A/N- Hello everyone! Here's chapter 6, and a big thanks out there to all who read/review/fav/follow my story! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 6: Suspicious
Astrid sat chopping various spices and vegetables at the kitchen table, eyebrows knitted together in concentration. She could feel the warmth of the fire as it slowly burned beneath a kettle, boiling the liquid within. She finished dicing a leek, sighing and pushing the small pieces into a pile to join rest of her ingredients.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Astrid felt the ache of fatigue crawling up her body, resulting from a grueling day's work spent cleaning and tending to Reiner's farm. Strangely enough, just as the sun had begun to set, her uncle had pulled her aside to fix a meal for the second time that day. For the life of her, Astrid couldn't imagine why the bastard wanted a second meal, as there were still leftovers from the first.
"Astrid..." Reiner pulled her from her thoughts as she looked toward her uncle's intruding voice.
"What?" she inquired, making sure he sensed the irritation in her voice.
"Now you're probably wondering why I have you cooking again..." he began, folding his arms across his chest.
Astrid raised an eyebrow, waiting for whatever idiotic answer was about to fall from his grimy mouth.
"I'm having some company over tonight." Reiner answered.
"Who in Oblivion would come here at this hour?" Astrid blurted out in a fog of frustration and confusion.
"Watch your tongue, girl..." Reiner warned. "Now this company - these are men I do business with. Seeing as though you haven't made us enough coin to feed a damned skeever, I decided to sell a few...items. They'll be here sometime before midnight. When you're finished here, I want you out of sight until I call for you. You'll be setting the table and fetching food for my guests." he demanded, his feelings of entitlement as obvious as ever.
"And why, pray tell, can these men not feed themselves like any individual with half a brain could?" Astrid scoffed, finding his request utterly ridiculous.
Reiner scowled, stepping into her personal space and causing her to tense. He leaned forward, only inches from her face, as she turned away from him. "Because, young Astrid, these men can make me a lot of money. If you don't do as your told, then things will be much worse for you than they are now..." he growled in her ear, causing her skin to crawl.
Astrid straightened, continuing her work to distract her from Reiner's aggressive behavior. "Very well then," she cleared her throat. "Exactly what kind of business are you engaging in, uncle?" Astrid asked, quickly changing the subject.
Reiner smirked, breathing in her ear. "My business, and not yours," he seethed, turning and walking out of the kitchen. "Remember to listen when I call for you," he reminded her as he left.
"Get downstairs. They're here," Reiner spoke quietly from the other side of Astrid's bedroom door. Funny, she thought, that the only time he spoke in a calm manner was when he needed coin. Go figure.
"Of course, dear uncle," Astrid replied, her voice sugary sweet with sarcasm as she opened her door.
"Enough, smart ass. Now get down there and feed my guests. I need to get on their good sides before I seal the deal," he said, smirking as Astrid walked by him, heading to the dining area.
Suddenly, Reiner gripped her roughly by the forearm, turning her to face him. "Don't mess this up for me," he stated in a low, threatening tone.
"I won't!" Astrid huffed, forcefully yanking her arm away from his grasp.
"You fellows must be weary from a long day's journey. My neice Astrid will gladly fetch you boys something to eat." Reiner greeted three shady looking males - an Imperial, a Dunmer, and a Khajiit. Astrid stood beside her uncle, mentally rolling her eyes at his false hospitality. He must've had quite a bit of coin riding on this interaction to be so personable, she thought.
"Reiner, we didn't come here to have a tea party. You got the Skooma or not?" the Imperial asked impatiently, hand now on hip.
"Of course, of course! Right this way..." Reiner nervously led the way out of the kitchen. The Dark Elf and the Imperial followed hastily behind him, while the Khajiit merely waited, casually seating himself.
Astrid furrowed her brow, warily observing the feline. He simply smiled at her, the seemingly innocent gesture standing in sharp contrast to the deep, ominous scar trailing down his lip. "Aren't you going with them?" she asked, curiously.
"Oh, no, no...Dar'Sien has no desire to purchase Skooma. He has all the moonsugar he will ever need. He can produce a much stronger mixture than this man. Your uncle...He holds a certain weapon that this one must aquire for his client...Yes..." the Khajiit explained calmly, carving an ambiguous doodle into Reiner's table with a sharp claw.
"Hm. Well, do you want any food? Reiner forced me to make this stew for all of you. You may as well eat some of it..." Astrid grumbled, annoyed that Reiner insisted on using her as a personal slave, no matter how ridiculous the task.
"No. Dar'Sien does not wish to consume anything that is prepared in your uncle's vicinity." the Khajiit aswered bluntly.
"I didn't poison it, if that's what you are getting at..." Astrid placed a hand on her hip, growing agitated.
"Perhaps you did not, but this one would not put it past Reiner. He is not known for his manners or courtesy. This one doesn't like the way he is behaving. It is not in his nature to be hospitable..." the Khajiit explained, nonchalantly studying his claws. "A word of advice to you...When we depart, you would be wise to empty that pot..." the Khajiit's voice fell low and raspy, shooting a leary glance toward the kettle.
Astrid, feeling intrigued by the feline, seated herself beside him. "How well do you know my uncle?" she asked, suddenly hungry for answers. Just how far did Reiner's illegal activities go? Sure he was an ass, but would he really murder someone?
The Khajiit grinned mischievously. "Oh, Dar'Sien has known Reiner for many years. This one has purchased many valuables from him. Weapons, mostly..."
"Then why not just go to the marketplace?" Astrid remarked. "What's so special about Reiner's junk?"
"Ah...Yes, the marketplace holds various weapons and wares. That is true. But Reiner...he finds rare and valuable weapons...Weapons that belong to noble families, or officers...Weapons that are illegal to be in possession of. Many would pay a small fortune for these wares. Consider Dar'Sien and your uncle to be part of a specific market, if you wish..." the Khajiit explained.
Astrid leaned back in her seat, folding her arms in disbelief. "If this is all so illegal and secretive, then why are you telling me?"
"Ah, you desire answers...Dar'Sien senses that perhaps you dislike your uncle. Is this true?" the Khajiit inquired, now tapping his claws on the table.
"Yes..." Astrid replied, surprised by the thick sound of hatred in her voice.
The Khajiit grinned, showing his razor-sharp fangs. "Dar'Sien also does not like Reiner. He is a filthy vermin. This one would rip him to shreds if he did not have such talent for aquiring valuables."
"But, why tell me?" Astrid reiterated the question, not sure what to make of all this.
"Because he clearly does not want you to know. For what reason, this one is not sure. Perhaps he fears you would grow tired of his cruelty and turn him in. Since Dar'Sien despises him, he enjoys going against Reiner's wishes..." the Khajiit purred, apparently quite happy with himself for telling on Reiner.
Astrid smirked, "I see...I'll certainly keep that information in mind."
"Use it if there ever comes a time that you need to threaten him. Reiner is a volatile serpent in the sand...Unpredictable...Unstable...He is not right...This one has known him for a long time...Beware of him...Leave this place if you can..." Dar'Sien warned, his voice turning low and sober.
Astrid simply stayed silent, not revealing that she had plans to do that very thing. She'd already sold her wares to Delvin twice by now, and tomorrow she'd receive another generous amount of coin. Her plan was to stay at the farm as long as she could possibly tolerate it, for her connection with Delvin - and the generous pay she was receiving - would be broken the moment she fled for another city. When living with Reiner proved to be too much to bear, she'd simply leave with her small fortune. She'd studied on residing in Solitude, perhaps. The deciding factor being the fact that the large city happened to be very, very far away from him.
"Ah...Dar'Sien senses that you plan to flee someday...You are much, much too quiet...Your mind is at work...This one does not blame you...You are wise to do such..." the Khajiit mused, as Astrid secretly marveled at his keen observation.
Suddenly, Reiner and the two others appeared once more. He had a dopey grin on his face, as Astrid noticed the two males had satchels full of what must've been Skooma. "Glad to do business with you two. I'll have more ready when you need me."
The Imperial and the Dunmer silently walked by Dar'Sien, nodding to him as they exited the farmhouse. The Khajiit stood calmly, catching Reiner's attention. Astrid watched as a wicked smile crept across her uncle's features. "Dar'Sien, my ole' friend! Are you here to inquire about that thing you wanted so badly?" Reiner asked, his lips curled with greed.
"Ah, this one has a certain...client in need of it, yes." Dar'Sien looked over his shoulder, sending a sly wink to Astrid, who faintly smirked in return.
"Come right this way..." Reiner stated politely, leading Dar'Sien up the stairs to his room.
Astrid had just finished placing the last of the wooden dinner bowls back in the cabinet, when Reiner and Dar'Sien came down the staircase, catching her attention.
"Such pleasure doing business with you..." the Khajiit purred contently.
"If you need anything else, you know where to find me." Reiner grinned, clutching a large coinpurse in his hand. He then turned to Astrid, "Go see him to his carriage," he demanded.
"Why would I do that?" Astrid remarked, finding his instructions to be nothing more than pointless nonsense. Dar'Sien was a Khajiit for Mara's sake! He could see better in the dark than any of them! Why would he possibly need any assistance?
"Just do it..." Reiner hissed between clenched teeth.
"Fine, uncle." Astrid spat, leading the Khajiit out the door and into the night air.
Once the door clicked shut behind them, Dar'Sien turned to Astrid with a satisfied grin on his features. "Dar'Sien requested for you to walk him to his wagon. This one has something to show you..."
Astrid gave him a wary look, backing a step away from him. "What do you need to show me?"
The feline reached into a satchel hidden under his cloak. He pulled out a strange, jagged dagger that Astrid had never seen before. "This...is very valuable. Dar'Sien's client will cherish it dearly. Dar'Sien paid your uncle a thousand gold coins for this. If he denies you supplies, saying that he has not the coin for them, then you know it is a lie. Remember, he is a serpent..." Dar'Sien hissed, hiding the blade once more.
"What's so special about that dagger?" Astrid asked, curiously.
"'Tis the Blade of Woe. It is ancient and much desired by...certain individuals. It had become lost or stolen long ago. Reiner has many weapons and valuables worth much more than this..." Dar'Sien explained.
"Why are you telling me all this again?" Astrid shook her head, still perplexed by the Khajiit's unusual behavior.
"The same reason Dar'Sien told you the other things. He dislikes your uncle. You can use this information if ever you need to turn him in. Besides, Dar'Sien prefers to have the upper-hand in all his affairs...He knows the weaknesses of those he deals with...Then, he plants the seeds...In time, they grow, if necessary..." the Khajiit grinned slyly, turning and walking away from Astrid.
"Do not eat the stew..." he turned to her again, warning Astrid one final time before leaving in the wagon.
Astrid gently shut the front door behind her, watching Reiner greedily count coins on the table. One by one, he slid each coin off the table and into the large purse, his eyes growing hungrier with every satisfying clink of gold hitting gold. Feeling extremely curious about Dar'Sien's warning, she grabbed a bowl from a nearby cabinet.
"Did you do well, uncle?" Astrid asked casually, taking the ladle and dipping a bowlful of stew for herself.
"Eh, okay. Nothing to brag about. It's enough to live off of." Reiner shrugged, downplaying his small fortune. He quickly pushed the remaining coins off the table and back into the coin purse. He was such a terrible liar.
Astrid cleared her throat, hoping to get his attention as she seated herself, placing the stew in front of her. Unfortunately, the fool took no notice, as he was busy fumbling with the string in an attempt to tie the purse shut.
"Well, this certainly smells pleasant..." Astrid remarked, glancing up at Reiner, who's mind was still quite distracted.
"Uncle..." Astrid said, finally catching his attention.
"What?!" Reiner barked, irritably.
"I'd hate to let all this food go to waste. You know, since you forced me to prepare it. Would you like me to fetch you a bowl as well?" Astrid asked innocently.
"W-what?! No! For Talos' sake! Don't eat it. Throw it out!" Reiner demanded, his eyes wide.
"Why?! I spent all this time making it!" Astrid replied indignantly. "I'm eating it." Then, to test him, she picked up a spoonful of the stew, slowly bringing it to her lips.
Reiner nearly leaped across the table, slapping both the bowl and spoon out of Astrid's hands. Astrid merely stared at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly open in astonishment.
"What are you trying to do, kill yourself?!" Reiner yelled, furious.
"...What?" Astrid asked hesitantly.
"By the gods, woman! I poisoned the stuff. Throw it out..." Reiner sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Why?" Astrid asked accusingly.
"If you MUST know, it's a slow-acting poison. Those morons would've traveled about a mile from here, then they'd be dead. I could've had payment and retrieved all my loot. I wouldn't have even had to worry about their corpses stinkin' up my property! Of course, it didn't work out that way..." Reiner admitted, tapping his grimy fingers on the table in frustration.
"H-have you done this before?" Astrid inquired, feeling sick inside. He really was a serpent. Dar'Sien was right.
"Look, don't think for one second that those milk drinkers wouldn't do the same to me, if they had the chance! How I make profit is my own business, understand?" Reiner growled defensively, balling his fists.
"Very well, uncle. Pardon me, I'm going to throw this out now." Astrid stood promptly, going toward the kettle.
"Astrid..." Reiner spoke, his tone softening a bit.
"What?"
"Just...Keep all this between you and me, alright? These are personal matters, anyway. I can't have the whole city of Riften knowing my business." he stated, as Astrid sensed an uneasiness in his voice.
"Now just who would I tell, uncle?" Astrid smiled innocently.
