Chapter 38 - Spies!
[A/N: 1st Person POV]
I went down to eat breakfast, I somewhat felt some presences downstairs so I could already guess that some people woke up!
Judging by habit, Wulfur and Svidi would wake up before me. Back in the orphanage, our sleeping schedule was made by Nurina and no one could break it, so it became a habit.
Wulfur was eating breakfast alone, I joined him and ordered something.
"I went to your room for some hangover remedy." He said.
Dammit now!
"I think I was still drunk and I saw things that shouldn't be there." He continued.
Let's ignore that guy.
"You just can't keep it inside your pants can you?" He was still speaking.
"Fine, here, a hangover remedy." I gave him all the potion left.
"Now I forgot everything this morning, everything is hazy." He said.
When did this guy become so shameless?
Eating together for a while, the rest came walking like zombies and holding their heads from last night's rave, you guys deserve it.
"A courier for Jon Dare." I could hear someone calling. Strange! this is my first time receiving a courier.
I went to the voice direction at the entrance of the inn to see who called, a person stood there and appeared to be a courier.
Couriers are people who deliver messages to other people, in Skyrim there is a -post office-like- system that works under every jarl, people hire them for communication purposes and sending messages around all holds, couriers also appeared in the game on many occasions.
"I am Jon." I said as I faced the young man.
"Oh! I have been looking for. Got something I am supposed to deliver. Your hands only!" Said the courier, "Let's see here. Ah! A letter, send by Nurina from Winterhold, to Jon Dare in the 'Winking Skeever'."
As the young man was speaking, I started lagging, but I lagged once again.
First lag, this courier just now said the same words courier say in the game, the exact same words when couriers deliver something, I just didn't know how to feel for a second, should I be happy that something is the same from the game or should I just freak out from the similarity, this was mortifying.
The second thing is, Nurina sent a message, and she used a courier! Normally she uses the 'Thieves' Guild' to do her communications but she used a courier, strange!
I thanked the man and gave him a few copper septims, then went back to my seat.
Wulfur and Svidi were curious about who might send me a letter, we basically are a bunch of kids who just left the orphanage.
"It's from Nurina." I said with a grin, "Seems like even she couldn't help but miss this handsome young man."
I was buffing my chest, yet Wulfur and Svidi were looking at me with disdain.
"He truly is headmistress's lapdog." Svidi said and Wulfur started laughing.
I gained many nicknames over the years from always being around Nurina, the lapdog, the minion, the thrall. And these aren't the worst names I got, god knows what Grelod used to call me behind my back.
I was finished with opening the letter not enduring to wait any longer, hehe! Let's see what Nurina have for me!
'Jon,
Our friends in Winterhold has no business here so I am not able to make any use of them,
I forgot to buy some stuff from Riften, as Winterhold is no better than wasteland now,
Buy these stuff for me;
-...
-...
-...
….
...
..
.
-Nurina.'
Okaaaaay!
Where is the rest of this letter?
There got to be another letter, right?
"What is that? A shopping list!" Svidi who sneaked behind me snatched the letter from my hands yet I didn't respond.
I was overwhelmed with embarrassment now!
Svidi started laughing like a pirate and gave the letter to Wulfur who laughed too.
Guys! You can't do that to big bro, you know!
"She really did it this time!" Svidi started tearing from laughter.
"No one can make that guy know his place like her!" Wulfur also became my enemy.
I was so down right now! I thought she might say something good! It has been a month, you know! This is the longest time we were separated, you know!
"Elves!" I said to myself, these guys have no concept of time at all.
Some Altmer in the inn started eyeing me after I said that.
"Ehem!" I noticed, "Dark Ones." and corrected myself.
They got back to their business.
"Sigh! Svidi! Can you help me with shopping?" I said.
"Mhm!" Svidi nodded, well! She made fun of me so at least she has to apologize.
But that's is strange! Winterhold is a major settlement in the game, even if it's in deep decline, I am sure they have some thieves or anything around, and the college also must be bringing business.
For Nurina to send a courier and ask me to buy these stuff sure make me question the situation in Winterhold.
"Enough deep thinking now." Wulfur said, "Make sure you don't eat too much! You have a big match this time big boy!"
Why is he talking like a gym coach? I am sure I talk like that with him when I want to buff his morale.
Is he worried and trying to buff my morales after Nurina's blow? What a good friend!
Fine! I am back to normal anyway! After all, I have been dealing with Nurina's clumsiness for years till now.
"Is there any news about who is going to bail out from the last match?" I asked Wulfur.
He looked at me and smiled, "Aside from team 'Black Snow' which 'tragically' lost a team member, and team 'Blood Hand' that was discovered to be in relations with Assassins, there are only two teams that won't be participating." Wulfur said as he did some research, "The first team is 'Swift Blades' from Riften as they seemed to be not interested, the second team is 'Wolf Fangs' as you have already crippled most of their members."
'Swift Blades' not entering is for sure, these guys are 'Thieves Guild', their job was to get close to the participants and gather information about them, the guild also dealt with informations.
As for 'Wolf Fangs' then that was my doing.
"So basically today is me against twenty seven others, haha! I can see myself winning already." I said, this was a true madness, I don't want to take part in that madness.
Whatever! I finished eating and went to my room to dress.
Lisette was still here, she was dressing and ready to go.
"So, will I see you after the match?" I asked.
"No, I will be at the college afterward." She said, "Don't worry, I will do fine until you decide to visit."
She got close to me on her own so I kissed her in return and held her hands, yet I could see some sadness in her eyes, she was hesitating for some reason.
"Are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask.
"I am fine!" She said and made a cheerful face, "I'll be on my way now."
She said her farewells and left the room.
Something didn't feel right, yet maybe she is sad or something, I hope my rash actions don't cause her harm.
*************************
[3rd Person POV.]
Behind the inn, Lisette went out from the back door, she looked sad yet it was no sadness of separation, she felt a lot of guilt too.
After all, she was after him for a purpose, not a good song or what people would think an ambitious bard would go after. She was after him for he was her target.
Her mentor brought her into a fine bard for other reasons than just being a bard, this person had other plans for Jon and she was just the mean to pry on him.
Yet she has never thought that she would romance Jon for a full night, he was just someone she needed to get close to and take what she wants, yet he overwhelmed her will as she felt no power but to be played by him.
Even after that night, he wasn't just after her body, he was also interested in her.
He even saw through her mood and asked if she was alright, he also wasn't dishonest with her, she knew liars as of course, she was one.
"Forgive me!" She couldn't help but mumble to herself.
"For what?" A voice sounded, it came from her side.
Lisette's face turned yellow from the shock and she jumped back from the fright, this voice was so sudden.
As she could take a good look at who was speaking, her expressions calmed down and could breathe.
"Nothing mentor." She could turn her expressions back to normal with no problem, as a bard, she knew who to act and perform too, only thing is, she felt more depressed than before.
Front of her was her mentor. A man she respected ever since she was a girl, and also the only person worthy of her respects in the Bards' College.
It was the headmaster of the college, the Altmer (High Elf), Viarmo. The same Viarmo who does the commentary for the tournaments and the big events.
She dreamt to be someone like this man, therefore she joined the college and endured how much rivalry and bad mouthing happened between the young bards in the college.
Yet one day, she found out that the person she always admired was not just a bard, he was something more, he had his own secrets like any other person yet this time, this man didn't only just hide secrets, he also dealt with secrets.
He was what people could call 'A Secrets Merchant'. Someone who knows what others want to know and sells it for the buyer that would bring most benefit.
This was what this man recruited her into, and what he also recruited many other bards all over Skyrim, as bards were everywhere, in every inn, palace and sometimes, in the influential people homes.
This mentor was the owner of the biggest secrets trading business that even the empire was working hard to establish a stable contact with him.
Viarmo, the master of all the spies in Skyrim, was standing in front of her waiting for her results.
"What did you know about the boy, Lisette?" Viarmo asked.
Lisette who was in a storm of feelings started collecting her thoughts while thinking of how was she betraying Jon.
"I, I talked with him." She said meekly.
"And?" Viarmo replied with patience.
"He was not much different than what he shows to people." She said, "Or at least that what I thought at first."
She took a breath and continued, "He is an alchemist, a good alchemist too, I could smell many fragrant herbs and alchemical ingredients in his room." She said, " He also sometimes sneaks out at night but I couldn't tell where he goes to."
Viarmo nodded and asked, "What about his Thu'um? That power of the Voice?"
"I couldn't learn anything, no one knows, not even his friends, but aside from obsessions with dragons, he had some books I could copy their titles in this note." She said as she handed out a note to him.
"Hmmm!" Viarmo thought while taking her note, "These are all mysterious book of magic, mostly in the 'Old Ways', interesting." He said, "Tell me, how did you get into his room?"
Lisette lagged for a bit, that answer was not easy to say.
"Didn't I tell you not to sneak behind closed doors." Viarmo said, but he was not angry, he was smiling kindly though, "We are not thieves my girl."
"I didn't sneak." The girl said, "I was invited in…" and halted.
"Hmm…" Viramo thought and said, "So you slept with him?"
Lisette's face turned red from shame.
Viarmo laughed softly and looked at the short girl in front of him then his tone turned serious, "Did he harm you?"
Lisette shook her head hastily, she was already ashamed of what she did with and to Jon, her conscience didn't stand anymore harm to him.
"I see..." Viarmo rubbed his chin and nodded.
"Listen, Lisette, I know what you are thinking." He said, "This is your first real job, and for most of us we sometimes have to mix between personal life and business."
Lisette looked down and didn't talk.
"He is a youth that all the powers willing to curry favor with him, he won't be harmed by that much." Viarmo said and patted on Lisette's head.
Suddenly cheers could be heard from the inn, it seems that participants started heading out to the arena.
"I will go now." Viarmo said and left Lisette behind.
She just stood there without lifting her head up.