The Tale of Zooryuvokogan

Disclaimer: I don't own Skyrim or anything involved with it.

I follow Nonvul to the Bee and Barb and a red haired nord approaches. "Haven't worked an honest day in your life for all that coin you carry, eh boy?" He asks and I know where this is headed.

"Brynjolf, do you know where Esbern is?" I ask before he can pawn a coin or persuade Nonvul into stealing something.

"Brii? Is that you under the hood?" Brynjolf inquires and he lifts my hood. Once he knows it's me, he twirls me around. "It's been so long since I saw you last!" He sets me back on my feet and we are getting so many strange looks right now.

"It's been half a year. Calm down." I say and introduce him to Nonvul. "This is Nonvul. He is Dragonborn and we need to find Esbern. Do you know him?"

Brynjolf taps his chin. "How about you two do a job and I'll tell ya?" We agree and he tells us what to do. "One of you has to break into Madesi's strongbox and grab his silver ring. Then I want you to put it in Brand-Shei's pocket. Someone has it out for him. I'll provide the distraction with the one who doesn't do the dirty work."

I volunteer Nonvul to do the dirty work and he agrees, surprisingly. "I have an idea for my part." Pulling my hood back down, I go over to the innkeeper and purchase a broom. Then I go back to our little meeting place and break the straw part off. "Does anyone have any leather strips?" I ask them and Nonvul hands a few over.

"What are you doing?" Nonvul questions and Brynjolf asks too.

"Watch." I wrap the strips around the broken end and it looks like a blind man's cane. Then I go to the bathroom and change back into the party clothes and makeup. I put the cane in front of me and tap it on the ground constantly. After I get around some people like this I go over to Brynjolf and Nonvul. "Is that you Brynjolf?" I rub my hands over his face and he laughs. I laugh too but Nonvul doesn't.

"I don't get it." Nonvul crosses his arms puzzled.

I roll my eyes and wave my hand in front of my face. "I'm blind."

"Oh." We all walk outside and Brynjolf stands at his Falmerblood Elixir stand. I follow slower and act like I'm blind. Brynjolf starts to gather a crowd with his fake cure and Nonvul starts his job. After a few seconds, I come walking along blindly. I bump into things and even into Brynjolf's stand, effectively knocking over a few bottles. Luckily, they don't break.

"I'm so sorry. Since birth I've been blind. I had a person to guide me but I can't find him." I fake apologize and share my sob story. There are sounds of sniffling and some sad sighs. I look off to the left away from the crow and start walking again. Then I bump into one of the stone walls of the market place.

Brynjolf turns me around, making him look goodnatured and hands me a bottle of the Elixir. "If you drink this, I'm sure you'll be able to see." I reach into my pocket and give him some coins and drink the contents of the bottle.

I try to hide my reaction to the taste. Sea water. Gross. I hold it in my mouth and rub my eyes. As I do that, I spit the water on my sleeve without anyone knowing. I put my hands out in front of me and drop the cane. Blinking rapidly, I look up and down and to Brynjolf. "I.. I can see!"

There are gasps from the crowd and only one shout of being a fake. "There are so many colors!" I walk over to one if the trees and pull a leaf off. "What color is this?" I run over to one of the carts with cabbages and pull a cabbage out. "It matches!" Putting the leaf to the cabbage, I show it around the crowd. "Thank you so much!" The crowd starts to disperse and Brynjolf even manages to sell a few bottles.

"Great job lass! I haven't seen such a well done performance since you were here last." Brynjolf gives me back my money without anyone looking. Nonvul runs over to us just as Madesi shouts about his missing ring.

Some more ruckus occurs and Brand-Shei is hauled off to Riften Jail. "Well done. Let's go to the Ragged Flagon for a drink. Then I'll tell you where Esbern is." Brynjolf leads us to the Ratway and eventually, the Ragged Flagon.

"Look who's back!" Brynjolf flips my hood off once we walk in the door. Everyone looks and they all shout and raise their tankards.

"Welcome back, Brii!"

"Steal anything worth talking about, Brii?"

"Who's the scrawny one behind you Brii? Is that your boyfriend?"

Nonvul yells back at them. "I ain't scrawny and I'm not her boyfriend!"

A lot of them chuckle and we sit down at one of the tables. Vekel gives us all drinks but remembers to give me water. "So how do you know 'Brii'? I never even knew her name and it's been about a week since we both threatened to kill each other." Nonvul asks and he takes a large swig of his drink.

"This is one of the best stories ever." Brynjolf starts and I slam my face on the table. He continues to tell the story anyway. "So I found Hunbrii in Markarth, and you know, that place is armed to the teeth. I saw she was trying to steal some meat from a vendor. She was going to get caught I just knew it because it was the middle of the day and she had a poor way of sneaking. I knew she wouldn't survive in the Mine because she was so thin so I stepped in. The vendor was jabbering away about his meat and I bumped the table. Most of the meat fell and she quickly grabbed a hunk of horker. She stuffed it in her clothes and it stuck out like a sore thumb. Hunbrii must have noticed too and she ran. She probably had half the city guards after her as she ran out the door. Then she tripped half way and the guards hauled her to her feet but when they searched her bag and pockets, they found nothing.

"I was impressed. They let her go after apologizing and even gave her some coin for their mistake! Hunbrii then started throwing up and they knew why she ran. Really, she was throwing up because of the huge crowd but they though she was sick. It was one of the best cover ups I've seen."

I finish the rest of the story for Brynjolf and he starts his drink. "So I finished throwing up and went over to the bridge you cross when you leave Markarth's central area and hid myself. I started to munch on the horker because I had split it flat and stuffed it up my sleeves when I ran. Brynjolf later caught up with me and saw I had the food. He was impressed and asked for some of the money. He said I wouldn't have eaten and have probably died from starvation if he hadn't came along and bumped the stall. I laughed and told him he'd been used. I knew all my surroundings and even how bad my sneaking looked. Later, I revealed to him how I did it and how I wasn't a starving girl. It was a trick with dirt and tight wrappings around my stomach under my clothes.

"Brynjolf introduced me to the guild and we've been friends ever since. We've pull off more raids and schemes than you can imagine." I laugh and drink my water till it's gone. Brynjolf even asks for some horker as a joke. We have a merry time but Nonvul doesn't seem to enjoy himself.

Vex, a blond nord walks over and sits at the last remaining chair at our table. "You know, those two use to date. We use to sing 'Byrnjolf and Brii, sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love"

Nonvul tells her to shut up and she stops. He gets up and points a dagger a me. "You're a dirty thief and you deserve to die." The guild members start to circle us and pull out there weapons.

I stand up. "Guys, I got this." They back away reluctantly and sit at their tables again. "You think you can kill me?" I start to circle around the table and Nonvul faces me with his dagger in the clear area of the room. "Do you really think you can kill me?" I threaten him but I don't draw any weapons or even put my fists up.

"Yes," Nonvul turns around in a circle, pointing his dagger at everyone. "and everyone else in this room. I can, and will kill them. And I'll find Esbern by myself."

"What are you going to tell Delphine?" We both start to circle each other and the whole room is silent.

"Freak accident, swallowed by a dragon, drowned, ran over by a horse, shredded by a bear or troll, bandits, werewolf, vampire, assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood, burned alive, froze to death, hung, shot in the neck with an arrow, poison, the possibilities are endless."

"Do you know who I am? Do you really know?"

"A thief and a fugitive wanted by the Empire and Ulfric Stormcloak."

"Ulfric doesn't hate me anymore."

"Why? Did you show him your breasts to make it better?"

There are 'oooooos' from some of the people.

"Idiot. Ulfric is my father."

Even more 'oooooos' are heard.

"You don't have the same hair color as him."

"My mom had black hair. My dad has blond hair. She had green eyes. He had blue ones."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

"I know what you are. You're an Imperial! A supporter of the Empire!"

"So what. You're a Stormcloak! Talos isn't a Divine."

"This isn't about Talos. This was suppose to be about you killing me but you won't and you can't."

"Watch."

Nonvul lunges and slashes his blade. I swat it away like a toy. Before he can react, my hands are firmly clasped around his wrists and they are behind his back and above his head. He howls in pain.

"Someone's in for a treat." A guild member says.

"I bet she is going to flip him."

"No no. She's going to trip and pin him."

"Don't be stupid. She's going to bash his head and dunk him"

"Do you really want to find out what I am?" I whisper in his ear. A bead of sweat comes off his forehead. "If anything happens, do not kill him. I mean it." I say to all the guild members and they know I mean it.

Thunk. Is all you can hear and my grip releases. I fall and hit the ground, the poison is coursing through my veins and I pull the arrow from my neck. Elven. Then I die.

Author's Note:

Dear readers, this chapter was suppose to be short. It's part of my plan. Just go with it.