Status: Completed. Thank you for reading.

Dark Waters

Lies

-vitrin’s pov-

I swung my sword hard to the left, slashing the beast’s head, though it wouldn’t give up on me so easily as it pounced, snarling, and I twisted right on my toes, avoiding the attack as I swung my Elven sword in one swing, bringing my body all the way around and swiftly caught the cat in the back of the head, it’s skull crushing with a crack. The sword sunk deep, all the way through the animal’s head.

“Even alone you’re still showing off.” A voice at my back made me bring a dagger from my belt, and I quickly had the ebony blade at the Bosmer who I knew too well as Rulindil. I could slit his throat where he stood. After the interrogation of Etienne, of which he was to be held fully responsible for, it took true strength to not take the paws of the Sabre Cat that I’d just defeated and kill him with them to make it look like a mauling. But I was on my job, thus I could not.

“Even with someone you trust you’re still sneaking around.” A smirk spread across my face with my reply and I lowered the dagger, returning it to its holster before turning back and planting a foot on the head of the cat that lay at my feet, and pulled my sword out of its skull, not bothering with the blood before sheathing it.

“Sharp as a dragon.” Rulindil let a smirk cross his face as well as I began walking back towards the Embassy.

“Smart as a Frost Troll.” I retorted to him, and he sighed heavily.

“I really wish you’d take on a different attitude, Karina.” He began, walking beside me through snow. Karina was the name I went by when undercover at the Embassy. Everyone at the Embassy knew me by that name. It was too dangerous to go by my real name here.

“You’re powerful, but you lack smarts.” I told him, tapping my temple with my index finger. It was a lie, of course. The Thalmor were very cunning, but I’d never admit that. The Stormcloaks and Ulfric alike thought they were just well-protected; that they weren’t too awfully sly, but they were wrong.

I’d been on the other side of the fence, I’d seen things and heard things, and done things my fellow Stormcloak brothers and sisters didn’t know about. I’d seen a whole other battlefield. Not a physical one, but a psychological battlefield against the Stormcloaks, supporting the Imperials, and attempting to begin another recreating of the Aldmeri Dominion. That would begin any day, but they still lacked the people strong enough to lead it. Though Elenwen was strong, she was no leader. She never would be.

“I’ll be heading to Windhelm in a few days. I won’t be back for a time.” I finally said on our silent walk back, and Rulindil nodded. They were used to my coming and going. They thought I had family I needed to tend to. I did. But not the kind of family they’d welcome.

“Travel light, keep warm.” Rulindil advised. “Harsh weather’s coming fast.”

Rulindal’s words proved true when I was traveling the day after. The cold had a hard bite, and I bunkered down for warmth in the Inns while passing through cities to Windhelm.

“Ah! Look who’s back!” Yrsarald’s voice bellowed as his arm was slung around my shoulders, a large smile on his face.

“Little too much Ale, Rald?”

“No, of course not, just the right amount.” He chuckled as I walked towards the upstairs and Galmar came out of their quarters, pulling him back as I ascended the stairs, heading towards Ulfric’s room.

As I got to the top of the stairs and to the first room in the corridor, I heard voices from the other side of the door. Both familiar, but one not meant to be around here.

“And she’s still doing well, still fighting hard?” Ulfric’s voice was hopeful, but something dark lurked.

“Tremendously. The land was attacked by a frost troll last week. She demolished it before our guards could even go near it. A few storm cloaks attempted to attack as well when we were moving a prisoner. She killed on sight. She takes to her role, though I could see the pain it caused her.” And there was the darkness. It was Elenwen.

“I still don’t see why you can’t fight with us, help us in this war.”

“Because we don’t need to seem suspicious. Your beliefs don’t side with ours. Besides, those Imperials would be easier to overrule.” What was this? What Elenwen was saying made my stomach turn. Hearing everything like this…this truly hurt.

“It feels strange, still. All of this. I mean, while this is all still for the Thalmor, I feel like I’m leading good men to their deaths.” He knew. He knew what he was doing and he continued being this…sleeper agent for those fools?

“When this is all over, you come back to us, and we’ll move in, take over and you’ll be in your rightful place with the Thalmor.”

“And you’ll be there, waiting for me still?”

“Of course, darling.” Elenwen’s voice grew soft with a tone I’d never heard from her before. Could it be compassion? “I must go. I have a long journey on horseback to get back to the embassy before anyone begins questioning things. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

“Goodbye, love.” Footsteps, and before I could act like I was just walking by, the door opened, and I couldn’t move. The Anger had too strong of a hold as my fists balled. I drew my sword as Elenwen got a shocked expression.

“You hag!” I screeched, and Ulfric ran, getting in between the two, his face hard.

“Back away, Vitrin.”

“How much did you hear?” Elenwen whispered harshly, and the laughter of drunks continued downstairs.

“Enough.” I growled, and gripped my sword tighter, but Ulfric held his protective stance over Elenwen.

“If you want her, you have to kill me first.” Stormcloak snarled, teeth bared like the Sabre Cat I killed forever ago. I couldn’t hurt him. He’d turned into a father figure to me and I couldn’t bring myself to press the metal to his throat. I sheathed my weapon and walked off, down the stairs and out the door of the Kings Palace before breaking out into a run. I ran though the gray quarter, going around the main section, but slithering back to go out the main doors. I ran past the guards on the walk, and into the snowy forest. I ran with the wind burning my lungs and nose, making my eyes water and every breath ache.

After everything I did for that man. After everything I did for him he held this back. Treated me like an idiot. He played me like an instrument and I didn’t even know.

My legs soon collapsed, and I fell to my knees in an inch and a half of snow, tears falling from my eyes. I gave so much of my life to him. To these people… It’s all been a falsehood. My escape from the only people I’d known, simply because I needed away from my past, and now all of it’s just turned to dust. The life I’d grown to know and love… I didn’t want to look back at it. I didn’t want to try to figure things out. I didn’t want to try to go back and make things right.

It’d all been a lie.

Just a story.

Just a fairy tale that I didn’t want to read anymore.
♠ ♠ ♠
Well it's been a while since I've posted a chaptered story. My apologies for any mistakes I will undoubtedly make.

I had fun writing this, though. With one of the best co-authors this side of Solsthiem.

-M.R.