{"id":2530,"date":"2023-06-16T18:26:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-17T00:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=2530"},"modified":"2023-07-20T13:38:38","modified_gmt":"2023-07-20T19:38:38","slug":"chapter-4-brynjolf","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-3\/part-i-horizons\/chapter-4-brynjolf\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 4 – Brynjolf"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/p>\n

Jarrik the Crusher\u2019s note had \u201cIn case I forget\u201d scrawled across the outside in messy, childish printing. What they read when they opened up the folded parchment was worse.<\/p>\n

Qaralana laughed. \u201c\u2019Here you\u2019ll find the treasures great if you forget, you stupid slate.\u2019 What kind of trash is this? I\u2019ve heard better poetry from Snilf.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf couldn\u2019t help but chuckle. He\u2019d never heard any sort of poetry from Snilf, the old beggar who had haunted Riften\u2019s marketplace as long as he could remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, but is there a hint in it as to what this key of yours might open?\u201d He didn\u2019t really care what it opened, if he were to be honest with himself. Any excuse he could find to keep them away from Amber Creek would do. It had been a good thing, after all, that they\u2019d cleared out this gathering of thugs; but that was hardly why he\u2019d come to Falskaar. He\u2019d come because his daughter was dead set on it.<\/p>\n

And to keep her away from someone who is far too interested in her for anyone\u2019s good. <\/em><\/p>\n

That unwelcome, intrusive thought had him frowning once more. He really didn\u2019t want to think about Ondale Perdeti.<\/p>\n

He figured out more than the fact that Vitus was my sire. I know he did. That boy is trouble in a package that looks just like his father, and I hate it. <\/em><\/p>\n

The same unease and agitation he\u2019d felt on the ship was starting to build again. He had to force himself to stand still, force his attention back to Qaralana and the matters at hand. They could hunt in every corner of the godsforsaken fortress as far as he was concerned. Whether or not they found anything didn\u2019t matter; it would give him that much longer to prepare himself to see Brunulvr. As it happened, Qara managed to snap him out of his ruminations almost immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so,\u201d Qara said, staring at the paper, \u201cbut it\u2019s such bad writing that it\u2019s hard to tell. It says something about \u2018the room where sleeping take stalk.\u2019 Spelled wrong. I think he meant\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake stock,\u201d Brynjolf interrupted, grinning. \u201cAye, lass. So our late friend Jarrik thought he was a poet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cApparently so. He thought wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf smirked. \u201cAt any rate let\u2019s go find that bedchamber. I assume that\u2019s what \u2018the sleeping\u2019 means. I wonder if it\u2019s through this cage door back here, where Jarrik came from.\u201d<\/p>\n

They navigated the piles of rubble beyond the gate and emerged back into the other side of the same room they had been in to begin with. Qara tsk\u2019d.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much for that. Well, now what? Any other ideas, Daddy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He peered into the darkness of the room and pondered. \u201cOk,\u201d he said, pointing upward, \u201csee that light up there above us? It looks like there\u2019s a hallway up there. That\u2019s why I ran up the stairs at the other end of the room. I thought they might lead to a balcony around the whole place, but they don\u2019t. This is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd exactly how do we get there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf turned to look at his daughter, trying not to let his amusement show. She\u2019s not a little girl anymore. She\u2019s tough as nails and not putting up with foolishness. She\u2019s like her mother that way. <\/em>He frowned. I seem intent on making myself suffer today. I need to focus. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure, lass, but\u2026 I wonder. That corner is pretty dark, and I don\u2019t think I looked back there. Did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara\u2019s face lit up. \u201cNo! Let\u2019s go see!\u201d<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t given that corner of the room any thought. It was beside a door, after all – the one that led them in a circle – and next to a support pillar. It was a place for a corner, not a door, and the placement of furniture, storage bins and braziers in the main room was such that they needed to pick their way around the obstacles to get to it. Once past the furnishings, though, they saw that the dark corner extended back a good way from the main room, meeting a short hallway at its end.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf had toyed with the idea of warning his daughter to be careful in case there were more bandits above them; but once he saw the mess in the hallway he lost any concern. Clearly, everyone had rushed to Jarrik\u2019s aid heedless of anything they might knock over on their way. The corridor turned back on itself and rose up several ramps, arriving at last at a wide space stretching forward into the darkness before them. Qara clapped her hands, excitedly, and Brynjolf tried to stifle a grin.<\/p>\n

She may be an adult, but sometimes the little girl still shows herself.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the space you saw from down below, Daddy! See the grates?\u201d The right-hand wall was, in fact, open to the large room below them, but with large open grating ensuring that neither people nor the furnishings would topple over the edge. This was undoubtedly the \u201clong straight\u201d of Jarrik\u2019s \u201cpoem.\u201d The balcony ended at an alcove full of split firewood and an opening to the right, beyond which was the chamber they\u2019d been looking for. No fewer than ten beds filled the cramped space, stuffed into corners head-to-foot and surrounded by wardrobes, tables, and even a cooking setup.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brynjolf snorted. \u201cEven the Cistern is a nicer place to lay your head than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor certain,\u201d she said, moving through the bedchamber.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur poet friend said the treasure was here, and I see one thing that key might go to. Over there. There\u2019s a chest on the floor.\u201d He pointed to a table that held a dirty shovel, rather than dishes, and under which were several rolled-up carpets. Tucked against the wall next to it was the chest in question. Qara ran to the chest and unlocked it, squatting down to examine its contents and exclaiming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have you found, lass?\u201d he asked, moving across the room to join her.<\/p>\n

She looked up at him and smiled. \u201cIt\u2019s fabric!\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf snorted. \u201cFabric? Great treasure? This man was an idiot!\u201d he ended, mumbling the last.<\/p>\n

Qara rose with a bundle of material in her arms and thrust it toward him, tsking in disapproval. \u201cWell just look<\/em> at it, Daddy. This isn\u2019t the kind of stuff most people\u2019s clothes are made of. This is soft. And smooth – feel how it just slides across your skin? This is rare, and expensive, and there\u2019s a note in the chest that says it was bound for Helena. She lives just outside Amber Creek at a farm, and sells clothing in town unless there\u2019s a war going on.\u201d She grinned. \u201cI\u2019ll bet she was expecting this.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took one corner of the fabric and ran it across the back of his hand, but rough as his skin was it merely caught and scratched. He shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take your word for it. But you say you know where to find this person?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cYes! Let\u2019s go! We can make it there while people are still out and about if we leave now.\u201d She ran for the door and scampered back down the balcony.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf stood staring at the table for a moment. Now that the threat had been neutralized, all that was left was to head out to the one place he most dreaded going. His head began to swim.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, before he could get hold of himself, the unpleasant sensations he\u2019d been having when they first arrived on the island returned in completely unexpected force. His jaws clenched, icy fingers of dread threatening to squeeze his heart until it stopped. His stomach roiled, and twinges of real pain rippled out from his center, leaving him gasping and clutching the table for support. He closed his eyes and lowered his head for a moment, fighting against the unreasonable fear.<\/p>\n

This is ridiculous. I\u2019ve been on my own most of my life. I\u2019m an old man with two grown children. I have nothing to fear from an eighty-year old relic. But Shor\u2019s bones, this hurts almost as much as turning to a vampire lord. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you coming or are you going to stare at the table all day?\u201d Qara called from the far end of the balcony. He breathed deeply, willing his body to stop demonstrating the unease in his mind, and then opened his eyes and straightened back up.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my way, lass,\u201d he said, turning to face her. \u201cLet\u2019s get going. We\u2019re going to settle this business. Nothing else, for the moment. I need a little more time before I\u2019m ready to face him. It may sound cowardly, but that\u2019s what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be ok, Daddy,\u201d Qara told him. \u201cLet\u2019s just go let everyone know the Crusher\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded and followed her back through the tower, lagging just enough to let her disappear around the corner. He fought with himself all the way down, his jaw clenching harder and harder, intermittent sharp pains catching him off-guard until he stopped, shaking.<\/p>\n

Well, I know one thing that will help. And we still have a long way to run.<\/em><\/p>\n

He reached into a pouch and pulled out one of the small bottles he\u2019d packed away, downing its contents quickly and sighing as the relief spread through him. His jaw unclenched. His breathing steadied.<\/p>\n

How ridiculous that I\u2019m that afraid of him, still. Well at least I feel better. Now to catch up to Qara.<\/em><\/p>\n

They ran.<\/p>\n

Qaralana was running toward something – he knew that as surely as he knew his own name. He was running, though, for reasons that weren\u2019t as clear to him. At the simplest level he ran because he liked to run, and because they had a lot of road to cover before the end of day. But at the same time he was running away: away from the sight of Sayma becoming Dagnell once again and leaving with Coyle; away from the empty home he\u2019d left behind in Riften; away from twenty years of hard work that he\u2019d undertaken because there was nobody else willing to do it. Away from the memories: Mercer Frey controlling his mind in Bronze Water Cave. Dynjyl\u2019s spirit wandering in the Soul Cairn. Edwyn Wickham dying to Dardeh\u2019s fire before he\u2019d been able to get to him. Vitus dying on the shoreline outside the Dawnstar Sanctuary.<\/p>\n

He was also running away from his own childhood, by running toward it. And that was the strangest thing of all.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They slowed at the top of the escarpment as they approached the bridge over the Amber River. He gasped, for the sight and sound of the water leaping over the cliff was as familiar to him as if more than half a century had vanished. He walked slowly out to the center of the bridge and stood facing the cliff, blinking the remainder of the blurriness out of his vision, and smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Qaralana said, coming to stand beside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, lass, it is. I could never forget this spot. The rest? It\u2019s like a very old, very foggy dream. But this I could never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled and bobbed her head. \u201cYup! Chip and I kept saying no wonder Daddy settled in Riften – it\u2019s so much like Falskaar! But yes, it\u2019s beautiful.\u201d She looked up at the sky, which had begun to darken a bit. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get going, though. The sun\u2019s starting to sink.\u201d<\/p>\n

And every step we take means I\u2019m that much closer to\u2026 Well, I suppose there\u2019s no help for it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAye. Let\u2019s be on our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amber Creek wasn\u2019t far past the bridge; the roadway took a sharp turn and ran directly west into the town. The closer they got, the faster Qara ran – and the slower Brynjolf walked. Not even his attempt to dull his own emotions had worked to numb the dread that again threatened to overtake him.<\/p>\n

Even from a distance he heard the intermittent crash of logs being split at the mill. After a few more steps, there were the unmistakable sounds of a smithy. His gaze snapped from one landmark to the next as the cluster of buildings appeared, dominated by the multi-level longhouse on the central hill. Off to the south, to his left, a curl of smoke told him that the smelter and mine were still operating. As to the central village, the vague recollections from his dim past simply didn\u2019t remind him what the buildings were. In spite of that, though, he found his gaze being drawn to the north, to his right, toward the home he knew was there. That area was seared into his mind and generated the overwhelming desire to run away.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy?\u201d Qara had returned to his side and was staring at him.<\/p>\n

He frowned. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. Yes, I\u2019m coming. It\u2019s very strange, seeing this place again. I didn\u2019t remember it all that well to begin with but well enough that I feel plucked out of my own skin and set down in someone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was silent for a moment but then nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sure it is. If it\u2019s anything like finding out you\u2019re something you never imagined being and had no control over – that\u2019s weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gave her a slight smile. \u201cYes. I\u2019m sure it\u2019s similar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s the longhouse. Let\u2019s go see Jalma and tell her about Jarrik. It\u2019s right here on the way. Don\u2019t worry, Daddy. I won\u2019t make you go to the house quite yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He\u2019d never been in the Jarl\u2019s longhouse before, at least not that he remembered. It reminded him of the structure in Falkreath with its vaulted ceiling, openings to the right and left, and staircases on either side undoubtedly leading to sleeping quarters. There was the usual huge fire blazing in its pit in the center of the building, but beyond that, where one might expect to see a dais with a throne, there was simply a large table with several chairs on each side.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgnar doesn\u2019t think of himself as a king, I take it,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not really. First among equals, I\u2019d say. Although he didn\u2019t hesitate to take charge when he needed to, and everyone simply obeyed him without question.\u201d She chuckled. \u201cExcept me, I guess. I had questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy does that not surprise me, lass?\u201d He caught the sounds of someone stirring a pot in the room to the left, but not much else. \u201cIt\u2019s quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara grinned at him. \u201cWhich I\u2019m sure is something they\u2019re grateful for.\u201d She led the way to the right-hand stairs and walked up, Brynjolf following at a distance.<\/p>\n

He heard the patter of footsteps, followed by a cheerful \u201chello!\u201d As his head reached the level of the open balcony a young face turned to look him over with the same sort of eager, open curiosity he remembered seeing on Chip\u2019s face as a youngster. He grinned back.<\/p>\n

\u201cJalma, this is my Daddy,\u201d Qara said to the lovely woman seated there. \u201cDaddy, Jalma is King Agnar\u2019s wife and she handles all the day-to-day work of the hold. And this is Wilhard, their son. Both of them are formidable fighters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilhard beamed up at her. \u201cEven me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Qara said with a grin. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have done all of that without you! You helped keep your mama safe and that was the best thing of all!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat! Thanks!\u201d the young man answered, bounding down over the stairs and seizing a wooden sword lying atop a bench. He started swinging it even before he opened the door to go outside.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf turned to address Jalma, suddenly feeling more centered than he had since leaving Jarrik\u2019s crew behind. He was used to dealing with dignitaries at one level or another, and he gave Jalma his best smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreetings, Lady Jalma,\u201d he said with a quick bow of his head. \u201cWe\u2019re here to let you know that on our way here from the docks we met with the one guard left at an ambushed caravan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain?\u201d Jalma said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, but he knew who the attackers were and where they\u2019d gone, and sent us after them. Their leader was a man called Jarrik. He and his gang won\u2019t be bothering you or anyone else any longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her face relaxed, as though this problem had weighed on her for years. \u201cHe was a tough one to track down. I\u2019m glad to hear that his deeds finally caught up to him. Wait here just a moment.\u201d She rose and disappeared into the bedchamber, returning with a sack of coin that she pressed into Brynjolf\u2019s hands. \u201cThere was a bounty on his head, and you have earned it. You have our thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t expected to be paid, but knew better than to refuse money that they had, after all, earned with great effort. To do otherwise would be rude and possibly considered downright insulting. So he smiled, thanked her, and headed down toward the longhouse door, gesturing to Qara to follow.<\/p>\n

Once they were outside she grinned at him. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t so bad, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He chuckled. \u201cI\u2019m used to dealing with Jarls, lass. Even if they don\u2019t know who I am or what I do. One small woman and her son didn\u2019t cause me any sort of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t underestimate those two,\u201d Qara said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t exaggerating. Wilhard didn\u2019t kill anyone, of course, but he badly bruised a few shins. And Jalma is as fine a fighter as you could come by, especially seeing that she didn\u2019t have any armor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind,\u201d he said. \u201cBut where is this person we\u2019re supposed to see about the\u2026 fabric?\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara pointed. \u201cAround the side of the farmhouse we passed on the way in, then down the road to the south and around the first corner. There\u2019s a farm. That\u2019s where they\u2019ll probably be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re going then. No stops. Not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright. As long as we get going. I don\u2019t want to be knocking on their door in the dark, after everything that happened when I was here before. Seeing dead guards and soldiers up and down the streets would make a person a bit cautious.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shuddered, for that route would take them right past a place he remembered vividly. But regardless of his age he was still fleet of foot, so it didn\u2019t take long to pass the house he didn\u2019t want to visit and set off to the south.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was hard not to feel a little off-kilter. He might as well have been dashing east from Riften to Ivarstead, as similar as the countryside was, and yet there were no familiar landmarks.<\/p>\n

No surprise why I landed in Riften. It felt like home. Home without all the trouble.<\/em><\/p>\n

There were two people outside the farmhouse in the late-day sun when they arrived – a man and a woman. Brynjolf trotted up to the woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you Helena?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I am. Can I help you with something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t help noticing how she scanned his armor, and Qara\u2019s as she arrived wrestling with her pack. Sizing us up for a potential sale, if I\u2019m right, he thought. She\u2019s good. Not too obvious.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found your fabric,\u201d Qara answered for them. \u201cA group of bandits attacked the caravan and took it. Here you go.\u201d She handed the bundle to Helena, who went from looking solemn to beaming with delight in the space of a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou found it! That\u2019s wonderful!\u201d Helena cried. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what I would do without this!\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara nodded, with an equally brilliant smile. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful fabric, too! I can\u2019t wait to see what you make with it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, Brynjolf thought, my daughter is turning out to be almost better at this game than I am. She may still say she\u2019s not cut out for it but I think she\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait just a moment,\u201d Helena told Qara. She ran for the farmhouse door and was gone for just a few moments before returning with a smaller bundle of cloth in her arms. \u201cHere,\u201d she said, handing the bundle to Qara, \u201cI want you to have this. It\u2019s made of the finest fabrics that I order. It\u2019s more than likely to turn a few eyes and impress some people. Thank you again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d Qara said. \u201cYou didn\u2019t need to\u2026 I mean thanks! Thank you very much!\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s my girl. Be careful not to insult your customers by mistake.<\/em><\/p>\n

They took their leave and began the journey back toward Amber Creek, this time at a more sedate pace. Qara kept working the garment through her hands and finally tsk\u2019d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, lass?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has some kind of enchantment on it, Daddy, but I can\u2019t figure out what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me see.\u201d He took the robe from Qara and had held it only a few moments before he smiled. It was a weaker enchantment than the one he\u2019d worn for so many years, but it was basically the same. He handed it back to her. \u201cIt\u2019ll be useful, perhaps. It\u2019s like the Amulet of Articulation. Not as powerful, but she\u2019s right – it\u2019ll turn a few heads.\u201d They were approaching the outskirts of Amber Creek once again. This might be the time to bring it up, he thought. He cleared his throat. \u201cNot that you need much help turning heads, as far as I can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

She raised one eyebrow and glared. \u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean that Perdeti lad.\u201d He wasn\u2019t sure how else to put it, what else to say, but it needed saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about him? Yes, I seem to have caught his eye.\u201d She smiled. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should mind, lass. He\u2019s not what he seems.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stopped, put her hands on her hips, and glared. \u201cAnd what would you know about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know \u2026 I mean I knew<\/em> his father. We traveled together for some time. His father was a\u2026\u201d He trailed off, not certain how to proceed.<\/p>\n

Qara stomped her foot. \u201cA what, Daddy? Just spit it out. I\u2019m too old to have you dancing around me not telling the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

He had another moment of pride, and struggled to keep it off his face. She was grown up now, there was no denying it. And yet she was so na\u00efve in some ways. She\u2019d been carefully taught to watch out for people who hoped to take advantage, but didn\u2019t have much experience with them. He knew all too well that a person had to experience things to truly understand them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a vampire, Qara.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her other eyebrow rose, matching the first. \u201cAnd this is where I tell you that I already knew that you were one as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026\u201d He felt for a moment as though he\u2019d run face-first into one of the Ratway\u2019s stone walls, but managed to collect himself. \u201cChip told you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. We were sharing some stuff. So it\u2019s not like it\u2019s a big secret. It\u2019s weird<\/em>, and it\u2019s hard for me to picture, but then so is the idea of me absorbing a dragon\u2019s soul.\u201d She stared at him for a moment, her gaze running up and down and stopping at his face. She nodded. \u201cIt explains some things, like why you still look a lot younger than your age. But what does any of that have to do with Dale?\u201d<\/p>\n

It took him a few seconds to orient himself. There had been so much in that revelation. It wasn\u2019t just the fact that one of his most closely-held secrets simply wasn\u2019t a secret any longer. It was the calm, almost matter-of-fact way in which she\u2019d revealed it that shocked him. She was so much more than he\u2019d imagined.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d he began slowly, \u201cto start with, yes, it\u2019s true, and I\u2019m sorry you had to hear it from Chip. It was a few years. I\u2019ve been just – me – for most of your lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

She\u2019s not going to let go of this, is she? <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cVampires\u2026 have a sense. To know when someone else is a vampire even if they\u2019re wearing their illusion spell to mask it from everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara frowned. \u201cAnd what you\u2019re saying is that\u2026\u201d She trailed off. Her eyes got very round. \u201cOh. Oh, I see. Dale is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf blew out a breath he hadn\u2019t realized he was holding. Thank the Eight she\u2019s so smart. <\/em>\u201cI\u2026 I think so, lass. No, I\u2019m sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked thoughtful for a moment. \u201cThat explains some things, too. I thought he felt awfully cold when he, well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he kissed you? Right there in public in front of the rest of the world, to say nothing of Harald?\u201d As soon as the words left his mouth he wished he hadn\u2019t uttered them in quite that blunt and disapproving fashion. She glared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. And it was a nice kiss, too! And Harald is just a friend! Honestly. I don\u2019t know why in the world everyone keeps trying to make more of it. A friend who I am currently very annoyed with, at that.\u201d She frowned again, as if running the memory of Dale Perdeti through her mind once more. \u201cI thought it was just that I was blushing but yes, he was very cold.\u201d Then her mouth dropped open and her gaze snapped to meet his. \u201cHe was also very interested in my neck, I thought. Is that why, Daddy?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to have put it like that, Qara. It\u2019s not as though I never kissed – your mother – in front of other people. But speaking from past experience, well, Dragonborn blood is hard to resist. Very hard. It\u2019s like a lantern to a moth. Almost impossible to ignore. It\u2019s why I was so glad your uncle Roggi was there to watch over Dardeh.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked thoughtful for a moment; just thoughtful, not appalled or frightened or anything he reasonably might have expected. \u201cSo did you know Dale when he was a boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf felt his heart drop at that, and was then annoyed by how much the question bothered him. \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t. I didn\u2019t know he existed until about the same time you met him. I don\u2019t know that much about him, except that he has the same smile his father had and I don\u2019t trust it. Not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he\u2019s in the Dark Brotherhood, and he has a contract to kill your mother. Aside from that, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to find out that he inherited some of Vitus\u2019 appetites, too. But I can\u2019t tell you any of that.<\/em><\/p>\n

She tsk\u2019d. \u201cI guess I\u2019ll have to be careful around him. It makes me mad. I really, really like him, Daddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled, sadly. \u201cVampires do tend to be very, oh, how to put it. Alluring. If they put their minds to it. The feral ones tend to just kill. The smart ones can find their way into important places.\u201d<\/p>\n

She raised an eyebrow. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll bet that fit you just like a glove. Oh don\u2019t look so shocked. That\u2019s what you do<\/em>, after all.\u201d She sighed. \u201cI wonder if I\u2019ll ever find someone who likes me just for me, and not because of what is different about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled, again sadly. Most of the most important relationships he\u2019d ever had were based on who the other person was, not what they were. That was just the way his mind and his heart worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you will,\u201d he said. \u201cJust\u2026 be careful about Dale. Now let\u2019s go get this over with before I change my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

You poor, sweet thing. Harald loves you and neither one of you recognizes it. I hope you do, some day. You\u2019d be hard pressed to find a better lad than him.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finally, they arrived at the doorstep of the lodge. Qara turned to look at him as he dragged his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on. They are both very anxious to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smirked. \u201cI\u2019m sure my mother is. I don\u2019t know about the other one.\u201d<\/p>\n

She tsk\u2019d. \u201cWill you please stop behaving like a baby? It\u2019s just ridiculous. I\u2019m the youngest one here and I swear that I\u2019m the only one acting like an adult.\u201d Then she sighed and smiled at him. \u201cIt\u2019ll be ok, Daddy. I promise you it will. Granddaddy is pretty gruff but under it he\u2019s a nice man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice,\u201d Brynjolf grumbled. \u201cSo be it. Lead on, lass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara rapped quietly on the door but didn\u2019t wait for a reply. She merely opened it and stepped through, and Brynjolf followed.<\/p>\n

He had just enough time to get a brief impression of the place. It was definitely smaller than he remembered, and laid out differently. Or maybe he\u2019d confused it with the other home he\u2019d lived in, when he\u2019d been even younger.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t matter, though, because across the room a man with silver hair turned toward the door. He glanced at Qara first, and one eyebrow rose. Then his gaze moved to Brynjolf, looking him over head to toe. He set himself in a wide stance, crossed his arms, and harrumphed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For a moment, Brynjolf once more became the child whose only option was to flee else he\u2019d be hurt yet again. He set his face in an equally-steely stare and struggled with his own control. Then he took stock of the man before him. He remembered that face, but much younger, and with ash-brown hair, not white. He remembered the man as huge, always towering over him, looming large with threat.<\/p>\n

And he realized that now, half a century later, he was just as tall as this man if not a little bit taller.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrunulvr,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   Jarrik the Crusher\u2019s note had \u201cIn case I forget\u201d scrawled across the outside in messy, childish printing. What they read when they opened up the folded parchment was worse. Qaralana laughed. \u201c\u2019Here you\u2019ll find the treasures great if you forget, you stupid slate.\u2019 What kind of trash is this? I\u2019ve … <\/p>\n

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