The Thief of Hearts (A Brynjolf Fanfic)

5

"Vex, no!"

I was pinned to the wall by a sharp elbow stabbing me in my collarbone. I choked and blinked back tears to find myself staring through blurred vision. Every single thief in the Ragged Flagon was on guard, daggers, bows and arrows, swords, and more were drawn. The only one who looked truly unprepared was Brynjolf. I shook my head to clear my senses, finding myself gazing into the face of a blond Imperial woman.

"Vex, I said stop," Brynjolf barked.

"You brought an outsider, Brynjolf!" the woman, Vex, hissed.

"Do you not remember what happened the last time you did that?" a man, powerful and bald, demanded in the back.

"Shut your mouth, Delvin," Brynjolf snapped. "And if I remember correctly, I'm still in charge as of now." He turned his piercing eyes to Vex. "I'll not say it again, little one. Let her GO."

Vex sneered but did as she was told, allowing me to slide to the floor. I rubbed my bruised chest bone and looked up in fear. I knew this was a bad idea. I should have listened to my infallible gut instinct. But no. I had to be like one of those silly girls in the terrible stories I'd heard about, where they were dragged off behind buildings to be dishonored and slaughtered like mere animals. And yet all I could think about was my beautiful mother's face and my beloved Whiterun.

I should have never come to Riften, I thought sincerely.

"You're a fool, Brynjolf," a woman with smooth, ebony skin chided. She sat at the bar, tense but unmoved.

"I've been called worse," he said through gritted teeth, walking to me. I scooted away on my rear, eager to be free of him. He gave me a pained look. "I'm sorry, lass," he said genuinely. "My men mean well, they're just a tad--"

"Careful," a Bosmer archer concluded. "We're careful, Brynjolf. As you should be with outsiders. Especially with the Dark Brotherhood tainting our name left and right."

"A servant girl isn't going to harm us," Brynjolf snapped suddenly. "For dragons' sake, she's smaller than Vex. What could she possibly do?"

"My point exactly," the bartender chimed in.

"Shut up, Vekel," Brynjolf commanded.

"If you're going to kill me," I announced shakily, staggering to my feet, "do it now." My chest hurt and I wouldn't have been surprised to learn it had been fractured. I was exhausted and my adrenaline was running out. Soon I'd have no fight left in me. I'd rather have died on my own terms than have to listen to them bicker. However, no one moved towards me to harm me. Not even the pinched-faced Vex. They did, nonetheless, stare at me with heated glares.

"No one is going to kill you," Brynjolf said firmly. "I told you I'd protect you."

"What is this, Brynjolf?" the balding man, Delvin barked. "Are you so smitten with a pretty serving girl that you'd risk our safety?"

"She IS easy on the eyes," agreed the Bosmer with a smirk.

"Listen to me, you idiots," Brynjolf said, the gentleness gone from his voice. In its place was a stern, commanding tone that reverberated off the walls and back, causing the irritated thieves to stand straight and tall. "A guardsman was murdered in the streets...poisoned by the Dark Brotherhood."

"So?" Vex asked.

"They had this on him," he said, reaching into a hidden pocket to bring forth something small. I could barely see it from where I stood, but as I peered closer I saw a piece of parchment paper. On it was a diamond insignia, a small circle in the middle. Everyone let out a collective gasp. I had no idea what it was, but something told me it was fairly important.