Darkness still clings to the streets of Windhelm as I return to the building I call home. The door closes behind me as I soundlessly slip inside. I shake the cold off my body taking notice of the fire still burning on the stove. Breynna sits watching me with a book in her hand, and I smile at her as I catch her eyes.
"So I guess that means things went well?" She asks me, showing no emotion when she does.
"Yes. I have to be to Riften by tomorrow." I tell her not bothering to keep my excitement secret.
She nods at me, and I decide to sit on the opposite side of the stove and look at her over the firelight. The small flame lights up just enough to make out her features against the darkness. I can't help but wonder just what is going through her mind as she sits there staring into the dancing flames.
"Tell me what you're thinking, Breynna. I need to know exactly what you feel about this." I plead with her.
She sighs as she drags her eyes away from the flames, bringing them up to look at me. My breath catches as I see the fire burning bright in her eyes. Her already bright red orbs seem alive with fire, and I find myself wondering if it's because of her magic. My own doesn't go beyond simple illusion spells so I can't imagine what it would be like to have the destructive power that she commands. I think she knows my train of thought because she answers me.
"The fire calls to me sometimes. It's hard to explain, but just sitting here like this, it whispers to me to control it. Lightning and ice aren't as strong. I think it has something to do with being a dunmer."
She reaches out with her hand, and the fire leaps from the stove around her palm. I watch in amazement as the flames kiss along her skin yet leave no burns. Then just as quickly she releases the flame back to the stove. When it was over she catches my eyes again.
"You were right earlier. I want to know the depths I can reach with my magic. I wasn't upset about you leaving; it was just that you were following your dream while I am stuck here. It was petty, and I am sorry. Earlier you made a promise to me. Did you mean it?" Breynna tells me.
Racking my mind to know what promise I made her, I blurt out the first thing that comes to me.
"Yes, I really did mean it. Three months is all I need. Then, I can come back here and get you." I proclaim.
She laughs out at me. I frown thinking she's going to wake the young ones.
"That's not what I was talking about, silly boy. I mean did you mean your promise about making enough money to help me go to Winterhold." She tells me smiling at my stupidity.
"I did. Every word." I answer nodding at her.
"Good. Now that that is settled, let's get you to bed so you can get up at a decent hour to make it to Riften. You know everyone will want to say goodbye to you." She stands up offering me her hand. I take it, and we start to head off toward the stairs. I watch as she waves her other hand, and the fire on the stove disappears.
My last night at the orphanage couldn't have been better. There were no angry words or broken promises. It was just two very good friends enjoying a final night in each others arms. The kisses weren't desperate, and the touches were comfortable and erotic. I will never forget that night as long as I live.
Breynna couldn't have been more right about the next morning. The sun was barely on the horizon, and I already had a room full of kids hugging me and telling me to bring them gifts from Riften. I hugged each and every one of them, and of course, I promised more presents than they could ever play with. My eyes keep drifting up to Breynna standing in the background smiling at the mess of young elven children.
Once they were finally satisfied with the amount of squeezing done, the little dragons run outside to play, and I am left alone with her again. I watch her walk up to me and plant a small kiss on my lips. Leaning up to my ear, she whispers, "No long goodbyes. Go and be well and know that we are all praying to the Nine for you."
I hug her as tight as I can without hurting her, and then I am off. Walking through the streets of Windhelm for the last time as just an orphan boy, I know I will return here and make life better for all of us forgotten and despised children. The city has never looked better as it fades away in the distance.
My excitement at the adventure made the trip go faster than it usually would. I am in Kynesgrove by mid-morning and decide to stop and grab a bite to eat at the inn. Iddra serves good food, and I enjoy my hot breakfast before getting back on the road.
The road is mostly empty until you get closer to the Eastmarch Imperial camp that's set up along the way to Riften. The soldier's there usually harass all travelers to join the legion. So, I make a quick detour through the hot springs and keep off the road until I see Shor's watchtower close by. One I pass the watchtower I know I am close. I pick up my pace from my fast walk to a light jog the rest of the way.
Making great time, I arrive at the stables before the sun has even set. I allow myself a minute to catch my breath while looking up at the impressive walls surrounding the city. While not as big as Windhelm, the city of Riften sure looks much younger. A light snow covers the ground around the city, and I can't help but be a little disappointed that there's snow even this far south. Spring just can't come quick enough for my taste.
Checking my surroundings, I notice a Nord woman talking with the redguard stable hand. I don't really try to listen to their conversation, but I can't help overhearing.
"I will have the money for you Sapphire. Just like last time, it may just take me a few extra days." The man was saying.
"The only reason you could pay me back last time is because someone gave you the money. I didn't even hijack this shipment. I want my cut." Sapphire tells him aggressively.
She looks over at me making my turn quickly away from their argument. Berating myself for already getting on someone's bad side, I decide to enter the city.
Walking up to the gate, one of the guards stops me a few paces away.
"Jarl says there's a toll to enter now. 10 septims." The guard tells me keeping a hand on his sheathed sword.
I know he's full of shit since Skyrim is a free country, but I can't think of any other way to get in the city. Not to mention, I have a deadline to get to the Thieves guild. Aggravated, I reach into my coin pouch to pull out most of my money when I hear a woman's voice walking up behind me.
"Don't be an ass. You know damn well Jarl Black-Briar doesn't have a toll to enter her city. So, unless you want me to inform her that you're collecting money from travelers you better let him pass." I look over at the woman realizing it's Sapphire and noticing for the first time she's wearing the armor I want to wear.
"Fine. Whatever. You can enter." The guard mutters moving to the side to let us enter.
I watch Sapphire as she leads me into the city.
The city of Riften doesn't have the same sense of majesty as Windhelm. A single street leads straight into the heart of the city. I notice a waterway flows right through the heart. Buildings line each side of the street. They are made of basic stone and wood design, not like the ancient buildings I'm use to seeing. It seems much busier, though. People walk along both sides of the river toward what must be the shopping district.
"So what brings you to our city?" Sapphire asks me, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Oh, umm." I think of what to say, not sure if I should trust her. She may be wearing the armor, but I don't know her.
"Well I guess it doesn't matter. I noticed you're a little light in the septims department. If you need a loan, you can find me around up here most days." She tells me. I know I must look like an idiot just standing there staring at her. I just didn't think the first two people I met in Riften would both try to rip me off. First the guard wanted to take my money, and now I look like a mark to Sapphire as well.
Realizing she sees me as just a dumb kid to take advantage of makes me pissed. I can feel my blood rising, and I clinch and loosen my hands as I decide just what to tell her.
"Actually, I am looking for the Thieves' Guild." I tell her, venom filling my voice. I watch the shock register on her face, but she composes herself fast.
"Oh, and what business do you have with the guild?" She asks me. She sets her hands on her hips as she asks.
"Vex is expecting me." I explain. Keeping my answers as short and to the point as possible. Looking impressed at that, she actually relaxes in front of me.
"Really? You caught the old lady's attention, did you? I really didn't see her as a cougar, but you are cute." She looks me up and down sending a blush to my face. I have no experience with women noticing me at all. "Sorry about treating you like a mark earlier, but if you really are going to be part of the guild I guess I will see you around."
She turns to walk away before turning back around to face me. "Oh, if you're wondering how to get to the flagon, just take the ratway below the city. Just be careful. There's always some lowlife living down there waiting for young innocent guild recruits to wander into their domain." With that, she smiles at me and waves as she walks away toward the center of the city.
I, of course, stand there like a moron and watch her go. She is even nice enough to sway her hips a little more as she walks away. Once she disappears over the bridge, I set off again looking for a way to get into the under city.
Immediately, I see a wooden staircase leading down below the main level. Sure that it is what she was talking about, I make my way down. An old door greets me on the lower level, and I wonder if it's what she was talking about. Obviously, if I'm going to the under city it needs to be "under" something. I pull my bow off my back and notch an arrow. Steeling myself, I start to quietly open the door.
It's barely open a quarter of the way when a rush of the foulest air I have ever smelt assaults my face. Re-actively I lean away from the opening and fight back a cough. Sick to my stomach, I take one last breath of clean air before I sneak into the darkness. I immediately know why it stinks so bad as I see a couple people passed out on makeshift bedrolls. Their coughs tell me they are not healthy, and I quickly retreat the way I came. There is no way the guild would let these poor retches block the path to their headquarters.
Deciding that wasn't the under city I was looking for, I make my way across the board to the other side. There's another door on that side as well, but this time it's marked. Elgrim's Elixirs. Must be the local alchemy shop, I think to myself. I follow the stone buildings around. Since there are no doors for a few hundred paces after the alchemy shop I figure I am going in the right direction.
The lower level doesn't have the same scenic value the top does. There's no lush grass or flowers to be seen. All it has is wooden planks and murky water. It's becoming obvious to me that this must be the "Gray Quarter" of Riften. The rich are probably on the topside, and they shove all the poor working class down here where they don't have to look at them. I guess no matter where you go, the rich will try hard to forget the rest of us live on the same planet they do. All it does is make me want to take even more from them. When I've taken all they have to take and I find myself with wealth that eclipse's theirs, you can bet I won't forget where I came from.
That's when I see the old metal bars blocking a path to another wooden door. The bars catch my attention since when do beggar's need protection? I pull at them, surprised they open right up. I notch my arrow one more time and open the door knowing for sure I'm about to be attacked by stench again. I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding, thankful it doesn't reek like the last place.
Once I slip inside, I allow my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the change in light. Breynna taught me how to cast magelight, but there's no way I'm risking giving my position away. I don't know whether Sapphire was telling the truth about there being people down here, but I am not about to chance it.
When my eyes adjust, they can make out the old stone walls. I know a sewer when I see one, and this is most definitely a sewer. I keep my bow at the ready and slowly make my way down the stairs into the sewer. Sure enough, I haven't gone a hundred feet before I hear a couple voices in the distance.
"Damn it, Hrekin, I'm hungry. I don't care about the thieves' guild. We need to eat, and we need to steal to eat." I listen to the argue for a minute or so before deciding this might be part of my initiation. It's obvious they aren't members so maybe I am suppose to get rid of them. That just didn't seem right though. From everything I know, the guild doesn't kill people. Of course maybe that just applies to the houses we break into. This is different. Either way, though, I have to get through, and as hungry and frustrated as they are, I know they just aren't going to let me walk through.
I'm about to take my first life. That thought pops into my head when I make up my mind. I should have known that I couldn't get into this line of work without killing, but it makes me stop anyway. Do I really want this? Can I really do this? It's like the balances of my life are both full to tipping and the choice I make right here will set me on a path I cannot change. This is what I've always wanted. Those two wouldn't hesitate for a second to dispatch me for the small amount of coins in my pocket. Why should I care about them? I need to get through, and I know they won't let me. I can't risk it anyway. The only chance I have at killing them is by sneak attack. I need to kill one with my bow and hope I can notch another arrow before the second guy finds me. My train of thought goes through every possibility, and I realize I've already made up my mind. I'm going to kill them.
Sneaking into one of the corners where I can see both of them, I pull back my bow. Setting my sights onto the bigger of the two, I aim for his neck, right at the spot where there is no armor. I slow my breathing just like if I was taking down a deer. Comfortable that he isn't going to move as soon as I release my bow, I wait until that small break between breaths and release. My arrow flies true and impales him in his neck. He falls flailing, as his friend just stands there looking at him dying. I don't take any time to watch as I already have my next arrow up and aimed at his friend. He finally realizes he's in trouble and turns to look at me. I feel nothing but calm presence as my arrow flies into his eye socket. He doesn't struggle like the other one. Instant death.
Stopping long enough to rummage through their pockets I knew I wouldn't find anything worth keeping. I guess I could sell their shitty iron weapons at the store, but I didn't feel like lugging them around. Taking the couple septims they have, I move on through the ratway. Through the room they were living in, I come across a drawbridge that thankfully was already lowered. I make my way across it and work through the rest of the ratway in peace.
It doesn't take much longer for me to get to a much sturdier looking door. It's even locked to my amazement. I reach from the picks Vex gave me and ready myself to pick the door. This has always been my worst skill. Thankfully it is a rather easy lock, and I crack it without breaking a single pick. Pulling the door open, I walk into what can only be described as an underground city. The cistern is just a main pool of water with stores surrounding the outside. There are 4 stores in all, and on the other side is what looks like an inn. The Ragged Flagon the sign says. Next to the sign is a very unhappy looking Imperial.
"What do you want?" He calls to me as I walk up to him.
"I'm supposed to meet Vex here." I tell him.
"Let him through, Dirge." A female voice calls out to us from behind the boxes.
"Whatever. Just know that if you cause any trouble you will answer to me." The unhappy Dirge tells me.
Not bothering to answer, I walk around the mountain of a man and find myself in the home of the Thieves' Guild. It really isn't all that much to look at really. Pretty much like any inn throughout Skyrim. Well, if that inn was underground and filled with thieves, I guess. Seeing Vex sitting at a table with a bald man, I walk over to them.
"Glad you could make it, Shift. This is Delvin. He is our resident instructor of sneak, and he handles some of the odd jobs the guild has." Vex tells me.
Delvin turns around and checks me out. I don't think he is any more impressed than Sapphire was. "You sure this kid can cut it, Vex?" He asks.
"Don't worry about my recruits, old man." Vex stands up for me. Getting up, she walks over to the bar and signals for me to follow her. The barkeep sees us coming and he nods at Vex notifying the man sitting there we were coming. He turns around and watches me for a minute before turning to Vex.
"He is young, lass, but we were all young once, weren't we?" The man had on the same armor as Vex and Delvin. His hair was as long as Vex's and a bright red. He looked middle aged, maybe a little younger than Delvin but not as young as Vex. "My name is Brynjolf, lad. Vex here has told me a lot about you, and I trust her judgment completely. That said, though, nobody joins the guild without a trial job first. I've told Vex everything you need to know. Good luck, and I will see you when you return."
He nods again at Vex before turning back around toward the bar and his drink. Vex turns to me, and we walk away toward a stack of boxes opposite the bar. Vex leans against them and crosses her arms looking at me. I get nervous under her gaze, but I won't let it show.
"People are going to look down on you because of your age. Just do what I say and don't fuck up, and we won't have any issues. Understand?"
I nod at her as I wait for her to tell me about my first job.
"Fine, good. There's an abandoned Stormcloak camp just south of the ritual stone near Whiterun. A rival guild from Cyrodiil is funneling their goods from the Sea of Ghosts through Skyrim without guild approval. Your job is simple. You are to go to the camp, infiltrate it, steal the goods in every chest within the camp, and leave this note in one of the chests. Then, return without anyone seeing you. Since I vouched for you, I don't want you to screw this up. So, I already cased it for you. There are three tents with a chest in each one. During the day they can have anywhere from 2 to 15 people at the camp but only two guard it at night. Obviously, it would be easier for you to do this at night. Any questions?" Vex explains to me.
I shake my head no and she continues.
"Good, now for the bonus. The female guard there has a silver circlet that I want. Bring it back with you, again without being seen, and I will add a bonus sum of septims for you. Now, get out of here and don't fuck it up."
My first job. Knowing I will never make it all the way there tonight, I decide I will stop at the inn and leave first thing in the morning. I am on my way.