The Lost Heir (Skyrim Fanfiction)

Chapter Six: The Contract

Nala quickly picked up the daily routine. The day started with breakfast, and then the assassins either practiced weapons on the training dummies, planned strategies, or created poisons and potions to be used in assassinations. After lunch, everybody gathered near the central waterfall to pray to Sithis. The rest of the day was to be spent doing normal activities around the Sanctuary.

The "family members", as Nala had to call them, that were on duty were kept track of. Babette was in charge of making sure they leave safely and return safely. As long as she had been in the Sanctuary, Nala had done a good job of avoiding the demon child.

After a few days of living in the Sanctuary, Astrid requested to talk with Nala.

Nala nervously approached her new mistress's room. When Astrid saw her, she smiled and handed her a note.

Nala unfolded the paper and stared at it. "What is this? A target?" She asked. She put the note on the table.

The assassin woman gave Nala a confused smile. "Of course it is. First one. It's a beggar in Ivarstead. I don't know why someone wants him gone, but you're going to kill him anyway." She gave Nala a gentle shove. "Get going, you have a week. Good luck." And with that, Nala began her first contract.

Ivarstead was one of the only places where the princess was safe. That is until the soldiers arrived. She had lived in the small town for two months after she escaped from Helgen. Nala lived with the flour-mill owners for that short time. They treated her like a part of their family. It was nice.

One day though, when Nala was reading on top of the nearby barrow, she saw at least two dozen soldiers from Solitude's barracks enter the village. Their standard guard armor stood out immediately. The red hue of the soldiers' apparel was all over the village.

Nala knew she had to run, so she did. She didn't ever get a chance to say her farewells to the couple in Ivarstead. She wondered if they were still there.

The newly-recruited assassin slowly crept along the edge of the road as she made her way to her old village. It would take days to reach Ivarstead by foot. Nala decided to backtrack to Falkreath and hire a carriage. She hoped the people of that town had forgotten about the princess by now. After all, she had only been there once. Time to test my luck.

She could see the first little house from a distance by the time the sun had set. It would cost more septims than she had to pay for a ride in the night. I will have to force him.

By the time she reached the lonely village, there were only a few people still milling about. She put her hood up, looked back to make sure no one was following her, and quickly, but not in a way to attract attention, walked towards the carriage. Luckily, the driver was there; sleeping, but there.

Nala crept up behind the man and quietly covered his mouth with one hand. With the other hand, she held a dagger up to his throat, just like Sterling had done to little Jergo. She held back a sob as she remembered that horrible, life-changing moment.

The previously sleeping carriage driver nearly jumped when he felt the knife poke at his throat. He was breathing heavily and sweat appeared on his forehead. He eventually calmed down enough to udder a few words. "W..what..d..do you..want..from..m..me?"

Nala sighed. "I am dreadfully sorry sir, but if you don't take me to Ivarstead tonight, you will be driving Sithis around in the void. Hurry, get everything ready." She released him and added, "By the way, if you so much as scream, I will kill you and anybody who hears you."

Soon, Nala was on her way to Ivarstead. The driver had put his own pillow in the back of the carriage for her comfort. He had also given her a bottle of Argonian Bloodwine and some bread. Nala almost felt like a princess again.

She shook the thought out of her head. You are not that person anymore. Who are you now?

At sunrise, the carriage arrived at Ivarstead. It looked just as Nala remembered. She saw the driver slowly leave his cart and followed him. He was making his way down another road out of the village. He noticed her when she threw a rock in front of him. He turned around and jumped back.

Nala took the chance and pulled out her dagger. She felt a strange rush when she held the dagger up to the man's throat again. Don't do this Nala. This is definitely not you.

She couldn't stop herself though. Nala slit the man's throat open. He dropped to the ground. Nala let out a sob. She hadn't killed anyone since Helgen. That was different though. You weren't under Sithis's influence then.

The carriage driver's corpse was left in the middle of the road when Nala ran back to the town. She took the Contract out of her pocket. The beggar, Narfi. It was going to be an extremely long day for Nala.