Chapter four of the Professionally Unethical arc | Chapter twenty-nine
Fridas, 22 Last Seed, 4E 201
Riften is not one of the places Lindström Wine sells to, with it being Black-Briar territory, so I haven't been to the city for at least a decade. The last time I was here, I was nine and visiting Uncle Hrodgar's sister with the rest of our family. Elise, from what I remember of her, was as cheerful as her brother, even if her husband was a bit rough around the edges.
They both died in the crossfire of a civil dispute some three years back, however, and last I heard of their daughter, she's working for Bjoern's sister.
Perhaps I'll stop by the Bunkhouse and see her. Maybe Svana will remember me.
"I don't know you," a gruff voice interrupts my musing, and I turn towards the warrior leaning against a support beam. He narrows his eyes at me. "You in Riften lookin' for trouble?"
I don't respond right away because there's something about this man that brings up memories, claims of unfamiliarity aside. I squint at him, and try to picture him younger.
"Maul?" I wonder, and he tenses up. But that response is confirmation, and he does look like the boy I roped into playing with me, back those ten and more years ago. He and his brother may or may not have helped me traumatize Freya when she was four.
It takes him a long minute of distrustful glaring before he remembers me, but he does. Eventually. "Haven't seen you in years," he says, relaxing against his post. I shrug.
"After Aunt Elise died, we didn't have any excuse to come here," I point out. "Riften doesn't need the Lindströms when you have the Black-Briars."
"That it doesn't," he agrees, gruff once more. I guess he probably works for that family now. "Didn't answer me, though. You here to cause trouble?"
"Just a pit-stop," I tell him. "I've a cousin to visit, a few rumors to verify, then I'm off to Iverstead."
"What sort of rumors?" the man rumbles.
I hesitate, then remember that when we were boys, we used to make it a game to see how many rich tourists we could pickpocket. "I hear the Thieves Guild works out of here."
Maul cracks his first grin. "Now that's a topic I know about. Dirge works in their hideout now. I used to run with them myself, but took a job with Maven after they started hittin' a rough patch.
"You know?" he muses, tilting his head up and eyeing me in an assessing sort of way, "They could use someone like you. You were pretty good with your fingers back in the day."
Because, those tourists we used to pickpocket? I always came out of it with the biggest haul. "Maybe I'll join up," I tell him.
"Talk to Brynjolf," he advises. He jerks his head towards the center of Riften. "You'll find him in the marketplace. Usually has some scam set up."
"After breakfast," I say, and Maul chuckles as I head into town.
note: Hrodgar's sister (Elise) marries Haelga's brother (who I named Bjoern because he doesn't have a name). Their daughter is Svana Far-Shield. That makes Lilja and Freya Svana's cousins, but can Caelan claim the same relation? (Probably not). Ugh, families are so confusing.
Also, hi, I'm still alive (to those who may be concerned), but I was hit by some depression and only just got out of it. And I only have a few more chapters written up, which means I need to play this game again and figure out what the heck is going on here xD I might post a spoiler-ridden family tree on DA stash soon, so the link (chopped up as it is) will probably be in the next chapter.
Updates will be, as always, sporadic.
