Brynjolf stares at Mercer in horror and shock. "She's...The lass is gone?" Mercer nods, he didn't look to broken up about it but Brynjolf didn't notice, "But how? She was always so careful.."
"I can tell you how," Mercer says shaking his head, "Karliah shot her, I think she was trying to get to me." Brynjolf stares at the water in the Ragged Flaggen. "Oh god." he burries his face in his hands. "I shouldn't have taken her Brynjolf, I'm sorry." Mercer murmurs and pats Brynjolf on the back. Brynjolf shakes off his hand and walks away, his eyes misting up and he didn't want anyone to see. Brynjolf's escape was so focused on by everyone in the bar that no one noticed Mercer's smirk.
Brynjolf stares up at his ceiling. He felt dead, surprisingly dead. "Oh lass I'm sorry." He covers his eyes with his arm, "Oh lass." he felt sick and empty and- and lost. He lets out a moan and turns on his stomach. He was acting like a lost child and he couldn't care less. When he finally fell asleep it was because he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.
Brynjolf could see her like she was really standing in front of him.
"Whats the matter Brynjolf?" she asks as she pins a mountain flower in her hair. She smiles questioningly and he just stares.
"Lila? It can't really be you?" he takes her in, her dark hair pinned behind her head with coarse braids, and the blue peasant dress that went so well with her blue eyes.
"What are you talking about? I'm here love." she reaches across and touches his face.
"I'll always be here." her hand falls to his chest and touches his heart. "I'll never leave you alone love." she whispers. He feels new tears sting his eyes. "But I'll never see you again."
"You can see me now silly."
Brynjolf woke with the blankets twisted around his body. He still felt afraid and weak despite his dream. He never felt so hopeless. "Stop pitying yourself." he tells himself. His voice cracks and he stares at his hands. He knew he had to go to the guild, with Karliah on the loose they would need him, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to face the guild hall now that she wouldn't be popping in anymore. He buries his face in his hands and lets out a ragged breath. "Lass, why the hell did you leave me here alone?" in a way he felt like a stalker, going crazy over a girl he didn't even confess to.
The guild hall was quiet, everyone was reeling from what Mercer had told them. All of them had just gotten used to seeing Lila around, some even loved her attitude, constantly changing from sweet to touch me and you die. She was perfect, and everyone seemed to have finally started liking her. Then Mercer comes and tells them she's dead. It was too soon, and too sudden. Any time a guild member dies, there is a ceremony held for them. The contract that they had first taken is burned and the ashes are used to make a new contract, one that is in the form of a death certificate. Brynjolf hadn't asked for the contract yet, he still didn't want to believe this. He watches as Mercer grabs a head of lettuce off the shelf and puts it into the soup. "I'm heading home now." he says once he's finished. Brynjolf only nods. As Mercer walks past he pats Brynjolf on the back, "You were too good for her anyway." he says. Brynjolf stiffins, he couldn't believe that Mercer would say something like that... about a sister! It didn't fit and it infuriated Brynjolf to no end. He grabs a bottle of mead and downs it. The shock of the alchohol to his system was instant. He shudders and his nord blood pushes down the buzz. He stands and stretches, ready to grab the lass's contract and burn it.
Brynjolf could hear a commotion. As Karliah emerges. His anger makes him motion to the other two to pull their blades, Mercer had warned him that she was coming. "You murdering bi-" he cuts off when he sees Lila step from behind Karliah. "Oh my god is that you?" Vex whispers. "It is!" she runs to Lila and pulls her into a bear hug. Karliah explains whats going on and they turn to the vualt. Lila wanders beside him the whole way. "Are you all right lass?" She shakes her head, not speaking. "She hasn't spoken since Mercer ran her through." Karliah says, in her soft voice. Brynjolf stops, "Mercer stabbed you lass?" Lila's eyes water and she blinks back the tears before nodding. "That bastard!" Delvin growls. Lila shakes her head and points at the vault. "She's right let's stay on task." Karliah says. Brynjolf grabs Lila's hand, "Lass I-" she shakes her head and steps up on her tipsy toes and kisses him softly. She touches his face softly, 'it's not your fault.' he closes his eyes and holds her hand to his face. The others had moved on and Delvin doesn't bother to interrupt when his key doesn't fit, instead he fingers the lines on the key. "Delvin! Does it fit or not!"
Delivn jumps and shakes his head. "No Bryn, It don't fit the lock." Brynjolf puts his key to the door and it swings open. Lila hangs back as they trade insults about Mercer, she knows the vault will be empty. "Lass?" She turns and goes to Brynjolf's side. "We need to get Mercer, or at least find out what he's up to. Who's up for the task, and don't even volunteer lass, you're not going anywhere." Lila puts her half raised hand down, and Vex raises hers. "I'll do it."
"Good just be careful of the guard, Vald." Vex nods at Brynjolf's warning and heads out. Lila looks down and rubs her foot against the ground. "Whats wrong lass? You need rest so don't go off on any missions." Lila nods and keeps looking down. Karliah and Delvin leave the vault, leaving Brynjolf and Lila alone. "Lass, I was scared you were-" he clears his throat. "Never mind." he turns to leave but she catches his arm, "I love you." she whispers. He turns to her slowly. "I- I love you too." he breathes. She squeaks and jumps at him catching him around the waist. He laughs and holds her tightly.
The wait for Vex to come back was...excruciating. Everyone was uptight about the prospect of Mercer coming back to do what ever he would do. Lila sat beside Delvin at the bar, drawing circles with her fingers from the water left by glasses of mead. She hums softly to herself, an old sea shanty she remembered from her childhood. Everyone was quiet and tense so her humming carried through the tavern hauntingly. Delvin shifts uncomfortably and clears his throat. The door bangs open and Vex comes running around the pool, "Where's Brynjolf! I have to speak to him now!" Vex's voice breaks the silence and draws the attention of everyone around. "He's in the Cistern, as usual." Delvin says with a sway of his hand. Vex nods and turns to Lila, "I found something, I thought you might like. And I think Brynjolf would appriciate you having something by your side that is... lets say more potent." She puts a blue glass sword on the table in front of Lila. "The case was labeled Chillrend." she shrugs and runs off. Lila stands and lifts the sword. Delvin ducks and Lila gives him a glare, "i can handle my own with a sword, Delvin."
"So you're talking again?" he asks raising an eyebrow. Lila sniffs and looks back at the sword. It was a piece of art beyond what she could hope for in weapons. It was smoking as the warm air of the tavern hits the cold glass. "An enchanted blade?" Delvin asks. Lila nods and lifts it up over her head, It hardly weighed twelve pounds and was easy to lift. "Its beautiful." she murmurs and puts it back down to arm level, "And it will do justice to kill Mercer with his own blade." she sighs. Delvin shifts and moves his shoulders and rotates his neck. "If Brynjolf lets you go with him on that one." Lila nods her agreement, "If not then I'll give It to Karliah to Kill him with." with that Lila follows Vex's path and goes into the Cistern. Lila ties the sword to her waist and heads over to where Vex and Brynjolf were talking animatedly with Karliah.
Karliah looks up when she gets there, "There you are, I have a proposition for you." she turns away from the other two. "We won't be able to kill Mercer just as we are." Kaliah was interrupted as Brynjolf says, "You want to make her face Mercer? After what he did to her?" Lila shakes her head, "I can do this Brynjolf, and besides, I owe Mercer." Brynjolf sighs and nods. "As I was saying, Mercer is a Nightingale and won't be easily defeated. I need you two to go somewhere with me. Meet me at an old standing stone just outside the southwest Gate of Riften."
Brynjolf watches Lila undress. It wasn't like he was hiding or anything. She had invited him in and wasn't telling him to leave. Still when she gets to her bra he turns his face. Before long she was slipping a peasent dress over her small frame. "Brynjolf, can you tie this for me?" He looks back up and sees that the back of her dress is untied. He clears his throat and stands, tying it for her. "Brynjolf, what will happen to us...once Mercer is dead?" Brynjolf shrugs, "I guess we'll take over or Karliah will. Either way the guild..." He stops and scratches the back of his head, "You mean us... us." she nods and sits beside him on the bed. "Ah, well lass I guess, uh..." She smiles and touches the side of his face. "Let's pretend I have an amulet of Mara." he blushes, furiously and embarrassingly. "I... ah lass. I've never been separated from the guild." she smiles and brings his face to hers. "Who says you have to. I love the guild, I don't want to leave it either." Brynjolf lets out a breath. Lila caresses his cheek and turns his face back to her. "Kiss me." she breathes. Brynjolf moves in, his lips brushing hers softly. He dips his face to hers. "Lass, when this is all done, Marry me. I know life is going to be hard but we can make it, as long as we have the guild." Brynjolf touches her cheek. "I love you lass, I want to be with you." their foreheads touch. "Oh Brynjolf." she breathes as their lips meet again.
There we go! As I told you, not much in there, if anything it's like a dabble fic. Just wrote it on an inspired minute.