Siofra had a shipping map in her armor and several thousand gold adding a comfortable weight to her purse. The East Empire Shipping Warehouse was a good place to add some funds to the guild; but more importantly, it was the hiding spot of Gulum-Ei; the Argonian who she was tailing for Mercer Frey. Currently, Siofra was swimming in a cave filled with bandits, avoiding being seen but still tailing the Argonian. Finally, both reached a storage area that seemed to hold shipments from years of trades.
"You weren't followed, right Gulum?" A large bandit stomped around, shouting a few orders at some lackeys. Siofra notched an arrow and shot one of the guards. She killed the other soon after, then drew her dagger and cast fire at the large bandit. He went down hard, leaving Gulum-Ei cowering in a corner.
"Please, don't kill me!" Gulum started begging, scuffling forward on his knees.
"Tell me about Goldenglow."
"I was the go between for Karliah; she said that eventually you would catch on and find her."
"Did she say where she was going?"
"No, but when I asked she said 'Where the end began'…" Siofra looked at Gulum hard.
"You owe the guild…"
/././././.
"Mercer, its Karliah." Siofra was standing before the Guild Master, watching his mouth tighten at the name.
"What?" He growled.
"She was the one who bought Goldenglow and funded Honningbrew. Gulum-Ei said she's gone to 'where the end began'. Do you know what she means?"
"Yes. It's a ruin near Winterhold—Snow Veil Sanctum." Mercer paused, thinking. "I need you to come with me to capture Karliah." He stood up and started to leave.
"Wait, Mercer!" Brynjolf growled. "Let the lass gather herself, she just got back!"
"Fine, you have an hour. Talk to Tonillia and she'll give you some new armor." Mercer rustled around his desk and pulled out a key, rushing out soon after. Brynjolf put an arm around Siofra and lead her to the Flagon.
"C'mon, lass." He tried to smile but seemed distracted. Siofra got her new armor from Tonillia and walked with Brynjolf through the Ratway.
"Where you in the Guild when Gallus was killed?"
"Yeah, I was a new recruit when Mercer came in claiming Karliah had just tried to kill him. I couldn't believe it, but when Gallus never showed and a few of us began chasing after Karliah…I had to give in."
Siofra nodded and begin to walk away, but Brynjolf grabbed her hand.
"Lass, be careful…we like you here and Mercer…and well, last time Mercer went out to Snow Veil…" Brynjolf didn't need to finish his sentence. Siofra gently pulled her wrist from his grasp, only for the larger man to wretch her forward and kiss her. Siofra pushed him away, running up to the main street, leaving Brynjolf in the dying light.
Siofra met up with Mercer at the stables; the older Breton barely glancing at his younger half-kin and walking north. The Halfling trotted after him, silent and wondering how this would end for the Guild.
./././././././
In Riften, while Siofra and Mercer were nearing Windhelm, Marcurio sat in the Bee and Barb waiting for Siofra to come in. Instead only Brynjolf and another customer were there; the thief looking very worried. Marcurio felt his heart start pounding.
'Oh Aedra, she'd better be alright…' Marcurio hadn't seen Siofra for a while; thieves were killed in Riften often enough to worry him. Marcurio walked over to Brynjolf-nearly healed now—and sat next to him.
"Why are you so worried?" Marcurio asked.
"Guild business." Brynjolf hissed.
"Aye; and Siofra, is she okay?"
"She has a job to do…" Brynjolf started to stand but Marcurio grabbed his arm; the Nord spilling some of his drink onto the table and floor.
"Protect her Brynjolf, or I will kill you. And whatever scenarios you have in your head, they won't work on her, she's better than that, deserves better." Marcurio was almost shouting by the end.
"She deserves you? Is that what you're saying? You don't really know her then: she lives for the thrill of larceny; the rush a good heist gives her. And why wouldn't a young, little thing like her take a man with experience. I'm her superior, she'll follow my orders!"
"She doesn't trust you; she won't trust anyone."
"What makes you so sure?"
"I saved her life and she didn't trust me for weeks: I probably know more about her than anyone besides herself and the Daedra!" The two men were glaring each other down, mead spilled all over the wooden floor. Keerava ran over and wrestled the two apart.
"Brynjolf, out, now!" She rasped. Brynjolf spat at Marcurio's feet, and then stomped out. Keerava turned her gaze to Marcurio. "Watch it, boy! The Guild is gaining power; I fear for her as well…" Marcurio sighed heavily and sat next to the other patron, who had watched with a smile the entire time.
"Say, how about a drinking contest to get your mind off this girl…" He laughed drunkenly.
"Why not…." Marcurio growled.
"Haha, great, bottoms up!"
/./././././././.
Snow Veil Sanctum was near Winterhold, a ruined entrance near several fallen pillars and walkways. Mercer stood impatiently at the entrance while Siofra searched through Karliah's camp for anything useful.
"These old ruins are supposed to be impenetrable…" Mercer muttered. Siofra followed him into the dome, nearly slipping on the snowy stairs. Siofra attempted to open the door, but the ancient iron withstood her rattling.
"It's locked…" She frowned, turning to Mercer.
"Yes, I dare say so…but, if you know how, it's easy to open these old doors." Mercer began fiddling with the lock, the door swinging open a second later.
"Amazing…"
"Yes, you lead."
Once inside, Mercer and Siofra crept carefully past sleeping corpses and looted several burial urns. Sometimes the Draugr awoke after Siofra passed them; she began to think Mercer must be testing her because he would disappear the second the cursed things began to walk.
"Karliah must have been planning this for years; all the traps have been reset…" Mercer mused to himself after someone nudged some bone chimes and woke some more Draugr. They reached a large room shortly after, a few patrolling corpses forcing them to cling to the shadows.
"There was a room with a view of this one further back, I'll go there and pick some off, and you keep them from finding me." Siofra whispered and snuck off to said room. From her perch, she began killing the Draugr and the new ones that awakened. This time, Mercer did not let her down and no Draugr snuck up on her. Together, they continued, finding a strange sight; a wooden ship on a pedestal surrounded by fire traps.
"You aren't…" Mercer began, but Siofra leapt over the oil, snatched the ship, and dashed backwards as the fire holders fell, creating a gigantic fireball. Both thieves pressed themselves against the wall as the heat wave passed. When they were clear, Siofra burst out laughing as Mercer glared and patted the ends of his hair out.
"Be quiet…we're almost there…" He growled.
Rooms later, another sight took Siofra's breath away. They had just defeated a Dragon Priest and Siofra, busy inspecting the body, didn't notice the great, black wall rising from the ruins. The strange writing on it convinced Siofra to find a decently preserved roll of paper and charcoal and copy down the writing.
Finally, they reached the Hall of Stories, the walls depicting the Dragon Priest's slow decent into undead. Their way was blocked by the notorious puzzle doors.
"Humph…Karliah is sure to have destroyed the claw that went to this door." Mercer strode up to the stone rings and a second later, they spun and descended.
"Come on, she's close…" They stepped through the archway, Siofra's dagger drawn. There was a distant clatter and a zing! a second later Siofra felt the sting of an arrow in her chest. She stumbled back, sight going dim, and crashed to the floor. From the ground, barely conscious, breath dying, Siofra saw a slight, female figure confronting Mercer.
"Karliah, dear Karliah. You know you couldn't ever get the jump on me."
"Mercer. It's time you pay for your crimes!"
"Crimes! It was you and Gallus who were sneaking around behind my back! And now, you and your love will be together in this place."
"You're wrong, Mercer." Karliah disappeared, leaving Mercer standing alone. He laughed silently to himself, and then walked over to Siofra, looming over her prone figure.
"Dear Karliah doesn't realize the service she's done me; she's given me the chance to get rid of you, and what a fitting place, this ancient tomb becomes your final resting place." Mercer drew his sword and stabbed Siofra through the stomach. He ripped the blade out and left, leaving Siofra to bleed out on the floor.
"I'll give your regards to Brynjolf…" He called over his shoulder; Siofra's dying brain registering the taunt. She tried to curse, but her body had seized up, so she was left to watch as her vision went black…
/././././././
Marcurio came to on the stone floor of a temple; the Temple of Diabella judging by the statues.
"Wake up!" A woman yelled in his ear. One of the priestesses was tapping her foot, arms crossed, in front of him.
"What, what happened?" He attempted to rise but his head began pounding. "Oh, gods that hurts…"
"You were babbling about a goat in Rorikstead or something, then fondled the statues and defiled the temple!"
"Hey, calm down…can you tell me if my friend was here, his name was Sam…"
"No, along with your minor transgressions…you interrupted the others while in deep communion with the Goddess; and therefore, owe a period of servitude. I'll tell you what you want to know when the period is over."
/././../.././././.
Karliah watched Mercer stab the girl and walk away. When she was sure the man had left, Karliah rushed over to the small body and began healing the stab wound. It was risky business; Mercer's enchanted sword had left a bleeding hole through the girl's stomach—possibly the whole way through her—and Karliah was a thief, not a healer. Thankfully, her poison was doing what she'd designed it to do and the bleeding was slow.
The girl was stable in no time so Karliah carried her out the back entrance and to her old camp. Outside, Karliah removed her arrow and healed that wound, too.
"Damn you, Mercer! I shot a child to save her!" Karliah spat in the snow. What Mercer was thinking, bringing a child into the Guild, and here of all places, but then again, he probably wasn't thinking, just using Karliah as the bait to get someone else out of the way.
/././././././././
Siofra first realized she was alive when her entire torso lit up with pain.
"Holy hagraven tits!" A Forsworn child's curse, but the emotion behind it was real. Rolling over into some snow, she attempted to get up, vision going blurry. Unseen hands held Siofra up, helping her sit down carefully.
"Be careful, you're still ill." The lilt of a Mer voice tickled Siofra's ears. Sight now clear, Siofra looked up and recognized Karliah. "It's the eyes, I know…" Karliah was talking about the look of confusion on Siofra's face, believing it to be because of her blue Dunmer skin at odds with icy blue eyes
"No, really, it was more that you fucking killed the old Guild Master, then it turns out Mercer was the killer, he tried to kill me after you tried to kill me and now I'm alive." Siofra breathed heavily for a moment, and then calmed down.
"I'm sorry, but right now we need to work fast; Mercer needs to face justice."
"I understand that, but how?"
"I didn't choose this place for irony; Gallus always carried a journal on him, but it's encoded…I know someone who could help us."
"Who?"
"Enthir, he's an old friend from the College of Winterhold, Bosmer, you can find him in the Frozen Hearth at night."
"Fine, I can go talk to him, bring him the journal and we can have some proof against Mercer." Siofra stood up again, this time not falling over.
"Here's the journal…" Karliah muttered. This child confused her. "I have one question…"
"Hmm?"
"You and Brynjolf...Mercer said something, I mean…"
"No, no, no." Siofra turned sharply to Karliah. "There is nothing between us."
"So there's someone else?"
"Only Hermaeus Mora." Siofra walked away stiffly.
/./././././././
The Frozen Hearth was almost empty, like the town, and Nelecar's old room had been cleared out since his death. The Bosmer was easily found, but he wasn't happy about being interrupted during drink.
"What? Need a quick way into the College?" He growled.
"No, Karliah needs a favor."
"Karliah? I haven't heard from her in years! What does she need?"
"We need a translation, of this." Siofra handed him the journal. Enthir flipped through it quickly.
"Gallus', am I right? Tricky bastard, he's written it Falmer."
"Falmer, as in, Snow Elves?" Siofra's eyebrows furrowed and she read it over his shoulder.
"Yes, and there's only one man who has an extensive knowledge of the Dwemer and Snow Elves: Calcelmo in Markarth. Go find his notes and bring them back."
"Shit."
…/././././
Markarth was a little more...rocky than Siofra remembered. The Reachmen seemed poorer, the Nords richer. Hood pulled far down her face, Siofra made her way to Understone Keep, skirting guards and clinging to shadows. She couldn't count the number of people she didn't want to meet here on her fingers, let alone toes! After passing Thongvor Silver-Blood shouting down a priest, Siofra found Calcelmo and his nephew pouring over Dwemer "artifacts".
"Can't exactly call them artifacts if half the time they still move…" She'd had her share of the automatons in Bthardamz.
"Calcelmo?" She asked nicely.
"What, what? Why are you here? I don't need workers or guards!"
"I have a favor to ask: I hear you know quite a bit about the Falmer."
"You heard right! I am currently putting together a guide to the Falmer tongue!" Calcelmo puffed his chest out importantly.
"I'm a huge fan, and I was wondering if I could get a sneak peek at your work?" Siofra patted her eyelashes innocently. Calcelmo gave her a hard look, and then pulled out a key.
"Fine, you may tour the museum, but please, my laboratory is off limits!"
"Oh, I would never! I just want to learn from a master."
/./././././././././