Walk in the Shadows

Twenty-One

Irkngthand loomed high and proud ahead, its towers nestled right underneath the snow-capped mountains west of Windhelm. I gazed in awe at the fronts gate, blown away by its size.

"By the gods," I muttered under my breath, repositioning my cowl so it covered my frostbitten nose. Growing up in Dawnstar, people would have assumed I was used to the cold. That was not the case at all. Growing up in Dawnstar made me hate the cold that much more.

"And this, lass, is a perfect example of a Dwemer ruin," said Brynjolf beside me. Karliah had said before we left Nightgate Hall that she would meet us inside, so it left Bryn and me to take our time getting to Irkngthand. I had no doubt she was already inside, just waiting for us to get here.

"I have a bad feeling that worse things await us inside."

"You'd be right." He motioned for me to get into a crouch when we came closer to the gate. I saw why only seconds later. Bandits patrolled above and below. I had never seen so many scantily-clad thugs in one place before. This place must be a magnet for thieves and outlaws of all kinds.

"Get your bow," whispered Bryn as we crept closer to the gate. "Two on the walls, three on the ground. Kill as quickly and quietly as you can."

"I thought we were against killing," I said as I retrieved my bow and one arrow from my back. I put the arrow in my mouth, then grabbed another one.

"We don't have time to discuss it, I'm afraid." Brynjolf pulled out his golden Dwarven sword and a smaller Dwarven dagger. I tried not to think about how similar his blade looked to the one that Mercer had stabbed me with. "They'll kill us on sight if we don't strike first."

I did not like resigning to the "kill or be killed" strategy, but Bryn was right. We had no other choice if we wanted to stay alive long enough to eliminate Mercer. With a sigh, I notched the arrow I had in my hand, pulled back on the bowstring, then let it loose. My arrow flew straight into the first bandit's exposed gut. He clutched the shaft buried into his flesh, then fell off the wall. He landed only a few feet in front of me, embedding the arrow deeper within his body. The tip stuck out of his back. I suppressed a shudder and nocked my second arrow. His partner on the wall had not seen what had happened, but he would soon. I could not let him spot me.

The next man went down just like the first, and Brynjolf and I moved forward. He sneaked up behind one of the three patrolling at the foot of a ramp leading to the entrance of Irknthand. With a careful and silent lunge, Bryn had sliced the first man's throat. I took down the other two with arrows.

By then, the alarm was raised. Many men and women of varying species moved towards us with murder in their eyes. Two stayed perched on a nearby wall, arrows aiming right for us.

"Lass, take out the archers first!" yelled Bryn as he engaged the first of the many bandits on the ground.

Heart thudding in my chest, I took out the archers like Brynjolf had told me to. One of them had nearly hit me with an arrow, but by some matter of luck, it whizzed harmlessly past my ear. I could not help but think that Nocturnal had something to do with that.

I suppose I owe you a thank-you, don't I, Mistress?

I did not have time to think it through, for Brynjolf still needed my help. Hurriedly slinging my bow over my back, I ripped my sword from its sheath and raced to help Bryn. Just in time, I stopped a blow that would have killed him. The impact made my sword vibrate and my arm quiver. I groaned and pushed against my Orc opponent. He gave me a tusked smile, then pushed me right into the snow. He kicked my blade aside and pressed his foot into my wounded shoulder. I screamed and tried to push the brute of a mer off of me, but my lithe form was nothing compared to his muscle-packed frame.