It hadn't been too difficult to find the skooma smugglers' warehouse out on the docks of Riften. Only two of them had a posted guard overnight. Of those two, one belonged to Maven Black-Briar being watched by her chief enforcer; a thug name Maul. The other was guarded by two jittery Argonians dressed in rags armed with steel longswords and daggers. They looked like they were likely coming down from a high. Sable figured she could take the two down easily, but then she spied the master lock on the door to the shabby looking warehouse behind them. While the warehouse looked the part of every other run-down storage building out on the docks, she knew was likely to be well barricaded. Her lock picking skills were rusty since leaving the thieves guild and it was unlikely she could have picked a lock that intricate in a timely fashion even back then.
Quietly and quickly she had made her way around the structure to only to find, to her dismay, that there were no windows to use as an alternate access point. Her frustration only grew upon inspecting the roof. The only way in or out of the warehouse was through the guarded door. And so she paused and crouched a moment on the roof above the two tweaked lizards guarding the only entrance wondering again how she was going to pull this whole thing off.
Disrupting the attack on the Thieves Guild would be easy enough. She could probably even shut down the entire branch of the operation here in Riften. It was the response to these actions that concerned the assassin. Once the rest of the skooma dealing organization heard or discovered what had happened, the response would be swift and brutal. It was likely to be blamed on the thieves guild as well, since it was Delvin that kicked off the whole fiasco. She just hoped that there would be enough of a delay between here and wherever else the dealers were located that help from the Family would arrive in time.
Thinking about everything made the white-haired Nord glad that she had decided to find a courier and send a note back to the Dark Brotherhood before taking any other steps. She prayed to Sithis that courier followed her instructions so that her message would arrive as soon as possible. Just then, Sable's thoughts were interrupted.
"I'm going to do a sweep of the inside. Make sure everything is quiet." One of the Argonian guards stated.
"To Oblivion you are!" The other snapped. "We both know you can't keep your hands to yourself. The boss said he would kill us both if any more went missing."
"And you're so innocent, are you?" the first replied. "They should change your name to Skims-From-Stash."
"Quiet you tongue, or I shall do it for you!" The second one threatened. "You go in there and I'll open your stomach."
"You're not going to stop me from doing anything. The boss gave us orders to check inside periodically, in case those slimy thieves try for the sugar again." The first held his ground. Sable found it interesting that Delvin had found some other way into the warehouse than the front door. "Besides, I have the key so that means I'll be the one that goes inside." The lizard fished a key from his pocket and flashed a smiled at his companion. Said companion responded by punching him in the face and ripping the key from his hand while he was still dazed.
"Hmm, looks like you won't be going in after all." He said arrogantly as he unlocked the door and went inside. She heard a click as the addict guard locked the door behind him.
Sable smiled and suppressed a laugh. These two idiots were going to make it easier than she thought.
The one left outside got up grumbling and shifted to the other side of the door so that it would swing open away from him when the other returned. The assassin crouched right up against the edge of the roof and waited, knowing that the door would have to open again and that would be her way in.
A few moments later, the click of the lock sounded and the door opened. As soon as she saw the Argonian step outside, Sable dropped off of the roof.
She came crashing down onto the lizard from above. The sudden unexpected weight hitting him instantly brought him to the dock floor. And then he knew nothing more as Sable jammed a dagger into the back of his skull. The other guard's eyes went wide as he realized they were under attack.
The remaining Argonian drew his sword and dagger. She could tell he was no fighter. The guards, she realized were mere decoration. These skooma dealers were powerful enough to believe that no one would be stupid enough to rob them. These lizards were probably employed to just to keep away innocents who did know any better.
The sword in his right hand, the lizard slashed at her in a diagonal arc starting from high right going to low left. Sable easily stepped out of the way of the clumsy attack and brought her left dagger in behind his swing as she moved forward inside his reach with the longsword. The quicksilver blade sunk into his forearm severing muscle and tendon as she effectively pinned his arm across his body.
The Argonian cried out in pain as his hand went limp and he dropped the sword. He first tried back away to put distance between himself and the pale devil woman that had appeared out of nowhere, but she stepped with him not letting him free. It was almost laughable watching him try to stab at her awkwardly around his useless right arm that she was still using to obstruct his ability to fight.
Sable slapped the nearly powerless thrust away with the hawk-head pommel of her right dagger before slashing the blade back across. Blood began to gush from his slit throat as he crumpled to the ground suddenly feeling too heavy for his legs to support.
A plan quickly forming, the assassin took the warehouse key from the miscreant that she used to break her fall before dumping him over the side of the dock into the deep water below. She then hauled the other into the warehouse. With any luck, she could make it look like the two addicts had decided to steal the stash they were hired to guard, but then quarreled, ending with one of their deaths with the other disappearing into the night.
She dumped the body just inside the door and headed further in to investigate. The white haired assassin locked the door behind her. The clicking of the heavy intricate lock would give her at least a second or two notice just in case some thug or dealer showed up before morning. She was in a short entry room lined with shelves that were mostly empty. Thankfully there were several goat horn torches lit throughout the interior to provide just enough light.
A few steps later, she came through another doorway into an expansive room that made up the bulk of the warehouse. At the far right corner a small room was constructed, most likely to serve as an office where ledgers or any other important documents were to be kept. Just off of the middle was a small fire pit. And there she spotted an exit panel in the floor. That was how Delvin pulled the heist. He swam underneath the warehouse and picked the lock on the secret trap door. Above, the barn like ceiling crisscrossed with numerous support beams.
On the left side of the cavernous room were numerous shelves where all the drugs were stored. Sable went there first knowing that was where the bulk of her work would be done. She found four large sacks full of the pinkish white crystalline moon sugar. Finding the key worked for the trap door as well, Sable lugged the sacks over to it and dumped them into the lake below.
She found several shelves packed full with bottles of skooma. She grabbed a few of them and emptied them on the floor and scattered the empty bottles around the warehouse, with most of them ending up in the entryway where she had left the dead Argonian. She smashed the rest letting the narcotic liquid go wasted on the floor and shelving.
After the drugs were disposed of, she made her way to the office to see if she could get any clues of where the rest of the operation was and when the attack on the thieves was to take place. To her dismay, there was little inside. She quickly searched the desk and all the cabinets and found only a reference to Cragslane Cavern. She figured it was where the rest of the operation was conducted though she didn't know where this particular cave complex was.
It was time to leave while she still could. With no outside light source in the warehouse, she had no idea no long she had been in the warehouse, but it was certainly long enough. She couldn't risk being caught in the dealers' warehouse. The explanation of what had happened would be obvious if she was still around.
She made her way back to the entrance and cracked open the door and silently cursed. Outside, she was greeted by the mellow gray light of dawn. She was about to attempt to leave and hope it was still early enough that no one would be around when she the stomping of booted feet. Sable turned back into the warehouse leaving the door still slightly cracked hoping it would reinforce the idea of a botched impromptu robbery by their own hirelings.
She went for the trap door figuring a wet escape was better than none at all, but had to abandon even that when she heard a voice just outside.
"What in Oblivion is going on!?" a male voice shouted. "Where are those two idiot egg suckers?"
Sable knew she had to find a hiding place. If she lingered another second to open the trap door in the floor she would be caught. A desperate idea hit and immediately dashed towards the shelving frantically hoping they would be sturdy enough for what she had in mind.
The White Deathbell watched the troop of six men enter the warehouse perched from the cross beams supporting the roof high above view. Two she guessed were mages as they were dressed in robes and carried staffs. The rest wore cloaks to conceal the armor they were likely wearing though she caught the pale green glint under the cloak of one that told her at least one of them was outfitted in glass armor. Calling it glass armor wasn't quite the truth of it, she knew. What was referred to as "glass" armor was really a rare mineral called malachite. When refined, shaped, and hardened, it made for incredibly effective, if not flashy, armor since it was very light and could turn away all but the staunchest blows. That kind of armor was very rare; very expensive; very fancy.
The group walked into the center of the warehouse to where the fit pit and trap door were located with the one in the glass armor cursing more loudly and more frequently as he surveyed the state of their supply house. Seeing that there was no easy way to escape, Sable figured she might as well remain where she was in the rafters and try to learn what she could. As if she had a choice.
"What in Oblivion happened here?" The man in the fancy armor roared seeing the moon sugar gone and the skooma destroyed.
"Those damn thieves!" Exclaimed one of the others. "We should attack now."
"I do not believe this to be the work of the thieves guild." One of the mages remarked in a calm voice, refuting the thug.
"How can you be sure?" Questioned the first, seeming to be the leader of the group.
"The thieves guild are adverse to murder." The mage explained. "Also, why would they destroy everything of value?"
"Then what in Oblivion happened, Sionis!?" The leader bellowed.
"Look at everything Varskil." Snapped the mage named Sionis. "We found one of the pathetic argonians dead on the floor just inside the door which was cracked open. The skooma was destroyed, though several empty bottles are seen all over the place. And the moon sugar is gone."
"Are you saying the egg suckers did this?" Varskil asked regaining some of his composure.
"I'm saying I think they meant to," Sionis replied, "but an argument ensued. They fought, smashing against the shelves at one point ruining the skooma they wanted. One stabbed the other and ran off with the only thing of value left. The other bled out before making it to the door."
Varskil was silent for a moment, mulling it over in his head. "How does the blood outside fit in, then?" The boss finally asked. Sable immediately felt queasy. That was the only thing wrong with the scene she had set. But then the mage – that darling mage she was probably going to have to kill – saved it all.
"I would assume both of the lizards were armed?" the mage asked, pausing to see Varskil confirm his question with a nod. He continued. "Then it's not hard to suppose that the other was injured in the fight."
Their leader sat in thought again for a moment. "Those blasted reptiles." Varskil said apparently agreeing with the mage's assessment. "The boss isn't going to accept a loss like this. 10,000 septims worth of product gone." He paused again. "Change of plans." He announced. "We're going to attack the thieves today. Hopefully, there is enough sellable loot down there to make up for this disaster. Ralgaff, gather the rest of the crew. We'll hit them fast and hard. Then we'll go after the egg sucker that stole our sugar. Bleeding and likely in need of a fix, he can't have gotten far."
Sable's eyes went wide. She couldn't let the brigand name Ralgaff out of the warehouse, but any strike against him would be noticed. She would have to strike this group now. Strike them hard and fast and hope that in the initial surprise and confusion she could take enough of them out that she wouldn't be overwhelmed. There could be no survivors. If anyone got a message back to "the boss" the mission was lost. By her assessment, the two mages and Varskil were the greatest threats. She had to take them down first, but she also has to worry about the man being sent to get reinforcements. He also had to be among the first to die. The first strike had to take out four of the six targets. If she missed, she died and death would prove the more powerful that day. And that was something she couldn't allow. She would see herself the most powerful again.
With that thought, she readied one of her elven daggers in her left and, a throwing dart in her right and jumped down into the middle of the gang of drug dealers.
As Sable came down right next to the other mage, her dagger tore through his chest as she let the momentum push her down into a crouch. Immediately, she punched her left elbow into the back of Sionis' knee. Over balanced from her buckling his knee, it was easy to sweep his legs out from under him. The perceptive mage landed on his back with a thud, the air driven from his lungs. The flick of her wrist, sent the dart into the back of Ralgaff's neck. His momentum carried him forward as he went down and his limp body crashed into the door, effectively barring the outside world from entering.
Her right hand now empty, the assassin grabbed a stone from the fire pit and heaved it at Varskil. It smashed into the large man's face and sent him reeling. She now stood to face the two remaining thugs who were just beginning to get over the shock of white haired whirlwind of chaos that had appeared in their midst.
She drew her other elven dagger and charged at them, hoping that there was still enough surprise that she could bring them down without resistance and then finish the last two – the mage called Sionis and Varskil – off. Unfortunately, they had recovered enough of their wits and drew their swords. Of course it couldn't be too easy.
So, the assassin changed her tactics. When she closed to striking distance, she gave them each a quick thrust that would be easily blocked. They rose to the occasion and she heard the clang of their collective weapons. She didn't press the attack though; letting them swat her daggers away easily and instead kept running right through the space between them.
Their confusion at her strange move was their undoing. One step into the shared space, she spun and was instantly behind the thug to her right plunging a dagger into his back to the hilt. She continued around his left side put her other blade into his chest as well.
As she anticipated, the other tried attacking her as she had run through them. Instead of cutting her, his sword only struck his dying companion that was now being used as a human shield.
Sable pushed the dying man towards his comrade and spun again, yanking both daggers free. An instant later she planted them both into the back of the other. Perhaps it could be this easy. She elven blades pulled free and the two fell to the floor tangled up in each other.
Not forgetting that Varskil and Sionis were still alive, she turned to assess them. The mage still seemed to be catching his breath and Varskil was lying motionless on the ground a short distance away. She wasn't sure that the rock she threw could have hit with enough force to put him down. It had been meant only to keep him out of the fight for a few moments until she could even the odds.
Still she didn't even detect the slight movement of him breathing. Could she have been that lucky to have killed him with the wild throw? She wasn't going to leave it to chance. Sable quickly crossed over and prodded Varskil. There was no response. Still skeptical, she took the point of one of her daggers and pressed it into the unprotected flesh just above the top of his boot. Still no response. Not even a flinch of pain from the stab wound.
Satisfied that he was at least unconscious, she pushed him over on his back. She was going to slit his throat to make sure he was dead before seeing about trying to question Sionis. Sable stepped over him and knelt down a bit to end Varskil's life. Just as she was about to open the arteries in his neck, his eyes snapped open and he struck. Being on top of him, she manage to get her arms up in as much of a block as she could, but it was his turn to have the element of surprise and his fists struck her temples and her vision went blurry.
She felt herself being thrown to the floor and fought the urge to vomit. If she couldn't regain her senses, she was dead. She did her best to back away from Varskil and make the room stop spinning. As her vision finally began to clear, she saw Varskil standing over her with a sword in hand. He lifted blade, about to deliver the killing blow. But it never came. There was a flash of light off to her right and an instant later, Varskil was thrown across the room. She looked and saw a large spike of ice jutting from his chest. She looked the other direction and saw that Sionis was up, a pale bluish white light fading from his hand. At that close range, the projectile was powerful enough to have rent Varskil's glass armor and bury itself into him before sending him flying across the room.
Sionis spat at his former boss's corpse.
"You'll never hold any power over anyone ever again, you piece of daedric filth!" He stated through clenched teeth. He then turned and looked to Sable. "I'm guessing we're on the same side now."
She nodded. Once again this mage – this darling mage – had saved her.