Thanes.”

Free-Winter stepped around to stand before Lili, with the central table between them. “Please tell us your name, and your birth place, lass.” His tone, though soft, held a practiced neutrality.

“Lilisfina, of Valenwood,” she responded. Careful. Do not provide more information than asked. She had been through this before. So far it’s been easy, but no need to make it more difficult than it has to be.

“How did you come to Windhelm from distant Valenwood?” Free-Winter stroked his long grey beard thoughtfully.

“First I traveled to Elsweyr, and spent time in Anequina and in the Tenmar Forest,” Lili watched the elder Thane as he strolled the length of the table from one end to the other, gaze lowered to the floor as if in deep thought. He knows this already, but he must want the Jarl and the others to hear it from my own lips.

“Why did you linger there,” Free-Winter mused. “And how long?”

“Curiosity,” Lili provided the answer she had given him before, when they first met outside Sadri’s Used Wares. “And the desire to learn. I lived among the Khajiit for twenty-eight years.”

“Learn what?” Free-Winter lifted his gaze to hers.

“I am a mage,” Lili admitted. “Though one not well versed in the arcane arts. I stopped with a mage or two while I lived among the Khajiit. I also wanted to learn about their culture and history.”

“Hmmm, and after Elsweyr, where did you go next?”

“Black Marsh, among the Saxhleel,” Lili suppressed the joy she always felt when recalling her time among the marshes and jungles of the Hist. “I was there sixteen years. In Elsweyr I learned how to navigate buried ruins, dispel undead, and lay restless ghosts to peace. In Black Marsh I learned about elementals and how to work with them. After that, I was in Morrowind for six years.”

“Only six years in Morrowind?” Free-Winter lifted craggy brows at her. “Why?”

“Morrowind is a sad, desolate ruin,” Lili felt the sorrow color her tone. “The whole of the land is an ashen mockery of its former self.” She shook her head. “Even Shad Astula in Mournhold is gone. There was little reason for me to stay there.” Not after Tamira died defending me from that Bonewalker. “So I came to Windhelm.”

“When did you arrive at our docks?” This came from Thane Shatter-Shield. Lili turned her head to meet his gaze. Why is Shatter-Shield here?

“Five days ago?” Lili cast her gaze upwards. “It was Sundas the seventeenth. I’ve been staying at Candlehearth Hall since.”

“And what are your plans now that you are in Skyrim?” Shatter-Shield’s tone was as neutral as Free-Winter’s.

“Once I am more acclimated to this cold,” Lili shivered for emphasis, “I plan to travel to Winterhold to visit the College there. I was told as a child many years ago that I should seek mage training there.”

“What is the point of all of this?” Captain Ironhand demanded. “Who cares what this Wood Elf did before coming here, or what she intends to do now that she’s in Skyrim! She killed one of our own!”

“Fool!” Giordano exploded from the shadows near the doors. She darted forward to stand behind Lili. “Four of our own have been killed, and you —” she stabbed her finger in Ironhand’s direction “— have done nothing to stop it! I tell you the Butcher is one of us, not some outsider freshly arrived on the refugee boat out of Blacklight!”

“There is no Butcher!” Ironhand bellowed back, his face suffused with rage. He moved as if to leap over the table at Giordano, but Stone-Fist’s immovable arm across his chest blocked him. Lili noticed that Giordano did not flinch away, but rather leaned forward, ready for skirmish.

“Enough!” Stormcloak’s command reverberated around the Hall and broke the tension. Ironhand subsided back, still fuming. Behind her, Lili could sense Giordano calm a little, though she still quivered with indignation. Stormcloak turned his fierce glare from Ironhand to Giordano before settling on Free-Winter. “Though I do wonder what is the point of all of this, Thane,” his tone held warning.

Free-Winter bowed slightly to Stormcloak. “I am merely trying to establish a view of the lass’s activities in the time prior to the murders.”

“Murders?” Stormcloak instantly pounced on his thane’s choice of words. “Are you saying there is a ‘Butcher’?”

Free-Winter shrugged. “I am merely trying to establish the lass’s innocence or guilt in the current matter before us.” He waited until Stormcloak gestured impatiently for him to proceed before returning his attention to Lili. “Once you arrived in Windhelm and hired Stenvar Strongsword, what did you do between Sundas the seventeenth and last night when Susanna’s body was discovered?”

Over the next several moments, Lili found herself providing a detailed itinerary of her activities from meeting Free-Winter and first learning of the reavers, to hiring Stenvar to help her clear the wreck, through her conversations with Oengul and Hermir, with Nurelion, and their expeditions to Forsaken Cave and Cronvangr Cave. At this point Stormcloak broke in.

“Wait, why did you go to Cronvangr Cave?”

“Jarl, it was to recover an ancient sword for Oengul, so he could present it to you,” Lili responded, again turning her gaze floorward in courtesy.

“What ancient sword?” Stormcloak demanded. “Where is Oengul?”

“Here, my Jarl,” the smith’s cracked voice sailed out from the shadows where he waited with Sten and Nils. “I arrived here in time to see the lass stand accused of murder.”

“Come forward,” Stormcloak demanded. “Do you have this sword of which the Elf speaks?”

“I do, my Jarl,” Oengul stepped forward with the cloth wrapped bundle in one fist. “I am here to present to you the ancient Sword of Queen Freydis!” He paused before the throne, unwrapped the weapon, and presented it across two hands.

Lili watched the Jarl’s bloodshot eyes gleam at the silver shimmer of the ancient sword as he rose from his seat and stepped down to reach for it. All trace of weariness and surliness faded from his visage when the Jarl took the hilt of the sword and lifted it from the smith’s hands. He raised the blade before his face and thumbed it lightly, then flinched and raised his thumb to his lips. That sword is still keen after all these years, like Oengul said. Stormcloak sighted along the blade, then sighed in pleasure. “Well done, smith,” he nodded his approval and turned to Gjalmar. The housecarl carefully accepted the sword from Stormcloak and stepped back, the ancient weapon protectively cradled in his massive forearms. Stormcloak returned to his seat and gestured at Free-Winter.

“My Jarl,” Oengul did not move from before the throne. “It is the Wood Elf and Stenvar Strongsword you should be thanking. Else I’ll still be trying to forge the perfect copy of that sword.” At his words the scowl returned to Stormcloak’s face. The old smith bowed to the Jarl and moved to leave. Free-Winter stopped him with a gesture.

“Tell me how they came to you with the Sword of Queen Freydis last night, smith.”

“Hermir and I were just about to sit down to dinner last night when they arrived. They were cold, tired, and covered in cobwebs. But they had the Sword, and handed it over to me. Then after the evening meal they left us, and as soon as they stepped out we heard a scream from the graveyard, and Silda the Unseen came running from that direction,” Oengul detailed. “They stopped her briefly, and I managed to make out ‘Death’ ‘Blood’ and ‘Murder’. She also said something about the Butcher.”

“And how long were they with you before the beggar woman found the body?” Free-Winter asked.

“They shared the evening meal with us,” Oengul responded. “From shortly past sun down until after the market closed.”

“Thank you, smith,” Free-Winter released Oengul with a nod. “And I’d like to hear Watch Leader Silverblade’s report, as well, my Jarl.”

As Lili expected, the watch leader’s report was crisp, efficient and factual, much like the officer herself. It also made it abundantly clear that neither Lili nor Stenvar had anything to do with Susanna’s gruesome death. And with that, the farce was over. Jarl Stormcloak ordered her release with cranky impatience and called Storm-Fist into the war room with him. Ironhand was even more frustrated as he ordered the shackles be removed. Silverblade herself did the honors.

“I am sorry for this, Wood Elf,” the guard’s tone held regret. “I was looking forward to further conversation on this subject.” She turned her head in Jorleif’s direction. “I’ve already spoken with the Steward, but he has not given yea or nay regarding the assistance you offered last night. It would be wise for you, your sellsword, and your dog to return to the Inn and grieve.”

And avoid the Guard Captain. Lili heard the unspoken warning. “Thank you, Watch Leader,” Lili bowed her head respectfully to the taller woman before turning for the doors. Stenvar stepped forward, and she noted that he wore only his padded tunic and trews, which did nothing to hide his muscular bulk. “Have you eaten yet, Stennvar?” He shook his head, and Lili smiled sadly down at Star who pushed himself between the two. “Let’s go and eat.”

[SubRosa]

We have some new glimpses into Lil's history as the thanes press her for background information on how she came to Skyrim. That is a very tantalizing hint about Tamira. We do not know who she was exactly, other than a boon companion. One important enough that Morrowind was not worth staying within without her.

Ahh, the blade is still Sharpe I see.

Oengul saves the day! Phew. Just because Lil was innocent, that was no reason to believe that she would not be blamed anyway.

Well, if Sten's relationship with Susanna was not enough reason to investigate the murders, this certainly is the straw that breaks the silt strider's back. Now there is more reason than ever for Lil and Sten to carve up the Butcher for once and all.

[Acadian]

‘I was fetching your queen’s fetching sword when someone murdered your villager, Jarl!’

Whew! It was only the overwhelming alibi that saved her from Ulfric’s elf-hungry Nords.

Like SubRosa, I enjoyed more of the hints from Lili’s past.

I have no doubt that Lili and Sten will honor Susanna by solving her murder. Then I wouldn’t be surprised if Lili is ready to move on from Windhelm.

[Grits]

“Only that I am innocent of any such crime here in Windhelm,” Lili kept her tone steady.

Wait…in Windhelm? Hmm.

Well, after getting Lili’s life story in broad strokes, it was the Sword of Queen Freydis that proved Team Lili’s innocence. Good thing they went on that particular mission.

Windhelm is a mess, there’s a killer on the loose, and Sten looks hot in his tunic and trews. It seems a good time to get the heck out of town, but now both Stenvar and Lili have personal reasons to solve these crimes. And Star might get a bone! Always happy to see Star right there in the middle.

[Renee]

Yeesh, she's facing Ulfric. And if I recall correctly, the reason she's here is she actually tried to help with clues she noticed. - I like that she's explaining to them her plans to continue to Winterhold. That's what a truly innocent person would do.

And think about it: if the Butcher IS real (which Ironhand does not acknowledge) he or she's been committing murders some time before the elf even arrived in town.

Stormy knows nothing about an 'ancient sword!' Okay, seems Oengul could be providing an unintentional alibi with timing, here. (I watch a lot of crime shows IRL..).

Alright cool. Lilisfina is free. Well that'll be something to tell around the hearth someday. Which is scarier: facing a bunch of spiders or speaking before Stormcloak's court?

[haute ecole rider]

@SubRosa: It was a good opportunity to introduce the timeline of Lili's travels from Valenwood to Skyrim, and to emphasize her easy relations with Argonians and Khajiit as we will see in upcoming chapters. As for Tamira, let's just say Sten isn't Lili's first rodeo. While being accused of a crime she did not commit would be enough incentive for Lili to pursue her own investigation, this is more than that. Susanna was one of the first Windhelm citizens to befriend Lili upon her arrival, and her easy going nature just clicked with Lili. So there was a nascent friendship of sorts already forming between the two. And who wouldn't want to be involved in the murder investigation of a dear friend?

@Acadian: Once the murder is solved (as it seems to be a foregone conclusion once Lili became involved), whether or not she will move on from Windhelm remains to be seen. We do know she has a vague urgency to travel on to Winterhold, but we also have noticed she is not in a hurry to travel to a clime even colder than Windhelm!

@Grits: Let's just say that Lili is not as squeaky clean as she seems to be Remember, in Bosmer lore, there is no such thing as ownership of property, as we have seen with a certain side quest in Woodhearth in ESO. And yes, Sten looks hot in tunic and trews, or out of them

@Renee: Actually, the Jarl is aware of the Sword of Freydis, which is why Oengul has been trying to create a passable replica of it. Getting hold of the real Sword of Freydis, whelp, that's something else altogether. And remember, the night before Oengul did say he was going to present it to the Jarl in the AM.

Lili was arrested for suspicion of murder, but the subsequent questioning in front of the hungover Jarl and half the city has cleared her of any wrongdoing. Now our Team Lili gets to play CSI (the original, not the knockoffs).

*********************************************

Fredas 22 Last Seed - Following the Trail

Boss was arrested for Susanna’s murder. But after questioning - not torture - she was released. I’m glad she’s none the worse for the experience.

Sten watched Lilisfina pick at her morning meal, a simple collection of cheeses, bread and cooked meat. I’m not very hungry either. Grief, and drink, will do that to oneself. Even the dog looks dejected. Star lay with his head beneath Lilisfina’s chair, his pricked ears drooping to either side of his broad skull. The inn’s great room felt empty without Susanna’s vibrant personality. The author Leotelli slumped over his mug of canis root tea at a nearby table, his occasional sniffles matching the mood of the trio.

The exterior door swung open and a swirl of cold air caused the tiny flame on the mantel of the hearth to flicker. Sten met the hard gaze of the night watch leader as Silverblade latched the door behind her. The guard removed her leather helmet to reveal close cropped blond hair, and flung her blue cloak back over her wide shoulders.

Lilisfina looked up as Silverblade strode to their table and seated herself without a word. The Nord woman placed her helmet carefully in front of her and ignored the soft growl from Star. “Wood Elf, I have a proposal for you and your sellsword.”

“A proposal?” Lilisfina leaned back in her chair and dropped a hand to Star’s back. The growling stopped at the light touch of her fingers. “Let’s hear it, Watch Leader.”

“Steward Jorleif has given me permission to request your assistance in the investigation of Susanna the Wicked’s murder,” Silverblade continued. “I would like you to view the body and the scene where she was found with me and give me your thoughts on the matter.”

Lilisfina met Sten’s gaze. Am I up to this? Seeing Susanna like that? I’m not convinced I can. Sten gave her the tiniest of shrugs. The Wood Elf turned back to the waiting guard.

“I’m not sure how much assistance we can be,” she said finally. “Susanna was a very good friend of ours, and we are still struggling with her loss.”

Silverblade’s gaze softened. “Susanna the Wicked was the kind of woman who made friends easily. She was compassionate, loyal, and warm-hearted.” Now her eyes returned to their icy state. “That’s why it’s important to me to get this resolved, and to end this killing spree.”

Lilisfina regarded the tea in her mug. “Very well, let’s go.”

“Don’t you want to finish your meal first?” Silverblade gestured to their half full plates. “It can be a long day for us.”

Sten met Lilisfina’s gaze and shook his head. She turned back to the Leader. “No, we have no appetite at this time. Let us begin.”

Silverblade led them first to the stone bier in the graveyard where Susanna’s body had been found. “You mentioned something about this not being the place where she was murdered. Tell me again why you think so.”

“Not enough blood considering those wounds we saw on her body,” Lilisfina replied with a glance at Sten. He nodded confirmation, but kept silent. Not sure I can trust my voice right now. “If she had been killed here,” she indicated the top and sides of the stone sarcophagus and the surrounding snow covered ground, “these would be covered in blood. Yet,” she pointed out the puddled stains on top of the bier and the drips down one side, “this is all we see from her body.” She knelt down and touched the scarlet streaks. “The body was laid from this side, as we see from these drips - see how few they are? And here,” she pointed at spots of red in the snow, some already scuffed over by boots, “there are more, which suggests the body was carried from this direction,” she pointed to the west.

“Can you track them?” Silverblade asked. “See where the trail came from?”

“The murder site, yes,” Lilisfina nodded. “But where?” She rose to her feet and shrugged. “Not sure if the trail is still visible.”

Sten stepped back and surveyed the snow in the direction Lilisfina had indicated. “Here, looks like another drop or two here,” he pointed out a few paces west, nearer the street that led down from the Stone Quarter. Lilisfina, Star and Silverblade joined him. “But which direction?” Sten turned his head. “The stairs from the market? Or the Stone Quarter?”

“Both are unlikely directions,” Silverblade mused. “The market place is still busy even at that hour. And the Stone Quarter is well patrolled, not just the City guards but also the hired swords of the families there.”

“You mean the Shatter-Shield and Cruel-Sea carls,” Sten added. “They would be clustered around the clan manors, though.”

“And we know of at least one house that is empty there,” Lilisfina added, her voice taking on a grim tone. She looked at Star, who nosed through the snow. The Wood Elf knelt beside Star and scooped up a bit of bloodstained snow with her fingers. She sniffed at it, and nodded to herself. “Trail’s still fairly fresh. Star?” She held her hand with the melting snow to him. The Skyrim Husky sniffed briefly, then turned back to the snow and began nosing around.

“Is he trained to track?” Silverblade asked skeptically. “I thought all he knows is how to mooch fish from the Argonians?”

Sten chuckled in spite of himself. “I thought so too, but the past few days has shown me that Star is more than a stray beggar.” He tipped his head at the dog, who had already moved a few paces away, toward the Stone Quarter.

Between Lilisfina finding more blood on the snow, and Star sniffing his way along, they found themselves standing before the abandoned manor at the end of the street. The small stone house crouched before them, its windows shuttered against the winter sunlight. It feels sad, lonely. The thought caught Sten off guard, and he turned to look at Lilisfina’s face as she regarded the structure.

“The blood and the trail definitely leads here, Leader,” she whispered, her breath barely visible as a thin stream. “And I’m told this was where Friga Shatter-Shield was found murdered. Does anyone have access to the house still?”

“It would be the Shatter-Shields,” Silverblade stepped to the door and tested its latch. “It is locked, so they would have the key.” She sighed. “I hate to ask them for the key at this time, but it’s needed to enter the house.” She slid a sly glance at Lilisfina. “Unless you know how to pick locks?”

Lilisfina shook her head. No, she doesn’t know how, or no, she wouldn’t do it? “I think I may be able to get the key from them,” she murmured. “We can come back later.” She gestured toward the base of the door. “See how the snow is cleared away from there? Someone’s been in and out of the house recently.”

“Yes, and the lock shows signs of having been picked,” Silverblade indicated the bright scratching around the keyhole.

“The Shatter-Shields can tell us if anyone has been inside the house since the last snowfall.” Sten mused.

“First let’s go see the body,” Silverblade turned back to the street. She paused when Lilisfina and Sten didn’t follow her immediately. Her brows disappeared beneath her helmet at them.

Lilisfina drew her bearskin cloak more closely about her against the cold. “Is there a Butcher?”

Silverblade looked skyward with a sigh. “There’s been four murders, all young women, in the past six months,” her voice threaded thinly through the frosty air. “First it was Friga Shatter-Shield, in her home. Next was Isabella, the girl who was with Adonato Leotelli. She was found dumped in the alleyway behind the smithy. The third one was Fjotli Cruel-Sea, and her body was found near the main gates.” She lowered her gaze to Lilisfina and Sten. “And now Susanna.”

“Was Isabella Nord too?” Lilisfina asked. Both Sten and Silverblade regarded her with puzzled frowns. “If you have a murderer who is killing more than one person, they usually have a type.”

“Type?” Silverblade asked as Lilisfina returned to the street to stand beside the Leader.

“A preference for what their victims are like,” Lilisfina responded. “All women, all Nord?”

“No, Isabella was Imperial, like her uncle,” Sten responded. “But like the others, she was tall, and fair of skin.”

“Hmmm, I see what you are getting at,” Silverblade nodded. “Tall women, fair skinned, not necessarily Nords.”

“Can you tell me what was taken from their bodies?” Lilisfina asked as they started back down the street toward the graveyard. “And were they all mutilated like Susanna?” Her voice was muted, as were the others’ as they passed between the stately manors and beneath the steady gazes of Cruel-Sea and Shatter-Shield guards.

“They were found nude, like Susanna, and when their homes were examined, nothing was missing from them.” Silverblade inhaled sharply, as at a sudden memory. “Wait, Nilsine said Friga’s house key was missing.”

“The key?” Lilisfina repeated. “Hmmm. We should ask Nilsine if anyone has been in that house since the murder.”

“Torbjorn, too,” Sten added. “He’s the sort of father to do things without his children’s knowledge.”

“Indeed,” Silverblade nodded agreement. “I’ll let you handle those two, though. Coming from me such a request may seem -”

“Insensitive?” Lilisfina asked. She shrugged. “We’ll see what we can do. Have to get a key to the house from them anyway.”

[Acadian]

The investigation is afoot! Sten’s observantness, Star’s nose, Lili’s mind for arranging details, and Silverblade’s authority to proceed as/where they need combine into a potent team.

“Hmmm, I see what you are getting at,” Silverblade nodded. “Tall women, …’
- - Whew, well at least Lili doesn’t have to worry about becoming a victim.

I’m sure seeing Susanna’s body will be difficult for both Lili and Sten.

[SubRosa]

So thanks to Silverblade (which is a great name btw.) Lil and Sten are now on the case as private dicks.

The bloodhounds are on the scent - literally as well as figuratively - and Lil quickly shows her talents as an investigator. I like that she does not just use her knowledge of anatomy to determine that Susanna as not killed where her body was found, but also her recent memory, which dredged up the fact that there is indeed an empty house in the Stone Quarter.

So tall, fair-skinned, and I presume blonde women are the targets. Good thing January does not live in this timeline...

Next up, talking to the Shatter-Shields.

[Grits]

CSI Windhelm! I enjoyed watching the team ‘s investigation. It was especially interesting to see Sten’s reaction to shuttered and empty Hjerim.

Good idea to send Lili to speak with the Shatter-Shields. She has demonstrated that she can get through to people.

I have such fond memories of Hjerim as a family home in Jensa’s game. It makes me wonder if I have a working save of hers stashed away somewhere.

[haute ecole rider]

@Acadian: I'm sure Lili shares your relief that she doesn't fit the Butcher's 'type'! Potent team, indeed. And yes, the next part is going to be very hard for Lili and Sten, as we will see.

@Sage Rose: Thanks, I had a hard time coming up with these Nord family names! I decided on Silverblade because it sounds like it would belong to a hulking tank of a Northman, but instead we have a (hulking tank?) of a Northwoman. I was actually thinking of Paksennarion when I began writing this toon. When I play through this quest, the one guard we speak to in game is a woman, so I got to thinking about her as a character and ended up with Silverblade. I hope you like what I've done with what is essentially a throwaway character in the game. And if January lived in this timeline, I doubt the Butcher would have survived any attempt on her!

@Grits: Yup, CSI Windhelm! I agree that Lili already has established a somewhat tenuous connection with the Shatter-Shield family thanks to her prior conversation with Nilsine. Hjerim is such a sad little house, until I get my hands on it and clean it up! This is possible due to a mod that removes the Civil War requirements from ownership of Hjerim, and also removes those annoying Stormcloak banners. It has worked well for me through several playthroughs.

And now we are off to see Susanna one last time. Before I start, I must do this:

***********************SURGEON GENERAL WARNING***********************
Rated R for graphic content. Read only on an empty stomach! This is Julian's Daedra Heart times ten!

*******************************************
Fredas 22 Last Seed - Interview with the Dead

Helgird looked up from her scribbling as the small group entered the preparation area. She eyed Silverblade warily as she pulled her boarded parchment closer to herself.

“Helgird.” Silverblade’s curt greeting acknowledged the other’s presence. Her gaze was already on the body laid out before the priest.

“Silverblade,” Helgird returned as shortly. Her gaze moved to Lili and Stenvar, who had remained near the entrance.
“Lilisfina, Stenvar,” her voice remained as wary as her gaze. Seems to me there is some history between Helgird and Silverblade. Will this affect our investigation?

“Steward Jorleif has requested Lilisfina’s assistance in this matter,” Silverblade continued crisply. “She has some experience with death and how things appear after such violent acts.” She turned and gestured roughly for Lili to step forward.

“You can stay back, if this is too difficult,” Lili whispered to Stenvar. “Or wait outside. I -” her voice caught briefly, “- understand.”

“I’ll stay here,” Stenvar responded as softly. His steady voice did not belie the emotion Lili knew he felt.

The Bosmer moved forward to stand beside the bier, opposite Helgird and Silverblade. “Good morning, Helgird,” she greeted the priest. “It has been a very difficult night for all of us.” Lili forced her gaze to return to the familiar face before her, now less so without the life and personality that once filled those eyes. “May I ask what you have found so far, priest?”

Helgird glanced down at the parchment secured to the thin board in her hand. “I’ve only just begun my examination,” she replied. “But I’m sure you’ve already noticed the wounds - left upper torso, right abdomen and right thigh.”

“They’re quite obvious, yes,” Lili responded. “You haven’t washed the body yet?”

Helgird shook her head. “Not until I’ve observed the blood patterns and checked for other debris.”

“Good, let’s look together, shall we?” Lili moved around the body, stepping between Helgird and Silverblade as she completed her circuit. “I don’t remember the lividity before.” She closed her eyes briefly as she recalled the guard named Snowdrift lifting Susanna from the sarcophagus. “But there was some rigidity - mostly in her neck and shoulders.”

“She is now fully rigid,” Helgird nodded. “And the lividity developed overnight.”

“Which means she died within a few bells of the discovery,” Silverblade mused as Helgird jotted something more on her parchment.

“She was on her back, and her heart was still beating when these wounds were made,” Lili added. “Look at the blood spray across her body, and the pooling of blood on her skin along her back, heels and calves.” She peered at the hands. “No defensive wounds, and her nails are clean of skin and blood.”

“She didn’t fight back,” Silverblade’s jaw clenched. “Why not?”

Helgird leaned over the torso, her gaze on Susanna’s neck. “She was strangled first, likely into unconsciousness.” Lili recognized the bruising over the woman’s throat, now more apparent.

Lili joined the priest in her study of the body’s upper torso. Why was she cut like this? These wounds don’t seem intended to end her life.She traced the one over the upper left breast. Wait. What is this? “Her left collarbone has been removed. This wound goes no deeper than that.”

“What?” Helgird palpated the injury with her fingers. “You’re right, her left collarbone is missing.” She leaned back to examine the abdominal wound. “And the right liver has been removed as well.” Helgird met Lili’s gaze. “This might be the fatal wound - the blood loss from that alone is enough to end a life quickly.”

“What about her thigh?” Silverblade indicated the long gash that ran down the leg from hip to knee.

“The narrow muscle that runs from hip to knee is gone, too,” Lili examined the wound with her fingertips. “The large muscle is intact, but I can feel the stumps of the smaller one at top and bottom.” She stepped back and met Helgird’s gaze grimly. How were the other three mutilated? “Stennvar tells me that when Friga Shatter-Shield was found, her body was not intact?”

Helgird placed her hands on the edge of the bier and leaned forward, her head down. “No, we couldn’t find her head, her left foot, and her spleen.” She sighed. “And the left foot was disarticulated at the ankle, not chopped off. Same with the head, between the skull and first neck bone.”

“And the Imperial, Isabella?” Lili turned from Helgird to Silverblade, who watched her with clenched jaw.

“Isabella was missing her right hand, also disarticulated, her left thigh bone, and her womb.” Helgird’s bleak tone chilled Lili’s blood. “And Fjotli Cruel-Sea had had her right upper arm bone, her lungs, and her left calf muscle removed as well. All three had been strangled first.”

“So,” Lili stepped back from the bier, “we have someone who is —” she paused at the word that came to mind, “ — harvesting specific body parts. For what purpose?”

“It’s like you said, a specific type,” Silverblade could not keep the disgust out of her voice. “Tall, fair skinned, slender?”

“And killing women that fit that specific type?” Helgird’s eyes widened at the two. “That would mean half the Nord women in this city!”

“There’s been rumors the Dark Elves are behind these killings,” Silverblade muttered. “I wonder . . .”

“No,” Lili shook her head. “This doesn’t smell like Dunmer.” She met Silverblade’s gaze levelly. “Do we have any witnesses? Has anyone been able to speak to that beggar woman . . . ”

“Silda the Unseen?” Silverblade shook her head. “She’s gone to ground, no one can find her.”

“She does that anytime something frightens her,” Helgird added. “She’s suffered trauma in the past, and I suppose anything that brings those memories back . . . “ She sighed. “In the past she would disappear for a few days, then show up cold, starving, and thirsty.”

“Any other witnesses?” Lili turned from the women to look at Stenvar.

“We can talk to Viola Giordano, see what she knows,” Silverblade sighed. Her gaze sharpened on Lili. “What do you mean, this doesn’t smell of Dark Elves?”

“Were you speaking figuratively,” Stenvar addressed Lili softly, “or literally?”

“Both,” Lili responded as softly. She turned back to Helgird and Silverblade. “I don’t want to get in the way of your work, Helgird,” she said finally. “And I think we should try to locate some witnesses, potential or otherwise.”

“And get permission to enter Hjerim without being assaulted by Shatter-Shield carls,” Stenvar added. “Maybe speak with Nilsine before we talk to her father?”

“If the moment’s right,” Lili nodded. “We have to be very sensitive with that family.”

“Tell you what,” Silverblade stepped toward the entry decisively. “I’d like you to talk to Viola, get that over with. And I’d like you to try and find Silda — she’s unlikely to talk to any of the guard. But she might see you as friendlies.” She sighed. “Let me know what you find in Hjerim, too.”

“Of course,” Lili nodded. “Should we meet at Candlehearth?”

“If you get your appetite back, maybe mid afternoon?” Silverblade slipped her helmet back on and hooked the chin strap into place.

“Sounds good,” Lili nodded as Silverblade headed out. She gave Susanna a final glance. We will find who did this to you. We will not let more women suffer as you have suffered.

“I will care for Susanna,” Helgird laid a gentle hand on the dead woman’s forehead in a soft caress. “As she has cared for us all in life.” She met Lili’s gaze. “And the sooner we find out who did this, the less likely there will be tragedy in the Grey Quarter.”

The Dunmer. Scapegoats. Lili nodded silently.

[Acadian]

A very realistic visit to the coroner’s office, run by Helgrid in this case. A fitting role for the priests who prepare bodies. Nice job contrasting the no nonsense manner of Silverblade with the softer and more circumspect nature of Helgird. And poor Lili tactfully managing in between them.

Harvesting body parts? Do we have some Frankensteinish soul trying to build the perfect woman? Or perhaps trying to rebuild someone lost? I’m not sure it smells like Dunmer either. Perhaps necromancy though. And a clue that the perp likely has quite a workable knowledge of anatomy.

Time for the sleuths to get back out into the city and ferret out some more clues!

Fun to see a nod to that time-honored TES tradition of seeking out a beggar when looking for information.

[SubRosa]

TBH, Silverblade sounds less like a strength build tank to me, and more like a smooth-talking rogue with the reflexes of a cat and the smile of a devil. Like danger and elegance combined.

I noted that frost between Silverblade and Helgird at the same time Lil did. Windhelm just got even colder. I wonder what the tale is behind that?

The autopsy immediately brings back memories of the X-Files, and Scully's frequent uses of the morgue to glean more information from the dead. And what information! The killer took a collarbone!?! WTF? This just gets weirder and weirder.

So they are all missing parts. I wonder if the killer is harvesting them to use as replacements for organs that are defective in a corpse he already has. Perhaps a loved one who suffered from some truly massive physical trauma? Or is he going the full Dr. Frankenstein route and is planning to build an entirely new person from multiple dead ones?

Ah yes, blame the marginalized minority for everything. Sadly the story would not be believable if someone had not tried to do that. Now it is starting to feel like the clock is ticking before the locals might decide to go full on Tulsa and burn the Gray Quarter to the ground.

More interesting tidbits of information about Silda, who evidently has a well-deserved nickname.

[Renee]

Ah I see.

22 Last Seed, very nice. Yeah, dogs pick up on our emotions sometimes, very true.

I like how Silverblade and Lilisfina refer to generic terms as they greet each other: Watch Captain and Wood Elf. Whoa, they want Lil's (and Sellsword's) involvement. Um, yah, because she's got crime scene tech talent, Windhelmites. She's going to solve this thing, rather than arrest the wrong people.

Wow, she's really good. Considering angles and positions and loss of blood. My daughter's about to get a job pretty soon with a CSU btw, really exciting for her. It'd be even more awesome if they could hire someone from Tamriel, right? because of magic. Detect Life, Detect Undead, even Detect Enemies in a way, if we consider the red dots on the magical compass.

The guard asks Lili if she can pick locks!

Thanks. Unlike my daughter, I am really squeamish IRL when it comes to insides and surgery, etc.. Let's see if I survive this R-rated chapter. : Ah ha, they're narrowing down the time of death.

Yeesh, no wonder they call this scumbag The Butcher. Grossness.

[haute ecole rider]

@Acadian: I figured in view of their role in preparing bodies for interment, priests of Arkay would be particularly knowledgeable about these things. And as Lili has healed on the battlefield in the past, she is also familiar with such things as mortal wounds, blood spray and etc. In view of the wounds on the ladies, harvesting certainly seems like the pattern here, doesn't it? You might have hit closer to the final truth of the Butcher than most folks realize.

@SubRosa: I knew you would call out the tendency to blame unfortunate series of events on the outsider. So it has gone throughout history, and I expect Tamriel to be no different. To be honest, the fact that certain folks in Windhelm have been rather quick to accept Lili is a bit surprising, but perhaps it's due to the fact that Windhelm hosts more outsiders (Dunmer, Saxhleel, and Khajiit traders) than most other cities in Skyrim? I did have Tulsa in mind as I wrote this chapter, as a similar episode has occurred in Lili's past and is still very much on her mind.

@Renee: Using titles - Watch Captain, Wood Elf, Thane, Jarl - are good ways to express respect while keeping a distance between oneself and the other. At least until they get to know each other better. For this chapter I drew on my training and extensive knowledge of comparative anatomy, as well as a digital copy of Gray's Anatomy, to describe the condition of these bodies. Heh, asking a Bosmer if she knows how to pick locks is another indication of the racial ignorance that seems to be rife in certain areas.

Now we look for a way to get inside Hjerim and try to locate the scene of the crime(s).

************************************
Fredas 22 Last Seed - Finding the Key

Boss was asked by the night watch leader to help with the investigation into Susanna’s murder. It’s hard to stay calm, but I have to help her with it. We will find who did it.

As Lilisfina and Sten wove their way through the graveyard, Sten touched the Wood Elf’s shoulder and leaned down to her pointed ear. “You could smell something on Susanna? The killer?”

“Something that links the killer to Susanna, yes,” Lilisfina nodded. “Same thing that I could smell in that house, and in the museum too.”

“Necromancy?” Sten recalled something Lilisfina had said about the House of Curiosities. “It reminds me of zombies and other necromantic entities. Undead, rotting but not really decaying into dust. Held together by evil magic.” Lilisfina shrugged. “And you could smell it at that abandoned house, the one Nilsine owns?”

“Yes,” Lilisfina responded. “That’s why I really want to take a look in that particular house.”

“Hjerim?” A sad voice reached them. Sten looked up to see Star seated in the snow before Nilsine Shatter-Shield. She stood a few paces away, a bulky carl in iron plate at her back. Sten recognized the younger man by his dark auburn mutton chops and gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

“Why do you want to go inside Hjerim?” Nilsine drew Sten’s attention back to her. Her red rimmed gaze still held immense grief, but there was a new determination to her posture.

“I’m sorry to remind you of the cause of your loss,” Lilisfina said softly. “Stennvar and I have been asked by the night watch leader to assist in the investigation into Susanna’s death last night.”

“Investigation?” Nilsine repeated. “And they couldn’t conduct one when Friga was slaughtered in our home?”

“Miss,” the carl stepped protectively to her side, raising his shield as if to protect her from attack. “Your father . . .”

“Never mind my father!” Nilsine snapped. The carl froze, but did not lower his shield arm. Take it easy on him, he’s just following orders - whatever they are. What is his name - I feel like I should know it.

“I wasn’t here then,” Lilisfina responded calmly. “If I had, perhaps I would have been able to find her murderer. But I wasn’t. Not then.” She took a deep breath and let it sough visibly into the cold air between them. “But I believe if I find who murdered Susanna, I will also find who murdered your sister.”

“So Viola was right?” Nilsine asked. “There is a Butcher?” Her gaze moved from Lilisfina to Sten. An inscrutable expression flickered over her pale face, then she nodded shortly, as if making a decision. “What can I do to assist you, Lilisfina?”

“Miss, your father,” The carl was not to be deterred so easily.

“Never mind, Calder,” Nilsine dismissed him with a wave of her hand. That was it - Calder! Her gaze did not shift from Lilisfina’s. “My father assigned him to guard me when he brought the news of Susanna’s death last night.” She shook her head. “If that murderer was going to kill me, he would have done so a long time ago. Not today.”

Lilisfina nodded at Calder. “You take your orders in the same spirit they were given, sir,” she addressed him respectfully. “And I will not ask anything that will violate those orders.” Sten realized how tense he had been when the carl relaxed slightly and took a half step back, his shield dropping back to his hip. So the boss knows he’s just doing his job.

“So,” Nilsine repeated with forced patience, “how can I assist you in your investigation, Lilisfina?”

“Please tell me if any possessions were missing from the house?”

“All the valuables were accounted for,” Nilsine took a deep breath. “But my sister’s house key was never found. We have not been in the house since the city guard turned it over looking for . . . “ her voice choked as she trailed off.

“Your sister’s missing parts,” Lilisfina lowered her gaze to the ground. “That was a horrific crime, and not something I’d want to see for myself. How much worse it has been for you.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Do you think the murderer is hiding inside Hjerim?” Nilsine shook her head. “The door has been locked and no one has been inside since then.”

“Nilsine is correct,” a growl drew Sten’s head around as Torbjorn Shatter-Shield approached from the Stone Quarter. Calder clapped his right fist to his breastplate as the elder Shatter-Shield stopped beside his daughter. “No one has been inside Hjerim. Nilsine has the only key, and she has not given it out to anyone since her sister’s interment.”

“I understand you don’t have a key, Thane?” Lilisfina met Torbjorn’s scowl. “Silverblade and I examined the lock, it shows signs of a key or lock picks recently being used.”

“Like I said, Nilsine has the only key.” He turned his dark gaze to the young woman at his side. “You have not given it out to anyone, correct, my daughter?”

“Yes, Da,” Nilsine nodded. She turned back to Lilisfina. “You can have the key, let me go inside and fetch it.”

“Let us walk together to Hjerim,” Shatter-Shield added as Nilsine set off, Calder in tow. “I may have spoken in your defense before the Jarl this morning, but I do not know you well enough to trust you with any evidence that may still be within the house.” He nodded after his daughter as they followed in her footsteps. “However, whatever you said to her the other day, it has helped her tremendously.” He sighed. “It has been very difficult for her, and for my wife Tova. I have to admit I’m at a loss how to help them.”

Sten sensed Lilisfina glance at him before she reached down and touched Star’s ears as the Husky pranced at her side. “Everyone deals with loss differently,” she spoke softly. “Star was the one who comforted her.” She sighed. “She did mention that her parents were also having a hard time, and that she did not know how to reach either of you.”

They were silent during the short walk between the Shatter-Shield manor and Hjerim. When they reached the stone arch that led to the small house, Lilisfina drew her fur closer around her and lifted her gaze to the two story structure. “Please tell me about the house, Thane,” she added.

“We purchased it a few years ago, after the family that possessed it died away.” Shatter-Shield sighed. “We knew the Snow-Borne family well. The father died fighting for the Jarl, and the rest of his family succumbed to famine and plague shortly afterwards. We bought it from the Jarl for my daughter Friga when she came of age. She invited her twin sister Nilsine to live with her.” He turned his gaze to the blue sky. “My daughters are all we have. Nilsine is the elder by several breaths, she stands to inherit the family business and the manor. But we wanted Friga to have something of her own as well.”

“And you haven’t yet decided what to do with it?” Lilisfina turned her face toward the avenue that led down to the graveyard to the south. Sten breathed deeply of the cold air. I can’t smell what she says she is scenting from inside that house, but judging from her look and Star’s demeanor, it’s still strong. Sten regarded the Husky’s tense stance, his lowered, motionless tail and raised hackles.

“When Friga - died,” the Thane’s voice faltered slightly, “the house passed to Nilsine as the surviving twin. She hasn’t made a decision about it, and I - “ Again his voice faltered. “I haven’t had the heart to ask her about it.”

“It is a decision not to be made lightly,” Lilisfina murmured, her gaze moving down the avenue. Sten spotted the approaching figures of Nilsine and Calder, the woman’s quick strides matched by the carl’s longer steps. “Please tell me, Thane, is making your man Calder Nilsine’s shadow a good use of his skills?”

Sten hid his wince at the glare the elder Shatter-Shield shot Lilisfina. “With the murderer still at large, I feel better knowing she is protected at all times,” he growled.

The Wood Elf nodded imperturbably to herself. “That’s fair, and well thought, Thane,” she said as Nilsine drew near and held out the heavy iron key to her. “Thank you, lady,” she said to Nilsine as she accepted the item. “Do you wish to accompany us?”

“N- no,” Nilsine shook her head. “It is still too —”

“Difficult,” Lilisfina finished for her. “That is all too understandable. Stennvar,” she held the key out to him, “please?”

“Of course,” Sten moved to the front door, Lilisfina and Star following a few paces behind him.

“Calder,” the Thane’s curt voice reached them, “go in with them, see what they find in there. I expect a report afterward.” Sten glanced back in time to see the scowl on the younger man’s face as he stepped behind the Wood Elf. He’s resentful. Why?