Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Aiola felt that all the hairs on her body stood up.

She has been hiding from Markarth for so many years. Why?

Because deep down, she always felt that she had failed to live up to the teachings of Teacher Idene. If she were to meet the teacher again and be asked what she had done in the past ten years, how would she answer?

Killing a few unlucky souls who had strayed off into the wilderness, or playing tricks to scare people? Compared with the blood feud she bore, and the disaster of national extinction her people faced, these trivial matters were nothing.

"What's the matter, dear? Do you know Idene?"

"No... I don't know you... How is that possible? You said you've known each other for twenty years. Twenty years ago, I was still an ignorant little girl."

As the late Mu Rui finally arrived at her post, the conversation between the two ended.

Iola didn't reveal her true identity to Bosela. She'd been on her own for years, and no matter how much she admired Teacher Idene, she wouldn't reveal her entire identity based on a name alone. Who knew if the person she was talking about was actually someone she knew?

On the way back, she even thought of a worse possibility.

Teacher Idene worked as a maid in the Silver Blood Family, and Nepos, whom she recommended to me, was also a Silver Blood Family henchman. So, could it be that from the very beginning, these people had betrayed their own people and defected to the Nords? If I rashly went to recognize them, would they harm me?

She needed to investigate further, but she didn't know where to begin. Both targets lived in densely populated areas and rarely ventured out. Wu Aile, the girl who came to buy medicine, was extremely wary and unwilling to communicate. Posela mentioned a pariah named Degain, but there were probably tens of thousands of pariahs living in the city, making finding him like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Aiola was preoccupied and her steps were unsteady. It was not until a dagger emitting a faint blue light was pressed against her throat that she realized that the Hall of the Dead had fallen into an unusual darkness.

After a breathtaking silence...

"You are... Sister Iola? Your eyes?"

elder sister?

A strange voice, a strange name, and a strange and unfriendly way of meeting.

Iola had no idea who the other person was. Namira's companions at the party might call each other brothers and sisters, but she knew their strengths and weaknesses all too well. Even if she were distracted, no one could have approached so quietly.

The darkness dissipated, and the dim light illuminated a young face. Iola stared at the smiling girl, her lips trembling.

"Cindy? You're still alive! God of the Crows! Everyone in the village and tribe was killed. I thought you were also..."

"I'm not dead, but I'm not alive either."

The two survivors briefly introduced their respective experiences, of course with some reservations, but this did not prevent them from reaching a consensus and jointly investigating the suspected rebellion of Idne and Nepos.

With Cindy's help, things progressed smoothly. While the Silver Blood Family's treasure room was heavily guarded and difficult to access, Bosera's pharmacy was easily accessible. The two quickly gathered considerable intelligence and began to attempt to reconstruct what had happened over the past decade.

Iola began her apprenticeship at the age of sixteen, and her teacher likely arrived in Markarth that same year. Letters preserved by Porsera indicate that she had known Idene for a long time and had provided her with lodgings several months before her arrival. Afterward, Idene was hired as a maid for the Silver Bloods.

Prior to this, Bosela's nephew, Odfan, had been arrested and imprisoned, but Idene still detailed her job search in the letter. For unknown reasons, she chose not to follow Nepos's lead, but instead disguised herself as a literate native woman, desperate to find a job in the city after failing to find a husband.

Bosela didn't sever ties with Idene because of her allegiance to the Silver Bloods. On the contrary, two years later, their contact suddenly became frequent. They mentioned that while in prison, Odfan, under pressure to survive, had chosen to pledge allegiance to King Mednaki and was involved in planning a major event.

It was in this year that Iola and Cindy's families were massacred. This had happened thirteen years earlier, in 190E . Iola was eighteen years old at the time, and Cindy was only nine.

Different from the strict yet patient mentor that Iola had in mind, Idene seemed particularly keen on prying into the privacy of the Silver Blood family members.

This ancient family has many branches, scattered throughout the Reach and Hafengarn. Now, the direct line in Markarth has only two adult males.

As the elder brother, Songwa is keen on politics, representing the Silver Bloods in the lord's court. He makes no secret of his admiration for Ulfric, which has led General Tullius to suspect him of collaborating with the enemy.

The second son, Tonar, was the true ambitious one. Under his stewardship, the family's wealth and power continued to expand. Internally, he balanced the relationship between the orc Murush and the big-nosed Nebos, skillfully maintaining a state of competition between the two without forcing them into conflict. Externally, he exploited the land and mineral resources through cunning tactics, gradually subjugating the remaining Forsworn.

It is because of such a brother that Songwa’s voice in Shixia Fortress can become louder and louder.

Due to the Forsworn Rebellion more than 20 years ago, nearly half of the Nords in the Reach were wiped out. Even after retaking Markarth, Lord Igmund could only accept the reality of the coexistence of Nords and Reachmen under his rule.

In this situation, the surviving Nord nobles formed alliances through marriage, forming offensive and defensive alliances. The Lord preferred to seek support from nobles from other regions, marrying the niece of Lord Balgruuf of Whiterun. The Silverbloods, on the other hand, prioritized local connections; both Songval and Tonnar's wives were from the Reach.

Songwa's wife, Yurga, was a distant relative of the Silver Blood family. If it weren't for this relationship, she might not have been able to climb this high branch. Yurga's father died in battle near Hammonstall in his early years, and she also had an uncle named Thordon.

"Wait a minute. I remember the current mayor of Loristide is called Salton?"

Aigis, interrupted by me, pulled out a pile of parchment scraps from the lining of her clothes and the shaft of her boots like a magic trick. After carefully examining them, she shook her head.

"Idene collected this information many years ago, and she hasn't mentioned this Salton situation since then."

The little cat girl didn't dwell on this matter, but continued to introduce other members of the Silver Blood family.

Tonar's wife, Berthold, was no less ruthless. Coming from a minor noble family, she was a skilled businessman, according to Idene's letters, controlling several lucrative businesses. Berthold often urged her husband to seize the position of patriarch, but Tonar remained sensible and refrained from the foolish act of fratricide.

The couple's union was based on profit, not love, so they each had their own affairs after marriage. Tonar flirted with married women and made no secret of his behavior. Idene heard that he had set his sights on the proprietress of the Arefu Trading Company and was pursuing her with all his might.

Betried's behavior was relatively restrained. It's certain that she often went to the Temple of Dibella alone, but no one knows what she did there. Idene believed that this woman loved money more than men, so perhaps she didn't need a regular lover and was simply seeking revenge for her husband's infidelity.

This frequent correspondence lasted for six or seven years, then abruptly stopped. In the final letters, Cindy and Iola pieced together the fragments of events.

About six years ago, in 197E , Lisbet's husband, Gannar, the owner of the Aleph Trading Company, was killed in an attack by the Forsworn. Shortly before that, the poor man had just caught his wife and Tonnar in an affair.

A year later, Wu Ai Le's father was falsely imprisoned. However, the first letter mentioning this incident was in 199E , when Idene recommended Wu Ai Le to buy medicine from Bosera's shop, explaining it in passing. The main theme of the letter was not this incident, but the story of Tonar receiving reliable information, which thwarted Maidenach's escape attempt.

After that, only one letter remained, dated roughly two years ago, in 201E , the year of the Stormcloak Rebellion. Idene mentioned two things: first, Yulja's movements were unusual; she had left Markarth twice, each time carrying a large amount of property. Second, Tonnar had a new target: he was madly pursuing a recently married female employee of the Silver Blood family.

Cindy also discovered the reason for the decrease in their correspondence. She found a note in Wu Ai Le's small bag containing money. On it was a single word: Griswa.

Neither of them knew what the word meant. It could be a place name, a person's name, or perhaps a code. Regardless, it proved that Idene and Bosela were still in contact, albeit in a more covert manner. This suggested they were likely plotting some kind of conspiracy.

Due to the lack of a reply from Bosera, they were unable to confirm the full content of their conversation. However, the most intriguing part of the entire clue was that their hometown was attacked more than a year after Idene joined the Silver Blood Family.

How could such a coincidence happen? From the failed rebellion of the Forsworn in 176 of the Fourth Era to 190, the tribe had been hiding for over a decade. Yet, within two years of this person's departure, they were annihilated.

Though Iola would not admit it, the evidence suggests that her beloved teacher, Idene, betrayed her people. Not only was he responsible for her and Cindy's family's deaths, he even obtained the plans of Maidenaki through Bosera's nephew and helped the Silverbloods tame the King of Rage.

As for Nepos, Cindy didn't find many clues. It wasn't because Old Deng was so careful about his defenses, but because she really didn't want to do it.

For a vampire, sneaking into a house wasn't difficult, especially after nightfall. Cindy planned to wait until everyone in the house was asleep before searching for diaries or letters. She had done the same thing before when searching for hag potions.

Cindy squatted on the stone beam of the roof and saw the owner of the room, a wrinkled bald man, who was bare-chested and facing a girl who was old enough to be his granddaughter. They had obviously just finished a strenuous exercise and the sweat on their bodies was still wet.

The girl called Wu Aile picked up a small notebook on the bedside table, turned to the page with the bookmark, and then read the contents aloud.

"In my later years, my heart is filled with guilt..."

Nepos's hands roamed over the girl's body, nodding slightly with every tremor.

"You can understand my pain, Wu Ai Le? You are definitely willing to sacrifice yourself to comfort an old man, right?"

"Yes, my father, I very much would. Thank you for giving me this precious opportunity."

"What a kind and pure child you are! May the Holy Spirit bless you. Now, you can read another one."

The girl switched to another notebook, which was a roster that recorded those who had the same misfortune as Wu Aile. Not only their names, but also many details.

Cindy left without listening to the whole story.

She and Iola originally had a disagreement about who should kill Idene, but now, she would rather kill Nepos herself.

The investigation took nearly a month, and by now it was the early part of the Moon of Rising Sun. They had set their sights on the sixteenth, ten days from now. Iola had heard from Poseira that that day was the Day of Love, when the curfew in Markarth would be lifted, allowing citizens to revel until midnight and the defenses to relax, making it a perfect time for them to strike.

As the day approached, the two men were waiting for nightfall, arguing about whether eating meat or sucking blood was the right path. Unexpectedly, a reckless little cat girl barged in. The moment of revenge was at hand, and neither of them wanted to be distracted. Agis had no choice but to cross the Hall of the Dead to seek help from Kasemma.

The court mage admired the catgirl's perseverance, but also expressed regret at being unable to help. The Sidana Mine belonged to the Silverblood Family, and even the lord himself had no power to interfere. He suggested that since they could even break into the Stone Fortress, why not try their luck in the treasure room?

Agis folded his ears, mustered his courage, and asked to join the assassination. Aioula said nothing, but slowly drew out a dagger and a short bow. The little catgirl rolled over, the short bow vanished, and the sound of an arrow piercing the air echoed.

The Hall of the Dead was dimly lit, a normal human unable to see beyond a meter. However, the three present were not normal. Aigis possessed the tiger-man's innate low-light vision ability; Cindy's vampire heritage gave her infrared night vision. While Iola couldn't match them, she had lived with one eye for over a decade, and to compensate for her lack of vision, she had trained her hearing to be exceptionally sensitive.

The three walked to the wall and saw that the arrow shot by Agis had pierced the head of a corpse.

"Then you're in, my cute little kitty. But you have to remember that the old woman named Idene must stay with me."

Agis complained to herself, "I didn't even know what Idne looked like, so how could I decide whether to keep her or not?" But she just grinned and secretly made a plan. When the time came, she would just hide in a corner and shoot a few arrows to cause chaos. Then she would find an opportunity to sneak into the treasure room and look for clues about Helgi.

These two people weren't helping him willingly, so there was no need to take their affairs too seriously. In short, he should just avoid older women when shooting arrows.

Markarth sits west-facing, its back against Chong'a. Before four o'clock, the sun has already vanished, leaving only a dazzling glow. Around five o'clock, darkness descends, the entire city shrouded in the vast shadow of the mountain. On any other day, the city's inhabitants would have long since returned to their homes. But today, on Love Heart Day, the sun sets, and the grand temple dance begins.