The Die is Cast

Meliandra carried the large crate toward the looming doors of the Blue Palace, the Firebrand Wine buried beneath breads, cheeses and salted meats. She felt conspicuous in the maids clothing she had helped herself to to pull off this heist, but so far no one had questioned her. Brynjolf hadn’t been joking about having to buy off the Argonian, but she didn’t think it would entail stealing an entire case of wine from the palace of the late High King. If she got caught by the palace guards she had no doubt that she would not be able to smooth talk her way out of jail this this. She turned the corner, the doors right in front of her, just a few steps away; she was holding her breath as she reached for the door handle.

“Haven’t seen you before. What’s in the crate?”

She closed her eyes as she silently swore. She turned and smiled sweetly at the brown-eyed guard approaching her. “I’m new here, sir; my first day. Helping in the kitchen. I was told her ladyship wanted this brought to the inn, sir.”

The guard looked at the foodstuffs and seeing signs of age, nodded and held the door open for her.

She nodded and walked out the door. She made her way down the path that led to Castle Dour and from there she’d make her way to the Winking Skeever. She found herself annoyed with Gulum-Ei; she would play his little cat and mouse game, and she would get the answers that they sought. She stopped outside the inn and looked at the beggar by the door. “Want some food, old timer?” She dumped the foodstuffs on the top of a barrel and walked inside with the wine.

She set the crate down and looked at the lizard. “Here’s your wine; now talk.”

He smiled. “Good. Can’t have the buyer getting impatient and looking elsewhere for this, can we? Here, take these,” he handed her some soul gems. “I certainly can’t use them, but I suppose I need to pay you something for the goods.”

“Are you trying to bribe me now?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I consider it an investment in prolonging my life.” He took a bite of his seared slaughterfish followed by a swallow of mead. “As far as Goldenglow Estate goes, I’ll tell you what I know.” He sat back in his chair and continued, “I was approached by a woman who wanted me to act as the broker for something big. She flashed a bag of gold in my face and said all I had to do was pay Aringoth for the estate. I brought him the coin and walked away with her copy of the deed.”

“She happen to say why she’s doing this?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I tend to not ask too many questions when I’m on the job.” He smiled. “I’m sure you understand.” He paused the continued, “However, I did notice she was quite angry and it was directed at Mercer Frey.”

“That’s it? No name or anything?”

He chuckled. “In this business, we rarely deal in names; our identity comes from how much coin we carry.”

She rested her hands on the table and leaned in toward him. “I think you’re lying to me.”

“Look, that’s all I know. I never promised you I’d have all the answers. Now,” he stood up, “since our transaction is done, I’ll be on my way.”

She watched the Argonian leave the inn, a smug look on his face while she glowered at him. She paid for an ale, drank it and then proceeded to follow Gulum-Ei. As she exited the inn she heard the gates of the city creaking closed. She sprinted to them before they closed; seeing Gulum-Ei walking down the path. She followed him from afar, climbing upon the rocks to watch him from above.

His words disturbed her; she could tell he was holding something back, but what she wasn’t sure. It bothered her that he said that this woman had a lot of anger directed at Mercer and her curiosity was growing rapidly. She saw the Argonian head towards the docks and swore; she’d have to scramble down and cross the road and gain an advantageous view, but she had to do so quickly to avoid losing sight of Gulum-Ei for long.

Pebbles bounced down the side of the rock face as she slid down the smoothness of the boulders; she cast a muffling spell and sprinted across the road and made her way to the rooftops of the docks. She caught sight of the lizard just as he walked below the awning. His boots made a soft thud as he walked across the wooden boards as the waves slapped the rocks underneath. A guard walked out from where Gulum-Ei had walked past, a moment later she saw her target again. She watched as he walked up to the doors along the wall, unlock them and enter.

She fished around in her satchel till she located her elixir of lockpicking and her invisibility potion along with her lock pick set. She popped the corks on the bottles and drank both at once; a moment later she was picking the lock of the door and slipping into the warehouse, undetected.

She found herself inside of a shack in a huge cavern, the inside of the East Empire Company. The air was stale and she could smell the salt from the ocean water that sat within. Creeping past she saw shipped goods for as far as the eye could see. Further on she noticed a ramp that would give her a good view from above and made for it, casting a life detecting spell to insure her not being seen. Along the catwalks, she made her way, keeping an eye on Gulum-Ei ahead of her. She pulled out another invisibility potion and drank, cloaking herself just as a guard came into view. She waited a moment, as the guard continued her rounds.

Eventually she made her way down a ladder into the stagnant waters ad around the back of shelving, back up onto solid ground and found a door around a corner. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

She heard the voices before she saw the bandits. She nooked an arrow that she had dipped into a numbing poison. She heard only two voices; she would have to conjure a sword. She held her breath, leveled her shot and came around the corner; she adjusted her angle and fired the arrow.

The arrow sang through the air, finding it’s mark deep within the Orc’s chest; the heart beat two more times before it stopped. The Nord across from him stared for a moment, a look of surprise on his face. As he registered what happened, he was struck with the next arrow. He reacted quickly, drawing his sword and charging around the corner.

She dropped her bow and cast her spell, but two, swords appeared. The bandit swung as he came around the corner; she deflected the blow with her own sword, blue sparks jumping into the air as she brought her second sword across his chest, arching her swing upwards. The blood sprayed her face; she licked her lips as she smiled at him.

“You bitch!” he cried out. He swung again.

She leaned back, quickly, his blade missing her by a hands length. She dropped to a crouching position, leaned upon her hand and lashed out her foot into his knee, causing him to buckle to the side. She pushed herself up off the ground, quickly found sure footing, then launched herself into a spinning kick, connecting with his face. She brought her swords across his chest n a zig zag motion before driving them into his chest. She extinguished the spell and the bandit collapsed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

She made her way forward, ignoring the entrance completely covered in cobwebs and climbed the steps of a platform. Ahead she saw a bandit bathing in the water, her sensitive hearing told her another walked along the side. She quickly dispatched these two and moved on. The water lapped the side walls, creating the illusion of peace and serenity which was fine for her but deadly for them. Rounding a corner, she saw another in the distance; her arrow was nocked and released, landing in the bandit’s chest in the space of a couple breaths. She moved forward, creeping slowly through the caverns deep beneath Solitude. She cast a life detecting spell again and could see a canine off in one direction and the glow of life to the other side, two people. She had little problem disposing of these bandits as easily as she had the others. Again, she crept forward, quietly until she came to what looked like a boat landing with bandits milling about while the Argonian looked through inventory. One by one she picked off the bandits, never giving away her ever-changing position.

She approached a cowering Gulum-Ei, her measured steps echoing against the walls.

“Now,” he stammered, “there’s no need to do anything rash.”

“Talk. Then I’ll decide.”

“This isn’t as bad as it seems. I was going to tell Mercer about everything, honestly! Please… he’ll have me killed!”

She tilted her head and smirked. “Tell me now or I’ll kill you where you stand.”

“No!” he cried out. “Please! There’s no need for that! I’ll – I’ll tell you everything.” He swallowed before saying in a hushed voice, “It’s Karliah… her name is Karliah.”

She shook her head. “You say that name like I should know it.”

The lizard’s eyes grew large. “Mercer never told you about her?” He took a deep breath and continued, “Karliah is the thief responsible for murdering the previous Guild Master, Gallus. Now she’s after Mercer.”

Meliandra’s fingers wrapped tightly around the dagger at her waist. “And you’re helping her?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“Help?” he repeated in shock. “No, no!” Fear shown in his eyes. “Look, I didn’t even know it was her until after she contacted me. Please, you have to believe me!”

“Where is Karliah now?” she demanded.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. When I asked her where she was going she just muttered ‘Where the end began.’ Here,” he said as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a piece of paper, “take the Goldenglow Estate Deed as proof. And when you speak to Mercer, tell him I’m worth more to him alive.”

She took the paper, unfolded it and read it; she put the deed inside her tunic and eyed him, “I’ll keep this. You better hope that Mercer and Maven both find you more valuable alive than dead.” With that she turned and walked out.

#

Mercer was leaning back at his desk when he saw the young Breton enter the Cistern; he whistled to get her attention. He watched as her hips swayed ever so slightly as she made her way over and thought of those hips beneath his hands as he fucked her; he felt himself start to harden. Then he saw the hard look in her eyes and sat up straight. “Did
Gulum-Ei give up any information on our buyer?” he asked once she stood by the desk.

She nodded. “He said Goldenglow was purchased by a ‘Karliah.’”

He felt the blood drain from his face and he felt as if the ground had just opened up beneath him. “No, he breathed, “it… it can’t be. I haven’t heard that name in decades.” He ran his hand down his face, suddenly feeling every bit of his age. “This is bad news, really bad news.” He looked at her and explained. “She’s someone I had hoped to never cross paths with again.”

“He said she was a murderer.”

His voice got hard and bitter. “Karliah destroyed everything this Guild stood for. She murdered my predecessor in cold blood and betrayed the Guild. After we discovered what she’d done, we spent months trying to track her down, but she just vanished.”

“So, why’s she back now?”

He leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. His voice took on a reflective tone as he answered, “Karliah and I were like partners. I went with her on every heist. We watched each other’s backs. I know her techniques, her skills. If she kills me, there’ll be no one left that could possibly catch her.” He shook his head. “If only we knew where she was.”

“She told Gulum-Ei, ‘where the end began.’”
He nodded in comprehension. “There’s only one place that could be. The place where she murdered Gallus… a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum. We have to go out there before she disappears again.”

“We?” she asked in surprise.

He smiled at her. “Yes. I’m going with you and we are going to kill her.”

#

Early that night Mercer and Meliandra set out for Snow Veil Sanctum on foot, Meliandra had prepared her pack with plenty of potions to heal and become invisible, made sure all her enchanted jewelry was charged and tossed in a handful of soul gems. As they laid down in a cave that night she asked him, “How’d Gallus die?”

He hesitated a moment then, picking his words carefully, began. “Twenty-five years ago, I was standing outside Snow Veil Sanctum. Gallus told me to meet him here but he wouldn’t say why. When I arrived, Gallus stepped from the shadows, but before he could utter a sound an arrow pierced his throat; before I could draw my blade, her second arrow found i’s mark in my chest.” He ran his hand over a scar a hand’s length beneath his shoulder.

“She took you both on? Alone?”

“Karliah was a master marksman and her greatest weapon was the element of surprise. I was lucky; she missed my heart by mere inches. I staggered away from the ruins and my vision began to blur. It was then that I realized that the bitch had poisoned her arrows.”

“What about Gallus?”

“The last thing I saw was Karliah dumping his body into an opening atop the ruins. An unceremonious end for a remarkable man. To this day, I’ve regretted allowing her to escape even if it meant I had died trying. I owed Gallus that much.”

“What happened after Gallus died?”

He sighed. “The Guild was thrown into disarray. Several stepped up and tried to claim Gallus’s former position as Guild Master; sides quickly formed behind these men and the Ratway became a bloodbath.”

She looked at him, her eyebrow arched in question. “And you were a part of this?”

He shook his head. “I saw what they did to Gallus. I wanted to use the Guild’s resources to hunt down Karliah; the others didn’t even care he was gone. Fortunately, I persevered and the other groups were either killed or they left Skyrim.”

“What happened to Karliah?”

“The infighting had taken months to subside which gave her time to go into hiding and carefully cover her tracks. I spent thousands of septims and used every contact at my disposal. But it was as if she simply vanished. As I said before, she was the best.”

“What was Karliah like?”

He grumbled. “She was a stubborn Dunmer, always had to do things her way, but she was also the best, bringing in more coin a month than some thieves heist in a year. Gallus trusted her too much and let her get too close.”

She looked at him. “They were in a relationship together?”

“If you want to call it that, yes. Me? I think she was softening him up for the kill.” He cleared his throat. “Gallus would call her his little nightingale, he was absolutely smitten by her.”

She shook her head in confusion. “They why’d she kill him?”

“Greed? Jealousy? Spite? Who can say what drove her to such an act? One thing’s certain; I intend to find out before she draws her last breath.”

“I thought that murder was Dark Brotherhood territory?”

“I have a long-standing arrangement with the Dark Brotherhood. When I need someone in the Guild taken care of, we do it ourselves. We both agree to keep these matters in-house.” He rolled to his side and looked down at the raven-haired Breton, his hand slipping in between her legs and finding the warmth of her. “But enough of that; let’s say we work off some of this stress?”

Fallout

“You sure you haven’t seen her, Keerava?” he rubbed his forehead with his thumb. Brynjolf had spent the past few hours searching the Ratway and the Warrens looking for Meliandra. He had gone to all her usual spots, talked to all the vendors and had even went to the Temple to see if she was there only to come out a few septims lighter with still no answers.

“For the last time, Brynjolf,” the Argonian innkeeper hissed at him, “I haven’t seen her since she came in to extort money from me on your behalf. Hopefully she’s wised up and moved onto a new profession.”

He frowned. “You know, Keervara, one of these days someone’s going to snatch that tail of yours and throw your ass right into Lake Honrich.” He stormed out, ignoring Sapphire’s gaze. By now most of the Guild had heard about what had happened and were giving Brynjolf wide berth. Vex had opted on taking a job herself, leaving Brynjolf alone with his anger and guilt.

He made his way toward the graveyard entrance to the cistern, hoping against hope that he’d find Meliandra in there. As he made his way down the stairs he thought about what had led to today’s events. ‘Vex and her damn insecurities,’ he thought angrily. With the success that Meliandra was having he hadn’t realized that it was making an aging Vex insecure. He thought he could reassure her that Meliandra wasn’t a threat but once again he discovered that he didn’t understand women like he thought he did. After her success at Goldenglow Vex had become increasingly anxious. He had never seen his former lover so distrustful of another guild member.

When she came to him early this morning he thought she was Meliandra returning from Whiterun and climbing into the bed they had started using nearly every night. He was enjoying the attention his cock was receiving as it was stroked and sucked. It wasn’t until he had called her Meli that he found out it was Vex pleasing him. He clenched his fists at the memory.

He saw Mercer at his desk looking over some books, a grim look on his face. He started to turn toward the Flagon entrance when he heard Mercer call him over; he sighed, heading over.

Mercer shut the book he was looking through and growled at the Nord, “Where have you been?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve been looking for Meliandra.”

The Guild master raised his eyebrow. “She’s on a job for Maven; she left about an hour ago.”

Brynjolf nodded yet averted his eyes. He was relieved that Meliandra hadn’t run off because of walking in on him and Vex; Mercer would not be happy with neither him nor Vex if Meli left the Guild because of a tryst. “Good. I was hoping I would be able to talk to her before she headed out again but apparently, I missed her.”

“Really?” Mercer said pointedly as he sat back in his chair. “The way I hear it, you were balls deep in Vex when Meliandra found you this morning.”

Brynjolf squared his shoulders and looked at his superior. “I don’t need reminding, Mercer. It was a stupid mistake and I need to make things right.”

Mercer’s eyebrow rose. “The way she sees it, there’s nothing to fix.”

“She talked to you about it?”

“She ran into me when she was leaving here. I got her to calm down which is a good thing since she was going to go directly to her job. Do you want her fucking up a job from Maven?”

“Dammit, I never intended for her to find out. Fuck! I didn’t’ even ask for it.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to go into this with you. I need to talk to Meli.”

“I’ll let her know when she gets back. Now to the business at hand. This bill of sale for Golden glow, something about this name sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” He handed the paper to Brynjolf.

He scanned through the contract and found the name, Gajul-Lei; he nodded. “Aye, that it does.” He handed the paper back. “I’ll talk to some of my contacts and see what I can find out.” He started to leave.

“Good. And Brynjolf?” He turned back to Mercer. “I suggest not being the cause if Meliandra leaves our outfit. You assured me she’d be an asset and she has proven herself to be one that we can’t afford to lose. And that goes for Vex as well. Is that understood?”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “Understood.”

#

Meliandra watched as Commander Caius led Sabjorn out of the meadery, a smirk on her face. “Glad I demanded gold before I started.”

Mallus snorted in agreement. “Be glad you got that out of him. I don’t think that could have gone any better.”

“I’ve got to get a look at Sabjorn’s books.”

He nodded. “Maven wants to hunt down Sabjorn’s private partner, huh?” He handed her a key. “You’re welcome to take a look around Sabjorn’s office. He keeps most of his papers stashed in his desk.”

She took the key and thanked him, making her way up to Sabjorn’s bedroom. She wanted to hurry and get out of Whiterun, but she wasn’t in that much of a hurry to get back to Riften. She would have to deal with Brynjolf and Vex sooner or later, especially if she were going to stay in the Guild, like Mercer wanted her to, but in her heart, she still longed for her farm. Maybe her mother was right, maybe her wanting a quiet life was just a dream, and one she would never achieve.

She shook her head at the thought of her mother. The woman had loved her, but Meliandra always felt that her mother was overprotective, always moving around, afraid her father would find them. A life began in near captivity to a life on the run made for a bitter young woman; her mother’s death at the hands of the Forsworn when she was fourteen only made her more bitter.

She unlocked the desk and rifled around looking for anything that might help Maven. There in the corner of the drawer was folded piece of paper; she opened it and read:

“Sabjorn,
Within the enclosed crate, you’ll find the final payment As we discussed, Honningbrew Meadery should now begin brewing mead at full production. In regards to your concerns about interference from Maven Black-Briar, I can assure you that I’ll do everything in my power to keep her assets and her cronies at bay. This is the beginning of a long and successful future for both of us.”

She frowned as she folded up the promissory note and slipped it inside the folds of her tunic and turned to walk out to find Mallus in the doorway. “So, with Sabjorn out of the picture, what do you plan on doing?”

“Start changing it over to Black-Briar Meadery West as soon as possible. That was Maven’s part of the deal. She’s put me in charge of keeping the wine flowing, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He walked with her back down the stairs. “If you’re in the area and you’re ever need anything fenced, you just let me know,” he continued with a wink and a smile.

“Tell me something, Mallus. What the fuck was up with that deranged lunatic down there? A little warning about that would have been appreciated. Damn lucky I was quick on casting a ward.”

“Look, sorry about that but I couldn’t risk you backing out of this if you knew about Hamelyn and his skeevers. That’s why I left him out of our previous discussion. But on the plus side, you’ve done Maven a favor getting rid of him and you saved me the coin on hiring someone else to do it later.” He smiled at her.

She frowned at him. “You’re fucked up, Mallus. I’m remembering this, don’t you doubt that.” She took her leave and headed back to Riften, climbing on the back of a horse she had taken off a bandit. As she rode she found herself thinking about the promissory note. There was that funny little symbol again, too, the same one from the bill of sale on Goldenglow. She didn’t believe in coincidences.

Some hours into her ride back she decided to rest and eat something. She tethered the horse to a tree near the creek she was by, the white and black stallion, drank some water and began to graze on the grass as Meliandra splashed water on her face. She opened her pack and pulled out a chunk of hard day old bread, a wedge of cheese and a small flask of mead, and began to eat. She scanned the horizon, watching the brush sway in the breeze. Her thoughts went to Brynjolf again; she took a long pull off her flask. A fool, that’s what she was, just a fool. She was just a child in his eyes; why would he be serious about her? An image of Brynjolf behind Vex flashed through her mind; she took another long pull off the bottle.

Her ears picked up the snapping of a twig a moment before she felt the sting of the arrow in her shoulder. She conjured a sword quickly as she leapt to her feet, spinning to see a masked Khajiit in black and red rushing forward. “Damn it,” she swore under her breath, recognizing the clothing of the Dark Brotherhood. The feline assailant already had dropped his bow and his claws were extended; if Meliandra didn’t watch it, her skin would be ripped to shreds by them.

She began to parry the swiping, sharp claws deflecting them with the magical barrier of the sword. She had sparred with a Khajiit friend years ago, but had never fought with one before. Hew sword cut through the material, quickly bringing a sharp hiss from the attacker as the fabric darkened with blood. Her feet began to dance as she lunged and blocked, weaving her way around until she found her chance. She conjured a second sword as she pirouetted around the feline assassin, kicking her foot out against the lower back of the Khajiit, knocking him off balance. Flipping the swords upside down, she drove the blades deep into his back, one on each side of his spine.

She knew he was dead; she saw it in the dullness of his eyes. She kicked the body in anger and grumbled at him, “Who sent you, you fucking bastard?” She kicked him again before leaning down and searched the corpse; she found fifty pieces of gold, some food, a couple potions and a contract on her life. She threw the crumbled paper on the body and in a moment of rage, she set the corpse on fire. She stood there for a moment before looking at her hands and clothing. Damn cat fur,” she mumbled as she turned to leave.

#

She found Maven in her usual spot upstairs at the inn, looking impatient as ever. “I trust you have good news for me?” came the icy voice. She handed the woman the paper saying, “Job’s finished, here’s the information you requested.”

Maven took the paper and read it; she frowned as she said, “This doesn’t tell me much. The only thing that could identify Sabjorn’s partner is this odd little symbol.”

Nodding her agreement, Meliandra said, “Yes; I’ve seen that symbol before.”

Maven raised an eyebrow. “Well, whoever this mysterious marking represents, they’ll regret starting a war with me.” She handed the letter to Meliandra. “You should take this information to the Thieves Guild immediately. There’s also the matter of your payment. I believe you’ll find this more than adequate for your services.” She handed her a coin
purse, heavy with gold.

Meliandra nodded and took her leave of the powerful woman. She went to the room she had rented from Keervara and laid back on the bed, waiting for Mercer, as planned. He felt it was best if she put some distance between herself and Brynjolf for a while. Finally, able to rest, she drifted into a fitful sleep.

#

Brynjolf had heard the whispers that Meliandra had made it back but he had not seen her. He was determined to make things right, if she would just hear him out. He sat at a table downstairs at the Bee & Barb, hoping Meliandra would come in here. Sapphire had seen him walk in, then she turned to leave, a look on her face that he thought was pity, but he knew Sapphire’s heart was cold and she felt no pity. Talen-Jei brought him a drink telling him it was on the house. He almost choked on the concoction; spitting it across the table. “What in Oblivion is this? Skeever piss?”

The Argonian looked insulted. “It ought to be for what you and your crew have done to Keervara.”

Brynjolf watched as the lizard walked back to the bar; he grumbled to himself, his foul mood deepening the furrow of his brow. He thought about what he wanted to tell Meliandra, how he knew that he made a mistake and that he didn’t deserve forgiveness, that he only wanted a chance to make amends. This young woman had nestled into his life and now the idea of her not being there anymore frightened him. He ran his hand through his hair and sighing, made to get up to leave. That’s when he saw Mercer and Maven speaking by the stairs. Maven looked pleased, a hint of a smile on her lips. They appeared to be discussing the job that Meliandra had done for her; Brynjolf held a brief smile as he told himself that Meliandra was indeed a valuable asset to the Guild as he had believed.

He watched as Maven left and Mercer headed upstairs. After a moment, he headed up behind him. He sat at the table and waited for Mercer. He knew the guild master knew where Meliandra was. He wasn’t going to play this; he wanted his partner back. He could Mercer’s muffled voice talking what seemed like business, but he couldn’t make out the other voice. After a while it got quiet save for the distinctive sound of the bed hitting the wall as Mercer and his companion had their tryst.

Brynjolf decided he’d wait for Mercer back at the Flagon but before he stood from his chair he heard a woman cry out from Mercer’s room; he froze in place. Something told him to wait.

Sometime later he watched Mercer leave the room alone; still he sat and watched the door; anxiety wrenching through him, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the door to open. And when it did his heart froze in place as he watched his young Breton over emerge, her face still flushed with the sex she had had with Mercer.

Winds of Change

Mercer saw Meliandra walking with Rune in the market and frowned; he didn’t want anyone interfering with his plans for the young Breton, especially Brynjolf. He caught Rune’s eye and motioned for him to leave, then he approached Meliandra, a smile upon his lips. “I see the courier found you alright?”

She nodded. “Yes. Maven’s asked for me?”

“Specifically, yes. Here’s your chance to get some good paying jobs; Maven’s been known to treat those who do right by her a lot better. As long as you don’t fuck it up.” He smiled at her. “But we don’t have to worry about that with you.”

“So where am I supposed to meet her?”

He nodded toward the Bee & Barb. “She’s in there right now, I spoke with her just a little while ago reassuring her that you’re the right person for anything she needs done.”

“And what exactly am I going to be doing for her?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. That’s between you and her. And it’s best kept like that.” He glanced around. “Come talk to me after you’ve spoken with Maven.”

She nodded. “Have you seen Brynjolf this morning?”

He raised his eyebrow and responded, “I think I saw him sleeping in the private room.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t keep Maven waiting.” And with that he turned and walked away.

#

Meliandra watched the Guild Master walk away, noticing the swagger with which he walked, and not for the first time. She found herself once again thinking back to hearing him with Haelga and seeing him half naked; she felt the strings of desire within her. She shook her head and hurried into the inn.

She found Maven upstairs at the table where Brynjolf had approached her for the first time. She pushed the thought of her lover from her mind; she didn’t want to have anything distracting her from her job. The woman was imposing with her stern looks and her hawkish nose. As Meliandra approached she saw the woman who held so much power in this city sizing her up; she felt her hands get clammy and her heartbeat accelerated. This woman could make her life miserable or enjoyable, all she had to do is do the job right. She felt the lump in her throat as she introduced herself to the woman.

“So, you’re the one,” came her monotone voice. “Hmmmm. You don’t look so impressive.”

Meliandra raised her eyebrow and bit back her first response. “how about we just skip the conversation and get to the job at hand?”

This time it was Maven’s turn to raise her eyebrow. “You’re a firebrand, aren’t you?” A slight look of appreciation touched her eyes as she said, “It’s about time Mercer sent me someone with some business sense. I was beginning to think he was running some sort of beggar’s guild over there.”

“You don’t have faith in the Guild?”

She laughed, a false, hollow laugh. “Faith?” She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t have faith in anyone.” She sat back and crossed her arms. “All I care about is cause and effect. Did the job get done and was it done correctly. There is no grey area.”

“You won’t have that problem with me.”

“I should hope not. This is an important job. I have a competitor called Honningbrew Meadery that I want to put out of business. I also want to know how they managed to get the place up and running so quickly.” She motioned for Meliandra to lean closer and lowered her voice. “Go to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun and look for Mallus Maccius. He’ll fill you in on all the details.”

“Can you tell me anything about Honningbrew’s owner?”

“Some layabout named Sabjorn.” She snarled. “Been a thorn in my side for the last few years now.”

“So, this is more than just ‘friendly competition I take it?”

“Not a day goes by that I don’t regret letting Sabjorn get as far as he did. In only a few short years, he’s taken that bile he calls mead to market and a chunk of my profits with it! I can’t imagine where he found the gold to take it to market so quickly.” She looked past Meliandra to insure they were alone then continued, “With Sabjorn in prison, his meadery will be forced to close. Then I swoop in and take over the place.” She shrugged. “No more competition.” Maven turned a hard gaze upon her. “One more time, in case I wasn’t clear, my dear. You butcher this job and you’ll be sorry.”

“Why are you doing this now?”

The woman smiled. “The Goldenglow Estate job has undoubtedly interrupted the supply of honey I need to make my mead. Sabjorn could use this interruption to his advantage and collect a larger share of the market. I can’t have that.”

Meliandra nodded and took her leave. She hadn’t planned on returning to Whiterun so soon. She didn’t wish to run into either Idolaf or Saadia, not yet. She found herself awash in guilt no matter how she looked at it. And no matter how much she tried not to think about it, her mind seemed to wander right back to her feelings for this older redheaded Nord.

She made her way to the Ragged Flagon to see Delvin before she made her way to find Mercer. She seared a skeever who jumped out at her and kicked its smoking body to the side. She sighed before opening the door to the tavern below the city and stepped through. She saw Tonila sitting in her usual place and spotted Delvin at the bar. Once again, she didn’t see Vex in her usual place; she was slightly relieved. She sat next to Delvin, putting a smile on her face in hopes of disguising the pain in her voice. “Whiterun’s done.”

“See? I told you, nice and easy.”

“Any easier than that and I’d be able to do it in my sleep.”

“Ready for something else then?”

She shook her head. “No, got a job I have a job to take care of for Maven.” She put some coin on the bar and grabbed a bottle of mead. “But first I’ve got to check in with Mercer.” She stood up and headed to the cistern entrance. She didn’t notice the looks on Delvin’s or Vekel’s faces or how they looked at each other.

#

The blonde perched herself above his hardness, an impetuous look in her blue green eyes. It had been a long time since he had felt Vex around his member; he remembered how he had enjoyed sex with her, he remembered how she would tire him out. His firm hands held her small waist as she leaned toward him, her hands on either side of him, kissing him deeply. She tasted just how he remembered her, the honey of Black Briar Mead upon her lips and Argonian Blood Wine on her tongue. She slammed herself down, filling herself with his thickness. She held his eyes as she slid up and down upon him, slowly building up speed. He moaned in pleasure as she built herself up to her climax, his eyes taking in her slender frame, her full round breast, the glow that her skin took as the sweat glistened on her fair skin. He smiled as her body spasmed atop of him as she orgasmed. He held her as she calmed her breathing then whispered in her ear, “My turn lass.”

Her eyes snapped open as she started to protest.

Brynjolf flipped her over as he got behind her. He ran his hands over her supple ass, remembering how they jiggled just ever so much as he would shove his cock into her. “You wanted a fuck, you’re getting a fucking.” He slapped her ass, hard, just the way she liked it. She was on her knees in a moment’s time, his hands sliding over her ass cheeks. His hardness rested against the crack of her ass, ready to slip into her wetness. “You’ve been a bad girl, Vex.” His hand struck her rear again, harder this time; she clenched the fur beneath her. “You need-“ he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back “-a good punishing.”

“Then punish me,” she said huskily, lust dripping off her tongue.

He gripped her hips and slammed his cock deep into her, causing Vex to cry out in pleasure. She began to rock back and forth in time to this thrusts; he closed his eyes as he began to lose himself in the moment. Sex with Vex was thrilling just as he remembered it; it felt good, that he wouldn’t deny and it was satisfying enough, but something seemed lacking. His need for climax was becoming very demanding; he chased the release with invigorated fervor.

As he climaxed he heard the shattering of glass. As his eyes snapped open he heard, “What the fuck?!” only to see Meliandra in the doorway, a broken bottle by her feet. She met his eyes; her eyes blazed heatedly at him. He watched, frozen, as she turned and ran out of the room.

#

Mercer heard the heavy block of the graveyard entrance to the cistern slide into place followed by quickened steps as Meliandra emerged from below, her eyes brimmed with tears, her face enraged. “What’s wrong?” he demanded. She shook her head and went to walk past him. He grabbed her arm, stating firmly, “Meliandra, what is wrong?”

She turned to him, an angry glare to her eyes. “I need to get out of here. I’m just going to head out on that job-“

“The hell you are,” he interrupted. “In the state you’re in you’re likely to fuck up the job and we can’t afford that right now.” Still holding her arm, he turned and led her out of the graveyard. “Come on, I’ve got somewhere you can calm down in peace.”

She pulled her arm back but followed him saying, “Fine, but I don’t think I’m going to calm down any time soon.”

Mercer grunted and continued on, stopping at a locked gate; he pulled out a key and unlocked it. He waved to a man atop the second level and he lowered the ramp to the top level’s door. The Guild master looked to the Breton; he saw the tear that had escaped the confines of her eyelids and was trickling down her cheek. Taking his thumb, he wiped the tear away and said, “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

He led her through the hallways until they came to a bedroom. He unlocked the door and held it open for her, then, after shutting the door again, followed her into the room. He motioned toward a chair, indicating she should sit, walked to a wardrobe closet and took out a bottle of brandy. “So,” he said, walking back toward her, grabbing a pair of goblets on his way, “you want to tell me what has my prize thief in such turmoil?”

She took the offered goblet, swirled the liquid around and then took a long swallow. “He’s fucking her. I saw it with my own two eyes. How could I be such the fool?” She swallowed the rest of her drink. “Why would he be serious about me? I’m just a kid.”

“First of all,” he said as he took her goblet and began to refill it, “you’re not a fool. And secondly,” he continued as he returned her drink to her, “whose fucking who?”

She glared at him icily. “Brynjolf and Vex.”

“Are those two screwing around again?” he grumbled. He looked at her and frowned. “I’m sorry, Meliandra. I thought those two had decided a long time ago that they were going to keep things professional between them.” He shook his head as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her. He lifted her chin with his forefinger, looking her in her eyes. “He’s the fool for doing this to you.” She tried to turn her face away; he tightened his hold. “You deserve better than that.” He stood up again, moved his chair behind her, then sat back down. He moved her hair aside and began rubbing her shoulders and neck. “Just because we’re thieves doesn’t mean that we’re dogs. Thankfully not all of us forget that.”

“Oh, come on, Mercer,” she said, “I’ve heard the guys down there. Vekel’s completely in love with Tonila and everyone else has their one night stands, even you.”

“Haelga is purely business,” he said gently as he leaned closer to her. “she doesn’t go to the jarl with information on us and we don’t announce that she’s a prostitute. I’ve paid for her services on occasion.” He paused then continued, “We all have our needs and not all of us are a lady’s man.” He placed a light kiss on her neck, his hands moving down her arms. He felt her slow intake of breath, her head slightly tilted and he continued kissing her neck. “Some of us know how to appreciate what we have,” he murmured against her skin. At her nod of agreement, he turned her to face him, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her full on the mouth.

He found no hesitation with her as he ran his hands along the back of her dress, loosening the ties and drawing it above her head. His eyes took in the sight of her nakedness and he felt his desire stir. Her body was perfect, the perkiness of her young breasts, the flatness of her stomach, the toning of her muscles – everything was exactly how he had expected it to be. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Her hands found their way up into his hair as she returned the kiss with matched fervor; he could taste her own desire. He reached down and picked her up, carrying her to the bed; she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him shamelessly as he laid her atop the furs.

Meliandra’s fingers found their way to the belts on his armor and expertly undid them, her eyes never leaving his. Once she had loosed him of his clothing, she laid kisses upon his chest and stomach while stroking his member. He laid her back upon the bed, positioning her between his legs. Looking upon her beneath him he laid claim to her, her womanhood wrapping itself around his manhood as he sought to bring her to climax as he achieved his own. He discovered she had curled her legs around his waist giving him deeper access; she was feeling wetter than she had been just a moment before.

“Fuck me, harder, Mercer, harder!” she cried out.

He began to thrust harder, slamming into her making her moan loudly in pleasure accentuated by cries of ecstasy. Suddenly she cried out as her orgasm racked her body flooding the bed beneath her. He grunted as he thrust faster and harder, reaching his own climax.

He collapsed onto the bed next to her, his breath coming in ragged gasps, an arm across his chest, the other pulling Meliandra close to him, caressing her shoulder. She curled up against him, her leg thrown lazily over his and her arm around his waist. Once his breathing slowed back down to normal he planted a kiss on the top of her head murmuring,

“Only a fool would risk losing you; I’m not a fool, Meliandra. You and I, together we can become rich beyond our wildest dreams.” She chuckled in agreement, and they began talking about plans and dreams. She told him about wanting a farm and an alchemy lab, away from everything. He smiled at her thinking of her young dreams and how he had at one time had similar dreams, before reality set in.

He got up from the bed and walked over to the shuttered window and, opening the wooden boards, looked at the city below. He kept the sneer from his face as he watched the townspeople mill around, oblivious to the events that unfolded around them. He wanted out of this town, he just had a few more things to work out and then he’d be leaving this miserable cesspool of a town. He saw Brynjolf in the market below searching through the crowd and talking to a couple of the townspeople. Mercer looked at Meliandra, sleeping naked on the bed and smiled; he loved when things went according to plan.

Gathering Strength

The dragon sat atop a mountain peak, watching the happenings of the world below him. How much time had passed since those mortals Shouted him here? He was alone here in this time; his brothers lay in burial mounds around this world. This was unacceptable. Upon his return, he felt his power surge but his journey through time had taken its toll but as he fed upon souls his strength was returning. He stretched his vast black wings but still felt weak. Soon his brothers would return to this world and he would once more make these mortals fear him.

Tangled Webs

She could see Dragonsreach in the distance. It had been months since she had left here after bringing Jarl Balgruuf word of the dragon attack at Helgen on behalf of Gerdur of Riverwood. The morning sun was on the horizon, casting beautiful red and orange hues upon the clouds. The winds carried the sounds of birds chirping, wolves howling, water babbling in the creek leading to the river as it splashed against the rocks, and then her ears picked up the sounds of a fight. She sprinted toward the sounds then into a full run when she saw a group of people fighting a giant on one of the farms outside of the city. She drew her bow, nocked an arrow and launched it towards the giant in one smooth motion, striking him in his chest. This drew the attention of one of the women who cast a glance towards her before drawing an arrow herself and firing towards the giant. Meliandra nocked another arrow and sent it sailing through the air, landing in the middle of the giant’s forehead. The giant sank to its knees before falling backward. She gave a quick smirk to herself as she hitched her bow on her back once more. The woman looked at her once more, said something to her companions and walked toward her.

“You handled yourself well. Have you ever given thought to joining the Companions?”

“The Companions? Honestly never thought about it.”

“You never thought about the glories of fighting next to shield brothers and shield sisters, to always have someone by your side?”

“I’ve got friends who fight by my side.”

“Do you?” The woman looked behind Meliandra then back at her. “Why not come up to Jorrvaskr and talk to the old man? See how brothers and sisters fight for each other?”

Meliandra smiled. “Perhaps. I have other business to attend to.” She took her leave and headed toward the gates of the city. The pungent smell of mead wafted upon the breeze.

Once again Vex’s words echoed in her head, “Job first; get drunk last.” She just had a feeling she wasn’t going to get the chance. Soon the smell of the mead was replaced by the smell of the stables. She noted the Khajiit tents set up outside the city walls and waved at the trader on her way up the path through the exterior walls and to the gate. The guard, recognizing her, opened the gate and she passed through. She saw Adrianne working at the forge, the sound of her hammer striking imperial steel echoing off the city walls. Children ran past her playing tag; the shop keeper’s assistant was outside chopping wood while she had gotten the attention of a Legion officer who was watching her from afar as she made her way to the Bannered Mare.

The bard sang Age of Aggression as a few of the townspeople gathered at tables and discussed local gossip. She approached the innkeeper, Hulda, and paid for a room. She laid her pack on her bed; it was light save for her potions and her enchanted jewelry, but tonight it will have stolen goods in it, making sure that Whiterun knows that the Thieves Guild is very much still alive and well.

She had hours to fill and a nearly empty coin purse. She slipped her ring of pickpocketing onto her finger then the ring of lockpicking and headed back down to the hearthfire to join the others warming themselves as a cold rain set in outside, the thunder claps echoing across the land. A Redguard woman approached her, a rag in hand. “Get you something to eat? Something to drink?”

At the mention of food her stomach began to grumble. “Yeah, what do you got?” After reciting the menu for the day, the woman headed off to get the food and drink leaving Meliandra to her thoughts. She had not seen Brynjolf since leaving for Goldenglow and knowing him and Vex had some kind of argument set her on edge. She had heard rumors about the two of them having a past but whenever she tried to find out from Brynjolf he would change the subject. Once again, she gave thought to leaving Skyrim and finding a home elsewhere.

The innkeeper’s helper brought her a bowl of venison stew, a mulled wine and a chunk of bread. She broke off a piece of the bread with a murmur of thanks and soaked the hard bread into the savory broth. As she took a bite of the bread the chair next to her scraped the floor and was then sat in by the man who had been watching her.

“Haven’t seen you around before.”

“Just passing through.” She picked up her goblet and took a drink, her green eyes watching him from above the rim of the glass.

“Where are you headed?”

She thought quickly. “Riverwood, friend lives there.”

“Are you a friend of the Empire?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

“Name’s Idolaf. Yours?”

“Meliandra.”

They continued talking until she was done eating and he asked if he could walk with her some. Listening to her instincts she agreed. Though she had been here before, she played the role of the wide-eyed traveler, interested in everything around the town. She found herself in the middle of the Battle-Born home sometime in the afternoon, enjoying a bottle of mead with the eldest son of Olfrid. She almost felt guilty for leading him on but her job was more important. So when the evening hours set in and she found herself laying naked in his arms as he lazily stroked her shoulder after they had thoroughly exhausted one another, she didn’t understand why she felt guilty. She feigned sleep until soft snores came from Idolaf next to her, then, muffling her steps with the casting of a simple spell, dressed. She made her way through the Battle-Born house quietly, depriving them of a variety of valuables on her way out the back door.

The innkeeper’s helper was stirring a pot of stew when she walked through the backdoor of the Bannered Mare. She smiled at the woman, who warmly returned the smile. “You’re back, I was hoping you would be.”

“You were?”

The Redguard nodded. “A courier came through looking for you. He left a letter for you.” She reached into her pocket and withdrew a sealed letter and handed it to her. She glanced at the seal and recognized it as Mercer’s. She slipped it into her satchel with a nod, trying to hide the disappointment that it was not from Brynjolf. She withdrew some coins from her coin purse and laying them atop the table, asked for a bottle of mead.

Her thoughts echoed loudly in the silence of her mind; her doubts pounded in time with her beating heart, a heart that was slowly turning cold. She berated herself again for her youthful naivety and giving into these foolish dreams of hers. She had seen enough lives be swallowed by the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. The mead appeared in front of her with a comment of if she needed anything more to ask. She nodded as she tilted the bottle back.

She sat there at the table in the back, lost amid her turbulent thoughts. She could hear Vex’s admonition against drinking while on the job as she drained the bottle and signaled for another. Vex; just the thought of the blonde thief made her blood start to simmer. Meliandra knew she was young and still had things to learn, but Vex seemed to treat her as if she didn’t know anything and then there were the rumors of a past with Brynjolf. At the thought of the older redheaded Nord she got angry at herself again. She had always guarded herself against feelings of love; she had always told herself it was better to be alone than to feel the chains of commitment but when it came to Brynjolf she lost that control.

She absentmindedly played with the chain that hung around her neck, thoughts torn between wanting to run far away from Brynjolf or running to him. A new bottle of mead appeared in front of her but when she reached for her coin purse the hand of the Redguard stayed hers as she heard, “It’s on me. You look like you could use one.”

“That obvious?” she asked, a sourness edging her voice.

“Men trouble?”

She snorted in response. “Don’t the two always go hand in hand?”

The Redguard sat down next to her, nodding her head. “They always seem to follow one another, don’t they?” She smiled at Meliandra. “I’m Saadia.”

Meliandra smiled back. “Nice to meet you, Saadia. What brings a Redguard to Skyrim?”

“A man.” She chuckled at Meliandra’s raised eyebrow. “An arranged marriage, one I do not wish to be a part of,” she said as she looked towards the fire. “I doubt my father would think to consider looking for me here.” She looked back at the Breton. “What’s your story?”

“My story?”

“Everyone has a story.” She took a drink of her bottle of mead as she watched the young woman, her smile touching her eyes. “So, what’s yours?”

Meliandra sighed then took a long draw off the bottle. Before long she found herself telling this Redguard of her feelings towards Brynjolf and her fears about Vex. She lost count of how many times her bottle reappeared full when she had known it was near empty. Eventually she found herself being led up the stairs to the rooms there, and even though her room was on the other side, she allowed herself to go into Saadia’s room, drunk and her defenses down.

She stood in the middle of Saadia’s room while the dark-skinned woman shut her door. Meliandra had seen the look on her face before, but never on a woman. She was nervous, but the memory of Saadia’s hand caressing her thigh as the Redguard’s eyes held hers excited her. A moment later the woman’s fingers were slowly unthreading Meliandra’s ties, dropping the clothing on the floor. Dark eyes followed the curves of her naked body, fingernails traced along her skin, starting at her stomach and working their way to her firm yet gentle breasts and fingertips started pinching her perky nipples. Meliandra felt a warmth in her groin as a pleasured moan slipped past her lips, biting slightly down upon them. Then Saadia’s lips were on hers softly kissing her as one hand held a breast while the other trailed down to her nether regions. As Saadia’s fingers played in the warm wetness, their kiss deepened and grew heated.

After a moment, the kiss was broken and the older woman stepped back, bringing her fingers to her lips and sucking the wetness off one saying “Mmmhmmm, you taste good. I’m going to have to have more of you.” She smiled as she licked her fingers clean. She undressed herself, then made her way to her bed, motioning for the Breton to sit on the edge of it. She kneeled onto the floor in front of Meliandra and spread her legs open. She again slipped her fingers inside the young woman, slowly massaging her womanhood, watching the expressions that spread across the woman’s face. She increased the speed of her finger strokes as Meliandra started grinding herself against Saadia’s hand. The Redguard’s hand began to feel wetter as the Breton’s moans began t increase in volume; she leaned forward and kissed her between her legs, her tongue dancing within tasting the juices as they began to flow freely. Meliandra let out one last ecstasy filled moan as her body shuddered its orgasm.

Saadia crawled upon the bed, pulling the young woman into her arms. She kissed her neck, trailing kisses along her jawline until she began nibbling upon her lips. At first Meliandra drew back as the woman kissed her but Saadia held her head firm in her cupped hands. Her tongue twirled within the Breton’s mouth, giving her a taste of her own juices. In a moment, the young woman was sucking on that tongue and nibbling on her lips. “See?” she chuckled once the kiss was broken, “I told you, you taste good.”

Meliandra smiled as she climbed atop the woman, straddling her. She her lips as she trailed her fingernails down the woman’s naked body, playfully flicking at the woman’s nipples. After some slight hesitation, she leaned down and started sucking on her breasts; she found she enjoyed this and hearing Saadia’s pleasured moans, continued to suckle them as if she were a babe drinking mother’s milk. She felt the older woman’s hand running through her hair murmuring about how good it felt. She started to gyrate herself on Saadia’s naked womanhood; this only caused the Redguard to push upon her shoulders, saying, “Go down” over and over until Meliandra’s lips were caressing the folds of her femininity. She could smell the scent of desire upon her sex; her tongue flicked through the folds, tasting another woman for the first time. She lost herself in her oral ministrations, finding the Redguard’s juices to be to her liking. Her enthusiasm built up and soon Saadia was writhing beneath her, clutching at the fur beneath her as suddenly her body went rigid and Meliandra was rewarded with a flood of Saadia’s orgasm. She greedily lapped at it like a pup licking its bowl clean, then crawling up next to the Redguard. She lazily traced circles on her skin as they talked into the early morning hours.

When Saadia drifted into sleep, Meliandra slipped quietly out from under the woman’s arm and got dressed. She pulled out the sealed message and, sitting at the table next to the candle, opened it and began to read. Her eyebrow arched when she saw that Maven Black-Briar had requested her personally. Knowing that Maven was not one to be kept waiting, she hastily scribbled out a note to Saadia with a piece of charcoal explaining that she’d been called away but would return when she could. She left the note on the table and slipped out of the room, making her way back to her own room. She gathered her things together, secured the stolen goods in a satchel then hid it in a secret pocket of her traveling pack and then proceeded to head out of the inn.

The early morning sun’s rays were breaking over the horizon as she departed the city gate. The Khajiit were sitting around a campfire, talking amongst one another. She asked if she could buy some ingredients and a few odds and ends she needed and they happily obliged her. She set out towards Riften, staying off the roads as she usually did. Her mind was a jumbled mess as she thought about everything going on as of late for her. Her feelings for Brynjolf were growing stronger despite herself and that was scaring her though she’d never admit it. She thought of her afternoon with Idolaf and frowned. While she couldn’t complain about the sex, she had to admit that he had not satisfied her. Her encounter with Saadia on the other hand had been more erotic and fulfilling than she had ever had before and she knew part of the thrill was the newness of the experience.
She tried to get her mind off things, to pay attention to her surroundings, yet she found herself lost in thought and walking straight into a pack of wolves. “Shor’s balls,” she swore as she conjured a sword. As she thrust the magic sword into the wolf’ body she heard the zip of an arrow as it flew past her ear and into another wolf, dropping it alongside it’s pack member. She glanced in the direction the arrow came from long enough to see Rune a few yards behind her coming from the east, his bow in his hands as he nocked another arrow. She smiled slightly as she turned back to the wolves, thrusting her sword into the wild canine before her as it lunged at her. In a moment’s time the pack lay dead at her feet; Rune walked up to her, a broad smile on his face. “Good thing I was close by, eh Meliandra?”

She smiled back. “yeah, thanks. Just got things on my mind.”

He nodded. “Got your head in the clouds, do you?”

She laughed. “My head in the clouds? What makes you say that?”

“Word has it that you infiltrated Goldenglow when Vex had failed.” Meliandra blanched. “Uh-oh, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Vex doesn’t like me as it is.”

He chuckled. “Don’t take it personally. Vex is just…she’s a perfectionist and a hard-ass and that makes her seem intimidating. Don’t worry, she’s glad the job got done.”
Meliandra raised an eyebrow but nodded. They talked as they walked back toward Riften, Rune making jokes with Meliandra along the way. She soon started to feel relaxed and enjoyed the journey home.

GoldenGlow

She found the grate for the sewer with no problem. She slipped in unnoticed and quickly changed out of her wet clothes and pulled out dry clothing from the knapsack she had made waterproof. She slowly crept her way up to the door and found it locked. She pulled out her set of lock picks and quickly set herself to work. She snapped two almost immediately and swore under her breath. She closed her eyes, counted to ten, then started again. Her adrenaline was getting the better of her and that was when mistakes were made. She felt the pick slide into its comfort zone and she rotated it, hearing the rewarding click as the lock gave way. She let out the breath she had not realized the she had been holding.

She crept inside the entrance, shutting the door softly behind her. Keeping Vex’s words in mind she drank one of her invisibility potions then slowly made her way down the hall until she came to the first intersecting hallway. She looked down it and seeing no one, made her way down that hall until she came to the first intersecting hallway. She looked down it and seeing no one, made her way down that hall. Her footsteps were silent as she made her way to the next intersecting hall. She told herself to breathe again and made her way around the corner and into the dining area of the vast estate. She heard the creaking of the floor just beyond the wall. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow, concentrating on the sounds her heightened hearing gave her. She saw the mercenary at a table and released the arrow. The arrow flung across the room swiftly, hitting the mercenary at the base of his skull. His last breath escaped his lips in a muffled moan as the steel tip severed the brain stem from the spinal column.

Then she heard metal scraping against a scabbard and a voice cry out, “What the – “

‘Damn.’ She quickly concentrated her thoughts on the flame spell she cast as the second mercenary turned the corner and charged her. The spell was enough to knock him back. She grabbed the sword on her hip and rushed him, thrusting the blade upward through his gut, black blood bubbling to the surface of his mouth as the light in his eyes went dim. She saw the third mercenary a second later but not before she felt the bite of steel in her arm. Her eyes blazed hotly as her brain registered the pain. Her reaction was quick; she looked directly in his eyes as she brought the sword up in an arch, the tip of the blade slicing through his cheek and cutting off the tip of his nose. She readjusted her hold on the hilt, grabbed him by the shoulder, shoved him onto his knees and plunged her sword through his mouth and out the back of his neck.

She pulled her sword out of the corpse, wiped it clean on the fur of the dead man’s armor, then continued, sheathing her sword and picking her bow back up. She used a healing spell her mother had taught her at a young age as she moved down the hall. She ventured up the stairs, finding the door to the second floor unlocked. She immediately noticed that these mercenaries were living it up, leaving filled coin purses strewn about. She took out another potion of invisibility and quickly drank it. She stealthily crept forward, drawing an arrow back in her bow as she approached openings.

She saw the thick, hairy bare arm first; he was relaxed at his post, a mistake for him. Her arrow sailed through the air, landing deep in his side, dropping him immediately. Her aim was true; she knew her arrow pierced his bowels. She quickly reached down and pulled the arrow out. She pulled her sword and quickly severed his hamstrings.
She heard rushing feet, she counted three sets of feet. She backed her way into a bedroom and fished out an invisibility potion along with a health potion. She quickly drank those and readied herself with her daggers and her bow. She would be able to disable one mercenary with a single shot from the bow, the other two she could easily take care of with these blades if her aim was true. The first mercenary came rushing in, his greatsword tin his hands. Her arrow embedded itself into his throat, causing him to immediately drop the two-handed sword and grab at the arrow, pulling it out and desperately trying to clasp his hand over his throat as blood poured out of the wound. The sound of his dying gurgling was soon drowned out by the cries of alarm as his two companions ran into the room.

The daggers were in her hand before they saw her in the corner. She gripped the blade of the first dagger in between her thumb and forefinger, the comfort of it’s familiar weight assuring her of her aim. She released the blade and it flew end over end until it sank into the mercenary’s forehead, a dead look in his eyes as his body hit the ground.
The third mercenary reacted faster than she expected by jumping out of the path of her second dagger. He snarled at her. “What’s wrong, you little wench? Didn’t expect that?” He charged at her, his sword raised high above his head. She reacted instinctively. She grabbed a platter that sat on the table next to her and used it to deflect the blow, then she struck him on the side of his head with it. Startled, he took a step back involuntarily, giving her the moment she needed to draw her sword. He looked at her again, his lips drawn back home and be some man’s whore instead of trying to play with the big boys, wench?”

“You talk big for a man with no balls.” He swung at her but she was prepared this time. As his swing went wide, she brought her own sword up, the point entering his chest cavity and exiting through his back. “Men get so testy about their balls,” she snickered.

She made her way through the rest of the halls until she came upon a locked room in the very corner of the floor. She used a detect life spell and saw a life essence in the center of the room, seemingly in a crouched position. “Come out, come out wherever you are, elf,” she taunted under her breath as she skillfully picked the lock, opening it with ease. She walked into the room and found the elf hiding behind a bookcase. She sheathed her sword and stared at him.

“Worthless mercenaries,” he grumbled as he stood up, sneering at her. “I didn’t think Maven or Mercer would allow me to get away with this, but I had little choice.”

Meliandra cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, little choice.” She gave a false laugh. “Look, I just want the key to your safe. Mercer and Maven can deal with you.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. If I do I might as well cut my own throat.”

She laughed at him. “What makes you think I won’t?”

He paled. “Fine. Take it!” He threw the key at her. “Once the new owner find outs I gave in, I’m as good as dead anyway.”

“New owner?” she silted her head to the side. “What are you talking about?”

He shook his head. “I’ve already said too much. I gave you what you came here for, now go. Leave me in peace.”

“What peace you might have left.”

She turned and headed back down the hall towards the stairwell. She grabbed the gold she saw laying around and seeing healing potions, took those as well. She gave thought to what Aringoth said about selling Goldenglow. She knew of Maven Black-Briar, had seen her on occasion, but had never met her. She knew what happened when she snapped her fingers and she knew about her temperament. She knew that Maven was going to be livid about the sale and she thanked the Eight that she was not the person who was going to have to tell her that piece of news.

She found herself in front of a locked iron gate. She pulled out her lockpicks again and set herself to work. Once she got it opened, she silently crept into the room, listening for any sound. She doubted Vex got even close to this far in. She heard voices down below; slowly made her way down the stairs to see a set of closed doors on the other side of the room. Very carefully she opened the door to the basement and slipped in unnoticed. She saw two mercenaries in the far corner; they were talking and both held tankards in their hands. She slowly nocked an arrow into place as she lined up her target. She bit her lip and released the arrow, quickly drawing another and nocking it while lining up her next shot. She heard the tankard hit the floor as her second target came into view. A moment later, he lay on the floor like his partner was. She made her way through the set of closed doors and then through the halls beyond. She began to think that there were no more mercenaries down when she came upon a hallway with a sheer to the floor. She saw the slight reflection of a mercenary standing in the midst of the oil. She quickly cast a spell of flames and listened to the man scream as the flames from the oil died on out then ventured into the room, seeing the stairwell that led even further below the estate. She found the safe in the corner of the room and quickly opened it up with Aringoth’s key. She grabbed the coin purse and shoved it into her knapsack, then pulled out the piece of paper and, unfolding it, read it.

“Aringoth,

This document acknowledges the sale of Goldenglow Estate and all property, assets and materials contained within. Payment of the property has been made in full by Gulum-Ei as an agent on behalf of the buyer. All dealings with the Thieves Guild in Riften is to cease immediately. To deter any possible retribution for this act, you are to take immediate steps to protect our assets in any way you see fit. I think you’ll find that the Thieves Guild is far more bark than bite and will likely avoid Goldenglow Estate rather than thin their already dwindling members.

“Good luck and may this be the start of a long and lucrative partnership.”

She folded the bill of sale and tucked it into the tunic she wore under her armor, the safest place for it. She closed up the safe and found her way back outside and toward the hives. As she did she thought about the bill of sale and could only imagine what Mercer’s reaction was going to be. She shook her head and could only ask herself what had Aringoth been thinking?

The moons hung high in Tamriel’s sky. She could make out the shape of the five beehives across from the house, she stealthily crept her over to them. As the flames of the first hive licked the sky, she heard a mercenary raise the shout of alarm. As the second hive caught fire she could hear the sound of rushing feet against the crackling of the flames. The third hive joined the brilliance of the fire, lighting up the early morning sky. By the time the mercenaries stood in front of the burning hives, she was deep beneath the waters, hidden by the cloak of night, swimming toward the docks of Riften.

#

Meliandra entered the cistern and looked toward the desk the Guild Master sat at. Not seeing him she headed toward the room often used by members for privacy. She didn’t see Brynjolf in his usual bed and wondered where he was. As she neared the room she could hear Mercer’s voice as he spoke in a commanding voice to someone with him. She could not quite make out what he was saying and she found herself curious and softened her steps. As she drew closer to the door she realized that Mercer was in the midst of a sexual encounter it took her a moment to place the woman’s voice as being Haelga, the owner of the bunkhouse. She found herself intrigued as she listened to the moans and statements of pleasure from the woman while Mercer called her vulgar names as he grunted his primal pleasure. Suddenly she heard the woman cry out as her orgasm echoed against the store walls followed by the satisfied grunts of Mercer. The slap of an ass echoed against the walls and then she heard the telltale sound of gold coins landing on a bed.

“Clean yourself off and get out of here, whore,” he growled. “And hurry up; I’ve got business to attend to.”

Meliandra backed herself out into the passageway, not wanting the bunkhouse owner to see her. As it was, moments after she heard the woman’s footsteps grow silent than she heard Mercer’s commanding voice, “Stop lurking in the shadows and get your ass in here.”

Feeling the slight burning sensation of embarrassment on her cheeks, she walked into the room; she refused to make eye contact with Mercer, who seemed to be gloating as he pulled the pants on, his chest bare. She couldn’t help but noticed the definition of his abdomen, firm like the cobblestone paths alongside the city walls; she averted her eyes from him completely.

“I hope you were more successful at sneaking around at Goldenglow than you were at trying to sneak around out there while I was grabbing a piece of ass.”

She cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes, sir, I was definitely successful at Goldenglow. I found out quite a bit too. You’re not going to be happy, boss.”

He pulled his boots on, grabbed the top of his Thieves Guild armor and approached her. “Don’t keep me waiting, Meliandra. What did you find out?”

He stood before her; her eyes gathered in details about his bare chest before he clasped the tunic closed. She found that she was holding her breath and slowly released it. “Aringoth sold Goldenglow.”

“Excuse me?” His voice was filled with disbelief. “He would never do something as foolish as that, he knows how unhealthy of a decision that would be on his part.”

She frowned as she unclasped her armor, opening it to reveal the tight-fitting tunic top beneath it. She watched as his eyes lingered on her breasts, full and large, the look in his eyes evident as he smiled while watching her reach into the tunic and withdrawing the bill of sale. She handed it to him and watched as his eyes boiled with the anger that rose up within him.

“That fucking two-timing, back-stabbing piece of mammoth shit!” he exploded. “Maven’s going to have his head on a platter when she finds out about his!” He looked back at her, his eyes once lurid now hard and cold boring into hers. Strangely she found his gaze overpowering as her heart beat slightly faster in her chest. “What about the hives?”

She nodded, “Three destroyed, completely burned.”

Mercer nodded as well. “At least Maven will be happy about that.” He looked her over once more, a slight smile to his lips. “Brynjolf appears to be right about you. You pulled off a job that our best infiltrator wasn’t able to do.” He reached over and slowly closed the clasps on her armor, his fingers lingering on her clothing his eyes never leaving hers.

“You’ve earned your pay and a bonus. Come see me later and I’ll have the gold for you. Go get a job from Delvin or Vex; I’ll come find you when I need you again.”

She nodded, then walked out to find Delvin. She walked into the Flagon and found him at his usual table and to her relief she noted that Vex was nowhere to be found; she wasn’t looking forward to Vex finding out how successful she had been. She pulled up the chair by Delvin and sat down.

“Got any work for me?” she asked as she reached over and broke off a piece of bread and shoved it into her mouth, chasing it down with a swallow of the mead next to her.

“Aye, got one that just came in. Real nice and east.” He reached over, got the quill and inkwell and a scrap of paper and wrote down the details, then slipped it over to her.

She looked at the paper, nodded and put the paper in her pocket. “have you seen Brynjolf?”

The older man shook his head. “Sorry, Meliandra, can’t say that I have, not since last night that is. Him and Vex were talking pretty heatedly about something before he took off.”

She slowly nodded her head. “Thanks, Delvin.” She stood up and walked back into the cistern and made her way to her bed. She wanted to get some sleep before she headed out to Whiterun for Delvin but her mind was swimming as she found her thoughts returning to what she had heard earlier with Mercer and Haelga; she kept seeing his bare chest and even now she found herself feeling the excitement rush through her. She could still hear Haelga’s moans of pleasure and found herself wondering what it would be like to have Mercer deep inside of her. She tossed and turned until sleep finally overwhelmed her.

Proving Time

She arched her back, her orgasm racking her body as she bit her lip to keep silent; Brynjolf told her she couldn’t wake up any of the others and if she did he would punish her.  He would punish her by sexually arousing her but forbidding her any form of release until he decided differently.  He enjoyed this game with her; it was one that she was very adept at.  She did as he asked of her, no questions asked and no hesitation and completely willingly.  She gave him absolute control in their sex-play, pleasuring him in every way he asked.  She indeed was very skilled in the Dibellian arts, bringing him to levels of ecstasy he had never imagined possible.

He sat up, wrapping the smaller woman in his broad arms.  She moaned softly as his lips left feathery kisses upon her neck.  He then flipped her over he was atop of her, a glint in his eyes as he smiled down upon this raven-haired beauty.  “We’re not done yet, lass.”

He thrust inside of her, deep and hard, eliciting pleasured whimpers from her lips.  He watched as he breasts bounced with each thrust, he watched as her long slender hands reached up to his bare chest then as they dug into his skin leaving red welts as she ran them down to his waist.  The effect this had on him was immediate as he took her legs and propped them on his shoulders and thrust hard and deep within her.

His climax came fast and hard, his seed pumping into her and then spilling out as he flooded her.  His body quivered as his orgasm subsided and he laid next to her, his arms spread out across the bed.  She laid her head upon his chest and he leaned forward to kiss the top of it.  “Now that’s what I call a proper good morning.”

She played with a few of the hairs on his chest as she murmured her agreement.  “Brynjolf,” she cooed, “when are you going to give me a real job instead of sending me to Delvin or Vex?”

“I think I heard Vekel saying he needed someone to get some books for a client. How about asking him?”

“Are you serious?” she replied hotly, sitting up and glaring at him.  “Don’t you even realize when I’m out doing a job?”  At his confused look, she continued, “I just got back yesterday from getting those books for him!”  A look of understanding came across his face.  “Shit, I’d really like something other than fixing books or picking pockets.  Give me something bigger.”

He sighed.  “Alright.  Let me talk with Mercer.  Come see me this afternoon.  Why not just hang out in the Flagon today?  Get some training in with one of the guys?”

She climbed out of the bed and proceeded to get dressed.  “Fine.  But I’m serious, I want a job with some substance to it.  I’m better than these light weight jobs.”

He watched as she dressed then leave.  He shook his head as he dressed and thought about his young lover.  He knew she had skill, she had proven it time and time again.  She had quickly proven her worth amongst the members of the Guild and had worked side by side a couple of them on a few jobs.  She was smart and he had discovered that she was an accomplished enchanter, alchemist and mage, using those skills to aid her in her jobs.

Making up his mind he went and sought out Mercer.  He spotted him sitting at his desk in the cistern, brooding.  He approached the Guild Master hesitantly.  The older man glanced at his second in command then motioned to him to come over.  Once Brynjolf stood in front of the desk he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Aringoth hired mercenaries.”

Brynjolf’s eyebrows raised at this statement.  “Mercenaries?  Aringoth?  What is that elf thinking?”  He shook his head then asked, “What did Vex find out?”

“That’s the thing,” the dark-haired man growled.  “She didn’t get in.”

Brynjolf looked credulous.  “She didn’t get in?”  After a moment’s pause he continued, “There’s hardly anything our little Vex can’t get into.  What is our next move, then?  You know Maven won’t –“

Mercer interrupted, firmly saying, “That new girl you’ve been screwing, she’s got a knack for this kind of thing, doesn’t she?” He sat forward and steepled his fingers in front of him.

Brynjolf nodded.  “Aye.  She’s got enchanted jewelry and clothing that muffles her steps and aids her lock picking.  She also has a good supply of invisibility potions.”

“Think she can handle this?”

He nodded.  “She’s perfect for it.  And she has been asking for something else besides what Delvin & Vex have been handing her.”

“Then I want her for it.  Bring her to me.”

Brynjolf nodded as he turned to had into the Flagon.  He couldn’t place his finger on what caused it but he suddenly felt a wave of anxiety pass through him that set him on edge for the rest of the day.

#

Meliandra drained the last of her mead from the bottle and set it down on the bar.  “Dammit, Vekel, why won’t he give me one of the big jobs?  What more do I need to do to prove myself?”  She placed some more coins on the counter and inquired, “Anything stronger back there?”

“I got a shipment of Argonian Bloodwine in.”

“Give me a bottle of that.”

Vekel laughed at her.  “Give me more gold then.”

She stared at him, a glint in her eye and a hint of a smile on her lips and pulled out her coin purse again and starting counting.  Vekel slid the bottle across the counter to her when she had pulled out enough gold to satisfy him, a smile gracing his own lips.  She popped the cork on the bottle and took a large swallow.  The bit e of the alcohol slid down her throat like knives ripping through her flesh.  But it was Brynjolf’s voice behind her that caused her to nearly choke on her drink.

“Get drunk later, Meli.  Mercer wants to see you and I suggest we don’t keep him waiting.”

She raised her eyebrow while looking at the bartender who tilted his head and smiled at her.  She capped the bottle and slid it back to Vekel. “Hold that for me, would you, please?”

“I’ll sell it if it stays too long.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Vekel.”  She turned to look at Brynjolf, a smile on her lips.  “Got a job for me?”

He frowned and her smile froze.  “Let Mercer tell you.”

She followed him to the cistern in silence, two steps behind him.  They walked over to the desk where Mercer stood looking over papers.  She had seen him from afar but had never been introduced to him.  Now as she stood before him she was intrigued by what she saw.  He had piercing steel blue eyes set in a hard look as he looked her up and down.  He had strong, very defined features that accentuated the sharpness of his face.  His eyes lingered on her for a moment then he looked at his second in command.

“Mercer, Meliandra.  Meliandra, Mercer Frey,” came the introduction from Brynjolf.

“Thank you, Brynjolf,” responded Mercer as he kept his attention on the young Breton.  “I’d like to speak to Meliandra alone.”

Brynjolf looked at Mercer for a moment then at Meliandra.  “Come see me when you’re done here.”  He walked out of the cistern using the graveyard exit.

“So, you’re the newest recruit.  I keep hearing good things about you.  It’s time I see how good you really are.” He looked her up and down once more, then continued, “Now 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 you lose your share.  No debates, no discussions… you do what we say, when we say.”  He met her eyes.  “Do I make myself clear?”

She smiled at him but keep her face serious.  He was straight and to the point and he had a commanding presence about him that demanded her immediate and absolute obedience to him.  “Yes, Mercer.  I understand completely.”

“Good.  Now let’s put your talents to the test.  You know what Goldenglow is I’m assuming?”

“Yes, it’s the bee farm outside of Riften on the lake.”

“Right.”  He sat on the edge of the desk.  “It is also critically important to one of our largest clients.  However, the owner, Aringoth, has suddenly decided to take matters into his own hands and shut us out.  He needs to be taught a lesson.  What we need to do is to burn down three of the estate’s hives and clear out the safe in the main house.  Don’t burn down the whole property either.  Our important client would be furious if you did and the last thing we want to be doing is crossing our clients.”

“And what about this Aringoth guy?”

“Maven prefers that Aringoth remain alive, but if he tries to stop you from getting the job done, kill him.  The Guild has a lot riding on this.  Don’t make me look foolish by fucking it up.”

She nodded.  “So, what’s the best way to get in?”

“That, my dear,” he said as he smirked at her, “is something you’re going to have to figure out on your own.  Talk to Vex.  She’s already attempted to get in.  Oh, and talk to Tonila and get some proper attire for a member of the Thieves Guild.”

She nodded again.  “Yes, sir.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to be exactly what we need around her, Meliandra.”  Mercer smiled at her as she turned to head back into the Flagon to talk to Vex.  Of all the members of the Guild it was Vex she felt had not welcomed her.  She could still remember the first thing Vex had ever spoken to her.

Vex had been sitting at the bar in the Flagon eating roasted pheasant and baked potatoes while chasing it down with a bottle of Honningbrew Mead.  The blond looked at her from the corner of her eye and said in an icy voice,” I’m going to make this perfectly clear.  One, I’m the best infiltrator this rathole of a Guild’s got, so if you think you’re here to replace me, you’re dead wrong.  And two, you follow my lead and do exactly as I say… no questions, no excuses.  Do we understand each other?”

Meliandra tried to avoid Vex as much as she could but when Delvin had no jobs for her she had no choice but to wait for one or get a job from her.  She found it infuriating that Brynjolf found it funny.

She found Vex sitting at a table talking with Delvin.  When Vex saw her a slight frown touched her lips.  Meliandra found herself inwardly groaning as she remembered that first conversation with her.

“Spit it out,” Vex snapped when Meliandra stood before her.  “Time is money and you’re not making any standing here.”

“Mercer told me to talk to you about Goldenglow.”

“Goldenglow?  He’s sending you into Goldenglow?”  She chuckled.  “Alright, let’s see how good you really are.”  She looked at Delvin who excused himself then motioned for her to sit down in the now empty chair.  “That wood elf’s wit… he’s a lot smarter than I expected.  Can you believe that fetcher had more than tripled the guard?  There had to be at least eight of them in there.  I sear, it was like he was daring us to come and get him.”

“How do you suggest I get in?”

“Well, on the northwest side of the island there’s an old sewer tunnel that dumps into the lake.  It’s probably still unguarded like it was when I used it to get in.”

“Any advice?”

Vex smiled, her blue eyes shimmering.  “Try to stay in one piece.”

Meliandra watched as Vex stood up and walked to the bar.  She mumbled “Thanks,” as she herself stood and walked out of the Flagon to find Brynjolf.

#

Brynjolf stood on the docks looking out toward Goldenglow.  From the scent on the breeze he knew rain was coming and from the look of the sky he knew the thunder would follow.  He heard the creak of the wood behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Meliandra.  He had indeed been right in recruiting her, she had proven to be a valuable asset to the Guild in the couple months she had been with them, bringing in more goods than the others had but things were still in a bad way.  He knew that if anyone could pull off this job his little vixen could, but he was still uneasy about the whole job; something about it just smelled like a three-day dead skeever.  He tried to shake the feeling as he spoke to Meliandra next to him.

“Is this job more to your liking, lass?”

She nodded.  “Yes.  Thanks for suggesting me.”

“I didn’t,” he answered stiffly.  “Mercer asked for you specifically.  Word has gotten around and he wants to see how good you are.”

She looked at him, an eyebrow cocked ever so slightly.  “Really?  Then I will do everything I can to not disappoint,” she said in a sarcastic tone.

“What’s that for, Meli?”

“Seems I’m proving my skills to not just Mercer but to Vex as well.”

He pulled her close to him, a smile on his lips.  “Don’t worry about Vex, she always gets like this when she thinks someone is going to replace her.”

“Hmph.”

He turned her around so he could look at her.  When she refused to meet his eyes, he took ahold of her chin and turned her fact to him “Don’t worry about Vex.  It’ll take care of her, I always do.”  He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead.  “How do you feel about this job?  Are you prepared?”

She laid her hands on his chest, fiddling with the stitching on his Thieves Guild armor.  “I’m going to assume that means do I have enough potions for the job and yes, I made an ample amount of them yesterday.”

“What about health potions?”

“Do you not trust me restoration skills?”  she chuckled.  “Why the sudden concern, Brynjolf?”

He shook his head saying, “Just a strange feeling, that’s all, lass.”  He kissed her forehead again.  “When will you be heading out?”

“Just before nightfall.  I’m going to go get some sleep so I’m rested.”

He nodded, drew her into a tight embrace, kissed her and said softly, “You watch yourself on that island, lass.  Those mercenaries don’t take prisoners.”

Introduction

 

I do not own any rights to The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.  That joy goes to the creators at Betheseda.