Two thieves looked up apprehensively at the soot-blackened facade that loomed over them. Their lantern made little difference in the moonless night, only turned the shifting shadows deeper and even more malicious than they were already. The howling winds whipped against them, grabbing at their hair and spraying snow crystals in their eyes. The larger thief, though small for a Nord, turned to the Khajiit beside him, and rumbled, "Go on, I don't want to stand here all night."

The Khajiit puffed a misty breath, that was instantly carried away by the wind and tried to balance the lockpick in trembling fingers. The sharp wind had no difficulty in whipping through her thick fur, but that was not the only reason Ah'fera was shivering.

Heljarchen Hall was surrounded by almost as many stories as the Dragonborn who built it. Numerous parties had been thrown here, always private and guarded by a few Companions, hired specially for the purpose. No details ever leaked out, only rumors about the gold spent and amounts of alcohol drunk. Everyone was vying for the place in her guest-list.

But what had drawn Jole and Ah'fera were the tales of treasures amassed here in her time with the Companions. And a bet.

The lock finally clicked open under Ah'fera's skilled fingers. She turned to Jole apprehensively, not wanting to be the first to enter. The Hall had been abandoned for more or less twenty years, but any thief learned to be hesitant around anything related to the Dragonborn. Legends circulated even now. The first pickpocket was let of with a warning, the second got three fingers broken, and after that it became almost a game. Fortunately for the thieves, the Dragonborn was very good-natured. Terminally.

Jole sighed at the Khajiiti woman's jittery nerves and pushed open the door. Rusty hinges creaked in protest, but gave in eventually. The pair stepped in, looking around wide-eyed as the lantern gradually revealed their surroundings.

Jole pulled back his hood, revealing golden hair, and set the lantern on a nearby table. The interior was tastefully decorated, artful gilding gleaming in the dim light, carvings still untouched by wood-borers, but overlayed on everything was a layer of soot, accompanied by the smell of burnt decay.

Ah'fera found a few candle-ends with about twenty minutes of light still left in them and lit them by the lantern. She nodded to Jole soundlessly and proceeded carefully, wincing with the slightest creek of floorboards.

The entry room was sparsely furnished, but when the main hall came fully into light, their breath caught. The two thieves pulled out loot bags and started going over the room to sweep in anything that looked valuable. Gems were scattered everywhere, glittering even under the layer of dust. Gold coins sparkled, enchanted weapons cast their eerie glow from plaques on the walls.

At the first sight of such a glow, Ah'fera gasped and shuddered. To Jole's questioning look she answered, "I thought it was a ghost."

Jole groaned, "Not this again. What book was it now?"

Ah'fera didn't mind the slight reproach - her fascination with ghost stories had been responsible for more than just one midnight fray in the bedrooms. "It was the Legend of Krately House. Two thieves broke in to loot a long abandoned house- " she began immediately, not even noticing Jole roll his eyes. He was stuffing gems and gold in his bag now, while Ah'fera went on further to the library on the right. She continued, "-and in the house there were ghosts of the previous occupants. The-"

Jole cut her off. "When you say 'previous' do you mean they just moved, or ..."

"The other kind of previous. So, they were exploring, while the ghosts were stuck in the past – Oh, look I think these are dragon scales!"

Jole rushed over, not believing his ears. Dragon scales were immensely valuable now, more than their weight in gold. There were indeed, scattered on the shelves among the books, scrolls, more gems and gold and jewelry little piles of scales the size of nails. "So what of the ghosts?" He asked after pulling out a smaller bag and carefully sweeping up all the scales.

"They slowly puzzled out the story. The history of the family and so on." Ah'fera padded up to the second floor where she found another assortment of valuables. Her candle winked out in a breeze and she hissed, but blinked to allow her night-vision to adjust.

"And what happened?" Jole called up from the library.

"They saw the ghosts slowly murdered. The mother had apparently been a witch, and the other witches didn't like her departing from the coven."

"So? Hey, did you fill up the oil? The lantern's going out, and I can't relight any of the candles."

Ah'fera stiffened, all treasures forgotten. She asked in a trembling voice, "Tell me, Jole, the Dragonborn didn't die here, did she?"

"What? No, no, I think she just went away. Damn it!" The glow from the first floor winked out.

"We must go now." Ah'fera said stiffly and tucked her bag in her belt. Even a scared thief doesn't forget her loot.

"Why? Not yet, just come and help me with this light. Gods, I can't see a damned thing."

Ah'fera sighed and turned around. What happened next she didn't see, as her eye squeezed shut involuntarily the very moment cold steel touched her throat. She felt the bag being tugged away and let go without a sound. Her invisible assailant didn't make a single noise, not even the sound of breathing, but the Khajiit didn't care much if it was even alive. Just that someone, or something was holding a blade to her throat eliminated any other speculations.

In her mind, Ah'fera cursed Jole, who was blundering in the darkness below, making as much noise as a baby elephant. She felt light bloom on the other side of her closed eyelids as all the candles in the house burst alight at once and an amused voice just in front of her said, "Well, well, aren't you the unlucky ones."

Ah'fera heard Jole downstairs unsheathe his blade, but it wouldn't be much good, if her suspicions proved correct, which, unfortunately, they did. She heard Jole pounding up the stairs, only to slow down as the figure in front of her came in his view. The knife was taken away from Ah'fera's neck, and she finally drew a deep breath before finally daring to look.

The figure, clad in armor made of dragon scales, sheathed her Daedric dagger as if catching thieves was completely everyday for her and looked at the pair with humor sparkling in her green eyes.

Jole seemed to regain hold of his tongue again and said angrily, "Who are you? We were here first and this place is abandoned. You have no right to-"

"Silence, boy. I can now see where the saying 'thick as thieves' has come from. I have every right here, and you better show some respect or be prepared to eat only with a straw in the future."

Jole's features which had been drawn in anger smoothed out in total bafflement and finally realization dawned. "Dragonborn! You're the Dragonborn! But you were gone, and, and ..."

"I'm aware of the fact, yes. Who are you two?"

"Me, I'm Jole, a thief. That is Ah'fera."

The Dragonborn flashed a smile that made Jole blush to the roots of his hair and said, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Nefasteri."