Chapter XLI – Gratitude

This time, Aeyrin had to actually wait for Bishop's stealthy entrance in the back room of the meadery.

She could faintly hear some muffled noises coming from upstairs, one was definitely Karliah's and the other one was another woman, but Aeyrin had never heard it before. She could not hear anything that they were saying though.

Sabjorn had been especially grumpy that day too, for some reason, and he had barely spoken to her at all. She was dying to know what was going on.

She opened the downstairs window wide for Bishop and, fortunately, it only took a few more minutes before he deftly jumped inside. This way even Sabjorn couldn't hear him with his muffled steps. He heard the voices instantly too and they both started walking eagerly towards the attic room.

When they entered, they spotted Karliah at her usual spot by the large table and there was someone else sitting there opposite her. An older Nord woman with neatly braided black hair, dressed in a fancy blue dress decorated with pearls. She had a long pearl necklace adorning the entire ensemble and a large signet ring on her right hand.

Aeyrin could have sworn that she had seen her before, but, for the life of her, she could not place her.

Bishop's brows shot up in shock instantly though. He recognized her right away – he had seen her around Riften before. It was Maven Black-Briar. What the fuck was she doing in here?! Was this about Sibbi? Did she figure out that it wasn't Mercer?

Fuck, you need to calm the fuck down!

He couldn't let them know that he was on edge. This could still all be fine. Maybe she was there because of the caravans? Or something else entirely.

"Ah! Good to see you here. I was wondering when you'd be back," Karliah smiled at them warmly. Good. That was a good sign. "Aeyrin, Bishop, meet lady Maven Black-Briar. She is here to discuss some… business."

Maven stood up from the table with a stony expression on her face. She looked at each of them with a measured eye, before she extended her hand to Aeyrin and then to Bishop. Aeyrin had finally realized where she had seen her before. It was at that dragon-slaying party of Mercer's, held at Maven's lodge. And now it was even finally clear why Sabjorn was so morose before. He had his greatest competitor visiting his meadery casually. That must have made him so nervous.

Bishop extended his hand to her as steadily as he could. This all seemed somewhat amicable. Somewhat. Aeyrin was clearly on edge too, but they could still pretend like their nervous behavior was because of their history with Maven and the bounty.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both at last. I have not expected you two to be making an appearance, but I am glad for it. This matter involves you too, after all," Maven nodded before she straightened her dress and sat back down by the table again. Karliah motioned for them to sit down too in the meantime.

This was all so strange. They still had no idea what to expect. They didn't even bother getting rid of their armor and they both sat down by the table with resignation. Whatever was going to happen, they would find out soon enough.

"What's going on?" Bishop scowled. He could not take the uncertainty any longer.

"Something very troubling has happened. While you two were away, there was a…" Karliah started to explain, but Maven interrupted her promptly.

"I will explain, Karliah," she nodded. Her expression could not have been colder. "A couple of days ago my son, Sibbi, went missing. We have been searching for him everywhere and eventually, we were forced to make use of the hounds to track him down. They have found him. Buried in Mercer Frey's garden," she shook her head somberly.

Bishop and Aeyrin waited with bated breaths. This they knew. They didn't show much surprise at the news, which they probably should have, but then again, what did they care about a son that they have supposedly never met?

"It appears that Mercer has been sour over the fact that lady Black-Briar had withdrawn her funds from him. And this was his revenge," Karliah nodded with a regretful sigh. She was probably faking. Why would she care about him? "You can imagine how angry lady Black-Briar is at this news. And that is why…"

Again she was interrupted by Maven herself.

"That is why I have pledged my funds and my men to Karliah. Mercer is going to pay for this vile act and I will make personally sure of it," she spat venomously.

Huh.

This was… good. This was better than good. They have actually managed to get Maven's support by killing her son!

"R-really? You are going to go against Mercer?" Aeyrin gaped at her in disbelief.

"Of course," Maven snorted. "This was business. My alliance with him was business. When it became unprofitable, I forged an alliance with Karliah. But… after the dismal defeat at Lost Knife, I have lost a large part of my men to this cause. It was the wrong decision. Mercer was more profitable for me again and I have pledged my funds to his efforts once more. But… his pathetic crusade against you has made things… less than satisfactory," she nodded at Aeyrin. "He understood our alliance. The second that it was no longer profitable for me to uphold it, I would leave him to his own devices. And so I did. But… he went for revenge. He went after my son. He has made this personal," Maven scowled fiercely. "This is no longer business. I do not care how much money you need, what information you need or how many men you need. Mercer will pay for this and he will regret crossing me for the brief rest of his miserable life. No matter the cost."

Karliah only nodded, and she still kept up her somber expression. She was adamant to appear sympathetic, but she must have been beyond ecstatic.

"I have considered calling on the Dark Brotherhood to do the deed," Maven pondered for a bit. Bishop got the sudden urge to snort at her, but he repressed it. He had already learned all about her 'alliance' with the Brotherhood. It meant nothing. "But… having Karliah be his downfall would surely sting much more," a wicked smirk appeared on Maven's lips.

"And with that being said, we should move on with our plans," Karliah smiled conspiratorially. "We still need to get inside Mercer's manor and find out his plans regarding this treasure. So… what have you learned?"

Maven looked like she wanted to interject, but when Bishop quickly started to pull out his findings from his pack, she merely raised her brow at him and waited with an intrigued smile.

"Right. After I bought the house… someone… has referred me to a group of workers who did security for the mansions around. So we had their names, at least, and Bishop went to… investigate them," Aeyrin nodded, purposefully leaving out Sibbi's name, although Maven might have known already. Aeyrin had been talking to Sibbi rather publically after all.

As if she was anticipating Aeyrin's trail of thoughts, Maven nodded. "You have gotten their names from my son? You can speak his name in front of me. Some people have reported that they've seen you at the Bee and Barb together."

"Y-yes. That's right. I thought that… someone from your family would know about the contractors," Aeyrin bit her lower lip nervously.

"Of course, that is only logical. And Sibbi was never one to resist a pretty face," she snorted with a hint of wistful amusement. "What is surprising is that you have managed to buy a house in the city. Did Leila really let you put down roots?" she snorted.

What was that supposed to mean? Why wouldn't she?

"Yes… she… she even made me a Thane. Although… I'm not sure why. She said that she was grateful for the… caravans. I didn't even know that they were yours," Aeyrin shrugged. She suspected that Karliah still wanted to keep this mission a secret from Maven. Why wouldn't she?

"How… generous of her. Interesting," Maven pondered. She didn't seem to be planning to elaborate further though. This was getting really strange.

"Right," Bishop nodded after a brief awkward moment of silence. "I managed to get the contractor's plans for the building. They have marks of where the security mechanisms should be, but no specifics. I also got an invoice about how much each room cost, so… that might be helpful. But… nothing specific," he sighed. It was not as helpful as he had wished. "There was one more thing though," he showed them the blueprints and pointed to the location of the safe room where a large number of red Xs were drawn. "There is a note in the invoice for the safe room. It says: 'Paid extra to destroy the key'."

Karliah's brows creased and she mouthed the words 'the Skeleton Key' to herself. She caught on quickly.

Before they could discuss it any further, however, a light chuckle escaped Maven's lips.

"Interesting. Very interesting. You have learned much," she nodded approvingly. "Karliah dear, I do not know what this 'treasure' that you are after is but you should have told me about your plan to infiltrate Frey's mansion. The workers are in my employ, of course. And after I have learned of this… odd request, well… how could I not make a copy of the key for myself?"

They all looked at her in surprise and she merely snorted at them proudly. She was obviously enjoying the somewhat reverent stares.

"Really?" Karliah's lips twisted into a pleased smile.

"Of course. And I will get you the detailed plans for the security measures too. I keep the more important documents for the company's clients in my vault," Maven smiled.

"Huh… that is… excellent, Maven. Thank you," Karliah beamed at her. "I'm… afraid that your mission has been made rather unnecessary then… I apologize," she looked at Bishop and Aeyrin bashfully. If only she knew... "Nevertheless, at least you did not come out of it empty handed. Enjoy the house for now. As I've said, I do not dare to make use of it myself yet."

"Indeed. Enjoy the house." There was a strange knowing expression on Maven's face. What was with her and this house? What was so strange about it? Sibbi had also been so surprised by this. Why? Why was it so strange for the Jarl to name Aeyrin a thane and grant her a house like that? Jarl Balgruuf had done it before too.

"Well… that is that, I suppose. I will get the rest of the information from lady Black-Briar then," Karliah smiled. "You two may stay here. I do not doubt that you would wish to. Raven isn't here so you can take the bed."

"What's next?" Aeyrin looked at her curiously, although Raven's bed had already been beckoning her. It was only late afternoon now, but she still felt so drained about the rough night in Morthal and the one before that.

"Nothing yet. I will let you know when another opportunity arrives," Karliah answered curtly. She was already too invested in peering at the blueprints.

"You don't want me to go into that mansion?" Bishop raised his brow at her. It seemed like they already had all the information that they needed at their disposal.

"Oh no. No. I will do this one myself," Karliah gave him a pleased smirk. She looked like she was actually looking forward to this. With how little information they usually got from her about anything that did not involve the two of them, Bishop had almost forgotten that Karliah was supposed to be a competent rogue herself. Who knew how many dangerous missions she had undertaken on her own already?

They both nodded, but before they managed to rise from their chairs, Maven stopped them with a gesture of her hand.

"A moment, please. I have something to discuss with you two."

They remained in their chairs, but they still couldn't help but throw an uncertain expression at one another.

"There is one more thing to settle. And I never stay indebted to anyone," Maven nodded resolutely. "Dragonborn, you have helped my business greatly and you have prevented significant losses. And… I assume that you will continue to do so, should the opportunity present itself," she gave her a meaningful look.

"O-of course. Like I said… I didn't know that the caravans were yours. When I see one getting attacked by a dragon… well… no one else can kill them," she shrugged.

"Precisely. I am sure that you will prevent even more losses to my business in the future," Maven smiled. "And you," she turned to Bishop. "No matter the circumstances and the… alliances, Goldenglow serves my purposes quite well, so thank you," she smirked.

Bishop chuckled a little. He did not expect gratitude for that. That was ages ago and he didn't even want to do that job for Mercer, exciting as it was. But he was definitely not about to complain about Maven being happy with him. He really expected something much more dire out of this. It was enough that Sibbi's murder had already caused this whole mess with the Dark Brotherhood, he didn't need even more shit on his plate now.

"So, I owe you. Each of you. One favor. You may collect whenever you wish," Maven nodded resolutely.

Instead of answering, they both kept looking at her with surprise in their eyes for quite some time. A favor from Maven Black-Briar could certainly come in handy. They instantly started to ponder on their options, although it would have probably been better to wait for something to present itself later when they really needed it. That time would probably come eventually with how much trouble they were capable of attracting.

Aeyrin was the first one to actually realize that she had no favor to ask for and she finally broke the long silence. "Thank you, lady Black-Briar. We'll keep that in mind," she gave her a brief smile.

"Do. You know where to find me, if something comes up."

Maven started to generally ignore the two of them and she and Karliah started to discuss more about Mercer and his 'treasure'. Maven was naturally curious about their current goals.

With nothing else to do, Bishop and Aeyrin moved towards the bed to remove their armors and prepare for an early night. Karliah only briefly mentioned that they could make use of the kitchen downstairs if they wanted to – it was only provisionary ever since Karliah and Raven moved in. Sabjorn had the real kitchen on the other side of the meadery, but he could not see Bishop there. He had no idea that the 'notorious bandit' had been still working for Karliah.

After their brief dinner, the two of them returned upstairs. Maven and Karliah were still there, discussing something with serious expressions on their faces. It was rather strange to be constantly lurking around while they did that. Eventually, Aeyrin went back downstairs to the bathing room and Bishop stayed alone with the two women who were too absorbed to even notice him.

He was still thinking about that favor. He briefly wondered if Maven could do something about the Dark Brotherhood, or at least get some information about their intentions now, but… that assassin made it clear that Maven had less pull with them than she would like to believe. It was likely that he knew more than she did already.

But there was one other potential favor that he couldn't stop thinking about.

Finally, Maven and Karliah stood up from the table and shook hands in farewell. Maven briefly nodded at Bishop, but he had already decided. He would ask for the favor now. He wouldn't be able to stop thinking about asking anytime soon anyway.

"Uhm… I actually… have a favor to ask," he stopped her before she could leave.

Maven gave him a strangely knowing smirk before she nodded pointedly at Karliah. The message was clear – she wanted Karliah to leave. It was for the best. Bishop didn't really need an audience for this.

Karliah disappeared into the adjacent room, but she did have an intrigued look on her face. If she really wanted to, she could have listened in, pressed to the door or something. It was not as if this needed to be kept secret but Bishop just didn't want to be questioned on it. Especially since he was still not sure himself why he had the urge to ask for this particular favor.

"I can't say that I did not see this coming," Maven smirked. "Well, speak." She saw this coming? Weird. But then again, she had been acting like a strange secretive know-it-all the entire evening. Maybe it was just something she did out of habit. She was supposed to be the most well-informed person in the Rift. People always said that you couldn't as much as breathe in Riften without Maven knowing about it.

They both situated themselves back by the table. Bishop was just hoping that Aeyrin wouldn't come back anytime soon. He suspected that she was going to be taking her time, just to avoid the uncomfortable hovering around the room while the two women were still there.

"Right… so… there's this… cottage on the outskirts of Riften," Bishop started to explain. He had no idea why he couldn't get that place out of his head lately. He could still see the images that he had fantasized about when he was there the last time – his life with Aeyrin in a place of their own. And when they were talking about the house in Riften, she said that she liked the idea of having 'their place'. As heartbreaking as those fantasies had been when they were apart, now they were actually always putting a smile on his face. He didn't know what it meant – he didn't really want to give up this life just yet. He didn't want to stop travelling and adventuring with her. And there was still so much to take care of. But the idea of having a safe haven was nice. But Breezehome was, for all intents and purposes, Lydia's house now. Perhaps soon Saadia would want to move in officially too and Aeyrin would definitely relinquish the large bedroom to them instantly. It would only remain a place for them to crash when they were in Whiterun… if they ever were, with the bounty still in effect. And the house in Riften was temporary – Karliah made that perfectly clear. And besides, yet another housecarl would surely move in there too soon enough.

He wanted a place of their own. Somewhere they could be alone, just the two of them, without worrying about anyone or anything else. And once they did have enough of adventuring, maybe they could settle down there for good. It wasn't a bad image of the years to come.

He still had no idea how he would get that place fixed up though. And he had no idea when or how he wanted to tell Aeyrin. It could be a nice surprise, actually.

"I know of the place. It's old and decrepit. What do you want with it?" Maven raised her brow at him.

"It's mine," Bishop nodded at her determinedly. "Well… sort of. It's mine officially... but… I don't really have the deed anymore… or the key. And I kind of didn't really pay the taxes… ever," he winced a little, eliciting an amused chuckle from Maven.

"I see. And you want it back?" Maven snorted. "So you want me to find the copy of the deed and the key and to take care of your back-taxes? Is that it?"

Fuck, he didn't even think that she could take care of the back-taxes. That was definitely a great bonus. He didn't really have the money to pay them now. He wasn't really sure about the extent of the favor – after all, he hadn't really done anything for her personally. He was just trying to save his neck when Mercer forced him to 'steal' Goldenglow.

"Yeah," Bishop nodded. This was what he wanted. He would have to pay those taxes from now on himself, he really doubted that Maven would be willing to take care of that for perpetuity.

"A deed for a deed?" she chuckled. "Simple enough. I will take care of things. Once I get back to Riften, I will send a courier with the deed and the key."

Fuck, that would raise questions with Aeyrin. He still didn't know when and how he wanted to tell her.

"Actually… don't. Maybe I can pick the stuff up in Riften. We'll be going back soon too. So… maybe… do you have some dead drop which the Guild doesn't know about?" he started to ponder on the best course of action.

"A 'dead drop'? The property is yours, correct?" Maven raised her brow at him and he only nodded in confusion. "Then what's with the criminal act? Force of habit? Just stop by the mansion and my servants will give you your things."

Heh… that did sound much simpler. It was too unusual for him to be dealing with things legally. Especially when it involved any kind of 'favors'.

"Right. Alright. I'll do that," he chuckled a little.

"To be honest, I am surprised that you have asked for something like this. I have expected you to ask me to get Leila's pardon for your bounty," Maven smirked at him.

Bishop's eyes went wide. What?! She knew about the bounty?! And that was an option?! He didn't know that that was an option! He could have dealt with the cottage in a different way, although it would take forever to get through some bureaucracy. This would have been a much more useful favor to ask for.

"Y-you…" he wasn't even able to say it through the shock.

"Of course I know. I know everything," Maven smirked. "I know about the rumors from Whiterun and, not to mention, I have intercepted a rather interesting message for Leila."

A 'message for Leila'? She was talking about the Jarl, right? He assumed as much, at least. What kind of a message? This was making him really uncomfortable.

"Some anonymous tattle-tale has decided to send the bounty notice to Leila. Like I said, I have intercepted it. Leila has never seen it and it is in my possession now. You know, if I ever need to make use of it," she smirked.

Fuck… was that good or bad? They were kind of allies now, but he would still much rather have an official pardon. And another anonymous delivery?! What was that about? He thought that the one in Solitude was from Casavir. Maybe this one was too? Someone was trying to get him hanged for those bounties. Or someone was trying to claim them.

"What?! When was this?" he scowled fiercely. It may have been done at the same time as the one in Solitude, but… why wouldn't there be one in Falkreath and Whiterun by that time too?

"Nearly a month ago," Maven shrugged. Well… that was that. It didn't come at the same time. And he couldn't think of a reason why it would have come a month ago. He wasn't even in Riften at the time. This line of questioning would obviously tell him nothing, and there was another thing that Maven had said that was still bothering him.

"You kept it? Why… why didn't you tell the Jarl?" Bishop looked at her with suspicion. What did she want from him?

"Why would I? What good would it do?" Maven scoffed. "Having random people executed holds no appeal for me. There is no profit in it. And the sum on your head does not hold my interest either, before you ask. I am not a bounty hunter. I am a businesswoman."

Right… well… that was kind of comforting. But still… his family stole from the richest people from Skyrim. Weren't the Black-Briars among them?

"You… weren't one of the clan's… targets?" he asked uncertainly.

"We were. We have lost much to their robberies. They were nothing like the Guild – they did not wish to make deals. They were crude and merciless. But… my children… they have been the targets of blackmailers and other scum ever since they were little. So I am sure that you can understand why I firmly believe in one thing. Children should not pay for their parent's deeds. It is only more apparent now, after my Sibbi's death," Maven sighed. She was definitely more… motherly than Bishop had ever thought. "But of course, the clan has still robbed my family business. I know that they have escaped to Cyrodiil, but… if either Torban or Rina ever return to Skyrim, I assure you, they will pay. Nobody crosses the Black-Briars."

Bishop smirked. He was still really uncomfortable with the fact that she had kept that bounty notice. If he ever were to 'cross the Black-Briars', which he already did, she would likely not hesitate to use the bounty. But for now, he was safe. He just wanted to know who the fuck was sending these!

"Well, if it makes you feel better, Torban is dead," Bishop scoffed. "And if you ever find Rina, feel free to send her straight to Oblivion after him. It's not like I give a fuck."

"Truly?" Maven raised her brow at him. "Torban is dead? Good. The world has no need of people like him. His rampage was neither helpful nor profitable for anyone. A common scum like any other." Surprisingly enough, Maven didn't sound hateful at all – merely disdainful. And she didn't seem at all fazed by Bishop's callous disregard over his 'family'.

"Well then, I suppose that we are done here?" Maven finally stood up from the table with an expectant expression.

"Yeah… we are," Bishop nodded.

"We have a deal then. After you receive your items, we are even. And I will be looking forward to our mutual cooperation. And to Mercer's demise." She extended her hand towards Bishop once more.

"Yeah, you and me both," he snorted while he shook her hand too.

As much as the thought of the bounty was still gnawing at him, he was glad that he had made the deal for that cottage. He had no idea how much money he owed for it – with interest it could have been a small fortune. Riften's debt policies were especially cutthroat. And if all went well, he would not need to worry about that bounty anymore. Nobody would find out about his part in Sibbi's death, especially not after Mercer was dead too. And he was definitely not planning on 'crossing the Black-Briars' ever again.

For now, the bounty was safe with Maven.

He just had to figure out who this anonymous sender was.