Skyrim: Promises to Keep Quest Walkthrough

 In Skyrim, the quest Promises to Keep requires finding a horse and its papers. Players can choose between revealing secrets or keeping their word.

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, players will want to clear the Promises to Keep side quest and earn the completion reward. To begin the quest to discover the whereabouts of a horse, players should travel to Riften's The Bee and Barb to find and interact with the NPC Louis Letrush. He will be sitting in the corner and explain that he had previously purchased a horse from Sibbi Black-Briar, but after making the payment, Sibbi Black-Briar was imprisoned and will no longer honor his agreement to deliver the horse, Frost. Louis will task the player to find Maven Black-Briar's son, Sibbi Black-Briar, presently located in Riften Jail. Players are advised that they should learn the location of the papers that confirm the horse Frost is of noble birth in addition to finding the horse in Skyrim.

From there, players should head to the prison and find a guard who can be persuaded or bribed to let them in. Of note, players will need to have sufficient Persuasion skill to convince the guard to let them through. If players need to rely on bribery to get past the guard, it will cost them a hefty sum. Once players find Sibbi Black-Briar, he will tell them that he does not own Frost, but his mother's property is considered. Sibbi Black-Briar will direct the player to Black-Briar Lodge, where players can uncover Frost's lineage papers and the horse itself. Additionally, players can also persuade Sibbi to give them the key to the strongbox in the lodge East of Riften by threatening to reveal the plan to his mother, Maven Black-Briar.

To enter the Black-Briar Lodge, players will need to use their Stealth skill in Skryim, and they may want to bring a companion. The best way to approach the lodge is from the West and pick the lock at the unguarded side door. Alternatively, players can steal the key to the lodge from one of the many mercenaries guarding the front entrance. Once inside the building, players will still need to contend with some mercenaries. Having a companion may make this fight easier, as the companion is likely to draw some of the enemy fire.

Skyrim: Promises To Keep Quest Options And Rewards

After the enemies are defeated, players should be able to steal the lineage papers and the horse, Frost. The documents can be found in the basement on a desk. If players managed to get the key from Sibbi Black-Briar, they should also be able to open a box in the basement containing 250 Gold in Skyrim. To obtain Frost, players will not be able to sneak around, so the best approach is to run quickly and immediately mount the horse. Players should flee from the lodge as quickly as possible, and the best strategy is to secure the papers before attempting to take the horse.

Once players have the lineage paperwork and Frost, they can either return them to Louis Letrush as requested or tell Maven Black-Briar of the plan. If players choose to explain the situation to Maven Black-Briar, they will not receive a reward and will eventually find Louis Letrush has been killed. On the other hand, if players return the horse in Skyrim and the documents to Louis, they will be rewarded with 750 Gold. Alternatively, players can also return to Louis, but instead of giving him Frost and the documents, they can use their Persuasion skill to threaten him and tell Maven Black-Briar what occurred. If players choose this option, they will get to keep Frost, but they will have to fight Louis and some enemy bandits.