Chapter One
Adrenaline was the only thing that pushed him forward. His hands shook furiously, yet he managed to unlock the safe box under the booth. As told, he retrieved the silver ring and quickly made his way behind the crates Brand-Shei sat upon. His nimble fingers quickly placed the object in the Dark Elf's pocket and the culprit scampered away. He felt a small twang of regret, but it was too late; Brynjolf had finished making a spectacle of himself and Madesi was already back behind her small wooden jewelry stand. He heard the Argonian woman scream and call for the guards. Almost immediately the other booth owners were searched. The ring was found on Brand-Shei, just as Brynjolf had planned. Brand-Shei screamed and kicked ferociously as he proclaimed his innocence, but to no avail. The young man stood and walked towards a clapping and smiling Brynjolf. "That was some feat you pulled off, kid. Here's your gold, as promised. But why stop there? There is a whole lot more where that came from. I'll tell you what; if you can make it through the Ratway and get to the Ragged Flagon unharmed, I'm sure the Thieves Guild would love to have you as a part of the family!" And with that Brynjolf turned and walked away.
The young man was stunned. His family had died when he was very young and he had grown up in the alley ways of Riften. His name was Victor. He was told that his parents named him this because he was destined for success and "victory". This seemed to be the opposite now. All Victor had were his street smarts and his best friend, Marcurio. The more Victor thought about his life, the more he wanted this new "family" to be a part of it. He knew the Ratway was a dangerous place, so he decided it was best for Marcurio to accompany him. The pair had grown up together and had become the source of much mischief in Riften. Ever since he could remember they had been causing all sorts of trouble for the Hold, especially in the local pub known as the Bee and Barb. Keerava, the owner of the Bee and Barb, was not fond of the boys. In fact, she did everything she could to keep them out. The Argonian would use any excuse to remove them from the pub. Just earlier that week, Victor had become entangled in a small bar scuffle which resulted in his removal from the establishment for five days. Only two days had passed, yet Victor still strolled up to the back end of the pub and prepared to open the large wooden doors.