Moments in Skyrim

Moments in Skyrim

I closed the door behind me, leaving the Sleeping Giant Inn. The wooden steps creaked as I stepped down them. I heard the steps moan again as Lydia, my housecarl, made her way down them to stand next to me. I turned around to look at her.
"Thanks for helping me again, Lyd."
"It's my duty." She replied with a light laugh. I smiled. Lyd was such a great friend. Her pupils suddenly moved, focusing on something behind. She raised her hand to point. "Look, a courier." I glanced over my shoulder to see a man, indeed a courier, clutching a bag with the corner of an envelope peeking out from it as he ran in my direction.
"You." He said, in between breaths when he got to me. "There's a letter for you."
"From whom?" I raised an eyebrow as he placed a piece of paper in my hands. I had no one to be sending me letters. Lyd, who was to my side, shrugged.
"Not sure. Some creepy guy in a black rob. Paid me a pretty sum to get that into your hands, though." He replied, straightening and gesturing to the letter in my hands. "Anyway, got to go. Bye!" He turned on his heel and went off, clutching his hat to his head.
I looked down curiously at the letter, unfolding the piece of paper. There was the imprint of a hand, as if somebody has painted ink all over their palm and fingers, and then pressed it down on the paper. Below the image were the words, "WE KNOW."
***
Oh man, it was 11:30 PM, and I was tired. So for the first time, I was going to sleep in the room presented to me at Winterhold College. I left on my armor, as I was a heavy sleeper and slept in anything. Besides, after spending months in it, it felt wrong being without. I did take off my bow and sheath of arrows, and dropped them on the bedside table, though.
Lydia took off her helmet as I climbed under the covers. She took her place on the floor, a mat made out of several blankets.
"Goodnight, Lyd."
"Goodnight."
_____
My head ached. The scent of dried blood and dust swam around me. The floor was hard and uncomfortable. I sat up, my vision foggy from sleep. As it cleared, I became aware of my surroundings. A small wooden room, with one door and no windows, it was. There were several sacks against the walls, a wooden chest at the side. I registered that there were three figures in front of me, all with a black something covering their faces.
"Sleep well?" A smooth, feminine voice from behind me said. I turned around, still slow from my sleep. A person sat on top of a bookshelf, one of her legs swinging off to the side of it. Fully clothed in black and a dark red, even her mouth covered, I couldn't make out any clear features, except that my Forsworn bow and sheath of arrows were by her side.
"What? Where am I?" I asked, standing up.
"Does it matter? You're warm, dry… and still very much alive. That's more that can be said for old Grelod, hmm?" She replied. A stab went through my memory. The old woman who owned the orphanage. She was a nasty person. I… had killed her before, with a Shout.
"You know about that?" I inquired, feeling weary.
"Half of Skyrim knows. Old hag gets butchered in her own orphanage? Things like that tend to get a round." I could tell she was beginning to smile as the corners of my mouth began to fall. "Oh, but don't misunderstand. I'm not criticizing. It was a good kill. Old crone had it coming. And you saved a group of urchins, to boot."
What was she trying to do? I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Ah, but there is a slight… problem." She sighed.
"A problem?"
"You see, that little Aretino boy was looking for the Dark Brotherhood. For me, and my associates. Grelod the Kind was, by all rights, a Dark Brotherhood contract. A kill… that you stole. A kill you must repay."
Horror struck me as I realized what she meant. "You want me to murder someone else? Who?"
"Well now, funny you should ask." She nearly purred, but I could tell she a Nord, not a Khajit. "If you turn around, you'll notice my guests. I've 'collected' them from… well, that's not really important. They're here and now. That's what matters. You see, there's a contract out on one of them, and that person can't leave this room alive. But… which one? Go on, see if you can figure it out." Kill someone? Like that? I know I've killed before, but these people… masked and bound by rope behind me. "Make your choice. Make your kill. I just want to observe… and admire."
I coughed as I tried to get words out. "I'll have no part in this insanity." The woman on the shelf shook her head.
"Now that is a shame." She emphasized on 'that.' "But what you fail to realize is that you involved yourself in this 'insanity' when you took Grelod's life. You made your choice. Now it's time to face the consequences of your actions. You don't leave this shack until someone dies." She put down, tossing my bow and arrows down to me and gesturing to the three people down on their knees on the opposite side of the room. Sweat began to bead on my face. "The anticipation is killing me. Can you figure out who has the contract? Which one will you choose?"
I fumbled with the sheath of arrows, slipping it onto my back and picking up my Forsworn bow. I turned around to face the three people, picking one arrow from the twenty and putting it to my string.
You don't leave this shack until someone dies.
I whipped around, drawing the string and letting the arrow fly. My trembling hands ruined my aim. The woman let out a shriek, dropping from the bookshelf as she tried to yank out the arrow from her shoulder. My heart pounding, I Shouted.
"Fus roh dah!" The room shook, and cries of surprise came from behind me. The woman was knocked off her feet and she fell again, struggling to get up as the wave passed over her. I went to grab another arrow and I pulled back the string again, desperately trying to aim. The arrow pierced the air, and her head. In the split second she registered surprise, she whispered two words.
"Well done."