F'arrasha Skyrim Fic

Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Bethesda Studios. I own F'arrasha.

Chapter 7: Introduction to the Thieves Guild

When I looked about the Ragged Flagon, it was a desolate place. It had the stench of a sewer, even worse than when I had originally entered. The place was dark and the air was moist. I touched my throat, feeling the putrid air claw down me as I caught my breath from all the hazards of the enemies I had encountered down here. In the darkness, I could hear voices. I could not make any of them out except from Brynjolf. I walked over, trying to stay as quietly as I could, but, I got not within a few steps when I heard a harsh voice behind me say,

"You'll be a new rug here if you take another step."

From my position, I could not tell if he was armed. More than likely he was, but his voice made seemed more menacing. I slowly stood up and put my hands out over my head and Brynjolf laughed,

"Well, lass. Fancying meeting you here. I see you made it."

I looked back, hissing,

"I almost got killed trying to find this place!"

The voice behind me said sternly,

"Should you keep bellyaching, it would be your burial place."

Brynjolf called out,
"Dirge, that's enough. Let the lass go."

This Dirge then seemed to back off. Brynjolf then shook his head,
"Well, at least you're here. I keep telling the others there's something special about you. I know I'm right. It takes a special person to get down here."

I thought to myself it would not take a special person to slit this man's throat, but, be that as it may, I did not interrupt him. Brynjolf then said to me that, in order to fully be accepted into the…organization, as he had put it, I would have to collect some payments from people in protection and extortion rackets. I blinked at that for a moment. This was something a little more…interactive than what I expected the Thieves Guild to do. Sure, I expected pickpocketing, larceny, burglary, heists, and fencing operations, but…extortion was something that felt a bit…less appetizing than I had expected. I do not know if it was the air or that suggestion that brought me to feeling a little nauseated, but Brynjolf caught on to it. I think the others did too. Either that, or Brynjolf was did and tried to cover for me. He said there were three shopkeepers that had to pay, and press them, but do not kill them. They were, after all, thieves, not murderers. He gave me the names of the three and I left.

As I escaped the Ratway to the surface of the streets of Riften, I held my stomach and sat down on the steps. For a moment, my world was spinning. I was not sure that if this was the air inside the tunnel, or the thought of robbing people through force of arms, but it was all sudden to take in. I thought for a moment that I wanted in on this group. I was willing to be a part of this group, and, though this was initiation, I still could get out and continue to steal on my own. It then occurred to me that, if I were to go into business for myself, there would be the off chance that would bring about my end a bit quicker than I would have liked it. I sighed and shook my head. I liked living, and, given what I had to endure to get here, it was something I was going to do. I had to remind myself that I could not act like a marauder and kill these people or lay a hand on them. Other than that, it was fair.

I returned with the money. I decided not to go into the details on how I came across it in this journal. It is best if no one knew. As I returned to Brynjolf, he was very pleased with me that I had collected my debt and that I would be inducted into the Thieves Guild, complete with my own armor. Though I felt bad for the idea of what I had to do to get the armor, I admit, when I disappeared around a corner and changed into it, it felt like a second skin to me. I was more mobile and agile in it than in anything else that I wore. I was especially giddy to say the least.

Then, it came time for me to learn some of the things I would be doing with the Guild. Vex, this blonde woman that was there, was an infiltrator expert. She would set me up with any jobs that required breaking and entering, disappearing, and other non-personal jobs, as someone there put it.

Another was a bald man. His name escaped me, but he was pickpocket and bookkeeper, and he was a lot less personable to me than to his alcohol. I would get along with Vex before I would get along with him.

Then, there was Mercer Frey, whom Brynjolf brought to me. He was sort of the leader of the group and, as Brynjolf brought me to him through the cistern, I could have only imagined what this place was like in the heyday of the operation. Everyone there all agreed that they have had a run of bad luck as of late, but it was a matter of debate on what was the cause. The drunken bald man I said it was the result of a curse. With dragons running around, I would be willing to believe that.

Mercer Frey had an assignment for me. One of their clients has come to discover that a small estate that supplied honey to Riften for mead production had just suddenly cut himself off and fortified the place. Vex had gone into investigate and barely got out alive. The guards were tripled, all hired killers. Mercer wanted me to empty the safe and burn down a few hives.

Easier said than done. I needed a way in and, as I talked to Vex, she explained to me that there was an old sewer pipe that would get me inside. That might work out well.

But, before I decided to venture onto this mission, I thought it best to do some of Vex's assignments. Breaking and entering and what not. I wanted to practice and I wanted to do right by it.

Next Chapter:

Some assignments, and then, preparing for the big one…