Surprises

Rictus looked around as he assessed the current situation. The Restored were ready to attack at any sign of aggression by the thieves, especially since they had been targeting their leader. Many thieves were looking around nervously at the heavily armed troops surrounding them. Some others were just standing in confusion at the sudden turn of events. He understood why they felt that way.

What they had thought would be an easy outing had completely reversed. Their undefeatable leader had been utterly humiliated and defeated after seemingly holding victory in her grasp. Their future was currently up in the air.

As he was looking around, Rictus noticed there was still a bit of a situation going on. Maul still had Ingun captured with his sword at her throat. He was looking around nervously and for good reason. He had betrayed Maven.

"It was all a misunderstanding. I was never going to truly betray you. This was just so I could get on her good side."

Maven stared at him blankly. He was obviously reaching and trying to save himself at this point.

"Do you ever think I would trust you after something like this? You are smarter than that Maul."

He then pulled Ingun closer and rested his blade against her throat.

"Let me go, or I will kill her."

Maul was sweating profusely as he alternated his sights between Maven and Rictus before settling his eyes upon Rictus who was his only chance at living at this point. Shaking his head, Rictus looked at him in confusion.

"Does that ever really work? I mean I guess it could in certain situation and against some people, but I doubt it would in this one. Maybe you just want someone else to die with you? I guess I could see the appeal of that. Still, if you surrender, you could die easily. If you kill her, I highly doubt you will die quickly or easily. Either way, you will be dead."

While he was talking, Maul's eyes darkened before a fatalistic look appeared on his face. It was obvious what he was about to do.

"I won't go down easily. I swea…"

His words stopped in his throat as he suddenly froze up. While Rictus had been talking, Maul was only focusing on him which was a major mistake. He didn't notice the green ball of energy Maven shot at him. What he did notice, was her cruel smile.

"You are right about something. You will not go down easily. I will show you the error of your ways before putting you down like the gutter rat you are. Don't worry, we will have plenty of time to talk about your betrayal and for me to teach you one last lesson."

Rictus actually felt a little bad for the man. Maven was not someone to piss off, and Maul had done an amazing job at that. Ingun was soon free of him though, and he was properly restrained. A couple of Maven's guards came out from the lodge where they had been hiding and took Maul somewhere back inside the lodge.

"Well, now that is taken care of, perhaps we can come to an agreeable solution from all this mess."

Rictus conjured up a large stone table and four chairs. He motioned the two thieves which had been flanking Laverna to some chairs as he and Maven took the other two. Taking the lead, he spoke first.

"I think some introductions are in order. I'm Rictus, the leader of the Restored."

The two thieves stared at him before the man finally spoke.

"I am Brynjolf and the lass here is Sapphire."

Rictus had always liked Brynjolf from the games. His unique Scottish accent combined with his honorable thief routine made him a fun follower. Hopefully, he would be as easy to work with now as in the game. Unlike him though, Sapphire was staring at him with smoldering eyes and clenched hands. Seems someone was holding a grudge against him. Thankfully, Brynjolf kept talking.

"Before we go any further, what did you mean by Gallus's journal helping Karliah prove her innocence?"

"Well, that's because she didn't kill Gallus. They were lovers after all. Mercer killed him and framed her. He was even stealing from the guild vault using Noctural's Skeleton Key, which he stole. I don't know what Laverna was doing with the vault, but it should have been almost completely emptied by Mercer."

The two thieves started at him in surprise for a moment as they digested what he said. They still obviously didn't take his words for fact, but it was a kernel of doubt and gave them something to investigate later. He steered the conversation back.

"All of that is more of an internal issue though and not what we need to discuss."

Everyone sat up a little straighter at that.

"I have some simple demands. First is to stop the attacks on the caravans my people are guarding. I was content to leave the guild alone until that started happening. Second is a noninterference pact between our people. You will try your best not to steal from mine, and we will do our best not to kill yours. If you agree to provide us information when we request it, that would just be a nice little bonus."

Rictus thought his demands were pretty simple. Brynjolf did wince a little when he mentioned the attacks on the caravans.

"I had told Laverna that was a deal she shouldn't have taken. The money was too good to pass up though."

He narrowed his eyes at the thief.

"What deal and who made it?"

Before he could speak up, Maven interjected.

"Why it was from Ambassador Elenwen. I was planning on telling you before our previous conversation was so rudely interrupted. Seems you have made some enemies. Although the Thalmor are usually a little more careful than this. Must have been in a hurry or you really angered them somehow."

Brynjolf nodded his head.

"Aye. That is who gave us the contract. Stopping the attacks will not be a problem. Our losses were starting to outweigh the benefits anyways. I don't think many will object to your terms after today, but there could still be some complications. The guild doesn't control every thief out there."

His eyes darted over to Sapphire who was still giving Rictus the stink eye. Not one to shy away, Rictus stared right back at her.

"I don't really care how you feel about me. You all were the ones who attacked me first. Had you or your lover just reached out to me first, we probably would have been working together. Instead, you tried to strong arm me into compliance, which is something I will not let happen, at least not to something like this chapter of the thieves guild. Do not take my mercy for weakness though. If you attack me or mine again, I'll kill you without a second thought."

She stared at him a little longer before turning her head away. The lover part was a guess but seemed to be pretty accurate based off her and Brynjolf's look. Only time would tell if she continued being a problem. Maven cleared her throat as she took control of the conversation.

"Now, there are a couple other matters I would like to address…"

The rest of the talk happened without incident. Brynjolf would be the new guildmaster since he had already been doing a lot of the basic duties as the second in command. Maven had also gotten some concessions from the guild for a fair number of losses she had taken from them recently. Rictus didn't really much care about the other little details they argued over since none of it directly impacted him, especially since his thoughts were on the Thalmor.

He wasn't entirely sure why they were trying to make trouble for the Restored. The only thing he could think of was they were wary since the Restored were an unknown that had grown in power and influence so quickly. Their failure at infiltrating the upper levels of the organization also had to bother them. There was a chance some spies had slipped among their members, but the chance of them getting into the leadership was very slim since the Restored were almost fanatic in their loyalty to him. Still, he hoped this issue didn't escalate too much.

Eventually, the talks came to an end, and the thieves departed back to the city. It would be a long cold walk in the dark for them, but Rictus didn't really care. A few Restored would follow them and make sure they didn't try anything stupid.

Maven and Rictus stayed outside as they watched them leave.

"I'm guessing you would still like to hire some of my people as guards, yes?"

She just scoffed.

"Of course. I would be stupid not to hire you. Besides, it would be mutually beneficial for us to keep working together. This will allow you to stay informed on the guild and the Reach while I have another layer of protection."

He couldn't help smiling at the pointed look she gave him and the hidden meaning behind her words. Seems she knew he wanted her information network and was willing to work with him to a degree, for now at least.

"You have seemed to have benefited greatly from this whole ordeal. If I didn't know any better, I would say pitting the guild against me was your plan all along."

A large smile stretched across her face as she gave him a sly look.

"That is truly an interesting idea. Too bad I didn't think about it before."

He could only shake his head at her words.

"Why the guild would ever try going against you I will never understand. The rumors about you do not do you justice."

She turned around and started walking away after giving him a smug smile. Before she went too far, she abruptly stopped. Her gaze lingered on her daughter before turning to face him once more.

"I think I will take you up on your offer to watch over Ingun. It will do the girl some good to get away from here until things calm down."

She patted her daughter's cheek in a rare display of affection before she entered the lodge, dismissing them without a second thought. Rictus shook his head again at her. He looked over at Ingun who was giving him a curious look.

"Are you prepared to go?"

As he said those words, two servants exited the lodge carrying a large chest. They dropped it at Ingun's feet before going back inside. She glanced at the trunk before looking back to him.

"Seems so."

Rictus let out a sigh. Seems he still had a lot to learn from the Black-Briar Matriarch.

"Alright everyone. Let's go home."

-----

Rictus finally started to relax after finally making it back to their main base in White River Watch. It had taken them significantly longer on the return trip since he wasn't taking Ingun through the teleporter. She had not earned that level of trust. Still, they had made great time riding.

The sun was just about to set, and Rictus was determined to make it to his overlook in time to watch it. Sweet rolls were already ordered and on their way. He couldn't help chuckle as he thought back on the big happy smiles all his people were giving him as he passed them. Seems they all had missed him.

He stopped in his tracks as he saw someone sitting in his seat. As she turned to look at him, he felt his heart stop for just a moment.

She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen.

Long luscious dark hair cascaded past her shoulders. Silk like hair framed her angular face which sported the most delicate lips he had ever seen. Her nose was slightly long, but while some may consider it a minor imperfection, it only made her appear more real and beautiful in his eyes. Speaking of eyes, hers drew him in. They were almost entirely black except for small bright dots that glittered like stars in the depths of space. He couldn't help as his eyes traveled across the rest of her body.

She was not the buxom beauty many desired, but her athletic figure still had curves in all the right places. A few things stood out to him though as he overlooked her. Dark black feathers with gold tips could be seen along her arms. Instead of feet, her shapely legs ended in large talons. Finally, in her hands was a large glass of wine and a sweet roll. A smooth and seductive voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Darling! I've been waiting for you to return to consummate our love!"

Long forgotten images rapidly flashed through his mind. Showing up with Sam to a small shack in the wilderness. A long night of talking under the stars. Sharing hopes and dreams as they shared a large mug. The flash of magic as he made a wish come true. Things he had thought forgotten after a night of drinking and debauchery came crashing back as he looked upon the woman whose beauty he struggled to put into words. Ever so softly a single word escaped his mouth.

"Moira…"

----

His eyes slowly fluttered open as he felt the sun's gentle rays on his face. The soft songs of the birds drifted through the window, acting like nature's alarm clock. He stared up at his ceiling remembering last night.

Rictus was still a little shocked at being reunited with Moira. It wasn't something he had ever thought to pursue and had put it out of his mind despite Illia mentioning her a few times. Seeing her had caused him to remember some of the time they had spent together. Not everything was perfectly clear, but the moments of clarity did cause his heart to speed up just a little.

It turned out that part of the reason he found her so attractive was because of how he cast his alter body spell. Normally, he tried to direct the spell and control it, at least to a degree. That time though he had only channeled the magic as he thought about making her beautiful. The huge amount of alcohol in his systems had caused him to act more instinctually instead of rationally. He had basically made her into his picture of beauty which gave him some conflicting thoughts.

Those thoughts were chased away by a soft sigh from the head on his chest and arms pulling him tighter.

A goofy smile appeared on Rictus's face as he looked down on Moira's sleeping face. Some may disagree with his actions, but he couldn't care less. She was absolutely stunning, not to mention it had been a while for him. Besides, they were two consenting adults. There were sure to be some long talks and bigger issues later, but for right now he just didn't care. 'A night of talking, watching the sunset, wine and sweet rolls was a great start. Also, who knew that the Equilibrium spell that could magically restored stamina had so many additional benefits…'

His quiet contemplation was interrupted as his door was violently thrown open by Illia and Miruma. He couldn't help letting out a disgruntled sigh at the interruption to his peaceful morning. Their appearance ruined his plan of a little morning exercise. 'Unless…."

He quickly shook his head of those lewd thoughts as he saw the conflicting looks upon their faces. That was never a good sign.

"Just one day free of problems. Is that too much to ask for?"

Their words came rushing out and caused his blood to run cold.

"Ken's been captured."

----

[AN]: Well, that was a lot to throw in all at once there at the end! I almost ended on a cliff hanger after him reuniting with Moira, but I figured the poor guy could use a little stress relief. It may not be the reunion some hoped for, but it finally happened.

I do have to apologize if the writing with her seems a little forced. Romance or relationships are not really my area of expertise, especially writing about them. So, I will take all the advice or critics I can get with that kind of stuff.

Finally, I think next week will have a little bonus chapter from Ken's perspective and how he got into that mess.