I'm planning this to be a fairly short story, my first fan-fiction. I'm no expert on lore, so hopefully there's no huge contradictions. Hope you enjoy it!

Most faithful Servant

Radorast opened his eyes. The bed beneath him was hard and uncomfortable, more like a stone slab than a mattress. The wood elf threw off the dirty sheets and sat up, his head throbbing. A slim ray of light cut through the dim room, the small crack in the shabby curtains enough to let the late morning sunshine through.
Radorast stood, trying to ignore the current discomfort from the headache, and walked across the floorboards, each step emitting a creak of various pitches. Last night was a bit of a blur, as were most of his night-befores. He glanced down and noticed he was fully clothed ? a tatty shirt with equally ragged pants. Still, it kept the wind off his back. Kneeling at the foot of his bed, Radorast spoke to the only being he had ever felt a connection with.
"Be with me, Nocturnal. As ever, I strive to do your will ? your most faithful servant."
He looked up. The ceiling remained as it was before, unevenly plastered, with paint peeling off here and there. He didn't know what he had expected to happen. He often thought it would be nice if he was given a sign, some kind of reward from Night Mistress in return for his loyalty. Still, he said this passage every day. Why would today be any different?
With a sigh, Radorast stood and left his rented room. He descended the stairs into the grotty little inn's bar. The noise of half-hearted pvssyr filled the room, despite it being quite sparsely populated with patrons. One person in particular stood out ? a wealthy looking woman, whose clothes were far too fine for this crude joint.
None of my business, thought Radorast. He made his way over to the bar and slung himself into a stool.
"How did you sleep?" asked the barman, cheerily. Radorast grunted in response. He had never been one for small talk.
He could smell food, but he had never eaten breakfast and wasn't going to start this morning. "I'd like a brandy."
Obediently, the barman retrieved a bottle and poured a generous measure for Radorast. That was what the elf liked about this place ? no questions asked, no eyebrows raised. He knocked back the drink in a single gulp.
Noticing the barman was still hovering next to him, he reached into his pocket to produce the fee. He dropped four, round coins onto the bar with a noisy clatter.
The barman hesitated. "That's not going to cover it?" he said, awkwardly.
Radorast swore loudly. "I'll get you the money by tonight." He lied. He stood and walked across to the door, leaving the barman loitering in a state of indecision. Before he walked through the door and into the outside world, something caught his eye.
Next to the well clothed woman, was a small, brown bag, overflowing with coins. Radorast stopped dead. That would pay off his debts five times over.
Smoothly, he took a seat at a nearby table. Not too close. The money bag was still visible, on the woman's other side. All he needed was a distraction. An ambitious waitress was making her way back to the kitchen with a tray of plates ? perfect.
With a swift movement Radorast tripped the waitress. But the squat elf was on the other side of the room by the time she and the dirty crockery hit the floor with a loud crash.
Now perfectly positioned to grab the money, Radorast made his move. The woman was standing and looking the other way, the money bag sitting next to her on the table, enticingly. Radorast could almost hear it, asking him to take it.
He outstretched his arm and tightened his grip around the bag, as he had done a thousand times before, but never with such an amount. Then, a hand gripped his wrist, a female hand, with cold fingers and a tight hold. He looked up into the Imperial woman's eyes, who looked back with the disdain of a mother who caught her child causing mischief. Radorast's heart sank.
The two of them stood there, in their own private silence. Bu the woman did not scream for the guards, or force his hand away. Finally, she relinquished her grip and sat back down. "Take a seat." She said, surprisingly calm.
Radorast was confused. He thought of running, but something in her voice was mesmerizing. He obeyed.
"I have been looking for a thief. Someone who knows the arts of the shadow. Perhaps you can help." She said, staring at Radorast with the same, unblinking stare. Radorast dare not speak. Something about this woman was terrifying.
Seemingly amused by his silence, the woman continued. "You see, there is a certain? acquisition, I desire. Something which I want you to retrieve."
Radorast found his nerve again. "I'm intrigued. What is it?"
"Let's just say it is a very powerful artifact. And it belongs to Nocturnal."
The bosmers mouth went dry. "Nocturnal?" he said, apprehensively.
The woman smiled. "That's right. I can assure you; a thousand times this is waiting for you if you should help me." She said, indicating the bag of gold. "Take this, as a token of things to come." She removed the pendant about her neck, and handed it to Radorast. He examined the token ? what looked like a solid gold chain, and a real ruby pendant.
Radorast considered the proposal. Riches, beyond his wildest dreams?
He shook himself. This was Nocturnal they were talking about, the deity of thieves. He could never steal from her. "I'm sorry." He replied. "I can't do that."
"Then I'll be taking my necklace back." The woman outstretched a hand. He stared at the white palm before him, before once again admiring the beautiful necklace.
Radorast looped the chain around his neck. "Where do we start?"

The ruined fort was eerily quiet under the two full moons. Radorast shivered slightly in the cool, night's breeze. It must be nearing midnight now ? where was the mysterious woman?
He saw a dark figure making it's way across the grass towards him. He gripped the small knife, nervously. He was no fighter, but tonight had seen fit to bring a dagger along. This assignment was going to be dangerous.
The figure was the woman, but Radorast did not loosen his grip on the weapon. She was now clothed much more appropriately for the occasion. A black hood and some kind of slender leather armour. A short sword hung at her side.
"Right." Said the woman, without so much as a greeting. "Shall we proceed?"
Radorast nodded nervously. It was unusual for him to feel nerves before a robbery, but this was different. Very different. Radorast shivered again, but this time it wasn't the breeze.
He followed her towards the castle. The ancient gate was already open, mould and fungus growing on it's surface. The crumbling stone walls played host to thousands of ants and termites.
Ignoring this, the woman glided across the wet grass to stop before the ancient, oaken door. She turned to Radorast. "This door is locked."
Without a word, Radorast stepped up to the door. He fumbled in his pockets before pulling out the small, bent piece of metal. Jamming it into the key hole, he fiddled around, looking for the tumblers. His nerves faded as he performed the familiar ritual, just as he had to countless houses. "Just another job." He told himself. "Just another job."
Click. The last tumbler fell into place and the door opened. He swung the thick slab inwards on it's rusty hinges. "After you." He said, courteously.
The lady smiled and stepped into the darkness, swigging a night-eye potion, then passing it back to Radorast who did the same. He enjoyed the familiar feeling of the warm magic bubbling around his pupils, turning the black void in front of him into a passageway as clear as day.
He trod lightly down the passageway, a foot or so to the woman's right. He thought about asking her name, but thought against it. She would never tell him.
Looking down, he noticed a thin wire across the hall. "Stop!" he whispered, hoarsely. The woman halted, curiously looking across. Radorast pointed at the wire in response.
The two of them carefully overstepped the trip wire, successfully avoiding the hanging axes over their heads. They continued in silence.
Radorast glanced into the room to his right. Rows and rows of bunkbeds, presumably for the soldiers who had once been stationed there. The basic structures seemed almost ghostly.
Getting back to the task, the elf stared ahead. The long passageway was coming to an opening. Flickering torchlight and red banners could be seen through the archway at the end.
Radorast took the lead. He snuck up to the doorway, and peered into the room. In the middle of the large hall, a single skeleton stood, cradling a claymore in his arms. Radorast quickly withdrew his head, breathing deeply. He was well out of his depth here.
"What is it?" asked the woman in a hushed voice. Radorast looked at her, seeing genuine fear in her eyes.
"A skeleton? a living skeleton!"
The fear diminished. "We can take him." Replied the woman, and strode out into the room confidently.
Admiring her courage, but still too scared to move, Radorast watched from the shadows. The skeleton charged at his companion, claymore held high. With surprising agility, the woman dodged the attack and jammed her sword into the ribcage. Turning, the undead creature took another swipe, which was parried by the glistening steel short sword. The woman then proceeded to knock off the skeletons head, before using some kind of spell to repel the strange thing and reduce it to a mere pile of bones.
Radorast emerged, in awe. The woman looked back with her usual, indifferent expression. "Let's move on."
Radorast followed. There was more to this Imperial than met the eye.

After more silent exploration of winding corridors, ancient dormitories and mess rooms, the two robbers were met with a painful sight. There, in front of them, was a cold stone wall. A dead end.
The lady stared at it. "This isn't right!" she exclaimed, kicking the wall in frustration.
Radorast stepped up to the wall. He ran his slender fingers across the rugged surface, in the valleys between the stone bricks. He found a groove which seemed to run deeper than the others, much deeper.
Wedging his fingers into the narrow gap, he was able to pull the stone from it's resting place in a cloud of dust and chalk. The stone fell to the ground with a loud thud which echoed in the empty hallways. Radorast glanced backwards ? the strange lady watched with curious intent.
Looking back at his handiwork, Radorast noticed a small keyhole etched into the wall behind the gap where the stone had been. Taking the lock pick from his pocket once again, he fed it into the hole.
One tumbler? two tumbler? three tumbler? got it. With the ease of the experienced, the lock was picked.
Pushing at the wall, which now swung open with surprising ease, the exhilaration of the burglary enshrouded him.
The room before him was huge, cavernous. It was barren, but for a large, round metal circle on some kind of curious contraption, and a statue of a man in the middle of the room. A hole in the ceiling allowed the moonlight into the room, but unlike most holes in the ceiling this was different. The hole was circular, paved around the outside. It was obviously intended to be there, although Radorast could think of no reason why soldiers of a fort would want to see out in such a way. Secunda, the lesser of the two moons, was clearly visible through the gap, perfectly filling the circular hole.
Continuing past the strange mirror, Radorast made his way to the door on the opposite side of the room. It was a curious door ? there was no visible handle, no keyhole, and some strange markings. What appeared to be a circle, as well as twelve single lines just beneath it. Just above this, a man, with an eye on either side of him.
A sense of d?j? vu gripped him as he ran his fingers over the door, but this time to no avail. There were no imperfections, no hidden keyholes, no buttons or levers. This would require a little more thought.
Glancing over his shoulder he saw the woman examining the statue. He wandered over to her. "There is no keyhole in the door." He informed her.
"This is Telvin." She said, apparently not hearing his comment. "Legend has it that he was once a great sorcerer. He considered his power so great that he challenged Nocturnal herself to a dual. Nocturnal double crossed him, and cursed him that as long as eyes would look at him, he would be lifeless stone."
Radorast looked up at the statue. Are you saying this is not a statue?"
"I don't know." Replied the woman. "But whether it is or not, I am sure it is key to opening that door."
Remembering the markings on the door, Radorast went across the wall adjacent to the statue. There, set in the stone at head height, were two stone eyes. Suddenly excited, Radorast began to formulate a plan. He was sure that he needed to block those eyes from looking at the statue of Telvin. He walked across to the mirror plate. It was firmly stuck in place, and Radorast was unsure of its purpose. He couldn't see how it could help here.
Walking across to the other wall, he found another set of eyes, identical to the first. He called across to his partner.
"Go over to the wall opposite me, there is a pair of eyes there."
Following his orders, the woman walked over to where Radorast pointed. "I've found them."
"Cover them, and shut your eyes!" said Radorast across the room, doing the same himself.
From his solace behind his eyelids, he heard the grinding of stone, heavy clunking. After around twenty seconds, the noises stopped. Radorast opened his eyes, positively shaking with excitement.
The statue had moved. It now stood in a different pose, it's hands held out in front of it, a strange piece of iron in them, as if offering it to the mirror.
Radorast walked up to the statue, and took the iron from it's outstretched arms. It was a sort of T shape, apparently untouched by rust.
"A key for the door?" inquired the woman.
"No." said Radorast, thinking. "There was no keyhole."
He carried the heavy bar to the mirror. The odd framework beneath it appeared to have all sorts of strings, cogs and pulleys.
There, at the side facing the statue was a large, square hole. Radorast positioned the bar above it, and pushed it in. It fitted perfectly. Using the horizontal handle, Radorast turned the bar. As he did, cogs turned, pulleys pulled, springs sprung. The ancient metalwork was spinning and whirring, clunking and clanging, and the circular mirror turned. It reminded Radorast of a clockwork toy he had had when he was younger.
As the slanted mirror came to reflect the moon, the lever abruptly stopped. Radorast stepped out of the way.
The moonlight bounced off the circular metal, and shone towards the door, casting the statues shadow across it's surface. The symbols on the door glowed a vibrant blue, and the door subsided.
Once again, adrenaline rushed through Radorast's body. He approached the archway, side by side with his female companion. A beautiful, golden chest lay in the room beyond. Here, was Nocturnal's powerful artifact. Radorast would go down in history as the one who stole from the god of thieves. He would become a legend, and the deity he had once worshipped would pay the price for neglecting the one who used to adore her. He halted on the threshold of the room, hardly daring to believe this was happening.
"Go." Said the woman with an encouraging smile. "Claim your reward. You deserve it."
Shaking with excitement, Radorast entered the room and made his way across to the chest. The room had an unpleasant, musty smell. He stumbled, and looked down at his feet to see what he had tripped on. Lying at his feet was a human skeleton, still intact, but that was not what caused Radorast to be suddenly overcome with terror. Around the skeletons neck was a golden chain, on the end of which a ruby dangled, identical to the amulet currently hanging round Radorast's own neck.
Horror-stricken, he spoke, still staring down at his feet; "Who is this?"
He heard the cruel voice from behind him. "My last 'most faithful servant.'" Laughed Nocturnal, and the door slammed shut. Radorast didn't even try to reopen it. He knew there would be no way.
Opening the chest, he was surprised to see it was not empty. A single note lay at the bottom, stating simply "Traitor." He slammed the lid shut.
He sat down against the wall, arms round his knees. He felt the night-eye effect begin to wear off, leaving him to die in a dark and lonely tomb.

Him; Nocturnal's most faithful servant.

If this were the way Daedra Princes fulfill their ends of the bargain, they wouldn't be in business with mortals for long.

Good story, though. Short (more or less) and to the point.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. And yeah, I thought several times while writing it Nocturnal would have a much more efficient way of killing off her enemies, but I liked to think she was just screwing with one of her subjects for her own amusemant.