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<\/p>\nBrynjolf carefully checked to be certain his illusion spell was in place and put on the hood of his new outfit before leaving Honeyside for the Ragged Flagon. Nobody gave him so much as a second glance. It wasn\u2019t that he expected any sort of trouble simply walking across the marketplace, not really; but he needed to give himself time to settle into a new routine and feel comfortable in his new, cooler skin.<\/p>\n
He walked down the lowered drawbridge to turn left into the Flagon\u2019s entrance and grinned as he heard a quiet but steady hum of activity from the area directly ahead of him.\u00a0 It seemed that Zarashi\u2019s establishment was already drawing customers. With any luck his contribution to the business was helping in that.\u00a0 He stopped for a moment to consider the fact that he actually could hear the muffled coughs from behind closed doors, past an archway and a room filled with hanging moss and overgrown roots. He\u2019d missed having this degree of auditory acuity.\u00a0 He shook his head, pulled off his hood, and made his way down the ramp into the Flagon.<\/p>\n
A quick scan of the place told him that Delvin was seated at the table he personally favored as well, the one tucked in behind the support structure, hidden from the entrance just enough. He took a deep breath and blew it out to calm himself.\u00a0 Delvin was going to be his first test. If Delvin spotted the differences in his appearance right away he was in trouble. If not, there was hope he could do what was going to be necessary for him to do. He made his way to the table and cleared his throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo how are things going, Delvin?\u201d he said quietly. \u201cAnything I need to be aware of?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Delvin\u2019s gaze ran down him and back up.\u00a0 One eyebrow went up just slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew duds, boss? What\u2019s the occasion?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRan into some trouble on the way north. The old armor\u2019s pretty much useless to me right at the moment.\u201d He wasn\u2019t in the habit of lying to Delvin, and all of what he\u2019d just said was true enough: he definitely needed fire protection much more than he needed an enchantment that would allow him to carry more, right at the moment. His vampiric strength more than made up for anything the Guild armor had given him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm.\u201d Delvin nodded, but Brynjolf saw a flicker in his gaze that told him Delvin wasn\u2019t entirely convinced. \u201cWell it looks a bit flashy, Bryn, but you do whatever you need to do. Business is off to a good start. But, uh\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He paused and rubbed his face. \u201cYou need to go find Maven. She was lookin\u2019 for you. She wasn\u2019t happy that you weren\u2019t around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brynjolf stifled the urge to sneer. \u201cOh? Did she give you any hint of what she wanted?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. But you know how she is.\u00a0 I got the feeling that it would be a real good thing if you didn\u2019t wait around too long before going to talk to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMmmm. Thanks, Delvin. I\u2019ll do that. But first I need you to catch me up.\u201d<\/p>\n
He slid into the chair beside Delvin for a few minutes and they talked about the more mundane business of the past few days. Nothing much had transpired that needed his attention. Delvin expected more raw materials for their side enterprise in the very near future; so, for the short term, Brynjolf\u2019s physical presence wasn\u2019t needed. He took his leave by way of the Flagon and walked back through the marketplace toward the meadery.<\/p>\n
Maven generally spent a portion of each day, about this time, checking up on her largest \u2013 or at least most legitimate \u2013 business operation, so he assumed he would be able to find her there. She did not disappoint him.\u00a0 When he entered the building he found Maven in full voice, raking one of her employees over the coals for some slight, real or imagined.<\/p>\n
It never occurred to me before now to consider how these people must feel, listening to her rail against them day after day. The sound of her voice sets my teeth on edge. <\/em>He laughed internally at his own turn of phrase. Even those teeth<\/em>. He cleared his throat loudly.<\/p>\n Maven turned and glared at him. Brynjolf noticed the woman she\u2019d been berating skitter away toward the door and once again fought to keep from laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere you are. I\u2019ve been looking for you for several days now. Where were you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was out of town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd why wasn\u2019t I informed? Never mind. Come with me. We have matters to discuss.\u201d Without waiting for a response from Brynjolf, Maven swept out through the meadery door, clearly expecting him to obey and follow.<\/p>\n \u201cShor\u2019s bones<\/em>,\u201d he muttered as he followed her.\u00a0 I\u2019m so tired of this. But I\u2019m not quite ready to do anything about it. Not yet.<\/em><\/p>\n Maven had made her imperious way across the center of Riften and was nearly to Black-Briar Manor by the time Brynjolf stepped outside. \u00a0He could have caught up with her in a moment by running, but he forced himself to walk at his normal pace, making her wait for him to arrive at her door before following her inside. Once he was inside, she shut the door firmly behind them and turned to give him one of the most withering glares he\u2019d ever had cast in his direction.<\/p>\n Well look at you. This should be interesting. Not even Sayma has looked at me like that before.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNow then, Brynjolf,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s been trouble brewing with our supply chain. I\u2019m also having trouble getting enough honey to supply the meaderies. I feel that a bit of pressure might be needed to get things rolling again. I had expected you to deal with it, you and your little Guild, but you haven\u2019t been here. I want to know why.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. Trouble? \u00a0Perhaps if you\u2019d spent a bit of gold to rebuild those hives we burned to smoke out Aringoth, you wouldn\u2019t be having any issues with honey supply. As for shipping, I thought it was back to normal now that the war was over,\u201d he said, amused by the fact that he knew more about the situation than she did. \u201cI haven\u2019t heard anything from our sources.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, of course you haven\u2019t heard anything. You\u2019ve not been here for me to tell you. How am I supposed to direct your activities if you aren\u2019t available to me?\u201d<\/p>\n In spite of himself, Brynjolf felt his irritation growing. There had been so many years of this. So many. And for most of them, he\u2019d simply put up with it, tried to ignore Maven\u2019s constant, abrasive sarcasm and her unwavering assumption that he was an idiot. He had tried to smooth over ruffled feathers and make things go exactly how she wanted them. He\u2019d done what he\u2019d been asked to do all those years \u2013 decades, really – at first because he believed it was the right thing to do and then, after he\u2019d become more than a little disillusioned with her, because he was desperate to ensure the Guild\u2019s survival.<\/p>\n But I\u2019m Guildmaster now. The Guild is in the best condition it\u2019s been since Gallus\u2019 time. And I have friends in higher places than the front desk of a meadery. It\u2019s about time she took some of what\u2019s right under her nose into consideration.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m sorry about that, Maven,\u201d he said smoothly. \u201cBut as it happens I\u2019ve been away on business for several days. Messages from Jarls, and so forth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Why wasn\u2019t I informed?\u201d<\/p>\n He smirked. \u201cBecause, Maven, you are not a Jarl; and as you may remember from your unfortunately brief time in that role, Jarls often have business that they don\u2019t wish shared with the common rabble.\u201d<\/p>\n He knew he\u2019d pushed it almost as far as it could be pushed at that point, having rubbed salt in a wound that was still wide open for her. She had wanted to rule this city officially as much as she\u2019d wanted anything; and Ulfric\u2019s victory had taken that from her. Maven\u2019s eyes widened for a moment; then they flashed with anger.<\/p>\n \u201cYou stupid, stupid man!\u201d she snapped. \u201cWhatever made you think you could go off and do things on your own, without asking me? You. Will. Pay<\/em> for this insubordination.”<\/p>\n \u201cWill I.\u201d He offered the comment in flat tones, as a statement rather than as a question. As he spoke he felt a familiar chill take over his voice that was undoubtedly reflected in his eyes as well.\u00a0 He weighed his options for a moment \u2013 only a heartbeat or two \u2013 and then stood a little straighter and said what was on his mind in spite of how risky it was to do so.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe you truly know who you are dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n Maven sneered. \u201cOh, of course. How silly of me. You are the Guildmaster<\/em>,\u201d she said venomously.<\/p>\n He chuckled. \u201cHeh. Well that\u2019s certainly the case, Maven.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, I\u2019m the Guildmaster. I\u2019m one of the Nightingales. I\u2019ve just had the Dragonborn and the future High King as my houseguests. I\u2019m a Volkihar Nightlord. You really have no idea who you are dealing with.<\/em><\/p>\n He wondered whether his illusion spell might be waning, for Maven\u2019s expression momentarily flickered with uncertainty. Or maybe he just had that look in his eyes, the one he remembered Vitus having when his guard slipped, that glare that revealed icy-cold depths beneath.<\/p>\n \u201cAs it happens,\u201d he continued, \u201cI have a great many things on my plate after having been gone for several days. If you\u2019re done complaining, I\u2019ll be on my way.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to leave and heard a sharp intake of breath behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cBrynjolf! You can\u2019t just walk away from me,\u201d she snapped. \u201cYou\u2019ll regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n He sneered, barely suppressing the urge to bare fangs.<\/p>\n \u201cWill I? We shall see.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n It was full dark by the time he left Honeyside again. He slipped quietly out the westernmost gate of Riften and along the shores of Lake Honrich.<\/p>\n There were several reasons he was out on this evening. The primary one was, of course, that he was hungry and needed to feed before he even considered returning to Sayma. The other reason was that he was angry, and he intended to do something about it.<\/p>\n I offered her a chance to get in on the ground floor with the business and she wouldn\u2019t even hear what I had in mind. She\u2019s treated me no better than Dirge or Maul for years, and I\u2019ve had enough of it.<\/em><\/p>\n He crept across the stone bridge from the shore to Goldenglow Estate. Its sturdy western gate was solidly locked. He chuckled and simply leapt across from the bridge\u2019s railing to the ledge on the far side of the gate, then dropped back into a crouch and moved forward, listening for heartbeats. He could hear some, faintly, from inside the manor; but he sensed no presences on the outer island where the apiaries were.\u00a0 It was just as well. He was mostly concerned with leaving a very clear message for the bee farm\u2019s chief customer, and that would involve the people inside.<\/p>\n It was no trouble to unlock the door to the manor and let himself in. He drew his sword and headed down the main hallway, listening for the mercenaries.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t likely that he would need the sword. He intended to use the other sharp implements at his disposal to take care of all of them. But just in case, he was prepared.<\/p>\n Looking back on it later, he decided that anyone on the premises during the half hour that followed must have had a terrifying end to his life.\u00a0 For end their lives did, in a bloody and brutal way.\u00a0 He used his natural skills in stealth to creep up behind some of them and drain them, dropping their clearly-marked corpses to the floor in puddles of their own blood.\u00a0 He set one group of three on each other with his Nightingale powers, and they ripped each other to shreds while simultaneously looking as he must have looked when Mercer Frey had set him against Karliah.\u00a0 He pulled the shadows in around him and crept through the house, making certain that every living creature in it was dead. In the final room he checked he found one guard who had slept through the noise his fellows had made, and fed on the man twice in a row, leaving his cot saturated with blood and its occupant quite dead.<\/p>\n Once the manor was reduced to a charnel-house, Brynjolf returned to the night, licking his lips. He crossed the bridge to the secondary island and stood there, grinning.\u00a0 To his left were the corpses of the three hives Dagnell had destroyed at his direction, years before.\u00a0 Maven had, for reasons he did not understand, never bothered to have them rebuilt or their colonies repopulated.\u00a0 The other three hives, however, had reliably produced enough honey to keep Maven\u2019s meadery supplied, for a time.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course she wasn\u2019t expecting Honingbrew to take off the way it has. Old Mallus has done a fine job out there in Whiterun, hasn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Too bad the war damaged all the hives near him.\u201d\u00a0 He walked around the three remaining hives once more, hands on hips, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be a shame if something were to happen to these.\u201d<\/p>\n He sauntered down the slope to one of the sheds nearby and lifted a burning torch from its sconce, being careful to keep the flames well away from his person. Returning to the hives he torched them, thoroughly; and though he felt a bit sorry for the poor bees he\u2019d destroyed he was delighted with his handiwork once it was done.<\/p>\n After all, nothing tells the people of Riften I mean business better than a few giant columns of smoke.<\/em><\/p>\n He jumped back onto the bridge and began a leisurely walk back down the shore toward Riften. He couldn\u2019t help feeling a sense of real satisfaction. Maven\u2019s shipping scheme was in the process of being disrupted and she would need to rely on the East Empire Company more than ever, now that her supply of honey had been almost completely cut off.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t make up for what felt like a lifetime of insults and being taken for granted, but it was something, and it felt good.<\/p>\n He was within eyeshot of the gates when a voice called out to him from behind.<\/p>\n \u201cBrynjolf!\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf whirled. He hadn\u2019t heard any heartbeats or other sounds and found his own heart pounding from having been startled. There were two people behind him \u2013 a man and a woman.\u00a0 As soon as he saw their eyes he realized why he hadn\u2019t heard them approaching.<\/p>\n \u201cStay back. I don\u2019t care to have a fight with vampires.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman snickered. \u201cOther <\/em>vampires, you mean? I thought you weren\u2019t supposed to be a vampire, but your eyes say that you are.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf felt a flush of anger; not at them, but at himself for having forgotten to cast his illusion spell yet again.\u00a0 He tsk\u2019d and looked from the woman to the man. As he scanned the vampire and took in the noble\u2019s armor he wore, Brynjolf\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n This is the man I saw fighting the dragon alongside Wickham. His name is Agryn.<\/em><\/p>\n His mind spun frantically for a moment. He could easily be in grave danger at the moment, particularly if he let it slip that he knew who this person was. He was happy for so many years of experience as a thief and con artist, then, as aside from his initial surprised reaction he was able to keep a composed look on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen you two before, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d the man said quietly. \u201cWe were sent to observe you, some time ago.\u00a0 You likely noticed us at the Ragged Flagon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you won\u2019t mind my asking why you\u2019re here and what you want with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s rather a long story. We were just heading into the city to look for you before my partner here spotted you coming across the bridge. Is there some place we could go to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf considered the man carefully. He\u2019d seen Agryn fighting a dragon; but now that he was closer up he could take a truer measure of the man\u2019s strength. Brynjolf sensed that this was another very powerful vampire, of substantial age. The woman, not as much. She was young. Formidable, but young and not nearly as powerful as either himself or the man standing before him.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me something, first. You say that you were \u2018sent\u2019 to observe me. Who sent you?\u201d\u00a0 He knew the answer well enough, of course; but he wanted to see what they would tell him, to get a sense of their relative positions in this most confusing moment. If they were here to cause trouble, chances were good that they would not tell him anything like the truth.<\/p>\n The two exchanged what Brynjolf took as an almost pained look. After a moment she nodded at him.\u00a0 They both turned back to face him.<\/p>\n \u201cI assume you\u2019re familiar with the, um, Archmage of Winterhold?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n Brynjolf felt his hackles rise in spite of himself. \u201cYes. So you are his\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The vampire frowned. \u201cWas. No longer.\u201d He stepped forward and offered his hand. \u201cMy name is Agryn Gernic, and this is my partner, Vyctyna Tardif. \u00a0For a very long time, and until quite recently, I was Edwyn Wickham\u2019s closest associate. But I don\u2019t care to speak of it out here in the open, even in the dead of night.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf considered for a moment. It was highly tempting to find out what these two wanted. If he took them to Honeyside there would be little to no chance he would be in any sort of danger, given the eyes continually on the place.\u00a0 He took Agryn\u2019s hand and shook it.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. It\u2019s good to finally meet you officially, Agryn. And you as well, Vyctyna.\u201d<\/p>\n She giggled. \u201cCall me Tyna. Everyone does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Tyna. As it happens, I was just heading back to our\u2026 my home in the city. We\u2019ll be able to speak there. Follow me.\u201d\u00a0 He cast his illusion spell and headed back for the gates, hoping that his instincts about these people were sound and he would not suddenly find himself being shredded by two sets of claws. Nothing untoward happened, though, and before too many minutes had passed he was ushering them into Honeyside and watching them take seats at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry I haven\u2019t anything \u2013 appropriate to offer you,\u201d he said, standing beside one of the vacant seats. \u201cThis is very recent.\u201d He waved toward his face. \u201cEarlier today, as it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I wasn\u2019t imagining things!\u201d Agryn said. \u201cYou really weren\u2019t a vampire before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I wasn\u2019t. Not for a long time, now, not since\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, what was his name?\u201d Tyna said. \u201cI\u2019ve heard it often enough. Andante?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf smiled and nodded. \u201cAye. The lad cured me not more than a few minutes before he died. Didn\u2019t ask me about it, just cast a spell.\u00a0 I\u2019ve spent a year or so back to being human.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo why did you get yourself turned again, then?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that is the thing, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Brynjolf said, sliding into the chair. He peered at Agryn. \u201cAnd why is it that you\u2019re here, telling me that you are Edwyn\u2019s former<\/em> associates?\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn gave him a wry grin. \u201cThat is indeed the thing.\u201d He heaved a huge sigh. \u201cListen. I\u2019ve spent a couple hundred years doing just exactly what that man told me to do. And I didn\u2019t mind it. I always understood him to be working to our best interests, since he was Harkon\u2019s right-hand-man. \u00a0But I was always just taken for granted. Do this, Agryn. Do that, Agryn. Never ask for any recognition. Or understanding.\u201d His voice had dropped as he spoke, and his eyes had become unfocused; but as he finished he shook his head and looked at Brynjolf again. \u201cI never minded, for all that time. Here I was, just twice removed from the head of the entire clan, and I felt as though that was enough for me. For anyone, really. But lately, he\u2019s been\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoing nuts,\u201d Vyctyna said flatly. \u201cPutting Aggie in danger for no good reason. Who in their right mind sends their best friend out to stand in front of a man who breathes fire?\u201d<\/p>\n Alarm bells started ringing in Brynjolf\u2019s mind.\u00a0 His eyes widened, and he reached across to grab Agryn\u2019s forearm.\u00a0 \u201cThat was you? You were the one who attacked Dardeh?\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn smirked. \u201cThe \u2018Dragonborn.\u2019\u00a0 Yes, that was me. The idea was to simply take him captive for Edwyn to use as a thrall. He nearly killed me. He scorched Edwyn. He did<\/em> kill his housecarl, the Redguard woman. That\u2019s a dangerous man, right there. And coming from me, that is saying something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why did Edwyn send you after him? Why Dardeh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDragon blood,\u201d Vyctyna said, the sarcasm dripping from her tone. \u201cWould you believe he tried to feed on a dragon the other day? The guy is nuts<\/em>, Brynjolf. He\u2019s convinced that he\u2019s going to be Emperor if he gets the dragon blood.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf\u2019s mouth had drooped open as they talked, and he had to make a conscious effort to close it. \u201cSo they were right,\u201d he murmured, almost to himself. \u201cWe talked about this just the other day. Roggi said the vampires were out to get Dar, and Dardeh said it had to be because of his blood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s because Edwyn has lost his grip on sanity, Brynjolf,\u201d Agryn said. \u201cI\u2019ve been watching it happen for a long while now. The same kind of obsession that took hold of Harkon. You knew Harkon, briefly. You saw how he was.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded. \u201cYes. He was single-minded, and that\u2019s putting it kindly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell Edwyn has cracked. He\u2019s not just single-minded. Every bad quality he ever managed to hide in the past has come flooding out recently. He takes no care of me, or anyone else. The final straw was when he\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Agryn trailed off, reaching for Vyctyna\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cHe forced himself on me, Brynjolf,\u201d she snorted. \u201cOr at least he tried to. That was the tipping point. We\u2019re not married, Aggie and me, but we might as well be.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cAt least we aren\u2019t trying to fool people into thinking we can make babies.\u201d<\/p>\n Once more Brynjolf\u2019s mouth fell open. \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Vyctyna\u2019s eyes flashed. \u201cAggie wasn\u2019t the only one who got treated like a commodity lately. Edwyn married Elisif, you know? The Jarl?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know the Jarl,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell she wants a baby. And he can\u2019t give her one. Edwyn had me make a thrall, someone who looked pretty similar to him. Then the woman in the Flagon worked on him so that you can\u2019t even tell the difference. So we went through all of this so that someone who can<\/em> give Elisif a baby is doing the work for him.\u201d\u00a0 She rubbed her chin. \u201cHmm. I\u2019m surprised, really. I thought Edwyn liked<\/em> Elisif that way. I really thought he enjoyed being with her. But I haven\u2019t seen him go near her in awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn snorted. \u201cNo. He hasn\u2019t. And that\u2019s why I\u2019m convinced that he\u2019s lost his mind. I teased him about being jealous of Geor awhile back and his reaction was, well, let\u2019s just say less than charitable. I thought I was going to have to defend myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s what Vekel saw,\u201d Brynjolf muttered. When he realized they were both staring at him he chuckled. \u201cNever underestimate the observational skills of a bartender.\u00a0 He told me he saw one Edwyn come in and two leave. We figured out what he must be up to. You know, if it wasn\u2019t such a serious situation I\u2019d laugh that all of us have figured out the same things coming at it from different angles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s not funny,\u201d Agryn growled. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not willing to let him get away with it any longer.\u201d He rubbed his face with his hands. \u201cListen, Brynjolf. I was ready and willing to do fairly much anything Harkon asked, because I am after all a Volkihar lord and I want us to continue and thrive. I followed Edwyn for years and years because of that. I didn\u2019t ask for anything. But both of them have taken things too far. It killed Harkon and it\u2019s broken Edwyn, and it has to stop. The mortals will always try to hunt us down. I know that. They won\u2019t succeed, if we simply live our lives as we always have, as all the other clans have.\u00a0 But if we let Edwyn have his way\u2026\u201d he shuddered. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of us will come through it intact, vampire or mortal.\u00a0 He has to be stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly. \u201cThat\u2019s what we decided the other night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho is \u2018we\u2019?\u201d Vyctyna asked.<\/p>\n Brynjolf considered how much he could share with these people. It was clear that he and Agryn had a great deal in common. Both of them had just reached the end of their tolerance with a so-called superior.\u00a0 And now he had a common interest with Agryn \u2013 the survival of the Volkihar.<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to trust him. I may end up regretting it but I don\u2019t think they would have approached me and told me all these things if they were trying to harm me.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe Dragonborn and his husband Roggi,\u201d he said. \u201cMy wife and I.\u00a0 And\u2026 Ulfric Stormcloak and his wife Frina.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn\u2019s eyes opened wide. \u201cStormcloak? Really?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded. \u201cYes. He has as much to lose as anyone else and he\u2019s been through two wars trying to put this province back together.\u201d He shrugged. \u201cYou might not be surprised to learn that I don\u2019t care about gods and worship one way or another. But I do think he\u2019s the best man for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn nodded. \u201cSo we all want the same thing, more or less.\u201d<\/p>\n Vyctyna\u2019s brow wrinkled. \u201cThere\u2019s one thing that confuses me, though. Why are you a vampire again, Brynjolf?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her in surprise. There was something important about that question, and he wasn\u2019t exactly sure what; but it made him very uncomfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I was asked to help. And I was, as far as I knew, the only one potentially strong enough to take Edwyn on. It surely would be a fool\u2019s errand to try to take him on at the College, with all the mages there. I\u2026 assumed that I would need to fight Edwyn at the castle, the same way I fought Harkon; and I wouldn\u2019t be able to either enter the castle or fight him as a mortal man. All of us together, even the Dragonborn and Ulfric with his Voice wouldn\u2019t have been enough to hold off a castle full of Volkihar nobility hunting mortal prey. So I\u2026 got turned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait,\u201d Agryn said. \u201cWho turned you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSerana.\u201d He met Agryn\u2019s gaze as the man gasped. \u201cShe wants him dead too, for the same reasons Elisif will if she ever finds out what he\u2019s done. But she isn\u2019t sure of her support there at the castle. Technically,\u201d he continued, rubbing his temples, \u201cI could make a decent case that I\u2019m the rightful heir to that throne, except that I know I\u2019m not. Andante didn\u2019t leave the castle to me, he left it to Serana. I was the one who heard him say it. But he surely didn\u2019t leave it to Edwyn Wickham.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell.\u201d Agryn paused, staring back and forth between Vyctyna and Brynjolf. \u201cFor what it\u2019s worth, I don\u2019t think you could kill Edwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf looked up at him in surprise. \u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I don\u2019t think I could, either. Not alone. I\u2019ve been taking a measure of you, Brynjolf, as we\u2019ve been just sitting here talking. I suspect you\u2019ve been doing the same with me. You\u2019re stronger than most of the people in that castle. I know I am. But neither one of us is close to Edwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he\u2019s also a mage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. He isn\u2019t just the Archmage of Winterhold, you see\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn spent the next few minutes filling in the gaps of what Brynjolf had known or suspected before now.\u00a0 Edwyn had his tentacles in every one of the magical organizations in Tamriel, to one degree or another, and had learned almost all forms of magic. He knew influential people in every province. He\u2019d spent years establishing communities of vampires everywhere he\u2019d gone. But most of all, he was immensely powerful, even without his status as a senior vampire.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t do it alone. But perhaps we can as a group, especially if we also have the assistance of Harkon\u2019s daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow much time have you spent in the castle since Edwyn arrived in Skyrim?\u201d Brynjolf asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNot much. We\u2019ve been on the road most of the time. Or in Winterhold. Or here, in Riften. We have a\u2026 home. Nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n Which would explain how they came to be out on the road just as I left Goldenglow. Alright.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a back way into the castle, and enough space that\u2019s been renovated that the three of us could hide out for weeks and never be suspected, much less found. Meet me near the fort in, oh, let\u2019s say three days\u2019 time and I\u2019ll get you in.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll figure out how to get hold of Serana and we\u2019ll go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat sounds agreeable to me,\u201d Agryn said. \u201cTyna?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Where you go, I go, Aggie, unless there\u2019s a damn good reason not to. You know that.\u00a0 Three days it is, Brynjolf.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt would seem that we have more in common than I would have expected,\u201d he told them. \u201cAll of us have reached the ends of our ropes at the same time. I hope we\u2019ll be able to resolve all of this without too much trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n All of them rose, then, and the couple turned toward the door to take their leave.<\/p>\n \u201cAm I right in assuming that those very large fires at the bee farm had something to do with the end of your particular rope, Brynjolf?\u201d Agryn asked him with a smirk.<\/p>\n \u201cYou might well be,\u201d Brynjolf said, grinning back at him. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to say for certain, one way or another. But let\u2019s just say that having your expertise and contributions overlooked for decades on end is something I\u2019m very familiar with.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn shook his hand again. \u201cTake care, Brynjolf. We\u2019ll see you soon. And, uh\u2026 thank you for being willing to listen to us. I would have understood if you weren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye,\u201d Brynjolf said, nodding. \u201cWe all have something to lose if this goes sideways. Let\u2019s hope it doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn Gernic and Vyctyna Tardif left Honeyside.\u00a0 Brynjolf walked slowly down the stairs into the bedroom, opened the table on the left-hand side of the bed and took out the single small bottle he\u2019d put there. He\u2019d meant it as a symbol, really, a gift to the memory of the man who had filled the table with small bottles when he\u2019d lived there.\u00a0 He trudged back up over the stairs and out onto the quiet back deck of the home.<\/p>\n Off to the west he could see the reflection of flames still highlighting the underside of three tall columns of smoke. He chuckled, taking some satisfaction from the fact that Maven Black-Briar was in for a very nasty surprise. While he watched them flicker he opened the bottle of skooma and downed it, tossing the empty container out into the lake.\u00a0 Then he leaned forward and rested his forehead on his hands against the railing as the drug began to swirl in his head.<\/p>\n Serana wanted Edwyn dead. Edwyn\u2019s own lieutenants wanted him dead. And so did the three strongest men he knew, two of whom had the power of the Voice at their disposal.\u00a0 There was only one Edwyn Wickham, and there were seven of them ready and willing to take him on.<\/p>\n \u201cGods damn it all to Oblivion,\u201d he whispered to the air around him. \u201cI didn\u2019t need to do this after all.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf carefully checked to be certain his illusion spell was in place and put on the hood of his new outfit before leaving Honeyside for the Ragged Flagon. Nobody gave him so much as a second glance. 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<\/p>\nPart II: Resolution<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"