Chapter three - Knights of the Thorn
Sundas, Sun's Dawn 22, 4E 0 - Before Midnight
A few days ago, we've received our new Guild armor, shrouded, slim, and black as the void.
The suit was tight, but easy to move in and light-weighted as a thin second layer of skin, and hard enough that a blade wouldn't cut through easily.
I refused to wear the hood, it was a little suffocating, so I just kept the cowl on.
It had been a little over a week since the Guild meeting, and since then, plenty of jobs have been given out and promotions earned within the ranks. More recruits came in, and we stand at a total of 46 members within the Thieves Guild.
Everything was running smoothly as planned, considering that the doyens were more busy now than they ever were.
In the Black Horse Courier news, plenty of homes and businesses have been robbed. The Imperial Legion are alerted and their night watch of guard has nearly doubled in the Imperial City, eager to place our fellow thieves behind bars.
As our Guild grows, we must all be careful and acknowledge how dangerous it can be for a Guild full of thieves.
Lately, as I have been reading reports of robberies and thefts, I've came with a plan to put our name on the front page of the Black Horse Courier. I plan to make more citizens alert and aware of us, to finally know we exist.
Why hadn't Corvus Umbranox, the last Gray Fox before he resigned to be Count of Anvil, made the decision to let the world know he and the Thieves Guild exists? Was he afraid, because Hieronymus Lex had been on his trail and he didn't want to be arrested? Why did he not want to expose himself? These were questions I had thought about and asked myself constantly, almost everyday.
Tonight, I will personally steal from someone, someone who is hypocritically proud of himself, though he does not live up to his title. His name is Farwil Indarys, founder of his group, 'Knights of the Thorn', and son to the Count of Cheydinhal, Andel Indarys. He and his small group of knights wear full body steal armor and also a circular medallion to symbolize their group.
With Amusei as my sidekick tonight, we will strip the knights of their titles by stealing their most prized and proud possession, the Thorn medallion.
I have written a small note to be left on a nightstand to be found, this will most definitely catch the attention of the Black Horse Courier, and also show the world we exist, that we will not hide no longer.
Morndas, Sun's Dawn 23, 4E 0 - After Midnight
After hours have passed since we left the Waterfront, riding to Cheydinhal, we waited outside the Knights of the Thorn lodge for the right timing to proceed inside.
"How long will we wait, Master?" Amusei asked.
"Patience, Amusei, that is the key to expert thieving."
"Forgive me, sir. I only wonder when will be the right time for us to enter."
"Soon. We only wait till we're sure there is no waking eye remaining open."
"I understand, sir." Amusei said.
We waited outside probably half an hour later, then I've decided for us to go in since it had been maybe an hour or two past midnight.
"Be sure not to make any noise; search for the medallions, pocket them, then we leave. Got that?" I asked him.
"Understood, Master."
We moved silently from behind the lodge to the front entrance, I pulled out one lockpick and unlocked it within a couple seconds after a few shakes of the pick. Amusei watched then his eyes widened in shock as he realized that the lock had been a master lock.
"Master, couldn't you have used magic to unlock the door?" He asked.
"I'm a thief, not a mage." I responded in a low voice that set him to fall silent after being corrected.
I turned the knob ever so silently until the rotation of the knob came to a stop, then I pushed the door open slowly.
We made our way inside, and finding that the first room was the living quarters. Several beds were placed a few contained bodies, as the lighting in the room had been dimmed.
I pointed Amusei on one side of the the room to search the area for the medallions of the two men that sleep in their beds. I approached one bed where a Dunmer sleep, he had dark long hair, and snored moderately loud.
'This must be Farwil', I thought to myself. I peeked from above him to see if he had been wearing his medallion, but he had not.
I searched his end table, nothing.
I noticed that each bed had it's chest set at the foot of the bed, I unlocked his, and found his medallion, plus about 10 septims.
I took them, left the note inside where the medallion was, then closed it. I turned to find Amusei picklocking one of the chests, seeming to have a problem getting it unlocked.
I approached him, helped open the chest, then I moved to the next chest. I unlocked it easily and pulled out another medallion plus 12 septims, which I had no problem in pocketing.
I turned to Amusei as he was putting coins in his pockets, but no medallion.
He looked at me, and I mouthed, 'did you find it?', with no voice escaping from my lips.
He shrugged with his hands up, showing they had been empty, and shaking his head as he mouthed quietly, 'I don't see it'.
I understood exactly what he was trying to say, I pointed at the sleeping man telling him to look if he had been wearing it, Amusei turned and proceeded to check.
I passed him and went into the other rooms, nothing around had interested me to take. I found a few hidden septims with a gold necklace in a small jewelry box on a bookcase, but found nothing else.
I went back to join Amusei to find him with his hands around the man's neck. Immediately, panic inside me rose as I thought he was trying to choke him to death.
"What are you doing?! We gotta go!" I whispered silently at him, trying not to be loud.
He turned and looked at me, used his hands to circle around his own neck a few times then pointed at the sleeping man before him. He mouthed 'it's around his neck!' to me, then I nodded and swirled my hands in a rotating movement telling him to hurry up.
A couple of minutes passed as I waited at the door and Amusei struggled to take the necklace off because the man kept moving. I could never forget how amusing and funny it was to watch as when the man moved, Amusei got so scared and froze up, making the most hilarious faces as he stared directly at him to make sure his eyes didn't open.
Amusei had to keep lifting the mans head gently, then releasing his dead down onto the pillow, thinking he was woken up after moving.
He finally managed to pull the medallion off from around his head then relaxed. I waved him to come, then he moved silently around the bed and followed me out the door, going back to the Imperial City.
Middas, Sun's Dawn 25, 4E 0 - Nightfall
"The Gray Fox and the Thieves Guild exposed! Farwil Indarys robbed!" I read aloud to my audience of S'Krivva, Armand Christophe, Amusei, Methredhel, Burg, and a few other thieves that reside here in the Imperial City.
"As of Morndas morning, the Knights of the Thorn have awakened to a burglary in the lodge! The Knights have been robbed of their clan medallions, along with missing treasures of septims within the lodge. A small note had been left behind in replacement stating, 'This year dawn's a new era for Tamriel, the era for the rise of the Thieves Guild. We do exist, we are everywhere - The Gray Fox, Leader of the Thieves Guild'. Such a short statement, yet an intimidating and threatening message to the citizens of Cyrodiil! For those who have believed the Gray Fox or the Thieves Guild to be a myth, today is the day where we are all unfortunately proven wrong. The Count of Cheydinhal, father to Farwil Indarys, was furious as he ordered his City Guard an investigation in the lodge. We also have taken advantage of the opportunity to interview Farwil Indarys on his thoughts of the robbery: 'He's a blasted thief! This Gray Fox had not simply stole from us, but without our Thorn medallions, we will regretfully have to discontinue the Knights of the Thorn! We will find this Gray Fox, put him down, and take back what is ours! Hazzah!'. With the evidence and self-exposure of the Gray Fox and Thieves Guild, what will happen next? Have the recent burglaries and robberies across Cyrodiil been the works of the Thieves Guild? The Gray Fox himself had stated that the 4th era is the era and rise of the Thieves Guild, does this mean this is the beginning of the Gray Fox's personal attack upon the citizen's of Tamriel? Tune in for more upcoming news with the Black Horse Courier!" I finished reading out loud and set the parchment on the table as I looked to my audience.
Everyone had begun cheering and clapping their hands.
"Everything went just as planned, Master!" Amusei exclaimed.
"This was brilliant! Such rewarding news! We shall have that displayed upon our wall!" Methredhel said with full enthusiasm.
"I agree, Guildmaster. Nail it proudly on the wall for all to see." S'Krivva had joined in.
I smiled, so much support and love these people give me, and truly, I could have never been so glad as I am now to be part of the Thieves Guild. The way they make me feel is much more than I've ever experienced, this isn't just a Guild for me; this is family.
Proudly, I nailed the parchment on the wall, for everyone to see. I turned to see every one of their faces smiling.
"Burg! Brew us all an ale! This calls for celebration!" Methredhel said.
"The era and rise of the Thieves Guild!" Amusei added in.
"I will, for a price." Burg responded.
"I can pay for it, Methredhel's right. This dawn's the era of our Guild, this is merely the beginning." I told Burg as he immediately went to work.
Minutes later, after we've all had our first tankard of ale, I looked to all my friends, seeing the smiles on all their faces, talking and having a good time.
'No this isn't just a Guild, this is family,' I thought as a tear of happiness ran down my cheek, and fell to the floor as my cheeks rose, forming a smile. (: