I slept in the carriage on the way home. Instead of staying the night in the city, I saved money by curling up on a bedroll at the bottom of the wagon. It actually was not so uncomfortable. It was better than the bed I had back in Dawnstar, which had been hardly anything more than a board of wood layered with a couple deer hides.

We reached Riften by midmorning the next day. The sun was out, and a light breeze blew through the beautiful golden- and red-leaved trees. My father had always compared the trees in the Rift to those back in his homeland of Valenwood. Said that he wished he had settled here instead of in Dawnstar, where the only trees were needled ones and were nothing like the ones here.

I shook my head—and the painful memories of my father aside—and jumped out of the carriage. I thanked the driver for bringing me all the way, then headed for the door into the city.

"Halt!" said the guard. "You need to pay a visitor's tax—"

"This is a shakedown, and a load of horse—"

The guard held his hands in front of himself. "Okay, okay! Don't be so loud. Go right in."

I ducked my head, pulled my hood up, then went through the gates. Stupid guards. Could they not see that I was wearing Guild armor? Did they really want to mess with someone who had Maven Black-Briar at her back?

Speaking of Maven....

I found her standing by the marketplace, her hand on her chin as she observed the meat and vegetables from a Dunmer woman's food cart. As soon as she saw me, she dropped her hand and approached.

"Good heavens, what happened to you?"

I pursed my lips and dabbed a finger against the thick scab on my jaw. "Went through two levels of Oblivion, it seemed. But the job's finished. Here's the information you requested." I handed her the note from my satchel, which she took eagerly.

As she read, her brow knitted together, deeper and deeper as time passed. "This doesn't tell me much. All that identifies Sabjorn's mysterious partner is this odd little symbol." She pointed to the symbol at the top of the page.

"Yes, I've seen that symbol before."

"Well, whoever this mysterious marking represents, they'll regret starting a war with me." She handed the note back to me. "You should bring this information to the Thieves Guild immediately. There's also the matter of your payment. I think you'll find this more than adequate for your services."

She gave me a small bag full of coins. It weighed a ton, it seemed. I put it in my bag, nodded in thanks, then headed towards the secret Guild entrance. I had to speak to Bryn about this. Maybe he could identify the symbol now.

As I stepped off the ladder, I looked for Bryn in the Cistern. With it being so dark in here, and everyone's armor looking almost identical, it made it hard to find him.

In the end, I did not find him. He found me. He managed to sneak up behind me and tap my shoulder before I even knew he was there.

Bryn chuckled as I startled at his touch. "Word on the street is poor Sabjorn has found himself in Whiterun's prisons. How unfortunate for him."

I shrugged his hand away and turned around. A grin tugged at one side of my lips. "Yet very fortunate for Maven."

"Exactly! Now you're beginning to see how our little system works."

I pulled my hood down, still grinning. At first, Bryn was smiling, too. But then his gaze fell to the cut on my face, as well as the still-stinging venom spots spattered across my flesh.

"By the Eight, lass." He reached his hand up and brushed the pad of his thumb over the gash on my jaw. "What happened to you?"

"A better question would be what didn't happen." I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. "A horde of skeevers, five frostbite spiders, and a lunatic happened. If I ever get sent on a job like that again, I'm walking away. I don't care how much the client is paying or who it is."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Bryn. Before I came here, I was a miner. And miners have even more dangerous lives than thieves. I'll be all right."

"Then why are you still holding my hand?"

I looked down, seeing that I had my hand around his long, slender fingers. As soon as I realized, I jerked away and ducked my head. Heat rushed right to my cheeks and I pulled my hood over my face.

"Can we get back to business?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Of course, lass. Maven sent word that you discovered something else while you were out there. Something important to the Guild?"

I nodded, feeling the heat in my face dissipate. "The same symbol from Goldenglow was involved."

I looked up to see that Bryn's brows were knitting together. "This is beyond coincidence. First Aringoth and now Sabjorn. Someone is trying to take us down by driving a wedge between Maven and the Guild."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Mercer thinks he knows a way to identify this new thorn in our side. He wants to meet with you right away. And if I were you, I'd hurry. I've never seen him this angry before."

"Will that be wise? Talking to him when he's angry?"

"It'll be wiser than keeping him waiting. Trust me, lass. Best get it over with. Afterwards, you'd better get your face checked out. Don't want that getting infected."

I nodded, then trotted towards Mercer's desk. That was so embarrassing. And yet, I could not stop thinking about how warm his hand felt against mine. How my small fingers seemed to fit perfectly between his.

Stop it, you idiot. Now is not the time for this.

"Bryn said you needed to see me?" I asked as I stood in front of Mercer's desk. He was hunched over some sort of business ledger, as well as a couple slips of paper. And even though I could not see his face, I could tell he was livid.

He picked his head up, but he remained bent over the desk. His brow was creased with concentration as well as anger. "I've consulted my contacts regarding the information you recovered at Goldenglow Estate, but no one can identify that symbol."

"I found the same marking at Honningbrew Meadery."

"It would seem our adversary is attempting to take us apart indirectly by angering Maven Black-Briar. Very clever."

I snorted. "Maybe we should recruit them."

Mercer's brow turned down, and his face became hard. "You jest, but they've been able to avoid identification for years. They're obviously well-funded, driven, and patient. Just don't mistake my admiration for complacency. Our nemesis is going to pay dearly."

"How can we make them pay?"

"Because, even after all of their posturing and planning, they've made a mistake. The parchment you've recovered mentions a 'Gajul-Lei.' According to my sources, that's an old alias used by one of our contacts. His real name is Gulum-Ei." He then muttered something under his breath, something I could not catch.

"Where do I begin?"

"Gulum-Ei is our inside man at the East Empire Company in Solitude. I'm betting he acted as a go-between for the sale of Goldenglow Estate and can finger our buyer. Get out there, shake him down, and see what you can come up with. Talk to Brynjolf before you leave if you have any questions."

I left Mercer to do... well, whatever it was he did—Guild Master things?—and went in search of Bryn again. I hoped he had not moved since I spoke with him. I had a few questions about this Gulum-Ei, but I also needed to know where to get the medicine for my wounds.

As soon as I stepped into the Flagon, I got sidetracked by the smell of alcohol and cooking food. I sat down at the bar, and ordered a drink. Vekel, the Nord bartender, gave me a bottle of Black-Briar mead, and I forked over some gold.

"You're still alive, I see," said Bryn as he sat down on the stool next to me. "Talk with Mercer wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I guess not." I took a sip from my bottle, and I decided then and there that Black-Briar mead was the best mead I had ever tasted. "Although he told me to come to you for questions about Gulum-Ei."

"You have to go deal with that slimy lizard?" He shook his head and gave me a pat on the back. "I can't believe he's wound up in all this. That Argonian couldn't find his own tail with both hands."

I snorted, nearly spewing mead out my nose. "Is he that stupid? Then why in Oblivion are you and Mercer making such a big deal out of him?"

"Don't get me wrong, he could scam a beggar out of his last septim... but he's no mastermind."

"You think he'll give me trouble?"

"Trouble? He is one of the most stubborn lizards I have ever met. You have your work cut out for you. You're going to have to buy him off. It's the only way to get his attention. If that fails, follow him and see what he's up to. If I know Gulum-Ei, he's sure to be in way over his head, and you can use that as leverage. He's bound to have stepped into something he can't scrape off his boot."

"Got it. Buy him off. If he doesn't listen to that, follow him. I think I should—"

"Now, hold up, lass." He laid his hand on my shoulder, preventing me from standing. "You just got back from Whiterun. You're dead on your feet. I don't have to be good at reading people to see that. Stay here, get some rest—some real rest—and then head out. You've earned it."

"Is it a good idea to keep the job waiting?"

"Solitude isn't going anywhere, and neither is Gulum-Ei. The job can wait. We need you at your best, lass."

I pushed his hand aside and stood. "I'll be all right." I pushed away from the bar, then my legs wavered, and I fell right into Bryn's strong arms.

"Easy there, lass." He wasted no time cradling me against his chest and carrying me towards the Cistern. "I told you so."

"I am so not in the mood for an 'I told you so,' Brynjolf."

He chuckled. "No one ever is. But I think we all need to hear one every now and then. It's good for us."

"How? By keeping us humble?"

"Arrogance leads to a quick death in our business, Femke. Best we hold onto a little humility."

I sighed. "All right. You told me so. I should've listened to you, O wise and silver-tongued Brynjolf."

"Don't joke, lass." He set me down on my bed. Then he took my satchel off my shoulders. He opened it—probably to find out why it was so heavy—and pulled out the bee statue and the small golden decanter I had found behind a locked door at Honningbrew.

"I was going to sell those to Delvin. Etienne said that he'd be interested in buying them from me."

Bryn nodded. "He would be. I could take them to him for you. While you rest."

"Would you?"

"Aye. And I'll make sure he gives you a fair price. Delvin has been known to scam newer members of the family."

I chuckled. "Thanks, Bryn."

"No problem, lass. Just get some rest, eh? You need it. You've earned it."

As he walked away, the two small items in his hands, I bundled myself up in the furs and closed my eyes. It felt so good to relax like this after several days of thieving and danger. After this last job, Brynjolf was right; I needed some well-deserved rest.

Brynjolf. Gods, what was I going to do about him? Every time I saw him, my heart fluttered. My cheeks flushed, and I felt all giddy, like a little lovestruck girl. I was a grown woman, and I should not act like a child. Love was for children, after all. I was a thief. My feelings would only distract me from the job at hand.

But I could not stop thinking about how nice it would be to hold his hand again. To feel his arms around me as he carried me to safety. To see him smile with affection, and have that smile directed at me.

I burrowed deeper into the furs, pushing those stupid thoughts from my mind. He would never love me. He could not. No man would ever love me the way I wanted him to love me. After all, I was an abomination to most people. Not man, not mer, but a mixture of both. A hybrid. A mutt that everyone hated.

A lone tear slipped down my face. Love is stupid, I told myself. Love is pointless.

Then why did I want it so badly?