Skyrim's Ratways: A guide to Riften

Do you remember way back wheneverthatwas when I talked about how EXCITED I was to go to Riften?  Because I had heard so much about it and I need my jewels to be appraised!

My main purpose of coming to Riften though:  FINDING ESBERN.  In said post above I couldn't quite remember his name but he was important and YES, he is actually important.  He's the leader of THE BLADES, you know, those people who are supposed to protect and talk about the Dragonborn....and the Dragonborn.....who is that again? OH RIGHT! IT'S ME! HURRAY!

Off to Riften I go.  It is DARK and DREARY there.  It's like there's no moment where it's not foggy.  Riften is a pretty cool settlement because it's on a lake and there are all of these docks and A LOT of people.  I am looking at this picture and I'm like....huh.....I have not been to like half the places in that picture and I've been trolling around Riften for a long time....EFF.  Now I'm going to have to figure it all out.

Riften, as I've learned, is home to the Thieves Guild and there are MANY mixed emotions about this.  Some people are IN the guild so they're like yeah, werd, this shit is great, and others are like "GUILD PFFT, they don't have the right to be called that" or something similar.

I meet these two characters, Mjoll the Lioness and Aerin, and they are both seemingly good people.  Mjoll is pretty badass and kind of breaks down gender stereotypes because she's a well travelled warrior who got ill and was nursed back to health by Aerin who told her of the shit going down in Riften so she vowed to save the town.  She is not stoked on the thieves guild.  I hope she might be a contender for my love at some point...I would totally consider her as a life partner.

RIGHT, so I'm trying to find ESBERN, and peeps in the pub say I should check the RATWAYS.  SWA?  They are underneath Riften and a little freaky.  They tell me that THALMOR (seriously, these guys are ridiculous Elves...just give up already, I'm the DRAGONBORN) are running around the Ratways trying to find some person so I should be careful.  When am I not careful you guys?  I mean REALLY.

I don't know how I'm feeling about all of this creeping around.  Maybe I'm just feeling overwhelmed by HAVING TOO MANY QUESTS or because I am playing this game because I'm sad and unemployed.....or ALL OF THE ABOVE.  PLUS the ratway is skingy....like skingier than all of the caves I've been in.

BUT ALAS, INTO THE RATWAYS I GO!  Peeps were right there are Thalmor bitches everywhere.  WHATEVS, I'll shoot them with my arrows and my stealth-sneak-attackalack.

Esbern was hiding in a pretty secure little place with bolts on the door and the such.  Because that will keep him away from DRAGONS....right?  SO I told him....ESBERN........I am your father......KIDDING! I said I'm the DRAGONBORN and Delphine sent me so in other words, come with me if you want to live.

PHEW.  Now we have to go to some precious place called Alduin's Wall and I am a little nervous about that :S  TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!