Death was not something I had ever dealt with very well, not enjoying to kill and specially not risking myself… yet in this cursed land it seems that's all that happens.

Farengar’s words made me shiver as I made my way into the Great Hall and instinctively moved to the sun.

‘How long until it ends?’, I thought miserably. I can't get back to Cyrodiil with the Thalmor having an excuse to search for me and the guild wouldn't offer protection since my name had been compromised. It was a tangled mess.

"Where do you think you're going?" A potent voice shouted from the distance. It was Balgruuf.

I shook myself out of the trance, noticing my feet took me outside; gesturing Balgruuf I would take a second to breath fresh air. He simply pointed to a nearby guard and turned back to his throne.

The warm breeze of the late afternoon was blowing into Dragonsreach. I stood in the middle of a wooden bridge that connected the castle to the stairs downtown and below me a small moot was full of murky water.

From here I had a view of the whole city and even beyond it. Outside of the ramparts that protected Whiterun, miles of golden land were lush with wheat and other growing crops.

Down in the fields the people finished working as the sun went down and the landscape was dotted by their long shadows and many small buildings... Probably grain silos and some homes, each with its own little family inside.

To the North, a long silvery snake trailed on the horizon… It was that big stream that coursed through Riverwood and now continued its way out of the hold. Finally, there was a tower of stone in the opposite direction, south of the city, too far away for my eyes to confirm if it was manned.

All of it could go up in flames any day now, after that monster appeared in Helgen, signaling the end of an era for Skyrim, maybe for all of Tamriel. Not so long ago our biggest worry were the quarreling between the Empire and the elves… to think that mess was starting to look simpler.

Something rubbed against my leg, interrupting my contemplation.

It was a house cat, a little scrawny thing, gray and white furred with black spots on its back... it looked just like mine.

It didn't get scared when I gazed down... Likely too hungry to afford that. I rummaged one of my bags while the little cat regarded me with yellow eyes that were curious and hopeful.

I found a piece of dried meat, it wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

The poor creature took it from my hands voraciously and ran away with the first portion of good food it had found in a while. I knew that feeling.

Perhaps I should do something to help stop that blasted Dragon from destroying all this... It was only one so far, right? Perhaps if the city prepared…

The guardswoman, Hilda, was standing close by, watching. ‘Watching me.’ I reminded myself.

When our eyes met, she cleared her throat and said:

"The Jarl is expecting you, Dar’Aldair, don't keep him waiting."

Right, the Jarl. I nodded to her and walked inside.

...

A nord woman in steel armor was sitting in one of the tables with a blank look on her face as she ate loudly from a bowl. The sound made me loathe my current hunger and desire for food, but Balgruuf reclaimed my attention.

"Have you understood what Farengar explained?" He asked from his throne. Only Proventus, the steward, stood close by this time, both hands behind his back.

"Yes, although it sounds like a daunting task for a single man. It could take this one weeks to search that place and Farengar mentioned bandits." I explained to Balgruuf.

I felt much calmer than I was some hours ago. It was confusing, I should be scared to death by any logical measure.

"I told him so and add to it you could run away. Don't know where... but you wouldn't be the first to forsake duty to the empire." Balgruuf said.

Something had him worried, he looked stiff. "About the bandits... That's war for you, Khajiit. Since Ulfric started this madness all the holds have retreated their vigilance closer to their capital. Towns, outposts and ruins that used to be safe no longer are."

I heard about the War here during my last few days in Bruma. But it was supposed to be a small event, not what he said. And this Ulfric?

"Ulfric was the Stormcloak leader, yes? How did he start a war?" I asked. The history vein my parents had cultivated on me so long ago still pulsed with curiosity.

"He murderer our High King in his throne room, in front of his wife and using ancient magics. Slaughtered the man like an animal, without giving him a chance to defend his honor... And he still has the gall to call himself a 'True Nord'... That god-forsaken savage."

Balgruuf had frowned to my question but still conceded an answer charged with spite.

"He then ran from the city and started to rally troops for his cause. Stormcloak is his clan name, so it's the name his soldiers have taken."

Now I understood why the man was cuffed, gagged and blinded when he was being herded to the execution plaza... A powerful wizard was the rebel leader? Didn’t Nords mistrust magic? He interrupted my inner musings.

"Enough of that. If you remain some time here you'll learn more by yourself." He gestured to the woman in the table and she stood up, walking in our direction. "Khajiit, this is Lydia, a reliable warrior in service of my authority. She will join you in this journey... And keep an eye on you."

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She was a young lass, taller than me. Her dull eyes didn't promise much in the 'search ancient map' department, however she looked strong. Perhaps that would be enough to keep some heat off my back.

"Lead and I'll follow." She said, quite succinct.

I could see myself lacking sources of smart conversation in the near future, just like Farengar. I turned to the Jarl.

"This one plans to depart tomorrow to the town of Riverwood, from there we'll explore the nearby ruins." I told him hoping we were close to finish today’s talking. I just wanted to find an Inn to eat and rest.

"That's well and good Khajiit. But for now I want you to stay here, Proventus will ask you some questions… I’ll leave you with him." The Jarl stood up and gesturing Lydia, both left. She didn’t hesitate to take the bowl with her.

The balding steward moved from besides the throne. He was a short and thin man, wearing an impeccable blue jacket that complemented his paused and methodical movements.

He greeted me with a bow.

"Good evening, Dar’Aldair. Our dealing will be short, I keep a registry of all the warriors the council employs. Just some background check, if you will." Proventus said slowly and softly spoken. How did he avoid being roughed up by these brutes?

As much as the idea of being the center of these questions irked me, I couldn’t refuse at this time… Trying to hide my discomfort, I complied.

“Excellent. Let’s sit for a small meal while we speak, I’ll order the kitchens to bring us something. By your story I can tell you haven’t eaten anything since early in the morning.” Proventus made a flourished gesture to one of the large dinner tables, bowed again and left towards the hall entrance.

A feeling of uncertainty was creeping in the back of my head as I sat, feeling this little man had something going on that I wasn’t seeing. I could definitely tell by the Jarl’s comments and the steward’s own attention to details that he was the one that dealt with the undercurrents here…

Every politician in Cyrodiil had their own inconspicuous spy master lurking close to their heels and I could bet my tail Proventus was the one here.

He returned a minute later, an old woman with a silver platter followed him. The steward sat and she presented me an unexpected gift: A steaming bowl of what had to be Bruma’s Jugged Hare, a plate full of Colovian cornbread covered in sweet syrope and finally a bottle of bubbling, strong Bravil Mead.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Not even while living in the Imperial Province I could have all this in a single place… how could he possibly know my tastes?

My train of thought came to an abrupt halt when the smell of something maddeningly familiar reached my nose… the sweet mix, it had moon sugar on it.

That substance made every Khajiit quiver in pleasure, quite literally.

This Proventus wanted to butter me up and he wasn’t being subtle about it, and couldn’t have organized this from the kitchens just now, I realized.

I forced my attention away from the mouthwatering ‘small meal’ and saw the man was chewing on a large piece of pastry and had a glass of wine cupped in the other hand. He was smiling.

“By your reaction I can guess I measured you well, didn’t I?” He took a sip of wine, not removing his eyes from me. “Just wanted to make you feel at home after all that shouting, dragons and threats of jail time.”

My suspicion was growing exponentially. I cordially returned the smiled and started on the hare. ‘By all the gods, this is good.’ I had to make an effort to not behave like a starving beggar but the bowl was going to be empty pretty fast.

Proventus waited a reasonable time for an answer and when faced with the lack of it he continued to talk.

“There are two small topics we must discuss, first your association with the Cyrodiilic branch of the Thieves Guild.” I almost choked on a piece of meat at that. “And second, the likelihood you run away while on the task Jarl Balgruuf has assigned you.”

I swallowed hard, having a difficult time hiding my surprise. I had made no mentions of the guild since reaching Skyrim but he knew somehow.

“Thieves’ guild? No idea what you’re talking about, steward.” I tried to lie, then it dawned on me how that had gone with Balgruuf. Proventus just looked at me, waiting.

I sighed, frustrated.

“How?! Explain how and we can talk about it.”

“The ring you have piercing one of your ears has a small carving with a symbol of protection from the Guild. I noticed it when Jarl Balgruuf made that little nord ritual for the crowd, with the axe and the kneeling. We were close, remember?”

Dumbfounded I touched the ring in my left ear… It had been a gift from my father on my 14th birthday, a shy few years after the end of the Great War. Mother forbade it but he managed to weasel the idea in as “part of Khajiit culture” and appeared one day with the shiny jewel.

Under my finger tips I could feel the smooth texture of the ring interrupted in one point to reveal the engraving... I had no idea. In that moment, the loss of him struck me.

“I assume it was a gift from someone that liked you. No need to talk about it if you do not desire, but that’s how I knew… I only wish to discuss your ‘activities’ while in Whiterun.” Proventus said politely.

The feeling I was talking with someone way above my current abilities to handle this made the danger return. He had too much information and I had nothing.

I wished to end this talk before he could dissect me further and gestured him to continue while putting away the empty bowl.

“Very well, I’ll be through. You must know the Skyrim branch of the thieves guild is in shambles, a husk of what they used to be. If you commit a crime expect no solace from them nowhere in this province and specially not in Whiterun, they were abhorrently incompetent in this hold.” He changed his soft manners for the one of a winning businessman.

“That’s a very convincing deterrent… but this one didn’t plan on stealing from the people that already got their eyes on Khajiit and are ready to throw him into jail if he fail his ‘service to the land’, steward.”

He sighed and leaned in on the table... The candle fire made him look older “The Guild was a good tool for whoever knew how to use it, but they are gone now. I’m not trying to threaten you, only to protect you… As long as you are fulfilling these ‘services’ for the Jarl, you’re a part of Dragonsreach, like it or not.”

He was using the soft voice again. This kind of treatment was annoying me.

What kind of fool did he think I was? These people were proving to be worse than Cyrodilian nobles, tugging every string they could find to have their way. I reigned in my anger before answering.

“Why do you care? This one is just another criminal and this land wants Khajiit dead. The requested ‘job’ will be done and then I’ll leave.” I almost hissed at the end of it.

Proventus leaned back in his chair, watching me with a perfect mask of composure. “If you say so. But I doubt a common outlaw would have taken the decisions you have since the events in Helgen. I’m going to leave it at that… we still have to discuss about our second point.”

I dreaded to continue this conversation but before he could speak someone started yelling from the entrance of the Hall.

"Farengar! Farengar?!"

It was Irileth and she came running from out of the castle.

"There is a dragon attacking the southern outpost! I need your help at once!"

…