Skyrim: Shieldmaiden of Jorrvasker.

Part Seven: Glory of the Dead.

    "How are you feeling?" 
I stand in the doorway to the spare bedroom where the Breton was being kept. He still looked very rough, but compared to how he was when I found him, he had improved. He stands up, and slips on a rough, white shirt and says. "Much better. Thanks to you. Those damn elves would have killed me." 
I nod. The new robes that my husband had gifted me were much more form fitting that I was used to, but I felt less like a child and more like an adult in something more appealing. The Breton's eyes looked me up and down. I cleared my voice, and he shot his eyes up at me. 
"When I found you, you said you didn't know an Esbern?" I remember seeing that name on the scrolls I had picked up, but I wouldn't let this man know. "Don't tell me you want to know about him too?" He groans, but I hold up my hand. "No, its clear you had no idea who he was, but did they ask you anything else?" 
The Breton's eyes stare into mine and he says, "Between all the kicking and beating, they only mentioned Esbern along with this other name....Delphine? I think?" 
 'I thought so.' 
I nod, "Alright. I won't pepper you for any more questions, except for one. What's your name?" 
He hesitates and says, "Etienne Rarnis. I at least owe you that much. I'm not much for giving out names." 
I nod and take his forearm to shake. "Taniiaae. And we have that much in common."  He nods and says, "I need to get back to Riften. That's where I live." 
I nod, "Once you are ready, you are more than welcome taking your leave."
"Really?" Etienne seems genuinely surprised. 
  I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes. "Yes, why wouldn't we? You're no longer a prisoner." 
Etienne seemed sighs in relief, "Let's just say I've come across some people in my life who rather keep me captive." 
I shake my head, "No worries, when you are ready to leave you may go. Its as simple as that."  Rarnis smiles and claps me on the shoulder. "Thank you, friend." 
 "Taniiaae. Your Mer friend keeps crying for you." I scowl at I turn to face Njada. She crosses her arms and glares at me. "I suspect you should go talk to him." I nod at Rarnis before I walk over to Njada. Her smug face studies mine and she says, "I don't understand why Kodlak is alright with you bringing in all these outsiders. When I first was initiated in the Companions, no one was allowed in unless they proved themselves worthy." 
I raise my eyebrows. "Two things, Njada. One, Aela and Sinding were the ones who brought everyone back. Two, I was here before you ever decided to become a Companion." 
My shoulder brushes by hers as she snaps. "You're the one who started breaking the roles. First with Sinding, then with Lydia, now with these two!" 
I whip my head to face her. "I wasn't the one's lover was once part of the Circle but he left due to enjoying killing things."  
Njada's face pales with fury. "Do NOT bring up Arnbjorn!"  I want to fight back with her, rub her hurt in her face, but I decide to not. I have to be the bigger person. "Look, I'm sorry for bringing him up-"
"NO YOU ARE NOT!" Njada shouts at me. "You aren't sorry one bit, you who get away with EVERYTHING! You are given everything! The nice husband, the titles, the privileges. Everything!" I don't say anything and instead head out into the hall. I understand if she is angry with me, but I told Kodlak that I would try to be kind to her.  I remember when she first arrived to Jorrvasker. She was the only other girl other than Aela and me, and I was still only sixteen years old, and starving for a friend my age. But she disliked me from the start. Its been ten years, and I don't think we will ever care for each other. The only person she opened up to was Arnbjorn, but he enjoyed killing too much. When Skjor and Kodlak wanted to expel him from our clan, Arnbjorn decided to leave on his own accord. Said he meant a gorgeous woman who had similar 'tastes'. 
Njada was crushed, and was even meaner after that. I think they were having a secret affair, and he left her heart broken afterwards. 
   I step upstairs to the hall, and I see Malborn sitting quietly in the corner. He looked timid. Aela rushes up to me and throws her arm over my shoulder. "Sister, I have been looking for you. That elf friend of yours wants to talk to you." 
I nod, "I know, Njada told me." 
"Njada? That bitch is only relaying anything to get in our good graces." Aela huffs. 
I nod, "She's pretty angry with me." 
"Why?" Aela says, looking stunned.
"I don't know....I think she is jealous." 
"Did you give her a good thrashing?" Aela says hopefully. 
I shake my head. "Remember what Kodlak told us? I'm trying to stay in his good graces and out of trouble." 
Aela frowns. "You are far too serious." She removes her arm from my shoulder and says, "Fine. Be an obedient little puppy." 
I roll my eyes, "Ok, now, I need to go talk to Malborn, you do what you do best." Aela smirks. "I'll be outside, Vilkas and I are teaching your husband a little more muscle work. He is still far too scrawny. He isn't as skinny as he was when he first came here, but he needs more work." 
 I smile. "Good, it keeps his mind busy as well." Aela winks and walks to the door to the training yard as I sit beside Malborn. He clutches his mug tightly in his hands as I ask. "How are you?"
"How am I? Afraid! Thinking that someone is going to plunge a knife in my back anytime now!" he blurts out. I frown. He was already a paranoid fellow, but this was more than I thought. 
"No one is going to hurt you in Jorrvasker. No one would even dare touch you here." I say, softly.   "Ha! That's what you think." Malborn trembles. "I worry that I'm going to wake up one of theses mornings with an assassin around me." 
I shake my head. "I'm sorry I put you in this mess." I say softly. I should of been more quiet and more cautious at the party. 
Malborn's expression changes and he rubs his eyes. "No, listen. I'm just so scared. I'm not ungrateful. You and your guild are putting alot at stake for even having me here. I just don't want to end up dead." 
I nod. "Well, you are safe here as long as you like. No one is chasing you out or ratting you to the Thalmor." 
Malborn nods. "Alright, I trust you. But its because you were the only one who did come back to get me when you could of just ran." 
I grab a nearby apple and take a bite. "Yes, well. Its not my character to abandon others." 
    He studies me and then sighs. "Listen....you probably wondered why I even got myself in that mess."
I don't say anything, just continue to munch on my apple. I remember Delphine saying that his family was killed by the Thalmor, but it wasn't my place to admit that information. Especially with how nervous he currently was. 
"My family was killed by the Thalmor. My parents, my siblings, even my fiancé. We were just another group of people in Dominion's Way. I came here to Skyrim to get away from the Thalmor's control of Valenwood, but it was here in Skyrim in midst of the Civil War. 
I was drowning my sorrows in the Sleeping Giant when Delphine noticed me. She brought me down to her little hidden room and offered to pay me good money to get some info on the Thalmor." 
    Pain stabs my heart but I stay quiet as he continues. "I was so down on my luck that I agreed without really thinking about how dangerous it was. It wasn't until recently when I started to get more paranoid. When I met you and your husband in the Winking Skeever, I was just realizing how deep I truly got myself into danger."
His eyes study mine and he says. "I'm sorry I wasn't more of help to you back in Solitude. I found out from Vivienne what happened to you and your husband. And your child." 
I swallow, and say, "I believe the Thalmor were responsible for the death of my child. I had been poisoned, and Vulono had made my life a living hell for a while now." 
"He was horrible to work for, if I may say." Malborn admits.  "I didn't know you were his child."
"Biological child. The man was no father to me, and he is better off dead." I say with a wave of my hand. I didn't want to talk about my side of the story now. And I say, "I'm sorry that your family is gone, Malborn. But you are safe here. Kodlak Whitemane will always makes sure of that." 
   "I appreciate your kindness. I'm sorry for  what happened to your child." Malborn says, but I shake my head. "What is done is done. I'm going outside to the training yard. You are welcome to sit and watch. It can be entertaining."