Chapter five - Business Alliance

Middas, First Seed 1, 4E 0 - Dusk

"Cheydinhal on lockdown." I read the title of the new Black Horse Courier newspaper.

"I would read it, but I was already there. I know everything that's happened." I confirmed.

"Will you nail it on the wall next to the other newsletter?" Armand Christophe asked.

"Of course I will." I responded as I pressed the parchment against the wall, positioned a nail while still pressing with my hand, then hammered the nail in.

All of us stared at the wall, foreseeing the future full of newsletters because of the Thieves Guild.

"What will be our next target, Master?" Amusei asked as he sit at a table with a tankard half full of mead, I looked at him in wonder. I haven't been sure next of where to strike.

"I don't know, haven't decided." I responded.

After moments of thinking, and staring at the Black Horse Courier newsletter, I had reached a decision. "Maybe this week I won't be stealing from someone."

"What do you mean, Guildmaster?" S'Krivva asked. I waited a moment to respond, deciding how much information I should share.

"I will target something bigger this time, with the help of multiple thieves, but not this week, after." I said.

"After what?" Amusei asked.

"After I welcome 3 new members to our Guild."

Silence filled the room, everyone had been confused as they all gave looks to each other, until Methredhel decided to speak up. "3 new members? Who?" She asked.

"Hassiri, Ra'jiradh, and Urjabhi. Three Khajiit brothers, owners who operate the Black Horse Courier." I responded.

Everyone remained silent, both shocked and surprised, none spoke after.

Turdas, First Seed 2, 4E 0 - Nightfall

"Hurry up with that typing, Urjabhi!"

"I agree, hurry it up! We must have these printed tonight, then shipped out tomorrow morning!"

"I am going as fast as I can! How about you type for one day, Ra'jiradh!"

"I write it up for you to type, you know that!"

"Then Hassiri, you can type this."

"I do everything else. Manage all the papers, making sure everything is correct, and I am the one who delivers the copies to our couriers."

"That's not true, Hassiri, I do also. I am just as much a manager here at the Black Horse Courier."

Urjabhi, I never see you leave. You're always typing."

"Exactly! I'm never able to since I'm stuck in here!"

"Alright, since you're here most of the time you can clean around the room since there are always papers all over the floor."

"I can't! I'm always the one typing!"

I stood in the darkest shadow in the room, right before the stairs that led up to the second floor. For some time, I've been standing here watching while the three brothers fight.

I could stand here all day, I found it amusing to simply stand here as a shadow watching them all yell and fight all day. But after being here for a couple hours, perhaps I should get down to business.

The three brothers should have noticed me by now, especially since they're Khajiit's, they have a power of 'night eye' that enables them to see in the dark. Maybe they're truly too busy for their own good.

One wear a burgundy linen shirt with tan linens, the other in a forester's shirt with tan linens also, and the third on a type-writer wearing a brown shirt with blue silks.

"Greetings, gentlemen." I said aloud. The three of them were startled that their heads turned immediately in my direction, or towards the door.

"Whose there?" One called out.

"You may know me as the one who is master of all thieves." I said taking slow steps into the light to reveal myself. One of them looked terrified, the other looked bewildered, and the other gasped in shocked.

"The Gray Fox!" The one in the burgundy linen shirt said. "Have you come to steal from us too? Begone, thief!" He warned, seeming to have been the older brother, Hassiri.

"Oh, come on, let's be civil now, shall we?"

"Get out! Or I will call the guards!" Hassiri warned again.

"Why leave when you owe me thanks for your success?"

He stood confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how lately you've been very successful in the latest copies of the Black Horse Courier, so successful that you've ran out of copies." I told him, then Hassiri looked down defeated.

He had known this to be true. "That's true, Hassiri. We have been overwhelmed. We may have to buy another typewriter." The one in the forester's shirt spoke out, his name must be Ra'jiradh.

"I agree. I've been working my fingers to the bone!" The brown shirt Khajiit sitting included, Urjabhi was his name.

"Be quiet, you guys! Plus, where are the funds of purchasing a new typewriter? We do not have that, be quiet!" Hassiri demanded.

"Why should they, when you know they are right, Hassiri?" I asked.

"You do not know me to use my name!" He fired back.

"Perhaps I don't, forgive me, but I did not come here to steal from you, but merely to make a business proposition."

"What kind of business?" Ra'jiradh asked.

"Well, it seems that the citizens have been obsessed with the most recent news. Cyrodiil has just discovered the Thieves Guild exists, everyone is so on edge and fearing for their possessions, that they've become obsessed with making sure they obtain a copy of the Black Horse Courier, even if it means they will be charged." I explained.

"That's right!" Urjabjhi called out. "We've never given out this much copies within a week!"

"Are you suggesting we charge the public for a copy? We can't, the Imperial Council pays us to keep us running in our business operations. We are contacted." Hassiri said.

"Buy yourselves out of the contact, then charge the public for every copy for 2 septims or 3, then maybe you'd receive wages higher than what the Imperial Council gives you." I suggested.

"I agree, perhaps we should do that, it wouldn't be much of a pricey sell, but with all the sales we make within a week, it's enough to cover our wages with interest." Ra'jiradh said.

"That's true, we'd be making more than the Council pays us, plus, we can get an extra typewriter!" Urjabhi pointed out.

"See, they understand. Do you, Hassiri?" I asked.

"Yes. What does this have to do with business with you, though?"

"Easy. We give you the news, you pay us for it." I said darkly.

"No! You're trying to scam us!" Hassiri disapproved.

"May sound that way from a misconceiving point of view, but no. What I am trying to compromise with you is if we give you the news to write about, you charge the public, you get paid more than the Imperial Council pays you, but I receive a 20% share for making it possible." I simplified.

All three Khajiit's remained silent. "I don't understand." Urjabhi spoke first, I sighed in irritation.

"Before I released the evidence that the Thieves Guild and I exist, you three worked hard for your money, hard enough only to be paid enough money to keep your courier in business along with bills and taxes paid. Nothing more, though. Since I robbed Farwil Indarys, you three have been working harder than ever." I explained.

"This is all so true." Urjabhi agreed.

"Yes and it is because of me, I have set your business to a popular increase. I came here to point out who is behind your success. I've helped you earn something, popularity and business, now it's time I get something in return. I have said it before, I get 20% of your monthly shares for every copy you sell that relates to the Thieves Guild from this day forward."

The three brothers stood silent again. "He's right." Ra'jiradh said, Hassiri turned around quickly to face him.

"Don't you go agreeing with him! He's a thief! A criminal! I don't even know why I have not called the guards yet." Hassiri said,

"He's right, though. He's helped us increase our business so much that we don't even need to be paid by the Imperial Council to run our business, we may be contracted with them, but we can buy ourselves out. We can make our own money, Hassiri. You may think Mr. Fox is only here just to take money from us, but he's not, he's helping us. We have never had so many copies given out in a week! If we charge for every copy, think of how much sales we will make!" Ra'jiradh said.

"I couldn't agree more, this is a good opportunity for us, Hassiri." Urjabhi included.

"What do you say, Hassiri, we provide the news, and you sell it. You get good money, your brothers get good money, I get paid for doing the dirty work, you just print and sell it. Simple as that. What do you say, Hassiri? Partners?" I asked as I help out my hand for him to shake.

After several moments, Hassiri stood silent as he had been thinking, while his brothers had been nudging and whispering at him to shake my hand, but Hassiri wasn't sure. After Hassiri stared me into my eyes, I assumed he was close to making a decision.

"Alright." He took my hand and shook it. "Business partners." He said.

Then a smile stretched across my face as I shook his hand. "Capital!"

"20% of total sales of every month, right?" He asked.

"That is correct."

"Then we have a deal." Hassiri finally convinced.

"We will need to inform the Council though that we would like to buy ourselves out of the contract, and sell our own news." Ra'jiradh said.

"Yes we will. How much is it to buy ourselves out?" Urjabhi asked.

"25,000 septims. Something we don't have." Hassiri responded.

I couldn't believe I was gonna do this, but I believed this will work out. "I will do it."

All three looked at me in surprised. "I will buy you out your contract, as long as this business partnership is certain." I told him.

"Are you sure? That's a lot."

"Over time, I believe that I will get back the same amount." I said.

"Sounds assuring." Ra'jiradh said.

"I believe so. I shall have 25,000 septims delivered to you by tomorrow. I will have my assistants deliver a chest full tomorrow morning." I promised.

"Mr. Fox?" Urjabhi asked.

"Yes, Urjabhi?"

"Where will you be robbing from next? Just asking so we have a head start, sometimes it takes us a couple days to find the news, then a whole night to type it up."

"Good question. I can understand. From now on, I will direct you in the direction in where I will leave my note next." I said.

"So where will you be at next, who will you be stealing from?" He asked again.

"Next Middas, I will be stealing an item, and leaving the note, from every store here in the Market District." I promised as shocked expressions had been planted on all their faces.