He wondered what Delphine would think. She'd probably be appalled, but he'd seen her do enough thieving before now, and didn't the Blades work in the shadows too? He didn't know where she was going to end up afterlife-wise, but he had a feeling he'd never have followed her anyway. Talos didn't take thieves to his domain.
“I'm in,” he heard Sapphire say, and he found himself nodding along.
“As long as it doesn't take too long,” he told Karliah. “We can't risk Mercer getting away.”
“Spoken like a true thief,” Karliah laughed. “Don't worry, the place I'm taking you to is just outside Riften. We shouldn't be long.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nightingale Hall turned out to be barely fifteen minutes out of Riften, right near the mysterious stone monolith that generations of thieves had whispered was some sort of symbol of the Nightingales and might bring you luck. Some thieves whispered leaving an offering would bring good fortune, going so far as to leave septims and gems out here. Brynjolf had believed them once, as a young footpad just starting out, right up until Glover and Delvin had caught him doing it one night, nearly wet themselves laughing and told him brighter thieves just spread that rumour so they could lie in wait and help themselves to the goodies.
He'd avoided the place since. Now here he was ready to actually join the order behind it.
The entrance was hidden under the cliff – locked but he could tell on sight the lock was a puzzle one that would fox most thieves. Karliah, it seemed, had a key.
Inside, the place had a vast hall with a river running through it – a little rundown but not bad. Karliah led them through to where three stones which she called armour stones were waiting.
“Touch one, it'll give you your armour. Then get changed into it and follow me.”
Brynjolf glanced at Sapphire to see how she was taking this. Apparently in her stride.
“Saff, are you sure about this?” Brynjolf murmured. “It's a contract with a Daedra, they're not exactly trustworthy.”
“If it ends Mercer and gets us our Guild back, I'll do it,” Sapphire said, her face stony. “Why, having second thoughts?”
“Not exactly,” said Brynjolf, although he wasn't entirely sure about this. “I just... thieves and temples. Normally we're robbing the gods, not swearing loyalty.”
“It's not about religion, Brynjolf,” Karliah announced, emerging in her Nightingale gear. “It's business. We make this deal on behalf of all thieves, ensuring all benefit from Nocturnal's gifts. We don't do it, our entire business falls apart. But if you're not sure, go. Hopefully Sapphire and I will be enough.”
On behalf of all thieves... and on behalf of all spies too? Maybe the reason the Thalmor had been able to hunt down the Blades the way they had was because they were benefiting from Nocturnal too. Delphine, I promise, I'll make sure the Nightingales help you... or at least, this one will.
“Don't worry,” Brynjolf promised. “I'm still in. I'm just wondering, why me? You've not seen me in years and I was just a nineteen year old kid back then.”
Karliah's face was hidden behind her hood but he had a feeling she was smiling.
“In that time, you've gone on to be Guild Second, universally liked by everyone in the Guild by all accounts, a finder of many great thieves, very very good at your job, and now you tell me you managed to rob the Thalmor without getting caught? Of course I want you as one of us. As for you, Sapphire, you survived that Thalmor attack with barely a mark on you, and you came back fighting. You're strong, resilient and you're going to make a fantastic Nightingale. You both are. If you're willing?”
Sapphire emerged from where she'd been getting changed, face flushed as she prepared to pull her hood on.
“Never more so,” she whispered.
“Come on then,” Karliah said, leading them both to Nightingale Hall's inner sanctum. “Let's get you sworn in.”
~~~~~~~~~~
In the end, it was all a little anticlimactic. Nocturnal came at Karliah's summons but not in person – just taunting her almost. But she accepted the terms in the end, accepted both Brynjolf and Sapphire as Nightingale, and restoring Karliah to the same.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 17.9
Date: 2013-12-10 07:49 pm (UTC)“I'm in,” he heard Sapphire say, and he found himself nodding along.
“As long as it doesn't take too long,” he told Karliah. “We can't risk Mercer getting away.”
“Spoken like a true thief,” Karliah laughed. “Don't worry, the place I'm taking you to is just outside Riften. We shouldn't be long.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nightingale Hall turned out to be barely fifteen minutes out of Riften, right near the mysterious stone monolith that generations of thieves had whispered was some sort of symbol of the Nightingales and might bring you luck. Some thieves whispered leaving an offering would bring good fortune, going so far as to leave septims and gems out here. Brynjolf had believed them once, as a young footpad just starting out, right up until Glover and Delvin had caught him doing it one night, nearly wet themselves laughing and told him brighter thieves just spread that rumour so they could lie in wait and help themselves to the goodies.
He'd avoided the place since. Now here he was ready to actually join the order behind it.
The entrance was hidden under the cliff – locked but he could tell on sight the lock was a puzzle one that would fox most thieves. Karliah, it seemed, had a key.
Inside, the place had a vast hall with a river running through it – a little rundown but not bad. Karliah led them through to where three stones which she called armour stones were waiting.
“Touch one, it'll give you your armour. Then get changed into it and follow me.”
Brynjolf glanced at Sapphire to see how she was taking this. Apparently in her stride.
“Saff, are you sure about this?” Brynjolf murmured. “It's a contract with a Daedra, they're not exactly trustworthy.”
“If it ends Mercer and gets us our Guild back, I'll do it,” Sapphire said, her face stony. “Why, having second thoughts?”
“Not exactly,” said Brynjolf, although he wasn't entirely sure about this. “I just... thieves and temples. Normally we're robbing the gods, not swearing loyalty.”
“It's not about religion, Brynjolf,” Karliah announced, emerging in her Nightingale gear. “It's business. We make this deal on behalf of all thieves, ensuring all benefit from Nocturnal's gifts. We don't do it, our entire business falls apart. But if you're not sure, go. Hopefully Sapphire and I will be enough.”
On behalf of all thieves... and on behalf of all spies too? Maybe the reason the Thalmor had been able to hunt down the Blades the way they had was because they were benefiting from Nocturnal too. Delphine, I promise, I'll make sure the Nightingales help you... or at least, this one will.
“Don't worry,” Brynjolf promised. “I'm still in. I'm just wondering, why me? You've not seen me in years and I was just a nineteen year old kid back then.”
Karliah's face was hidden behind her hood but he had a feeling she was smiling.
“In that time, you've gone on to be Guild Second, universally liked by everyone in the Guild by all accounts, a finder of many great thieves, very very good at your job, and now you tell me you managed to rob the Thalmor without getting caught? Of course I want you as one of us. As for you, Sapphire, you survived that Thalmor attack with barely a mark on you, and you came back fighting. You're strong, resilient and you're going to make a fantastic Nightingale. You both are. If you're willing?”
Sapphire emerged from where she'd been getting changed, face flushed as she prepared to pull her hood on.
“Never more so,” she whispered.
“Come on then,” Karliah said, leading them both to Nightingale Hall's inner sanctum. “Let's get you sworn in.”
~~~~~~~~~~
In the end, it was all a little anticlimactic. Nocturnal came at Karliah's summons but not in person – just taunting her almost. But she accepted the terms in the end, accepted both Brynjolf and Sapphire as Nightingale, and restoring Karliah to the same.