A Thieve's Life (Jin's Saga)

The New Brotherhood

Author's Note: Just to recap on the last chapter. Joseph is alive. Jin, Alen, and Elesis is captured, and worst of all will someone pay the price for Jin's descisions...

Chapter 11

Elesis went without a fuss, with only a lingering, trusting look at me before she was lead away, but Alen wasn't happy about it.

"Why didn't you choose me?" He fumed, looking from Joseph to me angrily.

"Will you let him go?" I asked Joseph, and he laughed softly.

"I always keep my word Jin," He said, and then turned to Alen.

"The reason I didn't choose you is simple; clearly you are no more than a friend to him, but the Woodelf? I'm not so sure," Joseph said thoughtfully.

"That's not true!" I told them frostily.

"Aye, of course it's not," Joseph said patronizingly, and I scowled.

"Come on, Stormcloak, let's set you free," He winked, and shoved him toward the door.

Alen turned slowly, and Joseph pushed him through the door. Not trusting him, I followed them back through the corridors to make sure he kept his word. We entered the first room, and I saw why it was so noisy.

It was a huge room filled with tables and stools, all arranged haphazardly. Hundreds of people, all similarly dressed in fur, sat around, drinking something out of tankards and acting boisterously.

"These are your infamous Pirates?" I asked doubtfully as I watched a man brawl with an Argonian.

"They're better at killing then they are stealing," He admitted as the Argonian drew a dagger and began slashing at the man in whirlwind of scales and steel.

"Be quiet!" Joseph yelled, and immediately the room fell silent.

All faces turned to us, apart from a drunken Khajiit, who laughed and stumbled forward.

"You can't tell me what to do," He jeered at Joseph, who looked at him coldly. The bandits looked at one another nervously. Clearly they were all frightened of him.

"Who are you? Joseph asked in a coldly polite voice. Evidently not all new recruits got the same special treatment as I did.

"Tesh," He replied, gasping for air as he choked down some more alcohol.

"Do you know who I am, Tesh?"

"No, and I don't care!" He shot back, giggling.

Big mistake.

Immediately, the tension in the room shot through the roof as Joseph grinned coldly.

"You will soon," He promised, drawing out his dwarven sword, and grabbing the Khajiit with his free hand.

I closed my eyes and recoiled as the sounds of tortured feline screams filled the air along with the slashes of a quick blade flying through the air. I felt something hot and wet splash onto my face and armor. In a few seconds, there was silence once more.

"Don't open your eyes," Alen advised weakly, and I obeyed.

"Anyone need a new rug?" Joseph asked casually, and someone laughed.

"Come," Joseph said, and I felt him gently hold my arm and pulled me forward blindly. Alen walked in front of us, and soon we were out into the crisp outside.

I opened my eyes, and saw that the floor was indeed littered with bones and blood. I wrinkled my nose.

"You really need to employ a cleaner," I murmured dryly.