Meeting My Furry Blue Truck II

We begin to clear out his cell of all his valuables and I take his lute. While he throws on a spare suit of iron armor before we head out of the cell and back to the Bee and Barb where I meet the man I came to this town to see.

"Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying, eh lad?" A red-haired, middle-aged nordic man says while leaning on the wall as I pass.

"Oh? You may have me confused with someone else, I'm obviously a fine and upstanding citizen," I reply with a smirk making Brynjolf laugh.

"Ah, I can tell. Though, let's say I'm right, for a hypothetical." Brynjolf says.

"And if you are, how could you know that?" I ask pulling up a chair before inviting him to sit at an empty table with me.

"It's all about sizing up your mark, lad. The way they walk, what they're wearing. It's a dead giveaway." Byrnjolf explains.

"Oh, and what does my outfit say about me?"

"Hmmm… You're poor, but not because of a lack of ambition, in fact, it's your ambitions that keep lighting your pockets, every coin you own is reinvested in something else. Mainly materials, like the ones used in your armor, which I'm guessing you made yourself? Don't get me wrong, it's not its lack of quality that gave you away, in fact, it's quite the opposite, it's too fine. And you wear it with pride. You're also sometimes too smart for your own good. Look how you sniffed out my little scheme at the North Gate. You knew it was a shakedown and you called him on it. That's what I'm talking about." Brynjolf deduces quite expertly.

"Alright, you've got my attention, especially as a man who seems to be well acquainted with wealth himself," I reply while leaning back in my chair.

"Wealth is my business, and seeing as how I passed your test, you wouldn't mind takin' my little test, now would you, lad?" Brynjolf asks.

"Oh, what kind of test did you have in mind?" I ask, pretending not to know exactly what he's about to ask.

"You see, I've got a bit of an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid." Brynjolf begins to pitch to me.

"What do you need me to do?" I ask leaning my char forward expressing interest in his scheme.

"It's simple… I'm going to cause a distraction and you're going to steal Madera's silver ring from a strongbox under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing." Brynjolf begins to elaborate.

"I want to ask why plant the ring on Brand-Shei, but I know when to reign in my curiosity in our line of work," I say getting up from my chair.

"Keep it up and I think we'll get along just fine, lad. I'll be out in the market all day, from eight in the morning until eight in the evening." Brynjolf says heading out as well.

Heading upstairs a thought finally crosses my mind… Where am I going to sleep? I ponder as a vision of M'rissi, Sofia, Kasia, and Jenassa all in bed snuggled in close to me flashes through my mind as I enter the room I paid for… Only to see M'rissi and Sofia hogging the bed while Kasia is curled up at it's foot and Jenassa was silently resting in the chair in the corner with a blanket and a note thrown on the floor.

[Silvy, we couldn't decide who gets the bed so we played a few games of chance that Jenassa lost and me, Whiskers, and Blondie, kept tying so we split the bed. Enjoy being hard on the floor, Erm, I mean being on the hard floor.]

With a sketch of a smiling, winking face on it.

"Well, Inigo, looks like we're on the floor tonight," I say beginning to lay on the blanket.

"Don't worry my friend, Me and my fleas are used to harsh sleeping arrangements. Isn't that right Mr. Dragonfly?" Inigo asks before curling up in a ball around the dragonfly in a jar.

"Good to know, good night Inigo," I say moving to blow out the candle.

"Good night my friend… And thank you… For the second chance, you will not regret it." Inigo says before closing his eyes and beginning to snore.

"Don't worry about it, I think we've got a good adventure awaiting us," I reply before blowing out the light and closing my eyes.

After several hours of rest, I'm rudely awoken by the sound of hissing and throwing of items.

Begrudgingly I open my eyes to see M'rissi throwing an unlit torch at Inigo shouting, "Begone you stray! She will not let you steal our things or trick her naive Fluffy with your false stories!"

"I am no stray, I am Inigo and I am an old adventuring friend of Silvantus, and I don't know a Fluffy!?" Inigo says, deftly dodging the torch while holding Mr. Dragonfly.

"You lie! Fluffy has no friends, he is too awkward and bad at being sociable!" M'rissi says sending an arrow straight threw my heart as I hear Sofia and Jenassa snickering quietly while enjoying the show, and Kasia just stares in confusion.

"Alright! Stop fighting you two!" I shout causing Inigo to stop.

"Good distraction Fluffy!" M'rissi says grabbing a loose piece of firewood which she chucks at Inigo which I quickly catch before it can nail him in the face.

"Good reflexes my friend! Mr. Dragonfly thanks you for your quick action," Inigo says, finally relaxing as he sits down on the floor.

"What are you doing with the sneaky stray, Fluffy?" M'rissi questions me in deep confusion as she tilts her head as I approach.

Once closer to her I raise my hand and give her a light head chop.

"Mrreow! What was that for? Why do you hurt her so?" M'rissi cries out.

"Because you were being rude saying I'm awkward and I have no friends, and Inigo is an old associate of mine. I'd prefer if you don't knock what little sense he has left out of his head." I say chastising her, making her pout.

"I would also greatly appreciate that as well." Inigo chimes in finishing cleaning up the mess he had repeatedly avoided being hit by.

"Now lets all head down and have some breakfast, okay?" I say rubbing M'rissi's head, causing her to blush and then run off downstairs.

"Silvy, you're no fun." Sofia says before sticking her tongue out at me before heading downstairs as well with Jenassa slowly following her as Kasia speaks up.

"Is your group always this… Lively in the mornings?" Kasia asks.

"Yeah, sorry about that, should be better if we camp outside the city from now on." I say.

"Oh no! You misunderstand! I love it! This is the most fun I've had in years!" Kasia exclaims happily.

"Well then, I'm glad you're happy. Let's go down to eat." I say before instinctively whistling towards Inigo who whistles a little tune back at me with a slight smile as if this is something he has finally found his old friend.