The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Brynjolf and Carissa "Stealing Hearts"


Location: Cistern, Thieves Guild, Riften
15
th of Sun's Dusk
10:43pm

"Well, now that I've escaped Sovngarde, what are we going to do about Aeron and Mathilda?"

"DREAM ON, you going to Sovngarde! Like they'd let you in!" Carissa laughed, knocking Brynjolf over the head playfully.

"Can't blame a man for dreaming though, right?" Brynjolf looked up at his wife, whom he had sitting on his lap lovingly.

Carissa simply smiled at him, before addressing her guild. "Rurik and Charna are dead, leaving Aeron and Mathilda left. News of their adopted children's death should have reached them by now. Or if it hasn't, it will."

"And we need to find a way to bring them down. Once we do, we and other establishments won't have to worry about them ever again." Alayna said.

"Arisha," Gabriel then spoke, turning to find his favorite Redguard. "Remember you said that you all had a hideout that was well… quite well hidden?"

Arisha, who was bringing drinks to the guild members, stopped to answer her lover. "Yeah! I gave the location to Carissa. She said she would have some of the members from the Markarth hideout spy on it."

"Right, and nothing ever turned up. It was like they had other hideouts…" She mumbled.

"Yes, but that's their main one!" Gabriel said. "It's been only an hour since we killed the two. What are the odds that once they learn of it, they'll run for the hideout, grab whatever they can, and try to make a run for it?"

"You mean, leave Skyrim?" Rune asked.

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders. "It's possible."

"Then let's take the chance," Brynjolf said. "The folks in Markarth know what to do with them. Let's just sit back and wait for the letter, shall we?"


20th of Sun's Dusk
2:41pm

"Un-be-lieve-able…"

"Hate to say it, mama."

"They already left?"

"Well…" Gabriel unfolded the letter once more. "According to this… news of the Dracul children's death reached Markarth, which obviously, would reach our Markarth members. After 2 days, there was no activity, so they broke in," He then doubled the letter once more. "And the place was ransacked. Like they had tried to take only the essentials."

"But how did they get in and out without our people knowing?" Carissa asked.

"Underground tunnel."

Carissa arched an eyebrow at him, taking another gulp of mead at that.

"Come on, mama. They might have installed that a while back and you wouldn't have known."

Carissa sighed epically, not knowing what to say about this. She was upset that she couldn't get her little claws on the two remaining Draculs, but they had been driven out! Of Skyrim! "Well, I can't say this is great news, but it is good news. Only one thing left to do." She flashed a smirk at him.

To which he smirked back. "When shall we start?"

"Whenever you want, sweetie. You're in charge."

Now that it was confirmed that Aeron and Mathilda Dracul had left Skyrim, the only thing left to do was the destroy what they had left behind. What had they left behind? Wineries, clothing stores, weapon stores… anything that was owned by the Draculs, were all going to be demolished. Courtesy of the Thieves Guild. Maybe now people won't hate them so much, having done a huge favor for most of the locals. With Gabriel leading the assault, those establishments were wrecked and or burned down in no time. The Draculs influence had died down, and no one had planned on seeing them for a long, long time. Of course, that did not stop Carissa from being careful. They would monitor the borders from Hammerfell to Skyrim; the members of the Markarth and Falkreath hideout would take care of that.


Location: Lake Honrich
25
th of Sun's Dusk
6:23pm

"How old would he have been today, mama?"

"Well, let's see… huh. 60," Carissa chuckled, realizing how long it had been. "43 years. He's been dead for 43 years… not sure if I should be surprised at that or at how old I'm getting…"

"Speak for yourself, sabre cat…" Brynjolf muttered his breath, cursing at his own age.

Brynjolf, Carissa, Alayna and Gabriel Larue were at Lake Honrich, a lake home to Riften. Right now, the evening was tuning in. As the sun set, it was disappearing into an array of yellow, orange and red, and that whole breath-taking display was twinkling on the surface of the lake's crystal clear waters.

"So what's with this whole 'throwing a flower into the lake' thing you do?" Gabriel asked, arms across his massive chest.

Carissa continued to stare out into the lake, admiring it through and through. "Well… your great-grandmother had this little belief that was passed down from her mother and so on. They believed that if you toss a flower into a lake or river or the sea… it was to show that you still thought of them and miss them. Silly, I know, but after your uncle's death… it just made me want to do it. Didn't seem so silly after all." She faked a little laugh as she hung onto a beautifully blossomed Red Mountain Flower.

"It isn't silly," Gabriel said, smiling at the sunset. "I think it's a great way to tell someone you're still thinking of them. Because who knows?" Kneeling down at the edge of the lake, he gracefully tossed a Red Mountain Flower into the lake, and the current began to carry it away. "They might be still out there, looking to cross over with something to hold on to."

"Awwwww!" Alayna giggled and knelt next to him, hugging him from the side. "Such beautiful words! Aren't you just the poet?" She pinched his cheek playfully.

Gabriel briefly smiled at his little sister, before turning his attention back to the lake. He had just one more Red Mountain Flower in his hand, and he knew exactly who to toss it into the lake for. So with another smile, he did.

"Who was that for, son?" Brynjolf asked, his arm still wrapped around his wife protectively.

"Danica."

Carissa and Brynjolf exchanged a look of sorrow, realizing that they had also overlooked Danica's death.

"I had a feeling that fever was bad but… I didn't think it would be so bad that it would kill her," He said gloomily, but still trying his best to keep his spirits up, knowing that Danica's own spirit was probably at rest right now. "I really do miss her. Even if she was just a priestess who took me in… she did raise me after all."

"Yes, and she thought you everything," Carissa said, although a thought then struck her. "But I'm pretty sure she didn't teach you how to thieve."

Gabriel grinned widely this time and got up, turning to his mother. "Well…. That was hereditary. You can't blame me." He shrugged his shoulders at her.

"Mama just never thought that you would end up being here, that's all." Alayna said.

"But I'm still glad you are, Gabriel," Carissa walked up to him, her eyes sparkling at him. "I never thought I'd get my son back," She ran a hand up his cheek. "But now that I have, I want to make up for all those years."

Gabriel took that hand and clasped it tightly. "Even without you being with me physically, you still protected me," He said. "I don't think you owe me anything, mama."

Carissa gave him the most grateful smile she could muster. Smiling back, Gabriel planted a loving kiss on his mother's forehead, which she gladly accepted. Brynjolf and Alayna could only smile at that beautiful, heart-warming sight.

"Come on," Gabriel then took his mother's and little sister's hands. "Let's go home. I plan on robbing Radient Raiment tomorrow. Alayna, want to back me up on this one?"

"Sure! Do you have a plan?"

"I'm feeling a little… dramatic. Let's cause a great distraction-"

By then, Gabriel had broken away from Carissa and walked side by side with Alayna. It was okay; Carissa decided to walk with her husband instead – her husband who was grinning away at the sight of their two children.

"They're the perfect sibling thieves, don't you think?" Carissa asked, nudging at him.

"They are," Brynjolf put his loving arm around her waist, holding her close. "And they're ours."

The four were finally a real family, and they looking forward to a lifetime of thieving. Together.


A/N: Well... just like Runaway With My Heart, this story took 6 months (well almost lol).

It has been a fun ride and I have really enjoyed writing Carissa! She turned out well! And Brynjolf turned out to be the perfect character for what I had planned for this story. And I hope the ending wasn't too weak! This was what I had in mind.

Stay tuned for the alternate ending to this story! I'll be posting it by the end of this week.

I'll also be releasing some important news in the next chapter as well, which, I think might not appeal to some of you guys. o.O