A Thieve's Life (Jin's Saga)

Wedding Plans

Author's Note: I apologized for the late updates because of school projects and studying for the final exams... its frustrating really. But here is the rest of the story and hopefully you leave a comment so I could have any ideas later on. Thx and as always enjoy! :D

Chapter 13

Getting to the cells was easy - no one acknowledged me, and the guard at the door grunted and let me through.

Elesis was sitting on the hard wooden bed inside her tiny cell. The bed took up most of the room, and there was a bucket in the far corner - no guesses for what that was for. When she saw me she leaps up and rushed to the door, clutching the bars.

"Jin. You're OK."

"I'm fine," I said dismissively, coming closer, "How are you?"

"At the moment? I'm alright ... but I really need to use ... and the bucket isn't working for me," Elesis said with red in her cheeks.

"Wait ... what do you mean? Bucket."

"Jin I have to go and use it," Elesis said looking as embarrassed as ever.

"Oh ... you can use now ... I'll just turn around and cover my ears,"

After five minutes of awkwardness I tried to think if it was safe to turn around, I wasn't taking any chances. A few minutes later I felt a tap in my shoulder.

"Jin, can get me out of here,"

"I - I can't get you out Elesis. I'm sorry. If I try and free you then Joseph will hunt us both down. You'll just need to bear with me for a while," I said apologetically, watching her with concern.

"I trust you," She said seriously, and I smiled slightly.

"Good. That makes things easier."

 "But I don't understand what you're trying to accomplish here. Are you going to stab Joseph in the back? Or were you being serious about being part of this ... guild?"

I crossed my arms, a well-known sign of my annoyance.

"Of course I wasn't being serious," I lied for her benefit, and relief crossed her face.

"Oh. You had me worried there."

"I just need to gain the guild's trust before I act against them. That'll take a while."

"I can wait for you," Elesis said simply.

I sighed and leaned against her door.

"I can't believe everything went so wrong. How many people died and how many more? And what happened to my dog?" My eyes filled with worry, wondering if he is safe.

"I'm sure Dom's fine. He's a war-dog after all," Elesis said comfortingly.

"Maybe if I had got to the Tower quicker-"

"There was nothing you could have done to stop the bandits from killing the soldiers," She said, so bluntly that I believed her.

We talked for a while longer before I had to leave her, and I slept fitfully.

When I woke up at dawn the next morning. It was due to someone's heavy fist pounding on my door. If they had known me well, they'd know never to wake me up early.

Growling, I leap up off my bed and pulled the door open so violently that I was surprised the old door didn't fall off its hinges.

"What?"

It was Gudlin, and he grinned at my anger. I noticed his eyes look me up and down.

"The Chief wants to you to come up to his room as soon as possible."

"Fine."

I slammed the door in her face feeling the sudden need bathe.

I put my armor back on from the day before, and I had washed off most of the blood. I threaded lightly as I passed the other rooms, not wishing to wake anyone up. At least I had some manners. It pained me to think that I was the only close friend to Joseph than anyone else is.

I tapped on Joseph's door before opening it. He was sat at a table, and he gestured to the seat opposite him. With reluctance, I sat down, still not sure whether to trust him. Skyrim was an unforgiving place, and trust was very head to come by.

"Good morrow Jin. I hope you slept well?"

"I've slept in worse places," I said truthfully, thinking back to Riverwood, and Joseph smiled.

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"Because the Dragonborn goes where the wind takes him?"

"You mean where the action takes him."

I flashed a grin and settled back. This reminds me of when Joseph was the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild. Although cold and distant, and sometimes down-right rude, he had never failed to rival my sarcasm, which had made me like him. Well, before he tried to kill me anyway.

"Same difference," I said flippantly.

He shuffled some papers on his desk, and then looked up at me seriously.

Here we go.

"I think that our next move should be to strike at the heart of the Guild, meaning its members. Any ideas how we could do this?"

I pondered several different possibilities, and then a small smile crept across my face as I thought of something. It was an evil and horrible idea, but the thought of revenge was too sweet. The nice, caring, forgiving Dragonborn was long gone, and replaced with a cold, killing, merciless Dovahkiin.

"What are you thinking?" Joseph asked me with a gleam in her eyes.

I was just thinking about Ruby's wedding. It'll be this Sundas, at midday. The entire Guild will be there."

Joseph, looking slightly taken aback by new found wickedness, and then suddenly grinned.

"Excellent. I knew you wouldn't let us down Jin. I wonder what would happen if the bride was killed, right in front of them at her own wedding."

I felt a tiny pang, but my darker side dismissed it. This was for the greater good ... sort of.

"So who's Ruby marrying?" Joseph asked absently as he scribbled some notes down on a piece of parchment, no doubt conjuring up a plan.

"Riften's Jarl."

Joseph's quill stopped, and he looked up at me with his mouth practically hanging open, completely gob smacked. I smiled bitterly.

"Yeah, I had that reaction too."

"Ruby ... and the Jarl?"

"Yes."

"By the Gods."

"I know."

He shook his head, smiling slightly.

"That witch. I can't believe she’s doing this."

"I don't think anyone expected that I grinned, laughing.

"I know I didn't."

We were silent once more as Joseph continued his writing.

"Who are we going to kill then?" I grinned, laughing.

"Ruby and ... hmm," Joseph frowned, trying to decide.

"How about Rin?"I asked, unable to help the eagerness that crept into my voice.

"No, not yet. I have something special planned for her," He smiled impishly, and I shrugged.

"Fine, who then?"

"Ron."