Skyrim V: Shadow over Markarth

Chapter Six: Cidna Mine

I stood outside of jail cell door as Urzoga unlocked my chains, but had another soldier unlock the cell door behind me. "This is a prison-mine, you will be working while you are here. If you make any trouble, I was told that your husband would pay for it. Is that clear?" I look at her in surprise, "What did you just say?"
"Ancano said you care little about what happens to you, so he said if you disobey, we will punish your husband or your brother." I kept my mouth shut. Inside, I was screaming. Not only was my husband and brother now in danger, what would happen to my children? Aaiden who still needed his mother to feed, and Lucia....
I push those thoughts out of my head as Urzoga pushes me through the cell door and locks it behind me. Threw the bars, the Orsimer woman grabs my wrist and says, "Ancano wants you to be kept in good use, but I can make you pay as much as your family if you try to make things difficult. Understand?" I slowly nod and she releases my arm, "Good." she turns her back and walks away from the cell door. I look down and realize under my feet was a scaffold. It lead down below to other cell doors where I could hear the sounds of pick axes against stone. I slowly walk down the scaffolding, my right hand against the wall. I was counting my breaths. It was going to be alright. It always was. My children were safe, we would reunite. At the bottom of it, in the middle of floor between all the cell doors, a Breton sat near a campfire. He was shirtless, with his long silver hair tied at his neck and hung down his back. He looked up at me and said, "Hhmmmmm, another new blood. What brings you here?" 
I look at him, my hands wringing together. "I'm looking for my husband, and brother...."
The Breton sat up, "Was your husband the Nord?" 
I swallow. "Yes, sir."
"There is no 'sir' here in Cidna Mine." The Breton said shaking his head, sadly.  
"Uraccen!" Said a harsh voice. The Breton made no move to get us as big, muscular orc walked in. He was shirtless, showing off the scars on his body, and his face was coated in white war paint. He took one look at me and then back at the man named Uraccen. "Is this her?"
"Well, she's the only woman in here, and if what her husband and brother said was true, then yes. This is the Dragonborn."
I stop, "Why did they tell you that?"
"Because we have been waiting for you." The orc said quietly. "You come with me, your husband is waiting for you." The orc trudges towards another cell, the bars open as if a bedroom. I look at him, "My husband is alright? And my brother?"
 The orc leads me to another room, where I stop in my tracks.   This cell was more like a bedroom than an actual jail cell. There was a small table with parchment and paper, and beyond it was a small bed. 
   In a seat, was an old Breton with white hair and a long mustache. He was sitting beside the bed, where my brother, Arodil, is laid on his stomach, with bright and bloody lashes on  his back. Sinding stood at the corner of the room and turned when the orc said, "I brought her here, Madanach."
"Thank you, Borkul." The old man said, nodding as the orc turned his back and stayed at the entrance of the cell. "Taniiaae." Sinding said. He was in a similar prison tunic such as I was, and he wrapped his arms around me as I clung on to him. "The children...." I whisper as he hushes me gently. "It's going to be alright, we will get out of this. I promise." he whispers. 
I look at Arodil on the bed. His tunic shirt was bloody and laid on the floor, showing his striped back. He looked up at me in pain glazed eyes. "Tanii....I told Serana for you not to come." I kneel down by my brother and look at his back. I shake my head, tears forming. "I promise I would help you, and I won't leave you, brother."  Arodil took my hand and squeezed it as the old man studied me. I turn towards him. "Thank you for lending your bed to my brother...." 
The old Breton smiles, "You look so much like her." 
 I look at him in surprise. "I'm sorry?"
 I slowly stand up and back away. 
The old man who was called Madanach stood up.  He bowed his head and said almost to himself, "I must remember she never knew who her mother really was..." He looked up and said, "My name is Madanach,  I was the King in the Reach for a short time. Now, they only call me the King in Rags.  He walked towards me as I almost backed into Sinding. My husband put his hands on my shoulders as Madanach turned towards me and said. "I had a daughter. The prize of my being. When I became the King in the Reach, I shed no blood other than the cruelest men's. But it was during one of those riots, a certain Thalmor officer had crept into my kingdom, and defiled my daughter. My princess Iaera, was left broken and sick by the cruel officer. He left her broken, but she carried the child he gave her. Iaera gave birth to a beautiful daughter. A daughter with dark hair like her mother, but the ears of her father." 
I stopped breathing, my fists clenched at my sides. Sinding gave my shoulders a squeeze. 
 "She was a beautiful little child, full of smiles and laughs, but always willing to listen to her old grandfather's stories." Madanach smiled briefly but then it disappeared. "When Ulfric and the nords came to take the city from us, I told Iaera to take herself and her daughter away. To run to a city she felt safe in. But I never had realized that two years ago, when Vulono, Altmer Agent had raped my daughter, he poisoned her with a serum that would take years to take effect. " His back was towards his cell wall. "It wasn't until after I was locked up in here, spared from execution, but now the King in Rags, did I learn that my daughter found solace in the home of Kodlak Whitemane. But it was then that I found out, she died from the sickness that plagued her body, but her little daughter still worked alongside the Companions." He turned to me. "That little girl is standing before me. My grand daughter. Taniiaae." 
  Tears trickle down my cheeks and I shake my head, my lip trembling. "That can't be....my mother worked for a Jarl, I helped her with chores...." 
"You're mother had to find a new name for herself when she fled Markarth, she found work in the city of Morthal as what she used to write. But she was never a peasant who was raped by a drunken soldier. She was a Reachwoman. The Forsworn Princess." 
 I look at him, my eyes wide.  "I don't believe you." I whisper and Madanach gave me a sad smile. "I knew this would be hard for you to accept. But you are the Reach Princess. Before you were imprisoned.....Ancano knew of you, and he wanted to capture you."  I look up. "But why?"
Madanach sat down and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "You are the Dragonborn, from what  I hear. And have stopped Skyrim from falling into destruction. You are valuable to the Thalmor because you are not afraid."
  I nodded, "I figured it would be that....but how can I tell if you are telling the truth?"
"Tanii..." Sinding whispered and I shook my head, "No, I'm serious. I don't remember you, and you can't just tell a fellow prisoner that they are their long lost grand child." 
 Madanach smiled. "I knew this would be a surprise. This has been in my family for generations. Your mother had one." He reached into his tunic and pulled out an amulet. I gasped.  The amulet was a jeweled pendant of a stag's head. Hircine's. My mother had one that I remembered she clutched unto when she died. Aela told me afterwards that she would keep it for me until I came of age, but I had forgotten it.
"You recognize this, don't you?" Madanach said, a gleam in his eye.
I swallow. "A pendant of Hircine. My mother had....one. But I forgot about it honestly...until now." Sinding took my hand and I said, "What....what was my mother's role as princess of the Reach?"
Madanach his his pendant away and said, "As princess, she often sat in on court sessions with me. After she was soiled by Vulono, she prayed fervently to Hircine, to spare her daughter and make her a great warrior one day." 
  I felt sick and turned away and vomited. Sinding held my hair back as I retched. Madanach sighed. "I take it she asked for his favor too much." 
My hands grip my knees as I look back at him, a cold sweat clinging to the back of my neck. "My mother was a Daedric Prince Worshiper? Hircine?!"
Madanach nodded, "Most of the Reachman worship the old gods." 
"Hircine has been a plague to my side for over a year, and now its supposed to make sense?" I say, angrily. "My whole life, I knew of him from my shield-sister. My husband, was cursed by him when I found him. I chose the same life and all that ever came from his blessing was pain and suffering." Angry tears streamed down my eyes. "I suppose it makes sense now. My mother prayed for his blessing and now look at my life."
Madanach stood up and took my hands in his and said. "She prayed for his blessing to make a strong child, and from what I can see, he blest you with strength." I look at him, not knowing how to feel as he said. "Come, I want you to meet the others. What is rest of our clan."
.................................................................
Serana.


   As soon as she heard from the fight out in the street, Serana locked the house up from the outside. Vilkas barred the windows as Ronthil  kept Lucia and Aiden in the master bedroom. Serana and Vilkas came into the room and locked the doors. "Where's mama and papa?" Lucia asked. 
  Serana shushed her. "It's ok, Lucia?"
"Are they in trouble?" Lucia's voice squeaked as Vilkas nodded. "Aye, but it's going to be alright. We are going to get help."
"Can we even risk talking to Balgruuf?" Serana asks but Vilkas shakes his head. "Not while he is still in court."
  Aaiden started to whimper and than Serana's heart dropped. "He's hungry." 
Ronthil and Vilkas looked at her in confusion as Serana repeated. "He only drinks his mother's milk."
 Ronthil's eyes got large as Vilkas said, "What are we going to do?"
Serana got up, "I'm going to see if she saved anything for him for us to use. She would of done something like that for at least when they went to court."
She got up and silently left the bedroom. She walked towards the chicken where they had a ice bucket. To her relief was a small bottle of milk. She grabbed it and picked it up when she heard something slide under the door. She turned to see a small, folded piece of paper laying on the floor near the door. She walked over and picked it up and unfolded the note to see a small sentence scrawled on the paper. 
   "I can help you get your friends back. Meet me in Temple of Talos.
                                                                                                                                       -U."
  She looks back at the door, and didn't see any shadows so we went over back to the master bedroom. She handled the note to Vilkas as she picked up Aaiden to feed him."
Vilkas looked up at her after reading the note, "The Temple of Talos? Do you think we can trust this 'U'?" 
  She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but the fact that they didn't bang in on our doors, I think is a good sign." 
Vilkas nodded. "We got together. That way if it is an ambush, I can defend you." 
Serana crossed her arms. "I can defend myself."
"Aye, but I would feel better if you had a bit brute like me there with you."
...............................................................

The Temple of Talos was dark inside other than the large statue of Tiber Septim, Talos illuminated in the middle of it. As Serana and Vilkas walked towards the statue, the sound of a knife unsheathing echoed. Both Serana and Vilkas stopped in their tracks. A young woman with silver hair, and gray eyes stops in front of them. Her long silver hair was tied back, and she had bright yellow warpaint from her eyes down her cheeks. She is dressed in maid attire, but with the knife in her hand, she was no simple made. Serana held up her hands. "Please, we received a note from someone who told us to meet you here?"
"What was the initial left at the end of the note?" The woman said, her voice edgy. 
"U." Serana and Vilkas said together. The woman lowered her knife and breathed a sigh of relief. " I could never be too careful now of days." She walked behind them and locked the door of the temple. "There, no we can talk with no interruptions."
"Who are you?" Vilkas asked. 
"I should be asking who you are, but I think I know that answer anyways."  She rested her back against the door as she said. "My name is Uaile, and I want to help you."
"Why?" Serana asked, her voice quiet. "We are strangers."
"Because we have similar interests." Uaile said, "When your party first came to Markarth, you had ten in your party, eight adults, two children.  Three of your said party are now locked away in Cidna Mines."
"What is that?" Vilkas asked, his hand on his sword hilt. "It's a labor-prison, most people who go in don't come out." Uaile said, "My father has been locked up in there since I was in my eighth winter."
"For what crime did he commit to be locked away? And why would they lock up our friends?" Serana asks.  Uaile crosses her arms, her sharp eyes narrowing. "My father was locked up for being a member of the Forsworn. He used to work for a noble family and was framed. So he joined Madanach's group.  But when the Nords took over Markarth and locked all of the Forsworn up, my father's was part of it." 
"Are the Forsworn killers?" Vilkas said.
"Being a Nord, I would see where you would think that." Uaile snaps, "But to us, we just wanted our own free city. The Reach belongs to the Bretons, and it wasn't fair it was taken from us time and time again. Ulfric Stormcloak made sure that happened last time."
 "So you are a Forsworn?" Serana says, softly.
"I am, but I have my reasonings, as you have yours for wanting your friends out." Uaile said. "Besides, your friend the Dragonborn is an important woman amongst our king, Madanach."
Serana and Vilkas looked at each other in surprise and then Vilkas said, "She's the Dragonborn, is that no important enough?"
"She's also the granddaughter of our King of the Reach, Madanach." Uaile said. "Our king's blood flows through her veins. We are going to help her escape along with the rest of our people who are locked up in the mines."
 "Are you still so keen to help us? We are trying to stop the Civil War and call a truce with the Empire and Ulfric. You said Ulfric is the reason your people are locked away." Vilkas said and Serana jabbed him in the side with her elbow. Uaile smirked. "I'm aware of her trying to stop the war, and frankly, I don't care. As long as take back our people and head towards the Mountains in the Reach, we can move from there. Until now, the business of the Civil War is nothing to us." 
 Serana sighed in relief and said, "As you said, their are two children in the house we are staying in. One is a two week old infant who can't be separated from his mother. We have milk but I don't know if it will last."  Uaile's face was sympathetic and she said, "I know a place outside of the city where I can take you. It's called Karthspire. It's a large Forsworn camp that you will be safe while we help your friends escape."
"That's near Sky Haven Temple." Vilkas said in surprise. 
"Yes, we are aware of a few of the last of those Blades reside near us, but they leave us alone and it's unsaid truce that we leave them alone. It's a big enough camp that we can hide you and the children." Uaile said. 
She turned to Serana. "You can come with me and bring the children." 
"And our friend Ronthil, we won't leave without him." Serana said and Uaile nods. "Yes, your wood elf friend. He will be safe with you in Karthspire." 
"It may be wise if I stay here." Vilkas said. "Our Jarl is still here." 
"Your Jarl is under house arrest with his housecarl." Uaile said and Vilkas blanched. "The Blade woman escaped, but Jarl Balgruuf and his Dunmer woman are locked in their quarters. They are aware of the coup and the imprisonment of some of their court. That's why I need to get you all away now."  
"Then we will go to Karthspire but when you return to Markarth, I'm coming back with you. To help bring our friends home and our Jarl." Vilkas said. Uaile nodded. "Alright then, we have an agreement?" She held out her hand and Vilkas looked at it. He looked at Serana who nodded. Vilkas gave the Breton woman a nod and took her hand.  "Alright then, where to first?"
"First, let's get your family out of the Vlindrel Hall, and then head towards Karthspire, then you and I, my friend, will return here to see how we can get the Forsworn out of Cidna Mines." Ualie said.