As I followed the old mage, I was practically giddy. I bundled it all up inside though, plenty of time to celebrate my good fortune later. I've learned the hard way that even just whispering "Yes!" can turn a heist from a given success to a failure.
Once we were out of sight of everyone, I cut through an alley, ending up in front of him, and pretended to stumble and fall. As he stopped to help me up, I grabbed at him, pretending to just be reaching for a wall to help me up. As he stumbled, almost falling over, I glanced at him and said, pretending to be surprised, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Straightening up, I helped him get up with my hand, while detaching his coin purse with my other hand. "Are you okay?" He glanced at me irritably, saying he was fine, and stalked away, his legs stiff with annoyance.
While he went away I removed the staff on his back and quickly replaced it with a different stick I found that was roughly the same size. He felt this, and glanced back, only to see his staff still there. He looked at me, and seeing I had nowhere to hide the staff even if it was gone, he resumed putting distance between us, seeing me as just some sort of harmless klutz. Good thing he didn't look at his "staff" too closely, or notice the large rock next to me that was hiding the staff from his view.
After he was out of sight, I went to a sheltered spot by the walls of the city that I always use when counting up what I got after a theft. In truth, it isn't by the walls, it's in the walls. Half crumbling, one day I found out that some stones of the walls aren't connected at all, and there is a big pocket in one spot. Best of all, I'm hidden when moving the stones, and plenty of light is let in through the almost nonexistent top.
As I went in to my spot, the staff started to give off heat. Cursing, I dropped it, only to see it burst into flames. The flames lunged towards me, making me jump back with a yelp. The flames died down soon though, and the staff was unharmed.
I approached it, wary now. I put my hand on it, immediately pulling it back. Huh, no heat at all. I snatched it up, still very cautious lest it attempt to burn me alive again. The staff had a green glow to it, I wagered I could get 500 gold if I'm lucky. The staff is most likely worth much more then that, but no one is exactly leaping to buy magical items, and I was very eager to be rid of it. Hey, don't fire spells have a red glow?
Ah, whatever. I can't even cast a basic flames spell, trying to guess about magical items isn't my strength. Oh, forget the staff, it's time to look through his coin purse.
As I opened it, I saw no coins, just two amethysts, a ruby, a garnet, some soul gems, and a small spell tome. I was confused, until I realized what happened. I grabbed the wrong bag! Sure enough, holding it up to the ray of sunshine let in through the opening at the top of my hiding place, it become partially transparent. I'd never seen a bag do that, but at the moment I had other concerns.
The gems are worth at least 300 if I'm unlucky, 600 to 700 if I'm really lucky. The soul gems are likely worth 250. The spell tome's worth is harder to tell, since I have no way of telling what spell it is. It had a tree-like shape on the front, but I'll be damned if I know what that means. "If only I could read," I muttered, "Then I would know what it is." I didn't want to open it either, as I know that spell tomes are destroyed after being read, and I have no intention of not being able to read it and then having it burn up.
"I'll most likely get ripped off," I mused out loud, "But it will feed me." Happy, and looking forward to some slight relaxation, I set off to sell everything.
I went to Madesi first, showing him the jewels I got. "I know money is hard," I said, "But how much could I get for these?"
He thought for a few moments, before replying "430 gold."
I agreed, and handed them over. I didn't want to barter with Madesi, he doesn't even have a house. Whatever price I got was fine.
With me being practically rich when compared to before, I set out to Wylandriah, the court wizard of Riften. Entering the Jarl's palace, the guards eyed me wearily, but said nothing. I went over to her, and showed her the spell tome, soul gems, and staff.
She looked them over, then said "I was out for a walk earlier. I saw that mage. Why don't you go give his stuff back before I call the guards." At that moment, the old man walked in. She looked at him, before I nudged her and muttered "Look. He still has his staff, and his coin purse."
Thank the Divines the side where I cut his bag off was not facing us. Frowning, she reluctantly agreed to take the items for 3300 gold. I was rich!
The spell tome and staff must have been very valuable, the soul gems pale in comparison! I struck the jackpot! As I handed the staff and spell tome over, struggling to keep a straight face, the old man looked at me. He said "Can I speak with you for a moment?"
Then, I struggled to keep a straight face again. But this time it was because of fear. "Sure," I said, my voice cracking, "No problem." He gestured to take the staff, soul gems, and spell tome as well. The jarl and her steward did not see anything, occupied as they were by someone complaining of the poorness of the people in the city, requesting they be sent on their way, for, as he said, "We are better then them." I'll make sure to rob him, if I'm not thrown in jail, for the Jarl may not be paying attention, but the guards sure are. Gulping, I followed him outside, positive I was jail bound.
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