Title: Safe Pairing: F!DB/Brynjolf Summary: When the Dragonborn disappears on a job in Markarth, Brynjolf doesn't think it could get much worse. Then she comes back. Helpful tags: relationship:het, kink:angst, kink:hurt/comfort
1
"You know she's not coming back, Bryn. The little bitch probably snagged that goblet, found herself a fence, and is halfway across High Rock by now. I told you-"
Brynjolf held up a hand to silence Vex's relentless accusations of their newest recruit.
"I don't believe that," he replied smoothly.
He wasn't willing to write Githa off just yet. The lass had said she'd never been to Markarth before, and it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that she had gotten lost along the way. Or she had stopped to help someone - she wasn't the kind to turn down an opportunity to make a little coin, even if the task temporarily kept her from completing other objectives. She was a blunt lass, too, so if she had, as Vex suggested, defected from the Guild after only a couple of months, she'd have let them know in no uncertain terms.
Still, it had been almost three weeks since the Guild had gotten word of her, and Markarth was a two-day ride at most. None of their scant contacts inside the city had even seen a woman matching her description. Something was amiss, but Brynjolf couldn't put his finger on it.
"Your faith is touching, Bryn, but we know-"
"It's not faith, Vex," Brynjolf answered coldly. "Githa knows she's better off with us than without us. She already got us a foothold in Whiterun. We're on our way out of this slump. No reason to ditch us now."
"We know she's not with the Brotherhood," Delvin piped up from the bar, patting his chest pocket where he kept a letter that had turned up three days ago from Falkreath. "Astrid said she'd keep an eye out, though."
"Or she got caught," Tonilia offered, setting an empty mug in front of Vekel. "Markarth is a hard town to hide in if you don't know your way around."
Vex scoffed. "Markarth is plenty easy to hide in. You've got the temple, the Warrens, a dozen walkways to sneak under. Not to mention the waterways. If she couldn't get past the guards there, she deserved to get caught."
"Heart of gold you got there, Vex," Delvin said, smirking.
Brynjolf pinched the bridge of his nose and roughly pushed his chair back from the table before stalking across the Ragged Flagon and into the Cistern.
Mercer was pouring over the books at his desk as Brynjolf approached him.
"Before you ask, the answer is no," the older man said gruffly without even looking up.
"You don't even know what I was going to say," Brynjolf protested.
Mercer stood up and stared at Brynjolf with a narrow gaze. "We don't have the manpower necessary to track down your little protégé, and I'm not entirely convinced that she hasn't just run off. Can't say I'm not sorry she's gone - she's been making us a lot of money - but she's not worth sending bodies we can't spare to turn Skyrim over looking for her."
"What if I went out?"
Mercer shook his head. "We need you here. You're the best coordinator I've got. Without you, our operation doesn't run smoothly."
Brynjolf scowled and kicked a leg of the desk. "I can't do nothing, Mercer."
Mercer frowned. "Why is this bothering you so much? We've had members desert before."
"She didn't desert us," Brynjolf snapped, more loudly than he had intended. He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Something is wrong. I can feel it."
Mercer sighed. "Even so, my decision stands. The answer is no."
Brynjolf turned and made his way to their roughshod dining area and poured himself a cup of ale. As he finished downing the first cup and began pouring a second, Sapphire sidled up to him.
"If it's any consolation, I don't think she deserted us, either."
Brynjolf grunted in reply. "Heard that, did you?"
She smiled, a rare sight. "I think they heard you in Eastmarch." She glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot and lowered her voice. "Listen, I've got a job in Solitude. I'm leaving in the morning. If you want, I'll take a little trip down to Markarth when I'm done to see if I can find anything out."
Brynjolf stared at the amber liquid in his cup. Mercer wouldn't like it. Finally he took a breath and nodded.
Safe 1/?
Pairing: F!DB/Brynjolf
Summary: When the Dragonborn disappears on a job in Markarth, Brynjolf doesn't think it could get much worse. Then she comes back.
Helpful tags: relationship:het, kink:angst, kink:hurt/comfort
1
"You know she's not coming back, Bryn. The little bitch probably snagged that goblet, found herself a fence, and is halfway across High Rock by now. I told you-"
Brynjolf held up a hand to silence Vex's relentless accusations of their newest recruit.
"I don't believe that," he replied smoothly.
He wasn't willing to write Githa off just yet. The lass had said she'd never been to Markarth before, and it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that she had gotten lost along the way. Or she had stopped to help someone - she wasn't the kind to turn down an opportunity to make a little coin, even if the task temporarily kept her from completing other objectives. She was a blunt lass, too, so if she had, as Vex suggested, defected from the Guild after only a couple of months, she'd have let them know in no uncertain terms.
Still, it had been almost three weeks since the Guild had gotten word of her, and Markarth was a two-day ride at most. None of their scant contacts inside the city had even seen a woman matching her description. Something was amiss, but Brynjolf couldn't put his finger on it.
"Your faith is touching, Bryn, but we know-"
"It's not faith, Vex," Brynjolf answered coldly. "Githa knows she's better off with us than without us. She already got us a foothold in Whiterun. We're on our way out of this slump. No reason to ditch us now."
"We know she's not with the Brotherhood," Delvin piped up from the bar, patting his chest pocket where he kept a letter that had turned up three days ago from Falkreath. "Astrid said she'd keep an eye out, though."
"Or she got caught," Tonilia offered, setting an empty mug in front of Vekel. "Markarth is a hard town to hide in if you don't know your way around."
Vex scoffed. "Markarth is plenty easy to hide in. You've got the temple, the Warrens, a dozen walkways to sneak under. Not to mention the waterways. If she couldn't get past the guards there, she deserved to get caught."
"Heart of gold you got there, Vex," Delvin said, smirking.
Brynjolf pinched the bridge of his nose and roughly pushed his chair back from the table before stalking across the Ragged Flagon and into the Cistern.
Mercer was pouring over the books at his desk as Brynjolf approached him.
"Before you ask, the answer is no," the older man said gruffly without even looking up.
"You don't even know what I was going to say," Brynjolf protested.
Mercer stood up and stared at Brynjolf with a narrow gaze. "We don't have the manpower necessary to track down your little protégé, and I'm not entirely convinced that she hasn't just run off. Can't say I'm not sorry she's gone - she's been making us a lot of money - but she's not worth sending bodies we can't spare to turn Skyrim over looking for her."
"What if I went out?"
Mercer shook his head. "We need you here. You're the best coordinator I've got. Without you, our operation doesn't run smoothly."
Brynjolf scowled and kicked a leg of the desk. "I can't do nothing, Mercer."
Mercer frowned. "Why is this bothering you so much? We've had members desert before."
"She didn't desert us," Brynjolf snapped, more loudly than he had intended. He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Something is wrong. I can feel it."
Mercer sighed. "Even so, my decision stands. The answer is no."
Brynjolf turned and made his way to their roughshod dining area and poured himself a cup of ale. As he finished downing the first cup and began pouring a second, Sapphire sidled up to him.
"If it's any consolation, I don't think she deserted us, either."
Brynjolf grunted in reply. "Heard that, did you?"
She smiled, a rare sight. "I think they heard you in Eastmarch." She glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot and lowered her voice. "Listen, I've got a job in Solitude. I'm leaving in the morning. If you want, I'll take a little trip down to Markarth when I'm done to see if I can find anything out."
Brynjolf stared at the amber liquid in his cup. Mercer wouldn't like it. Finally he took a breath and nodded.
"Do it."