Spoilers for major questlines ahead!

Chapter Three: Nightingale's Return

Pip, five days the Harbinger of the Companions, sat down at his usual table in the Bannered Mare, clutching the letter Vilkas had found inside Dragonsreach a few days ago. Normally the Companions were against stealing, but these were special circumstances. Vilkas had seen the letter out of the corner of his eye when he and Pip went to the Jarl looking to receive some work for the Companions. Recognizing the seal of the Penitus Oculatus, he'd stuffed it inside his armor for Pip to read later.

It hadn't been good news.

Everybody at Jorrvaskr had seen the two Khajiit talking with Pip at the inn at least once during the three months he'd been with them. Aela had even asked M'lecis to join them after she had seen the Nightingale bow and sword M'lecis always carried with her. She said no, and later explained to Pip that even though the Companions were just glorified mercenaries, you still had to have a 'hero complex' to join them. Apparently he himself had a hero complex, whatever that was. According to M'lecis, so did Kharo.

If he was the hero type, that definitely made M'lecis the villain. She'd only mentioned a few things during their meetings in Whiterun, but it had been enough for him to get a sense of the new world she operated in. Additionally, the rash of break-ins, thefts and murders plaguing the province showed just how busy she'd been. The Thieves Guild had returned with full force under the leadership of the Khajiit, and the Dark Brotherhood was starting to reemerge as well. As a Companion, he should have been railing against her and all she'd done as the others did (though they didn't know M'lecis was the one they hated), but he was actually proud of her. Chaos was hard to create, and even harder to keep going.

Plus, she was his friend. Something about escaping a fiery death via black dragon with somebody makes it very hard to dislike them afterward.

It was also bad to speak ill of the dead.

For that was what the letter contained, a brief notice to the Jarl of Whiterun Hold that a unidentified female Khajiit had been caught and killed attempting to poison Emperor Titus Mede the Second as he visited Solitude. She was working with the Dark Brotherhood. Their Sanctuary was being destroyed and all inhabitants killed on sight.

When Pip had first read it, he clearly remembered M'lecis saying in a whisper to him and Kharo that the Brotherhood was being hired to kill the Emperor. He'd told her she was going to get herself killed, but that seemed to make her more determined. Pip and Kharo had watched their friend walk out of the Bannered Mare that day, not knowing they would ever see her again.

Kharo had been informed of course. Pip had sent him a letter of his own, explaining what fate had befallen M'lecis. He was supposed to come in to Whiterun today, so they could talk about arranging the funeral. He doubted they'd be able to get her body, but they could still hold a small ceremony honoring her memory. One of the two of them would have to go to Riften, inform and invite to the funeral the Thieves Guild and M'lecis's housecarl, Iona. She was their Guildmaster after all.

The same could not be said of the Dark Brotherhood. The letter said that their Sanctuary was razed to the ground, and all inside were slaughtered. Nobody left to invite there.

Kharo walked into the inn, a dejected expression on his face, just as Pip spread some plans out.

"Hello Pip. Sorry I'm late, I had some Arch-Mage duties to take care of. Are those the…" he broke off suddenly.

"Funeral plans? Yes. Now, did she ever mention if she liked flowers? We have to figure out what kind to put on the memorial plaque..."

They threw themselves into the work to avoid having to deal with the grief for as long as possible.

M'lecis was pretty sick of people (and things) trying to kill her.

First it was Drauger, spiders and wolves, then Mercer Fray, then Astrid, then those stupid Penty-thingy agents and finally Commander Maro, all of which were now dead.

She'd decided to take care of any business she had before going to Whiterun, (where there were guards to take care of enemies for her) and meeting her friends. She was telling them one way or another that they were going to take a vacation to Cyrodiil or somewhere because by the Divines, did she need one.

Nightingale. Assassin. Listener. Thief. Guildmaster. She'd acquired all of those titles in a short three months, and had been working to the bone because of it. It was enough to make anyone need a break.

The Emperor was dead though, so it had all been worth it. Both of her organizations were at full strength now that the Thieves Guild had received a hefty purse of septims to furnish the Brotherhood's new Sanctuary. She trusted that Nazir and Brynjolf could keep everything afloat while she was gone and had set off for Whiterun.

She could see the looming figure of Dragonsreach as she dismounted Shadowmere. The man running the Whiterun stables looked taken aback at the horse's glowing red eyes, but kept his mouth shut when he saw the deadly bow M'lecis was carrying as she walked up the path to Whiterun.

She'd made a habit of trying to stop by every other Tirdas since they'd decided to part ways, but it still felt nice to be back. Merchants were peddling their goods, blacksmiths were forging armor, and the general population was walking around, going about their normal lives. Everything was normal and peaceful.

M'lecis made a mental note to ask the Night Mother if anyone had performed the Black Sacrament in Whiterun. It was too peaceful here, but nothing a good murder wouldn't fix.

The door of the Bannered Mare creaked open, and M'lecis slipped inside. She was a master of the art of being unseen, and chose to utilize it as she searched the inn for Pip and Kharo. Spotting them at the normal table, she made her way over to them.

M'lecis could hear the argument a good ten feet away.

"I think we should go with lavender." Kharo said, crossing his arms.

"I'm telling you," said an exasperated Pip. "Red mountain flowers would go more with the whole 'she was an assassin' theme."

"Lavender is pretty though!"

"M'lecis was a remorseless killing machine! Pretty is NOT what we're after here!"

Slightly confused by being referred to in past tense, M'lecis decided that now she would announce her arrival. Sliding into the unoccupied third chair at the table, she asked, "Um, what are you guys doing?"

Pip looked uncharacteristically surprised, and Kharo looked up from a few plant samples and gasped. "M..M"lecis? You're dead!"

Talos, this is turning into that whole Commander Maro thing again.

"Clearly, I'm not."

"The Jarl received a report," said Pip with forced calmness. "that a female Khajiit was killed trying to murder the Emperor. That would be you, yes?'

"Oh. Well, you see…"

M'lecis told them of how Commander Maro had set at least ten guards on her when she had tried to escape from Castle Dour, and how he had been shocked when she returned to kill him at Solitude's docks.

"I'm guessing he was so confident I was gone that he sent out his reports before he made sure I was actually dead." she explained.

"Better that then the alternative!" Kharo exclaimed. "Group hug!" He caught M'lecis and Pip by the arms and threw them into the hug.

"Can't…breathe." choked out M'lecis.

Kharo let them go, and she gasped for oxygen. While M'lecis took a moment to catch her breath, Kharo decided that he had a brilliant idea.

"Why don't we all go on an adventure together?" he asked.

Pip nodded his assent. It would be nice to do something other than doing rescue missions for a change.

M'lecis didn't look so happy. "I wanted to take a vacation.."

Kharo didn't care. "Too bad!" he yelped. "You're outvoted!"

Kharo headed for the door and Pip followed. M'lecis dragged herself after them. This was certainly not going to be a vacation.