Second chapter. doubt it will make sense if you haven't read the first. Anyway, enjoy and please leave reviews.

Kaiden twisted the dagger in the man's chest. His hand over the merchant's mouth holding back his shrieks of pain. Before the man could die, Kaiden leaned forward and bit his throat, sucking the man's blood greedily. He then let the merchant fall to the ground.

The assassination had gone perfectly. Miris had pounced on the guard from behind and severed his spine with a single well aimed thrust. Kaiden took more time to enjoy his kill, stabbing the merchant and pressing him up against a tree. He looked over to see Miris crouched by the camp fire watching him, and licking the blood clean off her dagger.

"I told you it would be a fun night brother."

"You were right as always."

Miris jumped up and headed to the back of the merchants wagon.

"And what was our dearly departed friend carting around, I wonder."

Kaiden wasn't paying attention to Miris, he was too busy thinking about that mysterious beautiful woman. Until he heard a shriek from the cart. Miris stepped out from behind the cart holding up a fine red silk dress.

"Oh brother isn't it just wonderful?"

"It suits your eyes."

"There's more clothing in this crate, perhaps you could find something to suit your tastes?"

"Perhaps, but I think you should head back to the sanctuary now, there's something I must do."

Miris looked disappointed, "You'd make me walk home alone?"

"I'm sorry sister, but I have to do this alone."

Miris came to a realisation, "That pretty girl by the stream. Very well then brother, enjoy your midnight snack, I'll see you back home."

Miris folded the dress and put it into her pack before leaving down the road back to Cheydinhal.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Kaiden said to himself.

He picked his way through the woods carefully, trying not to damage the outfit he had pilfered from the dead merchants wagon. A fine dark blue shirt with trousers to match, and leather shoes. He moved silently until he could once again hear the woman's humming and followed the sound to it's source. Crouching behind a bush near the stream he saw the woman bathing in the stream. She was rubbing some sort of lotion into her skin, which Kaiden recognised came from the bottle the woman had mixed earlier.

Kaiden shook his head and silently berated himself for his foolishness. Nevertheless he emerged from the tree line and approached the lady.

"Hello there!" Kaiden called out.

The Woman gasped and spun in the water to face Kaiden, covering her breasts with her arm.

"Who are you?" She gasped.

Kaiden held his hands up and replied "I mean no harm, my name is Kaiden. I'm merely out for a stroll on this lovely night."

"Well you can go and stroll somewhere else, Mr. Kaiden. A lady needs privacy when she is bathing."

"I am sorry ma'am, but I was attracted by your lovely voice."

"I was just humming."

"True, but it was lovely nonetheless."

The woman seemed to be becoming frustrated, "If you're not going to leave me be, at least turn around so I can get dressed."

"Very well."

Kaiden turned away from the woman and heard her emerge from the water, a few moments later she spoke to him.

"Well Mr. Kaiden, is there something you want from me?"

Kaiden turned back around and saw that the woman had put her dress back on her wet body. The way the material adhered to her wet breasts had Kaiden aroused, but he tried not to stare.

"I merely wish for someone to talk to on this beautiful night ma'am."

The woman stared hard at Kaiden, "And what is it you wish to talk about?"

'Idiot' Kaiden thought to himself, 'this is going terribly'. He looked around for a few moments and spotted the empty bottle by the stream.

"You dabble in alchemy?"

The woman seemed surprised at this question, "I do, and yourself?"

"I've made some potions in my time."

After those first tense moments, the woman seemed to become more relaxed. The two began to converse about various things, particularly the woman's interest in alchemy. Before long the two were sitting on the grass together, laughing at stories of Kaiden's alchemical mishaps.

"I swear to the divines, a single sip of that failed brew and flames blew out of my nostrils." Said Kaiden barely containing his laughter.

"HAHAHA! Oh, that's awful, that must have hurt."

"Well I burnt my moustache off." Said Kaiden stroking the skin under his nose, "But was otherwise ok. Though the moustache has never since grown back."

"Oh dear, I don't know why I'm laughing, you could have been killed! HAHAHA!" The woman collapsed on her back laughing uncontrollably.

Kaiden stared at her for a few moments before saying, "You know, it occurs to me that you haven't told me your name yet."

The woman laughed for a few more moments before sitting up again., "Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Alria."

"Alria, a beautiful name for a beautiful name for a beautiful lady."

Alria gave a broad smile to the compliment. "Tell me Kaiden, why are you really out here in the middle of the night?"

Kaiden thought to himself for a moment, "I'm a dark brotherhood assassin, I was sent out to these woods to kill someone, and decided to say hello to you on my way home."

Alria burst into laughter again. "The dark brotherhood? HAHAHA, I'm sure they send out all their assassins in fine blue shirts such as yours HAHAHA!"

"And just what were YOU doing here in the middle of the night? I wasn't expecting to see a woman bathing under the stars so far from the city."

Alria paused and lay back down on the grass. "My mother bought me here when I was a child, every full moon, no matter how cold it was, to bathe in these waters, I've kept up the tradition in her absence, thankfully tonight is particularly warm."

"Your mother, has she..."

"Passed on, yes." Alria sighed, "And my father died while I was just a baby, he was an imperial legionnaire. My mother was Bosmer, a "fair elven maiden" as her many suitors used to call her."

"Well, she definitely passed her fair looks on to you."

Alria smiled, and reached over to her bag, pulling out a bottle and two cups.

"It's too fine a night to enjoy on a clear head, will you have a drink with me Kaiden?"

"Of course."

Kaiden took the bottle From Alria and pulled out the cork, pouring a full cup for Alria and Himself. Kaiden and Alria shared drinks and swapped stories until the bottle was empty, then they both lay on the grass, staring at the stars.

"four hours until sunrise." Said Alria

"How can you tell?"

"I've looked up at the stars all my life, they're easy to read if you know how."

"You're an incredible woman."

"And you're an interesting man."

Kaiden reached across the grass and held Alria's hand. The two lay in silence for many minutes, until Alria drifted off into sleep... and began to snore incredibly loudly. Kaiden merely chuckled to himself, finding Alria even more irresistible because of this oh so slight flaw. He rolled over and kissed Alria lightly on the cheek before falling to sleep himself.