1- Silent Partner

Karliah's breath came out in misty white puffs of air as she exited the coffin, quickly pressing the small black button and dashing out of sight as it rolled closed, the sound of rock on rock. Her footsteps were silent, as if she was walking on a cloud itself. Years of thieving did that to you - gave you a simple automatic muscle memory that contained your footsteps, kept them from falling heavily or roughly on any type of terrain, be it the cold, damp streets of a large city, or the solid, moist soil of a graveyard.

The Dunmer sighed, repressing a shudder as she swiftly crept along the path, ducking out of sight when she spotted the dancing flame of a guard's torch. The Nord woman was humming softly, lazily trudging around, barely keeping an eye out. She was a short, stout thing, and her armor was rather disheveled, the midnight cloth crumpled and the chain mail obviously not oiled. She did not wear the thick, sturdy leather boots of the other guards, and instead her feet were hidden inside of a pair of soft, sheepskin slippers. Karliah smiled, forcing back a chuckle. Night duty must not be her strong suit.

She rose from a crouch and clung to the path once more, smiling and nodding to the guard as she passed. "Evening, madam." she said cheerfully, not expecting much of an answer. The Nord simply nodded, half-asleep. Just what she had anticipated.

She strolled along the path until she set foot on the dark wooden boards that made up most of the rugged city, full of lies and cheats and ruffians, just like it had always been. Everyone who knew Riften knew that the city did not deserve anything greater. It had no inner good, only rare truths, and was loved by only a few. It was not worthy of being tall and beautiful, having comely people or good deeds. But she had liked it. She had loved the wooden planks, the whining roofs, the rickety shops and even the people. She had found beauty in the most unusual things, whether it was a board of wood or a sharp-tongued thief named after a gem. That was what the Guild had admired in the pretty redheaded Imperial, how she could find worth, value in nearly anything. But that was not a desired trait for a thief - thieves found value in things that were actually valuable. They stole and they hoaxed and they loved every second of it. And yet, somehow, that girl with undesired traits and the innocent smile had become their Guildmaster - their leader.

Karliah blamed herself. Brynjolf blamed himself. Gods, even Delvin and Vex blamed themselves. There were people all over Skyrim, of all races and sexes and qualities, who thought her death was their own fault. And that was part of the reason, the reason, that the Guild was no longer thriving as it once had. The reason that half the recruits had disappeared, the reason the Flagon smelled even worse than before and the reason that those chests that had once been bare as an infant were still practically empty. They were guilty, afraid to show their faces, afraid to tell.

Karliah sighed as she pushed open the door to the Bee and Barb, breathing in the forlorn scent of cheap mead and stale sweet rolls. She glanced around the small area, thankful that it was practically empty. Only one person sat at the bar, a half-empty bottle of Black-Briar mead in her hand: Sapphire.

Karliah sat down at the bar on the stool beside her, not even looking at the sour Nord. The brunette glanced at her once, nodding just the slightest, before taking a long drink of her mead. "Back from a job or what?" she asked, her tone hollow and monotone. Karliah did not get along with Sapphire - they never had. But it was not exactly unbelievable. Sapphire did not care. Not about you or Riften or anyone else. She cared about the Guild, and her job...

The Dunmer hesitated, then set her elbows on the bar and placed her chin in her palms, eyes fixed straight ahead. "No, not quite. I just left..."

"I visited Whiterun last Middas. I saw her grave." A hint of emotion had crept into her words, and she was peeling the soggy wrapper off of the glass bottle in her hand.

"Job?"

"No."

Karliah watched the Nord as she sat, still as a post, except for her lightly shaking hands that gripped the copper glass. She didn't know if the woman was simply drunk, and it was the effects of the mead, or she was truly unstable, agitated. "Whiterun is so beautiful." she said, and Sapphire nodded, sipping the amber-colored liquid.

"Yeah, it is." This was the most words that had been shared between the two young women in over a month, the last time being an argument over moon stone being shipped in from Summerset Isles. Karliah had been certain that from then on Sapphire had felt nothing but pure, genuine hatred for the Dunmer rogue. But if that was really the case, she wasn't showing it.

The cold Argonian bartender swept in behind the counter, her tail flicking at the tip. "I'll have some stew, if you have any." Karliah remarked, rubbing her eyes. The bartend sent a scowl her way before disappearing into the small kitchen, her scaled silver tail snapping even more vigorously. Sapphire smirked, finishing off her drink before setting it down rather roughly and averting her eyes to Karliah's. The elf noticed for the first time that Sapphire's large, attractive eyes were actually a deep, exotic dark blue. Like a sapphire.

The woman pushed a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear and her smirk stretched into a full grin. "Delvin and I were talking about something the other day. Apparently there's this new Breton family somewhere in Markarth. They're actually tryin' to run the Silver-Bloods out of business!" Karliah frowned, startled. She worried about, and anticipated, what the Nord woman said next. "Well, you know how big of a crush Delvin has on that old Silver-Blood man, so I have a plan. A good one, for that matter..."

Karliah took in a sharp breath.

"...Let's rob the Achille's of all they're worth."

Karliah nodded, not surprised when Sapphire said the exact thing she had presumed.

"It's an... idea, Sapphire, but we don't even have a plan. And the fact that you chose me is astonishing. Why not Vex, or Tonilia? I just don't know." But the idea excited her. Robberies were always a great adrenaline-rush, and with a partner it was twice the thrill. She so, so wanted to say yes. But she chose to play hard-to-get, like she had with Mercer many times before, whenever he'd suggested heists like this.

"We can figure it out," Sapphire exclaimed, clapping her hands together with a loud crack. "And no, I wasn't your biggest fan when I met you the first time. But I admire you, and how you're so strong, even when..." She paused, her eyes lingering for a moment, as if a cloud was passing right through them. "I just believe that we both need something...exhilarating in our lives. Don't you agree?"

Karliah hesitated, thanking the bar maid and taking one sip of her hot stew, her face twisting when the heat scalded her tongue. "I - I suppose it couldn't hurt. And, like you said, Delvin will be glad." She laughed nervously, pondering what her fellow thief friend had said about Delvin's "big crush".

Sapphire beamed, her eyes glistening. "Then it's a date."

Vex groaned, digging into her damp palms with her rugged, black, unkempt nails. It had been two hours, and there was still no sight of the newest recruit, a lithe, hushed Khajiit from Morrowind named Mayru. She had only met the woman once before, and what she saw did not seem promising. The Khajiit was young, probably no more than seventeen years, and although she did everything else absolutely flawlessly, she had trouble with locks. Even novice locks. With anyone, anyone at all, that was a deal-breaker for Vex. A thief needs to know how to break. Had Vex not known how to pick a lock when she came? No. Had Brynjolf? No. Had Karliah? Maybe. If this cat could both not pick a lock, and couldn't show up on time for an incredibly simple gathering that determined whether or not she joined, she couldn't be a thief.

Vex sighed as she examined her hand, clamped around an amber-tinted half-full bottle of ale. She picked at the damp sticker that wrapped around the bottle, twisting the rusty fake silver ring twinkling on her right index finger. It was so simple, round and shiny, specked with the smallest dots of black dirt, giving it a very "rustic" look. It wasn't the sort of thing you expected an excellent thief to be wearing on her finger - you would imagine her with a moonstone band with a lusty emerald the size of her own head and the color of a Khajiit's eye. But, no. She had found the ring on one of Riften's infamous cold, damp wooden bridges, tucked between two boards and about ready to fall down to the thick lime green canal. The glaring silver caught her eye as she was padding along behind that place named after a ship. At first she had trotted by it, more important things on her mind. But, being the thief she was, she hurried back and slipped it out of the wooden grip and examined it, chuckling and slipping it on her finger.

And she still had it, for some reason.

Footsteps creaked behind her and she shifted in her seat, setting the bottle in the center of the table and folding her hands in front of her. She felt her heart begin to pound - the new recruit may be here. Everything she wanted to say cartwheeled through her brain, and she suddenly felt the urge to change out of her current clothes and into something more professional. It wasn't unusual for Vex to think that way - she wasn't as rugged and careless as she appeared - in fact, occasionally she listened to what her head told her...well, most of the time she did, actually.

Unfortunately, as she turned with a grim look pasted on her face, instead of the nimble tawny Khajiit, it was Karliah and Sapphire. The two were giggling hysterically, their eyes twinkling and their cheeks splashed with a faint pink blush. Karliah's long auburn hair was twisted into a sloppy braid down her back, and her armor was newly oiled. Sapphire, however, was rather disheveled, her hair frizzy and her face oily. She had not changed clothes in a while, coming from the pungent scent that hovered around her. Brynjolf always forgot to tell her to bathe, no matter how often Vex told him to. She would probably have to tell her now - and she dreaded it. The Imperial sighed, closing her eyes and giving herself (and the two others) a moment to discern the situation.

Sapphire collapsed into the oak chair across from Vex, the piece of furniture creaking under the sudden burden. Her short, kinky hair bounced with the motion, and she couldn't help but notice that some kind of liquid seemed to be rolling off of every strand. By the smell? Probably wine. A part of Vex didn't even want to ask, but another was chomping at the bit. It was not at all unusual for Sapphire to come back to the Flagon in this...condition, but Karliah? It was rare for the Dunmer to even drink with someone other than herself. The most Vex had seen Karliah come out of her shell was the day she laughed at one of Delvin's jokes. And nobody laughed at Delvin's jokes.

"I am under the effects of alcohol." Karliah said, sitting quietly and crossing her legs, folding her hands in her lap. Her lips were pursed and curved slightly upward in a hazy grin. Sapphire burst out laughing at this, throwing her head back and scrunching her nose from giggling so much. "Yes you are." Vex murmured, sipping her ale and taking a deep breath.

"When did you two get so close?" Vex purred, crossing her arms and sitting back, flicking a piece of lint off of her shoulder. Sapphire righted in her chair, her face suddenly solemn as she reeled out the story, most of it slurred so badly that Karliah had to translate it for her.

"You're kidding, right?" Vex snapped, leaning into Sapphire across the small circular table. The plan was insane - Brynjolf wouldn't even approve. "The only person Delvin trusted with that job was Eliana. Not you, Sapphire. You've already botched seven sweep jobs! Seven!"

Karliah slid her chair forward, making a horrible scratching noise as wood hit the choppy stone floor. "I am going with her. I won't let anything happen, Vex. It is out there, yes, but it could bring in more gold than the Guild's gotten in decades! Don't tell me you hate that idea." Vex took a moment to let it roll around in her head, her hazel eyes narrowed. She had always let the money manipulate her. She was greedy, just like Sapphire and Karliah were. Just like the entire Guild was. But that was what fueled this business - skill and value. Not friendship. This wasn't the Companions.

Sapphire was completely silent, her indigo eyes like steel as she held Vex's gaze. Karliah's face was pleading, her lips slightly parted, her violet eyes wide, her arched eyebrows raised.

Vex sat up, rubbing her eyes before bracing her hands on her knees. "Fine. But I'm coming with."

Sapphire's eyes softened, and Karliah smiled. Just then there was the sound of the ratway entrance to the Flagon creaking open, and silent footsteps padding forward. Vex turned, repressing a chuckle when she saw who had entered.

"Well, you found it, Mayru."

Sorry if this chapter sucked. I kinda rushed it. Don't worry, I am going somewhere with this.