Assassins Guild

 Assassin's Guild

     Iriisii was sitting at the bar in one of the local taverns, drunk enough to not remember the name of the tavern much less the town she was in. She asked the bartender about any rumors he might have heard floating around in the bottom of a mug of mead. He shrugs his shoulders, deciding on what nugget of news to tell her and then makes a fateful choice. Whether it was pure chance, nudging from the Gods, or one of the Daedra, Sanguine was known to wander about the various Inns and taverns. The bartender shares a rumor that will go on to influence the very fate of Skyrim, Cyrodiil, Tamriel, and even the whole of Nirn itself.

     Bartender whispering: "You did not hear this from me, but I heard there is a young orphan, escaped from that orphanage in Riften. Anyway, he is back in his home in Windhelm. His name is Aventis Arentino, he lives alone since his mother died, and for whatever senseless reason he is conducting the 'Black Sacrament' in his home, trying to contact the 'Dark Brotherhood'. I do not know who it is he wants dead, or for what reason, but it cannot be a good thing he is trying to do."

     Iriisii looks somewhat bewildered at this rumor. Why would a young boy be trying to contact the 'Dark Brotherhood'? If true, something truly horrible happened to him, horrible enough to cause him to escape the orphanage, and travel all the way from Riften to Windhelm, not a very safe path to tread, as she well knows due to her own experiences on that road. She thinks, 'Maybe I need to look into this before the 'Dark Brotherhood' gets wind of it. Keep the boy from making a grave mistake.'

     She looks at the bartender and slurring her words a bit, "Thinks it about time I was going 'hic'.

     Bartender: "Do you think you are capable of hitting the road in your shape? Maybe you need to sleep your binge off first, then get some food in your belly. Its a long way to Windhelm."

     Iriisii: "How...do you know, 'hic', I am...going, 'hic', to Windhelm?"

     Bartender: "Let us just say a little bird told me."

     Iriisii: "...Damn little, 'hic', birds. If I catch them, ...'hic'."

     She moves off the stool and slides to the floor. The bartender shakes his head and motions for his wife to come and help him get her off the floor. As they get her to her feet, his wife looks questioningly at her husband about what they are going to do with her. He motions toward a vacant room, and they somehow get her there without her throwing up all over the place.

     Wife: "I saw her ask you a question. What was it you said to her?"

     Bartender: "She asked about rumors."

     Wife: "You did not tell her about the orphan kid in Windhelm did you?!"

     Bartender: "Yep."

     Wife: "You idiot! Why? We do not want to get in any way involved with the dealings of the 'Dark Brotherhood'."

     Bartender: "They have better things to do than sit around in a tavern in this gods forsaken hole in the middle of nowhere, waiting for someone to perform the 'Black Sacrament'. Besides, she will not remember a thing come morning."

     Wife: "And what makes you say that. She drank enough to put you to sleep three times over, and she was only slurring her words a little. And she had no trouble paying you for all that she drank either. How many come through here carrying that much gold. Look at her, she is no simple woman, she is a warrior through and through. She has seen tough times and lived to tell about it, or more likely drink the memories away. Well, at least she will sleep till morning now. Make sure you have some food ready for when she leaves, she will need it."

     Bartender: "You think she will head to Windhelm?"

     Wife: "I do not know why, but I will bet on it, yes. And if the Dark Brotherhood gets in her way, there is likely to be a few less of them out hunting the roads."

     Neither see the shadow moving from one of the seats sitting in the back, in the shadows. Or hear the door open as it slips through.

     Wife: "Did you feel a breeze just then?"

     Bartender: "No, but I will look in the morning and see if I can find where that draft is coming through and plug it."

     She wakes the next morning, her head feeling like someone drove a dagger into it and left it in, her mouth feels like the entire Imperial Legion went marching through it, muddy boots and all. She slowly gets into a sitting position and resting to gather her strength before trying to stand. The bartender's wife shows at the doorway with a tray of food and a mug of mulled ale watered down.

     Wife: "Here, do not try and stand just yet, sit and try to eat first."

     Iriisii settles back and slowly puts some of the tray's contents in her mouth. Surprised by how good it tastes, she continues to eat, barely sipping at the watered down, mulled ale. 

     Wife: "Do you remember what happened last night?"

     Iriisii in a hoarse whisper, "Before or after I slumped to the floor. And thank you for getting me in here, the floor would not be so comfortable as this bed."

     The wife sees the hilt of her blade sticking out of its scabbard just visible under the bed.

     Wife: "I was right when I said you were a warrior."

     Iriisii: "Among other things, yes."

     Wife: "I will not pry into your life. What shows in your demeanor, and a few other signs I have learned to see over the years says quite enough about you. You have known loss and grief for which I am sorry that you should suffer so."

     Iriisii: "You and me both, but my life, I fear, is far from over, and much more lies ahead."

     The bartender's wife, reads what her experience has taught her over the years, adds in the news that has wended its way from all corners of Skyrim, and even the teachings and sermons of the priest on holy days.

     Wife: "You are one called by the Gods, are you not? Shhh, I will say no more."

     Iriisii: "The 'Nine' have blessed you with seeing what others miss. I take it you know the direction I am to go in from here?"

     The bartender's wife, her lips trembling, "East, to Windhelm you must go. See a young boy, called Aventus Arentino. He believes he calls to the 'Dark Brotherhood', but it is you that must answer his call."

     Iriisii: "I see, thank you for giving to me the words of the 'Nine'. I will go as soon as I can and not trouble you further."

     Wife: "You speak of the 'Nine', not the 'Eight' even as the Thalmor hunt those who speak as you do."

     Iriisii: "The 'Nine' guide my feet upon the path they desire me to walk, why should I deny the truth that I know in my heart and soul."

     The bartender's wife's eyes suddenly open wide, and her voice goes silent. Iriisii notices and knows what she has just seen.

     Iriisii: "Yes, they are my parents. They watch me from Aetherius, and I am told they approve of my life. I could only wish to feel their embrace once again, to feel my father ruffle my hair with his calloused fingers, as he would hold me close. To know my mother's touch as she once rubbed soap over me and doused me with water heated at the cook fire. Why must we lose them, miss them so much, dream of them in the night only to find them gone in the morning's light?"

     Wife: "All I know is that is the way of life, but thanks to you, many have more time with their parents than they would otherwise have had. The 'Nine' bless you, keep you, and watch over your battles, Child of the Gods, do you feel ready to stand?"

     Iriisii is still just a bit wobbly, but soon finds her balance as her instincts and long hours of muscle training take over. She once more thanks the bartender's wife for helping her. The wife tells her not to worry on her way out. Her husband is in the woods to the northwest gathering firewood and so should not see her leave, thus should questions be asked, he will not be able to tell what he does not know of her travel plans. And as for her, she simply woke to find her guest had already left, and had no idea how long ago or what direction she traveled. Iriisii nods her head in thanks, and silently asks the 'Nine' to bless this Inn and Tavern, as well as these two who serve the people of Skyrim by running it. Then she walks through the door and out into the bright morning light. Her pounding headache returns with the sunlight, but she grits her teeth and walks on, knowing it will fade with time and walking.

     As the day winds on, she wonders what she will find in Windhelm. What could cause a young boy to upon his escape from an orphanage, which she can understand, but on his return to his old home to begin the 'Black Sacrament'. Something drove him to this extreme action, thus she feels the need to find out what it was, and if there is something she can do to correct the situation, and guide this young one to a better path and future.

     She feels distant eyes searching for her as she continues her journey. This she expected as when she left the tavern, she saw a very slight mark on the doorpost, and a few threads from a black cloak hanging from a splinter on one of the posts holding up the overhang of the tavern roof. She realized then that word of her possible intentions was making its way to the 'Dark Brotherhood', and that she needed to keep moving to get to Windhelm before they did."

     Sleeping off the side of the road on the way, she keeps her campfire small. Just enough to cook something to eat, and then banks it to reduce smoke and light. She keeps her sword next to her, and hides a dagger up on a tree limb where she could reach it. She sleeps lightly in a variation between meditation and a battle trance. Thus her awareness keeps track of what is going on around her, but unless a perceived threat approached will allow her to sleep.

     A few days later, she sees Windhelm ahead. A strong, rich history it once had. Too bad the city itself has been allowed to degenerate like it has. A Jarl more inclined to follow political ambitions than care for the city and its people. She walks across the bridge to the city gates and enters. She has been here before and knows the general area where Aventus home likely is. She turns off to the right and stays close between the main part of the city and the Gray Quarter.

     The Gray Quarter represents another mistrust of power to be laid at Ulfric's feet. Perhaps one day it will. As she approaches Aventus' home she sees another young boy near the door with his nanny trying hard to direct him onward. She listens from the shadows to the conversation and sees the eagerness in the young lad to confirm the stories he had heard of what Aventus was doing. His nanny trying just as hard to downplay those stories and failing miserably when she is outmaneuvered into admitting they are true. She does manage to hustle him off and when the area is quiet and vacant of guard patrols, she goes to the door.

     Seeing it is locked, she quickly picks the simple lock, opens the door and slips inside without a sound. She hears Aventus muffled voice from upstairs, so she slowly and quietly makes her way up to the second floor, through an anteroom and spots Aventus in the next room. He is kneeling in the center, scavenged body parts in front of him, lit candles around him and the candles are flickering in the slight breeze as he moves, stabbing the body parts with a dagger while reciting the mantra he is reading from an open book. She feels no magical currents anywhere around, so she knows his prayer is not being heard. She quietly walks to within a few steps of him and patiently waits for him to take notice of her presence.

     It takes some few minutes before he realizes there is someone behind him. As he turns to see who it is and realizes it is not someone from the Jarl to return him to the orphanage, he becomes quite excited.

     Aventus: "I knew you would come, I knew it. I did everything the book said to do to perform the 'Black Sacrament! And here you are! I know what I am to do next, the target I have for you is Grelod the Kind, the headmistress of the orphanage called 'Honorhall' in Riften. 'Honorhall' pffhht, there is not a speck of honor anywhere inside that place, although I do miss the few friends I was able to make there. And Grelod is the worst."

     Aventus breaks down and tears flow from his eyes down his face. 

     Aventus: "Why did my mother have to die and leave me alone? Now I am back and still alone! The Jarl will send me back as soon as he realizes I have returned and then I will have to escape again. So no, I will not go back! Here is your payment to do this task for me."

     He hands Iriisii an antique silver platter. As she holds it in her hands, wondering again what happened to bring this boy to such dire lengths to hire the 'Dark Brotherhood' to take a life in his name. She tucks the platter under her arm and looking straight at Aventus, whispers, "Why?"

     Aventus seems to nearly collapse into himself, when he straightens up, goes to a weathered, leather knapsack. Opening it up, he removes a folded page of parchment and hands it to her. Iriisii takes the page, unfolds and reads it. She begins to ever so slightly tremble with the meaning of those words. Her eyes begin to turn an ugly shade of red as her anger, the anger of those within her, and most of all the anger of her Dragonsoul leaks out through her eyes. When Aventus would think back on that moment, he would swear he saw slight wisps of smoke coming from her eyes. Iriisii has to claw back control of herself and her voice.

     Iriisii: "It..will..be..done."

     She then turns, silently pads back down the stairs to the door, and steps outside. She goes over to the low stone wall and sits on top of it. Going through every control technique she was ever taught to regain control of herself. The guards walking their patrol beat for whatever reason seem to avoid walking anywhere near her. They would later remark of that night of feeling like there was something truly terrifying walking in the shadows. Something that if they came upon it, would surely claim their lives, and maybe even their souls.

     Masser and Secundas have not yet risen when she slips out the main gate and begins on her way to Riften, yet she fails to see the 'black moon', the 'Necromancer's Moon', high in the sky watching her as she goes south. She ignores its presence completely even as it seems to breathe in her raging anger and looks on with interest in what she now has set herself to do.

     The entire trip to Riften has proven uneventful. Every possible problem from bears to bandits seemed to find a reason to be anywhere else they could as long as it was away from Iriisii's path. She did feel the presence of eyes on her but every time she looked over her shoulder, she could see nothing. At first she put it down to the Dark Brotherhood staying well back, but when she entered the hot springs area, she could still find no evidence of anyone in the area. Even the giants found somewhere else to be. Still she went onward, knowing the issue was not going to solve itself.

     At the gates into Riften, the guards hurried to open the door and let her pass without even thinking about trying to shake her down with a visitor's tax. Maul just looked at her and turned away as if she was not there, so she just went on toward 'Honorhall'. As she got closer, a feeling of worry and misgiving seemed to grow stronger. And at the same time she felt her anger growing, as if it knew what she was going to find. Then in finding it lose all control of herself and give herself over to her anger. She asks herself, what could she find that would cause her to do this. The only answer went straight back to the parchment Aventus gave her to read.

     It was a receipt to Grelod the Kind for delivery of a certain number of children from her orphanage. There was no indication of what they were wanted for. Yet the unbidden memory of a similar situation she was involved in at Evermore Castle in the Evermore province of High Rock. Where she found out what young children were being used for by the King and others in his nobility. His attempts to justify it as a right given to him and the nobility by the Gods by the virtue of their position, ate at her like a consuming poison.

     She made sure the children escaped, then looked back to deal with the king, but he had vanished. She looked all over the throne room, looked for secret panels, trap doors, any other way he could have gotten out without her seeing it, but found nothing. All she could do then was get herself out of the conflict, and help anyone else she could along the way. At the end of that day, she sat herself in the middle of a stream  and washed herself until her skin was raw. Not sure she could ever clean the bloody stain she felt covered in. It was not until she passed back over the border into Skyrim, that she felt Mara's presence once more, and the feeling of that bloody stain was lifted from her. Mara thanked her for what she had been able to accomplish, that there was no one else that could have done what Iriisii had been able to do. A great many lives were lost, yes, but without her efforts the entire country could have fallen to Namira, and that would have had far more reaching and devastating consequences.

     By now she was at the door to 'Honorhall', should she just walk in, pretend she was looking to adopt a child, then she stopped and admitted to herself, no, if she went that way it would not be pretend, she would try and take all of them. And likely Grelod would never allow that, not if she was making money off of them. So the best she could do would be to find out what she could, deal with the issue quickly and silently. Then come back later and adopt all the children, sending them to her boarding school.

     She looks around to see where the guards are, and when the opportunity arose, she dropped into stealth, opened the door and slipped inside. She quickly looks around, no place to gain concealment at this level, but the open rafters above may be what she wants. She leaps up and pulls herself to where she can move from one to another. She just has to be quiet and not disturb the dust too much. She sees Grelod talking to the children, but the tone of her voice speaks volumes about the disdain Grelod has for them. She demands compliments and thanks from the children for the barest necessities that she provides. And then proceeds to belittle them into thinking she is the only one who cares for them.

     Iriisii has to carefully catch the tears that leak from her eyes to keep them from dropping down below and give her position away. She knows the lies that flow from Grelod's maw, but there is no way right now that she can undo the damage that Grelod has been foisting onto these children for years. Yet she vows before the Gods, that she will save these children. She will not turn her back on them now that she knows what they have endured. She moves surely across the rafters until she reaches what looks like Grelod's quarters, and waits above like an avenging angel for the demon Grelod to walk to her doom.

     Soon enough Grelod is done with them and gives them over to her assistant, while she walks to her room, shutting the door behind her. She sits down in a chair at the single desk table and begins to look at a batch of papers. Iriisii quietly casts a silence spell around the room so no noise can be heard outside of it, then quietly drops to the floor behind Grelod. She slowly stands up and moves where she can read the papers over Grelod's shoulder. As she thought, they are orders for more children. There is nothing to indicate who the purchasers are just a location where the sale will be made, at the bandit camp in the ruins above the Aetherial Forge. As luck would have it, when she was last there she figured out how to close the entrance back up, so no one else would be able to open it.

     Iriisii: "I would not worry about selling any more children to these sick bastards. You need to concentrate on telling me what I wish to know in order to save your life."

     Grelod almost startles hard enough to tumble off the chair to the floor.

     Iriisii: "I would keep a better hold of the chair as I will not catch you if you fall."

     Grelod: "Who are you to sneak in here and threaten me!"

     Iriisii: "Who I am does not matter, why I am here should matter greatly to you."

     Grelod: "Then why are you here then?"

     Iriisii: "Does the name Aventus Arentino mean anything to you?"

     Grelod: "That guttersnipe! Why he could barely wipe his nose from all of the crying he did while he was here. What does he have to do with your presence here?"

     Iriisii: "You sold a friend of his into slavery. A young girl named Amelia Goldenhair. I an sure you remember her, if not I will enjoy helping you remember."

     Grelod: "Try as you might, I have nothing to give you, for I know no names. I merely take them to a place and hand them over, take my payment and leave."

     Iriisii: "I was so hoping you would say that, I will enjoy peeling your mind back like the layers of an onion, until there is nothing left of you, and your body is simply another vegetable to be chained in an asylum and spoon fed gruel every day. But I will leave a bit of you locked away in your mind so that you will experience this every day for what time the Gods give to you to live on this world. And I will be sure to ask them to let you live for a long time to pay for your transgressions."

     Grelod: "And how much do you think I get paid to take care of these guttersnipes, after feeding them there is little enough left for me, and nothing to keep me after I can no longer keep this place up! Many years I have spent in wretched labor taking care of them and what do I get from it? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

     Iriisii: "You were not supposed to gain your reward for taking care of them here on Nirn, your reward was to come to you in Aetherius. But now your reward is going to take a far different form in a very different place."

     Grelod: "What should it matter to me now, I am almost used up, nothing left of me but a few bones to put in the ground."

     Iriisii: "It matters not to me for I will find out what I want to know, if not from you, then from those you were to meet at the bandit camp. Yes, I know exactly where it is, and none of them know what lies beneath their feet, but I do. And that will be their undoing. But let me answer your question about Aventus. You see after he returned to his old home, you were all he could think about. So he set about to conduct the 'Black Sacrament', just like in the book. And so I am here to perform the contract he took out to have you killed."

     Grelod: "So you are from the 'Dark Brotherhood', well do your worst, you can only kill me once."

     Iriisii: "Are you really so sure of that? This is going to be so much fun and very...well let me say this is going to be a special teaching moment, and I will be the teacher for today. Now what was that saying, oh yes, now I remember, 'Double, double toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.'"

     And as Iriisii laughs, a deep, dark, chuckling growl skips out of her mouth, and Grelod's skin goes white as snow with fear. Suddenly she grips her chest and keels over, body still and beginning to cool.

     Iriisii checks her and, "Damn you Grelod! You could not even stay alive long enough for me to slide a blade into your pus ridden body. Well you can still assist me with the next part of this drama."

     Iriisii hoists Grelod's body up over her shoulder and casts 'Recall', sending the pair of them to a place where Iriisii had cast the 'Mark' portion. She then starts walking toward the bandit camp where Grelod was to meet the hirelings and turn the children over to them. At least now that is not going to happen. But she still wants to climb the chain and find the ones pulling all of the strings. And then think of an appropriate punishment for them.

     A few days later finds Iriisii and the late Grelod the Kind looking over the empty bandit camp to find a place for Iriisii to put Grelod's body for the hirelings to find. Not too easy because she wants the body to spook them, so she needs to make its presence not obvious. She decides to be very devious indeed, almost depraved, but this is Grelod the Kind we are talking about here. She deserves far worse, so she thinks back to how she displayed a werewolf's body as a trophy near Evermore, for the purpose of stirring up the werewolves. Let them know there is someone worse than they are willing to hunt them. She finally covers the body with brush, and looks for a place to wait for them. Ah yes, as she smiles with a fiendish grin. She finds a tall archway, its top, flat and wide, plenty of room for her to position herself to make an appearance that will captivate them as well as put them completely off balance.

     It is not long before Iriisii hears the creaking of wagon wheels on the dirt and stone road approaching these ruins. The sound brings back two sets of powerful memories playing at the same time in her mind. The first was when the 'Mother' of the 'Sinister Seven' captured her, taking her as the sole survivor of her village, after killing all others within. The long wagon ride, tied up, covered from outside sight, and in a drug induced haze. Feeling the pain of her peoples loss, the empty place in her heart and soul that their presence no longer fills. Not knowing if that space will ever be filled once more or that the emptiness will become the catalyst for all her future desires. The second memory is the wagon ride after the Legion captured her in the ambush that also netted Ulfric and several others, bringing them all to a date with the Imperial Headsman. And unknowingly bringing her to her first sight of Alduin, the World Eater, and he the first sight of Iriisii Starborn, anointed Dragonborn of Akatosh, she who was meant to be his destroyer.

     Then she returns to when she first read the folded parchment in Arentus Arentino's home as he mistakenly saw her as a member of the 'Dark Brotherhood' who had come to answer the call of the 'Black Sacrament' and kill Grelod the Kind. She sees the name of Amelia Goldenhair, as one of the orphans sold and taken. Knowing in her heart that Aventus and Amelia were meant to one day marry and bring forth a family to heal the long standing wounds both share with Iriisii. She reaches out to the souls of both these children and lets them know that she will return them to each other. Wondering if this was what it truly was intended, to be a responsibility of a Knight and Champion of Mara.

     The group coming with the wagon are not common bandits, they are equipped too well, and disciplined to boot, someone's private army? They stop the wagon and fan out to defend if there are ambushers lying in wait. The leader standing on the main area watching the soldiers perform their assigned tasks. When one reaches where Grelod is placed and removes the brush he calls out for his boss.

     Soldier: "Boss, you better come and see this!"

     Leader: "What is it Corporal?"

     Soldier: "You need to see for yourself, boss."

     Leader: "Ok, but if this is a waste of time!"

     Soldier: "It is not a waste boss, have I ever called you for something that was?"

     Leader: "No you have not, and that is what bothers me."

     Continuing to grumble under his breath, when he gets to where he can see Grelod's body tied to a frame and propped against the wall. He immediately calls out for a 'countdown'. One by one the soldiers count off until all are accounted for and alive.

     Leader: "Well that is something at least."

     Corporal: "What is that, boss?"

     Leader: 'Whoever did this is likely still around, but did not take advantage of the situation to kill off a few of us. Not more than one or two, otherwise we would have seen signs. But they are very good, very good indeed to set this message up, watch our reaction, and not kill any of us, yet."

     Corporal: "What message is this supposed to convey, besides the obvious?"

     Leader: "That we are not returning with the children contracted and paid for. Our 'betters' are not going to like that and even if none of this was our fault they are still likely to take the loss out of our hides. So we need to find who did and see if we can strike a deal and save our asses."

     Iriisii is laid out on top of the arch, lying on her side, one leg half raised and her lower leg supporting it. She cocks her arm to support her head, wearing 'Shadow Fang Armor' without the mask and calls attention to herself.

     Iriisii: "Hello boys, looking for little old me?"

     Every ear that hears her turns their eyes toward her and the reaction is like nothing they have experienced before. Trained in the Art of the Succubus, a type of seduction very rarely encountered, and even fewer know how to teach it, but was a part of her training given to her by Roiseadh, the 'Mother' of the Sinister Seven, personally. Another point of contention between Iriisii and the others of the Seven, for none of them had been given that training.

     Even the leader, trying with all his will and inner strength cannot stop his body from reacting to her. He sees at least half his people captivated by her and knows they are all doomed if he does not find a way to divert her attention from them.

     Leader: "May I ask just who and what you are? Are you a succubus demon wearing a human skin? Why did you kill Grelod? Why bring her here, like this?"

     Iriisii: "My, my, you are a strong one to be able to think with something other than your smaller brain. But to answer your first and second questions, no I am not a succubus."

     Leader: "Please forgive me if I find that a little hard to believe."

     Iriisii: "But true nonetheless, if you knew of the Celestial and Demonic Laws that govern such entities, you would know they are not natural to this Realm, and so must be summoned from outside to come here. Once summoned successfully, they are bound to the summoner for as long as they have the strength to hold them here. And since Succubi are of the higher demonic orders, no summoner in his right mind would open the summoning circle and release one, at least not without a protective geas laid on it. And there have only been a handful of mages in Nirn's entire history powerful enough to do that. Sadly none are alive today. There are a few Liches powerful enough to do it, but they have no interest or use in summoning a succubus. Besides all of that, I was born as mortal as you are. And still am, although I am told the future is yet to be written on that."

     Leader: "I really care not that you killed Grelod, but why bring the body here?"

     Iriisii: "First let me clear something up, I did not kill Grelod. She regretfully passed when her heart failed before I had the pleasure of slipping a blade into her body and watching while she died slowly and in great pain. She is one of the very few to ever escape me."

     Leader: "Are you one of the 'Dark Brotherhood? I ask because we have an agreement, or rather those I represent have an agreement with them not to interfere with this operation."

     Iriisii: "I see, that explains much, but no, I am not one of the Dark Brotherhood, nor the Morag Tong for that matter. Although Mephala does  take an interest in my activities from time to time."

     Leader: "Then may I ask who you are? If not from either of the Assassin Houses, you would have to be a 'rogue' and an extremely, highly trained one at that to coexist without either the 'Brotherhood' or the 'Tong' bringing you into their midst or killing you."

     Iriisii: "You are well informed on the dark underbelly of Nirn, perhaps you might have heard of me. The name I earned to ply this trade is that of Darkstar!"

     Iriisii sees the leader shiver as his throat moves to swallow the words he had prepared to speak.

     Iriisii: "I see you have heard of me."

     Leader: "Years ago, before I entered the employ of my current masters, I heard many fearful whisperings of your name. The names of your victims have been completely wiped from all records, lest they arouse your wrath by repeating them. And no one will admit to ever having hired you to perform your work on their behalf."

     Iriisii nods her head, "And so it is as it should be, as it was intended to be. Now what am I to do with you? To be honest my quarrel is with your current employers, not with you. So I offer you a way out of this situation that does not conclude with your deaths by my hand."

     Leader: "What can I do to please you, My Lady?"

     Iriisii: "Ah, do I hear sincerity in your voice? Long has it been since I heard that, but rarely have I been in a situation where I could hear that from the lips of another. I ask this then, tell me of your employers, and the purposes to which they procure the children for. For I seek one in particular, my business with the child is none of yours, but I do not seek her life. Enough to say I act on behalf of one to whom she is important. Important enough to call for me across all the lands of Nirn, and pay me with the last thing of value he owned to do this. Even though he knew and knows not my name, his call reached me and summoned me to his side to hear his request, and I accepted his task. The first part lies there before you in the person of the deceased, Grelod the Kind. And the second will be complete when I find Amelia Goldenhair."