Skyrim: The Nightshade Assassin

The Blue-Eyed Monster

Chapter 29

Note: Trolololol it isn't even close to the end

6th of Rain's Hand, 4E 202

I'm supposed to be travelling to Solitude by now with Kaito. Now that I think about it, the more angry I become. I don't know why myself. Today has gotten colder than yesterday, yet the snow is gently falling from the sky. As always, everything is grey and moody, despite the thickness of the fog making it easier to see everything.

Yesterday, I stayed on that mountain with Kaito for hours. Again, I don't know why. I always think of my decisions and reasoning, why I didn't abandon his corpse right then and there. Surprisingly, he wasn't turning blue, nor had the miasma of copper from bleeding out. It's like he isn't even dead, and sound asleep. Luckily, Alva found me crying and took me in. Patched me up at her place.

So, I decide to visit his body again. I tried searching for Laelette, and even asked Alva, yet she didn't know.

Hiking up the snowy mountain, I claw at the ice to get a better grip, but my fingers begin to transform a dark colour of blue. My feet are halfway to freezing into icicles on each toe, snow dumping themselves into the opening of my leather boots. The hill is much steeper, and way harder to hike onto. I take a deep breath and continue to climb, disregarding the light pain in my back. I drank as much health potions as I could this morning.

I gaze at my surroundings once I'm up. Snow, trees, the view of Morthal, a coffin, mountains...

Where's his body?

"Helgi, are you there?" I call out to the coffin, my stinging back numbing from the chill. A bandage is wrapped around my torso, my heavy coat keeping it warm and fuzzy. Goosebumps appear on my legs, and I'm wearing the same pinafore dress from yesterday.

The wooden coffin is partially buried in the hole from the snow, but half of it is visible. A giggle, as always, echoes from the box.

"Looks like one player is out. Now it's your turn to find Laelette," she smiles, that translucent skin of hers taunting me with a faint glow. I scowl, but my scarf is masking half my face, and revealing only my eyes.

"Where is he?" I ask through gritted teeth, and my freezing knuckles can't be as white as they already are. My skin blends in with the snow, besides my pink cheeks and pastel hair.

Helgi laughs, her palm over her mouth. "That boy you love? Oh, yes! After you left, he just got up and left."

I blink. "What."

The ghost just giggles again, as if I'm the only one in a group who's oblivious to what's going on. "Yup!" she cries out, clasping her hands together.

"Where did he go?" I ask, desperately, although I try not to make my expression seem hopeful. I feel my irregular heartbeat from my fist clenched to my chest, quick breathes pressing onto the scarf.

"He went to find Laelette. That scary lady always played with his sister, and I did too," she continues, and I no longer hear myself breathing. "He looked really angry."

"Wait, Kaito is still alive?" I query in disbelief and hope, my heartbeat increasing in quick rates.

"Yes."

"Where?!" I practically scream, and she flinches.

"The scary cave. Movarth's Lair. At least, he's near the place," she whispers, pointing. "The Dragonborn is very, very scary."

I waste no time. Ignoring Helgi of revealing further information I probably don't need, I dash towards the location Helgi was pointing to. Is Kaito really alive?