-Hey, guy,- a pleasant voice called out to me from behind, -is the seat next to you free?
-Khe-khu! - damn I almost choked on the mead that I was drinking in surprise. Near me stood two nords, a small boy with a malevolent look and a little guilty-looking Nord. Tall, was the first thought that came to my mind, he was almost half a head tall taller than me. What do these bastards eat to grow this high? No, I'm not jealous, it's just... Oh, fuck it.
- And what kind of gentleman wants to brighten up my evening with a drink and a conversation?
-Brynjolf, Riften's most honest and handsome merchant, if my clients need something, then I am ready to get it from anywhere, for a decent fee of course! - he said smiling broadly - and Sven, the guy you now owe five dozen coins for getting to know reliable businessman, - like
-Honestly earned, - I prepared the payment in advance, and therefore threw a bag of
her right into his hands - you can even count.
-Don't worry, I will.
-Then go, this is a place for a real man to drink and talk, not for kids to count the despicable metal.
-Who needs your boring conversation? I will go buy some beer.- and with those words, younger Nord stood up and moved towards the bar.
- Vitki, - I introduced myself, sipping honey. - business?
-You can drink first, and then get down to business, - the red-haired Nord quickly grabbed a bottle and overturned into himself.
Then we just drank and chatted for some time. Before moving toward the room I rented in the tavern specifically for this conversation. When the door closed behind us and we, sat down opposite each other, he is on a chair at a small table, I am temporarily on my bed from hay and some skin.
- Bottom line, I need a good performer, for a small, but frequent, and most importantly profitable business. As my orders will increase their danger and means the price, which I am willing to discuss. If all my orders are completed as soon as possible, then we will move on to larger contracts. Am I making it clear?
- Hmm, you want to test us with small things? - Nord thought, in his way accepting the meaning of my words I had nothing to pay for really dangerous and important thefts, but from the first to the last, I will increase my wealth thanks to the things that I will ask to be delivered to me, which means I will have more resources and more opportunities at my disposal. - But why, we have a reputation proven over the years, there is no point in small businessmen, only you'll waste your time.
- Your reputation in recent years speaks for itself especially loudly.
-Hold your horse guy what all sorts of drunken idiots say in gossip and what is, in reality, are two different things, you have to understand! - with a fervor in his voice, the redhead stood up for his guild.
-Yes, but you know, one is an accident, two is a coincidence, and three is a pattern. I don't know who you annoyed, but this person is slowly strangling you. So, let's at least see what your guys can do. If you are not confident in your people, you can do everything yourself.
-I made such a good first impression,"-he joked, and I did not hide a smile.
- No, but Gallus said that you have great potential, - well, here it is a really difficult part of the conversation.
- Did you know Gallus? he asked tensely, staring into my unblinking eyes. eyes with a hint of suspicion. - Aren't you too young for this? You are not even thirty.
- The former master of the thieves guild? No, not personally, but I am somewhat close with those who knew him and were close to him, and therefore I believe in their words that Gallus
saw you as a highly worthy replacement for the new generation.
- So, who are these acquaintances who know Gallus? - tension from the posture and
gaze has not disappeared, on the contrary, it has even intensified a little.
-You won't like the answer, - I warned.
- And yet, I would be glad to hear at least one name, maybe they are my friends.
-It is. Karliah,
- Karliah growled
-Remember? I warned.
- Where's she? Do you know where she is?
- Whoa whoa! - taken aback, I leaned back on the bed from the Nord looming over me. -Cool down, hothead!
-Fine. So, Karliah,-Brynjolf drawled out the woman's name, obviously expecting an explanation from me.
-Hey-hey, don't expect more from me, you wanted a name I gave to you, everything that is beyond is not part of the discussion. Pay and I'll split on what I know, - I suggested a deal, but of course, I would not demand money.
- You understand that we are now alone in the tavern room, with thick walls and a lot of
noisy people on the first floor?- he asked rhetorically as if doubting in my mind.
-Haaah, - I let out a disappointed sigh, - I thought it wouldn't come to that, - and
became deadly serious. - You may not understand with whom you are in the same room in a tavern with thick walls and a bunch of noisy people on the first floor,-I returned his own words to him and lit a spell in each hand. - Let me remind you that the Nords are famous for their resistance to cold, but not to fire and lightning- I said grinning while paying with the lighting and fire that engulfed each of my hands.
- Understood, - an experienced thief passed back, I don't know if he saw through my bluff, exaggerating my abilities, but at least impressed by my determination, he abruptly sat down back to his chair and looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. - If I wanted to know what can you tell me about Karliah, what would be the price?
- Not money, Brynjolf, the person of your talents have their special uses.
- Heh, for some reason I assumed such an answer. So if I would like to know more about Gallus and his long-lost girlfriend, - he uttered the word girlfriend with such
the contempt that I even wondered if he could despise someone stronger, such as when he learns of Mercer's true identity.
-Three small favors and one oath in the name of Nocturnal.
-Is... Is your information worth it? - with strong doubt in his voice he asked. -Besides, an oath to a Daedric prince? I understand that our guild is often credited with ties with her, but she definitely doesn't have anything to do with our no relationship, so don't think this vow will even be worth a counterfeit septim.
-Oh, take my word for it, you have no idea how wrong you are. So, do we have a deal, or are your curiosity and anger gone?
- Yes, - with difficulty, with great difficulty, he squeezed out this word. - What text
do you want an oath?
- You just need to swear that you will not betray anything from heard neither by word, nor by action, nor by inaction by outsiders except those who will I let hear it from you by calling Nocturnal to witness.
- Stop! What is the meaning then in your information, it's irrelevant if I
can't share it with anyone?
-You can't share, but you can act personally based on new facts, right?
-Yes, but... Fine hope you get Daedroth to be your wife! I, swear to keep a secret from others to anyone not to transmit either orally or in writing, either voluntarily or by
coercion of anything you said in today's conversation. As the witness, I invoke Nocturnal of my word! - and as soon as he finished saying the name prince of shadows, every shadow, every shred of darkness in the room for a second charged and stirred.
- What ?! - exclaimed the red-haired Nord, noticing what happened.
- She heard you, - in surprise, very surprised, he gave his answer to the thief, but also as and he, being in prostration from what happened, I, of course, assumed, but ... Oh well fuck it! - Congratulations? -
I was not sure whether to count the attention of this person good or bad, she is not classified as an evil prince, but ... just well fuck. Of course, the Aedra and Daedra were very powerful, but not omniscient and omnipotent, which means she could react in this way, only if she was spying on us at this moment.
-If I die, then my ghost will appear in your nightmares until the end of your worthless life, - he promised seriously, and knowing the realities of Nirn such a turn of events is not unlikely. What the fuck have I gotten myself into? Why the prince of shadows gave even a drop of his attention to a mortal like him?
The rest of our conversation lasted about half an hour, I told him the approximate situation around Karliah, without pointing directly, just as if asking himself non-obvious questions, told him about some facts from her life and the current situation, and gave him a guess what she might be thinking.
Distorting some facts but not too much. I'm in no way planning to dump the harsh truth on the poor Nord. No. I had to create just a sea of speculation and meaningless
reasoning. Nevertheless, I gave him some facts, for example: yes she is in Skyrim, yes, she wants to annoy Mercer, no, the Guild is not her goal and she doesn't want to hurt it at all. Why doesn't she want to? Don't know we are not that close.
-How can I find you? - the thief was thoughtful, he was rethinking some parts of his life, I did not tell him everything, but gave hints of not the most pleasant things, at the same time throwing in a few ideas that he considers his own and fulfill them for the both of us for the good, such as getting the Falmer alphabet language from an Altmer wizard in Markarth.
-Ask in Winterhold about a mage named Vitki, that should be enough to find me, and before we say goodbye as good buddies, could you please return those fifty septims that you stole a couple of minutes ago from my wallet back? - I jokingly said, as it turned out a second later, not jokingly.
- Where did I screw up? - a little sour on the face of a redhead, but he returned the money.
It was only when I put them back in my purse that I grinned at him.-- Nowhere, I just could not believe that a thief of your level will leave without trying to steal from an honest citizen his hard-earned money.
- Fuck, this money was mine, I honestly stole it!
- It was my money that I squeezed from one greedy, like a thousand thieves merchant!
So they are rightfully mine! - but on this, our conversation should have come to
In the end, he got up from his seat and walked towards the door.
- Good luck to you. I'm counting on you, boy,- he promised as he left the room.
------------------------------------------------------------
The next day I left the city notorious for having the highest concentration of thieves per square meter while squeezing a fragment of a blue mineral through my clothes.
Of course, I knew that although it looked expensive and valuable, in reality, it was of no interest to magicians, despite magical radiation, nor for alchemists, since it was absolutely inert in alchemical reactions.
But that's the problem, it looked valuable, which means it could become a target for theft, which is why I kept it close to my body, literally making an amulet out of it, I dangled it on my chest thanks to a thin rope. I knew that no one could see it, that there was simply no way for this, but the inner voice still filled the mind with disturbing thoughts
It was not difficult to find a caravan, it was more difficult to agree on a price. Up until now I was traveling essentially as a free guard sleeping with other guards and hired workers with a minimum amount of comfort. But now that my finances have improved I would prefer to travel with some comfort.
I have about a thousand septims left, after all the expenses for food and housing in Riften. Quite a decent sum by the standards of ordinary farmers and workers which is enough for two, and if you tighten your belt, then for three months.
It's just that I was not an ordinary inhabitant of this world that has his own home, relatives, and a job, no, I was what they call the adventurer here.
Traveling pulled out money, like dry sponge water, as an example for the road.from Riften to Falkreath. I had to give a hundred coins, leaving my wallet with nine hundred.
And that is not including the cost of staying in Falkreath and the road to Whiterun, and from Whiterun to Windhelm and Winterhold.
After giving greetings to the driver I climbed up my cart that I was sharing with three more people. It was quite spacious and considering that my meals will be provided it was a pretty good deal. My fellow travelers consisted of two Nords with stern faces, blond hair, and a minimum of clothing, a shirt, and trousers. Dunmer women with ash skin in combination with red eyes that looked surprisingly beautiful, dressed in good quality leather armor, and three short wood elves with bows on their backs.
-Let's go, - the Nord driver simply said, driving the wagon, more for himself, than for his clients, and hit his two horses on their asses with the reins.
A pair of horses immediately took a fast pace of running, probably any other breed would have collapsed from fatigue, after half an hour of running in their conditions, but the Skyrim breeds were very hardy, although they lost to any other breed in the speed of gallop and trot. They were the best solution as helpers farmers and merchants in long marches.
The cart was shaking along uneven, rain-broken roads, and I, shaking on the bench near the Dunmer, looked at the landscapes creeping past me, in my head, I was reviewing my plans, how and where it is best to move.
And frankly, the plans were shitty, of course, it's easy to set the main goals, to enter college, learn magic, not die and become someone like Divayt Fir, Azidal, Shalidor, or Mannimarco. The latter one has a very tarnished reputation, but he is the only one of them who created his planet in etherius - the Moon of the Necromancer and became a god as an Aedra, which is a feat worthy of admiration, even though his methods are not.
But setting global goals is easy, but how to achieve them is completely different. story. It is so easy to say: "I want to become a billionaire", but doing so requires an extraordinary amount of work and luck. I need to cross a very cold, harsh country full of dangers, enter the College of Magicians, and use my magical talent to increase my own knowledge and personal power. But all of that requires a huge sum of money.
Shit, even in the world of swords and magic, a lot of questions come down to fucking money. Yes of course I remember many places where you could get all sorts of good things, but with one small nuance, all my knowledge relates to the future. Some, and maybe all things simply may not be in their places.
Of course, maybe I'm winding myself up in vain, the same problems in the mine in Shor's stone should have happened in the year 201 not in 199 as it did, but here I am, killing the horde of giant spiders in the company of two Nords. And then a question pops up: "Is everything tied to the strict timeline?".
Could it be that some events happened before others later, and still others even after a few years or a few years before?
Honestly, my plan was pretty simple: get to Whiterun, hire someone from Companions or any other mercenaries and clear out the stronghold of poachers - Camp Pure Mines, pick up the tome of the Transmutation spell there and be happy. With this spell, I will be able to ensure a stable cash flow with which my studies in magic can be financed.
It was getting dark, the day was almost over and all this time thoughts filled my head with the unstoppable flow, as if trying to tear my mind apart, often one thought directly contradicted another and jumps from one topic to completely just another minor annoyance.
- Overnight will be here! - the driver announced loudly, stopping the horses near a cozy clearing surrounded by trees and a stone-furnished fire pit in the center.
-I'll make a fire,- said the owner of the wagon, when we gathered at the center clearings.