Dark Brotherhood: Ancient Blood

Chapter 004: Nothing to See Here...

     A few hours after leaving camp, Cicero and Jade finally reached the outskirts of Morthal; a reclusive town hidden in the dense marshes of the Hjaalmarch reach. The swampy surroundings and thick fog made it difficult to travel but provided some decent protection from attack.

     Jade groaned as she trudged through the mucky shin-high waters, her boots suctioning into the mud. Even though the elf girl didn't weigh much, Cicero was exhausted from carrying her. He had since shifted her into his back to relieve some of the strain but walking while hunching forward created its own set of aches and pains. He felt a wave of relief flow over him when he saw the docks of Morthal through the trees ahead.

     "I hope you know," Jade protested while out of breath, "I'm not planning to pay for the wagon. It was your choice to backtrack. We could be in Markarth right now, drinking the finest mead at the tavern with the pay from these riches I'VE BEEN HAULING!"

     "Completely understandable, Listener!" he called back to her, "But Cicero has no gold of his own. So perhaps we should just continue the rest of the trip on foot after a short rest?"

     Jade clenched her teeth. Her attempt to be stubborn and punish him for the inconvenience was not worth the continued discomfort. She adjusted the pack of heavy treasure on her shoulder. That cart idea was starting to sound good all of a sudden.

     "Absolutely not," she mumbled and reached into the small coin purse on her belt to feel how much money she had, "You will owe me for this." Jade cleared her throat. Her feet hurt so bad.

     Morthal may have been a small town, but it was full of laborers and transients. It was a midway point between Central and Western Skyrim. Many goods were moved through there daily so it was a great place for merchant caravans to rest. Though, due to its marshy location, the town didn't smell very pleasant to outsiders. The constant state of high humidity drew a lot of insects and pests adding to the 'just passing through' nature of things.

     Near the main road at the head of the town, several wagons were parked. Some were filled with merchant goods while others appeared available for rent. Cicero approached one of the empty carts and carefully laid the unmoving elf into the back. Jade followed suit, throwing her bag over both of them, it slamming into the back of the driver's bench. The owner of the cart, an older Nord, stepped around the side of the carriage.

     "Where to?" he asked.

     "Dawnstar," Jade sighed fumbling for her gold pouch. The driver's eyes darted over to the unconscious elven girl in the back. Deciding that the gold was more important than answers, he didn't comment.

     Cicero pulled himself up onto the back of the cart to get off his feet, dangling his legs over the edge. As Jade counted her gold to pay, a curious guard for the hold walked over to get a better look at the living 'cargo'.

     "What's this about, citizen?" he asked in a thick Nordic accent, his question directed to Cicero. Before he could reply, Jade piped up.

     "Oh, that's just his young slave girl," she jested in a nonchalant tone. Cicero's eyes widened as he struggled to think of a response. The guard said nothing. The silence between them grew awkward.

     "Your slave looks dead," the guard finally said flatly.

     Cicero began feeling uneasy. He smiled weakly as he suddenly became light-headed.

     Jade laughed, turning to the guard and placing her hand on her hip, "Oh! Well, my traveling companion here; he has this thing for dead females. Loves them. He's got another at home that he's been very good about upkeeping. You would never assume that she was centuries old."