Nara Of The Shadows: The Listener's Beginnings

chapter 2

All the nerves in my body were killing me while I was slowly waking up, my vision was spinning. It was like my head was splitting in stitches. I don't remember how I got here, but every instinct was saying I was in deep shit. Quickly reached for my axe, readying myself for a fight only to realise that it wasn't there.

"Sleep well?" A sultry voice rang. Frantically looking around my eyes set upon a woman sitting casually on top of a bookcase. She was adorned in dark leather from head to toe, which made it difficult to map her identity. She was playing with my axe as if it were a child's plaything, swinging it around and running her finger along its sharp edge.

"Who the fuck are you?" I snarl, my shoulder squared and my hands balled into a fist, readying myself for a fight. She looked me in the eyes, a sinister laugh passing her lips.

"Does it matter? You're alive and breathing." The woman said calmly, "That's more that you could say about that poor old Gerlod, hmm?" She chuckled.

Gerlod? Shit, Gerlod. Well, she didn't say that I was the one that killed her. Perhaps I could bluff my way out?

I looked into her eyes, "are you sure you have the correct elf, Nord?" I said, posing ignorance. She looked me in the eyes as she snickered.

" I have eyes everywhere, in every dark shadow and hidden crevice. I know a killer when I see one." She said as she swung her legs back and forth.

"It was almost a perfect kill. Weapons of common variety and in a dark secluded area where it would take days for the body to be found and no witnesses... Almost."
She explained.

I swore there was no one when I killed her, and it was the middle of the night. Who could have possibly seen it? Unless...... Perhaps someone from the Thieves guild? I heard that they do frequent the Ratways. It would make sense, scumbags usually help other scumbags.

"Thank you," I said, glaring as I folded my arms as clicked my tongue. "But that doesn't explain why you kidnapped me."

"Well you see, there is a slight... Problem." She said. I thought back to recent events that had transpired in the last month and only one major event spoke to me.

"Ah, you're talking about the poor child that I helped?"

"That is correct, he was looking for the dark brotherhood, for me, and my associates." She brushed her hand across her body in a presenting manner, as if I should have now she was a dark brotherhood from appearance alone.

"Gerlod, by all means, was a dark brotherhood contract. A contract that you stole. A kill you must repay."

Through the pause of her speech, I took an opportunity to survey my surroundings. The walls were damp with water damage and smelled of mildew, suggesting that this place is old and the outside is located in a more musky or less snowy part of Skyrim. Perhaps we are in the central-northern part of Skyrim, maybe Morthal?

" So I need to kill another, and it's the tied-up and blinded people behind me, correct?"

"Precisely, you see there is a contract out on one of them and they can't leave this room alive. But......" She gasps then chuckled evilly.

"Which one? Go on, see if you can figure it out. Make your choice, make your kill. I just want to observe..... And admire." She chuckled darkly.

Three victims, three choices but what happens if I choose the wrong contract? I pause for a moment lost in thought as she ushers me to murder them, throwing my axe to my feet. Swiftly, I pick up my axe assessing any damage and then I walk up to one of the bound individuals.

I hovered the axe over their neck,  "Who are you?" I asked.

The man explained that he was a sellsword, a man that does as he is told. He had a frightened and Scittish tone as he spoke. He explains that war is war and who could blame him for wanting to earn a living? He did admit that he could have gotten "over-bored" on certain occasions. He could have easily picked up a few vendettas along the way, but could one of them have done the black Sacrament?