F'arrasha Skyrim Fic

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

Chapter 9: Strange Brew

I stretched my arms high as I awoke from my slumber. My body and senses were now getting acclimated to the Ratway and its dark, damp air. I breathed in and out, as if a great burden had been lifted off of my shoulders. I was relieved. I was alive. I had survived the first true serious mission for the Thieves Guild, and I was happy.

As I was about to go find some breakfast, Brynjolf found me. He smirked and asked if I had a nice cat-nap. I looked up at him, rolling my eyes at the joke, but I had chuckle a little. He told me that Maven Black Briar was interested in talking to me about a job. I blinked. I had heard that name when I came into Riften. Apparently, she was a woman that had commanded influence in this area for quite some time. I asked what it was about, but Brynjolf shook his head, saying that it was between her and me, and it was not his business. He told me that Maven was waiting for me at the Bee and Barb.

I figured I would go there and eat breakfast anyway, but it would not be an enjoyable experience. As I navigated the Ratway back to the surface and into the small bar, the owner gave me a hard glare, not liking me at all for threatening her family. But, she was civil, and gave me some fruit and water, free of charge. I sat and ate mindlessly, my thoughts flooding with what Maven would want me to do. If it was theft, it was simple. If it was a murder, then it would be more complicated. I doubt it would be a murder. The Thieves Guild would contract that out to the Dark Brotherhood. They would not need the added scrutiny should the local guards ask questions.

I finished my water and fruit and went upstairs to see her. Maven had rented a private table and was eating, her back toward a wall. She looked at me, scoffing that I did not appear to be as good as Brynjolf had told her I was. I wanted to reply, but was afraid to. There was something about Maven's attitude that caused me to stay silent, both out of fear and out of the anticipation of payment. Maven brushed her hair back and explained that she liked things simple; cause and effect. She cared only for the result of something that happened to her or it is in her best interest to do so. One of those things was a man named Mallus Macius. I was told to meet this man Mallus in Whiterun, as he would have the necessary details for the assignment I was going to go on. I left, taking the stage to Whiterun.

I arrived at dusk, my stomach gnarling at me for nourishment. I arrived at the Bannered Mare and ordered some hot meat and soup. As I took a seat, I heard a bard telling a tale of intrigue and mystery, and Mallus, who was sitting in the back, was listening intently. I pulled up a seat next to him and began eating hungrily. Within minutes, I had finished my meal and the bard performance was complete. While the bard was resting, Mallus looked at me, ready to discuss the job. It was a relatively simple job. I had to become an exterminator of sorts.

Sabjorn was the owner of a mead hall just outside of town, and he was holding a special tasting for the captain of the guard. The plan was to ruin it. The meadery had a pest problem and the plan was for me to get hired by this Sabjorn and get rid of the problem. He would provide me with the poison necessary and I would use that poison to deal with both the nest and the brew. The poison was nonlethal to people, but it would leave a bad taste in your mouth. Once Sabjorn was arrested, Mallus said he would be the one to take over, as per the arrangement with Maven, and stock only Maven's brew. I smirked. It was a brilliant plan.

I headed out in the morning after resting and purchasing some arms and equipment. When I arrived, Sabjorn was instantly demanding, noting the many problems he had with the meadery. I feigned innocence and asked what was going on. He looked at me, glaring with those eyes of his. He said that if I wanted to know what was going on, I was also interested in work. I nodded that I was and he said that he would only pay me once the job was done. He handed me the poison and explained that the pests were coming in and ruining his mead. He stalled the Captain of the guard for a while, but he needed me to hurry and get rid of the problem. I also received the key to the basement and said not to come back up until I finished the job.

Rat exterminator. That was all that I wanted to be. Alas, it was not as glamorous a job as breaking into someone's house and stealing something from right out from underneath their nose, but it was a job nonetheless. I went to the basement and instantly felt a draft. The place reeked of mead and animal droppings. I then heard two steel traps close in on something. As I checked, I saw two skeevers that were killed, caught in the floor traps. I carefully stepped through them and into the opening, leading underneath the basement. As I crept through the darkness, my daggers were at the ready. I shook my head, wondering how far I had to go through this thing to get to the nest. Knowing rats, it would have to be pretty far.

But, rats were not the only thing in here. I got further in and saw spiders. Some of them were even eating the skeevers. I tried to get by one of them, but it saw me and came at me. I ducked out of the way and jumped on it, slashing at its head with my daggers. I must have punctured its brain as it lay dead from the stab wound. I took a moment and shook my head, trying to shake the disgusting feeling of what was happening to me. The things I do for the Thieves Guild sometimes makes me cringe in disgust. I was hoping for more thefts, pickpocketing, or other things that did not require me to soil my armor with animal waste. But, still, I pressed on.

I got to the man nest, where I heard a man chanting or muttering to himself. I do not know who it was, but he was by the nest and there would be no way I could get to him. This was a problem. Add to the fact that he was surrounded by the nest, and things got even more complicated. These rats seemed to be obeying him, or permitting him to remain. He must have harnessed their power to do his bidding. I stepped back into the darkness and tried to think of a plan. There had to be something I could do.

Then, it hit me. Throughout my adventures in and around Skyrim, in my training to join the Thieves Guild, I did some exploring of ruins and came across a couple of scrolls that could conjure creatures. I carefully took one scroll out and read it slowly, to see if I understood the spell. When I recited it a few times in my mind, I was ready and cast the spell. Within the next few seconds, the creature I had summoned was decimating the skeevers and the man that was commanding them. I could hear the curses of the man and the screams of the skeevers as the creature I had summoned vanquished them in a cruel manner. The creature I had summoned then disappeared and I saw the destruction it had brought upon the nest. Still, I had to poison it and I began to set the poison in the nest.

Once that was done, I found the exit into the vats and poured the rest of the poison in the mead vats themselves. Taking all the gold I had found there, I returned to Sabjorn, ready for payment. Sabjorn was now entertaining the captain, and Mallus was in attendance as well. Sabjorn pulled me aside and said I would get paid when the Captain of the Guard would be done. I held back a hiss of disapproval as he turned and began explaining to the guard about the importance of mead. Mallus and I watched as the captain wretched in disgust at the tasting. He pulled out his sword and ordered Sabjorn into prison for attempted murder. He directed Mallus to take over the meadery. Once the two left, I began giggling and laughing. I did it. I believed that all the things I had done, especially fighting through the nest, made that moment especially worth it. Of course, it would have gone better had I known a raving lunatic was down there, but, be that as it may, it was done.

Mallus gave me a key to the office so I could look around to see if I could identify Sabjorn's silent partner. As I rummaged through the room, I found some jewelry and some potions I would be needing, as well as coin. Then, I found something else; a promissory note with the same symbol as the bill of sale from the Goldenglow Estate. There was no doubt a connection, but I still had no idea what this symbol meant, or who was doing all of this. I returned to Maven at dusk and she gave me payment; a magical dagger. She said it was an acceptable payment for my services, and I handed her the promissory note. As she looked at it, I could see the cold rage in her eyes and she was not going to let this stand. I explained that I saw the same symbol on the bill of sale to the Goldenglow Estate. Maven was going to find who was doing this.

Deciding to leave her to her temper, I returned to Brynjolf and explained my contract was completed. After a long deserved rest, I would head back out again…

Next Chapter:

Scoundrel's Folly…