Chapter 9: Plotting in the Bee and Barb

They reached Riften shortly before midnight, making very good time thanks to a horse that couldn't tire. Sten was left to collapse into ash in the undergrowth, just out of sight of the guards flanking the gates. Night time only made it even clearer to Serana how neglected the city walls were, covered in moss and green slime.

That the guards were corrupt didn't help with Serana's unfavourable impression of the Hold capital. They tried to demand two hundred gold as a visitor's tax before they would open the gates. That was not exactly the best thing to try with a grumpy Dragonborn wanting nothing more than a night's rest in a cosy inn rather than under canvas.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The gates burst open, the bar holding them shut snapped. The gates themselves had definitely seen better days now, hanging off their hinges, cracked and splintered.

The guards waved them through, stuttering apologies and cringing away from Sithia as she stormed past. Shocked inhabitants of Riften peered out of windows, some with eyes bleary with sleep, woken by the Dragonborn's Voice.

"One of these days they won't let you get away with that sort of thing," Serana murmured as they neared the inn. She immediately regretted speaking as it meant breathing in the stagnant reek of the canal below.

"That would require them to grow some backbone." Sithia sounded disappointed. Did she actually want to get into trouble? Knowing her, she probably did.

There were two good things about Riften: the Bee and Barb inn, and Black-Briar mead. Serana sipped from her tankard of the mead while she watched the courteous Argonian waiter attempt to persuade Sithia to try one of his speciality drinks as a nightcap. He finally admitted defeat and fetched a jug of milk for her.

Serana glanced up as the inn's doors opened. A short woman came in, bringing with her traces of a delicious scent. Not the woman herself – she was about as tasty as the average Breton. No, it was on her leather armour. Dragon blood. Not as good as Sithia's, sitting with her back to the newcomer, but close, despite being dry.

The Breton pushed her hood back, exposing long blonde hair. She looked around, hand on the hilt of a sword sheathed at her side. Her eyes narrowed as they fixed on Sithia. She stalked over, rounding the corner of the table until she saw Sithia's face, exposed so she could drink.

Sithia looked up at her and choked on her milk.

The Breton helpfully gave her a slap on the back. "Dragonborn. You're one hard woman to track down. If not for your Shouting I'd probably have missed you again." Her weary scowl matched Sithia's in ferocity.

Sithia groaned. Serana couldn't blame her – yet another person who called her by what she was. At least this one didn't seem to be in awe of her.

"Fuck off, Delphine!"

Delphine ignored her, grabbing her arm and holding on through Sithia's attempt to shrug her off. "Come with me. We need to talk. Privately."

"Let go!"

Serana looked around at the late night drinkers idly watching Sithia struggle. Serana could easily break Delphine's grip on her Dragonborn, but it might attract too much attention if she did. The moment Sithia was hurt and not just annoyed, though…

"Give me your word you'll follow me first," Delphine said, adjusting her grip again.

"Fuck you." Sithia glared up at her. "Fine, I'll come, but not alone."

Delphine glanced at Serana, lips pressed together and eyes narrowed. "I guess that's the best I'll get."

Delphine tossed the Argonian innkeeper a coin purse, and led the way upstairs and into the nearest empty room. She shut the door after them.

Delphine drew her sword, an unusual narrow blade, thinner and straighter than any Serana had seen before. "Now, Dragonborn, care to tell me what you're doing with a vampire?"

"No, I wouldn't. Put that away right now. I trust Serana, and that's all you need to know."

"I can believe her self control can be trusted. Not even you would be stupid enough to hang around a vampire who couldn't contain her bloodlust. But how do you know she's not a Thalmor agent?" Delphine pointed the sword at Serana, the tip a hand's breadth from her nose.

Sithia grabbed Delphine's wrist, forcing her to lower the blade. "She's not. Kind of hard to be considering she's been locked away for far longer than the Thalmor have been around."

"How can you be sure they didn't set that up?"

Sithia snorted. "Do you really think they'd have left an Elder Scroll with her?"

Delphine opened her mouth, closed it again and stared. "An Elder Scroll? Really? Not even I can imagine they would go that far."

Serana pulled the Scroll out of the knapsack for the second time that night.

"All right, I believe you." Delphine sheathed her sword. Her lips twitched and she chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Sithia grumbled.

"I saw a Moth Priest pass through a couple of days ago, heading north. Most likely for the College of Winterhold. He'd pull out his beard if he knew he'd missed this."

Serana exchanged a glance with Sithia. "Hopefully we'll catch up with him before my father's hunters do."

"You're looking for a Moth Priest?"

"None of your business," Sithia snapped.

Delphine crossed her arms. "All right then, what happened to meeting me in Riverwood? That's my business, and it should be yours too."

"I never agreed to meet you there. I told you, the Thalmor aren't behind this," Sithia mirrored Delphine's stance. "You saw that big black dragon at Kynesgrove, he's the one raising the others from the dead. If the Thalmor were controlling him, they'd have conquered Tamriel by now."

"And I told you we still had to investigate. If the Thalmor aren't behind it, then they'll know who is. Their spying network is second to none, unfortunately for the Blades."

Serana made a mental note to ask Sithia what the Blades were. Judging by the context not swords, and not things that did well in a fight against the Thalmor.

"Spying on man and mer is one thing. On that dragon?" Sithia laughed shortly. "I think not. The only thing I'm interested in doing to the Thalmor is killing them."

"Then you'll have the opportunity to do that if you go along with my plan."

Sithia sighed. "Fine, let's hear it."

"I need you to go to a party at the Thalmor Embassy and sneak away from it to find out what they know. You should clean up well enough to look the part, and your dragon blood makes people feel like they're in the presence of nobility even if you can't act ladylike to save your life."

"No."

"You'd have to restrain yourself from killing the top brass, I know, but the guards and interrogators would be fair game." Delphine raised her hands. The placatory gesture only made Sithia scowl more.

"It's not that I won't, it's that I can't! You're not the only one on the Thalmor kill list."

"A disguise—"

"Won't work. The Thalmor will have set up rune traps to catch their most wanted. I happen to be one of them, and being caught once in one of those traps was more than enough."

"Damn it. I can't go, you can't go, my informant at the embassy isn't cut out for this… I need to rethink this."

Serana raised a hand. "Send me."

Delphine frowned at her. "You think you've got what it takes?"

"I can blend in with the high and mighty if I have to; I was born into nobility. Royalty, if you believe my father, but he was never crowned as a king. As for sneaking away…" Serana reached for the shadows and spoke again once she'd vanished from sight. "Being a vampire has its advantages."

"Right then. You'll do."

Serana let her invisibility fade away on seeing Delphine's grim smile.

The Breton looked her up and down. "You don't even need to change clothes, you already look the part. Elenwen should be convinced."

"Elenwen?" Sithia's voice was so choked it was almost unrecognisable. "What does she have to do with it?"

"You know her? She's the Thalmor ambassador."

So this Elenwen was not someone Sithia had loved and lost, but one of the Thalmor.

"She's been promoted… No." Sithia grabbed Serana's shoulders. "Not you. There has to be another way."

Serana frowned. Sithia's grip tightened almost painfully, and her heart was beating faster in her agitation. Was that fear? Of what, this Thalmor who haunted her nightmares? Or for Serana and what she needed to do?

"I thought you trusted her," Delphine said, looking between them.

"I do. But I also know what the Thalmor do to their prisoners. If they catch you… No. We'll think of something else."

Serana had a very nasty feeling that Sithia's knowledge came from personal experience. If so, she definitely wanted to make Elenwen's acquaintance. "I'll be fine. You know I'm stronger than I look, and you have some idea of what I'm capable of if all else fails. You saw my father do it. Besides, they'd have to catch me first."

"If they do, forget the mission and kill them all if you have to." Sithia let go and stepped back.

"Don't get caught," Delphine said. "Use that invisibility first. We have to find out what they know. We also need a meeting point. My inn in Riverwood?"

Sithia shook her head. "No need. You have my map. Keep it and yourself safe."

Delphine raised an eyebrow. "Show me this map."

Serana glanced at Sithia, who reluctantly nodded, so she got the map out and showed it to Delphine.

"Interesting. Haven't seen an enchanted map like that since the fall of Cloud Ruler Temple. Make sure you don't lose it, it'd be a disaster if it fell into Thalmor hands."

Serana put the map away again and looked at Sithia. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine if I stick to the roads."

"And I know Skyrim like a native," Delphine stated.

"Good, you two will be able to find your way to Winterhold and this Moth Priest."

"Fuck, no! I'm not going anywhere with her."

Serana laid a hand on her Dragonborn's shoulder. "Sithia, I'm sorry, but we have to find that Moth Priest before my father can. You heard what he said about needing one. We don't have time to waste. You need to do this while I find out what the Thalmor know about dragons. And you can't do it alone. You'll need to take the Scroll – I can hardly take it with me to this party, and we can't leave it here. You'll also need someone to keep watch while you sleep."

Sithia's shoulders slumped. "Fuck it. I hate it when you're right."

"It's getting late. We'll need to make the best of daylight tomorrow. Later on today, even." Delphine turned to Serana. "You can travel in daylight, can't you?"

"It's not pleasant, but so long as I've fed recently it's bearable."

"Then be sure to feed tonight. Try not to kill anyone, though, unless you happen to run into Thalmor."

"Is that likely?"

"I'd hope they wouldn't dare show their faces in a Stormcloak Hold," Delphine said. "But Maven Black-Briar has the true power around here, not the Jarl. I wouldn't be surprised if she attends Elenwen's parties." She looked over at Sithia. "Right, I take it you've hired a room of your own?"

"Yes, and I'm not about to share it with you," Sithia snapped.

"I wasn't about to ask. Goodnight."

They took breakfast upstairs, behind closed doors so that Delphine could go over the plan she'd come up with overnight. Well, Sithia and Delphine had breakfast, Serana had already drank her fill while they slept: an Imperial man attempting to sneak around the deserted marketplace, his knapsack jingling with every step he took. She'd relieved him of his haul of shiny gems and coin purses, and some lockpicks. That probably spared him a jail sentence when a patrolling guard inevitably tripped over him.

"I'll hire a courier to send word to Malborn, my inside man at the Thalmor Embassy, to meet you in Solitude with your invitation to the party. You'll have to make your own way there after we split up once we reach Windhelm. We'll stay there overnight, then—"

Sithia shook her head and held up a hand. "We can't stop in Windhelm."

Delphine groaned. "What did you do?"

"I may or may not have killed the brother of Ulfric Stormcloak's right hand man. Accidentally." Sithia nonchalantly inspected her gauntlets.

So that's why Sithia had insisted that they press on when their carriage driver got to Windhelm's stables…

"Really." Delphine raised a sceptical brow. "An accident? Do you do anything by accident?"

"Sometimes. The stupid Nord challenged me to a brawl when I called him on being a racist bastard. It didn't end well for him. He harassed a Dunmer woman for the last time."

Delphine whistled. "Galmar must have wanted your head for that."

"On first name terms with the Stormcloaks? I guess that doesn't surprise me. You Talos worshippers tend to stick together."

"What happened?"

"I knocked him out, he fell down the steps outside the inn and broke his neck. Not my fault he couldn't choose a safer place to pick a fight. The guards tried to put me under arrest after informing me who I'd killed. I may have cut a couple of them down when I escaped so… They might try to kill me on sight if I set foot in Windhelm. And guards seem to know when they see someone with a bounty even if they can't see their face, so keeping my cowl on won't work."

Delphine dropped her head into her hands. "Is there anyone in Skyrim you haven't made an enemy of?"

Sithia hummed thoughtfully and stroked her chin. "The Companions, the Thieves Guild and the College of Mages. And I don't have a bounty in the other Holds. Yet. So I'm still working on it. All Skyrim will be my foes in the end!"

Delphine groaned again, and muttered under her breath, "All this time I've been looking for a Dragonborn to guide and guard, and she turns out to be insane. Esbern told me that it's no coincidence some of the Septims were mad. Should've believed him."

So Sithia's dragon blood was responsible for her questionable sanity? That made a lot of sense. Dragon blood and soul in the body of a human… It was a wonder if any Dragonborn was sane, really.

Of course, looking at the dark satisfaction in Sithia's eyes and the smirk playing on her lips, it was entirely possible that she was messing with Delphine. Still, everything Serana had seen her do and heard her say pointed towards the fact that her Dragonborn was not entirely stable. And that she definitely needed to be supervised, especially when in a Hold capital. At least Delphine knew what to look out for now, as Serana wouldn't be there in Winterhold if they didn't manage to find the Moth Priest before he—

Wait.

"…Elenwen…" Serana turned her head. The voice – a woman's – came from downstairs, and dripped with condescension. Her fangs ached to silence it.

"…at the Thalmor Embassy. They don't invite just anyone. The Snow-Shods and other Stormcloak sympathisers don't know what they're missing. You don't have to like someone to enjoy the advantages of associating with them, or indeed to partake in their fine wine and cooking."

"Are you taking a guest this time?" The Argonian innkeeper sounded weary. Either fed up with the braggart, or she was lacking in sleep. Probably both.

"I could. But I don't know of anyone who deserves such an opportunity. Not even you, Hemming." Those dulcet tones lowered so that only this Hemming and an eavesdropping vampire could hear. "Not after you failed to keep Sibbi under control. You brought the Black-Briar name into disrepute just as he did. For that, my son, you deserve some public humiliation."

So that was Maven Black-Briar…

Serana stood and made her way to the door. Even if it meant parting ways with Sithia right now, she had to take the chance to get this over with sooner rather than later. There was no guarantee Malborn would be able to get her name on this next party's guest list. This way she could get herself invited rather than risk having to wait for another to be held. All she needed was to have a private word with Maven Black-Briar. She'd enthral this mortal if she had to, but all it should take was a few illusion enlaced words, like with Dawnstar's Jarl.

"Where are you going?" Sithia grabbed her arm.

Serana blinked. She must have been distracted, not to have noticed Sithia's heart beating right behind her.

"Don't leave me alone with her before you have to!" Sithia whispered, hands tightening around her arm. Clinging to her.

Serana winced. Knowing that Sithia wanted her to stick around would have made her feel warm inside in any other situation. Now she only felt the cold weight of guilt. "I do have to."

She sighed and continued loudly enough for Delphine to hear, "Maven Black-Briar is down there right now, bragging about this party. I'm nothing if not persuasive, so I'm going to take this chance. Malborn won't be needed. I'll find you when I've found out what the Thalmor know. Good luck with the great Moth Priest hunt."

Serana lowered her voice again, speaking only to Sithia. "Be careful, don't get yourself killed. I can't be there."

"I've survived perfectly well without you for thirty years, you know."

"And I've saved your life at least twice already! Promise me you won't drink any stamina potions while I'm not around."

"I'll be fine." Sithia looked away and reluctantly added, "And I won't drink any except in an emergency."

"You'd better be. That emergency had better not be getting this Moth Priest hunt over with as quickly as you can."

"Foiled," Sithia muttered. "Can you blame me? An adventure with Delphine isn't exactly my idea of fun."

Serana pried Sithia's hands away, gripping one to squeeze gently in the process. "Sorry I'm leaving you alone with Delphine, try not to kill her."

Sithia huffed. "I can think of worse things than Delphine's company."

"Oh, good. You only don't like her, it's not that you hate her."

Sithia's smile was twisted. "I do hate her, and I believe the feeling's mutual. No, I was thinking of what you've got coming your way. If you pull off what you're planning, you're about to spend however long it takes to get between Riften and the Thalmor Embassy in the company of Maven Black-Briar. Then you'll get to meet my old friends the Thalmor. Elenwen's the worst of the lot. Do me a favour and kill them all."

"I'll see what I can do." This party was not going to end well. At least not for Elenwen.

AN: I'm not sure who to feel most sorry for in terms of putting up with the travelling companion from Oblivion: Serana, Sithia or Delphine. It's not going to be pleasant for any of them.

Coming up next: Prepare to meet Serana's darker side.