“I saw a dragon!” An old woman leaning from the railing of her porch said to her son.
“I have no idea who you are.” He replied back and whispered to the guard that she was crazy. Sirrus gave the woman a dodgy look as she was carried off until Sythis spoke cheerfully at a sign depicting golden scales.
“Ah! The good ole pawn shop!”
“Can I ask why everyone is giving you odd looks?”
“Probably because of my unnatural beauty.” Sythis said while a meek smile, not taking her eyes off the sign as she began to examine it intently. “Nah, last time I was here I turned a man into a chicken with something called a ‘Wabbajack’ and convinced a handful of people to worship it…until I got hungry for chicken.”
Sirrus really didn’t know how to respond to that one.
“Now why does this place look so familiar…”
“I don’t mean to hurry you.” Said Sirrus, struggling with the weight of the pelt. “But this is a big pelt…”
“Baby.”
Sirrus stuck her tongue out at Sythis as she ducked inside the store. Once inside, Sirrus let her eyes adjust for a moment and looked around. Wooden shelves surrounded them, burdened with potions, alchemy ingredients, armor, jugs and plates, trinkets, and weapons of every shape and size. Sythis was eyeing one double-edged war axe in particular with desire.
“You can’t just let that thief get away with something like this!” a woman in a yellow dress nearly shouted at the shopkeeper behind the counter.
“Camilla, we’ve already discussed this!” The man argued back. “That claw is gone! And you are not going on some wild goose-chase after it! I will not see my sister killed! Now let me go back to the mead with the juniper berries!”
“Lucan-“ Camilla started.
“Well, hello!” Lucan interrupted, waving at Sythis and Sirrus. “I don’t know what you just heard, but I assure you, we still have plenty to sell…. The thief was only after one thing-“
“Yeah, yeah.” Sythis waved her hand, cutting him off. “I’m here to sell.”
“Alright, what’re you selling?” Lucan said, eyeing Sirrus struggling under the bear pelt.
“This beauty. Right here.” Sythis grinned as she stroked the pelt with her left hand.
“Sythis? Uh…a little help? Please?” Sirrus squeaked.
“Hush. How much will you give me?”
“For that? Let’s see…it’s ragged, a little damp, there’s mud on one of the paws, and there’s still a lot of blood on it, from what I can see from here. 50 septims.”
“50 septims? Only 50 septims? My good sir, I have nearly given my life for this thing! I lost Sirrus, my comrade to this beast!”
“I’m still here.” Sirrus said, glaring at Sythis.
“Hush.” Sythis shot her a deadly glare. Sirrus sighed. “We have traveled far, from the very heart of Blackmarsh, just to sell this pelt to a fine vendor such as yourself-“
“Blackmarsh? We just killed this thing in that cave-“
“Fine.” Sythis said, shooting Sirrus another frigid glare. “We travelled a mile to dump this thing for what it’s worth, and danmit, that’s what I intend to do! Now this pelt here is worth at least 91 septims, and you know it!” Sythis demanded, slamming her fist on the counter.
Lucan sat back, surprised. He studied Sythis’ hard face for a moment, deciding. He held her blank gaze before responding.
“Wait a minute…I know you.” He said, leaning forward. “You were in here that night the claw-“
“Claw? What claw?” Sythis said, quickly. “I know nothing of a claw…”
“A golden ornament. In the shape of a dragon’s claw. You were my last customer that evening it was stolen. You mentioned how it must have been worth a small fortune…” Lucan pressed, rubbing his beard. Sythis bristled.
“What exactly are you implying?!” Sythis huffed.
“You stole it! You stole it, and now you’ve come back to scope out the rest of the store!”
“I have never been so insulted!” Sythis growled. “If accusing me is your way of getting out of an honest business deal, then you can just take this thing!” Sythis ripped the pelt out of Sirrus’ grasp and slammed it on the counter with one hand. “Good day to you, sir!” Lucan barely had time to reply before Sythis grabbed Sirrus by the collar of her armor and stormed out of the store.
As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Sirrus glided a judgmental look to the scowling white eyes. “You stole it…didn’t you?”
“I do remember taking it, yes…but I don’t know what happened to it. Actually that whole night is a blur.” Sythis scratches her head and lets her eyes circle the sky in thought until they pop open widely. “Oh…”
“What?” the small Nord asked blankly until matching the direction of her watch. There, nestled in the crown of the peak, were old stone ruins.
“That’s right…I was drunk and was ambushed by some bandits. Assaulting a drunk, what amateurs.”
“So they took the claw?”
“And my pet rock, but that’s another story.” She states.
“We need to get it back!” Sirrus exclaims.
“And why?”
“Because the more good things you do, the better chance I have in convincing the Jarls to let your bounties go.” She enlightens.
“Yeah, see, I’ve been really thinking over this ‘good’ thing and I have decided…I don’t like it.” Sythis shudders.
“And would you prefer prison?” Sirrus lifts her brow as she pushes her.
Sythis didn’t want to answer that, but gave an annoyed scoff as she started to lead them towards the mountain path.
Chapter Two
Start from the beginning
