[i]25th of Sun's Height, Sunset - Windpeak Inn[/i] [hr] Sagax arrived back at Windpeak eventually, but he probably took more time than Piper would have liked. He had spent a good while simply walking the streets of Dawnstar, trying to get all his thoughts together. He had questions, questions like "Why the hell has my sister left the Imperial City?", and "What am I going to do?". Unfortunately, he would only receive an answer to the first question. Sitting down with Piper, Sagax spoke before she could even flinch. "Why did you follow me here, Piper?" He tried to make himself sound as stern as possible, something he had tried and failed at before with his sister; she was simply sterner, not to mention hard-headed. The Imperial had already abandoned the possibility of getting Piper to go back home, but he at least wanted a straight explanation for her actions. Leaning back in her chair with arms crossed, Piper responded simply. "I heard you guys were having trouble up here, so I thought I'd come and help." She looked around absentmindedly, focusing on nothing in particular. One of her tells, of course, which Sagax was very familiar with, and she his. Not always an indicator that she was lying, but perhaps simply not telling him everything. "Right...so you waltzed all the way up here, to the very end of Skyrim, just because?" "Yes! That's exactly fucking it!" Piper shouted irritably. "Like I said, I'm here to make sure you can come back home in one piece! What, am I not allowed to give a shit about you or something!?" Glancing around at the curious eyes of the other patrons, Piper's voice rose further. "What the hell are you looking at!?" Getting Piper's attention and signaling for her to quiet down a bit, Sagax responded calmly. "Alright, alright I get it, and I'm happy that I got to see you again, but you didn't have to come down here armed to the teeth! Seriously, we're fine. I'm fi-" "Bullshit!" Piper said in a half-whisper, gritting her teeth and smacking the table with her palm. "I know what happened at Windhelm, Sagax! Everybody in Tamriel knows about the Demons!" Leaning in closer, she continued in a voice that mocked the calmness of her brother's. "I've also heard some stories. One that really, really stuck out to me was about some crazed man in Cyrodiilic leathers making a mad dash towards a frigate, just before it mysteriously exploded...have any idea who that was?" After a few moments of silence, Piper spoke up again. "Why don't you just start from the beginning, when you joined this company of yours?" Not really seeing any way out of his situation, Sagax began to retell the recent exploits of the merry band of mercenaries he signed on with. Piper's jaw seemed to drop lower and lower with every sentence. It didn't help that she kept asking for more details about everything; what could have taken ten minutes ended up stealing an hour away from them. When the tale was finally finished, Piper just rubbed her eyes and groaned. "What am I going to do with you, Sagax..." "See, I could kind of tolerate your hobby of climbing anything that was tall enough to kill you if you fell, but bombs, Sagax? I mean where did you guys even get those things, those arcane charges or whatever you called them?" "I don't know from where specifically, Ashav just told us they were for breaching the Forsworn gate. We didn't use all of them in the assault, and it would have been a waste to just sell them off..." "But why are you using them?" "Well, they've come in handy, and the company comes across a lot of very...problematic situations-" Sighing, Piper interjected. "No no no, Sagax, why are you using them? I mean you specifically. Why the hell do you keep getting sent off to do shit with those exploding death plates?" "Well..." Sagax began, "I'd say because Ashav not only values my skillset, but also knows how to make good use of it, so he sends me to sabotauge the enemy...which just so happens to mean 'use arcane charges to blow their ships sky high'." If one listened closely, they would make out a hint of pride in the man's voice. "You're a madman, Sagax, I swear. You belong in the fucking loony bin." Piper responded with an exasperated laugh. "Values your skillset? My ass. He's just using you, even if he does throw a coin your way every other blue moon. Don't even get me started on that bitch from earlier...these people aren't your friends, Sagax. Not a single one. The only people in this world that care about you are father, mother and I. You shouldn't trust these people with anything...bunch of liars, crooks and thieves they are." Piper's tone seethed with vitriol, something her brother had gotten used to a long time ago. She was just so filled with hate, and it never seemed to die down. Did her temperament worry Sagax? Sometimes, but he believed that if she would just let more people into her life, or give them a chance at least, she would be so much happier. So far, though, attempts to get Piper to open up had been entirely unsuccessful. Wouldn't stop Sagax from trying some more, though. "You're wrong, Piper, like you always are about people. The men and women in this company are a good sort. Harp on about whatever faults you find all you like, it won't change the truth, or what I think about the people around me." How many times have the two of them argued about this sort of thing? The tally was probably in the hundreds, and it ended the exact same way every time, with neither of them budging from their points of view. Sagax could cut with a knife the frustration radiating from Piper, and she could no doubt feel his judgmental eyes on her. After a solid minute of silence, Piper spoke suddenly. "It's getting late, we should get some sleep." There was always something to break off from the argument when it got awkwardly quiet, and Piper was always fairly good at finding it. "I've got us both rooms. I didn't come with much, but it was enough for that, at least. Right next to mine, just over there." Whether he liked it or not, Piper was there to stay, and there wasn't anything he could say or do to dissuade her. Choking down his desire to argue further, Sagax retired, getting a surprisingly quiet night of sleep. Perhaps the old man was too busy to pay a visit. [hr] [i]26th of Sun's Height, Morning - Windpeak Inn[/i] [hr] The sun was out, birds were singing, and wind quietly rattled the window of the room. It seemed to be a gentle morning, stress-free, and for that Sagax was grateful- [h3]"What the fuck!?"[/h3] Jolting upright, still half asleep and out of his armor, the Imperial was less than ready for the sudden noise that blasted through his door. Then came the banging and shouting for him to get up; it was Piper's voice, filled with a distress not common for her. Slipping on his boots and cloak, Sagax strode over to the door and flung it open hurriedly. Piper, in her own set of casual wear and with greatly disheveled hair, immediately grabbed her brother by the arm and lead him just outside of the inn. She then shoved a bit of paper into his hands and pointed to a specific area. "Read it!" "It" was the latest edition of the Tamrielic Gazette. What in the world was printed on the harmless piece of paper to make Piper's voice quake as it did? As he read, the answer became very, very clear to Sagax. [i] Caius Speculatus' wife, Equa, was taken into custody by the Penitus Occulatus. Official press briefing states the move is for Equa's own safety, as the suspected vampire Caius could be plotting to turn his family. However, some believe the move is to draw out Caius and the Seventh Estate from hiding.[/i] "They...they have mother!" he whispered unsteadily. Looking up, Sagax met his sister's frantic eyes. "What are we going to do? What can we even do!?" "I don't fucking know!" she responded, putting her head in her hands. "The caravan I got here with is gone, and it'd take me weeks to get back to the Imperial City on my own...fuck! Fuck, fuck...fucking fuck!" Seething silently for a few moments, Piper spoke up again after she was able to calm herself enough to speak sensibly. "Shit, even if I did go back, what the hell would I be able to do? I'd be thrown into a cell too! For her safety...bullshit! Who knows what those pig-heads are doing to her right now? And Varulae...they'll go for her next, I'm sure of it!" Piper looked back over to her brother for a moment, before gripping him by his shirt collar with both hands and nearly lifting Sagax clear off the ground. "I'm staying here; I won't lose you too, Sagax! Who the hell are you signed on with!? Ashav? Where is he!?" "He-he's busy! Besides, it's too late for you to sign on right now anyway! The investigation-" "What investigation? Who ordered it? The...Jarl, or whatever it is Counts are called here? Would they have me?" Releasing Sagax from her death grip, Piper allowed her brother to speak. "Um...well, I suppose he might? I've heard talk of the Jarl hiring on independents. You wouldn't be associated with our company, so you would most likely take orders from the Jarl himself and his representatives, but I would assume you'd be paid all the same and..." Before he could finish, Piper was already heading back inside Windpeak. "Grab your gear, Sagax! We need to be presentable!" [hr] [i]26th of Sun's Height, Late Morning - The White Hall[/i] [hr] With their first steps into the longhouse, Piper and Sagax could already feel watchful eyes upon them. Both kept their hands as far away from their blades as possible as they presented themselves before Jarl Skald, whose uninterested gaze turned into a scowl at the sight of Piper's shield. Skald's Housecarl, Jod, began a very warm welcoming speech. "You stand before the Jarl of Dawnstar, Skald Felgeif the Elder. While in his city and home, you will show him the proper respect befitting a Jarl. Keep your distance, your blades sheathed, and speak only when spoken to. The Jarl's word is law, and you will respect the law for as long as you remain in Dawnstar. Am I clear?" After a confirmation of understanding, Jod allowed the pair to come a few inches closer to the throne. "And what do you want, Imperial whelps?" The grumbling voice of the Jarl was filled with obvious disdain, in particular his emphasis on "Imperial". Perhaps purposefully not giving his guests a chance to respond, Skald almost immediately began speaking again. "Well? I haven't got all day! You Imperials, you spend too much damn time gawking when you should be getting on with your business..." Stepping forward, Piper bowed slightly out of begrudging respect. "My lord, I wish to lend my skills to you for the upcoming murder investigation. I have equipment and the training to match, and I have the skill to hunt down and drag the culprit to your throne begging for forgiveness." "Oh goodie, another Imperial meddling in Dawnstar's business...fine! With any luck, maybe you'll end up the same as that accursed piss-skin..." Clapping his hands, Skald shouted at a corner where a tired-looking man stood. "Bulfrek! Get over here! And bring me my quill! The good one!" Before he began writing, and without even looking up at Piper, Skald addressed the lass. "Oh, and it's Jarl to you, Imperial. There are no lords here in Skyrim, sitting in cushion-filled castles eating candies all day long..." After a few moments of scribbling, Skald handed off a sheet of paper to Jod, who then gave it to Piper, along with a dingy quill. "Sign at the bottom there, on the line. Your pay's listed at the very end of the terms...you do know how to read, don't you?" A very charming man, Skald was, and Piper was warming up to him oh so well; she even shared a friendly glare with the Jarl. She wanted to argue about her pay, which was an absolutely paltry sum, but figured she wouldn't get very far with the old codger, so she quietly signed her name. "There, congratulations, you're hired. Bye-bye, so long, farewell...no, really, get out. Or my Housecarl will escort you." Both Imperials left quietly and made their way back to Windpeak. Neither spoke much more; Piper was still seething about the recent news, while Sagax simply felt dejected. Would the situation get better at some point? Sagax felt pessimistic about the odds.