Skyrim: Faal Thur

Erin walked off while the gears in her head were turning. They had discussed this possibility before while brainstorming and now it was time to try and complete her part of Brom's plan. 'It is simple, all I have to do is find Eorlund before Brom finishes his meeting. Then, somehow, get him to tell us everything he knows.' Looking up she realized that she had been mindlessly walking away from the scene and now found herself in the residential district of Whiterun.

Thinking back on the layout of the city, she took off in the direction of Jorvaskr. Her current armor did make her stand out among the ordinary citizens. While weaving through the alleys of the houses, she decided the simplest method would be best here. She quickly cast Invisibility before she left the comforting shadows of the houses and entered the streets.

Beelining towards Jorvaskr she suddenly heard Brom Shout.

"FAAS" his Shout echoed all around.

Even though she was not the target of the shout, its power still made her momentarily flinch and drop to the ground in fear. Her Invisibility spell even shattered as she lost her focus when that primal fear took over for that split second. Quickly shaking her head clear, she stood up and followed the few who managed to run away instead of collapsing. Her head reeling, she realized that her armor was probably the reason she had not been affected as much as the other citizens. Feigning fear, she sprinted away towards Jorvaskr and used the crowd to hide from potential watchers.

Casting Invisibility once again, she left the stream of frightened people and ran to the Sky Forge on the hill beside the companion's mead hall. Upon reaching the top, she started looking around and saw that forge was unmanned. 'Damnit, he isn't here. Where could he… His House!' she concluded. She raced back the way she had come; much time had been wasted running here. She now only had a few minutes before Brom would confront the Jarl and he needed her to get the information from Eorlund before the Jarl did.

She winded through the houses until she came to the one that she believed was his. Heading towards the back door she tried the handle and it was locked. 'of course, it is' the sighed. Getting out her tools, she crouched down to pick the lock. It was not too hard of a lock, but her excitement caused her fingers to be clumsy, causing her to break her pick. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. Grabbing another pick, she inserted it and her tension wrench into the lock and began slowly working it, one pin at a time.

Repeating the same line to herself, she kept her focus. 'Better to succeed slowly then fail quickly', this had been one of her favorite sayings as a thief. It now came back into play after so long without using it. After a minute she heard the click of the lock being opened. Smiling she turned the handle and slowly opened the door. It swung on oiled hinges and she thanked whoever had taken the care to do so. Stepping one foot inside she started entering the building.

"I missed you little one," a raspy voice said behind her.

Hearing the voice of all her nightmares she froze for a second. The owner of the voice clubbed her on the back of the head quickly knocking her out; her armor saving her from death.

Erin slowly began to come to consciousness. Her head pounded and she tried to grab it, but her hands were shackled. Jerking fully awake, her eyes darted back and forth trying to make sense of her surroundings. Only seeing dark stone walls, floor, and ceiling she gave up trying to figure out where she was. Yanking her hands and legs she tried breaking the shackles, but she couldn't even make them budge.

A cool breeze came from somewhere to her left, and she shivered. Her eyes widened as she realized that she didn't have her armor; she didn't have anything.

"Ah, you are awake. Good. Now I can begin showing you all of the fun games I learned while you were being a bad girl." The same raspy voice sounded behind her.

Shivering, but no longer from the cold, Erin was already about to break. But then she remembered something, Brom. Holding onto this one thought, she steeled herself for what was to come.

Brom's perspective

"Where is she!" Brom's voice echoed all of his anger and pain.

Seeing the man frantically shake his head and smelling the proof that he was nothing but a coward, Brom tossed him to the ground. Casting Sparks, he let the lighting dance around his hands and walked towards the man who was now trembling on the ground.

"I'll ask one more time. Where Is Erin!"

"I..I don't know who that is!"

His hands shaking Brom electrocuted the man, letting him spaz on the floor and lose control of his body. Stopping he healed the life trheatenign injuries and threw the man against the stone wall.

"I know you are lying! She stole your precious diamond ring for you! Now tell me who you contacted to hire her!"

"I don't know that man! He only communicated by dropbox. There was never a face, just please just let me go… please."

"Tell me where this dropbox is."

"It is an old trashcan near the docks. Now please let me go! That is all I know I swear!"

"Careful what you wish for,"

Brom dropped the man onto an ice spike he had conjured. Turning, he headed out the door and walked towards the docks of Dawnstar. His hunt for Erin had begun three days after he left Dragonsreach. They had planned on meeting up at The Mine in two, he gave her another day in case she got held up. When he still heard nothing, he knew something must have happened. He went back and searched Whiterun using every spell he could think of, but he found nothing.

Deciding that he only had one possible lead, he began his hunt for her previous master. All of the matters regarding the fragments were long forgotten. Brom had barely stopped to rest and continuously hunted down each and every one of her victims, and from them found out what was stolen. He then traced those items to the new owners and integrated each one for information. This dropbox was the first lead he had gotten in a week.

Walking down the docks, long past trying to be subtle. Brom reached the trash can and using his new spell Telekinesis that he picked up on the way here from Whiterun he quickly went through it. Finding nothing but trash his eyes lit up and his pupils narrowed. Summoning a Fireball to destroy the stupid can he drew his arm back and stopped. 'Finally,' he mused.

He had been hoping his obvious tactics and blatant shows of power would attract somebody, and now there was a hooded figure walking towards him. Releasing control of the spell, Brom turned to face this figure.