Caught

"A toast!" Aela exclaimed, raising her mug. The other companions in Jorrvaskr did the same. "To Sabjorn! His mead will be missed!"

The mead hall thundered as the party-goers cheered and drank to the toast. Aila had her own mug to raise, but she didn't drink with the rest. She wasn't even really sure why she was here. The Companions were having some sort of event in honour of Sabjorn. Actually, it was more in honour of his mead. Many companions thought his mead to be some of the best in Skyrim. Since Sabjorn had gone to jail, they wouldn't be able to acquire his mead anymore, so they were holding a sort of farewell party. For some reason, Aila had been invited. She assumed it was because she knew Aela, though, if any of them knew that Aila was the one who put Sabjorn in jail this would be a very different kind of event.

Aela saw Aila set her mug down on the table, not taking a drink. "Come, Aila," she said. "Drink with us. We have a long night ahead of us, and the mead will make it all the merrier."

"Oh, I just took it to be polite. I don't really drink," Aila said.

"Don't drink? Well, we're going to have to change that. Go on, just have a sip."

Aila sighed. "Alright, fine." She lifted the mug to her lips and hesitantly let the liquid flow into her mouth. "Blech! How do you find that at all appealing?"

Aela laughed. "You have no stomach for alcohol, I can tell. You'll be drunk after one mug!"

"Well," Aila said, setting her mug down. "I don't plan on drinking one mug, or any at all for that matter."

Aela shrugged. "Suit yourself. Shame, though. I'd have liked to see you drunk."

"I'm sure you would."

Aela left to go enjoy herself with more eager members. Aila sat for a moment, still trying to figure out why she was here. Deciding it didn't really matter, she reached into her armour and pulled out a letter. Mallus had given it to her a bit before the party. It was the only thing, he said, that had any clue as to Sabjorn's supplier. The only problem was, it was almost completely useless. The only thing that seemed relevant was a symbol of a dagger. Aila swore she had seen it before, but she couldn't remember where. She sighed and place it back in her armour, instead taking out a small scroll. Delvin gave it to her before she left Riften. It contained a name, address, and item she was supposed to steal. According to the scroll, she was to take a ring from a woman named Carlotta Valentia, who lived somewhere in the Wind District.

"What's that you're reading?" Aila crumpled the paper and nearly fell out of hr chair. "Vilkas! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Vilkas chuckled. "My bad. But what was it you were reading? I thought I saw Carlotta's name."

"You know her?"

"Aye, everyone does. She runs a stall in the market."

"Do you know where she lives?" he nodded. "Just behind the temple. Why?"

"Just wondering. You know what? I think I'm going to get going."

"So soon? But the night's just begun."

"Actually it began three hours ago. I mean, who has a party so late into the night?" Aila started toward the doors of Jorrvaskr. "See you, Vilkas." Aila made like she was heading to the Bannered Mare, but then she turned and made her way to Carlotta's house. When she found what she thought was it, she stopped and looked to see if anyone was around, when she saw that no one was, she knelt in front of the door. She grabbed a lockpick from her armour and set it in the lock. I clicked open easily. She stepped inside and silently shut the door behind her.

Embers were still burning in the fire pit, but there was no one in the downstairs. Aila stood still and listened. She didn't hear anything. The homeowner was likely asleep. She crept ever so slowly to the stairs and climbed up. One thing she learned about sneaking in someone's house is that it never pays to rush. It wasn't worth mucking up and getting caught. The problem with Delvin's jobs is that they usually involved close interactions with the target.

When she reached the top, Aila saw the woman who owned the house, sleeping on the bed. As she tip-toed closer, Aila noticed someone else in the bed; a child. Aila suddenly felt very intrusive, which technically, is what she was supposed to be feeling, but she wasn't about to be scolded by Mercer for not completing a job. This wasn't the first time she had been in someone's house while they were still in it.

The scroll said that Carlotta always wore her ring around her finger, but Aila didn't see it. She had either made a horrible mistake and came to the wrong house, or Carlotta removed the ring before sleeping. Aila thought the latter. The scroll gave information on Carlotta, stating that she was a single mother who worked a stall selling produce to support herself and her daughter Mila. Seeing as there was no one else in the house, coupled with the fact that Aila realized this was the woman who sold her the apple earlier that day, it must have been her.

Aila looked around the room, searching for a place it could be. Her first thought was a chest at the foot of the bed. She quietly knelt in front of it, lifting up the lid. It wasn't locked, luckily. Aila didn't want to deal with the noise of the lock. But then, the chest was filled with junk. She could rummage through it, but again, there as the noise problem. Besides, Aila doubted someone would leave a precious ring in here. She closed the lid and looked around some more, still keeping a watchful eye on the mother and daughter. Aila went to the end table by the bed and pulled open the drawer, smiling when she saw what was inside. Aila picked up the ring and looked at it. It was just as the scroll described; silver with a blue sapphire in the middle. Aila pocketed it and made to leave, resetting the lock on the door as she did so. She shut the door, and froze in place when she saw who was on the other side.

"What in Oblivion are you doing, Aila?" Aela demanded.

"Um... I… uh..."

"Well? Answer me. What were you doing in Carlotta's house?"

"Uh... How did you know I was here?"

"Don't change the subject. Did you break in?"

"I... Uh..." Damn. Aila didn't see any way out of this. "Yes," she admitted.

"Why? What possible reason could you have for breaking into someone's house?"

"It's... for a job."

"A job? That's your excuse? It was for a job? When did you become a thief, Aila?"

"I... What does it matter? I'm not hurting anybody."

"Not hurting anyone? What about the people you're stealing from?"

"It's one lousy ring! Their lives aren't going to come crashing down because they lost one stupid ring!" Aila wasn't sure why, but she was feeling angry.

"It doesn't matter, Aila. I can't condone this."

"Aela, you don't know what it's like! Living your whole life as just... nothing. I've finally found something I do well and get recognized for it. Kathryn too. Just because it isn't the most reputable of things doesn't mean I'm going to stop," Aila took a deep breath and let it out. "Look, I'm not asking for your permission. Condemn me all you want, it's not going to change anything."

"Aila, I can't just let you..."

"I'm heading back Riften tomorrow morning," Aila interrupted. "I did what I came to do, I'm dead tired, and more than anything, I miss Kathryn. So goodnight."

But Aela was persistent. "I'm sorry, Aila but... I'm going to have to report you to the guards."

Aila let out a frustrated groan. "Why can't you just... just..." her voice trailed off.

"What? Just what?"

Aila didn't hear her. No, she was thinking. No, not that. Anything but that.

"Aila?" Aela said, noticing the look of distress on her face. "What is it?"

"Run."

"What?"

"Run. We need to run. Get away before it comes."

"Before what comes? Aila, what are you talking about?"

Just then a bell rang. It was loud, so much so it hurt Aila's ears, but she found it preferable to the alternative. It rang again and again, and then the streets started to fill with guards rushing to the gates. Aela called to one as he passed by. "What in Oblivion is going on?" she asked.

"Whiterun's under attack," he said. Then he seemed to notice who she was. "You're Aela the Huntress of the Companions, aren't you? You should come with us. We need all the help we can get."

"Why, what's attacking?"

"A dragon."