She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. With the Dark Brotherhood around, she should be heeding Cicero's words and fleeing the city. But Cicero had said she was likely a lone assassin too. Which meant maybe Elisif might be all right. Markarth needed help, that was clear, and what sort of queen would she be if she let fear get in the way? She could at least see what this Reachman wanted. Slipping away, Elisif went off in search of the Shrine to Talos. She had a murder to investigate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gabriella had made her way into the Keep, apparently unaware of Cicero tailing her. Good. Cicero hadn't got where he had in life by being bad at his job – quite the reverse. Clinging to the shadows, he watched as Gabriella stood in the corridor, watching a priest of Arkay arguing with a Nord warrior about the Hall of the Dead being shut. As the Nord stormed off, Gabriella approached the priest.
“Excuse me, brother, did I hear correctly? The Hall of the Dead is shut? Whatever for?”
“Does it matter?” the priest snapped. “It's closed, you can't go in there, that's the end of it.”
“What?” Gabriella cried. “But I always visit Arkay's shrines when I'm in a big city. I'm a devout follower of the god of death, I was hoping for his blessings! Can't you at least tell me why? Or is it coin you're after?”
“It's not... all right, I'll tell you. But you have to keep it to yourself.” The priest whispered to Gabriella who looked suitably impressed – if a little appalled.
“That's awful,” the Dunmer said, sounding sympathetic. “Would you like me to help? It sounds like it just might be my area of expertise. I'm very skilled at... pest control.”
“Well, I was going to ask the Jarl to hire someone... all right, here's the key. See what you can do. Any help you can offer would be wonderful.”
Gabriella promised she would and made her way off to the Hall of the Dead. Wanting to meditate over dead bodies, that was Gabriella all over. Cicero smiled, drawing his dagger and pulling his hat on, his lucky hat that helped him sneak better. What better place to kill someone than a mausoleum? Made hiding a body so much easier.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Not many would walk into a crypt blindly, smelling of steel and blood... but not fear.”
Gabriella started up at the voice, seeming to echo off the walls and inside Cicero's head too as he crept in after her.
Mother? Is that your voice I hear?? No, no, surely not, Mother wasn't here, Mother was in Falkreath, all alone, far away... This was someone else. Someone different. Someone... wrong. But not in a bad way. Cicero shivered. That voice was the very soul of evil and he could feel it enticing him on. Was she talking to Gabriella or him though?
“I don't know who you are,” Gabriella said imperiously, casting her mage armour. “But you have no business here. Show yourself, shadow warrior. Let us at least talk like reasonable adults.”
Laughter, soft sibilant chuckling echoing around the stone tombs. “I wasn't talking to you, Dark Elf. But since you asked... I know your robes, Dark Sister. Are you here to kill me or recruit me?”
“Verulus wants this place cleansed. He didn't specify how,” Gabriella said, looking around in vain. “But we could do with the recruits. Even if you are a... corpse-eater.” A little shudder from the Dunmer, and Cicero's eyes shot up. The mysterious woman had been living here, eating corpses?? How revolting. Disgusting. Vile. Filthy. Enticing. Cicero shivered, shaking his head, repressing memories of killing previous victims, seeing the blood flow and resisting the urge to taste it. Sometimes he'd not resisted. Wrong, wrong, he knew... but so hard, so hard to resist. Seemed this woman had gone one step further. Then Cicero saw Gabriella looking up, frowning.
“Wait, who else is here?” she asked, reaching for her dagger. No response from the woman other than more soft laughter. Cicero reached for his own knife, guessing he didn't have much time. He also guessed the mysterious woman wouldn't object too hard to witnessing a good stabbing.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 12.7
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gabriella had made her way into the Keep, apparently unaware of Cicero tailing her. Good. Cicero hadn't got where he had in life by being bad at his job – quite the reverse. Clinging to the shadows, he watched as Gabriella stood in the corridor, watching a priest of Arkay arguing with a Nord warrior about the Hall of the Dead being shut. As the Nord stormed off, Gabriella approached the priest.
“Excuse me, brother, did I hear correctly? The Hall of the Dead is shut? Whatever for?”
“Does it matter?” the priest snapped. “It's closed, you can't go in there, that's the end of it.”
“What?” Gabriella cried. “But I always visit Arkay's shrines when I'm in a big city. I'm a devout follower of the god of death, I was hoping for his blessings! Can't you at least tell me why? Or is it coin you're after?”
“It's not... all right, I'll tell you. But you have to keep it to yourself.” The priest whispered to Gabriella who looked suitably impressed – if a little appalled.
“That's awful,” the Dunmer said, sounding sympathetic. “Would you like me to help? It sounds like it just might be my area of expertise. I'm very skilled at... pest control.”
“Well, I was going to ask the Jarl to hire someone... all right, here's the key. See what you can do. Any help you can offer would be wonderful.”
Gabriella promised she would and made her way off to the Hall of the Dead. Wanting to meditate over dead bodies, that was Gabriella all over. Cicero smiled, drawing his dagger and pulling his hat on, his lucky hat that helped him sneak better. What better place to kill someone than a mausoleum? Made hiding a body so much easier.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Not many would walk into a crypt blindly, smelling of steel and blood... but not fear.”
Gabriella started up at the voice, seeming to echo off the walls and inside Cicero's head too as he crept in after her.
Mother? Is that your voice I hear?? No, no, surely not, Mother wasn't here, Mother was in Falkreath, all alone, far away... This was someone else. Someone different. Someone... wrong. But not in a bad way. Cicero shivered. That voice was the very soul of evil and he could feel it enticing him on. Was she talking to Gabriella or him though?
“I don't know who you are,” Gabriella said imperiously, casting her mage armour. “But you have no business here. Show yourself, shadow warrior. Let us at least talk like reasonable adults.”
Laughter, soft sibilant chuckling echoing around the stone tombs. “I wasn't talking to you, Dark Elf. But since you asked... I know your robes, Dark Sister. Are you here to kill me or recruit me?”
“Verulus wants this place cleansed. He didn't specify how,” Gabriella said, looking around in vain. “But we could do with the recruits. Even if you are a... corpse-eater.” A little shudder from the Dunmer, and Cicero's eyes shot up. The mysterious woman had been living here, eating corpses?? How revolting. Disgusting. Vile. Filthy. Enticing. Cicero shivered, shaking his head, repressing memories of killing previous victims, seeing the blood flow and resisting the urge to taste it. Sometimes he'd not resisted. Wrong, wrong, he knew... but so hard, so hard to resist. Seemed this woman had gone one step further. Then Cicero saw Gabriella looking up, frowning.
“Wait, who else is here?” she asked, reaching for her dagger. No response from the woman other than more soft laughter. Cicero reached for his own knife, guessing he didn't have much time. He also guessed the mysterious woman wouldn't object too hard to witnessing a good stabbing.