I held my breath as I waited at the end of the dirt road that left up to the Riften gates. The scent of rotting fish had filled my nostrils to the point I could still smell it even though I was outside the city. Cool wind picked up and chilled the fine sheen of sweat on my brow. The darkness was profound and the silence defening. Though my ears strained I heard nothing but the heavy breathing of the three black steeds whose thin leather reigns I held securely in my palms. I tried to calm my quickened heart beat thinking how foolish it was for me to be afraid. This is your plan Kate, calm your shit, I berated myself mentally. Still, my mouth was dry and my palms tingled. Without warning Ri'Akari, Mjoll, and Brand-Shei strutted out of the darkness looking all in the world like they hadn't just commited a cime. Mjoll and Brand-Shei mounted their horses quickly but Ri"Akari paused and gripped my upper arm firmly in her hand. I flashed her my best smile and tried to be as ligh as I could.
"Hey, do you think I can call you Kari? Ri'Akari just seems like a mouth." I chucked nervously and my smile faltered slightly under her intense stare. Her grip tightened so much that it was painful.
"I will come back for you. I. Will. Come. Back." She said this with such reasurrence and determination that there was no room for doubt. I layed my hand on top of hers and gave a gentle squeeze.
" I know," I said and forced her hand from my arm. She climbed on her horse and raced off into the night with Mjoll and Brand-Shei in tow. It was a three days ride to the boat that would take Brand-Shei to Morrowind, and three days back. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly I made my way back inside Riften to hold up my end of the plan. Passing the gaurds at the gate that worked for Brynjolf, I gave them a playful wink full of false confidence. Once inside I strolled right up to Maul who gave me teeth baring grin full malice and hatred.
"How about you buy me a drink? You're pretty easy on the eyes when you're not glaring at me." I said with as much fasle confidence as I could muster.
"Me? Buy you a drink? I'd sooner have drinks with a troll." He laughed loudly and all but turned his back to me. A man like Maul never takes his eyes off his enemy though, and I knew this.
"Suit yourself but I'll be in the Inn if you change your mind." With another playful wink tossed around I walked to my intended destination. I was about to slip into the door when I caught sight of a woman talking animatedly to Maul using angry hand gestures as she spoke. She was no doubt telling Maul of brand-Shei's daring escape and of who had something to do with it. He flicked his eyes in my direction and I saunted inside and right up to the Innkeeper. A bag of gold was produced from he lining of my pants that once held my daggers before I gave them to Kari to hold onto. I dropped the gold in her hand and she gave me a bottle of he strongest mead she had which happened to already be opened and filled with herbs that was going to keep me pain free and only as conscious as neccisary for the next few days. Sitting down at a table that faced both doors I settled in to wait and began drinking from my bottle in earnest.
I didn't have to wait long before Maul came in one door and a woman I ecognized as Sapphire came through the other. Maul came right up to my table and sat down across from me while Sapphire sat right at the bar and began drinking from a mug. The man in front of me wore no armor from the chest up which was mildly horrifying in my drunken state. You'd think he'd be more intimidating with his armor but he wasn't. At first glance he was all bulgding intimidating muscles with hands that could kill let alone with the massive sword he removed from his waist and leaned against the table. He truly was a fearsom sight to behold from the surface but I never looked at the surface of anything.
Maul was a battered and broken man. Scars littered his arms and hands while dancing across his chest. Many of the were old layered with newer ones and even fresh wounds that couldn't be more than a day or two old. The deep lines of his face were etched with wary anger that was subtly and almost softly shadowed with deep set saddness. All of this was evidence of battles he had lost and won; battles that had broken him down and built him back up again into a new and more hardend man each time. We stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity. I finished off my bottle and he crossed his arms over his chest; confused and angry. I shook my head at him and he opened his mouth to say something, brows furrowed and chest puffed out. My hand raised of its own accord to stop him.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, my eyes one again glancing over his battered from. "I'm just sorry." Whether or not he knew what I was apologizing for, I couldn't tell. He simply grunted at me and moved to stand. I did the same but swayed lightly on my feet. The room spun as my knees buckled and I slammed into something solid and warm. Whatever it was, it was walking me out the door and into cold Riften air. I heard a deep rumble so soft I couldn't tell what the words were before the world left me and my eyes slipped shut.
It felt like I was floating and I dreaming of nothingness. At odd moments I become aware of disjointing sensations and sounds. I'd open my eyes to see Sapphire removing my leather top, or to a man with too kind eyes and gentle hands binding my arms behind my back. I may have muttered his name "Rune..." and the expression he gave me after was heart breaking. I could have sworn Maul stood over his hands probing to check for life, muttering about drugged mead.
It was with abrupt sharpness thought that I knew exactly when the alchohol and herbs had herbs had worn off. The light in the room was piercing and painful to my eyes but I couldn't blink. My body shook to the point of convulsing as the cold and damp soaked through my skin and into my bones. Skin scraped against stone as I turned sluggishly to face a man sitting on a crate who was staring me down with hard eyes and clenched fists. Brynjolf came into view and with a growl his blade slashed across my chest without warning. The resounding scream that spilled forth from my lips and echoed off the walls caused the man to flinch and my lungs to burn.
Authors Note: Try listening to the songs before or while you read the chapter. It'll give you a little insight to help you see these characters as I see them.
Song: Icon For Hire - Up In Flames