To That Other Guest- many thanks for your reviews as always! I have to reply to you here because there's no other way for me to do it. I've genuinely never heard the song Cosmic Love I'm not a Florence fan sorry to say, but it does sound like a fitting song for Morthal. Given Kester's insanity I can assure you he most definitely does have pet names for everyone :P Yes Mercer is against his better judgement opening up a little more to Amaris, which makes him protective of her when it comes to Kester.

They arrived just before the dawn, both exhausted and Cynric still dripping blood from his shoulder and grumbling that he would have prepared to die than continue walking. When Marcurio opened the inn's door they all tensed, Amaris gave a smile of elation first whilst Cynric and Marcurio both looked to Kester suspiciously as Meeko barked and wagged his tail happily.

"More guests!" the Redguard woman crooned with delight. Although she thought it was a pity that they had to appear so strange, she had hopes that they at least had money and these days money was money no matter the owner.

"What in Oblivion is he doing here?" Cynric demanded heatedly as he tried to stand upright and failed as his shoulder screamed in pain.

"Well I'd rather be putting bells on the goats," Kester murmured, "but he said he'd cut off my fingers if I tried and I do like my fingers." He nodded to Mercer reproachfully who eyed the thief and mage warily, taking note of their wounds and general cold, damp and unkempt state.

"You left us," Cynric accused as he took an angry step towards the assassin, "and told the Falmer to take Amaris."

Kester had the grace to look guilty and turned his attention to the table, shuffling round the used wooden spoons there.

"He couldn't help it," Amaris said as she met the thief's outraged stare with her own tranquil gaze, "they tortured him into madness Cynric, can you blame him for fleeing?"

"I can blame him for offering you to them," the thief grumbled as his blue gaze flickered to her with surprise.

"He stabbed you," Marcurio reminded her coolly, allied with the thief for a rare change, "and he's a mad assassin, we can't trust him. Although, frankly, trusting the Guild Master of the thieves isn't wise either," he added with a frown at Mercer.

"And yet you still tag along," Mercer retorted dryly. "Kester is here because we had the misfortune to find him in his own blood, and though my conscience thought it best to put him out of his misery Amaris' conscience sadly disagreed."

Amaris gave Mercer a wilting look before returning a calming stare on the bedraggled mage and thief. "He cannot help the way he is," she said in a pleading manner, willing the men to understand, "and I know it's not wise having him here but I won't have him out in Skyrim alone, he can't cope."

Cynric sighed heavily and rubbed his healed but still aching ribs with one hand. "Alright I'm too sore, wet, tired and hungry to argue, just don't let him get stabby with you, probably shouldn't let him get stabby with anyone for that matter."

He turned to the now nervous innkeeper with a disarming smile. He meant to charm her as he usually did most women with ease but the blood in teeth only had her eyes widening with alarm and her hands trembling slightly. Uneasy with her look, Cynric gave her a closed mouth smile instead and instinctively swallowed the blood, vaguely recalling how he had banged his jaw on a rock in the river. 'Lucky it's not broken,' he thought deprecatingly. "Miss..."

"Jonna," she filled in for him, her nerves creeping into her voice.

"Jonna, beautiful name," he murmured, "but of course a woman like you would have to have a lovely name to match her sweet looks. Miss Jonna, if it's not too much trouble could my companion and I have a room each and some broth and if there's a bathing area... I'd like to get out of these soaked garments and have a nice hot bath."

"You can wait," Mercer growled, "we have already been waiting."

Cynric gave his superior a sulky look at this and retorted grumpily, "you could have waited and bathed, learn to multitask Mercer." He promptly decided that the glower he received in answer had not been worth the jibe and turned his attention back to Jonna before Mercer's hateful look froze him.

"Well now," Jonna said with a happy smile, "for paying customers that can all be arranged. I already have the bath boiled and waiting for one of you; up to you whether you want to use it after each other or wait for fresh water to be boiled. In the meantime, seat yourselves by the fire, I'll stoke the flames higher and you can get warm while I cook you a meaty broth. Do you both like rabbit?"

"Yes," Cynric answered with a hungry grin, "particularly when roasted."

Marcurio gave a small smile, not that he would admit it but he actually preferred rabbits alive, bunnies bouncing about the wild plains with their fluffy tails was endearing to see. Too hungry to object the mage gave a small nod. He looked to the fire eagerly and took a seat before it at a table beside Amaris'.

It was Cynric who noticed the sloppy bandage about Kester's neck and was quick to quip, "what happened to you? Can't imagine it was a Falmer, you bolted too fast for them," he remarked sarcastically.

Kester shuddered and rubbed at his neck hard with his left hand until Amaris pulled his hand down, earning herself a vicious look from the assassin. "Something bit me," the assassin muttered, "like lots of sharp needles in the flesh, terribly imposing, must wear scarves now, don't like scarves. I'd rather a belt of moonbeams."

"Is he delirious from blood loss or just descending further into craziness because the Falmer are making him regress?" Marcurio queried coolly.

"Falmer," Kester moaned as he wrenched his hand free from Amaris to grasp his skull, "wretched, twisted freaks, they hate everything, loathe existence, have to make everything suffer. I relieved suffering once and caused it, yes I did but there was balance, so I thought and yet the bird thinks I didn't deserve the pit." He gave a horrid laugh at his words.

"Kester," Amaris addressed him gently, trying to lull him back from his dark thoughts, "they're not here, it's alright." She froze up slightly and found herself glancing Mercer's way as she recalled him trying to assure her of the same thing when she had been struck with a fever. 'He stayed with me all night,' she remembered. She had thought of that particular night often enough though she tried not to, the brief memory of his rough, cool lips upon hers made her blush faintly without realising it. Though it had been strange it had been a welcome kiss, and even if Mercer had clearly felt it was wrong Amaris felt it had been right. 'Stupid,' she scorned herself, 'how could it be right? I know nothing about him and he knows nothing about me, I don't even know me.'

"He's just an insane asshole," Mercer retorted tartly. "Didn't you find him in Sheogorath's realm? Why you decided on a trip there I still don't know, naturally wandering into the realms of Daedric Princes is always a good idea and exactly what we have time for," he scolded, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"We didn't decide on it!" Marcurio snapped back in anger as he shrugged off his drenched robes at last and hung them over a chair by the fire, leaving himself in a damp, cream shirt and forest green trousers.

"Well..." Cynric began a protest, he paused realising he would only be implicating himself if he continued. "Never mind, all in the past," he said with a smirk as he pulled a seat from round the table Marcurio was at to sandwich himself before the fire and between the mage and senior thief. "Let's keep the past where it is."

"Idiot," Marcurio muttered as Amaris looked at the thief pointedly and he gave a groan as he realised his error.

"I'm tired and wounded," Cynric protested, gesturing to his shoulder, "practically dead really, I think I can be excused for my mistake. Of course I don't mean Amaris' past." 'Well I do,' he thought to himself as he held back a frown, 'all those years of pain, look at Kester, one year turned him into a lunatic, what will six years do to her? Was it worse than High Rock? He watched his brother die; I had to hear about my sister's violation and murder from her killer. I was in jail for three years, I know what torture and imprisonment is as well as him, I just had to suffer it at the hands of men and normal mer, not the monsters of the earth.'

Mercer sighed and tugged out a bottle of healing potion with reluctance. "Take this," he said as he sat it on the table before Cynric.

Cynric looked at the bottle in shock and then turned his head up slowly to Mercer in horror. "By the Divines," he gasped, "are you being...nice to me?"

"Ungrateful shit," Mercer spat at him as his face filled with fury, "maybe I should just let you suffer then and learn a lesson."

Cynric snatched the bottle up hastily before Mercer could and muttered, "no, no, I learnt my lesson bleeding on the snow, don't worry. I now know not to fight Falmer or throw myself off cliffs." He added nastily, "just to run for it instead, and then I'll only get a neck wound." He opened the bottle and downed its contents quickly with a grimace, his tongue recoiling slightly from the sour taste.

"Cynric," Amaris chided as she gave him a look of surprise. 'I thought he at least tolerated Kester,' she thought, 'can he really not understand that his memories of suffering made him flee or does he just not think that's an adequate excuse? It's not as if Kester should have any loyalty to us, he's friends with none of us, just an outcast Sheogorath sprung on us. It's not right for him to be with us, but it's not right to leave him either, if he had been hurt by the Falmer tonight I couldn't forgive myself but if he's left alone what hurt will befall him? What's worse I wonder?'

"I think the bath will have cooled enough," Mercer growled before Cynric could respond to Amaris' admonishing. Mercer looked at Amaris pointedly. "You should use it first."

Amaris met the thief's hard stare unflinchingly and said boldly, "it would be a waste of clean, hot water if I went alone." She stood up without waiting for a response, lifted her satchel of clothes, turned from the group and walked off hastily to the stairs, glad that her burning cheeks were gone from view.

Mercer's jaw tightened slightly and he clenched his fists as something that sounded like a cross between a shriek and a splutter escaped Marcurio whilst Cynric tried to swallow back his laughter and ended up choking instead.

Kester sprung up from his seat eagerly and said, "well that's good I don't want to wait, I'm dirty and itchy." Mercer grabbed him so fast and hard he almost moved in a blur, yanking the assassin down with such force there was a loud thud and his seat shook.

At this the orc bard, who had fallen into a drunken slumber just an hour ago, awoke with a start and began strumming his lute out of tune and wailing along to it. Marcurio gave the would be bard a look of disbelief whilst Cynric clamped both hands to his ears and groaned, "is it too early for a drink? If it is then I'm joining Amaris in the bath if only to escape that sound!"

"No one is joining her!" Marcurio snapped firmly as he glowered round at them.

Cynric lowered one hand and gave the mage a sly smile. "No point in trying to protect her virginity mage, we all know you're the one that stole it."

Marcurio's cheeks glowed a scarlet so dark it verged on purple as he spluttered, "I stole nothing!"

At last Jonna returned from the kitchen carrying a round, wooden tray with three fresh bowls of rabbit broth on it, a bowl of water and two glasses of orange juice. She gave the group a tired smile as she placed two of the bowls, spoons and the glasses down on the table before giving Meeko a friendly pat on the head and placing the third bowl of broth on the stone floor before him along with the dish of water. "Nice dog," she said sincerely, "I've thought about getting one if only for company." She gave the orc an accusing stare and sighed. "That awful racket keeps even the dogs away, I've tried to explain to Lurbuk that his "singin'" is gonna get his throat cut."

"Oh it could be arranged just whisper to the-" Kester piped up eagerly before Cynric kicked him hard under the table causing him to yelp and clutch his now throbbing ankle with one hand.

"You fellows sure are strange," Jonna murmured as she gave them an odd look, "might want to keep that to yourselves round here."

"Or anywhere," Marcurio grumbled as he folded his arms.

Jonna nodded briskly at that before querying, "that bath getting any use?" She glanced about the table before smiling and commenting, "ah your friend using it then? There I thought she must surely be with one of you." Though she made the remark with an innocent ease it was obvious the suspicious Redguard was fishing for information on the group.

"Oh she could be," Cynric spoke up mischievously, unable to help himself, "and so wasteful her in that large tub all by herself, just sitting alone in that lovely hot water. You would think her husband would keep her company."

"Husband?" Kester echoed casually.

"Stop talking you irritable bastard," Mercer addressed Cynric quietly, calm though the threat was clear in his furious grey stare, "or I will cut out your tongue and shove it up your ass."

"Delightful," Jonna commented lightly before she hurried from the table, reminding herself for the umpteenth time that her inn almost never saw customers and that all business was good, even this kind of business.

"I don't know why you're taking offence," Cynric dared to remark with feigned innocence, "you have no interest in her surely and you have seen it all before, more than once I might add."

"You're right I have," Mercer snapped, "and she's a pale, wild looking mutt, so no, I'm not interested."

"Then you can't object to at least one of us sharing her bath, it would just be harmless, saves us water and time," Cynric continued to bait his superior. "No different than washing in the river with her like we usually do."

"I'm sure she's nearly done by now," Marcurio chimed up hotly. "Now our broth is getting cold, so why don't you worry about that."

Cynric flashed the mage a smile before lifting up his spoon at last. "Quite right, we've got food so we can't go, going to have to be you or Kester then Mercer, otherwise we'll be here all day waiting for all of us to get washed."

"Are you going to share with the mage then?" Mercer retorted bitingly, letting his anger get the better of him at last.

Cynric grimaced slightly at that thought whilst Marcurio flinched and cried out, "I'd rather stay dirty!"

"Alright," Cynric muttered, deciding to change tact, "but this is a shady town, maybe one of us should at least check she's okay down there."

"I'm sure she's fine," Mercer grumbled though he glanced briefly to the stairs she had descended.

"Maybe from Falmer but dear knows what else Morthal has to offer," Cynric mused, "this place is certainly creepy. I don't think the guards were there for things outside the town you know."

"Me either," Marcurio confessed as he chewed his broth hastily. "Something's not right about this place," he commented in a low voice. "Especially that burned house."

"Yes," Cynric remarked, delighted at Marcurio's reminder of that, "and right next door to this place too."

Mercer sighed impatiently. "If I go and check on her will you shut up or do I have to make good on my promise to carve out your tongue?"

"The mad lord took my tongue," Kester murmured darkly, "painful, stopped the words but not the thoughts, couldn't wail for Quintus but I could hear him and see him."

"I'll be good, I promise," Cynric vowed.

Mercer gave him a final glare before standing and striding slowly towards the stairs.

"Why does he let you away with so much?" Marcurio demanded as he watched Mercer go with an open distain.

Cynric shrugged. "Because I know things about him and I understand and much as he hates it, he appreciates it in a way too. That's his whole problem, not letting anyone in, the mysterious and cold Mercer Frey; heart as hard as iron, wasn't always the way. Also, if he got rid of me then that would leave him stuck with all of you and I don't think he would cope."

Amaris tensed in the bath as she sensed someone near, she turned round and saw Mercer standing staring back at her with a frosty calmness. Of course it was him, no doubt coming to make sure she was still in the inn and safe. "I'm almost done," she murmured softly.

"Good," he growled back.

She looked at him in frustration; she was tired of waiting and wondering, tired of ignoring the issue, dismissing it because she wasn't Amaris, she was Faylinn and he... 'I am Amaris,' she thought firmly, 'for now I am and the now is all that matters.'

"Tell me," she said as brazenly as she could, "do you feel anything? I told myself that you didn't know me and I didn't know you, that when my memories are returned I could become someone else but then I realised I am still me I'm just missing a piece and when that is returned Amaris doesn't vanish, I will still be me and you will still be you." She spoke quickly on purpose, afraid that if she slowed or stopped she would not continue. "You saved me in Riften, it was out of curiosity and greed, but you didn't have to, you gave me safety and company and have continued to. I thought it was all greed but..." She trailed off, silenced by his impassive face as she wondered if she had completely misjudged him.

"Feelings are dangerous," he grumbled, "and so is the truth, it just brings pain. As for you staying as Amaris the amnesic wanderer, you can't know that you will, and you're right, you don't know me."

She stood up suddenly, exposing her bare back to him before she stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel, hastily wrapping it about herself. "I know that you got me honey," she murmured, "and books, and you try to teach me to read them and hone my senses. I know you haven't sold me to the Thalmor though no one else will offer coin for me. I know you said you would only follow me to Solitude but here we are in Morthal." She stopped and looked at him unflinchingly then as she stepped towards him. "And I know that you kissed me. Tell me now Mercer Frey if you regret any of that," she commented as she turned her head up towards him.

"All of it," he retorted sharply before he gripped her face with both hands and drew her up to meet his kiss. He broke from her just as suddenly, released her and shook his head. "That assassin's right," he muttered, "you're too innocent."

"Innocent?" she echoed back angrily. "Of what? And how long shall it stay that way with the life I live?"

The thief sighed in frustration and thought to himself, 'why am I still trying to solve her mystery? Vex is right, I probably won't profit from it in the end but for the Thalmor to want her so badly and yet to keep her alive when they had her but suffering, why? I need to know, they valued her, highly, but for what reason? Still, I have to see to the Guild, how much time can I have left?'

"You must know," he said coldly, "that I won't care for you, it's not in my nature."

"Has it ever been?" she queried calmly. She realised then that she really did know nothing about him, what previous lovers did he have? Had it ever been serious with anyone?

"Once," he answered icily, "and that was my mistake, it will not happen again."

The redhead nodded in acceptance. "That's fine," she said quietly, "whatever future we have together anyway can only be temporary, you have your guild to return to but you will not trick me into thinking there is nothing between us."

"It will not endear you to me," he warned her.

"I know."

"Well if you know all that then why are you pushing for this?" he queried gruffly as he continued to frown at her. The assassin had said she would get under his skin but Mercer was adamant that he would prove she was just another woman to bed. Let her learn the hard way that attraction did not equal feelings. 'And she's not that attractive,' he thought to himself moodily, 'still too scrawny and small, an appealing face with more weight on it I suppose, and a pleasing smile but she is no more beautiful than the other common women of Skyrim.'

"Because I want this and you must too or you would not still be standing here."

"It changes nothing," he said firmly, "we find out the truth about you and I return to Riften. It is a bad idea of course, I won't reciprocate your feelings but if you insist on this I won't deny you. Not down here however. Get changed, I'm going to make sure none of those three have done anything stupid."

He turned from her quickly, banishing her damp, glistening bronze locks and soft, porcelain skin from his sight. 'One turn and these foolish thoughts will end,' he told himself, 'she will probably be clumsy and awkward, another inexperienced young woman. She is no more than that, the assassin was talking nonsense but he is mad. Besides, she blushes for that Imperial prat Motierre; she is naive and will be until her memories are returned.'

Amaris waited another ten minutes before she rejoined the men, and flushed faintly as Cynric gave her a taunting smile before excusing himself to the bath before Marcurio could. After another ten minutes of listening to Kester rhyme off the different levels of assassins, pausing every so often to list types of cheeses, Amaris finally excused herself to bed, accepting a room key from Mercer.

It was late in the morning when Cynric returned from his bath and Marcurio declined one, citing exhaustion. The four males then went to bed, Cynric and Marcurio debated over who should watch Kester before the assassin happily offered to sleep on the floor, leaving the two single beds of a room to them. Marcurio was kind enough to offer the assassin a pillow, and Cynric gave him a blanket only after the mage harassed him into it. Like Mercer, the mage had his suspicions about Kester's wound but he knew better than to voice his concerns just yet. Weary, the three drifted off with ease, grateful for a warm, dry bed at last and more importantly, shelter from the Falmer.

Mercer, as expected, joined Amaris, he was as exhausted as everyone else and contemplated the empty single bed lying against the wall. When he looked at the young woman though, vulnerable and already twitching as a nightmare began to take hold, he reasoned with himself that a cramped bed was better than being kept awake by her screams. So the thief kicked off his boots and shrugged off his soggy coat and trousers before slipping in beside her. Amaris immediately moved into him, causing him to tense and frown but he did not push her away as she wrapped one arm about his waist and rested her head against his stomach.

And there it is, I finally let this potential couple take the plunge! Thanks for the reviews and favs as always!