———————————————
SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
———————————————
previous day
4-201-09-24 09:58
Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm, Eastmarch, Skyrim
The girls practically carry me to the bath. After we've stripped naked, Rayya and Jenassa place themselves in front of the door while Lydia looks me in the eye. Her face has turned very serious. She tells me gravely that they're going to drown me in the bathtub right now unless I tell them all about last night.
After I've stopped laughing, we get into the large bathtub, the four of us. Soaking in delightful warm water, even though a little cramped, I unhurriedly save my life by sharing the important news. My attempt to discuss the murder mystery first is futile.
The sun is shining in the sky when we finally return in high spirits into the merciless cold of the eternal winter outside. I have basically just one task planned for today, but it's a big one – to catch a serial killer. You see, the girls were told at the inn yesterday that there has been more than one murder, and all victims were young women cut up rather badly. So this is really serious. It would seem that the maniac works only in the dark. No one can know when he'll claim his next victim. Could be tonight.
What can we do? Leg- and mouthwork, what else? We split up. I head for the narrow-streeted elf quarter. When I pass by the city gate, a tall man with a small beard asks me if I'm an elf-lover and then tells me to get out of "his" city if I am. I can't even tell if he's drunk. At any rate there's no point arguing with him, so I just walk on. His friend nearby seems a little more sensible and keeps him from following me.
I enter the Gray Quarter (as the elves' neighborhood is officially called):
There I talk to an elven shopkeeper and an elven streetwalker, neither of whom has seen or heard anything that could lead me to the maniac. However, the shopkeeper – named Revyn Sadri, in case you're interested – asks me to do him a favor. Namely, he bought a golden ring without checking too carefully where it originated from, and then he found out that Viola Giordano had lost a ring whose description matched the one he has. Since the name means nothing to me, he explains it's a prominent citizen, not particularly rich, but she has lived here very long and is widely respected. She is also Windhelm's primary source of gossip.
Now, Revyn's problem is that he is long suspected of buying stolen goods. He doesn't even dare throw the ring away, because if the person who sold it to him should tell about it, he'd be in major trouble, the position of the elves in Windhelm being as shaky as it is. The only solution would be to plant the ring into Viola's house, so that she would find it and assume it got never lost to begin with. However, none of the people whom Revyn associates with wouldn't stand a chance of getting invited into Viola's house, and none of them would risk a break-in either. I, however, might be able to find some innocent excuse to visit her. He'd be eternally grateful and make it worth my while.
I agree to help and take the ring, wondering quietly what is it about me that makes complete strangers trust me like this.
Out of the elven quarter again, I run into Viola herself. She tells me all the details about four women having been murdered and no one knowing anything.
After taking my leave from Viola, I remember about that suspicious character Aventus Aretino and decide to pay him a visit. The children playing on the street give me directions to his house and warn me that it's a bad place and they aren't allowed to go near it.
It's on a quiet street between the elven quarter and the Candlehearth Hall. Preferring not to knock, I pick the lock on the house door and go in on tiptoes.
Upstairs is a room with a skeleton surrounded by candles. Next to the skeleton is a book and a boy with a dagger in his hand. He is trying to chant some magic formula, repeating the words "sweet mother". There is no mother in the house, nor anyone else. Whether the skeleton is of a female, I couldn't possibly know.
I address the boy, trying to sound as gentle as I can.
He is incredibly happy to see me. He speaks quickly and excitedly. I learn that he was trying to perform a magic ritual to summon an assassin from... Dark Brotherhood! That's the same bunch of wa... I mean, the organization that sent that bungling fool to kill me a week ago.
When Aventus (yes, that's him, unsurprisingly) finally falls silent, I make a noncommittal gesture and look at him expectantly. He goes on talking, explaining to me that he was sent to an orphanage in the city of Bitchen after his mother died. He and the other children were abused by the cruel headmistress Grelod. She's the one he wants killed. I promise him I'll do it. One category of people I can't stand is parents and caretakers hurting children under their power. Naturally, I'll find out more about that Grelod woman first. But if Aventus told the truth, I shall have no mercy with her.
However, that is not high priority right now. Aventus isn't able to tell me anything about a serial killer loose in this city. So I pay a visit to the temple of Talos and the Hall of the Dead and still end up none the wiser.
To tell you the truth, I'm more curious to learn how does a woman with such humongous hooters
end up dedicating her life to religion. But I suppose I'd better not ask her that question.
end up dedicating her life to religion. But I suppose I'd better not ask her that question.
When I see Viola going home, I wait five minutes and then knock on her door and ask politely if I could come in because I want to ask her something. When she goes to get tea, I open the nearest drawer and drop the ring into it. I hope this will be enough.
As for conversation, I can't think of anything better than ask Viola if she perhaps remembers something more about the murders. Indeed, she does – one of the murdered women was the assistant of the writer Adonato Leotelli who was at the inn a little while ago when she came from there. Why didn't the silly old fool consider it worth mentioning earlier? It's almost 5 o'clock in the afternoon already!
I excuse myself as soon as I'm able to (which isn't very soon) and rush to speak to Leotelli. He informs me that one of the victims lost her life near the gate that leads to the eastern harbor, another one in or in front of a house named Hjerim. Now I'm finally getting somewhere!
The problem with Hjerim is that it has one of those locks I can't pick. Fortunately, I manage to locate the murdered owner's mother Tova Shatter-Shield and, after her initial reluctance, succeed in persuading her to give me a key.
The house is... I don't know, "sinister" is not the word. It's filled with eerie blue darkness.
The creepiest part of it is that when you step close to one of those ghastly bluish walls, you are yourself encased in dark blue darkness and can't see absolutely anything. Eventually I remember that I have a Magelight staff. It can be used to cast a temporary ball of light, enabling you to see more or less properly.
Now, there's a suspicious cupboard which, upon closer examination, turns out to have a secert panel. Behind it is a secret room which is completely empty. I can't even see a speck of dust. As for dust, it would be a miracle if I could see it in this unlight, but to cleverly discover a secret room and then find nothing in it is very discouraging. In my frustration, I walk in and out of the secret room two or three times as if it could change anything.
Then I find a small shelf in another small room with a heap of leaflets warning people of a serial killer named "the Butcher". They seem to be torn down from walls and such. Next to the leaflets is an amulet. I take it. There is nothing further on the ground floor. I go upstairs where I find a small bedroom and a large bedroom. In the latter, an overturned chair is on the bed.
I take a closer look. There is nothing of interest on or under the bed and the chairs.
Looks like that's it. The amulet is the only thing to work with. I go out onto the street and ask every passerby if they know anything about the amulet. There aren't many people about, as it's already dark. One by one I encounter my followers who haven't found out anything either. I'm growing more worried by the minute. Eventually I'm suggested that I show the amulet to Calixto the antiques dealer, the one who had that museum and that mysterious chest.
We go to his house. The front door is locked. What should I do? Is Calixto sneaking around somewhere, preying upon some innocent woman? We can't patrol all the streets and keep an eye on every woman in the city, can we? I can't even share my worries with my followers, because they would ask the obvious question: what makes me suspect Calixto in the first place?
Well, I have no idea if Calixto is involved in this, but I will go in and take another look at that chest.
I pick the lock to the house door.
I tell the girls to wait outside, and go in.
I see Calixto lying on his bed, sleeping.
My sixth sense tells me I have to kill him. He is the murderer. He has to be. Very slowly, careful not to make any noise, I pull out my enchanted dagger.
I swiftly stab Calixto. He's dead. Gods help me if I'm wrong about this!
I search Calixto thoroughly and find a key. You won't believe where he has hidden it! For that matter, I can hardly believe I thought of looking in a place like that.
With my hands shaking, I walk up to the mysterious chest. The key fits. It fits!!
I open the chest and find a diary:
The diary reveals Calixto has been cutting out various body parts from murdered women
in order to assemble a new body for his dead sister and bring her back to life.
in order to assemble a new body for his dead sister and bring her back to life.
Well, what do you call that? Bullseye , I think, is the word. Or was it jackpot ? Jackeye ? Something like that. My intuition was right! We got the serial killer! Well, after a little reflection, I realize my "intuition" was in fact my higher self knowing something from his experience from a parallel universe or something. He used that knowledge to guide me in order to spare the lives of innocent women in Windhelm. I thank him in my thoughts, but I don't know if he's hearing me. Or, come to think of it, I'm certain he does. But I'm digressing. I was about to say that with the murderer found and executed, 90% of my job is done. But of course it would be proper to forward the evidence to the authorities and let them inform the public that the danger is over.
I am, as you remember, a little reluctant to go to the palace, because I'm still too embarrassed to look into the eyes of those two guards who saw me in that unusual situation. So, after showing my girls the diary, I go looking for Viola. She happens to be taking a stroll between the inn and the palace. As soon as she notices me, she approaches, urging me to come along to Hjerim and look for clues together. We still have time, she says, so she can be at home by midnight or so. I stop her, um, disquisition, and show her the diary. She takes her time on... well, commenting on it. I have to practically wrench it out of her hands when I see the steward Jorleif passing by. This is my chance to talk to him without showing myself in the palace!
Jorleif is most impressed. I won't bother you with his speech of praise and admiration. He takes the diary. I ask him what's going to happen to the two houses. He says Hjerim is not for sale at the moment. The family has some plans with it which I don't need to know about. But Calixto's house will be confiscated by the city now and I could have it for 4500 septims.
After some counsel with my girls, I decide to take it. In front of the witnesses, I give the steward the money and we agree to take care of the paperwork tomorrow. By now it's almost 11 o'clock, just the right time to go to our new home and get some sleep.
Those hideous skulls need to be thrown away, of course, but it can wait until tomorrow morning.
next awakening
return to the table of contents
