They arrived just in time for dinner. Marius emerged with Tabby and Nazir into a large chamber, where Babette sat at a long table with four other assassins. She noticed the ragtag group immediately, and jumped up to help.

"Nazir! What's happened to him?"

"He was hit with a powerful Frost spell. He's alive, but he hasn't woken up since. Tabby's got a bad concussion, from the looks of it."

"Quickly," Babette said, and rushed deeper into the cave. Marius followed, leading Tabby by the hand behind him.

They reached a hallway with three adjacent bedrooms. Babette entered the middle one momentarily, surfacing with an armful of potions and alchemy ingredients.

"Nazir's chamber is this one. Lay him out on the bed," She called over her shoulder as she led them into the smallest room.

"Sit down, Tabby." The little vampire ordered, gesturing at the only chair. Marius expected the Listener to take offense at Babette's tone, but she meekly complied.

"Marius, have her drink this, and we'll see how much it helps." She handed him a healing potion. "You didn't let her sleep on the way back, did you?"

"No. She's been awake for over forty-eight hours."

"Good. "

He uncorked the potion and handed it to Tabby. She drank the whole thing without complaint.

"I've received word from the Guild, you know," Babette said offhandedly as she set to work on Nazir.

"What sort of word?"

"That the Bunkhouse has been taken over by Svana, to be returned to its more legitimate roots. Haelga and Jenssen are in jail. The Vigilants are disgraced. The Thalmor has lost a bit of their legitimacy for their patronage of the ring."

Marius nodded. "So justice has, on some level, been served.

"As much as it can be. Many of the clients will probably get away. I offered to send a pair of assassins to dispatch any remaining den leaders, but Brynjolf said your lot would handle it. But that's not what impressed me most." She turned to look at Marius and offered him a small smile.

"Constance Michel has agreed to work with the Guild to convert Mercer Frey's old house into a refuge for trafficking victims. Brynjolf said that was your idea."

Marius looked down. "Perhaps it was."

"You might be a dirty thief, but you're a good man, Marius Celata." Then she turned her attention to Tabby. "How are you feeling, Listener?"

"Better. My head still hurts. And I'm exhausted."

"Do you still feel dizzy?" Marius asked.

"No."

"Still seeing double?"

"No."

"Then you're going to be just fine," Babette assured her.

"He let me go."

"Who? Luven?"

"Yes. He had me, and he let me go. What is he planning?"

"Worry about that tomorrow, Listener. Rest now. You desperately need it."

The Listener did not argue. Sliding off the chair, she shuffled out the room without another word.

"How is Nazir looking?"

Babette exhaled deeply. "He's going to live. It's a good thing you made such excellent time getting here, though. I'm not sure how much longer he would have lasted without treatment. Whether he'll ever be able to take another contract, unfortunately, is a bit of a different story."

"It's that bad?"

"The spell hit him directly in the heart. He's lucky he wasn't killed instantly. It'll take awhile to completely defrost, but he should wake up once it does." Babette looked at him, startled, as if seeing him for the first time. "You look a fright, Marius. I imagine you didn't get much rest along the way either."

"None. We practically never stopped along the way."

"I've got things under control here. You get some sleep. Sithis knows you've earned it. There should be a spare bed in the dormitory."

So Marius left Babette and Nazir, but found himself turned around in the hallway. He turned left, and came to the largest bedroom of the three instead of the passage leading to the dormitory.

"Marius?" A voice called softly.

He stepped into the room to see Tabby sitting up in bed under several furs. She looked tiny in her huge bed, among the heavy blankets.

"This is quite the room you have."

"It's nice to be in my own bed again. But where are you sleeping tonight?"

"Babette said there was a spare bed in the dormitory."

Tabby smiled shyly. He had never seen her look shy before. Her eyes, which Marius always found to be cold and fierce, now reminded him more of the Riften sky on a cloudless summer day.

"Those beds are horribly uncomfortable. Surely the Guildmaster deserves better."

Marius felt his heart quicken ever so slightly. He bit his lip - the girls always loved that. "And where would you have me sleep?"

A look passed over her, one that he had seen a thousand times yet never tired of seeing on a woman's face.

"It gets lonely sometimes, having this big room all to myself," She murmured.

Marius couldn't help but grin. "Well, if you'd permit me, Listener, I think I can help with that."

She leaned back onto her elbows, looking up at him with wide, eager eyes. Marius leaned over and blew out the candle on her nightstand before moving atop her.

"You've just been through a nightmare," He whispered. "We can take this slow."

He felt her nod in the darkness. "I would like that."

And so take things slow they did. Really, they didn't do much more than kiss until their eyes grew heavy, at which point Marius rolled onto his side and pulled Tabby in close. He got the sense that she was inexperienced, and perhaps wary due to all she had been through with Luven. He didn't mind. A girl like her was more than worth waiting for.

He awoke the next morning to find he had the bed to himself. Bewildered, he pushed back the covers and quietly stepped into the hallway.

Nazir's door was open. Tabby, dressed in armor but no cowl, had pulled the chair up to his bed. She sat beside him, talking quietly. Marius drew closer to hear what she was saying.

"…when I killed those two vampires masquerading as loggers? That was the first time you said you were proud of me. I've never forgotten that. I never will."

"Tabby?" Marius said softly. "Is he awake?"

Slowly she turned her head to look at him. "No," She admitted. "But I don't want him to be alone when he does wake up. I…I thought it might help if I spoke to him. I know that sounds silly."

"Not silly at all."

In search of breakfast, Marius made for the main chamber. Except he got lost along the way, and wound up in a small room with a grand steel coffin leaning upright against the wall. Was this the coffin Tabby claimed to hit her head on? Curiosity got the best of him, and he reached for the coffin's latch.

"Not another move, stranger!"

He whipped around to see, of all things, a jester glaring daggers at him. With an actual dagger in his hand.

Marius raised his hands slowly. "My apologies. I meant no disrespect."

"You're not one of us," The jester accused in a high-pitched snarl. "A not-so-sneaky thief, perhaps?"

"I am a thief, but I didn't come here to steal. My name is Marius Celata. I'm here with the Listener's blessing."

"Our fearless Listener has returned?" The jester did a small, strange jig. "Oh, happy day! And what of the sandman?"

"We all arrived here yesterday. Nazir is badly hurt, but he's going to be alright."

"Cicero! Stop bothering the Guildmaster!" Babette appeared in the doorway, giving the jester a stern look.

Cicero gave a dramatic gasp. "The Guildmaster! Well, I'll be! What an honored guest under our roof!" He returned his dagger to his holster with a flourish. "The un-child has spoken. Foolish Cicero will leave the Guildmaster well alone. As long as the Guildmaster keeps his grubby paws off of Mother." With a maniacal laugh, he danced out of the room.

"I apologize," Babette said. "Cicero is off his rocker, but he's harmless…well, most of the time."

"What was he saying about a mother?"

Babette gestured towards the coffin. "This is the resting place of the Night Mother. Our Unholy Matron."

"The one Tabby thinks she can talk to."

Babette narrowed her eyes. "She can speak to the Night Mother. The title of Listener isn't just an honorific, you know. The Night Mother whispers contracts to her, and only her. It's an immense honor."

Marius hesitated. He, admittedly, had thought it was just a title. And that Tabby, a bit undone by her difficult past, heard voices that she believed to be the Night Mother.

"So she's real?"

"The Night Mother? Oh, yes. The proof is there. The Listener knows the exact names and locations of clients flung all across the province. People who she never would have met on her own. And she knew the Binding Words at a time when only Cicero - the Keeper - knew that such words even existed." Babette shrugged. "You've seen the Lady Nocturnal with your own eyes, have you not? Why is the existence of the Night Mother any harder to accept?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Brynjolf likes to talk."

They carried on like that for two more days. Tabby spent nearly all her waking hours with Nazir, pausing only to eat, sleep, and give the occasional order to her band of assassins. Marius wandered the Sanctuary by day, conversing with Babette and subjecting himself to an occasional riddle from Cicero. At night, Tabby would stalk off to her bedroom with a heavy glance at Marius, and he knew that was his cue to follow. They didn't progress any farther than they had the first night, but even sleeping next to the Listener was more than enough for him.

On the third day, Marius joined Tabby in Nazir's room. He had busied himself reading one of the tomes on Nazir's shelf, when he heard stirring and a faint groan over by the bed.

Tabby leapt to her feet. "Nazir? Can you hear me?"

Slowly, as if with great effort, the Redguard's eyes opened a crack. "Tabby?"

A humongous grin spread across Tabby's face, unlike any Marius had seen from her before. "Babette! Babette, he's awake!"

Small footsteps echoed through the hallway as the vampire girl burst into the room. "Nobody touch him," She declared. "He's still very fragile."

"That mission couldn't have gone much worse, could it?" He said to Tabby with a weak smile.

"Yes, it could have. We could be dead."

"It seems I nearly was." He coughed loudly. "The last thing I remember is running at that bastard. Then everything went dark."

"That was incredibly stupid, you know," Tabby said.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Nobody speaks about my Listener that way."

Tabby couldn't help a smile. "Well, thank you for defending my honor. As idiotic as it was."

"I can't believe you spent your childhood with such a monster." He paused. "To be honest, I can't believe we all got out of there alive. How did that happen?"

"It was all Marius," She said with a nod in his direction. "He saved both of us."

Nazir turned his head to make eye contact with Marius. "Is that so? My boy, it seems that I greatly misjudged you. And for that I apologize."

"No apology necessary," Marius said. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Well, alright is a bit of a strong word," Nazir admitted. "My chest hurts like hell. And my limbs feel frozen solid."

"Can you move them?" Babette asked.

With a grimace, he lifted his arm to his face. "It's difficult, and it hurts." He grew somber. "Be honest, Babette. How much will I recover?"

"It's…difficult to say this early on."

Nazir nodded solemnly. "I see. No use moping about it, I suppose. I was getting old anyway."

Tabby rolled her eyes. "Please. You're forty-one."

"Downright ancient, in assassin years."

"Don't overdo yourself, Nazir," Babette warned. "You still need plenty of rest."

"Yes, yes, I know. But there's one more thing that should be discussed: where do we go from here?"

"If his allegations are true," Marius said slowly. "And he does have a true army of vampires waiting to conquer Skyrim, then we've encountered a problem far beyond the capabilities of the Guild and the Brotherhood."

"He's right," Babette said. "This could be a true national emergency. Worse than the civil war. Right up there with the dragons."

"What do we do, then?" Marius asked.

Tabby closed her eyes for a moment. "First, we need to better understand what we're dealing with here. I'm going to send two assassins to infiltrate the fortress. Try to scope out the nature of the threat. Then, if the situation is as dire as I fear, we're going to need reinforcements."

"And what reinforcements do you propose?" Babette asked. "I don't think any jarl will take terribly kindly to the Dark Brotherhood or the Thieves Guild asking for assistance."

"I know someone," Nazir rasped. "I met him at the Embassy. Seems like a good man in a scrape."

"One man?" Babette said incredulously.

"Trust me, my girl. There was something about him. We want him on our side."

"Very well," Tabby said. "Give me the details, and I will fetch him."

"I'll go with you," Marius volunteered, perhaps a little too eagerly. He noticed Nazir give Tabby a quizzical look, but she quickly deflected.

"That's a great idea," She said. "Brynjolf certainly can hold down the Guild for another few days."

They were ready to depart the next morning. But first, Marius watched as Tabby pulled her cowl over her face and entered the training room, where two cowled assassins sparred with each other.

They halted and turned to face Tabby as she entered the room. "Listener," They both greeted her respectfully.

"I have a mission for the two of you," She said confidently, the shy murmurs of a pretty girl replaced with the strong command of a leader. "It's a dangerous one, but it's incredibly important. Do you accept?"

"Yes, of course, Listener," One assassin answered quickly, the other nodding in agreement.

"Good."

It was a relatively quick and peaceful journey to Whiterun. Tabby kept her cowl on the entire time, which Marius took as a "Do Not Kiss Me" signal. He understood; the imminent destruction of one's homeland was a bit of a mood-killer. The sight of her in full armor and cowl, eyes hard and icy once more, should have inspired fear in him. Instead, he just wanted her that much more.

Soon, they found themselves on a rather impressive doorstep: Jorrvaskr, the great and ancient hall of the Companions.

"Have you ever been inside?" Tabby asked. Marius shook his head.

"Me neither. Although I briefly thought about joining them, when I first arrived in Skyrim."

"Really?" Marius asked incredulously. "I can't even conceive of you as a Companion."

"I had a brief fantasy of being a straight-laced, law-abiding citizen. I thought I could use my powers of death and destruction for good. It never would have worked out," Her eyes gleamed, and Marius was sure she was smirking behind her cowl. "Murder is just too much fun."

They looked horribly out of place standing inside the great hall, looking about aimlessly. They were noticed immediately by a hulking Nord warrior.

"Something I can help you with, friends? Perhaps you're lost?" His tone didn't indicate that they were friends at all. Perhaps they should have thought twice about wearing their factions' respective armors.

"We're looking for a Redguard," Tabby said, pulling back her cowl in an apparent sign of goodwill. "We need his help."

"Only got one Redguard here. I'll fetch him. Provided you haven't got anything…sinister planned for him."

"No. You have my word."

The Nord disappeared down a corridor. About five minutes later, he was replaced by a muscled and scarred Redguard man. Despite his hulking frame and stony face, he had a thoroughly magnetizing presence. It was if he had stepped straight out of one of the myths of old, a legendary warrior in the flesh.

Tabby's eyes widened. "You!"

"The girl from Helgen," The Redguard said simply. "You seem to have done well for yourself since. I'm sure you have a name?"

"It's Tabby."

"Tabby." He turned to Marius next. "And you are?"

"Marius Celata."

He nodded in acknowledgement, as if the name meant something to him. Who knows; if he was well-attuned to happenings in the Thieves Guild, perhaps it did. "Marius. I am Azzam. I must ask what brings you to Jorrvaskr. I have a feeling you're not about to hire us to kill the skeevers in your basement."

Tabby cleared her throat. "My…friend. Nazir. He said you would be able to help us."

"Ah, my kinsman from the Embassy. I remember him well. Why isn't he the one standing before me?"

"He's hurt," Tabby said. "In fact, he's lucky to even be alive. And that's what we need your help with. An extremely powerful vampire has come to Skyrim. And he's raised an army of his kind, ready to turn Skyrim into a vampire state."

Azzam raised his eyebrows, his first sign of emotion. "That…that is a problem."

"Nazir said there was something about you. Something special," Tabby continued. "And I agree. Surely you remember looking into each other's eyes in Dragonsreach. We both felt it."

"Yes, I remember. Because I felt the same about you. That you had a powerful destiny awaiting you. Tell me, girl from Helgen. What became of you after that fateful day?"

She took a deep breath before admitting, "I joined the Dark Brotherhood. And I became their Listener."

"That sounds about right. Your aura seemed darker than mine. Not that this is a bad thing. The world rests on the balance between the darkness and the light."

Marius was shocked by the warrior's acceptance. Tabby, however, seemed unfazed.

"And who are you?" She asked.

"I am Azzam of Sentinel. I am the newest Harbinger of the Companions. But most importantly, I am Dovahkiin."

Both Marius and Tabby were speechless. Tabby's mouth hung agape. It was then that Marius remembered her Nord heritage. While this was a fascinating encounter for him, for her this was likely the meeting of a lifetime.

"By the gods…" She breathed.

"Easy, now. I am not royalty. I am not a god. I am merely a man with a destiny. Much like yourself."

"You must have many more important things to do than listen to our pleas for help," Tabby said. "Banishing the World-Eater, and all."

"The threat of Alduin's return is severe. This is true. But so too is an army of vampires. I will help you, Listener. Nightingale," He added with a nod at Marius.

"How did you…"

"Like I said. Destiny. Those who have one are drawn to one another. Now, here is what I propose," He motioned for them to sit around a small table before continuing.

"I know from experience that the Legion and the Stormcloaks will be, at best, useless. They insist on continuing their petty fighting, even with the dragon crisis afoot. I wouldn't put it past the fools to try and align themselves with the vampires in an attempt to destroy the other." He shook his head in disgust. "We cannot rely on any general or any jarl. We as faction leaders must join together to address this threat."

Marius considered this. "Between all of us, we do have considerable resources at our disposal. Not as much manpower, but we just might be able to make up for that with pure skill."

"My thoughts exactly." The Dragonborn stood, towering over Marius and Tabby. "I will contact Victoire Pierrane. She was recently appointed Arch-Mage of the College. You two will gather your seconds-in-command and meet me in one week at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. There we will plan our preemptive strike."

Azzam looked to be about ten years older than Marius, and in that moment he felt very much like he and Tabby were two children being ordered around by their teacher. This didn't sit fantastically with him, but Tabby nodded in acquiescence, seemingly unbothered.

"It will be done." She said. "Thank you, Dovahkiin."

"Safe travels, Listener."

"He seems a bit full of himself, don't you think?" Marius muttered to her as they left Jorrvaskr.

"He's the Dragonborn. He's allowed to be full of himself."

"A bit star-struck, are we?" Marius laughed, earning a scowl from Tabby. She changed the subject.

"Who are you bringing to Riverwood? I assume Brynjolf?"

"Most certainly. And Nazir for you?"

"Yes, but I worry he's not well enough to travel. I'm also worried about tackling something this big without him."

"You can more than hold your own. But I understand. I value Bryn's opinion very highly myself."

That evening on the road they sat up talking, as they had every night on the trip to Whiterun. Then Marius moved in to kiss by the firelight. But Tabby pulled away.

"I'm…tired," She said. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," He said, more confused than hurt. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, of course not. I just…need some rest."

When he dropped Tabby off in Dawnstar, he was desperate to kiss her. But now he wasn't sure if he should, especially since she made no move to lower her cowl.

"See you soon, Listener."

"I look forward to it, Guildmaster."

"I still don't understand why this grand meeting has to take place in this backwater hovel."

"Because the Dragonborn decreed it, Bryn." Marius sneered.

He knew that Brynjolf had been touched when he asked him to attend the meeting. But the practicalities of it were…irritating to the Nord, to say the least.

"It could be worse."

Brynjolf scoffed. "Name a town more painfully boring than Riverwood."

"Morthal. Trust me on that one. I'd take Riverwood over Morthal a thousand times."

Brynjolf laughed. "Fair enough. I'd wager most people would."

An easy silence settled between them for a few minutes. Then Brynjolf cleared his throat.

"Be honest with me, lad. Man to man. The girl."

"What about her?"

"What's the end goal? Are you trying to bed her? Wed her?"

"Aw, come on, Bryn…"

"I'm serious, Mar. One hand, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. On the other, I've never seen you smitten like this. You won't shut up about the lass. I can practically see the stars in your eyes when you look at her."

"Smitten?"

Brynjolf ignored him. "She is a looker, there's no denying that. But there are plenty of beautiful women in Skyrim who would throw themselves at you, given the chance. Women who aren't so…complicated, politically speaking."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I would tread carefully if I were you. Wooing her could bring the Brotherhood closer to us, but breaking her heart could alienate them for good. So if all you're after is another conquest, make sure she knows that."

Even though they were a full day early, they were not the first ones to arrive. They pulled into Riverwood just before sunset to find two assassins sitting on the front porch of the inn, a cane resting across Nazir's lap. So he was well enough to make the trip. He looked a bit frail and seemed to be masking a grimace of pain, but he was there.

Tabby gave a small smile at the sight of them, and leapt from the porch with the grace of a deer. Or perhaps a saber cat.

"Take a walk with me, will you?"

They took a leisurely stroll to the river's edge. It was almost as if they were an ordinary young couple, on one of their first courtships.

She paused at the shoreline and turned to face him. "I know the other night by the fire must have confused you, given how things have been going."

Marius didn't know what to say. "Perhaps a bit. But I don't feel entitled to your affection, you know."

"I know. And I appreciate that. See, that's just it." She paused and looked down at her feet. When she met his eyes again, her face was ever so slightly reddened. "I like you, Marius. And I'd like to…take things further. But I'm nervous, because I don't know where we stand. And I don't want to just be another notch in your bedpost, like all those rich Solitude women."

"I could never think of you that way…"

"And I want to believe that. But sometimes it's hard to know what's real and what's charm and beguilement."

There was an odd, pained look on her face. The look of a young woman who had been subject to countless manipulations, abuses, and disappointments.

He took her face gently in both hands, staring deep into her eyes. "This is real," He said softly. "I've never felt like this about anyone before. I've never wanted anything more than to be yours."

The icebergs in her eyes melted. Her lower lip quivered ever so slightly. And this was what so transfixed him. How in one moment she could be deadly, commanding, fierce, and the next show her vulnerability, her soul.

"Be mine, then."

Marius, admittedly, had a bit of a flair for the dramatic. But when their lips met that time, he swore he felt their spirits join together too.

It was after dark by the time they returned to the inn. Nazir and Brynjolf were nowhere to be found. Instead, two unfamiliar men stood rigidly on the porch.

…Except as he and Tabby drew closer, Marius realized they weren't men at all. They were cats.

The smaller of the two smiled. Or at least, he thought it was a smile.

"We meet again, Nord-child," The Khajiit purred. "The moons have told us that you require our assistance."