*gasp* Another chapter so soon? Well...yeah. I kind of wrote this while I was putting off finishing the last one. Go figure.

Again, I don't own the Elder Scrolls, or pretty much anything in these stories. Just my OC.

Moving on.

Sharah was met by the Leyawiin chapter head only moments after entering the Guildhall. The massive Nord grinned and thrust out his hand toward her. "Sharah the Wolf. Welcome."

Sharah chuckled under her breath. Well, if he was going to be official about it—"Ragar-Left-Hearing. Thank you. It's good to be back." She took the offered hand, the man's appendage dwarfing her own. He was the only Nord she'd ever met who actually preferred sweating it off in the south rather than braving the snow or enjoying the golden coast.

He led her up to the two flights of stairs and into his office where she refused the drink he offered her. The ride had done her good. So had the distance from Chorrol. Now she was ready to go to work, just like all her assignments before.

Ragar sat down heavily behind his desk. "So, are we in trouble?"

Sharah arced her brow at him. "Why do you assume that?"

Ragar took a swig of ale. "Oreyn sent his Wolf. What am I supposed to think?"

Sharah sighed and shook her head, "No one's in trouble. You've been sending reports to Oreyn. But reports never say everything. He wanted a direct assessment of the situation, so here I am. And I'm actually glad to be out of Chorrol for a while." Her journey could prove that. Sharah hadn't stalled, exactly. But she hadn't kept a swift pace either.

"So what do you want to know?"

She sat back in the chair. "Let's just assume I know nothing and go from there."

He chuckled wanly. "Then you're in for a long sitdown."

Sharah crossed her legs, the visage of patience. "I have nowhere else to be."

Ragar grunted, then said, "Well, maybe I'll just hit the basics. Contracts are getting scarce down here. And I mean really scarce. Especially in the last few months, ever since Blackwood started up their campaign."

"Blackwood?" Sharah asked carefully.

The Nord raised his eyebrow. "You even read my reports?"

Sharah nodded. "Yeah. But I want to hear it straight from you." In fact, she'd stayed up just about all night before leaving Chorrol, reading every report from Leyawiin. But she always preferred hearing things at the source.

Ragar growled, "Bunch of mercenaries sent down to reclaim parts of Blackmarsh. They botched it and came back up to settle in Leyawiin. Mostly beast folk: Argonians from Blackmarsh, Khajiit from Elswyer. But they've recruited here in Cyrodiil too. I didn't think too much of them at first. Friendly competition and what not. And it was. For a while. Then a couple months ago they started undercutting us on contracts. I mean aggressively. Fighters Guild may have the reputation, but when it comes down to it people like stuff cheap. And that's not even the worst part. They've got no sense of honor. Absolutely no standards when it comes to contracts. Any job and they'll do it. Even if it's bullying folks with debts or protecting smugglers… Least that's what I've heard. We've already lost members to them." Apparently, Blackwood was quite an issue as Ragar was getting heated just talking about it.

Sharah listened without allowing a thing to show on her face. "How are the members taking it?"

The Nord settled down a little. "They're…adjusting. Bodras and Sherina are still making it as trainers, but they've taken a cut in their payout to support the chapter. They ain't happy about it, but they understand. S'Kasha's doing more hunting to support herself. Cingor's joined this other group. He doesn't talk about it, but I know it's not Blackwood so I don't much care. The ones I'm really worried about are Vantus Prelius, Dubok gro-Shagk and Rellian."

Sharah thought back and replied, "I remember them. We did that ogre job together last time I was here." The Guild had a couple of three man teams scattered through the province for those jobs that required a little more muscle and orchestration. They'd work together, train together, and were a hell of a lot more effective than throwing three random members into a job. Vantus and his men were one such group, based down here in Leyawiin.

Ragar replied, "Well, that was the last big contract they had. Fact is, with the Count's knightly order, the guard and now Blackwood, there's just nothing left for 'em as far as work. I'm thinking about setting up a transfer for 'em to one of the other halls. Tryin' to put it off though, since Vantus has got a family down here and moving that far could be hard on the youngling. But if contracts don't pick up…"

Sharah sat forward in her seat. "Is there anything that can be done for them?"

He said, "Work would be nice. But you'd have to talk to Vantus about it. Even if they need whatever they can get, he's got this…pride thing. Too much for his own good if you ask me."

She nodded. "Anything else I should know?"

Ragar shook his head. "Just make sure Oreyn knows things are getting worse. The situation's stable, but…" He growled angrily. "Blackwood's got us on the ropes. And I'm doing all I can think of down here to keep us afloat. If the Guild just had some proper..." The Nord came up short and glanced at her as though realizing to whom he was still talking. He cleared his throat and continued, "Let's just, uh, see about those three for now. We can hold out after that until Oreyn…and Vilena, come up with something."

Ragar stood up and went to open the door. Sharah followed him to the third floor rail where he hollered down, "S'Kasha! Where's Vantus and his men?"

The Khajiit woman walked into view on the bottom floor. But when she saw Sharah leaning over beside Ragar, she hesitated. In fact, she had the same kind of look that Ragar had had in his office when he stopped midsentence. Sharah didn't really know what it meant.

Ragar didn't wait long. "Well? Where are they?"

S'Kasha latched her eyes onto Ragar and answered quickly, "This one believes they will be found at the Five Claws Lodge." The local tavern.

Ragar's brow furrowed although he kept himself quiet. The Nord turned to Sharah and said, "I'm sure they'll be back this evening."

It was probably true, but the initial look on his face and his tone of voice told her he wasn't reassured by knowing their location. "Thanks, but if this contract business is getting so difficult then I should speak with them as soon as possible."

She trotted down the stairs while Ragar sounded like he was choking on how to dissuade her, or even if he should try. Sharah didn't give him the opportunity but went straight down the stairs and out the door. She really hoped Ragar's concern was unwarranted. But if all he said was true, chances were they weren't at the Lodge to celebrate.

Enroute to the Lodge, Sharah spied a large female Orc in fine steel armor bearing a shield with the symbol of a rearing white horse upon it. "Hail, Mazoga!" Sharah called.

The Orc looked over and called back, "Hail, Sir Sharah."

Sharah walked towards her. "My apologies. Sir Mazoga." The Orc actually swelled at the proper greeting. They clasped hands, Sharah flinching slightly at the Orc's hard grip. "It's great to see you again. How is the knighthood treating you?"

"Very well. Are you finally here to take your place?"

Sharah shook her head and touched the Guild patch strapped around her bicep. "No. I am still very much Fighters Guild. I'm actually on my way to some Guild matters now. I can come by the lodge later so we can catch up."

"I'll come with you now. I want to see what keeps you from a knighthood."

Sir Mazoga didn't take 'no' for an answer. She had this tendency to just tell people what was going to happen, not being someone to make requests. So Sharah accepted, as she didn't have a choice in the matter, and the two of them made their way to the Five Claws Lodge with Mazoga talking away about the campaign against the Black Bow Bandits that the Count had set the Order of the White Stallion to managing. Sharah hoped briefly that they could use some more manpower. But it sounded like Mazoga and the other knights had things well in hand. Sharah would have to figure out something else for her guildmates.

When the two of them entered the Five Claws, it was all too easy to pick out the three Fighters Guild members. Sharah groaned inwardly. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. The three of them were stone drunk and far too vocal. An Orc, a Redguard, and an Imperial were seated at a table, yelling and arguing over a dozen empty bottles and tankards. The Argonian proprietor had placed the counter between herself and them while ignoring their demands for more drinks. The trio, in the meantime, were in a drunken rage, hurling insults at the few customers, the proprietor and each other. And all of them rude. Thank the Nine they seemed too inebriated to stand and hurl fists as well.

Sharah and Mazoga's entrance drew the Argonian's attention, and the moment she saw Sharah's patch she came as close to the woman as the counter would allow and hissed, "No! No more Fighters Guild. You get them out or go away!"

Sharah held up her hands in a plea for calm. "I'm not here to make trouble. How long have they been here?"

"Too long!" the Argonian wailed, "Too long and too often. Get them out. They scare customers, break furniture. Bad, bad men!"

Sharah replied, "I'll see to them. Just give me a moment." Before even approaching though she turned to Mazoga and said, "Let me handle this please. They're in a bad way and I don't want this getting out of hand." The Orc grunted but stayed at Sharah's back when the woman made to approach.

Vantus Prelius, the Imperial and senior of the trio, looked up at her. "About time! Where are those drinks? We've asked a dozen times."

Sharah said politely, "Vantus, I think you've all had more than enough."

He frowned, blinked a few times, and then his expression got darker. "Oh, you." It sounded a lot like Maglir's drunken drawl, but Vantus was more angry than bitter. "Come to join us? If you are, you're buying."

Sharah kept her tone gentle but firm. "No. What do you three think you're doing?"

Vantus said, "We are doing what we're doing. One of the few things left for Fighters Guild in this town."

Dubok gro-Shagk added, "And if you and your friend want to join us, then we can do somethin' else, too. 'cept Vantus, 'cause he's married."

Sharah felt Mazoga tense up behind her. Sharah said, "It's time you three came back to the Guildhall. You've done enough here and it's time to go."

Rellian, the Redguard, slammed his tankard down on the table and declared, "We're not going anywhere."

Vantus smirked. "Besides, you can't give me orders," he glanced at her Guild patch, "Protector."

Sharah's eyes narrowed. He was pulling rank. She shared the same rank with his men, while Vantus enjoyed the position of Warder, two ranks above them. She looked down at the fool as he raised his tankard shakily to his lips. "I'm giving the orders today, Vantus." Then her hand darted out and snatched the tankard from his hand. He was gripping just tight enough that while she managed to dislodge it from his grasp it fell from hers, spilling the contents all down his front.

Vantus and his men had come drinking in frustration. The alcohol only worsened their mood and with the three of them bickering all this time they were just rearing for a fight. The ale landing in Vantus's lap was just the last straw and he lunged out of his seat for her. Sharah had expected something along those lines. She laid a hand on his armor and used his momentum and drunken state to help send him sailing past her where he crashed to the ground. Then she turned to deal with Dubok and Rellian who had come to their feet in defense of their leader.

Before she could move though, Mazoga tackled both of them with a battle cry usually reserved for bandit raids, upending their chairs and rocking the table. Perhaps Sharah should have told the Orc what she was planning to do. But it was hardly possible to stop her now. At this point all Sharah could do was yell into the whirl of limbs, "Mazoga, don't break them. I need them functional tomorrow."

Vantus had rolled over and was attempting to get off the ground and come at her again. But he was battling gravity and his own weight too much to even get his feet. Although the fire in his eyes meant he was going to get at her any way he could. Sharah decided to cut off that intent at the source. She got behind him to lock an arm around his neck in a choke hold. He swung at her wildly while Sharah avoided his blows and held on. Vantus grunted and struggled for a while but ultimately went limp.

Sharah dropped him to the ground, unconscious, and moved to assist her knightly friend who was locked in a wrestling match with the other two. Mazoga was outmuscled but held her own given the both of them were drunk as could be. Sharah growled again. Did they think this was helping?

She strode up to the bunch and waited for an opening, at which point her hand darted in and seized Dubok's pointed ear. He shrieked and let go of Mazoga's leg. The knight rolled out of reach with Rellian still clinging to her back. Another swift movement and Sharah had another ear in hand. Rellian yelped and let go. She dragged both of them up, giving their sensitive flesh a good twist any time they reached for her or tried to dislodge.

"Both of you calm down! I'm not letting go until you stop fighting." Divines, she sounded like her mother. Another hard pinch, dual shrieks and the fight drained out of them. "You alright, Mazoga?"

The knight got to her feet, grinning through a newly swollen lip. "Maybe I should join the Guild."

Sharah shook her head, laughing, then glared back at the two caught in her fingers. "If you two agree to behave, I'll let you go. But we're going straight back to the Guildhall, got it?" When they didn't answer she twisted their ears again. "Got it?!"

They shrieked and slurred an agreement. Sharah released their ears and shoved the both of them toward the door. "Mazoga, would you get Vantus? I can't handle the weight and these two are likely to fall over if they try."

The Orc woman nodded and hefted the unconscious Imperial, steel armor and all, up over her shoulder like he was a grain sack. In the meantime, Sharah took a grip on Dubok and Rellian's arms and guided them out of the Lodge to the relief of the Argonian behind the counter.

Sharah pushed the lot of them through the least occupied streets of the city. It was bad enough there were Fighters Guild members making a mess of things in the local tavern. But people seeing them get their asses dragged back to the hall would only intensify the shame. Shame which would help no one.

When they came into the plaza that held the Fighters Guildhall, the attempt to remain unseen proved impossible, at least to some degree. From the building across the plaza, an armored group was exiting the door and caught sight of them. They were mostly beastfolk—Argonians and Khajiit—along with an Imperial man who looked more like a bandit than anyone had the right to. They spotted the Guild bunch and most of them smirked.

One yelled, "Fighters Guild can't even hold their liquor? You lot really are useless."

Dubok and Rellian strained to go at them. "Come over here and say that!"

A Khajiit bared his teeth. "Go roll in the mud, pigman. It'll improve your smell."

Sharah yanked back on the Orc's collar to keep him from trying for the bunch. The armored goons continued their barrage of insults. "And looks like the knights are finally doing something useful. Fighters Guild needed a nursemaid!"

Now it was Mazoga's turn to bristle.

"Mazoga!" Sharah snapped, "Friends first."

Miraculously, this kept Mazoga from dropping Vantus and waging her one man war on the gang. The weakness Sharah had for family, Mazoga had for friends. Sharah used all her strength to wrench her captives around and shove them up the steps to the hall's double doors and held them open for Mazoga to follow while the group across the street continued jeering until the doors were closed.

Rellian and Dubok swayed in the foyer. "We can't let them disrespect us like that. They gotta answer for their insults."

Sharah looked to Mazoga who still had Vantus slung over her shoulder. "Mazoga would you please carry him down to the basement. Just inside the door over there, on the left. You two, follow her."

Rellian wailed, "We didn't do anything wrong. It's those Blackwoods. They're the problem."

"March!" Sharah snapped and pointed after Mazoga.

The Orc and Redguard's shoulders slumped and they trudged on, with Sharah right behind them. The basement was almost as large as the main three story room of the Guildhall. The lot of them went down the steps where Sharah directed Mazoga to deposit Vantus on some of the practice mats. "Thanks Mazoga. If you'd head back to the foyer, I'll be up in a bit." The Orc tossed a warning glance at the two conscious Guild men and did as asked. When the door upstairs closed, Sharah turned to them. "The three of you are going to stay down here and out of trouble until you've sobered up. I can't believe the three of you. You should know better."

"We're not the trouble. Blackwood's the trouble," Dubok insisted.

"I don't want to hear it. Whatever they've done, what you three did today sure as hell didn't do any good. Did you really think that drinking yourselves under the table, in public, disgracing yourselves and the Guild was going to help at all? Who's gonna want to hire a bunch of idiots with no respect for the city they live in?"

Rellian sat down hard. "No one's hiring us anyway. So how's this any different?"

"And again, I ask, how did this help? It made you feel better, and now you've got a reputation for being Guild drunks."

Dubok staggered toward her. "You've got no idea what's been going on, Wolf. You're pretty cozy up in headquarters, but we haven't had a single job in a month. Vantus's wife had to start taking in wash just to buy food."

She glared right back. "And his solution was to go drink away what remained of his coin. And yours? Well, congratulations. Now the Guild will have to pay reparations for your little blow out in the Five Claws. That's more coin out of the Guild pocket. Not to mention what damage your behavior has done your reputation and the Guild's. I can understand blowing off a little steam, but you all were out of line." She pointed down on the mats. "You'll stay put until I say so. If you're going to act like children, you'll be treated like children. And I'll have no problem keeping your asses here until you grow up."

Sharah strode upstairs and left them to think, hopefully about the trouble they're behavior had caused. Not that they didn't have good points. Over a month without work would be stressful. Not sure if you would have enough money to last the week. Having to rely on others so heavily. For these three, that was especially difficult. But turning into a bunch of drunkards the way they had was no excuse, and she needed to be sure they knew it.

The Orc knight was waiting when Sharah got up. "Thanks for your help, my friend. I owe you."

"You owe me nothing. That's what friends do, right?"

They clasped hands again. "I'll come by the White Stallion Lodge before I leave town. We'll catch up properly. But I need to deal with this first. You understand."

Mazoga nodded. "Friends first," she said, echoing Sharah's words.

Sharah saw the Knight out. And when she turned around, several heads vanished into the dining room and back over the second level railing. Ragar's did not and he walked over from where he'd been waiting by the stairs. "Who was that?"

"Sir Mazoga. Friend of mine."

"And our men?"

"Downstairs." She looked at him carefully. "How often do they go to the Five Claws?"

Ragar was Warder rank, head of the Leyawiin Fighters Guild chapter, massive even by Nord standards. But the way this petite young Protector looked at him now, he suddenly felt very small. "Maybe every other day for the last two weeks." He couldn't bring himself to try and excuse their behavior, or explain why he hadn't put his foot down about it.

"Hm." That sound spoke volumes in regards to how Sharah was seeing this situation and Ragar's method of handling it. Or lack thereof. In fact, if she weren't so focused on the situation, Sharah might have realized it was almost the same sound Oreyn had made when he'd caught her in the Guildhall tower.

She looked off into space and fiddled with the hilt of her shortsword while she thought. Then Sharah turned toward the door. "Let Vantus's wife know he'll be spending the night in the Guildhall. I'd rather she not worry. And keep those three downstairs until I say so."

"Where are you going?" Ragar ventured to ask.

She glanced back at him. "To call in a couple favors. Don't wait up."

XXX

The next morning, the Leyawiin trio was still downstairs having slept the night on the practice mats. They weren't awake to see the contents of a bucket heave itself into the air and slam down on Rellian and Dubok who were instantly awake, soaked and sputtering. The contents of a second bucket was dumped over the head of Vantus Prelius after which the bucket itself was dropped on his stomach. The Imperial grunted and rolled over to dry heave at the floor.

Sharah stood there, waiting for them to finish before saying, "I want all of you washed, suited up and in the entrance hall in one hour. We're meeting a client and you're going to be presentable." Then she headed up the stairs, leaving the three looking uncertainly at each other. They eventually gained their feet and got prepared as they'd been instructed, grumbling all the way.

Upstairs, curious heads poked over the rails and discreetly out of doorways as Sharah circled the three, meticulously analyzing their uniforms. She tossed Vantus a cloth to polish off a smudge on his cuirass, told Rellian to fix his headband. Sharah wasn't sure if she looked more like a general overseeing her troops before a battle, or a mother preparing her children for an outing. When she shoved a comb into Dubok's hands, he growled about proper Orcs not having to comb their hair. Sharah fearlessly hooked a finger over one of his tusks and yanked him down the full foot to look her in the eye, "You say something?" His eyes widened and he shook his head. The instant she let him go, Dubok took the comb to his hair, yanking out knots that had probably been there for years.

When Sharah was satisfied with their appearance she led them out of the hall. "Now, we're going to meet a noblewoman. You three are going to behave yourselves. Speak when she speaks to you, otherwise keep your mouths shut. Her husband makes racial jokes. Again, keep your mouths shut. She is the client, not him. You screw this up and I'll throw you in the Topal Sea, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," they said.

They came to the door of a fine home and Sharah looked them over one last time before knocking on the door. It was answered by a middle-aged Nord woman in a simple cotton dress. "Oh, Sharah the Wolf. Please come in." Sharah did so, followed by her three guildmates. The Nord woman said, "When you said first thing, you really meant it."

Sharah replied, "Yes, ma'am. I took you at your word. Did we interrupt anything?"

"No, just some shipping calculations." She looked at the three men. "Are these them?"

Sharah stepped aside and replied, "Yes. Margret, I'd like to introduce Vantus Prelius and his men: Rellian and Dubok gro-Shak. As tough a bunch as you'll find down here."

Margret looked at Vantus and asked, "Did you really clear Mehra's island of ogres last year?"

Vantus answered, "Yes, ma'am. Piece of cake."

The Nord woman nodded. "I know her. We spend summers out at her manor when my work allows it. So you can handle ogres?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What about minotaurs?"

"Yes, ma'am. We can handle anything," Vantus affirmed.

Margret smile. "Good. Very good. Alchemy is a hobby of mine. There are some particular potions I'm working on that require minotaur horns and ogre teeth. I can't gather them myself, but if you would do it for me, I'll pay you top coin."

Vantus held himself up. "You can count on us."

"Good. Now, I prefer whole and fresh…" The specifics of the assignment went on. Some small talk as well. When Margret's husband came downstairs and cracked a joke about Khajiit being tougher than Argonians, Dubok's lip merely quivered. Otherwise they held themselves well and didn't let the man upset their decorum. Soon enough, they were out on the street again.

"Margret will keep you three working for the foreseeable future as long as you don't bring her sub-par materials. And if she asks for something other than ogre teeth and minotaur horns, you three can lower yourself to flower picking and plant gathering. Keep her happy and she'll keep you paid. Margret doesn't trust the Blackwood Company so you've got no excuse." Sharah rounded on them. "And if you three pull another drinking binge like last night and I get wind, I'll come straight down here and put your heads through a wall. Understood?" They nodded emphatically. "Well? Go! You've got work to do, so go do it."

Sharah watched them bolt down the street in the direction of the city gates. Well, she didn't much like the weight of authority, and she didn't really like the weird looks from her guildmates when she exercised it. But Sharah decided that she did sort of like ordering people around. Not in excess, but it was a little funny to see these big strong Guild men jumping at her word.

She strolled back toward the hall. She'd let Ragar know those three would be alright for a while and get some more information about Blackwood. Ask S'Kasha to keep an eye out for minotaurs and ogres when she hunted and to keep the trio informed. After that she'd come up with a special thank you to Rosentia Gallena for referring her to Margret in the first place, and finally head to the White Stallion Lodge to spend some time around Mazoga and the knightly order, hopefully avoiding getting dragged into assignment again. Although, as long as it wasn't the Countess asking, chances were Sharah wouldn't really be able to say 'no' to a raid on the Black Bows. Particularly if Mazoga straight told her that she was coming. Then, on the way back up north, Sharah could stop at Water's Edge to see how Biene and her father were getting along.

Overall, she'd done good work. Sharah had had to be a little pushy, but this time the situation called for a firm hand. But, even knowing the group was taken care of, this stuff about the Blackwood Company worried her. If they were such a big problem all these months, Oreyn should have sent her with more instructions than just reconnaissance. She'd done enough to alleviate losing three members, but that wasn't a final solution.

At the door to the hall, Sharah looked over at the building across the plaza. Over the door was the symbol of an axe and a sword crossed before a tree. The same symbol on the armor of those hecklers from yesterday. Something about them shifted her gut. Blackwood wasn't going to be content down here in Leyawiin. Sooner or later they'd move northward, spread their influence where there was more gold, more cities, more clients, and more Fighters Guildhalls. They were gonna be a problem. She could feel it.

Review and I will send you a virtual gift basket of muffins...as soon as I figure out how to use the virtual oven. Is spacebar the whisk or the muffin tin?