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The events on Solstheim had been revealed to me long before they actually happened. Dreams –prophetic ones- would occasionally grant me a glimpse into the future. They weren’t generally clear, but I was eventually able to piece together their meaning. I had them to thank for giving me the curiosity to actually visit the volcano-stricken island; the attack of the cultists had only served to pressure me even further. Now I found myself fully immersed in the unusual events surrounding the attempted return of my current opponent.

Miraak: the so-called First Dragonborn. He was harnessing the power of Solstheim’s sacred stones in an attempt to pull himself out of Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha. The man –if he could even be called one at this point- had already managed to corrupt the stones and use them to spread his influence across Solstheim… Through the air, ground, water, sun, beast, and the trees themselves. This had caused certain inhabitants to constantly work upon shrines around the stones. Most others only succumbed to his will when they went to sleep; whenever they let their guard down, they became vulnerable. I was curious if it would affect me as well, but I wasn’t willing to test that theory. If I was correct, I would no doubt awaken working on the last corrupted stone: the Tree stone, the one that stood in the center of Miraak’s temple.

Still, though, I knew I had to do something about Miraak. He frequently appeared to me and taunted me. This generally occurred when I slew a Dragon; when Miraak came, he would attempt to take the Dragon’s soul away from me. He had only succeeded once. As it turns out, our wills were almost a match for each other… But I had access to powers that Miraak didn’t.

Miraak’s appearances were merely an annoyance. If his intention was to anger me enough that I decided to kill him, then his plan was working. If not… Well, whatever the reason, I would still be the one to kill him. I wasn’t about to let the little [&@%!] get away from me.

Ah, but what if I took the opportunity to turn the game around on Miraak? It would be a great pleasure to be the one to utter various taunts and threats while being impossible to harm. I could turn this into a war of attrition… It was one already, really, but I could still fight back. The question was: how?

How indeed… Perhaps I would have to open myself to Miraak’s power after all. The best way to get at him was through the link that he had already formed. I couldn’t afford to sleep, though. The risk was simply too high.

No… I would have to go in to a state similar to sleep; similar, but with full control over my abilities. A trance of sorts. I can achieve something similar through meditation –it’s a little trick the Greybeards and Paarthurnax taught me. That would be the closest I could get to sleeping without actually being asleep. Yes… That would have to do.

The only question that remained was: where? Where should I attempt this? Near the Tree stone where I would be closest to Miraak’s influence (but most open to attack)? At Tel Mithryn where I could tap into Neloth’s power as a sort of backup (but where he would most likely nag me and scrutinize my every action)? Or in Severin Manor… The one place where I would be free of mortal observation (I had no doubt that Hermaeus Mora would be watching me; nothing could be hidden from him in his own realm).

Severin Manor would be the best choice. Since I was already there, it made things much simpler. I stood from my position at a table and went downstairs into the main bedroom. I sat on the bed and pulled Waking Dreams –the Black Book that led me to Miraak in the first place- out of my cloak. With a slight smirk on my face, I set the book down directly in front of me.

The soft drumming coming from the book filled my ears as I began to empty my mind and focus my power; my body relaxed and, soon, my heart began to beat in time with the drumming. My mental barriers slipped open –just enough to open myself to Miraak, but not enough for me to lose control- and I felt myself drifting. Vaguely, I sensed Waking Dreams opening itself in front of me. Perhaps Hermaeus Mora was allowing this to happen. It didn’t matter… I could hear Miraak. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem as though he could hear me. He could not feel my presence. This would come as quite the shock, then. Perfect.

Miraak appeared to be looking over a book. I could sense that he wasn’t paying that much attention to it. Instead, he was focused on the ways he could use my soul to pull himself from Hermaeus Mora’s grasp. He dreamed of freedom and rebellion. He wished to rule the world as the most powerful Dragonborn to ever exist. He had deluded himself into thinking that he could get away from Hermaeus Mora; the Daedric Prince found it amusing.

I let myself go further into the link. Eventually, I gained the transparent form that Miraak himself used to contact me. It was time for me to have some fun.

“There is only room on Nirn for one Dragonborn, Miraak, and that Dragonborn is not you,” the man jumped. The book he was holding fell to the ground as he turned to look at me. I could see a mixture of contempt and surprise in the black eyes that glittered behind his mask, “I will have your soul. I will have your life and your power. There is nothing you can do to stop me.”

For several moments, I swore I could hear his jaw working furiously behind his mask. It took him a while to find his voice and, when he did, he spoke with a snarl, “So… You have finally appeared to me. In Apocrypha. Perhaps I didn’t underestimate you after all.”

“Underestimate me? Oh, Miraak. You insult yourself. You have only managed to steal one Dragon soul from me. You are weak, Miraak. You have been trapped here for too long. You may have knowledge beyond mine, but you have no idea how to use that knowledge. It is, therefore, useless. Useless. What you have learned here will be of no use against me,” I could almost laugh at his comment; the fact that he still thought he would win was amusing.

“And yet you have only lived for… How long?”

“Nearly a thousand years, Miraak. A thousand years spent wandering Tamriel and Oblivion, honing my skills and gaining powers you could not hope to understand. You see, Miraak, knowledge gained from books is all well and good in a safe environment, but out in reality… It’s the experience that counts.”

He laughed derisively, “I have used Shouts you cannot possibly learn, Dragonborn. I can –and will- use them against you.”

“My name is Vulom Staadnau, Miraak,” I smiled, exposing my fangs to him, “You should know what that means. I do not need the Thu’um to bring you down. All I need,” I lifted my ghostly right hand to point at my head, “Is my brain. Remember: you cannot win. When Hermaeus Mora realizes that I am stronger, he will abandon you. You have no hope whatsoever.”

I could feel him seething with fury as I continued to smile mockingly at him. He refused to respond further and so I took that as my queue to leave. Of course, I couldn’t leave without taking one last stab at Miraak’s confidence.

“Farewell, Miraak. And remember… I’ll be coming for you.”

With that, I raised my mental barricades and tossed myself back into my body. Waking Dreams closed in front of me and, for a moment, I thought I heard it laugh. No doubt our antics provided Hermaeus Mora with some good entertainment. Ah, but surely he realized I would not be as gullible as Miraak? That may be what he wanted. Of course, who was I to resist a dance with a devil?

No matter. I had a task to do, here and now. I needed to take the book Neloth and I retrieved from the ruins of Nchardak to Storn. It seemed as though I would be seeing Miraak again rather soon. And that time would be the last… Guaranteed.

Name:Maeniwen
Age:20
Sex:Female
Race:Bosmer
Class:Assassain
Backstory: If i reveal it here, i'll have nothing to write so you'll have to read my stories. Mwahahaha! Or i cba to write it here in detail.

"Milady?" A breton asked the mistress of the manor as he entered the room. "Milady, it's time to get up." He said as he approached the sleeping noble. He walked over to the bedcovers and saw blood dripping down onto it. "By the eight!" He exclaimed before feeling a sharp object enter his back.

"Sssh." A woman uttered into the breton's ear. "You can visit the eight now but try not to let the other people know i'm here before you go. It would really be quite an inconvience and i only want to kill those that i've been paid." the woman whispered into his ear as she plunged the object deeper into his back.

"Murd..." He gasped before succumbing to his wounds. "You better have something worth nicking." The woman muttered as she pushed the dead man from the sharp object. "Here, take this back. I mean, it's good but it lacks a certain...quality." She told the two victims as she threw the cermonial letter opener onto the bed. She rummaged through the man's pockets and said "Tight arse." After finding a single septim.

She made her way towards the balacony and waited for someone to pass below it. "Come on, give me a soft landing." She uttered as she waited for a victim to pass.

A few minutes later, her wishes were answered. "Then i said, you want a raise? How about i sack you and evict your entire family?" An eldery noble told his friend. The woman unsheathed both elven daggers and jumped from the balcony.

The daggers pierced the necks of both bretons and cushioned her fall. "It's people like you that disgust me!" She told their lifeless corpses as she withdrew the bloody daggers from their necks. "And you don't even carry a coinpurse?!" She exclaimed after failing to find any septims on their corpses. She knew it was time to go and carefully snuck out of the large mansion in High rock.

One month later.......

"You're late." An altmer told the tired Bosmer that entered his house. "I'm sorry, i'll just tell the guards to hurry up next time." She retorted as she sat down at the wooden table and put her feet up. "Hey! Get your filthy boots off my table!" The Altmer ordered her. "Ciron, calm down. It's just a bit of mud." She causally told him as she looked at the cooking pot. "Just a bit of mud? I brought this with me from Alinor!" The middle aged elf told the young bosmer. "Right and you told Justicar moody [&@%!] that it would help with your duties to remove undesirables from Valenwood." She said to Ciron. "Oh shut up and give me your report." The Thalmor agent told the young Bosmer.

"Targets are dead and i killed two rich [&@%!] on my way out." The woman told Ciron. "Maeniwen, i've told you to kill only targets i assign you or out of self defence." Ciron said to Maeniwen whilst rubbing his forehead. "I know but people like them need to be silenced." She said to the altmer. "I know how you feel about people that abuse their status but we could have used them to aid our agenda in High Rock. Already, we have a few nobles that are willing to help us turn the province away from the empire." Ciron told her.

"Oh [&@%!] the dominion. All i want is a roof over my head, septims and food." Maeniwen told the elf. "You need greater ambitions." he told her as he set about making her some soup.

The clinks and clanks of hammers chizzling stone echoed in Lieth's head. She moved through the crowd of workers surrounding the Earth Stone, brows drawn together and eyes narrowed in search of her husband. Lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces, her desperation grew with every man she thought would be him--but turned out was not. The scent of strangeness and danger invaded her nostrils with a dusty gust of wind.

She'd returned to her room at the inn and to an empty bed with Vilkas nowhere in sight. But her keen tracking abilities led her to the Stone. She just knew that he worked somewhere near, brainwashed like the others on Solstheim who dared to fall asleep and found instead found themselves slaving away for Miraak.

"Vilkas!" The elf called out, her voice strained. Tears threatened at the corner of her eyes when she locked in on him just a few feet away from her, chipping away at the Stone. "Oh, no!"

She ran to his side and held a trembling hand up to her mouth. He stood in front of the Stone, his arms stretched out as he hammered away. His face void of emotion, he focused on his work and ignored her.

"Darling?" Lieth gulped. She'd told him not to sleep! They agreed to keep each other awake throughout the night until they were able to leave the cursed island the next morning. But thirst had driven her out of their room to go ask for an ale...and he'd slipped out of the tavern without her even noticing.

The others around them chanted to Miraak as they worked. Filled with life, but empty of who they were. Just like draugr...

"Vilkas, stop!" She pulled on his arm but shook her off and kept hammering. "Please, my love! You've got to stop! This isn't you! Oh, by the Gods!"

She looked into his craze-filled eyes. No one home.

Lieth took in a slow breath, and exhaled steady to control her nerves. Use force. She clenched her teeth and with all her strength, ripped the hammer out of his hand. The sudden move startled him a couple steps back from her, and he scowled.

"Stop it!" She yelled, and tossed the hammer to the ground. "You are Vilkas. A strong Nord warrior. You will not let Miraak defeat your mind."

He stared at her with a blank expression. "Here in his shrine...that they have forgotten..."

She slapped him across the face. "No. You will not fall to him."

Vilkas pressed his fingers into his reddened cheek. "What happened? Where am I?"

Lieth gasped and wrapped her arms around his waist. She stood on her toes and spread kisses over his face. "Thank you, Mara."

"Did I..." Horror widened his eyes.

"Yes. You fell asleep." She said and wiped away her tears. "Come. We must go now before we find ourselves in more trouble."

Vilkas frowned and his shoulders rose up to his ears. "I don't know what happened, love. I tried so hard to stay awake--"

"Shh, its alright." She said gave him another kiss. "I found you and we're together again."

She grabbed his wrist and looked deep into his eyes. Still not home. She shuddered.

"My things?" Vilkas blinked and scratched his head.

"They're at the inn."

"Oh. Is my good sword there?"

"Yes."

Vilkas nodded. "Good. I need to use it for something before we leave."

"Maeniwen, i have a job for you." Ciron told the bosmer as she walked into the kitchen. "Jeez,would greeting me be too much to ask?" She replied as she sat down at the smooth wooden table. "Oh jeeze, would it be too much for you to ask to remember who you owe your life to?" The altmer retored. "Touché." the women remarked as she dug into her porridge.

"I've been ordered to take care of some undesireables. They have been trying to turn the good people of Valenwood against us and the higher ups would like for them to disappear." Ciron informed the young bosmer as she ate her porridge. "Mmmhm." "How you make them disappear is completely up to you." He threw a small coinpurse at her and she caught it with her right hand. "Feels light." She said with a mouth full of porridge. "Watch the table!" He hissed as some of the porridge fell from her mouth. She wiped it off the table with the coinpurse. She swallowed the spoonful of porridge and said "I thought it was 20 thousand septims."

"It was but most of the payment went to the embassy to aid the effort." Ciron told her as he looked at his orders.

"Oh [&@%!]'s sake." She muttered under her breath. "This is the 10th [&@%!] time this has happened and i have half a mind to leave." She told him. "And where would you go? You have no-one and all it takes is for someone to tip off the authorities in Cyrodiil, High Rock,Hammerfell and what's left of that ashpit in Vvanderfell." Ciron causally told her.

"Oh [&@%!] off." She retorted as she finished her porridge. "You were lucky that i took pity on you. The others wanted to kill you but i convinced them that you weren't worth the magicka." He told her as he scratched the small beard on his golden chin. "I know. I'm just [&@%!] at the [&@%!] at the bloody embassy stealing credit for all of my damn work." The bosmer told her as she marched into her room. "I know but my hands are tied. If i start pressing for more septims, they may decide that i've turned against them." He reminded her.

"I'm not killing the [&@%!] untill i've rested." She informed her superior and guardian. "There's no rush and personally, i believe we should let them live a bit longer. It'll make for a much better example and the embassy curs will look bad for letting them turn people against the dominion." Ciron told Maeniwen as she shut the door.

A fortnight later......

Maeniwen slid her feet into the brown leather boots and slid her hands into the cloth gloves. Her daggers entered their sheathes and her arrows saw darkness as they entered the leather quiver. "I'm going out to kill some people. Want anything from the market?" She asked Ciron as he read the Lusty Argonian. "No thanks but try to avoid killing people that are not your targets this time." He replied as he put his feet up on his cushioned wooden footstall.

Maeniwen arrived at the market a few hours later and saw her targets. "People of Valenwood! The Altmer are lying to you! They view us as inferior elves and will turn against us when they have finished using our services. We need to strike before they strike at us! Join the resistance! Join the anti-dominion movement!" One of her bosmeri targets told the small crowd. "[&@%!], you'll just get killed!" "[&@%!] you, i'm joining them" "You're crazy!"

Maeniwen observed the area and noticed several places she could strike from. A very large tree was in the center of the market. The market itself was inside the forrest and had various stalls. She had noticed a loose branch above her targets and knew that a single arrow could convince it to fall. She debated which plan to use and elected to make a public example of the fools instead of stalking them.

She made her way towards the large tree and started to climb it using her daggers. "Hey! Get do..." A guard said before recieved an elven dagger to the throat. He fell onto the ground within seconds. "Damnit." Maeniwen uttered under her breath as she reached for something to grip. She found a hole in the tree and used it to support herself.

After 20 minutes of climbing, she carefully made her way across a thick branch and could not believe that the targets were still going on about resisting the Dominion. She had intended on killing them using her arrows but changed her mind after noticing a few guards were observing the bosmers. She narrowed her eyes as she readied her elven bow which was covered in black leather and looked at the crack in the branch she had spotted.

She released the arrow and carefully made her way towards the tree trunk. The arrow flew gracefully through the air and hit the weak branch. It gave way almost instantly and crushed her targets. The crowd went to help the targets but their efforts were in vain.

"Murderer." A guard uttered as he crouched beside his dead co-worker. "Not murderer. Murderers kill without any cause. I'm more of a... oh what's that word? Artist? No, oh well, the point is, i know what i am doing and don't kill for petty reasons where as you, my friend are already dead." Maeniwen told the guard before leaping from the tree trunk and plunged her dagger into his skull. "Thanks for looking after this." She told the first dead guard as she removed the dagger from his throat.


"I heard there was a rather nasty accident at the market earlier." Ciron said to Maeniwen as she entered the wooden door. "Quite. It's a shame that those men perished but they won't be missed." She told him as she shut the door and sat down at the table. "Supper's in the pot. Just heat it up when you want it." Ciron told her as he resumed reading the Lusty Argonian.

The woman sat alone in her ready room, reflecting on how she ended up having to write condolences for the families of eighteen of her crew, who died on their first mission, a training cruise. She looked away, a tear falling from her eye, as she walked to her replicator. "Tissue paper, please." The machine complied, and she began to wipe her eyes, as she looked out her window.

Her mind looked back, remembering the days before everything changed. In her dream, she walks down a street, her classes over for another day. He runs to catch up with her, the man she always wanted to be with, but could never approach.

"Estel! I thought we could walk together."

She turns to him, before her head drops. "Oh, you don't have to Tenteconar..."

"Nah, I want to. How is Sinyail these days?"

"He is fine."

"And you, Estel?"

"I'm... Look, what do you want?"

"You to tell me the truth. I know you like me."

"So?" She laughs, and stops walking. "I've got no chance..." He walks in front of her, and his lips touch hers in a kiss, which once the surprise is gotten over, she responds. "You are so wrong. Jennifere."

"How, how... How do you know my name..."

"Now who is out of his league. I know the truth. You aren't a peasant girl, you're royalty."

"Err... Well, yes, but..."

"It's alright, father told me. He says the Thalmor have found out about you, and told me to find you, to tell you to go before they finish what they started."

A look of fear grips her. "They'll kill him!"

"Only if they find out."

"They will..."

"Either way, you need to leave Jennifere." His tone changes. "I always liked you."

"Same. Umm, err, liked me liked me, or just liked me?"

"Depends on you."

"Liked you liked you." She blushes, before smoothing her skirt. He kisses her again. "Same."

She looks around, before embracing him. "Well, my life is over..."

"I wish we could always have been together."

"We could leave together, run away somewhere..."

"We both know why we can't."

"I know, you would be missed..."

"Father hired a Redguard ship to take you away, they will come to that beach house your family owned once. We got it all planned out."

"Why?"

"I love you, Jennifere."

"No one has ever told me that..."

"Well now, they have."

She laughs. "I guess."

"Please, I need you to go now, I don't know how long it will be before they arrive."

"I hope I will see you again."

She kisses him goodbye, and runs, as the dream fades.

"I never did find out what happened to him. I suppose... No, I don't want to think about it..." She sits down, and resumes her sorrowful task...

"Good news, you're getting the entire payment." Ciron told Maeniwen as she drank the juice made from grapeberries. "What's the catch?" She asked her guardian. "I want you to purge the entire embassy." Ciron told her as he read through a report. "Right and i'll kill the emperor." She retorted as she put the wooden cup down on the table. "That tongue of yours needs to be dulled before it gets you into trouble." Ciron advised the young woman.

"Yeah,yeah." She replied as she sharpened her daggers. "The higher ups believe that the embassy has fallen to corruption and want me to relieve them of their posts and to arrange for them to disappear. Naturally, i want you to handle it in your usual manner." He informed the elf as she looked at her dagger.

"Let me get straight, you want me to sneak into the embassy and dispose of everyone?" She asked Ciron. "Yes. It'll be tough but i know you are capable of it. Just remember what The Shadow taught you and remember to leave no witnesses." He told her as he started to gather up his records. "Naturally but i want all of their septims and for the credit to be mine." She told the middle aged elf. "Of course. I'll make sure that Alinor knows that it was Maeniwen of Valenwood that wiped out their entire embassy instead of a Justicar acting on their orders." He informed her. "[&@%!] you." Maeniwen uttered her breath.

3 weeks later......

Maeniwen arrived on the outskirts of the Thalmor Embassy. It was a large building full of Dominion troops and was situated in a former Imperial Legion outpost. It bore the signs of the Imperial Legion and nature constantly warred with it.

The bosmer slowly made her way towards the courtyard whilst crouching. She looked at the moss covered wall and saw that some of the bricks had fallen off. She knew the holes left behind would aid her if she chose to scale it. She probed the exterior of the embassy whilst remaining out of sight but failed to find any weaknesses in the building.

"Damn." She whispered in frustration. She knew it would be extremely risky but she had no other choice. She slowly scaled the wall and stopped as soon as she was near the top. "I've heard that Ciron agreed to..." Maeniwen heard before the soldier walked out of her hearing range.

"Ciron agreed to what?" she muttered as she risked a peek over the wall. "ah [&@%!]." She moaned after seeing 40 soldiers in the courtyard. "Well, what do we have here?" An altmer's voice said to the Bosmer. Maeniwen closed her eyes for a few seconds and knew she had been discovered. "Your death." Maeniwen told the Altmer before leaping off the wall with both daggers unsheathed.

The Altmer threw her against the wall with a telekinsis spell. The Bosmer groaned in pain as she smashed against the wall. "I have to admit, i didn't think the old man would come through." The elf told the young woman as he looked at her. She looked at him and saw that he was a Justicar. "I understand that you've been killing people under the dominion's orders. Well, on behalf of the dominion, i hereby place you under a..." The justicar said before recieving a dagger to the throat. "Ciron..." Maeniwen said as she slowly got up.

"you're a dead man." She added as she held her back. "I am if i believed you would get arrested by a lone Justicar." Ciron said as he emerged from the trees. "Maeniwen, give yourself up. I would hate to have to kill you." He said as he picked her up using magic.

"Never give up, is what you taught me!" She retorted as she kicked furiously in vain. "GUARDS!" Ciron yelled at the top of his voice and the sound of boots came running in their direction. Ciron threw her against a tree. She yelled out in pain as she crashed against the trunk of a large tree. "Just make this easier for yourself." Ciron warned her.

"Never! I'll will finish what you told me to....." Ciron unleashed some lightning at her and she yelled out in pain as her flesh began to burn. She writhed around on the ground and saw the world starting to fade from her.

The young tavern maid strutted down a lonesome alley, the only light coming from her torch. Her ankles hurt from a long shift at Candlehearth Hall. She needed to get new boots. These old ones had worn soles and were uncomfortable to work in. One more week until Elda paid her, then she could finally buy the sharp looking pair of leather boots she'd seen at the market a few days ago. Yes, the ones that laced up to the knees and made her feel sensual when she served ale to the customers. The prettier she felt, the more tips she made.

Susanna The-Wicked enjoyed her nightly walk home from the tavern on the empty streets of Windhelm. The crisp air made her walk fast but that just meant she'd be home to warm up a bowl of apple cabbage stew that much sooner. She smiled at the thought of having a full belly and crawling into her straw bed.

Footsteps echoed through the alley behind her. She stopped and turned around, holding up the torch so she could see better. Nothing, and no one.

“Skeevers.” She muttered and shook her head.

Susanna resumed her walk home. Although she heard talk of the murders in Windhelm all day long, she didn't let the nerves bother her. Talos would protect her. Besides, she'd walked home in the night for as long as she could remember.

The footsteps sounded closer to her. She swallowed and looked over her shoulder. Still nothing. Maybe instinct...but a chill went up the back of her neck.

“Hello?” She said, her hand clenched around the torch. She pressed her lips into a line. “Who's out there?”

The dark alley stood silent and cold. She swallowed again. Her stomach growled. Best she haste home. She turned around and the tip of an ebony dagger faced her. Its hilt blended into the black leather glove of the young woman who stared back at Susanna, her face cold as the alley they stood in.

Covered in a hooded black cloak, the petite woman smirked at the tavern maid.

“Hello.” She said softly. “Its lovely to see you outside the tavern, for once.”

“Fe-Felina?” Susanna let out a cracked laugh. “What are you doing out here? And why are you pointing your dagger at me?”

The Imperial smiled wide and revealed a straight set of white teeth. Her large blue eyes danced with an energy that made the Nord shiver. It irritated her that she'd been followed home by a customer who wanted to play a sick joke. She wouldn't tolerate it.

“Get that out of my face.” Susanna tried to push the girl's hand aside, but her stiff arm didn't budge.

“I'm here to kill you, dearest tavern wench.” Felina said, and took a step towards her victim. “The Dark Brotherhood calls.”

“Lies.”

“I don't tell lies.”

“But we're friends. You introduced me to your husband just yesterday.”

“I can't afford to feed him if I don't kill you.”

Susanna screamed for the guards but the assassin grabbed her by the throat with surprising strength. She tried to fend off the attack by using the torch to block the dagger, but Felina knocked it out of her hand and pushed her into a set of wooden barrels. They struggled for control of the dagger and rolled on the wet stones, a fury of blonde and black hair flying about. Grunts, punches, and one more screech for help.

Susanna The-Wicked put all her hope and strength into a fierce attempt to live, but her head hit the stones with a thud. Pain cracked through her skull and hot tears of panic trailed down her cheeks.

“No! Please!” She begged, but Felina's hands wrapped around her tense neck. Intense pressure cut off Susanna's breath, and she gasped for air when the strangling stopped. She stared into the evil eyes of the girl she'd served a drink to earlier that night.

Felina climbed on top of her, a crazy smile on her girlish face. “The guards can't hear you because they're sleeping.”

“Please! I have a sick mother--”

But Susanna's pleas were cut short by the ebony blade. Over and over again it cut through her tender belly, blood flying in the air that provided her last few breaths. Memories of her short life popped in and out of her mind as she died, wishing that she'd let Elda send her home early after all.

"Tell us where the rebels are"

"who do you work for?"

"What are your plans?"

Maeniwen woke up in a cold sweat and saw the familiar stone walls greeting her. "Ciron, you're dead. I'm going to kill everyone then i'll take my time killing you." She whispered under her breath as she felt the cold iron shackles digging into her wrists. She felt the burns all over her body starting to ache and knew she would have to endure it.

"You have 5 minutes sire." A soldier told a figure as they approached her cell. "Of course, but do not mention this to him or he will have us both relocated to the frozen oblivionhole that is Skyrim." A familar voice told the soldier. "Yes sire."

Ciron approached her cell and looked at the battered and bruised bosmer. He entered the cell and walked up the chained woman. "didn't know i was allowed visitors." Maeniwen commented whilst staring at her feet. "Just hold out for a bit longer." He whispered to her. "When i get free, i will kill you." She whispered back with a smile on her face. "Not if you value your life. All it takes is for me to accidentally over do it." He whispered to her as he grabbed her chin. "It's all part of the plan." He told her as he stared into her eyes.

Maeniwen saw that he wasn't lying by looking into his eyes. "You're a dead man." She told him before spitting at his face. "I tried to make this easier." Ciron told the elf as he got up. "The dominion can be merciful but you, my dear have elected the way of pain!" He said before punching her in the face.

Maeniwen felt something break and spat some of her blood at him. "It'll won't be quick." She promised him before recieving another punch to the face and ended up falling unconcious.


"Where are they?"

"It'll end if you tell us."

"Why are you here? What's your purpose?"


Maeniwen stared at her feet as her fresh burns and cuts continued to cause her pain and had resigned herself to her fate regardless of the Justicar's so called plan.

Two elves in golden glided armour entered her cell. "He wants to speak to you! Get up [&@%!] before i cut out your tongue." The soldier threatened the young bosmer. "I will stick my dagger up your arse and disembowel you then i'll kill him and wear his head as a trophy." She told the pair. The soldier slapped her whilst his companion undid the shackles. "Get up!" He ordered her after she fell onto the ground. "Make me." She told the soldier.

"Fine, have it yo....." He said before getting stabbed in the crotch. "Tut,tut,tut, didn't they teach you not to leave a weapon within my grasp?" Maeniwen asked the elf whilst his companion drew his blade. "You'll pay for th..." Maeniwen threw the elf's dagger at the soldier's throat and watched as he struggled in vain to remove it. "Now, it's been a few months since i've taken a life but i think if i move this sideways, it'll end your pain." Maeniwen said as she slowly move the blade sideways. The elf whimpered in pain as his lower area was sliced by the young woman.

"Ah, that's not it. Prehaps if i bring it down a bit, it'll end you." the Bosmer said with a sadistic smile on her face whilst sliding the sword down. "Ju...en...m.." He barely managed to get out whilst tears rolled down his cheeks as a result of the pain. "Ah, i remember, it's up." She told the Altmer and moved the sword upwards before pushing him onto the ground. "Sorry for breaking my promise boys but at least i killed you." She told the dead Altmeri soldiers.

After retrieving the keys from their corpses, she crouched and let out a low groan as the pain flared up in her. "[&@%!]." She uttered whilst clutching her stomach. "Come on, i can do this. Just slaughter them then writhe around in pain. Remember, pain is a weakness." She reminded herself as she punched the ground to try to deal with the pain.

She bit down on her lip as she slowly snuck out of the cell and saw two soldiers approaching. "Think he'll end her suffering?" "Nah, Ciron's a sick [&@%!]. I've heard he intends on cutting off her fingers and toes." "Glad it's not m.. wait, how the..." Maeniwen threw the bloodied blade at the soldier. He fell backwards after the sword pierced his skull and took the remaining soldier by surprised. The soldier swung at her but she rolled out of his way and gasped as the pain flared up. "You're getting me a raise!" He growled as he striked her her. She rolled forward and the soldier's sword hit the ground. "Really? That's the best you can do?" She said in a pained tone.

"You're a dead woman." The soldier calmly told the Bosmer as he moved towards her. She stood up and waited for him to strike. She moved out of the way as he thrusted his sword towards her tanned skin and kicked him in the gentlemen's area. "You [&@%!]!" The elf growled as he recoiled in pain. "Such vulgar language. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." She told the elf whilst trying to gain control of his sword.

She punched and kicked him with her free hand and foot. After a few seconds of fighting, the sword was now hers and she grinned at the elf. "You won't escape here alive. There's hundreds of us here and just one of you." He said to her as he stood up. "True but i don't intend on fighting them. Death works in the shadows and i work for death." She told him as she thrusted the elven blade into his right eye and watched as he fell backwards onto the ground.

"Argh." Maeniwen groaned as the pain flared up and leaned against the wall. "Potions." She muttered under her breath.

The Drums of War I like that you have her think of the repercussions of her choice. Great explanation of the struggle she has with choosing.

A Jagged Crown There was a point where she mentions striking down more of the enemy than the soldiers; it came off to me as a tad arrogant.

Battle at Whiterun I liked her show of defiance to Ulfric.

The Cold of the Pale Again, realism and display of the effects of battle/war – good touch. The bit about an Argonian not doing well in the wintry Pale was so true!

The Release of the Rift “Just more of the same: kill, travel, sleep, travel, kill… ”  The life of the Dragonborn – the life of a soldier, too.

The Siege of Windhelm “scent of the acrid stench of the ruins of war” I loved the wording here.

Hunt for the Dead Nice story. I especially liked the description of how she worked her magic and made the poison.

The hunter story – I liked the interplay between them.

The second werewolf story – Gruesome… Nice! Good Description! In the last sentence you did switch pronoun usage, but overall it was good. Interesting change from the journal format.

Ghost of the End The second paragraph came off as an infodump, and kind of dragged a bit. Otherwise, it was an… interesting story.

The first story with Miraak - Great imagery, I can envision the opening paragraph perfectly. I liked the touch about the stress grooves on Vilkas’ face. Absolutely love the emotion in this story, great work.

The second story (which I think you labeled #1) had awesome emotion, I loved it.

Felina’s story – “It irritated her that she'd been followed home by a customer who wanted to play a sick joke ” Haha, I don’t think Felina tells sick jokes ^_~ But wicked story, Dohva! I like the play on events.

Maeniwen’s first story – Cute! I liked this.

Maeniwen's hit Nice banter between her and Ciron. I liked the portrayal when she wasn’t concerned over spilling on his table.

The Purge I liked how you wrote this scene (though I admit I saw it coming). I like her personality – laid back, but with bite to her.

The Purge II I like how she escaped. Nice and bloody, haha.