“Elisif,” Delphine admitted. “She got herself arrested poking into Thonar's underhand arrangements, and once she was imprisoned she managed to sweet-talk Madanach into helping her out. He worked out who she was and made a deal with her. It's amazing what mutual hatred of Ulfric Stormcloak can bring about. So they're assisting us with operational matters and providing protection while we're working with them on a plan to sort out our Dragonborn's Stormcloak problem and hopefully get them the Reach in the process. I'll tell you the details later, but suffice to say it's going to be interesting. Did you say you and Karliah had bounties in Windhelm?”
“Afraid so,” Karliah said. “I don't normally get caught, you understand, but the job required it. I don't know if Brynjolf has a bounty as such, but if he was seen talking to the guards, they might want to question him.”
“That's a pity,” Delphine said. “Never mind. I might still be able to use Sapphire. I need to scout the place, and I'll need someone unobtrusive to give me a hand. Don't worry about your bounties, I have a feeling Ulfric won't be in charge much longer. I'm sure his successor will be willing to erase any bounties resulting from Nord injustice.”
Brynjolf took another swig of mead, feeling that somewhere along the line, someone had gone mad and he was no longer sure it wasn't him.
“So Elisif's definitely not a Forsworn prisoner then,” Brynjolf said firmly.
“No, she went to High Hrothgar with Erandur – that's a Dunmer priest she recruited – to find out about ways of bringing down Alduin,” Delphine replied. “She was fine when she left, and the Forsworn were keeping an eye on her until she reached the Reach's borders. She got that far unharmed.”
“Might want to tell General Tullius that then, he's thinking of turning the Reach over looking for her. Can't see your Forsworn alliance lasting if that happens, and if he comes here...” Brynjolf let her work the rest out for herself.
“And I'm supposed to do what?” Delphine cried. “I don't know where she is now, if she's still at High Hrothgar or on her way back or what. She's High Queen in her mind and Dragonborn, you try ordering her around. She could be anywhere, and honestly she's safer that way. The Dark Brotherhood are still out there looking for her, don't forget.”
“Someone took a contract out on Jarl Elisif?” Sapphire gasped. “Do we know who? That poor girl...”
“No we don't,” Delphine said, starting to smile. “But we know how to find the Dark Brotherhood now. Once we'd managed to get him to stop rambling about filthy defiling Mother-slandering harlots and their heretical ways, Cicero was very co-operative. I know where their Sanctuary is, I know their current membership, I even know the passphrase. We wipe them out, we'll have eliminated one of the bigger threats to Elisif's safety, and she'll be able to go back to Solitude.”
“You're wiping out the Dark Brotherhood,” Sapphire whispered, horrified. Damn it. Brynjolf should have anticipated this. Even though they'd kicked her out, Sapphire still had some residual loyalty left to them.
“It might not come to that,” Brynjolf said, reaching out to take Sapphire's hand, hoping to calm her down. “Right, Delphine?”
“I'm open to alternative suggestions,” said Delphine with a frown, and next to her Aela seemed confused as to why anyone wouldn't want to wipe them out. “Why?”
“It's complicated,” Sapphire sighed. “It's just I know them. Used to be a member until a little misunderstanding made me have to leave. I don't think I can kill people who used to be friends. Nazir was OK, so was Babette, Gabriella too, all of them really. Can't we buy them off with the money from the Eyes?”
“We don't have that money yet and I don't wish to spend it all buying the Dark Brotherhood off, and do you trust them to keep their word? I don't!” Delphine snapped. “Safest way to make sure this contract never happens is to wipe them out. Also I promised Cicero a bloodfest. I'm not sure what he'll do if I tell him it's no longer happening.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.3
“Afraid so,” Karliah said. “I don't normally get caught, you understand, but the job required it. I don't know if Brynjolf has a bounty as such, but if he was seen talking to the guards, they might want to question him.”
“That's a pity,” Delphine said. “Never mind. I might still be able to use Sapphire. I need to scout the place, and I'll need someone unobtrusive to give me a hand. Don't worry about your bounties, I have a feeling Ulfric won't be in charge much longer. I'm sure his successor will be willing to erase any bounties resulting from Nord injustice.”
Brynjolf took another swig of mead, feeling that somewhere along the line, someone had gone mad and he was no longer sure it wasn't him.
“So Elisif's definitely not a Forsworn prisoner then,” Brynjolf said firmly.
“No, she went to High Hrothgar with Erandur – that's a Dunmer priest she recruited – to find out about ways of bringing down Alduin,” Delphine replied. “She was fine when she left, and the Forsworn were keeping an eye on her until she reached the Reach's borders. She got that far unharmed.”
“Might want to tell General Tullius that then, he's thinking of turning the Reach over looking for her. Can't see your Forsworn alliance lasting if that happens, and if he comes here...” Brynjolf let her work the rest out for herself.
“And I'm supposed to do what?” Delphine cried. “I don't know where she is now, if she's still at High Hrothgar or on her way back or what. She's High Queen in her mind and Dragonborn, you try ordering her around. She could be anywhere, and honestly she's safer that way. The Dark Brotherhood are still out there looking for her, don't forget.”
“Someone took a contract out on Jarl Elisif?” Sapphire gasped. “Do we know who? That poor girl...”
“No we don't,” Delphine said, starting to smile. “But we know how to find the Dark Brotherhood now. Once we'd managed to get him to stop rambling about filthy defiling Mother-slandering harlots and their heretical ways, Cicero was very co-operative. I know where their Sanctuary is, I know their current membership, I even know the passphrase. We wipe them out, we'll have eliminated one of the bigger threats to Elisif's safety, and she'll be able to go back to Solitude.”
“You're wiping out the Dark Brotherhood,” Sapphire whispered, horrified. Damn it. Brynjolf should have anticipated this. Even though they'd kicked her out, Sapphire still had some residual loyalty left to them.
“It might not come to that,” Brynjolf said, reaching out to take Sapphire's hand, hoping to calm her down. “Right, Delphine?”
“I'm open to alternative suggestions,” said Delphine with a frown, and next to her Aela seemed confused as to why anyone wouldn't want to wipe them out. “Why?”
“It's complicated,” Sapphire sighed. “It's just I know them. Used to be a member until a little misunderstanding made me have to leave. I don't think I can kill people who used to be friends. Nazir was OK, so was Babette, Gabriella too, all of them really. Can't we buy them off with the money from the Eyes?”
“We don't have that money yet and I don't wish to spend it all buying the Dark Brotherhood off, and do you trust them to keep their word? I don't!” Delphine snapped. “Safest way to make sure this contract never happens is to wipe them out. Also I promised Cicero a bloodfest. I'm not sure what he'll do if I tell him it's no longer happening.”