CHAPTER TWENTY

11th of Sun's Height

I think we all knew that this day was coming. It was as inevitable as the turning of the seasons. For a long time, we've been suspecting that there was something between the two of them. I don't think anyone was the least bit taken aback when they told us. And ever since that day, I'm almost certain that there wasn't a thief in the Guild who didn't know that this was going to happen someday. The only question was when, and it was only a matter of time, really. But finally, at long last, Farmund's been able to pluck up the courage to don the Amulet. And nobody was surprised when Fjella said yes.

They announced it to the Guild this morning. Farmund Silver-Tongue and Fjella the Unforgetting are getting married. We all knew they would be eventually. They've not sorted out all the arrangements yet, so they haven't set a date, but they think that it'll be at some point next week. The entire Guild has been invited. Blade has promised to give us all the day off when the wedding comes. We'll be holding a party of sorts, I suppose, after the ceremony. Or rather, there'll be a chance to make Mercer and Delvin very happy by making the most out of our business agreement with the Black-Briar meadery.

Since Farmund and Fjella announced their engagement, most of the conversation in the Flagon seems to have been about the wedding. Everyone's excited, I think, especially little Tonilia. She's bouncing about the place with all the enthusiasm typical of a five-year-old, asking everyone and anyone who stays still long enough what the ceremony will be like, and whether she'll be allowed to go, and whether they'll be sweetrolls at the party afterwards. I don't think it's possible to dislike that child – she's sweet, sensible and caring. Not to mention guileless, completely guileless. She takes after her mother a lot, but I see some of Sabinus in her too. Anyway, she's getting under everyone's feet by asking endless questions, but nobody minds – partly because she's so adorable, but mostly because we're just as excited too. Mercer and Elandine (our resident pessimists) are pretending that it's all beneath them – it's 'no big deal,' in the opinion of a certain Breton friend of mine – but we know that really they're just as eager for the big day as the rest of us.

There is only one sorrow that I bear within me now. I am not at all certain how long Farmund and Fjella will choose to remain in the Guild after this. It's not exactly the ideal place for family life. Ahsla and Sabinus proved that. Even Dralsi chose to leave once her daughter was born. I don't want to lose Farmund or Fjella. They are part of our family, and have been since the day I first walked into the Flagon. I'm not sure if things would be the same without Farmund there to confuse the guards with his endless babble and Fjella remembering every single detail about everything that's ever happened to her. I don't even want to lose Manji. That cat's so old now that he barely does anything but hiss and purr a little, but he's still part of the Guild. The Cistern wouldn't seem right without him lying curled up on top of a barrel, staring at us all. I don't want to lose them.

Of course, it's their choice to make. And they may not decide to leave. There's been no suggestion of it. But we all know that they might.

Still, there's no time for moping and trying to guess what the future will bring. Live in the moment, Gallus, and appreciate what's in front of you in the here and now. Did you never listen to what Dralsi used to tell you?

I miss that Dark Elf. I haven't seen her for some months now, not since the last attack on the Sepulchre. And the middle of a pitched battle with yet another group of mercenaries is hardly the best time to catch up with an old friend. Still, we managed to find some time to talk afterwards. I'm glad that she and her daughter are still living safe and happy in Shor's Stone. Dralsi deserves a little peace. It's strange – I've heard so much about her Karliah, yet I've never actually met her. She must be about fifteen or sixteen now, I suppose, since she was a year old when I first joined the Guild. Well, I daresay I'll have plenty of time to get to know her in a few years' time, when Dralsi predicts she'll come to join the Guild. If she's inherited her mother's talent, she'll be a valuable addition to our numbers. Much as I'm looking forward to meeting her, I expect it'll be hard for Dralsi when she leaves. Dralsi will be completely alone then – no Guild and no family. How I wish Elrandor had never died. Some people have suffering in their lives that they could never deserve.

Ah, well. There's not time to sit here and dream, because there's plenty of work to do today, just like always. Mercer and I are taking the Khajiit twins out into the city later for some pickpocketing practice. It staggers me how quick those two are at learning. I can't remember a single time I've had to say something to Ma'rhaz more than once - when he was actually paying attention to me, that is. He seems to soak up everything I tell him, even though he does have something of a rather severe concentration problem. Dar'zha, on the other hand… well, he's just as quick-witted as his brother, and his mind is as sharp as his talons, but he's unbelievably easily distracted. And by the Nine, he never stops talking. Never. Poor Mercer finally met his match the day that Khajiit entered the Cistern. I think maybe Blade made a poor choice when he chose which of us should mentor which twin. I know for a fact that I am ten times more patient than Mercer. Dar'zha has proven to be quite a handful for him, and I'm not sure how much more his nerves can take. Still, I'm not complaining, even if I do feel rather sorry for Mercer. Ma'rhaz is a pleasure to teach. Not that I've got much more to teach him. Even when they first arrived in the Guild, the twins were skilled thieves, and that talent has only increased under our guidance.

This is one of the many things I love so much about keeping a journal. I can allow my mind to wander so freely.

Well, now I think I'll have to put Farmund, Fjella, Manji, Tonilia, Ahsla, Sabinus, Dralsi, Karliah and Elrandor out of my head. I'd better go and find Mercer and the twins. It's time we get down to business.

'Oh Gods above, us hear our prayer…'

The twins ignored the glares from the citizens of Riften as they half sang, half roared the familiar tune, taking it in turn to warble each line. 'Grant that we may return back there…'

'Return once more,' Dar'zha trilled, his voice missing the high notes by a mile, 'To that far shore…'

Both twins sang the final line at the top of their voices. 'The distant land they call Elsweyr!'

Mercer let out a low groan and slapped a hand to his face. 'Must you walking rugs draw attention to us like that?'

I gave him a small, warning nudge, and he rolled his eyes at me.

'Of course,' Dar'zha said carelessly. 'If we draw attention to ourselves, the last thing anyone will expect us to do is cause trouble.'

'That is the worst logic I have ever had the misfortune to encounter in my entire life,' Mercer snapped. 'Can't you two act reasonable sensibly?'

'No,' both twins chorused together.

'Who wants to be sensible?' Ma'rhaz asked, an expression of mock horror on his face.

Dar'zha nodded seriously. 'Sensible is boring.'

'Sensible is for people who don't want to have any fun in life,' Ma'rhaz agreed.

'And what is life without fun?' Dar'zha grinned, his whiskers twitching with amusement.

Mercer moaned under his breath. 'The moment we get back to the Flagon, I am handing in my resignation to Blade,' he muttered to me bleakly.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. 'Some people might consider that to be giving in under pressure, Mercer. And don't forget that a Guild member is meant to be-'

'Determined and confident at all times, yes, I know. Don't start, Gallus, I've heard your lecture on perseverance a thousand times.'

'Which is just proof that you didn't listen the first nine hundred and ninety nine times,' I pointed out, as we rounded the corner into the marketplace. It was teeming with people, as it always was in the early morning, and it was with some difficulty that Mercer and I squeezed through the bustling crowd to catch up with the twins. 'So obviously I need to repeat it.'

Mercer shook his head despairingly. 'Gallus, have I ever told you that you are the most impossible and infuriating person I have ever met?'

I winked. 'More than Dar'zha?'

'Good point,' the Breton admitted, with a light chuckle. 'It's tricky to be more frustrating than that Khajiit.'

'Hey, Gallus!' Ma'rhaz shoved his way through the crowd, ignoring the glares shot at him. 'Can we steal something now?'

I shook my head firmly. 'Blade specifically asked us to target the wealthier merchants today. Until we've worked out some targets, nobody is stealing anything.'

Dar'zha's tail drooped. 'Please?'

'No.'

There was a moment of silence, then Ma'rhaz raised his hand. 'What about now?'

Mercer buried his face in his palms for what must have been the eighth time that morning. 'Gods give me strength. You're like a pair of six-year-olds on a long journey asking if they're there yet.'

I sighed and raised my hands, admitting defeat. 'Fine, off you go. Take care, and don't forget the rendezvous. Be at the Temple of Mara in twenty minutes.'

Dar'zha punched the air. 'Our noble deputy has spoken! We have permission!'

Ma'rhaz let out a triumphant hiss and punched the air with both fists. 'The people of Riften will not know what's hit them. Let's go, brother.'

Both twins turned and raced away, their coal-coloured pelts quickly vanishing among the crowd.

'Be careful how you go about it,' I called after them, though I was fairly certain they were already well out of earshot. 'The Black-Briars have been going through a difficult time recently, so they've had to cut the guards' pay. They won't be in a good mood right now. If you get caught, we may not be able to bail you out.'

There was no response, and I hadn't been expecting one. The Khajiit brothers might have been expert thieves and loyal friends, but one of their few failings was that they had to learn to listen. Once, Mercer and I had been forced to repeat an entire mission plan to them after we'd described the job to them, only to find that they'd completely lost interest and had instead been gazing at the sweetrolls and fish on the food stall behind us. Another time, we had been travelling to Morthal, and they had seemingly completely forgotten our destination and dashed off to chase butterflies, adding a lengthy and somewhat unnecessary detour onto our journey. Much as I liked them, I knew that if something didn't happen to make them more willing to listen to instructions, it would be some time before they could finish their apprenticeship. When they were paying attention, they absorbed everything that was said to them, but when they weren't, it was a hard task to make them focus. They had all the skills they needed to be great thieves, but they lacked some of the essential teamwork skills that their colleagues had.

The problem was that as their mentors, Mercer and I were the ones who were expected to carry out the none-too-easy task of making them develop their skills. I have never been one to back down from a challenge, but I had a feeling that this would be a difficult thing to accomplish. It wasn't that the twins were unintelligent – quite the opposite, in fact – but it was hard to make them stay still in one place for long enough to teach them anything.

'Those two have attention spans the size of a Thalmor's sense of justice,' Mercer snorted, staring at the place where they had disappeared. 'Divines only know how they've survived this long.'

'I wouldn't entice ill fortune like that if I were you,' I warned him. I glanced after the Khajiit with a small sigh. 'I do worry about them, you know. They're great thieves, but there's still a long way to go before they're great Guild members, if you know what I mean.'

Mercer let out a small bark of laughter. 'If I know what you mean? If you're referring to the fact that they seldom take in a word of what anyone says to them unless it involves food, don't seem to understand the meaning of focusing on one thing at one time, and have no concept of obeying orders whatsoever, then yes. I know very well what you mean.'

We both laughed, and some of my unease over the twins lifted. Mercer always seemed to be able to raise my spirits. We'd known each other for more than ten years now, and in that time, we had been through so much together. Together, we had carried out numberless missions. Together, we had fought in more battles than I cared to count. Together, we had shared evenings in the Flagon, talking and laughing together. After so many years of working together, we were now less like two different people and more like the two parts of a well-oiled machine, working together seamlessly and flawlessly. When we were out on a job, communication was barely necessary. A swift nod, a glance, a wave of the hand- that was all it took for each of us to know what the other was thinking. In battle, we never even had to look at each other. I simple knew how Mercer thought and fought, and he knew the same about me. We were practically unbeatable. I knew that if I were ever to become Guildmaster, it was Mercer I wanted as my deputy.

Sometimes, at times like this, I thought about Henja, and wondered whether we would have one day become as close as Mercer and I had, if we had not been parted from each other that fateful day all those years ago. Maybe. Probably, in fact. But there was no denying the fact that our paths had separated now. I still dropped in on her and her family from time to time, if I was passing by that way, and every so often I would receive a letter from her via courier, which I would quickly reply to. But she and I would never again share the same friendship that we had treasured when we were children. It saddened me, but it was the truth. And anyway, I had no regrets about leaving my old life behind. None. I had the Guild as my family, and I had Mercer as a best friend. He and I were an indomitable team, and his friendship meant more to me than almost anything else in the world.

Of course, back then, I did not know that our friendship, the depth of knowledge that Mercer had of my ways and my manner of thinking, would one day lead to my death.

'I do fear that one day something bad will happen to them because of their way of thinking,' I admitted. 'They're a pair of exceptionally good thieves – only to be expected from Khajiit, I suppose – but they're so…' I frowned, searching for the right word.

Mercer nodded, and once again I knew that he had understood me without my needing to complete the sentence. 'Rash,' he finished. 'Reckless. Too wild and hasty for their own good.'

I dipped my head. 'I don't want to call them foolish, but simple truth is they need to learn how to stop and think. They're forever dashing around, never considering what dangers might be in wait for them. They're too impulsive and careless for my liking. I'm afraid that someday something will happen to them that we'll all come to regret. And whatever it is, I know that I'll feel responsible for it.'

A grim smile confirmed Mercer's agreement. 'Yeah. One of these days, they're going to end up paying for never listening.'

'Now I come to think of it, we should probably be going and watching them instead of standing around here talking,' I pointed out. 'Blade asked us to assess their skills, remember?'

Mercer snorted. 'And what do you think our chances of finding them are?'

'We asked them to stay in Riften, and I'm fairly certain they were listening when we told them that, at the very least. There aren't all that many places they could have gone. You search the Plankside district, and I'll take Dryside. One of us will find them.'

'Sounds like a plan.' Mercer rubbed his hands together. 'Whether we find them or not, we'll meet outside the Temple of Mara at the time we agreed.'

I nodded, and was about to turn and start pushing my way through the crowd, when I heard the scream.

It was a scream that made the entire marketplace, the entire town, maybe even the entire world, stop dead and freeze. It was a scream that made the hair rise up on the back of my neck. It was a scream that I recognised instantly – not one of fear or terror, but one of pain. Pain beyond measure, pain beyond belief. The kind of pain that made anyone who experienced it feel as if their blood were on fire. Anyone who could produce that sound would be in such agony that they would welcome death. And I knew without needing to be told that it was one of the twins.

I was moving before I could even think about it, my hand flying subconsciously to the hilt of my sword. I did not know what in the name of Oblivion had happened to make either Ma'rhaz or Dar'zha produce such a sound. All I knew was that I had to stop whoever or whatever had caused them to make it. As the citizens of Riften stood motionless, staring with wide eyes in the direction of the noise, I dashed through them, darting and ducking around them, my breath coming in loud gasps and my feet thumping on the wooden walkways. Mercer, his face pale, followed one step behind me, his blade already drawn and shimmering in the sunlight.

I raced around the corner. And I saw.

I saw the town guard who held one twin to the ground, one hand around the Khajiit's throat and the other gripping his dagger. I saw the other twin lying on the ground nearby, a gash above his eye gushing blood, struggling to rise to his feet. I saw the people of the city standing frozen, staring, doing nothing.

And I saw… Gods above. Within a few seconds, I think that I saw more nightmares than I had ever seen before in my entire lifetime.

I do not want to say it. I do not think I can bear to say it. Just thinking of it brings tears to my eyes.

So I will not describe what the guard did.

I will merely say that as he withdrew his blood-soaked blade, the screaming stopped abruptly.

I saw it. I saw it all, every terrible, terrible detail.

But unlike Mercer, who had skidded to a halt behind me, and unlike the civilians who did nothing but stare, I did not freeze.

I kept running.

And as I ran, a fury that blazed like fire engulfed me completely, and I drew my sword. I swung it. There was a faint thrum of air, and then I felt the blade meet resistance. But it only lasted for a second. A moment later, it was free again, and more scarlet blood spattered onto the ground.

The guard's head fell to the ground, the helmet hitting the wooden path with a dull thud.

His body followed a moment later.

There was no time to reflect upon what I had done, to consider why I had done it or what the consequences might be. Already the man had faded from my memory. All that existed on the world was my Guild brother, writhing on the ground in front of me, blood pooling around him.

For a second time in my life, one of my Guild siblings had fallen victim to a guard who wold not bow to us. Once again, I had not been able to stop what happened. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I made an unconscious but nonetheless solemn oath that this time, I would not let them die.

I turned my head, meeting Mercer's eyes. 'Mercer, go back to the Cistern. Get Elandine.'

He hesitated, staring in blank shock at the desperately thrashing Khajiit.

'Go!' I more or less roared, and Mercer, to his credit, jolted out of his reverie, spun around, and sped away through the crowd.

I yanked a healing potion from one of my many pockets and knelt down beside my Guild brother. I noticed that he wore his earring in his right ear. This was Dar'zha, lying here in a puddle of his own blood, and that was Ma'rhaz rising to his feet, his eyes wide as day and an expression of pure horror and unrestricted terror on his face. 'Brother!' he screamed, and made as if to dart forwards.

'Ma'rhaz, stay back,' I snapped, and I think I surprised everyone, especially myself, at how steady and commanding my voice sounded. 'Leave him to me.'

The Khajiit obeyed, but I was fairly certain he only did it because the entire world was breaking into pieces around him, and he was so stunned that for once in his life, he could do nothing else but follow orders. At the very least, a straight and firm command was something he could make sense of.

I tried to ignore the clamouring throng of people, pushing and shoving each other in order to get a better view, and focused all of my attention on Dar'zha. One look at him and I knew that it would be useless to try and heal him myself. I was afraid that I would only make things worse by pouring the potion down his throat, but at the rate he was losing blood, it was an all or nothing situation, and I would just have to take a risk. There was no time to consider the problem as I would have liked to; Dar'zha's life was in my hands now, and I had to make a decision quickly.

I swallowed hard and tipped a few drops of the life-giving liquid into the Khajiit's mouth. A faint golden glow surrounded him, and to my relief, the flow of blood lessened slightly, though it continued to come. I quickly proceeded to use the rest of the potion, and it slowed to a thin but steady ooze. Throwing aside the empty bottle, I tried to assess the extent of the damage – which was hard, since there was now a group of at least thirty people surrounding me, and their presence was somewhat distracting. My already frayed temper snapped, and I raised my head and glared at them.

'This is nothing to do with any of you. You are not helping in the slightest. I am trying to save a mortal's life here and you are being incredibly distracting,' I hissed, trying my best to keep a civil tongue in my head. 'If you could kindly continue going about your business, then I would be much obliged. If your curiosity is too insatiable, then at least back off and give me some space.'

For a moment, there was silence. Then, to my utter amazement and relief, a few people broke away from the crowd and shuffled out of sight, and all of them drew back a few paces.

'Thank you,' I growled through gritted teeth.

A figure shouldered past the others and stood over me, sword glinting. Another guard. My heart clenched, but I met his gaze without flinching.

'You've murdered one of my brothers in arms, Imperial,' he told me, his voice cold.

I drew in a deep breath. 'I know. And I am perfectly willing to face justice for it. However, one of my own brothers in arms is currently at risk of bleeding to death after what your colleague did to him. If you have the slightest bit of compassion, then at least arrest me once my friend is safe, and not before. I ask no more of you than that.'

The guard hesitated, looking between me, the mercifully unconscious Dar'zha, the trembling Ma'rhaz, and the decapitated body of his fallen comrade. Then finally, he inclined his head a little. 'All right. You have permission to take care of the cat.'

On any other day, and at any other moment, I would have told him sharply that the correct term was Khajiit. But for once, I ignored it, simply giving the guard a brief nod of thanks. 'I am in your debt,' I told him quietly.

There was the sound of feet pounding on wood, and Elandine and Mercer appeared, their faces drawn and tense. Elandine shoved me out of the way instantly and crouched over Dar'zha, her hands glowing golden. The Altmer's eyes narrowed in concentration as the tendrils of light surrounded Dar'zha's motionless body. The last of the blood flow slowed to a trickle and died, and I felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from my back.

'Is he all right?' Ma'rhaz whispered, his voice cracking. 'Will he live?'

Elandine, still hunched over the Khajiit, let out a small grunt and carefully prised Dar'zha's jaws apart. She peered into his mouth for a moment, then gave a small, rueful shake of her head before turning around.

'I'll be frank with you, Ma'rhaz,' she said bluntly. 'He's lost a lot of blood, and that's not a good sign at all. I've done my best, but I may have been too late.'

I pray to never see again an expression like the one that came over Ma'rhaz's face. I had never seen such deathless, endless despair. It was as if he had watched the destruction of everything he had ever cared for take place in front of his eyes.

'There is no hope?' he whispered.

'I never said anything of the kind,' Elandine snapped. 'Your brother's a fighter, and he's strong and healthy. He's in with a fighting chance. I'd say it's fifty-fifty.'

A dim spark of hope was kindled within Ma'rhaz's jade-green eyes. 'He may survive?'

'He might. With a bit of luck.' The High Elf folded her arms. 'But I'm going to be honest now, because there's no avoiding this. Even if he lives, Dar'zha will never speak again.'

For a second, the Khajiit simply stared at her, stricken. Then he let out a strangled, wordless cry and fell to his knees beside Dar'zha, grasping his twin's hand. 'No,' he sobbed, his entire body shaking. 'Mighty S'rendarr, please have mercy. Please, no…'

I glanced at Mercer, and as he looked back I saw his face mirroring my own emotions – numb grief and deep, deep pity. This… this was not justice. Ma'rhaz and Dar'zha were inseparable. Everything they did, they did together. Sometimes they seemed like the same person in two bodies. If Dar'zha died, a part of Ma'rhaz would die with him. And even if he lived, he and his brother would be separated forever. How could they ever share the same bond that they used to when Dar'zha could not speak?

I wished now that I had never voiced any of my fears to Mercer. I knew that I was being ridiculous, but I felt as if I had tempted fate and somehow brought this down upon the twins.

There was a quiet cough, and I glanced up to see the guard still standing next to us, gazing meaningfully at me. I took a deep breath and straightened up with a nod.

'Do what you will with me,' I said quietly. 'I'm ready to answer for what I've done.'

Elandine's eyes grew wide in alarm, and Mercer reached for his sword hilt. I shook my head at both of them. 'No, I told him he could do what he wanted with me once I'd seen Dar'zha safe. I killed a man and now it's only right that I answer for it. I'm not afraid to admit it.'

Mercer looked at me with his distress clear on his face, but I knew there was nothing to be done. The Guild's influence was of no help here. I had committed a murder, and I had to face up to that crime. Now that a little of my worry over Dar'zha had faded, a great wave of shame over what I had done had engulfed me. I had killed without hesitation or mercy. To be sure, I had been sorely provoked, but I should have tried to avoid the guard's death. I felt no remorse for him – I never could feel any pity for someone who would do what he had done – but it didn't alter the fact that he had been a mortal like me and now he was dead because of what I had done to him.

The guard looked evenly and searchingly at me for a few moments, then his gaze travelled to the corpse of his colleague. 'He won't be missed, you know,' he told me. 'Bad-tempered and sullen at the best of times, and even more so with the recent pay cut. No family. And a Skooma addict.' He looked at Dar'zha, still lying motionless with Ma'rhaz weeping by his side. 'I reckon it's partly our fault. Me and the other guards, we should have tried to get him off the Skooma. Might have stopped this from happening. He killed himself, really, just as much as you did. And in a way, I had a hand in it too by not stopping him sooner.' He sheathed his sword. 'I think you were perfectly within your rights to do what you did. So, shall we settle the matter for a thousand Septim?'

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and reached into my pocket. 'You have my thanks, sir.'

The guard took the coin purse I offered him with a small shrug. 'Don't mention it.' His eyes swept quickly over Dar'zha. 'I'm sorry about your friend. This makes two guild members attacked on the streets. I'll have a word with the captain of the guard. See if we can't do something to prevent situations like this happening.'

I was uncertain of what to say, so I merely nodded.

'All right, then.' The guard turned and clapped his hands at the crowd. 'Show's over. Nothing to see here. Be on your way, the lot of you.'

Muttering and whispering anxiously between each other, the throng of curious onlookers gradually dispersed. Touching his fist to his helmet in what appeared to be a somewhat respectful salute, the guard turned to follow them. 'Stay safe,' he called over his shoulder, and vanished into a nearby alleyway.

I glanced at Mercer, watching with his face the colour of ash, Elandine, her jaw set grimly, Ma'rhaz, still sobbing softly, and Dar'zha, his eyes closed and his dark grey fur drenched with blood. 'Is it safe to move him?' I asked, looking at the Altmer.

Elandine jerked her head. 'Safe enough.'

I let out a small huff of air. 'All right. Mercer, you're the strongest here. Can you carry him back to the Cistern?'

Mercer's response was to bend down, scoop the unconscious Khajiit up in his arms and lift him into the air. Dar'zha's head lolled limply against the Breton's chest, and streaks of crimson appeared on Mercer's armour.

'Let's go,' he growled, and began carrying the limp form of Dar'zha in the direction of the Cistern. Elandine hurried after him, but Ma'rhaz continued to crouch in the same position, staring numbly at the pool of his brother's blood. I knelt down beside him and place a hand on his shoulder.

'I'm sorry, Ma'rhaz,' I whispered, feeling tears stinging my eyes.

The young Khajiit shook his head, tracing lines in the scarlet puddle with his talons. 'It was this one's fault,' he choked out. 'Ma'rhaz should have done something. He should have stopped it.'

'There was nothing you could have done,' I told him firmly.

'But this one was a fool! He should have been watching, keeping alert for danger while his brother carried out the theft… if he had seen the guard looking, this would not have happened!' Ma'rhaz's desperate wail rang out through the air like the sound of a cracked bell. 'What if Dar'zha dies because of Ma'rhaz's negligence? Even if he lives, what kind of life can he have without a voice?'

I bowed my head. 'There's nothing that can be done about it now. We can't change the past, and we can't see what lies in wait for us in the future. I'm sorry. I wish I could say something that might help you, but I can't. All I can say is that we have to keep going.'

The Khajiit buried his face in his bloodstained hands. 'Ma'rhaz does not think he can. Not without his brother.'

I stopped trying to hold back my tears, knowing it was no use. 'Listen, Ma'rhaz. I know that nothing I can say can possibly make this any easier for you. But I will say this. No maatter what happens, you will always have a home and a family in the Thieves Guild.'

Ma'rhaz swallowed. 'Thank you, Gallus,' he mumbled, his voice thick with tears.

I gently grasped his arm and helped him to his feet. 'Come on. Let's go home.'

We walked back through the streets of the city together, but there was a distant expression in my apprentice's normally bright eyes, and I received the distinct impression that nothing he did seemed quite real to him. I knew in my heart, knew with a terrible, sickening certainty that I might well find myself with two Guild brothers lost to me before the day was out.

But I would not allow that to happen. If Dar'zha survived, I would find some way to give him a full life in the Guild. I would make sure that he and his twin got through this. Two such bright and cheerful mortals who still had their whole life ahead of them did not deserve such grief. They were my friends and my brothers. And I would not let this destroy them. Not while I had breath in my body.

I dismounted from Ebony and started to walk back towards the gates of Riften with a heavy heart. It was impossible to feel light-spirited at a time like this. With no idea what awaited me back in the Flagon, there was a raging turmoil of conflicting emotions within me – pity, sorrow, worry and most of all, fear. Elandine had told me she was fairly certain that by the time I returned from my mission, Dar'zha's future would become clear. I had been away from the Guild for three days, on a mission in Solitude, but not for a single moment in all that time had any of the burning anxiety within me subsided. I was dreading what I would find when I returned home.

I made my way through the quiet streets with my gaze fixed on the ground. Night was drawing in, and drops of water were dripping steadily from the amber leaves of the trees after the recent storm, forming glistening puddles on the wooden paths. A thrush took wing from a rooftop above my head, sending up a flurry of raindrops. A few people glanced at me as I passed with suspicion, recognising my Guild armour, and recognition sparked in a few of their eyes. Clearly, they had been among the crowd that had seen the Accident, as most of the Guild had taken to calling it.

Opening the trapdoor and descending the ladder into the Cistern, I quickly jogged over to Blade's desk to report to him. 'Mission complete, Guildmaster,' I announced.

The Argonian's beige-scaled face twitched up into a smile. 'Excellent. You made a profit, I trust?'

'A very healthy one,' I assured him, pulling a heavy coin purse from my pocket and dropping it onto his table. 'And I stopped in Shor's Stone on the way back to see if Dralsi had anything for Dar'zha. She gave me a few potions.'

Blade dipped his head. 'That was very considerate of you, Gallus.'

'How is he?' I asked, swallowing and clasping my hands together.

The Guildmaster let out a sound that was something between a hiss and a long, heavy sigh. 'Well, it's been a week now. I think the twins are slowly beginning to recover – at least, in body.' His jaw clenched grimly. 'Dar'zha is no longer in any danger of death, but seeing as he has quite literally lost his tongue… I fear for his future.'

I understood understanding Blade's concern only too well. The Khajiit would never again utter another word in his life, and there was absolutely nothing that could be done about it. So far, he had been able to communicate a few simple words through gestures, but I doubted that it would be enough. As hard as I tried, I could not see a future for him in the Guild. Of course, we would never be so cruel as to turn the twins away, but Dar'zha would never be able to go on missions the way he used to. How would he alert his colleagues if there was danger approaching? When the job organiser asked if there were any questions, how would he voice his doubts? How could he ever even hope to live the same life that he used to?

'You had better take those potions to him,' Blade told me. 'Come back in an hour or so and I'll give you your cut of this loot.'

I nodded. Blade was a fair leader - he would always give me what he thought I had earned, nothing more and nothing less. I murmured a farewell to him before hurrying across the Cistern. I was unsurprised to see Dar'zha still in his bed, with Ma'rhaz sitting next to him. What did make a glimmer of delight appear within me was the fact that Dar'zha was sitting up, and looked as well as could be expected of him. Ma'rhaz was telling him something in a low voice, but as I approached, he broke of his sentence and glanced at me. 'Welcome back, Gallus,' he called, with a faint smile.

'Thank you,' I said, before turning to his twin. 'How are you, Dar'zha?'

The Khajiit's mouth twisted into what was clearly meant to be a smile but came out as more of a pained grimace. He and Ma'rhaz winced in perfect unison.

'He feels a little better,' Ma'rhaz told me, with a swift glance at his brother. Dar'zha nodded to confirm it. 'But it still pains him.'

I reached into one of my leather pouches and tugged out a few small glass bottles. 'I rode to Shor's Stone to fetch these from Dralsi. She said that they'd do little to heal the actual wound, but they'll help prevent infection and they'll numb the pain.'

Ma'rhaz took them from me. 'We both thank you. And when you next see Dralsi, tell her that we are in her debt.'

Dar'zha shifted restlessly, and reached out to tap his brother on the shoulder, before beginning a slow and laborious series of hand gestures. This did not surprise me, seeing as this had been his only method of communicating since the Accident, but what did make my brow furrow was the fact that there seemed to be more method behind the movements this time. First, he tapped his mouth and gestured to me, then pressed a hand to his own chest. Ma'rhaz nodded slowly. 'Tell Gallus… you found…' His eyes narrowed in concentration as Dar'zha sketched a winding pattern in the air. 'A… a snake?'

His brother let out a hoarse bark of laughter, and I found myself smiling.

'A river? A road?' Ma'rhaz guessed. 'A pathway?'

Dar'zha's eyes lit up, and he beckoned, as if asking his twin to continue.

'A pathway… a path… a way?'

The mute Khajiit nodded violently, and tapped his mouth again.

'Tell Gallus you found a way to speak,' Ma'rhaz translated, looking delighted. Dar'zha clapped his paws together, his eyes shining with pleasure at being understood.

I stepped forwards, looking at the brothers with interest. 'You did?'

'In a manner of speaking,' Ma'rhaz began to explain, then stopped, looking mortified as he realised the irony of his words. Dar'zha sniggered, and I couldn't help a vast sensation of relief from taking hold of me as I realised that the Khajiit was not lost in mourning over what had become of him, but was still able to laugh and smile. 'We're trying to work out a way for him to communicate through his body rather than his voice. It will be difficult, but this one believes that anything is worth a try.'

I looked in appraisal and admiration at the two Beastfolk. Their spirits might have been wounded, but they had not been crushed. If this idea worked, if they really could work out some form of sign language for Dar'zha to use, we did not need to worry about him so much after all. Maybe there would be a way for him to speak. Maybe he could still play an active role in the Guild. Maybe there would be a chance that even if he could not get all of his old life back, he could hold on to some of it. 'Do you think it could work?'

Dar'zha gestured to himself and rapped the side of his head. 'He thinks so,' Ma'rhaz translated for me. 'And so does Ma'rhaz. We will make it work. We will not sacrifice our future in the Guild because of the insanity of an accursed guard.'

I beamed at them, and I couldn't help feeling proud of my apprentice and his twin. 'You're a pair of remarkable mortals. Not many would have that amount of perseverance. I hope that this works for you. Feel free to ask me if you need any help with anything.'

Ma'rhaz nodded, and Dar'zha gave a small bow. 'You have our thanks.'

I left the twins and made my way into the Flagon, in order to look for Mercer. He wasn't there, and after a little inquiry I learned that he was in Markarth with Delvin, on yet another routine break-in, leaving me at something of a loose end. I got myself a drink and settled down at a table, before reaching into my pocket to bring out my tattered pack of cards and beginning to play against myself. It was a strange habit of mine, but despite making most of my Guild siblings think me a little mad, it did mean that I won no matter what happened.

As I dealt out another hand of cards for my third game, I heard a quiet cough behind me and turned to see Blade standing watching me. 'I have your cut of the profits from your Solitude job,' he informed me, dropping the cloth purse onto the table. 'Two hundred Septim. If you think that's unfair, say so and I'll see what I can do.'

'No, it's more than adequate,' I assured him, tucking it into my pocket. 'Thank you, Blade.'

The Argonian took a seat beside me. 'I saw you talking to the twins. How are they?'

'A lot better than they were the last time I spoke to them. Dar'zha's certainly improved massively since I left. Have they told you about their plan?'

Looking intrigued, Blade shook his head.

'What they're trying to do is make a sort of sign language for Dar'zha to use. That way, he can communicate without being able to speak. It would be difficult for them to do, but they seemed quite serious about it. Not to mention very determined to make it work.'

The Guildmaster frowned, the end of his tail swishing thoughtfully. 'It's an ingenious idea, that's for certain. They would have to put in a great deal of effort, and it would be difficult for the rest of us to learn. But I expect they'll be more than willing to put in the necessary work.'

He let out a small sigh and, placing his elbows on the table, rested his head in his hands. 'It saddens me, Gallus,' he admitted softly. 'You and I have often talked about how the twins needed to learn to listen, to become less rash and impulsive and take more care of their lives. Now they have been taught that lesson, but in a painful way that they never deserved. They have their entire lives ahead of them, and this will weigh on their hearts forever.'

I dipped my head in agreement with the bitter truth of Blade's words. 'We can't change things now, much as we'd like to,' I sighed. 'The twins may emerge from this stronger than before, or it may destroy them completely. We'll just have to do what we can.'

'Of course. They are our brothers; for their sake, we will do whatever we must. And if they can overcome this, they have learned what they needed to in order to become full and great Guild members.' The Argonian shook his head sadly. 'I only wish that they could have been taught it without such pain for them both.'

He turned his head, his copper eyes staring searchingly at me. 'You know, Gallus, Mercer, Elandine and Ma'rhaz all told me that you handled the situation very well, when the Accident happened. They said you showed a great deal of initiative, and that you used some very good leadership skills.'

I blinked. 'I don't know. I wasn't really thinking about anything I did. I just did it because it seemed right.'

'You managed to make the crowd and the guards leave you alone. You sent Mercer to fetch Elandine and he went without question. You helped comfort Ma'rhaz. Your quick thinking and fast responses might very well have been what saved Dar'zha's life.' Blade smiled at me. 'When my time comes to follow in the footsteps of our lost friend Sereniel, I shall do so without any regrets or fears. I know that when I die, I will be leaving the Guild in safe hands.'

I chuckled. 'Let's hope it doesn't come to that any time soon, Blade. I still don't feel quite ready.'

'If you did feel that you were ready, I would be almost certain that you were not,' the Argonian told me softly, laying his hand on mine in an almost fatherly manner. 'Don't worry, Gallus. You are young, but everyone here trusts and respects you. You're a wise man and a great thief – and one day, you'll make an even better Guildmaster.'

I hated writing this... I feel so mean when I do something like this to a character. I wish I could have given Dar'zha more time before this happened to him, but the next chapter is very probably the last one of Book Two, and I've a feeling I need to get things rolling in preparation for the return of an old friend in the beginning of Book Three... ;)

I mentioned that I'd be replacing my poll soon with one to decide my next story. Ignore that, I've changed my mind. (I do that a lot.) After the Nightingale series is finished, I'll be continuing my Khajiit saga with Dragonheart, the sequel to Night Eye.

Not sure what else there is to say, so I'll just finish with the usual thanks for reading, and have fun! :D