Something was wrong. Sloan wasn’t sure what it was. Well, okay, she had a pretty good idea what it was: it had been weeks and no one had said a thing about Mallin. She had turned in his ring and it had been accepted with minimal questions. And that was the problem.

 

 Because there were always questions. Mishi took extreme delight, in fact, in asking the most exquisitely detailed questions she could think of. And then taking the opportunity to lay out sixty ways the assignment could have been done better.

 

But this time...

 

“So what is this labyrinth thing?” Jorg's voice broke Sloan from her reverie. She glanced at the giant orc and shrugged.

 

“An ancient ruin, much like all the other ancient ruins around here, I suspect. There isn't much in the records about it. It was sealed some time ago - I'm not certain how we're even going to get in.”

 

“It seems like an odd place for an assignment.”

 

“I agree. Apparently there is supposed to be a secret prison hidden in it.”

 

Which also didn’t make sense but Kira has been crystal clear on the point. “Remember that Dragonborn affair? We got reports there might be a hidden prison in the bowels of Labyrinthian. I’m sending you and Jorg to see if it’s true.”

 

Jorg shifted his axe to his other shoulder. “So what is your plan?”

 

“What makes you think I have a plan?

 

Jorg laughed. “You always have a plan.”

 

Sloan laughed as well. “I suppose that's true.” Then her laugh died as they topped a small hill and the ruins spread out before them. “Hm. Guess the plan is about to change.”

 

There was a raging battle in the open courtyard between the ruined buildings. The first and most obvious group were trolls, at least two dozen of them. The surprise at seeing so many of the monsters in the same place was replaced a moment later when she saw the trolls’ opponents.

 

“What are Stormcloaks doing here?” Jorg spoke the question that roamed Sloan’s mind.

 

“Good question. The latest intel places the closest Stormcloaks at the stalled line a hundred fifty miles away from here. The rest are stuck in The Reach.”

 

“Maybe they’re bandits in Stormcloak armor?”

 

“I don’t think so. They seem pretty organized.” Sloan shook her head. She had never managed to get to the root of Ulfric’s baffling strategy. The Stormcloaks had gained swift victories at Whiterun and Falkreath and looked to have the war just about won, but then had decided to tangle with the Foresworn for some reason.

 

But it had not been her business. Technically this was also not her business but the Stormcloaks seemed to be having a hard time with the numerous trolls. She shook her head again as she pulled out her daggers.

 

“Come on, Jorg, I guess we should help our fellow man.”

 

Jorg tossed her his affable grin and they proceeded forward.

 

 The trolls were even larger and uglier up front than she had imagined but she had faced... well, not bigger. Or worse. OK, she supposed this was the worst thing she had faced since she had avoided every dragon she had seen.

 

The closest one swung a meaty paw at an off-balance soldier. Her diggers cut twin lines down its back and it checked its swing with a howl as it began to turn. Even as she withdrew the daggers, she saw the cuts already starting to heal.

 

She swore. Apparently the thing about trolls regenerating was true after all. She stepped aside as the creature’s arm crashed toward her and took a chunk out of its bicep before backing away.

 

“Careful, Jorg, it…”

 

She stopped and dropped flat to her belly as Jorg’s giant axe wooshed through the air where she had been standing. She rolled to the side and clambered to her feet then jumped back as his axe swung at her again.

 

“I'd ask what you're doing, but I suppose I know. Hidden prison my ass.”

 

Jorg nodded, although his eyes were sad. “I'm sorry. They said you didn't kill someone that you were supposed to kill and I was supposed to kill you.”

 

She sighed. “Yes. I thought something like this might happen. I just hoped it wouldn't be you.”

 

“Me too.” He swung again.

 

Sloan dodged back then shouted, “Watch for the troll!”

 

The troll’s arm was already in mid-swing toward Jorg but the orc was just as nimble as she remembered - he stepped neatly out of the way without even looking back and then followed the troll’s overreach with a swing of his axe, hacking off the creature’s arm. A howl followed the blood then ceased as Jorg’s backswing decapitated it.

 

Sloan winced as a fountain of blood soaked everyone in the vicinity. So odd to see your own possible death played out for you! She continued to back from Jorg as soldiers rushed forward with torches and applied the flames to the troll’s wounds. Soon the air was filled with the smell of searing meat but Sloan didn’t move her eyes from her opponent.

 

“You don't have to do this.” She ducked under another swing of his axe then took the chance to dive forward and swiped at his arm. Her dagger nicked his bicep, all she had time for before the axe came back, then she dodged away again.

 

“You know I have no choice.” He spoke matter-of-factly. Nothing personal, he might have said, just as she had to victims in the past. “If I don't kill you, they'll just send someone after both of us.”

 

“Well then, we'll take them on together.” She danced to the side then fainted in. As he turned that way, she twisted her body to the other side and gashed him along the thigh. He grunted.

 

“You're always so fast. But even you and I together can’t take on the entire tong.”

 

He swung again and she began to dodge and then realized at the last moment that his swing was feint of his own and reversed her step, falling backwards onto her ass as the deadly blade sliced through the air. “See? I don't know anyone else who would have been able to dodge that.”

 

She rolled away and then back to her feet, daggers waiting. “Yeah, well, I just got lucky.”

 

He laughed as he approached. “There's nothing lucky with you. You know the reason Mishi is always so angry with you is because she knows you would beat her in a fair fight.”

 

“I don’t know about that.” Sloan ducked under another swing and circled again, this time away from an area where crumbled rocks littered the ground. “No one's better than her. Except Kira herself.”

 

“Not true.” Jorg swung again and this time over swung by just enough to give her an opening. She leaped forward and one of her daggers buried itself in his neck. She tumbled away as he dropped his axe and grasped at the dagger as he fell to his knees. “See? She couldn't have done that.” He chuckled as the light began to fade from his eyes. “I…told her…not…to bet…against…you.”

 

Jorg’s eyes glazed over and he slumped to the ground. Sloan shook her head and an idle part of her wondered why no tears came to her eyes as she picked up her dagger and wiped her friend’s blood off on his own shirt.

 

“I hope you're right,” she told his still body. “Because I'm going to kill them.” She glanced up as sudden flashes of fire lit the day. “But first, I guess I’ll finish what we started.” She gave Jorg a pat then stood and eyed the battle, then chose a troll and leapt back into the fray.

 

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