Welcome to another chapter of DovahTwiins!
Where all your wishes come true…no they don't.
Take pleasure in Chapter 15 everyone!
Sabotage on Honningbrew Meadery
Glacier's POV
After returning to Riften, Marine led us to a small sanctuary where a secret passage to the Thieves Guild is held. Once we took the secret passage and down the ladder, we made our way to the platform where Brynjolf was waiting for us. The master thief saw us coming and come over to us.
"Word in Riften says Goldenglow Estate was robbed and the beehives were burnt up, excellent." Brynjolf patted me on the arm as a job-well-do. But when he patted Marine, she flinched and backed away from us. "Are you alright, lass?"
Marine panted in harsh puffs, her body shook from head to toe and tried to stop it by holding herself, and she seemed to be almost in tears.
"I-I-I-I-I-I'm f-f-fine." My cousin stuttered in truth, but I knew she was mendacious.
Brynjolf didn't seem to believe her either.
"Lass, don't lie to-" Marine cut him off.
"Do you have another assignment for us?"
"Well Maven Black-Briar want-"
"Glacier, can you do this for us I'm tired!" Then she ran to one of our beds and curled into a ball formation.
"What happened?" He inquired me.
"I don't know what wrong with her either. But, she was acting odd back at Goldenglow and when I asked her she screamed at me, which she never does." I explained. "What's about Maven Black-Briar?"
"Maven? Oh yes, she wanted to see you girls at the Bee and Barb."
"Did we do something wrong?"
"No, she just wants to talk to you two about a quest. However, with Marine in a state like that you will be going alone. And you better hurry about it; Maven is not a patient woman."
"Okay." I said before heading to the inn.
Once I got there I was greeted by Lydia, who sat a table drinking mead. I told I need her to follow me for a quest and she happily accepted. My eyes scanned around the tavern for Maven Black –Briar, but the problem is I don't know what she looks like. I asked the male Argonian if he has seen Maven Black-Briar come inside, he said she was upstairs waiting for someone. I thanked him before heading to upper level.
On the upper level I saw Lady Black-Briar sitting in a chair, I sat in the other across from her.
"Who are you? I told Brynjolf to bring the two girls from the guild!" Maven complained.
"I am one of the girls you called for." I said.
"Really, then where is the other girl?" She asked me. "Nevermind, I don't care to know. Hmm, I could say you don't look that impressive."
'Fuck you!' I pondered. "What is it you need me to do, Lady Black-Briar?"
Maven raised an eyebrow at me.
"Lady Black-Briar? That doesn't sound bad indeed. But on to other matter of our conversation, I have a competitor called Honningbrew Meadery that I want out of business. I also need to know how they got the place up and running quickly."
So all I need is to put the Meadery out of business and get the information of its progress. But there must be something else to it.
"Who do I need to meet up with for this venture?"
"Mallus Maccius, he's at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. He'll fill you in on the details." She told me.
"I'll get it done, Lady Black-Briar." I replied as I left her alone.
"You better, this is an important profession."
Lydia and I left the inn to the Riften horse stables. I saddled onto Suzy while Lydia saddled onto Marine's mare.
"What happed to Marine, my Thane?" She questioned me.
"Umm, I don't know to be honest. She wasn't herself when we went to do something for the guild."
"I hope she'll be okay when we get back."
"Yeah, me too."
We rode our horses out of Riften stables and down the road to Whiterun.
One Day Later
After various wolf pack attacks, bandits, rest stops, and…spiders, we made it to White run in one piece.
"We made it to Whiterun!" I cheered.
Lydia and I moved our horses to the sables for food and rest. After that, we ran up the short road to the Whiterun gates; but not before purchasing items from the Khajiit caravan. Once inside Whiterun we traveled up the road to the inn like instructed. When we entered the Bannered inn, I was tackled to the floor by Lucia.
"Glacier, you're back!" She said as she put me in a bear hug.
"Hahaha, hey Lucia!" I hugged her back.
The little girl removed herself from me so that I could get up. Then Ysolda came our way.
"Hello, Miss Glacier." She greeted.
"Hi Ysolda, how was Lucia went I was gone?"
"She is a darling, no trouble at all."
"Miss Ysolda taught me about marketing and trading when you were gone." Lucia told me. "I've also worked on my math."
"That's great!" I said.
"Are you on a mission, Glacier?" Lucia asked me with sad eyes.
"Yeah, I am." Lucia smile disappeared and had sad eyes. "But you know I haven't be back home in while, so how about after I'm done with my mission I'll stay in Whiterun for a few days, okay?"
"Yah!" Lucia jumped with joy.
After hugging Lucia again, she and Ysolda went to go order themselves some food. My housecarl and I went to the kitchen of the inn to find Mallus Maccius. He sat at a lone table in the corner in the kitchen. Mallus looked like a renaissance Marilyn Manson…to me at least. I walked over to his table and gave me a grim visage.
"Maven Black-Briar said you would be here to elucidate the plan to me." I spoke.
"And she's right, I'll tell you a quick as I can cause we need to be swift about it. Sabjorn, the Honningbrew Meadery owner, is holding a tasting for the Whiterun's Captain of the Guards and we're going to poison the mead."
"Poison the mead. Well where's the poison?" I inquired.
"I don't have it, but Sabjorn does. He's gonna give it to us."
"And I assume there is a crisis to be dealt with in the Meadery, correct. Because I know he wouldn't give the poison to me without a purpose."
He grinned at me.
"Here I though Maven would send two ruthless thieves to do the job, but instead she sent me one who's a smart ass. You are correct, little lady. The Meadery has a pest problem and the whole city knows about it. Pest poison and mead are not meant to be together."
"So you want me to lend your boss a help hand by poisoning the nest and then spill the remains into the mead brewing vat?"
"You are right on it. Maven and I have been planning this for weeks, but needed someone you to go in and do the job right."
"I'll be finished before nightfall." I assured before leaving him in the kitchen and out of the inn to the Meadery.
At the Honningbrew Meadery
When I entered the Meadery with Lydia, Sabjorn was pacing around the bar in frustration and panic. Then he faced me and scowled.
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm in a crisis right now?!" He yelled.
"Yeah, I can tell by that skeever sleeping on the floor." I mumbled to myself. "We came here to help with your pest problem."
He eyed me suspiciously.
"Really, and I assume this is out of the kindness of your heart, little girl." He said doubtfully. "I hope you're not in this for the money. I'll pay you once the job is done."
"That's fine by us, right Lydia."
"Yes."
"Good, here's the poison. I was going to have my lethargic assistant to do the job, but he vanished. Plant this in the nest; it should keep them from coming back."
"Yes,sir."
"Do not come back till all those vermin are gone!"
I nodded before heading toward the basement of the Meadery. There were bear traps, dead skeevers, and blood scattered around the floor. Lydia and I took care of the first two skeevers, and then we killed the next four skeevers in the tunnel. Then to my dismay…there were spiders, five motherfucking spiders!
"Lydia, can handle those Frostbite spiders for me. Thank you!" I said as I stayed behind to 'watch' her back.
Once those atrocious insects were defeated, we went further down the narrow tunnel. As we did the tunnel was becoming darker and the air smelt foul. I prepared my arrows as Lydia got her sword and shield ready for the big encounter. There is more likely to be more skeevers around the nest than anywhere else in this tunnel. I looked up head to see what were dealing with; it was just six skeevers and a…old man at the alchemy table. What he doing down here?
"Lydia stand back I'm going to try something out." She nodded to me before backing up.
With much concentration I put my energy into my fist, making it glow an aqua blue. Then before the skeever caught and charged at me, I smashed my fist into the earth creating an earthquake. The ground shook and raddled like train, some of the rock fell from above and crushed the six skeevers beneath them. The old man however tried to keep his balance, but Lydia took the opportunity to thrust her great sword through his chest and out his back killing him instantly. The earthquake stopped and everything stood still.
"Time to put the poison in the nest." I said as I made my way to the nest and sprinkled the poison on tip like a birthday cake.
After that the two of us went out of the tunnel to the Honningbrew boilery. Inside were three, copper vats that were boiling the mead. I don't know if Marine spilt the poison in each one and I wouldn't be surprised if she did or would. I up the ladder to the upper floor to the lone vat on my left. The lid to the vat opened as I poured the remaining pest poison inside. When I was done, I took the key to the boilery, opened the door, and walked out of there like nothing happened.
Lydia and I returned to the Meadery to see Sabjorn cleaning the bar. The Captain of the Guards was there too along with Mallus. I rushed over to Sabjorn to tell him the job was done.
"About time, I had to stall the Captain until you returned." He said.
Then Lydia spoke up.
"We got the job done, so what about our pay?" I just stared at her like she was crazy.
"You ladies will get your payment once the captain is done tasting the mead. You can stick around for a while."
"Fine by me." I said while taking a seat near the captain.
Sabjorn came over to us to start the tasting ceremony.
"Well Sabjorn, since your little pest problem is dealt with let me get a taste of that mead." The captain demanded.
"Yes, milord. It's my finest brew yet."
'And your last.' I thought.
"I call it Honningbrew Reserve."
'I call it one of the many ways to be placed in jail! I am really starting to think like Marine, aren't I?'
"Sabjorn, this is mead not wine." Then the moment of truth, the captain drank the mead and the feedback was…mediocre. "By the Eight! What…What in oblivion is in this?!"
"I…I don't know. Is there something wrong?"
"Obviously." I mumbled.
"You said this place was clean! I…I see that you remain behind bars for the rest of your life!" The captain spat in anger. Then he turned to Mallus. "You…You are in charged until this whole mess is sorted out."
"It'll be my great pleasure." He reliped.
Then the Whiterun Captain turned to Sabjorn.
"And you are coming with me…to Dragonsreach prison! Move, now!" He commanded the frightened former owner of the Meadery.
Sabjorn tried to plead he was innocent, but it only made the situation worse for him. He gave in and followed the captain out of the building to prison. Then Mallus came over to where I sat.
"That could have gone better, don't you think?" He asked me.
"For him? Nope!" I answered earning chuckle from him.
"Thanks for your help. Is there anything else you need before you go?"
"Maven wanted me to find some Intel on how Sabjorn got this place running. Do you know where?"
"I check his bedroom, he keep his business stashed up in his desk. You might be able to find out who his secret partner is too." He gave me the key to Sajborn's bedroom.
"Thank you, Mallus." I said before going upstairs and into Sabjorn's quarters, thanks to the key.
I dug into the wardrobes and dresser for some extra coin before turning my attention to the desk. There was letter on the desk that was read by Sabjorn. I don't know if I should read or let Maven see it first, but curiosity killed that cat. I opened the note then read the letter silently. It's mostly telling about putting full effort into the Meadery and the protection against Maven and her cronies.
'So this whole scheme is going against Maven and guild. Lady Maven will very fond of this information, but it still doesn't tell about his partner though. The only piece of verification of this silent assailant is this odd little symbol.'
Maybe I should ask Marine who this person is when I get back to Riften. The suspicion is killing almost like Sherlock Holms or CSI. I will find who this bastard is and I will start that in three days.
Thanks for reading everyone!
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-QM619 out of here!