Skyrim | Thief Of Hearts | DISCONTINUED

17.

{Brynjolf POV}

'She is WHAT?!' My fist made contact with the table, the sound that echoed through the cistern staggering the thieves that were scattered across the room, causing them to look up from practicing their skills. The hideout fell silent, the only audible sound was a lockpick breaking, followed by a few whispered curses of Rune. Mercer had returned after dawn, which seemed a bit strange to me, since Goldenglow Estate wasn't that far away. 'She ran away. You heard me. She has, however, left behind... this note.' Mercer shoved a piece of paper my way and I took it, peeling the seal off the parchment. My eyes scanned the letters and my jaw fell. 'No... She would never...'

To Brynjolf,

You're easy to fool, even for a thief. But then, you pretty much threw this oppurtunity in my lap so I couldn't do anything else than to grasp it with both hands. You're such a sweet guy, but oh so simple to manipulate. Thank you for taking care of Relyn for me, the madman was as stupid as you are. Anyways, I got a little change of mind when I was at that Estate. You know, the gold I found could get me a fine house in the west of Tamriel. That's what I joined for in the first place. I just wanted a house for me and Nero, get a proper job, a family even. I don't want to be with your pity Guild, so I'm leaving. Don't search for me, don't even try. Goodbye, Brynjolf.

(Y/n)

'Why? I thought she loved the Guild!' I muttered, pressing my palms to my temples. 'I thought she loved it too, Bryn.' I looked up at Mercer and shook my head. 'If you hadn't sent her on the job, she wouldn't have gotten the gold and she wouldn't have ran off!' 'But you took her with you to give her an oppurtunity to earn gold!' I pressed my lips in a tight line. He was right. I invited her because she seemed low on coin and an excellent thief. Of course she got earnings, and this was her dream after all. 'Maybe it's time for me to go on a field trip, Mercer. I just need to take my mind off things.' The Guild leader nodded. 'I am not the one to prevent you from taking a small holiday, friend. But the chance exists that you'll walk into (Y/n), and then she'll hate you forever since she told you especially not to follow her.' A sigh left my lips and I scratched through my beard. 'I'll stay discreet, keep my eyes out and follow her if I have the chance to. I am a very good thief as well, Mercer.' 'You mean you're going to stalk her?' I nodded briefly before turning on my heels. 'I'll leave by tomorrow morning.' I noticed a burning gaze upon me and looked up, only to see Rune looking at me intensely. 'What happened to (Y/n)?' 'She ran off.' 'No! That can't be true!' I shrugged and smiled sadly. 'It's still true.' Rune fisted his hair, a look of desperation on his face. 'And I just wanted to ask her out tonight!' My stomach churned. 'W-What?' 'Yeah, I had to do it before Vipir and Thrynn would do it. They are after her as well, so I had to grab my chances.' A sour taste filled my mouth and I swallowed. 'After her?' Rune smirked a bit and threw his arm around my shoulders. 'Brynjolf, are you surprised? All of a sudden, a stunning thief girl barges into the cistern, a pretty good one either, and she appears to be a bachelor? We are a den full of loveless, desperate males. What did you expect?' I frowned. I hadn't thought about others falling for (Y/n) as well. A feeling of jealousy welled up in my stomach as I imagined the sight of her in the arms of Rune. Even though Rune had nothing to do with it, I had to resist the urge to slap him. 'So, what are your plans?' The Imperial asked. 'I'm going to look for (Y/n).' 'Can I come with you?' I shook my head. 'No.' 'Why not?' Vipir asked like he was a little child. 'Because it will only slow me down. I am going to find her, follow her and see what she's up to. I'll be back in a few weeks.' Rune gasped. 'What are you, a stalker?' 'Maybe I am. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to pack my bags and find her.' The brunet sat down on the edge of my bed, sighing deeply. 'I really can't come with you, eh?' 'Good guess.' 'Thank you.' He rolled his eyes as I grabbed my backpack from under my bed. I tossed in a few lion cloths and a casual garment. 'I think it would be a good idea to disguise myself as somebody else. The chance of finding her is pretty big. How far could she have gone?' I pushed aside a few of the things I put in the bag and slipped in a dagger, a full purse and a few healing potions. 'Not far, I think. When was she last seen?' 'By one of us? No idea. But she was at the Estate about twenty-four hours ago. She doesn't have a horse, so it's just a short travel if I take Theodore from the stables with me.' I said. Rune stood up, stretching his limbs. 'Right. I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope you'll find her.' I nodded and grabbed my bag to get a food supply. I wrapped a piece of bread and some leeks into some parchment and stuffed them in the backpack. 'Are you going away?' Vex asked while sipping an ale. 'For a few weeks, yes. I am going to find (Y/n).' 'Oh, she left. Wasn't that big of a surprise though. Delvin kept staring at her creepily.' 'Then why are you still here? Delvin has been staring at you for years now!' The blonde huffed. 'I am used to it. Now shoo. You're blocking the bar.' I raised my eyebrows and walked back to the cistern, where I put my bag on the floor. I pulled off my boots and laid down in my bed, deciding to rest for a day before departing to the outside world.