Lake Honrich glowed in the afternoon sun as a few clouds drifted lazily toward Morrowwind. The wind caused a light ripple across the water as the Dragonborn tied their horses away from the road in the trees.

"Wouldn't it be safer to separate them somewhat? That way if one gets stolen or eaten you don't lose both?"

Aneira cast Etienne a small glance as she finished a knot around her Palomino's neck.

"Technically, Frost is already stolen, although at this point I consider him a gift for services rendered."

"Rendered to whom?" Etienne inquired, taking a bite out of a sweet red apple.

"Maven."

Etienne spit out the bits of apple, choking slightly in horror.

"What do you mean 'technically stolen' from Maven? Are you out of your damn mind?" He sputtered, hurriedly wiping his lip.

Aneira shrugged. "We made arrangements for me to steal Frost as bait for a different thief. Long story short, he attacked me when I refused to hand him over. I dispatched with him, and Maven never asked me to give Frost back." Aneira paused and nodded to Etienne's borrowed black mare. "Honestly, I doubt I'd be able to separate those two now anyway." Etienne looked between the two horses, standing nose to nose and nuzzling gently. "Who am I to tear apart young love?" Aneira gave Frost one last pat before striding away, a leather pack slung over her shoulder.

"You are aware that Frost is a purebred, right?" Etienne asked skeptically, eyeing the mare dubiously. "You could breed him with any horse in Skyrim."

"Yes, I've read his papers. It hardly matters. Oriel is who he wants."

"What's her background?" Etienne inquired, glancing back at the black. Her coat was shiny, he supposed, and her legs were strong.

"No idea," Aneira quipped, bending over to pluck a blue flower.

Etienne sputtered slightly as he tactfully looked away from her angled form. "What do you mean you have no idea? You bought a horse without any papers?" He looked aghast at Frost and Oriel, as she was apparently named. Who bought a horse with no history?

"Her previous master didn't have them on him when he attacked me near the Rift border."

Etienne turned to look at her sharply, seeing only her expressionless profile.

"What, uh," he began, unsure whether or not pursuing this conversation was a wise choice of action, "why did he attack you?"

"No idea," Aneira said matter-of-factly, "I was just walking along the border looking for a fort when out of nowhere a Nord came flying at me." Her expression darkened slightly. "His screams of 'Skyrim for the Nords' did little to help him against my skill in both magicka and sword play." Etienne chose not to comment as they moved forward. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her skill in battle. "I found Oriel standing not far from the official border pass, underfed and exhausted. I led her deeper into the woods and hid her with a supply of apples and water. When I came back the next day she was still there. The owner of Riften stables is a friend and helped nurse her back to health."

Aneira didn't continue, and Etienne was left wondering what she'd done with her attacker. He felt a swell of gratitude that he hadn't been a thief on the road when she went past.

Aneira then flashed him a smile, though the coolness in her blue eyes had not completely diminished. "Shortly afterwards I came back with Frost, and the rest, as they say is history." Etienne gave her a small smile, feeling a chill run up his spine at her expression. In the next instant, her previous disposition had returned, and she smiled while tossing him a red apple.

IIIIIIIIII

"Can't tell you how many times we've busted into Honeyside through the back door," Etienne said good-naturedly, leaning against the wooden railing of Aneira's back deck. "Think this is my first time with an actual key."

Aneira sputtered for a moment before turning to give him a strangled look, torn between humor and disapproval. "You're certainly chipper for someone who doesn't want to be here," she muttered before sighing in relief as the lock clicked.

"Must be the warm Rift weather." Etienne sighed, looking out over the lake. Cold as it was, the afternoon sun had left it glistening, the few chunks of ice glowing like pearls on the water. He couldn't remember the last time he'd just gone out for a swim in Lake Honrich.

Aneira scoffed, pushing open the door. "Whatever you say, Etienne," she said, easing the door open carefully. Sighing in relief, she marched inside, casually dropping her bag next to a large double bed. "My housecarl Iona isn't here, thankfully, or else we'd never get into the city undetected."

Etienne hurried after Aneira as she descended the stairs, seeing her searching in shelves upon shelves of potions. "Your housecarl can't be trusted?" Etienne headed past her to glance into an enchanting room, eyeing a steel greatsword mounted near the entrance. The blade glowed with an eerie purple light.

"She was assigned to me after I broke up a skooma ring north of here. The operation was using the Riften Warehouse to get the stuff into the city. Laila and Maven could never seem to do anything about it, and I'm not convinced Maven wasn't pocketing kickbacks from Sarthis Idren, even if she didn't appear upset that the operation was caput. Either way, suddenly I was being summoned to the Keep and proclaimed Thane, so long as I had the coin to buy property in the city." Aneira shook her head slightly. "None of the assistance and generosity I'd shown around the city mattered until I came back with bags of moon sugar and skooma bottles and my armor covered in blood. Then, Laila decided my deeds should be credited to her court." Aneira picked up a briarheart from her shelf and crushed it over her alchemy table. "Sometimes I wonder if she's even self-aware."

Etienne shifted away from her volatile preparation, gazing warily at the bubbling liquids. "Self-aware?" He questioned, cautiously examining a bottle of poison.

"Meaning it occurred to me after the fact that Laila may actually be naïve enough to believe Maven isn't the puppeteer controlling Riften's strings. I've spoken to her a few times. I think she actually believes Riften is in fine shape. Anyway, since then my movement within the city and hold has been monitored. Iona has never accompanied me outside the city. How can I trust her? Everything I've told her has been related to Laila or Maven." Aneira smirked a little. "The stories aren't exactly accurate."

Etienne nodded slowly, carefully maneuvering himself into the enchanting room. "Where is she then, if not guarding your household?"

Aneira gave a huff of laughter from the other room. "I sent a letter while in Riverwood. She was instructed to go to Shore's Stone for some ebony ore. She shouldn't be back before nightfall. We'll be gone by then."

Etienne nodded, hesitantly feeling a set of elven daggers, both hissing with enchantments.

"You're welcome to any daggers or swords that suit your fancy. I'd prefer if you left the weapons on the plaques alone. They have sentimental value, you see."

Etienne carefully hooked the daggers onto his waist, avoiding the blades hissing with frost and lightning.

"Shock for their magic, and ice for their skin." Etienne looked at her in the corner of his eye. She grinned before corking a white liquid. "At least you know how to prepare yourself."

He said nothing, suddenly eyeing the mannequin in the corner. It was set with a full ensemble of elven gear. His fist clenched around the hilt of the frost enchanted dagger as a wave of hatred spread over him. "When do we leave?" Etienne asked quietly, running the dagger along the armor. It was weakest under the arm.

"After sunset."

The dagger slid back into its sheath with a soft clink.