Minx Re-appears

The sisters may have been able to sleep alone, now, but that didn't mean they wanted to. And they still preferred to do things together. "I need to look after her, and she looks after me." Angeline told him.

Diablita put it slightly differently. "Nobody's allowed to harm my sister but me."

So that meant they either went off adventuring together, and he had nobody sharing his bed, or else they were both back, and he had as much as he could handle. And they'd got to know their way around without taking him as a guide, so he wasn't feeling very useful here in Chorrol, except in the evenings. That was nice, but he wanted to be part of the rest of their days, too. Maybe they needed some time on their own, so that they'd start to miss him.

He needed to get back to the Imperial City, or maybe Bruma. Anvil could wait until the month was up, and he really didn't have anything lined up in the other cities. He also should find himself another job as cover. "Adventurer" had appealed once, until he found out what it entailed. He'd leave that to the sisters, who seemed to be enjoying it.

Perhaps he should write a book. Casta Scribonia managed to make a living from it, as did Quill-Weave , her friend in Anvil. He'd want to write a novel, not guide books like Alessia Ottus wrote. He was sure most of the copies of those were bought by people who didn't read them, like inn-keepers who just wanted to put them on the shelves for their guests. He'd read one once, and didn't intend doing that again.

The Bear Riders would make a good basis for a story. They were glamorous, and adventurous, and dedicated. Not only that, but they wanted the publicity to help with recruiting. That was what Gudrun's job was all about, looking good and acting as a role-model.

He'd heard that the Champion of Cyrodiil had known most of them. And that he'd had a hand in getting the Lodge built. That angle was always good for an author. Famous names help sell copies, just as they did for the Black Horse Courier.

He'd need supplies, like notebooks, quills and ink. He'd be able to get those in the Market District in the Imperial City. He headed back to his shack there to make a shopping list.

A light knock at his door made him wonder if Carwen had come to visit again. But when he opened the door, it wasn't a Bosmer standing there, it was a Dunmer, Minx!

"Remember me?" she asked.

He remembered her, but he'd have a little fun before he'd admit it. "Perhaps. What were you wearing when we met?" he asked her.

"I'll show you," she replied, pushing him back into the shack and lifting up her skirt.

Minx had gone back to Leyawiin with the other gang members, Lynch and Wrath, when they got let out of jail at the end of their short sentence. Without Selene's leadership, they weren't much use as a gang, and they'd split up to make their fortunes separately. Minx had met an Altmer that liked the idea of tying her up, and she thought he'd be her meal ticket for a while. But he turned out to be a sadist that left her strapped to the bed for hours, and did nothing she considered fun. "I guess he cured me of that," she said ruefully.

She'd come back to the Waterfront to look for work, and one of the beggars had recognised her. She was directed to this shack, although they wouldn't say why. "I don't think they trust me all that much," she admitted. It turned out that she wasn't a member of the Thieves Guild. The Blackwater Gang had all been freelancers. She'd like to join the Guild, but she didn't know where to start. He didn't either, but Carwen would.

They put some clothes on, and went along the street to the "Bosmer shack", as he thought of it. Carwen remembered Minx from that night at the Bloated Float and welcomed her as an old friend. Even if they had only met once, that was an occasion to remember! Yes, it would be possible for Minx to join the Guild, but she'd have to prove herself first. "Go see Armand Cristophe in the garden at midnight," she told Minx. "He'll give you an initiation test - in thieving. He already knows what else you do!" Minx remembered Armand, and blushed.

They went together, even though the reporter had no intention of joing the Thieves Guild himself. He wanted to let them know he wasn't a informer. He may have been a spy, but he wouldn't report on his friends.

Armand knew his face, and probably remembered a lot more of Minx, judging by the big grin he gave her. He had another hopeful waiting to be tested for admission, an Argonian named Amusei. "Since I've got three candidates, I'll make it a contest," he began. The reporter pointed out that he wasn't here to join, but Armand continued anyway. "The first one to bring me the diary of Amantius Allectus will become a member of the Guild," he announced. "You may not kill anyone on this mission, we're not the Dark Brotherhood, after all. And if you don't want to join, just don't bring me the diary."

Minx and Amusei didn't know their way around the city very well, which was one of the reasons this test had been set. They'd get to learn a bit about the local geography, as well as having their burglary skills tested. The reporter had lived in the city a long time, so he knew exactly where to go.

Once Amusei had headed off towards the Elven Gardens, the reporter led Minx to the Temple District and the Allectus house. He waited outside and kept watch, while she picked the lock on the door and fetched the diary. Then they went back to Armand and Minx handed it over. "OK, you're now officially a thief, with the rank of Pickpocket" he told her. "Amusei will have to try another task when he gets back, if he hasn't got himself completely lost."

He addressed the reporter. "And you're not a thief, but we will treat you as one of our own. I suppose that's what you wanted to hear?" Armand had the right idea. That's why he was the doyen, he was smarter than your average thief.

He turned back to Minx and gave her the induction speech, with all the rules of the Guild. He made sure the reporter overheard them, and understood them too. Minx kissed them both, and took the reporter's arm to go back to his shack.

He steered her towards the Bosmer shack instead. He wanted to ask Carwen to take Minx under her wing, and show her the ropes as a rookie thief. He didn't have that kind of training, and didn't know where to get it, but even he could see that Minx could use a bit of extra skill. Perhaps Carwen would know a Sneak or Security trainer.

Carwen insisted that Minx stay with her, and she could teach her a few things before Mandil or Othrelos took over. There was plenty of room in the shack without Adanrel and Methredhel. Minx wanted to know where they'd gone. Carwen told her about their steady boyfriends in the city. "They come back from time to time, but not together, so there's always a bed free."

When she said "bed" they both looked at the reporter. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Carwen asked Minx. Minx nodded her head, and flashed a wicked grin.

"Aren't you going to untie me?" he asked.

"Do you think he could manage one more time?" Minx asked Carwen.

"He might, but I don't think I could," she replied. "Let him loose if you're finished, I'm hitting my pillow anyway." Minx untied him, but went back with him to sleep in his shack.

He didn't see Minx for about a week after that. When she turned up again, she told him she'd been busy raising her status with the Guild by stealing things and fencing them, and then Armand had asked her to get the Waterfront's taxes back from Heironymus Lex's quarters in the South Watchtower. "I guess I was supposed to sneak in and steal them without being seen," she said, "but I got spotted going up the first ladder. Fortunately, the nice legionary who looked up and saw me noticed I wasn't wearing any panties. You can imagine how I paid the fine. I went up and stole the taxes back when he fell asleep."

"Then they wanted me to steal the bust of Lysatha Indarys from Cheydinhal. That took some real sneaking, but there was only the one guard, so it wasn't too difficult for me. It turned out that it was really all a plot to frame that Myrvyna Arano for the theft. She was spying on the Guild for Lex!"

The reporter was a bit alarmed at that. Myrvyna could have been reporting on him to the Thalmor, too. No, he was beginning to think like Lathenil. He had to stop that!

Minx couldn't stay. She had to go down to Leyawiin and see someone called Ahdarji. Another job for the Guild. He was glad to see her applying herself to something, even if it wasn't him.

He needed to apply himself to his book, soon. And the first thing was research. Bruma it was then. He could stay at Olav's, if he was on his own. That would let him finally get to see Uzgash perform.