Yssha's Tale I: Dovahkiin

by empire1003

Yssha is the greats-granddaughter of the Champion of Cyrodiil, the first of her Clan and Family to take her adventuring year in Skyrim. She is a trained fighter with a few mage and alchemy skills, and has read as much as she can find about Skyrim, but still has much to learn. Now drifting far from canon. T for safety, could be lower. Re-edited through Ch. 41 so far.

38. The Pursuit

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Chapter 38 - The Pursuit

Yssha got Odahviing to land near the eastern end of Lake Honrich. The three dismounted and went into the city, Nevan looking around curiously. "Is this a typical Skyrim town?"

"There's no such thing," Marcurio said. "They're all so different, that just isn't possible. They all have the basic services, like blacksmith, apothecary, and general store, and the Hold capitals have the Jarl's residences, but other than that, they're pretty dissimilar."

"And our first stop will be at the blacksmith," Yssha said. "Balimund probably will not have armor to fit, but you need a weapon. Definitely a dagger - you will need that for eating, as well - and I believe you said a sword?"

"Since you don't have energy weapons, yes. And a bow, if your generosity extends that far."

Yssha purred. "You are part of my team now, if you need combat so badly, so it certainly does. And we do have energy weapons of a sort, but they are in the form of spells and, for dragons - dov or dovah - Shouts. You will undoubtedly see those in action soon enough. Skyrim is a place with many dangers, so fighting is commonplace, especially outside the towns. And trouble seems to find me more often than I sometimes like."

They were at the blacksmith's now, and she asked to see his swords and daggers. He laid them out on the workbench, and she told Nevan, "Pick the one that suits you best. The ones with a faint glow are enchanted, if those are in our price range."

"Easily," Marcurio said with a grin. "Now that we have our dragon gear, and plenty of houses, our main expense is getting those furnished. So don't worry about the cost, Nevan. This is only temporary anyway, until we can pick up enough dragon scales and bones for the kind of gear we're wearing and using."

It was clear to both of them that Nevan was experienced with blades, just from the way he went about making his selection. He set aside a Daedric dagger and sword, then turned to Yssha. "These are enchanted, from what you told me, but with what?"

"Fire, which is the most useful in general. Other enchantments are better for certain specialized purposes, like my sword Dragonbane, but if I could have only one weapon with one enchantment , it would be fire."

She smiled at the blacksmith. "A bow and arrows next, please, Balimund. Daedric as well, if you have one."

"I do, but it has Sparks, not Fire. And it's pretty strong."

"So is he," Yssha said, hiding a wince. "Much stronger than he appears to be."

"Give me a minute, then. I keep the bows inside to protect the strings." He left, returning less than a minute later with a Daedric bow. "Give this a try, just to make sure, okay?"

Nevan took it, checking it over carefully, especially the string. "What's this made of? I'm not familiar with this kind of string."

"Hemp, soaked in glue to help protect it from moisture," Balimund replied promptly. "I normally recommend having a spare or two, just in case."

"Since I don't know how much abuse hemp can take, and this is my only ranged weapon at the moment, I think I'll take five, if you have that many."

"Of course." Balimund added them to the stack. "Now would you try the bow, please?"

Nevan drew the bow, holding it back long enough to sight an imaginary arrow, then eased the string back down. "Nice," he said. "I've drawn heavier, but this has a good feel, and enough draw weight to shoot straight at a decent distance. A quiver and two dozen arrows will have me feeling like a proper warrior again."

With their new team member armed and Balimund paid, they went to the false mausoleum, but when Yssha pushed the entry button, it didn't move. "Locked," she reported. "We will have to go through the Ratway." She turned to Nevan. "I apologize for that, but the Guild has been having some rather serious problems, and it seems security has been tightened since my last visit. Normally, we can enter from here, which is faster and more pleasant than going through the Ratway."

"Thieves Guild, by any chance?"

Yssha nodded. "But how did you know?"

"An educated guess," was the reply. "A hidden entrance in a graveyard won't take you to the respectable guilds, after all. It would have to be something like thieves or assassins. Not that you act like either one."

"I am a member of the Guild, but my jobs for them are very limited, due to my other responsibilities and the fact that I am entirely too noticeable to be a good choice for many of the things the rest can do more unobtrusively." She purred. "And Marcurio and I destroyed the assassins guild six or seven weeks ago."

"On to the Ratway," Marcurio said, leading the way out of the cemetery, past the orphanage, down stairs, and to the Ratway entrance tunnel. "Be careful down here," he told Nevan. "It's mostly bandits or the insane who don't have any other place to live, but they can sometimes be dangerous."

"I've been in a number of such places in my line of work," Nevan reassured him. "I'll be careful."

This time the drawbridge was up, and Marcurio swore briefly before taking them the long way around. At least it seemed none of the Ratway's denizens cared to confront three fighters with weapons at the ready, because they made it to the Flagon without meeting anyone.

Inside, Karliah was waiting. "I'm glad you're here. I think some of these people are beginning to suspect who I am. Are you ready to face the Guild?" She looked curiously at Nevan, but apparently trusted Yssha enough not to ask any questions.

"I am ready. Let us go."

"Keep your eyes open. I'm not sure what to expect when we enter the Cistern."

When they opened the Cistern door, it was to a hostile reception: Brynjolf, Delvin, and Vex, weapons at the ready.

"You better have a damn good reason to be here with that murderer and a stranger," Brynjolf snarled.

Karliah tried to calm them. "Please, lower your weapons so we can speak. I have proof that you've all been misled!"

Brynjolf relaxed slightly, lowering his sword. "No tricks, Karliah, or I'll cut you down where you stand. Now what's this so-called proof you speak of?"

"I have Gallus's journal," Karliah told them. "I think you'll find its contents disturbing."

"Let me see." Brynjolf took the translation she handed him, and read it, protesting. "No, it ... can't be. This can't be true. I've known Mercer too long ..."

"It's true, Brynjolf," Karliah said. "Every word. Mercer's been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses."

"There's only one way to find out if what the lass says is true. Delvin, I'll need you to open the vault."

All four of them moved toward the vault, followed by Yssha and her team.

"Wait just a blessed moment, Bryn," Delvin said. "What's in that book? What did it say?"

"It says Mercer's been stealing from our vault for years. Gallus was looking into it before he was murdered."

"How can Mercer open up a vault that needs two keys?" Delvin protested. "It's impossible. Could he pick his way in?"

"That door has the best puzzle locks money can buy," Vex added. "There's no way it can be picked open."

"He didn't need to pick the lock," Karliah said.

"What is she on about?" Delvin asked the air.

"Use your key on the vault, Delvin," Brynjolf said. "We'll open it up and find out the truth."

Delvin did, and turned back to them when he was done. "I've used my key, but the vault's still locked up tighter than a drum. Now use yours."

Brynjolf did so, opening the door, then he cursed. "By the Eight! It's gone, everything's gone! Get in here, all of you!"

"The gold, the jewels ... it's all gone!" Delvin exclaimed.

"That son-of-a-bitch!" Vex swore, drawing her dagger. "I'll kill him!"

"Vex!" Brynjolf snapped. "Put it away ... right now. We can't afford to lose our heads ... we need to calm down and focus."

"Do what he says, Vex," Delvin advised. "This isn't helpin' right now."

Vex sheathed her dagger. "Fine. We do it your way. For now."

"Delvin, Vex ... watch the Flagon," Brynjolf ordered. "If you see Mercer, come tell me right away."

As the four were leaving, Yssha approached Karliah and asked, "How could Mercer have gotten into that vault?"

"All I can tell you for now is that he's abused his authority as a Nightingale."

"What does that mean?"

"Sorry, not yet. I took an oath and was sworn to secrecy. Be patient and your time will come."

When Karliah left, Brynjolf called Yssha over. "All right, lass. Marcurio we know, an' he's okay, but who's this other one?"

"A new member of my team. He is Nevan darLeras, a warrior of Clan Leras, of a race called Sandemans in a Terran Empire in some other plane. He is the victim of a miscast Conjuration spell."

"An' you took him under the dragon wing you don't really have." Brynjolf chuckled. "Okay, but you're responsible for him not blowing our secrets."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Nevan said. "At least half the time, I have no idea what any of you were talking about. And my benefactor is a member of your Guild. I certainly wouldn't do anything to harm one who's only done me good."

That got a smile from the Guild-Second, now Acting Guildmaster, before his attention went back to Yssha. "Look, before I have you help track Mercer down I need to know what you learned from Karliah. I mean everything."

"Mercer killed Gallus, not Karliah. He also tried to kill me, but Karliah saved me."

"Aye. I feared that was the case. From that last entry in Gallus's diary, it looks like he was getting close to exposing Mercer to the Guild. Anything else?"

"Gallus, Karliah and Mercer were Nightingales."

"What? Nightingales? But, I always assumed they were just a tale ... a way to keep the young footpads in line. Was there anything else she told you?"

"Karliah was behind Goldenglow and Honningbrew."

"Trying to make Mercer look bad in front of Maven, eh? Clever lass. Was there anything else?"

Yssha shook her head. "No, that is everything."

"Then I have an important task for you. I need you to break into Mercer's home and search for anything that could tell us where he's gone."

"He has a house in Riften?"

"Aye. A gift from the Black-Briars after they kicked the previous family out ... place called Riftweald Manor. He never stays there, just pays for the upkeep on it. Hired some lout by the name of Vald to guard the place."

"I'll take care of it."

"Be careful, lass. This is the last place in Skyrim I'd ever want to send you. Just find a way in, get the information and leave. And you have permission to kill anyone that stands in your way."

"What's the best way to get into the place?"

"Good question. I've only set foot inside a few times myself and that was in Mercer's company. If you can get past his trained watchdog, I think your best bet might be the ramp to the second floor balcony in his backyard. "

"I suppose the ramp is not easy to access."

"No. It's some sort of crazy contraption Mercer commissioned for quick escapes. I'd wager a well-placed shot at the ramp's mechanism would lower it in a hurry."

"What is missing from the vault?"

"Better question would be 'what did he leave.' Mercer took everything. Even all of our plans are gone."

"Plans for what?"

"Before Mercer took over, Gallus started collecting every bit of material he could on locations the Guild could heist. Museums, keeps, estates ... you name it. By the time Mercer took over the Guild, we must have had a few dozen."

"All right. We are on our way. Is the mausoleum open again?"

Brynjolf scowled. "With essentially nothing left to protect, yes."

"All right." Yssha led her team up the stairs and out into the cemetery, then around to the upper-class residential area, telling Nevan the background of the mission they were on, eventually finding the rear of a house with a raised ramp and a man patrolling the back yard.

She approached the gate, calling, "Vald?"

"Yeah. What you want, Dragonborn?"

"Mercer needs you in Markarth, right away."

"But I can't leave here!" Vald objected. "I'm supposed to watch his house. I can't do both!"

"I will watch it for you. We have some time to spare before we must be in Solitude."

Vald smiled. "Hey, that's nice of ya, Dragonborn. Here, take the key an' don't let anyone in."

When he left, Yssha purred. "Wait until he is out of earshot, and I will demonstrate the weakest form of Unrelenting Force, so Nevan may gain some knowledge of Shouts."

While they waited, Nevan asked, "Why did Brynjolf give you permission to kill?"

"Because the Guild's primary interest is coin," Yssha replied, "and killing is bad for business. But in this case, also because Mercer betrayed the Guild by stealing from it."

The Sandeman nodded. "Makes sense. It sounds like this Guild is pretty well run."

"It is, and it hunts down non-Guild thieves, so the town is actually safer for having it in place, despite many people's opinions. Including my own, at first."

Nevan chuckled, then it grew into a laugh. "The Mob! Maybe this Skyrim isn't as different from the Empire as I thought, though the Mob combines the theft and assassination, where you seem to keep 'em separate."

By that time, she thought Vald was probably far enough away that he either wouldn't hear, or at least wouldn't pay attention. "Prepare yourself; I am going to use Voice, though at the lowest level I can."

When he seemed as prepared as he could be in total ignorance, she murmured, "Fus!" and the ramp fell with a clatter. "Up, and be prepared for bandits."

The other two followed her, weapons ready, but the first room they came to was empty. As they explored the residence, they encountered a couple of bandits, and she signalled Marcurio to let Nevan handle them. He had no difficulty with them, which she found impressive. Eventually they found a series of tunnels leading to a room full of pressure plates. She studied them for a couple of minutes, then turned to Marcurio. "I would bet this is only the first in a series of traps. You two wait here while I check ahead."

When Marcurio nodded, she went to the door and aimed herself at the exit. "Wuld"!

On the far side of the trap room, she continued along the tunnel, until she found a room with a chest - and a grate which allowed her to hear the conversation on the far side. As quietly as she could, she looted the chest, listening to Marcurio and Nevan.

"Great good Gods, what is she?" the Sandeman asked.

"She is the Dragonborn, a mortal born with the soul and blood of a dragon," Marcurio replied calmly.

"And I thought I was beginning to understand this place." Nevan heaved a sigh. "Now, though, I'm beginning to think that may never happen."

"Ah, do you believe in any deities?" Marcurio asked cautiously.

"Um, sort of. Though I doubt any of the spirits of my clan's warriors have followed me here. They have too much to do at home."

"Then may I suggest you try asking Talos for guidance? He is one of her two Patrons, and may assist you. He was the one who conquered Tamriel and created the Empire the Thalmor are trying to destroy. He was raised to divinity by the Eight who were the deities at the time."

Nevan laughed, shakily. "He sounds almost Sandeman, then. Yes, I will, when we're someplace more hospitable to prayer."

Yssha smiled, and continued on her way. "Feim!" got her past a swinging blade trap, and she was able to open a door trap with lockpicks. That got her into Mercer's hidden office, where she found a figurative gold mine. A frost-enchanted sword labelled Chillrend, a bust of the Grey Fox, a bunch of jewels in a bowl - and the main thing she'd come for, Mercer's plans. She retraced her steps, back through the swinging blades and past the pressure plates, until she reached the two she'd left behind.

"I think I found what Brynjolf wanted, and a bit more for us." She handed Marcurio the gems she'd found. "We need to return to the Cistern."

When they got back and found Brynjolf, he was looking upset. "We've scoured the town and I've spoken to every contact we have left. No sign of Mercer. Any luck on your end?"

"He was not there, but I found these plans." She handed them over.

"Shor's beard!" Brynjolf exclaimed. "He's going after the Eyes of the Falmer? That was Gallus's pet project. If he gets his hands on them, you can be certain he'll be gone for good and set up for life."

"Then we have to stop him," Yssha said.

"Agreed. He's taken everything the Guild has left, and to go after one of the last greatest heists is just an insult. I've spoken to Karliah, and made amends for how the Guild's treated her. Now she wishes to speak with both of us. Quickly, we have no time to lose."