((10th of Frostfall/October, 4E 202))
Brynjolf's promise rang in my head for days after his declaration. I still couldn't identify the sensation in my chest, but it wasn't one I wanted to get rid of. I allowed myself to revel in the feeling before considering the stupidity of my Guildmaster.
"We have to go after Karliah before she escapes again, Mercer!" Vex pleaded, just as irate as Delvin beside her.
"She won't wait for us to chase after her; she'll disappear again!"
Mercer curled his fingers into a fist, pounding it onto his new desk. It was a much more superior desk than he'd had before, and although I wouldn't admit it to his face, I thought it was a load of pig dung that the rest of the Guild was falling into disarray, yet he gave himself the finest things and ignored the rest of his surroundings. I'd bet money that his room was decked out in the most expensive furniture laced with gold and jewels.
"She won't get away, Delvin. I'm certain of that." Mercer's dry, wormlike lips spread into a thin smile. "She doesn't want to flee this time. She wants me to go after her." I sensed Brynjolf walking up behind me but didn't turn to face him. Instead, I rested my head against his chest and continued listening to Mercer. "She took out Gallus but couldn't kill me. Now she wants to finish the job."
He'll probably take Vex or Brynjolf with him. What if Bryn never comes back? What if Karliah-
"Are you listening, Russet?" I forced my attention back to the present and gave Mercer a disingenuous smile.
"Of course. Go on."
Mercer snorted in distaste before gathering up a few sheets of paper. "Anyhow, as I said," he enunciated nastily, "I've come up with a plan." My gaze flicked to Brynjolf standing beside me, finding he was already watching me with enigmatic emerald eyes.
"And what is that plan?" Vex questioned politely, unwilling to set him off. Even the testy Nordic woman didn't want to push Mercer's limits when it came to Karliah.
"That little vixen needs to die," the Guildmaster growled harshly, looking down at his papers. "I can't let her destroy everything I've built here." After a moment of silence, Mercer Frey looked back up with a dark resolution. "We're going to kill Karliah and put her little spree to an end."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Vex queried, leaning against the wall behind Mercer. She had a single white eyebrow lifted, denoting her distaste for Mercer's dancing-around-the-daisies approach to revealing the plan. "We may know it's her trying to bring the Guild down, but we don't even know where she is!" I again looked to Brynjolf, concerned for his state of mind. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it well hidden behind a neutral expression.
"That's not entirely true. Russet?" When Mercer called me out, all attention turned to me, and I had to hide my discomfort. "You have information on where she went."
I leaned on my right leg and brought the violent confrontation with Gulum-Ei to the forefront of my mind. "Maybe? Gulum-Ei said Karliah told him she'd be 'where the end began.' Does that mean anything to you?"
"It can only mean one thing," he said hoarsely. "Where Karliah murdered Gallus. Snow Veil Sanctum." I had to strain to catch the last few words, and though the location didn't sound familiar, the name sent a shiver down my back.
Delvin spoke up for the first time since the start of the conversation. "So, I take it you plan to take a good many of us there and bring her back for justice?"
Mercer snorted derogatorily. "Of course not. She's never coming back into the cistern; I'll make damn sure of that. Like I already said, she needs to die. You're staying here."
"But you can't be going alone," Vex said slowly, observing our Guildmaster for a reaction.
"I won't be going alone." He gestured to me with a sly smirk. "Russet will be coming with me." I wouldn't have been more surprised if Delvin had suddenly declared his undying love for Jarl Balgruuf. Mercer and I were constantly at odds, but here he voluntarily claimed me as his partner on a mission with importance exceeding any other I'd taken. He chose me over the more experienced thieves with a real grudge against Karliah. Brynjolf and I spoke at the same time.
"Me?!"
"The lass?!"
Contempt turned Mercer's lips down into a frown. "Is there a problem?" The familiar resentment appeared in Frey's eyes for a few seconds. "You've been on Karliah's trail since your assessment, and I'm the Guildmaster."
I bit my lip and tasted blood. "Why wouldn't you take Delvin or Vex? They've got a personal vendetta against Karliah, and they know her better than I would." I thought my point was valid, but it must have seemed like a mockery or an argument to the mad Breton.
"Because I said so!" Mercer snarled, shoving me away from him and his desk. I would have fallen to the ground, but a pair of strong arms kept me from hitting the hard stones below. I muttered 'thanks' to Bryn and glared at the Guildmaster, tempted to smack him upside the head.
Brynjolf stepped forward with an angry scowl. "We should all go, Mercer. You, me, Delvin, and Vex. She can't overpower all of us. My job is to keep the members of the Thieves Guild safe." Again, Brynjolf's reasoning only served to piss Mercer off further.
"Your job is to follow my orders, Brynjolf. I've heard of Russet's prowess in melee combat." The way he said it made it obvious it wasn't a compliment, and my nostrils flared in irritation. "She should be able to defend herself against Karliah."
I finally found my voice. "Karliah will get away if there aren't enough people to chase her down."
"Not this time, she won't." Certainty was threaded through Mercer's voice. "Trust me when I say this, my dear." Mercer's glare traveled to me, eyes filled with so much hate it sent a shiver down my spine. "She won't make it out of Snow Veil Sanctum alive."
...
((13th of Frostfall/October, 4E 202))
The warmth of the training room's torchfire was chased away by the cold feeling of dread that permeated the room. Bryn and I were the only ones present in any of the back rooms, everyone else having followed Mercer to hear whatever speech he'd prepared in the cistern before our departure. We sat beside each other on the furthest wall, our weapons abandoned next to us in favor of a few bottles of mead.
Brynjolf rubbed his temples. "I don't like this, lass," he muttered. "I don't like the idea of you heading off with Mercer to chase down Karliah." He withdrew a coin and inspected both sides.
I shifted my position, refusing to worsen his nervousness by displaying my own anxiety. "Why not? You know as well as I do that beating me in a fight is damn near impossible." I gave him a sly wink, but he didn't acknowledge it.
"I'm aware, but that's not my point." He began flipping the septim up into the air. "You already know about Gallus." I was reminded of the events of the week prior and slowly dipped my head, wondering where he was going with this. "But he was just as fierce as you in a fight, lass, and yet that backstabbing bitch still managed to take him down. Mercer himself barely managed to get out alive." I felt a twinge of unease, though I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. "To summarize, Mercer wants you to accompany him to Snow Veil Sanctum alone to take out one of the most skilled members the Thieves Guild has ever seen." I took a drink of a nearby mead bottle to avoid responding right away. In the meantime, Brynjolf's coin-flipping turned to rolling the coin between his fingers, and I found myself entranced by the simple movement. When Bryn managed to piece his words together, they were more than slightly sore. "Dammit, I'm tempted to follow you against his orders. He can't possibly expect you to-" He snapped his mouth shut, unwilling to finish his sentence.
I hugged my knees close to my chest. "Expect me to what?"
"I..." He paused, unused to having difficulty with his words.
I gave him a wry smile and laid my head on his shoulder. "Worried about me, are you?" I teased, warmth spreading through my chest.
Brynjolf instantly straightened up, green eyes boring into me. "Russet." I shivered at the sound of my name escaping his lips. He rarely used my name unless whatever he had to say wasn't a light matter. "Listen to me." I lifted my head from his shoulder, wordless and wide-eyed. "You're headstrong, brave, and a damn dangerous opponent. You've gotten the best of me time and time again." He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "But you're not facing me here. You're going after Karliah. I don't know if either of you will come back this time." Neither of us could find the will to speak for a while, and I returned my head to his shoulder. Muffled chatter from the Guild outside the room was only a reminder of the task ahead.
I held out my hand for Brynjolf to take. "Bryn?" I rubbed my thumb over the back of his hand. "I'll be fine." The Nord gave me a half-hearted smile and rested his own head on mine.
"I know, lass. I know." I felt him freeze. "But even so, will you do something for me?" He took my silence as confirmation and freed himself from me while I watched him querulously. His hand reached for his pocket and withdrew a shining pendant. "Here, take this. It's a charm to keep you safe." After I nodded in acquiescence, he leaned over and fixed it around my neck. My fingers automatically went to the charm, though I didn't give it a good look. My gaze was fixed on him, and I inwardly melted at his pleading eyes. "Lass? Please... remember your promise."
"I will." I paused for a moment, wonder making its way through my body as I scooted just a little closer. "...Bryn?" He lifted a brow but otherwise did not react. "I... wanted to know something." I scratched the back of my neck, disliking the nervous feeling. "Do you- I-" I shook my head rapidly, unable to get the words out. "Are we..." I instantly felt the heat rise in my cheeks. "I mean... do you..." Do you feel the same way about me that I do for you?
Brynjolf's eyes glinted with amusement and mischief as he easily understood the meaning in my stammers. "Come back safe, and I'll tell you. Deal?"
"Deal." My smile faded as Niruin entered the training room, obviously unsurprised at Brynjolf's and my closeness.
"Russet?" The Wood Elf jerked his thumb behind him. "Mercer says it's time to go."
I gave a heavy sigh, wishing he hadn't ruined the moment. "Tell that rat I'll be right there." Niruin headed back out without a word, and I returned my attention to Brynjolf. "I guess our time's up."
"So it would seem." He stretched out and pulled me into a hug. "Kiss for good luck, lass?" I chuckled into his chest and straightened up, closing my eyes as he leaned in. Instead of my lips, he kissed my cheek with a tender sweetness I wouldn't have expected from him. When he drew away, his emerald eyes gleamed with sorrow. "Farewell, lass. Stay safe, all right?"
I swallowed the lump that had somehow formed in my throat. "I'll try, Bryn. I'll try."
