Delvin was going to live. Scarred, but he'd live. Left eye gone but he'd live. Going to be weeks, maybe months, before he recovered, but he'd live. Brynjolf could have kissed Maramal but didn't, just paying the Temple a large donation for their trouble. He'd given a large bag of septims to Etienne as well. The poor man would be no good in the Blades, his nerves were shot to ribbons. No, the man needed a holiday, so Brynjolf had told him to take Delvin to Windhelm on the carriage as soon as he was fit to travel, then get him on the boat to Solstheim. Delvin's brother Glover lived out there, he could keep an eye on Delvin while he recuperated. As for Etienne, Brynjolf had told him he could go wherever he wanted once that was done, either stick around in Raven Rock and wait for news, or head off to Morrowind or anywhere else he felt like. The poor man deserved a lucky break for once and those were in short supply in Riften it seemed.
The Cistern had been cleaned up by the time Brynjolf got back – the bodies removed and the mess cleared. Sapphire and Karliah were sitting together at the table on the far side, a bottle of Black-Briar mead each and Sapphire going over the diary. The original was written in a language Brynjolf didn't recognise, but the writing looked like Gallus's. Sapphire was reading a translation written out and signed by Enthir of Winterhold, and Brynjolf definitely had seen his handwriting before. Enthir had been Gallus's best friend, it stood to reason he wouldn't have wanted to protect Gallus's murderer.
“Well, what do we have?” Brynjolf asked, taking a seat next to Sapphire.
“It looks legit, Bryn,” Sapphire said, brooding over it. “Gallus was talking about irregularities in the Guild's accounts, things going missing, and he was fairly certain it was Mercer. Also that the Guild's luck had turned and he wasn't certain Mercer hadn't caused that either. Something about Mercer having profaned the Twilight Sepulchre and betrayed the Nightingales. I don't know what that means and she won't tell me. Said she'd explain when you got back.” This was said with a glare at Karliah, who shrugged apologetically.
“Let's just say it's not the sort of thing I want to have to say twice,” Karliah said quietly. “Brynjolf, how's Delvin?”
“Going to live,” Brynjolf said, unable to stop himself smiling at that. First bit of good news he'd heard since he got here. Karliah actually smiled at that, and Brynjolf wondered if perhaps they'd all been wrong about her.
“Glad to hear it,” Karliah said in that soft voice of hers. “So now what, Brynjolf? Going to kill me yet?”
“Not yet,” Brynjolf said, flicking through Enthir's notes. They confirmed everything Sapphire had said, and if Mercer really had killed Gallus to cover his tracks... Brynjolf felt his blood chill as he realised this had been twenty five years ago, Mercer had been Guildmaster ever since, he'd had full reign of the accounts. If Mercer had been embezzling, no one would have known. He pulled Delvin's vault key out and passed it back to Sapphire.
“Sapphire, this is one of the keys to the vault. It was Delvin's. There's only two others, me and Mercer have one each. Needs two people to open the vault and it's not pickable. Come with me, we need to check everything's in order there. If Karliah's right about Mercer... come on.”
Sapphire nodded and followed, Delvin's key in her hand. Brynjolf slid his into the vault door, heard the lock click into place then motioned for Sapphire to try the other one. She did so and the door swung open.
The vault was empty. Cleared out – all the gold gone, all the jewels gone. Nothing. Not. A. Thing.
Sapphire was first to react.
“That lying, thieving, no-good son of a skeever, when I find him, I will kill him!” Sapphire shrieked, tearing at her hair, eyes blazing with cold fury. Brynjolf could barely even speak. All the Guild's money, gone. All the years he'd spent trusting in Mercer, trusting his Guildmaster could turn things around... and the son of a bitch had been on the take all along.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 17.4
Date: 2013-12-10 07:41 pm (UTC)The Cistern had been cleaned up by the time Brynjolf got back – the bodies removed and the mess cleared. Sapphire and Karliah were sitting together at the table on the far side, a bottle of Black-Briar mead each and Sapphire going over the diary. The original was written in a language Brynjolf didn't recognise, but the writing looked like Gallus's. Sapphire was reading a translation written out and signed by Enthir of Winterhold, and Brynjolf definitely had seen his handwriting before. Enthir had been Gallus's best friend, it stood to reason he wouldn't have wanted to protect Gallus's murderer.
“Well, what do we have?” Brynjolf asked, taking a seat next to Sapphire.
“It looks legit, Bryn,” Sapphire said, brooding over it. “Gallus was talking about irregularities in the Guild's accounts, things going missing, and he was fairly certain it was Mercer. Also that the Guild's luck had turned and he wasn't certain Mercer hadn't caused that either. Something about Mercer having profaned the Twilight Sepulchre and betrayed the Nightingales. I don't know what that means and she won't tell me. Said she'd explain when you got back.” This was said with a glare at Karliah, who shrugged apologetically.
“Let's just say it's not the sort of thing I want to have to say twice,” Karliah said quietly. “Brynjolf, how's Delvin?”
“Going to live,” Brynjolf said, unable to stop himself smiling at that. First bit of good news he'd heard since he got here. Karliah actually smiled at that, and Brynjolf wondered if perhaps they'd all been wrong about her.
“Glad to hear it,” Karliah said in that soft voice of hers. “So now what, Brynjolf? Going to kill me yet?”
“Not yet,” Brynjolf said, flicking through Enthir's notes. They confirmed everything Sapphire had said, and if Mercer really had killed Gallus to cover his tracks... Brynjolf felt his blood chill as he realised this had been twenty five years ago, Mercer had been Guildmaster ever since, he'd had full reign of the accounts. If Mercer had been embezzling, no one would have known. He pulled Delvin's vault key out and passed it back to Sapphire.
“Sapphire, this is one of the keys to the vault. It was Delvin's. There's only two others, me and Mercer have one each. Needs two people to open the vault and it's not pickable. Come with me, we need to check everything's in order there. If Karliah's right about Mercer... come on.”
Sapphire nodded and followed, Delvin's key in her hand. Brynjolf slid his into the vault door, heard the lock click into place then motioned for Sapphire to try the other one. She did so and the door swung open.
The vault was empty. Cleared out – all the gold gone, all the jewels gone. Nothing. Not. A. Thing.
Sapphire was first to react.
“That lying, thieving, no-good son of a skeever, when I find him, I will kill him!” Sapphire shrieked, tearing at her hair, eyes blazing with cold fury. Brynjolf could barely even speak. All the Guild's money, gone. All the years he'd spent trusting in Mercer, trusting his Guildmaster could turn things around... and the son of a bitch had been on the take all along.