Northbound Pilgrimage II

Chapter XCIII - Hard Truths

They entered the cistern to a myriad of familiar sounds and smells.

Breakfast was in full swing and as usual, several rogues had taken root in the kitchen to prepare various types of foods for themselves and the others. There were always at least three or four thieves working there on different things. Bishop had been roped into it himself a few times during their stay – after considerable nudging from Aeyrin who just couldn't stand substituting his cooking for so long.

The pleasant smells of spices and herbs flowed through the air, but none of that was able to hide the ever-present musty stink of the sewer.

Today it felt particularly stifling.

Nobody really paid Bishop and Brynjolf any attention when they stepped inside with somber looks on their faces, but Bryn was determined to get this over with. He headed straight towards the center of the room and situated himself below the large glowing orb.

Bishop wanted to wait by the exit, or go find Aeyrin, but Brynjolf gave him a disturbingly encouraging nod. Fuck, he didn't want to be there.

With a groan, he stepped closer, but he didn't join Brynjolf on the platform, pointedly waiting for him to get on with it. Before Brynjolf could speak though, someone finally took notice of them.

"There you are," Sapphire rushed over to Bishop with a wide grin on her face. "Come on, back to the kitchen already!" she let out a merry laugh at her own joke.

Bishop wasn't really in the mood to react. This was gonna be shitty enough to get through as it was. And when Sapphire noticed his morose expression, she instantly got defensive.

"Fucking Void, I was just kidding."

Bishop still didn't react, but he didn't really need to. Soon enough, Brynjolf's voice finally boomed all around the cistern.

"Everyone!" he called out to anyone that could hear him. "We bring some... unsettling news."

The thieves turned their attention to Bryn instantly and they all started to leave their seats and beds to gather around the central platform. They all looked anxiously from Brynjolf to Bishop and to everywhere around, possibly trying to find Karliah, if they even realized that she was gone.

Soon enough, Bishop noticed Aeyrin emerge from their small room, right outside the main circular chamber, with Raven at her heel. The Imperial was clinging to her just as they stepped out of the door, with his hand on her shoulder and his presence all too close, but the moment she saw Bishop, she instantly rushed towards him, leaving Raven behind.

While Brynjolf waited for everyone to gather around, Aeyrin made her way through the small crowd until she could finally nuzzle herself into Bishop's embrace.

"I was worried," she murmured as she pressed herself against him. And apparently she was right to be, judging from the somewhat deep cut on his cheek and the bruise under his eye. She moved her hand gently to his face to inspect the wound.

"I told you I'd be gone all night," his tone was somewhat admonishing, but he still squeezed her tighter to himself.

"I know. Still," she sighed as she looked properly at the cut. "What happened?"

He had such a somber expression on his face, it really filled her with dread. But he didn't answer her. He just shook his head instead, still with that same expression. It definitely didn't ease her worries.

"As I've said," Brynjolf started to talk again when he was satisfied with his audience. It was possible that everyone was in that room just then, listening to him. "We bring some bad news from our mission."