The Edged Lexicon Ch. 01: Discovery

This is the first installment in a multi-chapter series, which explores the adventures of original character Nadine Rielle as she delves deeper into her own sexual discovery. It features themes of BDSM/kink, voyeurism/exhibitionism and group sex throughout, and any other relevant stuff will be tagged per chapter. Massive thanks to PastMaster for editing this for me, and the good people at Bethesda for providing me with smut fodder. Feel free to leave any feedback and hope you enjoy!

***

Sitting at the dark, candlelit table of a bustling tavern, Nadine Rielle finished her second bottle of mead, picking idly at the label as she waited for the stranger to arrive. As she listened to the sounds of her busy surroundings; fellow patrons reveling in merriment, a bard singing songs of victory and valour, pots and pans clattering in the kitchen; she steadied her nerves, preparing herself for the meeting.

She was no stranger to adventure; in fact, for as long as she had been an adult, she had been travelling across Tamriel in search of new and exciting lands, eventually leaving her homeland of High Rock to explore Skyrim. She'd learned how to keep her blade sharp and readied from the stalwart warriors of Ancient Nord steel and the mysterious and deadly swordsmen of Hammerfell. She'd picked up tricks on how to melt into the shadows from an old Shadowscale (an assassin, to be sure, but notable for being far and away the kindest and most gentle spirited acquaintance she'd come across in her travels). She'd visited the College of Winterhold to have a look through some of their rarer tomes and briefly hone her arcane skills and stopped by Solitude's Bard's College to gain some more knowledge and appreciation of the arts of poetry, music and storytelling. She'd also picked up tricks from a group of Khajiit rogues on how to pick locks and gain entry into places she shouldn't, which is the particular set of skills that were being called on by the stranger she was about to meet - a man by the name of Brynjolf, known for being one of the higher ups within the Thieves Guild.

Working with rogues, breaking and entering...these were not areas of adventure she was especially familiar with, but the reward in question was too tantalising to pass up. The opportunity to see it in the flesh alone was enough.

"Good evening, lass. I'm guessing you're Nadine."

She looked up, slightly taken aback by the gorgeously soft-spoken accent - not loutish or rough as she realised she had somewhat snobbishly suspected, but also not arrogant or smug either. It was somehow both masculine and gentle at the same time. She was even more surprised when she saw who the accent belonged to - a well built, but not overly imposing Nord man, with gorgeous long, red hair and piercing blue eyes. For a moment, she forgot about the entire premise of their meeting completely, thinking only about how devastatingly handsome this man in front of her was.

"Uhh...yes, that's me." Then, after a pause slightly longer than it should have been, she responded, "Brynjolf?"

"That's the one." he grinned, taking her hand, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Nadine replied, hoping she wasn't blushing furiously.

"What's your poison?"

"Pardon?" Nadine looked at Brynjolf with an expression of puzzlement.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh! Yes, please. I'll have a Honningbrew."

"Hmm, interesting choice," Brynjolf remarked, eyebrow raised, and mouth curled up in a cheeky smile. "I'd have had you down as drinking fancy wines."

"I'm fond of both. No sense limiting yourself to just one when you could drink deep of all life's experiences." Nadine stated in uncharacteristically bold fashion. Then, feeling this previous statement may have been a bit too forward, added hastily, "Plus, tonight felt like a mead sort of evening."

"Full of surprises already, aren't you?"

As Brynjolf went to the bar, Nadine wondered if another drink was a brilliant idea or a terrible one. She was already feeling the last two going to her head. On one hand, it gave her some much needed courage; bolstered her a bit. On the other hand, it made her feel giddy. Especially around this gorgeous, charming stranger. There was something about him that made her want to abandon all decency and lose herself in his hair, his body, his...

"Here you go, lass," Brynjolf said as he sat the bottle of mead down on the table in front of Nadine, catching her off guard. "Now, let's talk business."

***

Nadine had struggled to maintain composure throughout the remainder of her and Brynjolf's meeting, as they went over the details of the job. The object in question was an ancient tome of Daedric knowledge known as the Edged Lexicon. It wasn't a Daedric artifact as such, but had almost as much value as one. It was an original copy, and Brynjolf could fetch a very high price for it on the black market. Before he did so, however, Nadine wished to pore over the contents herself, gaining her own value from the book in the form of forbidden, arcane knowledge. She also suspected that it may be written in the Daedric alphabet and knew that, if she could find someone to help her translate it, her notes on the book alone could be worth something. It was a mutually beneficial agreement; one which they were both satisfied with.

Nadine looked over the details of the job once more.

"Seems easy enough," she thought, "might as well strike while the iron's hot."

Normally, she would have considered this sort of behaviour foolhardy. As a general rule, she didn't mix alcohol and work. Tonight, feeling much more brazen in her haze of mead and desire, she let her impulsiveness override her usually cautious nature.

Arriving at the location marked on the map Brynjolf had given her, she stealthily crept around to the back of the house, her eyes skirting around to check for any unexpected surprises; mercenaries, traps or skeevers, and was thankful to find none awaited her. She climbed up the balcony stairs and picked the second storey door lock with relative ease.

As she entered the house, she listened carefully for any potential threats and found none. She needn't have worried about this job. Honestly, she was surprised one of the members of the Thieves Guild hadn't handled the breaking and entering part of the operation, but she was being paid for it, so she didn't really care.

With bated breath, she crept further into the dwelling, she passed shelves well stocked with wine bottles and wheels of cheese, considering taking a few for the road before telling herself,

"No, you're not actually a thief. You're here for the book, and that's it. Behave yourself."

As she slowly paced the floorboards of the bedroom, she kicked herself for her somewhat relative morality, deciding that some bread and cheese would be bloody brilliant right now.

There it was. The display case, with the book very much inside. The lock appeared to be a little different on this case. Instead of having a keyhole, it was similar to the Ancient Nordic locks she had come across on her tomb explorations, only this time it was emblazoned with Daedric symbols.

"Ah," she thought, "this is why they sent me."

Relishing the thought of a good puzzle, she got to work, cracking the code in minutes. She inhaled deeply, taking in the musky, mysterious scent of an ancient tome - one of her favourite smells - before placing the book in her knapsack and getting ready to make her escape.

Nadine heard something. A mercenary, perhaps? No, it sounded like...slapping. Wet, like horker flesh. She thought she could hear voices, from outside the bedroom door. Then, the sound of a woman...moaning?

She knew she should leave, but something inside her compelled her to open the door and see what was on the other side.

Barely breathing, and as stealthily as she could, she inched the door open, revealing a mezzanine balcony overlooking the house's living area, which seemed to be where the noises were coming from. Peering downwards, she could make out a hearth, long dining table, two large, luxurious armchairs, and what looked to be a long, leather lined bench. She couldn't make out the figures of any people but could certainly hear them - now recognising the sounds as unmistakably carnal in nature.

Blushing furiously, she knew she was now definitely intruding; what was happening in the room below was something she was decidedly not meant to witness. Something about the entire situation; the happenings of the evening, the charismatic, roguish stranger, the liquid courage she'd imbibed encouraged her to delve further. She wanted to behave in ways she normally wouldn't, in ways she knew she shouldn't. Her whole body surged with hungry, impulsive energy, willing her to explore the dark sides of her own needs, as she felt the heat and wetness between her legs grow. She wondered briefly if the book was filled with some sort of dark Daedric energy as she skulked further along the mezzanine, eager to get a look at what was happening below.

Gaining a suitable vantage point, she spotted a large, robust four poster bed near the back of the room, the sturdy hardwood posts snaking up to almost meet the balcony. On the bed, she saw three figures - a Redguard man, dark and striking, with a shaved head and full, thick beard, his body beautifully muscular and toned; a stunningly deep skinned Imperial woman, whom she was sure she recognised, with honey toned hair that currently draped down to her plump, pendulous breasts, her figure curvaceous and feminine yet toned and strong; and an enormous figure of a Nord male, also seeming familiar to her, imposing and extremely muscular, dark haired, bearded and hirsute. As the Redguard was pistoning in and out of the Imperial woman's opening, she was using her mouth to pleasure the Nord man - a feat in itself, Nadine marveled, as he was rather well endowed. Grabbing her honeyed locks, he thrust himself in and out of her, seemingly using her mouth as another hole, while the Redguard fondled her supple hips and buttocks and continued to pound into her roughly.

Nadine had never seen such depravity. She had also never been so turned on in her life. Allowing her own hands to wander slightly, she bit her lip, revelling in the naughtiness of it all. She wished that Brynjolf was here with her now, to share in the smutty tableau that lay below, to create their own version. Her breathing grew shallower, more ragged. She stretched out, attempting to readjust herself.

Creak.

Nadine froze as she heard the sound, noticing the people below hear it, too. Shit. The Nord man was the first to react, his head turning in Nadine's direction.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

Their eyes met, if only for a second, Nadine now recognising exactly who the man was. Panicked, she cloaked herself and disappeared into the shadows, running as fast as she could from the scene of the crime.

By the time Ulfberth War-Bear reached the top of the balcony to investigate, she was long gone.

***

Nadine galloped for miles, eventually stopping at the most remote looking inn she could find hoping nobody had followed her. She still had to meet with Brynjolf to confirm she had obtained the book, which she was dreading. Technically she had got the item, but she was fairly sure she had been caught, which she knew wasn't exactly good for business. Anyway, she decided she could worry about that in the morning, and at least attempt to get a good night's sleep. She considered having a nightcap, but ultimately decided against it, reasoning that drink was what got her caught in the first place.

Settling into the basic but comfortable room, she washed off as much of the day's grime as she could at the washbasin, trying to calm her jangling nerves. She couldn't shake the myriad feelings tumbling around her head, nor could she shake the memory of the liaison she had witnessed. With her intense nervousness mingling with her shame and arousal, she eventually drifted off into a fitful and erotically-charged sleep.

Nadine awoke early the next morning with the sun beaming through her window, hearing the birds sing outside. She was frustrated to find that she was even more restless than she had been the night before and equally as nervous. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins, and she was still plagued by the burning desire that lay between her legs. Throwing on her clothes with reckless abandon, she set out with the same impulsivity she had shown the night before, deciding that if she was going to be under any fire from Brynjolf or the Thieves Guild for bungling the job, she might as well get it over with.

"First things first," she thought, "I should really have a proper wash."

She followed a nearby river upstream until she reached a waterfall, secluded enough to make a perfect bathing spot. Removing her clothes and folding them neatly, she sat them in a hollowed-out tree trunk, alongside her knapsack and boots. No stranger to bathing in semi-public places, the nature of her adventuresome spirit meant that she often had to improvise when it came to sleeping and bathing arrangements. Nadine had relied on whatever the land could provide and she enjoyed being so at one with nature. She breathed in the clean, countryside air, admiring each note of its distinctive scent, rich with grass and earth and hints of nearby lavender.

Feeling the sun kiss her naked skin, she confidently walked into the pool, adjusting quickly to the feeling of the cool water against her feet and legs. Wading in further, the water reaching her knees, she reached the waterfall and strolled in headfirst, letting the cold stream cascade down across her body. Yelping out in shock at the cold and the impact, her discomfort turned to mirth, and she let out peals of sweet laughter, revelling in the feeling.

Normally she would bathe as quickly as possible, eager to get on with the day's escapades, but today she felt different. Yesterday's dangerous, nervous energy still flowing through her, she felt a thrill from being nude outdoors that she usually didn't experience. She wanted to take her time a little, to savour the feelings she so often denied herself. Tilting her head back, she felt the water run through her dark, flowing hair, cascading down her shoulders as she combed through the locks with her fingers. The rivulets of water traced the rest of her body, as her hands followed - her gorgeous, plump breasts, skin soft and pale, beautifully complemented by rosy, protruding nipples, like ripe berries ready to be picked. Her stomach, petite yet round, with a little paunch (something Nadine had always smiled fondly at, finding it both adorable and a friendly reminder of her love of Breton cuisine), framed by her gloriously curvaceous, feminine hips and strong, well-toned thighs, evidence of her years of horse riding. Her perfectly round, well-padded bottom, bouncing, fleshy and wonderful, her delicate mound like a lush growing garden with the dewy secretions of her own excitement collecting on the petals of her divine sex.

Hot and bothered, but clean (relatively speaking), Nadine dried herself off as best she could and carefully got dressed, taking care not to snag her stockings or in any other way look as if she'd just bathed in a waterfall. Granted, it was Skyrim during the Fourth Era, so she doubted it was an uncommon practice, but she didn't want to have any cause to look unprofessional - at least, not any more unprofessional than she was already. Climbing atop her steed, she set off to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun, where she'd been ordered to rendezvous with Brynjolf when the job was complete.

When she arrived, the bustle of lunchtime was just beginning. Making her way through the kitchen and up the stairs, she knocked the door of the room Brynjolf had told her he would be in.

"Come in," his voice responded, cooly. She knew already that this could not be good news.

"Good afternoon, Brynjolf. I managed to procure the book we were after, in one piece," Nadine said, hoping this would somehow overshadow the other, rather major transgression. It didn't.

"So I heard. Unfortunately, so did Adrianne Avenicci and Ulfberth War-Bear, the owners of the book. You didn't exactly make a quiet escape, and now the two of them are at my throat because, while they don't know who you are, they know that you're associated with my outfit and that makes me culpable."

Nadine gulped. "I'm sorry, Brynjolf. I didn't mean for you to be the one responsible, I can go back and explain myself-"

"That's going to do little to take the heat off me, lass. Admirable in other circumstances, maybe, but it's not going to wash here."

Brynjolf continued. "Now, while I was busy admiring the business end of Ulfberth's battleaxe, I got the impression that perhaps you'd seen something you shouldn't have. Is that correct?"

Nadine's face flushed furiously as she slowly nodded.

"Tell me what you saw."

What? This was not a contingency she had planned for at all. Mouth open and body burning with humiliation, she attempted to form the words.

"They...together, with a Redguard stranger...on a bed-"

"Blazes, lass, I thought Bretons were meant to be masters of Speechcraft. Tell me every single detail of what you saw."

Nadine squirmed, unable to believe that she was reliving the embarrassment of being caught in the act by being forced to explain each explicit detail to the man in front of her.

"I saw Adrianne and Ulfberth, with a Redguard man, a stranger. They were all on a large, four poster bed at the foot of the large living area in the homestead."

"Oh? So not in the bedroom where the book was, then?"

Bloody thief didn't miss a trick.

"Er, no...once I'd retrieved the book, I heard noises, and wandered into the homestead further to investigate. That's when I saw it...when I saw them."

A cunning, devious smile forming on his lips, Brynjolf remarked, "Hmm, so this particular discovery wasn't entirely accidental, then? Your curiosity got the better of you?"

Staring steadily at the floor, Nadine nodded.

"Maybe you're not quite the sweet, innocent maiden I took you for." Brynjolf's voice was tinged with a dark, seductive tone - as if willing Nadine to go on, to tell him her deepest, dirtiest truths. She was already starting to lose her head once again; the profound humiliation she felt mingling with her intense feelings of arousal and desire, drawing her deeper into their perilous game.

"I saw the three of them on the bed. Adrianne was in the middle - she was pleasuring her husband with her mouth while the Redguard stranger was thrusting into her, um, opening."

"That's an okay way of putting it, but I think we can do better," Brynjolf purred, "I would say 'Ulfberth was fucking Adrianne's mouth with his cock while the Redguard was furiously fucking her cunt'."

Nadine gasped slightly at the coarseness of the language, while realising that it did in fact suit the tone of the actions much better.

"Try saying that instead, lass."

She swallowed, cringing slightly at having to say such vulgar terms, then spoke:

"Ulfberth fucked Adrianne's mouth with his cock while the Redguard stranger furiously fucked her cunt."

"Much better. Sounds like you got quite the eyeful, eh?"

Once again, Nadine nodded, cheeks blazing.

"Bet you must've been pretty hot and bothered by that scene, eh lass?"

At this point, she was fairly certain she was about to burst into flame at any moment. This question, above all others, was especially probing. Why should Brynjolf need to know this? She was shaken to her core. Suddenly, she had the jarring realisation that physically, absolutely nothing was forcing her to be here. The door was situated directly behind her, so escape wasn't an issue. Brynjolf's manner, while commanding, wasn't menacing or sinister, and as her eyes travelled south and glanced at his ever growing bulge, his arousal matching her own, she realised the very powerful force that has been compelling her to stay. This was not something that went unnoticed, and he decided to make a move to test Nadine's limits.