Vex didn't dare move. Her mind kept screaming at her to do so; her legs had begun to get sore a while ago, so she'd chosen to carefully sit down behind the supply crates under the stairs. Now her rear was getting sore; solid stone did not make for the most comfortable seat. And yet, what was she going to do if she did move?
She couldn't go after the real Jagged Crown. Surely the Embassy was on alert now that they'd caught a thief. She had a feeling she'd be spotted the instant she tried departing her hiding spot and similarly captured.
She couldn't save Vess, either. The wood elf had likely been shackled to the wall of one of the cells, and was thus under constant supervision by the Thalmor. She had two invisibility potions, this was true... but the Thalmor would notice if Vess were suddenly unshackled and freed.
In short, both options were foolish to Vex, and neither one held any true merits that outweighed the consequences of failure.
Her indecision and uncertainty had 'treated' the blonde Imperial to hearing the Thalmor try to interrogate Vess several times now. She'd lost track of just how long she'd been hiding under the stairs - and every second she spent hiding only made her feel a growing sense of guilt. Was Vess waiting for her to make a move? Vex certainly wanted to do so; she couldn't put up with the sounds of flesh impacting flesh, or metal striking flesh. She certainly couldn't put up with hearing Vess cry out each time she was struck, and then groan in pain after that.
To the wood elf's credit, though, she'd said nothing since she'd been captured. She hadn't spoken even a word of defiance. It was admirable to Vex; it meant that Vess would never spill any secrets about anything or anyone.
It also meant that the Thalmor were planning to get creative with their torture methods. Vex had heard them discussing several methods of torture, none of which sounded humane. She didn't recognize half of them as they were mentioned in passing, but the damned elves seemed to know what they were referring to. They'd even dared to laugh a few times at some of the suggestions. Were they truly so sadistic?
She heard the door overhead creak open, then light footsteps; the steps were drowned out by the door creaking shut. Once the din of the door had faded, she could hear the footsteps once more - and they were descending the stairs directly above her hiding place. Her eyes widened, and she silently curled herself into a ball, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
Thankfully, whomever came down the stairs had no interest in the supply crates under the stairwell. They proceeded into the torture chamber without even a pause.
"Well now." The voice almost certainly belonged to the newcomer; both of the elves interrogating Vess had been male, while this new voice was female. It also sounded... a little older and most certainly haughty, arrogant. It also sounded mildly surprised, which caught Vex off-guard. "You've cut your hair, Vess."
Vex' mind spun. Did Vess have some association with the Thalmor? The refusal of the wood elf to speak offered no answers to that question.
The silence didn't deter the female high elf, because she simply cleared her throat; Vex heard the sound of pages in a small journal or book being turned. "'Name, Vess - real name unknown. Age, unknown - appears to be slightly middle-aged. Status, asset - although unaware of this fact-'"
"I don't recall working for the Thalmor." Vess had finally broken the silence she'd maintained, and with those words, squished all disbelief and doubt Vex had begun to have about the wood elf.
"As I said, unaware of the fact." The female elf closed the small journal or book she'd been holding with an audible clap; judging from how the sound was light, Vex assumed the book to be a softcover - which usually meant journal. "The truth of the matter is, you've been an amazing assassin for us in the past."
"I don't recall working for the Thalmor," Vess repeated. Vex could sense the annoyance in her tone.
"Only because you weren't aware you were meeting with Dominion agents," the female mer replied; there was a tone of triumph to her voice. "For example... remember Thaewyn?"
"...She was one of you?" Vess' voice was heavily laced with disbelief. "No... that's imposs-"
"She is one of us, yes," the female mer interrupted. "Alive and very well, still working in Valenwood. Last I saw her, she was wondering why you don't write her anymore." Vex could almost see the smirk on the female mer's lips. "She misses you a great deal, Vess."
"Look, just... get to the point. If you want to hire me, tough luck; I'm out of the assassin's business now." Vess' voice sounded pained now. Had Thaewyn been someone of importance to her...? Vex wasn't sure, but she was most certainly surprised to realize she was faintly jealous of this 'Thaewyn' character.
"Are you now? So the rumors are true." The female mer clicked her tongue. "Such a shame, that. So many targets to discreetly remove, so much money to be made for services rendered." Vex could hear pages being turned, seemingly idly. "Does this mean, then, that the rumors of you being nothing more than a petty thief are also true?"
"Fuck you." The sudden vulgarity made Vex blink; did being called 'petty thief' truly piss Vess off?
"I'm willing to pretend this little intrusion never happened, Vess... I'll even hand you the real Jagged Crown. All I want from you? Your services as an assassin."
"And if I refuse?" Vess' response was cold. "You'll forgive me for not wanting to emerge from retirement; I gave that life up for personal reasons."
There was utter silence now, save for the sound of footsteps approaching the stairway. Vex tensed and tried shrinking back into the recesses of it. The footsteps grew a bit louder, though, and soon, the source of them came into full view. A high elf wearing ugly elven armor was looming ahead of her and barring her only path of escape. Her breath caught in her throat and she immediately began planning the best way to escape in what was likely an insanely tiny window of time.
She never got the chance to even start forming a plan. The high elf seized her by the throat, making her choke, then squeezed firmly and lifted her from her hiding place. She was carried in that choking grip into the torture chamber itself; the hand tightened around her throat, then she was thrown rather roughly to the floor. She coughed and gasped for air, and had a hand at her throat, rubbing it gently.
"If you refuse, you not only remain a prisoner, but we also take your partner here prisoner." The female mer was blurry to Vex' vision; it took the Imperial a moment to realize everything was blurry. Tears were in her eyes, though she wasn't actually crying; the pain had just drawn a few.
"...How long have you known?" Vess finally spoke up, sighing in defeat.
"Since you were captured. There is no thief bold enough to steal from the Embassy alone. I had a feeling you were no exception... so I just cast a simple spell to detect life." The female mer chuckled darkly. "None of my guards had reason to hide under those stairs."
Vex forced herself to sit upright, still massaging her throat. She glared at the mer who had carried her out into the open so roughly; he just sneered back at her. Her vision had mostly cleared, and she could see everyone clearer. She could see Vess, shackled to the wall of a cell; she could see the female mer, who looked... Vex' jaw dropped as she realized who had been addressing Vess for so long.
"Do I have your attention now, or is your partner worth so little to you?" First Ambassador Elenwen remarked, an amused look on her face as she stared at Vex. Unable to hold the gaze with the sadistic high elf, Vex looked instead at Vess, saw the conflicting emotions flicker across her face. Both thieves just looked at each other for a long while, as if trying to form a plan without speaking.
"...What do you need?" Vess finally muttered, tearing her gaze from Vex and giving Elenwen a hard stare.
"Vess, no-" Vex began. She wanted to comment on how Vess had quit that life to save her own, but was stopped by the impact of something hard, heavy and blunt in the back of her head. Tears flooded her vision, as did stars, and agonizing pain erupted from the back of her head. She involuntarily fell forward, and her arms barely broke her fall.
"There's another thief," Elenwen said, looking at Vex but addressing the wood elf. "The very same thief we employed to steal the Jagged Crown from Ulfric in the first place. Although we paid him and told him to keep quiet, we don't trust him to actually keep quiet. Something about alcohol loosening lips." Elenwen shrugged. "Word has him in Dawnstar now. Find him... kill him. Bring me his head as proof - and just his head."
Vex couldn't help but feel as if there was a subtle threat in there. Elenwen wanted a thief she'd hired in the past to simply die. Were she and Vess both similarly expendable? No, Vess wasn't... if she was, Elenwen wouldn't be discussing it with her, and she most certainly wouldn't be using Vex as a bargaining chip.
"Don't get any funny ideas, either," Elenwen continued. "I want him dead. This means 'do not try roping him into your little gang', do you understand?"
Vex felt her heart plummet a little. How much did the Thalmor know about Vess' fledgling guild? Everything?
"I have no 'gang'," Vess replied coolly, "just myself and a former Thieves Guild thief who's been down on her luck lately."
"Couldn't find a better partner?" Elenwen mocked.
"Couldn't find a partner I actually trust," Vess shot back. That comment alone made Vex feel renewed appreciation and admiration for the wood elf.
"Hmph." To Vex' relief - she did her best to hide it - Elenwen seemed to buy Vess' lie that she didn't have a gang. "So why the Crown? Is it of value to you?"
"I just don't want to see that self-centered prick with it," Vess said simply. It was apparently enough for Elenwen, because she chuckled with a nod.
"Do we have a deal, Vess? You kill the thief I mentioned, and in return, I forgive this intrusion and give you the Jagged Crown?"
Vex wanted to say 'no', to tell Vess not to do it. She could already see a plan forming in her partner's eyes, though, and part of her was scared to know what it was.
"...We have a deal," Vess said after a time. "Now release-"
"On pain of death?" Elenwen pressed. "I want the thief's head, Vess. Do not think you can double-cross me."
"You'll get your fucking thief's head," Vess snapped. "Now release me, show me a picture of him, tell me his name... anything and everything important to this assassination mission."
"Vess-"
"No."
"Vess-"
"Vex, no."
"But-"
"I said no!" Vess whirled around to yell the last sentence at her. "For the last time, stop trying to talk me out of this!" She noticed the fact that Vex looked stung by the yelling, because her expression softened and her voice lowered. "Vex, we cannot afford to have the Thalmor hunting us. I'd rather be on their good side than have them wanting to kill us. I have to do this, do you understand me?"
Vex' mouth opened and closed wordlessly. She was trying to find any sort of protest or argument, but none came readily.
She supposed it was small comfort that Elenwen had chosen to let Vex go as well; she hadn't been looking forward to spending any amount of time in the interrogation chamber. Still, standing in the blistering cold of a strong wind in the streets of Solitude... small comfort indeed.
"Listen..." Vess drew much closer to Vex, such that the blonde Imperial suspected she was up to something. Indeed, the wood elf's arms snaked around her own figure, holding her as only a lover ought to. Before she could speak up, though, Vess continued in a low whisper. "I'm not going to kill him. A thief of that caliber is not a thief to be simply wasted. I have a plan, and it will require an Argonian's corpse... but I won't kill him. I retired as an assassin, and Elenwen be damned; I won't go back to it." She paused to gently kiss Vex on the neck, sending shivers through the Imperial that weren't caused by the chill in the air. "And in case you're curious, no, I'm not actually interested... it's just for show... you know, for our Thalmor tail."
Vex blinked in response to the mention of a Thalmor tail, and found she understood the need for the 'intimacy'. To the one tailing them, it would just seem like Vess was grateful to have her partner with her again, relatively unharmed... injury on the back of her head notwithstanding.
"I have a feeling they'll be tailing us until I prove the thief is dead."
"But you're not going to..." Vex murmured quietly, taking care to adjust her tone to sound amorous, just in case anyone else was close enough to hear the tone of their exchange, if not the words.
"I know. Like I said, I have a plan." The wood elf kissed Vex' neck again, then straightened up and released the Imperial. "So please, stop. I appreciate the thought, but it's unnecessary; him dying isn't part of my plan."
Vex was trying to imagine how the wood elf would pull this one off. There was only one Argonian thief that Elenwen had hired; she would recognize him instantly... and, similarly, she would immediately realize if she didn't have the real thief's head.
"For now, we make for Dawnstar. From there, well..." She winked at Vex. "Just trust me. I've never steered you wrong before, Vex."
"Necromancers," Vex reminded her.
"I didn't know," the wood elf replied simply.
The wind picked up, and made both thieves shiver visibly. Vess wordlessly gestured to the Winking Skeever, and they both stepped toward it, eager to get out of the cold.
"And to think, Dawnstar will be worse," Vess muttered. "At least it's not Winterhold..."
A.N. - What's this, then? Another chapter for All In?! Further, Spirit's still alive?!
Yes. Yes he is, and yes, this is another chapter.
First of all, a thousand apologies and a thousand more for... frankly, the massive delay here. It was not intended to take me nearly a year to get the next chapter out, honest. Life happened, though, and... well, yes. Writer's block also happened, as did the uncertainty as to which path to take in regards to 'Vess was captured last chapter'. Elenwen confronting Vess was one of the options, and as you can see, it's the one I went with.
The alternative was to have Vex successfully find, retrieve and return Vess' equipment, pack and the real Jagged Crown, then perform some invisibility-based rescue from under the noses of the guards. ...And considering Vex is presently supposed to be under the effects of a curse (allegedly!), it just didn't make sense that she could pull all of that off. This path made more sense to me.
Vess likes to think herself well-informed and in the know when it comes to certain things. That being said, how's she going to pull off saving this thief Elenwen wants dead with just an Argonian's corpse - and with a Thalmor tail, no less? You'll see.
As I write this, I am presently two weeks away from Skyrim on the PS4 (yes, I bought a PS4). More than a little put out by the fact that mods won't include external assets (such as new armor/textures), but meh... I'll make the most of it somehow.
The PS4. It's an amazing console, and I don't regret the purchase. I've played several games (most notably Fallout 4 and No Man's Sky), and love how they look. I've also got some games I haven't played yet, but have bought (looking at you, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Farcry Primal!). I will get around to playing them! ...Eventually. Certainly not after Skyrim releases for the PS4, and most definitely not after Sun and Moon release for the 3DS... but eventually!
Anyway.
I'll be honest, adding the 'kill this thief' bit was... spur of the moment, but once I had the idea, I also had the idea of 'Vess saves him'. I was initially going to go with someone else a bit more... threatening to the Thalmor, but this seemed more entertaining. (And besides, with the Thalmor now in the picture, there will be other opportunities for the aforementioned 'threat to the Thalmor' route.) The Thalmor won't have a tremendous role or impact on the overall story - but they will be quite a pain in Vess and Vex' sides.
That Vess/Vex allusion, though... are they going to become a thing in the future? Now THAT is telling... and that's something that hasn't really changed with me. Suffice to say, it's not ruled out yet... so it could be a thing. We'll see, though.
All this being said, I seem to have busted down that pesky block that all writers eventually run into, and may be able to put chapters out consistently from now on (for All In, anyway; Invasion is kind of... stalled. Obviously need to include Mia and Adalla in Ch. 3, but I don't know whether to include other characters or not...). My job keeps me pretty busy, but I have fairly consistent days off - so there's definitely time for me to write.
I have an alternate Dragonborn character that's NOT Mia that I'd like to introduce at some point... the problem? I already have a couple Skyrim stories I should probably finish first... but Calyn the Dragonborn. Expect the name to pop up in the future.
Anyway, going to 'peace out' for now before this gets much longer. Again, very sorry this chapter took so damn long, but, well... life.
-Spiritslayer
