Chapter 7: Light Fingers and Even Lighter Pockets

Blake's Perspective

"Hey, ma'am." I heard someone say from over me. My shoulder shook because of said person above me. "Ma'am we're here in Riften."

I opened my left eye and say Alfarinn leaning from the front of the carriage.

"Good morning." I say to him, stretching as I said that.

"Aye, and quite an early one at that." Alfarinn said. I looked around and noticed that the sun just started to poke over the horizon.

I rubbed my eyes. "Thanks for taking me here."

"No problem ma'am, just doing my job." Alfarinn said.

"Okay. I'll be off." I told him, jumping off the back and walking to the doors of Riften.

"Be safe, Riften's a dangerous place." Alfarinn said, readying his horse.

I waved and walked up to the guards.

"Halt! All who come to Riften must pay the visitor's tax." The guard on the right said.

"Visitor's tax?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, it's for the privilege of entering the city, why does it matter?" The guard said.

"No other cities that I have been to asked for a visitor's tax." I comment.

The guard shuffled a bit before responding. "Well, that's because...um...you see…"

"Go on." I prompt him, my arms crossed.

"Alright fine! I'll let you in, just don't tell anyone." The guard said, moving to the gate.

"Thank you." I say with an air of finality.

I walked into the city and see a man leaning against a pole with a very large set of armor on him. I decide to ask him about the jobs around here, seeing as that's why I'm here.

"I don't know you. You in Riften lookin' for trouble?" The man asked, harshly.

"I was just looking for a job." I told him coolly.

"Yeah? Well, I got news for you; there's nothing to do here. Last thing the Black-Briars need is some stranger stickin' their nose where it doesn't belong." The man said, keeping his harsh tone.

"Who are the Black-Briars?" I ask him cooly.

"The Black-Briars have Riften in their pocket and the Thieves Guild watchin' their back, so keep your nose out of their business." The man paused before continuing. "Me? I'm Maul, I watch the streets for 'em. If you need dirt on anythin', I'm your guy...but it'll cost you."

"Thieves Guild?" I ask, not allowing my caution to seep through my tone.

"The name says it all, nothing more." Maul said.

"What do they do to hold up the Black-Briars?" I ask.

"You see what you're doing right now? That's sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." Maul paused before continuing. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet someone at the docks."

He walked past me and over to the area that, I assume, houses the docks. Well that was certainly a warm welcome, I thought as I walked towards what I assumed to be the center of the city. It wasn't that big of a city, but considering Winterhold had a total of 4 buildings, it is safe to assume that the standards for a city in this world are a bit more lenient than back on Remnant.

Walking onto a bridge that led over to a large building at the town's center, I looked down and noticed a small canal running through the bottom of the city with degraded wooden docks running through it. It smelled distinctly of human sewage. I am starting to realise how much I took modern plumbing for granted.

The building, now identified as The Bee and Barb, had some drunken men walking out and singing some tale of a hero from "ole' Rorikstead". I take it that it's the inn I will most likely have to stay in for a while, so I head on inside. To my surprise I see that it is much more populated than any of the other inns so far. As for first impressions, this place doesn't give me much hope for the town due to the overpopulation of drunkards in this place.

I move over to the bar and notice something or rather someone that immediately takes me by surprise. It seems to be that the bartender is a humanoid lizard which to be fair shouldn't surprise me at this point. The scales on her body seemed to be a mix between light-gray and black with reddish-orange eyes, and if that wasn't weird enough she had a ring of spikes appearing around the crown of her head.

Noticing me walking up the bartender quickly said a line I am sure she has said thousands of times. "If you've got the coin, you're welcome here. Otherwise, hit the road."

"What did you say?" I replied, still in semi-shock.

"I said: 'If you've got the coin, you're welcome here.' What about that is hard for you to understand?" She asked harshly.

"I have coin with me." I say hesitantly, still a bit confused by the lizard woman.

"Well then what do you want? Food, drink, a place to stay?" she said with an obvious tone of annoyance in her speech.

"A place to stay would be nice, and maybe some clean water if that isn't too much to ask." I hastily replied.

"Yes that would be 15 septims. Ten for the room, five for the water" the bartender said as she gets a large flagon out from under the bar. I go through the meager amount of coins I have in my purse to get the money required. "Thank you, now I will show you to your room, if you would follow me." without waiting for a response she gave me the water and started walking upstairs.

"I will never get used to this place will I?" I mumble under my breath before stumbling after her.

As I caught up to her, she was standing in front of a pair of doors leading to what I assumed to be my room. She said, "This is it, now be sure to let me know if you need anything else." With that, she went back down the stairs as fast as she came up, leaving me to my own devices. Still I guess I shouldn't be complaining, I finally get to have some privacy for once in this world.

Walking in I notice the same type of fur bed I used in Winterhold along with some dressers. With that in mind though I walk over to the bed, take my shoes off, lay down and take out a book that I haven't got an opportunity to finish yet. It's a long epic fantasy (or would it be realistic in this world?) novel about a farm boy who found a dragon egg destined to save the world. Cliche, I know but it's a good story so far.

I got down and relaxed for a few hours before I realized that if I was gonna stay here, I might as well get to know the place a bit. With that in mind I put the book away and went down stairs. As I was heading out the door I got blinded by the afternoon sun as the bustling sounds of the town square came to life.

How did I not hear this in a log building for dust's sake. This place is just as loud as the cafeteria at Beacon somehow. With that thought, I briefly felt homesick as I walked towards the source of the noise, which was unsurprisingly the town market. Merchants and beggars advertising their need for some coin are mixed in with the few people looking around and buying the various pieces of merchandise, even as the one flipping a coin at an old woman in dirtied old rags. I walk up to the market as one of the merchants, a tall man in some noble clothes tried to get my attention.

"Psst. Hey lass, over here." The man said. I hesitantly walk over to him.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously.

"You seem to be running a little light in the pockets, aren't ya?" The man asked.

"...How'd you know?" I asked, now very concerned. I even grabbed my money pouch.

"It's all about sizing up your mark, lass. They way they walk, what they're wearing. It's a dead giveaway." The man said.

"So… Why'd you call me over here?" I asked hesitantly.

"I've got an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid." The man said, putting emphasis on the last part.

I look at my bag of coins and I see just how small it is. "Yeah. I think I'll help." I say with much uncertainty.

"Excellent." The man paused before continuing. "Now the job is simple...I'm going to cause a distraction and you're going to steal Madesi's silver ring from a strongbox under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing." The man said, pointing both men out at their respective stands.

I instantly thought back to my days in the White Fang and I remembered all the times I needed skills like this.

I nod slightly. "I think-" I pause "I think I can handle it." I say with fear and confidence playing tug-of-war in my emotions.

"Good. Wait until I start the distraction then show me what you're made of." The man started to prepare before he remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. Take these, you might not need all of them, but there's no harm in having spares."

I palmed the lockpicks that the man gave me. He called everyone over to him, and I legged it over to the stand with the strongbox that I was supposed to break into. I opened it with ease and had the ring within seconds. I stayed low and slowly made my way over to the man I had to slip it into before I felt the fear of being caught. I was let in by those guards without having to pay to enter. I don't want to have them turn on me right after. I was close to backing out. I came this far. I might as well just put the ring in his pocket and walk away. Plus I need the money. I shook my head slightly as I crouch-walked over to the man I needed to plant this ring on. I slipped it in without any trouble. Thank goodness. I made my way back to the man, crouched until I hit the crowd, and waited for the crowd to go away.

"Looks like I picked the right person for the job. And here you go…" The man said, handing me a good sized bag of gold. "your reward, just as I promised."

I was about to thank him, but he continued talking. "The way things have been going around here, it's a relief that our plan went off without a hitch."

"Have these plans been going bad lately?" I asked, hoping that I wasn't intruding much. You're welcome, Maul.

"Bah. My organization has been having a run of bad luck, but I suppose that's just how it goes. But never mind that, you did the job, and you did it in record time no doubt. Best of all, there's more where that came from...if you think you can handle it." The man said.

I need the money, but is this right? It's like the White Fang all over again. Yet another memory of Remnant sends a pang of homesickness to my heart.

I nod, not knowing what to say in this situation.

"All right, then. Let's put that to the test. The group I represent has it's home in the Ratway beneath Riften… a tavern called the Ragged Flagon. Get there in one piece, and we'll see if you've really got what it takes." The man said, walking off towards the inn. He paused and called back to me not a second later. "Oh, and the Ratway can be accessed by going down the stairs near Honorhall Orphanage, and it'll be the first door on the left side."

"Got it. See you down there." I say to him as he walks away.

He chuckled as he walked away, which didn't really settle my nerves. If anything, that made them worse. Of all to work I get back to work, it's by being a thief. What a wonderful world. I think in a sarcastic way manner. If there is one upside to this, it's got to be the fact that I am not one of the ones having their stuff stolen.

As I was going around the market place, I noticed that the merchant I stole from was another one of those lizard people. The people around me don't seem to be as taken aback by him as much as I, so it is safe to assume these people are not a rare sight here. I intently listen to him advertising his wares as any other merchant would.

"Jewelry with legendary Argonian craftsmanship!" The humanoid shouted to no one in particular. Argonian. Either that is the name of a place or of his people. Hopefully the latter. But before I go any further into that side track, I decide to do as I was told earlier and head off in the same direction the man went. I saw a large iron gated door that was next to the river.

I opened it gingerly and walked towards the wood door that was inside the wall. The sign read "The Ratway". Good. That means that I am in the right place. I walked in and saw a woodcutter's axe lying on the floor next to a skull. I looked up from that long enough to see that this place looks slimy, gross, and claustrophobic. What kind of place is this? I walked to the end of a stairway, over the axe and the skull. I entered a room that looked like an outer ring to a circular room, which I guess it was.

Two large men confronted me. They were certainly drunk. One pulled out a mace and shield, the other a bow. I didn't want to hurt them, but what else could I do? The one with the mace and shield charged me while the one with the bow played support. I can handle these guys. The archer looks like he would shoot the mace-wielder anyways. The mace-wielder swung and stupidly opened himself up. When he swung, he moved his shield to his side, protecting nothing. I crouched and bashed his abdomen with the pommel of Gambol Shroud, causing him to double over, covering me from the vision of the archer. He stupidly fired in my general area. It struck the mace-wielder in the back of the head, sending him sprawling towards me. I screamed and jumped out of the way of his falling body. The arrow landed just above his shoulders and the very tip protruded from the top of his head. I didn't have time to focus on his dead body, instead turning to the archer who, after killing his friend, drew a dagger so he could fight with me. He charged and stabbed with his dagger. I easily parried the strike with the scabbard of Gambol Shroud, at the same time I stabbed him in the gut. A strangled cough was the response to him getting a nice hole in his gut. I shoved it farther in, bringing me closer to him. The life left his eyes in that moment. I kicked him off Gambol Shroud quickly, so as to not taint the blade.

I killed someone, but something tells me I will do it more from here on out…

I walked into the next room and came upon a ledge with two doors, one right next to the ledge and one on the other side of the room. I jumped down from the ledge and walked into the one closest to me. I passed through a gated door and went up a set of stairs. Some girl yelling "You shouldn't have come here!" broke my concentration. She ran towards me with a dagger in hand. She swung it like it was a long-bladed weapon. Big mistake. I stepped back and her swing missed by a foot. I stabbed her chest with the scabbard of Gambol Shroud, knocking her back. She hit the ground with an "Ah." and quickly jumped back up, pressing the assault. I sigh. I guess I have to kill her too… She stabs, I parry with Gambol Shroud. With the same movement, I swung my arm around and sliced her neck at the Jugular artery. She shouted something incoherent as blood spewed from her lacerated neck. She ran towards me in a daze. She never made it past the first half of Gambol Shroud's blade. I watched sadly as she fell to the floor in a heap, blood pooling around her. Two down. And many more to go by the looks of things.

I approached a door that was in the same room as me and it had a plaque that read: "The Ragged Flagon". I made it. I guess there wasn't as many people that wanted to kill me as I thought…

I opened the door and enter a large, circular room with a large pool of water in the center. The walkway went around both sides of the pool, but only the right seemed to get you to the Ragged Flagon proper. As I made my way over to the main area, I noticed that there were smaller side areas meant for storage on either side of the pathway. Once I got to the main area, I saw the man from earlier, but dressed in different clothes surrounded by others dressed like him. The others called the man "Brynjolf", So that's his name.

"Well, well...color me impressed, lass. I wasn't certain I'd ever see you again!" Brynjolf said.

"It was a clean up job at best." I told him, with pride in my voice.

"Reliable and headstrong? You're turning out to be quite the prize! So… now that I've whetted your appetite with our little scheme at the market, how about handling a few deadbeats for me?" Brynjolf asked.

"What is it you need me to do?" I asked him.

"Right to the point, eh? I like that. These three owe our organization some serious coin and they've decided not to pay. I want you to explain to them the error of their ways." Brynjolf said.

"Just give me their names and consider it done." I say, focusing on the fact that I need the money.

"Keerava at The Bee and Barb, Bersi Honey-Hand at the Pawned Prawn, and Haelga at Haelga's Bunkhouse. Do this right, and I can promise you a permanent place in our organization." Brynjolf said.

"Alright. I will be back with your money." I tell them, preparing to head to the door.

As I walked away, I overheard Brynjolf and the others saying things such as "She's not even asking for advice." and "How much you want to bet that she won't come back?"

I laugh at the fact that they are underestimating me. It gives me all the more reason to prove them wrong. I went out of the Ragged Flagon and walked back into the antechamber outside of it. Where do I go from here? I walked over to the door that was next to the one that I came in and saw that It had a lever and a bridge across the ledge I went past earlier. I pulled the lever and saw the bridge drop. Good. Now I can go back and forth easier. I walked across and back out of the door that was near the water. I felt the sunlight hit my face and I knew that I would return with all the money that Brynjolf asked for.

After the few hours that it took for me to go from shop to shop getting the money, I found myself standing outside of the Ragged Flagon. Time to go. I walked in and made my way over to Brynjolf, who hasn't seemed to have moved at all from when I last saw him, save that he looks significantly more intoxicated.

I jingled the bag of coins by his face. "I got your money." I said simply.

"So, job's done and you even brought the gold. Best of all you did it clean. I like that. Dumping bodies and keeping guards quiet can be expensive." Brynjolf said, taking the gold.

"I do it quick, right and simply." I say, with a slight mock-bow.

"Aye. And judging from the way you handled those shopkeepers, I'd say you've done more than simply prove yourself. We need people like you in our outfit." Brynjolf said.

"So I'm with you all now?" I asked, in response to his outfit comment.

"Aye lass, you've proven yourself to be much more than a practiced thief. The larceny is in your blood, something that a lot of people lack these days. I think you'll do more than just fit in around here." Brynjolf said.

"That sounds great." I said to him. Do I ask if I get paid for that last thing I did?

"Now, before I go and show you what we're all about, here's your pay for that job you just did." Brynjolf said, getting up and handing me three different colored potions of varying sizes.

"Thank you." I told him as I grabbed the potions. "Now, is there any other job I can do for you?"

"We can talk business later, for now, follow me." Brynjolf said, making his way over to the room next to the bar.

I nod and walk after him. We walk through a cabinet and enter an antechamber. He walks over to another door and into a very large room. At four different points on the domed ceiling there is grates with water pouring out of them, which just fills the pool at the bottom. The cistern, as I heard from someone inside, is circular in shape with a central pool and a bridge/platform at the center. beds and chests line the walls around the pool on the side nearest the door and on the side opposite, there is a table with food, an office-type area for the head-honcho and a place to practice archery. I follow Brynjolf until he reaches the center of the bridge/platform where a man with gray hair was standing.

"Mercer? This was the one I was talking about...our new recruit." Brynjolf said.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Since Brynjolf assures me that you'll be nothing but a benefit to us, then you're in. Welcome to the Thieves Guild." Mercer said.

"Thank you for letting me join." I said politely.

"But before we continue, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you play by the rules, you walk away rich. You break the rules and you lose your share. No debates, no discussions… you do what we say, when we say. Got that?" Mercer asked.

"Understood." I said, not wanting to forfeit any money.

With that, Mercer walked off to another part of the cistern, and Brynjolf approached me for another conversation.

"Welcome to the family, lass. I'm expecting you to make us a lot of coin, so don't disappoint me." Brynjolf said.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I said to him, hoping to raise his hopes.

"That's the spirit. Now then, you should talk to Delvin Mallory and Vex. They know their way around this place and they'll be able to kick some extra jobs your way. Oh, and talk to Tonilia at the Flagon...she'll get you set up with your new armor." Brynjolf said, walking off soon after.

I walked back through the cabinet and into the Ragged Flagon. I called for Tonilia, like Brynjolf told me to, and came upon a dark-skinned woman.

"So you're the new recruit, eh?" She paused and looked me over "And an outworlder at that, well, looks like you and I are going to have to get very well acquainted."

"That sounds very nice." I said in response.

"Not the response I was expecting, but anyway, I'm the fence down here. You come across anything you don't exactly own and I'll pay you some coin for it. Minus a little slice for the Guild, of course. I can also provide a few supplies useful to our trade now and again, for a small fee." Tonilia said.

"Now that sounds nice." I say, emphasis on that. "Having somewhere to sell stuff sounds great."

"It is, now then, here's your armor, just make sure you put it to good use." Tonilia said, handing me the set.

"Thank you very much. And trust me, I certainly will." I say in response.

"Good, just make sure you bring back lots of coin." Tonilia said, walking towards the cistern.

In the weeks following, I made close to 2,500 septims. Brynjolf decided to teach me a bit more and we went out to the market place on a real lesson.

"I must say lass, you've done great these past few weeks. You even completed the Goldenglow job, and we'd been stuck on that for months." Brynjolf said.

"All it takes is a little bit of finesse." I say back to him, smiling.

"Aye it does. Now then, the job I have for you is a bit impromptu, but it should pay well." Brynjolf said.

"And it is…" I say, prompting him to continue.

"See that man in the market over there? Heading towards the Ratway?" Brynjolf said, pointing to the market.

"The one in the iron gauntlets, iron helmet and studded chestpiece with a banded iron shield?" I asked him.

"Aye...he managed to get some information out of me for free, saying 'dragons are bad for business'. While he isn't wrong, we never give information away for free, you know that by now, right lass?" Brynjolf asked.

"Of course I do." I confirmed.

"Now then, I'd say he owes us… 350 Septims. So all you need to do is get down there and pickpocket it from him. Anything else you want from him is yours for the taking." Brynjolf said.

"Will do. I'll be right back." I tell him, making my way over to the man.

I walked casually through the semi-crowd that this place has and once I got within fighting distance, I dropped into a crouch and slowly made my way over to him. The closer I got to him, the more I realized that I recognized him. I didn't know where I knew him from, just that I recognized him. I need the money, sorry dude-that-I-know! He walked down to the Ratway. Oh no he doesn't! I walked over and started to pick his pocket, but somehow he noticed me. He grabbed my hand in an incredibly tight grip, and flung me against the wall. After hitting me with a quick elbow to the chest, he covered my mouth with his left hand, and put a ebony dagger to my throat with his right hand.

"I was aware that Riften was full of thieves, but I didn't expect to be attacked so soon. It's a shame, I was hoping to catch one that was more of a fighter, but I guess you'll do." The man said.

I started trying to speak, but I was muffled by his hand. I tried to flail, but he pushed the dagger deeper into my neck. I quickly stopped fighting, because I was cornered.

"That's more like it. Now then, I'm sure you're aware of what happens to thieves when they get caught with no guards around?" The man asked.

I nod. Brynjolf went over it with me to the point that I could recite it from heart.

"So you know that you're not leaving this hallway alive, I take it?" The man said.

I nod again.

"However, before I end your miserable life, I'll ask two things of you, and you must comply. Understand?" The man asked, harshly.

I nod for a third time.

"First thing I require is an answer to a question, do you know who I am?" The man asked.

I slightly nod, because I suddenly remembered him as the guy we went to Whiterun with.

"Good, nice to see that the whole 'Dragonborn' thing is starting to spread." the Dragonborn said, more to himself than me. "Now then, the second thing I require from you is that you remove your hood. Unlike most Nords, I wish to see the face of a thief before I strike them down."

I shakily reach up and push the hood back so that he could see my face. This instantly drew a reaction from him that I didn't expect. He removed both his hand and his blade and backed up slightly.

"No, no… what happened? It's only been a few weeks and...why?" The Dragonborn said, confused.

"What? In the same few weeks you went from a dude who eluded execution to this 'Dragonborn'." I said to him, angrily.

"You're missing the point here. First of all, where are the others? Secondly, why are you in Riften? And thirdly, why did you join the Thieves Guild?" The Dragonborn asked, angered and confused.

"Well, Ruby and Yang are in Whiterun. Weiss is at the College of Winterhold. And I am here because I wanted to make sure that we all had money. And the Thieves Guild recruited me, I didn't join them." I informed him.

"Look, I understand that you four are outworlders and that you want to make the most of your time here, but please, be careful. If I hadn't recognized you, you would be a motionless corpse right now. You four need to watch yourselves, you more than the others." The Dragonborn said.

"The only reason I tried to pickpocket you was because my superior said that you owe him 350 Septims for information." I said, awkwardly.

"Well you can tell your 'superior' that the next person that he sends after me for his 'payment' is going to sent back in pieces. The dragon threat is much more important than his stupid schemes, he should know that." The Dragonborn said, angered.

"I'll tell him that." I said, my voice cracking a bit from fear.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with a man in the Ratway Warrens. It was nice catching up with you, Blake." The Dragonborn said, walking into the Ratway and slamming the door shut behind him.

Well, that could've gone better…

/AN: Hey guys! I've got some good news! Now that my friends and I are finished with some of the detail heavy chapters (you guys will love them when they come up), you should see more consistent uploads from me, so look forward to that! Until then, please enjoy!