Her instincts screamed he was on the verge of ordering her killed. “Wait!” she cried, reaching out a hand.
“What?” the Nord said.
“I… it’s true, I’m… I’m no… no Guild thief,” she said, letting her voice strengthen. “But I’m not useless! I stole that loot from right under the Jarl’s nose, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! I’d slit his throat!”
The Nord smiled thinly. “That’s well and good for you, miss, but we’re no Thieves’ Guild. We take what we want by force, not trickery. We’ve no use for sneakthieves.”
Dar’med’s attention was on the exchange, and his grip on her had relaxed again. Fi smashed her elbow against his stomach, and then ducked out of his grip, snatching up her dagger from where it had fallen. In an instant the three bandits still on their feet had surrounded her, but they didn’t move to attack.
The Nord laughed. “A fine show, but you’re still outnumbered.” Behind him, Dar’med groaned. “Stand up,” the Nord snapped, and the Khajiit climbed reluctantly to his feet and took his place by the Nord.
The dagger dropped from Fi’s fingers, and she lifted her empty hands, palms-out. “I merely wanted to demonstrate my skills,” she said. “If you’re the bandits that nearly killed the Jarl’s brother- well, then, I bear you nothing but goodwill.” She smiled tremulously. “The aftermath of your exploits gave me all distraction I needed to rob Dragonsreach blind. You’re welcome to a substantial share of my loot.”
“A substantial share,” the taller Argonian jeered. “Coming from an unarmed, outnumbered little sack of flesh, that’s quite a generous offer.”
“Kill her,” rasped the second Argonian.
The Nord’s smile widened. “Sorry, girl, but you’d just be hassle.” He took a step closer to her, lifting his sword to her neck. Two clever by half, she thought as the cool metal was pressed against her throat. Gods, they always said I was too clever by half. A stupid plan ruined by a lazy Nord.
“Wait,” a voice said, just as the bandit’s sword pressed against the left side of her throat.
A paw reached out to stay the Nord’s sword, and Fi and the bandit turned to see Dar’med easing himself between her and the blade. “Don’t be a fool, Bjalfi. Eyja will have our pelts if we kill this one”
Bjalfi’s lips twisted in disgust, and he shoved Dar’med away. “Have you gone soft all of a sudden? Eager take in strays?” he laughed. “Is this how cats court? Did you mistake her attacks for advances?” He lifted Fi’s skirt with the tip of his blade. “If your taste runs scrawny and Redguard, have at her. I’ll cut her throat first, so she won’t overpower you. She’ll be warm long enough for one good fuck.”
Dar’med’s face twisted in revulsion. “Dar’med can count past five, unlike you,” he snarled. “And Dar’med knows that our forces are nearly halved by those guards.” He gestured at Fi. “Dar’med also knows Eyja would slit your throat if she got word you’d killed a willing recruit.”
“We aren’t running a damn Guild,” one of the Argonians growled, but the other one, the smaller of the two, stepped forward to stand beside Dar’med.
“Dar’med’s right,” he said. “Our numbers are half what they were. Another set of hands means less work for us.”
Bjalfi stared at Fi for a moment, then shook his head and slid his sword back into its sheathe. “Very well,” he growled, turned and stalking back towards the fort. “Grab the horse, Stares-at-the-Sun.” The smaller Argonian caught the old plowhorse’s leadrope.
Throughout the ordeal the beast had stood and watched placidly, and now he followed his new masters without a whicker. Fi was made to walk along behind, the point of Dar’med’s sword pressed up against her back.
Bounty [3.3/?]
“What?” the Nord said.
“I… it’s true, I’m… I’m no… no Guild thief,” she said, letting her voice strengthen. “But I’m not useless! I stole that loot from right under the Jarl’s nose, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! I’d slit his throat!”
The Nord smiled thinly. “That’s well and good for you, miss, but we’re no Thieves’ Guild. We take what we want by force, not trickery. We’ve no use for sneakthieves.”
Dar’med’s attention was on the exchange, and his grip on her had relaxed again. Fi smashed her elbow against his stomach, and then ducked out of his grip, snatching up her dagger from where it had fallen. In an instant the three bandits still on their feet had surrounded her, but they didn’t move to attack.
The Nord laughed. “A fine show, but you’re still outnumbered.” Behind him, Dar’med groaned. “Stand up,” the Nord snapped, and the Khajiit climbed reluctantly to his feet and took his place by the Nord.
The dagger dropped from Fi’s fingers, and she lifted her empty hands, palms-out. “I merely wanted to demonstrate my skills,” she said. “If you’re the bandits that nearly killed the Jarl’s brother- well, then, I bear you nothing but goodwill.” She smiled tremulously. “The aftermath of your exploits gave me all distraction I needed to rob Dragonsreach blind. You’re welcome to a substantial share of my loot.”
“A substantial share,” the taller Argonian jeered. “Coming from an unarmed, outnumbered little sack of flesh, that’s quite a generous offer.”
“Kill her,” rasped the second Argonian.
The Nord’s smile widened. “Sorry, girl, but you’d just be hassle.” He took a step closer to her, lifting his sword to her neck.
Two clever by half, she thought as the cool metal was pressed against her throat. Gods, they always said I was too clever by half. A stupid plan ruined by a lazy Nord.
“Wait,” a voice said, just as the bandit’s sword pressed against the left side of her throat.
A paw reached out to stay the Nord’s sword, and Fi and the bandit turned to see Dar’med easing himself between her and the blade. “Don’t be a fool, Bjalfi. Eyja will have our pelts if we kill this one”
Bjalfi’s lips twisted in disgust, and he shoved Dar’med away. “Have you gone soft all of a sudden? Eager take in strays?” he laughed. “Is this how cats court? Did you mistake her attacks for advances?” He lifted Fi’s skirt with the tip of his blade. “If your taste runs scrawny and Redguard, have at her. I’ll cut her throat first, so she won’t overpower you. She’ll be warm long enough for one good fuck.”
Dar’med’s face twisted in revulsion. “Dar’med can count past five, unlike you,” he snarled. “And Dar’med knows that our forces are nearly halved by those guards.” He gestured at Fi. “Dar’med also knows Eyja would slit your throat if she got word you’d killed a willing recruit.”
“We aren’t running a damn Guild,” one of the Argonians growled, but the other one, the smaller of the two, stepped forward to stand beside Dar’med.
“Dar’med’s right,” he said. “Our numbers are half what they were. Another set of hands means less work for us.”
Bjalfi stared at Fi for a moment, then shook his head and slid his sword back into its sheathe. “Very well,” he growled, turned and stalking back towards the fort. “Grab the horse, Stares-at-the-Sun.”
The smaller Argonian caught the old plowhorse’s leadrope.
Throughout the ordeal the beast had stood and watched placidly, and now he followed his new masters without a whicker. Fi was made to walk along behind, the point of Dar’med’s sword pressed up against her back.