Author's Note:

Alright, time to conclude the Riften plotline, though a lot of it didn't actually take place in Riften :D I hope you all enjoyed the first longer one after the arduous and angsty separation and that you're excited for the next one ;) There will be only a couple interlude chapters before we delve into it.

Thank you all so much for reading and commenting and voting etc. It means the world to me and I can't wait to share more of the story with you all the time :3

Enough rambling though :) Here's the chapter already. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter XLII – Another Sword, Another Shield

The next day Bishop and Aeyrin were on their way back to Riften.

There were only a few more loose ends to tie up, besides hoping that the Brotherhood would just… give up whatever they were planning. As unlikely as that was, there wasn't much else that the two of them could do at that moment. They only had to be more careful, even out in the wilderness. Karnwyr would have to guard them when they were asleep, instead of running around the woods, and they might even have to start putting some traps around their camps. It was a small price to pay for some piece of mind. Hopefully Bishop had only been tracked down the last time because they spent more than two or three nights in one spot. That would not happen again.

They have discussed whether to tell Karliah about any of this – about Sibbi's murder or about the Brotherhood. She could be grateful after the results it all got for her operations, but… then again, she could be worried about her alliance with Maven now. She valued that a lot and Bishop and Aeyrin were not certain about her ideas about the best course of action. What was certain, however, was that Karliah would always go forth with her plans. And without knowing those, Aeyrin and Bishop agreed that it was better not to risk it. They were off the hook now in any case, as it appeared. There was no one who knew about Sibbi's murder… well… aside from the Dark Brotherhood. And hopefully revealing something like that to the public was not their style.

So now they only needed to return in order to see the completed house in Riften and to keep up those appearances. And additionally, they have agreed to send a letter to Lynly from there, pretending that they had just learnt of Sibbi's death from the local rumors. That should take care of their immediate problems.

Bishop was also planning on sneaking out, at some point, in order to stop by the Black-Briar mansion and pick up his deed and his key. He would also have to figure out how to pay the next tax covertly, but maybe, by that time, he would have already told Aeyrin. There was no point in planning that now. He still wasn't sure when he wanted to tell her. That was why last night he had only told her that Maven mentioned the mysterious anonymous delivery of the bounty notice. It was worrying for the both of them, but they could hardly find out anything more without any actual leads.

After they reached the city, they made their way around the Bunkhouse and towards the building by the water. Honeyside was a somewhat small house with an entrance leading into the city proper and a back porch with access into the wilderness beyond the city gates. It would have been kind of perfect for smuggling, if the house wasn't so visible in the city. There was no way that someone could transport any large quantity of goods out of there without anyone noticing. But it was nice to know that Bishop and Aeyrin had a sure way inside the city now, in case the guards would ever decide to demand some 'visitor tax' again. Then again… they weren't really 'visitors' anymore.

The place was already fixed up and furnished with the basic necessities. There was a small kitchen, right by the entrance from the city, and a bedroom in the adjacent room without a wall separating it from the kitchen area. There was an access wooden staircase in the bedchamber leading down into the basement level as well. Well… so much for privacy. At least Breezehome had doors. But it wouldn't have been an issue if they weren't expecting the imminent housecarl that could appear at any minute.

They continued down into the basement where another large two-part room awaited – a bathing room and a room with a small alchemy station and an enchanting table. Aeyrin wondered whether it was common for thanes to have their houses equipped with these, or whether the steward had the house fitted for an adventurer. To be fair, Aeyrin wasn't really sure how the nobility's houses looked like inside for the most part. Maybe this was a common thing. Maybe the housecarls actually knew how to use these. Although Lydia had never mentioned being an aspiring alchemist and she definitely didn't look like she had any proclivity for enchanting. If she had, that would have saved them a lot of money over the time.

There was only one more room left and, surprisingly enough in the open space, it was hidden behind a closed door.

Aeyrin opened the door promptly, only to jump in start at the woman who was sitting there on a chair, almost unmoving. She looked so… diligent. Almost like a strange statue. She must have heard them moving about the house, yet she had never made her presence known at all. It was very unsettling.

"Fuck, I thought we would get a day at least…" Bishop grumbled into Aeyrin's ear almost silently. The house was uncomfortably open already, and it was only made worse with the housecarl's presence there. They would get no privacy here.

All this only served to reassure him that he had made the right choice by getting that cottage back. Everyone was so eager to rain titles upon Aeyrin and she was hardly eager to pay for a house on her own without it being given to her or sold at a considerable discount. They barely spent enough time in them anyway and one place was enough to store their crap.

But the cottage was different. It would be… eventually. He'd make sure that it was safe. From everyone and everything. And it wouldn't need to be just for the sparse stays in between adventures. It could be for whatever came after that too.

The housecarl that had been so diligently waiting for them there was only another reminder of just how sorely he wanted a place like that to share with Aeyrin.

"My Thane," the woman rose from the chair and bowed deeply. She was a Nord with dark auburn hair and she appeared to be around their age. She was dressed in trousers and a tunic, but there was some studded leather armor displayed on a mannequin in her small room, along with two swords on a small rack right next to it. Another housecarl, ready for combat. But probably not for the type of combat that they usually had to deal with.

"It's Aeyrin. And this is Bishop," Aeyrin smiled at her warmly. She hadn't expected anyone to be in the house already, but the housecarl was supposed to show up eventually anyway. At least they could begin getting to know her. They could enjoy some time alone another day. It was not as if she would have been comfortable about doing anything in this open space either way after their experiences with Lydia's usual grand entrances.

"It is a pleasure, my Thane. My name is Iona," the woman nodded, but her expression never wavered from the stony deference.

Great… this again.

They had to rid her of this attitude fast.

…

"I hope that everything is to your liking, my Thane," Iona nodded at Aeyrin still with the same nondescript expression as she placed a pot filled with stew on the small dining table in front of them.

Aeyrin had been trying to break the ice a bit, but Iona was completely unresponsive. She was determined to continue behaving like an emotionless automaton. Her only responses when she had been asked about herself were blathers about how she would serve Aeyrin loyally.

Eventually, Bishop jokingly asked her whether she could cook, but instead of responding to his quips, she merely nodded and instantly walked into the kitchen to prepare a meal. They had no idea if they should stop her or not – talking to her was just outright uncomfortable.

But Aeyrin was still determined to try.

"So… is this part of the housecarl training? Cooking?" she asked while she scooped up some of the stew with a ladle into her plate.

"Yes. We need to take care of our thane's household, as well as to protect them in their travels," Iona nodded at her. She didn't sit down with them by the table though. She merely stood there and waited for any other questions, making them both even more uncomfortable with her strange hovering.

"Why? They're usually nobles already, right? Don't they have servants for that?" Bishop scowled at her. He knew that Lydia had learnt to cook because she spent years living at Dragonsreach. Did all the housecarls live at the longhouses, keeps and palaces? He always assumed that most of the others probably just went through some training and then went on their merry way, right? He really doubted that the longhouses and barracks would just eagerly house some glorified bodyguards who never did any actual work until they disappeared into their thane's estate. But then again, what did he know? He didn't know how any of this shit worked. Lydia had never mentioned whether the way she was trained and raised was common practice or whether she only stayed at Dragonsreach like that because her parents were dead and the Whiterun steward provided her shelter.

"Not all who are named thanes are nobles. Many thanes earn their title by merit and service to the Hold, as you well know. And the housecarls must be ready to cook on the road as well. We have basic training in all such necessities," Iona replied diligently.

Aeyrin nodded in deep thought. It was probably only Lydia's own interest in cooking which made her hone her skills like that. A second later she tentatively took a spoonful of Iona's stew and she instantly regretted not telling her that the request to cook had been a joke. 'Basic training' indeed. Even Aeyrin herself could do much better.

"Anything else, my Thane?" Iona interrupted Aeyrin's tasting… thank the Gods! She had to keep a straight face not to hurt Iona's feelings. Bishop didn't really try to do the same though and he instantly scrunched up his nose when he tasted the stew.

"W-well… don't you want to join us for the meal?" Aeyrin tried to smile at her again after she had swallowed the stew with some, hopefully unperceivable, difficulty.

"I should not disturb you, my Thane. I will take a serving into my chambers," Iona shook her head instead with that constant stony expression still plastered on her face.

It was too tiresome to keep trying. Maybe she just needed time. Besides, if she was gone, they wouldn't have to eat the horrible stew anymore. They could probably just chug it down into the canal – that wouldn't make much of a difference. Or maybe Karnwyr wouldn't mind it.

"Alright… if you want," Aeyrin sighed.

Iona merely grabbed a plate for herself and filled it with her food before she marched down the stairs into the basement again.

After a few moments of silence, followed by the sound of a door closing, Bishop let out a deep sigh and grabbed the pot of stew in order to place it on the floor for Karnwyr. "Well that was probably the most boring hour of my life."

"Yeah…" Aeyrin sighed. Iona even lacked the flustered politeness that they had experienced with Lydia at first. She didn't react to anything at all. The court wizard may as well have raised a draugr to guard the house and there would be no difference.

"You know… it makes me think that we should have prepared the same welcome for her as we did for Lydia. I feel like these lackeys need a little shock to crack that façade," Bishop laughed. As uncomfortable as it had been at the time to have Lydia barge into the house unannounced while they were… preoccupied, half-naked and with Aeyrin on her knees in front of him, it was just a funny memory by now. Even if they lacked privacy in Breezehome, they could at least relax there and have enjoyable company with Lydia and now Saadia around too. But this new house was just horrible on both those accounts.

Aeyrin's cheeks flushed at the memory and she giggled softly as Bishop moved towards the cooking pot by the fireplace to actually make them something edible for a change. He wasn't even sure what meat that was that Iona had prepared for them. It may have even been a skeever. Maybe they have become too spoiled in their meals, but, then again, why even stay in some house at all when they couldn't enjoy some good food and quality rest? The open space of the bedroom already promised an uncomfortable night, with the automaton sleeping right below them. This was just not the place for their usual respite between travels. The inn would have been more comfortable than this.

"How long do you think we'll have this place for?" Aeyrin asked after a while.

"No idea. I think that Karliah will be careful about taking over here. It depends on how fast things go I guess. I suspect that she'd want to even consider it only after the dust is settled," Bishop pondered. It will definitely be a good place to meet contacts and to get people into the city after Karliah takes back the Guild from Mercer. The outside access from the back porch would ensure that. But that was all very premature right now.

"Oh… well… we'll see, I guess," Aeyrin sighed. "Maybe she will get better with time," she inclined her head pointedly towards the stairs into the basement where Iona had disappeared to.

"Yeah, we'll see, alright. For now, I say let's get supplies, rest and then go. We shouldn't store shit here anyway, not with so many thieves about," Bishop nodded resolutely while he continued preparing some honey-roasted rabbit to get the awful taste of Iona's food out of their mouths. At least Karnwyr didn't seem to have any complaints about it, but… then again, he was used to eating raw meat from all manner of monsters and men. He was hardly a great judge of taste.

Bishop had to use meat from their traveling supplies as the house lacked a good selection of food. There were only the bare necessities in the house, likely procured by Iona beforehand. She didn't even mention how long she had already been in the house – she merely said that 'her Thane should not trouble herself'. At least there were some spices, which she had definitely overused in her stew, and there was the honey, of course. You couldn't have a household in Riften without honey.

"That's probably for the best," Aeyrin nodded in response to his suggestion. "Where to?"

Bishop turned his head towards her. It was true that they didn't exactly have a plan right now. They had expected Karliah to have another job for them, but she didn't. And there were no immediate concerns that needed addressing. "I don't know. Anywhere, I guess," he smirked.

"I was thinking that maybe we could stop in the Reach again, see if there was any progress on the… wall. I mean… after what we've seen, I keep wondering why Alduin wouldn't just… wipe out every city and settlement. He's practically invincible. We… we need to find out what to do next," she let out a tired sigh. Thinking back on the 'fight' with Alduin was uncomfortable. It was one thing to be helpless when she had been tied up and subdued, but to be at her full strength with her powers at her beck and call and still unable to do anything to that beast was… so disheartening.

"Yeah. That's not a bad idea," Bishop nodded thoughtfully. At least they could tell Esbern about the crazy hermit's plans on getting the Elder Scroll. Or, better yet, they could find out if the Scroll was actually needed for sure. Hopefully Alduin's Wall yielded more answers to him by now.

"Alright. Let's eat and I'll… head to the market afterwards. I could at least make this place look a little homely for now, if nothing else," Aeyrin sighed again. She was kind of looking forward to a new home and a new friend. Hopefully this would still be salvageable. The training must have convinced Iona that every thane would want her to behave like that. Lydia had been apprehensive in the beginning too, but they managed to befriend her eventually. Maybe it would be the same again with a little more time.

"Fine. I'll go too. I can get our supplies for the road while you're doing… that," Bishop smirked. It was the perfect opportunity for him to stop by the Black-Briar mansion while Aeyrin was busy shopping.

And, hopefully, he would have some time to check out the cottage as well and to see if the key worked at least. The place was opened and free for anyone to squat in now. He wanted to keep it at least a little secure now that it would belong to him officially once more, even though there was nothing inside for anyone to steal or destroy just yet.

Besides, it was only a few minutes away from the city, and he wanted to see that place again.

Now in a much better disposition than the last time he had visited.

…

Bishop locked the door to the cottage first, checking whether the key was working.

Maven upheld her end of the bargain and Aeyrin would likely spend some time fiddling with the house, so he had enough time to stop by in person and actually think about the stuff that needed to be done to make this place… usable.

The key worked, but the door was old, rotted and flimsy. Anyone could simply bash it in. It definitely needed replacing altogether. And maybe getting something reinforced with steel between the layers of wood, just in case. This place was supposed to be safe, after all.

Fortunately, the wood of the cabin walls was sturdy enough. They were made out of thick logs that only needed maybe some sanding and polishing. That wouldn't be too bad, probably. Although he'd never done something like that before.

He unlocked the door again and stepped inside.

It was quite a contrast to his last visit. As he looked over the space, his mind was filled with the very same images – of lazing around in a large bed with Aeyrin, of waking up next to her there before fixing them breakfast. This time, there was no bitter knot in his throat when he imagined this. There was only excitement.

The place did need a lot of work though. The stone fireplace was somewhat alright, it just needed cleaning, but the rest… There wasn't even any properly usable furniture there. He would have to buy everything new.

Maybe he should hire some people to do the work. But that would probably cost him a small fortune. Would Maven have sprung for that too? Maybe he should have been thinking bigger. But… then again, she was a businesswoman, not an idiot. She would hardly invest that much into him – he didn't really do her any favors either. The Goldenglow was her deal with Mercer, after all, and Frey had probably already gotten enough compensation for it. Bishop was shocked that Maven would even consider rewarding him too. Maybe it was just a gesture of goodwill for their new alliance.

Well… his funds were ridiculously limited now. He barely had enough for the supplies today. He couldn't afford much right now. Maybe just some tools to work on whatever he could himself. Maybe with some help.

He could tell Aeyrin. It could be fun to work on this place with her, but, then again, he couldn't get one image out of his head – the look on Aeyrin's face when she would see this place for the first time, all fixed up already.

He had to see that.

He would just have to find some other people that could help him with this place. Surprisingly enough, that wasn't such an impossible concept for him anymore. Aeyrin was a bad influence. He actually had some… friends now.

Unfortunately, he certainly didn't have time for any of that now. But sooner or later, Aeyrin would find one quest or another that required her to go at it alone. It was something that he needed to get used to. Maybe when he had this cottage to fix up, the prospect wouldn't be so daunting either.

For now, there was nothing that he could do here.

But soon, this place would become a real home for the two of them. He was sure of it.

…

Bishop returned to Honeyside only to find Aeyrin already there.

There were several sacks on the ground in the kitchen, filled with various things. One was filled with dishes and vases, one with food, the other with books and papers and quills and the last one was full of flowers. At least she didn't drag in any mannequins this time. This was really not a safe place for expensive equipment. Bishop didn't really get why she was even bothering doing this much in a house that they would likely rarely use, but she was probably still hopeful that this place could somehow magically turn less uncomfortable eventually. It was somewhat understandable. She didn't know about the much better option standing outside the city walls.

She was putting the food away into a set of shelves while she tossed a few ice wraith teeth into the occasional bowl so that it would remain fresh. All this stuff must have set her back quite a bit again and, unless Bishop scrounged up some money somewhere, she would have to be paying for whatever either of them needed for a while yet. Bishop hadn't told her yet that he was practically broke, but hopefully, they would get a chance to gather some loot somewhere. They haven't been in a dungeon together in ages.

Iona was in the adjacent bedroom in the meantime, sitting stiffly on a chair. The atmosphere was clearly uncomfortable. It wasn't hard to assume that Aeyrin had been attempting to strike up a conversation, but Iona was not cooperative at all.

Why did she even bother?

"That took a long time," Aeyrin smirked at Bishop. It was no wonder – she had managed to buy all these things while he was traveling to the cottage and back.

"That fucking alchemist was giving me trouble again," Bishop shrugged. It was somewhat true, but he didn't bother trying to talk him into lowering the price this time. It was usually a moot attempt anyway.

Aeyrin only nodded in response and she gestured for him to help put the stuff away alongside her.

"So… as I was saying," Aeyrin started to address Iona again. "We won't be staying here most of the time. So just… make this your home. You are free to do whatever you want here. We just need this place to crash from time to time."

"I'm sorry, my Thane, so… you don't want me to join you on your travels? My training was clear about the fact that I would need to keep you safe during your journeys," Iona raised her brow at her. It only elicited a scoff from Bishop. As if she could help against assassins and dragons with her basic guard training.

"No… I can take care of myself," Aeyrin chuckled a little. "Besides, you really don't want to do that, trust me. We go to… dangerous places."

"I have had my training, my Thane," Iona retorted. It almost seemed like she would pout, but her expression didn't change even for a second.

"I… I know… but still… we…" Aeyrin tried to explain gently, but Bishop interrupted her. He was pretty fed up with trying to humor that woman.

"We don't have the time to babysit someone with basic training. We're fighting dragons and… worse. Trust me, you can't handle it," he scoffed. It may have been a little presumptuous, but even if she was actually capable, they didn't want to drag someone else with them, right? They needed their privacy in the wilderness at least if they couldn't get any even in a house that Aeyrin fucking owned.

"Very well, as you wish," Iona shrugged. She didn't push the issue further and now she looked hardly interested anymore.

She was so strange. And they thought that their initial meeting with Lydia was uncomfortable.

There was another moment of silence before, surprisingly enough, Iona spoke.

"Where are you headed, my Thane?" she almost sounded interested.

"Uhm… we're going to the Reach," Aeyrin answered curtly. She wasn't sure if Iona was actually interested in making small talk, or whether she was still gouging whether she could travel with them. If she wanted that, wouldn't it be best to be more… friendly, from the start?

"What for?" Iona pried further. It was such an odd mixture of nosiness and disinterest.

"Just… adventuring," Aeyrin shrugged. This was not something that she was willing to discuss even with friends, aside from Bishop, let alone a complete stranger. She couldn't reveal anything about the Temple, the Blades, and definitely not anything about Alduin. Panic would help nobody right now. The cities were already as fortified as they could be with the regular dragons around. The knowledge of Alduin would not make it any better. It would only make everyone even more scared than they were already.

"I see," Iona nodded again.

Bishop only narrowed his eyes at her in response. She was acting shifty. That expressionless face… people only kept that up so adamantly if they had something to hide. Maybe it wasn't just the result of her brainwashing training. Maybe she was up to something.

Or… maybe he was being paranoid again.

Well, it was not as if it mattered. They would be leaving her behind the very next day.

…

It was the middle of the night when a creak of the floorboards woke Bishop up.

His sleep was so light in that house, he couldn't relax in the open space with three access points. It may have been because of the ambush by that assassin, but he just couldn't relax. And now when he heard the creak, his eyes snapped open instantly. He could not even attempt to sleep before he could find out what it was.

It came from the stairs. He stared at the access point while his eyes adjusted to the darkness for quite some time, but there was nothing. It could have been just the old wood creaking on its own.

Aeyrin was sleeping, curled by his side and nested into his chest with her head buried below his neck. She wasn't making a sound, but her brows were creased. She was likely having another nightmare. But… at least those have become sparser lately. At least it seemed like it whenever he was awake while she slept.

Another creak!

That could still have been the old wood, but… it didn't really sound like a regular crack. It sounded like someone was trying to walk up the stairs, really slowly and really sneakily.

Fucking amateur… at least get a muffling enchantment.

It may have just been Iona. Maybe she was hungry. Maybe she couldn't stomach her own food either.

Another creak, now a little louder.

They were getting bolder.

Bishop buried his face into Aeyrin's hair, leaving only his eyes peeking out. He reached under his pillow in the meantime and he gripped the handle of his knife tightly. It was always there, right under his resting head in the night – it was a habit he had picked up when he was just a kid. And if this was anyone else than Iona, they would find the blade lodged between their brows within a second.

Two creaks followed and the perpetrator appeared.

It was Iona. At least it looked like her. She was her height and had the same length of hair. It must have been her.

He narrowed his eyes to appear as if he was asleep, but he couldn't help but watch her anyway. And he never let his hand retreat from the knife. She was likely just getting something to eat and she didn't want to wake them, but… better safe than sorry. She could have been an assassin. She was strange enough to be one, right? That kind of life would have taken a toll. He assumed that most assassins weren't really… all there. Like fucking Ravyn. Granted, that sick Dunmer was the only actual professional assassin that Bishop had ever known at least a little and he was a former assassin at that, but still… if his encounter with that Brotherhood woman was any indication, all assassins were some fucked up creeps.

Iona approached a little closer and then she stood still, staring at the two of them in bed.

What the fuck?!

What was she doing? Was she making sure that she didn't wake them up? He still kept his eyes half-lidded to pretend that he was still sleeping, but he was watching her carefully.

A few seconds later, after Iona was likely certain that they didn't wake up, she took another step towards the bed and then she bent down.

What? What was she doing?

There was a soft rustling sound and he couldn't see what it was from this angle. This was beyond weird, but he wouldn't let her know that he was awake. Not yet. He needed to see what she was doing.

Finally he recognized that sound. She was rummaging around in a backpack.

But… he didn't see a backpack on her silhouette before.

That must have been Aeyrin's pack! She had left it by the side of the bed before!

Iona was fucking shifty! She was spying! Or stealing… but… more likely spying. It all made sense now. She wanted to come with them on their journeys. And the Jarl and Maven, they both acted strange when Aeyrin wanted to buy the house. This must have been planned by the Jarl and it must have been obvious to Maven.

But what was she looking for? And who was she spying for? What would the Jarl want with them? Did she have some alliance with the Guild?

Maybe they were hoping to get some information, maybe from Aeyrin's journal?

Bishop was conflicted. Either he could confront Iona now and question her… or… they could use this to their advantage. They could pretend like they didn't know and feed her fake information.

That was so tempting.

But first, they needed to find out who she was working for.

Suddenly, Aeyrin jerked in her sleep and she let out a soft whimper. Another nightmare.

Iona froze instantly. The soft rustling sounds of the pack stopped altogether and she waited. Only when Aeyrin didn't make another sound, Bishop noticed Iona straighten back up and slowly turn towards the stairs again.

She got scared. Or she found what she was looking for.

Well… that was easy to verify. He just needed to wait until she was gone again.

Iona made her way back down the stairs slowly and carefully and the soft clap of the door below finally signaled her complete departure.

Bishop instantly draped his body over Aeyrin's and reached out for the pack on the floor. She wouldn't wake up at that anyway. He dragged her heavy pack over his lap and started to rummage around.

Her journal was there, and her books on Talos were there – those could have gotten her in trouble in the wrong Hold. There were a couple of letters inside, mostly from Therien, but he couldn't tell if all of them were there. There could have been information on the dissident priests in one of them. He needed to check with Aeyrin after she woke up.

He checked every nook and cranny, but nothing seemed to be missing, not even her coin. He couldn't be absolutely certain, but Aeyrin could confirm it later.

Now they only needed to figure out what Iona was up to.

One thing was for certain though. He could not close his eyes for a second while they were here.

…

"Good morning, Iona. Did you sleep well?" Aeyrin beamed at the Nord when the woman appeared in the kitchen.

Bishop didn't tell Aeyrin a thing yet. He didn't want to risk Iona overhearing them. He was vigilant, but he couldn't let her know that anything was wrong just yet. He was determined to find out Iona's plans first and then possibly turn the tables on her.

"Yes. Thank you for asking, my Thane. Did you sleep well too?" Iona asked disinterestedly. She didn't even crack a weak smile.

"I did," Aeyrin chuckled softly in response. She took a step towards Bishop, who had been making their breakfast while she was placing the plates on the table, and she patted his cheek lightly before she pressed a brief kiss onto it. He barely got any sleep last night and it showed. Aeyrin just assumed that it was because of the whole business with the Brotherhood and because of how open the space of the house was.

"Very well. You do not wish me to make breakfast?" Iona raised her brow at them. It was the most expressive face that she had made yet.

"Oh… no, that's not necessary, thank you. Bishop is a great cook," Aeyrin smiled at her. She was a little worried that Iona would think that they didn't like her food last night, which… was true, but still. "Just… sit back and relax. He's making enough for all of us."

Iona only nodded in response before she sat down at one of the chairs by the table.

The conversation stalled again. Aeyrin tried to talk to her a few more times during breakfast, but she didn't get anything more than a curt diligent response each time.

After they were done with their meal, they quickly packed their things and readied themselves for the road. Bishop double checked with Aeyrin adamantly that she really did pack everything. She only assumed that he was careful because of the Guild's proximity to the new house.

After some brief uncomfortable goodbyes, they were finally out of that place and back on the streets of Riften. Bishop waited until they passed the Bunkhouse and found themselves out of sight of Honeyside completely before he stopped Aeyrin with an intense stare.

"Check your pack, sweetheart. All of it. Check every letter and see if you have everything," he nodded at her with a surprisingly stern expression.

"Bishop," Aeyrin chuckled at him in response. "I really doubt that I managed to get myself robbed in just a day."

"Iona was rummaging in your pack last night. She got startled when you made a noise in your sleep and I think that she didn't take anything, but I can't be sure. Check it, seriously," he narrowed his eyes.

"What?! Why… why would she do that?" Aeyrin's eyes went wide, but she didn't hesitate to slump her pack down before she squatted in front of it and started to rummage inside with frantic motions.

"I don't know, but I think she's spying on you for someone. Remember how weird Maven and the Jarl got when you were talking about buying a house here?" Bishop scowled.

"Oh Gods! Sibbi got weird too!" She briefly looked back at him when the realization dawned on her. That only confirmed his suspicions more. They needed to figure this out.

Aeyrin started to open up her letters and checking their contents while she talked to Bishop absentmindedly. "You didn't confront her?"

"No. First, I think that we should find out who she is working for. Maybe… it would be good to feed her some information, if we need to," he winked at her conspiratorially. He was pretty proud of himself for being so conniving and patient. It would definitely be much more useful than confronting Iona outright.

Aeyrin kept checking the contents of her pack for a while yet before she closed it back up with a heavy sigh. "Everything is here, I think. Now what?"

"Now, we find out who sent her," Bishop nodded at her with determination. "And we know just the person to ask."

…

They were led through the lavish house, into the upper floor.

When they announced themselves at the door of the Black-Briar mansion, Maven agreed to see them. Luckily, none of the servants mentioned anything about Bishop's previous visit. Hopefully Maven would keep it that way as well – she may have already assumed that it was a secret because Bishop asked for the favor when Aeyrin was away. And besides, that woman was used to keeping everything to herself, right?

Finally, they were ushered into a large office, filled with dark wood furniture lined with gold and littered with strongboxes and safes. They were all probably full of coin. Or maybe they were just for sure. Who knew with someone like Maven Black-Briar?

"Welcome. What brings you two here?" Maven nodded at them briefly from behind her large desk. She was, yet again, dressed in opulent clothing and adorned with jewelry, even in the comforts of her home.

"Lady Black-Briar," Aeyrin smiled at her politely. "We were hoping that you could answer a question for us."

Maven raised her brow at them curiously and she waited for Aeyrin to continue.

"We… we have found out that the housecarl that had been assigned to me is… trying to spy on me… or on us. I don't know. But… you were suspicious when you found out that I have been named a thane. I was hoping that you knew more about this?" Aeyrin looked at her hopefully. It was still a little strange addressing the woman and asking her for favors and information, knowing what Bishop had done to her son to protect Aeyrin, but… she didn't know anything. Sibbi was a dangerous psychopath and so was Mercer. There was no reason why they should avoid Maven conspicuously when those bastards merely got what was coming to them.

Maven's face got decorated by a bright smirk at Aeyrin's question and she nodded knowingly. "How long have you been back in the city?"

"I… uh… we've arrived yesterday," Aeyrin answered with uncertainty. Why was that important?

"And you have already figured it out?" Maven chuckled briefly in response. She was clearly impressed.

"Well… Bishop did," Aeyrin smiled a little proudly and inclined her head towards Bishop.

"Interesting," Maven turned her eyes towards Bishop and she watched him for a while with a measured look. "Someone this perceptive will certainly be very useful in the Guild, once it's under a different management."

"Who says I'm joining the Guild again?" Bishop scoffed at her. He had absolutely no intention of doing that again. He just wanted this mess over with and Mercer finally dead.

"Well… he could be useful for some richly-rewarded private contracts then," Maven's smirk didn't waver at all as she kept watching Bishop with interest.

'Richly-rewarded'? There was nothing wrong with that. "Can't rule that out," Bishop chuckled.

"Good. I'm always on the lookout for capable allies. In any case, yes, you are right. And before you ask, this has nothing to do with any of my businesses. I have suspected this, in fact. I wasn't sure, of course, but I did have a hunch," Maven explained with a pondering smile on her face.

"'Hunch' about what?" Aeyrin peered at her curiously.

"Leila, our Jarl, is a… somewhat zealous supporter of the Stormcloak rebellion. I have suspected that, once she heard your request for a house, she decided to give you a title so that she could assign you a housecarl to gather any information that she could. If she ever found something useful, she would pass the information to Ulfric in hopes of getting into his good graces. Or… better graces, to be exact," Maven scoffed.

"Ulfric? What… what information would he want from me?" Aeyrin gaped at her. What could Ulfric possibly want from her anymore? She was banned from his city and out of his way.

"Any, really. You are his enemy, or so everyone is led to believe. I'm sure that he wouldn't mind some blackmail material, in case he has need of you. And… to be frank, everyone has need of you," Maven answered. "I do hope that you didn't let anything slip out, anything that could come back to haunt you."

Both Bishop and Aeyrin thought about that carefully for a while.

"I… I don't think that we talked about anything like that at the house," Aeyrin finally nodded with certainty. They only mentioned that they would be traveling to the Reach and they didn't even talk about any of their… more delicate activities at the house.

"Good. And I assume that you didn't leave anything compromising in that place?" Maven continued.

"Of course not. We knew about her spying already," Bishop scoffed.

"Good. Hopefully it will stay that way," Maven smiled with a brief nod of her head.

"You know… she is so… distant… the housecarl. If she wanted to spy on us, wouldn't it be better to be… friendly?" Aeyrin asked uncertainly.

"You might think that, but no," Maven shook her head. "She does not need amicable small talk. She needs secrets. If she remains detached, you will get fed up with her presence and she will be allowed to stay at the house, but out of your sight. She will make you think that she is minding her own business, while she is minding… yours. While she is listening to your private conversations. What better way is there than listening to you talk to each other? Together you would share secrets than no one else would ever be privy to, friend or not," she nodded knowingly.

That made so much sense. Iona was so adamantly unfriendly and now it was obvious why. It was all an act. And maybe, if they became friends, she might feel guilty and fess up. The Jarl probably wanted to avoid that too.

"So... why are you telling us?" Bishop raised his brow at Maven. They were allies, for now, but he knew that, with people like her, nothing was ever free.

"It is my interest as well, you know. I have no desire for the rebellion to become more powerful. And I have great interests in the Empire's influence over the Hold," Maven's brows creased. She had just casually insinuated her alliance in the war to them, but with Maven, her associations were usually not a secret. Everyone knew even about her alliance with Mercer and… people knew about her 'alliance' with the Brotherhood, fake as it was.

"So… do you wish to collect your favor and have me deal with the spy?" Maven looked at Aeyrin curiously.

"Actually… no," Aeyrin shook her head.

"We were thinking that we might have some fun with this, after we figure out who she is working for. I'm sure there will be an opportunity for that," Bishop smirked proudly. They may not know what information to feed the spy yet, but that could wait. They had to be careful about this. If they started to talk about the Empire and if they tried to intimidate Ulfric, for example, it might even make him more desperate and he might spring into bloody action. That was best to be avoided.

Maven's face got decorated by a smug malicious smile at Bishop's words. "Well then, I am very pleased that I could have been of help to you."

She stood up from her chair and gave them both a polite nod. The same pleased smile still remained on her face.

"If we are done here, you may go. And do 'have fun'."