Renartus
Setting up a store in the canal had its advantages. Besides the easy access to the waterway, it also allowed me access into the Ratway, a network of sewer tunnels stretching all across Riften. Remember how I said that Riften is like a two-story building? Well the Ratway is the basement. And like any other basement, it’s dark, grimy, and filled with rodents.
The entrance to the sewers was in a form of a latch hidden behind a wardrobe in my study. From there, we had to climb down several feet into a small tunnel so narrow that we had to move in single file.
I took the lead with Katlynn behind me. We stopped at an intersection. A single torch burning slowly on the wall showed three other similar-looking tunnels, all of them showed only pitch black darkness at the end. I went towards the left tunnel and moved my hand against the cold wet stone archway. I was looking for a symbol, an etching of a diamond with a circle in the middle. My fingers ran across a groove. I asked Katlynn to cast a candlelight spell – a floating ball of aetherial light – and there it was. A shadowmark.
We continued our way down the left tunnel. With the light from Katlynn’s spell, we could see what was in front of us. It was said that those who do not find their way out of the Ratway shall be its permanent residents. But I was no stranger to sewers. I had grown accustomed to using the Imperial City’s sewers during my days of thievery. The Ratway was no different than that. Every sewer was the same to me.
After a few more minutes of walking and turning, we soon arrived at the Ragged Flagon, a shoddy-looking tavern in the middle of the Ratway. Why they build a tavern inside a sewer is beyond me, but the Flagon secretly serves as a lookout point for the Thieves’ Guild, and the only place they could get a drink without getting noticed by the guards.
As we entered the tavern, I was met with Dirge, the bouncer and one of the lookouts for the guild. He was a big man with blonde hair and thick mutton chops. The reason why he calls himself Dirge was because he’s the last thing you’ll hear before they put you into the ground. I recalled someone laughing at the name and well…. let’s just say the guy ended up sleeping with the fishes. Literally.
“Dirge, buddy! How’s it going? Thrown anyone out lately?” I greeted happily.
The blonde Imperial gave me a stink eye look. “As a matter of fact, I was planning on throwing someone out today if they won’t keep their mouth shut.”
I raised my hands in a defensive manner. “Okay okay, no need get all grouchy on me. Is Brynjolf here?”
“He’s with Delvin. Go ahead,” He moved aside to let us through. “Just don’t cause any—”
“Let me guess, trouble?” I grinned. “I know the drill, Dirge. You told me this like a hundred times already. Besides, have I ever caused any trouble here?”
I left the bouncer in his irritated state and found Brynjolf and Delvin sitting at a table. They were having their afternoon lunch: beef stew served with two loaves of bread and baked potatoes and a flask of Alto wine.
“Afternoon gents,” I announced myself.
“Well, if ain’t Renartus Vulpin and his little silent pet.” Delvin was the first to answer, receiving a scowl from Katlynn for his remark. Delvin Mallory was one of the oldest members of the guild, old enough to remember what it was like during its golden age. His head was shaven, but there were still whisks of hair on his face that formed a beard. “Came down here to pay the guild a visit eh?”
“More or less.” I pulled up a seat and poured myself a glass of Alto wine – I would’ve preferred Surilie – before continuing, “You should’ve been to the market today. There was a chase… with guards shouting and people watching.”
“I’m guessin’ that this chase ended up with a dead thief floatin’ in the canal.”
I shrugged. “Well I can hardly call the guy a thief. He was practically seen lockpicking into the Scorched Hammer by almost a dozen people. And I could even spot him from the Bee and Barb. I figured he was one of your boys, Brynjolf.”
“The lad had promise. I guess I was wrong.” The Nord simply said as he dipped a chunk of bread into his stew and ate it. Those were the same words he had said about the previous three recruits, and they all ended up dead or rotting in the dungeons.
I took a sip from my wine and reminded myself why I came down here in the first place. “Dead thief and friendly visits aside, I’ve got business to discuss.”
Delvin raised an eyebrow. “Business, eh? Now that’s a word I like to hear. What kind of business are we talkin’ about here?”
I smiled. “The kind that gets both of us rich of course.” And me out of my debt. I did not dare to discuss my current situation. They did not know that I had loaned money from someone outside the guild and I would prefer to keep it that way. “I have a buyer who’s looking for some gemstones, specifically rubies. He’s willing to pay a hefty amount of gold and I can cut you on a good slice of the deal.” Though the offer was a few days old, I just hope the buyer was still available. If not, I could sell them to Madesi, granted if he doesn’t start asking questions about its authenticity.
“Sounds simple enough. I’ll keep my eyes open if one of the boys comes across those chunks o’ brandy.”
Suddenly, we heard noises from outside the Flagon. I turned my head back and saw two men in leather armor. One was a Nord while the other was a Breton. They seemed to be talking about something, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. It was only until after they entered the Flagon could I get a few bits of their conversation.
“…bugger if I know what happened.” said the Breton. “We’re lucky that we weren’t there when it happened.”
“Cynric, Thrynn, you’re back.” Brynjolf greeted. “I hope you lads found what we were looking for in Helgen.”
The two thieves exchanged worried looks before Thrynn shrugged at his companion and spoke. “Funny you should mention that…” He opened a small pouch on his bandolier and presented to us a partially burned-up piece of paper. The bottom left portion was all but gone and the writings were covered in ash stains.
I was perplexed at what I saw, but Brynjolf was more frustrated than confused. “Explain to me how you two managed to almost burn the cargo manifest that you were supposed to steal.” He asked, rubbing his temples to try and relieve himself of the internal headache he was getting.
“We didn’t,” The Nord thief in dark grey leather armor replied. “It was like that the moment we arrived,” Thrynn paused for a moment, his face darkened. “…along with the rest of the town.”
The Flagon went silent. I nearly spilled my wine when I realized what he was implying. I looked at the two thieves and said, “I’m sorry, but are you trying say that Helgen was burned to the ground?”
“It was burned to the ground.” Cynric stood firm with his partner’s statement.
“That’s impossible,” Delvin snorted in disbelief. “Helgen is a fortified town under Imperial occupation. Ten feet high stone walls, a dozen guards patrollin’ its perimeters day-and-night, and even a keep that could garrison at least a hundred men. You’re tellin’ me a town like that is now all ashes and rubble?”
“I would be drunk if I tell you otherwise.”
“You don’t look drunk.” I added.
“My point exactly.”
I looked at Brynjolf to see his input of things. He had been quiet during the whole banter, having spent the time trying to read the partially burned cargo manifest. As far as he’s concerned, he’s going to have a hard time explaining this to Mercer Frey. “Mercer’s not going to like this,” He said. "But on the bright side, at least we know when the caravan might arrive. You two get some rest. We’ll sort out the plan tomorrow. Oh, and one more thing, lads. Unless the inns and taverns start spreading the same story as yours, keep this whole thing between us and Mercer, okay?”
Cynric and Thrynn both agreed and left to retreat back into the cistern.
“Helgen… destroyed.” I started once they were gone, still in disbelief. “You guys aren’t seriously buying into this are you?”
Brynjolf looked at me with his answer written plain on his face. “I’ve known Cynric for a long time, Renartus. He and I joined the guild back when Gallus was still guildmaster. And I can vouch whatever he’s saying is true, even if it doesn’t make sense sometimes.”
There was no arguing there. I’ve been here for four years and I still had trouble figuring out the old breeds from the new. But Cynric was definitely one of the former. He had been a jailbreaker before his last job ended up with him serving three years in High Rock.
“Still, I mean you heard what Delvin said; the place is practically a fortress. How could a place like that just simply be burned to the ground in just a day?”
Brynjolf just shrugged. “I don’t know, lad. But best we focus more on our coins than a burned down town. But if it makes you feel anybetter, I’m also as curious about it as you are.”
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Comments
Anyway, it's very good, Axius. The descriptions and the banter between characters are really good, lively. Keep going, mate.