Bombshell

I removed my hood on the long walk up to the gates of Solitude. My face wasn't well known in the city and figured the crowds would mean I could wander around without being recognised, hopefully completely ignored. The guards barely cast me with a second glance as I walked past them, wondering if the bulk of my armour would draw any curiosity but they appeared as disinterested in me as anyone else.

The crowds were not as thick as my last visit to the capital of Skyrim, though that's not to say there wasn't a lot of noise and bumping through the crowds as I weaved my way through. It still boggled the mind how crowded a city could be. Whiterun could be busy at times but nothing like this. I was relieved to make it into the Winking Skeever with my coin purse still intact as the temptation to buy many of the items on sale at the market stalls may have been overwhelming to others. 'Wonder if I should bring the wife here one day for a shopping trip? She'd love it.'

The inn was busy but, figuring I was looking for an Argonian, and I knew not many of them lived in any of the cities in Skyrim, it was a simple case of looking around. I eventually found Gulum-Ei in a secluded corner, sitting at a small table though there was an empty chair across from him, which I sat in without a word or invitation. He looked up from the book he was reading, placing it down in front of him, narrowing his eyes in my direction.

"So, what do we have here? Hmm... Let me guess. By your scent, I'd say you were from the Guild. But that can't be true, because I told Mercer I wouldn't deal with them anymore."

"You're brave for turning your back on the Guild."

He scoffed. "Guild? There's no Guild anymore. Just a bunch of cut-throats stealing a few gold coins."

"I'm not here about what you are or are not sending to the Guild. I'm here about Goldenglow."

He shrugged. "I don't deal in land or property. Now, if you're looking for goods, you've come to the right person."

I crossed my arms on the table and leaned forward. I didn't miss the fact that he did lean back. "Come now, Gajul-Lei. I'm here to help you."

He swallowed, glancing left and right before meeting my eyes. A slight smile. "Did you say Goldenglow Estate? My apologies. I'm sorry to say I know very little about that... bee farm, was it?"

I took the letter from my pocket, opening it and placing it on the table in front of him. "Stop wasting my time. You acted as a broker for its new owner. Your name is right here," I stating, pointing at the letter, "This symbol has been seen on other correspondence from someone who has an axe to grind against the Guild and Maven Black-Briar. Tell me who the buyer is, I'll walk away right now and you'll be free to do whatever you want."

"I don't care what you promise. If I tell you the buyer's name and word gets around, it could ruin me!"

"Who's saying I won't?"

"I know how the Guild work. You certainly won't kill me. Mercer wouldn't allow it."

I leaned forward further and knew I was intimidating. "Who said anything about killing you? I'll start with your fingers and work my way up until you squeal." His eyes darted left and right, almost pleading for help. "No-one is coming to help you, Gulum-Ei. So, as I kindly requested, tell me what I want to know and I'll walk away."

He remained silent, clearly thinking hard about what to do or say next. I wasn't going to kill him. I knew that much. But I was ready to intimidate him with the threat of physical violence. He finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll tell you what I know. 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."

"That's it?" He nodded. "Anything else?"

"Well, I did notice she was quite angry and it was being directed at Mercer Frey."

'Interesting. With each discovery, this person sounds like an ally in taking this whole operation down.' "Did you get a name?"

He smirked. "In this business we rarely deal in names; our identity comes from how much coin we carry."

I knew he was lying. He knew the name. He definitely knew the name. But I was aware of why he wasn't telling me. He was more afraid of whoever was behind this than Mercer Frey, which told me everything I needed to know about the Guild's adversary and my potential ally. 'And considering I already have a bad feeling about Mercer, I really need to find whoever this is.'

"Can I go?"

I gestured behind me. "You may go." 'But I'm going to follow you. I have no doubt you're up to something.'

I knew where he was going to head as soon as he walked out of the city gates. Keeping my distance, I followed him down the slope, turning at the stables and headed down to the dockyard, where a number of ships currently sat, water lapping at their hulls, the ring of bells and squawk of birds, shouts of shipmates as large boxes were loaded and unloaded. Gulum-Ei eventually disappeared through a door. I stopped a guard walking by and asked where the door led.

"That's the East Empire Company warehouse."

"Good to know. Thanks."

I slowly approached the door, checking behind to see if anyone was watching me. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked, waiting until absolutely no-one was looking in my direction before slipping through. I spent a few moments letting my eyes adjust to the gloom. I'd lost sight of Gulum-Ei but noticed the tall shelves. Figuring I needed height to understand where I was, I found a way of climbing to the very top. There was another small dock, one ship across the other side of the water. Otherwise, the warehouse was full to the brim of merchandise ready to move. 'No wonder the Guild are unhappy that Gulum-Ei pulled the plug on this.'

Noticing Gulum-Ei ahead of me, and numerous guards wandering around on patrol, I figured keeping out of sight would be the best thing to do. I stayed low, almost crawling along the top of the shelves before leaping across a small gap to another, leaping across another gap a couple of minutes later, happy to feel solid ground under my feet. Continuing to watch the patrolling guards, I eventually lowered myself to water level and kept to the shadows, finally unsheathing my dagger, just in case I stumbled into anyone.

Gulum-Ei disappeared and I had to hurry to follow him, drawing the attention of one guard. Not wanting to kill him, I waited in darkness until he passed by, slowly following the path where Gulum-Ei had disappeared. I wasn't surprised when I found another secret door, leading into some sort of cave, which I knew the East Empire Company probably knew little about.

Sheathing my dagger, I unsheathed my sword. The guards in the warehouse were likely employees, just doing their job, which is why I hesitated putting any of them down. I had a feeling the people in this cave were nothing but bandits or mercenaries. Whether they were in the employ of Gulum-Ei or someone else, I didn't know. But I had a feeling I wasn't going to be able to sneak all the way to wherever Gulum-Ei was now waiting.

My progress ahead was past a pair of guards. There was no chance of being able to sneak by them. But I wasn't going to be completely dishonourable and stab them in the back. So I grabbed their attention by throwing an iron ingot, that had been laying on a shelf nearby, at one of their heads. The mercenary I hit fell forward, splashing into the water and he didn't surface as the second turned and ran towards me. I waited until the last second before I swerved and thrust forward, my sword entering his body just under the ribs.

I strode forward, no longer worrying about having to sneak forward. I came across the mercenaries standing watch either alone or in pairs. Alone, I dealt with them rather easily, only constrained by the narrow path on which we fought. If in pairs, the narrow path helped as they could only attack me at once. I dumped their bodies in the water beside me as I walked forward.

I'd despatched more than half a dozen mercenaries before finally finding Gulum-Ei. He was in discussions with a trio of mercenaries as I rounded a pile of crates emblazoned with the East Empire logo. He looked my way and I swear he paled in colour. The mercenaries turned towards me, shouted a battle cry and charged towards me without a second thought. I killed two of them with relative ease but the big bastard dressed in armour and armed with a giant sword and shield cause a moment of circumspection.

"Stay where you are," I ordered Gulum-Ei, my eyes only for the mercenary.

"I'm going to send your body back to the Guild in pieces," the mercenary stated.

I sighed. "Why do you people insist on making threats you simply can't back up?"

I unsheathed my dagger and got to work. I had no idea who this mercenary was but he was a skilled swordsmith, anticipating many of my strokes. I'll admit I enjoyed the battle of wills and testing our wits against each other. Finding a grudging respect for my opponent, I thought I'd offer him a way out. "You don't have to die for all this, you know. You could just walk away."

He laughed. "You really think I'd be allowed to do that? You don't know the people I work for."

"Who do you work for?"

"Likely no-one you've heard of. But they'll kill me if I walked away."

He was a couple of paces away so I lowered my sword slightly. "But if you continue to fight me, I will kill you right now. I really don't care what you're doing here. I only want to talk to the Argonian."

The mercenary was silent, again judging if my words were sincere. "You're serious? I can just walk away."

"I'd rather you dropped your weapons before leaving, but yes, my fight is not with you. You're skilled with sword and shield. I'm sure you'll find other work."

He remained silent again for at least a minute before he nodded. "Very well. None of this is worth dying for anyway." With those words, he unhooked the shield from his arm and dumped it on the ground, laying his sword on top of it. He then spread his arms away from his body and walked past me, nodding his head in thanks as he did so. I watched him disappear around the pile of crates before turning my attention back towards Gulum-Ei.

Raising my sword at him, I gestured towards a seat next to the campfire. "Sit down," I demanded.

He didn't argue as he sat down immediately. "Now, there's no need to do anything rash. This isn't as bad as it seems. I was going to tell Mercer about everything, honestly! Please, he'll have me killed!"

"If you tell me everything I want to know; I'm not going to kill you. And, trust me on this one, I'm not here because I want to help Mercer."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to know who you've been helping, that is all. Whatever the issue is between yourself and Mercer, I honestly don't really care. That's for you and him to sort out."

He blinked rapidly as I knew he'd been confused by my words. "I'm surprised to hear you say that."

"Just tell me the name. That's all I want."

He nodded. "Very well. The name of the person you're interested in is Karliah."

"You say that name like I should know it. Who is she?"

The Argonian chuckled. "Mercer never told you? He really has sent you in here blind, hasn't he?"

"What are you trying to say? What has she done?"

"Karliah is the thief responsible for murdering the previous Guild Master, Gallus. Now she's after Mercer."

'What is going on this Guild? And just what have I landed in the middle of here?' "So why are you helping her?"

"I'm not helping her! Or, at least, I wasn't meaning to. What I'm trying to say is that I had no idea I was helping her until after she'd contacted me."

"I need to find whoever this Karliah is before Mercer does. Do you know where she is?"

"I have no idea where she is now. But when I asked her where she was going, she just muttered "where the end began"."

That meant nothing to me either. I met the Argonian in the eyes and it was clear he was near scared to death. I figured I could turn the screw even more but, in the end, it would be pointless. Thankfully, he wanted to live, and despite saying I wasn't going to kill him, I think he wasn't sure if I wasn't going to change my mind. He jerked backwards with his head. "There's a safe back there with the Goldenglow Estate deed inside. Take it as proof of everything I've told you."

Keeping an eye on Gulum-Ei in case he got any ideas of trying to run, I grabbed the deed, putting it inside one of my jacket pockets before I resumed my seat opposite him. "I'm willing to help you, Gulum-Ei. So I'll keep the deed as safekeeping and I'll keep quiet about this scam you've been hiding. The only suggestion I can make is perhaps sending a few more coins the Guild's way to keep them sweet." The Argonian nodded. "Did Karliah give you any details as to what she's up to? I mean, it does appear quite obvious with the purchase of Goldenglow and Honningbrew that she's after Maven and wants to hurt the Guild. But did she mention anything else to you?"

"She didn't really say anything. She just came across as determined, angry and, to be honest, rather bitter. And if she's been causing as much trouble as you say, she must have spent an incredible amount of time and resources putting all of this together."

"Anything else?" He shook his head. "Right, I'm going to need your help getting out of here."

"You left the guards outside alive?" I nodded. "Very well. Follow me. I'll escort you out."

We walked out of the warehouse together and part of the way back to Solitude. I stopped where the carriage was parked as the Argonian thanked me for letting him live. I warned him about turning his back on the Guild and told him to be careful in how he dealt with them going forward. I was tempted to tell him that the Guild may no longer exist in the future but stayed quiet about that. I already had in mind that the Argonian would soon find himself arrested because of what he'd done for the Guild before. He simply wished me good luck for whatever was to come next as I clambered onto the carriage and instructed the driver to take me back to Riften.

*****

The cistern was empty upon clambering down the ladder of the secret entrance, even Mercer had disappeared. I wandered into the Ragged Flagon and found a few people scattered across the tables, all of them looking up as I took a seat near Brynjolf.

"You look exhausted."

"I haven't slept in a couple of days."

"Did you get what Mercer wanted?"

"I did."

I was ready to explain everything but he held up a hand. "Don't tell me anything. Wait until Mercer is back."

"Where is he?"

"With Maven." He said only two words, albeit cryptically, but his face and eyes spoke volumes. I felt my jaw drop.

"Really?" I asked quietly, leaning forward as if conspiring with him.

He nodded. "Not everyone knows. I shouldn't really know but I… walked in on them once. Not like that, if that's what you're thinking, but there is no missing how close they are. It's one reason why Mercer is already obsessed with finding whoever is responsible for everything."

"How long has that been going on for?"

He shrugged. "Quite a while. Of course it was just a business arrangement at first but I'm not surprised it turned physical between the two of them. They're alike in many ways."

"I assume Maven isn't married?"

"Her husband passed many winters ago. It's the event that let her off the leash, so to speak."

"Can I ask a question and get an honest answer?"

"Depends on the question."

"What's your opinion of Maven?"

He smirked and near laughed before clearing his throat. "She's not a woman I would ever think of crossing. I'd keep that in the forefront of your mind, lad."

"I'm just wondering how she carries so much influence both legally with the Jarl but is also heavily involved in what happens here."

"Coin. It's as simple as that. Her family bathes in coin. She's not only the richest person in Riften, she's one of the richest people in Skyrim. And it's all thanks to that meadery of hers. Over half the city is involved in her operation in some way or other. Otherwise, it's her coin which keeps the merchants going."

"And Mercer? How did he end up in charge?"

"After Gallus died, the Guild almost fell apart as we split into numerous factions. Once the bloodletting was complete, Mercer was in charge and anyone who'd stood against him was either dead or gone. He's been undisputed leader since then. No-one dare challenge him."

"You sound afraid of him, Brynjolf."

"I am, a little bit. I'm not ashamed to admit it. You haven't known the man that long. I've known him for years. He does whatever it takes to get the job done but the ruthlessness he has shown at times… It doesn't always sit easily considering we're meant to be a Guild of thieves."

"Gulum-Ei considers us nothing but a gang of cut-throats."

"Sometimes he's not wrong, I guess. I know I've said we don't commit murder. And, most of the time, we don't. We're not the Dark Brotherhood. We're not mercenaries or bandits. This is, technically, supposed to be victimless crime. We pick pockets and break locks. What Gulum-Ei thinks is up to him but it's not how I want this Guild to be seen."

I would never feel any sympathy for any of the people I was currently working with. They were criminals. But, I'll admit, I did have to remind myself at times what they actually were. When sitting around the Flagon, enjoying a few tankards, I'll admit that it was quite easy to forget, not enough to drop my 'character' so to speak, but why they were criminals, they were people at the end of the day, with their own flaws and faults.

Mercer stormed into the Flagon sometime later, tapping me on the shoulder as he passed by and gesturing for me to follow. Figuring I didn't really want to earn his displeasure, again reminding myself not to show my hand now. Though the urge to simply use by Voice and bathe the man in flame was always in the back of my mind. 'Not now, Ragnar. Not now. There will be a time when all of them will be dealt with.'

"So what did the slimy bastard finally tell you?" he asked when in his usual position at his desk.

I was interested in the reaction I was about to receive. "He said Goldenglow was purchased by someone by the name of Karliah."

I've never seen someone's face drain of blood so fast in one moment, only to refill as anger took over the next. "It can't be," he whispered, "I haven't heard that name in decades!"

"Gulum-Ei said that she murdered the previous Guild Master."

"It's not just that. She 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."

"Okay, but why has she returned now if she's been gone so long?"

"That I can't answer. I thought she had disappeared, never to be seen again. I assume there is a reason why but I don't know her mind. Not anymore. Not after everything she's done."

"What's she like? Who exactly are we up against here?"

"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. If only we knew where she was."

"That I can help with. She told Gulum-Ei she would be 'where the end began'."

"Snow Veil Sanctum. That's the only place which makes sense. We have to get there as quickly as possible before she disappears again."

I'll admit, I was tired of being involved in all this though figured I would find out more if I went along. "Where is it?"

He pulled a map out of a desk drawer and unrolled it. "Here's Riften," he stated, pointing, "Snow Veil Sanctum is south-east of Winterhold. I'd suggest that you prepare yourself as Karliah will be unlike any opponent you've ever faced."

"I'll meet you there."

"Very well."

I had no idea who this Karliah actually was but I knew if I showed up with Mercer at my side, I'd find myself a target for her anger. I certainly wasn't going to enter this sanctum unarmed. I headed out of the Flagon by the Ratway and waited until sunset until heading home.

Serana wasn't surprised to see me but knew I was there for something, explaining that I needed my armour and weapons for another job, adding what the job actually entailed at the same time.

"Just what are you getting involved in, Ragnar?" she asked, barely able to hold her concern at bay.

"Something happened years ago. Mercer claims Karliah murdered his predecessor. I have no reason to disagree with him but…"

"You're not sure."

"Something about the man just rubs me the wrong way. Brynjolf is scared to the death of the man. Most of the others walk on eggshells around him."

"And you?"

"I don't want to show my hand yet. So I'm playing this carefully."

"When are you leaving?" I shrugged. "Can you stay the night?" I just returned a smile as she hooked her arms around my neck and kissed me. "I've missed you," she said quietly before kissing me again. "Are you sure you can't stay?"

I dropped everything on the ground and picked her up instead, earning a squeal of surprise as I carried her into the bedroom.

I didn't sleep much. Instead, after we'd made love for the first time in what felt like weeks, we lay back and talked about nothing in particular until she finally fell asleep. I then just lay back and watched her sleep for a while before I tried as quietly as possible to dress myself and grab my things. I kissed her lightly on the lips before departing, her eyes opening for a moment and she smiled.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I'll be back before you know it."

"You'd better be."

I kissed her again before I quietly slipped out into the darkness of Riften. My horse was stabled outside the city, figuring I was ride to Winterhold and tie it outside the inn before walking back in the direction of the sanctum.

It was a long ride as I put my horse through its paces. I made Shor's Stone before the sun had barely risen, turning right at the junction and heading north towards Windhelm. I then had to take a circuitous route around Windhelm, there being no direct route from Windhelm to Winterhold, something I'd found increasingly annoying with each journey towards the College from down south, but having maintained a good pace the entire day, I made it into Winterhold just before sunset.

I thought Mercer would have stopped in town before heading to the Sanctum the next morning, but there was no sign of him. I wasn't prepared to go traipsing around the frozen landscape in the dark so paid a few coin for a hot meal, a room and a few tankards of mead, finally getting some sleep after spending nearly two days awake.

I located the Sanctum the next day and Mercer was waiting for me, ready to go. "Is there any sign of her?" I asked upon approaching him.

"She had made camp though her chances of escaping have been taken care of. I want to catch her inside, though. It'll be a fitting end."

"Any chance of giving me the run-down of what all of this about? What happened here?"

"Twenty-five years ago, I was standing outside these very same ruins. Gallus told me to meet here but he wouldn't say why. When I arrived, Gallus stepped from the shadows. Before he uttered a sound, an arrow pierced his throat. Before I could even draw my blade, her second arrow found its mark in my chest."

"Hang on, are you saying Karliah took on both of you alone?"

"Karliah was a master marksman and her greatest weapon was the element of surprise. I was lucky as she only missed my heart by mere millimetres. I staggered away from the ruins and my vision began to blur. It's then that I realised the bitch had poisoned her arrows."

I heard the tone of his voice. It was more than hatred. He clearly had a burning desire for revenge. I wondered how far he was willing to go to exact it. "What of Gallus? Is he still inside?"

He nodded. "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 letting her escape, even if it had meant I died trying. I owed Gallus that much."

The words seemed sincere, but as I'd told Serana, something in the back of my mind still didn't sit right in all of this. I didn't know Karliah, I only had one side of the story but what was obvious is that she was a formidable opponent. 'But what about as an ally? Was she trying to bring down the Guild? Or was it only about Maven and Mercer?'

"Before I possibly stumble over this woman, what can you tell me about her?"

"She was a stubborn Dunmer. Always had to do everything 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."

I raised eyebrows at that admission. "Are you saying they were involved?" Like yourself and Maven.

"If you want to call it that, yes. Me? I think she was softening him for the kill. Gallus would call her his 'little nightingale'. He was absolutely smitten by her."

"Well, that makes no sense as why did she kill him then?"

"Greed? Jealousy? Spite? Who can say what drove her to such an iniquitous act. One thing's certain: I intend to find out before she draws her last breath. Whatever the case, I want her head on my mantle when all of this is done."

I followed Mercer into the Sanctum. I knew only one or two people would be walking out.