Skyrim RP series...Danifae (Chapter 20) Anger management



  • Making sure her hood was in place covering the right side of her face, and her bandage, Danifae left Black-Briar Manor and walked through the rain to Honorhall Orphanage. She thought about what she'd told Maven about her reasons for seeking Ancano and thought she'd done a rather good job of telling her only minimal information. She'd been as vague as possible, just saying that Ancano's men and been cruel to her family and she wanted to get back at him. Maven had seemed to have a sympathetic ear but it had seemed there had been quite a bit of Thalmor activity very similar to what she'd heard done to other families, so it wasn't any surprise to her. Danifae hadn't told her the names of her mother and father or her real name. Even her friends didn't know her real name and that was one thing she wasn't going to reveal just yet.

    Coming up to the front door of Honorhall, she slipped round the back to see what it was like. Over a wall she could see a back door and a small enclosed garden full of weeds. Apart from that, there wasn't much to see. So, she came back round to the front door and entered.
    A short hallway led into a large back room and she halted at the entrance when she heard someone shouting. There were two adult women, one young and one old, and several children huddled near the younger woman. There was another child being chastised by the older woman in the middle of the room.

    'You spilt it, so you eat it up!' the old woman cried at the child

    'Im sorry Grelod! I didn't mean to...'

    'I said eat it!' and she pushed the child's head into the mess on the floor. 'Your name is Hroar so you can lick it up like the sabrecat you're named after!'

    Danifae stood there shocked. To do that to a child...The younger woman noticed her standing there and said 'Please leave. You shouldn't be in here'

    It was then Grelod dragged Hroar into a small room at the back and locked him in, crying and sniffling. She pocketed the key and finally noticed Danifae standing there.

    'You! What are you doing here?' she shouted. 'No visitors!'

    Danifae felt her anger rising and walked into the room, the young woman trailing her and the other children staying in the hallway. 'That's no way to treat a child!' she shouted at Grelod

    Grelod stalked up to Danifae and they were about the same height. She locked her eyes on her and said 'You have no right to tell me what to do in my own place! Children need discipline! It didn't do me any harm!'

    'Oh really! What a bad tempered old witch you are! You can't go around treating people like this!' indicating the locked room where Hroar had been shut in

    'GET OUT OF HERE! BEFORE I CALL THE GUARDS!' Grelod roared. The young woman was by this time pulling on Danifae's arm. 'Come on best you leave before she gets really mad'

    Danifae really feared that Grelod would do someone harm, not fearful for herself but for the children, so she went along with her, into the entry hallway. She heard Grelod calling on the children to clean up the mess and they all rushed into the room to do so. The young woman said 'I'm Constance. Sorry you had to hear that'

    Danifae nodded and said 'Is she always like that?'

    Constance said 'Yes I'm afraid so. She's set in her ways. Way she was brought up apparently'

    'I only came in to see what the place was like. Are any of the children up for adoption or are their parents coming back for them?'

    Constance sighed 'As far as I know their parents haven't come back in years. Grelod isn't letting them up for adoption right now. She wants them brought up how she was brought up and not go to some soft family who caves in to their every wish. Now I really must ask you to leave. It's near the children's bedtime'

    With a sigh, Danifae eventually let Constance escort her out. She heard Grelod shouting at the children again, telling them it was time for bed. It felt horrible leaving like that but she couldn't stay. It seemed like it was as bad as Proventus had said
    As she walked over towards the market where her friends were she vowed to do something. She wondered if she should tell the guards, or even Maven herself. Would Maven even care? It seemed like all she cared about was profit and information and caring about a house full of children didn't seem to be on her priority list. And Danifae probably wouldn't be in Maven's good books if she went back to see her right now, with the Goldenglow job needing to be done. Even if she told the guards, what would they do? Report it to Maven? It seemed like they wouldn't act anyway unless Maven gave them the go ahead and it may make the situation worse with Grelod being even more bad tempered. It seemed like things had been going on like that for years.

    Her friends could see that she wasn't in a good mood as they made to depart by the main gate. Danifae wanted them to be seen leaving and they walked down the path outside town. The rain was still falling, it was getting dark and mist was descending. She stopped a short way down the path and bade them follow her behind the stables, out of view of anyone on the road or near the gate. A short time later they found the door leading into the mead cellar. Using the key Maven had provided they went in and explored the area. There was a chest of drawers, a table and some chairs, a chest and an unlit fireplace. A hidden wall led into a larger area with mead barrels and another pair of doors that led out behind Haelga's Bunkhouse. All in all, it was a nice little space with the smell from the stables being drowned out by the smell of the mead. The stable smell probably kept people away from the door anyway.

    Danifae started to prepare for what was ahead and told her friends about her meeting with Maven and the trip to the Orphanage. They were shocked at Grelod's treatment and they studied the Goldenglow map she got from Maven. After making plans and preparations Danifae drank some mead and settled down for some sleep...



     

    A dark hooded figure quietly opened the doors outside the Bunkhouse and looked around. The rain had finally stopped and it was misty but it suited Danifae, as that would hopefully mean not many people were around and she'd not be seen very well. She quietly closed the doors. She took a swig of an invisibility potion she had prepared and made her way as quietly as possible towards the orphanage. She took the steps down to the river and made her way over to the other side of town. She took the steps up towards the orphanage and waited quietly near the top as a guard passed by with a torch. She knew the potion would wear off soon so she had to be quick. Once the guard had passed, she made her way round to the garden side of the orphanage. The potion wore off then so she quickly climbed the wall and jumped down into the weeds. Making her way to the back door she found it locked, but she had expected that. She looked through the keyhole and couldn't see or hear much, so with baited breath started to pick the lock. It wasn't too hard and she entered as quietly as she could.

    Looking round, she was in a dark room at the back of the orphanage. There were a few candles lit in the next room but from what she could tell there were people asleep. She took her time and explored the room, trying not to make a sound. It seemed like the children were all asleep in beds in the corner, apart from one empty one. 'I wonder if that's where Hroar's meant to be' she wondered.
    She found Constance asleep in another room and there was another closed door at the other end. She could hear someone snuffling in the room behind and realised that was the room where Hroar had been locked in. She decided to free him later, after doing what she had to do.

    Behind yet another unlocked door she found a desk, a bed and Grelod lying asleep on her side. 'Perfect' thought Danifae, as she drew out her prepared dagger. It was a thin blade with a point like a needle. She closed the door behind her and moved up behind Grelod. With a steady hand she stabbed her in the base of the spine just above the neckline of her gown. The paralysis poison did its work quickly and Grelod couldn't move. She tried to cry out but Danifae covered her nose and mouth with a pillow. As Grelod struggled to breathe Danifae said quietly 'You will never harm another child again, you witch!' and Danifae pulled back her hood, revealing the empty socket, as Grelod's eyes looked into her own with a hint of fear. It was the last thing Grelod ever saw.

    After the deed was done, she laid Grelod on her back, making sure there was no blood flowing from the wound. At first glance it looked like she had died in her sleep. Hopefully people would think that she'd finally died of old age. She retrieved the key from Grelod's pocket and had a thought. 'If I free Hroar, they'll know there's been someone in here. Hmm...'
    After a moment she decided to put the key on the dresser. 'When they find her body they will find the key and let Hroar out. It seems like he's sleeping anyway. Much as it pains me to leave him in there...'
    She noticed a bag of coins on the table too. She didn't know how many was in it but she quickly put 100 septims into it. 'A donation for the orphanage' she said.
    She made her way back out the same way she had come in. In a way it was easier after she had done the deed as she felt less tense and a bit elated. She went back into the mead cellar, checked in on her friends, checked the dark leather she was wearing had all the equipment she would need for her next task and left the cellar by the door behind the stables. Now for Goldenglow...


     

     

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