The Bosmeri Lullaby

Only Time Will Tell

As soon as I pushed myself through the gates of Riften, a heavy smell of mead and sewage hit me harder than three tons of bricks. People were drinking and laughing rude slurs everywhere. I forced myself to the market after bargaining with a freakishly large, yet handsome, man who called himself Maul. I can see why he has that title.

Turns out a lot more people know of the Arentino boy. I sigh at the dreaded thought of sorting out this whole ordeal of the Dark Brotherhood.

So there's a legend of a murderous guild that actually exists. And a guild of Thieves to go along with the Assassins. Mark two checks for storytales that are more than real. Wonderful. I shook my head and walked faster, mindful of the beggars staring at my bow. A woman dressed in tattered rags hobbled to a fire near me, and I felt pity for her. I pulled ten septims out of my already light coin purse and smiled.

"Go to the inn and get you a room, okay? And order whatever you want to eat. Tell the keeper there to put it on Avaliynn's bill and that she'll be in later tonight topay."

Tears welled in her eyes and mumbled something about the Eight Divines, and went to what I assumed was the Inn. The Bee and Barb, huh? Pretty fitting for this town.
All I've seen in this town was crime, poverty, mead, and fish. So much fish. I wouldn't be surprised if the town mascot wasn't a salmon, but no, apparently it's a guild of Thieves. I chuckle lightly at that thought and went to browse before I went to the Orphanage.

I was browsing arrows at a market stand when I heard a honey smooth voice whisper in my ear, "Running a little light in the pockets, Lass, aren't you?"

I grabbed the nearest dagger on the stall and spun around to meet the dagger at his throat.

He looked bewildered and then his face sunk into a smug grin "I can tell you've never killed or maimed another being in your life, little Elf," he jeered jokingly.

I let the knife drop and hand it back to the merchant behind me. I've never done a thing like that! My face burned worse than a pissed off flame atronach. I felt him get closer and my blushing intensified.

"I could help you with the light pockets, Lass. Quite a simple task, really. A quick slip of a lockpick and hands and tada, I could help you get rich and set for life," the man said.

"I'm not interested in your sales pitch, Nord. I have business to attend to." I brushed past him a few feet before he retorted.

"I'll be here for the rest of the day. After that, I trust you'll find me if you change your mind, Elf."

----********----

The door to the orphanage creaked open, like it was in poor condition. I stepped through and quickly shut the door, and I heard a terrifying crack resonate throughout the dirty, cramped building. I ran to the open room to the left of me and stopped dead in my track. Children cowered behind they're beds, crying. They were obviously starved and beaten often and mercilessly. But there was a ton of food on the table in the dining room? An adult woman stood in the corner, weeping silently. A small girl ran up to her and clutched at her legs and sobbed into her dress. No one bothered to look at me, a stranger in their own "home".

The cracking sounds repeated themselves, louder at each go around and were coming from behind a door in the far west corner. I was scared to go in there, but my anger boiled up in me as hot as a forge, surpassing the fear.

"What's going on?! Where's Grelod?!" I half yelled at her. These children... No wonder Arentino ran off. I'm glad he did, in a way. The woman started to reply but was cut short by a scream of sheer torture. I ran for the door it was coming from and busted it down to find a child on the ground covered in lacerations and welts. Her yellow rags of a dress was shredded around her.