Author's Note: Oh My God I hate school! I'm so busy, it's not even funny! But I got this chapter done and will continue to update. How often, I don't know, but it will happen. Meanwhile, here's the latest. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy!

The Way of the Rat

Lydia stood before me in the forest. "Are you ready, Will?" She asked seductively. She began to unlace her armor. "I've been waiting for so long." She came closer to me. I caressed her face. I reached to embrace her in my arms. "Will!" She shouted. "Wake up!"

I woke with a start. Lydia stood over me, next to the horses, all packed and ready to go. Shite. It was only a dream. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." I said, wincing as I got up. She placed herself under my arm to give me support.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "That dragon did not let up easily."

"I'll be fine." I said, shrugging her off. I winced and silently groaned my way into my saddle and gave her a nod. She shrugged and got up on hers, giving me a watchful look the whole time. We turned toward the road and continued on to Riften. "Thank you, by the way." I said after a time. "You didn't need to help me, and you don't need to in the future."

"You're my Thane." She responded, giving me a sideways look. "It's my job. Forgetting the fact that it would be inhuman for me not to assist you."

"Just let me be." I said, gently. "It will heal on its own. I've suffered worse."

"On a farm?" She said, amusingly.

"There are many wolves that attack farms." I shot back, grinning.

"Of course." She was still smiling that amazing smile. "What were you dreaming about anyway?" My smile quickly vanished.

"Oh, um, well ah, nothing important… Or worth talking about." I said almost too fast too hear. I could've sworn her smile grow. "Why do you ask?" If there was a smile, it vanished.

"Just curious." She answered rapidly, turning her head to the road. I shrugged at this and my mind drifted back to my dream. "Look! Riften!" Lydia exclaimed. By the gods, will this woman cease to interrupt my dreams? But sure enough, there was Riften in front of us.

"It doesn't look like much." I commented. Indeed it didn't. The entrance was made entirely of wood that looked like it would break apart any moment. From what I heard, the actual city wasn't much to look at. We tied our horses to the stable, paid the fee, and entered. I was immediately unimpressed. The city was definitely in a horrible state. A place no noble would dare set foot in. Esbern picked a good hiding spot.

"I don't know you." A rugged looking man said from the shadows. "You in Riften looking for trouble?" He growled menacingly.

"Just passing through." I replied calmly.

"Yeah? Well there's nothing for you to see here." He snarled. "The Black Briars don't need any trouble from outsiders, so why don't you crawl into whatever hole you came out of." This guy was trying to get me angry. It was working. I raised my hand to my sword handle, but Lydia stopped me.

"Hello, Maul." She said politely. The man took a closer look at her, and a flash of recognition ran across his face.

"Lydia." He said slowly. "Didn't expect to see you here." He nodded at me. "Especially with the likes of him."

"Do I detect jealousy, Maul?" Lydia teased.

"You wish, wench." He leaned back with ease. "What do you want here, then?"

"We're looking for a man by the name of Brynjolf." I came in. Lydia gave me a sharp look out of the corner of her eye before returning her attention to Maul.

"That would be heavy information." He grumbled in an amused tone. "I could give that information to you if you had some coin to loosen my lips."

"Still playing the gossip merchant, I see." Lydia mused.

"Do you want my help or not?" He growled.

"Your help could be true or false. I'd be stupid to trust you." She turned to me. "Come on, we don't need his 'help'." Maul growled and spat at us one last time as we headed past him.

"So," I started when we were out of earshot, "know the locals here, do you?"

"I knew Maul when we were younger." She explained as we headed towards the town square. "He's nothing more than a dog growling for attention and coin. His bark is worse than his bite, trust me. I know from experience." My ears perked up a bit at this information.

"What kind of experience?" I asked as nonchalantly as I could. But she walked away in the middle of my sentence.

"Let's split up." She suggested. "It will be easier to find Brynjolf if we do." I sighed as I walked away in the opposite direction. I walked for a while down onto a bridge and looked out to see if I could find any shady looking men, or at least someone who could help me.

"I know that look." A voice said behind me. I turned to see some kind of monk. "That's the look a man has when he has found his lost love."

"Eh?" I was confused.

"Do not be bashful young Nord," he continued in his cheery tone, "I saw you arrive with that armored lady. A fine couple if I ever saw one." Oh, he was talking about me and Lydia. I had to set this monk straight. While the idea of me and Lydia together was nice, it would never happen and this monk was going to make it worse, especially if he saw us together.

"Look, uh, monk." I started. "I think you've got the wrong idea. The woman and I are not in love." The monk just giggled at this.

"Of course you are!" He just wouldn't give up. "And Riften is the place to get married!" Dear Gods! What is he talking about marriage for? Is he deaf? He then proceeded to take out a necklace for me with many jewels inside. "Just give this to your lady love and you will be betrothed! You can thank me later!" He ran away before I could give the necklace back to him.

"Will!" I heard Lydia call out. I put the necklace inside my pack, planning on dealing with it later, and ran to her.

Lydia led me to the market area where a shadowy man was standing. "Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying. Eh lad?" He said after looking me over. I couldn't deal with all of these people of Riften, always with an agenda. First Maul, then the monk, now this guy?

"Actually we're looking for this old man hiding here, in Riften." I said, cutting to the chase.

"Expecting free information, eh?" He mused. "Help me deal with business first, then we'll see how I can help you."

"I just wanted some information." I said.

"And now you're getting more." He countered. "I've got a bit of an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well paid." He added. I sighed.

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

"Simple," he said, "I'm going to cause a distraction and you're going to steal a silver ring from a strongbox under the merchant Madesi's stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing." He pointed to a man behind him.

"Why place the ring in his pocket?" I asked.

"There's someone who wants him out of business, permanently. That's all you need to know." Brynjolf said. "Ready?" I nodded hesitantly. "Good, wait until I start the distraction, then show me what you're made of." He walked off towards an empty stand, clearing his throat.

"Are you seriously going to commit a crime?" Lydia asked me as I headed over to the stall with the strongbox.

"There's no other choice." I said. "I'll have to play this thieve's game if we want to find Esbern."

Bryjolf began his distraction and I went right to work. He seemed to be trying to sell something to the crowd, but my mind was on the task he gave me. Lydia watched from a distance and kept lookout as I picked the lock. My hands were shaking as I hadn't done anything like this since the dungeons of Helgen, and I wasn't under pressure then. Finally, the last lock clicked in place. I slid the door open to reveal a box in which the ring lay. I grabbed it and crept up behind Brand-Shei. I brought the hand holding the ring out towards his pocket as careful as I could. I had just reached his pocket and was about to open it, when he began to turn towards me. Shite! I would be caught! "Excuse me, kind sir." Lydia came over to Brand-Shei as discreetly as possible. "I'm not sure I understand what this man here is trying to sell. Could you explain it to me?" Lydia you genius! As Brand-Shei began talking to her, I immediately slid the ring inside his pocket and walked away quickly. Lydia saw this, thanked him, and joined me. Brynjolf finished his false sale a moment later and walked over to us as the crowd dispersed.

"It seems I chose wisely." He said. "And here's your payment, just as I promised." He handed me a small sack of coin. "With the way things are going here, it's a relief that this plan went off without a hitch. Bad business you know?"

"I don't care about your business." I said sharply. "I want my information."

"Right, the old man." Brynjolf rubbed his chin. "Come down to the catacombs beneath the city in the Ratway. We've got a tavern there called the Ragged Flagon. Meet me there, and you'll have your answers." With that he stepped away and disappeared into the crowd.

"That nearly sounded like bait for a trap." Lydia said cautiously.

"Maybe it is," I replied, "but we still have an advantage."

"What's that?" Lydia looked at me quizzically.

"I've got very good speaking skills." I grinned at her. My grin met hers as the realization dawned on her. These weren't dragons or trained soldiers. They were thieves. Best of all, they haven't met the Dragonborn just yet. "Thanks for your help by the way." I said to her, as we walked away.

""Someone needs to save your arse." She laughed and lead the way to the local tavern. I laughed alongside her as we entered. She never ceased to amaze me. "By the way, what was that monk talking to you about?" My hand went to my pack, touching the necklace through the cloth.

"Nothing that's important." I answered, and whispered: "Yet."