Dragonborn Rising

Chapter 11 -- The Master

*****

It took two nights for us to finally crest the hill that would lead us to Riften. It was afternoon by the time we'd stabled our horses, and the first thing I wanted to do was see Haelga, as I knew she'd be worried sick about me. Karliah said she'd head down to the cistern, spread the news, and we'd all gather the next day for whatever happened next. She assured me, though, that by the end of the next day, I would officially be the Guild Master for the Thieves Guild of Skyrim.

And then I'd start laying down some of my own laws. Brynjolf and Karliah were aware of some ideas I had.

As soon as I walked in the door, Haelga ran and jumped into my arms, wrapping both arms and legs around me, little surprise she was tearful at the same time. I just held onto her as tightly, reassuring her I was absolutely fine and that I'd been caught up in something not to do with what I did for a living. Simply not letting me go, I proved my strength by managing to carry her upstairs, finally resting her arse on the table. "Haelga, I'm fine," I whispered again.

She lifted her head, a crooked smile on her face, her cheeks rather wet. "I was so worried when you didn't return after a few days. And with no word from anyone, I just assumed the worst."

Using a thumb to gently wipe each cheek, I said, "Let me give you the short version. Ever heard of the Forsworn?" She shook her head. "They're a bunch of natives to the west of Skyrim. Lot of shit going on over there. I got caught up in some sort of conspiracy. Lot of death. In the end, I had a few murders pinned on me and I was thrown in jail." That made her gasp. "I know, and I thought I was done for. But the leader of the Forsworn was in there with me, and I helped him and myself escape. A couple of friends had helped gather evidence of my innocence, and after a meeting with the jarl, I was declared innocent of all crimes. I returned straight here because I wanted out of that bloody city."

Now she smiled. "And you came straight to me?"

I cupped her cheek with my hand, watching her eyes close for a moment. "Where else would I go?"

It shouldn't come as a great surprise that our kisses turned into something else. As I'd interrupted her day, we couldn't exactly have a long lovemaking session in bed, but that didn't stop her undoing the belt and trousers to take out my cock, taking down her panties at the same time, and the groan I made as I slid inside her was probably heard all the way around Riften. But it wasn't a hard, fast fuck. I wanted to appreciate every moment I was inside her, as she still hadn't moved her legs from around me. I knew I wasn't going to last long, Karliah and I hadn't done anything on the way back to Riften, so it had been at least a couple of weeks. I let Haelga know, and she didn't care. She'd just missed me and stated that we'd have a much longer session that night.

My legs nearly gave out when I came, causing Haelga to giggle at my reaction. "Was it that good?" she wondered coyly. I just kissed her and growled in her ear that she was getting fucked hard that night. "Is that a promise?" she whispered into my ear.

"How about the Dibellan room?"

"Oh... Oh, yes, Ragnar! I've been thinking about that."

"Tonight then. I'll cook you a nice meal, we'll drink some wine, and all you need to do is come prepared."

She knew what I meant by that. "Am I going home sore tomorrow morning, Ragnar?"

"Would you like to?"

"I don't want to be able to sit down all day." Gods, I loved this woman. And the thought immediately made my cock start to harden. "Like that thought, Ragnar?" she breathed.

I teased her by pulling out, which made her moan with frustration. I smiled, wagging a finger in her direction. "Good things come to those who wait, Haelga."

Grabbing my cock, she pulled me back towards her. "Please," she pleaded quietly, placing it at her entrance. So I gently slid back inside her, feeling her legs immediately wrap around me again, her mouth eager for mine. There was no way I'd have another climax any time soon, so I knew it was for her. Running one of my hands along her legs, I slid it to where I could use my thumb on her clit. The first touch made her jolt up off the table, causing her to giggle, before she grabbed my hand, sucked on my thumb, then placed it back where it was.

She climaxed a few minutes later, holding onto me tightly as she moaned my name, complimenting me on many things at the same time. Then she had another little weep. "I was thinking it would never happen again," she whispered.

"I'm sorry." I genuinely felt it.

"It's okay. You kept your promise. You came back. It just took a little longer than expected."

We cleaned up a few minutes later, heading back downstairs, where Svana probably knew what we'd been up to but didn't make a big deal, simply saying hello to me. Haelga and I hugged again before I left, with her promising she would be at mine as soon as possible.

Heading straight to Riftweald after a quick stop at the market for supplies, I closed the door behind me, took a deep breath, then headed straight to bed. Not to sleep, simply to enjoy a soft mattress at my back for the first time in what felt like weeks. I did eventually have a nap, but only for an hour or two, waking up to see the sunset as I sat on the balcony with a glass of wine, taking in the sounds of Riften slowly winding down for the night.

Heading back inside once I could see stars in the sky, the first thing I needed to do was get dinner ready. I had meat ready to cook, some potatoes that I would mash and add herbs, and some fresh vegetables to add a little more flavour. I had a selection of wines that I now kept, and picked out one that I knew Haelga liked. I figured we'd probably eat half the meal at most before heading upstairs to fuck.

Haelga arrived a little later, knocking at my door. Upon opening it, she was a vision in red. It was a dress I'd had delivered to her a while ago, something Gulum-Ei had sent from Solitude. It was a strapless number that showed off her impressive cleavage, tight to her body at her hips and flowed down, the bottom just above her ankles. On her feet were a pair of red shoes, and she also carried a small red bag. Probably nothing in it, just to compliment her look. She'd done her hair and there were faint traces of make up on her face.

"Are you going to invite me in, Ragnar?" she asked, hiding her giggle.

Standing to the side, I gestured for her to come in. "Sorry. You just look..."

"Yes?"

I grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "Beautiful, Haelga," I said softly. The smile she returned was heart-meltingly sweet as I laid a soft kiss on her cheek.

Escorting her to the table, I sat her down and poured a glass of wine. She knew it was her favourite upon taking her first sip as I headed into the kitchen to finish dinner. Returning a few minutes later with a plate each, we ate mostly in comfortable silence. We both knew what was going to happen that night, so there was no point discussing it. And the only other topic would have been Markarth, which would have dampened the mood.

Haelga was hungry, as we did finish our meal, along with a couple of cups of wine. After clearing away the plates, I grabbed her hand and asked, "Sitting room or Dibellan room?"

"What do you think, Ragnar?"

We headed upstairs immediately.

The Dibellan room was full of all the instruments Haelga had told me about. There was a chest full of toys I could use on her, most which had to be specifically made and shipped to the house. There were manacles on the wall, where I could tie her there. There was a bench where I could manacle her wrists and her legs as she was bent forward. There was a swing I could put her in. There were chains from the room I could attach her too.

Walking into the room, she asked me to untie the back of her dress, unsurprised to see that, once it fell to the ground, she was naked. Turning towards me, she dropped to her knees without any hesitation. I caressed her cheek. "I love you," I said quietly.

"I love you," she said, "Now, are you going to take control, Ragnar?"

I smirked as I replied, "What do you think?"

Walking across to the chest of drawers, I opened one and had a look. Taking a long piece of black cloth, I wrapped that around her head, covering her eyes. The smile on her face suggested she liked that idea. "Just my other sensations now," she said.

As she sat there on her knees, waiting for whatever came next, I quickly undressed myself. When she felt my cock prod her lips, she wasted no time opening her mouth, and she eagerly tried to take my length as quickly as possible. She did use one of her hands but I told her not too. "Bind them," she suggested.

Walking back to the drawers, I took out a leather strip and bound her hands together behind her back. Back in position, now she could only use her mouth on me. I wasn't going to start out hard straight away, though I could have face-fucked her and she'd have enjoyed it. No, we would start sedate and ramp up as the night went along. But she was going to take a mouthful to start with, as the quicker I came, the longer I would last next time.

But I didn't warn her, and she squealed when she felt the first hot blast, but she greedily swallowed it down, wanting more. As I said, I really loved this woman. Withdrawing from her mouth, she looked up at me blindly, no doubt sensing where I was. "Did you like that, Ragnar?"

"Haelga, you know how good you are."

"Whatever I can do to please you, Ragnar."

Helping her to her feet, I led her towards the bench. Lying her down on her front, I unbound her hands from behind her back but attached them to the manacles, doing the same with her ankles. I could see the excitement in her body language as I returned to the chest of drawers. Grabbing what I wanted, I walked back to her and ran it along her back. "Is that what I think it is?" she whispered.

"It is. Now, I'm thinking I start soft and get harder. And I'm thinking... ten. How does that sound?"

"Will you fuck me right after?" she breathed, the excitement in her tone exciting me at the same time.

"Of course," I said, reaching forward to caress her cheek before I got in position. Her arse and pussy were completely exposed, her pussy glistening with the excitement she was already feeling. I couldn't help myself, bending down for a quick taste of her before I ran the riding crop down from her neck to her arse, before I gave her a soft stroke across her cheeks.

"Count them," I demanded.

"One!" she said.

"Louder!" I said as I used it slightly harder.

"Two!" she cried.

"Louder again!" The next one did leave a slight red mark.

"Three!" she near screamed.

"Better," I said, striking her again. I could see the shudder go up her body. No doubt it hurt, but she had explained it all. She absolutely loved it at the same time.

With each strike, a little harder than before, she counted it off. By eight, her arse was red, amazed at the fact she didn't cry out at all. In fact, after six, she was demanding I strike her harder still. I held back slightly, figuring if I hit her with all the power I had in my right arm, I'd make her bleed. And I didn't want that... though, to be honest, I'm not sure about her. After ten, I put the crop in her mouth before I slid inside her. She lasted a couple of minutes before she had one hell of a powerful orgasm, the sort which left you little more than an exhausted heap.

Wasting little time, I grabbed the bottle of oil we both now kept and poured some on her body. I was no expert, but Haelga had given me pointers on an effective massage, and as she was now completely relaxed, I ran my hands up and down her body, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin. I eventually started to oil up her arse, teasing her little hole. She reacted, trying to lift herself so I'd do something.

"You want it there?" I wondered.

"You know I do, Ragnar. I've been thinking about it all day."

I used my tongue first, and Haelga found the manacles slightly frustrating. Once I slipped my first finger into her, she moaned loudly, quickly asking me to add another one. A third one was added soon after that too, though I was only getting her ready. She was quickly begging for something else, so after lubing myself up, I placed the head of my cock at her rear entrance.

Part of me knew I could ram it in and she'd make no complaint. In fact, it would hurt, but she'd enjoy it. So while I wasn't as gentle as normal, I wasn't a complete bastard, but once I had my length inside her, I bent forward, placing a hand on each shoulder. "Ready?" I asked quietly.

"Gods yes, Ragnar. I have one request. Ruin me."

My first few thrusts were slow but hard, hearing her grunt and noticing her wince, even with the blindfold. But she cried 'Yes' quietly after each one, with no suggestion whatsoever for me to stop. So I went a little faster, still just as hard, and that seemed to make her even happier. "Dibella loves me, Ragnar. She's given me you."

"Remember to let me know if it gets too much."

"You'll cum before I say stop, Ragnar."

That sounded like a challenge, so I changed my position ever so slightly. Haelga felt it and I could see the smile on her face. "Am I getting properly fucked now?"

My reply was what I did next. But Haelga still loved every second, screaming out her delight as I rammed my cock deep into her arse over and over again. And considering my size, I could only be impressed at how she managed it. She was right though, she managed to take it for longer than I could fuck her, as despite the pounding she took, I felt my climax arrive quicker than she even began to suggest she wanted me to stop. Letting her know I was nearing the end, she simply smiled and told me to finish where it was expected.

I collapsed on top of her once I was empty. She could still move her head, and managed to kiss my cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

I took a couple of minutes to recover before I undid the manacles to her wrists and ankles, grabbing a towel so we could clean up the mess. Taking off her blindfold, the look in her eyes when she looked into mine was one of absolute love and devotion. "What would you like to do next?"

"Now is the time for us to go to bed and make love, Ragnar. We'll keep it short this first time. We'll build it up as time goes by."

The next hour was a complete contrast to what just occurred. I was incredibly soft and gentle with her, and I made sure that, this time, I brought her to climax time and again. After we made the softest, most tender love possible, she fell asleep in my arms, moulding herself into my body. Her last words before she fell asleep were that she couldn't remember being happier.

To be honest, neither could I.

*****

Heading into the Flagon, the first person to see me was Vex. She wished me good morning, and appeared to be in a good mood. Wondering why, she called me an idiot, suggesting I was the reason, though didn't clarify what she meant by that. She laughed at the expression on my face, letting me know everyone else was in the cistern.

Brynjolf and Karliah were obviously waiting for me to arrive, because as soon as they saw me, the ceremony began. There was no spectacular handing over a sceptre or anything. The three of us simply stood in the middle, surrounded by the Guild, as Karliah announced that I would be the new Guild Master of Skyrim, and that if anyone had a problem with that, they should speak now and lay down a challenge to my rule.

No-one did. In fact, most were quite vocal about the fact it was a bloody good idea. I thought it slightly strange that I was probably the youngest there, certainly a lot younger than Karliah or Brynjolf, yet both seemed quite happy that it would be me that would take the reins. Karliah insisted she would just do the occasional bit of thievery, but that she would spend most of her time at Nightingale Hall. As for Brynjolf, I made him my second, and he would run things when I wasn't there. I didn't plan on being away too often, only if I was to be gone for longer than usual.

Since it was all agreed, I asked them all to be quiet, sharing a glance and nod with Karliah and Brynjolf. Vex and Delvin were also aware of what I was about to say. They were not as happy, but understood where I was coming from.

"Right, I'm sure all of you are used to the way Mercer used to do things. But if we're going to use that arsehole as a yardstick, I won't be much of a leader. No, for those of you who don't know, I once worked with the Thieves Guild of Cyrodiil, and they still worked by the teachings of the Grey Fox. Have you all at least heard of him?"

Most nodded. One or two hadn't but that wasn't important, and the others could fill them in with the details. "Okay, so while we're all Thieves here, we all want to make coin, get rich, and hopefully retire to wherever you dream. But there will be some new rules for how we operate. And I'll put it like this. If you don't like them, the door is there and you may leave."

I looked across the group, gauging their reaction so far. They all stayed silent.

"Rule one. All those people you see living on the streets. The homeless. The beggars. The desperate. They should be our allies. They should be the people we look to for help. And in return for that help, we look after them. I know for a fact that hasn't happened, even with those who live in Riften. Trust me on this, having these people as allies will only be of benefit to the Guild. So, whenever you're next in Windhelm or Solitude, get in contact with these people, let them know the Guild is looking out for them.

Rule two. We no longer steal from those less fortunate than ourselves. We shouldn't be robbing people of their last septim. Yes, we're thieves, but there is still a sense of honour to what we do. And, let's face facts, we don't just steal. There have been jobs all of us have done that had little to do with thievery. So I have a motto that we will adhere to. Rob from the rich, give to the poor. No, we're not going to start handing out our coin to every single poor person across Skyrim. But it will be a minor reallocation of some of the wealth in this country.

Rule three. Quite simple, really, and there a few sub-rules. Don't get caught. Don't steal from the Guild. Definitely don't steal from each other. Don't fall out with each other. And definitely don't try and undermine my rule. If you have a problem, speak to either Devlin, Vex or Brynjolf. If it's vitally important, come talk to me. I won't micromanage, I don't want to know all your plans. But just don't fuck it up and put the entire Guild in hot water.

You agree to all that?"

Again, a sea of nodding heads. I didn't think they'd be entirely happy, but they now knew where I stood regarding what I expected. None of us were particularly good people. We were thieves, after all. But as I'd told Brynjolf the very time we met, I did believe in honour among thieves.

"Okay, that's all I have to say. Thank you for readily accepting my rule. And I can only hope that it's much better than the previous bastard."

"Here, here!" they all called, and after a round of handshakes, they split up, only Vex, Delvin, Karliah and Brynjolf staying with me.

"Any major plans?" Brynjolf asked.

"Yes, a couple. Delvin, I want you to see if you can get in touch with anyone from the Guild in Cyrodiil."

"I'll do what I can, boss, but we haven't heard from anyone outside of Skyrim for decades."

"I figured, but if we can forge a link between our two Guilds, then the flow of coin and goods will only help us. There are some businesses out there ripe for the taking, and plenty of people in Cyrodiil with coin they probably won't miss. Karliah, will you be interested in Nightingale recruits?"