Milos Rajkovic
Leader of the Temptress
Welcome to the journey of Felger Southbane!
[SPOILER ALERT]
This story takes place in Markarth and Riften, and has connections to the quests that take place and organizations that exist in those holds. You've been warned.
Prologue
Markarth, one of the nine holds on the territory of Skyrim, is a troubled place. The Witchmen of High Rock, better known as the "Forsworn", are trying to take over Markarth, and have found many ways to influence the people that live in the hold. Most of the guards that watch over Markarth are supporting the Forsworn. The rest of them have either been threatened or bribed to keep quiet about the horrifying things that happen in Markarth on a daily basis. Anyone who threatens to discover the things that take place here are either killed or sentenced to hard labor in the Cidhna Mine.
One of the residents of this hold, an old Nord that goes by the name of Felger Southbane, has been falsely accused of four murders, and as payment for his crimes he's been sentenced to work and dig ores in the Cidhna Mine until the day he dies. We get to see the events that take place afterwards from his perspective.
Chapter 1 - The life of a prisoner
After hopelessly trying to convince the guards that I haven't killed those four men, I returned to my newly acquired friends as we dig for new ores for the rulers of Markarth. All of them seem suspicious, and I can't seem to trust anyone with any information regarding my family. I haven't even told them my real name yet. As far as they're concerned, my name is Jullian. Just Jullian. However, I think that they don't trust me either. Non the less, I try not to think about it too much. I will be spending my whole life down here, so there'll be time to think about what I'll say to them, and who I'll trust.
After digging for hours and finding only a few pieces of Iron ore, I sit down to rest. Not long after I've dropped my pickaxe, the guards come to teach me a lesson, as they put it. If this keeps happening, being here my whole life won't be a problem because I won't be able to take this amount of work at my age anyway.
After a few weeks I've gotten used to the guards bullying us and teaching us a lesson every time we try to take a break. I've accepted my fate, and no longer care about getting out of this place. I've spent my whole life in Markarth, so even if I got out of this place, I wouldn't have where to go. All my things have been taken, my wife and daughter have fled to Riften to my wife's cousin and I couldn't make it to Riften without any food or drinks. Not to mention weapons and armor to survive whatever lies in the wilderness of Skyrim.
Chapter 2 - The Arrangement
After a few hours of digging, I hear someone approach me from the side. I turn around, and as I'm about to ask him what's he in this part of the mine, he puts his hand over my mouth, takes out his knife and points it to my neck.
-Make a sound or try to run and I'll make sure this shiv ends covered in your blood. I will slowly remove my hand from your mouth and you will go where I direct you to. Is that clear?
He removes his hand and I shake my head, showing that I got the message and that I'll listen to him. Not like I have a choice anyway. While he walks me down the mine, I notice a few rather strange things going on here. There were no guards whatsoever, even though we passed through the area where they usually sit and stuff themselves with meat and wine. Also, I realize I have never seen the guy behind me while I was working here. I've been here for two or three weeks now, and I've been to every part of the mine already. There are only two possibilities that I can think of. Either he's new, or he's not a worker. He certainly doesn't appear new, since he apparently knows exactly where he's taking me.
As I try to figure out who he is, we stop. He's lead me to the gate. None of the workers know much about what lies beyond the gate, or at least they pretend not to. The only people I saw open and go through the gate were two guards that were escorting a worker that we never saw again. I'm now pretty sure the guy behind me is a guard. Why he's dressed as a worker, or why he's using a shiv, and not a typical sword or mace is still not clear to me.
-I'm going to open the gate, and you're going to go through it, or you're a dead man.
I've already established that I'm a dead man anyway, but I go with his plan. I'm curious to find what lies further in the mine. He opens the gate, and we go through. I notice cages on both sides of the wall, some empty, some filled with remains of either humans or skeevers, but all of them closed and probably locked. I can feel the stench of rotten corpses coming from the cages. If I got a lifetime of mining for four murders, what does it take to get a lifetime of rotting in these cages?
We keep moving forward. We haven't made a single turn for three minutes now. I've seen many turns to the left and a few to the right, but we haven't changed directions. We've passed the cages, the sleeping bags probably used by the guards, and are currently in a rather nice place, if you can call this mine nice in any way possible. This area is filled with plants. They cover both the ceiling and the walls. The floor is covered in water. There is around twenty centimeters of water and it's slowly getting deeper. I'm now suspecting that I'll be drowned in the water.
We finally get to dry land, or should I say walking planks. They've put up some planks where the water was too deep to walk. Now the mine is starting to look more like a set of rooms. We get to a door, my kidnapper tells me the usual stuff and we enter the room. We're certainly no longer in a mine. As I enter I notice that we're in a room standard for Markarth. The same old grey and yellow colors take over the place, as we advance forward.
We finally reach our destination. We enter a darkened room with three other people in it. One of them, standing in the left corner of the room, is a young Imperial, mercenary by the looks of it, dressed in steel plate armor and carrying a battleaxe on his back. The second, sitting at the desk located in the middle of the room, is an older Imperial, dressed in fine clothes. He has long grey hair and looks rather tired. As we walked in, he was busy writing a letter or a note. The third one, on the left side of the older Imperial, is an Altmer dressed in the finest clothes I've ever seen. He has the characteristic yellow tone to his skin and very disturbing eyes. His hair is clean and long, and his elegant posture suggests that he is a noble with high influence in what is now taking place, or simply acts like any other Altmer here in Skyrim.
As we enter, the Altmer raises his head, looks at me, and smiles, revealing his rather clean teeth, unlike the teeth of most Nords. However, something in his grin makes me very disturbed. While he watches me, the guy behind me pushed me towards the desk, and walks back to the door. The young Imperial takes his place and walks to me, looking directly at me. Then I realize just how tall he is. I'm not even sure if the Altmer is taller than him. After maybe twenty seconds or so, the Imperial at the desk finishes writing his... note, puts it in his pocket, and raises his head.
-You've done a good job, Mecilvus. You may return to your duties.
-Thank you, sir.
So my kidnapper's name is Mecilvus. That's interesting. As Mecilvus leaves the room and heads back to the mine, the old man continues talking.
-As for you, Felger, you're going to Riften with Constans.
He points to the guy standing next to me, that is still looking directly at me. Confused, I finally gather courage to talk.
-Sir, may I know what's going on? Who are you, and why am I going to Riften?
The old man looks at me, smiles, and answers.
-Your family has made an arrangement with the Thieves Guild, you see. Your dear wife doesn't want you to rot in the mines of Markarth. How sweet of her.
-Sir, I'm afraid I don't undestand... I was sentenced to spend the rest of my days in this mine.
-Yes, yes you were. Thanks to us, you no longer are. You're being transfered to the Ratway.
-The Ratway, sir?
-It's a place bellow Riften. You'll get to know it.
-What will I be doing there?
-Whatever the Thieves Guild commands you to do.
-But, sir, I still don't understand... My wife, she ma-
-She made an arrangement with the Thieves Guild to release you from the mines, and bring you to Riften. However, as powerful as the Thieves Guild may be, they can't give you freedom. You'll be working for them in the sewers. Consider yourself lucky.
-And the arrangement... What does my wife have to do?
-Pay, of course. The Thieves Guild will collect 200 septims from her every week from now on.
-I'm afraid my wife doesn't have the money, sir...
-Oh, she does. Well, I've talked to you long enough. Let's get you on your way. Constans, please take our friend here to Riften.
Constans smiles, and pushes me towards the door behind the old man. After a few minutes, we find ourselves outside. Seeing the sky after so many days in the mine was indescribable. As Constans opened the door, and I saw and felt the sun, I felt like a free man. That feeling didn't last long though, as Constans pushed me again. We arrived to the carriage, and are on our way to Riften.
Chapter 3 - The road to Riften
We are on our way to Riften. Constans hasn't spoken a single word since I met him back in Markarth. I've seen villages I've never even heard about, and landscapes more beautiful than any I ever saw around Markarth. After a few hours we stopped in Whiterun to get a rest. Constans took out two bottles of Nord Mead and two salmon steaks. I haven't eaten anything worth eating ever since I was imprisoned in Cidhna Mine. As I think of what I used to eat in the mine, Constans finally speaks.
-Hey, prisoner. Take this bottle. Don't get drunk.
-Umm... Thanks, I guess.
As he hands me over the bottle, I notice that it's half empty. Yeah, "don't get drunk"... Anyways, as I drink the mead, Constans eats both salmon steaks. I guess I won't be eating anything after all. As we sit in the carriage, a woman approaches from the city gates. Covered in some kind of leather, with a hood covering more than a half of her face, I was certain she was a part of this whole thing. As she approaches, she gets in the carriage without saying a word to the carriage driver. Come to think of it, the carriage driver is wearing clothes similar to hers. How does one of their group obtain a carriage, I'll never know. They seem pretty organized. I just don't understand why they'd go this far for me. I'm afraid of what deal my wife made with these... thieves. As the woman climbs on to the carriage I notice that she's a Dunmer. Constans puts his mead down, looks at her and smiles.
-You've finally made it, Shelivah.
-Shut up.
-You elves are so complicated.
-I said shut up. The failure of your brother made me end up in Whiterun jail.
-And how hard is it for one Dunmer to escape from a jail cell?
-Very funny. Now give me the mead.
He hands her over the mead, and points at me.
-This is our prisoner, honey.
-So we're escorting him to the Ratway, huh?
-Yeah, his wife made an awesome deal we couldn't decline.
-I can't wait to hear all about it. Where's he from?
-He lived in Markarth his whole life, and then got locked up in Cidhna Mine for killing four people.
I can't take it anymore, so I join the conversation.
-I didn't kill anyone!
-Let me correct myself, dear. He got locked up in Cidhna Mine because he was "accused of killing four people". Better?
-Way better.
Four hours later, we arrive to Riften. Shelivah pushes me out of the carriage, and takes a key from Constans.
-See you in a few days, Shelivah.
-You take care of yourself.
-You too.
-Oh, Constans...
-Yes?
-Don't forget to stop in Rorikstead. You know...
-Of course. Good luck with our prisoner.
As Shelivah pushes me through the city, residents of the city don't pay attention to us whatsoever. I guess this city is used to this kind of thing.
-So, prisoner. What's your name?
-Felger.
-Felger what?
-Felger Southbane.
-Oh, so your wife... She's Kolfinna Southbane?
-Yes.
-Poor woman.
-Where is she? Can I see her?
-I'm afraid you can't see her right now.
-Why?
-She's unable to meet with you now. Don't worry, you'll meet with her soon.
-And my daughter?
-Your daughter?
-Yes, little Merete. Can I at least see her?
-I haven't heard that Kolfinna had a daughter.
-What have you done to my daughter?!
-Relax, Felger. We don't even know you have a daughter. I'm sure we'll find her. I'm just not sure where she'll live though.
-I don't understand... Why can't she live in my wife's house?
-Because your wife no longer has a house. Now enough talk. Get inside. You'll be told everything soon enough.
Chapter 4 - Meeting the Guild
We enter the Ratway. Shelivah points at one of the rooms.
-You'll be staying here.
She pushes me into the room, and locks the door behind me. I hear her footsteps as she slowly walks down the sewer. The stench is insufferable. The room is dark, and I can barely see anything inside. The only light is coming from bellow the doors. As my eyes slowly adjust to the dark, I notice blood on the wall, and a rotten body in the left corner of the room. The body is relatively fresh, but it's completely burnt and disfigured. That explains the stench. As I sit in the other corner of the room, trying to calm myself, I notice something bellow the corpse. I approach it and realize it's a note. I come closer to the door in order to read it.
I read the note, and as I do, I start feeling sick. I've never thought my daughter would be in danger. She was a perfect girl. Smart and agile, she never got in trouble and she always followed the rules. She listened to everything I said and never disobeyed me. Knowing that she's in danger is haunting me. Why isn't my wife with her? Did she leave her? Did they have to run? Did my wife hide our daughter from the Guild? I feel weak and responsible, but I know that if I plan to save her, I need to calm down and gather my strength. I will meet this "helping hand" and do whatever it takes to find my daughter. WHATEVER IT TAKES.
The story is currently paused, so there won't be new chapters soon.
