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Friday, May 5, 2023

I Thought You Were Bringing The Money! (Issy)

A/N: Baurus to the rescue! The second on the list of May mini fic prompts which will probably take me at least through August to actually finish...

Prompt: I thought you were bringing the money

 “You have money right?” Lucien asks me as we go to walk to the nearby inn to grab food after a tiring day. With a sigh I stop abruptly in my tracks and turn to face him “I thought you were bringing the money!” The two of us stand in the middle of the busy market district street looking like idiots. “There’s a reason Vicente doesn’t let me handle the finances of the sanctuary and the reason is I would lose them, so why would you think I was bringing money?” That’s a fair point, though still a memory from last week pops into my head. “Last Tuesday you said you would bring extra money when we got here.” To that Lucien stares at the ground silently as if trying to remember before mumbling an apology.

“Well…can always pickpocket someone.” I say to myself looking around the market for a potential target. “You know I’m a terrible pickpocket.” Lucien reminds me, which is true, despite his other skills that come in handy for being an assassin, he’s a terrible thief. “Leave that to me, you just keep a lookout for guards. Unless you want to rummage through those boxes over there, nobody cares if you take stuff from them.” I point out a pile of large wooden boxes and a few barrels in the corner of the square. “But avoid those ones, that’s how I got thrown in jail.” I point out a trio of other boxes on the opposite side of the square. Lucien retreats into a corner and decides to be a lookout as I wander among the wealthy patrons of the market, grabbing what I can here and there, though by the time I’ve circled a few times and get back to where Lucien stands I find it’s not much.

Away from prying eyes we count up what I was able to steal and find that it’s just enough to potentially split something. As we stand around in a courtyard off the main square counting up the stolen money and debating what to do, a strange sound from behind us draws our attention. It sounds like metal scraping on stone and upon turning around we find the sewer grate has been moved to the side, and up pops Baurus. “You two should really be quieter when it comes to discussing criminal activities and how you’re both broke, I could hear you from down there.” The Blade tells us as he climbs out of the sewer and places the grate back into its correct position, making it look as if nothing has happened. Lucien and I stare at him blankly, surprised to see him. Last I saw Baurus he was sitting around the library of Cloud Ruler Temple half asleep listening to Martin ramble about something.

 “Come on you two, I’m buying you dinner.” Baurus begins to walk out of the courtyard and waves us along, Lucien and I look at each other quickly before running to catch up with the Redguard, he has no reason to be walking that fast. It turns out Baurus is staying at the same place we’d decided to and after changing out of his sewer exploring clothes into something less disgusting meets us at the bar. We’d been sitting around chatting while waiting and once he sits down, bring him into the conversation before letting the innkeeper know we’re ready to order.

The meal is light but filling enough, and I make sure to thank Baurus profusely for paying. In response he just holds up a coin purse and grins “Perk of working for The Blades, it doesn’t come out of my own pocket.” he explains before stashing it away. “Why can’t we do that?” I hear Lucien mutter to himself “Because we’re not the Morag Tong and Vicente doesn’t let you touch the finances.” I give him a pat on the back and get a less than pleased look in response to the explanation. Baurus tosses Lucien a couple of coins “This is for not bringing money in the first place and dealing with that Mythic Dawn agent I know you dealt with the other day.” and hands me a piece of paper “and this is for you not getting turned over to the guards if you give me that ruby I know you pick-pocketed.” I have no idea how he managed to be aware of that if he was in the sewer. “I have eyes everywhere.” Baurus reminds me, and with some annoyance I agree to turn over the ruby. He pockets it and gets up, leaving as quickly as he’d shown up and disappearing upstairs. “Well…that could have gone worse.” Lucien remarks, fidgeting with one of the coins. “You’re bringing money next time.” I simply tell him before getting up myself and going to bed, it’s been too long of a day.

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