User:Moses/The Story of Sesom/Chapter 3

Chapter 3: To Cheydinhal and Back Again

As I stepped outside for the first time in ages, I smiled. I felt the sun on my skin, I had changed out of my prison attire, and I had eaten. These simple pleasures overwhelmed me for a minute, and all I could do was stand there and bask in their realization after so much time spent dreaming of them. It wasn't too long before I realized I had the Amulet of Kings, though. As Baurus and the emperor talked to me of my mission, it seemed so important, so dire. However, in the face of my newfound freedom, it seemed so insignificant. Besides, I'd dealt with enough assassins for the next couple of lifetimes. I kept the amulet, just in case, and headed out. By the sun, I was heading northeast. It seemed a good way to go, as guards in the west might recognize me.

After a short swim, I came across a camp outside of an Ayleid ruin, on an island not too far from where I exited the sewers. I attempted to talk to the people there, but they simply attacked. I was forced to kill them, but not without sustaining some injuries of my own. A potion I'd picked up in the sewers found had me feeling better in no time, and I looted the camp, hoping to find something that I could use on my travels. I picked up a map of Cyrodiil, with the major cities marked, as well as my current location: Vilverin. Now that I was more confident in my sense of direction, I continued eastward.

Soon, I found myself on an unmarked road running north to south. I decided to head south, unsure of what I was looking for. The answer soon came to me in the form of a thunderstorm. I was looking for shelter. I came to a ruined fort, which I later learned was called Urasek, and made my way inside, killing a goblin who tried to ambush me by the entrance. I explored the fort to pass time during the storm, killing a few rats and goblins in a fruitless search for useful items. I began to accumulate arrows, with intent to sell them next time I headed into a city.

By the time I left the fort, the rain was gone. I got back on the road and headed south, passing a legion soldier on horseback who didn't seem to notice me. Further down the road, I saw a horse, seemingly identical to his, with no rider. Checking to make sure no one was watching, I got on. I got off the roads, to keep out of the way of anymore patrolling soldiers, and headed northeast, towards Cheydinhal. When two bandits attacked me along the way, I knew there could be more lurking unseen, so I finished my opponents off as quickly as I could and fled the scene on my stolen horse. We made good time; the horse could run much faster than I. I took note of a few landmarks, stopping to circle them on my map. Once in Cheydinhal, I would find out more information about them. I dismounted of the city, making sure no one saw me approach. Hopefully the horse would stay put while I headed into the city, but if not, it had still served me well.

By the time I set foot inside Cheydinhal, it was 2AM. I used this to my advantage, and broke into a shop called The March Rider. There was little there worth stealing, but I made out with enough food and alchemical ingredients to keep my from starving for a while. I came across a beggar, and asked if she knew where I could spend the night without paying for it. She merely grinned. "I saw you coming out of The March Rider," she said smugly. "But no one else did! You're not bad, I bet the Gray Fox could use a thief like you."

I'd never heard of a Gray Fox, and thus tilted my head in a gesture of ignorance. "Who's the Gray Fox?" I asked, "and why are you telling me this?"

"The Gray Fox is the most legendary thief in Cyrodiil! He leads the Thieves Guild! He stole from the Daedra lord Nocturnal herself! Of course, the watch says he's just a myth, but..." She paused. "That's all I really can say.. unless you have some coin to spare, of course. I can say anything you want me to say for enough coin." She looked into my eyes and smiled in a thoroughly disturbing fashion.

""Please," I said, reaching in my pockets and handing her some gold. "Just the information about the Thieves Guild and this Gray Fox."

She looked disappointed. "Oh, alright," she pouted. "Go to the waterfront in the Imperial City. There's a place called the Garden of Dereloth. Be there at midnight, and someone will tell you everything. There's far more money to be made in the guild than freelancing. You won't regret aligning yourself with the Gray Fox."

I thanked her, and thought to myself that starting a freelance career from nothing again was too much work to handle. I headed out of the city again, without wasting time to sleep. Luckily, my horse hadn't moved from where I left him. I pushed the horse hard and stuck to the roads. I wanted to get away from the scene of my crime as fast as I could. The ride back was largely uneventful, minus the fear which came from passing a mounted patrolman. Unsure if horses could swim, I took a detour around the Imperial City. I had time to kill before midnight anyway. I left my horse outside a place called the Wawnet Inn, and went inside, hoping to find something to pass the time. What I found there would change quite a few things.

Prev: Chapter 2: Petty Thief

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Next: Chapter 4: A Surprise at Wawnet