The Man in the White Hood part 10

We entered DragonsReach and went straight to the nearest inn, a good place for rumors especially if you were hunting someone.  It was hard to a drunks word as truth but I had gotten quiet a few useful tips this way before, I just wished we had a more solid way to find this guy.  
I pushed opened the door immediately being hit with the heat of that place, I waved a hand in front of my face as I stepped inside.  Even in the height of Skyrim's summer the huge fire in the middle of the inn was always lit.  Altair shut the door behind us as we moved further inside, only a few people were inside today, most of them in chairs with their drinks in hand.  I stepped around them to the innkeepers desk setting a coin down in front of me.
"We are searching for Amaund Motierre, any idea where I can find him?" I asked hoping to learn a little something from her.
She took my offering and tucked it away, "You are in luck kind sir,  Amaund Motierre is here now, scheduled to leave today in fact.  He is in that back room." She pointed to a door on the first floor at the end of the hall.
I stepped away from the desk turning to Altair surprise to hear we had actually found him so easily, I was expecting to have to run all over Skyrim for him.  Altair nodded his eyes reflecting my shock.  I stepped around a drunk and a man with a lute, who was singing off key, and towards the door.  I looked over my shoulder when I heard someone utter his surprise at seeing me, Altair paused in his steps readying himself to pull out his weapons if he had to.  I recognized the man to be the guard that had also been in the cave with Amaund when we had gotten the original contract.  
Altair and I both stepped into the back room, Amaund was just sitting down to a meal when we stepped in.  Altair shut the door behind us again taking a spot to my left in case we needed to pull weapons.  We were not in our Brotherhood black and red uniforms but I could see he knew exactly who we were.  The rumors of the killing of our Family had spread far and wide in a short time and he almost looked relived to see us both alive and walking around.
"You are Alive."
"Of course, you wont kill the Brotherhood that easily." I scoffed at him. "Now tell us where the real Emperor is."
Amaund was again surprised by this and actually dropped his loaf of bread and cup, he didn't seem to notice the liquid from the cup soaking his pant leg and boot.  Amaund just stared up at the two of us like we were crazy but at the same time he looked excited that his contract would still be carried out.
"Tonight a ship called the Katrina will be leaving from the Solitude docks, the Emperor is on it.  You must act fast though, that ship is leaving Skyrim and will not be returning."
I cursed at Amaund loud enough to make both men in the room jump.  I kicked the  wardrobe then turned and left the room shoving a drunk out of my way as I headed for the  door.  I had a right to be upset, we had had the hope of getting this done and now it had been snatched away from us.  Altair would never make it there in time, not with Tag-Along, I could leave him here.  I tossed that thought around in my head as I pushed opened the door to the inn to upset to really notice the fresh air on my face.  I would have slammed the door to the inn shut but Altair was on my heels and as angry as I was I wasn't about to break his nose.  I turned around so abruptly once outside Altair nearly crashed into me.  He jumped back raising a questioning eyebrow at me and my facial expression.
"Altair Tag-Along isn't fast enough to get to Solitude tonight , Shadowmere has a spell of some kind on him.  We could make it to the docks tonight if we both rode him and left Tag-Along here.  We could board him in the stables and he would be fine."
"Then lets get a move on." Altair said stepping around me.
There were times I really liked Altair, nothing ever bothered him.  He brushed passed me and out into the busy streets of Dragon'sReach. I hurried after him and we pushed our way out of the city.  I started down the pathway looking back in time to see Altair take a dive off the castle like structures just outside the gate.  I chuckled shaking my head, Altair was always doing weird stuff like that.  I stepped out into a jog so I could catch up to him at the bottom.  By the time I got there Altair had handed over a bag of money and was stroking Tag-Along's nose and talking quietly to him.  I whistled as I reached the stables, Altair looked in my direction and Shadowmere trotted up to me.  I pulled myself up onto his back Altair jumping up behind grabbing hold of my shoulders and pulling his hood up over his eyes.
"Shadowmere, take us to the Emperor please.  Take us to the Solitude docks." I whispered to him.
I was again hit with a rush of wind and almost in the blink of an eye we were standing above the docks and it was night.  I immediately looked down the the small town and the docks looking over the ships that were there none of them were big enough to the the Katrina.  I heard Altair curse behind me and I looked back at him, at first I thought it was because of how fast we had gotten here.  He pointed ahead of us and then I realized the ship we wanted was already sailing and, I kicked Shadowmere and leaned low over his neck as he took off after it.  Beasty galloped after it, and I realized something else: we'd have to swim to get to it.   I looked over my shoulder at Altair and I knew he had come to the same conclusion.  I recognized the touch of fear on his face alongside the look of sheer determination to get the job done.  As we got even with the boat Altair leaped off Beasty landing to run at his top speed alongside heading for the water, I hurried to follow him leaving Beasty to fend for himself.  I ran straight into the water, Altair may have been faster then me but I made it there first.  When it got to deep for me to run I dove in about to take off towards the ship but stopped myself.  Altair landed beside in he water with a splash and immediately sank like a stone, I grabbed him and pulled him to hte surface where I let go of him.  He caught hold of my shoulder and we swam to that boat together at my fastest, as we got closer I realized how huge this boat really was I wasen't sure how we were going to get on.  Altair nearly sank when I paused to stare at it and catch my breath.  I hurried to pull him to the surface again and to swim alongside  the huge ship, we wouldn't be able to keep up with it for very long and I couldn't think of some kind of plan.  Altair pulled out a knife and stabbed it into the side of the boat allowing it to pull us along.
"Hold onto me." Altair said pulling out a second knife and stabbing it into the ship right alongside his other knife, he reached into the water to his boots.
I was guessing he had hidden knives in his toes of his shoes, I seriously doubted Altair could climb pulling me up after him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders trying not to strangle him and wrapped my legs around his waist very surprised and impressed when he started the climb up, lifting us right out of the water.  I could hear him struggling and I wished I could help him somehow but I know I couldn't climb up on my own.
I don't know how he managed to haul us up the side of the Katrina.  I saw him look up at how far the deck was from us then look to our right.  The anchor was up and attached to the deck its self but there was a small hold in the side of the ship that the anchor chain was hanging out of.  Altair went sideways and stopped just under the hole signaling from me to leap off him.  I grabbed the chain pulled myself through that tiny hole, Altair followed me putting his knives away.  
I knelt in hiding inside the dark ship waiting for my eyes to adjust and waited for Altair to catch his breath, I was very impressed with his abilities.  We were below the main levels of the ship and as I looked around I realized I couldn't stand still, everything around me was swaying.
"Well this should be fun." I whispered stumbling into a stack of boxes shaking water from my clothing before pulling out my sword.
Altair shot me a mischievous grin pulling his hood up over his eyes and his sword out carefully heading down the dark halls.  I had to wait and admire the sight of my graceful friend staggering down the hall like a drunkard.  he put a hand on the wall looking back at me with a scowl on his face gesturing at me to hurry up.  We snuck through the narrow halls and rooms killing crew as we went and doing so as quietly as we could which was hard since we were staggering into things slipping in the blood of our victims.  We were hiding the bodies as we went in case the few we missed discovered the dead and closed in behind us.  
I had never been on a ship so fighting on one was hard with the constant swaying, at one point I swear Altair was quietly laughing at me.  I was stumbling around like a drunken idiot with a sword trying not to stab it into myself.
"Shut up!" I hissed at him after I stumbled into a wall and Altair laughed again.
His laughing abruptly stopped when he went stumbling against the other wall, I returned the favor and laughed at him making sure to point while I did.  He picked up a cup and threw it at me, sadly even on a swaying ship his aim was still perfect.  The pewter cup hit me directly in the forehead and I saw stars, I quickly shook it off and headed for the nearest set of stairs with Altair chuckling behind me.
Thankfully it was easy to get to higher floors leaving bodies behind us without being caught.  On the upper floors we ran into more guards then crew which led me to believe we were getting closer to our prize.  The boat was like a maze to me and Altair and I ended up walking in circles a few times, I was getting frustrated.  I started hearing a hammering sound and crept up a set of stairs killing a guard at the top carefully laying the dead body down. The sound only got loud as we moved but it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.  I crept past a open doorway without checking inside gesturing at Altair pointing down the hall to where I thought I was hearing hammering.  
"Leir!!"
Altair shouted at me and I jumped sideways turning to the doorway pulling my sword up as I did.  I was a half second to late.  The armored guard I missed slid his sword under my block and straight up into my right shoulder.  I cursed myself seeing red my sword hitting the floor before I did, I must have screamed because that blade only dug deeper into me pinning me to the floor.  The guard I had missed suddenly hit the floorboards beside me his eyes blank and dead.  I rolled over cursing again at how careless I had been and the fact that I had ruined my favorite shirt.  I grabbed for my shoulder opening my eyes just enough to see Altair kneeling over me with his hands hovering as if not sure he should touch me.  
"Leir are you alright?" Altair asked setting his sword down and reaching for a potion of healing.
"I'm fine." I said quickly lighting up my healing spell trying to sit myself up still seeing red.
Altair didn't have a chance to respond, the hammering noise had stopped and guardsmen were running towards us.  Altair grabbed his sword and stood up attacking the line of guardsmen without hesitation.  I willed my healing spell to work faster feeling everything slowly mesh back together, as I lay there healing I got to admire Altair's work again.  Despite being out numbered, fighting in a narrow hallway, and fighting on a swaying ship he was doing very well.  He stabbed and punched at the guards adding stabs with the hidden blade now and then. Guardsmen collapsed to the floor clutching bleeding wounds, Altair didn't falter no mater how many times he was punched or knocked back by the guards.  I got to my feet and grabbed my sword, I had patched myself up well enough to fight.  My sword play wasn't as good using my left hand but my right wouldn't hold up  to a fight, I was worried about the wound opening again if I used my right arm.  I leaped forward as Altair lost his footing and stumbled, I killed one of the guards knowing my friend would just roll out of it and be up on his feet behind the group.  These men were not petty thieves or even town guardsmen, I had only put three down when I heard more coming.  Altair and I wouldn't be able to take them all out here in this hall.
"Altair get down!" I shouted, I hoped he was still alive at the back of the group.
I inhaled deeply and Shouted sending them all flying backwards down the hall, I saw Altair fly with them and hit a door frame.  He lay stunned for a second then rolled into the room and I Shouted again and again not giving them a chance to get back to their feet advancing slowly on the heap.  I watched the group of guardsmen for a moment making sure none of them moved, then I hurried into the room Altair had ducked into.  He was stretching stiffly another dead guard at his feet.
"I'm sorry Altair," I said grabbing my shoulder lighting up another healing spell as Altair pulled a potion out of his bag.  
Altair looked as bruised as I did,  his white outfit and a few new rips in it but next to no blood flowing out which was encouraging. I stumbled sideways again with the swaying cursing angerly as my shoulder hit the door frame. I got myself back upright and in control of myself clearing my throat.
"and thank you, if you hadn't shouted at me i would be dead now."
He nodded to me picking up his sword flicking the blood off of it and pulling his hood back onto his head and over his eyes.  He gave my good shoulder a light tap looking at my other one with the gold healing magic flowing out of it.  I looked at it as well, it was deeper then I let on.  I didn't want Altair to worry, but judging by how thin his mouth was as he stared at my magic he knew it was worse then he thought originally.  I pulled away from him stepping unsteadily out into the hall my sword in my left hand.
"Lets go kill the Emperor." Altair said stepping around me.
I nodded hurrying down the hall, Altair was on my heels hovering behind my right shoulder.  I made sure to look in each room before I passed by them not needing another stab wound.  There was no need to try and be quiet at this point, everyone on the ship knew we were here and were waiting for us.  We turned a corner and we both stopped, in front of us was a large open room with some chairs and a few tables.  There was a single door opposite of us with guards on either side of it, I guessed we had found the Emperor's chambers.  Both guards had their weapons out their helmets on staring at each of us.  These two didn't call for help undoubtedly they knew it wouldn't come.  I looked to Altair and we nodded at each other, we spread out in that room trying not to stagger as we did.
I paused long enough to watch Altair step out of his casual walk and rush forward leaping into the air blocking the guards sword with his own throwing his left arm back and I saw that hidden blade of his come out of his wrist brace.  Altair's aim was perfect and that little blade slipped between the armored plates and into the guard's neck.  I rushed forward as the second guard ran at Altair, I wouldn't make it in time so I braced my feet and inhaled.  Altair saw me and abandoned his sword running for it at his top speed. The guard was confused by this and turned to me as I let loose the Shout sending him flying at the wall, I sent another at him knocking him through the wall.  I leaned against one of the walls lighting up my healing spell again rubbing my shoulder, Altair reclaimed his sword and joined me raising his hood just enough for me to see his whole face.
"Are you alright Leir?" Altair asked watching my face.
I nodded forcing a smile across my face and turning my spell off looking at the engraved door in front of us.  I knew Altair wasn't stupid, he could probably tell how exhausted I was but I pushed that feeling aside and marched towards the door.  I waited to make sure Altair was ready then kicked the door in, Altair rushed through the door ahead of me his short knife in his hand.  I waited to hear sounds of fighting but Altair straightened up sliding his knife back into its sheath across the back of his shoulders.  I stepped inside the room after Altair shutting the door behind me when it was clear we were alone.  A older, balding man dressed in royal robes sat behind a large desk watching us move in and spread out a few steps.  He didn't look surprised to see us, he didn't look afraid, instead he welcome us into his room.
"I was telling my councilors that you couldn't just kill off the Dark Brotherhood.  I knew you'd be coming for me and I know where you are from since on one else would be bold enough to come for me in my own ship.  But you didn't come to listen to the ramblings of a old man did you?" he said as Altair moved across the room towards the old man.
"Before you kill me I wonder if you will grant an old man one single request?"
Altair looked back at me and I gestured that he could take this kill, Altair leaped up so he was standing on the desk looking down at the Emperor kicking the plates and books off as he did.  The Emperor jumped a little but still didn't look afraid, even when Altair knelt in front of to stare directly at him.  
"What would your request be old man?" Altair asked with a certain amount of respect.
"I can reward you with nothing but my own life, but I would like you to hunt down and kill whoever it was that payed to have me killed.  Will you do that for me?"
"Consider it done my Master." Altair said dipping his head in a slight bow.
I watched from the door as Altair activated his hidden blade and stabbed it into the Emperor's eye.  The man convulsed several times then slumped dead, Altair pulled his knife out of the dead man's head shaking the blood from his wrist as he took a feather from his belt.  He  smeared this over the Emperor's opened wound and then slipped it back inside his robes.  He stepped off the desk and looked to me that beautiful blade of his sliding back into his brace.
"Nice kill." I said to him.
Altair grinned at the praise, which I assumed he didn't get at home, and spread his arms out to the sides dipping into a silly bow.
"Thank you.  And you did well yourself Leir."
I grinned unable to help myself, I copied his bow and staggered sideways as the ship swayed with the waves.  When I looked up the moment of silliness had passed from my friends face and he was looking out the large windows in the state room.  I realized what he was thinking, neither of us were sailors and this boat was moving deeper and deeper out into the ocean.  By now it was probably to far to swim and to dangerous, I didn't know what was in Skyrim's oceans. I also doubted I could swim with my arm the way it was and Altair couldn't swim without my help.
Altair and I hurried up to the deck and looked over the railings, we were far to late to swim.  The shore was just barely in view and that was only if you strained to see it.  Altair turned from the railing and ran up a set of steps and grabbed hold of the funny wheel thingy that turned the ship.  
"What are you doing?" I asked running up after him wishing I had some knowledge of sailing.
"I may not be a sailor but I know that if I turn this the whole thing turns. So hold on i'm going to run this ship into the cliffs!  Then we are going to hang the Emperor's body from the side and decorate it with bloody hand prints."
I scrambled and held tight to a railing as Altair turned the wheel gripping it hard to keep himself from slipping and falling.  I held on tighter as the whole ship lurched to the side spilling things into the ocean.  The whole thing groaned and we nearly went over the wind catching in the sails and waves crashing over the lowest part of the ship.  I didn't know what to do with the sails so I left them be holding on for dear life feeling my shoulder wound rip open and I probably screamed.  
More by luck then anything else, Altair sailed the ship back towards Skyrim and ran it ashore.  We both nearly flew off as the Katrina hit the bottom of the ocean, our momentum carried us forward and I heard boards breaking.  I held on tighter as the whole ship jerked to a stop then groaned and fell sideways.  Judging by the groaning and splintering sounds I was hearing the ship's momentum had carried it almost completely up onto the shore, it stopped falling as its masts caught in the cliff face above us.  When the shaking stopped I opened my eyes to look around in a great deal of pain, to my great relief Altair was alive clinging to the wheel.  He crawled up to me looking at the deck underneath me then up at my shoulder and I quickly covered the wound with my hand lighting up my spell again.
"I am fine." I said firmly.
"Gather ropes and some other members of the crew, we'll need their blood." he said letting me hide my stab wound from him.
Altair got up and headed back into the ship for the Emperor, I slowly got up moving around grabbing and dragging what crew mates were nearby and started cutting them opened for hte blood.  I agreed with Altair's idea, I just wish we weren't about to fall into the ocean while doing it.  I had just finished tying several ropes to the railings when Altair came out carrying the Emperor with him.  Together we tied his wrists up and lowed him over the side to hang.  we cut opened the other men and covered the sides near the dead ruler with the bloody hand prints.  We lowered ourselves to the ground then and washed out hands in the ocean.  I stood up and scanned the area around us grabbing my shoulder, we were further then I had ever been and we had lost Beasty when we had swam for the ship.  I whistled hoping Shadowmere would hear it and come running, he could get anywhere fast.  
"I guess we better start walking and hope he can find us, we are a long way from home."  i wanted to groan, my whole body was hurting.
I brushed that aside as best I could and started walking ignoring Altair's worried looks as best I could.  We were far outside of Skyrim but there was a faint road we could follow.  We started along it and for once I was actually cold, the hole in my shirt didn't help either.  As the night came in and the wind picked up we gave up on walking and ducked into a cave, it was full of water and Horkers but we took the cave.  We cooked the animals, ate, and slept.
I woke up feeling just as stiff and exhausted as the night before, my wound was worse as well.  I glanced over at Altair surprised to find him gone, I sat up quickly glad Altair wasn't there.  I pushed all my magical energy into healing my shoulder calming myself down.  
I looked up as Altair stepped back into this room of the cave looking at me worry written on his face.  He pulled out a potion and handed it to me and I hurried to drink his offering setting the bottle aside.
So much for this being a quick job.
"Leir, we aren't going to be moving on until your shoulder gets better.  We are safe in this cave, we also have food." Altair said.
I hated to agree with him but I nodded, I was to tired to complain.  We spent that day and the next sleeping and eating hoker meat, I hated staying in one spot.