“Positive!” Cicero cried. “He said 'Glory to the Forsworn' and stabbed her! Then the guards killed him.”
“Right. And this other man that spoke to you, was he a Forsworn agent too?”
“I don't know,” Cicero whispered. “I don't think so. Cicero heard him swear by the Eight...”
“Doesn't mean he's not one,” said Eola grimly. “Sithis, Cicero, I think your Dragonborn may be in trouble.”
“The Forsworn have an assassination ring going on in Markarth, a secret underground resistance,” Delphine said, eyes widening in horror. “Oh Talos, of course they do, they're masters of covert ops and insurgency. Even back before the war, we were taking note of them – they got organised all of a sudden, there was this gradual increase in activity, then while the Empire's back was turned, they took the Reach. It was actually quite brilliantly done – we were cursing their opportunism and suspecting Thalmor involvement but whoever planned all that was a damn genius.”
“Madanach,” Eola said, looking rather proud of him. “Not just him, he had a high command of course. Keirine, Mireen, Nepos, a few others. But the Forsworn have leaders, Delphine. They have a King.”
“They have... he's still alive,” said Delphine, surprised. “Didn't they capture him a few years after retaking Markarth from him? I'm amazed he wasn't executed.”
“So am I,” Eola whispered. “But he's still alive and in Cidhna Mine. I don't know what state he's in, for all I know his health went years ago and his mind followed.” Her voice caught on the end of that sentence and she looked away.
“Oh don't you worry, I have a feeling his mind is just fine,” Delphine said, starting to pace up and down. “So, there's a Forsworn underground in Markarth freely murdering people, and just by coincidence, that city is home to a maximum security prison containing the King of the Forsworn, who we know is one cunning son of a bitch capable of taking the disunited Reachman hill tribes and turning them into an organised resistance movement in under a decade. He's clearly behind it, but what bothers me is how the Nords are just letting it go on. Thonar Silver-Blood owns that prison, he hates the Forsworn, he's a Stormcloak sympathiser. Why he's not had Madanach killed is a mystery. It's not because he's a decent human being, let me tell you.”
“So what do we do?” Eola asked, wide-eyed and fearful. “It sounds like a fucking hornets' nest and it also sounds like your Dragonborn just started poking it.”
Delphine looked at Eola, eyes narrowed, appraising her very carefully.
“Our Dragonborn,” said Delphine coldly. “You want in to the Blades, you better start thinking of her as our Dragonborn. And here's your chance to prove it. Both of you, get to Markarth now. Find her, find out what's happened to her and get her back here in one piece. I don't care about whatever conspiracy is going on there. I just want the Dragonborn back here. Go. Now. And hurry. From what I know of Madanach, he is not a man who messes about. If she's really been poking into his affairs... Talos, just get out of here.” Delphine turned away, hands running through her hair.
“Delphine?” Cicero whispered, reaching after her as she walked away, stricken with guilt. Eola grabbed his arm, leading him away.
“Leave her,” said Eola softly. “Elisif's the one in real trouble. Come on, let's go.”
Cicero nodded once, following Eola out. Time to track down the Dragonborn.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 13.2
Date: 2013-11-11 08:44 pm (UTC)“Right. And this other man that spoke to you, was he a Forsworn agent too?”
“I don't know,” Cicero whispered. “I don't think so. Cicero heard him swear by the Eight...”
“Doesn't mean he's not one,” said Eola grimly. “Sithis, Cicero, I think your Dragonborn may be in trouble.”
“The Forsworn have an assassination ring going on in Markarth, a secret underground resistance,” Delphine said, eyes widening in horror. “Oh Talos, of course they do, they're masters of covert ops and insurgency. Even back before the war, we were taking note of them – they got organised all of a sudden, there was this gradual increase in activity, then while the Empire's back was turned, they took the Reach. It was actually quite brilliantly done – we were cursing their opportunism and suspecting Thalmor involvement but whoever planned all that was a damn genius.”
“Madanach,” Eola said, looking rather proud of him. “Not just him, he had a high command of course. Keirine, Mireen, Nepos, a few others. But the Forsworn have leaders, Delphine. They have a King.”
“They have... he's still alive,” said Delphine, surprised. “Didn't they capture him a few years after retaking Markarth from him? I'm amazed he wasn't executed.”
“So am I,” Eola whispered. “But he's still alive and in Cidhna Mine. I don't know what state he's in, for all I know his health went years ago and his mind followed.” Her voice caught on the end of that sentence and she looked away.
“Oh don't you worry, I have a feeling his mind is just fine,” Delphine said, starting to pace up and down. “So, there's a Forsworn underground in Markarth freely murdering people, and just by coincidence, that city is home to a maximum security prison containing the King of the Forsworn, who we know is one cunning son of a bitch capable of taking the disunited Reachman hill tribes and turning them into an organised resistance movement in under a decade. He's clearly behind it, but what bothers me is how the Nords are just letting it go on. Thonar Silver-Blood owns that prison, he hates the Forsworn, he's a Stormcloak sympathiser. Why he's not had Madanach killed is a mystery. It's not because he's a decent human being, let me tell you.”
“So what do we do?” Eola asked, wide-eyed and fearful. “It sounds like a fucking hornets' nest and it also sounds like your Dragonborn just started poking it.”
Delphine looked at Eola, eyes narrowed, appraising her very carefully.
“Our Dragonborn,” said Delphine coldly. “You want in to the Blades, you better start thinking of her as our Dragonborn. And here's your chance to prove it. Both of you, get to Markarth now. Find her, find out what's happened to her and get her back here in one piece. I don't care about whatever conspiracy is going on there. I just want the Dragonborn back here. Go. Now. And hurry. From what I know of Madanach, he is not a man who messes about. If she's really been poking into his affairs... Talos, just get out of here.” Delphine turned away, hands running through her hair.
“Delphine?” Cicero whispered, reaching after her as she walked away, stricken with guilt. Eola grabbed his arm, leading him away.
“Leave her,” said Eola softly. “Elisif's the one in real trouble. Come on, let's go.”
Cicero nodded once, following Eola out. Time to track down the Dragonborn.