They had only gotten a short way into Ivarstead when Dardeh heard someone behind them, making no attempt to disguise the sound of their running. They turned just as the slight figure slowed, panting, just in front of Roggi.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said, reaching into the pouch slung across his body. “I’ve got something for you. Your hands only. Let’s see here. Ah, here it is. A letter from Riften. I guess that’s it.”
Roggi took the folded page from the boy and began reading. Dardeh handed him a few coins and thanked him, sending him on his way. He broke into a trot again, heading north for a rough path that followed the river toward the tundra of Eastmarch.
“What’s it say?” he asked as he stowed his coin purse.
Roggi looked up, his mouth in a half-smile. “It’s from Delvin Mallory. He wants me to come to Riften. He thinks he might have a lead on Dag.”
“Seriously? That’s great news!” Then he stopped short. “Explain to me why it is that Delvin Mallory is sending you this particular request?”
Roggi chuckled. “Did I not tell you that he has one of the best networks in Tamriel? And that we’ve met each other and talked? We sort of talked shop a bit.”
“Yeah, you did tell me that,” Dardeh murmured. “So….”
“So we made an agreement just before I left Riften. Bryn really wasn’t up to it at the time so the two of us decided to put our ears to the ground. Whoever heard something first would send a note to the other. And apparently Delvin has heard something while I’ve been otherwise occupied,” he said with a chuckle. “We need to get down there, Dar. Besides, it’s about time you met Brynjolf at last, don’t you think? Now that we have the truce worked out we can take a little bit of time for you, can’t we? It’s going to take Balgruuf time to get himself and his entourage back to Whiterun anyway.”
Dardeh could scarcely believe what he was hearing, but he nodded vigorously. “You bet we can. We’ll rest up here and head out in the morning.”
Roggi nodded. “Sold.”
They walked toward the inn, Roggi musing aloud. “Wonder what he found. I thought I had checked all the obvious sources and I know he had. He was well into diving deep by the time I left…”
Dardeh shook his head. “I still can’t quite get used to the idea of you doing this sort of work.”
Roggi looked up from the page and gave Dardeh a sly grin. “I know, I don’t really look the part. That’s kind of the point, though.”
“You really don’t. Well, I suppose I shouldn’t talk. Sometimes I look at my life and wonder whether it’s really the one that belongs to the guy who used to dig rock in Markarth.”
Roggi stopped walking for a moment and turned to face him.
“Wait just a second before we go inside. I need to tell you something. Do you have any idea how good it is that I have been able to share all this with someone? Not have to pretend to be someone else?”
“Is it?”
Roggi nodded. “It really is, Dar,” he said softly. “I’ve had to pretend for ten years. More than that, really, because I had to pretend while I was working with Ulfric. I even had to pretend with Briinda so that she wouldn’t find out about the uglier pieces of business. My oldest friend knows nothing of it. Dag knows about my family, Bryn knows that and knows I have some specialized skills. Delvin knows that I have contacts. But nobody except you knows everything. It’s really special. Thank you.”
Dardeh just smiled.
“You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’ve been with me through all this, regardless of what you did or didn’t do before we met each other. Couldn’t possibly have done it alone.”
Roggi grinned. “Always underestimating yourself. You know what else is really something, though? None of us would know each other if not for your sister. I wouldn’t ever have met Brynjolf or Delvin – or you. So even if we all want to individually strangle her, well, we have plenty to thank her for, too.”
Dardeh smiled at him. “You don’t really want to strangle her, Roggi. I saw how you were looking at her when I first met you.”
Roggi frowned, and shrugged. “Well, that was then and this is now. But you’re right, I don’t want to strangle her. Not really. Nor any other ugly thing. I’m certain Brynjolf doesn’t, either. He may be angry, but he wants her back. Not so sure about Delvin, though.”
They laughed, and went to get a room at the inn.
—–
They took their time getting to Riften, in part because it was a rare stretch of beautiful weather and in part because Dardeh just didn’t want to hurry. Everything had been life-or-death for months on end and, while in many ways it still was so, the negotiated truce meant that for however short a time Alduin would not be getting the souls of more soldiers to increase his own strength. Dardeh felt as though he needed a moment, a deep breath, a casual stroll down the banks of the river on a sunny day with his best friend, to restore his own soul.
But he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“What do you think it means?” he mused aloud, frowning.
“What does what mean?”
Dardeh looked out over the field grass moving with the breeze, the deer and rabbits running along the edge of the water. Could this really all come to an end if he failed? All the people he’d met in Solstheim, and before that in Hammerfell and High Rock, all the people he’d met and come to love – and even hate – here in Skyrim, all of them just vanish? All of their struggling, and succeeding, and hoping for thousands of years – would it all be for nothing?
“Esbern said that Alduin was feeding on the souls of the soldiers who have died. I’m sure he must have gotten that from his books of prophecies. Do you think the souls are – gone? Destroyed? Or does Alduin just have them trapped somehow and they’ll be free to go to Sovngarde if I can kill him? What do you think?”
Roggi sighed. “I don’t know what to think, Dar. Every religion says something different about souls and dying. I don’t know whether it’s something that actually happens or just… a way of describing things we don’t really understand.”
“What if I fail? What if I can’t stop Alduin?”
He was surprised when Roggi reached over to pat him on the back.
“I think… that if you can’t stop Alduin, we will be no worse off than we were before you tried. And at least you will have tried. Like a true Nord. That’s what I think.”
They walked together in silence for a time. Then Roggi spoke again.
“And I think that you must be the bravest man I’ve ever met, to have something like that on your shoulders and keep going. I wasn’t just making noise when I told Ulfric that.”
Dardeh shut his eyes for a moment and tipped his face up to the warmth of the sun. He opened them, looked at Roggi and smiled.
“Thank you. I don’t know what else to say except thank you.”
A movement off to the side, past Roggi, caught his attention.
“Watch out!”
Roggi turned and drew his sword, and Dardeh drew his, as the assassin closed in on them. Roggi stepped backwards, just enough that the man missed him and lunged just slightly off-balance toward Dardeh.
Dardeh growled and stepped into the man, slashing with his scimitars, then whirling with a single backhanded stroke that neatly lopped the man’s head off and sent it careening off the road and down toward the river.
Roggi sheathed his sword and knelt to examine the headless body. “A note,” he said, pulling it out of a pouch on the man’s bandolier. “Dark Brotherhood.” He stood up and ripped the note into pieces, then looked at Dardeh. “I’m getting really tired of them. One of them attacked Dag when I was travelling with her, and now this. Who wants you dead?”
Dardeh frowned. “Elenwen, I would imagine. She sent one after me the first time I was in Riften, in addition to the group of Thalmor who were already there looking for us. That also ended poorly for the assassin.” He took a deep breath. “I’m getting tired of it, too. Can’t even walk down the road. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
_____
Dardeh hadn’t anticipated ever going back into the Ratway after leaving it with Esbern in tow, but that was where he found himself, following along behind Roggi. It didn’t impress him any more than it had the first time he’d been in it – dark, damp, musty-smelling and populated with people who made him just slightly uncomfortable. He was willing to trust Roggi’s judgment, though, that Delvin Mallory was someone he should meet.
The last time he’d been here, he’d made for the far side of the room and left as quickly as possible. This time, though, he followed Roggi into the bar’s main area. There was an older man, a Breton with a shaved head, sitting at one of the tables. He looked up and gave something like a smile when he spied Roggi.
“Well there you are,” he said. “I’m glad the message reached you.”
Roggi looked around the room, shared a quick glance and a nod with the bartender. Dardeh remembered him from the last time he’d been through. This has to be the cleanest floor in Riften. He’s still sweeping it. Makes a great cover for eavesdropping. Several others nodded at Roggi, too. So they all recognize him down here. I think I’ll never know everything there is to know about him.
Roggi scooted into the empty chair across from the Breton. “Good to see you. The courier found us in Ivarstead. Delvin, I’d like you to meet Dardeh,” he added as Dardeh pulled up another chair and slid into it. “Dar, this is Delvin Mallory.”
Delvin was as nondescript a character as Dardeh had ever met, in his dark leathers, with his shaved head and unremarkable looks. He looked to be about the same age as Ulfric and Balgruuf, to Dardeh’s eye. As unlikely it was that anyone would give Roggi a second look when he was in his mining clothes, it was even less likely that anyone would even notice Delvin. He was more a shadow than anything else.
“So you’re Dag’s brother,” he said unceremoniously. “I can’t say that I would have guessed. Good to meet you. I hear you’ve been … making a bit of noise around Skyrim.”
Roggi chuckled. Dardeh didn’t know what to think.
“Yes, I guess you could say so,” he said, grinning. “I am kind of loud.”
“You raised quite the ruckus the last time you were here, too,” Delvin said. “That business with the Thalmor was something. People were talking for a week.”
“Oh, you saw me then,” Dardeh said. “I was trying not to be too conspicuous.”
Roggi and Delvin grinned at each other.
“You’ll never be inconspicuous, Dar.”
“Especially,” Delvin added, “with Thalmor mages trying to blast holes in you in the middle of the Ratway. It was a good thing there are lots of little hidey-holes down there.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“So, what have you got for us, Delvin?” Roggi asked.
Delvin shook his head. “Not here. Let’s go find Bryn. I think he’s up at Honeyside with Andante.”
Roggi raised an eyebrow. “Andante?”
Delvin rolled his eyes. “Yeah. He’s been with us for awhile; you haven’t met him. Bryn gave him Honeyside and moved back down here not long after you left. Don’t worry. It’s a good place to gather and even though the boy is a bit… different… I promise you can trust him. He has some rather useful connections.”
He pushed back his chair and headed for the door, Roggi and Dardeh following along behind.
“Roggi, uh…”
Roggi shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I’m really surprised Brynjolf moved back to the Cistern, and I’ve never heard of this other person. But if Delvin’s ok with him I am too.”
Dardeh nodded. “So I finally get to meet Brynjolf,” he murmured.
“Your brother-in-law. Although I don’t know that you want to mention that, specifically. I think Bryn’s pretty much ok but …”
Dardeh nodded. “Why remind him, right?”
“Exactly.”
Dardeh vaguely recalled having seen the building called Honeyside on his first trip to Riften. It was a nondescript house, but pleasant enough from the outside, leaning out over the water. A neat little garden of bright flowers and other alchemical plants lined both sides of the path just in front of it. Tucked out of the way as it was, there wasn’t much foot traffic near the home; it was quiet and more or less private. Delvin knocked on the door.
“Come!” a lilting and distinctly Imperial voice called from inside. “The more the merrier. We’ll make a party of it.”
Delvin rolled his eyes. “Andante.” He turned to grin at them. “I tell you, the boy could take a visitation from Lady Kynareth herself and somehow turn it into a dirty joke. And they say I’m bad.”
They pushed into the house, Dardeh bringing up the rear. He was glancing down to make sure he didn’t trip over the threshold when he heard Roggi say “Bryn. Good to see you. You’re looking well.”
“Hello, lad. How’ve you been?”
Dardeh’s head snapped up.
That voice. “Lad.”
“You?” he blurted out, looking at the man who had tried to convince him he needed to earn a few extra coins when he’d actually been carrying far too many. Tall, red-haired, about Roggi’s age, and with a large, jagged scar down his face. He was in dark leathers, not a fine green robe, but it was definitely him. He looks like a thief. “You’re Brynjolf?”
The dark-haired Imperial seated at the table chuckled. “Indeed he is,” he murmured, looking up at Brynjolf with what Dardeh could only interpret as a suggestive grin.
Brynjolf sighed. “Save it, Andante,” he said, glaring at the man and earning a wide smile in return. Then he looked back at Dardeh and smirked.
Roggi and Delvin both looked back and forth between Dardeh and Brynjolf. Delvin looked puzzled; Roggi looked thoroughly confused.
“You know each other, Dar? I thought you didn’t,” Roggi asked.
Dardeh struggled for words. This man. This sleazy man, he is my brother-in-law? How much worse can things get?
Then he thought about Miraak.
Oh. Yeah. I guess it could get a lot worse.
“Well we don’t exactly know each other, Roggi. The last time I was here I was supposed to find Brynjolf. I guess I did, but didn’t realize it. That was when the business with the Thalmor happened, that Delvin was talking about.” He looked back at Brynjolf. “Delphine had told me to ask you for some information, but I ended up finding Keerava first, and….”
Brynjolf chuckled. “I tried to talk the lad into helping me on a job the last time he was in town and he turned me down cold. Didn’t even look me in the face, just said no. I guess I deserved it. I wasn’t really paying attention. When he turned around to leave I saw the size of the coin purse he was carrying. I was a little embarrassed. It’s good to meet you, lad. I understand that you’re Dagnell’s brother.”
Dardeh nodded. “Well… half-brother. We don’t really know each other. I only met her once, when she was travelling with Roggi, and never got her name, so I didn’t know it was her. I’ve been trying to find her for… a long time now.”
Brynjolf nodded. “That would have been not long after she joined the Guild,” he said softly, and to Dardeh’s ears a bit sadly. “Well that’s why we’re all here. We’ve been trying to find her, for a number of reasons. Andante’s the only one of us who’s never met her but he can help us in other ways.”
“Oh I do hope so,” the man murmured, earning himself a glare from Delvin.
“Try to keep it contained, son,” Delvin griped.
“You’re asking a lot of me, Delvin.” The man had a devilish grin playing around the corners of his mouth.
Brynjolf sighed. “Shut it, lad. Just once. I know you can be serious, I’ve seen you do it. We all need to talk.”
As they were being seated, Dardeh looked across the table at Andante, who was staring at him intently with vivid blue, fascinating eyes that absolutely sparkled with mischief. He didn’t look to Dardeh like a person who owned a serious expression; or if he did, he kept it for special occasions only. And he was very sure of himself. He looked at Dardeh, checked him over, and grinned knowingly.
Oh I see how it is, Dardeh thought, smirking. Or at least I think I do. He’s sized me up just as neatly as Ulfric did. Well then, Andante. Well met. Keep your distance.
As though he’d read Dardeh’s mind, Andante’s eyes flickered toward Brynjolf and back to twinkle at Dardeh.
Really. Now that’s an interesting wrinkle. Well then. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Roggi and smile. Roggi smiled back, then went back to talking to Brynjolf. Dardeh heard Andante chuckle softly, and looked back at him. In spite of himself, Dardeh couldn’t quite contain a grin.
All right then. Now that we have that all settled, perhaps we can introduce ourselves. You’re no more with Brynjolf than I am with Roggi, but that was a fun little game to play, wasn’t it?
“Andante, is it? Nice to meet you. I’m Dardeh.”
Andante nodded. “Likewise. I understand you’re the Dragonborn and can do all sorts of fantastical things.”
Dardeh sighed. “Yes, sadly enough that’s the case. It makes life interesting.”
Andante nodded. “Interesting can be such a double-edged sword.” He grinned. “But double-edged swords can be interesting, can’t they?”
Delvin cleared his throat and looked around at them all. “Now then. About Dagnell. I’ve been shaking every bush I could shake for months, and coming up short. I even checked in Cyrodiil. I know some people who know some people who were going to put me in touch with the best of the best, someone I know of by reputation but haven’t actually met. But things there have fallen all apart just like they did here and the best of the best have scattered to the winds, out of contact. Here’s the thing. Nobody has seen her. Not here, not there, not in Morrowind or High Rock or Hammerfell. She’s just vanished.”
“We already knew that, Delvin,” Brynjolf said. He’d been pacing back and forth from one side of the room to the other and stopped between Dardeh and Delvin. “If she hadn’t vanished we’d have had the lass back home already.”
“Yes, but here’s the thing, Bryn,” Delvin said. “There are rumors that surfaced just recently that our friend the face-changer did a job outside the Flagon, somewhere in Riften, sometime right around when Dag disappeared. If that’s true, there’s a chance that nobody is going to see her again. At least not what they expect to see. It also means she could be right under our noses.”
“And do you need some pressure put on the face-changer to get an answer?” Roggi asked.
Dardeh stared at him, open-mouthed. He’s talking about doing that himself.
Delvin waved his hand dismissively. “No, no. I appreciate the offer but that wouldn’t solve anything and we need to keep her down there. She’s really useful when people need to go into hiding.”
“So what does that do for us, Delvin?” Brynjolf asked. “I agree that we can’t lean on her, but it’s the only lead we had. What now?”
“Well,” Delvin said, leaning back in his chair, “it means that we have to be watching for someone who acts like Dag, sounds like her, but doesn’t look like her. It also means that I need to pull in some favors from our friends in Dawnstar, if that’s all right with you, Bryn. There will need to be some money involved. It’s my understanding that the Listener may have some leads that we don’t and that she’s looking for some, uh, upgrades to the new sanctuary there.”
Andante snorted. “I can verify that part. The place is altogether a dump aside from the work you’ve already had done, Delvin. I seem to remember musings that a proper torture room would be a good addition. A person can’t very well hone his skills without practice.”
Roggi glanced at him. “True enough. So you’re connected there as well?”
“Yes,” Andante said, smiling. “I often suspect that’s the only reason Brynjolf puts up with me. I can be useful as well as ornamental.”
“Lad,” Brynjolf sighed. “Honestly.”
As if building a torture room is the most natural thing in the world for people to be discussing. To say nothing of having people in the room who have used such a thing. This is the most bizarre conversation I have ever taken part in.
“We can do that, no problem,” Delvin said. “What do you say, Bryn? Ordinarily she would pay me for the work, but if we were to grease the wheels a bit… Are the coffers up to that?”
Brynjolf had gone back to pacing. “Yes, yes. You know they are. If there’s one thing the lass was good at, it was making us money. Send the letter, Delvin. And money. And tell the Listener to get back to me as soon as she knows anything.” He turned to Andante. “Can you make the delivery, lad?”
“Of course. Anything you want,” he said. “I’ll go tonight. I’m due to check in there anyway.”
Delvin pushed back his chair. “I’m sorry it wasn’t something more definite to share but seeing as how the walls have ears I thought it would be best to do it only once.”
“Well at least it’s something, Delvin,” Roggi said, rising as well. “I don’t know much use I can be, but I’ll keep my ears open as usual.”
“Thank you,” Brynjolf said. “Andante, can we put the lads up here for the night since you’ll be off?”
Andante looked at Dardeh and grinned. “But of course. I’d be more than happy. Besides, it’s your house, Brynjolf,” he said, turning to smile at him. “You’re always welcome to use it.”
Brynjolf rolled his eyes. “Go. Delvin, I’ll be right there and we can unlock the vault.” Then he turned to Roggi. “Make yourselves at home, lad. You know where it all is. I’m back down in the Cistern if you need me for anything.”
Roggi nodded. “Thanks, Bryn. And thank you, Andante.”
Andante nodded, almost a bow. “Enjoy yourselves. Until next we meet,” he said, and followed Delvin out the door.
Brynjolf smirked. “The boy is a trial, but trust me, he’s one of the best. Good to meet you, Dardeh. I hope we’ll get to talk more under better circumstances one of these days.”
Dardeh nodded. “Yes, I hope so. And thank you.”
When everyone else had left, Roggi turned to Dardeh.
“There. You’ve met them. What did you think about it?”
Dardeh stretched, and cracked his neck.
“I think,” he said slowly, “that I like Delvin. And probably Brynjolf, even though I didn’t get to talk to him much. But I don’t think we’re a lot closer to finding Dagnell. I hope it was worth the side trip.”
“And what did you think about that Andante fellow?”
“I think there’s a lot more to him than we know. I also think he’s working on Brynjolf just as hard as he can.”
Roggi grinned. “It did seem that way to me. I can’t picture it, myself. Not Bryn. Listen, Dar. Grab a bottle of mead and come with me. This house has a terrific bath, and I think we deserve to relax in it for awhile before we head off to catch dragons.” He disappeared down the stairs.
Dardeh stood in the middle of the room for a moment, shaking his head.
Sure. You bet. This day can’t get any stranger. I’ll go sit in the bath with you, Roggi, why not.