The Dark Brotherhood [ON HOLD]

The Menace

                  

Rhila woke up in a dark room feeling dizzy. She felt the pressure of nausea in her throat and stomach. At first the room had seemed pitch black but as Rhila's sight sharpened she noticed that some candles were lightening up the room. She started to look around and then noticed the glimmer of eyes reflecting the candle's light. Despite her urge to scream she kept her mouth shut, stiff with horror, she realized she had been taken again.

"Rumors tend to spread, but you know that already." a soft female voice said. The voice was not hard and threatening but smooth with a hint of humor. Rhila didn't answer. The voice lit a candle and now Rhila could see the lines of a female shape sitting on a drawer. The woman sat relaxed leaning against the wall with her legs dangling. Rhila moved to a sitting position. "What do you want? Information?" she asked.

The woman said "Why, no." Rhila observed the woman. She was wearing a hood and a uniform in black and red. The uniform was familiar but Rhila couldn't figure out where she'd seen it before.

The room was emptied, the only furniture in the room was the wooden bed and the drawer. A red banner hanged on the wall. The banner had a black handprint on it, the handprint - Rhila recognized - was an assassin's signature, but not any assassin. A Dark Brotherhood assassin.

The Dark Brotherhood was wanted over the whole Empire, no one had ever been able to catch one alive. Commander Maro had been lucky enough to kill one and the uniform the assassin had worn hanged on the wall of his office as a trophy.

As the realization sunk in Rhila swallowed nervously, this was no ordinary kidnapping. "You're from the Dark Brotherhood... You're going to kill me" Rhila said, her voice trembling. The woman laughed a sweet but evil laugh "No, you are still warm, healthy and very much alive. We don't capture our tagets, we just sneak up from behind and stab them in the back, or put an arrow through their chest."  Even though Rhila was used to hearing detailed descriptions of murder, the woman's words sent shivers down her spine.

"But, if you're not going to kill me, what do you want?" Rhila asked. The woman smiled "As I told you, rumors tend to spread and a little bird whispered to me that you're a little tired of your current workplace. All in all, I'm offering you a job. The Brotherhood needs an inside man" the woman soon added "or woman."

Rhila was indeed tired of her work at Penitus, but would she give it up to be a wanted assassin? She considered accepting the job. Before she made up her mind she asked "What if I don't accept the offer?"  The woman stopped smiling and said "I'd have to kill you, you simply know too much. But that would be a pity."

Before Rhila could ask the next question the woman answered "And no, you can't have more time to think about it, make up your mind. I haven't got all day." Rhila didn't want to die, nor betray Commander Maro but she came to a decision.  "Alright, I'll join you."

The woman started smiling again and said "Marvelous choice. I'm Astrid and my word is law. I'm the leader of the Brotherhood. Now come, I'll take you to our sanctuary"

The woman jumped down from the drawer and took out a key from her pocket. The door squeaked awfully when she opened it. The daylight blinded Rhila who had got used to the darkness inside the little cottage. When her sight adjusted and she could see clearly she looked around. They were in the middle of a marsh. Mountain walls surrounded them, they were in a valley.
They were in the middle of the Morthal marsh.

Astrid led the way, going straight out in the water. When they came to the other side, where the ground were steady, Astrid said "Go ahead and try to escape but without me, you'll never find the way out of here." Rhila nodded but remained silent and followed Astrid.