Aeyrin peered at the building by the northern gates of Riften curiously.
"There's nothing different about it. I told you, it's basically a bunkhouse," Bishop laughed at her heartily.
"It looks… shabby. Are there performances being held there too?" she wrinkled her nose. She could not imagine anyone but a singing drunkard putting up a performance there.
"Hah! No. If you're not looking for a cheap bed, a cheap whore or… 'spying' I guess… there's really no need for you to go there," he smirked at her. He'd been inside only once. To threaten the proprietor, Haelga, for protection money. That was the kind of job that Mercer had the former bandits do while all his 'proper thieves' were sent on infiltrations and heists.
Aeyrin let out a disappointed sigh, but, after a while, her expression turned hopeful again. "Is there anything like the Imbel's House in Skyrim?"
"I feel like you're hung up on the performances. Does it have to be a brothel? I'm sure there's stuff like that happening at the Bards College," Bishop answered after some time of pondering. None of the brothels that he knew about were so fancy. In fact, most of them were just like Haelga's Bunkhouse. But who knew what kinds of establishments the high society had? He only knew the things from the circles that he used to run in. There was nothing fancy about those.
"I guess… but the shows at the brothel were so much more daring than anywhere else. It was fun to see the art without all the reservations," she shrugged before she noticed Bishop sly smirk. "Please don't start with all that 'repressed life at a temple stuff', it was art. You know… honoring Dibella."
"Of course, love. Whatever helps you sleep at night," he chuckled meanly. There was really no point in explaining the nuances of Dibellan worship to him – he was just saying that to rile her up anyway.
After seeing the disappointing brothel, they made their way across the canal towards the marketplace.
There was a lot to worry about while they were in Riften. The Guild could try something – at least those loyal to Mercer could. Aeyrin needed to stay in public areas the whole time and Bishop needed to at least stay hidden if he had to steal or spy on the workers. Luckily, Karliah gave him several invisibility potions for the mission. If he ever got in a bind, he could use one to escape too.
Furthermore, even though Maven forbade her people from trying to claim the bounty on Aeyrin, there was still a chance that some of the soldiers, the workers or even her family would decide that the money was worth defying her. Well… probably not her family – fifteen thousand septims was likely pocket money for them. But luckily, Bishop and Aeyrin were let inside the city instantly without any hassle and nobody seemed to be watching them too intently. It was a good sign.
Aeyrin also worried about Bishop's bounty after what she saw in Whiterun. Rumors spread through Skyrim like wildfire and he was still officially banished from the Rift too – how come nobody knew about it there? Didn't the word of the Thrice-Banished at Dragonborn's side reach them?
Bishop reassured her that there was nothing to worry about. The name Thrice-Banished was not exactly known outside of bandit circles. Only a few of the affected nobles remembered it. So, while the rumor about the Dragonborn harboring a bandit may have gotten around, nobody would know who he actually was and nobody would be able to link him to the old bounty. Those were over twenty years old and lost in some bureaucratic archives anyway. Even Balgruuf didn't have the actual bounty notice at hand and he likely didn't know about the other places that it applied to. He just remembered what was done to him and to some of the nobles in his city.
Besides, there were so many rumors about them going all over Skyrim, from all the corners – the Solitude crowd has apparently been obsessed with the rumors about Aeyrin and Casavir, Windhelm people were partly convinced that Aeyrin was merely pretending to be the Dragonborn, and who knew what other rumors were out there?
It was best to just forget about rumors, forget about the Guild and the bounties and walk through Riften with their heads held high. It was exhausting to be constantly intimidated out of cities – they were both fed up with it.
They reached the market and joined the crowds of people around the stalls. Brynjolf was there, selling his shoddy trinkets, and his eyes instantly widened when he saw them. They paid him no mind though as they approached Grelka's stall to replenish their supplies, in case something chased them out of the city. It was better to be prepared, just in case.
"You know… my birthday's coming up soon," Aeyrin smirked at Bishop. She mostly said it just to distract herself from Brynjolf's incessant stares, but when she thought about it, it might actually be a great opportunity for a little celebration. It would feel nice to concern themselves with something so unimportant for a change.
"Yeah… Hearthfire. I almost forgot summer's almost over," Bishop nodded idly, but he seemed to be pondering about something all the while.
"That's because it's cold anyway. I don't know how you even tell seasons apart here," Aeyrin scoffed. "But… I was thinking... maybe we could meet up with Saadia and Lydia like we talked about. Have a little celebration, somewhere in the wilderness."
"That sounds good," Bishop smiled before he draped his arm around her waist and squeezed her to himself as they walked idly around the market square to look at the other stalls, just in case something caught their eye before they started with their mission. He wondered if he should get her a gift or something. His family never really did that shit, but maybe the people at the temple would celebrate with her when she was there. It would be nice to have something like that for her here. And they should definitely have a more… private celebration first too, before Lydia and Saadia would meet them.
Someone cleared their throat pointedly all of the sudden, catching their attention.
They turned to see Brynjolf. His stall was all packed up and closed now and he was looking at them with creased brows.
"Why are you here? You know I'll have to report your presence," he scowled.
"Feel free," Bishop scoffed. "We're not here for Mercer's shit. And with his precious sponsor gone, he can't really do anything but twiddle his thumbs. We're here on our own business, so report whatever you like."
It was true… well… except for the part where he said that they weren't there for 'Mercer's shit'. But unless Mercer knew what they were up to, he couldn't do anything if they were smart about it – no guards on his side, no nobles plotting about helping their associate. He had nothing. Not even his precious Guild would be willing to see Bishop and Aeyrin get killed. That was why Brynjolf looked so worried.
"I fucking hope so, lad. If you're here to meddle, or to do something against Mercer, he won't care anymore. None of us will be able to protect you," Brynjolf sighed with regret.
"Good thing we don't need your protection," Bishop scoffed again, but Aeyrin quickly interjected.
"We… I appreciate what you're all doing, Brynjolf. That you don't stand for that… bounty. I know it would be easier to just go with Mercer on this," she nodded somberly.
"For a while, maybe," Brynjolf nodded at her. "Nothing would be easier for us if the dragons decimated our operations, but a lot of us don't care about that. Doesn't matter, lass, it is what it is now. I just hope you won't do anything to make shit worse while you're here," his scowl never disappeared from his face while he still studied them bitterly. It was a fair concern. He was so worried that things would deteriorate and that a violent confrontation would be inevitable. It was the exact same reason why Bishop's mutiny had been stomped down before it really started – to avoid the slaughter and torture.
"We're not here for any of it, Bryn. But we won't have him intimidating us out of this city. He doesn't get to call the shots when he's standing on his last legs," Bishop narrowed his eyes hatefully, but it wasn't directed at Brynjolf by any means.
"Whatever you say. Just… remember, do not provoke him. He is far from helpless, even now," Brynjolf answered somberly. He turned on his heel a second later and started walking towards Mistveil Keep, back to the cemetery.
"Do you think he'll do something?" Aeyrin gave Bishop a worried look, but he promptly waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.
"It'll be fine. He can't do shit to us from his sewer. Come on. Let's get to why we're here."
…
Their first task was to actually find the contractor and their workers, so that they can get to their plans and blueprints, or any other information that they can. This meant that they needed to talk to people who were actually rich enough to afford such security.
They made their way towards Mistveil Keep when Brynjolf was out of sight, set on approaching the Jarl. Bishop was determined to join Aeyrin at the court – it seemed much more suspicious to him if he didn't. And he was kind of curious whether the guards would give him strange looks because of the bounty. Now he knew that his paranoia at the Blue Palace was unwarranted before the bounty came, and even then, nobody but Elisif knew about it. He was pretty confident that those bounties were so long forgotten, that nobody there had ever seen them, let alone to be able to recognize him... unless they recognized the family resemblance.
When they entered, the guards merely gave them a brief look before they started to somewhat ignore them again.
That was a relief.
Bishop hung back a little while Aeyrin approached the woman reclining on the throne at the end of the hall. She was older and her face was rather stern. Her beige opulent dress was littered with pearls, but despite that, she didn't look very regal. In fact, she looked a little bored.
"Ah. Dragonborn," she nodded. "I have been wondering if you would ever venture into my city again." Her expression was almost taunting.
"Y-yes… well… it's a pleasure to finally meet you, my lady," Aeyrin gave her a weak smile. She almost bowed in front of her, although she wasn't really sure if one should bow before a jarl. She had never bowed before them, right? Although she wasn't sure. She couldn't really concentrate much through her trepidations.
"Lady Black-Briar spoke highly of you lately. She mentioned that you saved several of her caravans from dragons. Riften is… grateful for your assistance. We rely heavily on lady Black-Briar's trade," the Jarl said, although she uttered those words through gritted teeth, strangely enough. Maybe she wasn't exactly thrilled about her dependence on Maven.
"Thank you, my lady. I… I didn't know that some of the caravans were lady Black-Briar's. I meet a lot of them along the roads," Aeyrin shrugged. It was still supposed to be a 'coincidence' after all, according to the plan.
"What brings you before me?" the Jarl raised her brow.
"R-right… I was actually going to ask… if there was a chance of purchasing a property here in Riften? We travel through the Rift often and I was hoping to get a place to rest in between our journeys," she gave the Jarl a wry smile. It wasn't strange, right? She already owned a place in Whiterun and it was an understandable thing to want, even for a traveler.
"Really?" the Jarl raised her brow at her. She seemed a little peeved, but, in a moment, something flashed in her eyes – a strange excitement. "Well… that would certainly be possible. Actually… now that you mention it, there's even a place in my court for a thane. And you have certainly proven yourself, considering how you have helped lady Black-Briar. If you would be willing to accept the position, I would be more than happy to name you a Thane of the Rift. With that, of course, comes a property. At a reasonably discounted price," she smiled at her conspiratorially.
A thane? Really? That was… strange… just for a few caravans. But, then again, Jarl Balgruuf named her Thane for even fewer dragons slain. It still felt strange. Could she even be a thane in two Holds? Not that she actually had any responsibilities in Whiterun, but… still.
And did she say discounted? Balgruuf gave her a house for free! But… maybe that was instead of the reward for slaying the dragon.
It would possibly make Aeyrin's mission a little easier if she had some actual status in Riften. And there was really no harm in accepting, was there?
Karliah had given her enough funds to actually buy a smaller house – nobody would believe that she was trying to contract a security upgrade until she actually had the house. She had a couple of thousands from her, plus what was still left from the bounty on Thorn. Karliah said that it would likely be enough for something. She just hoped that the Jarl wouldn't ask her to buy a mansion.
"A-alright. I would be honored, my lady."
The Jarl seemed somewhat disinterested again as she nodded. "Very well. I hereby name you Thane of the Rift. There are a few houses available for purchase. Anuriel, please, take care of… everything." The Jarl inclined her head towards the Bosmer who had been sitting on the chair next to her throne. The elven woman rose from her seat promptly and ushered Aeyrin to follow her.
The Jarl was apparently done with the conversation. It all felt much less ceremonious than in Whiterun. Even though there wasn't actually a ceremony back then, at least Balgruuf had called in his whole court and made some impressive speech about 'protecting the Hold'. This woman seemed hardly interested. Why did she even want Aeyrin to be a thane? Was this so that she could tell people that the Dragonborn was an 'official protector' of her city? That was possible.
Still… it all felt a little… odd and rushed. Aeyrin got an uncomfortable feeling from all of this, but she was probably just being paranoid and unused to the regular proceedings. Maybe there was no need to make this a big deal. It was not as if the title meant that much to her anyway.
Hopefully it would just help her gain enough status to be able to approach the nobility here easily when she needed to find the contractor.
That was the important thing. Their mission. All the rest was just temporary anyway. Mercer would be gone soon and Karliah would take the house for herself.
…
The Jarl's steward, Anuriel, had offered Aeyrin three abandoned houses to choose from. She chose the cheapest one, of course, and it only cost her a little over three thousand gold. Now she had almost a thousand left from what Karliah had given her. She should probably return it… but… well… maybe it was a payment for this mission, right?
The house would take some time to furnish, but that was only the perfect opportunity to ask someone to upgrade the security. Aeyrin enquired with Anuriel about that and the woman promptly referred her to the Black-Briar family. It seemed like they were the ones who actually knew anyone worth knowing in Riften. And they probably owned all the workers too.
Aeyrin was directed into the Bee and Barb where Maven and her children often spent their lunch hours. She wasn't so sure about speaking to Maven directly – that woman intimidated her, even though she'd only ever met her briefly at Mercer's 'party'. But she was likely the best person to approach. And Aeyrin was currently in her good graces after all the caravans, so maybe that would play in her favor.
She entered the Bee and Barb while Bishop went back to browse the markets. He wasn't exactly eager to see Maven. Unlike Aeyrin, he had done nothing to gain her favor and before she withdrew her favor from Mercer, he had actually been kind of working against her. He was sure that Maven knew who he was ever since Mercer found out about their cooperation with Karliah. It was safer if he stayed away. Besides, Aeyrin would be much less suspicious on her own talking about this kind of shit. He would just look like a guard dog if he stayed. People didn't usually like that.
Aeyrin asked Keerava about the Black-Briars right away and, while Maven wasn't currently there, she was pointed towards a dark-haired man sitting alone by a table with a tankard of mead – one of Maven's sons. Keerava said that he had just gotten out of prison and Aeyrin had to wonder what a Black-Briar could have ever done to wind up in prison. She thought that they were all kind of… above the law. And he really didn't look like someone who had just gotten out of prison. He was dressed in a fancy frock, adorned with jewelry and very well-kempt.
She approached the man with trepidation, intent on getting his attention. She did not really have to work on that in any way – his eyes were on her instantly and he gave her a pleased grin.
"Dragonborn! What a pleasure," he stood up from his seat and reached out with his hand towards her. She was going to shake his hand, but instead, he turned her palm in his and placed a slight kiss at the back of it. He released her a second later as he sat back down. "Come, join me for a drink." She didn't even need to ask him for attention in any way. He didn't even know why she was in the tavern and he was eager to speak to her. Maybe she really did earn a lot of favor with the whole family.
She sat down by his table and the man promptly snapped his fingers at Keerava. Ugh… she was definitely going to have to drink that watered-down Black-Briar swill with him.
"Sibbi Black-Briar, pleased to meet you," he winked at her before he took a deep swig from his tankard.
"Aeyrin. Nice to meet you too," she smiled back. He repeated her name almost silently with a pleased smile before he spoke again.
"I have heard about what you did for our business. I thought it would be prudent to at least treat you to a nice drink," he smirked. "Besides, I'm in the mood to celebrate."
After prison? Who wouldn't be?
"I heard," she giggled a little, before she even realized what she had said. He might get upset about everyone talking about his imprisonment.
"Of course you have. Rumors, am I right?" he laughed. She got slightly uncomfortable at that. Was he also referring to some rumors about her? "My prison stay was a bit unpleasant, but certainly not as much as it is for someone of… lesser station. I enjoyed some… privileges during that, but, of course, nothing beats freedom," he grinned amicably.
"Why were you even…?" she asked the predictable question, still a bit nervous about this subject, but Sibbi promptly interrupted her.
"Mother dearest only wanted to teach me a lesson. I have displeased her with my behavior and this seemed like a fitting punishment to her," he scoffed.
That seemed to be the extent of his answer and Aeyrin did not dare to pry more. Perhaps it would be best to just get down to business.
Before she could broach the subject, Talen-Jei had placed a drink on her table, and, much to her surprise, it was not the dreaded Black-Briar mead. It was a tall lean glass with white liquid inside along with a layer of yellow liquid on top. There was also a small slice of apple lodged onto the rim of the glass.
She stared at the drink wide-eyed. She'd only ever seen something like that in the fancy inns in the Imperial City. She would have never expected to find a drink this nice anywhere in Skyrim.
"One of Talen-Jei's specials. He comes up with his own recipes for them. And, since I hear that you're from the Imperial province, I ventured a guess that you would appreciate this sort of thing," Sibbi chuckled.
Aeyrin wondered how Talen-Jei even knew to bring this. Usually, when people gestured to the barkeeper without a word, they just received mead. Maybe Sibbi had some signal system worked out with the Argonian.
She took a sip from the drink and her mouth was instantly filled with sweet taste. She couldn't even tell what the drink was made of, but it was divine.
That definitely took a bit of the sting out of the dragons and the caravans.
"I take it that the charming smile means that you like it?" Sibbi snickered at her.
"Y-yes. It's delicious. Thank you," she beamed at him. He was rather charming himself, for someone who had intimidated her so much just a few moments ago.
"Actually, I've been hoping to speak with you," she finally got to broach the subject.
"Really? Lucky me," Sibbi winked in response before he waited for her to continue.
"Well… with someone from your family, actually. Lady Anuriel has referred me to you. I have just purchased a house in the city and I was hoping to get some… better security for it. Some really good security, in fact. Lady Anuriel said to talk to you," Aeyrin smiled at him. She really hoped that he wouldn't start giving her scores of names. They needed to pinpoint the one group that had worked on Mercer's mansion.
"Jarl Law-Giver sold you a house in the city?" Sibbi's brows shot up in surprise and he seemed to be pondering something for quite some time. "Interesting… very interesting," he started to rub his hand over his chin.
What was so 'interesting' about that?
Aeyrin briefly wondered if the Jarl's name was actually 'Law-Giver' or if Sibbi just called her that as a joke. It may have been the latter.
"So… security. I suppose that this has something to do with the reputation of our fair city?" he chuckled at her.
"I… well… kind of. With the…" she bit her lower lip. She couldn't stop thinking about how just recently, this man would have likely been all too eager to concoct some scheme to have her killed for the bounty. Or maybe he wouldn't care. Maybe the Black-Briars really didn't care about the money. They were rich enough, surely.
"Thieves Guild. Yes. You can say that name," he smirked. "I am so glad that my mother has finally gotten some sense into her skull and abandoned her alliance with that lowlife. She has been quite irrational when I prompted her to do just that before, but, luckily, now she sees just what a tragic miscalculation it would be to go along with that silly bounty," Sibbi nodded somberly.
That was such a relief to hear. Aeyrin had been under the impression before that all of the Black-Briars would do anything for money, just like the Silver-Bloods, but that was clearly not the case.
"In any case, I certainly do have some people I could refer you to. I know about a small company of workers. They have done the most splendid job on securing one of the mansions in the city some time ago," he beamed.
Perfect!
Hopefully he was really talking about Mercer's house – likely before the alliance fell apart. There weren't that many mansions in Riften.
Sibbi reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small paper along with a tiny vial of ink and a quill. He quickly scribbled something on the parchment and handed it to her.
"Here. It's the contact to the contractor and the names of the workers. You may ask around – anyone will vouch for their competence." This was almost too easy. "Of course… I could speak to them. Get you a… sizable discount."
Hmm… a discount?
She wasn't actually planning on hiring the contractors. She wouldn't keep anything in that house that she wouldn't want to lose. And spending money on this was not exactly a great prospect. But… it would likely be really suspicious if she refused a discount. She still needed to act as if she genuinely wanted to hire these men.
There was surely no harm in accepting.
"You would?" she beamed at him.
"Of course. I just ask a little favor in return," Sibbi nodded.
Here we go…
"You travel all over Skyrim, and you meet so many people. I require someone of your… worldliness to solve a little problem of mine," Sibbi sighed with a strangely somber tone in his voice. "There is a woman. A woman I love deeply. But she is a commoner and my mother disapproves of our love. It is, in fact, why I have been imprisoned, to be taught my place," Sibbi spat angrily.
That was awful! Maven imprisoned her son because he fell in love?!
"My love has escaped Riften to get away from my mother's wrath. She told no one where she was going. I… need her found. I need to be with her, surely you understand," Sibbi looked at her pleadingly. "We would leave together, to get away from all these politics. I just need to find her."
That was so sweet. But… she could be anyone, anywhere. It was very unlikely that Aeyrin would have found her.
"Her name is Svidi, but she may have changed it. But she is a bardess and a barmaid and she, without a doubt, found employment somewhere else. That is why I hope that you would know her. She is a Nord, a beauty with light auburn hair and a lovely voice. She has these beautiful freckles all over her nose and cheeks and gorgeous blue eyes," Sibbi smiled as a longing look appeared on his face.
A bardess of that description? That actually sounded like Lynly from Ivarstead! And she had told Aeyrin before that she moved into Ivarstead only some time ago. It must have been her!
"I… I think I know her. She's in Ivarstead," Aeyrin pondered.
Sibbi's eyes went wide and he suddenly grabbed Aeyrin's hand with a wide grin. "You are my savior, my dear! That is excellent news!" He could barely contain his excitement. "Listen, would you be willing to come see her for me. I… I need to send a message to her. We need to meet somewhere so that we can be together at last. But… I'm afraid that Svidi would not agree to the meeting if she knew who she would see there. You see, my darling doesn't want me to leave my family. She worries that I would miss my life here, that I would miss them and that I would resent her. I would never! I need to explain this to her, but for that, I need her to actually meet me. Do not worry, I will make sure that she comes to the meeting in the message, but, please, do not tell her that it is from me. And… I don't want her to get frightened by the notion of the secret meeting. You are a veritable hero in Skyrim, you are very trustworthy. If I just sent it through courier, she might dismiss it, but I'm sure that you can convince her to come," Sibbi looked at Aeyrin pleadingly.
That was understandable. And it was rather surprising that he was willing to abandon his life of luxury for Lynly… or Svidi. But it was so heartwarming.
"Alright," she smiled at Sibbi. She could just make a quick trip to Ivarstead while Bishop took care of his part of the mission. It would be better than waiting for him until something turned up in his investigation. Now she had the names that they needed and it was all up to him.
"Excellent, my dear," Sibbi beamed at her. "I will make sure to talk to the contractors when you return. I'm sure that they will be most compliant."
…
Bishop was browsing the markets idly, looking over the stalls.
This was kind of the perfect time to get some gift for Aeyrin's birthday, while she was rubbing elbows with the Black-Briars. He was racking his brain about what to get her. She didn't really need much… he would rather give her an unforgettable evening. But he was planning to do that anyway.
He headed towards the Argonian's stall that had glittering jewelry displayed all over.
He could always buy her another trinket, although it would probably be a bit less meaningful than the ring she still had. She didn't wear jewelry much, even if she liked it. It was impractical in battle so he only ever thought of giving her something that actually had some meaning to it, not to adorn her with pointless baubles for no reason.
Although…
He stopped looking all around when his eyes fell on the small display of glittering rings. They were all silver or gold, adorned with gems of all colors and they looked really expensive.
Hmm…
He was getting strange ideas. They had barely gotten back together and he was already thinking…
He wasn't sure what had gotten into him all of the sudden when he looked at that display. It wasn't as if he was even thinking about marrying her. He had never thought about marrying anyone before. Although… it was not like he'd ever had anyone who could even come close to that kind of commitment with him.
Did this just occur to him because he wanted some reassurance that Aeyrin wouldn't leave him again? That was a disturbing thought. And it was not as if some ring would change anything if he fucked up enough to drive her away once more.
But… it did sound kind of… nice, for some reason. All those celebrations, after which she would introduce him everywhere as her husband, instead of her 'companion'. And he could even get back that cottage and…
Fuck, he needed to snap out of this strange mood. It was way too soon to be even thinking about anything like that. He should really just concentrate on not fucking things up again. This could actually be one such mistake. She might feel pressured and backed into a corner. She had never even expressed an interest in anything like that. And neither had he for that matter. What the fuck has gotten into him right now?
And what did it matter anyway? They didn't need some symbolic day to be together for good.
He was just being weirdly wistful because he had her by his side again.
He quickly turned on his heel and retreated from the stall.
He should just buy her some rare sweets from Marise or Brand-Shei. That was much better. Much safer.
It was the thought that counted, right?