This was the tricky bit. How much to say, how much not to say. She had to perfectly balance trust with prudence.
“That was how I was directed to Delvin,” she admitted. “He was, or is, our only connection to the Guild. We had a rough period where we came very suddenly under new management. Had to move, had to rebuild. We’re hoping to strengthen our position so such sudden shifts don’t occur again, at least without forewarning.”
“You don’t have to try to convince me of your survivability,” Crow assured her. HIs voice was less playful now as he settled down to talk business. There was a reason he’d worked his way up through the ranks of thieves so quickly before taking control of the organization, and it had nothing to do with his performance in bed.
“The Brotherhood’s been around for hundreds of years,” He reminded her, licking his fingers as he plated his own food. “Your legacy is proof enough that you can survive hard times. “I will say,” He added, “That with Mercer gone, we’re trying to steal more and kill less. There was a time when we were almost the same faction. Just, ah, with a different set of skills.” He smirked.
“But we have an advantage: The people know the Guild exists. Smart people want to keep out of our way, or get on our good side. I can stroll the streets of Riften, and even if the guards knew who I was, they wouldn’t dare touch me. That’s power,” He says through a mouthful of bacon. “We can operate in the open where you have to strike from the shadows. It’s a good match. I just want to know what your expectations for this relationship are.”
