Chapter 21

Fredas, the 24rd of Midyear, Year 202 of the 4th Era

When she descended from High Hrothgar two boys standing watch at the bridge screamed out "It's the Dragonborn!" before running back to Ivarstaad.

By the time she and her followers reached Ivarstead, most of the town had turned out to greet her. The streets weren't quite as crowded as they had been for her first arrival in Ivarstead, but it was close. While she knew the townsfolk were grateful to her for slaying Lok-Nos-Dov, their level of enthusiasm was almost as great as that of the former slaves she'd freed in Meereen. The headman and the town elders were again waiting for her. This time they were just standing in the middle of the road instead of atop a wagon, but they still came out to meet her. She was obviously going to have to say a few words. She even saw many of the Dragonguard standing among the crowd cheering her arrival. She supposed that was only to be expected after the way the Greybeards had greeted her return to High Hrothgar.

Wilhelm, the town's headman confirmed her guess with the first words out of his. "Dragonborn! We heard the Shouting even from down here. What did the Greybeards say?"

Daenerys collected titles the way some princesses collected pretty baubles, but the title the Greybeards had bestowed upon her wasn't just another title. It would bring Nords flocking to her banner, and it opened a perilous path to power. However, she wasn't sure she wanted to chase another throne, especially not now. She had managed a delicate dance of neutrality between the Empire and the Stormcloaks so far, but this title could ruin it. Once word got out, the Empire might view her as a more dangerous threat than Ulfric Stormcloak and with good reason. However, she couldn't just ignore the title and pretend the Greybeards hadn't spoken. Most of her followers were Nords. Word of her new title would get out. She couldn't reject the title without insulting Nord traditions. Trying to hide from the title would just come back to bite her in the ass later.

Daenerys drew herself up to her full height, such as it was. She draped a regal mien about herself like donning a worn but comfortable dress. This title had been thrust upon her, but she would embrace it and own it. "These are the words of the Greybeards to me:

Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul,
Voth nid balaan klov praan nau.
Naal Thu'umu mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin,
Naal suleyk do Kaan,
Naal suleyk do Shor
Ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth.
Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom
Dahmaan daar rok.

The headman wiped his hands on his apron, clearly a nervous habit that revealed he was an innkeeper at heart despite also being the headman of the town. "Yes, yes, but what does that mean?"

Daenerys looked over to Jon Battle-born and gave him a nod. It would be better if someone else proclaimed the title.

Jon bowed and stepped forward. He spoke loudly and clearly so that his words carried over the gathered throng. "In the tongue of man and mer, in the common tongue of Tamriel, this is what the Greybeards said:

Long in sorrow has waited the Stormcrown
With no worthy head to rest on.
By our Voice we give it now to you, Dragonborn,
By the power of Kyne
By the power of Shor
And by the power of Atmora-of-old.
You have become now Ysmir, Dragon of the North.
Remember these words.

The crowd listened raptly until Jon got to the word Ysmir. The word swept through the crowd like a scythe through wheat. People fell to their knees and bent their heads. Not all were as quick to grasp the meaning, but seeing everyone else kneel, they also fell to their knees. Parents grabbed at small children and guided them down as well.

Daenerys wasn't surprised by the reaction. The title Ysmir, Dragon of the North had only been bestowed by the Greybeards once before. It was the title given to Tiber Septim, the founder of the Empire who ascended to become the god, Talos. As everyone else knelt her attention was drawn to two men who remained standing. They had been hidden before behind the other spectators, but with everyone else kneeling they stood out like a sore thumb. They wore thick robes with strange skull helmets. She had never seen their like on Planetos or in Skyrim.

The strangers marched forward kicking at some that didn't get out of their way. One of them yelled at her as they advanced. "Lies! Lies! Deceivers! Do not let this lie take root in your hearts! We shall expose the falseness of these words by tearing out her hers!" He extended his arm and lightning exploded from his hand.

Sofija must have started moving before he cast because she took the lightning bolt on her shield, but that didn't stop the surge of electricity. The lightning that struck Sofija jumped to Daenerys, and then it jumped again and again. Meanwhile, the other masked fanatic summoned a Flame Atronarch. The daedra in the form of a fiery woman immediately began lobbing balls of fire indiscriminately at the crowd.

While the shock of the lightning hurt, Daenerys wasn't even knocked off her feet. The bolt had jumped on to others in her party. She felt a sudden fury come over her that these fools were using such destructive magic in the middle of a crowd with children. However, she couldn't risk most of her Shouts because of the same crowd. Instead she Shouted, "Feim!" and faded into a ghostly form. She charged forward hoping to draw any further spells onto herself knowing she couldn't be harmed.

Her fading to the ethereal wasn't necessary. Enough of her troops had responded that the attacking mages were almost immediately beset on all sides by her troops. They were quickly surrounded and stabbed multiple times by swords and spears.

By the time her Shout faded they were dead. She put aside her rage to worry about the damage they had caused. There would be time for answers later. "Who is injured?! I can heal."

"Here! Here!" screamed a woman rushing forward with a child in her arms. He was a young boy, probably ten or eleven, and from the burns on him, he'd been blasted by the Flame Atronarch. He wasn't crying or screaming.

Daenerys wasn't sure if he was even alive. She could see bone, but his wounds were still bleeding, so there was hope. She reached for magic, and out of desperation she called out for help, "Talos, please!" This was the first time she'd ever truly called upon a god for healing. Colette, the Mistress of Restoration back at the College of Winterhold had always claimed that faith in the gods could be a more powerful Seeming than a mere desire to ease the suffering. She had tried, but it had never worked for her before. This time it did. Her magic flowed and for the short time it lasted she felt the presence of something larger than herself.

The boy's wounds turned from charred and black, to blood-red and angry, and then turned to pristine flesh. Even his hair grew back in. The boy's eyes opened, and he hugged her. "Thank you."

Suddenly she was almost knocked down by the mother also hugging her. The woman babbled a constant stream of thanks. "Shh, he's fine now. I have to see to the others."

She found out there were no other major injuries. Whoever the skull-masked lunatics were, they hadn't lasted long enough to cause much damage. Sofija wasn't good at healing others, but she had healed herself. One serious injury had been treated with a potion. However, there were several minor injuries. Deliberately she called upon Talos again, invoking him silently. The healing magic flowed, not as strong as with the boy, but stronger than it had for her in the past. It also felt cleaner somehow, but without the presence of before.

When the last of the injured had been tended to, she put aside her breakthrough in healing. That would be something for thought, meditation, and possibly prayer later. She had turned to face her advisors and the town elders. "Who were they? Who sent them? Where were they from? I want answers!"

.oOo.

Once everything had calmed down, she met with her small council in a room at the local inn to review what little they had discovered about the assassins and to plan their next steps. She also added Marcus Verres, the Imperial underofficer that Legate Fasendil had assigned to her. Marcus Verres had short dark wavy hair that glistened like he oiled it. He was young for an officer, but Fasendil recommended him highly. He was the second son of a minor noble from Cheydinhal in Cyrodiil, and he had trained in both war and diplomacy from a young age. So far, he had proved himself highly competent which was a good thing considering she her tentative plans for the coming month.

However, the assassins were her top priority. "So, what can you tell me about the two mages who attacked me?"

Gaius Paulinus spread his hands. "Not much that you haven't heard already. While there isn't a lot of trade between the Rift and the rest of Skyrim, especially with the dragon attacks going on, much of what trade does exist passes through Ivarstead. I had my men ask questions. The town elders asked questions as well. People noticed two strangers because they were Dunmer, but they weren't wearing those costumes when they entered Ivarstead. Even Wilhelm couldn't add any details beyond what they ordered for dinner. The best we can guess is they changed into their robes and masks while they were waiting for you to return from High Hrothgar."

"I've gone through their possessions," said Faralda. "Whoever they were, they were not poor. Their robes were enchanted, one for Destruction and one for Magicka. They both had a little more than fifty septims on them. Not pocket change, but not that unusual for travelers. The masks seem to be the biggest clue. They may look like bone, but they're actually carved out of chitin. Dunmer origin, most likely. There are many strange beasts in Morrowind and some have shells stronger than metal."

Daenerys didn't find that much of a surprise as both attackers were Dunmer. "That doesn't narrow things down much, does it? What about the design? It looks like a ten-legged sea creature from the seas of my home. The small ones are less the length of a hand and are good eating when breaded and fried. The large ones were very rare, but they were known to sink ships." It wasn't often she was stumped for words any longer, but if they existed here, she didn't know their proper names.

"We have them in Tamriel," said Faralda. "Especially off the coast of the Summerset Isles. The small ones are called squid. The large ones are called kraken. You're correct, the masks do resemble a squid. I was thinking of a netch because both attackers were Dunmer. However, these projections on the sides hint at more tenacles than a netch has."

"And what are netch?" asked Daenerys

"The Dunmer raise them, like men raise cattle," explained Camilla. "Picture a giant jellyfish floating in the air with four to six tentacles hanging down. They're common enough in Morrowind. Their meat is tender, but doesn't preserve very well. Properly treated their hides make a supple but tough leather. Netch jelly is also an ingredient in several potions."

No one else seemed to be surprised by a giant jellyfish that floated in the air instead of the sea, or by Camilla rattling off the usages of netch in trade, so apparently netch were common knowledge. She had a hard time imagining something described as a giant floating jellyfish being raised like cattle, but netch were far from the strangest creature she'd heard about. "Alright then. So, does this tell us anything? Is there a noble house, a mercenary company, or any faction that uses squid, krakens, or netch as their symbol?

Her council shared some blank glances. After a slight pause Marcus Verres suggested, "None come to mind, but it's possible. We can probably find a copy of Noble Houses of the Empire in Riften."

"We should look. It also wouldn't hurt me to study the noble houses all things considered." She wasn't looking forward to it. She had flipped through that book in the library of Winterhelm after Enja made a stink about House Targaryen not being listed as a noble house. It was a huge tome that was updated every few years and contained the names of all current nobles houses in all of Tamriel. She couldn't remember the author's name, but whoever wrote it kept to boring facts instead of telling what made each noble house remarkable. She glanced over to Sofia. "You should study it as well."

Sofia rolled her eyes briefly before resuming her usual serious face.

"So, what else do we know about these squidskulls?" She deliberately named them after the small edible sea creature than anything imposing. There was again silence. Daenerys sighed. "Very well, let's talk about precautions."

Gaius suggested setting up a formal Imperial camp complete with barricades and checkpoints every time they camped. Sofija wanted to stop and search everyone who they passed on the road. Daenerys overruled that one as causing more harm than good, but she did agree to accept more guards standing over her than just her housecarls. Nobody was entirely happy with the changes, but they increased her security without being unreasonable.

"Let's move on," declared Daenerys ending any further debate. "We need to discuss our next steps. Gaius, would you brief everyone on the status of the ballistae?" She already heard his report, but she needed to get her council up to speed.

"We have one working ballista now. I was skeptical they could build one, but Fultheim was wise to have the ballistae crews build the two that were destroyed. We salvaged the metal fittings and after some trial and error Temba Wide-Arm was able to cut logs to meet our needs. Finding the sinew was the hard part, but it's built and tested now. The new one has about the same range and accuracy as the two the dragon destroyed."

Daenerys nodded. "Good work, Gaius. Make sure the soldiers are commended as well. Now, this brings us to our next steps. We have a lot of places to visit in the north of Skyrim, but that's a long journey. However, having come all the way to Ivarstead, I don't want to leave the Rift without visiting Riften and Fort Dawnguard. That's about a week to Riften and another to Fort Dawnguard. Add a week for talking to people and another for the return trip and that's five weeks gone by. I want to use that time wisely, so we're going to divide the Dawnguard into two units.

"All of the ballistae crew members will stay here and work on building more ballistae. Now that they have worked out the details, it should take less than a week to make one. I want to have at least six working ballistae when we're ready to depart going north. The traveler reports say that there is a dragon roaming the sulfur pools region of Eastmarch. That's too far from here to have been Lok-Nos-Dov. We know there is a dragonmount in that area, the Bonestrewn Crest. I would guess that's his nest. The point I'm getting at is that when we leave here, we need to be ready to face another dragon."

There were solemn nods from her council. Camilla raised her hand. "The problem will be sinew. It has a lot of uses, but it isn't something that people stockpile or trade. There is usually enough local supply for local needs. The ballistae crew already asked me to secure more for them, but they used up much of the supply on the first ballistae. We can probably buy some in Riften, but I suggest we put Ull, Aela, Eloloir, and maybe some others on hunting duty. We can use the meat from their kills to help feed those that stay behind as well. Ivarstaad is being generous about hosting us now, but will they stay that way if we camp here for another month?"

Gaius shook his head. "I understand your reasoning, but those are our three best wilderness scouts. We'll need at two of them with the half that's going with Lady Targaryen to Fort Sunguard to scout ahead and make sure we're not ambushed. We have other people who know how to hunt. Not of the same caliber as those three, but they can hunt while patrolling."

Daenerys briefly drummed her fingers on the table. "I afraid Gaius is correct. We don't have any reports from south of Riften. It's far enough away from Lok-Nos-Dov's territory that we might encounter another dragon. If so, we'll need our best archers. Eloloir can stay in Ivarstead and be promoted to be over a hunting crew." She had confidence in Eloloir, and she wanted Ull and Aela close to her. Ull had the potential to be a Tongue, and Aela was simply too deadly both as an archer and a werewolf to leave behind.

Camilla bowed her head. "Yes, Lady Targaryen."

Daenerys gave her a nod in return. "Now, we need to talk about who goes and who stays. I'm going along with Sofija and Faralda. Camilla, I'll need you to accompany us at least to Riften. We'll see how much you can accomplish while we're there. I may detach a few soldiers to serve as your guard, and you can stay in Riften longer while the rest of us continue to Fort Sunguard."

Camilla smiled at that probably because buying and selling was something she did very well. "That sounds like it is for the best. We still have dwemer metal ingots to sell and it will take time to track down all the sinew and other supplies."

"Thank you, Camilla. Now we need to talk about our Imperial troops and a command crew. Riften has declared for the Stormcloaks. We don't yet know if they'll accept the Dragonguard as neutral in the Stormcloak Rebellion. They might try to arrest any Imperial soldiers we take with us to Riften. My inclination is to leave almost all of them behind. Gaius, as almost half the troops staying Ivarstead will be Imperial troops detached to me, I'd like you to stay behind. You're respected and can best command in my absence."

Gaius nodded. "I agree that I am the most logical choice, but who are you putting in charge of the soldiers that will go with you? I'd suggest Jon Battle-born, but I'm not sure it is wise for him to go to Riften either."

"It's me, isn't it?" asked Marcus Verres. "That's why you added me to your small council."

Daenerys nodded approval at Marcus. He grasped the situation quickly. "You're correct. You'll have to wear Dragonguard armor. Will that be a problem?"

"You know what they call a soldier who exchanges one uniform for another? A turncoat. Yes, it is potentially a problem, but only if I'm caught. That's not likely, but still…" Marcus fixed his eyes on her as if trying to read something in them. "Tell me, what do you plan to do about your new title?"

"Own it," replied Daenerys. "I cannot deny it. Word would get out. I'm worried it will draw Imperial ire, but I'm hoping to use to advance the same plan I have been advocating already. The Empire agrees that Skyrim is independent. Skyrim immediately rejoins the Empire with the right to follow their own religious beliefs."

"And?" Marcus asked. "After that. After Skyrim rejoins the Empire and this plague of dragons is contained. What then?"

Ah. Daenerys knew what he was asking. Would she seek the throne of the Empire? She couldn't help but remember what Arngeir told her. They Greybeards had seen the comet pointing to Cyrodiil. "I have no intention to end one civil war to start another, if that is what you are asking." Although the Empire might not give her a choice. It was equally likely that the Empire would ask her to seal the treaty by marriage. However, she wasn't about to say that to Marcus or Gaius. They would certainly tell their superiors. If she put marriage on the table starting out, then she lost all leverage that a political marriage might gain.

He sighed. "I've been going over the men in my mind and I can't think of anyone to nominate instead of me. Jon Battle-born is the closest, but I would do the job better. Very well, I will wear Dragonguard armor and accept command of the men accompanying you to Riften."

Daenerys gave him a nod and a smile. "Thank you, Marcus Verres.

"Please, call me Marcus."

When the meeting was done, she sat in her chair with the chitin mask in her hand as her council filed out, except for Sofija who stayed behind. The squidheads didn't just bother her. She wanted to hunt them down and kill them. Not merely because they tried to kill her. People had tried to kill her before. It was their lack of respect for innocent lives and that made her furious. She also knew she was being a hypocrite about it. They had injured one boy, who had recovered completely. She burned down an entire city killing far more innocents. That didn't even count how many were killed and raped when her men pillaged King's landing. She had no right to be righteous. Angrily she tossed the mask from her.

"My liege," said Sofija. "Lydia and I will watch you around the clock, and Barbas doesn't really sleep. I know what he is, but he is sworn to protect you, and his senses are keen."

{She's got that right. I made an oath. No squidheads are going to get past me.}

Daenerys forced a smile. "Thank you. Both of you." She pushed her anger down and took a deep cleansing breath. There was no use dwelling on the past. Redemption was a road with no end. All she could was to keep moving forward.

.oOo.

Three days later they were halfway way to Riften. Thanks to judicious use of Frostbite spells to cool the air, it was pleasant inside her command tent. Which was a good thing as this was likely to be a long meeting. They had just met Vignar on the road, and she had called her small council together to hear his report. Sofija, Camilla, Marcus Verres, and Faralda sat at the table with her. Lydia was standing guard by the tent flap and listening in.

Vignar stood in front of them to give his report. "So, let's start with the obvious. Riften is rotten to the core. Take everything you've heard about it, double it, then double it again. The place stinks, literally and figuratively. Half the town is on dry land and half juts out over the lake. People empty their chamber pots directly into the lake and the shit just floats there. Then you have reek of dead fish coming from the fishery. I don't know how anyone can stand it. They say you get used to the smell. I was there five days and I never got over it."

Daenerys nodded her understanding. Vignar was spoiled. He was from Whiterun, the city that built upon a large flowing stream that flushed all the sewage away. Windhelm wasn't that bad either. They had a working sewer system and forbade all large animals inside city limits. She understood that Winterhold stank in the summer, but the College had working sewers. Compared to Skyrim every city she had ever visited in Planetos stank. She would get used to the stink. She made a circular gesture with her hand for Vignar to continue.

"The rot goes deeper than the smell. The people are miserable. The main employers are the fisheries and the Black-Briar meadery, and they barely pay a living wage. There are beggars all over the streets. I had people approach me on the street and offer me skooma. The thieves are so arrogant they barely bother to hide. Jenassa and Torvar both made contact with the Thieves' Guild the first day."

"And how much progress did they make?" asked Daenerys. While the corruption in Riften obviously ran deep, Vignar could talk for hours. She needed details and not general complaints.

Vignar took a deep breath, nodded his head, and continued. "Jenassa has made more progress. They made contact through the same person, a Nord who goes by the name of Brynjolf. He's the frontman for the Thieves Guild. Torvar got in as a head-cracker. He beats down people who don't want to pay the guild's protection money. Jenassa got in by helping frame an Argonian merchant for stealing and got him sent to jail. Maybe the only good thing I can say about the Thieves' Guild is they try not to kill people. If they want someone out of the way, they just frame them for a crime and make sure they get caught." Vignar shook his head. "They can get away with that because the damn Thieves' Guild is in deep with Black-briars. Particularly, Maven Black-briar. She's the matriarch of the clan. Torvar was flat out warned by some thug when he entered not to cross the Black-briars because they had connections not only with the Thieves' Guild, but the Dark Brotherhood."

Daenerys frowned at that accusation. The Dark Brotherhood was allegedly an order of assassins like the Faceless Men of Braavos. Maybe it was lies meant to impress and dissuade, but from what she heard the Dark Brotherhood were nothing but cold-blooded murderers. "And where does the jarl stand on all this?"

"Laila Law-Giver?" Vignar snorted in derision. "Lawgiver, my ass. I don't know if she's Laila the Corrupt, or Laila the Foolish, or Laila the Spineless. About the only good thing about her is that she backs the Stormcloaks. That made it easy for me to get dinner invitations by playing on the Grey-mane name. Although I'm sure being a Companion didn't hurt. So, I had an open invitation to join her court for meals. She's useless. Maven is the real power in Riften. Not that she outright admits it. She's a canny bitch. Brags about her importance but doesn't reveal much. However, the jarl revealed everything with how she acted. She kept looking to Maven for approval." He shook his head in disgust. "She's a grown woman with two children. From the way she acts, Maven is her best friend and most trusted advisor. I just can't tell why. Maybe she's weak-willed. Maybe she's bought. Who knows, maybe they're lovers. Maven is pretty well put together, but the jarl doesn't break wind without asking Maven first."

Daenerys frowned. "I can think of other reasons. Blackmail. She can't handle her drink. Her children are being held hostage. Riften is in debt, and Maven floated the jarl a loan… You know, based on what you said about the general poverty of Riften that last one sounds rather likely. She wouldn't be the first ruler to run up a debt they simply couldn't pay off. Maybe if I talked to her I could figure it out."

Vignar pulled out a scroll and offered it to her. "Looks like you get your wish. When I told her you would be coming she wanted me to hand-deliver this invitation."

Daenerys checked the seal, broke the wax, and read the scroll:

Lady Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Dragonborn.

I am honored that you and the Dragonguard have come to Riften. I have heard much of your deeds from your fellow Companion, Vignar Grey-mane. I am aware that you have done me and Riften a great service in defeating the dragon Loknosdov. I welcome you and the Dragonguard to come to Riften. I am afraid we don't have accommodations for all your men within the walls of Riften, but you are welcome to camp just outside the city gates. I also invite you and your officers to stay with me and my family at Mistveil Keep for as long as you remain in Riften.

Signed this Morndas, the 29th of Midyear, Year 402 of the 4th Era

Jarl Laila Law-Giver

"Interesting. It looks she invited all of us to stay with her, but she wants me to leave the rest of the Dragonguard camped outside." Daenerys passed the scroll to Camilla so she could read it. "So, the jarl keeps deferring to Maven Black-Briar. Did she say anything about the Thieves' Guild or the rest of the corruption?"

Vignar shrugged. "She claimed that she really wants to see the Thieves' Guild stamped out, but every time she has moved on them, she's found nothing. That's an enormous pile of mammoth droppings. It didn't take Torvar and Jenassa long to discover that there is a tavern of sorts set up in the sewers. They call it the Ragged Flagon. Not everyone who goes there is a thief, but most of them are. If they could find that out in two days, then it isn't that big a secret."

Marcus Verres shook his head in disapproval. "And it only took them two days?! That's not hidden, that means it's an open secret. People have to know about. Even if the rats would scamper, they would be bound to catch some if they raided it. The only time corruption gets that bad is when people in power allow it to happen."

Vignar sighed. "I agree with you! It's shameful. I'm just telling you like it is. The rot goes all the way up to Maven, but I'm sure most of the guard is on the take. Although, the Thieves' Guild has another asset that makes it hard to move on them. They have a woman who calls herself a face-sculptor. I don't know how she does it, but Jenassa and Torvar both confirmed that she can mold someone's face the way a potter does clay. It means even if they get caught, they just pay her and get a new face. It makes me wonder if their frontman, Brynjolf, isn't a single person at all, just a position. If they can change their faces at any time - "

"How much does she charge?" interrupted Faralda.

Daenerys glanced at her friend and mentor. She knew that being scarred bother her friend and mentor greatly. Sometimes it seemed that only the goal of learning Shout-based magic kept Faralda going. Unfortunately, Faralda had suffered one disappointment after another while chasing that dream. Her last hope seemed to rely upon finding the Horn of Jurgen Stormcaller, and all that the Greybeards had said was that it was buried in a tomb 'somewhere north.' Maybe they could find a clue in the College of Winterhold, but Faralda's dream had turned into a mirage, always leading her onward, but never getting closer. This face sculptor was unexpected and close by. No wonder Faralda was eager.

"Her fees are steep," replied Vignar. "1000 septims minimum, but I suspect the Thieves' Guild gets a discount."

"We'll need to find out more about her," said Daenerys. "There has to be a reason that person with a skill like that is hiding in a sewer in Riften." She looked over to her mentor. "I'm willing to pay for your restoration just to get an introduction to her, but we'll talk more about her later. Vignar, please continue."

"So… like I was saying, the face sculptor may explain why they can be so open in recruiting. This Brynjolf probably changes faces frequently. They put potential candidates to the test, make them do something illegal, and see how they handle themselves." He looked over to Marcus. "Also, about your point about them being too obvious. Jenassa has a theory. She's certain that there are secret passageways throughout the sewers, and the Ragged Flagon is a decoy. Something they can afford to lose in a raid while the true thieves scurry like rats for shelter."

"That makes sense," agreed Daenerys. While on the surface it sounded like the Thieves' Guild had terrible security, they had a layered defense. Not everyone at who drank at the Ragged Flagon was a thief, and even known thieves could change faces. If she was Jarl of Riften, she still would have shut the tavern down, but it wasn't her problem. "So, any luck at locating an honest thief in that mess?"

"Yes…" Vignold looked uncomfortable. "I'll get to her a moment. Let me finish the rest of Riften because she's a conversation in and of herself."

Daenerys waved a hand in permission. "Go on then."

"Almost done. While Riften is a midden heap, there are some people making waves that might make good allies. One of them is Mjoll the Lioness. She's not a mercenary. She styles herself an adventuress. She makes her living killing bandits. She's taken it upon herself to clear out Riften. I saw her punch out a man who was threatening her to back off with a single blow. Pow! To the jaw and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. I think she is likely to be framed for something and thrown in jail. She even knows it. She just doesn't back down. I think she is Companion material. She'd probably jump at joining the Dragonguard if you help her clean up Riften."

Daenerys frowned at that. She wasn't going to Riften to clean it up. She wanted to buy supplies, possibly locate an honest thief, and it was halfway to Fort Dawnguard. Just because Riften had problems didn't mean that she had to fix them. Her job was to kill Al-Du-In and save the world. She was not responsible for personally saving everyone in Skyrim.

Vignar kept on talking without pause. "The second person is Aringoth. He is a minor noble, but he owns Goldenglow Estate. It's a surprisingly large estate scattered across three islands in the middle of Lake Honrich. It is also a rather profitable estate. Their main product is honey, but they also grow flowers both the decorative kind and those used in potions. Now, you need honey to make mead, and Aringoth's biggest customer is the Black-Briar Meadery owned by Maven Black-Briar. Apparently, Aringoth got tired of paying the Thieves' Guild protection money recently. He hired on a bunch of mercenaries to protect his estate. He also started sending an armed escort to protect every shipment. The Thieves' Guild is pissed because he stopped paying protection. To pay for the mercenaries, he upped his prices, so Maven is also pissed. The Thieves' Guild already tried to 'send Aringoth a message' once. They sent someone to sneak in, burn a few beehives, steal some stuff, and generally terrorize Aringoth. Whoever they sent got spanked. They tapped Jenassa to try again. She took the job, but she's stalling waiting for your orders. It's all over Riften that the Dragonborn and the Dragonguard are coming. So, she's told them she's going wait to use your arrival as a distraction."

"I see." At least she understood how Aringoth could be an ally if she wanted to clean up Riften. He was opposed to Maven, but she wasn't planning to clean up Riften. "So, anything else?"

Vignar shook his head. "That just leaves the thief." Vignar paused to drink a few gulps of wine. "She calls herself Karliah."