Steady. . Steady. . .Now!

As the crowd pushed together more and more, riled and bristled by Brynjolf's spiel, I sidled up against Brand-Shei and slipped Medesi's ruby ring into his pocket. I was feeling the familiar rush of blood, the adrenaline pounding through my veins; I can hardly be blamed for what happened next.

I brushed my lips against the back of his neck before sliding away.

What can I say? Old habits die hard.

"Did you do it?" Paia wanted to know. Complacently, she pushed off the wall of the cemetery to meet me, mildly annoyed.

"Yeah," I sighed. "That and more," I added in a smaller voice.

"What do you mean?"

"The . . . the mark, the man I planted the ring on, I . . ."

Realization struck her like lightning.

"You counted coup!?"

"Keep your voice down!"

"You counted coup?"

"Please, let's just talk about it later," I pleaded.

"No, we need to have this out now," she argued. "Rontu, you-"

"-were absolutely amazing, if I do say so myself." We turned to see Mercer Frey clapping as he approached us. A less jovial Brynjolf was solemn and silent at his side, a question in his eyes as he regarded me. "Job well done, O'Naharis, job well done."

"What's next?"

"Next?" Mercer paused and cast a sly glance in Brynjolf's direction. "Next . . . we meet our family."

"Your family," I amended.

"Yes, of course," he smiled coolly. It didn't reach his eyes. "My family."

He turned into the crypt and I gestured to Paia that it was alright to follow. I began to pass Brynjolf to drop down myself, when he stopped me.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"What was what?"

"The kiss, the one on the back of Brand-Shei's neck."

He saw that?

"That's . . . that's none of your business."

"You are my business, lass."

"Oh, because of some horseshit arrangement between you and my brother?"

"Damn you, and damn him, I have my own reasons."

"Oh?" I mocked.

"Yes, 'Oh'," he fumed. "You'll be screaming a lot of 'Oh's when I'm in between your legs and trying to blast a hole into forever."

My mouth dropped open, and I opened and closed it like a fish out of water.

"Don't speak to me like that."

"Like what? I'm to fake like I'm not interested? Well, I am. As are you, from what I gather. So forget whatever's in that little fucked-up head of yours, lass: there's nothing you want that I can't give you, and there's nothing you have that I don't want a piece of."

"What gives you the right?" I finally managed to say.

"I thought I just told you," he groused, walking down the steps of the tomb, "You are my business."

I had belonged to men before; that was nothing new.

I was Father's hellion. Adji's pet. Jarsha's confidant. But I had never been anybody's business before. And that scared me, especially since despite being so new to me, I was not repulsed by the title. Brynjolf's Business. I shook my head to empty it; returning to my Black-Briar mead at a table in the Ragged Flagon of the Ratway. A thieves' pub, yes, but a pub all the same.

It was here that I was introduced to the other occupants of the Ratway, and here that I was getting my fill of Brynjolf's sexual exploits.

"So, yeah," smirked Vex, lockpicker extraordinaire, "there's been Sapphire, that girl, Mina, another Breton whose name has completely escaped me. . .oh! It was Olga. Then, there was. . ."

I had tuned out near the beginning of her list, something about her brightened eyes having told me it would be long.

I did what I always did to lose myself in my thoughts: sharpened Father's Will. I needed to prioritize my thinking, especially after last night's vision. It had to have been a vision, that much I knew.

But, it seemed so real. . .

I shook myself out of it. Alright, so maybe I'd have an even bigger headache thinking of Jarsha than I would thinking of Brynjolf.

I shook myself again.

Well maybe just the Guild, then, I'll try to just think of the Guild.

I stopped work on the longsword and took inventory of the room.

One big, bad and bald character who'd been introduced as Delvin, a Breton thief with kind, dark eyes and wise was a master of sneaking, and had been with the Guild for a long enough time to remember its glory days. There was Dirge, a coarser fellow and a food broker who was prone to snap at any time, especially at new blood, which meant especially Paia and I.

Endell was a much kinder member, and an incredible archer with a great sense of humor. He spent much of his time with another archer, the Bosmer Niruin, who matched Cynric for wit. Paia took to him for their mutual hatred of Skyrim wine.

There was Rune, an Imperial man who had grown up without his true past, and given his name for a rune that was found on his person in a shipwreck when he was a boy.

Sapphire was, to me, the female version of Dirge only coarser, if possible. I remembered her from outside the inn, jostling the Redguard stablehand. She'd had a rough upbringing that somewhat explained it, but once you got past that hard shell, she was pretty alright. Another good man was Thrynn, once a Nordic bandit who fell out with his chief over their group's killing of women and children.

Not to be forgotten was Vipir the Fleet who'd earned his nickname running all the way from Windhelm to Riften after a botched job and forgetting his horse. He had a soft spot for Sapphire, though she always ignored him. Vekel the Man owned and tended bar at the Ragged Flagon, and was rivaled only by Brynjolf in terms of his good looks. And then, there was-

I cut off my thoughts as my eyes met those of another Redguard woman, glaring at me from her seat at the bar. Vex named another name, and the woman across the room mumbled something under her breath.

And that was all I was going to be taking from her.

"What?" I called, before I could stop myself. "Did you say something?"

She looked at me, and at everyone near the bar, shocked at my challenge.

"I said, 'You don't belong here, little girl'."

"'Little girl'," I repeated, grinning and shaking my head.

"What?" she sneered, cocking her head, "Don't like that?"

"Well, of course I do," I chuckled, unsheathing my dirk. "Just thinking of where to carve it on your corpse."

"I do like to see little children play with knives."

"Keep going and you'll see it again- this close," I said, waving the big knife back and forth in front of my face. The woman pursed her lips as if to dare me. "What, did you want a kiss, too?"

"You couldn't handle it," she sneered.

"There's only one way to find out," I grinned, leaning forward.

It was dead silent in the Flagon then, all the members of the Guild holding their breath, watching me and this other woman. It was in this silence that Mercer and Brynjolf found us.

"What in hell is going on here?" Mercer growled, his footsteps echoing throughout the cistern. "It hasn't ever been this quiet in here since the beginning of the Guild."

"It's the new blood, Mercer," Delvin grinned. "She just taught Tonilia that she isn't exactly toothless."

"Fuck off, Delvin," she snarled. "She doesn't want to play."

I stabbed my dirk into the table.

"Had about enough of that."

"Listen little girl, I don't care if you are Jarsha's sister-"

"And I don't care who you are, period," I shrugged. "Whatever the hell that was, your animosity is unnecessary- I've done nothing to you. I'm not here because I want to be; I'm not even here because I have to be. So your words and your attitude are wasted on me."

"It's true," Mercer said. "It's all true, Tonilia; she's done nothing to earn your hate. Stand down and stop this nonsense."

Tonilia shot him a look, her face contorted in rage before fixing a new look of desperation on . . . on Brynjolf. I watched as he gave her the barest shake of his head with a cold look in his eye, and she screeched, knocking past the bemused archers, Cynric and Niruin, with Vekel the Man hot on her heels.

"And that's Tonilia," Vex continued in a more hushed tone. "She's been with Brynjolf most every night, before you came along, even though Vekel's her man."

"If she's with Vekel, then why-"

"Because it's Brynjolf," she replied, as if that was answer enough.

And, maybe it was.

"Segen!" my father bellowed. He carved one of the armored demons from ear to ear with his dagger. He threw the body aside with anger and disgust. "Segen, get Ninneh out now!"

"What?" I was confused. My bedroom was glowing. Flames licked along the panes of my window. The fires climbed so high-Danger, my mind screamed, DANGER. I scrambled out of bed and lunged for my twin dirks. One of our house guards came hollering past, fire eating him alive. I dodged blindly, crashing into the burning wardrobe; my shoulder screaming in protest.

"Rontu!" he roared. "LEAVE!"

"NO!" I roared back, finding my voice. "Not without you!"

He reach out and grabbed my elbow, brown eyes blazing hotter than the hell around us.

"Do as I say!"

"This is your first link, Segen." The brown eyes were warm with pride. I was five years old, and the needle hurt and I couldn't see the tattoo it had produced, but it was all worth that look in my father's eyes. He smiled. "May it be the beginning of a long chain. Body, Heart, Soul."

I grinned back and repeated him.

"Body, Heart, Soul."

"Mana, I can't do this anymore!" I half-hissed and half-whimpered. Jarsha was nine days gone, and while we'd had no word, I knew he had gone to Skyrim. He had gone the way of Adjin, and left me all alone. "This is killing me," I confessed, overwhelmed by it all. "It's my soul."

"Segen, Adji is gone," she told me. "Jarsha is gone. You are all he has left."

"But it's my soul!"

"Of course it is, mo'preant." She thumped my forehead with the heel of her hand. "A few tattoos won't change that."

"They did though," I whispered to the darkness. "They did."

Paia and I had moved our things from the Bee and Barb to the cistern; we were now living amongst the Thieves. Mercer promised no more outbursts at me from Tonilia, but I knew it was never about me. Brynjolf had fixed me with this look before we left for our things, one that told me all I needed to know. What else should I have expected from him?

"Rontu?" Paia called, responding to my hoarse whisper.

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

"Is that all you know to say to me now, Rontu? Nothing, and Go to sleep. No, we're more than that, you and me." I could not respond. "Segen."

That did it.

"Don't call me that, Paia, not here," I hissed. "I can't be that here."

"Why? Because it's so easy?"

"Yes," I admitted quietly, "And, no."

Paia sighed. "It's been almost a year now, Rontu," she said. "You have to let go."

"I can't!" I said, wetting my lips. "He's - they're written all over, Paia, all over me."

"The Ebon Chain is gone, Rontu," she assured, clutching my hand. "Those stains are all that's left."

"And that's my fault, too," I whimpered. "Baba. Mana. Even Shazaa, as much as I hated him. The whole of Barak-dur - gone. Because of me."

"You've been blaming yourself this whole time!?" she gasped, sitting up. "Segen; this was not your fault. You know what is? The fact that you're alive. The fact that I'm alive. You saved us."

"I will never have a future, Paia. Only with you and my brothers, only you. You're all I have."

"They say-" she paused. "Nevermind. I don't know why I about to tell you that."

"They say what, Paia?" My palms moistened, and there was no response. "Ninneh!"

She sighed.

"They say . . .They say that he's alive. And that he looks for you still. That he's come to this land and seeks us."

"Shazaa?"

She gave a tight nod.

"He will find us," I muttered. "He will marry you, and kill me."

"Shazaa never wanted me," Paia said, lips pursed "It was you he was always after. And you know that." She paused. "You're blaming that on yourself, too, now aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"Well, cut it out," she said drily. "He won't take either of us. We won't let him."

"No, Ninneh," I said, squeezing her hand. "We won't."

That is how we fell asleep.

But, I woke to something else.

A second heartbeat thrummed against my cheek, but it was not Paia's. Its breast was flat and hard. And muscled. And warm. And tight. And-

"What in hell!"

I leapt out of bed, dragging a pillow along behind me and whirled around to face Brynjolf.

"WHAT are you DOING!?"

"Minding my business," he replied, lacing his fingers behind his head.

Now that there was some distance between us, I could get a better look at him.

The sun slipped through the cracks of the false sewer drain, caging both our bodies in stripes of light and dark. And that body.

His broad shoulders tapered down to a broad chest, which moved up and down with his every breath. From there, the dip in his collarbone became an arrow, pointing down the line the bisected his abdominal muscles. All six of them. Along his hips was the deep, suggestive V that promised so much and more, and everything below it was under the sheets of the bed, though not much was left to imagination-

"Enjoying the view, lass?"

Damnit.

"What are you doing in-"

"My room?" he finished. "Isn't that my question?"

"Your. . ." I glanced around and cast my eyes down in shame. "Oh." I made a move to bit my lower lip as well, but that deep voice cut through me like a knife.

"Don't do that, lass," he warned huskily. "It'll undo me. And that's no good, because I'll undo you."

I back against the door.

His blue eyes darkened.

"Wh. . ." I tried again, "Which way is the cistern?"

"What? I thought we were getting somewhere?" I leaned back against the door, eyes wide. He flopped back down on his bed, laughing. "Fine. I won't devour you. This time. You're down the hall, last left. There's three beds before yours."

"Thank you." I reached for the door, but paused. "Uh. . .did I. . ?"

"No," he said, eyes now more serious. "No. I brought you here. Came in late last night and heard you. . ."

"Heard me what?"

"Crying."

Heat flooded my face. I hadn't cried in years. And to think I had done it unconsciously. . .

"I just figured, since my room is private. . ."

"Thank you," I said again, swinging open the door. "Thank you, Brynjolf."

I wasn't far enough away to miss his response.

"It weren't the first time."

I reversed direction, re-entered his room, and shut the door behind me.

"What?"

"I was just saying, it wasn't the first time I . . . I dunno, seen something of you that I probably shouldn't have."

I blinked.

"If you're saying you've seen me naked-"

"No! Nothing like that!" His face flushed. "Just . . . I saw you, the other day. At the water. You were looking at yourself. . ."

If it wasn't heated before, my face was now on fire.

"Wha- I- How. . .How much did you hear?"

"Enough," he said. "Enough to know that the men of Hegathe are blind. Rontu, if you're ever in doubt, don't hesitate to see me. It's no sin to say a woman is beautiful, when it's true."

I had no words to respond.

And so, I simply left.