Walk in the Shadows

Ten

Brynjolf

"Ya know, Bryn," said Delvin as he sat down in the barstool next to me, "that little elf girl ya brought in the other week is really startin' t' make waves around 'ere. The others call her a natural."

"Aye," I said, taking a sip from my tankard. "She is. Takes to larceny like a bird takes to the skies."

The other man chuckled. "Look at you, spouting out poetry like one of them bloody bards in Solitude. You taken with that lass or somethin'?"

It was my turn to chuckle. "You're out of your mind, Del."

"Well, you certainly ain't denyin' it. I may be old and stupid, and I may not know the first thing about love, but I can tell ya right now, I know when someone is on your mind, Bryn. And ever since ya brought her in, she has been all you can see or think about." He elbowed me a little. "When ya see her next, why don't ya talk to her about it? Tell her how ya feel?"

"As soon as you take Vex out for dinner, I will talk to the lass." I gave him a wicked grin, knowing he would not do it. Delvin was as brave as he was stupid, but when it came to that blonde spitfire, he got weak at the knees. His courage failed him, and he reduced himself to nothing but a stuttering, blubbering mess.

"I 'ave no problem talkin' t' Vex." He sniffed once, taking his own tankard in his hand. "Her not cuttin' my tongue out is the problem."

"I wouldn't be worried about your tongue around her, old friend."

"This ain't about me, though. It's about you. When you going to tell her?"

I tried to hide the heat spreading through my cheeks. "Never. It's unprofessional."

"Brynjolf, do ya want to end up like me? You're well on your way, if ya are. Do ya want to die an old bachelor? Lose all your hair and your chance at love?"

"I can't control if I lose my hair or not."

That earned me a slap to the back of the head. "Listen up, wise guy. This old codger still knows a thing or two. While you're right about not bein' able to control your hair loss, you can control somethin' else. Ya can take control of this and tell that lass just how ya feel."

"And what if that shatters our friendship?"

"Better to 'ave loved and lost than to 'ave never loved at all. You and Femke 'ave a chance. A real chance. You're one of the best thieves I 'ave ever seen, Bryn. But you've let that girl steal your heart."

I found myself grinning at this. "So what do you suggest I do about that?"

A cock-eyed grin spread across his face. "Well, steal her heart, naturally. Shouldn't be too hard for a thief like yourself."

Then, Vex came up to the bar and tapped my shoulder. "Mercer's looking for you. Said he needs to have a word."

"He say about what?"

"It's about Femke."

My stomach knotted. My mind raced as a hundred different bad scenarios played out in front of me. Was the lass all right? Had something with the job gone sideways? Did she need help? "All right." I stood up, abandoning the rest of my drink, then pushed away from the bar. As I passed him, Delvin gave me a wink, and I shoved his shoulder in return.

I hated to admit it, but Delvin was right. That little lass had stolen my attention. Not just because she was a good thief. She was that, but she was also the only woman to ever turn my head in this way. Her spirit, her drive, and her skill went above and beyond anything I had ever seen. She was a determined lass, and she was not going to let anyone prevent her from achieving her goals. She was brave, too. Charging into a dangerous situation head-on. She accepted the job at Goldenglow, even after hearing that Vex nearly got herself killed out there. She did not just wade into this life; she jumped right in. I had never seen anyone like that before.

I shook my head, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Look at you," I murmured to myself, "acting like a proper lovestruck lad."

I kept that to myself as I approached Mercer's desk. The older man had one of his signature scowls on his face. I hoped he was not mad. That would make this talk go a lot less smooth.

I stood in front of him, arms at my sides. "You wanted to see me, Mercer?"

The Breton nodded and crossed his arms. "Yes, it's about our newest recruit."

"What about her? Has something happened?"

His brow furrowed. "No. Or at least I haven't heard of anything. I'm assuming she's on her way back from Solitude as we speak."

"Then what's this about?"

"Your feelings for her."

I raised a brow. Was it really that obvious to everyone? "Excuse me?"

"You heard me right. You have feelings for her. It's not that hard to see. You need to back off."

I bristled. What did it matter? "If I had feelings for her, why would I need to back off?"

"One, because it's preventing you from thinking clearly. Two, it distracts her from her tasks. And three, she has feelings for someone else."

"Who?"

He did not say anything; his scowl hardened.

"Wait. You don't mean you." I shook my head. "No way."

His scowl was replaced by a cocky smirk. "You think so, huh? Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?"

"But... you?" My hands tightened into fists. "You can't be serious."

This just can't be true. It can't be.

"Honestly, Brynjolf, do you think she would like you? She's a hybrid between a Nord and an elf. You're a Nord. She's used to being hated by Nords."

"So you think just because I'm a Nord, she'll hate me?"

"Not hate you. But she won't like you."

I clenched my teeth. "You're lying."

He chuckled at me. "Have I ever lied to you, Brynjolf? Why would I lie about something like this?"

"I... I don't know, but it doesn't make sense. You're lying. You have to be."

"Look, if you want to know the truth, why don't you just ask her when she returns? If you don't believe me, surely you'll believe her."

I titled my chin in defiance. "All right. I will."

"You do that. But it won't make a difference. And one more thing, Brynjolf. Stop acting like a spoiled child. It's unbecoming."

I said nothing as I turned on my heel and stalked away. I could not believe what I had just been told. He could not have been serious. He and Femke? No. I could tell by the way Femke looked at him that she felt nothing for Mercer. There was no way it was true

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a doubt niggled for attention. But what if it is? What will you do then?

But it's not true. It's just not. It can't be.

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A/N: Decided to do something a little different with this chapter. I hope y'all like it! As always, I love getting votes and comments on my stories. They make me smile. So if you want to make someone smile today, hit the star and leave a comment.
By the way, all my readers? Y'all are da best. Love and sweetrolls to everyone!
~WG 💙