Renartus
So here I was, in my study, still figuring out ways to settle my debt with Durgesh (the loot gathered from Helgen had profited two thousand septims. So that’s eight thousand more to go) when Varik called me out, saying that there was a woman who had some questions to ask.
Questions, ugh. I hate it when people come in here with questions, especially the guards. It wasn’t out of despise per say, more like out of annoyance. I run a shop, not an information booth!
Normally I would let Varik deal with the questions-and-answering (he’s well-versed enough in the standard procedures). But then I had a second thought and decided what the heck. I needed to entertain myself. And you could say I was definitely quite entertained when I saw who strode into my shop.
The last time I saw her, she wore the purple-and-black robes of the College of Winterhold and covered in fish guts, namely salmon. Today, she wore green-and-black robes which were distinctively Breton in design. On her right hand, she held a staff with a large gem crowned on the top.
Elise Desrosiers (pronounced Deh-rose-e-aye as said by the woman herself). Young, highborn, and naive. Basically what every free-spirited girl is like. With an inward grimace and an outward smile I greeted her, calling her ‘Roses’.
It was a nickname I had given her during our second encounter yesterday that evening. I just called her that because of how convenient it sounded at that time. (‘Roses’, ‘Deh-rose-e-aye’, see the similarities?) I bet her house even has a rose for its coat of arms. High Rock noble families are not but obvious when it comes to their coat of arms.
“You?!” was the reply I received from the Breton. It was filled with shock, disbelief, and outrage. Considering what happened to her yesterday, that was understandable.
At the corner, Kat was slowly chewing her salmon as she looked at me, then to Elise, then back to me. She tilted her head with a confused look that said, You know her?
Long story, my eyes said to her before turning my attention back to the customer. “Well it’s nice seeing you too again, Roses,” regrettably for the third time. “I’m actually surprised that you managed to find my shop.”
“I find it hard to believe that this is your shop considering what a conniving peddler you are,” She deadpanned. “But it would make sense for someone like you to live at the bottom of the city.”
My eye twitched. Jeez, for someone who claimed not to be a pompous Breton, you sure are a snarker. “I thought you’re here because you have some questions to ask?”
“Yes, that I do. It has come to my attention that you once supplied a man named Lothor with equipment for his exploration into a Dwemer ruin.”
I pondered for a moment. Lothor, Lothor… Where have I heard that name? Oh wait, that guy. “I might’ve recalled selling some equipment to a guy named Lothor. But what’s it to you anyway?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“Lothor was supposed to retrieve a Dwemer artifact for the court wizard and I was to bring it back to the College of Winterhold.” Elise explained. “However, he never did return from his expedition. I need to know the location of the Dwemer ruin he was heading.”
“And you just assume I know where it is just because I did business with him once?” That’s one great conclusion, Roses. I thought dryly.
“Well he had to tell you where he was going with all that paid equipment." Elise shot me a dubious look. "Unless of course you’re the type of merchant who doesn’t care what people do with the stuff they buy.”
“I do, but it’s part of merchant-buyer confidentiality.” I revealed.
“There’s no such thing as merchant-buyer confidentiality.” She claimed. Of course she would say that. She’s a Breton. One or two people in her family must’ve been merchants.
“Actually there is—in my store.” I shot back with a smile.
She returned the expression with a scowl. “Do you or do you not know the location of the Dwemer ruin Lothor was heading?”
Cuhcelain’s beard is she relentless! Seriously, even the guards don’t ask this many questions. With a defeated sigh, I said, “Alright look, short answer is I don’t know where Lothor went. The long answer is I care not to because I couldn’t make out the name of the Dwemer ruin he told me about. Do you know how awful Nords are at pronouncing Dwemeris? No offense, Varik.”
The aforementioned Nord gave me a thumbs-up and I turned back to Elise.
“So yeah, there you have it. I got no clue on where he went.”
“Oh c’mon! There has to be something you know!” Elise whined. “At least tell me the name even if it’s mispronounced. I’ll cross-reference it in a book and figure out the name myself.”
Yeah, good luck on that. I thought, holding back a chuckle.
To be honest, I was actually surprised she was still in this city. After that scene yesterday, I had figured her to be on her way back to the College, sad and depressed, probably even leaving Skyrim entirely. Instead, I find her standing in front of me today, still determined to complete whatever in Oblivion those mages had asked her to do here. She’s even willing to cross-reference broken Dwemeris, something which I doubt she’s capable of doing.
She’s pushing herself to do something which she clearly can’t do. I thought. Gods, I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost...
“Okay look, I know a guy who might help you.”
Why did I say that? Well as amusing as it may be at the thought of her spending countless of hours cross-referencing broken Dwemeris, I felt like that would be too taxing for someone like her to do unless if she has some proficiency in linguistics like I am. Plus I was feeling generous today.
“Really now?” Elise casted a dubious look. “Because I’ve been told the exact same thing just a few minutes ago.”
Seriously? I’m trying to offer you help and you’re doubting me? “Trust me, this guy knows every nook and cranny in the Rift,” I said with a confident smile.
That disarmed her suspicion and she cautiously took my offer. “Alright then, I don’t see no harm. Let’s go meet this guy of yours.”
Of course, I didn’t say I was being completely generous with my offer.
“You sure about that, Roses?” I asked with a queer raise of an eyebrow. “Because where he lives isn’t exactly a place for highborn ladies like you.”
“If you’re trying to tease me with an offer of help; only to dissuade me at the last second, then you’ll have to try harder than that.” She firmly stated.
“Okay, suit yourself then.” I turned my head to the corner of the room where Kat sat. “Kat, wanna join?”
The petite girl eagerly nodded as she gobbled up the last of her meal.
<<<<>>>>
I left the store under Varik’s care as we headed down into the Ratway. We weren’t using the entrance through my study - Oblivion no! Not with this woman. Instead we used the more commonly known and commonly avoided canal entrance.
It was just a walking distance from my shop. When we arrived, a curtain of moss hung over the archway, partly covering the rusty iron-grated door that lead into the Ratway. I swatted them away before I opened the gate.
I gestured my hand forward. “Ladies first,”
“Shouldn’t you be taking the lead since you know the way better?” Elise asked.
“I didn’t mean you, Roses.”
It was Kat that I was referring to. She cheerfully skipped pass us and descended down into the Ratway. Elise and I followed behind.
The tunnels were dark and dimly-lit by what very few torches were still left burning. Kat led the way with her candlelight floating above her. We haven’t used these tunnels for a long time, but I still remembered the path from here to the Ragged Flagon, though my memory of it is a bit sketchy. Luckily, there were some shadowmarks etched in the walls and floors to help guide us in the right direction in case we lost our way.
As we entered an intersection, a rat suddenly appeared in front of us. I had expected ‘her ladyship’ to squeal in fright. But instead she simply watched, not even cringing, as the rat scurried back into a nearby drain, much to my chagrin.
I frowned. There goes my chance of making another quip.
It was strange really. Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen Elise show any sign of disgust, complaint, or even the slightest squeamish noise throughout the whole time we were in these tunnels.
It was ticking me off.
As we crossed a small makeshift bridge that was set up over a large pit, I decided to pop the question. “Okay Roses, you’re being awfully calm at the fact you’re inside a sewer.”
Elise casted a sideward glare at me and smiled condescendingly. “I’m sorry, were you expecting me to be afraid and squirm throughout the entire trip? Or perhaps you wanted me to ask you to hold my hand as if I was some shy maiden?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm as she furrowed her brows in exasperation. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been inside Daggerfall’s sewers, and this barely compares to there.”
“Oh, and what did you do inside those sewers?” I asked out of curiosity.
“I killed rats,”
“You killed rats?” I stifled a laugh. Even Kat had momentarily jerked at her words and was currently stifling a giggle. “Nobles killing rats in the sewers. Now that's rich.” I said, thinking that she was joking. When I saw that Elise's expression remained impassive, that was when I realized that she meant it serious. “Wow, you’re not joking, are you?”
“Nope,” She said. “Three days a week I would go down into the sewers with Master and I would practice my magic on the rats, as well as the occasional sewer goblins that dwell there. In just four months, we cut down the sewers’ rodent population by half, and I became the city’s premier rat exterminator.” She held her head high as if she was proud of her ‘achievements’.
“Hah! I should call you Lady Ratslayer then,” I quipped. Nailed it!
“Please don’t,”
When we finally arrived at the hollow-domed cistern holding the Ragged Flagon, Elise stared in awe at the sheer size of the place. Yeah, that was the kind of reaction one would get when they first bumped into this place. A single hole in the ceiling brought light from above. At the center was a large pool where three small skiffs lay docked near a small wooden platform. Yes, this place indeed has a dock.
Thirty years ago, this place would be busier than the Imperial Market District. I heard stories about it from the Guild back in Cyrodiil and from Delvin himself. It was the biggest black market in Skyrim in its day. You could find anything and everything here. Dozens of skiffs would arrive from Lake Hjorim through the Flooded District of the Ratway, bringing all sorts of smuggled goods. Blacksmiths, armorers, tailors, jewelsmiths, glassworkers—members of the Artisans’ Guild whose skills weren’t appreciated by their seniors and upper classes, all came down and set up shop here, bringing life and color and art into the sewers. And all of that happened right under the Jarls’ noses. Some say that the previous Jarls knew about it but batted an eye in return for a small take of the income.
To live during that time was… to simply put it was like living in the Golden Age. It was a time where the Ratway was literally a city under a city.
Dirge greeted us with his usual stink-eye look. He gave a long pause at Elise. “Who's the Breton?”
“A friend,” I answered politely.
“The Flagon isn't some place where you could just casually bring your 'friends' here, you know.”
“It's a tavern. I thought the main purpose for a tavern is to share a drink with friends?”
Dirge grunted, too tired to even reply to my snide remark, and let us through. “Just make sure she doesn't cause trouble, Vulpin.”
Delvin was sitting at his usual spot, sipping a bottle of Black-Briar Reserve. He raised his bottle in salute when he saw us approach. “Good to see you again, Renartus! And you too, Kat.” His eyes then lingered at Elise and grinned. “So, I see you finally found yourself a lady friend.”
“As if I would offer myself to a dishonest merchant like him.” Elise scoffed, arms folded and flustering.
“Ooo, a feisty one. I like her, Ren.”
I sighed as I ran my hand down my face in exasperation. “She’s not my lady friend, Delvin. Only a customer.” One that I wish to end my business with as soon as possible. “This is Elise Desrosiers, and she needs help with finding something.”
“Then you’ve come to the right person then, missy. ” Delvin declared with a grin. “Delvin Mallory at your service. And findin’ things for people is my specialty.”
Elise narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the older Breton’s claim then turned to me with a scowl. ‘Your friend’s a thief,’ her face said; not a question, but a fact.
I turned away from her accusing eyes and whistled tunelessly, acting as if I had no idea what she was talking about.
Elise returned to Delvin and asked, “I need to know the location of a Dwemer ruin here in the Rift.”
“That’s a broad term, girl.” Delvin said. “There’s four Dwemer ruins here in the Rift. I need specifics if I’m to help you.”
“Does the name ‘Lothor’ ring any bells, Delvin?” I half-mindedly asked.
“Lothor? You mean Slippery Lothor? Yeah, what of—” Delvin paused and mouthed a big ‘O’. “—Ooh I see now...”
“See what now?” Asked a clueless Elise. “Wait, you mean you know Lothor?”
“Well… you could say I was the one who gave him the location, eheh.” The older Breton revealed with a sheepish chuckle. “Offered it up durin’ a game of Esgend—”
“Which I take it you lost.” I cut in.
“Well ain’t that obvious, Artorias.” He sarcastically revealed. The name was a reference to the main character of the popular detective novel series by Sir Pendrik.
I chuckled. Leave it to Delvin to bet something on a card game and lose. He really sucks at playing Esgend. I remembered winning five games against him one night. This coming from someone who was considered an amateur at Esgend.
“If you know, then would you be so kind as to tell me his location then, Mr. Mallory?” Elise asked sweetly.
Kat and I exchanged amused looks. Mr. Mallory? Seriously? She made him sound like as if he was a dignified man (which he isn’t). Well whatever the case, it made Delvin smile, and that’s usually a good sign.
“Well since you asked nicely, girl,” He swept his hand across the surface to make room as he laid out a map on the table. “The ruin you’re lookin’ for is here.” He pointed a finger just north of where the city of Riften was, near the base of the Velothi Mountains. “It’s called Bhzamkelt. Some miners recently discovered it a few weeks ago when they were diggin’ for ores. They tried explorin’ it, but only went as far as a few steps from the entrance before abandonin’ it completely due to traps and automatons and such.”
“And you just so happen to know this, how?” Elise inquired.
“It’s in my nature to know stuff, girl.” Delvin replied bluntly. “Also, I had a friend who worked as part of the minin’ crew tell me about it.”
“Wow, I can’t believe you just bet the location of an unexplored Dwemer ruin, potentially filled with vast amounts of treasure, on a card game and lost it to Lothor.” I said dryly.
“I might've been a bit up in my cups at that time.”
I rolled my eyes in a 'sure you were’ way.
“So Bizarrekilt?” Elise asked for confirmation.
“Bhzamkelt,” Delvin corrected. “And yes, that's​ where Lothor went. I swear it upon my word as a fellow kinsman.”
Right... And Bretons are famous for keeping their word. I thought, quietly chuckling to myself.
“I see. Well thank you for the directions, Mr. Mallory.” Elise said to Delvin. Then she turned to me and said, “Alright, looks like we’re going to Bizarrekilt to recover Wylandriah’s artifact!”
“It’s Bhzamkelt!”
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” I blurted out, erratically waving my hands out in a dismissive gesture. “Since when was there a ‘we’? I only agreed to help you find where Lothor went; not tag along on your little adventure.”
“So you’re just going to let a young woman venture into a Dwemer ruin filled with traps and dangerous automatons all alone without any sense of guilt for what might befall of her?” Elise asked.
“Yes,” I said in the most nonchalant way possible.
Her mouth went agape before she quickly composed herself. “There will be treasure inside the ruins.” She added in a professional-like tone. “Gems, Dwemer relics, gold. You can have all of them if you come.”
Seriously, the promise of bountiful treasure? That was like the oldest trick in the book. “I’ll pass,” I said before taking my leave. I’m sure the woman would find her own way out of the Ratway. “If you want help, go hire a sellsword. I hear one’s available at the Bee and Barb.” That was my only advice to her.
Just as I was about to walk out of the tavern, I felt something grab hold of my right arm. I turned my head around and saw Kat with a rather grouchy look. “We're going,” She gestured with her hands.
“What? Why?” I asked, surprised at her sudden request.
“You said the ruin was filled with vast amounts of treasure. We can use it to settle the debt,”
“I said it was potentially filled with vast amounts of treasure.” I corrected. “And there are other ways we could settle it.”
“I’m not following you to any more burned down towns if that’s your plan of settling the debt,” She gestured with a huff.
“Hey, it was a good score, you know.” I shot back.
“Only because we got lucky.” She glared. “If we were a few hours late, then the vultures would’ve already plucked the town clean. You said we earned two thousand from the loot at Helgen. Well I can guarantee we’ll get five times - no - TEN times that amount if we follow that woman. That’s enough to settle your debt and get us loaded for the next few months!” Her eyes glimmered like stars at the thought of all that loot. Of course that was what she was focused on. She was a thief after all.
I made a brief glance at Elise and Delvin. The former was giving us an awkward look. She was probably wondering why Kat was moving her hands around like some sort of mime.
I pondered over the thought for a moment. Kat’s words (or hand signs depending on how you look at it) does hold some truth. It was a recently discovered Dwemer ruin. That means there was thousand-years of old treasure waiting to be uncovered. It could settle my debt, and there would still be more for me and Kat to spend, as well as a bit for the Guild. But… there was a problem. Well, make that two problems.
First was Lothor. He got there first, so he’s probably busy looting the place. By the time we get there, he’ll be gone with most of the loot. They don’t call him Slippery Lothor for nothing, you know. Then there was Elise. I glanced again at the woman and my lips curled. Personally, I don’t like the idea of chauffering someone the likes of her. Heck, I don’t even liked the idea at all. I usually do these sorts of things with Kat or one of the members of the Guild. With that all thought out, my decision was…
“No,” I said in a monotone.
“Please?” Kat put on a small smile.
I shook my head, repeating the same answer to her.
Kat’s smile turned to a frown. She narrowed her mismatch pair of eyes as if glaring daggers at me before taking a step back, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
“What are you doing?” I asked, rather worried.
She looked up at me, her face softening.
Oh no… My own face turned pale when I realized what she was about to do. “Don’t you dare…”
She tilted her head a little sideways and widened her eyes, making those gold and brown orbs of hers grow even bigger and rounder.
“No...”
Her mouth was slightly opened as she brought her right hand to her cheek which now had a light pinkish blush.
It was too late. I froze in place as I was forced to stare at her.
Kat had used her secret power against me. A power far more powerful than any mere illusion spell. It was the cat face, also known as the ‘overwhelmingly cute and adorable’ cat face.
Must… resist… cuteness… I repeatedly told myself as I cringed in discomfort. She always does this to me whenever she wants something, similar to a kid wanting something special from their parents. Don’t let her get to you this time.
But it was too late. Kat playfully winked and brushed her hand, adding more to the effect of being a cat. If she had a voice, she would probably let out a cat-like noise, something like “Meow,” or “Nya,”
Gods dammit!! I mentally screamed. That was my breaking point. I knew at this point I could no longer fight it. Kat was talented in illusion magic, there was no doubt about it. But her ability to manipulate her facial expressions had proven to be her greatest asset. Just charming someone without using any sort of magic was a remarkable skill at its own right. If you placed an adorable little cat beside a busty wench, then who would you pick? Sometimes being cute and adorable has the same effect or more as being sultry and seductive.
With a defeated sigh, I threw my hands up. “Alright, fine! You win.”
Kat ended her act and clapped her hands together in delight.
Grumbling, I walked back to Elise who had watched our banter with not the slightest clue of what just happened. “It looks like today’s your lucky day, Roses.” I said with a bit of reluctance. “My business partner has ‘convinced’ me to tag along on your little adventure.”
“Oh, she did?” Elise looked at Kat for a moment then back to me. “I see…”
“However, we have only one condition,” I added. “We get to keep anything we find inside the ruin.”
“That’s fine by me. All I need is just Wylandriah’s artifact.”
“Then it’s settled then. Meet us outside the northern gate, at the stables, tomorrow morning.”
“Okay,” Elise nodded. “So… uh, can we get out of here?”
“Why? You haven’t even tried out the drinks here yet, Roses.” I said. “There’s fine wine if you’re interested.”
“Thank you, but no.” Elise politely declined. “I don’t want to spend any more time here. Besides, I think the drinks here are filled with sewage water.”
I gulped nervously at how loud she just said that. I slowly turned to the bar counter and saw the tavern owner, Vekel, giving me a glare that was equivalent to a concentrated beam of light that could pierce through anyone’s skull, and it’s currently doing that to me.
“Sometimes I even wonder how people even stand drinking here. I mean it’s not exact—” I quickly put a hand on her mouth. Seriously, it’s like she wanted to give Dirge a good excuse to throw us out.
“Kat, I think it’s time to go.” I said to my partner while struggling to keep Elise shut. “Thanks for your help, Delvin.”
“Pleasure’s all mine, Ren.” The Old Bret replied. “By the way, have you seen Vipir when you were up top?”
“No. Why?”
“He was supposed to be back here an hour ago from that shill job I gave him.”
“Huh, I wonder what’s taking him so long.”
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Comments
Also, Renartus is surprisingly susceptible to the Kat face (I'm sorry, but I just had to make that pun before someone else did).
Also, Renartus is surprisingly susceptible to the Kat face (I'm sorry, but I just had to make that pun before someone else did).