Hi, everyone! I tried splitting this chapter up, but it just didn't work. So, surprise, you get a super long chapter! Yay!
Special thanks to Manu, Ktonicle, and 'Guest' for the reviews!
She wakes up wrapped in his arms. She sighs softly, happily, relishing in his warm touch. It's the best sleep she's ever gotten, warm and comfortable and blissful in his embrace. Their legs tangle together, and his steady, even breaths blow her hair, tickling her neck. Careful as to not wake him, she slowly rolls over, facing him, and smiles at his peaceful face. She brushes a strand of hair from his face and settles deeper into her pillow, her eyes on him. But a wave of sleepiness hits her again, and her eyes fall closed once more.
—
When she awakens again, the space beside her is cold, though sunlight pours in through the windows. A drop of disappointment plunks into her heart until she hears bustling in the kitchen. She rolls over, squinting against the sunlight, and finds him standing in the kitchen, putting the kettle over the fire.
"Good morning." He grins at her.
A smile touches her lips as she stretches. "What are you doing?"
He holds up two mugs, his smile growing. "Making tea."
She laughs, pushing the blankets off of herself and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"How domestic of you." She chuckles.
"If I don't, I'll fall asleep on the way to the Standing Stone today." He crosses the room, sitting beside her on the bed. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did. Very well, actually." Looking forward, she suddenly notices that all her books have fallen off her bookshelf again. "Damn it," she mutters, standing to place them back upon the shelf. "This happens almost every night."
"Probably because you were Shouting in your sleep again."
"I was?"
He nods, pointing at the books. "It shook the whole house and made your books fall off the shelf."
"How often do I do that?"
He shrugs, grinning. "Probably every night. You did it a lot when you were unconscious in Winterhold. That's how I found out about you."
"Oh." She frowns delicately. "That could be a problem. Does anyone else in the Guild know?"
"Not that I know of."
"Okay, good."
He stands, taking the kettle off the fire. "I still don't understand why you don't want anyone to know."
"I already told you, Bryn. I don't want to be treated any differently. I don't like being defined by one word, one silly legend. Sure, I'm the Dragonborn, but I'm so much more than that. I don't want to get stuck in that title."
He nods, pouring tea into the ready mugs. "I suppose that makes sense."
She stands up, joining him at the kitchen table. "I'm still coming to terms with being the Dragonborn myself. I'm not ready for everyone to know."
He touches her hand, weaving his fingers between hers. "Your secret is safe with me, lass."
"Thanks." She sips her tea, already waking up. "What do you think Karliah is going to have us do once we get to the Stone?"
He shrugs. "No idea. Karliah is a very secretive lass. Though not as much as you."
Iris grins bashfully.
They finish their tea and change into their armor. Iris hunts around for her journal, wondering where it fell when she swiped it from her bed.
"Hey, Bryn, have you seen my—"
"Journal?" he finishes, holding it up.
"Yes, actually." She chuckles, taking it from him and stuffing it in her bag before donning her fur-lined cloak. "Alright, let's go."
He opens the door to Honeyside, stepping outside and waiting as she locks the door behind them. Then, off they go to the Standing Stone.
"Delvin, we have a problem," Vex tells her fellow thief as she sits down at his table.
"We have many problems, Vex. To which are you referring?"
"No, I mean we have a new problem."
He gives her an exasperated look. "Spit it out, Vex."
"I saw Brynjolf leaving Iris's house this morning."
He shrugs. "So?"
She levels her gaze. "I also saw him going there last night."
Delvin's smug expression changes to concern.
"Shit. You don't think they…?"
Vex throws her hands up. "I don't know. I know something was happening between them, I just didn't know if it went further than friendship."
"But this is Bryn we're talking about. He knows the rules."
"He thought she died. Now, she's back, so who knows? If he's afraid he'll lose her again, he might break the rules. You've seen how they act toward each other."
"But they've never acted on it."
"Exactly, Delvin, but now I'm saying I think they did. Why else would he stay the night at her place?" She leans back in her chair, sighing. "We need to talk to them."
"Are you sure this is the best time? We already have this whole thing with Mercer—"
"We can't afford additional problems. Mercer has to be number one. We can't have our two most skilled thieves traipsing around and, you know."
Delvin nods slowly. "Fine. I guess it's best to get this resolved before it goes any further. We should have stopped them earlier though."
"Before they acted like friends. But now…" She shakes her head. "Did you see how closely they were standing yesterday?"
Delvin chuckles. "Sounds like someone might be jealous."
She scoffs. "Please, Delvin. The Guild is my family. And I don't believe in incest. Plus, he's not my type."
"Right. You like the big, bad, intimidating kind of men like Vald, don't you?"
She rolls her eyes. "Let's not bring him up. Let's just focus on getting those two in here as soon as possible and giving them a little talk."
"And they actually bought the damn things?" Iris's eyes widen in amusement.
Brynjolf nods. "Aye, they did. And we even put Brand-Shei away at the same time."
Iris laughs, shaking her head. "I never knew you actually sold some of those potions. I guess I was too focused on Brand-Shei."
"I was a little distracted, too, now that I think of it." He gives her a flirtatious smile, causing her to blush.
He loves teasing her, flirting with her. She's a pro at it and fun to banter back and forth with. Yet another one of his favorite things about her. He smiles softly, watching as she frowns at the map, trying to figure out where the Standing Stone is. His eyes linger on her lips, remembering how they felt against his just last night. Gods, he shouldn't have done it, but he finds no regret in him whatsoever. His brain and heart have been fighting for so long, with his brain always winning, that it was amazing to let his heart have the upper hand for once. Though he told her that they should wait until after they deal with Mercer, he has a a feeling he is going to have a hard time keeping his lips off hers. Especially after she offered to let him stay over at Honeyside whenever he wanted. So much for putting the Guild first.
They finally find the Standing Stone, spotting Karliah's figure leaning against it. She straightens up as they approach.
"Hi," Iris greets her with a smile.
"I'm glad you're here," Karliah almost smiles back. Brynjolf supposes she's forgotten how.
Iris peers at the massive Stone, her eyebrows furrowing delicately.
"What's the significance of this place?"
"This is the headquarters of the Nightingales, cut into the mountainside by the first of our kind. We've come to seek the edge we need to defeat Mercer Frey."
"What kind of an edge?" Brynjolf questions.
"If you'll follow me, I'll try to explain on the way."
Karliah moves toward the mouth of a cave, Iris in tow and Brynjolf behind her.
"Are we going to become Nightingales?" Iris asks.
Karliah stops, turning to face them both. "It's my hope that you will, yes."
The three duck into the cave and begin to move through the tunnels.
"So, this is Nightingale Hall," Brynjolf muses, looking around him at the stone walls. "I heard about this place when I joined the Guild, but I never believed it existed."
"The assumption that the Nightingales were just a myth was seeded within the Guild on purpose. It helped avert attention from our true nature," Karliah explains.
Brynjolf frowns, meeting eyes with Iris when she turns to glance at him over her shoulder. She begins to move her lips, probably to ask what is bothering him, but Karliah beats her to it.
"What's wrong, Brynjolf? I can almost hear your brow furrowing."
"I'm trying to understand why I'm here, I suppose. I'm no priest, and I'm certainly not religious. Why pick me?"
Iris reaches back to squeeze his hand as Karliah responds.
"This isn't about religion…it's business."
They follow the tunnels until they open up into a massive cavern, lit dimly with torches upon the walls.
"This is Nightingale Hall," Karliah says proudly. "You're the first of the uninitiated to set foot inside in over a century."
He meets eyes with Iris who is wearing a shocked expression, mirroring his own.
"If you'll both proceed to the armory to don your Nightingale armor, we can begin the Oath."
He follows Iris into a side room, in which three stone pedestals rest at the front of the room. He notices a folded black fabric resting upon the stand.
"Look, Bryn." Iris holds an intricately designed black outfit in front of herself. "Nightingale armor."
He unfolds his and finds an identical outfit. "We'll be matching," he laughs.
"We already are," Iris points out, gesturing to their Thieves Guild armor.
She begins to slowly unbuckle her armor, facing away from him, and he does the same. He changes into the Nightingale armor, liking how flexible it feels.
He can't resist glancing behind him at her, and he's surprised to find her doing the same, a smile forming on her face when she sees him watching.
"Eyes to yourself, Bryn." She smirks.
"Oi, don't act like you weren't looking, too," he retorts.
Her smile widens, her top teeth trapping her bottom lip. "Can you do the back of this?" She tilts her head, fluttering her eyelashes.
Damn, she's good at this.
"Of course." He crosses over to her, swallowing thickly when he notices her bare back peeking out from under her armor. He lets his fingers lightly brush against her skin as he buckles her armor, smiling to himself when she shivers slightly. "Done."
"Thanks." She turns back around, grinning at him. "This is comfortable." She glances behind her. "Wait, there's one more piece." She holds out two helmets.
"Oh…" He chuckles softly, taking his and putting it on. He laughs when she does the same.
"I'm surprised we can see out of these. I can't see your face at all," she laughs.
"That is the point of a mask," he points out.
Even though she can't see his face, she still manages to pick up on his frown.
"What's wrong?"
He shrugs. "I'm just…I'm not so sure about this."
"Why not?"
He gestures around him. "This kind of thing…I'm not…special or anything. I'm not like you. I'm not the type to become something like this."
She shakes her head. "I wasn't the type either, and it turned out that I'm the Dragonborn. Sometimes…sometimes things like this choose you instead of you choosing them."
"I suppose you're right."
She nudges him lightly. "When else will you be able to become a guardian of Nocturnal's Sepulcher?"
"That's true," he grins. He crouches down to grab his bag, hoisting it onto his shoulder.
She holsters her sword on her belt, pulling the gloves on.
He turns to leave the armory before Iris's voice stops him.
"And Bryn?"
He stops, spinning around to face her.
"You are special." He can hear the smile in her voice as she closes the gap between them. "I don't spend my precious time with just anyone."
He chuckles softly, touching her upper arm. "Thanks, lass."
—
They rejoin Karliah in a hall lined with torches.
"Okay, Karliah," Brynjolf starts. "We've got these getups on…now what?"
"Beyond this gate is the first step in becoming a Nightingale," Karliah gestures to the gate ahead of them.
He lets his breath out in a whoosh. "About that, Karliah, I'm not sure if I'm…qualified for that. It's kind of a big step, you know?"
"To hold any hope of defeating Mercer, we must have Nocturnal at our backs," Karliah answer without missing a beat. "If she's to accept you as one of her own, an arrangement must be struck."
"What sort of arrangement? I need to know the terms."
"The terms are quite simple, Brynjolf. Nocturnal will allow you to become a Nightingale and use your abilities for whatever you wish. And in return, bot in life and in death, you must serve as a guardian of the Twilight Sepulcher."
"Aye, there's always a catch," he sighs. "But at this point, I suppose there isn't much to lose. And if it means the end of Mercer Frey, you can count me in."
Karliah nods tersely, turning to Iris. "What about you, Iris? Are you ready to transact the Oath with Nocturnal?"
She nods. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Good. After I open the gate, please stand on the western circle, and Brynjolf on the eastern circle."
Karliah opens the gate, moving into another room.
Iris lingers behind, grabbing Brynjolf's hand.
"This is enough to make your head spin, eh?" he grins at her, not that she can see it.
She nods, letting out a breath. "Yeah. And that's saying something. I've seen some crazy shit."
He chuckles lightly, following her into the next room. He gasps, taking in the sight before him. Three pedestals branch off from the center, each with a glyph inscribed in the stone floor. Behind each pedestal is a waterfall, the water churning up white foam at the bottom. He reluctantly lets go of Iris's hand, taking his place on one of the pedestals. Once in place, Karliah raises her arms, her face upturned, and begins to speak.
"I call upon you, Lady Nocturnal, Queen of Murk and Empress of Shadow…hear my voice!"
Brynjolf watches in amazement as a burst of light floods the cavern, leaving behind a shadowy mass of purple floating in the center of the room. Nocturnal.
"Ah, Karliah," Nocturnal croons, Her voice echoing throughout the cavern. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you again. Lose something, did we?"
Karliah kneels, down onto one knee. "My Lady, I've come before you to throw myself upon your mercy and to accept responsibility for my failure."
Though he can't see her face, he knows Iris is looking at him. He meets her gaze, knowing what she is thinking; this is crazy. They're speaking to a Daedric Prince. Though Iris has apparently had encounters with them before, he supposes one never gets truly used to communicating with the Daedra.
"You're already mine, Karliah. Your terms were struck long ago. What could you possibly offer me now?" Nocturnal demands.
"I have two others that wish to transact the Oath; to serve you both in life and in death," Karliah replies.
He swears he feels Nocturnal turn to gaze at him and Iris.
"You surprise me, Karliah. This offer is definitely weighted in my favor."
"My appetite for Mercer's demise exceeds my craving for wealth, Your Grace."
"Revenge?" Nocturnal hums. "How interesting…Very well, the conditions are acceptable. You may proceed."
Karliah gets to her feet, placing her left hand over her heart. "Lady Nocturnal, we accept your terms. We dedicate ourselves to you as both your avengers and your sentinels. We will honor our agreement in this life and the next until your conditions have been met."
Nocturnal turns to gaze at Iris, chuckling softly. "You've caused quite the clamor, little Liriiette. Boethiah has been unbearable ever since you slaughtered Her cult."
"I–I—"
"Yet Azura speaks highly of you, you who cleansed Her Star." Nocturnal hums. "I am curious to see what you will bring forth as one of my Nightingales."
Iris bows her head; Brynjolf notices her clenched hands.
"Very well, Karliah," Nocturnal addresses the Dunmer once more. "I name your initiates Nightingales, and I restore your status to the same, Karliah. And in the future, I'd suggest you refrain from disappointing me again." With that, the purple fog disappears, imploding upon itself.
The cavern rings with silence, each of them trying to recover from what just passed. Brynjolf glances at Iris, watching as she pulls the mask from her face and swipes a hand across her eyes. The three Nightingales rejoin at the center of the room.
"Well, now that you've transacted the Oath, it's time to reveal the final piece of the puzzle to you; Mercer's true crime," Karliah tells them.
Iris groans. "He's done more? Gods."
"Mercer was able to unlock the Guild's vault without two keys because of what he stole from the Sepulcher. The Skeleton Key. By doing this, he's compromised our ties to Nocturnal and in essence, caused our luck to run dry."
Brynjolf shakes his head, smiling wryly. "Damn it. Delvin was right after all."
"Wait, so the Key unlocks any door?" Iris asks.
"Well, yes. But the Key isn't only restricted to physical barriers. All of us possess untapped abilities; the potential to wield great power, securely sealed within our minds. Once you realize the Key can access these traits, the potential becomes limitless," Karliah answers.
"We have to get it back from him." Iris's hands clench into fists.
"Yes. If the Key isn't returned to its lock in the Twilight Sepulcher, things will never be the same for the Guild. As time passed, our luck would diminish to the point of non-existence. And whether you know it or not, our uncanny luck defines our trade."
Brynjolf chuckles. "First time we ever set out to return something…"
"Very true. In our line of work, it's quite rare we set out to return a stolen item to its rightful owner."
"Then, let's go," Iris says with determination.
Karliah places a hand on her arm. "Wait. Before we depart, Brynjolf has some business to discuss. I suggest you listen to him."
Iris's violet eyes meet his green in confusion. He removes the mask, fully facing her.
"Listen, Iris. There's one last piece of business we need to settle before we go after Mercer…the leadership of the Guild."
"Okay…" Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Why are you telling me this? Won't leadership pass to you?"
He glances at Karliah. "Well, Karliah and I had a long discussion last night after you left. Thanks to your efforts, Mercer's treachery has been exposed. After we deal with him, all that remains is restoring the Guild to its full strength. As a result…" He pauses, grinning softly at her. "We both feel that you have the potential of replacing Mercer as leader of the Thieves Guild."
Iris's jaw drops. "What? Me? What—what about you?"
He smiles crookedly. "I've been at this game a long time, love. A long time. I've stolen trinkets from nobles and framed priests for murder. I'm good at what I do, maybe even one of the best. But…it's all I know. I've never been one to lead. Never desired it, never cared for it. I don't want it."
"But I…damn, I–I don't know what to say."
He chuckles, placing his hands on her slim shoulders. "Well, we have a bit of an errand to run before your coronation, so don't get sentimental on me now."
She finally smiles, albeit nervously. "Okay. I–I accept."
"Then, it's decided. When this is all over and Delvin's contacts assure me that we've regained our footing in Skyrim, we'll handle the details. But until then, we have quite the task ahead."
She nods slowly, seemingly still in shock. "Let's get to it."
He drops his hands, addressing his fellow Nightingales. "I've been poring over the plans you brought us, and I'm convinced the Eyes of the Falmer are in the dwarven ruins at Irkngthand. Karliah is going to meet us there. We'll need to prepare ourselves, lass. This will be a fight to remember!"
"Yes, it will." Iris turns to Karliah. "Thank you, Karliah."
"Of course. I'll see you both at Irkngthand."
Iris turns to Brynjolf, her eyes still wide. "I guess we're Nightingales now, huh?"
He sighs. "Aye. And some of what Karliah said is starting to make more sense. Mercer may have damaged our reputation and raided our coffers, but this goes well beyond even his twisted form of larceny. Old Delvin kept calling it a curse, and we all laughed at him. Looks like the joke's on us."
"Yeah," she breathes.
He shifts his feet, licking his lips. "Lass, what Nocturnal said…"
Her eyes snap up to his, the violet filled with something like fear. "What—" She clears her throat. "What about it?"
"You just…you didn't tell me everything about Boethiah."
She looks down, studying her boots. "I didn't think you needed to know."
"Will you tell me what happened?"
She shrugs. "I'm not proud of what I did, Bryn."
"Nocturnal said you slaughtered Boethiah's cult?"
"Yeah." She lifts her head, meeting his eyes. "I did."
"You killed all of them?"
She nods solemnly. "They demanded a sacrifice for Boethiah, and I didn't comply. I-I just was so disgusted by them, wanting me to bring an innocent person to murder just to speak to their God, that I…I lost control. I didn't stop until they were all dead. Boethiah appeared and was…very angry with me. She demanded a sacrifice and I said no. I ran. Been running ever since."
"How do you run from a Daedric Prince?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. But it's worked so far."
"Thank you for telling me."
She nods, becoming tired. "Let's get back to Riften. I need to restock on everything before we go after Mercer."
Ah, so much has happened! And now, they're finally going after Mercer. Ooohhh, there's so much more drama to come!
Thanks so much for reading, and thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and left reviews last week! If you haven't, please favorite, follow, and review! It honestly means the world to me!
Until next time!
