User:Somercy/The Guild's-Knight

The entire thing started with Dave asking me to go, but if I tell that part first, it’ll get boring and redundant later. So, I’ll start in Balmora, with me knocking on the door of a house belonging to an Altmer.

The Altmer, a Hecerinde by name, came to the door looking more like House Hlaalu gentry than like an agent of the Thieves Guild. He looked down his nose at me, like I was just some Breton chit that had shown up on his doorstep without a warning. Which I was, admittedly.

“Hello, sir,” I said, my voice quivering a bit. “I come bearing regards from your favorite cousin, and also to do some business with you.” When Nephele had told us that the Thieves Guild’s Security Expert was her cousin, Dave had sputtered. But he didn’t knock his goblet of brandy over until she mentioned that he owed her a rather large favor.

Hecerinde looked at me, weighing me with his eyes. “Which cousin’s claiming to be my favorite?” With what Nephele had told me about her family, that was a fair question. She’d mentioned a couple of mad mages, like Mannorack (who Dave wanted to meet next), a priest of a forgotten god, and Hecerinde.

I straightened up, looked him right in his wise eyes, and replied, “Nephele, who wants me to ask you to pass on greetings to Nelson.” She hadn’t told me who Nelson was, but it didn’t seem important.

Hecerinde smiled; I had confirmed that I was indeed from Nephele. No other member of his family knew about Nelson. He moved from the doorway, with a graceful gesture to invite me in. The house wasn’t as tidy as Hecerinde’s public appearance. Pieces of broken locks scattered the floor. He sat down in one of the two chairs by the small wooden table in the kitchen. I took the other, with what grace I could muster. Next to the Altmer, any of us look clumsy.

“So,” Hecerinde said, pouring a cup of some liquor for me, and then one for himself. “You also mentioned business. I’m guessing that’s the main reason you’re here, actually. Right?”

“Right.” I accepted the cup, raising it in a toast to Hecerinde. “I would like to meet the Guild’s-Knight.”

Hecerinde leveled a very strong gaze on me, taking my measure with his eyes.

"The Guild's-Knight? Why him?" Hecerinde's eyes glowed slightly in that perfect Altmer way.

"I'm just doing as I was told, but Nephele said that you should do it because of..." I paused to remember the phrase Nephele had given me. "Because of the sun in the sky on the first day of Sun's Dusk five years ago."

Hecerinde's eyes widened. "For that, I suppose I can set up a meeting time. Come see me in a week, and I'll have something set up."

Chapter 2