Olfrid Battle-Born

"Olfrid, patron of the great Clan Battle-Born, a name I'm sure you know well."

What was that argument all about? (After overhearing the argument with Fralia Gray-Mane) "Just one more thing the Gray-Manes want to blame on others. It's not my fault they turned their backs on the Empire, or their mule of a son raised arms against it. And yet they want to heap the fault on my family's good name? Bah."

Tell me about Clan Battle-Born. "Battle-Born is a name out of legend, sung in the songs of old and heard in deeds of valor for a hundred generations. "For Clan Battle-Born!" they cry in the mead halls. "First into the fray and last to quit their ale!" We've got honor. Wealth and titles, too. Aye, and buxom women to warm your bed on a cold Skyrim night. Now if that don't answer your question, then no words will."

What about Clan Gray-Mane? "Uncivilised, pelt-wearing axe-draggers. It's a wonder they don't still live in a cave like those ancestors they keep boasting about. It's true that Vignar Gray-Mane and his lot are one of Whiterun's oldest and, depending on who you ask, most respected clans. I don't dispute that. But it's one thing to take pride in your lineage, and another to cling blindly to the past. What they call honor and tradition, I call ignorance."

Why the feud with Clan Gray-Mane? "Money, you laggard! What else? It always comes down to coin. The Gray-Manes have deep roots in Whiterun, but so do we. Difference is, we're rich, and Vignar hates it. Oh, and they hate it, too. All their big talk of pride and honor, and what have they got to show for it? Beggar's rags and stale bread. We've got the same pride, the same honor, and we've got wealth. No wonder they envy us."

Have the Stormcloaks treated you roughly? (If the Stormcloaks have taken over Whiterun) "Of course they have! I've made no secret of my loyalty to the Empire. I'm no coward. Twice I've been robbed, and good luck getting any kind of justice from Vignar now that he's the Jarl. He probably told the Stormcloaks to do it. Lately, they've been threatening to send my whole family into exile if we're caught collaborating with the Empire. They think we're spies! Needless to say, these rebels and I have no love for each other."

"You watch yourself out there."

"Clan Battle-Born's got a proud lineage in Whiterun, but unlike the Gray-Manes, we've also got wealth."

Delvin Mallory sent me. "You're here! And not a moment too soon. If anything should happen to Arn, there'll be hell to pay."

Calm down. Who's Arn? "A close friend of mine. We fought together on the battlefield for many years until old age got the better of us. Now it's up to me to save him one more time... this time from the executioner's block in Solitude."

Solitude? Then why am I here in Whiterun? "The city guard in Solitude is seeking Arn for a serious crime. When he fled here, he was arrested for drunken behavior. Can you imagine? Fortunately, his identity isn't known to the authorities in Whiterun, so there's still a chance to save him."

All right. Just point me to the prisons. "Hold a moment. This is more than a simple prison break. I want to have Arn's name stricken from the record books permanently. I'm setting him up with a new identity. It's the only way to throw the guard permanently off his trail."

So what's the job? "The job is two-fold. First, steal a letter that was sent from Solitude warning Whiterun's guards to be on the lookout for Arn. The second is to change Arn's name in the prison registry to his new identity."

Sounds easy. "If it was easy, I would have hired a local thug instead of a professional. You see both of these items are kept inside Dragonsreach, and they don't allow visitors inside the Jarl's or the Steward's chambers. One more thing. If you get caught, I can't afford to be connected to you. Remember that before you do anything stupid."

Where's the letter being kept? "I have eyes within Dragonsreach. They tell me that all correspondence from other holds are sent to the Jarl's private chambers."

Any information on the prison registry? "It's a well-known fact that the steward keeps all of the records on Whiterun's prisoners in a large book. My sources tell me you can find that book in a study in his quarters. Change Arn's entry in the book to anything you want and they'll be forced to let him go after he serves a few weeks."

"You watch yourself out there."

Everything's been done. Arn should be safe. "Arn? Never heard of him. I guess that means you're finished. Here's your payment. Tell Delvin that he has my support and all the weight it carries in Whiterun from now on. I think he'll be quite pleased."