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<\/p>\nContrary to what Delvin had told Brynjolf, Dardeh was not necessarily \u201chot and bothered\u201d to get to Dawnstar.\u00a0 Both of them were looking forward to learning the truth, to be sure, enough so that Roggi had suggested they leave that night rather than wait.\u00a0 Dragons, if there were any others on this side of the Rift, were unlikely to be out at night; bears and wolves barely qualified as a threat any longer; and the small groups of prowling bandits they might reasonably cross would be easily dealt with.\u00a0 Dardeh hadn\u2019t been concerned, in any event.<\/p>\n
No, it was Roggi who had been the most anxious to get to Dawnstar. He\u2019d pressed the issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we could stay in Honeyside again, but we could also stay in Kynesgrove on the way north.\u00a0 I like to take a look at the house when I pass through, anyway.\u00a0 It\u2019s the only thing left of our clan and I don\u2019t want to see it fall into disrepair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOk, Roggi, we\u2019ll move now. Besides,\u201d Dardeh had said, looking around at the interior of Honeyside, \u201cI think I feel a little strange about staying here right now, knowing who Andante might really be.\u201d<\/p>\n
They left not long after the meeting with Delvin, stopping only long enough to get a quick bite to eat at the Bee and Barb.\u00a0 Roggi had kept his ears wide open while they ate, silently, at one of the more out-of-the-way tables, and was disturbed by what he\u2019d heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you notice it?\u201d he asked Dardeh as they rounded the curve on the approach to Fort Greenwall.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone was really on edge.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I did.\u00a0 It\u2019s worse than when the dragons first appeared.\u00a0 I can understand it, too. A dragon is in one spot. You kill it, and it\u2019s gone.\u00a0 The sun is kind of there all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how we deal with this, Dar. Andante never so much as showed himself to be a vampire, to me, except that one night and that was by mistake. But if he\u2019s able to move around as freely as he can, day and night? That must mean that he\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026a lot stronger than anyone thought,\u201d Dardeh finished. \u201cAdd to that the fact that he\u2019s this guy everyone knows about and he\u2019s dangerous to start out with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi chuckled. \u201cHe was dangerous to start out with just because he\u2019s in the Dark Brotherhood, Dar. But you\u2019re right. Perdeti is known for a reason; even if he hasn\u2019t remembered who he is, or ever even had amnesia in the first place he\u2019s still dangerous. I don\u2019t know whether I have anything in me that could possibly take him down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dardeh smiled at him. \u201cYou keep forgetting that you\u2019re one of the people who has fought Alduin and lived to tell about it. And all the other dragons. And dragon priests. Don\u2019t sell yourself short, Roggi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, and a guy wearing robes and a cultist mask almost killed me. It only takes one mistake.\u00a0 But point taken, Dar,\u201d Roggi nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just a man. Or, rather, a vampire. We\u2019ve killed plenty of them, even strong ones. I have several things that could slow him down. One of them is fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi stopped, holding out an arm to stop Dardeh.\u00a0 \u201cListen, up ahead at the fort.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sounds of battle floated toward them on the slight breeze.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn,\u201d Dardeh growled. \u201cAt night? A battle, not just an ambush? What is it that these people don\u2019t understand about truce?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, but I think we should avoid the fort,\u201d Roggi said, dropping off the road to the right and beginning the long circle around to the northeast.<\/p>\n
They hadn\u2019t gone far when Dardeh grunted.\u00a0 He\u2019d been struck from behind by an arrow, but all it had done was surprise him as it bounced off his ebony armor.\u00a0 Both men turned to find a small pod of Imperial soldiers bearing down on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive Ulfric my regards!\u201d one of them shouted, raising a sword to strike Roggi.<\/p>\n
\u201cFUS- RO DAH!\u201d\u00a0 Dardeh\u2019s Shout echoed across the countryside and bounced off the fort, returning to them over and over.<\/p>\n
The man flew backwards head over feet and landed many lengths away, writhing as he struggled to draw air back into his lungs. Roggi didn\u2019t spend time watching him, though; he turned to draw his sword on the second of the soldiers attacking Dardeh.\u00a0 Dardeh was having no major issues blocking with his huge double-edged sword, but the blows were coming too quickly to give him time to press his own attack.\u00a0 Roggi ran forward and skewered one of the soldiers, then tossed him aside, the man\u2019s own weight serving to slide his body from the greatsword, cleaning it as it went.<\/p>\n
That break in the action had given Dardeh enough of an opening to use his own sword offensively, a back-and-forth slicing attack that had the soldier down, in ribbons, before the first man made it back to them.\u00a0 Roggi tsk\u2019d, blocked the man, and then slipped his greatsword behind the soldier\u2019s head, pulling it forward several times in quick succession until the sickening sound of neck bones shattering told them he\u2019d ended the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on, Roggi?\u201d Dardeh growled. \u201cI don\u2019t get it. We\u2019re not Stormcloaks. Unless you went back to Windhelm to rejoin on one of your trips and I just don\u2019t know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi snorted. \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around, checking for threats, and started moving north through the grasses once more. \u201cBesides, you\u2019re the one who said he\u2019d join that side.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRoggi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, I know. All I can think of is they\u2019re edgy because of everything else going on.\u00a0 It makes me edgy, too.\u00a0 Probably everything that moves out here looks like a Stormcloak to them. It doesn\u2019t help that I really, really look like a Nord.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. That\u2019s true enough. Well let\u2019s get going.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to get a couple of hours sleep in Kynesgrove before we continue.\u201d<\/p>\n
They were walking, tiredly, up to the door of Roggi\u2019s house before either of them spoke again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know it\u2019s just a matter of time,\u201d Roggi mumbled, unlocking the door and pushing it open.<\/p>\n
\u201cUlfric? Yeah. He\u2019s never going to give up trying to get that throne of his. And the Empire\u2019s never going to give up trying to stop him.\u00a0 All I did was postpone the inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, one problem at a time, my love,\u201d Roggi sighed. \u201cLet\u2019s get some sleep before we finish dealing with this one.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The next morning was as beautiful a day as they\u2019d seen in a long while.\u00a0 The sun was up, brilliant in Skyrim\u2019s icy blue skies. Roggi and Dardeh went to the inn for food, and to say hello to Iddra, and catch up on the news.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told me you had even more Redguard friends, Roggi,\u201d Iddra said as she rustled around behind the counter.<\/p>\n
Roggi swapped a glance with Dardeh, confused. Dardeh shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, some girl. She didn\u2019t even know you\u2019d gotten married, can you imagine that? Thought I was talking about Briinda when I told her you moved west after the wedding. You should have seen the look on her face.\u201d\u00a0 She stopped and clapped her hand over her mouth, staring at Dardeh with her eyes wide. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Dar,\u201d she said after a moment.<\/p>\n
Dardeh laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s ok. I know Roggi was married before, no need to be concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, phew,\u201d she said, her shoulders relaxing downward. \u201cSometimes I don\u2019t know when to keep my big mouth shut.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRedguard girl, Iddra?\u201d Roggi prodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. She said she was an old friend. Pretty thing, but kind of scary-looking at the same time.\u00a0 Those eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi\u2019s own eyes narrowed. \u201cWhat about them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were this pale, pale green color. And she was just scary. That girl\u2019s seen things. Anyway, she was looking for you. Didn\u2019t leave a name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi nodded. \u201cI think I know who you might mean. And yeah, I haven\u2019t seen her for a long time.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at Dardeh and nodded. \u201cAnyway, it\u2019s good to talk to you.\u00a0 Give my best to Kjeld.\u00a0 Both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
They left the inn to the sound of Iddra\u2019s laughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think, Dar?\u201d Roggi asked quietly as they started down the hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell it sounded like her description, alright. Would she have come all the way here looking for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi nodded. Oh yes, Dar. She came here looking for me every time she was nearby and I was not strong enough to say no to her. I\u2019m so glad those days are behind us.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I think so. If she was in Windhelm for some reason, she might well have done that. Or if she was on the way to Riften\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 He stopped, stock still, remembering the night he\u2019d last talked to Delvin by himself.<\/p>\n Dardeh was looking at him, curiously.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it? Did you remember\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n BOOM.<\/em><\/p>\n Startled, both of them looked up at the sky, saw the disc of the sun turn black.<\/p>\n BOOM.<\/em><\/p>\n The malevolent red explosion spread, then collapsed back into the sun as the waves of blackness raced across the sky.\u00a0 The chickens that wandered about outside Roggi\u2019s and Dravynea\u2019s houses ran for cover in their coops, and people outside cried out in fear.<\/p>\n \u201cAgain?\u201d Roggi said. \u201cWe can\u2019t even have sunshine? Dar, things are going to start dying if they don\u2019t have sun!\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh looked up and growled.\u00a0 \u201cYeah. \u00a0And people will starve. And then he won\u2019t have anyone left to take blood from. Is he not thinking straight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you think it\u2019s him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho else would it be, Roggi? Everything lines up too well. Everything we\u2019ve learned, including the fact that they came to borrow the Elder Scroll.\u00a0 They were looking for a bow from prophecy and they needed a scroll from prophecy.\u00a0 I think it has to be Andante.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVitus.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes. Whatever his name is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s important, Dar. I think that before he lost his memories, he was Vitus Perdeti, and he was as bad as everything we knew and have heard in rumors. Since he\u2019s been with the Guild, since he\u2019s been Andante, he\u2019s been\u2026 well, like anyone else in the Guild.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, bad is what you\u2019re saying,\u201d Dardeh said with a sarcastic grin.<\/p>\n \u201cYes but not dangerous. Not \u2018kill the world\u2019 bad, Dar. I think that\u2019s what he is, under it all, and I think it\u2019s come back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d better make the acquaintance of Sayma, then.\u00a0 Maybe she can do something to keep him contained long enough for us to get to him somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Roggi said, frowning and scurrying along the road.\u00a0 He shuddered, looking up at the sky. \u201cBy Ysmir this is ugly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is. I\u2019m glad I\u2019m with you. And I\u2019m glad Lydia and the girls are in Whiterun.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi looked at him and stopped cold. \u201cI sure hope they are, Dardeh. I hope they didn\u2019t start home early.\u00a0 Who knows what kinds of things come out under this sky.\u201d<\/p>\n They found out, shortly.<\/p>\n They made their way past the stables at Windhelm, and then west.\u00a0 They crossed the river, and climbed the steep hill beyond it, past the lumber mill, and along the riverside.\u00a0 Roggi looked behind them at one point and saw that the shadow of the darkened sun made the mists atop a nearby mountain seem like an inky black smoke roiling down from its summit.\u00a0 He shuddered.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unnatural.<\/em><\/p>\n He didn\u2019t have time to ponder it further, though, because the familiar snorts and howls of a troll burst from the hillside just in front of them.<\/p>\n \u201cFrost troll,\u201d Dardeh called to him. \u201cWatch out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on it,\u201d he said, pulling his sword around to the front.\u00a0 He was about to rush to attack when he stopped, stunned by the sight of no fewer than three Death hounds attacking the troll.\u00a0 It roared, and howled, and swiped one of the hounds to the side, killing it.\u00a0 Then it looked up, saw Dardeh, and started toward him in spite of the two hounds nipping at its legs.<\/p>\n \u201cFUS- RO DAH!\u201d<\/p>\n The force of Dardeh\u2019s Shout caught the troll and threw it backward.\u00a0 Roggi and Dardeh rushed forward, each of them targeting one of the remaining Hounds.\u00a0 Roggi found it a challenge, fighting this creature; it was short enough that his blocks were mostly too high, and quick enough that his sword strikes were too slow.\u00a0 He kept circling, though, sliding backward down the hill, dancing out of the reach of the hound\u2019s deadly-looking teeth. Eventually he found that he was standing just enough beneath the elevation the creature was on that he was able to use the full-force vertical strike he\u2019d practiced for years.\u00a0 The dog dropped, and Roggi whipped around to see Dardeh polish off the other.<\/p>\n Then the troll, which had finally regained its footing, came at them.\u00a0 Roggi scrambled to make it back up the slope to Dardeh, but the path was icy, and his feet trampling the snow cover and slipping down the hill had made it icier.\u00a0 He stopped, watching in awe as Dardeh showed why his Shouts weren\u2019t the only reason he\u2019d succeeded in removing Miraak and defeating Alduin.\u00a0 He had crossed his swords before his body, but turned slightly, so that his left shoulder was facing the troll.\u00a0 He brought the massive, double-edged ebony blade in his right hand up over his head and brought it down in an overhand stab, a deep-throated roaring that had nothing to do with being Dragonborn erupting from him as he drove the blade through the troll\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n Roggi quietly sheathed his greatsword and waited for Dardeh to pull his sword free.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was really something,\u201d he said when Dardeh returned to his side.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well,\u201d Dardeh replied. \u201cI\u2019m mad, I guess. Death hounds out on the road. What if it had been somebody\u2019s family passing by and not the two of us?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi smiled at him.<\/p>\n And this is just another reason why I love you, Dardeh at-Dadarh. Worried about our girls. Lydia knows how to protect them. I wouldn\u2019t care for anyone\u2019s chances who got in her way, especially if they threatened the kids.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll be alright, Dar. I just know it.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh\u2019s face looked like a storm cloud.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll be alright if we get rid of the problem, Roggi, and I don\u2019t much like the idea of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cNeither do I. No matter what we do, someone is going to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n They set out toward Dawnstar once more, watching the eerie red sun begin to slide down behind the horizon.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d Roggi said, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to place bets on anyone who might get on the wrong side of you, Dar.\u00a0 For a guy who keeps saying he doesn\u2019t like killing and won\u2019t take sides, you wield a mean sword.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh chuckled. \u201cWell, it\u2019s like this. Searching for my sister has had me running across all manner of bad sorts.\u00a0 And then there was the small business of Miraak and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n He grinned at Roggi, and then surprised him by lunging at him.<\/p>\n \u201cCome here, husband,\u201d he said, grabbing Roggi by the waist and pulling him close for a quick kiss. \u201cThere. That\u2019s what you get for teasing me about my fighting style.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be sure to think up some more things to say, in that case.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, wait until we get to Dawnstar and can find the inn. It\u2019s cold out here. If my fingers get any colder I won\u2019t be able to hold a weapon. And you sure don\u2019t want them holding you.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi shuddered dramatically and snickered. \u201cCertainly not.\u00a0 But it doesn\u2019t matter. We need to get this over with.\u201d<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The sun had fully set by the time they reached the house just off the road out of Dawnstar. Roggi looked up at the sky and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s lighter out now than it was before the sun set. We really have to do something about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n They had gone to the inn and rented a room, as Dardeh had asked. Roggi paid for the room, making certain that the amount of coin he was sliding across the counter was a great deal more than the price of the accommodations.\u00a0 The red-haired Nord on the receiving end of the payment had been in the middle of a rambling statement about food, drink, and nightmares, but stopped short, looked at the amount of coin before him, and looked back up at Roggi with narrowed eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve given me too much, here, sir. I appreciate a tip, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell I was hoping you could point me in the direction of an old friend, and I wouldn\u2019t expect you to do such a thing without some sort of compensation. Not even Ulfric Stormcloak would have asked such a thing of me, so I wouldn\u2019t ask it of you.\u201d<\/p>\n The Nord leaned forward, and his voice dropped to a whisper.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know Ulfric Stormcloak<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Better than most. I could tell tales\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAye, indeed I do. I used to work for him, some years back. If not for the battle wound I might still be there.\u201d Roggi shifted his shoulders and made an exaggerated wince. And I\u2019m carrying a greatsword. I wonder whether this man is stupid enough to fall for it. Not that I haven\u2019t been wounded often enough, but unless you call the edge of Ulfric\u2019s table a battle wound…<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell, now. That\u2019s quite something. Who is it that you\u2019re looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi smiled. \u201cHer name is Sayma. Sayma Sendu. We go way back but I lost track of her, and then just recently heard she might be here. My husband and I were passing through and I hoped I might be able to stop and catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n The innkeeper glanced at Dardeh, who was seated at one of the long tables, munching on a bit of bread. \u201cThat\u2019s your husband? Relative of Sayma\u2019s, maybe? They look alike.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi smiled. Right. They look alike because they both have brown skin, you ignorant Nord?<\/em> \u201cYes, and yes. So do you know where she lives now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do. I wouldn\u2019t tell this to just anybody but\u2026\u201d he looked down again at the pile of coin, and then swept it off the counter into his hand.\u00a0 \u201cIf you came in from the south you passed it. A little farmhouse, just up around the corner from here. At least it used to be a farm. The former owners let the farm go, but it makes a nice place for the girl. She bought it not long ago.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what she does during the day but she does seem to make plenty of money, and spends enough of it in town that people like her.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi laughed internally. Money does make a person likeable.\u00a0 I wonder if Andante spreads his around here when he\u2019s in town.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell I thank you. We\u2019ll come back to use that room we rented after we\u2019ve caught up. Thanks for the hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n The innkeeper nodded. \u201cIf you come back late, well, uh\u2026 try to keep it down. People have been having a hard time gettin\u2019 a decent night\u2019s sleep around here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill do.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi nodded to Dardeh, and led him outside.\u00a0 \u201cBack the way we came, but not too far.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoggi, I\u2019m really kind of nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve met her before, Dar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes but I didn\u2019t know she was my sister back then. Only hoped that she was.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi had smiled at Dardeh, and put one arm around him for a quick squeeze. \u201cIt\u2019ll be alright, my love. Picture how awkward this is going to be for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood point.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019d made the rest of the short walk in silence.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d he said, \u201cI guess this is it.\u201d\u00a0 He removed his leather helmet, then raised his hand and knocked at the door.\u00a0 Once, twice.<\/p>\n Nothing happened for a few moments. The two men looked at each other; Dardeh opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the door swinging open.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I help\u2026\u201d Sayma stopped short as she saw Roggi\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Roggi and Sayma shared the culmination of something that had been many months in the making.\u00a0 He saw her shock, saw her register the fact that they\u2019d looked at each other not long before, in Riften, and that there was no way to deny that. He saw the moment in which she pondered fleeing, or slamming the door in his face, or pulling a knife; and it made him sad to see that in her eyes, no matter how briefly. But there was no question who this was. He\u2019d looked into these eyes before, even as pale as they now were.<\/p>\n It was silent for just a moment.<\/p>\n Roggi smiled, a tiny, half-hearted smile. Caught. Just like a rat in a trap.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFinally. You\u2019ve kept us all very busy for the last while trying to find you.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared at him for another long moment, clearly wrestling with what to say.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d Her voice was husky, as Galathil had said it would be.<\/p>\n \u201cOh come now. You know I wouldn\u2019t be here if I didn\u2019t know who you are. At least I hope you know that. You don\u2019t know everything there is to know about me, that\u2019s true; but enough to know I\u2019m not a fool. Just as we know enough about you to track you down. I feel really bad about having used Nilheim to find you, by the way, but I see that I was right to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n He watched her determination to pretend confusion dissolve. I have you, and you know it, Dag.<\/em> She frowned, then nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that was nothing more than a setup.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes flashed anger, and even from inside a different face Roggi knew their look. A part of him wanted to smile. Dag. I\u2019ve missed you.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI see I\u2019ve been cornered. You\u2019d better come inside, both of you. And keep your voices down. There\u2019s, uh, someone sleeping downstairs and I don\u2019t want to wake him up.\u201d<\/p>\n Him.<\/em> For just the tiniest moment Roggi felt a twinge of something unpleasant. Anger, perhaps; jealousy, perhaps. He nodded at Sayma. As she turned back into the house, he felt a squeeze on his arm, and turned to see Dardeh looking at him, his expression filled with nothing but concern.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n Roggi smiled. What am I even thinking. Look at this man. How am I so fortunate? <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI am now, Dar. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma was waiting for them inside, pacing nervously back and forth in front of the fireplace. \u00a0The room was full of the scents of the herbs both sweet and pungent hanging to dry here and there, as well as the almost spicy aroma of whatever wood supplied the fire. There was another scent here, too, that he couldn\u2019t identify; human, the smell of skin, but a lighter, cleaner smell than he recognized. There were a few bits and bobs decorating the mantle, and tucked into the corners of a bookcase near the door, but it wasn\u2019t the accumulation of time.\u00a0 She hasn\u2019t lived here that long.\u00a0 A few months at most.<\/em><\/p>\n Roggi looked at her, taking it in, aware of Dardeh watching him. Sayma\u2019s face was more regular than Dagnell\u2019s had been, more angular, less rounded.\u00a0 Her lips were fuller than Dagnell\u2019s, her nose slightly shorter, and her eyes were that startling, pale, yellowish-green rather than the hue of a field of new grass on a sunny day. Most startling, there was no scar marring her face. Her skin was smooth, unmarked, and beautiful. She looked sad, hardened.\u00a0 What is it that Iddra said? She\u2019s seen things. <\/em><\/p>\n She\u2019s stunning. She\u2019s so different. But it\u2019s her. <\/em><\/p>\n He slowly released a breath he hadn\u2019t realized he\u2019d been holding. Along with it, Roggi released a fear he hadn\u2019t realized he\u2019d been holding.\u00a0 There was always a chance, he thought, that I would see her and be taken again, the same way that there was a chance I\u2019d be taken by Ulfric again, too. A chance that I might have thought of pursing her yet again. I know myself well enough to realize that it was a possibility. I might have been weak, I might have fallen again, and I could never have forgiven myself if I had done such a thing to Dar.<\/p>\n But all I feel is sadness, and annoyance that she betrayed Brynjolf, and gratitude that I found the person I truly love. It\u2019s finally completely over.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou sound different,\u201d Roggi said quietly. \u201cAnd you look different, of course, but Galathil told me you would.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma put her hands on her hips and glared at him. \u201cShe<\/em> told you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yes. It\u2019s not as though we didn\u2019t have the thought ourselves, but she told us. Don\u2019t hold it against her. I have ways of getting people to tell me things,\u201d Roggi said.<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat, Roggi? What are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m talking about the fact that all of us have a great deal of information to share with each other. And I think you should be the one to start.\u201d Roggi sighed. He could tell that his tone had been getting harsh, and he didn\u2019t want that at all. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. All I want to know is why?\u201d he said, softly. \u201cWhy did you do this?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma shook her head.\u00a0 It was clear that she was about to argue with him when they were interrupted by the sound of Dardeh clearing his throat. He\u2019d been standing to the side, patiently, taking it all in but obviously waiting his turn anxiously.<\/p>\n This is even a bigger thing for him than it is for me.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI hate to butt in, but I have a question for you that I\u2019ve been waiting to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to ignore you,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi couldn\u2019t help it. He\u2019d been trying to fight down anger for a long time now: anger about being fooled when she\u2019d joined the Thieves Guild, anger and disappointment at himself for having walked away from her, anger over having not been able to stay away from her, and anger about having been the one who needed to keep Brynjolf alive. He couldn\u2019t stop the sarcastic dig that came out of his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, by the way,\u201d he said, \u201cthis is Dardeh. My husband.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma looked at him, and he immediately regretted having said it the way he had.\u00a0 The eyes weren\u2019t the deep, vibrant green that he remembered but they were most definitely Dagnell\u2019s eyes, and they told him that she was hurting.\u00a0 She nodded and looked back to Dardeh.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she said softly. \u201cHello. I heard that you\u2019d gotten married.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh waved his hand in front of his face impatiently.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Fought dragons, saved the world, got married to Roggi. Adopted children. We have two daughters. But none of that is important right now. I have a question for you.\u201d He studied her for a long moment. \u201cMay as well just spit it out. Are you really Dagnell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDardeh,\u201d she started.<\/p>\n \u201cThe discussion you\u2019ve been having with Roggi says yes, but I want to hear it from you. Tell me. Are you Dagnell?\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh had the Voice.\u00a0 He had grown up with a cavernous, resonant voice that had always commanded attention and that carried that same hint of power in it that Ulfric\u2019s had.\u00a0 That\u2019s why he rarely commanded, he\u2019d told Roggi so many times.\u00a0 But this was clearly different.<\/p>\n \u201cSayma.\u00a0 Tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes widened at the tone of it, but she accepted it. She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy gods.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded again.<\/p>\n Dardeh turned to Roggi.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026 I can\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi nodded and slipped an arm around Dardeh.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s ok, Dar.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi turned to Sayma. \u201cListen. You know we\u2019ve all been looking for you for such a long time. I have, Bryn has, Delvin, even Andante.\u201d Her eyebrows rose. \u201cYes, even him. Obviously he was part of our little scheme to find you. He had no idea who you were, as far as I know, until just recently. But how we found you, that\u2019s really not that important right this second. It\u2019s\u2026 Dar has something he needs to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh took a deep breath and stepped close to Sayma, then reached up toward her cheek.\u00a0 She flinched, but didn\u2019t move away.<\/p>\n \u201cWow. This is just\u2026 wow. Sayma.\u00a0 There\u2019s something major.\u00a0 If you\u2019re really Dag.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I am. Or at least I was,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n Dardeh ran a thumb down the side of her cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cI met Dag, in Whiterun, the same day I met the man I love.\u201d He swapped a quick glance with Roggi and smiled. \u201cI told her that I was looking for someone. For my sister. I was\u2026 looking for a woman with a scar and green eyes and I met a woman with a scar and green eyes. She never gave me her name. If she had I could have told her then, that the sister I was looking for was named Dagnell.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s face froze. She walked to the corner of the room, then turned back to stare at Dardeh.<\/p>\n \u201cYou \u2026 what?\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh murmured the words he\u2019d said thousands of times, across half of Tamriel, looking for her.<\/p>\n \u201cMy sister. Half-sister.\u00a0 We have the same father, but my mother was Nord.\u00a0 My father was married to a Redguard woman.\u00a0 They lived on Stros M\u2019Kai and they had a little girl named Dagnell.\u00a0 They were killed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn a bandit raid,\u201d Sayma said, faintly.<\/p>\n He nodded. \u201cAnd the little girl grew up in Port Hunding and had a scuffle that left her with a scar on her face.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma stared at him in wonder.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd your father\u2019s name is..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDadarh at-Jine. He looked just like me, only darker \u2013 darker skin, dark hair.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s hand went to her mouth for a moment, and her eyes brimmed with moisture. She stared at Dardeh. \u201cThat was my father. Dadarh. Yes. Yes, I can see it. It\u2019s been a long time since he died but yes. I thought there was something familiar about you when we first met, but I couldn\u2019t place it. You\u2019re\u2026 my brother. You really are<\/em>\u2026my brother. It wasn\u2019t just wishful thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been looking for you ever since my mother died. She\u2019s the one who told me you exist. You\u2019re\u2026 my only living relative. If it was wishful thinking for you, that I was your brother, well that makes me very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled, the big happy smile that Roggi loved so much.<\/p>\n \u201cI went all the way to Stros M\u2019Kai looking for you. And all the way up High Rock. I don\u2019t know if you remember the young mother with the twins, but she remembered you.\u00a0 They were fat and squirmy when I met them. They\u2019re probably running around terrorizing their neighbors by now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh my gods,\u201d Sayma said, her voice cracking. \u201cI need to sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood choice,\u201d Roggi murmured. \u201cWe have a great deal to talk about. Starting,\u201d he said with a chuckle, \u201cwith the rather uncomfortable fact that I am now your brother-in-law, Dag.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh. Oh dear,\u201d she said faintly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I thought you might see it that way. We\u2019re nothing if not an unconventional family, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him and smiled, faintly. \u201cI stopped by your house, a little while ago, on my way to Riften.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. Iddra told us all about the Redguard girl who didn\u2019t know we\u2019d gotten married.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s gaze dropped for a moment. \u201cI was\u2026 surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo more so than we were to find out you were the Listener. Dark Brotherhood, Dag. I don\u2019t even know where to start with that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh. So you figured that out as well. It must have been Andante.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Roggi looked at Dardeh, who seemed ready to start talking about Andante; but he shook his head. Later, Dar. One thing at a time.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2026 why, Dag?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma looked up at Roggi, her eyes sad.<\/p>\n \u201cSayma. Dag\u2019s gone now, Roggi.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cI would try to explain it, but I don\u2019t know how. It\u2019s so complicated. I\u2026 things started happening to me, just before I killed Mercer Frey. All the killing. You can\u2019t have something as strange as this happen to you without being changed forever. I don\u2019t know how to reconcile it with anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi and Dardeh locked eyes. Yes, we both know this feeling, don\u2019t we, Dar?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Dardeh murmured. \u201cIt must be just about as strange as finding out you can absorb the soul of a dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n Her gaze snapped to his. \u201cThat\u2019s right. I\u2019d forgotten. You\u2019re the Dragonborn.\u201d<\/p>\n He smirked. \u201cIt\u2019s a little hard to forget if you\u2019re on this end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a great many things to talk about, Sayma,\u201d Roggi said slowly. \u201cThey\u2019re all complicated, and some of them hurt. We\u2019ll be talking about it for a long time. The three of us, and others as well.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked up at him in alarm. \u201cYou can\u2019t tell Brynjolf, Roggi. You just can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t. But you can. And you have to. You owe it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh laughed. \u201cBryn, kill you? Don\u2019t make me laugh. He\u2019s been trying to find you ever since you left, to hear Roggi tell it.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s true. If even Andante is willing to help him with it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s eyes narrowed yet again. \u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi opened his mouth, but Dardeh answered for them. \u201cIt\u2019s not for us to say, Sayma. But trust us. You know Andante, and you know he wouldn\u2019t do anything if it wasn\u2019t something he thought was important, right?\u201d<\/p>\n She considered that for a moment, then nodded slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything else is for Brynjolf to tell you about.\u201d<\/p>\n This is going to be hard, isn\u2019t it.\u00a0 I am not looking forward to it.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s late,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been walking for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he reached out and took Sayma\u2019s arm in a grip that he knew was probably too strong, probably a bit too threatening.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t run away again, Dag. Sayma. There are too many things to sort out and too many people who want to see you again. \u00a0We\u2019d find you if you did try to run, because this time we wouldn\u2019t be caught by surprise. You can\u2019t go back to Galathil. She knows better, and Delvin has his eyes on her. And besides. There\u2019s no reason to run away. We\u2019ll come see you again tomorrow. Yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 She rose from her chair and walked toward the door.<\/p>\n \u201cRoggi?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow is Brynjolf? I didn\u2019t see him the last time I was in Riften.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s\u2026 well. He wasn\u2019t, after you left. But he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe came to our wedding,\u201d Dardeh added, chuckling. \u201cYou never saw a guy so surprised and cover it so well. He looks good, Sayma. In fact I think he looks younger, somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi stared at Sayma, trying to make certain that she understood.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Roggi. I won\u2019t leave. I can\u2019t leave. There are things keeping me here now.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh. The \u2018he\u2019 sleeping downstairs.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAlright. We\u2019ll talk tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi and Dardeh left and began the cold walk back toward the inn.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe it, Roggi. \u00a0We found her! I have a sister!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 And I have\u2026\u201d he trailed off.<\/p>\n Dardeh stopped them and turned Roggi to face him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have what?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi smiled. \u201cI have a husband who I love very much.\u00a0 And another thing that I can finally put behind me. Thank you, Dar.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh pulled him close. They stood there, silent, for just a moment or two. Then they smiled at each other and melted into a kiss.<\/p>\n If they\u2019d been paying attention, they might have seen Sayma watching them from her door, a sad expression on her face.<\/p>\n Contrary to what Delvin had told Brynjolf, Dardeh was not necessarily \u201chot and bothered\u201d to get to Dawnstar.\u00a0 Both of them were looking forward to learning the truth, to be sure, enough so that Roggi had suggested they leave that night rather than wait.\u00a0 Dragons, if there were any others on this side of the … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/3-2-21-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart II: Counterpoint<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"