Why do I even care? I don\u2019t remember caring about any of the others I\u2019ve turned. Don\u2019t remember their names, and I\u2019m not sure whether they\u2019ve survived or not \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 But this does.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n Oh my goodness. He\u2019s so beautiful. <\/em><\/p>\n He smiled, and couldn\u2019t stop smiling.<\/p>\n Andante was quite certain that \u201cbeautiful\u201d wasn\u2019t the word most people would choose to describe Brynjolf.\u00a0 He\u2019d lived a rugged life, and it showed in his face, in his rough skin, his jagged scar, and his nearly constant frown.\u00a0 His eyes were usually either distrustful or seductive depending on whether he was sizing up a threat or being manipulative.\u00a0 His mouth could describe either disdain or amusement with only the smallest change, but only rarely moved into a full smile. And yet there he stood, his eyes glowing golden, and Andante thought he was the most beautiful thing he\u2019d ever seen.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look good, Brynjolf.\u00a0 And we\u2019d better get going or I\u2019ll not be able to focus on anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I was the insatiable one. At least that\u2019s what you\u2019ve been telling me.\u00a0 Now what was it that you needed to show me?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante shook his head a bit, trying to get himself to pay attention to business.<\/p>\n \u201cThe illusion spell. You need to learn it and you need to keep it up, all the time.\u00a0 It\u2019s the difference between being able to walk around in company and being attacked with torches and atronachs, and you of all people really need to be able to walk around.\u00a0 Think of facing Maven Black-Briar looking like a vampire; that would be unpleasant. Let me show you.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante gathered his power and tossed the illusion on himself, and once again had the semblance of the icy blue eyes he\u2019d been born with, and the more rounded cheeks of an Imperial man.\u00a0 Brynjolf smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cAh yes, I remember that face.\u201d\u00a0 He reached out to touch Andante\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 \u201cYou really do look so much like Dynny, except\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Andante raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cExcept?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t look so innocent.\u00a0 He always looked like he\u2019d never had any experience with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed, and cast the spell again, removing the illusion.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now?\u201d he grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now you look like something a person should avoid, lad.\u00a0 Which is just fine, as far as I\u2019m concerned. More for me.\u201d He stepped closer toward Andante, his own eyes dancing.<\/p>\n By the gods I love this. But we need to eat.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, loverboy. \u00a0Not right now. I need to see you cast the spell, and we need to go hunting.\u00a0 There\u2019s enough time for that later, after we\u2019ve made sure Delvin has the helm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not going to like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he\u2019s not.\u00a0 You\u2019re the boss, Bryn.\u00a0 Delegate, for a change.\u00a0 Make him earn his keep.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf laughed.<\/p>\n I remember hearing this laugh all the time when we first met. I\u2019ve missed it. By the gods it\u2019s good to hear him laugh.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAlright.\u00a0 I\u2019m not much of a spellcaster, lad. I\u2019m a thief. And a Nord, to boot, not much in the way of magic. Let me see if I can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you can. You can do that Nightingale thing with your mind. You should also have my abilities, or at least enough of them to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf furrowed his brow and concentrated, and then it was as though something clicked in his mind.\u00a0 He looked at his hand and curled it into a cup as a shimmering, green ball of energy appeared; then he released it.\u00a0 He turned to Andante, excited.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s still beautiful.<\/em><\/p>\n And a quick study, to boot. Absurdly quick.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGreen eyes.\u00a0 Perfect.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be able to tell when it\u2019s about to dissipate and you absolutely must cast it again.\u00a0 Immediately.\u00a0 Promise me.\u00a0 Never let them see what you really are.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf shrugged. \u201cI\u2019ve spent a lifetime doing that sort of thing, lad.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante reached out and cupped Brynjolf\u2019s face with both hands.<\/p>\n \u201cPromise me,\u201d he said, quietly, without a trace of his usual banter.\u00a0 \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf looked surprised for a moment.\u00a0 Then his eyes softened, and he gave Andante a small smile and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI promise.\u00a0 I should know better. It\u2019s important to be cautious, and of all people I ought to remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante smiled, and dropped his hands.\u00a0 \u201cThank you.\u201d He studied Brynjolf\u2019s face for a moment, taking in the sadly nostalgic look in his eyes.<\/p>\n Some day I\u2019m going to have him tell me what happened.\u00a0 He needs to let go of it.\u00a0 That\u2019s one of those memories that is worse than not remembering at all.\u00a0 For all I know I might have lost someone important, too.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll never know.<\/em><\/p>\n Brynjolf frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hungry.\u00a0 We need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, alright.\u00a0 I think we should go talk to Delvin first.\u00a0 We need to be well away from here for a few days and there\u2019s something important I have to do, in Morthal.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you about it while we travel.\u201d\u00a0 He headed for the door and then turned back to grin at Brynjolf again.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t wait to see you do this.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n It was a quiet night, calm and cool. The sounds of the skirmish at Fort Greenwall reached them before they reached it: swords and shield clashing, men and women swearing, cries of pain and the occasional shriek of a magical spell. A whiff of sulphur on the breeze told of a fire atronach that had since dissipated. They crept closer. \u00a0Andante watched the battle for a moment before turning to face Brynjolf.\u00a0 He nodded at the soldiers and whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cPick one. One of the stragglers, one who\u2019s just downed someone and is looking for his next target. Sneak up behind him and have at it. I\u2019ll make sure to serve as a distraction if I need to so that nobody will pay any attention to you, not that I think you\u2019ll have any trouble.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around at the carnage. \u201cI\u2019m not fond of it, but I\u2019ll fill up on one of the recently deceased while you go for the fresh selections. That\u2019s one of my many talents. I would expect it to be one of yours as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLad.\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf looked horrified.<\/p>\n Andante snickered.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine that feeding on the dead is something he\u2019d ever thought about, after all.<\/em> \u201cJust\u2026 go.\u00a0 We\u2019ll discuss my sad sense of humor later.\u201d<\/p>\n He watched as Brynjolf did exactly as he\u2019d suggested.\u00a0 There was a lone Stormcloak soldier in the process of standing up, wrestling his warhammer out of the ribcage of the Imperial soldier he\u2019d just taken down, when Brynjolf rose behind him and sank his fangs into the man\u2019s neck.\u00a0 The soldier made a small noise, but then crumpled to the ground.<\/p>\n It helps that he\u2019s such an accomplished thief.\u00a0 They don\u2019t even hear him. <\/em><\/p>\n To his complete surprise, Brynjolf shimmered out of sight and reappeared a couple of moments later, beside Andante.<\/p>\n \u201cOh well done, my dear. Well done indeed! The kill, the retreat, all very well done.\u201d He hadn\u2019t expected Brynjolf to be such a natural at using his powers without instruction; but here he was, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, having blinked out of sight for a moment to slip away safely and none of the other soldiers trying to kill each other had taken the slightest notice.<\/p>\n Brynjolf grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cHe tasted\u2026 good.\u00a0 Really good, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he did.\u00a0 Better than I did, I would assume, given that he is \u2013 was \u2013 a live man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to mention that, but since you brought it up first, yes. Warm is definitely better.\u201d He snickered. \u201cBut please tell me you\u2019re not going to eat a corpse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, all right. In all seriousness, though, it is something that can be done in a pinch, just like those blood potions. It doesn\u2019t taste good but it will keep you from turning into a pile of ash. And \u2026 Bryn, this is important.\u00a0 Look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf had been looking around, watching the battle, his attention clearly straying from what Andante had been telling him.\u00a0 He looked back at Andante, chewing on the inside of his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, lad.\u00a0 I\u2019m still hungry and I was looking for another target.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you were, and that\u2019s exactly why this is important.\u201d\u00a0 Andante frowned.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how to stress this enough. I don\u2019t know why I care so much. I didn\u2019t tell this to any of the others I\u2019ve turned. <\/em>\u201cIf you are a human, you can go without food for a long time and won\u2019t die if you at least have water.\u00a0 I know this from personal experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t give me that look.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t see me when I first\u2026 woke up.\u00a0 I went a long time without food given the state of me.\u00a0 The important thing is now. You\u2019re not human. You\u2019re vampire.\u00a0 And if you start to starve it will take only a few minutes for you to become the pile of dried-up ashes you would otherwise be.\u00a0 There\u2019s no coming back from that.\u00a0 Please tell me that you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you will learn how to feed from corpses, as distasteful as it is, and that is going to be the difference between life and death some day.\u00a0 I guarantee it will.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, lad. I understand.\u00a0 Thank you for pointing that out.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante heaved a sigh of relief and looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the meantime, you\u2019re still underfed. Listen, you\u2019re going to want to repeat that maneuver with the soldier as often as you can.\u00a0 Sometimes that means feeling a little overly well-fed.\u00a0 It will also make you strong. I\u2019ll show you what I mean. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n They slipped around the outside of the fort just as the skirmish was winding down.\u00a0 There was a small patrol of three Imperial soldiers heading up the road toward Shor\u2019s Stone, and Andante slipped into line behind them, moving silently.<\/p>\n I wonder when I learned how to move like this.\u00a0 I\u2019m just ridiculously good at it. I wonder if Bryn is right and I\u2019ve been a thief my whole life. That might explain it. <\/em><\/p>\n He stepped up to the last in line, pulled him backward, and pierced the man\u2019s neck, draining him.\u00a0 Without missing a beat he dropped the soldier\u2019s corpse, sped up enough to reach the second soldier, a woman, and fed on her as well.\u00a0 The man leading the patrol was a big Nord with blonde hair peeking out from under his helmet.\u00a0 Andante sneered, stood, and used his fangs to rip out his throat, then gorged on every drop he could.<\/p>\n He stood, panting, and turned to see Brynjolf watching him with his arms crossed.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now you\u2019re so full you can\u2019t breathe, unless I miss my guess.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante burst out laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u00a0 But that\u2019s also why I\u2019m a Nightlord, my dear.\u00a0 You will be, too.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, I was just demonstrating.\u00a0 All right, I was showing off. \u00a0But feed a few hundred times and you\u2019ll see what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few hundred? That\u2019s impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed. \u201cTwelve or thirteen, in my case.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShor\u2019s bones, lad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u00a0 I\u2019m a greedy son of a bitch, Brynjolf. I thought you knew that.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf laughed his hearty laugh, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go find you another course.\u201d<\/p>\n They continued north. Andante broke into a sprint and was delighted to see Brynjolf match his speed, effortlessly, a smile on his face as he learned what his new body could do.<\/p>\n I remember that. I remember the feeling of excitement when I learned I could move like this.<\/em><\/p>\n And I don\u2019t remember anything else about myself.<\/em><\/p>\n Who was I?<\/em><\/p>\n They slowed once or twice along the way as they passed lone hunters so that Brynjolf could feed again. Before he did so, Andante shared another lesson.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to kill them.\u00a0 In fact it\u2019s convenient not to, especially if you\u2019re near a town and the only food available is a guard.\u00a0 Just calm them and you can take enough to fill up, and as long as nobody else sees you do it, you\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, let me try that.\u201d<\/p>\n And Brynjolf was a natural.\u00a0 His next victim was aware of having a spell cast on him and made a comment about not feeling any different, but it was completely effective. Brynjolf once again came away licking his lips.<\/p>\n I wonder if it was like this when he was a young man. Even if he wasn\u2019t as good then as he is now, as he said, he must have been a natural thief early on to rise so high.\u00a0 He just learns so quickly.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n They were running alongside the volcanic tundra just south of Kynesgrove when an arrow came flying out of the dark and struck Andante\u2019s pauldron.\u00a0 He turned to his left and snarled, then spotted the pair of bandits just behind an embankment.<\/p>\n \u201cTime to practice some more spells,\u201d he said, gathering his life-draining spell into his left hand and pulling out his daedric axe with his right.\u00a0 \u201cQuickly, can you do this?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf looked at Andante\u2019s hand for a moment and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so. Let\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted his hand and focused.<\/p>\n Andante saw the red glow of the spell forming in Brynjolf\u2019s hand and nodded.\u00a0 He would hold back with his own spell for a few moments because it was strong enough to drop an enemy in a few moments. Brynjolf needed the practice. Not that he can\u2019t defend himself but he needs to know how this works.<\/em>\u00a0 One of the bandits rushed him; he extended his palm and briefly drew life from the man, blocking with his axe; he glanced to his left and saw Brynjolf doing the same, brandishing his sword with his right hand.<\/p>\n \u201cMy blade thirsts for your blood,\u201d he heard Brynjolf growl, and he laughed.\u00a0 And so do you, I think.<\/em><\/p>\n Then he looked back at the bandit who had been attacking him and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough of this, already,\u201d he said, and took the man down with a quick swing of his axe.<\/p>\n He looked back just in time to see Brynjolf do something that he himself wasn\u2019t especially good at.\u00a0 The bandit was weakening, but Brynjolf\u2019s spell wasn\u2019t strong enough yet to make quick work of him, and wouldn\u2019t be for some time to come.\u00a0 Brynjolf snarled, leapt forward, and attacked with his fangs in mid-battle.\u00a0 He stood there for a moment, latched onto the man\u2019s neck, and the bandit slowly went limp.\u00a0 Brynjolf dropped him to the ground and then trotted over to where Andante stood.\u00a0 He looked at Andante, then down to the dead bandit at his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose I should try this, too,\u201d he murmured, then knelt and began feeding from the corpse.\u00a0 A moment later he stood, grimacing.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 awful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but it\u2019s blood.\u201d\u00a0 Andante shook his head and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou surprise me, Bryn.\u00a0 You\u2019re just a natural.\u00a0 Well done.\u00a0 That combat bite, especially.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t expecting to see that from you. I\u2019m not very good at it myself, not that I haven\u2019t practiced.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cTooth and claw, lad.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have claws but I surely have teeth now.\u00a0 And besides, I am also a greedy son of a bitch.\u00a0 I thought you knew that.\u201d\u00a0 He smirked. \u201cWhy else do you think I became a thief?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante started laughing, and was still smiling as they passed Kynesgrove.<\/p>\n They\u2019d turned onto the east-west road from Windhelm when Brynjolf brought up the one thing Andante hadn\u2019t really wanted to talk about.<\/p>\n \u201cSo what is this important thing you need to do in Morthal?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s talk about it later.\u00a0 We need to get to my old house before it\u2019s full day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a house up here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNear the Nightgate Inn.\u00a0 You know the place?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell it\u2019s near that, up on the hill.\u00a0 It\u2019ll keep us from shriveling up while it\u2019s bright outside.\u00a0 We need to run, though, so let\u2019s hold the chat until then and focus on getting ourselves safe.\u201d\u00a0 He broke into a sprint, listening for Brynjolf\u2019s footsteps behind him and smiling as he heard them; and he was grateful for an excuse to put off the inevitable for a bit longer.<\/p>\n The sun was above the horizon as they ran up the hill and slipped into the cabin he\u2019d been living in when he became a vampire himself. Brynjolf followed him, and breathed a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was getting a bit warm out there, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, and the sun\u2019s not even very high up.\u00a0 Very important for you to remember, Bryn.\u00a0 I have some resistance because of my armor but you don\u2019t, yet.\u00a0 You need to be indoors during the day unless it\u2019s very cloudy.\u00a0 Rain, snow, those are workable; otherwise, sleep, or do other things indoors.\u201d\u00a0 He gestured around the room.\u00a0 \u201cMake yourself comfortable.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be here for a few hours. We can take turns sleeping, if you\u2019re tired.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right.\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf sat down next to the woodstove and pulled a book off the nearby table, while Andante lit a fire in the kitchen area. \u00a0He was checking the cabinets to see what he might have left behind when he heard the soft voice ask what he\u2019d been hoping to avoid answering.<\/p>\n \u201cSo here we are. It\u2019s later and we\u2019re safe.\u00a0 What is this thing we have to do in Morthal, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n Damn it.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n He sat down on the floor in front of Brynjolf and looked up at him, smiling.\u00a0 Maybe if I\u2019m smiling it won\u2019t seem so bad. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNot \u2018we,\u2019 Bryn, me.\u00a0 I have to, um\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet cured.\u00a0 Become human again.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf looked up from his book, slowly, and stared at Andante.\u00a0 His expression stayed neutral, as usual, but when he spoke his voice told Andante to tread carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you just say?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante sighed. \u201cI need to be cured.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I just said.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf vaulted out of the chair and strode to the far side of the room, shaking his head, as Andante rose.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you mad<\/em>? You just turned me and you\u2019re going to get yourself cured?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante gave him a small smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYou rather made certain it was likely to happen, though, didn\u2019t you? Yes, I turned you, but you were quite enthusiastic about it, as I recall. It was not as though I didn\u2019t try everything short of holding you down to get you to cure yourself, Brynjolf, before it was too late.\u201d<\/p>\n I knew this was going to be difficult.<\/em><\/p>\n Brynjolf paced the room, and waved his hand in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but I am just now learning about this. This power. \u00a0It\u2019s \u2026 exceptional. Think of the things we can do with it. And you are going to give it up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ll sit down and relax, I\u2019ll try to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you thinking?\u00a0 Are you completely insane?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante was still smiling, but the smile was fading.\u00a0 So this is how it\u2019s going to be? Very well, then. So be it.<\/em><\/p>\n Andante dropped every pretense he had ever cultivated. He dropped the playful tones he used around the Cistern, the slightly self-deprecating humor he was accustomed to employing.\u00a0 He dropped the soothing tones of a lover speaking to his partner.\u00a0 When he spoke it was the raw, unvarnished sound of an angry Nightlord vampire, a sound that he knew could be one of the most intimidating sounds in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cSit DOWN, Brynjolf.\u00a0 NOW.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf stopped in mid-stride to stare at him in astonishment.<\/p>\n Brynjolf is used to being obeyed.\u00a0 He is used to being above me.\u00a0 He needs to understand our relative positions.\u00a0 I thought he did, already, but it is obviously time to reinforce the lesson.<\/em><\/p>\n Brynjolf stared at him for a moment longer, silent, and then inclined his head.\u00a0 He returned to the chair and sat, looking up at Andante.<\/p>\n \u201cBrynjolf.\u00a0 When we are in the Cistern, you are in charge. I respect that, and always have. You know that to be true. It is the same when I am in the Sanctuary; the Listener is in charge, and I respect that. You and I are also \u2026 close.\u00a0 And that has been highly satisfactory thus far.\u00a0 I think you know that to be true as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded, slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cBut let there be no confusion. \u00a0I could rip you in half where you sit before you had a chance to bare those pretty new fangs of yours.\u00a0 I could pick you up, flip you over, and snap your spine just as easily as I can squash an insect.\u00a0 I was an excellent assassin in the months after I woke up but before I became a vampire, and I am a better one now. I have no qualms whatsoever about using those skills, whether it is for money or not. There are very few things in this world that can best me. Some, to be sure, but very few. \u00a0And I do very little that is not of direct benefit to myself. I work for the Guild and I obey you because I want<\/em> to, Brynjolf, not because I have<\/em> to.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled again, but he was fairly certain it wasn\u2019t a pleasant smile.<\/p>\n \u201cIs all of that reasonably clear to you?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded. Andante couldn\u2019t quite make out what was going on behind his eyes.\u00a0 At least he didn\u2019t appear to be angry.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante nodded and sat down again.\u00a0 I sure didn\u2019t want to do that, but it had to happen.<\/em><\/p>\n Then he sat on the footstool near Brynjolf\u2019s chair and started describing all the things Babette had told him:\u00a0 the Volkihar vampires, the Dawnguard and the fact that they were probably heading for those vampires in the castle in the Sea of Ghosts first and would then keep trying to exterminate every other vampire in the world as well.\u00a0 He was trying to explain how he needed to be human to infiltrate that group, to see what they knew, when Brynjolf interrupted him.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd why is it up to you in particular to save all of the rest of us? Why can\u2019t those vampires deal with the threat themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n Us.\u00a0 He\u2019s already thinking of himself as one of us, strange and disconnected people that we are.<\/em><\/p>\n And why <\/em>is it up to me, anyway? It\u2019s a good question.\u00a0 I want the castle, but I can\u2019t take it by myself.\u00a0 I want to be here to enjoy it, and I won\u2019t be if I try that.\u00a0 But surely someone else could deal with the Dawnguard. Couldn\u2019t they?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor one thing, I don\u2019t especially want to die.\u00a0 I\u2019m assuming you don\u2019t, either.\u00a0 Aside from that\u2026 I\u2019m not entirely sure.\u00a0 I\u2019m not doing this for strictly altruistic reasons, though.\u00a0 We\u2019ve already established that I am a greedy bastard, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n He grinned.\u00a0 To his great relief, Brynjolf chuckled and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of those reasons is to get inside that castle, to see what it\u2019s like in there.\u00a0 I\u2019ve wanted that ever since I first saw it.\u201d\u00a0 And I want the castle for myself, but we don\u2019t need to get into that right now.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cAnother is to meet the Lord of that castle, Harkon.\u00a0 That is someone who can best me, Bryn, no question at all.\u00a0 But I suspect that if I play things very carefully I could get him to turn me again.\u00a0 I could come away from the experience stronger than I am now, and then think of what we could accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf\u2019s eyes began to twinkle.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is an interesting proposition, lad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I need to, in a hurry, you can turn me again.\u00a0 Or Babette can.\u00a0 Or someone else, if I can convince them not to kill me in the process. I\u2019m not about to leave you behind, Brynjolf.\u201d\u00a0 I waited too long for you; I’m not giving you up now.<\/em> \u201cBut if what Babette told me is true, I am liking our chances less by the day, and it may well be that I\u2019m the only one who can do what is necessary to reverse that.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled, a genuine smile this time.<\/p>\n \u201cJust as there aren\u2019t any others who can do what you can do.\u00a0 I want you to show me, some day.\u00a0 I\u2019ve felt you pushing me from time to time, and I\u2019m not talking about a few nights ago, either.\u00a0 You do realize, I hope, that between the two of us we are well nigh unstoppable.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf paused a moment and gave him a serious look before answering.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned many years ago never to assume that kind of thing,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cThings can change in a moment. And it\u2019s going to be very dangerous while you\u2019re a human again, lad.\u201d Then he smirked, his eyes twinkling. \u201cBut I will admit that after that, it sounds very good.”<\/p>\n Andante stood and pulled Brynjolf up to him.<\/p>\n What a relief to have that over with.\u00a0 This is going to be hard enough as it is without having him angry with me.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t want that.\u00a0 I\u2019ve only just gotten through to him.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry I was cross.\u00a0 I needed to get your attention.\u00a0 Let me make it up to you?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026 I think you can figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf reached for the front of Andante\u2019s armor and started working the clasps open.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I think I can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me look at you.\u201d Brynjolf turned to face him, as they stood just at the base of the stairs. It had taken them considerably longer to prepare themselves to leave than Andante had anticipated, and he certainly didn\u2019t mind that.\u00a0 Still, he wanted to get Brynjolf outside and learning how to take care of … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/3-1-11-1.png\")
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