You’re standing in the middle of Whiterun, probably just trying to sell some dragon bones at Adriane’s forge, when two Alik'r warriors approach you. They're looking for a woman. A Redguard. This kicks off Skyrim In My Time Of Need, and honestly, it’s one of the most frustratingly ambiguous quests Bethesda ever wrote. Most quests in Skyrim have a clear "good" guy and a "bad" guy. You kill the necromancer, you save the priest. Easy.
But not here.
This quest forces you to choose between Saadia, the nervous noblewoman working at the Bannered Mare, and Kematu, the leader of a mercenary group hiding out in Swindler's Den. It’s been over a decade since the game launched, and the community is still arguing about who is lying. Is Saadia a victim of Thalmor-backed assassins? Or is she a traitor who sold out the city of Taneth to the Aldmeri Dominion?
Basically, there is no "correct" answer in the quest log. You have to look at the lore, the behavior of the NPCs, and the political state of Hammerfell in the Fourth Era to decide. It’s messy.
Why Saadia’s Story Usually Falls Apart
When you first talk to Saadia in the kitchen of the Bannered Mare, she pulls a dagger on you. She’s terrified. She tells you she’s a noble from House Suda in Hammerfell and that the Alik'r are assassins hired by the Thalmor to kill her because she spoke out against the Dominion.
It sounds plausible. The Thalmor are the overarching villains of Skyrim. We’ve seen them kidnap, torture, and murder people for way less.
However, if you look at the Great War's history, her story starts to leak. Hammerfell is currently the only province that actually fought the Thalmor to a standstill and kicked them out. The Redguards hate the Thalmor with a passion. If Saadia truly spoke out against the Aldmeri Dominion, she’d be a hero in Hammerfell, not a fugitive. Kematu points this out if you bother to listen to him. He claims she didn't speak out against them—she betrayed the city of Taneth to them, allowing it to fall during the war.
Think about the Alik'r themselves. They aren't exactly acting like Thalmor agents. If the Thalmor wanted someone dead in Whiterun, they’d usually send an Elven assassin or use political pressure on Jarl Balgruuf. Instead, the Alik'r are being kicked out of the city and arrested. They’re desperate.
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And then there's the "assassination" claim. If you side with Kematu, he doesn't kill her. He uses a Paralyze spell. He tells you she needs to face trial in Hammerfell. Assassins don't usually drag a paralyzed witness across a continent just for a trial. They just slit throats and leave.
The Case for Kematu and the Alik'r
Kematu is found deep in Swindler’s Den, surrounded by a small army of warriors. If you’ve played through the quest multiple times, you know you can just charge in and kill everyone. But if you talk to him, his tone is surprisingly professional.
He doesn't sound like a hired thug.
He explains that Taneth fell because of Saadia’s betrayal. This aligns with the lore found in the book The Great War, which mentions the fall of Taneth in 4E 177. The timeline fits perfectly.
Some players argue that Kematu is lying because why would a noblewoman be working as a barmaid? Well, that’s actually a great cover. If you’re a high-profile traitor fleeing a desert province, hiding in a cold, distant tundra like Skyrim and scrubbing floors is a pretty good way to stay off the radar.
Also, look at the gameplay mechanics. If you side with Kematu and turn Saadia over at the Whiterun stables, she is paralyzed and taken away. If you later go to the Hall of the Dead in Whiterun, you might find her burial urn. People use this as proof that Kematu killed her. But wait. In Skyrim, if an NPC is "deleted" from the active world space or moved to a location the player can't access, the game sometimes automatically generates a burial urn to handle their inventory. It’s more likely a technical quirk of the engine than a lore confirmation of her execution.
The Rewards and the "Best" Way to Play
Look, if we’re talking pure gold, there’s a way to maximize your profit from Skyrim In My Time Of Need that feels a bit like a double-cross.
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- Follow Saadia's instructions and go to Swindler's Den.
- Talk to Kematu and agree to help him.
- Go back to Saadia and lure her to the stables.
- Once Kematu paralyzes her, he will give you your gold reward (500 gold).
- Immediately kill Kematu.
This allows you to loot Kematu's body for even more gold and his unique Alik'r curved swords. Since Saadia is paralyzed, you can actually wait for the spell to wear off, and she will be hostile or confused, but you’ve effectively "completed" the quest in the most chaotic way possible.
Honestly, though, most players side with Kematu because the lore supports him more than her. Saadia’s claim that the Alik'r are "Thalmor mercenaries" is weirdly specific and plays on your pre-existing hatred of the High Elves. It’s a classic manipulation tactic.
The Alik'r warriors you see at the start of the quest are being harassed by the Whiterun guards. If they were working for the Thalmor—the people who basically co-signed the White-Gold Concordat that the Empire is forced to follow—the guards wouldn't be tossing them in the dungeon. They’d be terrified of them.
Nuance in the Narrative
Nothing is ever 100% certain in Elder Scrolls.
Maybe Saadia is telling the truth and Hammerfell's government has been partially subverted. It's a possibility. Bethesda left it vague on purpose. They wanted to see if players would blindly trust a "damsel in distress" or if they’d look at the geopolitical situation of the world.
The Redguards are a proud people. The Alik'r are specialized warriors. Seeing them reduced to hiding in a cave because the Jarl won't let them in the city suggests they don't have the backing of a major superpower like the Thalmor. If you go to the Northwatch Keep later in the game, you see how the Thalmor actually operate—they have fortresses, legal immunity, and heavy armor. Kematu has a scimitar and a bunch of guys in silk robes.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you’re currently stuck at the "Swindler's Den" part of the quest, here is how you should handle it based on your character's vibe:
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The Roleplayer Choice: Talk to both. Hear Saadia out in the inn, then go talk to Kematu in the cave. Don't pull your sword immediately. Listen to his explanation about the fall of Taneth. If your character cares about justice and the history of the Great War, siding with Kematu is the logical move.
The Loot-Focused Choice: Siding with Saadia and killing Kematu is technically faster because you can just clear the dungeon and be done with it. You get a reward from her and you get to keep all the loot from the bandits in the cave.
The Completionist Choice: If you want to see everything, lure Saadia to the stables. The dialogue between the two of them right before he paralyzes her is the most revealing part of the quest. It's the only time they interact, and you can see the shift in her demeanor.
The Consequences: Regardless of who you pick, the quest ends there. There are no long-term effects on the Civil War or the Main Quest. You won't see Kematu again, and you won't see Saadia again if you turn her in. It’s a self-contained story meant to flesh out the world and remind you that in Skyrim, the truth is usually buried under layers of political propaganda.
The best thing you can do is check the "Notes" section of your inventory if you've picked up any letters from Alik'r warriors you might have fought randomly on the road. They often carry "Orders" that specifically mention searching for a female fugitive. It doesn't mention assassination; it mentions capture. That’s the smoking gun for most lore hunters.
Check your map. If you haven't discovered Swindler's Den yet, it's west of Whiterun, near the broken tower where you fought your first dragon. Head there, talk to Kematu, and make your choice. Just don't expect a "Quest Completed" message to tell you if you did the right thing. In the Fourth Era, morality is rarely that simple.