JoS/Henriette/30th Journal - Mission in Solitude
Rain's Hand, 8th, 4E 203
I got a letter from Delvin again with another job offer. This time, he wanted to meet me in person, so I made a little round trip to Riften and back. I ended up actually picking another job from Tonilia in the process. I wasn't expecting to get work from that Redguard as she primarily handles trade, but this work makes sense. I kind of did make her mad in the process though due to something I've done in the past.
She told me that she and the Khajiit caravans can benefit a lot from each other and that there's some business for them to discuss. She asked me to go speak to him and also bring a bag of Moon Sugar to their leader, Ri'saad. I would be lying if I didn't get the urge to have some of it for myself and, you know… Get off it. I didn't allow myself to fall into that trap.
If you're familiar with the path I've taken with the Dark Brotherhood, you might already be guessing where this is going. In case not, let me remind you of a certain Khajiiti magister I killed, Ma'randru-jo. This job holds a unique place in my work portfolio because it's a rare case of murder where I let it be known that I was the killer. I did so because I knew I would get away with taunting him and with me defending myself against him. However, if there's one person who knows that I wasn't acting in good faith, it's Ri'saad.
I tried to explain this to Tonilia as calmly and reasonably as possible, but wouldn't you just know, I was about to get shat on. Hard.
She was fuming. Never in my life did I think she was capable of getting so mad. This pretty, slender little woman was absolutely enraged, threw a mug at me - she luckily missed - and scolded me, asking how could I be so dumb, how could a damned assassin be part of the Thieves Guild. She was pointing at me and screaming at Brynjolf too, demanding that he would fire me immediately. It took the combined forces of Brynjolf, Delvin, and Vex to calm her down. Delvin tried to explain that it's been known for a long time that I'm with the Dark Brotherhood, and I also tried to explain that I was simply following orders. The work I do there has never before conflicted with Thieves Guild work, and the two guilds have a friendly relationship anyway. In the end, Tonilia was able to calm down and forgive me for my past sin, but this still threw a huge wrench in her plans.
"Don't think you're going to weasel yourself out of this one. We're going to get caravans on our side, and you're going to help with me, like it or not."
Her plan B is another Khajiit caravan, which is run by Ahkari. Technically all Khajiit caravans are working together, so it's likely that I might get into trouble with her as well, but at least she can be reasoned with by me. Ri'saad probably never wants to see my face again.
As for the job I originally came here for, it's something that's arguably even harder than bribing a caravan because the client is someone I also have a past with. You see, our contract is Erikur in Solitude. He's an advisor and a Thane for Elisif. Last time we met was in the Thalmor Embassy, I believe? I caused him a little trouble, ended up getting fucked by him, and ended up, you know, doing all that other stuff too, like stealing all kinds of confidential papers belonging to the Thalmor… Oh dear, he probably remembers me very, very well. Now, obviously, there's no way I can refuse to do this job and start making excuses AGAIN, so I bit my tongue and said that I'd be glad to represent the guild in front of Erikur and do whatever job he has stored for me.
Damn it, I'm going to be fine, am I…? Erikur is not going to have my ass thrown in jail, right?
Rain's Hand, 10th, 4E 203
While I was visiting Dawnstar, I didn't simply want to do business with Ahkari, although that's what I did too. As I feared, she's suspicious of me because she's obviously in contact with Ri'saad, and she has heard of me. "Khajiit does not know how much of that is true", she added. "Ri'saad respected the mage, but the mage's conduct was often questionable. Ma'randru-jo had a temper. He was always one to get into trouble, to get the caravans into trouble. It's not unreasonable to think someone would've wanted him dead."
She also understands the value of working with the Thieves Guild, especially since their influence is rising. Still, a simple bribe of Moon Sugar from me wasn't going to cut it, and she said that I must prove my own personal worth to her as well. Luckily for me, there was a way for me to prove myself to be an ally to them.
One of her bodyguards is a man called Kharjo, and he filled me with the details. There was a bandit clan living in some abandoned watchtower by the route they often take, and about two weeks ago, they led a raid on the caravan. Ahkari wanted me to take care of the problem. There's no need for me to recover any stolen cargo or anything, as this is more about revenge and preventing any further problems. However, Kharjo told me to keep an eye out for what he calls a "moon amulet", which is precious to him.
It wasn't even a challenge. There were three of them in the tower, and I murdered them all. Quest was done, and it made Ahkari very happy. Kharjo was also happy to be reunited with his amulet. Then, as I left, Ahkari had urged me to bring her goods from time to time and warned me to stay away from Ri'saad. Duly noted.
My next bit of business was exchanging some pleasantries at the Sanctuary while relaying some contracts from the Night Mother to the Speakers. I also asked Babette for some private tutoring to help me get better with Alchemy. She's such a good teacher. Just having her hold my hands made it feel like I was doing a better job. She usually charges a price for training, but with a wink, she proclaimed that she'd always make an exception for me. Ah, she's just the best, so adorable too.
That concludes my business in Dawnstar.
Rain's Hand, 13th, 4E 203
My encounter with Erikur went just about as well as I expected. That's to say, not well at all, but it could've been worse!
I had no problem getting inside the Blue Palace itself. Castle Dour was a different story a month or so ago, but this place had different guards who were a bit laxer. Elisif even glanced at me when she saw me and smiled happily. It feels so good to have at least some friends in high places! Falk was also happy to see a friendly face, and we shared a few words. He still seems a little worried about Potema and something that's going on beneath the city, but unfortunately, I don't have time to get involved with that.
Erikur, though, looked like he wanted to yell at me to get arrested but considering that I was just exchanging pleasantries with Falk, he didn't intervene. Rather, he couldn't. All I got from him was a death glare. Things didn't get much easier when I approached him and said that I came on behalf of the Thieves Guild. He seemed shocked and told me to meet him at his home later, as the palace obviously wasn't the best place to have any kind of business discussion.
When I actually got to his lavish, extravagant little house, he blew up at me, red-faced like a fat piece of roasted gammon. "I asked Delvin to send me his very best, and he sends me a SLUT?"
Just to emphasize his contempt towards me, let me just point out that I have never, ever in my life heard someone utter that four-letter s-word with such emotion, animosity, and oomph put to it. It was like a word of power on its own, spoken by a fellow Dragonborn. He kept going on, ranting and raving about me, how indecent I am, how dare I dress the way I did in the court of the High Queen, about how I caused him so much trouble the last time around, and I barely got a word in. He finally did demand me to tell him one good reason why he should trust me with this job after what I did in the embassy.
Well, my reasoning was simple. I was sent to infiltrate the embassy back then, and I succeeded in my mission. Surely that would make me quite a skilled little sneak, no? Surely he would be able to look beside the fact that I am, in his words, a "SHLUTH" and recognize me for my talents?
He grunted at me, arms crossed. I had just convinced him, but he didn't want to accept it. He reminded me that failure is not an option and that he could throw me into prison for life if he so damn pleased. I kind of wanted to call bluff there and then, but doing so probably wouldn't have won me any favors. Instead, I insisted that I wouldn't fail his expectations and asked politely for the details.
Long story short, he had a shill job for me.
A myriad of traders goes through the Solitude docks and through the East Empire Company, but even though the Company is seen as a lawful institution, some goods are even highly exotic and illegal, and according to him, "you can find almost anything you want in there". I think I know it better than you do, sir Erikur, considering that I myself have been treated as merchandise down there for the perverts of Solitude, but I digress. Erikur wanted someone put out of business, and he had a perfect plan of how to succeed. I won't tell you how he explained it; instead, I will simply tell you, my dear diary, of how I succeeded with this task of mine.
The first step was the longest part. I had to get myself on a bottle of Balmora Blue. It's a beverage that used to be brewed in the place it's named after, but sadly, since the city is covered under layers and layers of ash from the eruption of the Red Mountain… They don't make it anymore. I'm pretty sure that the number of bottles remaining in Tamriel can be counted in three digits, maybe even two. It's a shame, really, because this stuff is to Skooma what Firebrand Wine is to fine dining: the best of the best. I can just imagine what it would taste like… Sadly it's so rare that I couldn't afford to lose this irreplaceable bottle, and like I said, I was actually going to need it. The captain of the ship called Red Wave had one.
Here's the problem though: I didn't bring enough money with me. I wasn't expecting to actually spend any, you see, and thought that a little less than a thousand Septim should be more than enough as travel money. Boy, was I wrong! This stuff is even more expensive than that! And since I didn't know where the bottle was being kept, stealing was out of the question too.
The captain suggested that I could pay what I had and then pay for the remaining price by working. It sounded like a fair trade. Well… They put me to work alright. The whole crew did. One of the crew members recognized me, you see.
"Haven't I seen her with Gulum-Ei?" he asked.
"Really now?" the captain commented, eyeing me down. "Tell you what, I can give you once in a lifetime chance at a discount if you can pay with your body. The slave trade has died down here, so getting hands on such precious little things as yourselves is getting increasingly difficult."
Yeah, I sometimes forget that my sex appeal is a scarce and valuable commodity amongst certain people.
I don't want to get into too many details, but they didn't let me off quickly, but I got off relatively easily considering that my work really didn't involve me doing that much work. Just some happy consensual sex, sex, sex with some horny pirates… A few of them made me feel really good, but the others weren't so great in bed. I guess I'm getting picky? Can't satisfy this bitch with just any dick, you know.
They let me go at five o'clock in the morning, and I paid all the money I had on me to get the bottle at a discounted price. The last part was diving into the ocean to get the chest, and I wasn't getting any help. Still naked, they took me to the deck and pointed at the exact location, then set up a blank, telling me to walk. I guess that's their idea of fun? Whatever, I suppose. Luckily cold doesn't get to my undead body easily. They didn't give me a key, so I had to pick the chest open too, and let me just tell you, picking locks underwater ain't easy.
I climbed to the shore and got back to the boat, but the captain was there gatekeeping my equipment and weapons. He said that there was actually one more person in the ship I hadn't come across servicing yet, and that was him. I sighed and asked what he wanted me to do… Luckily, it was just a blowjob and some doggystyle afterward. After that, I was let go with the bottle.
The long part was behind me, and next came the hard part: planting the bottle.
I never told you why I needed this exotic booze, you see. Well, it may be invaluable, but it's also highly illegal. Punishment isn't just some fine you get like if you're caught high on Skooma either. No, having a bottle of this means you're going behind bars. This is actually the plan here. Like I said earlier, Erikur wants some rival gone from business, and a bottle of Balmora Blue found during an inspection from an Imperial guard should do the trick.
Dainty Sload was the ship, and it was guarded heavily, even at night, even though more than half of the crew were sleeping. Alas, killing was obviously out of the question since it would've flown in the face of me trying to get these guys in trouble. I couldn't leave behind any obvious evidence like dead bodies. In fact, I could leave behind no evidence whatsoever. I had to sneak my way in, and I had to do a perfect damn job. Luckily, the security on the ship was lax enough for me to get in and out undetected.
I also found one of those weird stones I once asked Vex about. Haven't found too many of them, to be honest. She did say they're hard to come across if I recall correctly… Still, no harm in holding on to it. I also found some coins lying around, and since that whole boat was going out of business, I assumed they wouldn't need them anymore. They're now in better pockets!
This was officially the end of my contract, as I had done everything that was asked of me, but when I got to Erikur and knocked on his door, I was surprised by a trio of Imperial guardsmen standing behind me. Erikur opened the door with a shit-eating grin on his face and asked me if I'd done what he asked. Confused, I glanced at the guardsmen. I thought I was going to be arrested for real, but Erikur assured me that these three men were in with the scheme, and I could be as honest as I wanted. So, I said, the job is done. That's when the men put me in chains and a black leather slave collar. They pushed me inside the building, and Erikur closed the door, whispering "We'll see about that" as he groped me.
He let me know that I wasn't going to get away from him this time around, and that we had some unfinished business. Fortunately, he said that he doesn't care about what I did in the embassy behind closed doors as it's not his business, and he will not out me for any crimes… Provided I have done what's asked for me and done it right. Since I did, I could surrender myself to be played by him with my mind at ease.
I believe I already mentioned it in passing, but his house is lavish and extravagant, and his bedroom was no exception. He had a lot of toys available as well, so I suppose he is used to luring women into his home for fun. He's definitely the kind of man who likes taking control, not that I did mind. He began by tying my hands behind my back and taking me by my hair as he pushed my head towards his groin. Poking his erect, great white against my cheek, he commanded me to serve him. He actually called me a milk-drinker, which I haven't been called often, to be honest, even though Nords like that insult for some reason. "You must be quite used to sucking", he said, "considering that you're barely grown away from sucking milk from your mommy's teat".
It wasn't so much about me sucking and doing work as it was about him just thrusting into my throat. I tried my best to give him service, and he was still happy with how I responded to him being rough. It didn't take long for me to get a taste of Papa's milk as well. Yeah, that's what he wanted me to call him. "Papa". He made me drink the whole load.
He then took the chains in my hands and tied them to a hook on top of the bed. With him underneath me, I could only move up and down. He took me by my hip and my waist and stuck his cock into me, making me ride it. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, considering he wasn't even the biggest I've taken today, but he got the better of me. His rhythmic thrusts guided me and kept me constantly at the edge, throwing me over it several times over. I can hardly believe how hard he made me moan by the end of it, but of course, he wasn't done yet.
He stuck a powerful vibrating plug up my cunny and proceeded to do my ass from behind with my hands still being tied to the roof, with my body suspended in air and flailing. Every single clap of him slapping into me echoed in the building, probably outside as well. He was way more eager this time around, so it didn't take that long for him to fill my ass up. He then left me alone to rest.
I was out for maybe three or four hours until I was confirmed that the job had been done right. He congratulated me and rubbed my cheek, calling me a good girl, after which he said I was free to go. He didn't unlock the collar though, and instead left it on. When I confronted him about it, he said that I should hold on to it since I'm his bitch now. "I better not catch you not wearing it", he added. Yeah, sure, whatever… You're not the first man to think you can control me and probably not the last… Luckily the primitive locking mechanism was very easy to pick, so I didn't need to humiliate myself walking around Skyrim in a collar.
It's a nice collar though, so I guess I could as well hold onto it… Don't want to throw a perfectly good piece of bondage equipment away…
Normally I would return home after a job well done, but I need to get back to Tonilia to inform her about the deal with the caravans, so there's one more little trip for me to complete before I can get home to the girls.
Rain's Hand, 14th, 4E 203
Just when I thought I had concluded my business with the Thieves Guild for the time being, I was stopped by Karliah in cistern when she took me by my hand, smiling awkwardly as she greeted me. She said she's been looking for me for a while now and joked about me being a woman hard to reach. I decided to hear her out.
She first asked me the same question Brynjolf did about two weeks ago: are there any hard feelings? She seems to feel bad about it now because she didn't take my own emotions or faith into consideration and was only concerned about what in her mind is the right way to serve Nocturnal, and was the only way to defeat Mercer. She said that she recognizes me as a great thief and an assassin and said that she's sure Nocturnal is happy with me serving her in the way I see fit myself. I replied by assuring her it's okay and that I didn't blame her for getting emotional back then. It's all water under the bridge now, and I'd honestly prefer to never talk about it again. Better have our eyes set in the future, and future indeed is what she wanted to talk about next. She had a job she wanted to talk about, you see.
She took me to her home in the hall of the Nightingales, where she urged me to sit down comfortably. Then she asked me what do I know about Barenziah.
I tried to answer as truthfully and honestly as I could: not very much. I know she was kind of a big deal during the third era being the Queen of Wayrest at one time, and then the Queen of Morrowind later, and infamous for being rumored to be promiscuous, but I haven't actually read any of the books written about her, so most of the information I learned today was a total surprise to me.
Karliah said she knows a lot about her now-deceased grandmother even though they've never met. Yes, they're directly related by blood. Karliah's mother, Dralsi, was a bastard-daughter Barenziah had when she had an affair with Karliah's grandfather, a famous thief called Drayven Indoril, a prominent member of the guild at the time. She didn't go too much into what led to such an affair, and it doesn't concern me either. It was just to illustrate how they are related.
Barenziah's connections to the Thieves Guild don't end just with an affair during her days as a Queen. She actually grew up in Skyrim after being banished at the end of the second era when Tiber Septim conquered Morrowind. It was then that she actually was a member of the guild herself. It must've been quite a change in scenery to be taken from her life as a little princess barely having reached puberty, only to be led down a path of crime! She has walked the very same cistern as I have when she was a young and promising cutpurse, an interesting piece of history that not too many are aware of for sure.
I was wondering while listening to Karliah, why is any of this important?
"Vex told me you've been collecting Stones of Barenziah. Did she not tell you what they are?"
I first had no idea what she meant, but I made the connection to the weird stones I have indeed found a few of. Vex indeed never told me all the specifics about these gemstones, and I admitted that I haven't been that active in collecting them, as I haven't been explicitly looking for them. Karliah, on the other hand, has been hunting for them ever since Mercer died. She wants her hands on the entire collection, which includes twenty-four gemstones and Barenziah's crown. It's unclear where these gemstones originate from, but according to Karliah, these treasures aren't just made from regular rubies and gold. They don't hold just status but also power, and could be made into a paragon of sorts that would bring prosperity and wealth to this guild. She admitted there are also personal reasons for her to collect her grandmother's crown along with its jewels, but it's mostly to benefit the guild.
Since I have no use for them myself, I was happy to donate my collection to her. We put together our gems, and it totaled twenty-two. Not bad at all, and it made Karliah ecstatic! We're also going to need the crown itself, but Karliah insisted that we shouldn't worry about it yet, as getting our hands on it isn't going to be a simple burglary.
We then went through where we had found these stones from and cross-referenced her own map and notes to find clues about where to look next, and if the notes are to be believed, we know where they are located. One is in possession of the court-wizard of Windhelm and will be very hard to steal due to this, while the other one is owned by Maven Black-Briar in her lodge outside the town.
Karliah has tried to get Maven to part with it peacefully, maybe strike a deal, pay a ton of gold for it, but Maven being the cheap little bitch she is, won't sell it for a reasonable price, meaning that the only option is to steal it. I'm pretty sure you can see a problem here without me even explaining it, but I'll say it anyway: To steal from Maven would be extremely stupid! Moreover, Maven knows Karliah wants the stone! Why would we want to make an enemy out of her? I told this to Karliah, said that I wasn't going to risk my ass for this. I said that she shouldn't either.
But she kept insisting, saying it would be fine. "Trust me, the job is easy", she said. "Just, please… Go in and leave with the stone. Don't get caught, don't kill anybody, and don't steal ANYTHING other than the stone. It's as simple as that. I'll deal with the fallout. It'll be fine. Nobody will even know you did it." She then slammed a fat bag on coins on the table, already spilling from its opening. One thousand drakes stood between us, and she insisted that I take it as an advance payment for my troubles. There will also be another thousand drakes waiting for me once I succeed. "You can't screw this up. I know you can't. It's the easiest money you'll ever make."
Like shit, I didn't think these stones would be so valuable. Did Vex not know either? I mean, she knew what they were. I asked Karliah about their true value, and she said that she's paying me way more than one stone is worth. Besides, it's more about a long-term investment. It may take some ten or twenty years for this paragon of thievery to pay back the money she's invested in getting the stones, but after that, it's only going to be profit in our collective pockets.
Something about the whole deal stinks, but I know Karliah is a woman of her word. She already proved it once to me when she exposed Mercer. She even saved my life back when Mercer backstabbed me. I know we have had our disagreements, but the truth is, I owe her, and I couldn't just ignore all that money on the table. I sighed and agreed to the job. After all, it does sound easy enough.
That's more or less the plan here. Maven's compound, her manor, is located in the woods northeast of Riften. She doesn't live there personally anymore as her duties as Jarl of Riften require her to live in the Mistveil Keep… But that doesn't mean that the place will be empty. She spares no expense in hiring mercenaries to keep guard of the house.
I'll strike the night after tomorrow. Moons are looking to shine bright tonight, but the storm clouds are fast approaching and should provide an adequate cloak for me to hide in the darkness alongside the falling raindrops.
Rain's Hand, 16th, 4E 203
I woke up naked on a small, dirty bedroll locked behind sturdy iron bars, still groggy and confused, having a hard time remembering what happened. I saw a patrolling man who didn't look like a city guard, meaning he must've been one of the mercenaries. I asked what happened to me, where am I, where is the rest of my stuff? As he replied that I was in the Ratway, everything slowly started coming back to me. I was in Black-Briar Lodge to steal one of the remaining Stones of Barenziah… And I botched the job.
Everything was going according to the plan too. I infiltrated the house quietly after spending a few minutes on the lock of the door leading to the basement and another few minutes looking around. I searched many chests and even decoded a high-end strongbox full of important papers and some gold. As I wasn't allowed to touch them, I simply bit my tongue and moved on.
I used my voice to detect where the guards were, all done quietly with a whisper. I had one more precaution left in my pocket in the form of one invisibility potion and the ability to use my blood magic for the same effect once. The situation worsened for me when I realized that there's only one place where the stone really could be, which is upstairs. Getting there was impossible without being seen, so I knew where to use my invisibilities, and it's a good thing I didn't use them earlier, as I really had no other choice but to use them there. I tapped into my blood magic on the way up.
Upstairs I found Maven's old bedroom, which was locked, but not beyond my capabilities. I already knew nobody was waiting for me inside, so I could be at ease. I also found the stone I was looking for in a jewelry box. I took one look at it and determined it to be probably the weakest lock I've seen today, but what I couldn't tell was that it was booby-trapped from the inside. There was no way to disarm it, so I panicked when it made several loud "click" sounds upon opening. I snatched the gem and started planning my escape in a rush. I asked myself several questions: should I turn invisible, hide, or draw my weapon and fight? I didn't have time to hide, and there was no window to escape from either. I felt like cursing aloud; why didn't I fucking plan an escape route beforehand? Besides, what kind of fucking bedroom doesn't have windows!?
The man outside called me out, telling me they knew I was there, and I reached out for my invisibility potion. I couldn't find it, but my hand touched a paralyzing potion instead. I realized I had been told not to kill, but I could surely incapacitate these people? I decided to rely on my bow against my better judgment and readied a single arrow, hands shaking as I waited for the enemy to show his head. I thought I'd be fine… And I would've been fine if it wasn't for damned Clavicus Vile… I couldn't focus well enough, and as the door opened in front of me, all I could see for a moment was a blur. I shot, and I missed.
The furious man standing at the door was shouting for reinforcements who were already on the way. His large frame blocked the door, and I couldn't have been able to move past him even if I tried. With a large club in his hand, he tapped it against his left palm and told me what I already knew. "You're cornered", he said. "Drop your weapons, now."
It was the only thing I could do. I dropped the bow to the ground, took my daggers from my belt, and raised my hands to the air, showing my open palms. The man subdued me and pushed me to the ground as his allies watched. He placed his hands on my body, tapping all over, trying to find what I had stolen. He found it quick, and he held it to the air in his hands triumphantly, laughing as he said, "so she didn't have the guts to do the job herself". After that, they tied me up and placed a cloth of poison against my face, forcing me to inhale its toxic, sweet fumes. I fell unconscious, and the rest is history.
Shortly after figuring out my current position, I sat down to inspect myself. I'm sure they raped me in my sleep, but my body feels fine, although a little groggy. I'm still tired, but I don't think I'll be able to rest in this damp and smelly rathole. They haven't bothered with any kinds of restrictive equipment, but there's absolutely nothing in this cell that I can use to my advantage in escape. I tried asking the man what will happen to me, to which he replied simply by saying, "that's for Maven to decide". After that, he left.
Man, this sucks… Not knowing sucks…
I can't help but feel that this was a set-up, the whole thing… Just an ugly feeling in my gut… It doesn't make sense, though. Why would Karliah set me up?
Nah, that can't be the case. She wouldn't do that. There's just no way… That's just me trying to switch the blame to someone else. The truth is, I fucked up. I can't blame anyone else but myself.
It's a good thing they let me hold onto my diary… It's funny how people do that… I guess they don't want me to die from boredom or anything… Maybe I'll write something fun… A love letter to Brynjolf? Beg for him to come and save me from this wretched place! Tell him how a wicked witch has me locked up in her tower! Maybe later…
That man mentioned Maven… So I suppose I'll wait for her judgment, whatever it may be. Who knows, maybe I can even get some help from the outside. Maybe Karliah can help me get out of this mess? Maybe someone else from the guild? Probably, I hope so anyway…
I might as well try to get some rest as I wait.