Day Thirteen - Treason and Betrayal
My first port of call the next morning was Klemmik's house. I told him that I'd left the supplies at High Hrothgar's offering chest, and he thanked me with a payment of seven hundred and fifty septims. Remembering the courier's letter that I retrieved yesterday, I decided to check it for an address or recipient. I found none, but the letter itself spoke of a place named Darkwater Pass to the north. With no other leads to go on, I decided to head back down the mountain-side and investigate. Darkwater Pass had been carved into the northern face of the mountain, nestled at the foot of a waterfall, and proved difficult to reach. I had not delved far into the Pass when I found myself ambushed by several Falmer and Chaurus. Recognising that I was not an accomplished enough swordsman to deal with them, I decided to cut my losses and escape the dank cave.
I decided to return to Whiterun for the time-being, to stock some of my newly-earned items at Breezehome. Arriving back in the city, I was approached by two men wearing blue and brown robes. They introduced themselves as Redguards arriving in Skyrim from the Alik'r Desert in Hammerfell, and informed me that they'd come to the province in search of another Redguard - a woman, who they had reason to believe was in hiding in Whiterun. The Alik'r asked politely if I would keep an eye out for her during my time in Whiterun, and I told them I would. They thanked me, saying that if I should find her, to come to them in Rorikstead and notify them immediately.
After stopping at Breezehome and offloading the excess contents of my pack, I decided to ask around town and see if anyone knew anything about this fugitive. I figured the best place to begin my search would be at the Bannered Mare, where many of the city's residents gather to swap stories. No sooner had I walked into the inn than I found myself face-to-face with a beautiful Redguard woman. She introduced herself as Saadia and seemed friendly at first, but soon turned cold after I mentioned my conversation with the Alik'r. She took me to a private side-room, where she pulled a knife on me and demanded to know what I'd been told. I managed to calm her down a little, at least enough to find out her version of events - she said her real name was Iman, and that she was a member of the Hammerfell nobility. She had vocally opposed the Aldmeri dominion's spread into her province, and had been forced to flee as a result.
Hearing her story of injustice, I asked if there was anything I could do to help her avoid the Alik'r. She told me that in order to shake them off her scent, I would need to speak with their leader, a man by the name of Kematu. In order to locate Kematu, I'd have to speak with the Alik'r and persuade them to tell me where to find him. Saadia had heard that one of the Alik'r had been imprisoned at the Jarl's dungeons, so I left the Bannered Mare and made for Dragonsreach. Sure enough, an Alik'r prisoner was being detained in one of the cells, and he agreed to tell me Kematu's location if I settled his fines with the guard - one hundred gold coins. I obliged, and he revealed to me that his leader was in hiding in Swindler's Den, an old bandits' cavern to the west.
With night drawing in, I decided to get some rest and make for the Den the following morning. Its reputation certainly preceded it, as it did indeed turn out to be full of bandits and thieves, all itching for a scrap as I set foot on their territory. Thankfully, none of them proved very difficult to deal with, and within a matter of minutes I'd managed to carve my way through the opposition and into a hidden back room where Kematu and several other Alik'r warriors were waiting. Seeing the look in my eyes, he instantly recognised my intentions, but did not move for his weapon. Instead, he invited me to sheathe mine so that we might talk on the matter of Saadia. Kematu explained to me that, contradictory to her story, she had actually betrayed the Alik'r by facilitating the Aldmeri dominion's spread into Hammerfell. She was wanted not for treason against the Aldmeri, but for treason against her own people.
I was faced with a choice - I could either continue following Saadia's wishes, and try to put an end to Kematu there and then, or I could return to Whiterun and lure her out of hiding for the Alik'r. I had no evidence to back up either of these stories, besides their own claims. After some deliberation, I decided to turn Saadia in to the Alik'r. It was a decision based mainly on my previous dealings with Redguards in Cyrodiil - they have always struck me as a proud race, and the idea of these Alik'r warriors bowing to the pressures of the Aldmeri simply did not add up in my head. A single rogue, on the other hand, seemed much more plausible. Even as I write this from my comfortable bed in Breezehome, I am still not entirely sure I have made the right decision. All I can do is hope, and pray to the Gods that this choice does not come back to haunt me in the days to come. Until then,
Ever Honest,
Lenah'd Retsmek
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Previous Episodes
- Day Twelve - Counsel from the Greybeards
- Day Eleven - Old Towns, New Faces
- Day Ten - New Thu'um, New House
- Day Nine - Retrieving the Star
- Day Eight - Azura's Champion
- Day Seven - Wuuthrad and Werewolves
- Day Six - Kynareth's Will Be Done?
- Day Five - The Companions and the Sleeping Tree
- Day Four - Duelling With a Dragon
- Day Three - The Bandit, the Wife and Her Lover
- Day Two - The Golden Claw
- Day One - Escape from Helgen
- Day Zero - Here Begins My Journal
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