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“Brynjolf!” Her voice was edged with anger as she strode into the cistern.
Her eyes glowed with an anger that I had not seen since Mercer had perished at our hands so long ago now it had seemed.
I studied this woman that had come to us just over a year and a half ago, Aruka.
She had swept through our lives like a lightning storm, leaving a wake of destruction; but after that wake, there had been a clarity we had not seen in a long time. Clarity that I had not seen in ages.
I smiled knowing full well that she would become even angrier, but I could not help myself.
She glanced over at me giving me one of her so well-known, do you mind?-looks.
She sat heavily on a nearby chair and began to adjust her thigh-high brown leather boots, pulling them this way and that until she was happy with them.
All of this was a sign I knew all too well; a precursor to her about to vent to me on some subject that irritated her. And that one subject was her not so favorite person in Riften.
She drew a breath in between her perfect ruby lips then began.
“That bloody Maven Black-Briar will pay for her mouth!”
Her hand strayed to the two daggers lying firmly at her sides, their edges as sharp as her tongue.
“I just came from our esteemed Jarl and she has special plans for us; the bitch she is. That is one bitch that should have been spayed a long time ago…”
She strayed off into moment for a thought then laughed; it was a chilling sound, not her usual laughter full of gaiety.
She rose to her full height beside me, leaning in close enough for me to drink in her scent. Honey and some unknown spice I had yet to figure out.
I wanted to kiss her lips, but now was not the time.
I glanced down to her heaving bosom and thought about that too, an ample…no Brynjolf; you must keep your mind on the subject at hand. I sighed in defeat.
“What is she on about now?” I queried.
She turned to me with brown eyes that narrowed into slits, her breath coming faster, chewing her bottom lip.
Why did she have to do that, did she not know what that did to me. Ugh woman, you are driving me insane with lust for you. I cannot concentrate!
“She wants to be named Guild Master, to take over…” she paused sucking her breath in sharply “and she wants you gone.”
I stared blankly at her, my mouth twitching slowly. My palms began to sweat, the neck of my cuirass rubbed against the back of my neck annoyingly. My mouth went dry. Finally the truth was revealed.
“So,” I finally managed after pondering my choices, “the lady wants to take over. I am afraid of how she is going to do that.”
There were many ways in which Maven could achieve that and would not be the first time that she had made someone disappear or suddenly die from natural causes or an apparent accident. I for one did not want to become her next victim.
Aruka's eyes were filled with fear for the first time as she stood waiting for a response from me.
She shook her head. “Is that all you heard? Bryn, she wants you gone.”
I nodded. I knew Maven had ulterior motives. No one could trust her. She was a female version of Mercer.
After Mercer had died by our hands, the Guild had at first slowly risen up in power.
We were bringing in more coin than ever now. In a few short months our contacts had grown by leaps and bounds. Our name meant something again. We were no longer a joke passed around through patrons in the taverns or inns or looked down upon. There were certain benefits to those outside of the Guild that was shared and eagerly appreciated even by the lowliest of individuals. Some of those the beggars, right here in Riften.
Maven had been rumbling about wanting a bigger cut from us; her way of protecting us. We never needed the protection, no; we were quite capable of taking care of ourselves.
I rubbed my hand through my unruly hair and gazed down into her brown eyes. I could see the tiny flecks of gold mixed within the brown.
“Are you listening to me? What is your plan?”
She leaned closer, brushing up against me. Electricity passed through my body. Damn this woman is distracting. I wanted to take her right there, anyone be damned that interrupted us. I leaned into her and brushed my fingers over her jawline. I traced the scar on her cheek and then continued a path down her neck to her collarbone. She half-smiled and kissed my cheek.
"My love." She whispered to me.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and to indicate that I did not know what the plan was. I needed time to think.
~*~
I sat in a corner at the Ragged Flagon; dagger in hand, carving absent mindlessly into the top of the table; a bottle of mead absently forgotten nearby.
A hand clamped down on my shoulder.
“I’m gonna have to ask you to stop that Brynjolf. That was a new table.” Vekel removed his hand before I did.
Delvin moved from the counter to join us. “What’s eating you lad? You’re in some kinda mood today.”
Humph! “I thought it was settling down, now I hear Maven is a problem.”
Delvin rubbed his face with the back of his hand.
“We knew there would come a day when the ol’ girl would decide she wanted a bigger piece o’ the pie, Bryn. Whatcha goin’ to do ‘bout her?”
I nodded. “That and she wants rid of me. I guess I stand in her way.”
Vekel moved to return to the counter, pausing he spoke. “She wouldn’t dare do anything public now that she is Jarl.”
Vex chimed in from where she sat.
“Let her try, I am sure we will get lucky and she will fall into a trap and die a slow painful death, that or be pushed into it, if you want.”
I wasn’t so sure. She had made sure to make a spectacle of Jarl Law-Giver. We all knew the evidence Maven brought forward was all lies, but that didn’t stop her from unseating the Jarl. Besides, wasn’t it more convenient for the Imperials to have someone in power here?
The war that was raging between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials had never entered in our affairs much before and we certainly did not want it to now.
“Bryn, ye got a plan?” Delvin asked interrupting my thoughts.
I shook my head; I wasn’t sure what to do, not yet.
~*~
Maven stood in the room in the basement of her house. Looking down at the scene before her filled with excitement. She shook with ecstasy at the thought of what would happen. A gleeful squeal escaped from her lips.
The dye had been cast, now all she had to do was wait. Her mind wandered over the days’ events. A slow smile crossed her lips and she laughed out loud; poor little Brynjolf. Soon he would be out of the way then, she could do what she wanted with the Guild.
It was nice that they had taken care of Mercer; she had not relished the thought of taking that madman on.
She waited patiently, knowing full well that the Dark Brotherhood would be some time before answering her plea. She wished she could be there to see the end of the man she despised.
He was soft, had made too many mistakes. Oh it was so wonderful how things fell in place.
Now, once Brynjolf was out of the way, she could take over the Guild and run it how she saw fit. Maybe she would clean house of all of them then.
Enough of this pandering to small opportunistic clients-no Maven wanted it all. She dreamed of a world where she sat on the throne-maybe even the throne of power of all of Skyrim.
She had a thirst for power and would simply kill anyone that got in her way. It had not been the first time and certainly would not be the last.
She strode up the stairs watching Hemming as he shuffled about the main hall. He would have to go too.
No one was safe from her pursuit of happiness, no one.
~*~
A few evenings later, I peered around the corner of the building I was leaning against and watched as Maven made her way through the streets. She was not alone; she had doubled the guards that usually followed her which was unusual.
Perhaps the old girl had heard the rumors of some assassination plot against her. I wondered who that had been.
I was not surprised; several of the citizens of Riften and the surrounding small towns and lands that she ruled over were of the mind to stick a dagger in her ribs. I was sure that there would be a long line-up for that honor; I might even find myself at the head of it. But never-the-mind ‘bout that, I thought to myself, I had business elsewhere tonight and Maven be damned, I was not going to let her get to me.
I waited in the shadows until the coast was clear then slipped out the rear gate and headed to where Karliah was waiting for me at Nightingale Hall.
~*~
Karliah greeted me with her usual stony stare and lack of words.
I was still in awe of her and thought I would not like to cross daggers with her. I had seen how she handled herself inside Irkingthand and I knew she could be deadly. When Mercer had control of us both, I had watched from trapped inside of my body; the woman that stood now before me with a parchment in hand, her savagery and hostility towards me then.
We had fought trying to outdo the other, trying to kill each other and I had fought back with just as much anger and loathing. She had apologized softly in her usual quiet tone, but I still wondered how much of it had been Mercer’s control and how much of it had been hers.
I took the parchment from her outstretched hands and laid it out on the table and admired the details of the plan.
Aruka had been the one to first discover a dusty journal hidden away in home she had stolen from.
As she had read the journal, she became convinced that it was real and she had begun to research as much as she possible could about it.
She had currently traveled to Winterhold and to the College seeking answers.
In the journal, it mentioned in a cave, not too far from the border of High Rock was a fortune hidden within some ancient Nord ruins, rumored to be worth more than whatever thief could ever possibly imagine.
Temptation being what it was, Aruka and I saw this as a great opportunity. It was the one final job that would secure the Thieves Guild for the rest of its life and would give it the needed opportunity to leave Riften and to set up shop somewhere away from Maven and her continuous threats.
It would mean a real home for us; one away from the sewers that no matter how much we tried to improve it was still the sewers. Every member was excited and none so more than her. Aruka; the love of my life, the best little damn thief I had ever recruited. She was more than my lover, my confidant, my best friend. She fulfilled me more than any prize stolen from a safe ever could, more than any woman ever had.
She was my soul mate and I-hers.
~*~
When she had first arrived in Riften and had stolen my purse and then had tried to kill me for chasing her, I had to admit, I had been a little scared of her. Her fierceness in battle was unmatched and when Mercer had agreed to take her on I wondered if at first if it had been a mistake.
She had soon proved herself to Mercer and to the Guild and had made friends with everyone whose lives she touched.
She was honest and uncompromising. She would not back down from any who dared taunt her or challenge her to a fight. She had an immense heart that overflowed with love and any who she showed any of that feeling towards counted themselves as blessed. She could have been a Divine for all I knew and she had fallen deeply and passionately in love with me and I her.
We became inseparable and much to Mercer’s chagrin worked together on almost every job. Proving to him that we were a match made in the stars above.
It was soon after that, she had been sent to Solitude, to deal with Gulum Ei and then came quickly the events that lead to the discovery of Karliah, as then thought to be the killer of Gallus Desidenius.
Aruka had been brave standing up for Karliah, informing the Guild of the treachery of Mercer Frey and that was when we; Aruka and I had joined Karliah as Nightingales.
It had been a secretive and mysterious affair one that had left me with the impression that Lady Luck or Nocturnal was more influential in my life than I cared for.
At first I was suspicious but I found a new sense of the world through Aruka who opened my eyes to the world beyond just being a thief.
We had gone to Irkingthand, the three of us, to follow Mercer and confront him there. It had been a battle of all time between us and Mercer who proved to be that he was no mere enemy as he seemed to possess some abilities that I could not understand.
Aruka was the one in the end, only after nearly succumbing to his blade and his viciousness that had plunged her sword into Mercer’s belly and had rendered him dead with a stab to the chest.
She had cried after that; a part of her mourning the loss of a man that had been at times kind to her which had been hard for Mercer no doubt. Even with all of his hatefulness and evil deeds, she had seen something inside of him where others had not.
That was what she did and that was another reason why I loved her.
Aruka had thought that perhaps that there had to be reason behind his behavior that not all were born bad but, were often made that way by the way of the world, even Mercer Frey she felt deserved that. I wondered about that myself and still I did not believe that one should blame others for one’s behavior. You alone had it in your hands to make choices and you had better learn to live with the consequences if you chose unwisely.
~*~
I rolled the parchment up and agreed upon the meeting place for the trip to the cave.
I would inform Aruka when she returned and we would gather the necessary supplies then we would meet Karliah.
~*~
Aruka had been herself at the College of Winterhold reading as much as she could on the ruins.
She had found dated entries in the old dusty journal and that had led her to Urag gro-Shub, a rather crusty Orc who guarded his books as if they were the treasure of Dibella herself.
At first he had been difficult and not very accommodating stating that she was not a member of the College. He had questioned her on how she had managed to pass into the College and when she had disappeared before his eyes without so much as a potion or even uttering a spell; he knew then that maybe she might be more powerful than he realized.
Upon reading the journal, he had directed Aruka to the correct series of books and had found several scrolls that also detailed the treasure to be found within the ruins. He left her in peace to solve the riddles and mysteries held within.
‘Knowledge beyond ones dreams and a treasure that surely came to Nirn from the Divine’s themselves that could not be counted in one’s lifetime or two or more. Those that were worthy would be blessed and would surely become wealthy beyond their own dreams. All they had to do was to seek and to believe. To stand on high and place their trust in those that had stood here before. To set into that the knowledge contained within and to wait for the moment when the treasure would be revealed to all.’
Aruka had then set out back to Riften to collect supplies and to hopefully have a night of bliss with Brynjolf before they left for the ruins, but someone else already had plans in mind.
~*~
The assassin stole under the cover of night to the edge of the lake.
Ahead, through the trees, a flicker of light could be seen through the moving branches. The wind blew softly bringing to their nostrils the scent of wood smoke and of something sweet cooking.
They made their way closer to the tiny secluded cabin and paused listening for any indication of being found out. Smiling to themselves they brandished their weapon of choice and stealthily approached. Shadows moved inside reflected upon the walls and the assassin crept nearer, their mouth watering in anticipation at what would ensue.
The contract lay inside their armor, next to their rapidly beating heart and for the briefest of moments they thought that its beating would surely give them away.
Closer and on tip toe they peeked into the window to find that the one they sought was alone. Good and bad, there would be no witnesses to the crime, but also in that there would be none who could speak on the marvel at seeing the Dark Brotherhood strike fear and deliver a swift sweet death that was surely crafted out of beauty and a deep love for the art that they so held to.
It was all so wondrous the process that followed; a hand on the door knob, a slight push of the door on hinges that did not reveal their entrance. A quick look over the shoulder, an eyebrow that rose in slight suspicion, then a mouth that curved into a smile as eyes narrowed into slits as the target was sighted. The demon that had come to deliver the final blow drew in a breath then stopped.
Something was amiss.
Where there should have been glory and rapture, was a feeling of pain and of shock. Something warm and sticky ran down the inside of their armor and then they felt a warmer rush of something from between their legs. They lowered their head and saw a dark black stain appear where it should have been crimson on their armor. They felt a chill touch them and then as they sank to their knees, a final cough and then darkness and silence.
Aruka stood behind the assassin with blade still in hand, one crimson drop of blood still clinging to the tip. She looked to my eyes and took in my pale face and the look of surprise.
I watched as the drop of blood fell to join the others at her feet and to lie in the pool of black surrounding the Dark Brotherhood assassin.
“Maven did this. I told you she was after you and now I will finish her.”
She was gone out of the cabin before I could even speak to her and I knew to where she was headed.
I grabbed up my weapons and rushed out into the night following her.
When I finally found her it was too late.
Maven and Hemming were both dead. Dealt a hand that could not under any circumstance be stayed no matter what argument I could have put forward.
~*~
The guards did not know what to do for they had been witness to her act of violence and stood with wide eyes, mouths open and silent.
They stepped aside when I appeared and did not dare to move to interfere.
Gone now was the threat of her, gone was the cold and vile tyranny that once was known as Maven Black-Briar. There would no doubt be repercussions, come time, but at this moment no one cared.
Maul moved forward and spoke in low tones to me then ordered the guards to assist in cleaning up the evidence. He threatened them with a similar death if they so ever breathed a word as to what happened to anyone.
In the passing of, Maven Black-Briar, the rule of Riften fell to her daughter Ingun, who was nothing like her mother and would rule with kindness and a fair and even hand; though she did have a penchant for studying the darker arts, but it never interfered with her duties as Jarl.
Her one condition as Jarl was that the Thieves Guild removed themselves from Riften as soon as possible and I conceded to that.
~*~
Karliah and Aruka and I, set out on the trip to the cave that lay near the border of High Rock.
We were filled with happiness, intrigue at what we would find. We were excited yet remained cautious. We had no idea of what dangers if any lay ahead of us and we were reluctant to admit to each other a new found pensiveness that crept into us the closer they came to our destination.
We had arrived at the indicated location on the parchment and set camp for the night.
Karliah took to higher ground to leave Aruka and I some privacy. The tension between the us had been palpable and Karliah deemed her placement of camp under the guise of wanting to have a secure perimeter.
I did not bother to complain. I was grateful for some time alone with Aruka. It had been too long as far as I was concerned from when last we had made love.
And make love we did, well into the early morning hours, trying to be quiet.
We giggled and laughed and felt some sorrow for Karliah who must have heard us; she, the unfortunate one, not having her lover Gallus to comfort her on nights such as these.
I could not seem to get enough of Aruka. No matter how many times I clung to her, no matter how deeply I kissed her.
When finally the black of night turned to grey of first light I rose from my bed roll, leaving her to sleep for a few minutes longer.
I built the fire and began a simple meal for us before we would enter the cave. I was humming a simple tune I had heard in some inn I had stayed in as I had traveled through on some job when Aruka awoke and joined me by the fire.
Karliah had gone off hunting and had just returned.
She presented us with berries and some rabbits that she had collected and as we sat together and ate our meal in quiet, we all thought about what lay ahead.
~*~
The cave was nothing out of the ordinary.
Stalactites hung from the ceiling of the cave, dripping down and forming stalagmites on the floor.
We traversed through the maze created by them until we came to a series of wooden doors, some warped and broken over time. I pushed against one to move through to the next chamber and the door crumbled beneath my touch. I looked over my shoulder and raised one eyebrow.
“Looks like it might be easier than we thought getting in.”
I stepped forward into the chamber and suddenly disappeared from sight. Aruka shouted my name and rushed forward to find me standing in a pit.
I was not alone. Two bodies lay, apparently they too had succumbed to the pressure plate on the floor but they had landed on the spikes protruding from the floor.
“I think we will need to be more careful.” I looked up at the two women and held my hand out for them to help me out of the pit.
~*~
That was how we went through the rest of the ruins, being careful, narrowly avoiding hidden traps and pressure plates.
We skirted bone chimes and hidden darts that exploded from crevices in the darkened passageways. Finally after climbing up and around obstacles that had fallen over time we came to an immense iron door.
Once it opened we stood puzzled at what lay ahead of us.
Two golden dwarven doors stood open to the chamber that lay behind them.
As our group moved further in, we stopped.
Further ahead, standing tall and erect at the rear of the chamber guarding a doorway was a dwarven centurion. He stood with his hands together holding onto a massive war hammer. Around him lay several crushed dwarven spiders, their twisted forms almost unrecognizable.
I held up one hand and raised a finger to my lips. I pointed to a corner further back into the chamber where a dwarven sphere was rolling around.
Karliah moved slowly forward and sent an arrow into it, causing the sphere to roll towards them. As it moved forward, Aruka raised her bow and fired a shot into stopping it dead in its tracks.
She knelt and chose a few of the soul gems from the floor and a piece or two of dwarven metal. She checked to see if the dwarven centurion had reactedto our presence, but he still stood in place.
We continued on past the wreckage of several spiders and further into the chamber.
It soared high over our heads. Solid walls of dwarven metal and rock mixed together. Arches with walkways could be seen from our position on the floor.
“Over at that end, there is a chest, underneath that ledge.” Aruka pointed to the wall to their left.
She then pointed to the right. “There should be a control to open it at that end of the chamber. Inside the chest should be a cube that fits inside a dais that will rise from the center of the floor here.”
She pointed to just a few feet from where they stood in the center of the room.
“Are you sure lass?” I queried.
Aruka nodded her head. “I am sure.”
We moved forward and looked at the chest, exactly where it was mentioned in the journal.
Walking down the center of the chamber to the right we found the control.
It looked to be weight controlled. From behind us we heard a whirling noise as two blades appeared from the channel on the ground that ran the length of the section they stood upon. The blades began to spin and moved towards us.
“We must have tripped an alarm.” I jumped forward narrowly missing the blades and rolled back the way we came.
I bent studying the floor then stuck my dagger into a tiny recess almost invisible to the naked eye. The blades immediately stopped.
“Just need to know where to look, that’s all.” I smiled and walked back towards them.
Aruka smiled and held up the pieces dwarven metal she had collected. “I picked up the pieces of the dwarven sphere. I figured it would approximate the weight we needed.”
She turned to the dais and laid the amount she thought would be required on the tiny scale that was set into the grooved plate resting there.
It took a moment for it to react, but when it did steam began to flow from pipes overhead and we could hear the audible sound of gears turning.
We ran down to the far end of the chamber and watched as the ledge where the chest was shook and crumbled.
A scraping noise could be heard from behind us as the stone dais in the center of the room appeared and from beside the chest two dwarven spiders emerged.
They jumped at us, the intruders in their world, extending their front arms snapping the claws together like crabs.
Karliah shot one with her arrow while I dealt the other a blow with my other dagger.
The chest groaned as steam escaped from around it and the lid slowly opened revealing the contents within; a small golden cube with intricate designs wrapped around its surface.
Karliah reached into the chest and snatched it first; she smiled and turned to us.
I thought for a fleeting moment unsure if she was going to run with it, but she moved ahead of us at a slow pace.
“Watch for traps now, the journal mentions there are quite a few.” Aruka expressed with concern.
I reached out and touched her hand and she took mine in hand in hers squeezing it.
Once in front of the small dais in the center of the room, we found on the top was a square imprint that was the exact size of the cube.
We looked to each other, nodding.
As Karliah handed it to Aruka she took it in hand and nodded. She studied it for a moment then noticed a tiny button on its bottom side.
“This opens a compartment, like so.”
Pressing it, the side opened and inside was a soul gem. It was broken in half.
“I thought so, it needs to be re-powered. Hopefully one of these soul gems has enough power to fill it.”
She switched the broken soul gem with one from the dwarven sphere and watched as the tiny cube began to glow.
It clicked and whirled as tiny gears inside moved and steam escaped from within it.
“It is amazing. When I place this in the dais it will open that door behind the centurion who will no doubt awaken. Be prepared for a battle.”
I smiled at my love, I was so blissfully happy. Soon we would have all of the riches needed to start anew and the Guild would be on its feet in a new city of their choice.
Karliah stood behind us watching the centurion for any sign of movement.
Aruka turned to me. “I love you my Master Thief.”
I nodded then watched as she held out the cube to me be placed in the heart of the chamber. Her perfect face filled with exhilaration, her eyes clear and so full of life.
We never heard or saw the bolt until she fell to her knees before us gasping, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ in surprise.
She had looked up at me, smiled and nodded as if she knew the outcome already.
Someone screamed within the chamber. It was me.
I moved to kneel beside Aruka, looking for a way to staunch the flow of blood, so much blood.
The shaft of the bolt was buried deep within her chest; a red rivulet of blood running down her armor, pooling around her.
There was nothing I could do to stop it. I began to panic in that moment. Memories flashed before my eyes of us together of our happiness that now lay decimated.
“I can’t do anything Karliah, what can I do? Gods what can I do?”
“Brynjolf I’m sorry.” Karliah wept openly, her hood thrown back, her mask down exposing her violet red rimmed eyes. Her hand dropped onto my shoulder.
She knew already that there was nothing to be done.
I took the limp hand in mine squeezing it, trying to pass some of my life to her.
Why? Why her and not me? I would have gladly sacrificed my life for hers. I thought to myself at the moment.
I would gladly have taken her place.
She whispered my name and I bent closer to listen not wanting to miss anything she might say.
Her hand came up, blood mixing with the inky blackness of my Nightingale armor.
She gasped, blood trickling from the side of her mouth, she gasped for air again then choked on it. Her eyes widening as she knew the end was approaching.
“Br…Bryn… I … I love…you.”
She fell quiet as her breath left her body.
She was gone.
~*~
I knelt there for a moment in silence then threw my head back and screamed until I was hoarse.
Karliah lifted me and told me we had to move now.
The dwarven centurion that she had been watching earlier now began to move. Steam escaped from its joint as it moved from where it had stood in silence. It slowly advanced in our direction, the ground shaking under its weight and immense size. It raised the war hammer and slammed it down on the ground, almost throwing us to the ground.
I bent and carefully tried to pick up my love but the damn bolt was in the way.
Karliah bent and wrenched it in one movement from Aruka’s body.
I stared in disbelief at her callousness.
“It had to be done, now hurry before that thing kills us both.”
She shouted at me.
I lifted Aruka’s body and we ran back the way we came.
~*~
It was two weeks after the funeral when I was sitting fully drunk in the Ragged Flagon and looked up to see Karliah standing before me.
She dumped a large cloth bag onto the table.
“You look horrible Brynjolf, is that all you have done? Sit and drink yourself into Oblivion? What would she think if she were here?”
“Well she is not here to see it now is she. Stupid girl going and following some false trail and getting herself killed over what, some treasure that may or may not have existed? I should have known better than to have gotten involved with her in the first place.”
“Are you really going to do this? Ruin her memory? How could you do that to her? She loved you and you loved her. Oh and by the way, the treasure did exist.”
Karliah pointed to the cloth bag she had set on the table. “And you’re welcome.”
My mouth went slack as I realized my error.
I took hold of the cloth bag and brought it closer pulling it open.
Inside were the biggest jewels I had ever seen in my life.
They had to be worth more than one or two lifetimes of work that a thief could ever do. I sat back in my chair, my face hot and red.
I had been a fool to speak of her in that way. It was not right. She had deserved more than that.
“There is something else in there, at the bottom.” Karliah pointed to the bag.
I looked back into the depths of the bag and my brows knit together.
I reached in and pulled out a crumpled parchment.
I carefully unrolled the crumbling parchment and read the contents.
‘Knowledge beyond ones dreams and a treasure that surely came to Nirn from the Divine’s themselves that could not be counted in one’s lifetime or two or more. Those that were worthy would be blessed and would surely become wealthy beyond their own dreams. All they had to do was to seek and to believe. To stand on high and place their trust in those that had stood here before. To set into that the knowledge contained within and to wait for the moment when the treasure would be revealed to all. Love is the greatest treasure of all and to have had it even for the briefest of moments is to count oneself as the richest of all inhabitants on Nirn and that in itself is the blessing of the Divine and the greatest treasure of all.’
I reread the parchment and carefully rolled it up.
I looked up at Karliah and nodded.
“The lass was right all along.”
Karliah nodded as she sat beside me as I hung my head and cried for the woman that I had loved.
She had been my soul, the light of my life, my greatest treasure of all.