Brynjolf, as predicted, had not been at all happy, and his mood had not been helped by Karliah piously pointing out that this was exactly why they needed to return the Key as soon as they could, and the resulting loss of temper could have led to a vicious falling out had Sapphire not intervened to calm them both down. In the end, things had been patched up and the three thieves had agreed to check Markarth out, maybe check in with the Blades as well, and then once the gold had been shared out, the three of them would head off to the Twilight Sepulchre in Falkreath and return the Key once and for all. So off they'd trotted, walking as far as Whiterun then getting the carriage the rest of the way.
The first sign that something was up was the general absence of Forsworn. There were often a few seen pointedly watching from the distance or just hunting. This time, nothing. The carriage had taken the safer south route, but the driver had remarked in passing how quiet the Forsworn had got just lately. Almost as if they were up to something.
The second sign was the absence of the Markarth City Guard. Instead the city was guarded by Legion soldiers, the rams' horns gone and the Empire's banners everywhere.
“Oh that is not good,” Karliah whispered from under the priest robes she'd 'borrowed' from Danica Pure-Spring in Whiterun. Next to her, Sapphire, dressed in a dress that had once been Alfhild Battle-Born's and with the Eyes nestling under her stomach to make her look pregnant, was also staring around in shock.
“What in Oblivion happened?” Sapphire whispered. “This city was already loyal to the Empire in the war, why the need to invade?”
Brynjolf mentally revised their cover story. Refugee Talos worshippers seeking a line of currency to set up in Ulfric's lands might not be the sure thing it had once been. He could only hope the Silver-Bloods were still in possession of sufficient coin and respect to be able to help.
His hopes were dashed as soon as he got into the inn, Karliah settling Sapphire into a side corner, looking for all the world like a Dunmer healer-midwife tending to a heavily pregnant young woman.
“Haven't you heard?” Kleppr the bartender snapped as he served the mead Brynjolf had just ordered. “I'm surprised it's not halfway across Skyrim yet. The Reach is an Imperial protectorate now, or might as well be. The Forsworn broke out of Cidhna Mine, assassinating the entire Silver-Blood family in the process – oh sure, they're saying that Thongvor might have been a Dark Brotherhood hit, but the assassin's body wasn't left behind after the jailbreak, so if he wasn't Forsworn before, he certainly is now.”
Brynjolf felt his heart sink. Their last hope of cashing these beauties in, gone. He could weep. Of all the bad luck... He could just imagine the 'I told you so' look on Karliah's face when she heard this. He guessed they'd have to head over to Falkreath sooner rather than later. At least Delphine could be relied on to look after the Eyes for them.
“So if the Silver-Bloods are gone, who's got all their money? And why are the Empire here in force?”
“Normally all assets would default to the Jarl without a legitimate heir turning up, but it's anyone's guess who that'll be,” Kleppr sighed. “Igmund's still Jarl, and he's got Nepos the Nose looking after the Silver-Blood estate seeing as he's the only person with any seniority left over there, but seeing as the idiot was so foolish as to let Thonar lock Jarl Elisif herself up in Cidhna Mine without a trial, and now the Forsworn have abducted her, I can't really see Igmund's reign continuing, can you?”
“Shor's left testicle, are you serious?” Brynjolf swore. “Jarl Elisif??? Ended up in Cidhna Mine?”
“That's what they say,” Kleppr nodded. “Apparently Thonar locked her up in there to try and stop her doing any more damage to the Stormcloak cause. I'd say that's backfired rather spectacularly, wouldn't you say?”
“The world's doomed,” Brynjolf managed to utter, paying for the drinks and heading back over to where Karliah and Sapphire were waiting.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 21.2
The first sign that something was up was the general absence of Forsworn. There were often a few seen pointedly watching from the distance or just hunting. This time, nothing. The carriage had taken the safer south route, but the driver had remarked in passing how quiet the Forsworn had got just lately. Almost as if they were up to something.
The second sign was the absence of the Markarth City Guard. Instead the city was guarded by Legion soldiers, the rams' horns gone and the Empire's banners everywhere.
“Oh that is not good,” Karliah whispered from under the priest robes she'd 'borrowed' from Danica Pure-Spring in Whiterun. Next to her, Sapphire, dressed in a dress that had once been Alfhild Battle-Born's and with the Eyes nestling under her stomach to make her look pregnant, was also staring around in shock.
“What in Oblivion happened?” Sapphire whispered. “This city was already loyal to the Empire in the war, why the need to invade?”
Brynjolf mentally revised their cover story. Refugee Talos worshippers seeking a line of currency to set up in Ulfric's lands might not be the sure thing it had once been. He could only hope the Silver-Bloods were still in possession of sufficient coin and respect to be able to help.
His hopes were dashed as soon as he got into the inn, Karliah settling Sapphire into a side corner, looking for all the world like a Dunmer healer-midwife tending to a heavily pregnant young woman.
“Haven't you heard?” Kleppr the bartender snapped as he served the mead Brynjolf had just ordered. “I'm surprised it's not halfway across Skyrim yet. The Reach is an Imperial protectorate now, or might as well be. The Forsworn broke out of Cidhna Mine, assassinating the entire Silver-Blood family in the process – oh sure, they're saying that Thongvor might have been a Dark Brotherhood hit, but the assassin's body wasn't left behind after the jailbreak, so if he wasn't Forsworn before, he certainly is now.”
Brynjolf felt his heart sink. Their last hope of cashing these beauties in, gone. He could weep. Of all the bad luck... He could just imagine the 'I told you so' look on Karliah's face when she heard this. He guessed they'd have to head over to Falkreath sooner rather than later. At least Delphine could be relied on to look after the Eyes for them.
“So if the Silver-Bloods are gone, who's got all their money? And why are the Empire here in force?”
“Normally all assets would default to the Jarl without a legitimate heir turning up, but it's anyone's guess who that'll be,” Kleppr sighed. “Igmund's still Jarl, and he's got Nepos the Nose looking after the Silver-Blood estate seeing as he's the only person with any seniority left over there, but seeing as the idiot was so foolish as to let Thonar lock Jarl Elisif herself up in Cidhna Mine without a trial, and now the Forsworn have abducted her, I can't really see Igmund's reign continuing, can you?”
“Shor's left testicle, are you serious?” Brynjolf swore. “Jarl Elisif??? Ended up in Cidhna Mine?”
“That's what they say,” Kleppr nodded. “Apparently Thonar locked her up in there to try and stop her doing any more damage to the Stormcloak cause. I'd say that's backfired rather spectacularly, wouldn't you say?”
“The world's doomed,” Brynjolf managed to utter, paying for the drinks and heading back over to where Karliah and Sapphire were waiting.