28th of Second Seed 4E 158
The three children were getting into trouble.
That much was obvious. Their whispering voices were panicked and shrill, one small girl kneeling on the top of the barrel and two boys trying to peek inside while frantically making sure the coast was clear. None of them thought to look above at the man watching from the rooftop.
Gallus would always be drawn to illicit behavior, he couldn't help it.
He laid there on that Riften rooftop, his thick, brown braid dangling as he peered over the edge at the oblivious children, smiling at their mischief. When he whistled his lips three small heads snapped upwards, eyes wide and mouths agape as they stared at the man above them. Bersei Honey-Hand and Maven and Torvi Black-Briar. Gallus knew them all.
"Looks like you three could use another lookout. Mind if I join?"
It took them less than a second to bolt, sprinting as fast as their skinny legs could carry them.
Chuckling he dropped down from his perch, delightfully anticipating what treasure he was about to uncover from the barrel. However, a dull scratching from inside followed by a muted cry made him hesitate. They had caught something... Gallus just prayed it was another kid and not some wild animal. He drew his dagger and braced himself, taking a moment to ready himself before he quickly opened the lid.
A small, black kitten looked up at him, coated in white dust from the milled wheat it was standing on.
"Well, well, what have we got here?" Gallus muttered as he picked the critter up by the scruff of the neck. It was definitely kitten season, but he hadn't seen any mama cats or babies in this area of the city, who knew where Honey-Hand junior and the Black-Briars had found him. The little thing simply continued to stare at the giant with wide eyes before suddenly sneezing a puff of flour.
"Look at you." Gallus started to brush the flour off, creating a white cloud around the black creature. "You're like a little ghost, a little spook."
"Oi, boss!" A voice near shouted behind him, startling both Gallus and the kitten, which had now started squirming about. "Ya gotta get in on this, newcomer in town with fat pockets walkin' 'round like she never stepped a foot inside city walls. We're drawin' for pickpocket rights, ya gotta get in on it."
"Alright, Delvin. I'll go in..." Gallus couldn't leave the kitten behind. Following the young rookie through the quiet lane and towards the busy Riften streets Gallus found a buckled pocket on his breast that was secure enough to keep the writhing, mewing creature. Furthermore, by the time they had made it back to the marketplace he had discovered a scratching finger under the chin calmed the kitten down substantially.
"Psst!" The two men picked up at the tone and looked to see three more of their comrades huddling around the walls of the blacksmith's shop.
"You got a rat there, Gallus?" Glover nodded towards the tiny head poking out of Gallus' pocket.
"I'll have you know this is my latest loot."
"Nevermind that, just hurry and put in your lot before she spends all that coin on something." Varynn hissed, gesturing for Delvin and Gallus to place their items in his coinpurse. They both reached into their pockets and took out the first thing they could find, for Delvin it was a small garnet, Gallus pulled out a flawless emerald.
"Nothing like putting in cheap, bookworm." Shazara-Jat scoffed.
"You keep track of that tail of yours and you can sneak into the court wizard's private stash too." Gallus retorted. "Now, who is this mystery moneybags we're bidding for?"
"Haven't seen her for a bit but she'll be back... Been walking all around Riften in a daze." Glover said as Varynn started shaking his bag, the precious gems clinking together inside. "Guessing she's some Dunmer backwoods hunter from somewhere, possibly even from Morrowind. Carrying a fine looking bow around with no idea where she is or where she's going. Not a speck of city-slicker in her. But by the Nine her pockets... her pockets and coinpurses are loaded." With one final shake Varynn squeezed his eyes shut and shoved his hand in his coinpurse.
"Oi, all our tokens are different sizes! Ya could tell which one is yours!" Delvin shouted. The Thieves Guild had just recruited the boy, as soon as he had reached his sixteenth winter he had taken one step out of the orphanage and the next right into the Ratways, following the footsteps of his older brother Glover. He was uncommonly talented at sneaking, much more than his brother. He was also incredibly smart, something his peers were not quite fond of.
"I was just gonna grab the first one I felt!" Varynn said a bit too defensively. "What else am I supposed to do? Throw them on the ground and see which one bounces the highest?"
"They all weigh differently, so that would be rigged too." Delvin crossed his arms and held his ground. "Seriously, this is the way ya guys draw lots? I would've thought-"
Gallus' attention was captured by the Dunmer woman he just caught sight of. There she was, weaving around the market vendors with their vibrant red banners and prosperous wares. Trying not to give away their target's return to the marketplace, Gallus pretended to be listening to his bickering subordinates as he stole glances at the dark elf.
She was young, probably just over a century old, and she was dressed in very plain, well-worn trousers and a tunic, but he couldn't make out the details of her gray face from his distance. The boys were right though, she was not used to the city. She aimlessly walked around the square as if looking for something she had no idea where to find, completely overwhelmed by the hollering merchants and bustling patrons.
And he could see her pockets bulging even from where he stood. They were beautiful.
"Gallus? What do ya think?" Delvin nudged his Guild Master. Gallus merely smiled.
"I think I get you scallywags to pick a number without telling me and I will manipulate it into a number of my choosing... If I can successfully change all your unknown numbers into my numbers I get pickpocket rights." Gallus had been playing with arithmetic the past week trying to decode a Dwemer puzzle lock and had discovered new tricks he had been dying to employ on the juniors.
"Wait, what are ya talkin'-" Delvin started but Varynn's laugh interrupted him.
"Yeah okay boss, you get four right and it's yours."
"Alright, then you are first, Varynn." Gallus smiled and turned around, facing the away from his underlings and towards the marketplace. "You pick any number and show the others, and I will turn it into the number five."
Leaning against the blacksmith shop wall and scratching the black kitten in his pocket, Gallus scanned the colourful market once again trying to relocate the Dunmer woman. There were the Snow-Shods, Nura's pregnant belly looking just about ready to burst... Edda Papius in all her fine clothing... a band of fishermen driving a hard bargain at Svorri Bear-Shirt's fish stand...
"You got a number there, Varynn?" Gallus asked the elf behind him, finally pinpointing the wandering Dunmer woman looking at a jewelry vendor.
"Yes."
"And the others know what it is?"
"Yes! Just get on with it!"
"Very well then, I want you to double that number."
"Uh... okay."
"Now add ten."
"Yep."
"Half that."
"By Azura this is foolish..."
"What was that, Varynn? Wanting to back out of your pickpocket rights? I'm looking at the Dunmer woman right now and her pockets are still so full."
"Alright, alright! I halved it!"
"Now subtract your original number from that number..." Gallus listened closely, a smile starting to curl his lips. "Is that number five?"
"Fuck you."
"Alrighty, Varynn's out for the count. Who is next?" Gallus kept his eyes locked on their target despite the kitten in his pocket trying to latch onto and bite his fingers. "The next number I'm going to make is three."
"I'll take a shot at it." Glover's deep voice spoke from behind Gallus.
"You got a number you can show to the other boys?" Gallus watched the Dunmer woman walk towards the next stand, her movement and stance was elegant and poise. Definitely not that of a hardened, backwoods hunter. And there was something about her eyes that was different...
"Yeah, I got it." Glover said.
"Now double it."
"Yep."
"Add six."
"Yep."
"Now half that."
"Okay."
"Take away your choosen number."
"Yep."
"Is that number a three now?"
"Nope-"
"Aye it is! He's lyin'!" Delvin cut in.
"Damn you, runt!" Glover hissed.
"Oi, I want my shot too!"
"Hey hey hey! Boys! Settle down!" Gallus ripped his sight from the Dunmer woman and towards the brothers behind him, causing them to immediately recoil under the authority of their Guild Master. "Shazara-Jat, you want a go? I'm thinking I want to change your number to a one."
"Uh...I think I'm gonna pass."
"Are you sure?"
"The lizard can barely count his septims what makes you think he can double and half and add things?" Varynn sneered.
"You watch it dark skin, I'll pummel you!"
Gallus couldn't help but roll his eyes. It was times like these he genuinely wondered how the Guild was still standing.
"Delvin, you want your shot? Think you can pick a number I can't turn into a one?" Gallus asked the boy beside him. He could see the cogs whirling in his head as he thought fiercely.
"Aye, I've got a number."
"Good, now show it to the sore losers behind me." Gallus turned back to the marketplace, taking a few seconds to find the Dunmer woman again. A snicker behind him told him Delvin may have picked a tricky number.
"Aye, they know."
"Now add three."
"Aye."
"Double it."
"Aye."
"Subtract four."
"Aye."
"Half that."
"Aye."
"Subtract that with the number you thought of."
"Gods damn it!" Delvin cursed as the men around him scoffed and sighed with frustration. "Not even a double digit worked!"
"Well boys, it was nice playing. But if you don't mind, I've got a few pockets out there with my name on them." Gallus grinned at the disgruntled thieves, visually expressing their regret in including the Guild Master in their draw for fishing rights.
Without wasting time, he took off into the thick of the market. The sun was still high and bright so there were no shadows to fall back to, he'd have to be quick and deft.
It took a few moments to locate the Dunmer in the midst of the crowd, but there she was, looking at a produce stand with her back to him. Despite the intimidating ebony bow slung over her shoulder, nothing could daunt Gallus away from the brimmed pockets and coinpurses tied to her belt.
He would go for the coinpurse on her right-side, it'd be impossible to pickpocket everything off her at once and it was the easiest and most bountiful to nab. It would be a quick cut and run. However, as soon as he finished assessing his target and made to start advancing towards her she took off, gracefully speeding away to the other side of the market and out of his line of sight.
Internally cursing, Gallus hugged the giant well in the center of the square and slowly moved around it, trying not to look too suspicious to the people around him. It wasn't hard to find her again, her pointed ears peeked through her dark curtain of hair as she looked at the same jewelry vendor she did earlier.
Gallus seized the opportunity of her distraction, to waste anymore time shadowing her would liken his chances of getting caught. Walking quickly but casually, he made his way around the vendors and locals, lining himself up to be able to cut and grab her coinpurse without any slowing. Within three feet of her he discreetly drew his dagger, within inches he cut the purse from her belt and made to keep walking.
But something yanked him back.
The Dunmer woman, they were so close now, her left hand was gripping the wrist holding her coinpurse, he hadn't even gotten a second pace away.
Usually Gallus would've done something, either fight to get away or evolve into a charming liar depending on the situation, but the fact that the mysterious woman didn't shriek or call guards or assault him made him petrified. She simply stood there, and before Gallus could even think about why this individual was not responding the way most did to catching their thief, the woman turned and faced him.
Her eyes were violet, not the bloody red characteristic to her race, he hadn't seen anything like it in his life.
And she was remarkably pretty, even with the glare she was piercing him with. It somehow softened him, made him relax in her grip. More bizarrely still, he started smiling at her.
"You think I didn't see you following me?" Her voice was soft yet sharp, just like her gray features. It made Gallus eager for her to continue scolding him. "I saw you coming a league away. But I shouldn't shame you too much, it's what I wanted."
"...What?" Gallus started, but the Dunmer woman made away from the jewelry stand and towards the central well, pulling Gallus with her and away from earshot of anybody else.
"Every septim on me I've stolen, I haven't done a day of honest work in my entire life." She hissed under her breath. "These pockets, these coinpurses, I acquired them using my own skills to bait someone like you." Her striking eyes narrowed in on Gallus' face as she finally let go of his wrist. "I want into the Thieves Guild here, so take me to your..."
Gallus was so dazed by the Dunmer's beauty it took him an extra moment to realize her sentence was incomplete. Following her gaze he looked down at his chest where a tiny black paw was reaching out of his pocket and trying to swipe the braid dangling over his shoulder.
"Ah, I see my partner has blown his cover. Would you like to yank his little wrist too and humiliate him?" Gallus unbuckled his pocket and pulled the tiny kitten out, which continued to attack the long braid and pay no attention to his audience.
The Dunmer softened her hard stare, albeit her stance was still rigid and firm. Shaking her head slightly she reaffirmed herself.
"I want into the Thieves Guild! Let me speak to your Guild Master!" She whispered fiercely, making sure no one overheard her.
"Fine, fine, let me just get him for you." Gallus replied impatiently. With a dramatic spin coming full circle, he extended his free hand, the other still holding the ball of black fur clawing at his hair. "Gallus Desidenius, Master of the Thieves Guild."
The woman simply looked at his outstretched hand before gazing back up at the kitten and then his smug face.
"There is no way you're the Guild Master... to be caught by an amateur like me... with a kitten in your pocket..."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll find me quite full of surprises."
A/N: Hello, fair readers!
I am writing a Skyrim fanfic focusing on the Thieves Guild questline and I was getting to the parts where Karliah was introduced and was really struggling with giving her character some proper depth and development. I wanted to ensure that she would be a fully fleshed out character in my story and not the one-dimensional enigma we see in the game. I decided what better way than to go balls-deep in writing a short series of one-shots examining some key moments between Karliah and Gallus (as well as establish the details of the Thieves Guild pre-Mercer's reign) before Mercer's betrayal.
So reviews will be very much appreciated! Usually reviews are just super awesome bonuses to posting chapters but I actually really want to hear your ideas about Karliah and Gallus and the Guild and how you imagined them to be. There is so much the game doesn't fully go into yet it leaves so many hints and subtle details, it's going to be a lot of fun exploring them further the next bit.
Thanks for reading!