No, this would be a flying visit, just to find a courier, write to Erandur, find Cicero a new bow then back home. Nothing could be easier.
~~~~~~~~~~
Markarth loomed up in the noonday sun, Dwemer stonework gleaming in the sunlight and making Elisif's eyes hurt. Cicero trotted behind, staring at it in awe. It turned out he'd not seen anything like it since leaving Cyrodiil.
“Look at it, Maia, look!” he gasped. “Stone, stone, solid stone, like in the Imperial City! And yet... not.”
Elisif had never been to the Imperial City, in fact she'd not even been to Cyrodiil. Suppressing a pang of envy, she patted his arm.
“It was built by the Dwarves, long ago,” she told him. “Then it got settled by the Reachmen, and then it became a Nord city when the Reach became part of Skyrim.”
“When Tiber Septim won the Battle of Old Hroldan and defeated the Forsworn,” Cicero grinned, having read a few books on the Reach that Esbern had found for him in the library. “Yes, yes, Cicero has read of it. So much blood!” He cackled to himself, rubbing his hands. Elisif shivered a little, wishing he didn't have to be quite so gleeful over the idea.
“Well, Markarth is quite safe these days,” she told him. “The Forsworn only attack in the hills and wilderness. You don't have to worry.”
“Oh, Cicero wasn't worried,” Cicero purred, fingering the hilt of his ebony dagger, and Elisif could only sigh as she recalled yet again that death and violence didn't put Cicero off. Quite the reverse. She just hoped he'd behave himself in Markarth.
“Welcome to Markarth, traveller,” the guard on the gate said as they passed by, Elisif back in her scaled armour with Dragonbane and Dawnbreaker at her side, and Cicero in his elven gear, the hat hidden away but she was sure he had it on him. “Safest city in the Reach.”
Only city in the Reach, unless the definition of city had changed recently. Elisif was sure she'd have remembered the paperwork if it had. Still, she nodded at the guard and entered.
The gates opened onto the market, Dweller buildings looming over them, the inn on the left, houses built into the cliff on the right and the Markarth Brook flowing down the central street. It looked beautiful, although Elisif could hear smelters and forges from the other side of the central crag and was sure the industrial centre of Markarth was less appealing. Still, this side of the city looked nice.
Elisif was looking around to see if there was a forge anywhere when it happened.
“Glory to the Forsworn! The Reach will be ours again!”
Forsworn?? Here? Elisif drew Dawnbreaker, staring around wildly and then she saw him, near the jewellery stall, a Reachman with a knife. Before she could do anything, he'd grabbed the Nord woman who'd been browsing and slit her throat.
Elisif stared as the woman slumped lifelessly to the floor and the guards struck, butchering the killer in seconds.
“I die... for my country...” he gasped as he died, and then he lay still, blood pooling out everywhere. Kynareth save her. What sort of city was this??
Behind her, Cicero cackled and capered, delighted.
“Hee! HEEEEE!!!! Cicero likes this place already! Cicero should have come here years ago!”
Elisif sheathed her sword, feeling her knees go weak and her stomach turn as she remembered Ulfric sinking a sword into her husband, blood everywhere and now another innocent had just died in front of her. Shaking, Elisif sat down by the wall, trying not to cry. She should never have come here, never.
“Maia? Maia? Pretty Maia?” Cicero was kneeling by her side, looking worried. “Are you all right?”
“No!” Elisif gasped. “I just saw a woman murdered, of course I'm not all right!”
Cicero paused and then began stroking her hair.
“Of course, of course you are not, Maia is not used to death and blood. Maia is sweet! Innocent! Maia is a dragonslaying hero, Maia does not trouble herself with such things as removal of her enemies, no. That is what loyal Cicero is for, is it not? Do not worry, sweet Maia, Cicero will look after you.”
Elisif really didn't know how he could change from murderous to sweet in seconds, but she was rather glad of it. Then a shadow fell over them both and Elisif looked up, hand going to her sword.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 12.4
Date: 2013-11-10 03:37 pm (UTC)~~~~~~~~~~
Markarth loomed up in the noonday sun, Dwemer stonework gleaming in the sunlight and making Elisif's eyes hurt. Cicero trotted behind, staring at it in awe. It turned out he'd not seen anything like it since leaving Cyrodiil.
“Look at it, Maia, look!” he gasped. “Stone, stone, solid stone, like in the Imperial City! And yet... not.”
Elisif had never been to the Imperial City, in fact she'd not even been to Cyrodiil. Suppressing a pang of envy, she patted his arm.
“It was built by the Dwarves, long ago,” she told him. “Then it got settled by the Reachmen, and then it became a Nord city when the Reach became part of Skyrim.”
“When Tiber Septim won the Battle of Old Hroldan and defeated the Forsworn,” Cicero grinned, having read a few books on the Reach that Esbern had found for him in the library. “Yes, yes, Cicero has read of it. So much blood!” He cackled to himself, rubbing his hands. Elisif shivered a little, wishing he didn't have to be quite so gleeful over the idea.
“Well, Markarth is quite safe these days,” she told him. “The Forsworn only attack in the hills and wilderness. You don't have to worry.”
“Oh, Cicero wasn't worried,” Cicero purred, fingering the hilt of his ebony dagger, and Elisif could only sigh as she recalled yet again that death and violence didn't put Cicero off. Quite the reverse. She just hoped he'd behave himself in Markarth.
“Welcome to Markarth, traveller,” the guard on the gate said as they passed by, Elisif back in her scaled armour with Dragonbane and Dawnbreaker at her side, and Cicero in his elven gear, the hat hidden away but she was sure he had it on him. “Safest city in the Reach.”
Only city in the Reach, unless the definition of city had changed recently. Elisif was sure she'd have remembered the paperwork if it had. Still, she nodded at the guard and entered.
The gates opened onto the market, Dweller buildings looming over them, the inn on the left, houses built into the cliff on the right and the Markarth Brook flowing down the central street. It looked beautiful, although Elisif could hear smelters and forges from the other side of the central crag and was sure the industrial centre of Markarth was less appealing. Still, this side of the city looked nice.
Elisif was looking around to see if there was a forge anywhere when it happened.
“Glory to the Forsworn! The Reach will be ours again!”
Forsworn?? Here? Elisif drew Dawnbreaker, staring around wildly and then she saw him, near the jewellery stall, a Reachman with a knife. Before she could do anything, he'd grabbed the Nord woman who'd been browsing and slit her throat.
Elisif stared as the woman slumped lifelessly to the floor and the guards struck, butchering the killer in seconds.
“I die... for my country...” he gasped as he died, and then he lay still, blood pooling out everywhere. Kynareth save her. What sort of city was this??
Behind her, Cicero cackled and capered, delighted.
“Hee! HEEEEE!!!! Cicero likes this place already! Cicero should have come here years ago!”
Elisif sheathed her sword, feeling her knees go weak and her stomach turn as she remembered Ulfric sinking a sword into her husband, blood everywhere and now another innocent had just died in front of her. Shaking, Elisif sat down by the wall, trying not to cry. She should never have come here, never.
“Maia? Maia? Pretty Maia?” Cicero was kneeling by her side, looking worried. “Are you all right?”
“No!” Elisif gasped. “I just saw a woman murdered, of course I'm not all right!”
Cicero paused and then began stroking her hair.
“Of course, of course you are not, Maia is not used to death and blood. Maia is sweet! Innocent! Maia is a dragonslaying hero, Maia does not trouble herself with such things as removal of her enemies, no. That is what loyal Cicero is for, is it not? Do not worry, sweet Maia, Cicero will look after you.”
Elisif really didn't know how he could change from murderous to sweet in seconds, but she was rather glad of it. Then a shadow fell over them both and Elisif looked up, hand going to her sword.