Why are you doing this, Strong-Heart? You're only here to forge the items you need and to go back home...

Home. Home to what? A man who barely notices me and a never ending war with an enemy that will never be satisfied until all of Skyrim bends the knee and her King dead. Freyja sighs as she argues with her conscience, long fingers deftly braiding her hair. And that's why I'll go back- to defend my home from a foe that will never yield, to honor the oaths I swore, to keep promises made. I told Ulfric I would be by his side until one of us were called home to Sovngarde and I'll stick to that promise... no matter how much it hurts.

Still doesn't mean you have to break bread with two members of the Thieves Guild. Seriously, did Glover really think you wouldn't put it together when he said that his brother finds things for people and that he lives in Riften?

So what exactly do you want me to do? The blonde tugs on her boots, tugging the leather over brown linen material. Stay in my room here in the Netch all the time when I'm not working? I'll go madder than I already am, thank you very much. I need some interaction with others, even if they happen to be thieves.

As she reaches down to pick up her sword, Freyja's conscience snarks If it's just interacting, why do you have need of that?

Because a thief is still a thief, regardless of how great a conversationalist they are. Now, do you have any other complaints before I walk out this door? The Nord hears nothing but silence. Good. For once, I want to be normal- not have conversation revolve around battles and events of the past, but of things I know nothing about. There's more to life than just the battlefield...maybe it's high time I experience it while I can. Freyja steps out into the taproom of the Retching Netch and greets the owner, Geldis Sadri.

"Good evening, Skadi. Can I interest you in some dinner tonight? Or perhaps are you heading out for some hunting?" the Dunmer asks, gesturing to the weapon at her side.

"I've been actually invited to join Glover Mallory's brother and a friend of his for dinner tonight. Seems said friend only trusts Raven Rock's blacksmith to repair his gear, but since Glover is out of town for a few more days, they've decided to wait for him."

"Perhaps he'll let you handle it instead, you're nearly as good as Mallory is- I'm sure you'd be more than capable."

She shakes her head at the Dark Elf behind the counter. "Some people are a bit... choosy about these sort of things, Geldis. I'll not force the issue."

The Dunmer shrugs at the comment- in his eyes, a blacksmith was a blacksmith. If something needed fixing, in the end who cares who did it? "Where are they staying?"

"Severin Manor. Delvin said something about a colleague of his owning the home and offering it to him and the friend while they were in Raven Rock. Happen to know where it is?"

"Course, it's just past the Ienth's Farm, can't miss it."

"My thanks, Geldis. I'll be back later...hopefully." The Nord leaves the building to the proprietor's laughter following her up the stairs and out the door.

Freyja makes her way towards the now quiet forge, pausing a few moments to exchange pleasantries with Councilor Arano and his wife, Cindiri. However, as she continues on in the direction Geldis told her to go, the warrior again feels like she is being watched and punctuality be damned, the blonde was going to figure out who or what was doing the observing.

This time her search was not futile, Strong-Heart's mercurial gaze landing on an auburn haired Nord leaning against one of the outer walls of Raven Rock's abandoned building. Must be the one Delvin was waiting on to join him, if the black leathers he's wearing are any indication, Freyja thinks as his jade orbs lock with hers across the settlement's main street.

Well now, let us see what both Mallorys see in you Lass, Brynjolf tells himself as he pushes off the stone and makes his way over to the blonde. "Seems to me you're a long way from home, Lass."

"Perhaps one could say Eastmarch is far from Solstheim," the Nord woman quips, a honey colored eyebrow raising just a touch. "Though, if you consider that a long way from home, I wonder what you would call the distance you traveled here from The Rift."

"Well, if find that it all depends on what I find at the end of the journey, whether it's coming here to Raven Rock or just heading over to Falkreath or Shor's Stone."

"And what exactly are you hoping to find and bring back that will benefit your Guild?"

A predatory smirk flashes across Brynjolf's face, there and gone in an instant. Oh yes, now I see. "Well, unfortunately for me, Delvin beat me to it when he extended you an invitation to Riften earlier. But where are my manners?" An armored arm crosses his midsection and the male bows slightly. "The name is Brynjolf, and you must be Skadi. I heard Glover left you in charge of his forge for a few days."

"A few days too many, I think. I only came to Solstheim to find and craft some items from Stalhrim and learn a few more smithing techniques." Freyja throws her braid over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off the man in front of her. "Running a shop, on the other hand, was not in the original plan. Though, I will admit, it has allowed me to experience some things that I might not have with my current line of work."

"I think you've done rather well adapting to the unexpected change in plans, at least from what the townspeople are saying." A thoughtful expression appears on the ginger's face as he rubs at his scruff-lined chin. "Perhaps we could put those smithing skills of yours to the test Lass."

The thief watches as a glint appears in the woman's icy eyes at the challenge. Instead of jumping at the bait he temptingly dangled in front of her, however, she just goes "I have it on rather good authority that despite having access to some of the best smiths Skyrim has to offer, you come all the way up here to Raven Rock and Glover Mallory. Why is that, and if he's been doing your repairs for so long, why change?"

Brynjolf chuckles as he gently takes Freyja's arm and tucks it around his- strictly to be a gentleman, mind you- and starts to lead the slightly shorter woman towards Severin Manor. "In my line of work, it is very difficult to trust anyone, but Delvin, Glover and I grew up in Honorhall Orphanage, so that makes them practically family.

Honorhall Orphanage. The officer had heard horror stories from soldiers who had once called the place home, what it was like in the care of its former Mistress, Grelod the Kind. "Loyalty of that nature should not be thrown away so easily."

And yet, here you are, running instead of facing the problems head on. Perhaps you should practice what you preach, Strong-Heart.

Hush you.

"And it's not, Lass. But as you pointed out- it's a rather long way from here to Riften after all. Perhaps if I found a suitable replacement that was... a bit more well-rounded... and closer to home..." His emerald eyes move from Freyja's face downward, glancing appreciatively at what he would definitely call well-rounded. "Shame you're expected for dinner- I wouldn't mind getting to know you in a more private setting."

Had her heart and brain not been at odds with each other the Nord woman possibly would have found herself agreeing with the rather confident redhead. "That line might work for most of the women you talk to," Freyja goes to Brynjolf as she frees her arm from his, "But it takes a bit more than some honeyed words to even get me to consider that. Besides, even if I wasn't..."

"Wasn't what, Lass? Married? Not like that has stopped me before." The thief winks at her, the smirk never leaving his face as he continues with "Besides, I'm sure I can give you some sort of sustenance if you get hungry."

And this is where you lose my attention. Is this what my life is going to be like from now on- anyone showing interest in me is really just wanting to get me under some furs? Like all words, once you say them, they can not be taken back. The man watches as the blonde takes a small step away from him, and, mumbling her excuses, turns and heads towards the way to Solstheim proper- clear on the other side of the settlement.

Mentally, the male shrugs, not realizing that he really shoved his foot in his mouth with that comment, then continues on his way back towards Gisele's home. I'm glad the Guild Master lent us this place. Last time I slept at the Retching Netch, I ended up drinking too much shien and discovered I passed out before the Shrine to Mephala...and rather naked. Never did find out what happened to the clothes I had on.

When the Nord walks through the door of Severin Manor, he's greeted by a rather confused Sneak Trainer. "Bryn, where's Skadi? You were supposed to bring her here to join us for dinner."

"I don't know. We were nearly here when she just made her excuses and left the settlement. It couldn't have been anything I said- I was my normal charming self!"

An exasperated sigh escapes Delvin as he walks over towards the ginger and smacks him on the back of the head. "Idiot. Your normal charming self tends to involve you charming some woman and convincing them to crawl into bed with you."

"I don't..." Auburn brows furrow in thought, Brynjolf's mind replaying the scene outside with the blonde woman.

Does the words 'Married? Not like that has stopped me before' ring any bells? Or even better 'I'm sure I can give you some sort of sustenance if you get hungry'?

I didn't mean it that way...

Didn't you? The younger man's conscience snarks at him, then adds When was the last time you saw a woman as just that and not as a bedwarmer, not someone whose bed you'd sneak out of while she was asleep?

"I suppose you're right, Del. It's a habit, I guess."

"Habits are made to be broken," the Breton goes as he starts pushing the other thief back out the door. "Now, you're going to go out there and see if you can find her. I didn't spend the last two hours cooking just so that you can scare off our guest."

"I still can't believe you know your way around a kitchen, let alone can cook."

"There's a lot of things you don't know or never realized, Bryn. Now get out there and find her, hopefully she hasn't gone far."

Brynjolf snorts as he starts heading away from the home. "I'm a thief, it's my job to find things." The response he gets is only laughter, the loud sound following him down the road. We'll see who is laughing when I bring the Lass back with not a scratch on either of us...

A/N Poor Bryn. No one seems to understand that he doesn't have to do a damned thing to convince the women of Skyrim to crawl into bed with him.

I'm kicking myself- I didn't think when I started writing The Soldier and The Thief that I'd have a hard time keeping the two works separate. It's more that I know where this story (Only Thing) had to go and what needs to happen, but I have to keep figuring how can it work with the other story. Sigh. I'm hopeless lol.

Anyways, so here's what is coming down the pike: Can Brynjolf make amends for his rather one track mind? Is Ulfric sitting idle? Does Del walk in on Gisele and Vex- hmm, that's an idea, but that might make his head explode? Maybe that can be a side one shot of sorts. We'll see. I have so many other things neglected...

Thanks for reading!