{"id":1757,"date":"2022-05-17T09:08:05","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T15:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=1757"},"modified":"2022-10-06T17:35:40","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T23:35:40","slug":"chapter-24-dale","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-ii\/part-i-past-and-present\/chapter-24-dale\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 24 – Dale"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

I do not like surprises.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dale ground his teeth as he approached the Falkreath longhouse. He heard the guard\u2019s heart beating, but it was overshadowed by the sound of his own thoughts hissing and spitting at the situation he\u2019d found himself in back in Riften.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I like knowing where I stand.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ordinarily, he never worried about what other people thought of him. His mother had been as straightforward a woman as ever lived, and raised him to be likewise. If she was upset, she told him so. If she was sad, she cried in front of him without any sort of shame. \u201cPeople get sad, Dale,\u201d she\u2019d told him. \u201cAnd sometimes they get angry. People say you should hide those things, especially if you\u2019re older; but I don\u2019t agree. Your father and I met because neither of us cared to play games, and we didn\u2019t worry about what others thought of us. Some people will like you and others will not. It\u2019s nothing to be overly concerned about.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he wasn\u2019t. He had no problem either with other peoples\u2019 emotions or with his own; as long as he knew what was going on he could adjust to circumstances, easily. But he did not like it when he was surprised and had no control over, or understanding of, the situation in which he found himself.<\/p>\n

He hopped over the fence and crouched down into the shadow of a small tree near the doorway, waiting for the patrolling guard to pass. The guard\u2019s torch would likely blind him to things in the shadows, but it never hurt to be cautious.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad Nazir gave me this contract. It\u2019s right on the way to the feral Agryn wants me to erase.<\/em><\/p>\n

That thought had him growling again. It had been that unexpected confrontation in Agryn and Vyctyna\u2019s home that had him rattled. People didn\u2019t simply drop in<\/em> to a vampire\u2019s lair for a friendly visit. Particularly when they were fully mortal people.<\/p>\n

Particularly when it seemed that they were once among the elite of one of the oldest vampire clans in Tamriel.<\/p>\n

Particularly when they knew your father better than you did yourself.<\/p>\n

Not that it would take much. I didn\u2019t know him at all.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ugh! Enough!<\/em><\/p>\n

He forced thoughts of his father out of his mind to focus on the task at hand. Nazir had tasked him to remove Jarl Dengeir\u2019s housecarl, Helvard. He had wondered briefly what the ancient old Jarl would do without his resourceful and hardy friend by his side. But then, it really wasn\u2019t his place to worry about the situation. Someone had paid for this to be done, and it was his responsibility to do it. He took a deep breath and held it so as not to alert the door guard; and when the man glanced left toward the forge, he took advantage of the moment and slipped into the longhouse.<\/p>\n

As expected, it was far too deep into the wee hours for anyone to be up in the great hall. Dale knew that the side chamber behind closed doors was the Jarl\u2019s quarters, but not which of the others belonged to the Steward. He took the stairs to his left first, creeping silently up them. The private chamber at their landing held a soundly sleeping Altmer woman.<\/p>\n

The steward. That means Helvard must be across the way. Sorry to disturb your rest, my dear.<\/em><\/p>\n

He closed the door behind him and vaulted the railing to land lightly in the middle of the great room. For a moment he considered tasting the blood of a Jarl, but decided in favor of getting his job done and leaving. In the small chamber just above the Jarl\u2019s, a large Nord man snored uproariously on his narrow bed. Dale could easily have killed the man with a bite. Instead, he drained a bit of blood for later use and then drew a blade, slipping it firmly between Helvard\u2019s ribs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There you go, my fine fellow. Rest well. Let\u2019s hope a death by blade is the same to your gods whether it is a waking or sleeping death. You\u2019ve earned that much.<\/em><\/p>\n

He exited the longhouse as quietly as he\u2019d entered it and started along the road west and north. It was a good long run to Broken Fang Cave, even for a vampire moving at night. He wanted to reach his destination before the sun rose and he was forced to move slowly again, so he headed that way directly.<\/p>\n

Apparently the place is a regular vampire magnet. Vyctyna said someone removed the last tenants not many weeks ago and the feral I\u2019m after took residence almost before the dust was swept from the living quarters. Well, I\u2019ll empty it again, and hope that we can either keep it empty or fill it with someone Agryn finds more acceptable. <\/em><\/p>\n

For some reason that thought made him uncomfortable again. Perhaps it was the idea of Agryn angry that made the skin on his back crawl. He\u2019d absolutely exploded when Brynjolf had joked about borrowing Dale\u2019s fangs. Even Brynjolf had looked fearful; and given what they\u2019d shared about Brynjolf\u2019s former status, that fear was even more impressive.<\/p>\n

Why did it make Agryn so angry? And why would Brynjolf want so much to be a vampire again?<\/em><\/p>\n

As he reached the crest of the hill next to Mammoth Manor and headed down toward the great plain of Whiterun Hold, he reviewed what he knew about Vitus. His father, by all accounts, had been of sharp tongue and sharp wit, a clever and resourceful man whose disposition tended toward the dark side.<\/p>\n

We came from a rotten branch of the family tree, according to all I\u2019ve heard. Mother told me as much. I never worried about it, though, because Mother was such a good and kind soul. And yet\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

And yet nobody had thought it necessary to inform him that his own father had been both a vampire and an assassin. Learning that had been a complete and unwelcome surprise.<\/p>\n

I do not like surprises.<\/em><\/p>\n

The lair, once he entered it, proved to be a short tunnel leading to a medium-sized burial chamber. A lone vampire sat before a cooking fire. Dale paused to take the measure of the vampire. She was strong, a Mistwalker, as best he could tell. Stronger than he was, but not the feral he\u2019d been tasked to remove.<\/p>\n

This one will have to go as well, though.<\/em><\/p>\n

He launched an arrow into the vampire and then tsk\u2019d at how little damage it had done. The feral rose from her bench as Dale backed down the tunnel. He heard a conjuration spell being cast and cast one of his own in return: his trusty gargoyle would be needed. Two skeletons came rushing up the steps and then along the tunnel toward him, but he and the gargoyle made short work of them and then ran down into the chamber. The Mistwalker darted behind a column and started tossing ice spikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to enjoy killing you,\u201d she sneered.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHa! That\u2019s rich,\u201d Dale laughed. \u201cVery well, if you insist.\u201d Thanks to Agryn, Dale had at his disposal the flames of Coldharbour; and these he began casting at the vampire while pushing forward to find striking distance with his blade. With her vision obscured by the bright blue light, her magic attack was only vaguely in the right direction. He finally got close enough to see that she was in full chitin armor. Not that it\u2019s going to help, he thought, stepping forward to pirouette on one foot and strike her head off, cleanly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a vampire,\u201d he murmured to her corpse. \u201cI on the other hand am both a vampire and<\/em> an assassin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like my father.<\/em><\/p>\n

Damn it, I always thought I was my own man. Now it seems I am but an echo of someone else.<\/em><\/p>\n

He shook his head to clear the intrusive thoughts from it. He could sense another, much stronger vampire here. Dale crept about the chamber and finally found that one of the sarcophagi opened on both sides, leading through a roughly-hewn tunnel into a small cave. The flickering light within revealed a cage against the far wall.<\/p>\n

A place for cattle, perhaps? Or cattle-to-be?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dale crept forward until he could see into the room. There, at the far side, past a veritable maze of tables, chairs and chests stood an Altmer vampire, muttering to himself. Dale\u2019s only hope was to creep up behind him unseen. He pulled the shadows in around him and readied his deadly blue flames, moving as quickly and silently past the vampire as he could. Then he struck out with his blade. To his utter astonishment, the vampire cried out once and fell dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? How?\u201d<\/em> He checked the room for valuables, returning to stare at the master vampire\u2019s remains. \u201cI must be stronger than I thought?\u201d<\/p>\n

Or a better assassin. It had to be the surprise attack that did it.<\/em><\/p>\n

He left the lair and started east toward Whiterun. It would be full daylight by the time he took care of the hit there. Then he\u2019d strike out north to deal with the Dunmer scholar Maluril, in Mzinchaleft. Nazir had warned him of the mer\u2019s power, but Dale wasn\u2019t particularly concerned.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d just passed the crumbling Western Watchtower when a figure clad in brown leathers stepped out in front of him. The man had two daggers raised, and stood in a tense stance that said he meant to have Dale\u2019s wealth. Dale smirked at him, and reached for his own blades.<\/p>\n

\u201cHand over your valuables,\u201d the man said, \u201cor I\u2019ll\u2026\u201d He stopped in mid threat, squinting and leaning over his own body just a bit closer to Dale. \u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale was confused. \u201cYes? What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man nodded vigorously. \u201cYes, I do! I\u2019ve seen you in the Flagon. Sorry, I never would shake down a fellow Guild member. Good luck out there!\u201d The man turned and slipped away down the road, leaving Dale completely befuddled.<\/p>\n

The Guild? The Thieves Guild? Why in Oblivion would a common thief believe he\u2019s seen me in the Ragged Flagon? I know where it is, but the closest I\u2019ve come to it is standing in the marketplace talking to Brynjolf. I don\u2019t understand.<\/em><\/p>\n

He tried to clear his mind as he approached the gates of Whiterun. He needed to dispatch the wood elf named Anoriath; the easiest places to find him were inside the Drunken Huntsman and at the meat stall in the marketplace. He decided to approach the marketplace, first. To his delight, the hunter was there, calling out his wares. It looked as though he\u2019d had several good hunts, too, judging by the fine cuts of meat on display.<\/p>\n

Dale walked slowly to the stairway beyond the market, crossed the channel of water rushing down from Dragonsreach and slipped behind the house there on the hillside. Then he collected the shadow in about him again, prepared his bow, and circled around the home to a place where he had a clear shot but was near cover. He loosed an arrow, backed up, and stowed his weapon while listening to the gasps and cries of people in the marketplace.<\/p>\n

I seem to have succeeded.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He hopped across the waterway again and strolled nonchalantly down the stairs. Anoriath was indeed on the ground, with one of the priestesses of Kynareth kneeling over him, making dismayed noises. He approached and looked down at the body, gasping.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! What happened?\u201d he cried out, as earnestly as he could.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know! One moment he was selling meat and the next an arrow came out of nowhere!\u201d the priestess wailed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s simply terrible,\u201d Dale said, looking around at the other spectators. \u201cSomeone should really alert the Jarl. It looks as though there\u2019s a killer about!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right!\u201d a young man cried out. \u201cI\u2019ll go, right now!\u201d He dashed for the stairs as Dale turned, tsking and shaking his head as he made haste for the city gates. He\u2019d almost made it out of town when the sound of someone running toward him from behind had the hackles on his neck rising.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait!\u201d the out-of-breath voice called. \u201cI\u2019ve got something for you! Your hands only. It\u2019s a special message.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale turned to stare at the courier. \u201cOh? From whom?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s from Falk Firebeard, in the Blue Palace. He paid me extra to make sure it got to you right away. Here you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale watched the courier dash off, frowning at the boy\u2019s back. He wasn\u2019t terribly pleased at having attention drawn to himself, no matter how briefly. He was also surprised to be getting another message from Solitude\u2019s steward. Nevertheless, he broke the seal and opened the note.<\/p>\n

Dale Perdeti,
\nOver the last few days we\u2019ve had some disturbing information come to light regarding the events at Wolfskull Cave and the summoning and binding ritual you interrupted there. Given your involvement with that event, I\u2019m asking you to return to Solitude to help us once more. I\u2019m wary of putting all the details in print. Please come see me at the Blue Palace.
\nSincerely, Falk Firebeard<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d he murmured, stuffing the note into a pouch as he resumed his stroll toward the gates. \u201cIntriguing. But I have other business to conduct.\u201d And I\u2019m not undertaking anything else in Solitude until I\u2019ve spoken to Agryn about it. I wonder what\u2019s going on.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There is nothing so pitiful as a vampire trying to move during a bright, clear day, he thought with a sigh, climbing the snow bank to look down into the ancient Dwemer ruin of Mzinchaleft. Now, though, a thick fog bank had moved inland from the Sea of Ghosts, both obscuring him from enemies and affording him a bit more freedom of movement.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He took stock of the surroundings. The mage Maluril was inside this partially-excavated ruin. There was an inner courtyard between two rows of buildings, with any number of people guarding the entrance. Dale would need to get through all of them to enter the facility, no matter how good he was at being silent. Dwemer metal doors generally made enough noise to wake the dead; the living would definitely hear him.<\/p>\n

Dale lobbed an arrow at a bandit seated near an archway and waited \u2013 one heartbeat, two \u2013 until the man groaned loudly and slumped in his seat, dead. Unfortunately, the groan alerted the others. Dale both saw and heard the guards rushing toward the dead man. He stepped back just far enough that most of his body would be hidden by the snow banks, and slid left, finally taking up a position overlooking the courtyard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve fought worse than you!\u201d an Orc cried out.<\/p>\n

Dale tsk\u2019d. They knew he was there. But he readied a fury spell; and as soon as the Orc stopped running for a moment, he cast it. The next few minutes were a dizzying mass of bandits fighting each other while Dale watched gleefully. It wasn\u2019t long before only the Orc was left alive. Dale slid into the courtyard, conjured his gargoyle, and started leaping over tables and barrels, staying just ahead of the Orc\u2019s hammer while the gargoyle took care of the rest.<\/p>\n

Dale slipped inside the ruin. A long, winding corridor led him to a pair of guards stationed before a fire pit. One paced back and forth behind the other, seated in a chair. Dale considered using his illusion spell again; but discarded the notion in favor of a silent vampiric attack. The bandit, a woman, went down easily enough but cried out loudly as she did so.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As Dale backed into the shadows the man rose from his chair, looking around with his weapon raised. Dale waited until the bandit had turned away from him, and then went for the man\u2019s throat. He wasn\u2019t able to drain the bandit, though; the man pivoted and attacked. Dale was ready with his life-draining spell and, as the man staggered, drove the blade in his right hand straight down into the man\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dale tsk\u2019d. Messy but necessary. <\/em><\/p>\n

There were several more bandits stationed along the corridors, the last with a key on his person. Dale took it, creeping around behind the collapsed stonework to another set of noisy Dwemer doors. A note just outside told the guards that Maluril was not to be disturbed for any reason. Dale grinned and used the key. The passage behind the doors led to a nicely-appointed Dwemer bedchamber, where a lone, robed figure stood looking back and forth as though he knew there was something afoot.<\/p>\n

No help for it. This one goes down to blades<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He was surprised when the man didn\u2019t so much as flinch at his approach from behind. A single attack with two blades finished the mage.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I would have sworn he heard me enter. Apparently not. How anticlimactic.<\/em><\/p>\n

He worked his way back up through the ruin, taking blood where he hadn\u2019t earlier. Emerging into the brightness he was happy to have fed on his way out. It wasn\u2019t terribly far from where he stood to the Dawnstar Sanctuary, so he decided to check in with Nazir while he was in the area.<\/p>\n

Even as well-prepared for the daylight as he had been, it was still a relief to step into the cool, dark confines of the Sanctuary. As he peered ahead into its recesses he saw that he was not alone in this. The short figure at a table near the alchemy garden looked up as he approached, and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cA good day to you, Babette,\u201d he said, executing the smallest of bows as he approached. Babette was not just the other vampire in the Brotherhood but was immensely older than he was himself. She was also one of the senior members of this particular Sanctuary.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Dale. You\u2019ve been busy, I take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I have,\u201d he said, hesitatingly. This might well be a good opportunity to ask about the thing that had been bothering him. \u201cBabette, you\u2019ve been around for awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLonger than you, for certain,\u201d she said, smirking.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you would have had the opportunity to meet a great many former members of the Brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cI have known all of them since the day I joined, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIncluding, maybe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The corners of her eyes crinkled. \u201cSo you\u2019ve finally found out about your father, have you? I wondered when you might.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale made an astonished noise. \u201cYou knew him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. He didn\u2019t call himself Vitus when he worked with us, but Cicero certainly knew him long before he came to Skyrim. He was \u2018Andante\u2019 when he worked here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy<\/em> is it that nobody ever bothered to mention this to me before now?\u201d Dale blurted out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI, for one, assumed that you knew,\u201d she said calmly. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t generally pry, Dale. If you wanted to keep your lineage to yourself, that was your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never met the man!\u201d Dale snapped. Then he ran a hand over his face and blew out a breath. \u201cPardon me, Babette. I meant no disrespect. I\u2019m just now truly learning about him. I knew his name, of course \u2013 my mother told me of him \u2013 but she certainly never knew about his other connections.\u201d<\/p>\n

Babette grinned. \u201cNo, I would think not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale couldn\u2019t help but chuckle. \u201cAlright. Thank you. I should check in with Nazir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo. And don\u2019t forget to say hello to Cicero before you leave again. You seem to calm him. Maybe it\u2019s because you look so much like your father. Cicero was very fond of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm\u2026\u201d Dale blinked several times. \u201cDo I even want to know what that signifies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably not. But don\u2019t worry about it. I keep an eye on Cicero and am quite certain nothing ever came of his flirtation with your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale nodded, and then walked slowly down the steps to the main dining area, where Nazir sat in his usual place. The old Redguard looked up at him as he approached.<\/p>\n

\u201cRumor has it that Anoriath was killed by an arrow that appeared from nowhere. Some of Whiterun\u2019s more superstitious types wonder if one of the gods took offense. Hircine, perhaps. Well done. Here\u2019s your payment. Now then, I have one more contract for you. You need to find and kill Safia, the captain of the pirate ship Red Wave. You may have to be patient until it\u2019s nearby, but it\u2019s likely to dock in Solitude when it\u2019s in Skyrim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale nodded. \u201cAny insight about Safia?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh yes. She\u2019s a ruthless she-devil by all accounts. Deadly with a blade. And let\u2019s not forget her crew \u2013 loyal and bloodthirsty, the lot of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale grinned – perhaps a bit too widely, for he saw Nazir\u2019s eyes flicker just a bit. \u201cSo am I. How convenient. Thank you. I\u2019ll take care of it right away, as well as the Listener\u2019s contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful with this one, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cicero was muttering to the Night Mother\u2019s corpse, as always, when Dale approached and cleared his throat. Cicero turned to him and broke out into a happy grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Just Dale! Cicero is so very<\/em> happy to see you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am pleased to see you looking so well,\u201d Dale said, even though he really didn\u2019t care one way or the other how Cicero looked. \u201cMight I ask you a question?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Just Dale! Of course. Ask me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve recently learned that a relative of mine used to work for the Brotherhood. I\u2019m led to believe that you might have known him.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was as though someone had thrown a switch in Cicero\u2019s mind. He turned to look at Dale, his face becoming deadly serious; Dale almost shuddered in surprise and alarm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must mean Vitus. Yes, I knew him. I\u2019ve always assumed you are his son. You look so much like him. He\u2019s been gone so long now. So very long. I was very sad when he died.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale tsk\u2019d in spite of himself. \u201cNobody has ever seen fit to mention this to me? I don\u2019t understand! It\u2019s like finding out you\u2019re not who you thought you were at all!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cicero nodded sadly. \u201cYour father must have felt that way, too. He had forgotten about being Vitus when he came here. I\u2019d known him since he was quite young, back in Cyrodiil. When Andante joined us here, I was so very pleased. But he didn\u2019t remember me or Vitus until the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Cicero, why? Why did you not mention this to me before?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cicero snorted. \u201cI\u2019ll tell you the same thing I told the Listener. If a man in our line of work doesn\u2019t discuss something there must be a reason for it. I\u2019m mad, not stupid!\u201d<\/p>\n

And then Dale watched, almost mesmerized, as the moment of lucidity ended abruptly. Cicero giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for coming to see dear, sweet Cicero, Just Dale. Happy killing!\u201d And with that he turned back to the Night Mother\u2019s corpse and began murmuring to it.<\/p>\n

\u2018Just Dale.\u2019 It\u2019s not worth bothering to correct him. As long as he recognizes me, that will do. <\/em><\/p>\n

So everyone here knew my father. Everyone except me. I suppose that I understand why they\u2019ve never said anything but I do feel a bit out of balance.<\/em><\/p>\n

He continued feeling out of balance all the way back to Riften. Agryn seemed very short-tempered when asked about the note from Falk Firebeard \u2013 \u201cOf course you should follow up! We need to have firm, solid roots in Solitude!\u201d <\/em>he snapped \u2013 and that set Dale even more off-balance. He could think of no reason why his sire should be displeased with him or his work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finally, he wandered back into Riften proper. He had a few things to sell, a few pelts to scrape down, and more than a few questions burning in his mind. He wandered over to the forge and began working the pelts. As always, the repetitive nature of the task let his mind wander on its own.<\/p>\n

No, nobody had ever told him that his father was an assassin.<\/p>\n

But if I really consider it \u2013 Mother may have guessed. <\/em><\/p>\n

He cast his mind backward, trying to remember times when she\u2019d talked about Vitus and his business trips. Once she\u2019d paused, shaking her head. \u201cHe would come back and be so distant, for a little while. Distracted. Almost cold. I don\u2019t know how to describe it. I didn\u2019t dare ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t that she didn\u2019t dare to ask. She didn\u2019t want to ask. Didn\u2019t want to have her worst suspicions confirmed. No professional assassin would ever volunteer that about himself. But she should have realized he was a vampire. We\u2019re not exactly warm people to snuggle up to, and there is the small matter of the fangs.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026or grow back that missing limb with my genuine Falmerblood Elixir!\u201d The distinctive voice shook him out of his thoughts.<\/p>\n

By the gods. Do people actually fall for that?<\/em><\/p>\n

He finished the pelt he\u2019d been working on and then took a few moments to haggle with the smith. The lighter his load, the happier he was and the more quickly he could travel. Then he wandered across the marketplace and approached Brynjolf.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For a moment the big redhead didn\u2019t seem to notice him. Dale watched him carefully. Yes, he thought, I can almost see it. I\u2019d wager the man had a more rounded face, originally, just as I did. He may not be a vampire now, but the signs are still there. A certain angularity to his features.<\/p>\n

He watched Brynjolf\u2019s eyes flicker for a moment when he turned to face Dale. The man\u2019s expression didn\u2019t change but it was obvious to Dale that his resemblance to Vitus still startled Brynjolf.<\/p>\n

\u201cFalmerblood Elixir, lad?\u201d Brynjolf said without missing a beat. Only his eyes had betrayed him, and that for the merest of moments.<\/p>\n

Dale chuckled. \u201cNo, thank you.\u201d He dropped his voice. \u201cI have plenty of blood elixirs of my own. What I am interested in, though, are answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye? Is that so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is, in fact, so. As you might imagine, finding that every one of my new acquaintances know more about my father than I do myself is a bit disconcerting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can understand why nobody ever mentioned his \u2013 darker employment. It\u2019s not exactly the kind of thing one advertises. Not even the employers in question mentioned knowing him.\u201d He watched Brynjolf\u2019s eyes twinkle with amusement. \u201cWhat I can\u2019t quite understand, though, is how my mother never so much as hinted that he was a\u2026\u201d He curled back his upper lip just enough to reveal his fangs.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf chuckled. \u201cNo, lad. She couldn\u2019t have known.\u201d He dropped his voice so that nobody else could hear. \u201cAndante didn\u2019t become a vampire until after he came to Skyrim. He\u2019d been working for me for some time before he turned. As to his other occupation, maybe he never shared that with your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale caught the tiny, momentary frown that flickered across Brynjolf\u2019s face before being replaced by a careful, fake smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mentioned once before, that he worked for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, lad. For my organization. That\u2019s as much as I can say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale\u2019s mind started racing. The thief on the road had assumed that Dale was someone he\u2019d seen in the Ragged Flagon \u2013 a Guild member. Everyone in Riften \u2013 the guards, the merchants, the townspeople \u2013 said that the Thieves\u2019 Guild was centered here in their city, even if they didn’t personally know where the Flagon was. And Brynjolf had just told him that Vitus had worked for him and his organization. The pieces fell into place.<\/p>\n

That thief didn\u2019t recognize me as a member of the Thieves\u2019 Guild, he recognized \u201cAndante.\u201d Andante worked for Brynjolf before he became a vampire. Brynjolf \u2026 must run the Guild.<\/em><\/p>\n

He thought of the day he and Brynjolf had discussed Vitus over drinks in the Bee & Barb. How Brynjolf had said both of them were powerful vampires. He could still hear the sharp edge of sadness in the man\u2019s voice when he\u2019d said I miss him. <\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s something else about this. Something important about my father.<\/em><\/p>\n

A warm breeze blew across the marketplace, carrying the scents of all the blossoms from behind the Temple of Mara along with it. As he closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the bouquet of aromas, a memory of a warm summer day rose in his mind. He and his mother had been working in the garden, looking down over the mountains toward the Imperial City. As he\u2019d pulled weeds and sneezed at pollen, the breeze ruffling through his hair and the apiary buzzing, he\u2019d chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cMother, how do you know I don\u2019t have brothers or sisters somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

His mother had laughed as well. \u201cI don\u2019t, son. But I would very much doubt it. Your father was very clear that he didn\u2019t want children. That was why I didn\u2019t tell him about you. And besides\u2026\u201d She had paused, laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides, what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was much more fond of gentlemen than of ladies. As far as I know, they can\u2019t produce children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale opened his eyes and stared at Brynjolf in wide-eyed wonder, as more of the puzzle pieces fell into place.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was your sire, wasn\u2019t he.\u201d It was definitely more a statement than a question, but he wanted to see Brynjolf\u2019s reaction. The Nord sighed, paused for a moment, and gave him a slight nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale looked down. There was something else, something he couldn\u2019t put his finger on\u2026<\/p>\n

My finger. His finger.<\/em><\/p>\n

He looked at Brynjolf\u2019s hand and saw the ruby ring. He remembered how odd it had seemed that Brynjolf had been caressing the stone with his thumb when he\u2019d spoken of missing Vitus, with that sharp sadness in his tone.<\/p>\n

By the gods. They were lovers. My father and this man before me were lovers. That\u2019s why I disturb him so.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He met Brynjolf\u2019s gaze and felt one corner of his mouth rise into a smirk, try though he might to suppress it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to have taken up so much of your time, sir,\u201d he said. \u201cPlease give my regards to your delightful daughter. I do hope I\u2019ll see her again soon.\u201d He stepped back before Brynjolf could say anything else, and started toward the north gate.<\/p>\n

My father and Brynjolf were lovers.<\/em><\/p>\n

I can use this.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   I do not like surprises. Dale ground his teeth as he approached the Falkreath longhouse. He heard the guard\u2019s heart beating, but it was overshadowed by the sound of his own thoughts hissing and spitting at the situation he\u2019d found himself in back in Riften. I like knowing where I … <\/p>\n

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