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<\/p>\nDagnell found Brynjolf standing in the center of the Cistern, apparently deep in thought.\u00a0 He looked up at her and smiled as she approached; it was just a small smile, but he was obviously pleased.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems that Goldenglow\u2019s been hit,\u201d he said with satisfaction. \u201cWell done.\u00a0 Was there anything in the safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, there was,\u201d she said, handing him the large bag of coin and the bill of sale she\u2019d found there.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need to know about the rest of the money; she had no intention of sharing that, especially as close as she had come to being among the corpses in the house.<\/p>\n
He nodded, taking the paper.\u00a0 His eyes flickered over her and stopped at her neck, widening and snapping back up to search her face in what almost seemed like alarm. The wound must still have looked raw and angry. \u201cAre you alright, lass? That looks\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She interrupted him. \u201cYes, I\u2019m fine. Aringoth isn\u2019t, though.\u00a0 I gave the bastard a chance and he wasn\u2019t having it.\u201d\u00a0 Really, had Red been concerned for her?\u00a0 That would really be something.\u00a0 She was betting that he was just worried she had almost failed, and he\u2019d almost lost two people to that one job.<\/p>\n
He frowned, as though he really didn\u2019t believe her, but nodded. \u201cGood. Now let me see.\u201d\u00a0 Opening the document, he scanned it for just a moment before genuine shock registered, his brows arching over open eyes. \u201cAringoth\u2019s sold Goldenglow?\u00a0 What was that crazy bastard thinking?\u00a0 He has no idea of the extent of Maven\u2019s fury when she\u2019s been cut out of a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that it matters to him any more,\u201d Dag muttered.<\/p>\n
Brynjolf shot her a sharp glance, then frowned again at the paper. \u201cRight. Hmm. This symbol. Any idea what it means?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot a clue,\u201d Dag said.\u00a0 Why on earth would she know what it meant? She\u2019d been in Riften for only a few days.\u00a0 He knew that.\u00a0 Grasping at straws?<\/p>\n
\u201cBlast.\u201d He tucked the paper into his jacket. \u201cI\u2019ll have to do some digging on that. Right now, though, you should head over to meet Maven Black-Briar. She wants to meet you; asked for you specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag was surprised, and a little nervous. \u201cWhat? Did I not handle the job properly? Will I come out alive?\u201d She didn\u2019t know much about Maven Black-Briar, but it was clear that people were afraid of her.<\/p>\n
Brynjolf chuckled and smiled again. Huh, Dag thought idly. If I didn\u2019t know better, I could almost believe that was a genuine smile. It looks good on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s nothing like that, don\u2019t worry about it. Trust me. If she had wanted you out of the way, she would have spoken to the Dark Brotherhood, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag hoped he didn\u2019t see her gulp. Maven could just – speak to the assassins\u2019 guild? Even more reason to be a bit nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know why she wants to see you, lass, and I don\u2019t want to know. Best you keep your business between the two of you.\u00a0 But business for Maven usually involves a good amount of coin.\u00a0 Now get right over there. She doesn\u2019t like to be kept waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag nodded and started back toward the exit.\u00a0 She felt eyes on her back, and looked back at Brynjolf.\u00a0 He\u2019d clearly been watching her; as soon as she turned he pretended to be checking out Niruin’s archery, but the deflection was pretty obvious. \u00a0She snorted. What is it, Brynjolf?\u00a0 Did you really think I couldn\u2019t handle a knife wound?\u00a0<\/em> She rolled her eyes and found her way through the Cistern to the cemetery.<\/p>\n Climbing out into the sun, Dagnell paused for a moment, looking toward the city wall.\u00a0 There was a shrine to Talos nestled into an inconspicuous nook, out of sight of the street. What could it hurt, she thought.\u00a0 I\u2019m sore and tired and hey, if a little blessing will help, I\u2019ll take it. She walked to the shrine, stood silently for a moment and then touched the statue. A wave of warmth washed over her, taking her anxiety with it. I\u2019ll be damned, she thought, shaking her head. Dag wasn\u2019t remotely a religious sort, and didn\u2019t know whether it had been real or she\u2019d just imagined it; but right then it didn\u2019t matter. She felt better.<\/p>\n Maven Black-Briar was seated at a table on the second floor of the Bee and Barb.\u00a0 She was a small woman, middle-aged, with piercing eyes and a sour expression.\u00a0 Everything from her perfectly coiffed, raven black hair to the rich material of her nearly pristine clothing shouted money, influence, and intimidation.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re the one,\u201d she said smoothly, looking Dag over. \u201cHmm. You don\u2019t look so impressive to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Dag frowned. Maven was clearly used to having the upper hand, but Dag was tired, and getting even more tired of people underestimating her. \u201cShall we skip the conversation and get to the point?\u201d<\/p>\n Maven raised one eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cOh, a little firebrand I see.\u00a0 Well that\u2019s good. It\u2019s about time Brynjolf sent me someone with some business sense. I was beginning to think he was running some sort of beggar\u2019s guild over there.\u201d<\/p>\n Really?<\/em> Dag was surprised.\u00a0 I thought you and the Guild were a well-oiled machine.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou have no faith in the Guild?\u201d<\/p>\n Maven chuckled. \u201cFaith? I have no faith in anyone.\u00a0 All I care about is cause and effect; did the job get done and was it done correctly. No gray areas.\u201d Well, Dag thought.\u00a0 I can respect that. Maven is also a survivor, it seems.<\/p>\n Maven stood and looked Dag squarely in the eye. \u201cI need you to go to Whiterun.\u00a0 A rival meadery, Honningbrew, has suddenly become very successful and is cutting into my profits, and I want to know why<\/em> and how<\/em>. It\u2019s run by a layabout named Sabjorn, who has been a thorn in my side for years. Find Mallus Maccius at the Bannered Mare; he\u2019ll fill you in on all the details.\u201d<\/p>\n She paused, looking annoyed. \u201cIt\u2019s going to take Goldenglow and my supply of honey some time to get back on its feet, so time is of the essence. I don\u2019t want Sabjorn taking any more of my profits. Let me make this clear,\u201d she continued, her tone becoming sharper but not a bit louder, \u201cyou butcher this job and you\u2019ll be sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Maven handed Dag a sack of coin.\u00a0 \u201cHere. I think you\u2019ll find this adequate compensation for your efforts thus far.\u201d<\/p>\n There were a great many unpleasant thoughts running through Dag\u2019s mind at that moment.\u00a0 If she had one more person assume she was going to foul up a job, she might actually explode. That sack of coin had an impressive heft to it, though; so she simply nodded and returned to the Ragged Flagon.<\/p>\n Tonilia bought several of the bits and pieces she had scooped up from Aringoth\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 When Dag pulled out the bee statue, though, she looked up in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cTake this over to Delvin,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s going to be happy to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n Delvin, as it turned out, was delighted, turning it over and over in his hands and practically salivating. \u201cWell well.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been looking for this little beauty!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo could I sell it to you? Tonilia said you might be interested.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely. Here. I think you\u2019ll find this a fair price.\u201d He handed her a pouch that rattled nicely in her hands; she was beginning to feel downright solvent again. \u201cIf you should happen across any other interesting trinkets like this in your travels, be sure to bring them to me.\u00a0 I promise you it\u2019ll be worth your time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I\u2019ll do that,\u201d she said, smiling.\u00a0 Delvin was a mystery, but an amusing one. The other mystery was that there was a great deal more coin floating about in the Guild than all the tales of bad luck would suggest. She wondered why they allowed themselves to live in such squalor.\u00a0 Maybe they were saving it all for a rainy day. Maybe they were keeping it out of Maven\u2019s direct line of sight.\u00a0 Who knew? Delvin, probably.<\/p>\n \u201cDelvin, can I ask you a question?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, pet. Fire away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is all this about doing extra jobs to help the Guild?\u201d<\/p>\n Delvin grimaced. \u201cBack a couple of decades ago this place was like a city under the city. \u00a0Our own shops, a smithy, you name it.\u00a0 We had influence in all the major cities in Skyrim, contacts everywhere.\u00a0 People respected us, and feared us, and we were all bloody rich.\u00a0 Look at it now.\u00a0 There\u2019s just barely enough coin to keep things going.\u00a0 So every chance we get to re-establish some connections, we need to take it.\u00a0 That\u2019s where you come in.\u201d<\/p>\n Dag nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I hope it will all work out,\u201d she said.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t exactly convinced about the \u201cwe\u201d business.\u00a0 But she did like Delvin, in spite of his genuine oddness.<\/p>\n Dag trudged back to the Cistern.\u00a0 She needed to rest. There was a bed available for her here in Guild headquarters, but nothing about sleeping here appealed to her. She\u2019d have sooner found a corner of the horse stalls out at the stable; their bedding was sure to be fresher than this. She needed to count out her coin. She needed to get another blade.\u00a0 And she was going to need a travelling companion if she was going to make it through unfamiliar territory to Whiterun and back in one piece. But first she was going to need to sleep like the dead for a long time.<\/p>\n Just before she reached the ladder, Dag paused, uneasy, and looked behind her.<\/p>\n Brynjolf was leaning against the wall, watching her again. He wasn\u2019t frowning, this time, but he was making no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching her.\u00a0 All eyes were on her, all right, and half of them were his. Insufferable man.<\/em> For a moment she pondered walking over to call him on it; but her tiredness won out and she turned to the ladder again.<\/p>\n She sighed and headed out for the Bee and Barb. She wasn\u2019t going to be popular there, but Keerava wasn\u2019t likely to pass up her new-found coin.<\/p>\n Dagnell found Brynjolf standing in the center of the Cistern, apparently deep in thought.\u00a0 He looked up at her and smiled as she approached; it was just a small smile, but he was obviously pleased. \u201cIt seems that Goldenglow\u2019s been hit,\u201d he said with satisfaction. \u201cWell done.\u00a0 Was there anything in the safe?\u201d \u201cYeah, there … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1-1-12-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart I: Survivors<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"