Dawnstar, Driftshade Refuge, Snowpoint Beacon, Hut: New Sentinel.

On Turdas I intended to take one of the two new Sentinel squads for a walk from Dawnstar to Driftshade Refuge. Once there we would deal with a large group of bandits and Silver Hands.

Not long after my return from Coldharbour, Rigmor and I had signed declarations that restricted how and when the Vigilants of Stendarr were to be used and removed their authority to kill or persecute without legal cause. Better co-operation between them and the Dawnguard demanded. Matters involving vampires were to be handled by the Dawnguard first. It was the first step in defining the role both groups would play in preparation for the Akaviri invasion.

Matters concerning lycanthropy were to be handled by the Dawnguard. Talks with Silver Hand members proved fruitless, and they refused to accept that not all Were-People were mindless monsters. For that reason, we outlawed the Silver Hand. They no longer had authority within the boundaries of The Empire to hunt, kill or persecute Were-People.

One group of Silver Hand had denied our authority and invited a large gang of bandits to come live with them in Driftshade Hollow, their headquarters in Skyrim. I asked Blackwell to find a suitable place as a training ground for the new Sentinel squad. A few days later he presented Driftshade Refuge as one of the options, so that was the main target of Turdas’ walk through the frozen countryside of Dawnstar Hold.

Bandits should not prove a problem for The Sentinel. In a squad of four, they should be able to handle dozens at a time as long as there is synergy in their attack and defence. Individually they are some of the finest melee and magic fighters in Tamriel and have only improved under the ‘gentle’ training of Lydia and the other Sentinel. Developing the synergy required if they are to survive being outnumbered by people and things far more potent than bandits, can only be achieved through field experience.

Here is a brief introduction to the four members of this squad:

ILLIA

Illia is an Imperial Spellsword.

Soon after becoming Thane of Riften, some guards approached and told me about Darklight Tower. They thought it had become a refuge for a large number of necromancers. Myself, Lydia, Meeko and Iona decided to check it out.

Illia was there and asked me to help kill her mother, Silvia. Illia and Silvia were part of a coven which lived in Darklight Tower. The coven consisted of many witches and several powerful hagraven.

Illia had participated in many dark rituals then one day Silvia ordered her to find a human sacrifice. Silvia wanted to transform into a hagraven, and a sacrifice was needed to complete the ritual.

Illia desperately wanted to leave the coven as she was not power-hungry or evil like her mother and the rest. She could not remain anyway if she refused to find an innocent for sacrifice. She could not let another member of the coven obtain a sacrifice for Silvia. She could not allow her mother to become a monster. Her solution was to kill her mother and any coven members who got in her way.

I agreed to help Illia as I saw she was a kind soul and would probably die trying to achieve what she needed to do without assistance.

We travelled up the many floors of the tower and killed dozens of witches and many hagraven. Near the top Silvia told me her plan. I was to act as a sacrifice. The plan required leaving the others below and for me to give up my weapons.  Illia and I would travel to the very top where her mother awaited. When Silvia was concentrating on the dark ritual, Illia would attack her. I would join in and together defeat the witch. I used my gut instincts and decided to trust Illia.

Her plan worked, and we killed Silvia. I then told Illia she is welcome to join my growing party of companions. She said she wanted to go to The College of Winterhold and learn other Schools of Magicka other than Necromancy. I told her she could join me whenever she wished after she had completed her studies.

Years later, Illia presented herself for consideration as a Sentinel. She passed all the scrutiny and processes involved and is now the mage for this Sentinel Squad. Like all Sentinel mages, she has trained in one-handed combat. She is a now a mage that can chop people up, a Spellsword.

PLUE KAIYOTE

Plue is a young Redguard from the Rihad province of Hammerfell. Unlike most of her countrymen, she prefers a straight sword rather than a scimitar. She specialises in two-handed weapons and has come to us with a sword that is part of her story.

The Great War ended with the signing of the White-Gold Concordat. Part of that treaty was the cession of a large part of Southern Hammerfell to the Aldmeri Dominion. It was the same land that the idiot Assclown had demanded be returned to the Dominion when he embarrassed himself at our coronation!

It was also the land that Ragnar, Rigmor’s father, had helped the Redguards reclaim from the Dominion after the Great War. Yngol and Casius both fought beside Ragnar during that five-year campaign.

The Redguard rightly thought cession of their land was a betrayal by The Empire. They continued to fight the Dominion forces, and this threatened the treaty. Many Empire soldiers who had been fighting alongside the Redguard also felt betrayed. Titus Mede II, in the hope that the Dominion would lose the fight for the ceded part of Hammerfell, declared all Legionnaires who wanted to keep fighting in that province as invalids, thereby releasing those troops from their terms of service. Since they were no longer part of the Imperial military, they were free to enlist in the Redguard armies. This offer resulted in most Imperial troops in Hammerfell voluntarily giving up their career in the Imperial Army so they could continue to fight beside their Redguard comrades against the Dominion.

Soon after that political move, Titus Mede II had no choice but to declare Hammerfell was no longer a province of The Empire. The Redguards had threatened to secede before then, so it was a political but mute action by the Emperor.

Casius had retired after the concordat was signed. He joined the resistance in Hammerfell instead of buying a mill as he had initially been intending to do. The day we met Casius, he gave Rigmor a detailed account of one particular incident that still haunts him.

When the White Gold-Concordat was signed, the Empire officially withdrew their troops from the region of Hammerfell they had ceded to the Dominion. When the Emperor declared Hammerfell was no longer a province, the Aldmeri Dominion, under the influence of the Thalmor, proceeded to slaughter the Redguard civilians in the ceded region as an act of genocide.

Casius was commander of a battalion that consisted mostly of these ‘invalid’ Legionnaires and volunteers like himself.  It had been conventional warfare up to that point and The Hammerfell Fifth Army, which Cassius’ battalion belonged to, was deep inside Dominion held territory. When the slaughter of the civilians started panic set in and a mass exodus from the region began. Casius found himself with a relatively small number of soldiers trying to protect many thousands of refugees.

Eventually they arrived at the deep and very wide Brema River. They were on one bank, and safety was on the other.

There were an inadequate number of vessels to transport the civilians across quickly. The Dominion troops descended upon them and started a systematic slaughter of all, including unarmed women and children.

Ragnar and his Nord Berserkers, The Sons of Talos, arrived, and although greatly outnumbered, routed the Dominion forces and returned the slaughter in kind.

Before Ragnar’s arrival many of Cassius’ men had been killed. One of them died protecting a young married couple expecting their first child. That soldier managed to kill several Dominion attackers before his wounds proved too much. In his last seconds of life, he handed his family’s sword to the male Redguard and told him to use it well.

The male Redguard had never fought before but soon learnt as he cut down Dominion troops while waiting to put his wife safely aboard one of the few boats.

Ragnar and his men scattered the Dominion troops before a boat was available, but their arrival saved the couple from the Dominion’s barbarity. That couple were Plue’s parents. The unborn child was her oldest brother.

Plue was born just after the Redguard finally defeated the Dominion forces and “The Second Treaty of Stros M’kai” was signed. That was 4E 180.

She grew up hearing the tales of the valiant Imperials and Nords that fought so bravely after The Empire abandoned Hammerfell. Many Redguard have little time or respect for The Empire. There is logical reasoning behind Titus Mede II’s decisions, but that counts little in a country that feels betrayed. The history of the troops Mede declared ‘invalid’, and the countless volunteers like Casius who fought beside them, has left a more favourable impression with most of the Hammerfell population. So Plue grew up respecting those brave men.

That respect is also the reason the Hammerfell leaders have not objected to Cassius’ camp remaining in their country.

Plue became fascinated with the sword the soldier had given her father. The sword they now regarded as their family heirloom. But her father never told her how it came to be in the family. It had the markings of the Empire on it, so became a mystery she was determined to solve.

Even though no longer part of The Empire, my journals still have a good-sized readership in Hammerfell. One day Plue found her father weeping. He was holding the journal containing the account of when Rigmor and I first met Cassius. When he read it, the suppressed horror came back to him, and he wept. While consoling him, Plue’s father finally told her the story of that day at the Brema River. It was no longer just a part of Hammerfell’s history; it was now part of hers.

Plue read my journals from their start to the last one published. When she read the account of Nagasel, she got her father’s permission and rushed to Casius’ camp to enlist in the Imperial army.

Casius looked at her sword and knew the soldier to whom it once belonged. In his usual style, he told Plue many stories of the brave soldier who, like him, had come from retirement to fight for her people.

My released journals have not yet covered our coronation. The politics are too current and not for public consumption for now. But Plue knew Rigmor and me were the ones that Casius had fought beside in Skyrim, Hammerfell and Cyrodiil. Our deeds, as written in the journals, made Rigmor a hero to her. She was the daughter of Ragnar, the man who had rescued her parents from certain death!

Casius asked Plue to show him how well she could handle the enormous sword. Several minutes of sparring told him she was exceptional. He suggested she come to the Imperial City and apply to be a Sentinel.

Her story touched both Rigmor and myself. We were delighted she proved to be Sentinel quality in both martial and moral areas. She had to improve her marksmanship quickly and did so with determination and persistence.

I took that slightly dented and battered old sword of hers and personally honed it and cleaned it till it looked like new and was probably sharper than it had ever been. After putting various Dweomer on it, I would say it is now one of the best weapons among The Sentinel. Rigmor was impressed with it, and there is no more prominent critic of two-handed swords in Tamriel!

Plue has no combat experience. Our trip to Driftshade refuge will probably involve her first experience of taking another person’s life. Both Rigmor and me are confident she can handle this last hurdle. She genuinely wants to be part of what we are trying to accomplish, so I hope she does.

NUBAREE

Nubaree is a female Argonian sword and board warrior. She was born in Gideon, Black Marsh.

Gideon is the closest major city of Black Marsh to Cyrodiil. Its inhabitants are far more cosmopolitan in outlook than the average Argonian.

Nubaree showed aptitude in several Schools of Magicka when younger. She moved to Skyrim and accepted into The College of Winterhold.

Nubaree has a sharp and agile mind, but her mage abilities are severely restricted by how much Magicka energy she can store inside herself. It is a common problem. Master Mages are not necessarily more powerful and certainly no more intelligent than many other mages. What they do have is the ability to store much more Magicka than Nubaree can.

Magicka storage is random at birth. You can increase it with artefacts and Dweomer. Even then only a relatively small percentage of mages can cast more than one or two of the most potent spells before their Magicka depletes entirely.

Being an Argonian in Skyrim, Nubaree found herself in combat with its racist elements regularly. Several times she almost ran out of Magicka while defending herself against those intent on murder or worse.

This frightened Nubaree so she decided to learn how to use a sword. It turned she was a natural and is now an excellent swordsman.

To be considered as a Sentinel, Nubaree temporarily gave up her position at the College. She can’t be an effective Spellsword, but we gave her the chance to improve her marksmanship and sword skills.

She worked hard on both and cried when told she made the final cut.

Her mage skills will still come in handy, but she is primarily a sword and board warrior. While defending herself, she killed several people, so that hurdle is out of the way.

We are delighted to have another Argonian in The Sentinel.

INIGO

Just over five months ago, I had a ‘dream thingy’ as Rigmor called it.  But it was more than that; it was foresight enhanced by my Dragon soul and Dragon blood. Unlike other mortals with foresight, everything made sense, and I remembered it all. Unlike other mortals with foresight, mine was not about the timeline on which I exist but an alternate timeline. One that could exist if an almost infinite number of things occurred at the correct time and in the right sequence.

In that timeline, I visited Dragons Keep orphanage to talk to my Skyrim friends. I was going to ask them to become what we now call The Sentinel. The personal guards of Rigmor and I.

In that timeline organised Dov attacked the orphanage while others observed from a distance.

In that battle, friends and children died!

A Khajiit assisted me with incredible marksman skills. A blue Khajiit with scars on his face. He had been sitting at a table with me before the attack, so I must have known him.

The spirit of Lord Mor’Bel-Harza visited to tell me what it was all about, and to warn it was not just a nightmare. I could have got lost in that timeline if Rigmor had not been near me. I needed to learn to recognise when my foresight is in a different timeline. I needed to escape from others timelines by myself as Rigmor may not be there to help.

Rigmor hinted to me there was an unusual applicant for The Sentinel. When a blue Khajiit came and stood before me, I involuntarily shuddered with the memory of that attack on the orphanage.

That Khajiit’s name is Inigo. His background is complex and full of tragedy. Here is my initial conversation with him,

• Wulf: Tell me about your past Inigo.
• Inigo: My brother and I never knew our birth parents. A soldier on his way to battle found us abandoned inside an old shack.
• Wulf: Many hardened soldiers would have kept walking. What did he do?
• Inigo: We must have melted his heart with our fuzzy little faces. He carried us to the nearest town. He deposited us at an orphanage, and that is where we spent most of our childhood.
• Wulf: Was this in Elsweyr?
• Inigo: Yes, in Riverhold.
• Wulf: That is a City-state in Anequina. Close to the Cyrodiil border. Am I Correct?
• Inigo: Yes, it is a trading hub and often the first stop for travellers who visit Elsweyr from Cyrodiil.
• Wulf: Please continue your story, Inigo.
• Inigo: A couple of retired assassins adopted my brother and me. I guess the orphanage did not do a family background check.
• Wulf: Retired assassins! That must have made the rest of your childhood interesting?
• Inigo: Yes, I suppose it was a little more unconventional than most. I guess all childhoods are unusual to some degree. I was sad to read you do not remember yours. I think being raised by two Gods would trump mine for unconventionality and interest levels!
• Wulf: You have read my journals?
• Inigo: The ones you have published. I understand if recent events will remain hidden for now.
• Wulf: They will be published when they do not endanger our diplomatic efforts towards peace. May I ask, what is your brother’s name?
• Inigo: Fergus. He was from the same litter born a few minutes after me. He was not blue, but had a golden pelt.
• Wulf: Please continue.
• Inigo: My parents provided us with love and encouragement. Apart from the nightly training session, we were a typical family.
• Wulf: Many parents train their children in martial skills. High Queen Rigmor’s father taught her how to fight with a two-handed sword.
• Inigo: And I have heard she is the best many have ever seen.
• Wulf: I certainly think she is. Did you colouring cause issues growing up?
• Inigo: Yes, I was bullied by other Khajiit children because of my unusual colour and markings.
• Wulf: And what did you do about it?
• Inigo: My mother showed me a handy trick with a rock and a glove. I was never bothered again.
• Wulf: Some people would think that is harsh. You can reason with some bullies, and others need a good kick in the crotch. I am glad you taught those little louts a lesson.
• Inigo: There should never be toleration of bullies. They soon learnt that being different is not a weakness.
• Wulf: What kind of training did your parents give you?
• Inigo: My father taught us how to use a sword. My mother taught us how to use a bow. They are happy childhood memories.
• Wulf: You have read my journal. Did you notice my reaction when I first saw you?
• Inigo: I am the Khajiit from that foresight you had. I do not understand all of that alternate timeline gobblygook. Is that the word?
• Wulf: Yes, it is. What did you think when you first read it?
• Inigo: That I am the only blue Khajiit on Nirn, so it must have been me who helped you fight those dragons. Maybe we were friends in that world?
• Wulf: Are you good with the bow?
• Inigo: I have not met anybody better. That is not a boast but the truth.
• Wulf: If you are as good as what I witnessed in that foresight, then I have not met anybody better either.
• Inigo: Thank you. I take pride in that skill.
• Wulf: Did the need to see the world come upon you?
• Inigo: Yes, when Fergus and I came of age, we headed for the Imperial City to find our fortune.
• Wulf: And did you?
• Inigo: Well, I found love for a time at least. Fergus found death.
• Wulf: Finding love is better than any monetary fortune!
• Inigo: You are probably right, but now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t really love. It was brief, and as it turned out, one-sided. Anyway, that all happened later.
• Wulf: Sorry, please tell it in whatever order you wish.
• Inigo: Thank you. Fergus’ death also came later. There is more to hear first.
• Wulf: Of course.
• Inigo: My father and mother are both gone. They died protecting a trading caravan a few years back. I guess I am an orphan again.
• Wulf: That must have been a shock! I am very sorry for your loss.
• Inigo: That means a great deal. Thank you.
• Wulf: Tell me more about your parents.
• Inigo: I suppose they were a bit of an odd couple being an Argonian and a Khajiit. But they adored each other, and us.
• Wulf: That is a rare pairing. Was your father the Argonian?
• Inigo: Yes, and since we lived in Riverhold and very close to the border, the cosmopolitan attitudes of Cyrodiil were in place. In reality, there is little acceptance of racism at any trading hub. My Argonian father was accepted into our society better than a blue Khajiit.
• Wulf: What about their previous profession?
• Inigo: Nobody else knew that fact in Riverhold. Despite once being assassins, they were good people!
• Wulf: I recently met an assassin who was trying to retire, and my gut feeling told me he was a good person. Therefore, I will accept your assessment of your parents being good people as factual and not personal bias. Before meeting him, I would have scoffed at the notion.
• Inigo: Fair enough, but don’t you have trouble reconciling your father’s historical deeds with your own set of values?
• Wulf: I did until recently. I got the chance to talk to him again and sort out facts from fiction. I ama killing machine Inigo. Yet I am not the ruthless monster my opponents see just before my weapon, Magicka or Thu’um ends their life.
• Inigo: Enough of my parents for now. Fergus and I never made it to the Imperial City. Last week was the first time I have ever stepped inside its walls. We found much work elsewhere as sellswords.

Inigo saw my mood instantly darken at that revelation. I detest mercenaries and have never hidden that fact in my journals. He smiled then continued,

• Inigo: We did a bit of giant-killing here, a bit of witch slaying there. We took gold when offered, but sometimes, we worked for nothing. It is hard to deny those in need, whether they have coin or not. We made more than enough from those who could pay anyway.
• Wulf: You obviously know my feelings on mercenaries. But that is reserved for those like The Companions in Whiterun. They would not pour water on their burning grandmother unless she handed over coins beforehand. I have no objection to people getting paid to risk their lives. That is what a soldier or guard does, after all.
• Inigo: The Companions smell like wet dogs. Maybe the rumours are true.
• Wulf: Being a werewolf is not offensive. Being a pure ‘pay me for my help’ mercenary is. If you and Fergus never made it to the Imperial City, where did your travels take you?
• Inigo: All over Cyrodiil, from the Gold Coast to the Jerall Mountains. It is a beautiful land but quite tame compared to Skyrim.
• Wulf: The land and wildlife may seem tame, but you have never had to deal with their politics. It makes Cyrodiil far more deadly than Skyrim.

Inigo laughed. I could tell he is sanguine about most things.

• Inigo: Those were happy times. We travelled or worked during the day and camped out under the stars at night. Life was good.
• Wulf: Rigmor and I have only had brief periods where we could do that. They are some of our fondest memories as well.
• Inigo: I awoke one morning to a lot of noise outside our tent. Fergus staggered in bleeding and pushed our father’s sword into my hand. He said that if I loved him, I would run. He used the last of his strength to rip out the back of the tent and push me down the slope beyond. Some Khajiit hating locals had blamed us for a spate of robberies in the area and had decided to take the matter into their own hands. Twelve of them had snuck upon us in the night. Fergus died, but I live because of him.
• Wulf: I can imagine how traumatic that must have been.
• Inigo: Yes, that morning, I lost all that was dear to me. Unfortunately, I also uncovered a side of myself I never knew existed. I miss him very much, but part of me is glad he did not witness what became of me after his passing.
• Wulf: I know my dark side Inigo; we all have one. I am sure Fergus would have understood how losing him that way affected you.
• Inigo: Maybe you are right. It is a nice thought, but I suppose I will never know.
• Wulf: Speak to enough people, and you will know I am right. It is our nature. Even my beloved Rigmor has shown it. How else would a skinny eighteen-year-old Nord girl massacre every living person inside a Dominion embassy? Do you wish you had stayed and fought?
• Inigo: Every day. Every single day.
• Wulf: Then you would have died! You would not be here talking to me if you did not think you had something to contribute. Fergus would have been far more upset at you missing that opportunity than turning to your darker side for a while. He pushed you out of the tent for that exact reason! What happened next?
• Inigo: I was recruited by a group of bandits a few years ago. That is when I discovered Skooma and the beginning of a lot of nastiness. I was with a bandit girl for a while, but it turned out that she was using me. She wanted protection, not affection. As soon as she found someone more psychopathic, I was dropped like a sack of troll dung.
• Wulf: Did you love her?
• Inigo: I thought I did. We dulled each other’s pain somewhat.  She seemed the only bright thing in a very dark place. Regrettably she was a vicious manipulative harpy!
• Wulf: What happened after that betrayal?
• Inigo: I left the bandits and took the only ally I had with me. He was also an addict, but we thought we had it under control. His name was Felix, and he was a big fellow, and useful in a scrap. We became mercenaries together. After a few months Felix and I had made a little gold but out addiction to Skooma was getting in the way. No one trusts an addict, especially not another addict.
• Wulf: Obviously, you are clean now; otherwise, it would be a waste of time talking to me. Do you ever miss Skooma?
• Inigo: From time to time, my body does, but my mind is made up. I’m never going to touch the stuff again.
• Wulf: I have never heard somebody say its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
• Inigo: It helped me smother some painful memories, but it took my sense and reason as payment. It was not a fair trade.
• Wulf: Tell me about your friend Felix.
• Inigo: There is not much to tell. He never spoke about his past, but it was clear he had also been through a great deal before becoming a bandit. That life did not seem to suit him. He had been an educated man at some point, I am sure of it. He was violent but had retained some dim vestige of honour. I wish we had met under different circumstances. One day Felix burst into my chamber, instinct took over, and I reacted. His murder was my second last step on the road of dishonour.
• Wulf: What else did you do that you think is dishonourable?
• Inigo: My journal tells the rest. Here, read it if you want to. I do not enjoy speaking of these things.

Inigo passed me his journal. Here are the relevant entries,

“Entry One

Today I had to kill Felix with his own damned sword.  Fool attacked me!  He was planning to murder me for the last of the Skooma.  He did not ask, did not enquire, he just burst into my room with a shriek and started slicing.  Poor wretch had been clean for days. He got me in the leg before I could finish him. A little extra Skooma will take the edge off the pain tonight.  Selling the rest tomorrow.  I am done with the stuff. 

Entry Two

I am missing Felix today.  Shame I had to kill him.  Could not find a buyer for the stuff but I did meet a fancy man called Dupan at the docks earlier.  He says he has a job for me and that it is well paid.  I will be working with another mercenary.  I hope whoever it is respects my property.  I am to meet Dupan and my new partner next week in Skyrim.  I always knew destiny would bring me back there.

Entry Three

I sometimes hear Felix talking to me even though I know he is dead. He blames me for killing him.  I blame him for being a bloody Skooma addict!

Entry Four

He is back again, whispering from the shadows. You did not have to murder me, Inigo!  Shut up. You should have just listened to me, Inigo! Shut up, Felix! Stop haunting me!  I was clean for days, Inigo.  It is you who is the addict!  Quiet.  Please be quiet.  I was not going to kill you, Inigo.  I was going to help you.  No! You lie! You were a Skooma head! You stole from me more than once to feed your habit! A habit we share, Inigo.

Entry Five

The Skooma is all gone.  It was the only thing keeping Felix quiet.  I need to get more before the big job…  Am I an addict?  Felix, leave me be! I am sorry!

Entry Six

Lucky, lucky me.  I found a dealer this morning before I met my new companion.  It is not good stuff and I only had enough gold to buy a little but it will have to do.

Entry Seven

My partner seems likely enough. We can certainly get the job done that is for sure.  We got into a bit of a scuffle with some thugs and… well I am glad I was not one of them.  I think we will make a good team.  The air is so fresh here.  This land is very beautiful.  My new friend is off catching dinner.  Felix has been quiet all day. 

Entry Eight

We met with Dupan and his sister today.  Yes, he has a sister! A very pretty lady indeed.  It turns out that Dupan has two brothers as well.  We are to track and kill them both.  Dupan is the youngest but feels he is more deserving of their father’s inheritance.  He says all they do is drink and fight and dirty the family name.  We are going to be paid very well for this.  My companion wants to buy a house with the takings.  All I can think about is Skooma.  Dupan says that if only one of us makes it back the survivor will get the full reward.  What a thing to say!  Now we will be watching our backs when we should be protecting each other. 

Entry Nine

We set off at dawn heading north.  We should get to the first keep in a few days.  My partner and I shared many stories and even sang a little as we travelled.  I think we are becoming friends.  I used the last of the Skooma today.  Oh, what I would do to never have this worry and want again!  

Entry Ten

Felix is back but quieter than before.  Maybe I can kick the habit this time. I have good company and gold on the way.  We were attacked by a pack of ugly wolves this afternoon.  My friend took care of most of them but I got two.  I think we trust each other.  What a powerful ally I have made.  My hands have begun to shake a little but I will suffer it.  Hush now Felix.  Hush.

Entry Eleven

Brother one is no more! He was an evil piece of work but stupid as a rock.  He did not seem to notice half his men were dead until I put my dagger to his throat.  We found a poor serving girl tied up in his bed chamber.  We released her and the other servants before we burned the place down.  As long as word doesn’t reach the next brother before we do all will be well.  I am very sick.  My new friend knows something is up.  On the up side Felix has been quiet all day.

Entry Twelve

I have decided to go back on the Skooma as soon as possible.  It is only a problem when I don’t have it.  With my share of our reward I will not have to worry about wanting for ten years… maybe more.  My companion has grown less talkative. I am ill but on my feet.  Mood swings… sweats.  I fear my friend is growing wary of me.  I may wake up dead tomorrow.  It may be a relief.  Felix is gone I think. 

Entry Thirteen

I was not killed in the night.  My companion is packing up our camp.  I am too weak.  We are about to take on brother number two, but hardly a word passes between us…  If only one of us returns the reward is double… This is what my friend is thinking.  I could not defend myself in this state.  I must make the first move.  I must put some distance between us and use my bow from cover.  I am a wretch and a fool but I will not die today!  If I do this right I will not have to worry about wanting for twenty years, maybe more.”

I handed the journal back to Inigo who seemed surprised at how short a time I had it.

• Wulf: Do not worry Inigo, I have read it from front to back. It is a skill many mages have, especially those who read many books and scrolls when seeking knowledge.
• Inigo: Am I wasting your time?
• Wulf: No, Inigo, you are not, far from it. For a start, you called what you did to Felix a murder when it was clearly self-defence. He came at you with a sword! You chose to take Skooma no matter what circumstances drove you to it. Therefore, the effects of its addiction do not mitigate what appears to be an actual murder. You are now clean of Skooma, and that tells me you want to do something to appease your conscience. More importantly, you want to make something of your life.  Fergus sacrificed himself to give you that life.
• Inigo: Yet that is my story. Not a happy one but maybe the happy stuff is still to come.
• Wulf: You had a wonderful childhood and great times travelling with Fergus. Your life is not all tragedy Inigo.

Inigo sat, thinking about what I said. I gave him a few seconds before continuing,

• Wulf: Tell me, Inigo, why did you come all this way? Why do you want to be a Sentinel?
• Inigo: I have been wasting away in a jail cell in Riften. It was voluntary, and I was paying rent to live there. Then I read your journals, and I think the part where you worked beside me was a hint. I can see the good you and Queen Rigmor are doing. I know I can help.
• Wulf: I have a sense for the bizarre I call gobblygook. If we were working together in that timeline, there must have been reasons why I trusted you. You have a good heart Inigo, and I know you are seeking redemption. An evil person would not feel so much guilt they lock themselves away! Those are some of the many reasons I accept you as a candidate.

Khajiit are a people who never fail to show their genuine emotions. When told of his acceptance as a candidate, Inigo expressed relief, hope and finally joy on his face and in his demeanour.

Inigo’s marksmanship is superb, and his skill when dual wielding short swords is astounding.

He is popular with other candidates. He worked hard with others to improve their skills in swordsmanship and archery. He has killed many times so that will not be a burden to him on the trip to Driftshade Refuge.

So those are the four new Sentinel of this squad. It will be interesting to see how they work together.

Inigo seems quite keen on the idea of killing bandits!