Chapter Eight
Yosa'Min trudged back into the Ragged Flagon, even more foul smelling muck on her boots then before. She went right past Vex and Delvin, both of which were following her path with an expectant gaze. The redguard walked up to the table Brynjolf was enjoying a meal at and dropped the weighty coin purse down before him with a triumphant thump.
It had taken her some time, but after a broken dwemer vase, a threat of throwing a Dibella statue down a well and reminder of where one's family lived, she'd gotten the gold. When she'd spotted Mjoll storm into the Pawned Prawn after she'd collected the last debt from Keerava, the redguard's legs couldn't have moved quicker. She'd pulled out a mask to conceal her face, and had changed into a different suit of armor just for added effect before she'd headed above ground, and hoped it worked. There was no way she was going to let herself get incriminated, because then Mjoll would hear about it. And that would be very bad indeed. By the time she'd gotten to the stairs, Mjoll was headed right for her. Yosa'Min was forced to jump into the canal, swim out into the lake and come back in at another spot and slink around the underbelly of Riften to avoid the huntress's keen gaze.
Seemingly she'd gotten away with it.
Brynjolf was staring at the plump coinpurse. It looked like it actually took him a moment to process it, and then a toothy grin grew across his face. "So the job's done and you brought the gold, best of all you did it clean. I like that. Dumping bodies and keeping the guards quiet can be expensive."
"Here's what they owed us." Yosa'Min indicated at the coin purse, crossing her arms and jutting out a hip as she leaned against stack of boxes containing Divines knew what.
"Well done. And it would seem I owe you something in return. Here you go, I think you might find these useful." Brynjolf said before he pulled a decent sum of gold out from the coin purse, and a few potions she instantly recognized as poisons and healing mixtures. She took them without complaint. "Judging from how you handled those shopkeepers, I'd say you've done more then simply proved yourself. We need people like you in our outfit."
Yosa'Min smiled lightly. "If I get to have more fun, I'd say I'm in." She replied, her eyes dashing over to the watching pair of amber across the room.
"That's the spirit!" Brynjolf praised. "Larceny is in your blood, a telltale sign of a practiced thief. I think you'll do more then just fit in around here."
Before the redguard could say another thing, Brynjolf got up from his seat and led her towards a back area where there was a door and a cupboard. And then he opened the cupboard, revealing a secret passageway that made her smile at the genius little trick. The sound of boots behind them caught her attention, and Yosa'Min glanced over her shoulder to see Delvin and Vex following her, an almost proud glint in the imperial's eyes though surely she'd never openly admit it.
The room on the other side of the door was a surprise to Yosa'Min, an even larger opening in the ratways with water pouring out grates along the walls, forming another massive pool in the center. Beds for the Guild members, chests and a small kitchen area lined the walls, and in the center above the poor of water was a stone circle, raised above little arches that connected it to the outer circle. Another massive source of light that dripped water down directly above.
She could see a different pathway in three direction, directly across was a massive and grand door, to the left of it what she assumed were the Guild Master's for an empty trophy case and desk covered in plans rested there. To the right was the kitchen area and a ladder leading up somewhere she assumed was Riften. There was a practice archery range between the two. To her left was a passageway that suddenly turned out of sight, an alchemy table besides the doorway, and more beds on the left of it.
The redguard felt a bit apprehensive as she followed Vex up to the center, Brynjolf and Delvin hanging back as a crowd of the other Guild members began to form, none of them setting a foot on the long arches for fear of death. They didn't have ceremonies really, this was mostly professional, but still this was a moment reserved for the Guild Master, the new recruit, and whoever brought them in. And in this case, it was Vex.
Standing there already waiting was a breton male with a black suit of the Guild's armor, just like Vex, Brynjolf and Delvin had. Yosa'Min could only assume he was the Guild Master. He was stout, stern and had a bit of of a scratchy beard growing, mostly an overshadow in its appearance. He was scowling, though it seemed almost as if his expression was always stuck in such a position. "Mercer, this is the new recruit I was telling you about." Vex introduced her. "Bryn's already put her through the ropes, she'd make a great member."
"Will she now..." Mercer droned with an irritated expression, looking at Yosa'Min up and down once, twice, a third time until he was satisfied. "You better not be a waste of the Guild's resources." His cold gaze settled on Yosa'Min who began to feel a slight scowl pulling at her lips, and she had to fight hard not to return the expression. "Before we continue there is something I want to make clear, you play by the rules you walk away rich. Break the rules, and you lose your share. No debates, no discussions, you do what we say when we say. Do I make myself clear?"
Yosa'Min then smirked, allowing her bravado to show. "Perfectly." She could see Vex grin ever so gently.
Mercer didn't seem phased at all, instantly moving along. "Good, then I think it's time to put your expertise to the test."
Vex's small grin dropped, and she turned to Mercer with a slightly offended expression. "Wait a minute, you're not talking about Goldenglow are you? Even I couldn't get in."
Isn't she the best here at break-ins? Yosa'Min thought, wondering what chance she could stand then, but she quickly threw that to the side of her mind. Couldn't be doubting herself right there before her new Guild members. Mercer just waved off Vex's anger. "You claim she's got an aptitude for our line of work, let her prove it." And then he completely shut her out, ignoring the way Vex's amber eyes narrowed, shooting cold daggers at the light haired breton. "Goldenglow estate is critically 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. Brynjolf can fill you in on all the details."
Yosa'Min nodded her head, trying to think of what exactly do to when Vex gave a cough.
"Oh," Mercer suddenly said with just as bored a tone as ever. "Welcome to the Thieves Guild." And then he turned away and the crowd diminished from around them. Brynjolf strolled out right away and gave her a kind pat on the back.
"Welcome to the family lass, I'm expecting you to make a lot of coin so don't disappoint. After this job you can always talk to Delvin or Vex her for some extra work." He informed her, the imperial actually hanging around instead of just walking off like the others. She seemed to be waiting for something. "Tonilia will give you your armor, that should help you out tonight. Goldenglow estate is a bee farm, they raise the wretched little things for money. It's owned by a wood elf named Aringoth, a real smart mouth that one. We need you to teach him a lesson by burning down three of those blasted hives and clearing out the estate's safe."
"And the catch?" Yosa'Min asked with a flick of a wrist.
"The catch, is that you can't burn the whole place down. That important client Mercer mentioned wouldn't be all too pleased with us. Even less so with you."
Yosa'Min narrowed her eyes as she thought, and then slightly grinned. "Maven Black-Briar?"
Brynjolf blinked, "How did you... Vex told you didn't she?" Half way through his shock turned into an all too pleased smile. "Well, just make sure you handle it." He then said, and walked away.
Vex grabbed Yosa'Min's wrist before she could say a word, and took her off to the passageway on the left, winding left and right for a few moments before a large room with locked chests, practice dummies and shooting targets were all set up. A thick fog clung to the walls and the floor in the trapped room, no ventilation safe for the entrance to get the moisture moving. The training room. It was at the moment empty, most of the other members off eating dinner or already asleep.
The imperial didn't let go of her wrist, though her grip did loosen. Yosa'Min watched her closely, every so often the sweet smell of her hair drifting over above the stench of the sewers and the remains on her boots. "Before I tell you anything we need to have two things perfectly clear. One, I'm the best infiltrator this rat hole of a Guild has got, so don't you dare think for a second you're going to replace me. And two, you follow my lead and do exactly what I say, no questions."
"What, you afraid I'm going to take your job...?" Yosa'Min chuckled, and found herself leaning towards Vex slightly. A certain imperial that wasn't moving back. "I promise I'm not."
Vex rolled her eyes, and suddenly took a long look at the redguard. Before Yosa'Min knew it she found her hands were being held, and then her arms lifted high and she was pressed against the wall with her back meeting the slick stone. Her breath hitched, and she gingerly lifted her head up to lock eyes with the taller woman. Vex gave a sly grin, a knowing look in her amber eyes. Not knowing what was going to happen, or what she should do, Yosa'Min suddenly gave the other woman control, something quite unlike herself. Vex pinned the redguard's wrists above her head with one hand, another going and cupping the red brown cheek.
And she simply stared, for what could have been an eternity to the burning up redguard. When she finally did something, it wasn't press her pale lips against Yosa'Min's black ones like Yosa'Min was heavily fantasizing, but rather to whisper in her ear. "Not in the slightest." Every word made the panting Yosa'Min shudder. And then she let go of her, releasing the Dragonborn that very well could have easily escaped she have found the desire. But the touch of Vex's hands against her skin was enough to make her still, and that contact gone she almost wanted to plead for the touch, reach out for it on her own.
Vex stepped back, and flashed her a grin. "Alright, do you remember rule two?"
"Rule two?" Yosa'Min blinked, and then with a grand display she dipped her knees in a mock bow, hands flaring outwards from her body. "Ah yes, follow your lead and do exactly what you say, no questions." She repeated, gaining an approving look. "And what does that mean Vex?"
"It means I'm coming with you."
Yosa'Min blinked, "I thought I was supposed to prove myself on this?" She couldn't deny the thought of working along side with Vex made her giddy with excitement. She'd seen her in action as her adversary, but to be able to watch the woman work up close and personal without a dagger poised at her throat, that was a change she'd prefer.
The imperial gave a wave of her hand, "You already did, earlier. And I'm not going to let some upstart show me up." There was something like a competitive gleam in her eyes, making Yosa'Min grin widely at the prospect. "Besides, it could be fun. And you're not allowed to muck it up." Vex then gave a smile. "Meet me out by the lake in two hours, I'll be waiting." Was all the platinum haired beauty said before she left Yosa'Min out of breath.
Standing still, her chest rising and falling as she tried to calm herself, Yosa'Min tried to process what had just happened. She was dead certain that Vex was completely flirting with her, there was no way it could have been anything else. And then she slumped down against the damp stone, clutching her chest near her heart and then let out a series of chuckles. The redguard could hardly believe it, hope springing alive in her at the realization that perhaps it wouldn't be so crazy to chase after Vex. The thought of Mjoll was the furthest from her mind in that moment, something real without her having to hide who she was making her almost fully disregard the thought of romancing the nord.
Almost.
Jumping up to her feet, she ran right out to the Guild's resident fence, determined not to screw up. She wasn't going to just let Vex slip out of her grasp.
Vex was crouched between the bushes on a small bit of a rise of ground above the lake's edge. There was a birch tree beside her, and with her cloak pulled all the way up she could barely be picked out among the dark brambles safe for her pale face and fingers. The moon was nearly gone, nothing more then a half slit and even that was hidden behind stormy clouds that remained on the horizon. It just looked like luck was in their favor for a change.
The imperial jumped at the sound of someone shouting across the lake, the mercenaries on guard doing an annoying good job at keeping the perimeter well monitored. Getting in alone had been tough before, and she'd been forced to turn back before it got too thick for her. With another, well that could be a different story for better or for worse.
A hand wrapping its way around her waist and looping her towards the owner of the dark limb caught her off-guard, and she instantly tried to escape only for a pair of blue eyes that shined in the din surrounded by white sunbursts freeze her in place. "Yosa!" She hissed as she came back to her senses, swatting the redguard on the arm playfully. "You're so lucky I didn't draw my dagger!"
"And why didn't you?" Teased the redguard who still held Vex close to her body, now dressed in the standard brown Thieves Guild armor. "Expecting something like this were you?" Eyes drifted down to Vex's chest that was pressing against her slightly for a split moment. They shot back up to catch the imperial had just done something of the same to her.
They stayed like that for longer then either of them expected, until Yosa'Min respectfully let go of her and stepped back. "So, through the sewer right?" She asked returning to a more professional manner. Vex almost instantly hardened, nodded her head and stepped into the lake.
"A nice cold swim should do us some good, can't have you falling asleep." She replied with her typical detached tone. The two easily swam under the water, murky as it was with seagrass growing up and out towards them. It took about five minutes to swim all the way around to where the sewer entrance was, but once they were there they crept up onto the small bank.
Yosa'Min pried back the wooden top and Vex slipped in without a word. Once they were both down in the stinking sewer, Yosa'Min's nose crinkled up in disgust. Somehow it smelled worse then the ratway. The only viable path led off to the left, and the two hugged the walls to make the best they could of the minimum darkness, torches placed every so often along the walls.
Once they reached a larger opening, Yosa'Min scowled at the sight of skeevers and a few dens. She quickly drew her bow and plunged an arrow in each of their necks. When they started moving towards the next passageway Vex held up a hand and pointed at the tripwire running across it, a slick oil coating the ground. Yosa'Min grinned, pulled it, and the two jumped back out of the way as a lantern fell and burned the oil, the sound of another pair of skeevers dying just over the quick burning fire.
Following along up the now burned clean passage, the two came out in a large room with a pile of bones in one corner and skeevers all around. Yosa'Min pulled up her bow and fired at the foul creatures while Vex easily gutted them with her daggers. When they were finished the scent of skeever blood was actually able to overcome the ripe stench of the sewer. After that there was one more trap to evade and then they were up the ladder out into Skyrim.
The two were shocked to say the least that the storm that had been mounting off in the distance had decided to come down and erupt around them, reducing visibility to fifteen feet at best. The occasional flashes of lightning and roll of thunders were the only thing above the din, and the two stuck close by one another to avoid losing sight of the other. They'd come out on the north end, and a door leading right into the main building of the estate to their left. Creeping up around to it, Yosa'Min nearly tried tackling the lock which looked like it was of an expert level, when Vex gently shoved her aside and did it herself.
"The safe should be in here somewhere." Vex whispered, relieved that thus far it had gone off without a hitch.
"Right..." Yosa'Min whispered back and began to search around, finding a kitchen and supply room, an entry way and a small closet with a strongbox she picked. They were left with one hallway left, and once they rounded the corner she signaled Vex that there was a mercenary up ahead. The two crept towards an open room away from him, the dining room. But as luck would have it the floor board creaked beneath Yosa'Min and he stood up abruptly, calling out if anyone was there.
Yosa'Min gritted her teeth and drew an arrow. "Is this allowed?" She whispered hastily to Vex who'd already drawn her daggers. The subtle nod was enough and the redguard waited for him to turn the corner before loosing the arrow right into this throat. It was then that she'd noticed he'd had friends. Two other mercenaries rushed to the sound of their comrade dying, and before Yosa'Min could do or say anything, Vex lunged forward and slashed their knees and slit their throats.
"Come on, help me hide the bodies." Vex hissed, and the two dragged them one at a time back to one of the side closets a small ways back. Next they slipped up a ladder to the second floor in hopes of finding the safe. Instead they found rooms with mercenaries lining them and Aringoth himself wide awake and hiding in a corner of his room. "Worthless mercenaries." He muttered. "I didn't think Maven or Mercer would allow me to get away with this but I had little choice."
The two shared glances, and just turned around and left, knowing there would be no way to get the key from him without killing him as they'd been spotted. And they hadn't seen the safe. Surprisingly Aringoth didn't scream for his mercenaries to come and save him.
After that they'd made their way to a steel gate that Yosa'Min picked and entered the basement. It was almost as dank as the sewer, a thick musk and cloud of the stench rising from the ground, water dripping in through some of the stones lining the walls. Cobwebs were everywhere, and Yosa'Min's back crawled at the thought of finding another giant spider. There were more of Aringoth's hired aid in the basement, but the two easily worked around them until they came across one sitting in a chair right beside the cellar room, the two killed him by plunging their daggers into his back.
Slipping down the ladder they approached the safe but before Vex could tackle it Yosa'Min shook her head and did it herself. The expert class lock came open after half a minute with a resounding click. Inside was nothing more then a pile of coin and a letter. The redguard handed it over to Vex, knowing that as a recruit it was not hers to look at. The frown on Vex's face made her curious, but she remained quiet in the murky basement. Vex slipped it between her pockets and the two slipped away back into the sewers through an access tunnel. It led them right back to where they'd first left the sewers.
Back on the open earth, Vex and Yosa'Min clung close to each other in the rain. "Come on, let's just finish this." Vex whispered, and stood up straight. Before Yosa'Min could say or do a thing the imperial started running for the bee hives, and she was forced to give chase. They sped past everything, the mercenaries, the buildings, next thing either one of them knew they were standing in a brightly flowered field with six or so bee homes to burn down. In the rain, a typical flame would have trouble starting, but Yosa'Min grinned and pulled up her bare hands. The torrent of fire that flew from it caught Vex by surprise, and the bees as well. Once three and only three were blazing with fire the sounds of the mercenaries shouting and running over reached their ears above the thunder and rain, the two grinned, clasped hands and jumped into the waters below.
Once they'd crawled out on the far shore, Yosa'Min busted out into laughter unlike any other, clasping at her sides as she tired not to howl into the wind. "Yosa, what's your problem?" Vex hissed but found herself fighting the urge to laugh as the redguard continued on. "Yosa!" She shoved the redguard playfully where she laid on the ground.
"That was so much fun! Did you see their faces?" The redguard managed between laughs, clutching at her sides still.
Vex rolled her eyes, laid down on the shore besides Yosa and found herself grinning. "They were pretty funny, the dumb brutes were so shocked to see us there setting those bee hives on fire. Speaking of which I didn't realize you knew any magic other then that healing spell." She inquired, and slowly the redguard's spasmodic laughter died down.
"Yeah, like I'd said before, I picked up whatever I could to survive. I didn't always be able to, but when my firemaking skills were less then spectacular I convinced a mage into teaching me a few things. My healing spells, the fire spell, even one where lightning comes out of my hands!" She held up the brown digits into the air, palms catching raindrops that came barreling down. "It's proven pretty useful, no one expects a redguard to have a bit of magic up her sleeve. But I'd long since cast of my people's innate superstition of the arcane arts."
Her hands dropped back to her sides, a euphoria still coursing through her body. She looked over at Vex, marveled at her beauty as the rain glistened down her body, the smile on her face and the way her skin seemed to glow. Before Yosa'Min could stop herself she grabbed Vex's hand and pulled herself over to plant a kiss on the surprised imperial's lips. Knowing that this time, her Guild membership didn't hang in the balance.
AN: Had to do some research for the quest, I had intended it to come up sooner otherwise. Thanks for reading!
