The Pink Haired Pirate: An Old Norse Saying
Rated: M for language, future mature themes, violence, gore
Warnings: Spoiler alert for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
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The current situation was...to be frank...irritating. Bartering with at the very least uncultured merchants and mere carriage drivers were something not only annoying but pointless and futile. They were so poor in all the other fields you could think of, that their only way of getting through the day was to rip off everybody they could. They'd tear your skin apart if it meant a good deal. It would give the purses or boots named after real names a whole new meaning.
However, Marcurio was fully aware of why bartering was needed. This was a special case. Passing the Cyrodiil border was dangerous while the Civil War raged on. The Imperial troops in Skyrim were already thinned out, mostly because of how the Emperor requested full protection of their borders, in case the Aldmeri Dominion decided to strike. It was common knowledge for whoever was interested enough to find out.
"50 septims." He crossed his arms at the Nord man who went by the name of Sigaar. He was merely bored, holding the reins of the mare, the color of coffee and milk, with white spots here and there.
"70 septims."
"60."
"80."
Marcurio's eye twitched. "100 septims."
"135."
The need to pull the hair out of his head was almost too strong to be held in check. "Listen to me, and listen to me well. I need someone to get me and my friend to Bruma. 100 coins is my final price. If you're not up for it, I will look for another capable driver and I WILL find another capable rider." If only the looks could kill...But his hands could. All he needed was a single sparkle from the tips of his fingers and he'd be reduced to a crisp.
Sigaar pondered the idea for a few seconds before nodding, giving in. "Fine. 100 coins be it. When are you leaving?"
Right. When did Sakura say she would finally be available? She didn't. She went off to sleep, but he could bet his whole library of scrolls that she was doing anything but sleeping. He knew her typology, the kind of person who always worked themselves to death and did not think of the consequences beforehand. "I will look for you when my friend will be ready to leave."
Marcurio shook his hand, sealing the deal. He handed out 50 septims in advance before he strolled back to the city gates. If there was someone who knew where to find Sakura and what was she up to, that was her cat. Chihiro, he wasn't yet sure if he pronounced her name right, was a strange talking cat akin to a mini-khajit, gifted with the arts of mana, just like a man was with proper training. But if he paid at least a little attention to what he's been told, he understood that while not all cats were like Chihiro; all the summoned cats were.
He passed the white-furred cat, sitting in a corner, licking her muzzle and paws thoroughly. He silently motioned her to follow him, and Chihiro immediately complied. Marcurio felt a weight on his shoulder as the cat jumped on. He closed his eyes, as they flickered away and landed right on top of the roof of the Temple of Mara. He looked around.
"You wanted me to follow. How can I help you, Ponytail?" Chihiro asked as she jumped off his shoulder. She sat down right across him. "I've been interrupted from my meal."
"If I remember well, the fish was gone and I can bet where has it gone when I spotted you." Marcurio sat down, crossing his legs.
"All I need to know is where could I find Sakura. I have found a guy to take us to Cyrodiil. As easy as that. The problem is, that I can bet that Sakura is not here anymore. I just want you to tell her that we'll leave whenever she's ready to go."
Chihiro eyed him. "Touché. I will let her know when I see her around, don't worry that wizard head of yours. But, under one condition."
"Condition?" Marcurio's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What would you want? Fish?"
"Fish sounds good but...no. I'm bored, I need entertainment. Just let me stick with you for a while." Chihiro got up and stretched her body, yawning, before jumping on Marcurio's shoulder again. He sighed. It was not like he had a choice in that.
"Fine. Let's get out of here. But I warn you, there's nothing entertaining about watching someone writing in a scroll."
"I have resisted watching Sakura writing seals for hours straight; I doubt it's something I can't handle." Chihiro merely commented. She was sitting pretty comfortably on his shoulder. And she was pretty light too. Most of her mass was fur anyways.
"I have warned you."
Chihiro wished she would have just listened to Ponytail and gone fishing on Lake Honrich instead. Because watching someone write meters long of scrolls was akin to torture.
"Don't. Say. A. Word." She hissed, raising her head from the lounging position on the bed, as she saw his head turned to her.
"Fine. But only because I don't want to argue with a cat." He sassed as he looked over new spell tome he was working on. It was not that new, actually, but it has been a while since he has started it.
Chihiro hopped on his desk and looked over, sitting down right next to the ink well. She knew a little bit of Tamrielic, she had no trouble currently speaking it, but reading was on a whole another level. It looked like gibberish. She could even swear it was gibberish. But instead of a rude 'What the hell is that?' She just merely asked him.
"What are you writing there?"
"A new spell." Fascinating. Chihiro chewed a little on his feather. It earned a glare from Marcurio.
"Stop that. And if you think to lay here on the notes, get lost."
"As if." She huffed. "It will get ink in my fur. Just tell me what is it and I will leave you alone."
Marcurio eyed her. "It's a Destruction theory book. I have started it when I was a student but stopped working on it when I left Cyrodiil. I was too busy trying not to die to keep working on the spell." He explained. "It's supposed to harness the mana, ignite it and be able to breathe it out. But in smaller intensities. Imagine being stuck in a rope and you'd just burn it off yourself. Then cool it down with a frost spell."
Chihiro yawned. "Interesting. But do you want me to show you something even more interesting?" She grinned.
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Sakura did not bother to show up wearing her Thieves Guild garb to meet up with Maven Black-Briar. Sure, that hag could chirp about her allying with the most hated faction in Riften. But...so was the Black-Briar family. Right?
Said business tycoon was surprised to see the so-called 'Riften's Golden Girl' appear upstairs, hidden away from the prying eyes. Maven's sienna colored eyes narrowed a little, as she raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow.
"I'm surprised that Riften's newest babyface has been sent to answer my summons." Her lips pulled in a thin line. Something told Sakura that Maven was not surprised at all. Or maybe she was just good at it.
"Brynjolf has either lost his touch...or it has become so good it corrupted even a kind, sweet soul, like you."
There was a touch of disgust and well-hidden sarcasm which made Sakura almost sneer and spit in her face. But she let the woman continue. She let her indulge in her own loathing.
"I really wonder what the Jarl would have to say if her protege was revealed to be a thief." Maven crossed her arms. She was trying to rile her up. Get a reaction out of her. Maybe if nuisance got angry, she could put up a few words to the Jarl and have her locked up. Her son needed some company, after all. But the younger woman's lips pulled in a sugary smile.
"Don't worry about me, Mrs. Black-Briar. We are in the same pot, are we?"
"Same pot?"
"But of course, same pot. Think about it: you're the one who kept my Guild up and running all these years; the reason everyone has been boycotting you. I could look for proof that you've been working with them, couldn't I?" When Maven opened her mouth to speak, Sakura raised a single index finger up.
"Maybe the Jarl would believe you. But she couldn't silence the whole Hold. Because the record of the Black-Briar clan is not a pristine sheet of paper now, is it? Now, let's skip the conversation and get down to business."
Sakura expected her to back away. To hang her head low and step away. Of course, she would not really expect that from a Black-Briar. But maybe.
Instead, Maven merely smirked slightly. "It was about time Brynjolf decided to pick out somebody with a sense of business and a spine to back it up. Make no mistake, I do not tolerate when the common rabble talks back to me."
She turned to look out the window. "Whatever I need from you is not located here. Head to the Bannered Mare and look for a man named Mallus Maccius in Whiterun. He will fill you in with all the details."
She simply nodded. "It will be done."
"Then so be it."
Sakura walked a little further and simply disappeared, flickering right above Bee and Barb. She bit on her thumb and spread the blood in her palm, before pressing it on the roof. With a soft puff of smoke, a dust-colored cat sat on top of the vanishing marks. Kurosuke. But where was Chihiro?
"It's been a while, Sakura-sama. What do you need my help with?"
Kurosuke was rather one of the smallest cats Sakura could summon. But he was a mature, adult, black-footed cat, whose hobbies were napping and senbon target practicing. Like many of her select group of summons, Kurosuke was specialized in infiltration and silent assassination. And on top of that, information gathering.
Now that Sakura has dipped the Black-Briars a bit in hot water, she had to act fast.
"Look, Kuro-kun. I want you to infiltrate in the sewers and look for any kind of piece of paper with this written on it. Any kind. And hide them in a storage scroll." Sakura pulled out her journal and scribbled down Maven's name.
She also explained thoroughly the whole layout of the Ragged Flagon and the Cistern beneath the city. The gray tabby merely nodded.
"You can count on me, Sakura-sama." The cat dipped his head in a bow before disappearing.
Sakura bit her lip and sat up, putting her journal back in her pouch, and leaped off the roof. She landed on the roof right next to it and so on until she landed on top of the protective walls of Riften. She looked down, to see the duty guard looking up to her.
She merely waved as she flickered away. She ran through the branches of the trees, flapping open the map, remembering carriage driver Tom's brief impression over Whiterun. It was a rich hold and its capital was beautiful. The residents were living well, mostly because of Jarl Balgruuf the Greater's wish to stay neutral during the Civil War. He had yet to pick a side when no other choice could be given.
Much like Land of Iron, back home. They have stayed out of all kinds of conflicts involving the Elemental Nations, not straying from the Way of the Bushido. She couldn't blame them either.
Sakura also recognized the city from its walls, and the even greater castle residing above the Cloud District. Its build started from wood, then reached all the way to stone, where King Olaf One-Eye has kept imprisoned the legendary dragon Numinex.
At least that's what the legend was talking about. It was interesting...to say at least.
One of Bannered Mare's windows were opened. She gently slipped inside and made her way to the inn's main hall. She was greeted by a warm atmosphere coming from the lively (mostly) patrons of the inn, the fire pit in the middle and the fragrance mix of the venison stew she has started to love, Honnigbrew mead and snowberry jam.
A blonde Nord bard was playing the lute in front of the fire pit, singing the old song of 'Ragnar the Red'. The innkeeper was sending her barmaid here and there, to tend to the tables, occasionally cleaning up the mead spills quickly, before they could ruin the wooden tables.
"There once was a hero named Ragnar the Red, who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead!"
Sakura scouted the common room discreetly, before sitting down at a table, where the sole Imperial man in the building was sitting. That had to be Mallus Maccius, right? She sat down daintily, tucking the skirt of her dress neatly.
Mallus was too engrossed in his own thoughts and mug of mead, to even hear her almost silent steps.
Finally, Hulda noticed the unusual appearance of the new patron and signaled Saadia to walk over. She was a little startled, to say at least.
"It's alright, Hulda, I'll go immediately. Do you believe me that I haven't heard the door either?" Saadia whispered and hurried to tend the table. She gently cleared her throat.
"Welcome to the Bannered Mare, miss. What can I serve you with, today?" Saadia had to tap the young woman on the shoulder. The hair was strange. It was pink. Did she use a potion to change her appearance? If so, she needed to know the brewer. Or if she had any of it herself.
"And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade, as he told of bold battles and gold he had made!"
Sakura looked up to the Redguard lady and simply smiled, amiably.
"A cup of frost mirriam tea, please. With honey. The taste is refreshing but a little too bitter if it's not sweetened with something."
Saadia blinked a little and smiled back, before nodding.
"Of course." The Redguard woman turned on her heel and walked right behind the back of the bar to brew her tea. Luckily, they had a few leaves of frost mirriam lying around. Maybe she could buy some from Arcadia, literally next door, in case the woman would pay them a visit again.
Sakura looked on her right and smiled. Mallus was staring right at her. His attention snapped with the second she started talking.
"I was really wondering when would you have started to notice my presence. I wasn't really trying to hide it, you know." She spoke out for him, drumming gently on the wooden table, while Saadia was preparing the herbal tea.
Frost mirriam was a herb especially used in alchemy to especially increase resistance in extremely cold weather, which was a blessing for anybody who was not a Nord. Sakura could guess the herb helped the body regulate the body temperature properly. But in tea, it had a really nice fresh taste similar to mint, but more bitter, and even tastier if sweetened. It was a delight.
"But then he went quiet, did Ragnar the Red when he met the shieldmaiden Matilda who said...
"Oh, you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead! Now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed!"
"Who...Just who in the Oblivion are you?" He could not ask anything else. In the meanwhile, Sakura was brought her tea as well.
The woman hummed gently. "I've been told you needed help. Meadery. And Black-Briar." She cupped her glass and sipped carefully. It was still hot, freshly brewed. She could almost sigh in delight; the Bannered Mare made the best tea so far.
Mallus' eyes lit in recognition as he nodded. "I...I see. Good. It's good that Maven sent someone so stealthy. Because we'll have to pull a sneaky on the Honningbrew Meadery owner."
Sakura put the cup down and raised an eyebrow.
"A...sneaky you say. Do elaborate, please."
Mallus smirked.
"And so then came the clashing and slashing of steel, as the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal!"
"Honningbrew's owner, Sabjorn, is about to hold a tasting for Whiterun's Captain of the Guard and we're going to poison the mead." He knocked twice on the table, and Saadia walked over with a bottle of mead, filling the mug up.
Sakura pondered the idea a little. "Won't the Captain of the Guard be harmed? I'm not sure if seriously injuring the man is really worth the prank."
Mallus merely shook his hand. "It's a rat poison. Unless the son of the bitch drinks a mugful, he won't get as much as a food poisoning. But the reaction will be immediate. It will hand Sabjorn a one-way ticket to Whiterun's Jail."
"And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no moooooree... when his ugly red head rolled around on the floor!"
Mikael the Bard finished the song, putting the lute away. Sakura definitely did not like the way the blond looked at her. Instead, she focused on the task at hand.
"So what did Sabjorn do to deserve Maven's wrath then?" Every task carried for Maven might find itself useful in a way or another.
He snorted. "Sabjorn's been a pain in Maven's back for a while, she said. And you can imagine it, both of them run successful meaderies. On top of that, I made the mistake of borrowing coin from Sabjorn. He's allowing me to pay it back, but he's working my fingers to the bone! He treats me like a slave... I have to do every nasty, dirty job in the meadery."
Well, at least Sabjorn was an asshole she would have no qualms about leaving him in jail. One less of a struggle, she supposed.
Sakura had her cup refilled. She sipped it gently.
"Understandable. So, do you have the poison then?"
Mallus chuckled. "No. You see, that's the point. He will give us the poison." Seeing her surprised face, he continued. "The meadery has a little rat problem. So he will give us a poison to get rid of the rats. But in the meanwhile, you will pour it into the vats."
Sakura couldn't help but grin. It sounded clever indeed.
"So, when do I start?
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"It took you a while," Mallus commented as Sakura finally made her appearance inside the main hall of the meadery. She has already received the 300 gold payment from Sabjorn, who cleaned his best looking cup to serve the Captain of the Whiterun Guard.
Sakura shrugged.
"Skeevers are a piece of cake. But did you guys know that there was a mad Breton mage living underground?" She pulled out the journal of the self-proclaimed 'Rat King', flipping it open.
"This thing should have been taken care of a while ago, you know?"
"It was not like the Hold could hand out a few guards to take care of the madman." Mallus shrugged. "But you came out unscathed, I'm impressed."
"That's just what I do. Now shush, the show's about to begin." Nothing was able to contain her excitement. Sabjorn has already pulled out the freshly bottled mead - more like freshly poisoned mead - out and started to fill up his best mug.
The tasting ceremony already begun. Commander Caius walked over, followed by two guards wearing the same yellow-clothed cuirass uniform specific for the Whiterun Hold.
"Well, Sabjorn. Now that you've taken care of your little pest problem, how about I get a taste of some of your mead?"
"Help yourself, milord. It's my finest brew yet... I call it Honningbrew Reserve. I think you'll find it quite pleasing to your palate." Commander Caius merely rolled his eyes as he brought the goblet up to his lips.
"Oh come now, this is mead... not some wine to be sipped and savored." Sakura's eyes widened in mirth and glee as an expression of pain contorted on the face of the guard captain. He gasped and spit the mead right out on the floor.
"By the Eight?! What... what's in this?" He grabbed the goblet. "You assured this place was clean!"
Sabjorn's eyes widened with fear and confusion.
"I don't understand, what is it?.."
Two guards already marched up, grabbing each of Sabjorn's arms.
"I'll see... see to it that you remain in irons for the rest of your days!"
"No, please! I don't understand!"
Commander Caius left Mallus in charge of the meadery; perfectly convenable for her business. Soon, the Honningbrew mead would be replaced by the Black-Briar.
"Farewell, Sabjorn." Mallus chuckled and waved back.
Sakura stretching her back and looked around.
"Oi, Mr. Maccius. Do you think I could take a look? Get a few trinkets?"
Mallus blinked and nodded, shrugging. "Sure. Why not. Go ahead." He could care less if the place was robbed at that moment. It would have been restocked by the Black-Briar meadery. And he was now in charge of all of it.
Life couldn't get sweeter.
Sakura walked upstairs, grinning widely, much like a child in a store full of candy. Or toys. She pushed the door to Sabjorn's room open and scouted for any kind of loot. Mallus couldn't give two fucks; he let her pick whatever trinkets she wanted, both out of gratitude and relief. So Sakura had no qualms about drying the place of everything valuable.
She found a basket somewhere in the corner of the room, as she rummaged through Sabjorn's stuff. Her eyes landed on top of the plate of boiled creme tarts. Without a further warning, for herself, she grabbed a tart and started placing down in the basket a few books she has found interesting, along with a coin purse.
A yellowish piece of paper stood out of the pile of other useless stuff, however. Sakura raised an eyebrow as she held what was left of her tart between her teeth, picking the note with her right hand. She frowned a little.
Maven has been trying to buy Honningbrew Meader for a while, hasn't she?
Just as she munched on the last bite of tart, her eyes widened. A bookshelf. And all of them were free to take.
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The door of the Ragged Flagon was kicked open. Their newest recruit walked inside, carrying around a gigantic tower of books that obscured her vision, but they did not know that she was trained to dodge projectiles while wearing a blindfold. Walking blindly was a walk in the park. But that did not mean it was not a troublesome task to keep the tower of books not falling and shaking. Luckily, Sakura has changed out of her dress and replaced them with the Thieves armor. Luckily.
Tonilia chuckled, before walking over. She removed just enough books for Sakura's eyes to be able to see and settled down the pleated basket which sat upon the very top. She settled them on a barrel. Sakura smiled brightly.
"Thank you, miss Tonilia! It was getting a struggle to see, really. I managed to sneak in without being seen, but it started to become a bother." She finally left the rest of the books ok the barrel.
"Are any of these pilfered? Whose library have you robbed blind?" She crossed her arms, but she was clearly amused. Tonilia was not an overall nice person, especially to new recruits. But when a thief walked inside the Flagon with an armful of stolen goods, they were usually something valuable. Or hell; it would help Vekel stock up his wine supply. They were certainly not books.
Sakura bit inside her cheek. There wasn't a rule regarding what kind of stuff could she steal...right? Right?
"Oh well, you see..." She rubbed the back of her head. "After finishing up the job, I've been told by the new guy in charge that I could help myself with stuff...but I saw that the bastard - the guy we got rid of - had a really nice library so I couldn't let the books just get dusty on the shelves and I just picked them up and I also haven't read them before -"
Sakura was cut off by Tonilia, who simply had enough of her ranting. She stopped, a little embarrassed.
"But I thought I could sell these." She dug her hand in the basket. There were about four silver ingots and a silver necklace. She has found coin purses as well, earning Sakura about 90 septims in total.
Brynjolf was right that thievery brought some serious coin.
Tonilia smirked and nodded. "Good girl. I'm glad that you know what's useful to steal and whatnot, at least." She freed Sakura of the burden of the silver and handed in exchange no more than 210 septims. She had to keep apart for herself after all. The coins were pocketed neatly in a pouch.
All of Sakura's basket held were books. She was not stupid to keep her money somewhere so easy to reach; even if she'd roundhouse kick the bastard who'd stick their hands in her basket.
Sakura frowned a little. 'Good girl, eh?'
"Mind if I leave these here while I'm going to report? I don't want to drop them."
Tonilia merely waved her away.
"Go ahead."
Sakura bowed her head just slightly, before heading towards the cistern. She pushed the door open and walked inside. Most of the thieves were outside, bringing coin for the guild, but a few others stayed behind to hone their skills. And from the looks of it, they seemed at least experts at what where they specialized into.
It was interesting to watch, especially since Brynjolf was nowhere to be found, again, and Mercer was gone as well.
A Bosmer - wood elf, her mind supplied - put down his bow and stopped holing the training dummy, the moment he spotted her walk inside. He walked over, smiling rather friendly, in the shadow of his hood.
"The new blood. You seem to be searching for Brynjolf, and you're not shaking in your boots. I take it was a job well done?"
Sakura nodded, smiling back just slightly. "Theoretically, yes. Maven is a little mad but not at me." She bit inside her cheek. "You don't happen to be familiar with a symbol of a dagger, do you? It pointed down, the handle is a little swirled and the whole thing is encased in a black circle." She tried to describe it from memory as best as she could. Sadly, she did not have either the letter or the bill of purchase to show him. One belonged to Maven and the other was passed down in Mercer's hands.
The Bosmer archer shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can't recall a symbol similar to that." He scratched his head.
"But hey, now that you've done a good job and won't be kicked out anytime soon, hopefully, a proper tour of the cistern would be in order. It's time to meet the 'family', after all."
Brynjolf or Mercer was nowhere to be seen, right?
"Sure! Lead the way!"
"Follow me then. My name is Niruin, by the way."
"My name is Sakura, but I suppose you already know that."
The Cistern or the Guild's headquarters didn't have a particularly complicated layout. Besides the main circular chamber, there was also a large training room and one filled with beds, chests, and belongings. Niruin walked her through each of them. 'If you feel up to honing your lockpicking skills, practice with these chests. Helped me out more than once in my lifetime.' Then he'd show her her own bed, right in the back of the room. 'It's not the most comfortable, but it's not bad for your back either.'
Niruin so far has been the most welcoming 'senior', besides Brynjolf. Vex was informative and a little sour - but that was okay since she was like that everybody. Tonilia was not known as a friendly person, but she was a very valuable fence. And Mercer totally hated her guts. No questions asked.
Not that it mattered too much.
Still, it was a little nice to feel welcomed. Each of them was supposed to be family of family, after all. They were all brothers and sisters in crime.
"And now.." Niruin turned to her, before leading their brand new thief where the rest were either drinking, sitting or training. "It's time for you to officially meet the rest of the family as well. They're pretty surprised that you've been able to last this long. You know, actually taking up tasks and not dying or getting imprisoned."
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Don't blame us; we've had bad luck for decades! We'd expect a baby-faced newbie to fail or die like all the other baby-faced newbies we had to eventually bury. Lucky our secret entrance is under a cemetery, right guys?" Niruin put a firm hand on Sakura's shoulder.
"This is Sakura Uchiha. The little miracle which so far resisted whatever the Guild threw them at their little head."
They didn't miss how Sakura's eye twitched.
"Alright, alright. Leave her alone." Sapphire stepped in and shrugged Niruin's hand off Sakura's shoulder. She has been practicing knife throwing so far and she has been getting better than ever.
The sense of nervousness soon dissipated when Sakura has officially joined the Guild. The illusion showed her...horrible things. And naturally, she should feel at least resentment towards the younger woman.
But that soon turned into a sort of newfound respect. Sakura was on their side, Sakura was loyal to Guild as it seemed, and so far she has carried her tasks successfully, despite being cursed for a few decades.
She cleared her throat and named every single of the major personalities in the Guild present at that very moment.
Cynric Endell was a Breton thief who previously had a pretty successful career as a jailbreaker. He was usually paid to get arrested, and then bust somebody out of jail. Or, bust somebody's head in jail. Just in case one thought that imprisonment would get rid of an angry mob.
But after his failed attempt of prison breaking landed him for three years in jail in High Rock, he sought Delvin Mallory who immediately got him hooked with the Guild. He also seemed a little friendlier than the rest of them.
Right next to him sat Ravyn Imyan, a Dunmer, who seemed very proficient with daggers. He bore a sour look on his face, a no-nonsense demeanor attitude; unlike Vipir the Fleet, who has always been boasting with his far-fetched stories. Everyone in the Guild knew to take them with no more than a pinch of salt as their origins were always of questionable origins.
Rune and Thyrnn were both Nords, with different origins. One was an amnesiac orphan brought up in a fisherman's family, and the other was a former bandit who had to part ways with his crew after a tragic and lethal disagreement.
They were an interesting bunch. And Sakura fit just fine, much to her joy.
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When Brynjolf and Mercer stepped inside the Ragged Flagon and saw the tower of books resting on a barrel...well at least Brynjolf knew that Sakura was finally home. Picked out the most peculiar things to steal, but to Mercer's pleasure, Tonilia confirmed that the books were just for her own entertainment and that she has stolen valuable trinkets as well.
Last time she brought a bee with her. A bee. Of all things. The bee he has freed right in the garden of the cemetery, and much to his surprise, it hasn't stung him despite having bad luck when it came to bees, wasps and any of sorts.
Sakura was throwing daggers at the archery range. Everybody was watching her and holding up her score, as she blindfolded. But until now, each dagger hit the bullseye or at least dangerously close to the bullseye. While she was blindfolded.
Now they knew she had a dangerously accurate aim. And that she was to be taken seriously.
Brynjolf called out for, and she responded immediately by catching mid-air the dagger she has launched in a fraction of second. He watched the woman turned around on her heel and hand the dagger to the nearest fellow thief - Rune, and shrug off her blindfold.
"Mister Brynjolf! Mister Frey!" She bowed her head a little.
They were not expecting a full mission report. But their faces were more than a little sour. And Mercer was furious and constantly scowling. He was not happy.
"I take it that Mrs. Black-Briar has told you about the symbol?"
Brynjolf nodded.
"You did a good job. Maven is pleased with your work; you're truly in her good graces. But for some reason, a few of her letters regarding contracts have disappeared. She has ordered to have them burnt. Most likely the Jarl has caught wind of it and dipped her in hot water."
Sakura shrugged. "Perhaps." Even if the Jarl blindly put all her trust in one of the most rotten families in all of Skyrim.
"This is not a social visit, Brynjolf," Mercer said sharply. He turned to Sakura. "Follow me." And Sakura did, with no question asked. He took a seat behind the Guild Master's desk. A logbook was spread open with an inkwell and quill ready to be used. The wooden shelves behind him were all dusty and empty - a sign that their outfit haven't been doing so well the past few decades.
"Is it about the symbol of the letters?"
He shook his head. "We have managed to shed no light on its origins. Neither of my contacts have been able to identify it so far." He mused, flipping a little through the logbook. Our adversary is trying to drive a verge between us and our most valuable client." He rubbed his face.
"Well." He sighed. "It's clever."
"Indeed. Clever." Sakura's lips pulled in a thin line. "They seem to be well funded and very...very patient." She noted. "Why do I have the feeling that this mysterious symbol was once connected to the guild?"
A flash of recognition washed across Mercer's face as he stared at his youngest recruit. He cleared his throat.
"They are indeed clever. But they have made a mistake."
Her eyes widened. "A mistake?"
Mercer pulled out the last letter and nodded.
"A pretty fatal one as well. They mentioned a Gajul-Lei. And from what have I found out from my contacts, that's one of the aliases an old associate of our Guild used to take. His name is Gulum-Ei. Slimy bastard."
"And by that, you mean that you need me to beat the information out of him?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Violent. You're half-right. Gulum-Ei is our inside man at the East Empire Company in Solitude. I'm betting he acted as a go-between for the sale of Goldenglow Estate and that he can finger our buyer. Get out there, shake him down and see what you come up with."
Sakura simply nodded. "Aye aye." She turned around to leave.
"Sakura."
She turned back to him, raising an eyebrow.
"You can go...tomorrow. Take a break to rest well. You've done a good job so far."
Sakura was taken aback. Reluctantly, she nodded.
"Thank...thank you, sir."
Was he...warming up to her?
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It was way past midnight. A few hours, in fact. She was asked a few times, why was she keeping the lantern on and why didn't she got the hell back to sleep. But something kept her awake, and that was Hamelyn's journal she has found earlier under the Honningbrew Meadery.
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Ten years of ridicule. Ten years of imprisonment. Ten years of exile.
The children threw rocks and the women spat upon me as the menfolk dragged me into Whiterun's prison. They branded me a danger to their pitiful existence... used words like "madman" and "insane." Could a madman escape the prisons undetected? Could a lunatic establish a laboratory right under their noses? Could a psychopath create a mighty army from the common skeever?
My days as an apprentice alchemist in Winterhold were no better. Those egotistical braggarts couldn't compete with my abilities. Where they fell short, I'd constantly excel. Did they appreciate my genius? Did they relish my contributions? No. My instructors beat me and said I was irresponsible, and the Arch Mage cast me into the streets like a common beggar.
As my enemy grows complacent and weak, as they forget Hamelyn and his utter brilliance, I build my army. I use every bit of knowledge at my disposal to forge their demise. Thanks to Sabjorn's unwitting assistance, my legion grows stronger every day. The irony that the same ingredients used to make his vile drink could be used to feed my offspring isn't lost upon me.
Oh, they will pay. Their ignorance of impending annihilation amuses me. I will bury Whiterun and watch Winterhold burn. And when they experience the fury I've unleashed upon them, when my progeny are gnawing the flesh from their bones, they will come begging and groveling at my feet. But there will be no mercy, no quarter and no leniency. And I will laugh and I will dance and I will rejoice over their mangled, broken corpses. The time for recompense has arrived.
Ten years of pain. Ten years of misery. Ten years of death.
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Sakura rubbed her eyes. It took her a few hours before she finally hit her pillow. It was good to know. She has put down a crazed mage that was going to plunge Whiterun into chaos with his disease-ridden skeevers. Yes, it made her sleep better at night.
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A/N: This took me a while. But at least I was working on future chapters as well. Yes, this last section was some sort of excuse so you guys would have an idea what happened under the Meadery. A lot of battle scenes are not that important. I will describe as best as I can the ones which are more important to the story.
Honning means honey in Norwegian.
I have a lot of stuff oncoming so yeah. You have no idea how my draft folder looks like.
So...stats?
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Balance: 6900 septims.
Apparel: Clothes, Boots, Amulet of Mara, Amulet of Talos, Amulet of Zenithar, Thieves Guild Armor, Thieves Guild Boots, Thieves Guild Hood, Thieves Guild Gloves
Weapons: Iron Sword of Fire, Iron Dagger
Potions: Draught of Light Feet, Poison, Invisibility Potion, Healing Potion (3), Pickpocketing Potion,
Scrolls (spells): N/A
Food: N/A
Ingredients: 20 Deathbell, 20 Nightshade, 20 Nirnroot, Imp Stool, Lavender
Books: 2920, vol V - Second Seed 2920, vol VIII - Last Seed, A Game at Dinner, Advances in Lockpicking (R), Aedra and Daedra (R), Ages of Man, An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim, Beggar Prince, Boethiah's Proving (R), Cats of Skyrim, Enchanter's Primer, Fall of the Snow Prince, Guide to Better Thieving, Gods and Worship, Life of Uriel Septim VII, Mixed Unit Tactics, Night of Tears, Oakflesh (Spell Tome), On Oblivion, Proper Lock Design (R), Shadowmarks (R), The Aetherium Wars, The City of Stone, The Exodus, The Legend of Red Eagle, The Wolf Queen Book I, Walking the World - Volume XI: Solitude (R), Yellow Book of Riddles.
Journals: Sakura's Journal, Hamelyn's Journal
Letters: N/A
Keys: Honningbrew Meadery Key, Honningbrew Brewhouse Key, Riften Warehouse;
Misc: Storage scrolls, Quill, Inkwell (2), Lockpicks (8), Black Soul Gem (1), Gold Ingot, Sapphire Dragon Claw, Garnet, Amethyst, Dwarven Oil (2), Common Soul Gem, Dwemer Cog (2), Dwemer Gear (3), Dwemer Gyro, Stone of Barenziah, Queen Bee Statue, Refined Moonstone Ingot, Garnet (3), Roll of Paper (3), Honningbrew Decanter.
Passive Effects: Agent of Mara (15% Resist Magic.)
Spells: N/A
Shouts: Kyne's Peace ( KaaN - To be unlocked)
Perks: N/A
Quest Log (Started): Join the Stormcloaks, No Stone Unturned
Quest Log (Completed): A Chance Arrangement, Blood on the Ice, Bring It!, Dampened Spirits, Discerning the Transmundane, Distant Memories, Drowned Sorrows, Grimsever's Return, Helping Hand, Ice Cold, Loud and Clear, Meeting the Family, Ringmaker, Sealing the Deal, Stabilized, Stoking the Flames, Supply and Demand, Taking Care of Business, The Book of Love, The Raid, Truth Ore Consequences
Bounties Collected: N/A
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