“Yes, and a lesser thief would be getting themselves killed over it,” said Delphine, folding her arms. “It's not new information to me, Brynjolf. And it's not as valuable as you think – Ulfric would just paint it as another example of Elven lies, the Stormcloaks would believe him and we'd get nowhere. And if Tullius made it public, then that would cause an incident with the Thalmor and possibly another war if they thought the Empire were behind the break-in. But thank you, we might need it yet. Anything else?”
Brynjolf left the Ulfric dossier on the table, reaching for the next one, smile fading.
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “Yeah there was. This one gave me quite the shock.” He dropped another file on the table next to her, turned so she could read the title. The file in question was her own. Without even thinking, she made a grab for it, but Brynjolf was too quick and had it out of reach before she could get it.
“Not so fast, lass,” Brynjolf said grimly and Delphine looked up at him, heart sinking as she saw the look on his face. She had no idea what he was thinking, none at all. He knew, he knew her secret and it was like looking at a stranger.
“Brynjolf,” she whispered. “Bryn, give me the file. Give it to me and forget you ever saw it, it's safest for all of us that way...”
“No,” Brynjolf growled, grabbing her wrist and for the first time Delphine began to actually be afraid of him. “Lass, is it true? You're the last of the Blades? Is that why you were hiding out in the Guild all that time?”
Delphine nodded, seeing no sense in denying it. “Bryn,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Bryn, let me go. Leave the file and get out of here, or I'll...” She'd drawn her dagger with her free hand, prepared to use it if she had to. Brynjolf's eyes flicked to it and he didn't look scared... just disappointed.
“Is that what it's come to, lass?” he said bitterly. “You'd stab even me to keep it secret?”
“I've killed before to stay safe,” she warned him, hoping he'd take the hint.
“I don't doubt it,” he replied. For a brief moment, neither moved, just watching the other to see who'd blink first. It was Brynjolf who finally spoke.
“Well. Seems we've got a few options here, haven't we lass. I could leave the file with you, bid you goodnight and take my leave, at which point I'm fairly sure you'll pack everything you own and flee into the night, never to be seen again.”
“I'm all right with that option,” Delphine whispered. Brynjolf just laughed.
“Or I could turn you in to the Thalmor and see if they're at all grateful for the gift.”
“You wouldn't,” Delphine breathed and Brynjolf did smile at that.
“No, I wouldn't, not after seeing those dungeons of theirs. Which brings me to option three...”
“What was wrong with option one?” Delphine snapped. “Look, I can pay you extra if that's what this is about...”
“It's not about the gold!” Brynjolf snapped, letting her go and shoving her away. “Ten damn years since you left the Guild, and no sign of you anywhere, nothing! Just me, wondering where you'd gone, what happened, if you were even alive still. Then you walk back in as if nothing happened and have me rob the Thalmor bloody Embassy of all places, and now I find out you're a Blade and you expect me to just leave it at that? Del, why did you never... I thought we were friends?”
“We were!” Delphine cried, infuriated. Stupid, stubborn... Brynjolf never changed, always there, always getting under her skin, always tempting her to let her guard down, throw caution to the wind, and now he was here berating her for not letting him in any further? She'd taken a risk letting him get as far as he had. “Look, you've seen what happens to Thalmor prisoners! Can you blame me for not saying anything? It could have got us both killed! It still could! Bryn, I mean it, walk away. Go back to Riften, forget this ever happened, let me go to ground again. It's better for both of us that way.”
“It isn't better!” Brynjolf snapped, advancing. “Because if I do that, I know you'll vanish off the face of Nirn and I'll never see you again!”
And that was most likely true and she'd miss him horribly, she knew. But it was the only scenario that didn't risk both their lives.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 9.2
Brynjolf left the Ulfric dossier on the table, reaching for the next one, smile fading.
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “Yeah there was. This one gave me quite the shock.” He dropped another file on the table next to her, turned so she could read the title. The file in question was her own. Without even thinking, she made a grab for it, but Brynjolf was too quick and had it out of reach before she could get it.
“Not so fast, lass,” Brynjolf said grimly and Delphine looked up at him, heart sinking as she saw the look on his face. She had no idea what he was thinking, none at all. He knew, he knew her secret and it was like looking at a stranger.
“Brynjolf,” she whispered. “Bryn, give me the file. Give it to me and forget you ever saw it, it's safest for all of us that way...”
“No,” Brynjolf growled, grabbing her wrist and for the first time Delphine began to actually be afraid of him. “Lass, is it true? You're the last of the Blades? Is that why you were hiding out in the Guild all that time?”
Delphine nodded, seeing no sense in denying it. “Bryn,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Bryn, let me go. Leave the file and get out of here, or I'll...” She'd drawn her dagger with her free hand, prepared to use it if she had to. Brynjolf's eyes flicked to it and he didn't look scared... just disappointed.
“Is that what it's come to, lass?” he said bitterly. “You'd stab even me to keep it secret?”
“I've killed before to stay safe,” she warned him, hoping he'd take the hint.
“I don't doubt it,” he replied. For a brief moment, neither moved, just watching the other to see who'd blink first. It was Brynjolf who finally spoke.
“Well. Seems we've got a few options here, haven't we lass. I could leave the file with you, bid you goodnight and take my leave, at which point I'm fairly sure you'll pack everything you own and flee into the night, never to be seen again.”
“I'm all right with that option,” Delphine whispered. Brynjolf just laughed.
“Or I could turn you in to the Thalmor and see if they're at all grateful for the gift.”
“You wouldn't,” Delphine breathed and Brynjolf did smile at that.
“No, I wouldn't, not after seeing those dungeons of theirs. Which brings me to option three...”
“What was wrong with option one?” Delphine snapped. “Look, I can pay you extra if that's what this is about...”
“It's not about the gold!” Brynjolf snapped, letting her go and shoving her away. “Ten damn years since you left the Guild, and no sign of you anywhere, nothing! Just me, wondering where you'd gone, what happened, if you were even alive still. Then you walk back in as if nothing happened and have me rob the Thalmor bloody Embassy of all places, and now I find out you're a Blade and you expect me to just leave it at that? Del, why did you never... I thought we were friends?”
“We were!” Delphine cried, infuriated. Stupid, stubborn... Brynjolf never changed, always there, always getting under her skin, always tempting her to let her guard down, throw caution to the wind, and now he was here berating her for not letting him in any further? She'd taken a risk letting him get as far as he had. “Look, you've seen what happens to Thalmor prisoners! Can you blame me for not saying anything? It could have got us both killed! It still could! Bryn, I mean it, walk away. Go back to Riften, forget this ever happened, let me go to ground again. It's better for both of us that way.”
“It isn't better!” Brynjolf snapped, advancing. “Because if I do that, I know you'll vanish off the face of Nirn and I'll never see you again!”
And that was most likely true and she'd miss him horribly, she knew. But it was the only scenario that didn't risk both their lives.