Not true, Brynjolf had seen Aela around Riften before, taken one look at the way she held herself and decided not to bother. Aela wasn't in possession of enough coin to be worth the risk of antagonising someone that smart and formidable. There were easier marks. As it was, Brynjolf had got to know her quite well and come to actually like and respect her. Even stranger, it was mutual – they had similar combat styles and she'd been impressed by his skills. Pity her Shield-Brothers weren't so reasonable. Well, Vilkas wasn't anyway. But Farkas now... Farkas was looking hopeful.
“Are you really a thief?” Farkas whispered, glancing nervously around the inn. Definitely a simple one.
“Wouldn't tell you if I was, lad,” Brynjolf murmured. “Don't tell me you want to change jobs.”
“Farkas!” Vilkas snapped. “We do not look up to criminals.”
“I wasn't...” Farkas protested, before glaring at his brother. “Look, if he's a thief, he might be able to help! We never got anywhere, but a sneaky type might.”
“Get where?” Brynjolf asked, his curiosity piqued. He didn't know what the brothers would have in the way of coin, but a favour owed in Jorrvaskr might come in useful.
“Farkas!” Vilkas hissed, but he was gritting his teeth, clearly seeing something in his brother's argument, his hands going to something clipped to his waist – Shor's bones, was that Azura's Star?? Looked a bit worse for wear, but it definitely looked like the descriptions Brynjolf had read.
“You want to tell me what you lads are mixed up in?” Brynjolf asked, just as Karliah arrived with drinks in hand.
“Making some friends, Brynjolf?” she asked, before her eyes raked over the Star on Vilkas' belt, Dunmer eyes seeing what Brynjolf initially hadn't noticed. “By N- by the Reclamations, is that Azura's Star??”
“It is not for sale!” Vilkas hissed, grabbing it and putting it on the table out of either thief's reach.
“In that condition, I'm not sure I'd want to buy it,” Karliah said, looking vaguely appalled at the state the Star had got into as she took a seat on the bench next to Farkas. “What did you do to it?”
“Nothing!” Vilkas snapped. “It was like that when we found it. We're on our way to Azura's shrine in Winterhold to take it back!”
“I'm sure Azura will be ecstatic to see what's happened to it,” Karliah said, eyeing it nervously. Sapphire arrived at that point, fresh from having hauled the bags into the rooms, and accepted her mead off Karliah, taking a seat next to the Dunmer.
“Honningbrew?” Sapphire asked, waving the mead in the air. “I feel like a traitor just looking at it.”
“No need, I get five per cent on all sales,” Karliah said cheerfully, before realising what she'd just admitted and blushing.
“You!” Brynjolf cried. “You're the one who was trying to take down Maven!”
“To hurt a man, first bring down his allies,” said Karliah, shrugging as she sipped her Honningbrew. “If it's any consolation, I can reign in the competition a little if you like? Not really any point antagonising Maven any more...”
“Please spare us your corrupt business dealings,” Vilkas growled, rolling his eyes. Farkas was staring at his own Honningbrew, wondering if drinking it was honourable any more. He hoped so, he really liked the taste.
Sapphire narrowed her eyes, steely glaze not leaving Vilkas.
“Brynjolf, why are we sitting down to dinner with two mercenaries who are clearly going to sit there judging us every five minutes?”
“Ah now, that's a very good question, Sapphire,” Brynjolf said, glad of a change in subject. “See, these two lads are Companions of Jorrvaskr, and they were going to entertain us all with a heroic story involving a sworn oath, Azura's Star and a possible job that we might be able to help with. Weren't you, Vilkas?”
“A job?” Karliah said, toying with her mead bottle, her earlier reservations over the Star forgotten as the prospect of coin dangled in front of her. “What sort of job?”
“We charge for our services,” Sapphire said fiercely. “I doubt you've got the coin to hire us.”
“Now, now,” Brynjolf said calmly. “I'm sure we can negotiate a fee once we've heard everything. Even if we don't take it, well, I'm sure it's a good story. So how did you get hold of Azura's Star exactly?”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 18.6
“Are you really a thief?” Farkas whispered, glancing nervously around the inn. Definitely a simple one.
“Wouldn't tell you if I was, lad,” Brynjolf murmured. “Don't tell me you want to change jobs.”
“Farkas!” Vilkas snapped. “We do not look up to criminals.”
“I wasn't...” Farkas protested, before glaring at his brother. “Look, if he's a thief, he might be able to help! We never got anywhere, but a sneaky type might.”
“Get where?” Brynjolf asked, his curiosity piqued. He didn't know what the brothers would have in the way of coin, but a favour owed in Jorrvaskr might come in useful.
“Farkas!” Vilkas hissed, but he was gritting his teeth, clearly seeing something in his brother's argument, his hands going to something clipped to his waist – Shor's bones, was that Azura's Star?? Looked a bit worse for wear, but it definitely looked like the descriptions Brynjolf had read.
“You want to tell me what you lads are mixed up in?” Brynjolf asked, just as Karliah arrived with drinks in hand.
“Making some friends, Brynjolf?” she asked, before her eyes raked over the Star on Vilkas' belt, Dunmer eyes seeing what Brynjolf initially hadn't noticed. “By N- by the Reclamations, is that Azura's Star??”
“It is not for sale!” Vilkas hissed, grabbing it and putting it on the table out of either thief's reach.
“In that condition, I'm not sure I'd want to buy it,” Karliah said, looking vaguely appalled at the state the Star had got into as she took a seat on the bench next to Farkas. “What did you do to it?”
“Nothing!” Vilkas snapped. “It was like that when we found it. We're on our way to Azura's shrine in Winterhold to take it back!”
“I'm sure Azura will be ecstatic to see what's happened to it,” Karliah said, eyeing it nervously. Sapphire arrived at that point, fresh from having hauled the bags into the rooms, and accepted her mead off Karliah, taking a seat next to the Dunmer.
“Honningbrew?” Sapphire asked, waving the mead in the air. “I feel like a traitor just looking at it.”
“No need, I get five per cent on all sales,” Karliah said cheerfully, before realising what she'd just admitted and blushing.
“You!” Brynjolf cried. “You're the one who was trying to take down Maven!”
“To hurt a man, first bring down his allies,” said Karliah, shrugging as she sipped her Honningbrew. “If it's any consolation, I can reign in the competition a little if you like? Not really any point antagonising Maven any more...”
“Please spare us your corrupt business dealings,” Vilkas growled, rolling his eyes. Farkas was staring at his own Honningbrew, wondering if drinking it was honourable any more. He hoped so, he really liked the taste.
Sapphire narrowed her eyes, steely glaze not leaving Vilkas.
“Brynjolf, why are we sitting down to dinner with two mercenaries who are clearly going to sit there judging us every five minutes?”
“Ah now, that's a very good question, Sapphire,” Brynjolf said, glad of a change in subject. “See, these two lads are Companions of Jorrvaskr, and they were going to entertain us all with a heroic story involving a sworn oath, Azura's Star and a possible job that we might be able to help with. Weren't you, Vilkas?”
“A job?” Karliah said, toying with her mead bottle, her earlier reservations over the Star forgotten as the prospect of coin dangled in front of her. “What sort of job?”
“We charge for our services,” Sapphire said fiercely. “I doubt you've got the coin to hire us.”
“Now, now,” Brynjolf said calmly. “I'm sure we can negotiate a fee once we've heard everything. Even if we don't take it, well, I'm sure it's a good story. So how did you get hold of Azura's Star exactly?”