A Conflict of Interests

I looked at myself in the mirror in the thief's room, turning this way and that as I examined my new armor. After months of wearing heavy armor it was strange to be without the extra weight. The leathers Brynjolf handed me were nearly a perfect fit, contoured to my body (I tried not to think about how he might have gotten such precise measurements). There were plenty of places for hidden daggers and a belt specifically designed to keep a set of lockpicking tools out of sight from guards. It was light, flexible, silent and I absolutely loved it.

"Are you done admiring yourself in there lass? Some of us would like a go," Brynjolf called from the other side of the door.

I rolled my eyes and opened the door to his room so that he could reenter,"I'm sure you've admired yourself plenty today."

He smiled warmly and gave me a once over as I shut the door. I glared at him, putting my hands on my hips. He chuckled and began explaining our task.

"So our Guild started having trouble before the assassinations began, as you know," he said.

"Yes."

"Recently we found out that some of that trouble isn't just bad luck, that there's someone working against our allies. We went to investigate it and found a letter, the sender only known by this symbol," Brynjolf said, pulling out what looked to be a deed.

"You think that the same person that hired the Dark Brotherhood is the one causing trouble?" I asked.

"Exactly," he said. "One of the Guild's biggest clients is Maven Blackbriar. Do you know her?"

"I scared one of her employees near to death trying to see if they had information about the letter I received but I've...never had the pleasure."

"Well, this letter came from an operation intended to drive a wedge between the Guild and her. After I took care of it is when the attacks from the Dark Brotherhood began. Now it seems that Maven is having trouble again," he continued. "She has sudden new and strong competition from another meadery where she had none before."

"And she wants you to what...put them out of business?"

"Not exactly. She wants us to help commandeer the business. Efforts to buy it were unsuccessful so she requested our help. We have to find a different approach."

"I don't see how this helps you find this symbol-person," I said, uncomfortable with the idea of swindling a business out from under someone. Then I reminded myself that the true owner was the symbol-bearer and also likely the one behind the murders.

"We suspect they're related, another way to weaken the Guild," he said. "We're to set things right and look for evidence that they're related or that points us to a face or name."

I nodded. "And what is this other method we're supposed to use to accomplish Maven's goals?"


It took only a few minutes to meet with Mallus downstairs, or to be perfectly honest, for Brynjolf to meet with him. Outside of Whiterun I could blend in, no one knew my face and few knew my titles or affiliations, but here they knew me as a a dragon slayer and as a fledgling Companion. It wouldn't do our mission (or me) any good to get caught being up to anything even slightly suspicious. I pulled down my hood, stuck to the shadows, and snuck out the back exit and waited.

I leaned against the back wall, crossed my arms over my chest, and embraced the shadow as if I were nothing more than background. None of the few people that traveled the back alley shot me a glance and I felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Well look at you, already playing the part," Brynjolf said when he exited, immediately noticing me.

I stood up straight, "It's the armor."

"Good thing I brought it then," he said. "Come on, I'll explain what we're doing while we move. We've only got a few hours."

We kept to back alleys and shadows as we made our way out of the city and he explained how we were to taint the mead with rat poison just in time for a tasting by none other than the head of the city guard. If all went well, we wouldn't even have to break in, they'd just let us walk through the door to clear up a "rat problem" created just for the occasion.

As we exited, we only saw one guard, lazy from lack of crime in the neutral city and lounging in a chair. He didn't even stir as I watched (and if I hadn't been watching closely I would have missed it) Brynjolf cut loose his coin purse and continued on without missing a step. I decided that as a Companion I should have felt more perturbed than amused by this but I couldn't help myself. Moving through the city unnoticed was nice for a change, and if the man was too inattentive to catch a pickpocket, it was unlikely he'd be much use in the event of an attack (from the Stormcloaks, the ongoing feud between the oldest two families in the city, a dragon, or just some random drunk).

We made it all the way to the meadery without being noticed or running in to a single problem. Brynjolf opened the door and stepped in and I stopped dead cold because there, right in front of us, was Njada and Athis. Quickly I slipped back out before the door shut and leaned against the wall.

Just perfect.

The window was open so I went over to it and crouched down, listening to the outcome of the situation that I had just let Brynjolf stumble into alone. Not that he couldn't handle it, if anyone could talk his way into or out of something I had no doubt it was the silver-tongued thief.

"What is it you want, Sabjorn?" Njada asked gruffly.

"I thought you would never show up! You're from the Companions, right?" Sabjorn asked.

"No we're from the Bard's College. Of course we're from the Companions. What else do we look like?" Njada said.

"Right, well," Mallus said and then began explaining his course of action.

"You called us out here for skeevers as an 'emergency that must be dealt with immediately'?" Athis asked.

"Well it is an emergency the guard captain -"

"You milk drinker! We had to leave some serious quests behind to see to this because you swore this was 'life or death.' People could be in danger at this very moment because of you!" Njada said.

"I may have a solution," Brynjolf interjected, making his presence known smoothly. "I am a simple mercenary and would do the job cheaply. I am more than capable of the task, as I am sure are the Companions, but I have little work of importance to keep me elsewhere."

"How much would you do it for? I can't offer much -" Sabjorn said.

"Hey you made us come all the way down here!" Njada interrupted.

"She's right. If she still wants the job..." Sabjorn said.

"Give us the damn key and tell us where the poison is," she said.

"Right."

And he led them off into a back room. Brynjolf exited and turned and saw me, shrugging with a smile on his face. "Our job just got a lot more interesting."

"Interesting? This is a nightmare," I said. "If they see me -"

"Then we'll have to make sure they don't," Brynjolf said with that stupid grin.

I groaned, "Easier said than done."

"Isn't it always?"

"Not the point. Fine, let's do this quickly and quietly."

"Look at it this way, less rat killing for us."

I tilted my head considering that, and then smiled. "True."


Brynjolf and I made are way in, slipping by Mallus was easy as he whisked this way and that, preoccupied with making sure his place was tidy before the Captain showed up. We walked into the backroom, Njada and Athis already having passed through. Brynjolf went to check where we'd heard he stored the poison to see if there was any left. I examined the lock.

"No luck here," Brynjolf said just loud enough for me to hear.

"This lock shouldn't take a minute, but I need a different kind of pick -" I said, holding out my hand.

When he didn't give me one I turned my head to him from where I was kneeling down. He was looking down at me amused and I tilted my head in question as he raised an eyebrow. He reached the door handle and twisted. The Companions had left it unlocked and I blushed, standing.

"Well I could have done that," I muttered.

"Come on, lass, we need to get those Companions of yours in our sights or we're going to botch this job," Brynjolf said. "We need to relieve them of some of their poison."

It didn't take us long, sticking to the shadows and moving silently to catch up on the two warriors. Their loud swearing was helpful because even as my heart raced in fear of getting caught, I knew there was no way they would hear us over it.

"Damn it all to Talos!" Njada said. "That's the third trap that almost took my leg off."

"If you would look where you walk -"

"Don't!" Njada snapped. "Not all of us have special eyes to see in the dark."

Athis sighed, leaning down to remove the trap where she'd caught it on her leg. She'd thrust her blade down to stop it from pressing in too hard but if she moved it would surely bite in. "I do not see in the dark any better than you, my dear Nord."

"Don't call me that," she said, but I could hear the pleasure in her voice.

I rolled my eyes.

We followed as they ran into approximately thirteen more traps and five skeevers.

"There's more traps than there are rats down here!" Njada complained.

"And yet you continue to miss them," Athis chided. "Or should I say not miss them?"

"Shut. Up."

"These two are taking forever," Brynjolf whispered, frustrated. "If they don't hurry, we won't have time to add the poison to the brew before the captain gets there. We need to hurry this up."

"How do you suggest we do that?" I whispered back.

"Let's go around. I'll see if I can snab some of that poison from him when we do," Brynolf said.

Oh great, yeah, sneak around them. Still as he headed left in the small chamber, keeping to the sides as they worked their way through yet another trap Njada had set off, I went right. I watched as he approached and successfully swiped one of the bottles of poison from Athis's belt, who was too busy staring intently at Njada and lecturing to notice. I shook my head, getting to the other side of the chamber. That was almost too easy.

It was then that I stumbled over some loose tiles. I caught myself quickly, Brynjolf steadying me needlessly. But the noise caught Athis's attention. He withdrew his attention from the trap and stood straight, drawing his blade.

"Who's there?"