SNAP

The guard rose to his feet in alarm, snapping out of his dozing state. "What? Who's there?" He searched for the source of the metallic sound, but nothing in the hallway looked out of the ordinary. Torchlight illuminated the stone walls in flickering rhythms, dancing lazily across a lone tapestry. He was also completely sure the room behind him as empty, as no one had entered or left since his shift began. Convinced, the guard sat comfortably back into his chair, unaware of the young woman inside that very room breathing a sigh of relief.

Blake had nearly jumped when her lockpick snapped, something that rarely happened nowadays. Should have expected this kind of difficulty from the Jarl's strongbox. She chastised herself as she slipped a spare pick out of her guild gloves, approaching the short iron box with more respect.

Minutes seemed like hours as Blake explored the lock's inner workings, holding it in place with a thin blade while slowly rotating the pick. Every few degrees, she gently tried to pry it open, but so far nothing had- There! For a split second, the lock had relaxed by the smallest margin. To a less experienced lockpick it would have been gone unnoticed, but the young faunus was anything but. After a few excited seconds, she allowed herself a rare smile as the small steel door swung open on oiled hinges.

Blake was hard to impress, but even she stifled a whistle at the contents of the safe. Layers of elven and gold ingots lined the floor as shelves held a variety of enchanted jewelry and flawless gems. Blake was only momentarily distracted by the small fortunes, continuing to search for her true target. Finally, in the very back she saw a single tome, it's cover dominated by a hooked purple symbol. Bingo. The book hummed with power as Blake's hands closed around it. It seemed that Adam's source had been telling the truth. Let's hope he was also correct about it's price. It's about time the guild got a break.

As Blake opened her pack to store her prize, she noticed a vial she didn't recognize filled with a shadowy liquid. Is this an invisibility potion? It didn't come with a note, but the fact that it must have been placed on her person without her noticing was telling enough. Even in the thief's guild there was only one person capable of picking her pocket. Sun… how did he even know it was today? The monkey faunus in question had a habit of helping out before asking permission. However, if this vial held what she thought, the help would be much appreciated. Not that she would ever admit it.

Now, however, Blake had a problem. She knew that as helpful as invisibility was, its effect was limited. The magic shell generated by the potion was extremely fragile. Even opening the door to the hallway would shattering it's effect. What if… someone else were to open the door? She surveyed the room one last time, finally deciding on a rather ornate vase decorating the Jarl's desk. She placed a single finger on the exquisite ceramic, slowly tipping it farther and farther until finally-

SMASH

After a few seconds of tripping, cursing, and picking his weapon back up, the guard burst into the room sword in hand. "Who goes there? Show yourself!" He shouted, but the empty room did not respond.

Riften is the lakeside capital city of The Reach, a hold located in Skyrim's southeast corner. The city proper is built around a crowded marketplace, vendors of all crafts hollering prices and slogans, punctuated by the clamor of an adjacent blacksmith. While Riften's Street level is usually warm and comforting, there exists on under city with businesses and living quarters built inches above the water level. The Ratway was rumored to hold all kinds of swindlers and filth, but to the young woman walking comfortably through the dim tunnels, it was home.

Blake lowered her hood as she walked, sighing in relief as her feline pair of ears were finally able to move freely. She was unable to enjoy the sensation for very long however, as her ears perked up, listening intently. Someone is following me? Rolling her eyes, Blake summoned a copy of herself to continue walking while she slipped into one of the many alcoves the ratway was famous for. Unsheathing her dagger, she waited in silence as the footsteps drew nearer. Blake held her breath as the pursuer passed, instantly recognizing the bright yellow tail protruding from his guild armor.

I should have guessed. Who else could it be? Never one to let an ambush go to waste, Blake stalked up behind the unsuspecting faunus, placing her dagger gingerly on his throat as her copy faded into shadow.

Sun yelped loudly before lifting his hands in surrender. He turned to face Blake with a bemused smile on his face. "Dang, thought I had you that time. What does that make the score?"

"You're the one who's keeping score." Blake sheathed the blade and kept walking. "But I'm sure I'm winning."

Sun jogged to catch up, The two falling into a comfortable rhythm. They had been friends for years, often working as partners on official Thieves Guild business. The guild was a great place for people like Blake, Faunus who wanted to make a decent living without the constraints of law. They offered reliable fencing and clientele, as well as the custom armor they both wore. Soft enough to move silently, but tough enough to deflect daggers and slow arrows, the worn leather was riddled with pockets, perfect for lockpicks, messages, and other small shiny things.

Sun could only walk in silence so long before he spoke up. "So I heard you and Adam are taking on a pretty serious job tomorrow." His playful tone masked the seriousness of his question.

"Sun…" Blake already knew where this conversation was headed.

Despite her tone, he continued. "Any reason why you went ahead and did it today?"

Blake grimaced, painfully aware that Sun was not going to let this topic slide. He may have been boisterous and insensitive but he was her best friend, and he knew when things were bothering her. Usually because he was the one doing the bothering.

When Blake finally spoke it was hushed. Even in the Ratway, you never know who could be listening in. "Do you remember the last time I went on a mission with Adam?"

Sun placed his hands behind his head, thinking. "Wasn't it… something about a silver mold in Markarth? I heard it went off without a hitch."

Blake stopped, motioning for Sun to halt as well. When she did speak it was barely a whisper. "That's because Adam killed everyone."

Sun shifted uncomfortably, eyes on the ground. Killing was frowned upon by the guild but mostly because it suggested a lack of skill. "I mean.. everyone gets backed into a corner once in awhile. Our weapons aren't for show." Sun replied, patting the collapsible staff hanging at his side.

"It wasn't like that!" Blake hissed, pausing to bring her voice back down. "We tracked the client's item to a small bandit group based out of a nearby mine. Normally, we would wait a few hours until dark to sneak in, but Adam had… other plans. He didn't try to sneak, he didn't try to cast a calm spell, he just… walked right in." Blake shivered at the memory.

Sun put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she brushed it off. "That's why I did it early. That's why I was unprepared. It's because i'm scared that if I wait till tomorrow, it will be a massacre."

Sun was silent for longer than Blake thought possible, her eyes silently pleading, Change the subject! He finally spoke up, crossing his arms. "There is one part of your story that doesn't make sense."

Blake's signature death glare had never felt so inadequate a response.

"There is no way the famous Belladonna, pride of the thieves guild, was unprepared for a mission." Sun gestured dramatically, a wide grin returning to his face.

Black let out a small sigh, and the pair resumed their walk. She was grateful that Sun had switched topics, even if it was in his own uncomfortable way.

"If you were so sure I was prepared, why did you slip the invisibility potion into my pack?"

Sun laughed, shaking his finger. "You misunderstand, that's why I know you're always prepared. You got the mighty Sun Wukong watching your back!"

Blake rolled her eyes at the statement as sun continued. "It worked, right? The guy I bought it from said it would last fifty seconds."

"He was telling the truth. I wasn't counting, but it felt closer to a minute. It was actually... really helpful." She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, catching sight of Sun's expression.

Sun was ecstatic, literally bouncing up and down. "I was helpful, you admit it! No take-backsies!" His smile was so bright, Blake swore it could kill a vampire at twenty yards.

Blake turned away to hide a smile. "Yeah, yeah, put it on your scoreboard or whatever." As they rounded the final corner, a familiar tavern came into view. "We're almost home."