"You're turning him loose?" asked Thaegoth.
"We're not the law in this town," said Aela, untying the bonds that held Mirath. He was grinning unbearably up at Thaegoth. "Sooner or later he'll get loose, or someone will discover him. Trouble we don't need."
She straightened and looked Thaegoth in the eye. "Far as I'm concerned," she continued, "this is your mess. You want to clean it up, go ahead."
"Feel like going together and explaining all this to the guards?" asked Mirath.
"You wouldn't," said Thaegoth, taking a step back. At least some of the people in Whiterun seemed to like him and he felt a flush through his chest at ruining that again, having to flee to another town. He liked being able to walk into a tavern, into the marketplace, and be known for something that wasn't criminal.
"You're quite right," said Mirath. "I'm sticking with you. Until you show me where you stashed those boots, I'll be your second shadow."
"It'll have to be a long shadow," said Aela, drawing her knife. "Because you don't get another heartbeat in Jorrvaskr, unless you want to see all the skills I didn't teach Sonja."
Mirath, rubbing his wrists in what Thaegoth was sure was affectation, stood up. "Tempting," he said. "But I think I'll take a room at . . . the Bannered Mare, I believe it's called? This town is more charming by the very hour."
"Go," said Thaegoth. Mirath started moving for the stairs. Both Thaegoth and Aela followed him up and towards the front doors. The dark elf thief pushed one door open into the sun of Whiterun and turned back. Aela still had her knife in her hand, and Nebia, who'd been clearing the table in the main hall, had come closer.
"Maybe I'll get in touch with the local Guild," said Mirath. "I hear they've expanded to heights even close to ours."
"Yours," said Thaegoth, looking quickly at Aela and Nebia.
Mirath shrugged. "By the way, you know there's a 'danger' shadowmark next to your door?" He stepped lightly away, leaving the door open. He had vanished into the town before any of the Companions said anything. Thaegoth looked at the others to see expectant faces.
"I was going to bring it up eventually," he said. "It's a compliment, really."
"The Guild's scared of us," said Nebia, laughing. "If the rest of em are anything like that scrawny bastard, I can see why."
Whether Mirath was actually scared of Aela, Thaegoth couldn't tell. But his old colleague never came past the outer wall of Jorrvaskr from then on. Instead, every time he came outside, Mirath would be waiting, leaning on the stone. He would smile and give a friendly greeting, day or night. And if Thaegoth went into town, Mirath would shadow him, asking every now and then, but not incessantly, when he was going to take him to where the Boots of Springheel Jak were stashed.
No matter whether Thaegoth treated him with anger or respect, attempted to politely ask him to leave or ignored him outright, Mirath still maintained the same attitude, the same line of inquiry.
"You know if Sonja were here," said Nebia when she learned of this, "it wouldn't go on another moment." She seemed to find the whole thing amusing, which in turn further irritated Thaegoth and pleased Mirath.
All it took was Mirath making innuendo in the market for Thaegoth to crack. Later, he was furious with himself for being read so easily. There probably wasn't anyone else in Skyrim who knew just how to push him over the edge.
Thaegoth spun, the Companions' shopping still in his hands. There was a long moment, where Mirath's eyebrows went up and a silence fell over the market, stall holders and shoppers alike pausing in case of coming violence. A nearby guard dropped their hand to their sword. Thaegoth remembered Sonja, and shook his head.
"Come on," he said.
"I was planning to," said Mirath.
Thaegoth paid for his goods, then strode up back to Jorrvaskr. As always, Mirath stopped at the wall but Thaegoth gestured him on.
"Wait for me around back," he said. Without looking to see if his instruction was being followed, Thaegoth stormed inside, dumped the supplies, and kept walking out the back doors. Aela was there in the training yard, putting arrows into the centre of a target. She stopped when she saw the expression on his face. She had her mouth open in a question when Mirath edged around Jorrvaskr.
"I thought I told you," she began.
"I'm finishing it," said Thaegoth.
Aela lowered her bow and stepped back, leaving the space between the porch and the targets open for sparring. Thaegoth yanked two wooden practice swords off the rack and tossed one to Mirath. The dark elf caught it in one hand without blinking, but gave a cynical smile in return. Nebia came down from the Skyforge, her grin wide.
"Is what I think is happenin, happenin?" she asked.
Thaegoth strode out into the centre of the yard and beckoned to Mirath. He planted his leg firm and remembered how Sonja had unseated him so easily. Weeks prior, now. With all the practice and the actual fighting between then and now, he wasn't about to make the same mistake again. Besides, he knew how Mirath moved.
"You are not serious," said Mirath.
"Fight like a warrior, not a thief," said Thaegoth.
Mirath chuckled, then cut it off himself. He took a few steps forward, holding the sword low.
"I never enter a competition without knowing the stakes," he said.
"I win, you leave," said Thaegoth.
"And if you somehow, with all your newfound skills, still fail to triumph?" asked Mirath.
"Then you get the boots, and you leave."
"Plus the infinite satisfaction of having humbled you in front of your new friends."
"Speakin of that," said Nebia. "You two should take your shirts off."
Thaegoth thought it best not to respond to that. Mirath, however, smirked and started fiddling with his shirt. Thaegoth levelled his sword at him.
"Enough," he said. "You can play games on your own time. Now, we fight."
"You think this isn't playing a game?" asked Mirath, approaching with sword raised. "Has the flight north dulled your senses? The artifice of this entire scenario is unbearable."
Thaegoth responded with a swing at Mirath's head. He ducked and returned with the same lightning speed that Thaegoth had expected. From then on the fight was a blur of clacking swords, swift dodges and ripostes. For a time neither of them landed a single hit, until it sunk in to Thaegoth's brain that he wasn't duelling in an Imperial City backstreet. The Companions had different goals.
From then on there was a force to his blows that he'd noticed since his arrival in Skyrim, a strength that Mirath could not match, for all his dexterity. He pushed his rival across the yard, landing several hard blows on his arms and sides. But for his rashness he received returning blows—though lesser in number and force.
Still, he heard a laugh from Nebia at each of them, spurring him on to give far more than he got. Eventually, Mirath rolled away and held out his free hand. He hesitated, seemingly struggling for words as well as breath.
"You're serious about this," he said.
"Have I not made that clear," said Thaegoth through his teeth.
Mirath looked away. Something shifted in his expression, something Thaegoth couldn't remember seeing before. Aela cleared her throat.
"Would you consider switching sides, Mirath?" she asked.
Thaegoth spun to face her. "You can't be serious."
"Why not?" said Aela, flicking at hand at him and Nebia. "We've already got one ex-thief and ex-bandit who seem to be doing just fine."
"High praise," said Nebia under her breath.
Thaegoth looked back towards Mirath, who was staring at his boots. Thaegoth threw his practice sword at him, which he dodged with ease. "Tell me you're not considering this."
"That eager to get rid of me?" asked Mirath, with a forced smile that quickly vanished. He coughed. "I . . . admit I didn't think you were serious about this until now. Running one of your long cons. But I've heard about the good you do here."
"Oh gods," said Nebia. "Are we do-gooders?"
"A horrifying prospect, is it not?" said Mirath, smiling at her.
"I'll give you the boots," said Thaegoth suddenly. "If you just piss off."
Mirath sighed. "I'm tempted to stay just to annoy you," he said. "But if I don't return, you know the Guild will just send somebody else." He looked up at Jorrvaskr and sighed again. "I am on a job, after all. Where are the boots?"
"I'll take you there," said Thaegoth, striding for the hall and his real sword.
"Hey," said Aela. Thaegoth turned back to see her pointing where the thrown practice sword had landed, against the far palisade of Whiterun. "Clean up after yourself," she said.