//------------------------------//
// Interlude: Meeting the Clan 
// Story: Skyrim: Band of Thieves 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
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While Capper directed the horse down the path that was in front of them, following the directions he was given, Rarity just spent her time checking the crates that were in the wagon, to see what else they had stolen from the nobles, as Azure sat across from her with a frown on his face. It was clear that the Solar Guard wasn't too happy about watching Capper and Midnight break the law like that, but, at the same time, he didn't say anything since they were in the presence of someone he didn't trust, even if Capper seemed to. As they did that both Midnight and La'nari focused on the road as they kept an eye out for danger, since none of them wanted to lose the contents of the wagon, though as they did so the latter made sure to point out things to the former, so she knew what to keep an eye out for. It was clear that she knew none of them were familiar with the roads of Skyrim and was doing her best to make sure they appeared like they were familiar with all sorts of things, to help them pass as traveling nobles when they encountered the patrol she had mentioned.

Sure enough they found that the other cat had been right in her previous statement, there was a patrol heading their way, at least ten soldiers who were wearing the same attire that the guard of the nobles had been wearing, with one wearing a finer set of attire, likely a captain or general. La'nari found that Midnight was the first one to point out the other group and quietly told her new companions to keep calm, because there were times where soldiers would stop a wagon or even a traveling caravan, to either inspect their goods, to buy, or to arrest those they knew to be thieves. Interesting enough the group found that the soldiers didn't seem to care about them at all, rather they got out of the way and allowed them to continue on their way without interfering with their journey. While they passed the soldiers Capper found that some were like the nobles they had seen earlier, plus one or two more cat people and even a lizard person who seemed proud of serving in the army, plus one or two individuals who had pointy ears.

Since they weren't stopped by the patrol the group was able to continue down the rest of the road without any problems, a fact that allowed La'nari to explain a few more things to them, since it was better than blindly traveling through Skyrim like they were travelers. Apparently there was an ongoing war between the Imperial Legion, who served the Empire and it's Emperor, and the local Stormcloaks, a rebellion whose leader just happened to be one of the Jarls who ruled over the land, one of nine to be exact, though the size of the provinces wasn't fair between all of them. Four of the Jarls were on the Legion's side, since the Empire also ruled over Skyrim, while at the same time four of the remaining five opposed them, standing with Ulfric Stormcloak and his forces, leaving one Jarl, who ruled the central province of Whiterun, as a neutral party. With that in mind the war was basically at a standstill, as both sides were trying to convince Jarl Balgruuf to join them so one side would have control of Whiterun, and gain the advantage over the other side, while the patrols that both sides sent out were more like scouting parties.

"Fortunately for us the soldiers don't care about bandits or thieves, they simply ignore us and go about their days like we're not even there." La'nari remarked, which explained why the patrol had basically ignored them, no doubt believing that they were just nobles and guards moving to another part of Skyrim, though she did glance back for a few moments to be sure no one was coming after them, "Though there are a few things that we do have to be careful of..."

"Including other bandits and some wild animals?" Capper inquired, which made sense when he thought about it, since it made sense for one group of bandits to steal from another that was moving through their land, which was why he kept an eye out for potential danger while they followed La'nari's instructions.

"You got it. By the way, take the next two rights, then a left when we near a stone bridge. Treva's Watch is where my clan has set up our base of operations." La'nari said, informing them that they had a few forks in the path to keep an eye out for, which was good to know since they were unfamiliar with this land, but as they continued down the road she seemed to think about something else as she glanced at the pair, "You know, since you guys are new to Skyrim, we might be able to use that to our advantage... no one knows who you are yet, so we might be able to present you are merchants and sell a bunch of our loot in one of the nearby cities, like Riften since it is the closest. I'm sure that Brurid and Bek-Kajin would be excited by the idea, since we could offload a lot of the stuff we steal without anyone realizing what's going on."

"I'm sorry, who?" Rarity asked, because while she was sure that they were leaders of the bandit clan they were going to be meeting soon, based on what the cat, a khajiit as she recalled what the race was called, she knew it would be best to ask so she and her companions didn't make fools of themselves when they finally reached Treva's Watch.

"Our leaders. They're the ones that brought us to the fort and lead us in overtaking it from it's previous owners... who, as I found out later, were another group of bandits." La'nari replied, where she realized that she hadn't told them anything about the two chiefs that served as the leaders of her clan, so Rarity's question made sense when she thought about it for a few seconds, all while Capper slowed the horse as a bear wandered into the wilderness ahead of them, as he wanted to make sure it didn't come at them, "Both can be a little harsh at times, when someone breaks one of the rules, but they're better bosses than some of the greedy businesses that we end up stealing from all the time."

"You speak as if you have experience in such a field. Bad guild?" Midnight inquired, as it made sense to her, a bad group or organization would cause such a response from the khajiit, though as she said that La'nari had Capper bring the wagon to a stop and they realized why not a few seconds later.

As it turned out there was a deer or elk nearby, one that the bear had ignored as it went off in search of something else, where she pulled her bow out and readied one of her arrows, allowing them to watch as she pulled her hand back as she focused on her target. In the next moment she let it fly and they watched as it struck the elk in the side, striking it in the heart since it fell over not a few seconds later, but once that was done she and Azure moved to collect the elk, as she felt that he was the best option to help her out, while Rarity did her best not to look at it. La'nari's reasoning for doing this was simple, she wanted to bring the rest of the clan some fresh food as well, and the elk had been the best thing she had seen so far, so the group did their best to move some of the crates out of the way to make room for it. As soon as the elk was in position Capper returned to his seat and got them underway once more, while the others focused on the road to be sure they didn't draw any attention to them.

After that La'nari confirmed Midnight's comment, that she had been a member of the local Thieves Guild for a few years, giving her a fair number of skills that she could fall back on, but eventually she left due to the fact that the entire guild had been dying before her eyes. She further explained what she meant by that by revealing that many of the jobs that their superiors ended up assigning, ranging from the simplest to even some of their heists, ended in failure despite all of the planning that went into them, resulting in thieves being caught and gold being lost, and a loss of clients as well. Of course there were still those who worked with the remaining thieves, a number of which still had some skill, but the truth of the matter remained, unless things turned around the guild would die in the near future and an entire way of life would cease to exist. La'nari also told them that she had maintained contact with a select few of the Guild's members, mostly so she could trade some of the more valuable goods that her clan collected for a decent amount of gold, but other than that the group found that she preferred to ignore the dying guild since there was nothing she could do to help them out.

Capper asked what she meant by that and the khajiit was silent for a few seconds, either because she was tired of talking or because she needed time to think, before she admitted that no one in the Guild knew what was going on, rather each person had their own thoughts on the matter. Some thought it was just a string of bad luck, some believed that those who were caught were just failures in general, and then there was the more outlandish theory that one of the Daedric Princes was angry with them for some reason. There wasn't much more La'nari could tell them about those beings, she never bothered to read about them like the mages and scholars of the world did, so if Capper or the others wanted to figure out more about them they would have to seek out other sources. All of that information was good for them to gain, since it let them formulate a plan in their minds about what to do after meeting the bandits, though at the same time La'nari asked the group about themselves, since this was the first time she had encountered creatures like Midnight.

Capper explained that they were from an island continent that was far away from Skyrim, brought here by a magical spell that none of them had been expecting to be hit by, and the reason La'nari had no knowledge of their existence was due to a magic mist that was keeping their home safe from potential attackers. It was a lie, of course, but he knew that La'nari wouldn't believe him if he told her that they were from another world that was different from this one, though fortunately she seemed to think about his statement and believed him without asking questions. He didn't want to lie to her, after all of the truthful things she had told them since meeting them, but this was for the best, since she had told them that she wasn't a scholar, so learning this sort of thing might keep her curiosity in check, especially since she thought they were all thieves. Capper also knew that the others might not approve of this, but when he spared the others a glance he found that Rarity was conflicted on what to think, Azure seemed to appreciate keeping their truth a secret, and Midnight simply nodded her head, agreeing with his decision since he was the best at what he did.

Such a thing allowed him to focus on the path that was in front of him, while the others simply relaxed while keeping an eye on their surroundings, even though they were also trying to find the fort that La'nari had mentioned, since it would let them know they were getting close to their final destination.

Other than the bear there wasn't much for them to worry about as they continued down the path that was in front of them, a fact that eventually brought them to the bridge that La'nari wanted them to use, where the ground quickly found that there was a large stone fort on the other side of the river that it crossed. Sure enough they found a few individuals standing on the walls and roofs of the structure, some wearing armor that was like what their khajiit friend was wearing, some wore just fur armor, and there were a few wearing metal gear, no doubt the ones who served as the warriors for the clan. Each of them were armed, that was easy to see since a few had bows and others appeared to have melee weapons, like swords or even axes, and some were suspicious of people that were coming towards their domain, but upon realizing that La'nari was with them the gate guards eased up and opened the main gate. While they did that, however, Capper noticed two people who seemed different from the rest, one that seemed to be a nord in some fine steel armor and had a battleaxe as his main weapon, while the other was a lizard creature, wearing the same armor, though he looked strong due to his buff body, and he had a brass greatsword on his back, or what Capper assumed was brass.

He had to assume that those two were Brurid and Bek-Kajin, the chiefs in charge of this bandit camp, though at the very least it seemed like they were pleased with what they were seeing at the moment, especially since the argonian jumped off the wall he was standing on and landed near them, without hurting himself in the process.

"La'nari, it is good that you have returned... and with new recruits, I trust?" Bek-Kajin commented, though the group found that he was definitely interested in them, despite the fact that the rest of the bandits were noticing what was resting in the back portion of the wagon, showing that while Capper and his friends were interesting, due to being unique, the bandits were more interested in the potential loot.

"Four novice thieves that managed to score a good haul, which we might be able to sell for once... and some food, since I know our stores were a little low earlier." La'nari replied, where she got up and helped the hunters of their clan lift the elk off the wagon so they could carry it inside the fort, while at the same time she found that Bek-Kajin was looking at some of the containers, opening one every now and then to see what was inside them, while Brurid joined them as a couple pieces of jewelry, rings and necklaces, were pulled out of one.

"We encountered two wandering nobles and their guard that weren't paying attention to their wagon, so, while they were focused on arguing, we calmed the horse down and made off with the goods." Capper said, because that was the basics of what they had done and hoped that no one asked for more details, since there wasn't anything else to add besides their lack of formal winter clothing, even though this area wasn't covered in snow and meant their current clothes would work for the time being, "We were talking with La'nari about the idea of slowly selling this stuff off, giving us gold for food and other items, which is what everyone wants, right?"

"You are as La'nari says... the girl is a novice, totally unsure of the world, but you? You, khajiit, are definitely a thief... and I like the idea." Brurid stated, showing them and the other bandits that he liked what he was hearing, in fact Capper could see the gears in his head turning as he glanced at more of the haul and those that were looking at it right now, before he focused on the group for a moment, "The dark one is a thief as well, you can see the look in her eyes, while the other is a warrior... a lookout, no doubt. What are your names?"

"I am Rarity, and this is my friend and teacher Capper." Rarity replied, because if the bandits were going to think that they were all thieves, and that she was the novice while Azure was the lookout, she figured that it would be best to go along with the story and not challenge them in the slightest, hence why she made sure to call Capper her 'teacher', "Along with his partner in crime, Midnight Rose, and our lookout, Azure Blade."

Capper found that the bandit leaders glanced at each other for a few seconds, clearly thinking about everything they had just learned, especially with the loot that had been brought to them, before they watched as the pair turned their focus back to them without delay.

"I see. For the time being the four of you will be working with La'nari, who will teach you the rules of our clan." Brurid said, showing them that he was more than willing to accept them into the clan without asking any questions, especially after the haul that had been brought to their fort, which was a good thing in his books since they didn't have to worry about proving themselves to the clan, "La'nari, do you still have your guild attire?"

"...Yeah... I do. You want me to take some of the items to Tonilia?" La'nari inquired, though Capper could tell that the name had to belong to someone in the Thieves Guild she had mentioned earlier, where it was hard to tell if she was dreading meeting up with an old ally or if she was indifferent to the entire thing.

"I do. I want to make sure these items are good for sale... and you might as well pick up some gear for these four." Brurid said, where it was easy for the group to see that he was imagining all the wealth that was inside the containers that were in front of him, something that might allow them to retire as lords if they lived to see all of it sold, "For now, you five ought to join the others in offloading the loot and store it in the storeroom for the time being, then you can show these our new friends to the rest area. Bek and I will determine what to send with you tomorrow."

The group nodded their heads for a moment before getting off the wagon as La'nari directed them to pick up some of the crates, which they did without delay, as she claimed one herself and the rest were picked up by a few more bandits, who proceeded to head inside the fort by using a side door near the lever that activated the main gate. Once they were inside the structure the group followed La'nari as she brought them to an area to set down their crates in, where they passed by an eating area, a kitchen of sorts, an area that some bandits were using to prepare the elk, and even an indoor training area. The khajiit told them that there were two other significant areas for them to know about, the first being the secret path that some of their fellows had been tasked with guarding, as their leaders were sure someone would come through there at some point and try to attack them, mostly since they might be assigned there at some point. The second area just so happened to be the bed chambers, where they and other members of their clan could sleep when they were off duty, even though there were all sorts of other things for them to do to improve their skills.

Along the way they found where to set down the crates and did so without delay, where La'nari assured them that the rest of the clan would stay away from them, as Brurid and Bek-Kajin ran a tight ship and wouldn't tolerate anyone stealing the loot that another had collected, especially since it would benefit all of them once everything was sold.

"Like I said earlier, we're fortunate to have them as our leaders." La'nari remarked, once more confirming that the pair that guided this clan were definitely well respected by everyone else, where Capper had to wonder if that included all of the other Bandit Lords that ruled over the various other forts and caves that were scattered across Skyrim, before she beckoned to the room she stopped near, "I know it isn't much, but I doubt you guys will be in this part of the fort for very long... after a haul like that I would expect either Brurid or Bek-Kajin to elevate all of you to a higher position in the clan."

"Won't that annoy some of the others who have been here for a lot longer?" Midnight asked, because passed on what she had seen in the past she knew that there were members of an organization, and could have been with them for years, who would get annoyed if a newcomer or group of newcomers suddenly shot by them in the rankings.

"Depends on the group, honestly. My former Guild, for example, didn't seem to care too much... but most of the clan will look the other way if our leaders decide to promote you." La'nari replied, once again telling the group that the clan really respected the pair, which was always good to see in Capper's eyes, before she rubbed the back of her head for a moment as she thought about what she needed to do next, "Now, if you would excuse me, I need to go make sure my former guild attire is ready for tomorrow."

Capper nodded and the group watched as their khajiit friend disappeared into the heart of the fortress once more, causing him to let out a sigh as he and the others moved towards the back of the room, to give them some space in case more of the bandits showed up to talk to them, though he highly doubted that since no one had followed them so far.

"I cannot believe we are doing this. Midnight, we are royal guards!" Azure stated, keeping his voice low so that only Capper and the others could hear him, since he knew that telling the bandits this information might cause them to attack the group before they could figure things out, but he couldn't contain his disbelief at everything that was going on right now.

"No, you aren't... not here, at least. We're strangers, and no one will believe us if we say we're from another world, much less a mythical land like Equestria." Capper said, where he could tell that Rarity was still staring at the beds while Midnight just nodded her head, though as he said that he found a large blade resting nearby, either iron or steel, he really had no idea, and dragged it out so Azure could grab it, who raised an eyebrow in the process, "Here, we're nobodies... you two aren't guards, Rarity's not a heroine, and I'm not someone who fought evil to save the day... as far as everyone else is concerned we are a band of thieves from an unknown and mysterious land. Based on how the other bandits have acted, they seem to take one's actions as their word, and we're shown that we have the skills to steal things... that means..."

"...that we're thieves." Azure finished, though he found that he hated how Capper seemed to understand everything that was going on right now and knew the situation they were in, before he was able to do so, causing him to let out a sigh of frustration as he grasped the handle of the weapon and took it from the cat.

"That's right. That means you and Rarity are stepping into my world, the one Midnight has some experience in." Capper continued, as he understood that this was going to be tough for both Rarity and Azure, especially since this meant that the latter had to fight on the other side of the law that he was used to being on, working as a criminal and not a royal guard, but this was the hand they had been dealt and they needed to deal with it, "Look, I will do everything in my power to teach you guys every trick and tactic I know, to make us into the group that we told the bandits about, and we must be careful, since one wrong move can likely ruin all of our hard work."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll do fine. I mean, we have one of the best teachers around, don't we?" Midnight remarked, where it was easy for Capper to see that she was perfectly fine with this set up, in fact she seemed to be at home with the idea of being a thief and him being their mentor, causing her to glance at Rarity for a moment as they noticed that she had been silent since entering the room, "You okay with this, Rarity?"

"Not really... do they honestly think we should be sleeping on these things? I can hardly call them 'beds'." Rarity said, because while she was still coming to terms with the fact that they were joining a bandit clan and were going to become thieves, at least for the time being, her immediate focus was on the terrible beds that were in front of them, a frame with what had to be straw as the bedding and fur as the covers, "We can fix this, right?"

"We'll probably get better beds once we get promoted to a higher position in the clan." Capper replied, since La'nari made a comment about them not being in this portion of the fortress for too long, if their leaders approved of their deeds and the profit their loot would bring them, making it easy for him to assume such a thing and calm Rarity down for the time being.

Despite Rarity's focus on the lackluster beds, and Azure having to get used to breaking the law for the foreseeable future, all Capper could do was smile as he found that he was eager to see what the future held in store for them and the rest of their new clan, since there was no telling what this world might have to offer them and what challenges it might throw at them in the near future.