InsaneJournal

PREVIOUSLY: Ysmir infiltrates a party at the Thalmor Embassy and his answers lie in Riften with an old man named Esbern. He runs into an unexpected ally at the Embassy and pulls an impromptu rescue mission for his guildmate.

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He made haste to Riften, and used the back-door entrance to get into the Cistern. Some of his guildmates gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement as he wandered inside, but they left him alone when they saw how fast he was walking for the door to the Ragged Flagon.

Inside, he found Vex and Delvin chatting at one of the tables, and Brynjolf was sitting at the bar, speaking to Vekel. Seeing Ysmir, he stopped a moment to greet his Guildmaster.

"Aye, lad? What's going on?" he asked. "The whole town's buzzin' that somebody infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy. I guess Maven was there, and she mentioned to me that she actually saw you, there."

"Yeah... about that," Ysmir said. "I'll have to tell you about it later but for now, I need to know something. Is there an old man named Esbern here in town?"

"Oh, that crazy old man? He's down in the Warrens, lad," Brynjolf said, taking a long drink of his mead. "He paid a lot of coin for us to keep hush-hush about him down there but if you know about him then there's no use hidin' it from ya."

"And what about the Thalmor? Have they been here?"

"Yeah, mate. Sorry to tell ya, they went down there lookin' for him but I don't think they've found him yet or we'd have seen 'em comin' through again."

He exhaled. "Shit! Thank you, Brynjolf, I have to go down there and find him before something happens. This is 'Dragonborn business'."

"You better tell me about that heist when you get back. I didn't know you had a side project."

"Of course," he said. "I just have to get Esbern out of Riften."

"You know what, lad? I'll go with you, for backup. We can't lose another Guildmaster, and we like you," Brynjolf said, sliding his tankard away from him. "I'm done with this mead, anyway."

"Alright. Just be on your guard, these Thalmor are fierce bastards," he warned. Ysmir lead Brynjolf through the door that went into the Ratway Vaults. Right as they got in, there were two Thalmor he could see, both with their backs turned. He and Brynjolf were both Nightingales at this point, but only Ysmir had the capability to turn invisible through the blessing of Nocturnal. Brynjolf would have to rely on silent footsteps. Leaning over to Brynjolf, he whispered. "I'm going to go up and slit his throat from behind. Neither of them will see or hear me coming, but once his friend here realizes he's dead, they're going to come up and investigate. Be ready."

Brynjolf nodded in response, and Ysmir crouched down, his body vanishing. He had his dagger drawn, and as soon as Ysmir was up behind the robed Thalmor Justiciar, he rose, breaking his cover, and swept his blade through the skin of the elf's neck, and he fell to the floor with a thud, blood pooling on the floor below him as his life slipped away. Brynjolf was right behind him now, and saw the other officer run up and around to meet with the two Nords.

"I found the Blades agent!" one of the officers yelled. "Kill him!"

As the two officers charged on him and Brynjolf, Ysmir let his Thu'um send them both flying back into the hard brick wall. The two officers fell to the floor, groaning in pain as they struggled to catch their breath. The two men ensured they would never get up by driving their blades into each of their necks, and they pulled the three dead elves into the alcove off to the side before pressing on.

The wooden platform lead to another room off to the left. A small campfire was set up, and a dead Nord was slumped near a bed in the corner. "Vicious bastards..." Ysmir said, his nose scrunching. "Let's go."

The next area was a circular hallway that led off to where they saw the first officer that had attacked them. The Ratway Vaults were dark and dank here, and their only light was the torches that were set in the sconces on the walls. Carrying on, they found a room downstairs with a table set in the middle. There were a few pouches of gold and a couple chests. "Who do you reckon this belongs to?" Ysmir asked Brynjolf, grabbing one of the large coinpurses.

"Beats me," Brynjolf said. "Probably shouldn't have left their things out here, though. Did they forget who rules over the Ratways?"

Ysmir laughed. "Probably. When we come back, take this and put it in the guild vault."

"Aye, now let's go on and find this old man you're looking for." Another door was at the bottom end of a staircase, and Brynjolf turned to Ysmir. "Alright, lad. This is where the Warrens begin. Be aware, the folks down here are nothing if not murderous. These are vagrants of the worst kind."

"Sounds like the Thalmor, to me," he retorted. "I'm used to murderous. Let's just get in, find Esbern, and get out."

"Aye."

As they entered, they could hear a woman speaking to herself, out loud.

"Inkpot. Book. Knife. Bucket. Stone... Bucket. Knife. Inkpot. Book... No, no, no..."

As they advanced further into the room, Ysmir could hear the whirring of a grindstone. The woman was laughing to herself, again. The place made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he shrugged off the uneasy feeling he had. Upstairs, there was a door that had at least four locks, and a sliding panel. This had to be Esbern. He knocked on the door, and Brynjolf stood to the side, keeping watch. The panel opened, and he could see the old man standing inside.

"Go away!" Esbern warned.

"Esbern? Is that you?" he asked.

"What?! No, that's not me. I'm not Esbern, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Esbern, it's okay... Delphine sent me," he said, peering inside. From what he could see, Esbern's room was almost luxurious in comparison to the squalor he'd seen so far. "She said... remember the 30th of Frostfall."

Esbern's expression softened, and he seemed to smile. "Ah. Indeed, indeed. I do remember. Delphine really is alive, then? You'd better come in then and tell me how you found me and what you want."

The panel closed again and he could hear Esbern from the other side as the old man fumbled with the several locks keeping his door secure. "Give me just a moment..." Esbern said, and then the door opened. "There we go... Please, come in. Make yourself at home."

Brynjolf followed him inside Esbern's hideout, and Esbern closed the door behind them all. "So, Delphine keeps up the fight, after all these years. I thought she'd have realized it's hopeless by now. I tried to tell her, years ago..."

"Esbern... What do you mean it's hopeless?" Ysmir asked.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? What more needs to happen before you all wake up and see what's going on? Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! The Dragon from the dawn of time, who devours the souls of the dead! No one can escape his hunger, here or in the afterlife!" Esbern rambled. "Alduin will devour all things and the world will end. Nothing can stop him! I tried to tell them. They wouldn't listen. Fools. It's all come true...all I could do was watch our doom approach..."

"Esbern... calm down. It's okay," Ysmir interrupted. "I've read the Book of the Dragonborn, I know which prophecy you speak of. I'm the Dragonborn."

Esbern's hands were shaking. He couldn't tell if it was from shock or Esbern's old age, but he wagered it was a bit of both. "What? You're...can it really be true? Dragonborn? Then...there is hope!" he cheered. "The gods have not abandoned us! We must...we must... We must go, quickly now. Take me to Delphine. We have much to discuss."

"Good, good," Ysmir said. "Now listen Esbern, the Thalmor know you're down here. We have to get you out of the Warrens. Brynjolf came with me, you know Brynjolf. He's going to help me escort you out of here."

"Of course... just give me a moment. I have things I must collect before we take our leave," he said, holding up a finger to the two Nords. He rushed around his room, grabbing all manner of books and shoving them into a satchel. "Alright... that's all I need. I've got everything. Take me to Delphine!"

The old man, despite his age, was a fierce fighter. He had little difficulty helping the Dragonborn and Brynjolf bring down the two Thalmor wizards that found the now-three Nords in the Warrens. Once Esbern was safe in the Flagon, Ysmir embraced Brynjolf. "Thanks for your help, Bryn. I'll see you later and we'll talk over a flagon of mead."

"Aye, lad."

"By the way, before I go... you know how Etienne was missing for a few weeks there? He was being held by the Thalmor at the Embassy. I've got him holed up in Whiterun right now, I'll send him back to you once he's regained his strength. My housecarl is watching after him for me."

"You're kidding..." Brynjolf scoffed. "That's where that damn Breton was all this time? Send that bastard my regards, and tell him we'll be expecting him home in one piece. Vipir's barely shut up about him being gone."

"Well tell Vipir that Etienne is safe and will be back as soon as he can," Ysmir replied. "I have to go now."

"Watch the skies, lad. Shadows preserve you, and all that."

"Bye, Bryn."

Ysmir lead Esbern through the Cistern and out the back door entrance to the Guild's headquarters - it was faster than trying to go through the Ratway, and Ysmir didn't want to find more Thalmor on their heels.

Esbern held his arm over his eyes. He'd been living in the dark for so long, the light hurt his old eyes. Ysmir allowed him to blink a few times and get used to the sensation before pulling him through the graveyard and out onto the streets. They were near Black-Briar manor when a Khajiit woman attacked them, yelling something about the Thalmor. Since she attacked them first, it was rather convenient for Ysmir. His sword plunged through her midsection, cutting through her internal organs, staining her fur red with blood. Killing wasn't against the law if it was in self-defense.

Ysmir searched her body and found a note marked with the letter "E", which he assumed meant Elenwen. It was an order of assassination for him, as it mentioned "the target will be coming to Riften in the next few days". Esbern was already in Riften, so he knew they wanted him brought in alive, if they could get their hands on him. The guards moved her body out of the way, taking her to the nearby Hall of the Dead.

Sheathing his weapon, Ysmir motioned for Esbern to follow him and the two Nords made their way back to Riverwood.

"So... the 30th of Frostfall. What's that date for you and Delphine?" Ysmir asked as they walked towards the carriage driver.

"It's the day the Aldmeri Dominion proposed the terms of the White-Gold Concordat," Esbern explained. "An ambassador from the Summerset Isles came to the Imperial City and unveiled a cart of severed heads from every Blades agent they could find in the Isles and Valenwood... It was the start of the Great War."

"I must have been too young to remember that," he said, handing the driver gold and stating their destination. "I knew the year the Great War started, but I wasn't aware of the precise date."

"Yes, that sounds right..." Esbern replied, climbing into the back of the wagon with him. "The Great War was hard on all of us. I don't know what the Thalmor are up to, or what they really want, but it is a grave threat... to all of us. Man, mer, and beast alike. The White-Gold Concordat was just the tip of the iceberg, Dragonborn."

"When we get back to Riverwood..." Ysmir said, glancing his way. "I have something that you and Delphine are going to want to see."

Esbern pat his shoulder, and went silent as the carriage driver hurried his horse down the road. "Tell us all about it when we're there. For now, I'd like to enjoy the scenery. It's been a while since I've been above ground."