I rode out of Winterhold the following morning, followed by Nightshade who was clumsily attempting to remain atop the tamest horse I managed to find in the entire city. My own steed, the warhorse carrying the glorious name Glitterhoof, was far more rowdy but a nice bribe now and then had him eating out of my hand... literally.
Traveling by horse was far swifter than I was used to, go figure, and we arrived in Bjarnstead a mere five hours after leaving Winterhold. Instead of wasting daylight by staying we continued on some ways beyond the small town and were met by a shrouded figure waiting for us on her own mount.
"I must admit" I begin as Karliah rides up to us, her face hidden behind the iconic Nightingale hood "Part of me is surprised you didn't just decide to run off and ditch us even with our patrons looking over us."
I hear something akin to a muffled scoff "I am a devoted servant of Nocturnal, if she accepted your deal I have no reason to go against her."
"How pious" I drawl with an eye roll "So tell me, what do you have on your good friend Mercer?"
"I thought you already knew everything there was to know?" She asks, her voice tinted with light mockery.
I turn to her with a deadpan look "As if I would consciously remember every single detail about some random cunt I will forget about the moment I kill him."
"And there is that famed mage arrogance" She titters "If you underestimate him that will only get you killed, he is an excellent thief able to hide from nearly anyone all the while being considered a great swordsman and wielding the famed Chillrend."
The ice glass sword? I scoff "Oh please, I make like three of those monthly."
Now it is her turn to deadpan... that is until she realizes I am completely serious at which point she just gawks at me while her brain resets "Right... In any case, my point stands, he is a skilled fighter with his own underlings and the house he spends most of his time in is heavily fortified and trapped."
"Is it fireproof tho?" I ask with no ulterior motive whatsoever.
"Please do not burn down half the city." She sighs.
Scorch appears on my shoulder and we both respond in perfect sync "No promises~"
As the Nightingale thief groans in despair, my more magically inclined companion manages to clumsily ride up to the two of us and speaks up "Master, why not just find him with your eyes and ambush him?"
Karliah, apparently misunderstanding Nightshade's point chuckles "Oh yes, Master Flame-tongue why don't you find the thief with your eyes?" She asks mockingly.
Instead of explaining myself I merely smirk "Why yes miss Indoril I think I will do just that."
She gives me an odd look as we continue riding toward Kynesgrove.
Speaking of the tiny mining town, it is as most things I have found on my travels, far larger than what I remembered, so much so that I had trouble finding the resting place of the local buried dragon, Sahloknir, for a good while before I remembered I could just ask the locals instead of bumbling around like an idiot.
That earned me some snickers from the resident thief.
I didn't waste too much time near the mound and just quickly swiped a bone and infused it into my crown, and just to fuck with Alduin I cast the entire skeleton in stone and made it as dense as possible with terramancy.
I couldn't help but cackle like a cartoon villain while imagining the half-dead thing trying to worm its way out of that as its overlord watched in disappointment.
The next day we entered the vast plain practically bursting with geothermal cracks and boggy marshes, it was... different than what I was used to. Naturally, the moment I relaxed and started to enjoy some sightseeing my day was completely and utterly ruined by the foulest creature to ever live.
Small, scraggly... green.
Fucking goblins.
Now I am usually a proponent of not genociding other intelligent races on a whim, but the moment I lay my eyes on the disgusting little thing throwing its no doubt feces covered spear at my horse I chose violence.
Three ravaged goblin camps later and many a soul gem charged (They were white souls, go figure) I continued my sightseeing with a peaceful smile on my face, all the while Karliah stared at Nightshade and I like we were complete monsters.
What can I say? The moment I told my Falmer vassal that her people were usually compared to the green little shits was the moment she too chose violence, and let me tell you she could violence, hard.
I also made sure to mark the Eldergleam sanctuary on my map as I had to visit that place whenever I wasn't on a tight schedule. A vacation in that place was something I definitely had to experience before the province turned into a war-torn hellscape.
As evening came we exchanged the vast plains for thick pine forests, only the barely functional dirt road allowing us to continue riding our horses without constantly having to worry about them breaking their legs on the uneven forest ground.
Well, to be fair I was blowing things out of proportion there, it wasn't that bad, the road was... functional most of the way, and there were a couple of inns and watchtowers built near it, but as someone who has helped plan the new road and settlement system in Solitude, it all looked incredibly sub-par to me.
On the morning of the third day of our journey, the vast forest was replaced with farmland, the constantly expanding population of Riften reclaiming an ever widening circle of land around the city to be able to feed itself.
Too bad said population was about to take a massive dip in numbers in the near future.
Speaking of Riften, we reached it before noon... and I was not impressed. No, to say I was not impressed was underselling it, I was completely and utterly disappointed.
Don't get me wrong it was a vast and imposing city, its walls were tall and its many towers manned, the massive fishery was well fortified and the guards numerous enough.
But it just gave out this... feeling of decadence and despair. A splotch on the walls here, an Argonian begging for food there, children in rags running around without supervision and a thief pickpocketing passersby in broad daylight.
It all added up and gave the city an aura of misery and general poverty.
We left our horses in the local stables, as most cities in Skyrim did not allow mounts unless there was an emergency or some kind of celebration. The stablemaster looked at my very expensive horse like he just hit the jackpot but after I very politely introduced myself the man quickly decided that he preferred keeping his life to a chance of selling my mount.
I remained patient, this was to be expected after all!
And naturally, my patience broke the next instant when this fucker happened:
"Hold there traveler, before I let you into the city you must pay the visitors tax." The gate guard says with utmost seriousness.
I take a deep breath, try and calm down, and fail utterly.
"I am sorry but what did you just fucking say to me?" I ask with false cheer, the air around me picking up without any of my input.
I wasn't at all mad that a guard tried to shake me down, no I was mad that this dumbfuck that was supposed to be at least somewhat informed thought to shake someone wearing a literal token of royal favor on his person in front of the entire city. Even if he somehow managed to juke me he would be getting his shit kicked in the moment his superiors learned anything about it.
The guard shivers on instinct but apparently, he is far too dumb to follow even that as he repeats "You have to pay the toll to enter the city."
Before I can explode, both literally and figuratively, his colleague comes in with the save and quite literally shoves him back inside of the city while another drags him off, he quickly gives me a light bow "Sorry about that sir, some of these idiots couldn't tie their own shoes if their mothers didn't remind them every morning."
I raise an eyebrow as I slowly calm down "Right... what a ravishing first impression of your great city and its protectors."
The man merely shrugs "Eh, it is what it is."
"Right..." I drawl "I will be going in then."
"Of course sir, it was an honor meeting you" He smiles behind his helmet and offers a handshake.
I return it firmly and continue into the walled-off section of the city, moments later unfolding the note the guardsman sneakily gave me. I quickly read through it and smirk in satisfaction, it was a report from my own agents in the city. Seeing as Riften is so utterly corrupt all it takes is a mild bribe to get someone to sell you information and my people had months to work the place over so I now had a good overview of what was going on inside.
Locations of most entrances into the Thieves Guild, recent events, people hiding out in the Ratway, even the location of Mercer's own mansion... and to my great surprise and satisfaction the rumors of a small child radiating a cold feeling wherever she went.
Not even five minutes into the city and things were already turning interesting.
I quickly led Nightshade into the Bee and Barb where Karliah was supposed to rent a room in advance. Even as I walked through the open streets I could feel at least half a dozen people weighing their chances of pickpocketing me.
Luckily for them, no one was stupid enough to actually try.
As we entered the inn, I was greatly surprised to find literally no one but the innkeeper paying attention to us, apparently, there was an unspoken rule about not butting into other people's business while inside. The Argonian innkeeper quickly led us to a cozy room in the rear where our partner in crime awaited.
I gave him a nice tip for his discretion as he left us.
Karliah, who was up to that point lounging in an armchair greeted us with a lazy wave and asked "So, how do you like the freest city in Skyrim?"
I do my best not to look utterly disgusted, and once more fail utterly "It is a fucking shithole where everyone is free to languish in their own filth" I scoff as I take my seat, Nightshade following soon after.
The Nightingale stands up a bit straighter and shrugs her shoulders "It is not for everyone, I will admit." Her eyes glint with some excitement "Now, what is the plan?"
"I go and meet with Maven while you stake out Mercer's place." I say flippantly "Or we could recruit someone from the inside and have them give us all the information we need." I add with a shrug "Both would work."
Karliah scoffs "And who would even listen to me from within the Guild?"
I scratch my chin and try and remember the name "Branlof? No... Bronwulf?"
"Brynjolf?" She asks.
I point at her and snap my fingers "Yes! That is the one."
She stares at me and slowly asks "And how exactly can you be sure he will join us?"
"Magic bullshit" I deadpan.
She sighs audibly "Even if you were right how would I even make him listen to me? I am a known traitor, lest you forget."
"Just kidnap him" I snort.
"Oh yes just kidnap him" She mimics me sarcastically "It isn't like he is a skilled thief capable of fighting off five guards on his own, I am sure it will be fine Karliah..." Her eyes snap to mine and she looks at me like I am an idiot.
"Karliah," I say slowly, ignoring the implied insult "Did you forget exactly who you are working with?"
She tilts her head and continues staring at me without a care.
I sigh and clap my hands, two of my agents silently entering the room moments later. "Good day to you gentlemen" I greet them with a welcoming smile and they both bow lightly in return.
"The two of you will be helping Miss Indoril here in acquiring a target, living and uninjured beyond what may be necessary in sedating them, any questions?" Both shake their heads and I look back to the thief "That enough for you, Your Majesty?" I ask sarcastically.
She rolls her eyes as she gets up and signals the two to follow her "Yes yes, you are oh so mysterious, just make sure to have a convincing argument for Brynjolf when we bring him here."
"Please try to not inconvenience me by dying like an idiot" I quip back and as the trio leaves the room I turn at Nightshade "Now then my snowy friend, how would you like to watch me piss off an arrogant businesswoman?"
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Stones upon the goblin filth!
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