Chapter 3: The Welcoming
"Looks like I've chose the right person for the job." Brynjolf hands me a small purse full of septims. "And your payment."
I smiled at him after I accepted the payment. "So what happens now?" I asked.
"I think you're ready to fit into our organization."
"Really, already?" Is he really serious? He wants me to go in so quickly.
There was a commotion beginning at Brand-Shei stand. A few guards were surrounding the Dunmer with their weapons ready, and Madesi comes right in with an angry face. I guess they caught him. Brynjolf and I turned our eyes away from the situation pretending we didn't notice what was going on
"We'll talk more later." Brynjolf starts to walk away from the stand after he was done, and then I caught up to him.
"But can we talk here?"
"The walls have ears. We'll talk more once you can find where we are."
"Where do I find this place?"
"What is it with you and all of these questions?" He got annoyed. "I believe you have been through there before, lass."
Been there before? I still didn't understand what he meant by that. "Just tell me…"
"It's under your feet, follow the smell."
Under my feet… wait I think I know the place he's talking about. Now I remember from six months ago. When I went searching for the crazy old Blades person named Esbern. The Ragged Flagon, that's what the place was called. I didn't have a clue first if it was an actual bar and it made me wonder why this one was different from all the others.
I turned around, but Brynjolf suddenly vanished. By the gods, that sneaky thief. He's too good, at least for now.
The entrance through the sewers was still open, and even the bodies of the sick men that were down here are gone. The first time I went here, a few bandits tried to kill me. I wasn't having that. I made it through once again and found the Ragged Flaggon. Gods, this place looks like crap. There were just boxes and junk lying around the walls of the room. In the center was the bar and seating area.
Brynjolf was sitting down at one of the tables drinking mead from a tankard, and this time was in his armor. Well, he went off on me and changed pretty quick to look the part, I thought. I walked up to him, and he didn't even have to look up to notice it was me.
"Well well, color me impressed." He said to me.
I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, it wasn't too hard. I just forgot that I've been here before." I sat down on the chair that was in front of him. "So… I heard some rumors about your guild. Word is that your outfit isn't doing too well, is that true?" I asked.
"We've run into a few patched lately. Tell you what, you keep making us coin and I'll worry about everything else. Fair enough?"
I nodded. "Fair enough."
"May I ask you something, lass?" He asked.
"What is it?"
"So what makes the Dragonborn interested in working with the Thieves Guild?"
I shrugged. "Something new for a change I guess. Why does it bother you?"
"Of course not, I'm just only curious about what changed your mind."
"I didn't think you'd believe me when I told you that night you tried to steal from me." I said.
"I already knew before that night."
I stayed silent. He's much too clever, especially with information.
"You even taught me a lesson which I didn't expect."
"Is that why you chose me for the offer?" I asked.
"Before you, there were none that could even catch a thief like me. You were the first."
I laughed a little. "Oh come on, I'm not really that special. But I am flattered."
"So are you serious about this, lass? You want to put aside your duties as Dragonborn and work with us?"
"I would have to say that is my only choice, and I feel like I need to." I paused. "Also. Just between the both of us. You cannot tell the others who I'm really am."
"Still hiding from your destiny, why is that lass?"
I sighed. "Maybe another time I'll tell you. Now getting back on track, what's next?"
"How about following me and I'll show you what we're all about."
Brynjolf and I walked back to the Flaggon and he took me to another path way that was right next to room. He opens up the closet which turned into a hidden door leading to another door. It was basically a secret door, probably to another part of the Thieves Guild hideout I assumed.
We walked into a larger room. This place was deep under the grounds of Riften's market place, judging from the sky opening from the ceiling in the center of the room. There were beds all around and a few chests with belongings. There were a couple of thieves walking around, and talking to one another, and one was an archer practicing his archery on a dummy full of arrows. What caught my attention were these two large doors that seem to be difficult to open, or maybe not to open at all. I just assumed and wondered what was so secretive that's inside that room.
At the desk was an older male Breton, maybe somewhere in the mid 40s'. He was looking through some paper work with this stern face as if he was trying to figure out something he was looking at. He must be the head of the guild.
"Mercer, this is the one I was talking about." Brynjolf told him, though the man didn't look up at him, he was still busy writing with the ink and feather, recording some kind of notes in his book. Mercer finally looked up at him, and then laid eyes on me. He didn't seem happy from his expression, unless that's how he always looks like naturally.
"This better not be another waste of the guild's resources, Brynjolf." Mercer stopped writing, and crossed his arms while he looked at me. "Before we continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you play by the rules, you walk away rich. You break the rules and you lose your share. Do debates, no discussions… you do what we say, when we say. Do I make myself clear?"
The way Mercer sounded after the last sentence, was a bit stern and loud enough for my ears to ring, it was unnecessary to talk to me at that tone.
I shook my head. "I understand."
"Good, I think it's time we put your expertise to the test."
"But wait a moment, you're not talking about Goldenglow, are you? Even our little Vex couldn't get in." Brynjolf jumps into the conversation as if something was wrong.
"You claim this recruit possesses the aptitude for our line of work. If so, let her prove it."
"What's Goldenglow?" I asked.
"Goldenglow Estate is crucially important to one of our largest clients. However, the owner has suddenly decided to take matters into his own hands and shut us out. He needs to be taught a lesson. I'll let Brynjolf fill you in with the details."
"Mercer, aren't you forgetting something?" Brynjolf asked him.
"Hmm. Oh yes. Since Brynjolf assures me you'll be nothing but a benefit to us, then you're in. Welcome to the Thieves Guild."
Brynjolf and I walked away from Mercer. The guy just went back to his paper work with that same angry look.
"Is he always like that, the Guild Master?" I asked Brynjolf in a whisper.
"Not always, but he'll adjust to you over some time." He answered. "So welcome to the family, lass. I'm expecting you to make us a lot of coin, so don't disappoint me."
"So tell me about the Goldenglow job."
"Goldenglow Estate is a bee farm, they raise the wretched things for honey. It's owned by some smart-mouth wood elf named Aringoth. The estate brought in a mountain of gold for the guild. You could almost call it our sweetest deal. The out of the clear blue, Aringoth stopped sending us our cut. Mercer was… well, angry to put it kindly."
"Where do I come in on this?"
"We need to you to teach him a lesson by burning down three of the estate's hives and clearing out the safe in the main house. But there is a catch.
"What is it?"
The catch is, you cannot burn the whole place to the ground. The client will be furious if you did that."
"Alright, that makes sense." I said.
"Aye, the last thing we want to be doing is crossing our clients."
"What about Aringoth?"
"Maven prefers that Aringoth remains alive, but if he tries to stop you from getting the job done, kill him. The guild has a lot of riding on this. Don't make me look foolish by mucking it up."
"You said you sent someone there before, what happened?"
"We sent in Vex, and we found out that he hired a bunch of mercenaries to guard the place."
That was strange to me. "Mercenaries? Not Riften guards?"
"Aye, Aringoth sent the city guard packing and fortified the entire island. In fact she barely made it out alive. You should talk to her about it before you go."
"Alright I'll do that. I'll head out there tonight." I said.
"All eyes are on you, lass. Don't disappoint us."
