Gulum was right – it was easy and the place was hardly worth robbing.
The room was as small as the storage room they had their secret meeting in before – it was inside one of the watchtowers on the battlements. The access there was simple and nobody was around when Bishop timed it around the patrols right. It was all too simple to get inside and avoid the few traps there – they were hardly very sophisticated. The place had a really basic security.
And it was no wonder. Nothing of interest was there. But there were so many papers. It took him forever to locate the actual list.
He had to be careful. He meticulously put everything back just the way it was while he sifted through tons of parchments and small books. Eventually though, he found it. At least he was pretty sure of it.
The list contained several names from each city controlled by the Empire, and some from villages too. Bishop quickly copied the names on his own piece of parchment before he put the original exactly where it was – hidden on one of the many bookshelves in between two books.
But just as he was about to leave the place, something caught his eye.
There was a glint of something shiny on the floor, between some chest and a crate. While he had what he needed, curiosity got the better of him and he crouched down to investigate.
It was a necklace, golden and decorated with what had to be two actual diamonds. It looked really expensive. And it clearly had no business being there tossed on the floor like that.
It must have fallen off someone's neck or something, or from someone's pocket. It was lost there.
Nobody would know if he took it.
He was a little conflicted – he was not supposed to leave any trace whatsoever, but… he would be an idiot if he didn't take this, right? It even had some dust on it. Clearly nobody knew that it was there.
He stashed the necklace into his belt pouch. Gulum would give him a good price for it. And he couldn't risk selling this in any other place.
And it did feel pretty good to actually get something valuable from the heist. Aside from doing some good maybe, for those Talos worshippers or whatever.
He was more excited about that necklace.
…
Casavir rested his arms on the wall of the battlements and breathed in the fresh morning air.
It would be dawn soon. A new day.
It was probably for the best. He could not sleep the entire night. When it became obvious in the early morning hours that he wouldn't get any rest, no matter how hard he tried, he decided to get some fresh air instead.
He couldn't get what had happened that day out of his head. He couldn't get Aeyrin's expression out of his head. That utter disdain and disappointment.
But what choice did he have?
He had never expected Bishop to believe him. That day when they met, when Casavir killed that dragon that was attacking him, it was not a good day. Travelling with his fellow paladins was no longer one of his favorite duties. It had become uncomfortable and tense. He could feel it in each of them. And he was so tired of it. He was so tired of paying for someone else's crimes for the greater good.
When Bishop spewed those same accusations at him, it became too much. All this lying, it was too much. Casavir couldn't have chosen a worse person to tell the truth to, but at that moment, he could not control himself anymore. The heat of the battle, the strain of the day, the culminating anger that only spilled over when he was confronted with that wretched man, it was too much. He could not stop himself.
But he would have never expected Bishop to think that his words were genuine. And least of all, he would have never expected him to tell lady Aeyrin. Why would he? Didn't he want Casavir to appear guilty? It must have been so satisfying to him to see her despise Casavir so much. Why would he ever try to change that?
Did he actually know something? Did he do this just because he knew that Casavir could never tell her the truth? Did he do this just to make all the pain and humiliation fresh again?
Casavir did not really know who was in on this… conspiracy. He had learned too little, yet he had learned too much. He knew that Azshan was helping a group of nobles manipulate public perception in some manner, but he knew not for what reason, or what goal. What he had learned was just enough to make him a target and to make them want to curb him as much as they could.
And they were succeeding.
He could do nothing. He had lost everything the minute he stopped pursuing the case of Aeyrin's poisoning, when he didn't expose the culprit. The blame fell on him, and he could do nothing but accept it. If he had fought, things would have gotten much worse for everyone. The chapter of the Order here could have been dissolved, everyone stripped of their functions and that was just what the Prelate would do. Who knew what the city authorities would do? Or whether Tullius wouldn't only see opportunity in his ruthless war and with the name of the Order besmirched, started to use them as personal mercenaries? For now, he kept his distance and never used Casavir's men for anything that might be morally… reproachful. But if he knew that they were no strangers to such dealings, he would not hesitate. And Casavir knew that some of his brethren would not hesitate to jump at the chance either.
His back was to the wall. If he wanted to protect the men and women under his care, he had to throw himself to the wolves.
He had accepted that before. But he had no idea what it would entail.
He knew how fast rumors spread around Solitude, but he had never expected this to come to pass. He became a pariah. Useless. The people whispered with contempt whenever he passed and once he attended the court, he instantly realized what a mistake it was. They all despised him, they didn't listen to him. The only people listening to him were the paladins, with significant reluctance. And not always. It was only because he wasn't stripped of his rank yet.
He tried to navigate the situation as best as he could. There were still a few people, very few, whom he trusted and who trusted him in turn. He needed someone in his stead who would attend court and represent the contingent. Who would give out orders without the fear of being disobeyed. He needed someone to speak for him, to be his face for the public.
He began relying heavily on Sir Taarnya again, just like always, but… that didn't seem to escape Azshan's notice. The Redguard used his leverage almost instantly, demanding that he be the one to appear at the court, to represent the Order in the public like Casavir was supposed to.
There was no way to fight him on this. Casavir had no evidence against him and no evidence of this conspiracy. And nobody would believe his words now.
It was why it was still so baffling that Bishop believed him.
But whatever the reason, it didn't matter now. Bishop had made sure that Casavir was yet again humiliated and forced to tell lady Aeyrin that he was the one to cause her harm. It was the only safe thing he could do. He couldn't risk telling anyone the truth, not when he didn't really know who was involved in this.
This was his life now. All he could do was to try and get as many snippets of information as he could to make his case. And to do as much good in the world as he would be allowed.
It didn't feel like much lately.
With a forlorn sigh, Casavir walked the battlements in the faint glow of the first morning light. He used to quite enjoy the battlements before. They were peaceful and stable. But now… all he saw was the city below. The city that had disowned him based on hearsay.
If he were a better man, perhaps he wouldn't feel bitter about that. But he hasn't felt like that man lately. Or maybe ever. His old Master at the Temple of One told him once that virtue and righteousness would always hold a measure of struggle. But that would pale when faced with the satisfaction and contentment that would follow. That didn't seem like the case lately. There was only the struggle.
If only he had more opportunity to do something that would make him feel like it was supposed to again. To do some good in the world.
He walked around another bend, past a watchtower where nobody held watch. There weren't enough guards in Solitude anymore to man all the towers. The war took so many.
But just as a whole other mess of dark thoughts threatened to capture Casavir's attention, he noticed something. There was someone by the next watchtower, by the Thalmor bureau.
At this hour?
Suspicious.
Casavir quickened his strides instantly to get past all the obstructing walls and to reach the person while they were still there.
And just as he neared, he noticed who it actually was.
Bishop. Here. Alone. By the Thalmor bureau.
That was now more than suspicious.
Bishop had just turned away from the tower, as if he was leaving, and he noticed Casavir instantly. It may have been the paladin's imagination, but he seemed to tense up a bit. Again, suspicious.
Bishop didn't break into a run or do anything to escape the approaching paladin though. That would give him away instantly – it would definitely mean that he was up to no good.
Then again, when was he ever up to any good?
He did start walking towards the stairs leading down into the city, but he didn't rush to avoid Casavir. And in a few seconds, they met half-way.
"What are you doing here?" Casavir didn't hesitate before he questioned him with a stern voice.
"The fuck's it to you tin-head? Shouldn't you be crawling through the sewers instead or something?" Bishop smirked at him maliciously. He didn't seem really fazed to be caught here, but that façade could not be trusted. Casavir knew that he was all too familiar with duplicitousness.
"Do not concern yourself with where I should be," Casavir sneered. It was expected from someone like Bishop to mock the desperate state of his social status.
"Likewise," Bishop rolled his eyes. "Now out of my way."
"Not until you explain to me what you are doing here," Casavir insisted. That scum was doing something he shouldn't be. Casavir just knew it.
"Again: the fuck's it to you? Walking. Couldn't sleep. None of your fucking business," Bishop seemed to be running out of patience already.
"Walking by the Thalmor bureau?" Casavir scoffed. First, there were all those suspicions about the commotion at the embassy a year ago when lady Aeyrin had attended the gathering and then came to ask Casavir for help, dragging Bishop covered in magical burns, and now this. It was very concerning. But Casavir had no idea what could have happened. There were no reports of violence or thefts at the embassy back then, only some rumors of staff insubordination during the eve. And there was not really much that couldn't be available to the public in the Thalmor bureau. Strange.
"The what?" Bishop gave him a confused and impatient look, upon which Casavir pointed right at the tower where Bishop was just a few minutes ago. "A watchtower?" Bishop scoffed.
"It is not just a watchtower, it's…" Casavir started to explain in frustration, but what was the point? Bishop would only play ignorant anyway. "Where is lady Aeyrin?" He had to question him more in case Bishop slipped up on some detail.
"Asleep. Pretty tired after last night," Bishop gave him an insolent grin which left no questions about the meaning behind his words. It only elicited a contemptful growl from Casavir. "Some of us don't have to poison people to keep them in bed."
Casavir knew that Bishop was saying these things only to rattle him. There was nothing to gain from acknowledging them.
"Why are you in your armor when you're just… 'walking'?" Casavir scowled, running his narrowed eyes over the fully equipped man in front of him. A lot of people wore their armor on an every-day basis, but he knew that both lady Aeyrin and Bishop disposed of theirs whenever they were in a city. Or at least in Solitude, but it stood to reason that it was the case anywhere.
"It's cold," Bishop shrugged.
'Cold'?!
For a brief second, Bishop looked like he had just realized how strange of a statement it was from a Nord, especially on a somewhat temperate morning, but he didn't seem all that bothered by it. Casavir gave him a very knowing and suspicious stare, but Bishop didn't even flinch.
"Out of my way already, horker-brain. Your mug's really ruining all that 'peaceful morning' shit for me, you know." Bishop scowled again and when Casavir didn't say anything more, he swiftly moved past him and towards the stairs.
Strange.
Bishop was acting on the defensive. There were no threats, which is what Casavir had fully expected after what happened in the storage room. There were no hateful words spoken towards everything that had transpired. Bishop deflected to his insults and sarcasm as he often did when he was being questioned. Casavir was sure that it spoke of his guilt.
Casavir leaned on the low wall again and stared at the city below. He watched as Bishop rushed away from the stairs a bit briskly, but his pace got more leisurely again once he was back on the streets, walking by the local shops and stalls. Nothing was open yet, it was too early, and the streets were empty and silent. Casavir couldn't help but wonder about what had just transpired. He kept pondering on whether to notify the Thalmor of this.
Would anyone even believe his suspicions anymore?
And if there was a theft, the Thalmor would report it, wouldn't they? Then Casavir would know instantly who was to blame. It would be easy to catch him then.
It was still strange though – there was nothing of value at the bureau.
Perhaps that scum expected to find something, perhaps he figured that Thalmor always hid some riches or at least secrets somewhere. He would come up empty in that case.
A second later, Casavir perked up. Bishop stopped by one of the stores on the street with his attention completely captured. He moved towards the display window, staring inside.
It was a jewelry store.
Casavir waited with bated breath. He was sure of it now – Bishop came up empty at the bureau so he looked for a new target for his petty crimes. Once a criminal, always a criminal.
Bishop was still staring into the display window. He must have been planning on how to get inside, or perhaps on which items to steal first. Casavir was sure that any second he would see him crouch down by the door and pull out his lockpicks.
But he didn't.
Instead he turned on his heel and headed back in the direction of the Winking Skeever.
But it didn't escape Casavir's notice – those few brief glances that Bishop snuck back towards that jewelry store. He was planning something. It was certain now.
That scum would not get away with this!
Bishop had asked him why he didn't kill him during their last encounter. Casavir could still remember that overwhelming temptation. He would have done the whole world a favor. Even if that scum had never hurt Elisie, contrary to what Casavir believed before, he had hurt countless others in gruesome ways and he was sure to hurt lady Aeyrin as well.
But Casavir couldn't let himself think like that. It was not right. It was not just. Not without evidence, not without certainty. All he knew of Bishop's crimes was who he had worked for. Being in Thorn's gang spoke for itself, but… there were good people trapped there too. Like Elisie. And while Jules had made it somewhat clear that his brother was the one doing the 'dirty work', Casavir could not simply slay a man for suspicions and hearsay. As much as he knew those things to be true, it wasn't just.
But men like Bishop never changed – he would slip up sooner or later. And when he did, Casavir was going to make sure that he got the justice that he deserved.
And now it looked like he had that chance.
It was something to concentrate on while Bishop and lady Aeyrin were visiting the city. It was a good cause and it… helped him feel more… useful. Ever since Azshan started pulling the strings and blackmailing him, he felt like he was not bringing any good into the world anymore. He was still trying to investigate these people that threatened the Order and Divines-knew who else, but it was very difficult with the position that he was in now. He had no influence anymore, no one to trust. Queen Elisif wouldn't even speak to him anymore.
He needed to do something good. He needed to feel like he helped someone, protected someone.
There were surely bigger threats in the city than some thievery, but he was no longer entrusted with those.
This would have to do.
And if it helped bring a wicked man to justice and spare a good woman inevitable pain and heartache, all the better.
It was his chance to do some good.
Casavir noticed one of the guards walking the battlements in the distance and he rushed towards the woman as fast as he could. When he reached her, he ignored her dubious expression and pointed towards the Winking Skeever instantly.
"You see… that man," he still had to catch his breath a little. "That man entering the inn?"
"Yes," the woman nodded with a confused look on her face.
"Make sure to watch the jewelry store today, and if that man comes anywhere near it, send someone for me," Casavir gave her a stern look. It was an order – that much was clear. As fragile as his authority was now, the rank and file from the guard forces still did not dare disobey him at least.
He was going to help the innocent of the city whether people respected him or not.
It was still his duty.
…
Bishop started to quickly undo his armor when he got back into the room at the Skeever.
Aeyrin was still asleep, still curled in the same position and huddled in the blankets. He was gone for quite a while, but it was still very early in the morning. He was glad that she didn't wake up and start looking for him. Searching that place took longer than he had anticipated, otherwise he would have at least left a note for her. After all, the point was to prevent worrying her needlessly, not make it worse by disappearing with no explanation.
But fortunately, there was nothing to worry about in that regard. There was nothing to worry about at all.
Things went smoothly. Even if he ran into that annoying tin-head, it was not as if the man knew anything. He clearly didn't see Bishop exit the bureau and he clearly had nothing but his vague suspicions to assault him with. And with how 'beloved' he was in the city now, nobody would take those suspicions seriously. Especially when it came to Bishop. Casavir had already falsely accused him once, no one in their right mind would believe him now.
Besides, he had nothing to accuse him of.
When Bishop returned to the Skeever, Gulum was fortunately still there, drinking at the inn. Bishop managed to sell him the necklace right away and for quite an astounding sum. It was almost eight hundred drakes. He would have been more astounded by having that much money for practically nothing, but it wouldn't last long.
He already knew what he would spend it on.
What was the point in resisting anyway? He always ended up thinking about this shit lately. Why deny it?
It was something he wanted to do, clearly.
And now he could.
He just couldn't tell Aeyrin about the necklace and the money – it would have been suspicious if he went broke all too quickly and he wasn't even sure how to go about all of this yet. He had to think about it properly, find the right moment or the right thing to say.
Fuck, he was getting disturbingly nervous already.
Why? There was no reason to, right? This was gonna be a good thing.
He disposed of his armor quickly and yanked his clothes from himself as well. He had already stashed the fat coin pouch into his pack, but he took the copied list of names into his hand before he scuttled into the bed again.
He slipped under the blankets and huddled himself to Aeyrin again, into the same position that he had left before. He placed the paper on the nightstand for now as he began to slowly kiss Aeyrin's exposed shoulder and run his hand over her stomach.
When his kisses moved towards her neck, he finally felt her shift and stir. He pressed himself more firmly to her, pulling her close and nestling her curled form into his embrace while his tongue ran over the edge of her ear teasingly.
This time, she shuddered and let out a slow moan. Her eyes didn't open, but it was clear that she was awake. And a few seconds later, when he continued to tease her with light touches, she spoke in a very groggy voice. "Hmm… Bish." Her tone was quite pleading, though it was hard to say whether she wanted him to let her sleep or whether she wanted him to continue. Maybe she herself wasn't even sure.
"Morning, love," he murmured into her ear, sending hot air against her sensitive skin and making her shudder again.
"Too early, Bish," she buried her face into the crook of his arm and groaned a bit. He didn't stop planting lazy kisses on her neck and shoulder though and his hand still continued pressing them closer together.
"I know. We'll sleep more in a bit," his lips quirked into a smile against her skin. "I just thought you might want to see this." He stretched out his hand a bit and grabbed the paper once more. He waited for Aeyrin to react, but it became clear in a second that her eyes were still closed, so he fanned the paper a bit to make some subtle noise with it.
Aeyrin's eyes fluttered open at the sound and she tried to make sense of what she was seeing for a while at first. And then her eyes widened and she instantly shot up in the bed into a sitting position while she grabbed the paper from Bishop's hand in the same motion.
"This is… you got it?" she gasped incredulously. "You went there?"
"Yeah, just now," Bishop smiled at her while he remained resting on the bed. He couldn't resist reaching with his hand though to stroke over her bare back while she sat there.
"What? Why didn't you wake me?" she pouted a little.
"It took a while to sift through all that crap in there. I didn't want you to lose sleep here and worry the whole time," he smiled at her reassuringly. He seemed very calm and content. It calmed her down too. If anything went wrong, this discussion would go a lot differently. And… it was quite sweet that he was concerned over her losing sleep like that. She definitely would.
"So… everything is good? Nobody…" she bit her lip nervously. His composure was reassuring but she still had to ask.
"Nobody saw me, sweetness. Nobody was there, I didn't leave a trace, the traps are intact, I locked the door behind me and this is a copy, not the actual list," Bishop nodded at her.
Good. That was good.
"I did run into that fucking tin-head on the way back though," he grumbled in annoyance. That had definitely soured the smooth mission and nice morning.
"What? Does he know?" Aeyrin started to predictably panic again. The Order was too close to the Thalmor. This was not good.
"Relax, love. He didn't see me come out. He just saw me at the battlements. He clearly knew nothing and whatever shit he could concoct in his head to frame me for something, no one would believe him now," Bishop chuckled a little meanly. It was certainly vindicating how despised the man was in the city. Especially after that all happened along with Bishop's name being cleared. It was perfectly ironic, and also perfectly fitting. Casavir had always thought himself to be some paragon of morality, pretended to be one. At least now everyone knew him for what he was.
A measly scumbag full of pettiness and jealousy, just like everyone else. Worse than everyone else, because he still pretended to be better, he still tried to spew the lies when it suited him.
Pathetic.
"I promise. Everything is fine." Bishop's hand snuck around Aeyrin's waist and he pulled her back to lie down into his arms. She did, and while the slight hint of frown was still palpable on her face at first, it soon eased into a content expression. She placed the list on the nightstand again and turned to her side, curling herself along his body and seeking comfort and warmth in his embrace.
Fuck, how he loved her.
He knew that he was going to do a good thing for the two of them. Why would he ever fight that?
…
Bishop took a deep breath after he was done pacing in front of the shop for a while and finally grabbed a hold of the door handle.
This was fucking ridiculous, why was he so nervous about this?
It was past noon already and he found himself with an opportunity to slip away from the inn without Aeyrin questioning him. She was currently bathing and washing their armors properly, so that would definitely take some time. It gave him a chance to return here – to the jewelry store that, for some inexplicable reason, caught his attention on his way back from the bureau.
He had been thinking about this for a while. For quite a long while, in fact. He remembered the first time the thought had occurred to him – back in Riften before Aeyrin's birthday, shortly after they finally got back together again. It was quite a disturbing thought back then, he was worried that it was some sort of subconscious attempt to keep her to himself forever.
But that was kind of stupid. If she ever wanted to leave him, it was not like a few words and a ring could stop her.
So the most unnerving thing about this so far was… why did he want this? What was the point? Their relationship wouldn't change, he was no longer uncertain whether Aeyrin wanted to be with him for as long as it was possible. He knew that she did. He wanted the same. And if that ever changed, there was nothing that either of them could do about it. They didn't need some stupid ceremonies and promises that no one in their right mind would ever consider binding at all cost. Everyone just had to roll with the punches that life threw at them.
So why did he want this?
He was pretty sure that Aeyrin would be excited by it. She loved celebrations and stuff like that, especially with their close friends and not just a random group of nobles like at the ball. It was something good to look forward to in the midst of all the danger and chaos in their life. And… he wanted to make sure that she knew just how serious he was about her. She must have known by now, but he knew her too well. They weren't very different in that regard – gnawing lingering insecurities were hard to get rid of for good.
Yeah, this was a good idea. And he could still think about it, it was not as if it needed to happen now.
He could just buy the ring and then wait for the right time, or the right place or whatever. Small steps.
Bishop entered the jewelry store and the man behind the counter perked up instantly. Usually, when Bishop came into an expensive shop, he was met with some measure of suspicion. It was annoying, but understandable. He certainly didn't dress like some rich fop that would spend fortunes on jewelry or some other shit, just on a whim. But this time, the man didn't seem fazed at all. He gave Bishop a bright smile and waited patiently to be addressed.
Bishop didn't talk to the man yet. Instead, he began circling the store, looking at the merchandise displayed there under thick secure glass. All the displays were clearly locked. And he wasn't even sure why he paid attention to that – he wasn't there to steal anything. It may have been a habit.
He looked at all the necklaces, bracelets, brooches and earrings plastered around the store. Most of them were very elaborate, probably extremely expensive, and encrusted with countless gems. Not only could he not afford shit like that, but it was too gaudy. Aeyrin didn't like stuff like that. It almost looked like something that a person like that captain Jack would wear, just to look rich. Although, obviously, these pieces were made from real gold and gems. Fortunately though, there were some simpler pieces in the store, it wasn't all bad. He was sure that he could pick something nice here.
"Looking for anything specific, sir?" the jeweler interrupted Bishop in his silent examinations of the place. It appeared that he was getting impatient for a sale already.
"I need a ring," Bishop mumbled almost too quietly while he shuffled towards the man's counter, but the store was too quiet for the jeweler not to hear.
"Ah, of course, sir. A ring for a lady, I assume?" The man gave Bishop an encouraging smile, but before Bishop could as much as nod, a loud sound interrupted them.
The door swung open with much more force than necessary.
…
Casavir stormed the store as quickly as he could. Hopefully he wasn't too late.
A message came into his office earlier, saying that 'the man' had been loitering around the store for a while with clear intent to go inside. But he seemed to be hesitating – likely going over his plan or something.
Well, not on Casavir's watch. He was going to make sure to stop this robbery, no matter what.
When Casavir entered, Bishop was standing by the counter and talking to the jeweler. When the noise disturbed him, his head snapped back instantly and there was an expression of pure horror on his face. That was all too telling. He looked like the last thing he had expected was someone walking in on him. Innocent people didn't get nearly as panicked.
Not to mention, the jeweler looked just as panicked and uncomfortable. Was he being threatened already?
"Sir, are you alright?" Casavir quickly shot the jeweler a meaningful look. He needed to know that there was nothing to worry about, that Casavir would not let him get hurt in case things turned wrong here.
"Y-yes...?" the man stammered. He didn't sound so sure.
"The fuck?! Are you fucking following me?!" Bishop spat at Casavir instantly. His shock had waned somewhat and now he looked extremely enraged. Much like all the other times when he was just seconds away from attacking Casavir again. The paladin was ready for it, of course. And Bishop wasn't even armed or armored this time, but Casavir was sure that he had a knife at least, even though he didn't notice right away among all the pouches on the man's belt.
"I saw you before, 'casing' this place," Casavir gritted his teeth. "You keep walking around the shop, looking inside through the windows like the most obvious burglar ever. Of course I had you watched!"
Bishop looked completely caught off guard by that, as if he hadn't even realized how conspicuous he was being until now. Good. Casavir always knew that one day this scum would slip up. And now he was caught in his schemes at last. Casavir just needed to get a witness report from the jeweler and Bishop could finally be dealt with legally.
"B-burglar?" the jeweler gasped in horror. Did he not realize? Perhaps Bishop's theft attempts were a bit more subtle than Casavir had expected from a bandit. No matter though, the jeweler would soon realize that his merchandise was missing. "N-no, you don't understand. I don't think that the sir here was 'casing' anything," he let out a weak knowing chuckle.
"Sir, please step away, I would not wish to have you harmed. I am certain that you will find some of your pieces missing…" Casavir began to explain before Bishop interrupted him with an angry growl.
"The fuck?! Nothing's missing, you fucking shit!"
"Gentlemen, please calm yourselves. There is no need for this commotion," the jeweler smiled weakly again. "Sir, please, I will go get the…"
"No!" Now Bishop interrupted the jeweler with a vehement shake of his head. What was that about? "Just forget it. I don't need to… just forget it. I'm leaving."
"Sir, wait, please!" the jeweler called out to him, for some reason. He must have still been confused. Bishop probably came to the shop under the pretenses of being a regular customer while he stole some pieces covertly. Why else would he be watching that place like that, why else would he be pacing in front of the shop and hesitating to go inside? And if he were a regular customer, he would have no qualms about shoving that fact into Casavir's face right now to spite him. He would be more than smug about it. Now he just looked rattled, panicked and angry at the same time.
"No, just forget I was here, never mind," Bishop gritted his teeth and stepped towards the door. But that was not going to happen.
"You are going nowhere! Not until I make sure that there has been no robbery here," Casavir scowled at him sternly. He would not get away with this.
"There was no robbery here!" the jeweler suddenly exclaimed. Now he looked angry. "You have no right to do this, I did not report anything. Who do you think you are, harassing my customers?!"
"Sir, if you just check…" Casavir took a few steps towards the counter, but the second he moved away from the door to do so, Bishop bolted forth. He was out of the store in record time without another word.
No matter. He could not run away now. He had been caught and once the jeweler confirmed that something was missing, he would be arrested regardless.
"How dare you?" the jeweler spat at Casavir furiously.
"Sir, please, calm yourself. That man is a known criminal and…" Casavir raised his hands in a soothing motion, but all he got was another sneer in return.
"I know who that man is. I know who you are!"
Casavir felt cold enveloping his spine at those words. The rumors again, they were catching up to him. Was he not able to do any part of his job anymore? Was he not even able to prevent some meager theft, just because of gossip and hearsay?
"Sir, if you just look at your merchandise," Casavir tried again, but the jeweler's frown never wavered.
"Nothing is missing. I have watched the man the whole time he was here. He was a customer. Nothing is missing," the man stomped away from his counter and began walking around the shop on brisk feet and pointing to his display cabinets. "See? The ruby collection, all here. The golden amethyst, here. Here, here, here. Everything is here."
Casavir stood there with horror in his eyes. He may have been too early. Or… he may have actually miscalculated.
Did he just see what he wanted to see? Did he just see Bishop as an easy target to make himself feel better, to do some good to make up for everything that he couldn't actually do for the people now? Maybe he had really just prevented a robbery, even if the man didn't see it. Or maybe… he just let his emotions get the better of him – his anger over the past, as well as his… feeling of uselessness lately.
He needed a win. He needed to do something that made him feel like he was supposed to feel again. Like a paladin. He felt like his calling had been corrupted by all the schemes and lies that Azshan and his cohorts made him participate in. He wanted nothing more than to make it feel as it used to. He thought himself sometimes jaded before… he apparently had no idea yet what that word meant.
This may have been a mistake. Time would tell, perhaps in a few days, a robbery would be reported. Then he would know for certain. But as it stood now, he was in the wrong.
He could only hope that this didn't turn into another piece of gossip.
He just wanted to do some good.