A/N: Thanks Kara Ashford for the review!
Ariana stormed into the Bee and Barb in a foul temper, opening the door so hard it ricocheted off the wall and nearly hit her in the face. The absolute nerve of that man! The bartender looked up at the Imperial woman in surprise as she rushed up the stairs, but Ariana didn't stop to chat with the Argonian woman. She didn't want to talk to anyone, not even her housecarl.
"Hello my thane," Lydia, apparently, had other ideas.
Ariana growled. "Not now." The Nord woman drew back in surprise but closed her mouth, watching as Ariana began frantically rummaging through her pack.
"Where is it?" she muttered under her breath. "Where is it, where is it, where in Oblivion is it?!"
"My thane," Lydia interjected, startling Ariana enough to make her look up at her housecarl. "Is something wrong?"
Ariana sighed and slumped down onto the small bed. "No?" She paused. "Yes? Perhaps? … I don't know Lydia."
"What happened in the market, my thane?"
Ariana made a mental note to insist that Lydia call her by her name in future. "Well, the good news is I found Brynjolf."
"Excellent! And what did he have to say, my thane?"
"He…" Ariana rubbed her eyes with a hand. "He was less than helpful." Neither of them spoke for a moment, and when Ariana looked up, she realized that Lydia was waiting for her to explain. "He told me the only way he was going to help me was if I 'assisted' him in his 'business'."
Lydia was still confused. "What do you mean, my thane?"
"He wants me to help him steal from a merchant in the market to frame another one," Ariana said bluntly.
Ariana could hear Lydia's hiss at the mention of breaking the law. "My thane, you can't be considering -"
"Of course not Lydia!" And even if I was, I wouldn't tell you. "There has to be someone else around this city who knows about Esbern. It's just a matter of finding them." Ariana watched as Lydia visibly relaxed, forcing away memories made bitter by her housecarl's staunch morality. I wonder what she would say if she knew… Ariana shook her head. Musing could wait.
"So where do we start my thane?"
"We?" Ariana looked at her housecarl with pointed disapproval. "Oh no, you are not coming with me."
"But my thane!"
Ariana narrowed her eyes. "No. Not after that wound from the Drauger. You are going to stay here and get better. Besides, I work better alone." Lydia grumbled in resentment, but Ariana knew she was duty bound to honor her thane's commands.
The Imperial stood up to continue going through her pack, sending a side look towards the Nord, slumped over with defeat. She felt a pang of guilt, turning words over in her head before breaking the silence. "I know you want to come to protect me. But I can't have you following along behind me, calling me your thane. I'll never get these people to talk to me if they knew who I was."
Lydia nodded slowly, but did not straighten. "Don't worry Lydia. We'll be out of here by tomorrow."
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They had not left by the next day. Or the one after that. Or even the one after that. The longer they stayed in Riften, the more frustrated Ariana grew. She knew someone here knew about Esbern's whereabouts, but there were no leads. With a grunt she pushed herself away from the bar at the Bee and the Barb, nodding to Keerava, the Argonian innkeeper, as she left.
Keerava had been nice, pointing Ariana towards a couple of people who she said might know a bit more about what happens down in the Ratways. The only problem was reaching those people. Ariana's face dropped into a scowl as she remembered the scene down in the Ragged Flagon, the bouncer who refused her admittance despite her cries about a friend in danger.
That had been the first day she had gone down there. On the second she had tried to fight him. She had lost. Badly. And he had the nerve to laugh at her afterwards. She moved a hand to gingerly touch her cheek. At least the bruising had gone down.
As she stepped out into the market, she was immediately greeted by a pair of emerald eyes. Trying to curb her irritation, she moved to pass him by without further incident.
Brynjolf clearly had other plans.
"What happened to your face there, lass?" He called from his stall. Ariana stopped short, gritting her teeth and clenching fists. It only took a split second for her to regain her composure, and turned to Brynjolf with a smile.
"Brynjolf! So good to see you this morning," she oozed charm. He seemed unaffected. Thrice cursed Nord! "How's business?"
"Good, business is good. Could be better though," he replied in a lazy drawl. How she hated that smug arrogance.
She glared daggers at him. "Not a chance, merchant." He merely laughed.
)\-*-/(=)\-*-/(=)\-*-/(
Brynjolf watched with interest as she stalked off. Have to talk to Dirge about that bruise. He had meant for her to be dissuaded from entering the Ragged Flagon, not beaten. Still, she was proving to be stubborn. He had thought she'd come back to see him the next day. He could hear her coin purse as she walked by him, and he knew it was much slimmer than it had been when she arrived. He had heard she was taking odd jobs around Riften just to try to make a bit of coin.
He wasn't so lost in his thoughts that he missed the sudden appearance of the cold mannered, dark-haired Nord. "Maven," he said formally.
"Who is she?" The head of the Black Briars was straight to business, as per usual.
He shrugged. "Some adventurer. Came in a few days ago, looking for someone named Esbern."
"Hm," she responded. "Keep an eye on her. She was in Mistvale Keep speaking with the Jarl yesterday. I don't like how she's meddling in everyone's affairs."
Brynjolf nodded and Maven disappeared back into her meadery. He hadn't taken his eyes off the Imperial woman since she stepped foot out of the Bee and Barb, watching as she spoke with each merchant in turn, not purchasing anything. As each day passed he found himself increasingly curious about the traveler. Though she had a worn bow and a near empty quiver on her back, she wore an enchanted circlet on her head with an amulet of Talos clearly visible around her neck. Brynjolf shook his head, mystified. For a poor adventurer, she certainly had some interesting trinkets. Where had she come from, and why was she so interested in finding an old man? It struck him suddenly that he didn't even know her name.
Moments later she was standing in front of his stall again, looking tired. "Is there no way to convince you to tell me where Esbern is?"
He crossed his arms. "You know my terms lass. You help me with my errand, I'll let you know where the old man is."
She sighed and turned away, heading back into the inn. He wondered how long it would be until she gave in.
)\-*-/(=)\-*-/(=)\-*-/(
As the sun began to sink below the mountains, Ariana sent her hoe into the ground with a resounding thwack. She wiped her brow before picking up the tool and setting it against the wall of the Merryfair Farm. Working on the farm wasn't ideal, but it gave Ariana some much needed Septims. Surprisingly she found it relaxing to be working in the dirt again. She hadn't been on a farm since she left Cyrodiil.
She passed Synda Llanith on her way back to Riften and collected the gold for her work. Putting the coins into her pouch, Ariana took the dusty road back to the city, weariness settling in her bones. It was strange to have this kind of normalcy in her life. The last few months since Helgen had been a mess of exploration and fighting, with a few dragon souls thrown in to keep anything from getting too easy for her.
The guards nodded to her as she walked through the main gate and she traced the now familiar route to the inn. It was closing in on a week, and had been well over two since she had left Delphine in Riverwood. Every day she heard more talk of dragons being sighted by travelers and every day she grew more frustrated and impatient. If it was her duty, her destiny to save the world, what use was she if she was stuck in Riften?!
Night was falling quickly, and the market was all but deserted. Surprisingly, the red haired Nord who was the center of her vexation was still standing at his stall, talking to a shady looking man dressed head to foot in brown leather. Ariana couldn't see the man's face under his deep hood, so she dropped down into a sneak to try to get a better view without alerting them to her presence.
She skirted the edge of the inn, staying close to the wall and below the short stone wall that separated the market from the rest of the city. Carefully she moved around the corner of the inn, heart in her throat as she watched the two men talking only a few feet away from where she stood in the shadows. Neither seemed to notice her, so she moved closer, trying to hear what they were discussing. Ariana rested a hand against the cool stone wall, ducking lower to stay out of sight of a guard passing by. The two men turned to look at the guard as she passed, confirming Ariana's suspicions about their conversation. The distraction proved a perfect opportunity for her to move into a position where she could hear them.
"Talk to Vex, she knows the place well. Now hurry, I've got things to do," spoke Brynjolf in a hushed tone.
The other man chuckled. "Would those things include the pretty Imperial woman who came in this week?"
"She could be a useful addition to the guild," Brynjolf said sharply. Ariana would bet a few Septims that Brynjolf was glaring at the other man.
"Hey, there are other ways to persuade a woman Bryn," spoke the other man. His lewd tone made Ariana want to punch him.
"Get lost, Vipir." The dismissal was more amused than annoyed. Ariana heard the quiet footfalls moving away and nearly jumped when Brynjolf spoke again. "Alright lass, come on out."
Ariana stood up slowly, trying for all the world not to look guilty.
"Hear anything interesting?" he asked, a smile playing across his lips.
She glared at him. "Nothing in particular. Except that your friend seems to think you should bed me."
He chuckled. "And should I?"
"Not interested," Ariana flatly replied. She rested her hands on the top of the wall and leaned forward, trying to take another angle. "Look, Brynjolf…"
"If this has to do with Esbern, you know where I stand," he cut her off, all business again.
Ariana growled in frustration. "For Mara's sake Brynjolf! There are dragons on the loose, people are dying, and this man may be the only person who knows how to stop it!"
"That's a nice story lass, but you're not going to move me with it."
She threw her hands in the air in aggravation. "You are impossible! This affects everyone you s'wit!"
He just seemed amused by her irritation. "Look, lass - what's your name?"
She stopped, taken aback by his sudden change of topic. "Ariana."
"Right. Look, Ariana lass, I told you how you'll be getting this information from me. It's not a hard task and if you're worried about getting caught, you don't need worry, I'll take care of the guards for you."
"Have you not considered my reluctance to assist you has nothing to do with fear of repercussion and everything to do with my hatred of thieving?!" she spat bitterly.
He shrugged. "All the same, you're the one who's holding yourself back here lass. You could make this very easy."
"Right. Because stealing from one merchant and framing another is easy." Ariana rolled her eyes.
"You're a fair sneak lass. I'm sure Vipir had no idea you were standing there," Brynjolf said with a wink. She glared at him again. "Now, if you're any good with those lockpicks you keep hidden in your armor-"
"How did you know about that?" she exclaimed in surprise.
Brynjolf chuckled. "Like I said lass, it's all about knowing your mark."
She pushed away from the wall, crossing her arms. They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment. He seemed amused while all she wanted to do was reach over and shake him. "Fetcher," she finally said, voice full of derision.
Ariana turned to walk into the Bee and the Barb, fuming. She had only gone a few steps when a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, pushing her back into the inn wall. She made a sound of surprise and looked up into Brynjolf's eyes. He's too close. He had his arms on either side of her shoulders, effectively pinning her in place.
"Look lass, it's simple," he said quietly. His soft accented voice was making her knees buckle and she inwardly cursed. You're supposed to be mad at him, not attracted to him!
"You need my help, I need your help. I'm sure we can find a," he paused, looking down her body and back up to her lips, "mutually agreeable outcome here."
Ariana whetted her lips nervously. "I told you I don't want to be a thief," she protested, hoping she didn't sound as weak as she felt.
"Aye, you said that lass." He brushed a stray strand of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. This simple act sent a flaming blush across her cheeks and she knew he'd have to be blind to miss the effect he was having on her. The Divines must have been feeling generous because he didn't mention it. "But there's a difference between wants and needs."
She swallowed hard, finding herself at a loss for words.
"So here's my proposition lass," he continued, emerald eyes boring into her blue ones. "You help me with my errand - something that should be fairly easy for you. And then, when the job is done, you'll get your information."
"I-"
"Do you really have any other option at this point lass? Like you said, people are dying while you're just sitting around here."
Ariana slumped back against the wall. She really didn't have any other options. She had been looking for nearly a week and no one could tell her anything. She looked back up to Brynjolf to see that smug grin back on his face. He planned this! I told him too much and the fetcher planned this!
"Bastard," she whispered, looking down at the ground.
"I'll take that as a yes." She could hear the grin in his words, the self-satisfied victory apparent in every letter. "I'll see you at the market tomorrow lass, bright and early."
She expected him to move away now that he had won and she let out a squeak when she felt his breath fan against her ear. She shivered involuntarily and her mind went blank.
"It was a good game though lass. Seems like Vipir was right about persuading you though." With one final dark chuckle, Brynjolf left. Ariana stood against the wall for a moment longer, eyes closed as she attempted to regain her composure. That utter bastard.