User blog comment:Blood Reaper/Small 1.4 update/@comment-4692385-20111225180306/@comment-4057437-20111225191915

There is good and bad news. The bad news is that it may be a while before you can become Thane of Riften. The good news is that Iona will be more useful as she will be at a higher level. (Your housecarls do not level up with you, they are at the level you found them at.)