The Luck of a Thief
*Skyrim is a product of Bethesda and I own none of the original Skyrim content. Certain characters, dialogue lines, etc are my own. No copyright infringement intended!*
Hello dear readers! This is my first one-shot, based upon something that actually happened to my character in game. Eyes open, walk with the shadows :)
The twin moons shone high in the sky, their red and silver surfaces beating back some of the darkness of the night. The murky water of the Riften canal flowed lazily through the city, and the wooden platforms criss-crossing over it creaked slightly under J'ala's weight as she moved stealthily towards her mark, a young Dark Elf who worked at the fishery. He strode slowly towards the circular market, accompanied only by the occasional guard and a traveller heading towards the Bee and Barb. After gesturing behind her, J'ala's partner in crime appeared at her side. "What do you need, lass?" he asked quietly.
"Cause a distraction. Bump into him, drop a coin, anything to make it easy for this one to reach his pockets." The Dark Elf looked over his shoulder, his gaze lingering on the spot the duo were hiding. J'ala tensed, but after a moment his gaze moved on. Nocturnal's luck seemed to be with them tonight.
"On it, lass. You'll know when to strike." He grinned, then got up and sprinted towards the Dark Elf, shoving past him with the force of a bear. He stumbled so violently he fell over, and something he had clutched in his hand went flying over the low cobble wall.
"Sorry!" his assailant called over his shoulder, and J'ala could hear the smile in his voice. She darted forward, still crouching low to the ground, and snatched up the thing the Dark Elf had lost; a golden necklace. Standing up, J'ala approached him, calling, "are you ok? This one saw what happened."
"I'm fine," he replied, now standing up. He bent down slightly and brushed the dirt from his knees. "I dropped something though..." He approached the cobble wall and peered over it. Perfect. J'ala dipped her paw into his baggy back pocket, grasping a small ring with her claws. But just as she was pulling it out, the Dark Elf stood up, eyes widening as her felt the ring moving. No, it seemed Nocturnal's luck wasn't with her that night.
"Thief!" he called, twisting away from her, "thief!" J'ala's mind raced, thinking of every escape possibility. The Ratway. The main gate. The cemetery. She spun, her mind piecing together the best option. The docks. She sprinted past the Dark Elf, pushing him and causing him to fall over once again. The single guard at the exit to the docks had drawn his weapon, a hefty steel battleaxe, and swung it at her head, looking to end the fight quickly. J'ala ducked under it, sticking her leg out and swinging it beneath him. She barrelled into the door as he sprawled to the ground, and an arrow embedded itself into the stonework beside her. As she charged down the wooden walkway another guard rounded the corner, this time wielding a small, polished sword. He swung and she ducked. That trick worked once again, as the sword flew harmlessly overhead. She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him, causing him to drop his weapon, then shoved him with all the force she could gather and continued towards the lake. She caught Maul's eye and they shared a grin, before he turned back and she sprinted onwards. As she reached the end of the pier, J'ala leaped, soaring through the air before landing gracefully in the cold water. Shivering at the sudden drop in temperature, J'ala forced herself to swim onwards, eventually reaching the shore. Her fur dripping wet and her teeth chattering violently, she emerged from the water and onto solid ground. There, she considered her options. She could hide for a day or so until they stopped searching for her, the sneak back into the Cistern and get someone to bribe the guards for her. She could travel to Markarth and contact a Endon, the Guilds second fence, but it would take maybe two months to reach it, even with a horse. Going and getting her horse from the stable was out of the question, as the main gate would be swarming with guards. No, the former was the most sensible and viable option. Still shivering, J'ala travelled North, towards a small hiding spot the Guild had set up a few years back, in Autumn-Leaf grove. She knew she could hide safely there.
Autumn-Leaf Grove was a small clearing in the forest to the North of Riften, Occupied by a single wooden hut. It's inhabitant was a retired Guild member who had been given it by the Guild so he didn't have to live in the streets of Riften, a city he had despised from the start. In return for their generosity, he agreed to house any Guild member on the run in the Rift. And so here she was.
"Hello?" J'ala called, "anyone home?" For a moment the only sounds were of birds tweeting, the gurgle of a stream, and the creaking of trees in the wind. Then a portly old man with a kind and wrinkled face peered around the door. His gaze fell upon her armour, where it lingered for a moment, before it moved up and met with her own. He smiled warmly at her.
"Hello, dear. I'm guessing you require my services?" he asked, chuckling softly. J'ala smiled herself, then replied with, "I do indeed."
"Follow me then," he said. He lead her into the hut. It was a small building, but large enough to live in. It had a bed, a dresser, a bookcase full of books, a couple of armchairs,and an alchemy table. The man led J'ala to the centre of the room, where he pulled back a frayed rug, revealing a small hatch. Not the most inconspicuous of hiding places, but the guards weren't likely to search through an old man's secluded house in the hopes of finding someone who may or may not be there.
"This one thanks you," J'ala said.
"Oh, it was no problem dear," the old man replied, already shuffling off towards an open book on the dresser. J'ala opened the hatch and climbed down a wood ladder. She was in a small basement of sorts, lit by spluttering torches in brackets on the walls. It had almost exactly the same furniture as the house proper. Sitting on the bed, J'ala chose a random book and began to read.
An hour or so later, a muffled conversation could be heard above J'ala.
"Come on, old man. We know she's here."
"How rude! I'll have you know that, at 65, I'm still as spry as a child!"
"Stop avoiding the question. Where. Is. She?"
"Where. Is. Who?"
"That damned cat thief, I told you this before!"
"No need to get angry, good sir. Oh, and you mean that cat. She comes by every day. I give her some milk, then she toodles off again. I adore her little purr. I wouldn't call her a thief though..."
"Come on, there's no point searching here. The old man's clearly crazy," The guard sighed. "We've lost her."
"Goodbye! Oh, wait, would you boys like a sweetroll?" The door slammed shut. A few moments later, the hatched opened, and the man peered down at her. "They've gone! He called cheerily.
"This one thanks you once again," J'ala replied, as she began to formulate a plan to get back into the city.
"Oh you should've seen his face! Funniest thing I've seen in my life. That lass can certainly handle herself in a fight!"
"What happened next, Bryn?"
"Well, she ran down the docks, fast as a bolt of lightning, disarming another guard before diving into the lake! She probably headed to Maniel's place."
"This one had fun with that," J'ala called, grinning, as she approached the Flagon. The assembled members turned their heads to her, and grinned back. She approached Brynjolf, who was seated at a table. "You weren't any help with that little escape."
"You didn't need it, lass," he argued. "You may not of gotten the item, you you proved your, errm...running away skills?" She scowled at him.
"Well, this one hates to disappoint..." she began, "...lucky it doesn't happen often." She opened her paw and a silver ring fell out, the jewels running around it glowing with magical energies. Brynjolf raised an eyebrow.
"Colour me impressed lass, you actually got it?"
"You thought this one wouldn't?" she asked playfully. Brynjolf grinned at her, then got up, walking slowly towards the Cistern.
"You do me proud, lass," he called over his shoulder. "You do me proud."
Autumn-Leaf Grove is completely made up, you probably won't find it in-game. Oh, and while you're down here, please leave a review! We writers thrive on them after all!