Chapter 2: May Your Soul Find Rest In Sovngarde
Scarlet was wiping down the bar after it had closed and the Argonians went to bed, for some reason she had a horrible feeling something was wrong. She shook the feeling off assuming that she'd had too many bottles of ale that night. As she continued to wipe down the bar her eyelids began to droop and she became increasingly tired, as she rested her head on the bar just for a quick nap the doors to the inn flew open and a gust of wind knocked an empty plate off of a nearby table. The clatter of the plate was enough to jolt Scarlet out of her nap and she looked up to see Sibbi coming towards her.
"Damn it Sibbi, you knocked a plate down. Sorry if you came here for a drink but the bars closed, besides can't you get some for free at the meadery? You ARE a Black-Briar you know." Scarlet smiled but the grim look on Sibbi's face caused her to drop it, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to be insult--"
Sibbi cut her off, "Come quick, it's Ronark. There's been an accident."
Scarlet dropped her rag and vaulted over the bar and her and Sibbi ran out of the tavern.
********
There was a ringing in Ronark's ears, guards were wandering all over his house picking up items, examining them, and putting them back down. Ronark sat in a chair across from the door, outside there were at least eight on lookers staring into the house and three guards held out their shields to keep the crowds back. Everything had happened so fast, one moment everything had been fine and the next Mjoll was lying dead on the wooden floor with a large hole in her stomach. Ronakr refused to look at the area where Mjoll had been killed, the guards had removed the corpse but there was still a puddle of blood that the guards had yet to mop up. The captain of the guards a man named Cicle walked up the Ronark and towered over him.
"How are you feeling?" Cicle asked.
"How should I answer?" Ronark counter-questioned.
Cicle frowned and said, "Honestly."
"Honestly, my sister the only family I have left, a woman who took me in after out father had died and became my best friend was just murdered and I was forced to watch the whole bloody experience. I am feeling a whole mix of things. Anger, sadness, regret that I was helpless to stop the man, scared, scarred, and a whole jumble of other things. I honestly don't know how I feel." Ronark snarled.
Cicle curved the edge of his lip and contemplated this before replying to Ronark, "I understand. I know this is probably the last thing you are going to want but we have to question you."
"Question me? Why?! You think I killed her?!" Ronark yelled out.
Cicle held out his hand to calm Ronark, "No, no, no, nothing like that at all. We just need to get a better insight of what happened."
"What else is there to tell? She was okay one second and the next she had a sword in her stomach." Ronark said.
"Well for starters, who killed her?" Cicle asked.
"If I knew that, he'd already be dead." Ronark said.
"Well what did he look like?" Cicle asked and a guard next to him took notes.
"Tall, strong built, definitely a nord. He was a man, could tell by his voice. Iron Greatsword I think. He wore steel armor, and the mask. The horrible dark mask. It was designed to represent a man's face, but a face that had been wounded. There was a large stitching stretching from the left eye to the right side of the chin. That's the most prominent feature." Ronark described in a much calmer but more forlorn voice.
"So you got a good look at him?" Cicle said as the guard kept writing down Ronark's description.
"Yeah. I got a good view of him as he killed my sister." Ronark said but in the same voice.
"Why would anyone want to kill your sister?" Cicle asked.
"I don't know. We're in a corrupt city, is it any shock that an innocent woman would just suddenly be murdered?" Ronark said rhetorically.
Cicle shook his head, "No, no it's not. Okay that's enough questions, we'll finish up here and then leave. Don't worry, we'll catch your sister's killer." Cicle promised.
A female guard walked up to Ronark, "I'm, sorry I just need to check your wrists."
"Why?" Ronark asked.
"You said you were tied up, the Captain wants to know what the killer used to bind you." the lady said.
"I showed you, they're right over there," Ronark gestured, "he cut them off me before he left and didn't bother to take it with him."
"I know, but we need to be sure. There are many reasons severed leather strips could be laying on the floor. They could be from a package or something." the woman explained.
Ronark relucantly held out his wirsts and the guard examined the imprints, after a moment of looking she pulled out a leather stirp from the pouch around her waist and held it up to Ronark's wrists. She examined for another minute until she was content that the imprints were identical to a leather strip. She let go of Ronark's arms and stood up.
"Got everything you needed?" Ronark asked.
"Yeah, it's a match." she said, "You know, I had a brother once he was murdered also. It's hard at first, but it does it get better."
"Thank you." Ronark said and he actually meant it, "So, is it a boy?"
"Huh?" the woman said confused.
"You're pregnant, I can tell. What is it?" Ronark asked.
"The priestess at the Temple of Kynareth says she awaiting an answer from the Divines. I should find out soon." the guard rejoined her fellowmen in the house.
Ronark held his head in his palms and sighed. He sat like that for a few minutes until he heard a familiar female voice calling out to him. Ronark looked up and saw his two friends being held back at the door with the rest of the crowd.
"Sibbi? Scarlet?" Ronark called out.
One of the guards looked back at Ronark, "You know these two?"
"Yeah, they're my friends. Let them in." Ronark commanded.
"I can't this is a crime scene, no civilians allowed." the guard argued.
Cicle overheard this exchange and called out the the guard, "It's okay. We're done here anyways."
The guard stepped out of the way and Scarlet and Sibbi walked inside. The crowd tried pushing through the opening but the two other guards drew their swords and held them off until the third guard reclaimed his place.
Sibbi and Scarlet rushed to Ronark's side. Cicle led the rest of the guards out of the house but turned back to Ronark and told him, "Don't worry son. We will catch the son of a bitch.". Ronark nodded at him and the house cleared up except for the three friends. Ronark was sad to see the guards go, at least with them there he felt safe.
"Hey buddy, how you holding up?" Sibbi asked.
Ronark shook his head, "Not well." he answered.
"Ronark I'm so sorry, if there is anything we can do for you..." Scarlet trailed off and wrapped Ronark is a warm hug.
"What happened?" Sibbi asked.
Ronark retold the story that he had told multiple times that the night but each time he left out one little detail, what the man said about Maven Black-Briar. This time especially Ronark left that part out.
"Buddy, I am so sorry. Look you can't stay here tonight. Too much has happened, come stay with me at my place for the night." Sibbi offered.
"Thank you, but I'd rather be in my own bed tonight." Ronark declined.
"I understand. Tomorrow then?" Sibbi reoffered.
"Tomorrow." Ronark agreed.
"Alright, well you get your rest. I'm gonna head out." Sibbi patted Ronark's knee and walked out the door.
"I'm gonna go too. I need to finish cleaning the bar." Scarlet said squeezing Ronark's hand before she stood up to head for the front door.
"Scarlet, wait." Ronark stopped her.
Scarlet let go of the door handle and turned around, "What is it?" she asked.
"Is this what it feels like? When my father died I was sad but not as sad as I am now, probably because he died of disease and wasn't murdered. So, is this what it feels like to have someone you love murdered before your very eyes?" Ronark questioned.
Scarlet half frowned and thought for a moment then answered, "Yeah, it is. I know you have probably heard this a lot tonight, but it really does get better Ronark. After my parents were killed I hated the world, thought it deserved to burn under my feet along with those who had wronged me, but despite that the world made up for my parents deaths. The world gave me Keerava and Talen, so just remember, for every evil there is a good but for every good there is an evil. Something good will come of this evil, I promise."
"Thank you Scarlet." Ronark said. Scarlet walked back to Ronark and gave him another big hug and told him, "I'm here for you if you need to talk. I know what you're going through, don't let it break you." Ronark looked up at her, "I know." he answered and Scarlet left.
********
Ronark tossed and turned in that night, every time sleep was about to overcome him it was interrupted by another thought. Not, the thought of Mjoll dying in front of him but what she had told him before he passed away, which was another detail Ronark hadn't told anyone else. Why did Mjoll want Ronark to go to this hidden location, and what if it wasn't really a real place? Ronark kept tossing and turning as he attempted to shake the thought from his head but it eventually became too much for him and he climbed out of bed. He slipped his shoes on and left the house.
Ronark walked down the stairs to the waterway and crossed the small bridge to the other side where there were no doors. He began to walk along the wall checking each brick for an orange stripe. Finally he found a brick with orange on it, but it was more of a streak that a stripe. Nevertheless, Ronark pushed in on the brick and it moved itself back. A part of the wall flung out in front of Ronark and revealed a large room filled with supplies. Before anyone could look Ronark slipped inside and shut the door behind him.
The room was filled with items. Hanging on the walls were weapons of every kind, swords, daggers, axes, bows, and warhammers. There were three tables lined up next to each other ontop of which sat multiple sets of banded iron armor. In the back corner there was a bed large enough to fit two people. Sitting next to the bed was a bookshelf with only three books on it.
Ronark walked over to the bookshelf and examined the books, they were journals. Ronark picked up the journal that was sitting on top of the other three and opened it. Written inside the journal was a message. A message from Mjoll and it was adressed to Ronark! Ronark did a double take when he saw his name at the top of the first page, and he began to read the rest of the text. It said:
Ronark,
Do not be alarmed though I'm sure you are. If you're reading this it means the worst happened and I am dead. I wrote this not long ago just in case I was killed and if you're reading this then I obviously was. I knew the assassin was coming after me, I just didn't know when. If I'm dead then it means he came sooner rather than later and I didn't have much time to prepare for our fight. If I had more time then you wouldn't be reading this. Back to the subject, yes I knew he was coming after me and you're probably wondering why he was. There is something I have been keeping from you for all the years you've known me. Every time I've held you at arms lenght, every time I didn't tell you something, every time I masked my sorrow and pain, I did it for your own protection. If you knew what I was doing and how I was spending my nights you would have been in more danger than I was in.
You see, as you know there is a shadowy woman who goes around each night saving lives and fighting the bad guys. The city calls her The Lioness, not a bad name if you ask me. I quite like it. However, what you don't know Ronark is her identity. It's time you did. I am The Lioness, and what you are standing in right now is my base of operations. Welcome to The Lion Cave.
Ronark shut the book and couldn't move his body. The shock of what he had just read was too much for him. Mjoll, The Lioness? There was no way, but it all made sense. Everything. When Mjoll acted strange, when she acted quiet, when she disappeared from the house some nights. Even the room Ronark stood in. Mjoll was The Lioness. Ronark breathed heavily for a moment as he came to terms with what he just read, and finally he brought himself to open the book again.
I understand that this is a lot to take in. Especially just after my death, but you need to know the truth not just for yourself but for the whole city. If I am gone that means so is The Lioness, and now without someone to save it the city will succumb to the evil within it and innocent people will die. Riften needs a hero Ronark, and you are the best one to protect it. If you look in the corner to the right of the door if you were facing the back wall you will see a mannequin. What the mannequin is wearing was not designed for me, it was designed by me for you. I made the mistake of not wearing a mask and Maven found out who I was and that is why the assassin came after me. I refuse to let that happen to you so I have equipped this outfit with a hood, it will hide your identity from your enemies.
As I've always told you, your skill with a bow is unmatched. I've never seen anyone with as much skill as you have, that is why I have equipped the outfit with a bow and a quiver full of elven arrows. The bow is special, Dwemer made, I found it in a ruin once and I have taken to calling it Zephyr. It's design will assist you in firing arrows much quicker and more efficient than ever before, you will need this as you attempt to bring down your enemies.
Your enemies being Maven Black-Briar. She is what is wrong with Riften, through her connections she has an army at her side and most of her soldiers don't even realize that they will fight for her. Maven has Jarl Leila in her back pocket and thus she has power over every decision this city makes. Don't trust the guards, though they may be nice and some of them are good people, the majority of them are corrupt and will not hesitate to kill you. Maven has major connections with the guild, she keeps them funded despite her "campaigns" against them. She even has connections with the Dark Brotherhood. You cannot under any circumstances trust the
Black-Briars. All of them are evil and corrupt, all except Sibbi. I used to think he was horrible and I didn't trust him, I always thought he was lying about hating his mother and I decided to give him a chance because you, Ronark, were so close with him. Thank the Divines I did, if not I would have eventually killed an innocent man.
What I am asking you to do is a difficult task, but do not think you are doing it alone. There is a man, an ex-guild member, who works for Maven or so Maven thinks. This man's name is Maul, he keeps up appearances that he is loyal to Maven when in reality, he seems to hate her just as much as I do. You can trust him, he has given me much assisstance throughout my mission and I am sure he would assist you too. Also, I have left you two other books. One of which is filled with information about everyone in the city, who you can trust and who you cannot. The next is filled with evidence I have collected over the years. Evidence against Lady Black-Briar, use it and add to it, you will need evidence to bring Maven down.
Ronark, I know I am asking much of you but I am sure you can pull it off. The Lioness may have been your hero, but you were always my hero. If anyone can save Riften it is you. Becareful who you trust and don't tell your secret to those you are cloests with, it could put their lives in jeopardy. Only tell them if it is necessary. On a final note, don't think I haven't seen how you look at Scarlet. I can tell that you love her, she is a good fit for you. Which is exactly why you have to keep this life as far away from her as you can if you ever want a normal life with her. Remember Ronark, it is all up to you now. I know you will pull it off. I love you. Goodbye.
~Mjoll
Ronark reached the back of the book. That was it. Mjoll's final goodbye. He threw the journal across the room into the wall where it fell open onto the ground. He cried out as loud as he could. Mjoll's final goodbye and she had asked him to risk his entire existence for a corrupt city, the city that had taken her from him. Ronark looked at the corner Mjoll had pointed out and he saw the outfit she had left for him. Ronark stormed over to the mannequin and knocked it over and then he shoved the door to The Lion Cave open and walked out, slamming it shut behind him.