It felt weird not coming back to the Cistern in a long time. Deyna, or shall we say, Aenerina, sucked in a deep breath as she strode out of the secret entrance by the gravesite. She felt a little stupid wearing her Nightingale armor, afraid that the guards would recognize her. Wearing it had been out of instinct. She can be asleep and then still put it on. For a moment she considered changing inside the mausoleum before she saw the Priestess of Talos almost before her and thought better of it.

"Well met, kinsman," The priestess nodded, looking appreciatively at Aenerina's amulet and fine armor. "An adventurer, eh?"

Aenerina nodded, a little startled herself. No Nord has a addressed her as kinsman before, and rightly so. She is half-elf, and half-Altmer besides. She looked Altmer for most of her life, Yet the holy lady thought nothing of it.

"Not many Nords dare travel around Skyrim wearing that brazenly for everyone to see nowadays." The priestess grinned at Aenerina's amulet.

"Why should I hide this?" Aenerina held the pendant of her amulet. She felt immediate attachment to Brynjolf's present at once. With nothing to remember her parents by, she felt truly alone. She had been meaning to buy herself (or steal) a new amulet, but despite seeing such amulets in chests of gold, dead Stormcloaks and in temples she couldn't bring herself to do it. It wasn't quite the same as the one she lost in Helgen. But then she will also not come back in the Ratway in a long time. So when Brynjolf gave her a new amulet she was loath to lose it. "This is mine, and I am proud of it."

The look the priestess gave her was nothing short of awe.

"You are very brave, kinswoman." The other woman continued. "Skyrim would be freer from the Thalmor scum sooner if there are more people like you."

"Thank you."

"Talos guide you."

The face change really was effective.
-

Aenerina was met with warm, friendly stares and greetings from the citizens of Riften, all of which before had been condescending to her for being a member of the Thieves Guild, being Altmer, possibly both. They looked up and down to her to what possibly must be the most beautiful person they have seen. Long, flowing blood red hair carpeting down to the waist. Softly-chiseled face. Pink cheeks, lush red lips, long red eyelashes, tall, aquiline nose. The ideal Nord woman. The face sculptor had brought out the Nord blood which was latent in her.

They say redheads are rarer than blondes. By far behind Haelga the Whore stood, looking real sour. Aenerina felt a snicker backing up her throat. Haelga had been no friend of hers, and looked at her more condescendingly than most citizens of Riften, mainly because she was ugly. Was. The redhead felt vindicated.

But she is broke. To say that the face change was expensive was an understatement. She only had four hundred septims, which is rich by anybody else's standards. But not with her. She knows that the room and board in Whiterun will cost her a great deal, and to live with four hundred septims on one year would be difficult. Despite her new face Brynjolf explicitly told her not to steal anything from anyone-at least for a year. Elisif the Fair has signed a decree that thieves caught in her hold will be executed. Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun has done the same for thieves with 9000 septims bounty. And rumors have it that Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak has authorized torture for the thieves. For information about Deyna, the Cloaked Hand of the Guild.

Aenerina needs to have a job.

As she walked on past Riften's gates she contemplated being a sellsword. Or a spellsword like Marcurio. Or a hunter. That until she eyed the carriage near the stables.

"Need a ride?" The cart driver asked.