A/N- Hi everyone! First of all, my apologies that this is a little late. This has been a really hectic week and I wasn't quite finished tweaking this chapter yesterday. Thanks to everyone who has stopped in to read/fav/follow/review! It means a lot! Hope you enjoy this chapter!


Chapter 5: Dishonest

If there was ever one thing Astrid found herself agreeing with Reiner over, it was the fact that trying to sell his vegetables was a futile venture, to say the least. She had been set up in the market square all day, only to have an elderly woman purchase two leeks for a gold coin. One gold piece was the only thing she had to her name from all of her hard labor since daybreak. Unlike the well-established merchants of Riften, she'd been stuck on the outskirts of the marketplace with no wooden stand to show off her wares. It probably wouldn't have helped anyway, Astrid figured.

Reiner had been right about one thing, however, and it was the fact that she did garner the attention of the male onlookers within her immediate area. Of course, they simply made lewd remarks or ogled her, with no intention of actually bartering with her. She nearly retched when a man who appeared to be the town drunkard asked if she'd been interested in marriage. Apparently, her misery had travelled beyond the imprisoning walls of Reiner's farm and right into the city of Riften along with her.

"You know, you...would make a...lovely...wife..." the sot slurred on, standing much too close for Astrid's comfort. "By the...way...y-you wouldn't have some...spare gold...would ya?" the man begged, the foul reek of alchohol rising from his clothing.

"No. I don't have anything. Go away." Astrid answered plainly, not amused in the least.

"But I...was only..." the drunkard rambled on, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"Here, buddy." A rough, masculine hand came from the crowd of bustling peasants holding three gold coins. "Should be enough for a drink, friend. Now why don't you go and bugger off, eh? This young lady is tryin' to work here." a voice with a thick, distinct accent hit her ears. Astrid's gaze rose to meet the blue eyes of a young Breton man. His sandy blonde hair was of extremely short length and he seemed to be suited in some sort of light armor.

Astrid watched silently as the young man shooed the unwanted sot toward the nearest tavern in sight, which happened to be a place the locals called the Bee and Barb. The man turned his gaze back to Astrid, his expression welcoming and friendly.

"Well, he shouldn't be botherin' you anymore, miss. Another drink and he'll be dead to Nirn, I'd wager." the man grinned broadly.

"Thanks for getting rid of him," Astrid spoke, feeling relieved the annoyance had vanished from her sight.

"No problem, miss. He's a bit of a nuisance, that one. Always botherin' the womenfolk around here. Askin' for their hands in marriage and whatnot...He didn't take any of your coin, did he?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but that would be assuming I actually have any coin to take..." Astrid mumbled, irritated by her dismal attempts at selling Reiner's goods.

"Is that so, eh?" the man eyed Astrid's baskets of various vegetables, rubbing his chin. "Looks to me like you have nice crops here, miss."

"Yeah, try telling that to everyone else around here..." Astrid huffed, folding her arms from frustration.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me, luv. I know all about the...er...finacial woes of Riften. It ain't your fault, miss. It's these parts. Terribly hard for a soul to make an honest livin' around here. Just the way it is." the man explained, a trace of sympathy in his voice.

"I don't know how much I actually value an honest living at this point, really. Honest work hasn't gotten me much of anywhere, to be quite frank with you," Astrid admitted, venting her frustrations.

At those words, the man shot her a look, as if he were examining her for some reason. "Is that so, miss...? So, if I were to let you in on a little secret - tell you who'd give you the real business - you'd be willin' to listen?"

Astrid shrugged, nonchalantly, though secretly feeling a sense of intrigue from the man's words. Did he know some way she could make more coin? Did she actually have a chance to leave her rotten uncle? "I don't see why not." she answered coolly.

"Very well, then..." the man's tone fell hushed, as he leaned in close to her. "You can make the coin, but it would require you to sell to those of us with less than honorable reputations..."

"Us? So you are part of whatever this less than reputable orginization is, then?" Astrid asked, suddenly eager to learn more.

"Aye, I am...My guild is in desperate need of food provisions, and our last supplier was murdered. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, that one. We can't rely on the established merchants here. They're all about keepin' their businesses untarnished by our lot and all that. If you'll sell to me, I'll buy the whole lot of your crops here for no less than two hundred gold. Whaddya say, miss?" the man asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Really? That's double what their worth..." Astrid said warily.

"Of course it is! I'll pay you well, and you can bring me a shipment of goods each week. It'll be worth your time, miss." he persuaded.

Instinctively feeling skeptical of the stranger's offer, Astrid narrowed her eyes. "But why pay so well for something so common? Surely, whoever you are, it can't be that hard to obtain simple vegetables. It's not like I'm smuggling moonsugar..."

"Ah, you need explanations then. I like a woman who can think for herself. Yes, food isn't especially hard to find, but it's hard to find someone who will sell copious amounts of their wares to the likes of us. The type of work we perform keeps us on our toes, and we don't have time for dallying around and what not. Let's just say pickin' out vegetables is the least of our concerns. It's well worth the gold to find a steady supplier." the young man explained, the idea of it all sounding perfect.

"You have a deal, then. You pay me two hundred gold coins, and I'll bring more next week. " Astrid smirked, feeling elated to have some money to her name for once.

"Ah, now that's what I like to hear! The name's Delvin Mallory. And you might be...?" he inquired, extending a hand in a friendly greeting.

"Astrid. So, who exactly are your people?" she asked while shaking his hand, curious to his secrecy.

"As much as I'd love to tell you, I'm gonna have to wait for a bit. We need to do business for a bit first, until we get to know each other a bit better. I hope you understand, luv. They'd have my head if I let everything slip in one meetin'." he answered apologetically, handing her a heavy coin purse.

Astrid smiled, opening the purse to admire the shiny coins within. "Very well, then. Hopefully we'll get to know each other better soon. So, do you need me to help you with these baskets?"

"No, miss. Just leave 'em. I'll have my people pick them up. They're a pretty secretive lot. It was a pleasure doin' business with you, miss Astrid." he grinned broadly. "Hope to see you again real soon."

"Oh, you will..." Astrid smirked from over her shoulder, walking away.


Delvin looked on as the young blonde faded out among the crowd. He sighed, hoping things would fair well for his new business relationship. Of course, there was more to it than the mere convenience of having a fresh delivery of foodstuffs every week. Being a young man, he couldn't help but notice that she was a beautiful creature. Among other things, he'd hoped to get to know her better over time.

There was something he found instantly alluring about the young woman. She seemed calm and had a cool exterior, which was quite refreshing compared to many women he knew about her age. They were rowdy, fun, and none too serious. They were just right for a good romp, but many were happy-go-lucky and had their heads in the clouds. Astrid, however, seemed to have something deeper hidden beneath those pretty hazel eyes of hers.

There was something about her that seemed more observant, reserved, and perhaps even more calculated than most. There seemed to be something devious inside her waiting to be released. Every criminal had some form of this quality, and Delvin himself recognized it better than anyone. It was the need to gain for oneself by any means necessary. It was the urge to break through the binds of what others deemed good and normal, and dabble into the dark pleasures of criminal desires.

Delvin chuckled to himself, hopeful that he'd see the mysterious young woman again. He tugged at a basket filled to the brim with potatoes, throwing it over his shoulder, while grabbing another containing leeks. He'd send for the others when he made his way to the Ragged Flagon. Delvin took one final glance through the crowd, seeing no trace of the enigmatic woman who had peeked his interests.

"Astrid..." he said to himself, tasting the sound of her name. He donned a crooked grin, thoughts of the blonde Nord running rampant through his mind.


"What do you mean you sold all of it for ten bloody coins?! Damn it! Are you crazy, woman?!" Reiner yelled furiously, throwing his tankard of Ale across the room.

Astrid pulled a small, pitiful pouch of coins from her satchel, casually tossing it on the dinner table. She shrugged apathetically, "It's the best I could do. I had one offer, and the man offered ten gold coins for the whole thing or nothing at all."

"If he would have offered you a single blasted coin for the whole lot, would you have taken that offer, too?! Stupid girl..." he growled, his face red and his eyes glaring.

"The only thing stupid around here is your expectations, dear uncle..." Astrid spat sarcastically, folding her arms. "If I'm not mistaken, you informed me yourself that I'd hardly have any luck. So I did as I was instructed. I sold your crops and I received payment. Now I have given it to you, as you so eloquently demanded earlier. Now, am I dismissed from this debate?" Astrid cocked an eyebrow.

Reiner stared daggers through Astrid, causing her every muscle to tense. Hopefully he wouldn't sense that she was hiding something. Of course, seeing as though the man drank alcohol as if it were water, he couldn't possibly have a very acute sense of awareness.

"Errr...very well, then. This mess will have to do. Just get outta my sight..." Reiner grumbled, quickly grabbing a bottle of Ale off a nearby shelf and plopping on a chair. "Next time I expect to see you take a better offer...You got took, girl..."

Astrid merely shot him an unpleasant look before calmly dismissing herself and heading up the staircase. She felt more than annoyed by Reiner's constant disapproval and demanding nature, but she'd keep it to herself, along with other things.

...

Astrid held her breath, listening to the gentle click as she locked the door to her bedroom. Eyes growing wide and alert, she quickly scanned her surroundings for a hiding spot that wouldn't be so obvious. She didn't trust stuffing the pouch inside her mattress or locking it in the dresser. If Reiner somehow caught onto her, he'd probably tear those things apart first thing to get to it.

She silently crouched, running her fingers over the old floorboards, hoping to find a weak spot to pry up and hide her prized possession. Unfortunately, the old homestead was as sturdy as ever, causing a defeated sigh to fall from Astrid's lips.

Traces of moonlight filtered through her bedroom window, painting in twisted patterns on the floor, and catching Astrid's attention. Maybe inside would be far too obvious. She stood, calmly approaching the window and scanning the moonlit landscape on the other side. What place would her uncle never think to notice? Astrid's mind became blank, desperately searching for an answer.

Leaning toward the glass, she sighed, her warm breath fogging her view. Frowning, she wiped the translucent layer of steam from her vision, her eyes narrowing when clarity revealed the answer that lay on the other side of the window. Astrid smirked, her eyes fixating on the old, murky well in the distance. The rickety bucket was still resting in its dark depths, where Astrid had left it. It had remained completely untouched since she'd found it. Never in a hundred years would Reiner plan to look there...