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Every moment that Kara was in the Ratway was another moment full of panic. She disliked being indoors, much less underground, and the dank stench of cold stone and unwashed beggars made it even harder to breathe. Keeping her bow close and her steps light, she managed to descend through the filth to a place where fires burned and torches were lit. Even then, each shadow that danced in her peripheral vision made her jump, in time for her to spin and shoot arrows at the walls.

Breathe, she told herself, This is nothing. You've got this.

But she didn't feel so confident, as every step took her further into the bowels of the earth. It was more than a childhood fear of enclosed places, but a memory of sunless skies, of feeling lost forever, with no tether to the world outside.

Taking shallow breaths through her mouth, she killed a few thugs; got turned around twice; and had to stop and sit down, light-headed. She finally came upon a door rather than a rusty gate, and when she opened it, she found a small underground lake, and beyond it, a well-lit sitting area with several tables and a bar. She hung back in the shadows, watching. There was a sign out front; she couldn't see it from where she stood in an alcove, but she would guess it read 'The Ragged Flagon'. As she crept closer, she could see there were people over there, talking. Someone laughed.

She approached hesitantly over the makeshift wooden bridge, not putting her bow away just yet. It took them a moment to notice her; the first one to catch a glimpse of her was a broad man dressed all in leather, fair hair pulled up. He stood immediately, reaching for the axe hanging heavy on his belt.

"You have five seconds to state your business down here, stranger, before I throw this and cave your head in like a melon."

Kara held her bow up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Ungoverned hostility!"

"You think?"

Wait a minute. Kara narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't be related to Maul by any chance, would you? I'm sensing this uncanny resemblance. I think it's in the memorable way you both threaten me."

He grinned wolfishly. "I'm his brother, Dirge. I'm the bouncer here for Vekel."

"I can believe that. And can I just say wow, your facial hair is impressive. Really. How long did it take you to grow those chops? And if you're related, how come Maul's hair is so much darker than yours?"

His grin faded. "Cute. I'm starting to think your five seconds are up."

"Okay, hang on, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Slowly, knowing it probably wasn't the best idea, Kara put her bow back on, hoping it would work as a sign of good faith. Dirge wasn't fazed. "Look, Brynjolf told me to come down here."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah? And why's that?"

"Because she's looking for me." There was the sound of a chair being pushed back, the wood scraping on the stone floor.

Kara looked past Dirge, unable to help the way her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Eiri stood there, her hair still braided like it had been in the marketplace. She was wearing a pair of pants and a stained blue robe over them, the hood pulled down to expose her thin face. She looked so different since the last time Kara had seen her back home; it was no wonder she'd hardly recognized her in the marketplace. She was taller, and she no longer had the slight body of a girl, but the curves of a woman. Her blue eyes weren't as bright as they used to be; they held a certain weariness now, and Kara couldn't blame her. You've come a long way, child. But why?

"Eiri, I…" Kara shook her head. "I don't know what to say."

"Time does that to people." Eiri suddenly smiled, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "Do you have a hug for me, at least?"

Kara smiled, crossing the distance between them and hugging Eiri fiercely. Eiri laughed, her breath warm against Kara's shoulder. When they parted, Kara shook her slightly.

"You little fool! What are you doing here? What's this I hear about you being a thief?"

"Just earning my keep," Eiri said, blushing prettily. "They let me stay here, but I don't want to take advantage of them, so I do a little fishing every now and again, maybe a numbers job when they need me to."

Kara shook her head. I can't believe I'm hearing this. "But why are you here, in Skyrim? Why did you run away? There's so much I need to know."

"You're not the only one, curls."

Kara turned to the man seated at the table beside them. His head was shaved, but he had a sandy goatee. He was leaning back in his chair, watching the two of them with a slightly amused expression on his face.

Kara cocked an eyebrow. "What, is that supposed to be a clever nickname?"

"Until you give me your real name."

"How about we trade?"

"Fair enough." He stood up, bowing exaggeratedly. "Delvin Mallory, at your service."

"Kara Quick-Draw. Also known as Dragonsbane, apparently." Eiri frowned at that, but didn't ask.

"Ah, right, I heard about you. How do you know our girlie here?"

"Excellent question, Delvin." Brynjolf stepped up beside them, arms folded over his chest. She didn't know where he'd come from, only that she was surprisingly grateful to see him. "But I think that can wait. Why don't you sit down, lass? You look about ready to collapse."

"Yes," Eiri chimed in. "Please, sit down. And tell me what happened to your face!"

"Oh, that. Recent development." She held a hand up to her nose, poking and prodding gently. "Is it that bad?"

"You have dried blood all over your face!"

Delvin snickered as Eiri and Brynjolf steered her to an empty table, shoving bottles and unwashed plates aside. It was then that Kara noticed the other people there, hanging back in the shadows, watching. Besides the man behind the bar – Vekel, she was willing to guess – there were three others. She couldn't see their faces, but she felt their eyes all the same. She sank into a chair slowly, hunching her shoulders. They really know how to make a girl feel welcome. Eiri, what have you gotten yourself into?

Eiri sat down next to her, dragging a chair over and tilting Kara's head back. Her hands glowed with a golden light, before she placed them against Kara's cheeks. Her fingers were cool to the touch. Kara closed her eyes against the light, but she could feel the tingling, making her skin itch. Just when her eyes started to water, Eiri took her hands away.

Kara felt her nose. It was numb. "Better?"

"Much," Brynjolf said, from his place across the table. He handed Eiri a damp washcloth, and she washed the blood off Kara's face.

"Thank you," she said softly. "Your skills have grown."

Eiri smiled teasingly. "Yours haven't. What'd you do this time? Please tell me you didn't fall down some stairs."

Brynjolf looked like he wanted to laugh, but he stayed quiet. Kara sighed. "No, not this time. It was a…friendly dispute."

"Meaning you got in over your head and/or put your foot in your mouth and someone punched you?"

There were some titters from the people in the shadows, and Kara scowled. "Yeah, that sounds about right." Eiri started to get up, to take the washcloth to Vekel, but Kara grabbed her wrist. Slowly, she sat back down. "Just…stay. We need to talk."

Eiri took a deep breath, before nodding. "Okay. First, how did you find me?"

Kara laughed. "You're kidding, right? You're not exactly a master of stealth. I got to Whiterun and asked the carriage driver if he'd seen you. He said he took you as far as Ivarstead because there was a nasty storm and he couldn't go on any further."

"I needed to get to Riften as soon as possible, so I borrowed a horse from some people in Ivarstead. It got spooked by some thunder about halfway there, though, and it threw me. I walked the rest of the way. As far as everything else…" Eiri sighed. "I don't even know where to start."

"How about where you ran away? Because I'd like to hear about that."

Eiri shook her head. "But that's not the beginning. It started back when you were in..." She trailed off, glancing around the table. "When you were in the Imperial City."

Kara huffed out a breath. "That's one way to put it." Brynjolf glanced at her questioningly, but he didn't say anything.

Eiri went on. "I'm sure Father told you I was attending the Mage's College in Bruma."

"Yes. When I got to Bruma, your parents were losing their minds. They said you had vanished in the night, leaving a note saying you were going to Skyrim and for them not to worry. Of course, not worrying would be too easy, so I promised I'd go after you."

Eiri fiddled with the washcloth, pulling at strings on the ragged edges. She nodded, shifting guiltily in her seat. "And I do feel bad for that, but I had to."

"Why?"

"He didn't tell you anything else?"

Kara thought back to her homecoming in Bruma. Her aunt had been absolutely beside herself, weeping and unintelligible. Her uncle, on the other hand, had calmly explained what happened, before asking her to find Eiri. He had been ashen and shaky, very much unlike his usual vigor, but she didn't expect him to be otherwise when his only child had run from home.

"Was there something else to tell?"

"Yes, he's… Kara, he's dying."

Kara felt the breath evaporate in her lungs. "What?"

"It all started after you…left. We'd never had much money ever since Father hurt his back in the fall, you know that, and Mother couldn't make ends meet selling herbs. I tried to help, but there wasn't much I could do. Debt collectors came calling and they used all the money they'd saved for me to pay to keep the house. And you know, despite it all, I understood. Even if we fell behind again, for a time, we were safe, we had our home. I didn't mind forsaking my future for my parents to keep themselves off the streets."

Eiri had always been like that, Kara remembered. Even when they were children, she was always willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the well-being of others. It used to annoy Kara endlessly, especially as they got older, and she remembered a fight they'd had. "You're soft," she'd said, sneering at the younger girl. "You let everyone walk all over you, and for what? So they can be happy? Well, what about you?" Eiri hadn't spoken to her for days. Despite that, Kara was impressed; she'd finally shown some backbone. Hearing about her giving up her future was nothing new, and yet…

"I feel like there's a 'but' here."

Eiri nodded. "Suddenly, as if by magick, we started getting money. It was mostly coin Father would bring home, and Mother was scared immediately, thinking he'd…" She eyed Kara. "Well, you know."

"Resorted to my father's line of work," Kara said, nodding. "Yes, I can imagine why that would scare her."

"Yes. She asked Father about it, and he said not to worry, that soon all our troubles would vanish."

Kara snorted. She'd heard that before from her own father, many times. The last time in particular stood out. Idly, Kara ran a hand over her bracer, beneath which was the mark branded into her arm. We all know how well that went.

"And did they?"

"For a time. They sent me off to the Mage's College, and it was the happiest day of my life. Those were the good days. I was learning so much and making friends, and at the end of each week, I'd sleep at home, to visit. Over time, that was when I noticed it."

"What?"

"How sickly he'd become. After the fall, he was frailer, but still stubborn as a mule - you remember that time he tried to ride all the way to Skingrad?"

Kara nodded.

"Though it pained him, he refused to let his back stand in the way. He did lots of odd jobs down at the stable, and even fixed up a house or two, though when he came home, he'd be stiff as stone. Mother would have to rub his back and legs with poultices, just to get him to sleep. That was normal. But then he started sweating, and he would sleep for days. I took a leave from the College to take care of him, and I was horrified. He could barely keep food down, and he was as pale and fragile as a man twice his age. It was like he was just wasting away."

So, he hadn't just been worried about Eiri. He was sick, but…dying? "But the College. The Chapel. Surely they could have helped."

Eiri shook her head. "They tried, but it was nothing they'd ever seen before. His body was simply failing him, his life force draining. I resolved to help him in any way I could. I hurried through my lessons during the day and spent each night poring over the tomes in the library, searching for anything that mentioned his symptoms, anything that could be a cure. One night, I was so frustrated that I knocked an entire shelf over and sat there, crying." Kara tried to picture that much strength from her, brute or otherwise, and failed. "My friend Aridan came looking for me. When I told him everything, he said he might be able to help."

"How?"

"Well, Aridan is a Dunmer, you see, and…well, it's not exactly public information, but his family worships the Daedra."

Kara choked. "I'm sorry, did you just say your best friend worships evil?"

"They aren't all evil!" Eiri protested, her voice shrill. "He explained them all to me, showing me some books of his that he'd smuggled in and kept hidden. The primary Prince he and his family worships is Azura, and she's known as the Mother of Roses. There's even Meridia, as well, the Prince of—"

Brynjolf laid a hand on Eiri's shoulder. "You're getting a bit off track here. The Daedra."

She nodded, distracted. "Yes, the Daedra. Anyway, he explained to me that he'd seen something similar happen to a family that used to be close with his when they lived in Vvardenfell. He said each member made a bargain with the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile. They gained seemingly limitless wealth and power in Morrowind, but one by one, they all died, until their house was no more than history."

Kara could see where this was going. "And Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince of…?"

"Wishes and bargains."

"Uh-huh. That's where the money came from."

Eiri nodded sadly. "Father just wanted me to have a future."

"Yeah, well, he did something really stupid to get that."

Eiri raised her gaze, staring evenly at Kara. "Sometimes fathers do very silly things to ensure their daughters will live a better life than they themselves had."

Kara met her eyes, refusing to budge. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard all that before, but we're talking about you. What happened next?"

"I confronted Father, and he begged for my forgiveness. We decided not to tell Mother – why worry her more? – and he made me promise not to try and fix this, that it was his decision, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"And you broke that promise. Naturally."

"Naturally. He's my father. I couldn't just sit back and watch him die, just so I could join a bunch of snobs at the College and play with spells. So Aridan spoke to his family for me, and we figured out that this is reversible."

"How?"

"With a ritual that will summon Clavicus Vile and break the bargain."

Kara held her hands up. "Oh, no, no, no, no. You're not going to summon a Daedric Prince! That's insanity!"

"You're right, I'm not. Because he's already here."

Kara stared at her. "That's why you came to Skyrim?"

"Partly, yes. But I had two problems: I didn't know where his shrine was, and I didn't know how I was going to get all the ingredients to make the spell – and the potion to cure Father – happen."

"So…"

"So I stole an artifact from the College, and hitched a ride here. After inquiring around, I found Delvin Mallory – the best fence in all of Tamriel."

Delvin, who had been standing behind Brynjolf, grinned toothily. "You flatter me, girlie."

Kara looked between the two of them, adding up everything in her head. "So you brought the—"

"Ring. It's a ring."

"Right, you brought the ring here in exchange for their help in locating the shrine or whatever and in getting the ingredients." But…I know thieves, and I know they don't do anything unless there's something in it for them. She fixed her eyes on Delvin. "So what did she promise you?"

He made a mock-hurt face. "You wound me, curls! What if I simply wanted to help a damsel in distress?"

"What did she promise you?"

"All right, all right, don't get your knickers in a bunch. First, we agreed that I'm buying that ring until I know it works."

"What does it do?"

"It's called the Ring of Purity. It's an alchemical treasure, making your created potions highly potent and, like the name suggests, very nearly pure." When Kara just stared at her, Eiri rolled her eyes. "It's a priceless artifact."

"Wow. Okay. So, you're going to make the potion for your father first to make sure it works, and then—"

"It's all Delvin's. He'll sell it to the highest bidder, and then once we've dealt with Clavicus Vile…there's a heist."

Uh-huh. Nothing in this world is free. "A heist. A heist involving what?"

Eiri opened her mouth to reply, but Delvin swooped in. "We don't want to give away the surprise too early, now do we? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. All of this hinges on whether or not we can…negotiate with Vile."

Everyone fell silent then, the only sound the dripping of water from the roof and Vekel as he unloaded a crate of mead, the bottles clanking against each other quietly. Kara's mind was whirling, thoughts pulling her like strings in different directions; she didn't know which one to follow first.

She had agreed to bring Eiri back. But she knew the girl wouldn't leave, only to go back to her dying father. And the idea of Uncle Harald dying made Kara's throat ache, so that option was off the table. It seemed that the only road before her was to help Eiri in her hare-brained scheme, to save her father and get her back to Bruma. But Daedric Princes? A heist? This was not what I signed up for, and I swore I was done with that life…

But if it was the only thing to get Eiri home and keep her family safe, then what choice did she have?

She leaned forward. "Okay, I want in."

Delvin looked surprised, but the ghost of a smile hovered around Brynjolf's lips. He grabbed a nearby bottle of mead, popping the cork and taking a long, slow pull.

Eiri, meanwhile, launched herself up from her seat. "Oh, truly? Kara, you have no idea – that makes me so—" She threw her arms around Kara's neck, squeezing tightly.

"Yes," Kara managed, eyes watering. "And you're strangling me."

"Oh, sorry!" Eiri released her, stepping back. "Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I? How's your nose? Because I could—"

"Whoa, Eiri. Calm down. Take a breath." Kara coughed, taking her own advice, though the longer she spent underground, the harder it was becoming. She glanced over at the younger girl as she resumed sitting beside them at the table, her eyes shining like they used to.

"What?" Eiri asked, noticing Kara's stare.

"Did you really think I'd say no?"

Eiri bit her lip, a shadow passing over her face. "Well. If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure. I mean, after everything… You just—"

Kara grabbed her arm quickly, digging her nails in. "Ehh, okay, I see your point." When Eiri's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, Kara released her. "But they're my family too. I'm not just going to sit here and let your father die."

"Are you really sure, though? I mean—"

"I'm doing it and that's final." She glanced around the table. "And if anyone has a problem with that, you'd better speak up now."

Brynjolf and Delvin exchanged a look. Delvin shrugged. "I got no qualms about it. You?"

Brynjolf shook his head. "She's got the skill. May as well. Besides, I've got a very strong feeling that she won't take no for an answer."

Kara grinned. "Damn straight. However, I have some conditions."

They exchanged another look, less enthusiastic this time. Delvin raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

Kara's smile faded. "First of all, when we're done with this and everything has gone according to plan, Eiri and I are leaving for Cyrodiil. We're going back home to Bruma, and that's it. Neither one of us will be joining your guild."

Delvin nodded, smirking. "We're not the Companions here, love. You'll earn a pretty penny for your part in all this, and be on your way."

"All right. As long as we're clear."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah." Kara pointed at Eiri. "She isn't involved."

"What?" Eiri exploded out of her seat again, the chair falling backwards as she slammed her palm against the table. "You can't be serious."

"You're just a kid, Eiri, you don't want to get mixed up with people like them-"

Brynjolf set his bottle down. "Whoa there, lass. People like them? How about people like us? If I remember correctly, you pickpocketed me first."

Delvin's head swung back and forth between the two of them. "What – she got the jump on you? How is she not in the guild already?"

"Didn't you hear? She's not one of us."

"That's right," Kara said, glowering. "And neither is she."

Eiri was livid. "Kara, are you out of your mind? My father is dying. I need to do this."

"I'm fully aware of that, but in no way are you going to be stealing or killing anything. You leave that to us."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Eiri shouted. "Sit here and wait while you get yourselves captured or killed?"

"Yep, sounds about right. You could take up knitting. I hear that's very relaxing."

Brynjolf choked on a mouthful of mead, and Delvin ran a hand over his jaw, hiding his smile.

Eiri stamped her foot. "No! You can't just come in here and try to boss me around."

"I wouldn't put money on that, Eiri."

"Divines, if I wasn't a healer, I'd break your nose again right now! I'm not a child anymore, Kara. I can make these sorts of decisions for myself."

"Obviously you can't, since you sought the Thieves Guild for help. Honestly, what were you thinking?"

Eiri's blue eyes narrowed. "What was I thinking? I was thinking that all my life, the people I've cared about, save for my parents, were thieves. I was thinking that maybe there'd be some familiar ground here. I was thinking maybe that, unlike you, they'd actually be able to help me!"

"I was gone; otherwise, I would have!"

"Exactly. You were gone." Eiri's tone was bitter. She'd ripped the rag in her hand, her hands still clenched around it.

Kara stared at her, shocked and, if she was being honest, hurt by Eiri's words. It hadn't exactly been her fault. If it had been up to her, she would've been with Eiri when it mattered. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. You're the last person who should be giving me advice." Eiri threw the rag down on the table, glancing at Brynjolf and Delvin. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," she said stiffly. "I'll be going to bed now. Good night."

They mumbled farewells, before she flounced away down the corridor past the bar. A door slammed within. Kara stared at the dishrag, still smeared with her own blood, before she shoved back her own chair and stood. She placed a palm against her chest, wavering slightly on her feet.

"Lass, are you all right?"

"I need to get out of here."

Brynjolf nodded, handing his bottle of mead to Delvin. "Come on."

He walked her back through the tunnels, until they were within sight of the door leading out to the canal. She strode ahead of him, shoving it open so hard that it slammed against the opposite wall. She walked several feet, past the boat anchored there, grabbing onto one of the poles rising up from the water. She stared down, heaving in breaths of the misty air.

"Better?" Brynjolf asked, stepping up beside her.

"Depends. Are you going to push me in again?"

"Not this time." When Kara narrowed her eyes at him, he raised a hand, his expression solemn. "On my honor, lass. You'll not be taking a dip tonight on my account."

Kara snorted. "What do you know about honor?"

"You'd be surprised. Now, would you care to enlighten me about what's going on here?"

Kara scowled. "Eiri's an idiot, that's what's going on. I just wish she would listen to me. This is dangerous shit she wants to do, and I just…" I've only ever wanted to protect her.

Brynjolf took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Who is she?"

Kara took a deep breath. Talking made her feel better, clearing her head. "She's my cousin. I grew up with her in Cyrodiil. My mother was a traveling trader between Bruma and the Imperial City, so whenever we were in Bruma, we would stay with Eiri and her family. She was – is – my best friend. She's like the little sister I never had."

"So naturally, when you heard she'd run away…"

"I promised I'd go after her. This entire time, I thought she was dead, or worse. When we were kids, she was always the timid one, the little girl who needed protecting. I thought she was running from something awful, something that someone had done to her." Kara shook her head. "I had no idea it would be something like this."

"Family makes people do crazy things, eh?"

"You're telling me."

"So her father is your uncle?"

"Yeah. May as well have been my father, though. He took care of me more than his brother ever did."

"How so?"

Kara shrugged, wondering why she was opening up so much yet unable to stop herself. She rarely spoke to anyone outside her own family, and when she did, she was often tight-lipped and not interested in anything they had to say. There was something about Brynjolf, though, that made it seem as though he genuinely cared, some part of his intent listening and genuine questions that made her feel surprisingly comfortable. It was a strange new feeling.

"My mom died when I was twelve, so I lived with them in Bruma for four years while my father ran around the Imperial City."

"I'm sorry, lass." Again, his tone and words felt sincere to her. "How did she die? If you don't mind me asking."

"It's fine. It was blood lung. There was a nasty bout of it going around the poor in Bruma one winter. It got the best of her before any priests could do much, and we had no money for proper healing. She was just…unlucky." If she closed her eyes, Kara could still hear the painful coughing in the middle of the night.

"So Eiri's family raised you."

"Yeah, for a few years. Those were the years they fell on hard times, as well. My Uncle Harrald, he was a stonemason. He traveled all over Tamriel, before meeting my aunt, in Skyrim. They settled in Bruma, and had Eiri. He started working on the walls around the city, and sometimes the castle and chapel. He was a well-respected man in Bruma, an honest worker, and fair. So nobody understood why it had to happen to him." Kara shook her head. "He was working up on the roof of the chapel. It was something he had done hundreds of times before. But…the winds up there, they – they were strong and—"

"He fell."

Kara nodded. "The healers made certain he would walk again, but they said there would always be pain afterwards. He could no longer climb or do much of anything after that."

"So, to put his girl through the college, he made a deal with a daedra."

"A Daedric Prince, no less."

Brynjolf chuckled, shaking his head. "Family."

"Yeah."

The two of them stood there a moment, Kara staring down into the canal. The moon was full, rippling, the reflection turning the water to silver. Very faintly, she could see the stars, but it was hard, with the mist sitting on the water and sparse clouds covering the sky.

She glanced at Brynjolf out of the corner of her eye. He stood in shadow, the glint of his eyes the only light. He wasn't looking at the water, but at her. She wondered what he could possibly be thinking. Probably that I'm stupid, since I am. Eiri and I, we should never have come here. She turned her head, openly watching him watching her. She was willing to work with them, in any attempt to get Eiri home and keep her uncle alive and it was shockingly easy to talk to him, but…

Can I trust you?

As if he could read her mind, he took a deep breath. "Look, I know you don't really trust any of us, and you've got no reason to, really. Whatever you think of us, we really do want to help Eiri. She's just a kid, and if she's lucky enough to have a home and a family, then she deserves to go back to them." He rubbed a hand over his jaw. "Now that I've heard both sides of this story, though, I think you two are a lot alike."

"What do you mean?" She didn't know why she asked; she knew exactly what he was getting at.

"Both of you going to drastic lengths, doing stupid things for family. Must run in your blood."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Kara released the pole she'd been holding onto, stepping back to stand in front of him. "I should probably go."

He nodded. "Meet me tomorrow afternoon, let's say... three o'clock. There's lots to discuss."

"All right. But do we have to conduct these meetings down there? It's filthy. And it stinks."

"You'll live. Before you go, though…" Brynjolf suddenly reached for her, grabbing her by the straps of her chest piece and yanked her forward.

Kara yelped, slamming into the solid wall of his chest. "What are you doing?" she hissed, as he reached a hand around her.

"Don't get excited, lass. Just returning lost property." He grasped her armor at the small of her back, pulling it forward so he could slide something inside. My dagger. His hand brushed the bare skin beneath the leather, and against her will, she shivered.

"Right. Well. Thanks." Kara looked anywhere but at his face. He still hadn't released her yet.

"Of course."

"Yeah." Kara stepped away from him, pulling herself free, clearing her throat. "So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night, lass."

"Yeah." Kara ran up the steps to the surface of Riften, before looking back down. "Brynjolf?"

"Kara."

It was strange to hear her name from his lips not once, but twice in one night. "Um. Thank you, I suppose."

He laughed softly. "You're welcome, lass. Now get goin'."

She did, running across the bridge, her footsteps light, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, a shadow stealing through Riften.