Nobody expected the infamous Maven Black-Briar to have a particularly high opinion of Mjoll the Lioness. This was an opinionated, fiery young wanderer with a loud voice and a quick hand. She despised the Thieves' Guild, she loathed the corruption, and she had her heart set on cleaning up the city. She was also the only one to openly express her disdain for the hole Riften had dug itself into. All in all? Not a woman Maven would be happy to hear about.
When Mjoll was summoned to Mistveil Keep, therefore, nobody saw any good coming out of it. Aerin had flown into a panic, begging his friend not to go there alone, or at least to meet her in public instead. Ever the optimist, Mjoll had simply smiled, shook her head, and knelt beside the bed where he sat. “You know me, Aerin. I'll be fine, I promise. I can tell when my life is in danger,” she assured him, laying both hands on his knees. “Do not come after me. I don't know what they'll do to you, and I couldn't bear knowing you're in danger.” Aerin nodded reluctantly, before pulling her in for a rare hug.
“Be careful, Mjoll.”
The first command she received upon entering the Keep was to hand over her weapons. Mjoll eyed the guard suspiciously, crossing her arms, and the guard in question shrugged. “Maven's orders. If she wanted to kill you, she wouldn't do it here.” The adventurer frowned, obeying the guard's request now but not taking her eyes off of him as she spoke.
“I can tell when my life is in danger,” she said again. “If that moment should come, I will kill her if I need to.”
“Understood. She's waiting for you in her quarters,” the guard replied, seemingly unaffected. Now Mjoll raised an eyebrow and stepped back.
“Her quarters?”
“Yes. From what I've heard, she needs to speak with you privately, and her quarters would be the easiest place to get that done.” The guard gestured over towards the doorway. “Go on, then.” Mjoll walked forward slowly, her heart starting to beat uncomfortably loud. She wasn't quite sure what she expected to find behind the door at the top of the stairs, but she was certain it wouldn't be a pleasant surprise.
Maven was already standing in the middle of the hall when the door creaked open. She smiled wryly at the wanderer, only to be met by a cold, unfeeling stare. As expected, she thought curtly. She knew full well what Mjoll the Lioness thought of her and her entire family. Hopefully, this little experience would teach her to be a little more reserved about it.
“You took your time getting up here,” she began, approaching the younger woman. “I believe I asked to speak to you immediately.”
“My apologies,” Mjoll replied, her voice betraying her actual thoughts. Maven stepped forward again, this time gripping the girl's wrist with a tight hand and yanking her forward with her. Mjoll gritted her teeth, her arm tensing in Maven's grip as she was pulled closer to the first door.
“I think it's time we cleared up our misunderstandings, Mjoll,” the Jarl said sweetly, gesturing towards the room on the other side of the wall. Mjoll followed her gaze unwillingly, suddenly unable to speak.
"Disdain" Part 1/?
When Mjoll was summoned to Mistveil Keep, therefore, nobody saw any good coming out of it. Aerin had flown into a panic, begging his friend not to go there alone, or at least to meet her in public instead. Ever the optimist, Mjoll had simply smiled, shook her head, and knelt beside the bed where he sat.
“You know me, Aerin. I'll be fine, I promise. I can tell when my life is in danger,” she assured him, laying both hands on his knees. “Do not come after me. I don't know what they'll do to you, and I couldn't bear knowing you're in danger.” Aerin nodded reluctantly, before pulling her in for a rare hug.
“Be careful, Mjoll.”
The first command she received upon entering the Keep was to hand over her weapons. Mjoll eyed the guard suspiciously, crossing her arms, and the guard in question shrugged. “Maven's orders. If she wanted to kill you, she wouldn't do it here.” The adventurer frowned, obeying the guard's request now but not taking her eyes off of him as she spoke.
“I can tell when my life is in danger,” she said again. “If that moment should come, I will kill her if I need to.”
“Understood. She's waiting for you in her quarters,” the guard replied, seemingly unaffected. Now Mjoll raised an eyebrow and stepped back.
“Her quarters?”
“Yes. From what I've heard, she needs to speak with you privately, and her quarters would be the easiest place to get that done.” The guard gestured over towards the doorway. “Go on, then.” Mjoll walked forward slowly, her heart starting to beat uncomfortably loud. She wasn't quite sure what she expected to find behind the door at the top of the stairs, but she was certain it wouldn't be a pleasant surprise.
Maven was already standing in the middle of the hall when the door creaked open. She smiled wryly at the wanderer, only to be met by a cold, unfeeling stare. As expected, she thought curtly. She knew full well what Mjoll the Lioness thought of her and her entire family. Hopefully, this little experience would teach her to be a little more reserved about it.
“You took your time getting up here,” she began, approaching the younger woman. “I believe I asked to speak to you immediately.”
“My apologies,” Mjoll replied, her voice betraying her actual thoughts. Maven stepped forward again, this time gripping the girl's wrist with a tight hand and yanking her forward with her. Mjoll gritted her teeth, her arm tensing in Maven's grip as she was pulled closer to the first door.
“I think it's time we cleared up our misunderstandings, Mjoll,” the Jarl said sweetly, gesturing towards the room on the other side of the wall. Mjoll followed her gaze unwillingly, suddenly unable to speak.
She could see chains on the bed.