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Trace: Chapter Nineteen: Divulging (Part Two)


blazingsai

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Trace
Chapter Nineteen: Divulging (Part Two)
 

Previous Chapter: http://www.loverslab.com/blog/521/entry-4873-trace-chapter-eighteen-divulging-part-one/
Next Chapter:

 

Story

 


Part One

 

Trace: Right… Sorry… You see—

 

Astrid: Thanks Jalena, but since this involves me more than you, I think it’s best if I do the talking for this part.

 

Trace: Then the floor is yours.

 

A smile came to Astrid’s face as if she were remembering a fond memory.

 

Astrid: From the moment I saw those eyes of hers, I knew. I have seen those eyes from many a would-be suiter, heck even my husband used to look at me with those eyes… But I knew that Jalena wanted me to be hers. Not only that… Like I said earlier when the situation a bit more, tense, Jalena has a gift. Her eyes showed me a hidden potential that was just begging to be unleashed. So I gave her the option to come with me, and after a day of thinking… Jalena accepted.

 

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Astrid: From the moment Jalena and I left from set foot out of the city, she acted hyper aggressive towards me, almost as if she NEEDED me to love her in return, but I wouldn’t. There were various reasons why, but namely I didn’t love her… Not… yet… I was able to dismiss most of her advances, but it all came to a head when I got annoyed one day and gave her a kiss to show her how meaningless such an action was to me, that I’ve given plenty of men that I was about to kill a kiss just to tease them into thinking that maybe… Just maybe I would spare them. But when I saw that look in her eyes, that sweet, hungry, desire filled look… I just wanted to see it again.

 

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Vex and Mjoll nodded knowingly, flustering Trace who since she couldn’t deny it, simply looked away so they wouldn’t see the embarrassed look on her face.

 

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Astrid: But once that thought crossed my mind, when I realized that Trace had become more than just a Dark Sister to me, I did everything in my power to avoid having one-on-one time with her, else I might be tempted to break the vow I’d made with my husband.

 

Trace: Wait, so you liked me from there? I thought you started to hate me after that kiss, but you actually started to have feelings for me… I can’t believe it…

 

Vex: Now’s not the time for that Jalena.

 

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Mjoll: Agreed. Please continue assassin—I, er, I mean Astrid.

 

Astrid smiled at Mjoll and continued.

 

Astrid: There’s not really much left to say. As I was trying to keep Trace away, things just kept bringing us together… that is, until the Listener came.

 

Mjoll: The person who listens! I remember overhearing Trace and you talking about that when I visited her in prison.

 

Astrid: I knew I felt another’s presence, not bad for someone who lacks stealth. Anyway, the Listener, Solonva, knew about Trace’s blatant feelings towards me and noticed my reluctance to do something about the situation. See, I liked the attention Trace was giving me, I liked having her fawn over me and chase what I knew she could never have, but… I was never going to betray my husband.

 

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Astrid: So that’s when the Listener took things into her own hands. You know that little “mistake’ you made that made you a target of the Dark Brotherhood?

 

Trace: Apparently I killed someone whose family that was off limits to the Brotherhood for centuries. But I didn’t know. I swear I was never told—

 

Astrid: Jalena… There’s no one, Night Mother guiding us or not, that is off limits for the Brotherhood. We’ve killed everything from emperors to our own, do you honestly believe some unknown family that’s associated with us would be off limits?

 

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That was the last piece to a puzzle that Trace had been trying to figure out for quite some time now.

 

Trace: So that’s why you didn’t send anyone of note to take me out… You knew, and they knew that the whole thing was bogus. That’s my no one was angry at me when I returned…

 

Astrid: Of course we knew, but a lot of the new recruits didn’t. The first few batches of the Brotherhood that went after you were of the ignorant overzealous whelps trying to make a name for themselves.

 

Trace: Right… If that’s so, who did you really send after me?

 

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Astrid: …Hired thugs. I promised them double if they dressed up in our garb.

 

Trace spun around and Astrid sighed at the look of shock on Trace’s face.

 

Astrid: I thought it was obvious what I was doing, but I forget sometimes that for how smart and clever you can be, ultimately, you do things according to how your heart feels about it. Anyway, with you gone, the Brotherhood became less chaotic, at least from a personal standpoint… That is, until Cicero attacked. Cicero knew that I’d been having issues with the Listener after you left. Add in the fact that in my frustration I’d been bad mouthing both Cicero and the Night Mother, and the fact that the Listener seemed to take delight with the Night Mother’s return, it was no surprise to me that Cicero would want to attack me… After that everything went to Oblivion and it was all my fault…

 

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Vex: Oh please, don’t leave out the details now, adulterer. Please, do continue.

 

Astrid: I’m no adulterer, thief.

 

Mjoll: Then why are you here with a woman who, according to yourself, you have affections for, and who you went to such great lengths to prevent yourself from doing anything with her?

 

Astrid: I am NO adulterer. Please do not make me regret having my men kill you when I had the chance.

 

Mjoll: It’ll take more than a couple of hired thugs to take me down.

 

Trace: She wouldn’t have used hired thugs… Isn’t that right Astrid?

 

Astrid didn’t respond either way, however the look in her eyes told Vex and Mjoll all they needed to know.

 

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Astrid: Anyway, I knew of the attack on the Sanctuary before it happened. Well, not exactly, but I knew that Solonva had been talking with Maro. After the I killed Vici at her wedding and Solonva killed Maro’s son… I had a feeling that we’d come under fire. And then came the assassination attempt…

 

Trace: Attempt? I had Rosalie take care of that in one go. Plus that happened after the—

 

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Vex/Mjoll: WHO’S ROSALIE!?!

 

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Astrid: Heh, don’t worry about her too much. She’s a Dark Sister, a member of the Dark Brotherhood, that’s recently come back into the fold after a long absence. She’s… kind of the committed type, and she’s married. So I don’t believe that there’s anything going on between her and Trace. Right?

 

Trace: R-right!

 

Astrid: But yeah, there was an attempt that took place right before the attack on the Sanctuary. The whole thing was a garbled mess, but the main thing is this, I ended up killing an imposter and Maro, thinking that it was me who had killed his son, commanded a group of his men to kill me.

 

Trace: Why would he believe that it was you?

 

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Part Two

 

Astrid: Because it was me, at least that’s what any onlooker would say. Solonva did it… But she did it while looking like me. I believe your little crew calls theirs a face butcher?

 

Vex: it’s a guild you stupid bit—

 

Vex took a look at Trace and calmed herself.

 

Vex: And it’s a face sculptor.

 

Astrid: Face sculptor… Right, well the Listener is one of those. I’ve known about it for quite some time, and it has proved to be useful before she started using it for her own gain. But as I said, Solonva… She’s the one that killed both Maro’s son and the supposedly “off limits” person.

 

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Trace: Wait… So if you knew this… Right… To get me out of the picture…

 

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Astrid ignored Trace’s sullen face at the news and continued.

 

Astrid: So after taking care of the Agents, I returned to the Sanctuary as fast as I could only to see those bastards shoot Festus full of arrows like a damn firing squad. They went inside and I realized how fucked we truly were. You, Solonva, Babette, Rosalie and I were all away when the attack happened. It was literally the perfect time to attack…

 

Trace: And you blame yourself because you kept Solonva around long enough for her to know of such a vulnerability?

 

Astrid: …I do.

 

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The Cistern fell silent after that as everyone waited to see if there was more to Astrid’s story, but it was soon obvious that that wasn’t the case, and it didn’t exactly sit all too well with everyone…

 

Vex: So what? That’s it? So your little group got attacked. Seeing as you two are alive, I’m sure most of you—

 

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Trace: Astrid’s husband Arnbjorn… The initiates, Gabriella, Festus… So many of us were killed in the attack!

 

Vex: If that’s the case, shouldn’t your leader be rebuilding the Brotherhood rather than getting involved in this tangled mess called your love life?

 

Trace: I’M the one who told her to come here, at least until she gets over her guilt—

 

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Vex: Fuck this! Her “guilt”? You think that Nord is guilty about anything that happened in the attack? The only thing she’s “guilty” of is that she had feelings for you while she was married.

 

Trace: Vex! Please—

 

Vex: No! This needs to be said!

 

She walked over to Astrid and looked her straight in her eyes.

 

Vex: Woman to woman, face to face, leader to leader, all of that other crap simply resulted from you, Astrid, being a poor leader. If you were in fact trying to get over your guilt, you’d go and face the survivors like a real leader, and tell all of this to THEM. See how they take it.

 

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Trace stepped between them and a look of rage enveloped her features.

 

Trace: Vex! That’s enough! Why do you always think that it’s alright for you to—

 

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Astrid: Trace, dear. I love how you keep trying in my stead, but it’s quite alright. Vex… She’s not wrong. As a fellow leader of men, I know and understand where Vex is speaking from. However, my faults and shortcomings aren’t why we were gathered here… Is it.

 

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Mjoll and Trace looked at Vex who in turn seemed rather embarrassed at her earlier outburst and looked away.

 

Vex: F-fine, so is that all you have to say Trace?

 

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Trace glanced from Astrid to Mjoll to Vex, then turned from them and closed her eyes.

 

Trace: (Although it wasn’t the most peaceful of conversations, and even though it got a bit dicey at times, I’m so glad that they didn’t come to blows…)

 

The women who filled her heart was all Trace could see behind her eyelids, and although their “getting along” filled her with joy, it also made her chest began to ache for she knew that she wasn’t through explaining things to them yet.

 

Trace: (*sigh* Heh, and now here comes the hard part…)

 

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Trace: *turns toward them* (Here goes nothing…) I… I didn’t seek out any of you. In fact, if a few more moments in any of your situations, and the four of us probably wouldn’t have been in this mess at all.

 

She turned to Vex…

 

Trace: With Vex, I was planning on heading over to the inn and possibly bumming some food from some patrons there. Whenever we would have met, I would have probably thought her just another thief plaguing the city.

 

…And then to Mjoll…

 

Trace: If I hadn’t seen the vulnerable side of Mjoll followed by her passionate and just sides, I don’t think I would have been as interested in her. In fact, I know I wouldn’t have. She’d have just been another new face in a city that eats new faces. I would have seen her gusto… Her passion and honor as arrogance masked in naivety and probably would have been the first in line to take a crack at her head.

 

…And finally to Astrid…

 

Trace: And if I hadn’t stormed off from Vex that day… I would have missed Astrid altogether. Heck, if Mjoll and I were never an item, NONE of this would have happened at all… I’d have just been another member of the Guild trying to bed Vex and being unsuccessful at it.

 

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Trace gave them a smile that she could see shook something within each of her lovers, and then lowered her eyes.

 

Trace: But excluding some of the deaths that have transpired… I’m glad… I’m really glad it all did. I’m glad I met the three of you… That I was able to share how I felt about all of you… And I hope that you can understand just why… Why no matter how hard I try, I can’t just pick one of you… And believe me… I’ve tried.

 

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Part Three

 

Again the Cistern fell into silence, but for Trace it was more awkward than the other ones. Were they judging me? Do they hate me now? Have I ruined everything with them? These thoughts filled the silence in Trace’s head and made her heart race… That is until someone finally spoke up.

 

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Mjoll: Is that all this was about? I thought that last part was rather clear without the need for this gathering to be honest. You… You fall hopelessly in love with people, and once you’ve sunk your fangs into them, it’ll take something that none of us seem to have to make you let go.

 

Trace18-132.png

 

Astrid: That said, with said fangs sunk into someone, that doesn’t prevent your heart from seeking fulfillment from another… Be it from a cool and confident but jealous first love, or a law abiding ex-adventurer who hates everything about your profession, or a mysterious assassin who clearly didn’t want anything to do with you personally only professionally.

 

Trace18-133.png

 

Vex: Nonono, it’s simpler than that. Trace is unconsciously interested in the unattainable, and does everything in her power to not only make them attainable but to make them hers. Interestingly enough, once she has them, she loves them even more than when she couldn’t have them. Am I right?

 

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The trio looked at Trace with expecting looks on their faces, which only caused made Trace’s face light up, and turn away rather than show them all her flustered face.

 

Trace: Heh… You guys…

 

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Mjoll went and retrieved her gear with sigh.

 

Mjoll: If that’s all, then don’t worry about a thing from me. I already promised myself that I’d try and work things out with you and them, and I indeed intend to keep that promise.

 

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Mjoll: Although I do apologize for letting my anger overtake me assass—Astrid.

 

Astrid sat next to Mjoll and gave a hearty laugh.

 

Astrid: It’s already forgotten Mjoll! And Jalena, what did you tell me? “No longer are you a Dark Sister, no longer are you apart of the Brotherhood, no longer are you a wife… From now on… You. Are. Mine.”? Until I fix things, I’ll comfortably be okay with being just that.

 

Trace18-137.png

 

Everyone’s eyes then fell on the rather displeased looking Vex.

 

Vex: What? Am I supposed to be okay with this? Okay with the woman I’ve fallen for being openly in love with two other women who I can’t personally can’t stand? *sigh* You know what… this is ridiculous. Just do what you want Jalena…

 

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Trace: Vex..

 

That last sentence was all Trace could have ever hoped Vex would say after everything was settled. Finally, Trace’s heart was at ease, and she wanted to go and give Vex the biggest hug she’d ever dished out… But then she saw the smirk on Vex’s lips that only meant one thing: trouble.

 

Vex: But just so we’re clear, you’re mine every Loredas and Sundas. *wink*

 

Trace18-139.png

 

Mjoll/Astrid: WHAAAAAT!?!

 

Both Nords bolted off of the bed at Vex’s audacious proclamation and got into Vex’s face, moving Trace out of the way in the process.

 

Mjoll: What makes you think that you can just hog her for two days out of the week? How’s that fair?

 

Astrid: Not only that, what makes you think that YOU’RE the one that’ll be able to choose what days you get?

 

Mjoll: You’re being rather selfish, thief…

 

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Vex: Hey! Back off alright! I’m kind of sick of getting ganged up on.

 

Astrid: Heh, didn’t stop you from doing it to me.

 

Vex: Haaaa… Fair point, but still. I’ve never worked on either of those days except for when Trace was in prison, and I only did it then to because I felt solely responsible for her imprisonment and I wanted to do everything that I could to get her out as soon as I could.

 

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Astrid: You’re joking right?

 

They turned to Trace who couldn’t meet them in the eyes.

 

Mjoll: How in the world did she become the leader of a guild if she—

 

Trace: Who in their right mind do you think is going to tell Vex no on something as trivial as this? Mercer attempted to once, and well… It didn’t exactly go well.

 

Mjoll: …Well damn…

 

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Part Four

 

After getting the temporary weekly schedule that was most DEFINITELY going to be changed some time in the future, it was settled that Vex would get Sundas and Middas, Astrid would get Morndas and Turdas, and Mjoll would get Tirdas and Fredas. Also it was decided that Trace would alternate Loredas with each of them. It wasn’t a schedule any of them liked, but none of them could deny it was fair.
Astrid, having redressed into her Dark Brotherhood gear, looked at the three women who had begun to have playful banter among themselves, and while part of her wanted to join them, she knew that it was far too soon for her to do so…

 

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Astrid: (I guess it’s time…) Hey, there’s something… that I need to do. But don’t worry Trace, I’ll be back as soon as I’m able.

 

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Trace: W-what!? But why? The mood just was starting to get good between everyone…

 

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Astrid: The mood should STAY good, probably get better when I leave. Besides, I know Vex’s men must be a bit peeved that they haven’t been able to come back in here yet so—

 

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Trace stopped Astrid and stuck out her arm.

 

Astrid: Wait, what? But this is… Why are—

 

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Trace: Hehehe, the Blade of Woe, YOUR Blade of Woe, belongs to you and you alone, Astrid. I’d always planned on giving you it back, but if we’re to part now… I wouldn’t want you to be out there with anything less than the best.

 

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Astrid looked back and forth from the weapon and Trace, until she finally took it, although rather reluctantly. Then with nothing but a nod, Astrid promptly departed from the Cistern.

 

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Vex: Tsk! And I was kind of getting to like her.

 

Trace: Vex…

 

Vex: Sorry sorry. I know it was in bad taste, but I couldn’t help it.

 

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Trace: Please Vex.

 

Vex looked to Mjoll who was just as confused as to what Trace wanted as she was.

 

Vex: Look here Jalena, I don’t know what you want from—

 

Trace: I’m… I’m worried about her… Please Vex, follow her... For me… She’s been acting oddly at peace with everything since I let her know about the aftermath of the attack on the Sanctuary and… I’m worried that she might do something dangerous to her own wellbeing… So could you—

 

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Vex: Dammit woman!

 

She shot Mjoll a nasty look.

 

Vex: Lucky wench. If I return and she’s not as spirited as she was before Astrid left, I’ll cave your face in.

 

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Mjoll nodded, and after quickly changing her attire Vex hurriedly chased after the redheaded assassin, leaving Trace alone with Mjoll in a place that suddenly felt every uncomfortable to the both of them.

 

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Mjoll: W-well… I think it’s time for me to go? Suddenly I feel like I definitely shouldn’t be here…

 

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Part Five

 

???: Isn’t it a bit too late for that, lass? And haven’t you been scarce as of late? It’s annoying not knowing what my little Cub’s been getting into.

 

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The two turned around and the red-haired Nord, that if you asked most of the Guild members would say that he should have become Guild Leader with Mercer’s demise, stood there staring back at them with a smirk on his face.

 

Brynjolf: What? Did you honestly believe that Vex’s little threat would keep everyone out? Or at the very least keep anyone from eavesdropping on you all?

 

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Trace: Shit… N-n-now Brynjolf, I know that I wasn’t supposed to bring anyone here… ESPECIALLY her, b-but—

 

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Mjoll suddenly walked up to the thief and the two shared each other’s gave for quite a long time unnerving the Imperial.

 

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And then suddenly to Trace’s disbelief, the two embraced one another. He held her close to his chest and the beating of his heart fleetingly made Mjoll feel tranquil.

 

Mjoll: Long time no see, stranger.

 

Brynjolf: Aye, lass. It’s been too long. How’ve you been holding up?

 

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Mjoll: I always knew there was something off about you. You parade around town like a merchant, but always stayed in rather deplorable company.

 

Brynjolf combed his hands through her hair, and Mjoll sighed.


Mjoll: Why couldn’t you… Of ALL people, be one of the good ones Brynjolf?

 

Brynjolf: I kept Maven off you, and helped you as much as I could. I may not be a traditional “good guy,” and although I’m a criminal, I’m not a bad guy. I kept my word to you, and Trace is indeed safe and out of the guild. So what more do you want from me?

 

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Trace: Hold on… HOLD ON!

 

Trace split both of them apart and forced them to look at her. Her eyes were swimming with shock, confusion, and anger.

 

Trace: You know each—no no no no! You conspired to get me out of the Guild? Brynjolf, tell me it isn’t true. TELL ME!!

 

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Brynjolf’s eyes told Trace all that she needed to know and more. Of course it was true. Everyone had said that she didn’t fit as a thief, and Brynjolf had said that he was rather glad that she’d stopped being with the Guild, although he didn’t mind her presence. But it didn’t stop there…

 

Brynjolf: The Guild is a family, a family that you more than deserve and earned the right to be part of. When you came back, I WANTED you to join us again, if only so I could keep a better eye on you. But when you didn’t, I wasn’t going to force you. With the war over and officials starting to look into things properly, even Maven’s protection isn’t going to get you off the hook everytime, which is why we weren’t able to bail you out like we would have liked. I love you as if you were actual family Jalena, and I’d be damned if something I could’ve controlled causes anything to happen to you.

 

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Trace: That… that doesn’t make sense. When I was with the Brotherhood—

 

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Brynjolf: You act as though Maven, with all her connections, doesn’t or rather didn’t have members within the Dark Brotherhood.

 

Trace: But Mjoll… How did you—

 

Brynjolf: If I were really at odds with “the woman who had it out for the Thieves Guild,” then do you honestly believe I would have continuously pushed you into her arms? She’s a good girl, lass. And she’s safe.

 

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Trace stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. She looked at them both and her eyes were filled with bewilderment with Brynjolf declaration. She tried to move, but felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut… Both physically and mentally…

 

Trace: (Bryn and Mjoll?! But she hates the Guild, wants to get rid of it to help “purify” Riften, whereas Bryn’s the one that all newcomers use as a guideline until they find their way with the Guild. There’s no way that they—)

 

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Brynjolf: You alright there, lass? Need a hand?

 

He lent Trace a hand to help her stand, and she swatted it away as if it were some disgusting foreign object. Trace regretted it Immediately, more so when she looked into Brynjolf’s eyes and saw the sadness that reflected back at her.

 

Trace: I-I didn’t mean it, Bryn! W-well… *sigh* No… I did. How could you not tell me this? Me, the person in love with Mjoll? How could you have me playing all sorts of games, allow me to lie to Mercer, Vex, Mjoll, you all in an attempt to try and make this thing, this relationship I wanted with Mjoll work? I—

 

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Part Six

 

Brynjolf: It’s… It’s fine, lass. I can understand any anger, malice, or confusion that may have gripped you because of this news. But make no mistake, not fault here lies with the Cub.

 

Mjoll: B-Brynjolf! I might not have known you were with the Guild, but I had my suspicions… So there’s no way I’m going to allow you to—

 

Brynjolf: To what? Be completely honest for the first time to a lass that I’ve regarded as someone closer to me than even my actual family ever was? She deserves this, and I’ll not let your stubborn pride deny her the truth, Cub.

 

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Mjoll kept trying to find the words to dispute his claim, but after multiple wordless attempts, she simply hung her head and looked away.

 

Trace: (I see… Mjoll was going to implicate herself so that she and Brynjolf looked equally at fault here… Haaa… Why won’t she just let me dislike her for more than a moment…) I think I get it now…

 

Brynjolf: Do you, lass? Because when you and she first met, the Cub came to me excited that she’d possibly made another friend besides Aerin. When you started trying to make this friendship into something more, I was the first one Mjoll let know. When she finally realized that you might be the one for her, all the good deeds you were doing, the first time you both kissed… She even sought me out that day after she confronted you about being with the Guild and bawled her eyes out.

 

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Brynjolf: It wasn’t even because of what you did, but because she knew, she felt that she had ruined everything by acting too hastily, too rashly, and time and time again she wanted to make it right between you two. But it was as if you’d lost your charm, your honor, and each interaction you had with each other up until the Goldenglow job just had you showing her more and more of your roguish side, and as a result she was increasingly more spiteful towards the Guild.

 

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Trace: I want to believe all of that, more than either of you know, but… How can I?

 

Mjoll: I had said it was because of Vex that I visited you while you were in prison. And although that was part of it, I truly visited because almost a month after you were imprisoned and I was still struggling with whether or not to see you, Brynjolf visited me. Hearing him echo Vex’s words, and knowing that there wasn’t any spite towards me attached to them… I realized that regardless of what I had felt about your Guild… The fact that you disregarded your vow of righteousness to me—no—that you possibly threw away any chance with me and did everything you could to save Vex, to save someone that you love… It showed me that you were and are the woman that I’d fallen for.

 

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Mjoll reached out towards Trace, but before the Nord could prepare herself for it, Trace jumped off of the ground and embraced her as if she’d die if she let go.

 

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Brynjolf: *grins* So does this show of emotion mean that we’re square, Jalena?

 

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Trace: No, not quite.

 

Trace released Mjoll, reached into her top, and placed something into Brynjolf’s hand.

 

Trace: *smiles* Now we’re even.

 

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The Breton looked down into his palm and frowned.

 

Brynjolf: A coin? A single Septim, lass? Heh, aren’t you doing this a bit backwards, lass? Paying me because I pissed you off—

 

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Trace: *shakes head* That’s the first ever Septim I ever made from being with the Guild.

 

Brynjolf: You mean that initiation job, where we made you steal a coin off of Mercer!? But lass, that was over seven years ago.

 

Trace: *nods*And I’ve kept it with me ever since as a good luck charm and now, with everything that the Guild’s about to go through and you having to make sure Vex leads you all down the right path, I want you to have it.

 

Trace18-182.png

 

The Breton took a long hard look at the coin in his hand and sighed.

 

Brynjolf: I see… I understand, Jalena. Well… *grins* Now that the air’s been cleared, I’ll leave you two to do your thing. Don’t want to be more of a third wheel than I’m already being given how… Intimate you two seem to want to be.

 

Trace18-183.png

 

Mjoll: What are you talking about?

 

Trace: Yeah, we’re not being—

 

Trace18-184.png

 

Brynjolf smirked and then began walking off.

 

Brynjolf: Tell that to me when the Cub gets her arms from around your waist, lass.

 

Trace18-185.png


Part Seven

 

Mjoll: My hand’s not around her—

 

Mjoll felt pressure force her head downward, and when she turned her head that way, her lips met Trace’s, and the two of them lost themselves in a rather passionate kiss…

 

Trace18-188.png

 

…Before Trace pushed Mjoll away.

 

Trace: It’s… This all… We shouldn’t be together now. It’s not right

 

Mjoll: Not right? You love me, and I you, so what’s wrong with what we’re doing. And heck, you initiated it.

 

Mjoll leaned in and the shared another kiss before Trace pushed her away again.

 

Trace: I-I know I did, but… What would you do if you knew Vex was trying to do this on a Tirdas or Fredas? I don’t think that you’d take that news very well.

 

Trace18-189-A.png

 

Mjoll sighed and put an end to her advances.

 

Mjoll: You’re right, and I definitely wouldn’t want to hear from her of all people that I’m a hypocrite… Heh, could you imagine the fight that would break out? But yeah... I guess I ought to get going then, huh?

 

Trace18-191.png

 

Mjoll gathered all her things, and made sure to double check to see if she had forgotten anything. Realizing she didn’t, she said goodbye to Trace and started to head out when she felt a tug at her arm. She turned around, to see Trace with a desperate, but worried, look on her face.

 

Mjoll: What’s wrong, Jalena? You’re… Kinda creeping me out.Trace18-192-A.png

 

Trace: Close your eyes for me.

 

Mjoll: Listen, I appreciate you trying to be all mysterious, but didn’t you just say—

 

Trace: Please Mjoll!! I need you to do this for me!

 

Trace18-194.png

 

Reluctantly Mjoll closed her eyes. Although she didn’t like all of the mixed signals that were being thrown her way, she couldn’t deny the worry that was painted on Trace’s face. She knew that whatever she was about to get was something that Trace feared she might never get around to giving to her, in case things didn’t go as planned with the Listener. However, just as Mjoll was able to let herself fully succumb to Trace’s wishes, she felt the Imperial relieve her of her battleax and replace it with something else…

 

Mjoll: T-Trace!? What are you doing!? Why’d you take my weapon?

 

Trace: Don’t… Worry about that for now. Just don’t open your eyes until I tell you to. Oh, and stick your hands out.

 

Trace18-195-A.png

 

Mjoll: I don't like this… *sigh* Fine, just hurry up and get this over with. You’re the one that said that we shouldn’t be around each other on a day that we didn’t agree upon. You’re the one that made it clear that this was wrong. And now you’re the one who wants me to stay. This isn’t fair Jalena, not to Vex or—

 

She stopped talking when she felt something cold but familiar be placed into her hands. The Nord wanted to grip it, but something told her that it would be a mistake. Still, she carefully handled the object in her hands, her heartbeat raising by the second.

 

Trace: So Mjoll, I need to talk to you about—

 

Trace18-197-A.png

 

Mjoll’s eyes flew open and darted downward towards the item in her hands. Immediately the Nord recognized it and her heart almost skipped a beat.

 

Mjoll: Jalena… But this is… How did you…

 

Trace18-199.png

 

Trace: You know that notice board that’s in the market? Well, when I came back to Riften…When I acted like a complete ass towards you… I was truly intent on not being part of the Thieves Guild anymore and did anything I could to prove to you that I was the woman you thought I was before… Well anyway, I’d look up requests on the board and carry them out, you know, like you did. So, eventually when I got into a good swing of things, I realized that there was one request that was constantly going unfulfilled… Retrieve Grimsever.

 

Trace18-200.png

 

Trace: So… I asked around a bit and got more details about the request… And I just… Did it? You’d told me that is was your favorite weapon and how much it meant to you, so… I just wanted to do something for you that really meant something. I meant to give it to you much earlier than this, but I didn’t see how I was going to be able to seeing how our relationship was—

 

Trace18-201-A.png

 

Mjoll pushed Trace onto the bed, climbed over her, and for a brief moment stared into the Imperial’s bewildered eyes before she met her lips once more. She could feel Trace’s heartbeat against her bosom, and although she knew it was wrong, the Nord made sure to imprint her hunger, desires, and all of her feelings on Trace’s mouth so that the Imperial would never be able to deny or forget them.

 

Trace18-203-A.png

 

It ended up taking all the Nord had to remove herself from Trace, and seeing Trace’s glossed over eyes and love drunk expression didn’t make things easier for Mjoll. However, she’d done what she knew she needed to.

 

Mjoll: Now I don’t know when you’re going to leave, but you had better come back! I’ll never let you rest in peace if you don’t!

 

Trace18-205-A.png

 

After retrieving Grimsever, Mjoll plant a kiss on the Trace’s forehead and exited from the Cistern the same way from which she entered. As for Trace, she bathed in her ecstasy and soon drifted off into the most peaceful and restful sleep that she had ever had before.

 

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Wov. I expected Alduin to show up next to confess love, but nope, got forgotten ! probably couldn't make it through the door. :P

 

Anyway, you made it quite the soap opera : such complex relationships ! And Malicia is probably jealous of Astrid's cleavage now (her screens were amazing), but that's a detail. :D

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