"You picked a bad time to get lost, friend."

Cardi flicked her tail in agitation as her ebony armor flared to life, shrouding her in darkness, tendrils of shadow swirling around her like an open flame. The armor had its perks, this she knew, but it was getting old. Yes, it poisoned those who got too close, blended her in almost perfectly with the night, and warned her when enemies got too close- but the good almost outweighed the bad in Cardi's topaz eyes.

The darkness that came with the suit often impaired her vision, making it much easier to miss. Accuracy and sight is key for an archer. Accuracy was even more reveled in her profession with the dark brotherhood.

"Are those your last words?" The feline asked, not even bothering to turn around and face her foe. Still crouched, she knocked an arrow into place and drew her ebony bow of burning, weapon trembling with potential energy. Her eyes quickly skimmed the horizon.

It was quite a sight, as Janessa would say, should she still be alive to see it. Cardi had sacrificed her for the armor, due to her irritating attitude.

There were green, rolling hills, the sun making it's daily ambit across the sky, painting the world bright with colors. Somewhere, a wolf howled.

Before her was Secunda's Kiss, where two giants lumbered about, checking on the giant wooly mammoths they called their own. She momentarily soaked in the sun as the heat intensified.

"Wha-" He began to say, before the word vanished beneath the sound of choking and gurgling blood. Cardi smiled, finally deciding to turn around as she sheathed her bow.

"That was bloody disappointing. I was hoping to see you loose and arrow in her throat." A deep voice said.

The man before her was beautiful, at least by Argonian standards. The gods put many hours into the making of this one, she thought once again trailing her eyes down his muscled form.

Eyes like honey, with rounded scales encasing the orb, growing larger down his sculpted cheekbones. His scales and skin were a deep blue, almost an indigo. His horns ran down his jawline, curved ones along his brow, and two straight, large horns sprouted from his cranium accentuated his face. Two rings sat in the center of each horn. is war paint was tan, and crossed over his eyes, down his neck, and past his shoulders. His vampire armor of destruction did little to hide his form- he was muscular and built for labor, and since he never got addicted to skooma like so many of his kind, he had a healthy glow and girth. An elven dagger rested on his hip, and his hands were alight with fire.

"He wasn't worth my time." She said finally, glancing down at the lifeless corpse between them. Sage the Argonian stepped over the body, closing the distance between the two, and looked down at his Khajit friend.

To him, she was lovely as well. Her black fur was soft to the touch, her blue eyes were large and becoming. She had a slender figure, supple curves and a well-defined chest. Her arms were strong, and had to be to work a bow like she did. She had tiger markings along his face, a blood red, and her nose was small and black. He knew from experience her lips were soft.

Not that it made any difference to him now. That was years ago, when he was just a hatchling, still not sure of who he was. Now he had discovered he didn't love her like a lover, or any female, for that instance. Sage had a thing for men. Big men, hung like horses, men like Galmar Stone-fist.

"I wonder who is?" Sage muttered, tilting his head and crossing his arms. Cardi shrugged, but in her mind, she knew-

Aela.

The foxy redhead with eyes that sparkled like amber. With a barking laugh and no remorse, with strict rules for right and wrong. The one who filled the spaces between her hands and later, her bed. The one who waited for her at jorrvaskr. The one she loved.

Cardi smiled, a genuine white smile that sparkled with inner warmth. Sage looked concerned, but finally met her smile with his own.

Not wishing to waste any more time, Cardi got into position and withdrew her crossbow from her satchel. With strong arms she pulled the bolt into place and took aim, waiting for the perfect shot.

"Hey, you don't happen to be heading to jorrvaskr anytime soon, Cardi?" Sage asked with a hint of nervousness. Cardi gave him a curious glance.

"I happen to be hunting for Aela. What's up?"

Sage gulped, casting his eyes downward.

"It's just… She was caught with Skjor yesterday."

His words hit her like daedric arrows, like dwemer bolts fired from a ballista. She was so shocked, in fact, that her hand slipped, and she fired the bolt.

It hit the giant square in the chest, but Cardi had ceased watching.

A furious snarl escaped her throat as she grabbed the Argonian by the throat and slammed him into a tree, pinning him there with her razor sharp clothes. Her blue eyes glittered darkly in the morning light, and her ears were pressed flat against her head, hackles raised.

"You have five seconds to tell me everything you know, or I gut you like a fish." She spat angrily, staring into his eyes.

Sage gulped, and looked away.

"You wouldn't dare." He managed to croak, which was difficult, because the pressure on his throat was intensifying. He winced as her claws began to pierce the soft flesh.

"3 seconds." Her voice didn't sound like her own- it sounded broken and dark. Her face was twisted into something cruel and menacing. Sage sighed.

"Yesterday Aela- ouch, Cardi. Yesterday, I was sent by Kodlak to fetch her after we sang a few drinking songs in my name for joining the companions. Well, I walked into her room and saw…" He trailed off.

Cardi flexed her hands, causing Sage to gasp for breath. "Everything, Sage. Tell me everything."

"I saw Aela sitting atop him, stradling his sides, kissing him. I watched her put an Amulet of Dibella into his pocket and then I burst in and yelled at Aela. She said it wasn't a crime, or anything, and then I sort of-"

Cardi winced at his description, but then her eyes shot open.

"What did you do?"

"I slapped the shit out the whore. Later, I pissed on Skjor while he slept. I suspect he'll wake up to a nasty surprise today."

Cardi laughed.

"You sick son of a bitch." She said finally, pulling her claws from his jugular and sighing. Hurt welled inside her chest, threatening to make it cave in, as the weight of his words finally hit her. The rumors had been true. She'd brushed them off, as it was never from a reliable source. But Sage? He wouldn't lie about this. It was just so… Him.

There was a vibration in the ground. Faint, but increasing in intensity, and Sage turned.

Two giants were approaching, and fast, followed by two mammoths. Cardi spun around and reached into her pack, searching for a bolt- but her hand only grasped empty air. She cursed.

When Cardi was younger, she made a stupid decision to accept Lord Harkon's gift of immortality. This was a decision she later regretted, because honestly, it sucked. When she finally cured herself and approached the dawnguard, they didn't react well. She was forced to defend herself, and refused to trade with her. So she had to either break into their fort to steal bolts, or retrieve them from dwemer ruins. Not only this, but they showed up at random times and terrorized her, in large groups. Nothing she couldn't handle, but it got annoying. Fast.

"Shitshitshitshitshit" She cursed, grabbing Sage's hand and running like the dickens. She had to give it to them, those fuckers were fast.