Jot it down

Elsewhere :

Shakeesh scowls as he heads to the meetup location he and Jotdarra had previously agreed to, wondering if the annoying Khajiit had actually managed to escape that crazy kid. Yes, he was referring to the person he ran away from as a kid, his pride would not let him do otherwise...

Unfortunately, it isn't Jotdarra that he meets once there, instead it's their unfamiliar familiar colleague known as Dol. The Nord that'd also escaped the kid's wrath, inadvertently leaving Jotdarra on his own... Not that Shakeesh could say a word on that particular matter.

"Where's the Khajiit?" Shakeesh grouses, stomping over to the Nord with a scowl.

Dol shakes his head, "He has been arrested and is rotting in the Falkreath jails. Fortunately, we have a few 'sympathetic' men on the inside, so his treatment will not be terrible." he says, barely holding back his grin from Shakeesh, as if he knew something the Redguard didn't.

Shakeesh folds his arms together, wondering what he'd do now... Jotdarra hadn't yet paid him for his work, so he was hesitant to leave without getting compensation. "What now?"

Dol smirks, "This is one thing all new bloods learn. It's good to know people in low places... Isn't that right, Darra?" he says, confusing Shakeesh.

"It is right, small donations can create nations, this one thinks. A bribe here, a bribe there, it makes a great difference... Every man has his price." the Khajiit states semi-sarcastically as he walks out from Oblivion-knows where and stands amongst them, freshly freed from prison. His arm was splinted and he did walk with a limp however, showing that Michael had not left him unscathed.

"B-but... Surely the guards wouldn't fold so easily? Would they not know to be careful with you? The Thieves Guild has a reputation after all." he asks.

Dol nods "They do usually try. But with enough information anything's possible... I slipped a note containing the name, age, address, friends, and hobbies of one of the guard's daughters, he caught on quickly."

Shakeesh frowns, not liking such disgraceful tactics being used in his presence, but he could stifle his discomfort for now... "You two may be fine, but I'll become a criminal if the boy decides to alert them to my presence."

Jotdarra shakes his head, "There is no proof, the boy did not reveal you knowing this."

Dol shrugs, "Regardless, the fence is fucked now. We'll have to set up somewhere else, but I for one don't want to have any part in it. This place is boring, little to nothing happening... I'll be headed back to Riften, you two can come if you like." he says while pulling a backpack from his shoulders and rearranging things, making sure he had enough supplies on him to make it to the next village.

"Will you not do anything to the boy for his actions? I knew you were thieves, but I didn't take you for cowards." Shakeesh states with a look of contempt.

Dol chuckles, "No, that kid's pissed me off, but we are thieves, not one of your warriors back in Hammerfell... We specialize in not only information gathering, but distribution as well. We'll put in a nice word for that boy, Michael. Make it known he possesses incredibly rare coins, jewellery, magic artifacts... Maybe even some rumours of his scandalous relationship with vampires." he snorts in amusement, "We'll see what I can be bothered to do at least. You'd be surprised with what people'll believe if you tell it to them enough."

Shakeesh looks down with a frown, "Khajiit, do you have my payment?"

"No, this one had to spend it to convince his captors. If you want gold, you will have to come to Riften." Jotdarra explains, causing Shakeesh's brows to furrow.

"It's not like I have any other choice. I cannot stay in Falkreath, and I wouldn't make it to the next village without freezing, let alone Whiterun... I'll come, but only for my reward." he says, deciding to go with them, get his pay, and immediately head to Whiterun to join the companions.

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Two more days pass for Michael and the girls with not much else happening. Charlotte continues her attempts to learn the Tamrielic. Honestly, she was most focussed on learning to read it than anything else, her interest in this world's books getting peaked when he'd read a book called 'The Dragon War' to her, which detailed the relationship between ancient men and the mythical dragons, the latter of which most believed to only be a myth... At least for now.

Illococoo was quickly mastering the language however, her work as a waitress was only improving it further as she makes small talk with the locals and practises actually speaking it. Michael reckoned that she'd be fully proficient with it in a month, if not weeks.

Michael had taken up one other job from the Jarl during this, investigating reports of a corrupt tax collector who'd been taking advantage of nearby villages. It was a quick and easy job, especially since he'd caught them attempting to molest a village Elder's daughter while using Jarl Dengeir's name to intimidate them. He cut the man's foot off and left him for the villagers to deal with, afterwards reporting the events to the Jarl. It may not have been 'proper procedure', but Jarl Dengeir granted a good amount of freedom with how he completed the tasks.

The man had actually laughed and praised Michael for his actions concerning the tax collector, noting that he only actually collected taxes because the empire demanded it. He thought giving the criminal to the villagers to deal with was better than any compensation he could've provided... Plus, this way he wouldn't have to pay them or intervene to soothe their tempers.

Honestly, Michael was surprised with how well he was getting on with Dengeir. His hatred for all those with authority and who held nobility could not be understated, but Dengeir was a more hands-off and 'live and let live' leader than any Michael had met before. Apparently, that was how most Nord Jarl's were, something he appreciated greatly.

The Jarl's friendliness could also be attributed to his contribution to Falkreath. Retrieving Lohir's body was one thing, but directly or indirectly ridding Falkreath of a Thieves Guild outpost had the paranoid Jarl almost throwing a celebration in Michael's honour.