Skyrim: The Nightshade Assassin

Wood Elves, Dark Elves, and High Elves

Chapter 19

I let out a groan of pain once again, my head throbbing as I can hear my intense heartbeat from my ears. I'm exhausted; my legs are are sore, my slow wheezing transforms into a fit of coughing, and dirt mixes in with the blood on my scratched skin, including my cut on my right cheek. It'll get infected sooner or later.

"You killed my brother! My older brother!" Amar rages, slapping me again, this time more ruthlessly, as if I'll feel bad of what I've done. The stinging pain intensifies, and goes back to throbbing. "Do you have no guilt at all?"

"No," I say monotonously, the chilly weather of the swamp seeping into my bones. My vision is the corner of the abandoned shack and feet heading towards me. I honestly don't feel guilty at all, what is Vittoria's life any different from the victims I have killed? Why is she more important? Is it because she's well-known throughout Skyrim? She isn't any more special than all the people I've killed.

"Are you even listening to me?" a soldier growls, and kicks me in the ribs, breaking my train of thought. "Where is your headquarters for the Dark Brotherhood?"

I wince at the tone of the Penitus Oculatus soldier. "I don't know," I mumble, but he snarls. Three guards out of fifty managed to meet me here. But, two more decide to join. They're tardy for the party.

"Carry her into the shack. She'll tell us after some time," he says, Amar and another soldier abruptly hauling me up. Amar's disgust is truly interesting, never have I seen him so heartbreaking. I turn my head to the other soldier, and he scowls. I'm practically being dragged as they throw me to the rotting bookshelf Astrid would sit at. I roll before being stopped by the shelf.

Three corpses lay on the ground, a woman with her neck bent an inhuman way, a cat, and a warrior. Is this how Kaito killed them? How luxuriant. I'm impressed.

Mr. Grouchy plugs his nose, and demands the corpses removed. Amar and the other soldier that carried me stands by the door.

"A Dark Brotherhood assassin?" a soldier asks Grouchy. He nods, and gestures towards me, lying helpless on the floor. I try to cast a spell to transform him into a chicken, but I'm too exhausted. I instead feel the blood rush down to my chin, and he bends down to face me. "What is your name?"

"Sir, a Nightshade was found on Miss Vittoria when she was killed," a puny sentry decides to pop in their interrogation party. I smirk once I look up to see his eyes widened. I can't help it.

"The Nightshade Assassin?" he says to nobody in particular, and I nod. The name is so cheesy, but catchy.

"The one and only."

He gets up and scowls. "Set up shackles here. Make sure nobody leaves her unattended, and keep watch on her at all costs. She's dangerous."

Despite Amar being a Stormcloak, they noticed him chase me down, and I guess they decided to leave him be. Two Imperials happen to have rope, and nervously tie it around my wrists. With my hands behind my back, I lay on my side, the Grouchy Soldier stepping on my hair. They depart from the shack, leaving Amar to keep watch over me. I grin.

The light seeping into the cracks of the roof shines onto his face like a spotlight, and he scowls.

"I trusted you," he says firmly, pain leaking from his voice. "And you trusted me to keep your secret of being an assassin. I didn't know you would murder my own brother's wife!"

"Ah, and that was the mistake you made," I tell him, sounding as hotshot as him when he tried to before the Imperial ambush. "You stupid fool."

"I trusted you!" he repeats. "Why would you do such a thing?"