Bond Of Blood

Chapter 44

"Remind me what we are doing again."

Serana smirked.

"There's an army perched right outside Riften," Morgan said from ahead of them, her hand continually hovering over the hilt of her blade. "Before Rikke marches on Windhelm, I want to know who they are and why they travelled here.

Serana nodded to Brelyna.

"Who do you think it is?"

Morgan sighed and stopped, looking at the floor.

"It could be the Thalmor governor. That bitch was young for an altmer, but she is as cold as an ice block. It could even be....an old friend."

Morgan glared at the ground now, old memories resurfacing after so many years of having buried them. She was grateful when two hands slipped into hers, and she gave both women a strained smile.

"Let's get there as fast as possible," she said, before whistling sharply.

When Shadowmere erupted out of the darkest patch of earth close by, Morgan felt a little more at ease. She laughed as the mysterious horse chewed on a strand of her hair and nuzzled her face.

Be calm, mistress. All will be well.

Morgan blinked and rolled her eyes at her own stupidity.

Of course she knows how you feel, the Void connects us.

She smiled and gestured for her companions to seat themselves, grinning at Brelyna.

"Shadowmere can carry us all with ease."

Brelyna's look of disbelief set Morgan into a small laughing fit, and she agilely leapt onto the saddle, running her hands along the muscular neck of the Dark Brotherhood mount.

"Let's get going."

Both Serana and Brelyna moved to obey, and the moment they were seated, Shadowmere sprinted into the darkness, her steps silent as the Void.

Maven Black-Briar rolled her eyes and shooed the servant away with an impatient sweep of her hand. She hated these public events with a passion. She glanced over at available Law-Giver, the current Jarl of Riften, and fought down the urge to contact the Dark Brotherhood.

If only I could get away with it these days.

She had seen the reports. Several people had been found dead over the last few months, and while she couldn't prove it, she suspected that Olfrid Battle-Born had been one such casualty. Her information from the Thieves Guild had also slowed to a mere trickle, the disappearance of Mercer an added headache to worry about.

Then there was the matter of the Dragonborn.

That woman had more lives than what any mortal should ever have. Maven hated her yet she knew that Morgan Aurelius was going to be an important factor in deciding Skyrim's future. Maven had no doubt that the Stormcloaks would lose the war now that they had been pushed back to Eastmarch.

Which brings me to our guests.

The ruler of Bruma had decided to bring her army with her and had crossed the border. And it seemed that the Thalmor rulers in Cyrodiil had no issue with these trespassers. Indeed, they even had a Thalmor emissary with them, a young altmer who had been the governor of Bruma for over forty years.

The countess of Bruma was a pretty thing, yet after speaking a few words to her, Maven could see that this young woman was not to be underestimated. Her ice blue eyes were always alert, and Maven had been impressed that she had a Thalmor emissary in her pocket....or her bed.