I searched Astrid’s body. I didn’t find any clues, but her spider-man armor was intriguing, and her dagger seemed to be enchanted, so I took them both. I also found some gold and the key to the shack. I cut the bonds on the prisoners, but left the sacks over their heads and fled.
“I just killed a Dark Brotherhood assassin!” I said to myself in disbelief. “I did it! I really, really did it!”
I hadn’t taken four steps when I found myself knee deep in cold, muddy water. I charged on and was on soggy ground again, then again in the water. That told me where I was—the Hjaal Delta.
“I just killed the leader of the Dark Brotherhood!” I babbled. “I’m so screwed!”
I needed people, allies—guards. I needed to not be alone in the wilderness with a Dark Brotherhood corpse. I altered my course to take me upstream to Morthal.
I ran for a half hour before I saw firelight. I sprinted toward it, and the men and mer gathered around the fire jumped up and drew their weapons.
“I just killed a Dark Brotherhood assassin!” I announced.
“Sure you did!” replied the nearest. “I do it all the time. Place is lousy with ‘em.” He edged around to get behind me.
“You’ll be so much easier to rob when you’re dead,” another remarked. That’s when I realized how stupid I was being, drew my weapons, and defended myself.
The fire looked so inviting while I rifled their pockets. If I hadn’t felt so exposed, I might have stopped and dried my clothes. Reluctantly, I continued my run to Morthal. There’s no way to stay dry in this miserable fen anyway. I stayed away from campfires after that. It was several hours before I finally saw the outlines of Morthal in the distance.
I didn’t stop running until I reached the jarl’s residence, and spoke to the guard out front.
“I just killed the leader of the Dark Brotherhood,” I gasped.
“You did what?” he laughed heartily. I pulled Astrid’s spidery-looking cowl out of my pack and showed it to him. “By the Gods—you’re serious!” he said in shock. His hand went to his weapon, and he glanced up and down the street, as though expecting to see masked and hooded assassins closing in.
His voice dropped to just above a whisper. “You need to report this to Commander Maro of the Penitus Oculatus. They’ve been investigating the Brotherhood for years. If anyone can help you, it’s them.” He backed onto the stoop, crowding the jarl’s door. “You’ll find them in Dragon Bridge. There’s a carriage just up the road next to the barracks that can take you there. Don’t wait! Hurry now!”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the guard’s hand jerked abruptly to the door handle, and I realized that if I didn’t leave, he would flee. This milk-drinker had just given me all I was going to get from him.
Admittedly, using a carriage to put distance between that abandoned shack and myself sounded better than remaining on foot. But I hesitated before telling him where to go. I really wanted Durz, but Dragon Bridge was the opposite direction.
It was dark when the carriage pulled up in front of the Penitus Oculatus outpost. I hopped out, tipped the driver and went straight inside. Two soldiers sat inside, one on his bunk, polishing his boots, and the other, an officer, at a desk at the opposite end of the room. Both of them eyeballed me intently as I walked in. The grunt polishing his boots said to me, “I’m fairly certain you walked into the wrong building, citizen.”
“I think not,” I replied, annoyed. “I killed the leader of the Dark Brotherhood.”
The officer jumped up from his desk, knocking back his chair. “Astrid? Dead? You’re serious? That’s a stroke of good fortune! Long have I watched their movements, waiting for a chance to strike. That time is now. It’s all up to you!”
“Me?”
“You’ve slain their leader. The honor should be yours. Let me see your map.” He grabbed it out of my hand and marked an X on it near Falkreath. “My agents have recently acquired the password to their sanctuary. It’s ‘Silence, my Brother.’”
“I came here to get help,” I complained.
“You’ll be handsomely rewarded,” he answered, waving me away.
The other soldier returned to giving me the eyeball, so I stepped out. “Imperial milk-drinkers,” I muttered. Guess it’s all on me.
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