“That looks like a fine horse you’ve got there,” the young Khajiit on her left said, taking a step closer to he, with his fingers on the hilt of his curved sword.
A glance to her right told her other two bandits were a pair of green-scaled Argonians. They hissed at her menacingly, brandishing swords.
“I- I don’t want any trouble, sirs,” she said, letting a quiver creep its way into her voice. “I- I’m not carrying anything worth stealing.” Her eyes went to her baskets, and the eyes of all the bandits followed hers.
The young Khajiit lowered his sword to step towards the horse, and Fi made her move. She drew the iron dagger at her belt and lunged at him, swinging the blade clumsily at his back. The strike merely scraped the leather of his armor, but the force of their collision knocked both of them to the ground, her on top of him. The dagger was knocked from her hand.
It only took a moment for the Khajiit bandit to flip her over and put his own blade to her neck. Fi went limp, giving up her frantic scramble for her dagger.
“Look at what we’ve got here!” a raspy voice hissed.
“What is it?” the Khajiit asked, not stupid enough to take his eyes off Fi for the second time.
“I think our young friend is a bit more than she pretends to be,” the Nord bandit crowed. Craning her neck, Fi could see the bandits had cut down the baskets of apples and tomatoes from the old plowhorse, letting the produce scatter on the roads. They were now pawing through the linen-wrapped bundles that had been hidden underneath.
The afternoon sun caught the gleam of gold as the Nord lifted a tangle of necklaces and bracelets to the light. One of the Argonians exclaimed as he unwrapped a silver circlet, and the next admired a handful of large soul gems.
The Nord laughed. “Teach us not to take a woman at face value, eh?” he motioned to the Khajiit, who stood and hauled Fi to her feet, keeping an arm around her neck. She struggled half-heartedly, all for show.
“I think we’ve caught ourselves a thief,” the smaller of the two Argonians rasped.
The Khajiit laughed and prodded her shoulder with his free paw. “Of course. Did you think a mere farmgirl could have gotten a jump on Dar’med?”
The Nord laughed. “A stray dog could get a jump on you,” he said, sheathing his sword and steeping closer to Fi. “It’s certainly no proof of skill.” He examined the jewelry he held and then peered at Fi. “This haul, however…” His expression tightened. “Are you Thieves’ Guild, girl?” he barked.
The Khajiit’s paws immediately loosened on her. The Thieves’ Guild was not what it had been in the height of its glory, according to Delvin, but it was something to inspire fear once again. Even these bandits knew of it.
“Wh-What?” Fi stuttered. “I- I mean… I…”
The Nord’s wariness fell away in an instant. “Good,” he said. Dar’med’s claws tightened on her shoulders again. “No one but the guild misses a thief…” he laughed, tucking the jewelry into a pouch at his belt.
Bounty [3.2/?]
A glance to her right told her other two bandits were a pair of green-scaled Argonians. They hissed at her menacingly, brandishing swords.
“I- I don’t want any trouble, sirs,” she said, letting a quiver creep its way into her voice. “I- I’m not carrying anything worth stealing.” Her eyes went to her baskets, and the eyes of all the bandits followed hers.
The young Khajiit lowered his sword to step towards the horse, and Fi made her move. She drew the iron dagger at her belt and lunged at him, swinging the blade clumsily at his back. The strike merely scraped the leather of his armor, but the force of their collision knocked both of them to the ground, her on top of him. The dagger was knocked from her hand.
It only took a moment for the Khajiit bandit to flip her over and put his own blade to her neck. Fi went limp, giving up her frantic scramble for her dagger.
“Look at what we’ve got here!” a raspy voice hissed.
“What is it?” the Khajiit asked, not stupid enough to take his eyes off Fi for the second time.
“I think our young friend is a bit more than she pretends to be,” the Nord bandit crowed. Craning her neck, Fi could see the bandits had cut down the baskets of apples and tomatoes from the old plowhorse, letting the produce scatter on the roads. They were now pawing through the linen-wrapped bundles that had been hidden underneath.
The afternoon sun caught the gleam of gold as the Nord lifted a tangle of necklaces and bracelets to the light. One of the Argonians exclaimed as he unwrapped a silver circlet, and the next admired a handful of large soul gems.
The Nord laughed. “Teach us not to take a woman at face value, eh?” he motioned to the Khajiit, who stood and hauled Fi to her feet, keeping an arm around her neck. She struggled half-heartedly, all for show.
“I think we’ve caught ourselves a thief,” the smaller of the two Argonians rasped.
The Khajiit laughed and prodded her shoulder with his free paw. “Of course. Did you think a mere farmgirl could have gotten a jump on Dar’med?”
The Nord laughed. “A stray dog could get a jump on you,” he said, sheathing his sword and steeping closer to Fi. “It’s certainly no proof of skill.” He examined the jewelry he held and then peered at Fi. “This haul, however…” His expression tightened. “Are you Thieves’ Guild, girl?” he barked.
The Khajiit’s paws immediately loosened on her. The Thieves’ Guild was not what it had been in the height of its glory, according to Delvin, but it was something to inspire fear once again. Even these bandits knew of it.
“Wh-What?” Fi stuttered. “I- I mean… I…”
The Nord’s wariness fell away in an instant. “Good,” he said. Dar’med’s claws tightened on her shoulders again. “No one but the guild misses a thief…” he laughed, tucking the jewelry into a pouch at his belt.