Walk with Shadows

The Briar is Black

The road between the Sanctuary and the Cistern was always too damn long. Gwen had always been exhausted by the time she set foot in Riften or at the door. Tonight was no different. It was roughly midnight as she stepped foot into the town, rubbing her eyes. She glanced to the Bee as she walked. There was a chance that Brynjolf was at home entertaining a woman. Her feet slowed to a halt, staring off into the distance.

The thought bothered her. She took in a soft breath and shook her head, pushing past her discomfort. Her thoughts were on how unfair this was. She can't impose unrealistic standards on him, especially with the way she acted towards him. She had already taken a few steps towards the guild while lost in thought. She was a member now, but thinking better of it the woman turned back to the Bee. He could be at home with a woman and while that is his business, it is not something she could bare to see yet. She walked in to Talen's joyful smile.

"Welcome. It has been a while. Would you like the regular?" She nodded slowly with her shoulders slumped. She simply didn't have the energy to speak, with a nod she fished out her coin purse, setting the gold into his palm. "Gweneith, I always like when you are here." She widened her eyes for a moment then digs once again in her side pack. Pulling out a small purple gem she looked to him.

"Hey... I found this in my travels, Talen. I think this makes three now, right?"

The Argonian stared at her as she placed it into his palm and closed the fist. "Gweneith... I don't know what to say."

"There is nothing to say. Go get her." She chuckled breathlessly. "You are a good man, Talen. Just continue to be this good man." She stood as straight as she could as he scrambled to give her something. She held her hand up and pushed his prize back to him. "I can't take that."

"But-"

"No, Talen. My needs are mostly met. I have a good life now. Taking that from you and her would do me no good. I'll be upstairs."

"You deserve more than you have, Gweneith." She simply shrugged slightly while watching him walk away, a pep in the man's step.

"Well now..." A voice pipes up behind her, forcing her to jump a little. She looked behind her, only to find Mercer amused with a mug in his hand. "That wasn't very good for the guild."

She groaned a little, walking past him. "This was not guild business. There is a clear divide between my personal life and the guild."

"There is not." He scoffed after taking a drink. "Everything you do is for your guilds. We own you."

"No one owns me, Mercer Fey. You would do will to quiet down as well, because without Brynjolf you wouldn't have many new recruits and the old ones die off quickly." She laughed a little. "So chastise me all you wish. I am free to leave anytime and unless I'm on a job from you, what I do is my own business."

"Ah, so you'll take orders? Sounds like you are owned, elf." She stopped in her tracks, eyes on the floor and back to him at the bottom of the stairs.

"You want to say that again?"

"It's just that Maven needs to see you and you've been dodging her for weeks. Brynjolf, too, it seems. How heartbroken he was before finally coming to his senses and diving into a line of women deeper than the lake of the rift." She sighed, turning to him. He was slightly sneering, but once she saw him that face eased. "You need to check in with us more than you do." She felt her teeth grit. "So you're going to meet Maven tomorrow morning. Don't bother coming to the Cistern tonight. Not a pleasant sight for you to be had there, girl."

She rolled her eyes at him simply plowing through and ignoring him... Nazir was right when he said to trust her gut. She curtly nodding and spoke lowly. "Have a good night, Mercer." She walked away from the satisfied man up the stairs with a heavier step than she meant to. He was trying to hurt her, why, she could not tell. She sat at the small, thankfully empty table and started to write. She felt she might be here for a while, Mercer was too insistent. She leaned back as the wood in the stairs creaks.