A Master Thief (A Brynjolf Fanfic)

Three

I slept ill that night, though that should have come to no small surprise. When the guard arrived I lied quickly, apologizing and saying I'd had a nightmare. Why I didn't tell him the truth, I can't say. I did make sure to bar my window and draw the curtains shut, however. The next morning came without fanfare, and I ate my breakfast with the madam in silence. As luck would have it, she had been too drunk and into her...uh, festivities to have heard or to have comprehended my screaming the night prior. Though we barely spoke, I could see on her sickened face that she felt guilty about the entirety of the past day, but I gave her credit for trying to hide it. 

"You look pale, child," she mentioned in a groggy voice. "Did you not sleep well?"

"Nightmares, madam," was I dared mention. I had circles under my eyes I was apparent of. But it was not from fear that I didn't sleep. The thief was in my thoughts, his boldness, his rudeness at asking me for a kiss...the very gall! I could tell he had to have been young, perhaps three years older than me at the most. Nonetheless, his pink-lipped smirk and collected demeanor had me curious as to what he possibly looked like beneath his hood. I knew he had green eyes....

Like freshly cut emeralds, at that. 

"Ria? Are you listening to me? Don't be rude, girl," the madam snapped suddenly. I sat straightly and looked at her. 

"I apologize," I murmured. "What was that?"

"I said I would like to nap at some point today," she explained, lying her napkin down. "And I think you should do the same. Later, we have business to attend to."

My heart beat coldly. "What business?" I asked, rude as it was.

"Don't act foolish, Ria," Madam Callick begged. "You know what business. The Altmer boy, Telir, wishes to spend the afternoon with you."

I slumped. I didn't want that. But of course, no one cared what I wanted in this marriage business. "Yes, madam," I mumbled, picking at my food. I heard her sigh and glanced at her once more. 

"I do wish you wouldn't paint me as the villain here, Ria," Madam Callick said, her face green and disappointed. "Since you turned seventeen, you knew what I had been contracted to do by your father and stepmother. Please don't make it out as me being the enemy. I simply do as I am told, as so you should do as well."

"Yes, madam," I repeated. 

"Who knows?" she tried giving me a smile, though I could tell she had a headache. "Telir is quite a handsome lad. And they say that if one is chosen to be wed to a Altmer--a Thalmor in this case--that it is one of the highest honors in Tamriel. So be happy! You are to be the wife of a powerful being."

I didn't want to argue.I didn't want to make her suffer. But try as I might, I couldn't force a smile to my face. Finally, Madam Callick gave up trying to placate me and stood. She announced she needed to lie down. I nodded, thinking of retiring myself to lounge and read for a bit. But then I walked by the opened foyer doors. I saw Riften outside, hearing the bustle of life and business. I  steeled my ground and bade the tiny servant girl, Sofia, to dress me. I then told her to get her things and follow me.

"M-My lady?" the child stammered. 

"I'm going out," I announced, smiling a bit at the girl's shocked expression. "And I need someone to go with me."

~

Riften was less fragrant than the madam and I had been led to believe. In the bright Skyrim sun, Lake Honrich was a putrid mess of stagnant water. The air reeked of day-drunks, unwashed bodies, and sweat. Yet despite the dizzying smells, to be free of my prissy confines was exhilarating. I could tell Sofia was less excited, but I was smart and had a guardsman of the madam's employment follow us as well. That eased the girl's worries for a time. I walked about and grew steadily more excited as I peered into here and there, looking at certain things and pausing at stalls to shop around. I had a bit of coin on me, but not much. Finally, though, we all grew hungry, and I sat on a bench along a bridge. I gave Sofia some coins to buy us food from a vendor, having the guard watch her closely so that she would not get robbed or worse. 

I allowed the humid air to tussle my hair back and forth. It offered a foul, if soothing breeze, as my silk dress had caused me to grow heated most profusely. To my left, I noticed movement and glanced over. A man garbed in sinister black armor stood pointing at a man. They stood within the shadows, but it was easy enough to make out that they were having a dispute. I studied them intently, transfixed. The man in black was young and tall, thin with broad shoulders and dark hair that hung long around his face. He would have, perhaps, been decent to look at, but his features were cruel and his mouth a thin frown. It was clear by his motions that he was accusing the other man--this one garbed in smithing clothing--of something. Suddenly, the man in black shot a deadly look in my direction, and I turned immediately. No need to draw unwanted attention.

"Smart move there, miss," a voice said. I looked up, finding a young gentleman standing before me. He wore a loose shirt over breeches, his auburn hair tied back with a ribbon. He had dazzling green eyes and a set of the most lovely rose-colored lips I'd ever seen. He was so handsome, in fact, he took my breath away momentarily. "He's a nasty one, Maul."

"I-I beg your pardon?" I asked softly, blushing I'm sure. 

"Maul. The lad in black?" he nodded. "He's the newest member of the Dark Brotherhood--a bleak bunch to be sure. A lady like you has no business getting involved with them."

"I-I see," I mumbled, studying the boy closely. "Who are you? An associate of this...Maul?"

"Me? Of the gods, no, miss," he chuckled. "Just a humble passer-by." At that moment, my guard and Sofia began to approach. As though on cue, the boy bowed, strands of his thick red hair falling before his features. "Have a pleasant day. Apologizes for bothering you." And with that, he was off, gone before I could get his name. 

"M'lady?" Sofia asked, alarm in her tone as she watched the flippant youth stroll casually away. "Wh-Who was that rogue?!"

"I'm not sure," I murmured softly as she handed me a roll of bread. "I'm not sure at all."

~

When I returned mere moments later, Madam Callick was still asleep, faint in her room. Her most unladylike snores echoed through the halls and I made my way back to my chambers for a brief rest. The heat and humidity had winded me deeply and I longed for a cool nap before I was forced to interact with Telir. I admonished myself; Telir couldn't be that bad. After a night of no sleep thanks to that devilish young thief in my window, I was beginning to think I'd preemptively judged the Altmer boy. Perhaps he was simply awkward upon first meeting and would grow on me? He was dazzling in form and I knew many girls of varying races that would simply keel over in a fit of sighing should a beautiful Elven man stare at them for too long. 

I sat down and combed the tangles from my hair. My face had gotten a bit too much sun but I cared little. As I stripped to a cooler gown--without the help of the now exhausted little Sofia--I glanced over at where I'd lain my black ribbon Madam Callick had given me the night before. And to my utter astonishment, it wasn't on my dresser. Curious! Perhaps it had fallen. A knock on my door made me garb myself in my covering gown before answering. An older maid stood with a tray bearing a delicate glass of red liquid.  I'd forgotten I'd sent off for some strong wine to help me rest before the afternoon's activities. As I sipped my drink, I continued to search for my ribbon. I'm sure it wasn't an expensive piece of accessory, but still...the madam had given it to me in belief I'd take care of it. I hardly wanted to lose it. 

The more I looked, the more weary I became. Finally, I laid down on my bed, fatigued. I wondered where it had gone, but my wine was gone and I was quickly descending into sleep. As my lids fluttered, I recalled that I'd locked my windows before we'd left for our excursion in Riften. So the thief from last night certainly couldn't have been the culprit...could he? Slowly I slipped into unconsciousness, with one final odd thought drifting through my mind as I did so. 

The boy in the square, with the bright green eyes...he had a black ribbon in his hair. 

~

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