Across The Pond

Vallius looked around for another way out but the windows were too far up and Captain Marcel blocked the way out. Vallius genuinely contemplated just killing the guard captain but with his injury and more guards on the way he knew he wouldn't get far. Vallius knew he wasn't just going to walk away from this so he dropped the sword he had taken from the Guard and slowly raised his hands in the air.

"I will come peacefully" Vallius told Captain Marcel.

Marcel looked a bit confused, like it was not the response he had expected, or hoped for. The Guard Captain didn't ingore Vallius' surrender though and slowly approached Vallius with his sword raised and said "Good, now get moving."

The walk to the Bravil prison was short. The walk was taken is silence as onlookers watched Captain Marcel walk behind Vallius with his sword less than a foot from his back. Four other guards also walked with the two towards the Bravil prison. Vallius kept his head down for the entirety of the short walk, not wanting to see the middle aged Imperial whos son he couldn't protect.

Vallius was now in a cell, it was more of a stone pit with some stairs that lead to some metal bars that acted as the door. The only window was small, barred and above Vallius' head. But Vallius was trying to look at the bright side of things. For one the city guards had bandaged his wound so he wouldn't die before his public execution. And he had a nice pile of straw to sleep on and even a well made wooden nightstand. Vallius noted it was very well crafted and could probably support even his weight.

As Vallius was making note of all the nice things he had in his cozy cell he heard a door that was out of view open up. He heard two sets of feet and two men speaking, though he only recognized one. It was the middle aged Imperial he had been trying to help.

"Alright, fine. You can have your time but do be quick" Vallius didn't know the voice who said this but he assumed it was just another guard.

"Don't worry, I won't be long" said the middle aged Imperial.

"Good to hear. Oh, and if he gives you any trouble or anything happens I will be just in the next rooom over" said the guard.

Vallius wondered why the middle aged man had come here when he was already going to be punished. But before Vallius could ponder his intentions he walked into view.

"Hello Vallius" said the middle aged man.

"Hello, um" Vallius stammered. "I actually never caught your name" Vallius admitted sheepishly with a small smile.

"I am Dunius, and I would have words with you" Dunius said calmly.

"Well I've got a few hours, what's on your mind?"

"I know you didn't kill my son, but I want to know if he suffered" the pleading look in Dunius' eye was too much for Vallius.

"No, his death was quick" Vallius lied. He didn't think Dunius could gain anything from knowing his son bled to death over the course of a few minutes and felt it was better to give him that small comfort.

"I'm glad to hear it. Though there is one more thing" Dunius began. "I am taking your advice and leaving with my young boy and wife. We are going to her cousin's farm a long ways away from here. But we still need someone to spread the rumor of our passing. So here" Dunius said, opening his cloak to exposing an iron dagger and a key.

Vallius raised an eyebrow but remained quite, allowing Dunius to continue speaking.

"This key doesn't go to your cell but rather is used for the chains that are put on prisoners when transporting them. You might be able to make your escape when they bring you to the chopping block. As for the weapon, I think you can use your imagination for that."

"Where is my sword?" asked Vallius.

"Well I image you'd have a hard time sneaking that around so I left it in the woods, burried in a wooden box about a half a days walk north of here. Beneath a fallen tree on about 20 feet from the left side of the path" Dunius told Vallius.

"That isn't very specific" Vallius told him. "For example, how do I know when to turn off of the path?"

"I hired someone else to hide it for me so I could spend more time preparing my sons funeral before I leave with the rest of my family. What I told you is what the man told me."

"Fair enough, keep the dagger though. The key will be tough enough to hide, no need to give myself more to worry about." Vallius said, holding out his hand.

Dunius gave Vallius the key and closed his cloak. "What if you run into resistance?"

"Let me worry about that Dunius, for now just get your family somewhere safe" Vallius told Dunius.

"Thank you, for everything. For your imprisonment and for not trusting you at first."

"I wouldn't have trusted me either, don't worry about it" Vallius said with reassuring smile.

"Goodbye Vallius," Dunius said with a smile before continuing. "And don't take this the wrong way but I hope I never see you again."

"I hope I don't see you again either" Vallius said, grinning a little wider now.

And with that Dunius left. Vallius was now holding the key that completely changed his outlook. He was going to get out of this and save that family. At any cost.

It had been a few hours since Dunius' visit to the prison of Bravil and Vallius was preparing himself mentally for his escape the following day.

Vallius had tried meditation but found it too painful to just sit there, so now Vallius was pacing the small area that made up his humble prison cell.

Vallius had been pacing for about four hours when he noticed someone whispering from the cell across from his.

"Yes you, the Imperial."

Vallius looked towards the sound of the voice and walked over to the cell door. A few feet from him stood a male argonian at his cell door.

"Hello there stranger" Vallius said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"My name is Dan-Ru. I am to be executed with you when the new dawn's light breaks the darkness."

"Well that's a funny way of saying sunrise, but go on" Vallius told Dan-Ru.

"I heard everything, I know you have a key to the shackles of our imprisonment and I want to escape with you. Then we can go our separate ways" said Dan-Ru.

"And if I say no?"

"Then the guards find out you have a key and who you got it from. I believe you said his name was Dunius, and I think he said something about his cousin's farm. Unless I misheard, if you catch my drift."

"Why are you in here?" Vallius asked Dan-Ru.

"A few counts of murder and larceny, now do we have an understanding or not" Dan-Ru demanded, his hand extended across the passageway in an attempt to shake Vallius' hand.

"It looks like I don't have much of a choice now do I?" Vallius said, extending his hand to meet Dan-Ru's "fine."

They shook each other's hand for a breif moment before breaking apart. Vallius walked back towards his pile of hay without saying another wood. Again, making a mental note of and admiring the craftsmanship of the short nightstand.