Chapter 9: Unconventional Training
Truth be told, I wasn't the stealthy type. Infiltrating the Thalmor Embassy seemed like a rather complicated task. I feared this was something that for the majority of the duration, I would have Inigo and Sofia avoid being involved. But as expected, I knew they couldn't resist joining me on another adventure.
Riften was located just south of Kynesgrove, so the journey there wasn't that big of a deal, but we prioritized as we had to get the horn of Jurgen Windcaller back to the Greybeards, so we did just that. But this time however we each had our own horse to tread back up the mountain pass, and clearly with less trouble. We soon arrived back at the Monastery and greeted the elderly Greybeards as our masters before giving them the horn. We figured it would be best if we kept quiet about the Blades for the time being. After returning it, Master Arngier had a ceremony of sorts in place exquisitely for me. All four members of the voice shouted at me in the most ancient of limericks which bombarded my ears with the Thu'um. What ceremonial chantry entailed went something like this translated in the common tongue, ""Long has the Storm Crown languished with no worthy brow sit upon. By our breath we bestow it to Dragonborn in the name of Kyne; in the name of Shor; in the name of Atmora of old. Come now, Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Hearken." As it turned out it was an initiation, for the Greybeards to formally recognize me as one of the Dragon blood. After that we spent the night at the Inn at Ivarsted once more before departing to Riften the following morning.
As soon as we dismounted from our horses at the city gates, Inigo took in a big whiff of air. Clearly he was glad to be back in the Rift. We entered the city and began searching for Brynjolf. Delphine had given a brief description of him back at the Braidwood Inn; a sturdy Nord with long chestnut hair. Soon enough, Sofia pointed him out; selling what seemed to be health potions within the central marketplace of Riften. As soon as we approached, he looked at me as if we had known each other a long time; a technique shopkeeps often use to persuade their customers to purchase their goods. Not to mention there was also a slight twinkle in his eye. "Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying, eh lad?" He asked with a thick Nordic accent.
"Well, now that you mention it, we got most of this coin from old Nordic tombs." I replied.
"Graverobbing eh? Sounds like larceny is in your blood. I happen to partake in a rather particular business involving wealth. Maybe you'd like a taste?"
"Actually, Delphine sent me." I replied. Brynjolf blinked twice upon hearing that statement.
"So you're our newest recruit eh? Never expected someone like yourself to show up with two guardsman."
"First off, these aren't guardsmen, they're my friends. Second, a recruit for what? What exactly have I gotten myself into this time?" I questioned.
"Allow me to elaborate. You see, I've got a bit of an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid."
"Well paid? How much are we talking?" Sofia asked.
"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." Brynjolf replied.
"What is it that we need to do?" I questioned.
"Simple... I'm going to cause a distraction and you're going to steal Madesi's silver ring from a strongbox under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing. Madesi is the Argonian, and Brand-Shei is the Dunmer." He pointed out.
"Any particular reason why this has to be done?" Inigo asked.
"There's someone that wants to see him put out of business temporarily. We've been contracted to make sure he remembers not to meddle in affairs that aren't his own. Now, since we're not the Dark Brotherhood, we're not going to kill him, we're just going to make sure he sits behind bars for a few days."
"Sounds pretty criminal if you ask me."
"Do you want to get into the Thalmor Embassy or not?" Brynjolf asked. Much to my surprise he was well informed of the situation. I sighed before nodding. After examining the background, I came up with a plan. The strategy was for Inigo and Sofia to stand behind the crowd opposite of the gaps between the shopping stands of Brand-Shei, Madesi, and Grelka; a fellow vendor. I hired two beggars to distract the watchful guards with enough coin to last them for a week or two. As soon as the operation began, the crowd gathered around Brynjolf, who announced the arrival of his famed "Falmer Blood Elixir". Left and right he started jousting wordplay as if he was in a drama. "Everyone! Everyone! Gather 'round! I have something amazing to show you that demands your attention! Gather 'round all! No pushing, no shoving. Plenty of room!" He announced.
"Come on, Brynjolf... what is it this time?" Brand-Shei questioned as he left his shopping stand.
"Patience, Brand-Shei. This is a rare opportunity, and I wouldn't want you to get left out." Brynjolf retorted.
"That's what you said about the Wisp Essence and it turned out to be crushed Nirnroot mixed with water!" Madesi accused and he crossed his arms.
"That was a simple misunderstanding, but this item is the real thing. Lads and lasses I give you Falmer Blood Elixir!" Brynjolf jested.
"Oh come now, are you talking about the Snow Elves?" Brand-Shei cocked an eyebrow.
"The one and only. Mystical beings who live in legends and were masters of great magic. Imagine the power that coursed through their veins!"
"How in Mara's name could you have gotten your hands on Falmer Blood? No one's seen them in years!" Madesi said.
"My sources must remain a secret for their own protection but I can assure you that the contents are genuine. One sip of the elixir and your wishes will be granted. Great wealth, everlasting life or perhaps limitless power could be yours!" The sly Brynjolf continued to quip. As the customers continued to downplay his jest, I successfully broke into Madesi's lockbox. That's when the beggars began to distract the guards; drawing them away from the marketplace. The plan was working. I crept closer and closer to Brand-Shei with a thought of regret passing by as I slipped ring into his pocket. As soon as Brynjolf noticed he began to bring his theatrics to a close. I tapped Inigo and Sofia on the shoulder and we diverted from the crowd and circled back round the Marketplace to speak with Brynjolf.
"Looks like I chose the right person for the job. And here you go... your payment, just as I promised. The way things have been going around here, it's a relief that our plan went off without a hitch." He replied before handing me a small bag of septims.
"What's been going?" I asked.
"Bah. My organization's been having a run of bad luck, but I suppose that's just how it goes. But never mind that, you did the job and you did it well. Best of all, there's more where that came from... if you think you can handle it."
"The money's nice, but I'm not entirely sure. I came to train, not to break the law." I
"Look, I'll make this simple for you. The group I represent has its home in the Ratway beneath Riften; a tavern called the Ragged Flagon. When you make up your mind, come find me there and we'll talk about your future." He said before parting towards the Temple of Mara. Inigo, Sofia and I decided to follow him without trying to get noticed. He slipped around the back towards the graveyard and into a small crypt as if he was deliberately trying to corner himself. But by the time we thought we caught him, he had vanished, as if into thin air. "I guess we'll be going the long way around." Sofia replied. I asked a few residents about the Ratways, and most of them said the same thing; filthy and disgusting. No sooner was Brand-Shei confronted by the guards accused for stealing Madesi's ring to which the dumbstruck Dunmer eventually obliged and followed to the cell. Inigo, Sofia and I walked down the stairs next to the channel that led to the entrance of the Ratway. As soon as I opened the door, a humid gust blew into my face, carrying the faint stench of excrement reaching our nostrils. I was beginning to wonder what kind of organization operates in such a filthy place. Apart from a couple of hard hitters and brutish bandits, the only other hazard to watch out for was lack of sanitation. Surely only the insane would choose to live in a place like this. After hitting a couple of dead ends we soon reached the Ragged Flagon, a tavern located underneath the city of Riften itself where Brynjolf was awaiting me; having a conversation with his associates.
"Give it up, Brynjolf... those days are over." Vekel he said.
"I'm telling you, this one is different..." Brynjolf attempted to persuade.
"We've all heard that one before, Bryn! Quit kidding yourself." Derge retorted.
""It's time to face the truth, old friend. You, Vex, Mercer... you're all part of a dying breed. Things are changing!" Vekel replied.
"Dying breed, eh? Well what do you call that then?" Brynjolf said as he turned towards me, crossing his arms. "Well, well... color me impressed, lad. I wasn't certain I'd ever see you again." He said.
"Getting here was easy." I boasted.
"Reliable and headstrong? You're turning out to be quite the prize." He complimented.
"To be honest, I don't know why we bothered. This place is a mess." Sofia remarked.
"If you were expecting a palace, then you'd best lower your expectations. Our methods involve secrecy and discretion." He said before turning his attention towards me. "So... now that I've whetted your appetite with our little scheme at the market, how about handling a few deadbeats for me?"
"Deadbeats? What did they do to get on your shit list?" I asked.
"They owe our organization some serious coin and they've decided not to pay. I want you to explain to them the error of their ways."
"Sounds easy."
"I wouldn't get your hopes up. These are a stubborn bunch."
"What are their names?"
"Keerava, Bersi Honey-Hand and Haelga. Do this right, and I can promise you a permanent place in our organization."
"Any particular way you want me to handle it?"
"Honestly, the debt is secondary here. What's more important is that you get the message across that we aren't to be ignored. A word of warning though... I don't want any of them killed; it would be bad for business. Now then, Bersi is as pig-headed a man as you'll ever find. The key is that ugly Dwarven urn in his shop. If you smash that thing to bits and he'll change his attitude. Although I'm sure he'll crack before you even get to it. Haelga is a devout follow of the Dibella and dotes over the statue to the Divine that she keeps at the Bunkhouse. Use it as leverage and she'll cave. Keerava's stubborn, but she's got a soft spot for family. Talk to Talen-Jei at the Bee and Barb and see if you can get something out of him. They're... well acquainted if you catch my meaning."
"Consider it done." I replied
"Good. If you need any details on your marks, I'll be here. Now you best get going." He commanded. We took a shortcut through the Ratways and back out into the Riften Marketplace where the afternoon had descended unto the city. The three individuals, Haelga, Bersi, and Keerava each had their own conflict which we had to deal with. Fortunately for the three of us, we were quick to work around it. As predicted Bersi; the shopkeep caved as I threatened to break his Dwarven urn. It took little effort for the pig-head to turn out to be a pushover. With Haelga, Sofia was able to use her wit and charm; claiming she'd be a better follower to Dibella than Haelga ever could, using the statue as leverage pretending it was hers to own. Keerava was the hardest to convince to pay. I discussed the problem with Talen-Jei, who was looking to propose to Keerava. In the culture of Argonia, the proposer was to offer a circlet to his betrothed. The problem was that Talen-Jei was still searching for three flawless amethysts. As luck would have it, Sofia, Inigo, and I each had one from our journeys, so we offered them to him. Talen-Jei was incredibly grateful for our assistance and persuaded Keerava to offer payment. After collecting the debts, we headed back through the shortcut in the Ratways and returned to Brynjolf who seemed impressed with our work.
"So you're back. I assume you've taken care of business yes?" He asked.
"Indeed we have." I replied before showing him the coin.
"So, job's done and you even brought the gold. Best of all you did it clean. I like that. Dumping bodies and keeping the guards quiet can be expensive." He commended. "Well done. And it would seem I owe you something in return. Here you go, I think you'll find these quite useful." He handed over a few potions.
"What's next?" Inigo asked.
"You look familiar…" Brynjolf commented, turning his gaze towards the steadfast Khajiit. "I know you. You're that troublesome feline pickpocket aren't you?"
"Wait a minute…you two know each other?" I asked Inigo.
"It's a long story." Inigo replied with hesitation.
"Long story short, he tried to become part of the thieves' guild a while back. His method to impress was attempting to pickpocket from Vex, which turned out well." Brynjolf jested with sarcasm.
"A simple mistake I assure you." Inigo replied.
"He's with me. Wherever I go, he goes." I attempted to persuade.
"That may be the case on the surface, but here the rules are different. You're friends are going to have to obey by them, and as of now that means they're not welcome in the guild just yet." He explained.
"I hope guys don't mind waiting out here for a bit. I won't take long." I said.
"Not at all; this place brings back memories." Inigo replied.
"Two Black-Briar Meads barkeep!" Sofia announced as he sat upon the barstool of the Ragged Flagon while I followed Brynjolf to the storage room of the underground bar. Upon seemingly reaching a dead end, he slid a key into a lock which opened a pair of hidden doors which hid the tunnel that led to the Thieves' Den. "Judging from how well you handled those shopkeepers, I'd say you've done more than simply prove yourself. We need people like you in our outfit." He replied before opening another door which revealed the entire panorama of the cistern. When all is said and done, it was livelier than I had anticipated it to be in comparison to the rest of the Ratway. The entire chamber was enormous; large enough to house a battalion of soldiers. We approached a Breton who seemed to be doing some paperwork at a desk made of cedar wood. From the architecture of the desk, one could assume it was stolen as it hardly matched the rest of the ragtag cistern. "Mercer? This is the one I was talking about... our new recruit." Brynjolf announced.
"This better not be another waste of the Guild's resources, Brynjolf." The Breton replied as he stood up from his desk and took a close look at me. He was a stern one to be sure; the type that liked to get the job done plain and simple, no excuses. "Before we continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you play by the rules, you walk away rich. You break the rules, you lose your share. No debates; no discussions. You do what we say, when we say. Do I make myself clear?" He said.
"Transparently." I replied.
"Excellent. It's time we put your skills to use." Mercer Frey said.
"Wait a moment, you're not talking about Goldenglow, are you? Even our little Vex couldn't get in." Brynjolf questioned.
"You claim this recruit possesses an aptitude for our line of work. If so, let him prove it." Mercer replied in kind before turning his attention towards me. "Goldenglow Estate is critically important to one of our largest clients. However, the owner has suddenly decided to take matters into his own hands and shut us out. It's high time we teach him a lesson. Brynjolf will provide you with the details."
"Mercer, aren't you forgetting something?" Brynjolf asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Since Brynjolf assures me you'll be nothing but a benefit to us, then you're in. Welcome to the Thieves Guild." Mercer responded with a hint of sarcasm before I turned my attention to Brynjolf. "Welcome to the family, lad. I'm expecting you to make us a lot of coin, so don't disappoint me."
"So how do I get my cut of the spoils?" I asked him.
"Simple. Do as you're told and keep your blade clean. We can't turn a profit by killing. You should talk with Delvin Mallory and Vex. They know their way around this place and they'll be able to kick some extra jobs your way." He responded.
"What about Goldenglow needs to be dealt with?" I questioned.
"Goldenglow Estate is a bee farm; they raise the wretched little things for honey. It's owned by some smart-mouth wood elf named Aringoth. We need you to teach him a lesson by burning down three of the estate's hives and clearing out the safe in the main house."
"What's the catch?"
"The catch is that you can't burn the whole place to the ground. That important client Mercer mentioned would be furious if you did."
"And just who is this important client?"
"Who else? The head mistress of the best mead in all Skyrim." Brynjolf answered. I gulped as I knew exactly who he was talking about.
"How does she want me to handle it?"
"Maven prefers that Aringoth remains alive, but if he tries to stop you from getting the job done, kill him. The Guild has a lot riding on this. Don't make me look foolish by mucking it up."
"Consider it done." I replied as we made our way back to the Ragged Flagon where I saw Inigo and Sofia waiting at the bar. "Grab your weapons my friends, we've got a job to do."
Before we headed out to Goldenglow, we asked Devin Mallory and Vex about how to best handle the situation at the bee farm. Devin wasn't much help, as he was more focused on his suspicion that there was a conspiracy behind the decline of the Thieves Guild; that someone or something wanted them gone. Vex informed us of a sewer tunnel that ran around the island which she attempted to use until Aringoth's mercenaries caught her red handed and forced her to flee. Since I'd have a couple of companions at my side for this task however, I was more confident we'd be able to get it done. Rather than going through the front gate, we swam under the bridge, staying hidden to not get noticed by the mercenaries that were patrolling the area. After we snuck through the sewage tunnels around the estate, the plan was for Sofia to cause a diversion by burning a few beehives while Inigo and I snuck into the manor where we made short work of anyone who dared to cross our path. Aringoth the coward was dumbstruck once we reached him, as he paid good money to hire the mercenaries we outsmarted and outmaneuvered. We attempted to negotiate with him by offering him to hand him over the key to the safe. After he refused, we resorted to try and open the safe ourselves to which Aringoth virtually flung himself at my friend in an attempt to slit his throat. I returned the favor to him. After opening the safe, we found a deed that was all the evidence required to finish the job and return to the Thieves' Guild. We rendezvoused with Sofia back at the entrance before heading back to Riften.
By this time, Sofia and Inigo gained enough trust from the guild for me to escort them into the cistern, where we encountered a delighted Brynjolf. "Word on the street is that Goldenglow has been hit. Well done lad. Let's see what you've got." He said before I handed him the deed which proved that Aringoth, of all the things he could do to rouse the extent of Maven Black-Briar's fury was sell Goldenglow. "What was that idiot thinking? If only the parchment had the buyer's name instead of this odd symbol. Any idea what that might be?"
"No idea yet sir." I replied.
"Blast. Well, I'll check my sources and speak to Mercer. But for now, you're off to speak to Maven Black-Briar. She asked for you by name."
"Good, it's about time we meet her."
"Don't sound so eager, it's not a social visit. It's business."
"What would she want from us?"
"That's between you and Maven and I prefer to keep it that way. Don't worry about it. Maven's business dealings usually involve quite a bit of gold for her people."
"I like the sound of that." Sofia chimed before we exited through the secret entryway to the cistern, whose aperture lay beneath a false stone coffin underneath the Temple of Mara. We headed into the Bee and Barb Inn to meet up with Maven herself, whose temperament revealed to us she was unpleased with the matter at hand, and eager to get the task completed. Apparently, she wanted a competing mead company, Honningbrew Meadery, to be put out of business permanently and wanted to find out how they were able to get the place up and running with little to no fault in an unpredicted and seemingly impossible amount of time. That being said, the Meadery itself was the crossroads between Whiterun Road and Riverwood Road. Sofia herself wasn't picky with mead, although Black-Briar was among her favorites. During our journey there, we camped on the side of the road near Ivarsted for one night before continuing. We met our contact in the Bannered Mare in Whiterun, Mallus Maccius who was in cahoots with Maven Black-Briar, and dead set on taking down Sabjorn; the owner of Honningbrew Meadery in exchange for being given ownership and distribute Black-Briar Mead. Apparently, the poor sod Mallus made the mistake of borrowing coin from Sabjorn which in turn landed him in a heap of debt. Mallus has been working his fingers to the bone for less than minimum wage from the owner, who from the looks of it was intent on keeping Mallus under this thumb for the long run. The plan was to spike one of Meadery's barrels with Poison, which Sabjorn currently possessed, and was looking for someone to rid the cellars of a Skeever infestation. Once the gang and I arrived at the Meadery, Sabjorn was desperate and had little to no concern about our pay. As the gang and I descended into the cellars, we discovered an entryway to a series of tunnels which ran underneath the entire facility where the Skeevers seemed to be coming from. In a surprising turn of events, we stumbled upon a rogue mage named Hamelyn; a maniacal lunatic who's been living in the Skeever Nest itself, conducting a demented experiment to weaponize the Skeevers with venom, and make them his little minions. Sofia, Inigo, and I proved to be more than a match for him with our teamwork, although by the time he was dealt with, we were in desperate need of a bath. After we poisoned the Skeever nest, we arrived on the other end of the tunnels which led into the Brewery. We then poisoned the barrel Mallus told us to spike. As it turned out, today was supposed to be a special occasion, where Sabjorn would introduce his 'Honningbrew Reserve' to Commander Caius of the Whiterun Guard. Once we delivered the barrel, Sabjorn further neglected to compensate our pay. Mallus was there to witness the mead tasting, and so far it all went to plan. Caius felt ill to his stomach as soon as he tasted the mead we spiked. It didn't take long for Sabjorn to start blaming us for our supposed incompetence. I provided an alibi by mentioning the Skeever Nest under the Meadery and providing evidence of Hamelyn's intrusion in the form of a journal the lunatic himself kept. This was enough to not only deem Sabjorn guilty of allowing an infestation to take root via being understaffed, but housing a criminal along with them. For that Caius ordered for his arrest. Mallus was more than pleased to see his former boss walk out with his hands tied. For our task, Mallus allowed us to take whatever was in Sabjorn's safe. When we searched throughout his valuables, we found a note among them, which bore the same symbol as the Goldenglow deed. I had a feeling that Devin Mallory's suspicions were coming true.
Before we got back into the cistern, we bathed ourselves at the lake to rid ourselves of the smell. Afterwards, we met up with Maven to discuss our pay. She was rather intrigued to hear that there was a single perpetrator behind the selling of Goldenglow and the re-establishment of Honningbrew Meadery. She was also intent on slitting their throat whoever they might've been. Brynjolf was eager to learn what we had found out once we climbed down the hidden entryway and into the cistern.
"Word on the street is that poor Sabjorn has found himself in Whiterun's prison. How unfortunate for him." He said.
"Yet very fortunate for Maven." I replied.
"Exactly! Now you're beginning to see how our little system works. Maven sent word that you discovered something else while you were out there. Something important to the Guild?"
"The same symbol from Goldenglow."
"Then this is beyond coincidence. First Aringoth and now Sabjorn. Someone's trying to take us down by driving a wedge between Maven and the Guild."
"Anything we can do to stop them?"
"Mercer thinks he knows a way to identify this new thorn in our side. He wants to meet with you right away. And if I were you I'd hurry. I've never seen him this angry before."
And so we talked to Mercer about our next assignment. I could easily tell he was dead set on bringing down whoever was behind this conspiracy. Our next contact would be to contact an Argonian named Gulum-Ei who was going by the name of Gajun-Lei as an alias in order to cover his tracks. Apparently, he is the Guild's inside man for the East Empire Company in Solitude. Mercer had a hunch he was also working as an inside man for the saboteur; in other words, a snitch. Gulum-Ei's reputation preceded him as "the most stubborn lizard" in Skyrim. Mercer was confident our only way would be to buy his way for information, as did Brynjolf who was in frank disbelief that Gulum-Ei was mixed up in all this. He suggested that if we refused to talk, we'd shadow him.
Our first arrival in Solitude was met with death. We witnessed the beheading of a Nord named Roggvir, who opened the main gates of the city, allowing Ulfric to escape. It was a grim sight, certainly an unwelcome one for first impressions. No sooner did we meet the slippery Argonian in the Winking Skeever, named after the Barkeep's pet Skeever who was known for winking; an odd predicament. Gulum-Ei said the only way we'd get any information out of him was to steal a pack of Firebrand Wine from within the confines of the Blue Palace. The only trouble was getting the entire thing out without being seen. So regrettably and undesirably we opted to take the sewers out of the place. The Argonian seemed to be pleased with our work, and only let a little information of his slip before shutting his mouth. He refused to reveal any more information. It wasn't long before he walked out of the Inn with us shadowing him. He had to sneak our way into the East Empire Company's warehouse. We practically had to swim under the ramparts to keep from being seen by the guards. By the time we tracked him to an inconspicuous doorway, we found ourselves in the middle of a cavern system. The place was full of bandits, but fortunately we outclassed them. It wasn't long before we saw Gulum-Ei conversing with a mercenary who dropped to the ground once Inigo's arrow found its target. The Argonian caved quickly and revealed us the name of his saboteur; Karliah. He was surprised we never heard of the name before, as it was claimed that she was responsible for the murder of their former Guilmaster; Gallus Desidenius and near collapse of the Skyrim Thieves Guild. This was a serious matter; a ghost of the past had returned to finish what they started in a place only referred as, "where the end began". Now I had to get this news to Mercer and fast. We headed out a hidden exit from the cave we were in, which near its entrance was home to a few Horkers and headed all the way back to Riften while making a stop at Whiterun.
Mercer Frey was not happy at all when we arrived back at the Cistern. He was leaning over his desk with an ominous look, fed up with Brynjolf's bland optimism. A chill ran up my spine, and I could easily tell this operation was about to go south somehow.
"Did Gulum-Ei give up any information on our buyer?" He asked.
"He mentioned someone named Karliah." I said. Brynjolf immediately grew pale upon hearing me say that name. "No, it... it can't be. I haven't heard that name in decades. This is grave news indeed, she's someone I hoped to never cross paths with again." Mercer said.
"Wasn't she also responsible for a murder?"
"Karliah destroyed everything this Guild stood for. She murdered the previous Guildmaster in cold blood and betrayed us all. After we discovered what she'd done, we spent months trying to track her down, but she just vanished." Brynjolf said.
"And why do you suppose she returned?"
"Karliah and I were like partners. I went with her on every heist. We watched each other's backs. I know her techniques, her skills. If she kills me, there'll be no one left who can possibly catch her. If only we knew where she was..." Mercer replied.
"Gulum-Ei told me she said, "Where the end began."
"There's only one place that could be. The place where she murdered Gallus... a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum. We have to go out there before she disappears again."
"We?"
"Yes, I'm going with you and together we're going to kill her. Here's your payment for Solitude. Prepare yourself and meet me at the ruins as soon as you can. We can't let her slip through our fingers."
"Your friends should stay out of this lad, Karliah is a cunning serpent which I wager my entire fortune you young-blood have never seen the likes of, and I have a feeling it's going to get brutal." Brynjolf suggested.
"Thus we part ways once more, I hope we meet each other again real soon." I said to my two friends.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted." Sofia said. "I suppose I'll get myself into a stupor at the Bee and Barb."
"Take care of yourself my friend, I'll be here in Riften too." Inigo said. Mercer Frey and I followed them out before we parted ways. Inigo and Sofia went their ways before we went our own. By the time we arrived at Snow Veil Sanctum, Mercer discovered Karliah's horse was still there. As soon as I dismounted my own; Queen Alfisgar, he slit the throat of Karliah's own without hesitation. I gulped, wondering what kind of man he was. The entrance to the Nordic Ruin was barred by couple bars, put together by an ancient mechanism. Oddly enough, Mercer was able to unlock it from the outside, which I couldn't help but find suspicious. As we descended into the unknown tomb, we encountered a number of Draugr, so I suppose it was best that Inigo wasn't here for me. But it was within its stone confines that I began to witness Mercer's true colors. He was merciless, ruthless, and devastating in combat. Though I was Harbinger of the Companions, I daresay his skill slightly outmatched my own. Along the path he noticed traps laid out by Karliah which at first glance I couldn't see with the naked eye. He was a true expert. When we came to a dead end, the Inner Sanctum sealed off by a puzzle door, I figured we had come up short handed as neither of us had a Dragon Claw to unlock it. And yet Mercer was mysteriously able to open it with surprisingly little effort. Just as he became increasingly curious of my physical prowess seeing as I had the ability to shout, I became increasingly suspicious of his own abilities. As soon as I stepped across the threshold into the Sanctum, sharp pain had taken ahold in my shoulder. I was shot. In an instant my entire body seized up, and I felt myself drop to the ground. From what my blurry vision could perceive was a betrayal I never saw coming.
"Did you honestly think your arrow will reach me before my blade finds your heart?" Mercer said as Karliah stepped from the shadows from above the cobblestone staircase ahead.
"Give me a reason to try." She said.
"You're a clever girl, Karliah. Buying Goldenglow Estate and funding Honningbrew Meadery was inspired." Mercer complimented.
'To ensure an enemy's defeat, you must first undermine his allies.' It was the first lesson Gallus taught us."
"You always were a quick study."
"Not quick enough, otherwise Gallus would still be alive."
"Gallus had his wealth and he had you. All he had to do was look the other way."
"Did you forget the Oath we took as Nightingales? Did you expect him to simply ignore your methods?"
"Enough of this mindless banter! Come, Karliah. It's time for you and Gallus to become reunited!" Mercer barked as he drew his weapons once more. Just then, Karliah vanished in an instant using a potion she carried. "I'm no fool Mercer. Crossing blades with you is a death sentence." She said before making her way out of the Sanctum unseen. Mercer then proceeded to ominously loom over me.
"How interesting. It appears Gallus' history has repeated itself. Karliah has provided me with the means to be rid of you, and this ancient tomb becomes your final resting place. But do you know what intrigues me the most? The fact that this was all possible because of you. Farewell. I'll be certain to give Brynjolf your regards." Mercer demeaned as he aimed his sword at my chest and stabbed me with little effort, leaving me to bleed out across the cold floor. It was in that moment I felt I had failed in my destiny as Dragonborn, but destiny had other plans for me.