Walk in the Shadows

Three

The moment I stepped into Haelga's Bunkhouse, I felt like I needed to go take a bath. And it wasn't just because the place smelled worse than the Ratway.

The honey-blonde woman standing behind the counter—I guessed she was Haelga—glared at me the moment I walked in. "If you're looking for a room, try the Bee and Barb," she said, harsh words dripping off her plump red lips like poison. "This is a place for the working men."

"I have a message from Brynjolf," I said, meandering around the main room. I turned a corner and spotted the statue of Dibella sitting right where Bryn said it would be. "He says it's time to pay up."

"I already explained to him that you can't get blood from a stone."

I looked over my shoulder before swiping the statue—which weighed a ton—off the dresser. "Oh, look at this," I said, holding it in the crook of my arm. "Quite a lovely statue."

"No! Not Lady Dibella!"

I walked back to the counter and dropped the statue in front of Haelga. "Shall I drop this statue down the well, or are you going to pay up?"

"Please! She's the only thing of value I have left! I can't lose her! I get the message. Here." She slid a fat coin purse to me. "Here's your gold. I hope you choke on it."

I winked, pocketed the coin purse, then tipped the statue towards her, making it fall into her desperate hands. "The Guild thanks you." And with that, I sauntered out of the Bunkhouse. I could feel Haelga's death glare burning into the back of my head, but I was too thrilled to care.

Gods, that place is filthy. I never want to set foot in there again.

Next, I decided to hit up the Pawned Prawn. Figured that Bersi might be a tough customer. Bryn said he might be, but all I had to do was smash a Dwemer urn that he kept in the front of his shop, and the fool would shower me with gold.

I opened the door to the shop, spotting Bersi right away. He seemed like the kind to get into dig himself into deep trouble and have no plan for getting back out.

"Welcome to the Pawned Prawn, traveler!" he said, friendly enough. "How can I help you?"

"By listening." I leaned against the wall next to the hideous Dwemer urn. How did he love that thing?

"Listening?"

"Message from Brynjolf."

"Wha... what? Oh, it's one of you people." His face soured. "So Brynjolf doesn't even bother to show up himself anymore, eh? What's this message?"

"You know what it is." I cracked my fists.

"Petty threats and fist waving are not going to sway me. You people are all talk, and everyone knows it! Pay you to protect me? You can't even protect yourselves!"

"Fine. Have it your way." With one swift motion, I grabbed the urn and held it over my head. Bersi, and a woman standing close by, both cried in protest. Begged me not to smash their "precious" urn.

I only grinned like a cat as I threw the urn to the floor. It cracked and broke into several large gray pieces, one of which I stomped into smithereens.

"No! That urn was priceless!" Bersi cried, while the woman put her hands over her mouth and moaned.

I kept grinning. Intimidating others was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. "Want me to break anything else?"

"All right! I get it. I'll pay on time from now on. Just don't smash anything else. Here, take your gold and leave me in peace." He slid me a coin purse, which I put next to the first one.