{"id":1174,"date":"2021-09-29T10:34:20","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T16:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=1174"},"modified":"2023-10-03T11:20:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T17:20:38","slug":"chapter-23-brynjolf-and-coe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-1\/part-ii-starlight\/chapter-23-brynjolf-and-coe\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 23 – Brynjolf and Coe"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/p>\n

Brynjolf crossed the footbridge and rounded the corner to Honeyside, to invite Coe to dinner. It wasn\u2019t the \u201ctomorrow night\u201d Sayma had suggested some time ago, but he had wanted to make sure he trusted the man before going so far as to invite him to their home. Coe wasn\u2019t a regular Guild member, after all. But as it happened, Brynjolf was more than pleased with how things had been going. The two of them alternated duties in the \u201coffice\u201d every few days, so that neither of them got too tired or raised too much suspicion; and between them a great deal of product was available.<\/p>\n

There had been regular, quiet shipments of gold north to Windhelm for many years now, but the size of them had been increasing steadily of late. Ulfric was undoubtedly happy with that, along with Frina, who had used a large percentage of those funds over time to repair and improve cities damaged by war. As far as Brynjolf knew, Frina wasn\u2019t aware of how her husband the King came by the added wealth. Ulfric, however, knew where the money came from if not exactly how it was raised. That was information best kept in Riften. Zarashi moved a great deal of product from her den in the Ratway and used her connections with the Khajiit caravans to move more. Brynjolf had connections in Cyrodiil; and since his arrival in Riften, Coe had given him a few more names in Hammerfell and High Rock. And of course Delvin was an unrivaled master of under-the-table commerce.<\/p>\n

He talks about retiring, but I know better. He wouldn\u2019t know what to do with himself. <\/em><\/p>\n

Brynjolf knocked on the door of Honeyside, laughing at himself as he did so.<\/p>\n

Imagine it. Me, knocking instead of just letting myself in! Well, the lad\u2019s been working his tail off and bringing in plenty of money. I guess he deserves at least a little privacy.<\/em><\/p>\n

A raspy voice rose from inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on in, it\u2019s open!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Coe was bent over the alchemy table, grinding ingredients together. He looked up and grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you even give yourself a break on your day off, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Coe laughed. \u201cWell, boss, I have to keep myself in supply, too.\u201d He straightened up, put his fists in the small of his back and leaned backward, groaning. \u201cDamn I\u2019m getting old. And this habit of mine\u2026\u201d He shook his head. \u201cIt would have been great to be rid of it years ago but some things just get into you and won\u2019t let go. Speaking of which,\u201d he added, reaching for one of the small bottles on the table and holding it out, \u201cbe my guest?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf chuckled but shook his head. \u201cThank you, but no. It\u2019s like I told\u2026 my old partner, once. It\u2019s a good temptation but not a safe one. I expect you know all about how that works.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSad but true, my friend. Sad, but true.\u201d He tucked the bottle in a pocket and whisked the others into a nearby chest behind him. \u201cSo what brings you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife,\u201d Brynjolf said. \u201cShe\u2019s been trying to get me to invite you for dinner ever since you arrived in town. Truth be told, I think she\u2019s a bit stir-crazy with boredom since the children left home. She likes company. Does business out of Dawnstar once in awhile but that hardly keeps her occupied all the time. So I bring my business acquaintances over for a meal now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds fancy,\u201d Coe said with a grin. \u201cWell I don\u2019t know what she\u2019ll think of a broken-down old sailor but I\u2019m all for a home-cooked meal that isn\u2019t bread and cheese.\u201d He pointed to his shelves and laughed. \u201cI\u2019ve never been much of a cook. Comes from growing up on your own, I think. I got used to just grabbing whatever I could tuck in a pocket. And by grabbing I mean\u2026 grabbing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf laughed. \u201cWe have more in common than just our business, then. My da more or less ran me out when I displayed an early talent for grabbing things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coe laughed. \u201cWell, I\u2019m about done here, so if you want to lead the way, I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go, then,\u201d Brynjolf said, leading the way out of Honeyside. It had been a lovely day and was becoming a lovely late afternoon; and while he scanned the city out of habit he was mostly focused on getting home and relaxing for once. He was convinced that Sayma would enjoy Coe\u2019s company and hoped that the feeling would be mutual.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you were a\u2026 sailor?\u201d he asked as they made their way across the marketplace. He glanced at Coe, taking in the curved saber he always wore at his hip and raising one eyebrow.<\/p>\n

Coe laughed. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a good eye, Brynjolf. So I wasn\u2019t exactly a legitimate<\/em> sailor. I worked the docks from the time I was old enough to gut a fish but when it came time to try to make a real living I, uh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were a pirate,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly, grinning as he led them toward the south gate. \u201cI won\u2019t hold it against you. I ran away from home to be a thief, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Coe rasped. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t supposed to be like that. I had plans that included someone special. But like you said, it\u2019s not a safe habit and I guess I was one of the unlucky ones. So I did what I had to do to get by, for and with whoever I needed to do it for. Or with. Still do. Lucky to still be here, even if I am a wreck.\u201d<\/p>\n

They approached the gate in silence, and Brynjolf nodded to the guard, who held it open for them to pass through. He found himself thinking about Andante once more. There was something familiar-sounding about the \u201cwith whoever\u201d part of Coe\u2019s statement. But Andante had been notorious for bedding anything that walked by. He shot a sideways glance at Coe and then mentally shook his head.<\/p>\n

I have an over-active imagination.<\/em><\/p>\n

Once they were clear Coe cleared his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo tell me about this wife of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf smiled. \u201cAh. She\u2019s a Redguard lass and I met her the same way I met you. She wandered into town looking like someone who could use a chance to make some gold. Turned out to be the best at what she did and\u2026\u201d He shook his head and waved one hand in the air. \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter. We had a little hitch in the rigging, you might say, but we got past it and have been together ever since. She\u2019s still a prize, even if both of us are going grey now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coe nodded. \u201cMust be nice. I never did settle down after I took that wrong turn in my life. I would have, if not for that. Like I told you \u2013 I had plans.\u201d He smiled, under his perpetually red eyes, and Brynjolf thought ah yes. That\u2019s the look of a man who had someone special.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut the object of my plans left,\u201d Coe continued. Probably a lot wiser than I was.\u201d He smirked. \u201cDefinitely<\/em> a lot wiser. I\u2019ve never stopped wishing it had been different, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf sighed. \u201cIt\u2019s hard when things go sideways. I\u2019ve had that happen more than once in my life. But in spite of it all I\u2019ve ended up in a good place.\u201d<\/p>\n

They slipped through the pass into the wide bowl of Riftvale and waded through the waist-high grasses. \u201cI hope it goes without saying that you\u2019ll tell nobody about this place,\u201d Brynjolf said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Coe answered. \u201cIf I couldn\u2019t keep things quiet I wouldn\u2019t be here. Or anywhere else, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf laughed. \u201cAlright then. Let\u2019s go inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He led the way inside and stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. He smiled at the sight of Sayma busy at work on their meal.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a lucky man. To think we might never have found each other again if not for\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

If not for Vitus pushing us together at the end.<\/em><\/p>\n

The direction his thoughts were taking him made him frown. It was hard enough not to think about Vitus all the time to begin with, but here he was, back to wondering about Dale, and the fact that he existed, and trying to sort out why that should bother him. He shook his head and did his best to shrug it off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here, lass. I\u2019ve brought Coe. Someone had to tear him away from his work for a little bit. He works too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sayma laughed without turning around. \u201cHi, Coe,\u201d she called over her shoulder. \u201cI\u2019m glad you came. Give me just one more moment,\u201d she said, tapping the stirring spoon on the side of the pot and laying it aside. Then she turned to face them, smiling at Brynjolf.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my wife, Sayma Sendu,\u201d Brynjolf said, smiling at her. \u201cLass, this is Coe. He\u2019s the one I\u2019ve been telling you about.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then Brynjolf watched as everything went sideways, almost in the same kind of slowed-down fashion things happened when a powerful vampire side-stepped an attack. Or maybe it was just his mind refusing to accept what he was seeing.<\/p>\n

Sayma looked at Coe and froze. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged.<\/p>\n

In the next breath, she fainted. There was no sound, no warning; only the slow crumpling to the floor of someone who had been busily at work one second and was a deathly still, silent figure flat on her back in the next.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cLass!\u201d Brynjolf cried, rushing to kneel down beside her, his heart threatening to beat its way out of his chest. For a moment he was back to that moment below Valtheim Towers, reaching out to touch the very, very still body of the man who, up to that point, had been the only person he\u2019d ever loved. The panic set in, and he shook her shoulders.<\/p>\n

This can\u2019t be happening. What is wrong? Why\u2026? Don\u2019t leave me, lass. I couldn\u2019t bear it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIs she alright?\u201d Coe asked from behind him, just as Sayma\u2019s eyes began to flutter open once more.<\/p>\n

Relief washed over Brynjolf like a flood; he felt himself trembling from the shock of it as he helped Sayma rise up to a sitting position. She was trembling, too; he felt her forehead, but she didn\u2019t seem to be feverish.<\/p>\n

Gods know we\u2019re both older now. Who knows what might have happened?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t stand up too quickly, lass,\u201d he murmured. He turned to look over his shoulder at Coe. \u201cI think she\u2019s alright but if you could get some water it would help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it,\u201d Coe said, grabbing an empty tankard from the table and filling it at the water keg on the counter. By the time Brynjolf had helped Sayma to her feet, both of them still trembling, Coe had returned with the water.<\/p>\n

Sayma took the tankard from him, her eyes wide and her hand shaking. She had a drink and put the tankard back on the countertop.<\/p>\n

\u201cTh-thank you\u2026\u201d she mumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened, lass?\u201d Brynjolf asked her. \u201cI don\u2019t mind saying you gave me a fright just then.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Sayma wasn\u2019t looking at him. She was staring at Coe, just looking at him up and down. He looked back, clearly perplexed but with an expression that said he was sorting things out in his mind.<\/p>\n

What is going on?<\/em><\/p>\n

Finally, she spoke.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 thought you were dead. I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m looking at you right now,\u201d she said, just above a whisper. \u201cI thought I would never see you again, either one of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coe\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cEither one\u2026?\u201d Then it was as if a light had flickered to life just over his head. \u201cWait. I know you. You look different, and you sound different, but not different enough to fool me. I know you. Sayma\u2026Sendu, did you say?\u201d He slowly broke into a small smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I\u2026 need to sit down,\u201d Sayma said faintly. She turned to make her way into the sitting room, heading toward the chairs before the fireplace. Coe followed her.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s head was spinning. He didn\u2019t have a clue what was going on, but there was a feeling of unease rising from his core and nothing was helping to dampen it down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNow wait just a moment,\u201d he said, moving to stand between Sayma and Coe. \u201cWhat do you mean, you know her? What\u2019s going on here?\u201d He looked back and forth between them, growing more impatient by the moment. \u201cMy wife looks at you and drops into a dead faint, and now you are saying you know her? You\u2019d both better fill me in. Right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sayma cleared her throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cBryn. Try to stay calm. I\u2019m alright. Or at least as alright as I can be under the circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned his head to stare at her. \u201cUnder the circumstances? And what would those be?\u201d<\/p>\n

She stared at him. Her expression was one that he\u2019d learned, over the years, meant you\u2019re not going to like this<\/em>. He stared back. You\u2019d best tell me right now.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sayma took a deep breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you told me his name was Coe,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes? And?\u201d He glanced once more between the two of them and wondered what in the world was putting the tiny, smug grin on Coe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis name isn\u2019t Coe. It\u2019s Coyle,\u201d she said quietly, beginning to tremble once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Brynjolf swung around to stare at the man he knew as Coe once more. \u201cI\u2019ve heard that name. Coyle? That<\/em> Coyle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Coe didn\u2019t meet his gaze. He was too busy staring at Sayma.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you,\u201d he said, smiling at her as if nobody else had ever existed. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d see you again, either. Hoped I would, somehow, but never really expected it to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gave me a false name?\u201d Brynjolf growled. He tried to keep his tone neutral, but he was certain that the old, icy teeth of threat \u2013 the sound he and Vitus had both shared once \u2013 was creeping back into his voice in spite of everything. Coe gave him a disgusted glare, and snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, boss. You would have given someone a false name, too, if you were in my circumstances. I would expect you do that often enough as it is. It\u2019s not as if I was coming to see you for honest work.\u201d He grinned. \u201cYes, my real name is Coyle. I\u2019m from Stros M\u2019Kai. And I\u2019ve known Dagnell<\/em> here since we were both little children.\u201d He turned back to Sayma; his voice softened. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long, long time, hasn\u2019t it, Dag?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf was angry. His mind was shrieking at him, trying to make sense of it all. Coe was, of course, correct. It made perfect sense that he\u2019d used a false name. He used a false name himself, often enough, and who knew what might be following along behind a pirate? But behind the anger was a cold fear. He wasn\u2019t in control of what was going on in his own house and he didn\u2019t know what else might be happening between the two of them, right there in front of him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He turned to face Coe \u2013 no, Coyle. <\/em>This was the man whose loss had driven Dagnell to leave home and travel to Skyrim so many years before. The one, he remembered with a shock, whose past she\u2019d shared with Roggi and not with him, not until they\u2019d been on the brink of falling apart. This was the same Coyle she\u2019d wept over so many times. And she-<\/p>\n

She is the one he had plans with, plans that never came to light. She\u2019s the one he\u2019s never stopped thinking about.<\/em><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t hold it against him. He didn\u2019t know. Neither did she. I can\u2019t let it get to me. Still\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have told me, lad,\u201d he mumbled. \u201cOnce we were working together. You should have told me. It\u2019s not right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coyle laughed. \u201cAnd you think it\u2019s a bad thing that I <\/em>was keeping something from you? Really?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf frowned. Now what?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTell him, Sayma Sendu<\/em>,\u201d Coyle said, crossing his arms defiantly and staring at Brynjolf. \u201cTell him what my whole name is. I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll prove to be quite the enlightenment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf looked back at Sayma again. \u201cLass?\u201d<\/p>\n

She drew a deep breath. \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 Sendu. Coyle Sendu.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf suddenly felt as though his head was about to explode. He stared at Sayma, not knowing whether he was alive or dead, awake or dreaming.<\/p>\n

This can\u2019t possibly be real.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou gave yourself\u2026 his<\/em> last name?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sayma raised her hands in front of her body, as if warding off an attack.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cBryn. Think about it. I was alone. I needed a name that wouldn\u2019t mean anything to anyone around here, and I found out at the last minute that there was a Sayma in Solitude, which would have been too confusing and\u2026 and it was the first thing that came to mind!\u201d<\/p>\n

Feelings \u2013 mostly anger \u2013 that Brynjolf thought he had dealt with long, long before came rushing back to the surface in a way he hadn\u2019t experienced in years. It was the same – and as painful – as it had been that morning when he\u2019d found that she had left him, and her identity as part of the Thieves Guild, behind. When he spoke again his voice broke from the effort of trying to keep it under control. He knew that he needed to stop, to breathe, to consider; but the red heat of anger was coursing through him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing that came to mind, was it? Of course it was the first thing that came to mind! So not only did you drug me, run away from us and change your face and your voice, but you took your first love\u2019s name for your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

He raised a hand, stopping himself at the last moment when he realized it had been a fist and changing it to an accusatory point instead. Sayma dropped her hands to her side, looking defeated, glancing up at him with a guilty look.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t mean anything, Brynjolf. Truly, it didn\u2019t. I\u2019ve explained to you so many times why\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve explained everything but that!\u201d Brynjolf roared. Every moment of distrust, every hurt, every moment of struggle to have this woman back in his life came rushing back into his mind and into his heart. \u201cThere\u2019s always a reasonable<\/em> explanation, isn\u2019t there, for everything you\u2019ve ever done. Right from the very start. I was convenient. You took me because the others wouldn\u2019t have you! Not Roggi, and not this<\/em> man!\u201d He turned and stomped toward the doorway. \u201cIt\u2019s no better than Mercer stabbing us all in the back and betraying us for twenty-five years!\u201d<\/p>\n

Deep inside himself he heard a voice saying no, that\u2019s not right; you\u2019re overreacting. It\u2019s just the surprise of it. She\u2019s the mother of your children. She\u2019s been with you for twenty years<\/em>. But he was too confused, too angry, and too hurt to do anything but bellow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He turned back to glare at Coyle. \u201cI\u2019m leaving. You\u2019re too good at what you do for me to get rid of you, Coyle Sendu<\/em>. And this isn\u2019t your fault. But don\u2019t expect to see me for a few days.\u201d He glanced at Sayma once more, sneered, and left the house.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He looked at her. She wasn\u2019t as dark as her mother had been, at least in the very vague childhood memories he had of her mother Saban; but she was a dark-skinned woman and right then she looked as pale as the clouds in the sky. Pale, but beautiful.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you alright?\u201d he asked awkwardly, knowing that was probably one of the most absurd things ever to come out of his mouth.<\/p>\n

Sayma acted as though she hadn\u2019t heard him. Then she inhaled, all at once as if she\u2019d forgotten how to breathe for a moment. She looked directly at him, and he saw a world of hurt in her eyes.<\/p>\n

Oh Dag. You didn\u2019t deserve this.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m\u2026 yes, I\u2019m\u2026\u201d Her voice broke. \u201cOf course I\u2019m not alright!\u201d she cried. \u201cOf course I\u2019m not!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She ran through the house and out the other door, and he followed at a distance as she headed for a gazebo in the back. Coyle had expected exactly nothing that had happened in the past half hour or so. Nothing at all. But he\u2019d long ago learned to stop and weigh options before acting, or jumping to conclusions. Maybe it was the result of a lifetime spent in a haze of skooma; he didn\u2019t know. It led him to follow slowly, to let her have her moment while he approached to make certain everything would be well.<\/p>\n

When he reached the gazebo and walked up into its shade he could see that she\u2019d been weeping. It surprised him, a bit; Dagnell had always been one of the strongest and toughest women he\u2019d ever known. But it\u2019s been twenty years and who knows what she\u2019s been through since then? <\/em>She wasn\u2019t weeping now, though. Her hands were clenched into fists and she stared ahead blankly. He found himself studying her face, looking for the subtle differences between the way she looked now and the way she had looked twenty years before. The most noticeable thing was that she\u2019d had the scar removed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMind if I sit?\u201d he asked quietly. When she didn\u2019t answer, he quietly lowered himself onto the same bench she occupied, but at its far end.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is, uh\u2026 awkward,\u201d he mumbled. Gods. I sound like an idiot. <\/em>\u201cYou weren\u2019t expecting me. And I sure as heck wasn\u2019t expecting that my boss\u2019 wife would be the girl I\u2026\u201d He trailed off, mentally flailing about when she saved the moment by clearing her throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look\u2026 um\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOld?\u201d he laughed. \u201cA worn-out addict? Yeah, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cI was going to say that you look much healthier than you did the last time I saw you.\u201d She glanced at him then with a look he couldn\u2019t interpret. \u201cYou were nothing but skin and bones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd red eyes,\u201d he snorted. \u201cStill have those.\u201d<\/p>\n

To his relief, she smiled just a bit. \u201cYes. But you\u2019ve done better, haven\u2019t you. I can tell. You\u2019re still very rugged, the way I remember\u2026\u201d Her voice cracked a bit and she trailed off.<\/p>\n

It was altogether embarrassing to think that she remembered how he\u2019d been in his youth, swinging from the riggings and hauling up traps and anchors and\u2026 He cleared his throat. \u201cWell thanks. I appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Daron?\u201d<\/p>\n

He winced. Ah yes. Of course. No point in sugar-coating it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDead. Died a long time ago. Not long after you left.\u201d He shook his head sadly. \u201cHe\u2019s the reason I got hold of myself, at least as much as I\u2019ve been able to do. I was so close to following him, Dag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSayma,\u201d she said softly. \u201cDag died a long time ago, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOk.\u201d He nodded. \u201cOk. I don\u2019t understand it, but it\u2019s not my place to understand or not. What I do know, though, is that he wanted me to tell you he was sorry. If I ever found you again. Never expected to have the chance.\u201d He took a deep breath. No point in sugar-coating this, either<\/em>. \u201cAnd so am I. Sorry, I mean. You didn\u2019t deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

They sat in silence for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you mean, you didn\u2019t come here for honest work?\u201d she asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what do you expect?\u201d he snorted. \u201cWhen a person\u2019s husband makes the finest skooma this side of Elsweyr it shouldn\u2019t be much of a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized he\u2019d made a mistake. Her eyes got very round, and then very narrow and very dark. \u201cI should have known,\u201d she spat. \u201cAll this time I\u2019ve wondered where all the extra money was coming from. All this time! And he knows how much I hate it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Coyle rose from his seat and walked around the gazebo, not meeting her gaze. \u201cI suppose that\u2019s my fault as well, that you hate it. Our fault, me and Daron. Didn\u2019t know when to call good enough good enough, and look where it got both of us. Daron\u2019s dead and I sound like I just came out of a burning building and look ten years older than your husband. But don\u2019t hate Bryn for it. He’s a good man. I sought him out because I heard he was the best and he is. He took me just as I am, disreputable, broken-down lout and all. I sure didn\u2019t know he was married to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

From behind him, he heard her ask softly, \u201cWould that have mattered?\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned to stare at her. \u201cOf course it would have. I thought I\u2019d never see you again. I\u2019ve loved you for close to forty years. Why would I do something that would hurt you, on purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n

They stared at each other for a long moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe I just said that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Damn. Just blurt it out, Coyle. Great job.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brynjolf stormed out through the pass, out to the edge of the water, and stood staring out at Goldenglow Estate. He kept reaching up to swipe roughly at his eyes, which stung in spite of his anger.<\/p>\n

It was too frustrating. There were too many things going through his mind at the same time. Once more, as it had happened so many times in the past, he found himself having a full-blown internal debate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You shouldn\u2019t have said that to her. That was like stabbing her with an old, rusty knife.<\/em><\/p>\n

And? She didn\u2019t stab me with it first? Naming herself after the man she lost?<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s quite possible that there\u2019s nothing more to it than what she told you \u2013 she needed a surname in a hurry and that one was at hand. You didn\u2019t have any reason to know that they were connected in any way and she didn\u2019t expect you ever would.<\/em><\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the point. She chose his name for herself. He hurt her so much and she still picked HIS name. The fact that she thought I\u2019d never have any reason to know makes it even worse. It was always going to be her little secret.<\/em><\/p>\n

Did <\/em>you have a surname she could have chosen?<\/em><\/p>\n

No, but she was trying to get AWAY from me! She left me because of Roggi!<\/em><\/p>\n

No. She left you because she made a mistake. But she came back to you, didn\u2019t she?<\/em><\/p>\n

No. I had to go find her myself. WE had to go find her.<\/em><\/p>\n

Semantics. You made a life together, and Roggi made one with Dardeh. And everyone forgave everyone else.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brynjolf kicked at the dirt, and a single cry of utter frustration escaped from his throat. He\u2019d been having these internal discussions for fifteen years now, and was fairly certain who they were with. The other voice never called him \u201cLoverboy\u201d or anything of the sort, but then Vitus was just a whisper of a presence in his being, a whisper anchored to him by the ashes that had helped him be human once more. But it always bothered him that usually he lost the debates. The other voice always won.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t you understand? I\u2019m sixty winters old and nobody has ever really loved me. That\u2019s why I never got married until I met Dag. My parents ran me off when I was a child.<\/em><\/p>\n

You ran away from your father. Your mother loved you well enough.<\/em><\/p>\n

Not enough to stand up to him. And Dynny \u2013 he said he loved me, but he was married and it wouldn\u2019t have lasted anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a load of bull. You know Dynny loved you.<\/em><\/p>\n

And Andante \u2013 <\/em><\/p>\n

The voice in his mind was quiet for a moment.<\/p>\n

Andante loved you, and only you.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brynjolf shook his head. He felt strongly that there was something wrong with that argument, even though there was no objective reason why it should be wrong. But his thoughts wouldn\u2019t slow long enough for him to isolate the reasons it was wrong.<\/p>\n

And now Sayma. Sayma\u2026Sendu. Who conveniently has her first love return to her life just about the time she doesn\u2019t need me anymore.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026 You\u2019re ridiculous.<\/em><\/p>\n

Probably. But I\u2019m tired of being everyone\u2019s doormat. I\u2019ve been doing that for sixty winters and I\u2019m tired of it. First them, then Mercer Frey and Maven Black-Briar, and now the person I thought would always have my back. It\u2019s the last straw. I want something for me, gods damn it.<\/em><\/p>\n

An hour ago you were telling Coe how special your wife is.<\/em><\/p>\n

An hour ago I thought his name was Coe, gods damn it!<\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019re too angry right now, Brynjolf. Don\u2019t do anything rash.<\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, no. You don\u2019t get to tell me that. Nobody gets to tell me that. I\u2019ve had enough. I\u2019ve raised my children, I\u2019ve made more than a tidy sum for Ulfric, and I\u2019ve looked out for everyone all these years. I\u2019m tired of it. It\u2019s my turn.<\/em><\/p>\n

He picked up a flat stone and threw it horizontally out across the water, watching it skip and create a series of ripples spreading out from each place it contacted the surface. He heard a raven croaking as it flew past, somewhere in the forest behind him. And then he nodded to himself and turned south.<\/p>\n

It took him a good while to make it through the area between Riften and the southern mountains, but eventually he made it to the cave opening. It took some serious squinting to find his way down the very dark stairs, but find the way he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s me,\u201d he called out as he reached the bottom of the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver here, Brynjolf,\u201d came the matter-of-fact response. \u201cWe\u2019re both here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf walked to the place where he\u2019d once sat in a dream and spoken to Vitus. Since then, Agryn Gernic and Vyctyna Tardif had added a chair so that they could both relax at the same time; but they\u2019d not made many other changes to this home since they\u2019d taken it over. They treated it as a temporary home \u2013 even if \u201ctemporary\u201d meant something very different to a vampire than it did to a human.<\/p>\n

They both looked up at Brynjolf expectantly as he strode to the center of the space. Vyctyna, in particular, seemed completely unconcerned about his presence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, boss,\u201d she said, grinning. \u201cHaven\u2019t seen you in awhile. You look upset, though. Why so glum?\u201d<\/p>\n

Agryn snorted. \u201cTyna. If a person is visibly upset, it\u2019s rude to call attention to that in such a flippant way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vyctyna looked chastened for a moment. \u201cSorry, Bryn,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean that the way it probably came out. But it is good to see you anyway,\u201d she finished with one of her chipper smiles.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t believe I could ever be angry with Vyctyna. She\u2019s just such a breath of fresh air.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, Tyna,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, too. But I have a very important favor to ask of Agryn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can I do for you, friend?\u201d Agryn asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to turn me,\u201d Brynjolf said. \u201cRight here, right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched the looks on his friends\u2019 faces change.<\/p>\n

Well. This is going to be a struggle, isn\u2019t it?<\/em><\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   Brynjolf crossed the footbridge and rounded the corner to Honeyside, to invite Coe to dinner. It wasn\u2019t the \u201ctomorrow night\u201d Sayma had suggested some time ago, but he had wanted to make sure he trusted the man before going so far as to invite him to their home. Coe wasn\u2019t … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Chapter 23 – Brynjolf and Coe”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":653,"menu_order":23,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1174","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1174"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2664,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1174\/revisions\/2664"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}