Gods, how he hated Windhelm. And not just for the nords, either. The Grey Quarter was filled to the brim of bitter dunmer, and though he could hardly blame them for their abysmal attitudes, he had to wonder why they stayed in the place of their persecution. Stubborn spitefulness, he guessed, but it just seemed so pointless. Staying would not change the hearts and minds of the Stormcloaks and it only served to make the dunmer there all the more miserable. Leaving the city had been the best thing Teldryn had ever done for himself, and while Solstheim wasn’t the most lucrative place to ply his trade, at least he could say that he was happy.
As he stepped onto the docks, he let his nose wrinkle in his disgust. Yup. Just as he remembered: grey and miserable. What a joy to be back. But, this was a necessary trip, or else he’d have considered swimming through the freezing waters to the bank on the opposite side of the river just to avoid stepping foot inside the city gates.
Making his way past the dunmer and argonians that populated the docks, up the steps and through the heavy metal doors, he found himself surrounded by the familiar stone walls of Windhelm’s alleyways. The wind moaned as it whirled through the narrow passages, and aside from the distant babble of the market, it was fairly quiet in this section of the city. Cold, forgotten.
He pulled a piece of parchment from a pouch on his belt and reread the note scribbled in black ink upon it. Forrest Riley. It wasn’t a name he recognized. He wasn’t sure what had possessed this Riley person to contact him, but there was the promise of gold and a clear plea for help. And, while it was rare that he accept contracts that weren’t escort missions or acting as backup, he was in desperate need of the coin. Whatever this new patron had in store, it had better be worth it.
The letter said he could find the man in question in the Grey Quarter. He needed only ask one person before he was pointed in the direction of a little house nestled on the outskirts. Raising a fist, he rapped upon the door frame and waited.