Skyrim's Saviors

22: Liethel Duskraven

They're putting us all into an arena, where we will face creatures they've placed in there with us. I stand in the darkened hallway on the outside of the arena, staring at the door before me.

Taaren Salingahl waits among her guards in the stands above the arena, and I wonder if it is for her punishment, or if she's not being punished at all. Why is she here? How did they capture her?

Worry about yourself, Liethel. You're going to get hurt, you may even die.

I blink away the fresh tears that spring into my eyes, and I look up as the Nord to my left, a woman with pale skin, brown hair, and gray eyes. She looks at me. "You ready?"

I nod. The door before us opens wide, and they shove me out. I stagger into what looks like a maze, laid out before me, with tall walls lined with spikes, and as I look around, I realize that above me, the cheers I can hear, are the Silver Hand members, watching this like a damn sport.

Someone comes up behind me, and I jump, whirling around to see Taaren standing there, holding a box in her hands. She sets it down between us, and looks at me.

"Here," she says, pointing at my hand and producing a green ribbon from her pocket. She wraps the ribbon around my wrist, and looks at me. "Look for the green flag."

"Uh, okay?" I ask.

"You are safe once you reach it. Put on your armor, and ready your weapons. You will be facing sabre cats, wolves, bears, and Spriggans. This is the first stage, so you will not be facing each other in this place. You may also team up, but remember, this maze will be able to be changed by the whims of Isa, the Silver Hand leader. So be careful. Especially when you speak. They can and will punish you for the most simplistic things."

I nod. "Thank you."

She nods and vanishes. I turn and open the box. Leather armor rests inside, and instead of putting it on over my ragged clothes they put me in, so I simply strip down to my undergarments. The people in the stands around me, mostly Silver Hand, gasp. I roll my eyes, ignoring the looks they give me, and I put on my leather armor, and walk back to the box and get the weapons out and strap them on. A sword and bow, a quiver filled with arrows.

Look for the green flag.

I take a deep breath and face the arena. There is a loud ring of a bell, and a booming voice shouts, "Let the games begin!"

So I take off running.

I run down the passages and towards the center of the maze. Then, someone slams into me from the side, and we both crash to the ground. I look up, and see Adaira. She looks at me with wide eyes.

She has leather armor on, and blue ribbon tied around her wrist. She helps me up, apologizing.

"It's okay," I say. "I actually wouldn't mind an alliance with you."

She nods. "I'd like that too."

We move on.