That leaves only Elisif. There are ways of making her compliant if she is not immediately willing to step aside for me. That is why I am here. It is time to prepare her for her future.<\/em><\/p>\n He found himself yawning as he walked through the foggy morning streets of Solitude. It had been some time since he\u2019d slept, and the exertions of the past few days were catching up with him.\u00a0 He stopped to admire Solitude \u2013 really, the only civilized community in Skyrim, and the one that most closely reminded him of his origins in High Rock \u2013 and even found himself smiling as a child ran past him yelling ahead to her giggling, unseen playmates who had gone before. Yes, he was tired. He desperately needed to sleep. Most important, though, was the need to ensure that all was in place for the upcoming Moot.<\/p>\n He stopped at the doorway of Proudspire Manor and stood quietly looking out at the city. He could hear the bards, next door at the College, beginning their days with vocal exercises and lute arpeggios. It was peaceful, and pleasant, and he felt something close to happiness for a moment or two. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a long, slow, deep breath of the fresh air, enjoying the scents of flowering plants and the slight tang of salt water.<\/p>\n Yes. Elisif. If she does not immediately agree to my plan, I shall enthrall her so that she will. First Elisif, then the Dragonborn.<\/em><\/p>\n Odd that I should arrive at a decision that is not so very far removed from the request Vingalmo made of me before his unfortunate demise. And yet, in the end, he was right. First Skyrim; then the Empire. Harkon would be so proud.<\/em><\/p>\n He pushed open the door of the manor and moved inside.\u00a0 It was early enough in the day that Elisif should still be here, rather than at the castle; indeed, he could hear muffled sounds of her movements from above. It occurred to him, as he made his way up the stairs toward their bedroom, that it had been some time since he had had his way with his lovely wife. He felt inclined to do so now; if it delayed her appearance in court, all the better for him.<\/p>\n Better a punctual, supremely educated mage already experienced in leadership than a woman who misses her appointments because of more\u2026 base concerns, yes? <\/em><\/p>\n He felt a bubble of pure amusement rising in his chest.\u00a0 He was so clever.\u00a0 He could sate his own appetites and further tighten his control of the situation all with one satisfying interlude.\u00a0 He skipped up the second half-flight of stairs and around the enchantment table, flinging the bedroom door open and bursting in.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Elisif, my darling\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He stopped short and froze to the spot. Elisif and Geor Mandel were wrapped around each other, engaging in what appeared to be the tenderest of kisses.<\/p>\n No. How could I have been so careless?<\/em><\/p>\n Edwyn had never been one to make major mistakes. He had never been truly afraid for more than a moment or two. But at this moment painful talons of panic clutched his heart and he found it difficult to take a breath.<\/p>\n No! Caught. There\u2019s no way for me to deny what has been happening now.\u00a0 What am I going to do?<\/em><\/p>\n Elisif and Geor broke away from each other and turned to face him.\u00a0 Somewhere, a portion of his mind registered that they did not seem shocked or surprised to see him standing there.\u00a0 In fact, if anything, Elisif looked\u2026 annoyed.<\/p>\n \u201cElisif. My darling,\u201d he started to say.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t give me that, Edwyn Wickham,\u201d Elisif said, shaking her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a great deal of nerve, coming back here like this after everything you\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep going. Keep going. We\u2019re so close to completing Harkon\u2019s plan. We can\u2019t stop now.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt is of vital importance that I do so,\u201d he said, trying his best to keep his voice steady and avoid the steely-eyed glare Geor Mandel was giving him. \u201cI\u2019ve been visiting with some of the Jarls, my dear, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what<\/em>, Edwyn?\u201d she snapped.<\/p>\n His mind raced, frantically. She didn\u2019t seem to be addressing the obvious issue \u2013 that there were two identical men standing in the room with her.\u00a0 In that case, he would simply press on with the matter of the politics.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd\u2026\u201d\u00a0 And what? What can I tell her that could possibly suffice? \u00a0<\/em>\u201cAnd you have to step aside and allow me to become the Jarl of Haafingar.\u201d The words left him before he had time to consider whether he should actually say them.<\/p>\n Elisif\u2019s mouth dropped open for a moment and her face took on a look of utter astonishment. Several heartbeats of time passed before she managed to say something.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me why, exactly, would I do such a ridiculous thing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they have lost faith in you. They believe you have abandoned the ways of true Nords.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am the widow of the High King!\u201d she snapped.<\/p>\n Edwyn\u2019s temper flared.\u00a0 \u201cNo. You are no longer Torygg\u2019s widow. You are my wife. My<\/em> wife. A woman<\/em>. And they say that you have abandoned the ways of Nords by becoming my wife. There is no possibility that you will be selected to be High Queen if you are no longer a worthy Nord. Given that as the case, my dearest<\/em> bride, it is incumbent upon you to step down from your throne in my favor. I am a Breton, and a man. There are no social limitations on my ability to marry whom I like or how many times in my life I marry if my spouse should die. \u00a0And furthermore, you should, soon, be busy with the work of a woman \u2013 raising our child.\u201d<\/p>\n As soon as the words had finished pouring from his mouth, he knew he\u2019d badly misstepped.<\/p>\n Geor Mandel snorted.<\/p>\n \u201cExcusin\u2019 the interruption, m\u2019lord<\/em>,\u201d he said, \u201cbut it seems to me that Lady Elisif here will be raising our<\/em> child. Mine and hers. Supposin\u2019 we\u2019ve been fortunate enough to make that happen.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled at her. \u201cWe\u2019ve been trying awfully hard.\u201d \u00a0Then he looked back at Edwyn and sneered.<\/p>\n \u201cJust like you asked.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn stared at them. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you really that surprised that I figured it out, Edwyn?\u201d Elisif said coldly. \u201cYou must have such a low opinion of me. I may not have been an experienced ruler when Torygg died but I have never been stupid<\/em>. Lonely enough to be fooled by you for awhile, perhaps, but not stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed at Geor and smiled. \u201cYou may have made him to look exactly like you but he\u2019s different. He\u2019s warm, for one thing. And\u2026 well I suppose a lady shouldn\u2019t speak of such things but I will. He\u2019s better than you.\u201d\u00a0 She turned back to Edwyn and sneered. \u201cHe\u2019s kind, and honest, and gentle, and he\u2019s better than you. And you neglected to tell your little lackey to forbid Geor from telling me his name.\u00a0 Once he mentioned that to me, everything else came out.\u201d<\/p>\n She took a half step toward Edwyn and pointed at him. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t care.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care, Edwyn, because he\u2019s a far better man than you will ever be. I love him.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn snarled.<\/p>\n Elisif gasped; and it dawned on Edwyn that he had revealed the large fangs he\u2019d fought so very hard to conceal from her for so long. Even the kisses he\u2019d given her had been purposefully brief, and careful, and\u2026 shallow\u2026 so that she would not discover that he was a vampire.<\/p>\n \u201cStrictly speaking, ma\u2019am, he\u2019s not a man,\u201d Geor said.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. So poor Jordis has informed me,\u201d Elisif said, her eyes blazing. \u201cShe was most relieved to unburden herself of a great deal of information, Edwyn. It disgusts me to think that I ever shared a bed with such a creature as you. Now then, Edwyn Wickham. I would suggest that you leave before I have the entirety of the Haafingar guard come escort you from the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn bared his fangs fully. \u201cYou stupid, stupid woman! You\u2019ll never hold Skyrim\u2019s highest throne!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd neither will you,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cI may be young, and a bit naive, but I can see what was going on under my nose. Your cover has been completely torn away, Edwyn Wickham. Everyone at the Moot shall know what you are and who you are. Our marriage shall be annulled because you deceived me, and I will marry Geor. If the Moot disapproves, so be it; but you will never be High King.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn howled and raised his hands to conjure his swords. He never got a chance.<\/p>\n Geor Mandel lunged at him brandishing a short blade.\u00a0 Edwyn felt an impact; then, a moment later, as if it had taken time for the sensations to reach his consciousness, he felt a blinding pain in both hands.\u00a0 He cried out and looked down to see deep cuts \u2013 tendon-severing deep – across both palms and a wide blood spatter on the floor\u2019s carpet.<\/p>\n \u201cGet out of here!\u201d Geor shouted.\u00a0 \u201cGet your filthy self out of here and don\u2019t never<\/em> come back! I\u2019m no mage but I\u2019m a Breton. I can make a flame staff go as good as the next guy and I\u2019ll use it right on you, you filthy vampire, don\u2019t think I won\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn looked from Geor to Elisif, confused.\u00a0 He balled his damaged hands up into fists against the pain, as best he could.\u00a0 He opened his mouth to say something but could think of nothing to say.<\/p>\n He turned and fled.<\/p>\n I must get to the castle, where I can feed and rest and recover.<\/em><\/p>\n I am free now. I must talk to Serana.\u00a0 I must make amends. <\/em><\/p>\n ___<\/em><\/p>\n It had taken far too long for him to reach the castle.\u00a0 Far, far too long.<\/p>\n To begin with, he was exhausted. Besides that it was daylight, and therefore he was slower than normal and couldn\u2019t fly.\u00a0 He\u2019d needed to stay in his human form and walk, then run, then walk all the way down the road from Solitude, up over Haafingar\u2019s central ridgeline, then westward, the long trek to the pathway winding down to the Sea of Ghosts.<\/p>\n The injuries to his hands were grievous, and excruciating. He\u2019d somehow wrestled a few potions down his throat, and those had at least stopped the blood loss; but they did nothing for the pain.\u00a0 His ability to cast spells was hampered, at least at first; but he gritted his teeth against the pain enough to manage a healing spell with one hand, shrieking with anguish as he cast it. At last he was able to repair himself enough that he could use both hands again, but they were stiff; and the abundance of nerves in them meant that they would be impossibly painful for a long time yet.\u00a0 He managed to conjure a sword in the better of his hands, but gripping it with any sort of force was next to impossible and striking it against something solid was going to be out of the question.<\/p>\n I shall have to rely on my conjurations. That is my only option until I have fully regained the use of my hands.<\/em><\/p>\n How has this happened? How could I have failed when I was so close to success? I am so sorry, Harkon. <\/em><\/p>\n His mind raced as he ran.\u00a0 It was clear to him that becoming High King of Skyrim had been within his reach but was now, suddenly, an impossibility.\u00a0 He was still Archmage of the College of Winterhold, though, and Lord of the Volkihar; and gods help him he was still Lord of his family\u2019s estates in High Rock, as he had been for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n And I can still do it. I can still become Emperor. <\/em><\/p>\n All I need to do is find the Dragonborn.<\/em><\/p>\n He rowed \u2013 very awkwardly indeed, as he needed to work the oars more with his forearms than with his hands \u2013 across the water to the castle and hopped out onto the shore, cursing the daylight.\u00a0 The rising pathway to the castle\u2019s entry had never seemed so long or so slow to complete.<\/p>\n I\u2019m so tired. I need to get inside and refresh myself. Perhaps the Blood Chalice. Perhaps one of the cattle. Or two of them.<\/em><\/p>\n He pushed open the castle doors and blinked, trying to acclimate his eyes to the dim light.\u00a0 It seemed very quiet inside \u2013 unusually so.\u00a0 He heard the sounds of someone dining, and saw that one of the low-ranking members of the clan was availing himself of a freshly-slain corpse.\u00a0 He balled his injured hands up again and stuck them under his armpits, trying to warm them so that the tendons would relax; then he cast his eyes to his feet as he made his way down the staircase into the main hall.<\/p>\n When he looked up again, Serana was standing next to the table.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what do you<\/em> want, Eddie?\u201d she said, a defiant edge in her tone.<\/p>\n Edwyn sighed. What do I want? I want you, my love. You\u2019re what I\u2019ve always wanted. I want you, and this castle, and\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve come to rest, Serana,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI\u2019m tired. I\u2019ve been injured. I want to sleep, and feed, and then I want to address my court.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana\u2019s eyes flickered a bit when he said he\u2019d been injured; but her expression didn\u2019t change and neither did her stance.\u00a0 She shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cYour court, Eddie?\u00a0 And by whose authority?\u00a0 My mother\u2019s? Because of course you know that she would automatically have inherited his throne after my father\u2019s death, the same way Elisif inherited her husband\u2019s throne.\u201d<\/p>\n Here we go again.<\/em><\/p>\n Edwyn closed his eyes.<\/p>\n All this talk of women inheriting thrones. There are far too many women who believe themselves to be rulers in this backwater province. That is why I need to be Emperor. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBut of course my mother wanted nothing to do with it,\u201d Serana continued. \u201cYou know that. She was more than happy to leave the throne to Andante. He earned<\/em> it.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn felt as though he could sink to the floor and fall asleep right there, even speaking to Serana as he was.\u00a0 His chin slowly sank down onto his chest. He couldn\u2019t seem to pry his eyes open.\u00a0 The throbbing that continued in his hands in spite of his best healing efforts kept him awake, though, in spite of everything.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes,\u201d he said. \u201cAndante, the great and powerful. But he\u2019s dead now, isn\u2019t he? And I was Harkon\u2019s hand-picked successor. He even picked me to wed you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor all the honor you paid to that<\/em> wish, Edwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n Dimly, through the haze of fatigue that threatened to render him unconscious, Edwyn heard the sounds of movements.\u00a0 He struggled to raise his head.\u00a0 The unmistakable sounds of weapons being drawn brought him fully back to awareness. He opened his eyes.<\/p>\n Before him, arrayed in a semicircle behind Serana, were five of Volkihar\u2019s best. All but Serana were armed and ready. The most intimidating of them, possibly, was Fura Bloodmouth, holding some sort of pole arm with a much longer reach than Edwyn was comfortable contemplating.<\/p>\n This is bad. Very bad.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this, then?\u201d he said, trying to sound nonchalant. \u201cIs this how you greet your Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the Volkihar clan calling your claim to leadership into question, Edwyn Wickham,\u201d Feran Sadri said. \u201cWe knew you were coming and decided that it was time to do that. You\u2019ve done nothing for us since you returned to court. Serana was missing for a very long and tiring time and it was Andante, not you, who found her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when Harkon threatened our well-being, it was Andante who killed him, not you,\u201d Fura Blood-Mouth added, brandishing her weapon. \u201cHe was clearly the more powerful vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn\u2019s temper flared. \u201cOh yes, do tell me once more all about this noble nobody who eliminated Harkon single-handedly<\/em>,\u201d he said, wincing as he inadvertently flexed his hands. \u201cWith the assistance of my darling Serana and<\/em> his own companion of course, whom rumor has it was nearly as powerful as he.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not your darling, Eddie,\u201d Serana said. \u201cYou forfeited that right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt your father\u2019s direction,\u201d he answered her. \u201cI would never have done so if not for your father\u2019s direct orders.\u201d Please understand, Serana. Please.<\/em><\/p>\n Serana shook her head. \u201cMy father was out of his mind. And even if that hadn\u2019t been true, you did lead me to believe we were going to be a couple again at the same time you were wooing Elisif.\u201d<\/p>\n From the back of the room, Vyctyna tsk\u2019d. He thought he heard her murmur the word \u201cpig.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can tell you this, mage,\u201d Orthjolf growled. \u201cAndante may not have been someone you knew. But he restored a sense of pride to this castle along with restoring the buildings. He put everyone to work. He gave us purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t try to force himself on people like you did, you pig,\u201d Vyctyna Tardif spat. \u201cAt least not as far as I know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he never betrayed the people who looked up to him, Edwyn,\u201d said Agryn Gernic.\u00a0 Of all the vampires, Agryn was the one with the most pained expression.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t betray those he called his friends.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn growled. \u201cYou are a fine one to speak about loyalty, Agryn Gernic. Leaving me after so long.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you grabbed me, you jerk,\u201d Vyctyna said. \u201cAggie and I are for each other. Only. You knew that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never saw Andante rip people\u2019s throats out just for disagreeing with them,\u201d Orthjolf added. \u201cIf that were a thing someone should do I would have killed Vingalmo long ago. But he didn\u2019t deserve to die.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn was getting angrier by the moment. \u201cAnd all of you knew this Andante so very well,\u201d he said sarcastically. \u201cYou never even met<\/em> him, Agryn. Nor did you, Vyctyna. And the rest of you \u2013 he killed your Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he did,\u201d Serana said. \u201cBut I knew him, Eddie. Not for long, but I knew him well enough to know what they say is true. He was a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn tossed his head back and laughed. \u201cAnd he\u2019s dead now. And I\u2019m your lord.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot really,\u201d came a voice from the stairwell at the back of the room.\u00a0 Slowly, a figure wearing dark armor and a mask walked to the center of the room. \u201cHe was all of what they said. A very complex man, he was. A gentleman? Definitely. He was also very dangerous. And while he never forced himself on people,\u201d the man said with a chuckle, \u201che certainly never stopped trying to bed them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUntil he met you,\u201d Serana said quietly. \u201cYou can\u2019t fool me. I know true love when I see it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there is some truth to that, I suppose. Be that as it may. He was the Lord of the Volkihar, and he did not pass that title to you, Edwyn Wickham.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn thought he recognized the brogue behind the mask.\u00a0 But he was confused.<\/p>\n It can\u2019t be him. He\u2019s not a vampire. I\u2019ve spoken to the man, sensed his abilities. He would have come here and instantly become a main course, laid out on the table to feast upon.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t let them know I\u2019m confused.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIs that so,\u201d he said. \u201cThen to whom did he leave that title if not to Harkon\u2019s hand-picked successor?\u201d<\/p>\n The man before Edwyn reached up and pulled off his hood and mask, revealing brilliant copper eyes and dark red hair.\u00a0 Edwyn gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, Edwyn,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly. \u201cHis second in command.\u201d<\/p>\n Serana chuckled. \u00a0\u201cI knew I should be calling you Lord Brynjolf.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn felt as though his head was about to explode. Absolutely nothing made sense to him in this moment, and he felt the uncomfortable pangs of panic building in his chest. He refused, however, to show that panic to these people.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is<\/em> you! But how? How is it even possible?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf raised an eyebrow. \u201cI would have thought you of all people would be familiar with how one becomes a vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn\u2019s temperature rose. \u201cHilarious. \u00a0You\u2019re always hilarious, Brynjolf. \u00a0You were not a vampire when I met you in Riften.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I was not. Serana was kind enough to help me regain my status. You\u2019re fond of saying that you were Harkon\u2019s second. Well, I was Andante\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn tried flexing his hands and winced.\u00a0 He was not going to be able to use his weapons, not yet.\u00a0 He was facing no fewer than seven formidable vampires.\u00a0 He tilted his head to the side for a moment, observing Brynjolf.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a Nightlord.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I am.\u201d There was no boasting in that acknowledgement, nothing more than a quiet assertion. Brynjolf clearly knew his own strength and was simply stating the facts.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s stronger than you, Edwyn,\u201d Agryn Gernic murmured.<\/p>\n How dare he? How could you, Agryn, you who were supposed to be my best friend? So you said, at any rate. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAs a vampire? Perhaps. That remains to be seen. He is not, however, a mage.\u201d He sneered at the big redhead. \u201cYou\u2019re a Nord<\/em>, Brynjolf.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf smirked.\u00a0 His right hand flicked out to the side; and suddenly, before him, was a spectral draugr, huge and radiating menace.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand you\u2019re fond of conjuration magic, Edwyn. \u00a0Meet Sadraaka, from Hammerfell,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019ll be with us for some time now.\u201d He drew a weapon with his right hand. In his left a glowing ball of red energy accumulated and stayed. \u201cYes, I am a Nord. I may not be a mage to the same extent you are, lad, but I have a few tricks up my sleeves.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn felt a flare of anger rising up through him, and he growled. \u201cDon\u2019t \u2018lad\u2019 me, Brynjolf!\u00a0 Of all your supremely annoying personality quirks that is possibly the worst. I am at the very least several hundred years older than you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t like terms of affection, Edwyn?\u201d Brynjolf said, grinning.<\/p>\n Edwyn felt himself flushing, and for a moment his skin threatened to crawl away from his bones.\u00a0 He had nothing but disdain for men who loved men and was particularly unsettled by someone like Brynjolf, who had clearly had a close relationship with Andante but who also was married to a woman, and who had children by her.<\/p>\n \u201cHow distasteful,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n Brynjolf smirked. \u201cI agree. I can\u2019t imagine that Andante would have bedded you, Edwyn; and trust me, that\u2019s saying something.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned forward a bit, in a ready position, and his eyes narrowed. \u201cNow then. It\u2019s important that you know that we believe you should die. I\u2019m telling you that now because I wouldn\u2019t feel right about ambushing you here in the Castle. For your own good I believe that you should be leaving, Lord Wickham,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cYes, you\u2019re a far better mage than any of us here. But there are eight of us now.\u201d He paused as the death hound Garmr walked in front of him, and grinned. \u201cNine. Garmr\u2019s a good pup.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf looked back at Edwyn, and anything remotely resembling a grin vanished from his face. \u201cGo, now. We\u2019ll give you a head start, but know that your time is dwindling. You will <\/em>be hunted.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn started to raise his hands, to counter Brynjolf\u2019s aggressive stance; but as soon as he attempted to move his fingers, pain shot up through his arms.\u00a0 He howled in anger, pain, and frustration.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will all live to regret this! Every one of you! I intend to become Emperor; and once I am, I promise you, you will look back fondly on the days of the Thalmor invasion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor? Ha! Good luck with that. You should go, now, while you have a chance,\u201d Orthjolf rumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cGo, and consider what a pathetic mess you have made of your life,\u201d Feran Sadri agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cGo, before I retrieve Auriel\u2019s Bow from its resting place and hand it to Brynjolf,\u201d Serana said.\u00a0 All eyes turned to her.<\/p>\n Edwyn gasped. \u201cThe Bow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course I know where the Bow is. But you knew that already. I wasn\u2019t about to give it to anyone, particularly not you. But, Eddie,\u201d she said with a wicked sneer, \u201cI happen to have watched Brynjolf fight on any number of occasions. Among other things, he\u2019s a fine archer. Can you imagine what your poor, tired, wounded body would do if he fired one of those sun-blessed arrows at it?\u00a0 They killed my father.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn found himself practically vibrating with anger.\u00a0 He wanted that bow. Desperately. He wanted, simultaneously, to strangle Serana and to take her in his arms.\u00a0 He definitely wanted to kill Brynjolf, by the most painful method he could devise. But all of the people arrayed before him were edging forward, bit by bit, raising their weapons into aggressive positions; and he was in no condition to take them all on.<\/p>\n He turned and fled. Up the stairs, out the door, and down the ramp toward the jetty.\u00a0 He needed to put some distance between himself and this mob of people, and perhaps find a quiet spot to rest for a few hours until dark.\u00a0 And then he needed to get back to Winterhold.<\/p>\n Nobody will dare follow me into the College.<\/em><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you let him leave?\u201d Serana moaned as the door shut behind Edwyn. \u201cI really thought you were going to take care of him while he was here!\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf sighed.\u00a0 No, it didn\u2019t go at all the way I expected. Except that we didn\u2019t simply ambush him. That was something I didn\u2019t want to happen. <\/em>He shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI honestly thought he was too full of himself to leave without a fight. Every time I\u2019ve ever talked to him, the most obvious thing about him has been his ego. If nothing else, I thought that pretending I was in charge here would set him off. \u00a0I\u2019ve been a thorn in his side for months. It doesn\u2019t matter. He\u2019s still going to die.\u201d He turned to Agryn Gernic and waved him forward.\u00a0 \u201cWill you come with me, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn nodded. \u201cOf course. Tyna, stay here with the others. He might circle around and come back for Serana.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded. \u201cThe rest of you, spread out to all of the entrances.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want him coming back in.\u201d \u00a0The Volkihar lowered their weapons and scattered.\u00a0 Brynjolf looked up at the balcony behind them and saw Garan Marethi there.\u00a0 Marethi nodded, and then executed a small bow.<\/p>\n Good. He\u2019s with us too.<\/em><\/p>\n He stepped closer to Serana and dropped his voice. \u201cDon\u2019t take the Bow out of safekeeping. I\u2019m worried it\u2019ll be too much of a temptation for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Serana agreed. \u201cIt\u2019s never going to be seen again. I wouldn\u2019t really have even given it to you, Brynjolf; it\u2019s too dangerous.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled. \u201cBut I must admit that it was satisfying to see the look on his face when you pulled off your hood.\u00a0 I thought he was going to swallow his own tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeh. Yes. I enjoyed that. I could almost see the steam pouring out of his ears. At any rate, Agryn and I will hunt him down. I want to see where he heads, whether or not he has any of the Jarls in his pocket yet.\u00a0 Somehow I doubt it.\u201d\u00a0 He stopped to grab one of the blood potions off the nearest table.\u00a0 \u201cTake care. With luck we\u2019ll return with good news soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould I have my father\u2019s chambers\u2026 fumigated before your return?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf stopped short for a moment.<\/p>\n Shor\u2019s bones.\u00a0 I could, actually.\u00a0 I could be the Lord of the Volkihar.\u00a0 Nobody even blinked at that.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell, you may want to fumigate it on general purposes, lass,\u201d he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cBut I have a family on the far side of Skyrim from here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, the master\u2019s chambers are yours regardless.\u00a0 Be careful, Brynjolf \u2013 and Agryn,\u201d she said as the latter came up to them. \u201cHe\u2019s much tougher than he might seem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Serana,\u201d Agryn said. \u201cI know all his tricks. And there\u2019s something wrong with him right now. We\u2019ll find him and take care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded to Agryn.\u00a0 The two of them trotted up the steps and out into the night.<\/p>\n Edwyn resumed his human form at the edge of the fjord just before the sun was fully up and walked the rest of the way around to Solitude\u2019s main gate.\u00a0 He took his time. There was no real need to rush up to Proudspire. The long flight from Winterhold to Solitude had tired his muscles, … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5-2-15-1.png\")
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