Eriah was making her way through the Ratway to meet up with Karliah, her new Dunmer associate. She had followed her from Winterhold after a journal written by Gallus was translated. He wrote it in the Falmer language which necessitated Eriah going from Winterhold all the way to Markarth to get a translation tool from Calcelmo, the court wizard there. She had to sneak by a lot of guards and his nephew in order to get it. The old man was understandably protective of his work. She took a rubbing of the stone tablet needed to translate the journal and was able to slip out. Upon returning to Winterhold, she met with Karliah and Enthir, a Bosmer who was a close friend of Gallus's. With the rubbing, it was discovered that Gallus had grown suspicious of Mercer and suspected he was skimming funds from the Guild. Armed with that, Karliah had her and Eriah split up to meet back at the Ragged Flagon. She told her to come the long way through to the tavern. There was a chance that Mercer told some sort of falsehood about Eriah's fate in Snow Veil Sanctum and given Karliah's circumstances, it would be better if they avoided the secret entrance.
Eriah opened the door to the Flagon to see Karliah waiting for her. "I'm glad you're here. I think some of these people are beginning to suspect who I am. Are you ready to face the Guild?" the Dunmer thief asked. "I'm ready. Let's go," the Dragonborn responded. "Keep your eyes open. I'm not sure what to expect when we enter the cistern," she was warned. Whether or not Mercer was there didn't matter much. The Guild would learn the truth either way. The women walked around the central pool and headed towards the Cistern. Eriah locked eyes with Vekel the bartender but he didn't hinder them in any way. It was plain the Guild was waiting for them, likely with knives drawn, and the Dragonborn wasn't going to bank on the fact she'd had Brynjolf's favor up to this point. Opening the door, they stepped inside the Cistern and were greeted by every member of the Guild.
Eriah got in front of Karliah when they reached the end of the corridor into the Cistern. Brynjolf just gave her a disappointed but still-angry look. "You better have a damn good reason to be here with that murderer," the man growled. Eriah just leveled a look at him. "Do you know me at all, Brynjolf?" she asked. The simplicity of the question had the intended effect of confusing him. Eriah had been working with the Guild for weeks, ever since the man before her appealed to her penchant for helping people. He knew her very well now. Karliah took the opportunity to step forward. "Please, lower your weapons so we can speak. I have proof that you've all been misled!" she pleaded her case. Eriah met Brynjolf's gaze and she merely nodded. He sighed before sheathing his daggers. Some other members did the same, except for Vex and Delvin. So far, so good. "No tricks, Karliah, or I'll cut you down where you stand. Now, what's this so-called proof you speak of?" he asked.
Eriah breathed a quiet sigh of relief before standing at her new friend's side. "I have Gallus's journal. I think you'll find its contents disturbing," the Dunmer said, holding the book out to the Guild's number two. "Let me see," the redhead said, taking it. He flipped through the journal, his disbelief growing on his face. "No, it... it can't be. This can't be true. I've known Mercer too long...," he said, looking up at the women. "It's true, Brynjolf. Every word. Mercer's been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses," Karliah confirmed. Slapping the book shut, the master thief looked at Eriah. "Is this true, lass?" he asked, seeking confirmation. Eriah figured he was more likely to trust her, even if it was on rocky ground at the moment because she appeared with a supposed murderer. She didn't respond at first. Instead, she reached up and unhooked the breastplate of her Blades' armor. It clanged to the floor and she followed up by pulling her shirt up enough to reveal the stab wound Mercer had left her with. It was now a scar. "The bastard tried to kill me, Brynjolf. That's why he chose me as his second. I'm the outsider...so I'm expendable. He used me as a shield and left me to die. I have no reason to lie or cover for Karliah, nor would I under duress. I would fight back. I ask you again, do you know me at all?" she responded.
Brynjolf knew deep down she was telling the truth. He knew Eriah well enough now that she wasn't easily manipulated if someone's true colors were known to her. He himself was guilty of manipulating her in the past for his own gain but he wasn't malicious about it. He always presented a choice to her, barring the day they first met when he needed a hand with Brand-Shei. Brynjolf had said the price for the information she had come to him for would either be helping him with the job or a tumble in bed. She opted for the former, just as he intended. After that, when he called on her help again, there were no manipulation tactics. No knife to her back. She chose to do it of her own will. The Dragonborn was standing between Karliah and the rest of the Guild because she wanted to, not because she was being forced to. Be that as it may, he wasn't about to just take her word for it that the book was even legitimate in its claims. "There's only one way to find out if what the lass says is true. Delvin, I'll need you to open the Vault," he said, turning to his old friend.
Delvin sheathed his own dagger in surprise but they nonetheless headed towards the heavy doors of the Vault. He, Brynjolf, and Vex discussed how Mercer could break into a room with the best puzzle locks money could buy and required two keys. Karliah just said that Mercer didn't need to pick the locks. Still skeptical, the men used their keys and opened the door. Eriah peered inside and, just as Gallus suspected, it was empty. Chests were thrown open and ransacked. There wasn't a single scrap of gold left in there. "By the Eight! It's gone, everything's gone! Get in here, all of you!" Brynjolf said. The Guild gathered around in complete disbelief. Vex was pissed to Oblivion. "That son of a bitch! I'll kill him," she snarled, pulling her knife. "Vex! Put it away... right now. We can't afford to lose our heads... we need to calm down and focus," the redhead warned. "Do what he says, Vex. This isn't helpin' right now," Delvin agreed. The Imperial woman just sighed and did as she was told. "Fine. We do it your way. For now," she said, making it plain she would not be so willing to listen the next time.
"Delvin, Vex... watch the Flagon. If you see Mercer, come tell me right away," the Guild's number two ordered before looking at Eriah and Karliah. "Do you mind, lass?" he asked the Dunmer. Karliah just nodded and Brynjolf reached out to take Eriah by the elbow. The Dragonborn just let him lead her away, knowing he wanted to learn more but removing her from the Dunmer's side. She understood. The man was still a mite suspicious that she was being coerced into this and that Karliah and Mercer were actually in cahoots. "Look, before I help you track Mercer down, I need to know what you learned from Karliah. I mean everything," he said. Eriah took a deep breath before launching into the story of what went down in Snow Veil. Everything she said added up with what he learned and she gave no indication she was being held at knifepoint. One thing he could count on was her honest streak. She was low-key simmering with anger over being stabbed and the man had to admit that if Karliah was who Mercer said she was, Eriah wouldn't have come back at all.
The Dragonborn watched as he rubbed his eyes, still taking it all in. "I knew I could trust you, Eriah. I'm glad you're safe. I slipped up before and told Mercer that I disagreed with him taking you along. I see now that he wanted you out of the way because you became a threat. I can't believe I'm about to say this...but I'm sorry that I dragged you into this, lass," he said, looking down. Eriah's face softened. The man was insufferable at times when it came to her but he clearly cared about his guildmates and would do anything to protect them. She was an outsider but he still extended the same to her. "It's okay, Brynjolf. You dragged me into this but I wasn't exactly kicking and screaming either," she said. The man pulled her further away before getting her back to the wall. "Do you not get that I manipulated you into this and it nearly cost you your life?" he asked, hands on either side of her head.
Eriah just sighed before ducking under his arms. "The way I see it, whether you did or not, it changes nothing. I decided to get involved because you asked. You gave me the choice to refuse. Even though Mercer ended up shanking me, he's still nothing compared to some of my other foes. I know I'm an outsider and you're having a crisis of conscience because I almost died but in the end, this is what I do. I help people who ask. I risk my life a lot at the request of others. This is no different to me. I've been on borrowed time since Helgen. That's never going to end. That was the first time I came this close to joining the ranks of Sovngarde and it's been my life ever since. Akatosh has kept me safe this long. I trust him to continue doing so. I have Talos's strength backing me up and Mara's compassion is why I didn't turn you down when you came asking for my help. All I did, I've done of my own will," she explained. Brynjolf just blinked as he took in her convictions. He deflated with a chuckle before turning to face her fully. "Careful, lass. I may end up falling for you," he joked. The Dragonborn just gave him a deadpan look before rolling her eyes.
"Anyway, you, me, and Karliah need to come up with a plan to take down Mercer. That is...if you're going to see this through to the end. Far as I'm concerned, you're under no obligation to help any further. You've done enough," he said. "I owe Mercer a knife in the gut for the one he put in mine. I'm finishing this," Eriah said, her eyes hardening. "Thank you, lass," the man said before he motioned for the Dunmer to join them. "We need to figure out what Mercer is hoping to gain from doing this. Unfortunately, he's too smart to have left anything lying around here in the Cistern," Brynjolf said when she arrived. "What do you propose?" Karliah asked. "Mercer has a home topside. Riftweald Manor. A gift from Maven Black-Briar. Eriah, could I ask you to sneak into his house and find something, anything, to give us a clue?" he asked the Dragonborn.
"Sure. What can you tell me about the place? Last thing I want is more surprises," she said. "Mercer never stayed in the manor. Just paid for its upkeep and protection. He'll likely have thugs guarding the place inside. You're free to kill them if it comes down to it. However, you'll need to get past Vald first. He's some mercenary Mercer hired to watch the backyard. You can talk to Vex about him. She knows him well if you know what I mean. She'll have any dirt on him if you want to avoid leaving a body outside. Also, getting into the place won't be easy either. Mercer had a ramp installed for quick escapes. That will be your best bet of getting inside. A well-placed shot should make it fall," the redhead explained. Eriah nodded to them both before heading to the Flagon to talk to Vex about Vald.