A/N: I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bloodstained Smiles
Creatures of the Night

"Isn't it a beautiful sight?" Trond whispered. His red eyes were fixed ahead, but Babette could see the blood-lust in them.

The vampires had climbed the mountain to get the best view of the destruction of Castle Dawnguard, while being at a safe distance. Even though the climb had left them sore and tired, it satisfied their curiosity while keeping them safe. From here they could see the spells flying through the air and the fire created by the soldiers who were trying to keep the vampire at bay.

"It's something," Babette answered scarcely.

Trond huffed in response: he was proud of his plan. With a single letter (and no signature needed) he had informed the Volkihar clan of the Dawnguard's whereabouts, its guard routines and its weaknesses. Now he was watching the result of his idea, and he liked every bit of it. To get so much done with so little work. He was truly proud of himself.

"We should head back home."

"We have to see who'll stand victorious."

Babette rolled her eyes. "Your bet with Ma'der is not worth our lives, Trond."

"We're at a safe distance, cub, as promised."

"But Irilane is probably worried. Dreia too."

"Ma'der promised not to tell. They would not know what we're doing."

"See! Even you realize that we are not supposed to do this. But no – I don't think he will tell. But it is not needed. It's not that hard to notice we've left almost every night. Even they know we are not that blood-thirsty."

Trond thought about it for a moment and rested his chin on his hand. "Fair point. But we are restless. At least I am."

"You're always restless."

"True. And this is free entertainment."

"'Free'? We're going to pay dearly if we get caught in the sun again. Irilane hates it when we are late."

Trond looked upwards to see the full moon glowing brightly. "We have plenty of time left."

"I don't need to see this," Babette told him blankly. She knew how this would end. One of the groups would barely survive, the other one would lie dead. And no matter which group would survive, it would be a pain in the ass. And why should she care? When they left Skyrim, they would leave these problems behind. "I'm going home."

"You're ruining the mood."

"You know I am right. Besides, we can come back tomorrow and stare at their rotting bodies."

"That does sound like fun," Trond mused and finally removed his eyes from the fighting below them. It was not like he could see much from this distance, and to be honest, it had grown a bit dull. He would rather gloat in front of his fellow assassins about his accomplishment. "Fine. Would not want you to pass your bedtime."

Babette snorted. "You've used that one before. Find some new child jokes."

"What? It's not like you'd grow on them."

The smaller vampire deadpanned. "You're on fire. And you will be, literally, if you don't stop."

"You grew on me. That is a miracle."

"Did you have siblings before you were bitten, Trond?" Babette suddenly asked. The question had haunted her brain for quite some time. Because she had grown on Trond. And that had been unexpected. It had taken her months to try and classify her relationship with the older vampire. That had been difficult.

Until she had realized that he reminded her of Rune. Or, well, sometimes he reminded her of Rune. Sometimes he was the opposite of Rune. While Rune had been a responsible big brother, Trond had dragged her into all sorts of dangerous situations (and vice versa) but he did feel bad about it. At times. It was not that he did not care. He just saw her in a different way. She was the vampire kid. Rune tried to block out the fact that she had been bit. He did not approve. Trond basically hung out with her because of it.

They were both her brothers. They both cared. They just had very different views on life.

It still amazed her that Trond was still around. Their agreement had been clear – he could leave when he wanted. But he always remained near her, and when he could not keep an eye on her, he was restless. Their friendship was strong, like the one she had had with Nazir and Veezara.

Babette knew that she was charming. She knew that she could make people do what she wanted. But it still surprised her that Trond had remained. So she wondered why.

The older vampire let out a thoughtful sigh. "I do not remember."

"What do you remember?"

"I thought you wanted to go home," Trond reminded her harshly. He rose from his kneeling position and started the exhausting climb down the mountain. After a few steps, he turned around and offered her a hand to get off the ground.

She accepted it. "I do. We can talk on the way, can't we?"

"There isn't much to say."

Babette carefully watched where she placed her feet. She did not want to fall. "I suspected as much."

She could barely remember her life before the bite – only faded memories of blurry faces of her parents, flashes of brown hair and gentle smiles. No names of family of cities came to mind. After some time, there had been more important things to remember. It did not surprise her if Trond had let go of his former life.

"I think I was a thief."

Babette lifted her eyes from the ground, tripping almost immediately. "What?"

Trond kept staring straight ahead, and he navigated his way down without any problems. "Before I was bitten. I think I stole something and that was why I hid in the cave and I met her."

"Do you remember her name?"

"No. But she was a whore and she had red hair."

An interesting choice of words, Babette mused. "Did you love her?"

"I remember her. That must count for something," Trond replied with a shrug. "She left when she knew I would survive. I did not see her again."

Babette tried to analyze his expression for any trace of emotion, but Trond knew how to keep up a mask. She was unsure if his story saddened him the way her own did to her, but if she knew her friend right, he would not talk about such emotions. "Do you know why she did it?"

"It was an opportunity, wasn't it? To give a thief a chance to live a better life."

"Live," Babette snorted. "That is certainly one way to put it."

"A chance or fate? I would like to think of it as fate."

"I won't." Babette's foot slipped again, but she quickly regained her pace. "I was just a part of an unlucky family that a vampire chose as dinner. I'm sure he thought me dead when he left. I refuse to believe that was fate. Perhaps it was luck – or the opposite of that. I don't even know…" She sighed heavily. "Heavy thoughts make my head hurt."

"You must always have a headache then."

"What in Talos' name is going on?" Trond stopped dead in the middle of his walk. In a second, his hand was on Babette's shoulder, holding her back too. They were just outside the gate southern gate of Riften as they made their way back to the sanctuary. He had quickly checked if a guard was stationed there at the moment, and had called out for Babette when he saw it was safe, but that was when he turned his glance down the road leading south

The younger vampire squinted, and after a couple of seconds, she saw the movement too. Guards, or perhaps soldiers – they were dressed in armor, and they were visibly armed – where marching their way down the road, past Snow-Shod Farm. Some of them were holding torches, and Babette flinched at the sight.

"Are they not moving in the wrong direction? That road won't lead them to Castle Dawnguard."

Trond tilted his head, wondering if the cub was correct. He hoped she was, but he did not believe so. With his sharp vision, he suddenly noticed how one of the soldiers stopped to look over his shoulder. Man must be paranoid – with good reason.

Reacting quickly, Trond stepped backwards. One hand forced Babette with him, the other pushed the gate open.

The vampires slipped inside the city without a sound. Trond glanced upwards – the sky was yet to turn red, perhaps an hour left to roam around freely – then he scanned the city – no moving shadows which meant no guards, but there was a faint light near the marketplace, so someone was on patrol.

"Let's rent a room at the inn," Babette suggested.

"I don't think we are fit to be travelers," Trond almost growled – not at her, but at the situation. His robe was covered in blood because the hunter had refused to stay still while he drank his blood, and the guards were already alert. Something was happening in the woods and it was not just the business with the Dawnguard.

The faint light became stronger, revealing that it was not a guard but a -

"Stormcloak solider," he said as if it was a curse. Normally he would welcome fellow believers but this would mean that-

"Dagmar is here?" Babette whispered out loud.

"What in Talos' name is going on?" Trond grumbled and considered their options. The would have to wait before they could head home, and it was just a matter of time before Babette would realize that the marching soldiers were not there to fight Imperials and then he would have to deal with her stubbornness.

Things were tense in the city, but perhaps he could pull it off. He could say the blood came from an injury, and then, if he was lucky, they would not believe he was kidnapping a child. "Let's try the inn," he agreed, and then they slowly made their way towards the wooden building.

"Why do you think they are here?" Babette whispered. "Do they know about the Dawnguard?"

Trond did not want to answer her, so he said nothing. The door was right there, he could fool the innkeepers and -

"Halt!" The soldier had rounded the corner and was now storming towards them, weapon raised. "Do not attempt to flee!"

Trond snarled as the damage had already been done. The soldier had yelled too loud and now the tense city was waking up. Babette stepped back, but Trond had lost his temper. He raced forward, dodged a swing from a sword, and grabbed the poor soldier's arm. With a snarl, he broke it, and when the soldier screamed, his fangs tore out his throat.

"Trond!" Babette almost covered her mouth in shock. Not that the scene was too much for her – by Sithis, she had created messes more bloody – but this was a Trond with no control and that did not mean anything good. "Now they will know it's a vampire," she whispered, both angry and shaken.

They both turned around as guards appeared from the walls near the castle. Trond grabbed Babette by the arm and dragged her towards the northern gate, staying in the shadows of the inn. They rushed down the stairs when they had the chance, using the city's lower level as a way to escape. Eventually the guards would search there, but it could give them a bit of time.

"The Ratway," Babette whispered. "We'll just stay out of the Flagon." Even beggars had used the sewers as a hiding place, and they could do the same. The thieves mostly used the entrance that led to the cistern, so perhaps they would not run into any Guild members.

Trond frowned but eventually gave in and nodded. They would need to leave eventually, and he had to investigate why soldiers were running around like crazy. That cold knot in his stomach told him they were not trying to ambush an Imperial camp, but for now his worry had to focus on himself and Babette.

He closed the door behind them as silently as possible and reached for his dagger immediately after his hand was free. "Perhaps you won't need it," Babette aid as she tried to remain positive. "The Ratway offers plenty of spaces to hide."

"This sewer has no other purpose than being a smelling hiding spot," Trond grumbled as they moved forwards. When he heard no footsteps behind them, he allowed himself to ease up. He would have taken in a deep breath, but the stench kept him from doing so.

Babette skipped ahead of him, making small jumps in her step. She was always a bit more cheerful when she was trying to hide her anxiety. But it was better than a crying child, so Trond would accept nervous laughs. "This brings back memories," she chirped and danced ahead.

Trond caught up to her, and they were about to turn right towards the wooden bridge when they found their path blocked. "Thrynn," Babette muttered quietly, but Trond did not care about names. The thief was obviously not friendly, and so Trond mimicked his action and kept his weapon ready.

"Don't tempt me, vampire," the thief growled. He stretched his arms, obviously ready for a battle. "I'd love this fight."

"Feeling's mutual," Trond growled, showing off his teeth. He had pushed Babette behind him and the smaller vampire was reminded of a feral wolf when she looked up at her friend.

Trond was putting up a show, like a dog raising its bristles. In each hand he held a dagger and he snarled to make the other man aware of his fangs.

Thrynn stepped forward and Babette let out a gasp, unsure of how to tackle the situation. Trond was ready to respond, but never had the chance to do so.

"Stand down, Nightspawn," a voice called out from behind them. From the two alcoves that connected to the main path, two persons dressed in Guild armor stepped out.

Babette recognized one of them as Niruin who was aiming an arrow at Trond's head. Next to him stood another thief, a Nord she did not recognize, but with the silver sword he was holding, he did not look friendly. She slowly inched closer to her friend, pulling his sleeve to make him aware of the danger. Trond saw it out of the corner of his eye, but he did not dare to turn his back on Thrynn. He stood frozen, ready to react if needed.

"Let us think before we act," Babette spoke slowly, her voice vibrating with tension. "We do not want to hurt each other."

"Speak for yourself, imp," the stranger growled. He must be new, Babette decided. She would have recognized such a brute of a Nord.

Niruin stepped forward, his bow still ready to be fired at any moment. "Remember, Garthar, Delvin wants to speak to them. Not that he has much to say."

"Brynjolf hasn't returned yet," Thrynn growled. "If that Nightingale turned on him..."

"I don't understand," Babette said, trying to create eye-contact with Niruin. "Karliah and Brynjolf?"

"We know where you are hiding, blood-suckers," the new thief, Garthar, said and shifted his grip on the silver sword. Babette suspected him for just showing it off. She wondered from where they had got it, but she would not be surprised if they had such contacts.

She felt Trond tense behind her. "And you think you can take on the Brotherhood?" he mocked them.

"No," Niruin stated flatly. "That is why we let the guards do that dirty work."

Babette could feel how Trond physically had to stop himself from lurching forwards. "Cowards as always then," he spat out through gritted teeth.

"It was a score settled," Thrynn reminded the pair of vampires. "Killing Maven wasn't without consequences."

"It wasn't personal," Babette said quietly.

Niruin shrugged. "Dagmar thinks it was. She wanted to return the favor."

Babette's mouth felt dry. "We did not try to-"

"You won't kill us," Trond cut her off, confidence in his voice. "Well, perhaps me, because we can all see how I must be the most terrifying creature you have seen in your life. But you are thieves for a reason and you would not put a blade into her."

"I would like to point out that I am quite capable of defending myself." Babette had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "But, truly, let us not fight. Now is not the time to spill blood."

"Like you would hesitate with that."

Trond sent the Bosmer a sour glance. "We are in a hurry since you could not keep your mouth shut, I am giving you two – no, three options. Be grateful. Either you let us leave, or you will take us to Delvin, because I sure want a talk with him, and if you don't do any of those things, I will show you just why you should fear vampires. So get a move on, or you will be lucky if I settle for the quick death that comes with a bite."

Babette was unsure if she should be impressed or sigh. Trond could be terrifying when he wanted to, and that could be useful – if only it worked as a threat. She did not want the thieves killed. Not that they had been her best friends, but she did have good memories of them, and even though they were assholes, they did not deserve such a grim fate just for fighting for what they believed in. A bloodbath now would bring them no good, even if the vampires managed to get away unscratched. It would only result in a weaker and even more pissed off Guild and that just was not fair.

Murder would, unfortunately, not solve this problem. At least not all of it.

The three thieves shared a glance. "If you drop your weapons, vampire, we'll escort you to the Flagon."

Trond faked a smile. "I'm afraid I can't lose my fangs."

"Pretty sure a good fist to the jaw would do that trick," Thrynn muttered under his breath.

The vampire stopped grinning. After a few seconds of consideration, he dropped two daggers to the ground. Babette looked up at him, tilted her head, but then dropped her own as well.

"Don't sell them to a fence," Trond warned him. "They are valuable, trust me, but are they worth your life? Consider that before losing them."

Garthar gave a grunt in response before moving forwards to pick up the blades. As Thrynn took the lead, the group made their way towards the underground inn. Trond made a point of keeping his back straight and Babette mirrored his action. She believed the same as him – the thieves would not harm her. They might sell her to the guards and kick her out of Skyrim, but no one would turn a blade against her.

But Trond would turn a blade against the thieves and then the situation would be a whole lot worse.

The mood in the Flagon was as tense as it had been in the rest of Riften and most of the thieves were up and about. Babette wondered if they knew just what was going on. It seemed like they had more information then Trond and herself, since they had mentioned Brynjolf and Karliah. That both confused and worried her.

Delvin was resting his chin on his hands with his elbows on the lone table. When he saw the thieves being escorted towards him, he barely raised his eyebrows. If he was impressed, he hid it well. "So," he said and folded his hands. He turned his glance towards his fellow thieves. "You three managed it. That was unexpected."

"I could kill them if I wanted to," Trond said and crossed his arms. "But I am in a merciful mood. Not for long, though, considering what your men have done."

Delvin cringed. "Not 'my men'. I ain't involved in that decision."

"Whatever deal you want to make, Delvin, make it quick," Niruin said with a wave of his bow. His arrow had never stopped being pointed at Trond.

"And afterwards you'll do what?" Delvin huffed, unpleased with being rushed on by thieves who were supposed to be below him. "Kill them yourself? Push them in front of the guards and run as fast you can? Nah – you don't 'ave the stomach."

"Delvin –" Garthar began but was cut off by a wave of a hand.

"You want them dead, you let them run towards their friends. Let others deal with it. Ain't worth the work."

"And by others you mean Dagmar?"

Delvin shrugged. "She won't mind. You go ahead and challenge two vampires – know I won't be cleanin' up the mess."

Trond nodded with enthusiasm. "And it'll be quite the mess – trust me. A beautiful, red one."

"We'll leave you to talk." Niruin was squinting at them with angry eyes. "But we'll be watching."

"Always the dramatic flair," Trond snorted. "I can respect that."

Babette placed herself on a chair the moment the thieves backed away. It was with joy that she realized she could now touch the ground with her feet when she was sitting down – she knew she had grown taller before the second bite. But then she remembered the matters at hand. "Delvin, we have to get back to the others."

"And why's that? They need yer baby teeth to survive? Don't give me that look, girl, ya know what you're worth in a fight."

"For once I agree with the thief," Trond cut in, and after a moment of hesitation, he sat down as well. "But I, on the other hand, can be quite the savior. You think you can trick them into letting me leave?"

"If they don't my words, you can rough 'em up a bit. But no killing 'ere. You've done enough of that," he added under his breath.

"What they are doing won't work," Babette pleaded. "If we die – well, we're dead. It won't fix the Guild."

"We know that. But revenge always softens up the mood, doesn't it? Makes ya feel better. You should know, kid. Revenge was yer reason to stay 'ere in the first place."

Trond crossed his arms. "Instead of blaming us, you could try and consider how dangerous it is when an entire operation relies on one single person."

"We needed Maven to pull the threads. Without 'er, guards 'ave been makin' a fool of us. Our little leak might help, but ain't in the run long."

"Then how about putting someone else in to play doll-master? Now when Dagmar and Ulfric are running the show in Skyrim, Maven would never have had her throne. But the great Northern belief is secured, and so is Laila Law-Giver's hold on Riften. Good, naïve heart right there. One kill, and she's gone. Then you do what you do, and make sure the right one steps out of the shadows. If the rumor is correct, then you should have some connections with a certain Bosmer in the court, hmm?"

For once Delvin allowed himself to look impressed. "That would be quite the diabolical plan, vampire, wouldn't it? So ya think we have Anuriel in our pocket?"

"You do, don't you?" Babette asked. She had discussed the Guild's future with Trond before, but this was the first time he had mentioned a fully planned contract that he believed in himself. "You've made deals with her through Maven before."

Delvin scratched his chin. "'could work. But it'll require some effort. A kill in the court, eh? I tell you what – you do that, and we'll take care of the rest."

"Oh, we won't have anything to do with Anuriel," Trond said and brushed some invisible dust off his hands. "It is our line of work."

"So we work together at last," Babette exclaimed and clapped her hands together in joy. Then she remembered why she was down in the Ratway with armed thieves surrounding her, and her enthusiasm faded away. "Now that's taken care of – or planned at least – will you let us go? Our family is in danger and-"

"One, no, two things wrong with that. First, it'll be hard to explain to Dagmar why we set one and a half vampire loose upon 'er. Secondly, that half vampire – and that's you, if you were too slow to get it," he added with a thumb pointing at Babette, "would probably die. And with what you just proposed, we need ya alive."

"It's all quickly settled then," Trond breathed out. His expression was as plain as possible, but Babette could spot how he hid a growing frown. He was also worried. "Babette stays here for the moment. I like life, Mallory, and I won't take my chances with Dagmar. Just let me slip away and clear out the mess, and I'll pick her up before bedtime."

"Don't humor him, Trond."

But the vampire was sure of his plan and rose from his chair so suddenly that its legs scrapped against the floor. He held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

"Eh," Delvin cringed. "I ain't the prison guard."

With a sigh Trond turned around to face the rest of the thieves who were sitting in the background. It amused him to see that the Bosmer still had not let go of his bow.

"You can try to stop me if you want to. It is your own choice. Enjoy that freedom. But know that you are dealing with a vampire who is under pressure. You might not want to take up that challenge."

"You ain't scaring me," Thrynn growled. It took a second before Babette remembered his past with bandits, and then it was no surprise that he was eager to use his weapon.

Trond let out a snarl and the two of them were staring directly into each other's face. Babette suppressed a squeak and tried to get in between them, only for Trond to push her back with a hand on her chest. The motion was quick and strong, and she almost fell backwards into the pool.

Babette frowned and stomped a foot. This was one (quite rude) way of showing that she had nothing to say about all of this. Which she disagreed to. But as she opened her mouth to retort, the door swung open, and Rune and Brynjolf stepped into the mess.

The red-haired thief looked sullen but when he saw the two warriors' staring contest (for now) his expression turned annoyed. Rune reached for his dagger.

"And here I thought you lads could take care of yourselves," Brynjolf grumbled as he came closer. While he tried to look as relaxed as possible, they all knew he was ready for any sudden movements. "Shouldn't you be elsewhere, assassin? This really ain't the place for you."

Babette stepped out from Trond's shadow, revealing her presence and earning a sigh from both Brynjolf and Rune. "And of course you're here too, little lass. I'd hoped you'd found your fellow killers by now."

"We would but they – " Trond glanced at Thrynn and his friends as if they had just set the town on fire (not far from the truth, now when he thought about it) "- are in my way!"

"What was your business with Karliah?" Babette asked out of curiosity. "I know you're both Nightingales, but she would have told if…" She trailed off, suddenly remembering that their relationship with the Dunmer was supposed to be a secret. Behind her, Delvin looked like he was about to strangle either her or himself. Rune, on the other hand, looked calm, which only backed up Babette's theory. She spoke it out loud, "You already knew about that, did you not?"

"The lads have been busy, but I wanted to see it for myself."

"Are you mad?" she asked which caused Trond to mutter; "Not that we care."

"Karliah will be fine, little lass. She ain't the one to blame." His eyes trailed towards Delvin.

Babette stepped forwards. "It was not his fault. And we were leaving. Soon. And we just want to leave now. And we've already made all the deals with Delvin-"

"-which of course won't cause any more problems," Niruin snorted from the background.

"-so we'll be on our way," Babette finished breathlessly. It felt as if the back of her mind was filled with a dull hymn that reminded her of all the terrible things that could (she refused to say: "were about to") happen. She remembered that night years ago when Dagmar had led war upon the Brotherhood. It seemed too unfair that it should happen again.

The selfish part of her told her to run. There was a difference this time – she was no alone. She and Trond could leave, grieve for a while, but then build a new life together. They were vampires, they could understand each other and hunt together. It seemed like the perfect plan, though it would require sacrifices.

But Trond had never even mentioned such a thought. For the first time, it seems that all his thoughts were focused on the rest of their family. He did not face the Guild to flee; he did it to fight for his friends. And to see that certainty in her friend, only made Babette sure of what to do.

Brynjolf opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when a person stepped out of the shadows. It took a while before Babette recognized her as Vex – the thief was clearly drunk and there was a dangerous glint in her dark eyes.

"Bryn, tell me you are not going to let them leave."

"Another one wants to join the fight," Trond chuckled. "This might just be interesting."

"For the love of Sithis!" Babette snarled, finally losing her anger. When she flashed her fangs, she swore she could see Trond show a little smile of pride. "If we are your problem, then let us leave! Then we'll be gone."

"If you knew what you've done, brat, you'd realize how much you owe us," she female thief snarled. Even though the other thieves had showed weapons, an unarmed Vex was worth of much more respect. "The Brotherhood's fate was merciful compared to this. It was quick. Watching your family fall apart slowly – that is worthy of vengeance."

"We're still kicking, Vex," Rune reminded her quietly.

"We were kicking ass before, Rune, and you know that too," she snarled without even glancing at him. "So tell me why we should let them leave unpunished!"

"They ain't unpunished, luv," Delvin said, rolled his eyes, and handed her another bottle that she accepted without a word. "The guards are dealin' with 'em."

Garthar awkwardly shifted the silver sword in his hand. "But-"

"What do you plan to do with them, lad?" Brynjolf snorted and crossed his arms, daring all of them to argue against him. "You want to fight him? Don't take this is as a compliment, vampire –"

Trond held up a hand. "No problem. I don't need it from you."

Brynjolf sighed in annoyance and turned towards his fellow thieves. "You go on and take him ahead, but we've all learned when the risks tell you to use the shadows. You do this and you can deal with the consequences."

The thieves knew they were not useless. They knew they could fight, but none of them were warriors. They used stealth, they used the shadows and they used the moment of surprise. To stand face to face with a vampire was not something they were used to neither something they were prepared to. They had numbers in advantage, but even if they managed to take down Trond, he would take some down with him.

The thieves hesitated.

"Good,"Brynjolf said and nodded. "I say we are done here then."

Trond gave them a short bow, though his expression made it clear he was not trying to be respectful. "My daggers?"

Garthar grunted but then stepped forwards, fetching the blades from his belt. As he handed them to the vampire, Trond leaned towards him and said quietly; "If you do want to bear silver weapons, do know how to wear them. Such a sword will only get you unwanted attention from the creatures that lurk in the forest of Riften – and they are all awake tonight. Daggers or bolt might be a smarter choice of heart."

The thief pulled back, unsure if he should understand the warning as a threat. Trond merely gave him a smile that did not reach his eyes. "And the cub's?"

"That your nickname now?" Dirge asked Babette as Garthar fiddled with his belt again.

She shrugged. "Better than 'Dirge'. Better than 'kid'. Definitely better than 'imp'."

Trond handed her the blade and she accepted it with a sigh of relief. "Let's go."

"No," Trond said with a stern voice. "I need a minute with the thief who tried to talk you out of a choice that was yours." He glared at Rune who had been watching the scene with raised eyebrows. He tilted his head when the vampire gestured towards him. Trond sighed and waved his hand impatiently. "We are in lack of time, if you had not realized that by now."

Babette was even more confused than Rune, who was now slowly walking towards the pair of vampires. "What are you-" she began but was quickly cut off.

"Go ask Delvin when he wants Laila dead."

"Why-?"

"Now."

She muttered something under her breath, but did what she was told just as Rune came close enough to join them. He crossed his arms as he stared back at Trond. "What do you want?"

"A moment of privacy with you. I promise it will only be the most advantageous for you."

Rune let out what sounded like a sad chuckle. "Somehow I doubt that." He knew the eyes of his fellow thieves where upon them, and so he led the vampire to a nearby alcove. "I thought you were in a hurry."

Something flashed in Trond's eyes. "I am. But I needed to tell you something."

"Then spill it."

"I am to leave to Ratway to join the battle, but Babette will stay here and you will look after her."

Those were not the words he had expected to leave the vampire's mouth. "I… what? And how do you think that is going to work?" They both knew that not only Babette but also the Guild would be against the idea. "What will amaze you, thief, is that I am quite good at reading people." Trond's eyes were almost glowing. "You're a good person. Not like me or the other assassins who spill blood because, frankly, we like it. You have – what do they call it? A good heart. And with that comes a conscience. So I will tell you, thief, and you will listen. If you let your eyes of her, if you let her get away, if you put her in someone else's care – she will run and she will find trouble, and then the guards or the Stormcloaks or Dagmar or her own stupidity will kill her, and I have put too much work into keeping her alive to let that happen. And if it should happen, it would be your fault. It will be her blood on your hands, and you are too much of a thief to let that happen. So follow your damn conscience and take care of her, while I go out and fix this mess."

Trond let out the stream of words without missing a beat. Rune found himself staring back with raised eyebrows, unable to come up with the words to retort.

The vampire did not like his hesitation. "Do you understand me?"

"I thought you said this conversation would prove advantageous for me," Rune said with crossed arms and a hint of a smile, and even Trond had to admire his bravery to cut in like that.

"And I didn't lie," Trond forced out through a fake smile. "You see, while Irilane and Babette spent so many hours with their noses in a book – time that could be so well spent with other, preferable bloody, things – but I –" He made a dramatic pause. "-I have contacts. You know that Irilane translated your runes into what she believed is a family name? Well, that name is not unfamiliar to me, and I have friends who you may want to talk to."

It took a second for Rune's brain to clock over. "You… You knew? Then why-?"

"'cause I don't own you anything, thief. You can change that." He looked over his shoulder and gestured towards Babette who was glaring at them from a distance, her arms crossed. "So look after her, tie her up or knock her out – I don't care. Talos or Sithis or whoever has been keeping an eye on her wouldn't have made her go this far without reason. She's the core of the Brotherhood and I intend to keep my promise and keep her alive. You help me, I help you. That's a deal you can understand that, thief."

Rune had originally set his mind upon letting the vampires go and then cross his fingers for them. He would worry, yes, but in the last couple of months he had suffered from a constant worry in the back of his mind, reminding him of how the guards were on the move and how his comrades could easily end up in trouble.

If he agreed to this, he could let go of some of his worry, but he would be responsible for her as well. And he knew her well enough to know that she would not go along to this quietly.

But on the other hand – he could not refuse. That would be pushing Babette directly into the arms of the guards, and his damned conscience would never let him do that.

"Deal."

"Good. Then I count on you to keep your word. I know that thieves have a tendency to lie." He then marched away, adjusting his dagger to his belt. Little ad the thieves known that he had kept two more blades trapped to his body (just in case. As if he could ever let himself be completely unarmed), but it felt good to be visible armed again. "Cub!" Babette immediately jumped towards him. She had been eager to find out why her comrade had not rushed into battle. "You'll stay here."

"No."

Their argument usually began like this. Trond breathed in through his nose – he hated these routines. "Time is not on our side, so I will make this quick. You are the last option. You have to stay alive. You know your role. Should the horrible thing have happened, I will return. Then we can head to the Imperial City and take it with storm. Or we can focus on rebuilding the Brotherhood. Your call."

"And if you don't return?" Babette huffed. "I am not letting that happen, and I will go with you."

"No."

"You can't stop me."

"Oh, but I can. You haven't come all this way to die. Neither have I. You are not needed out there."

"Yes I am!"

Trond kneeled down to look her into the eyes. "Think about it. Have you thought about it? Good. Now you have realized just where you are needed." And that was the end of his speech. He turned around on his heel, adjusted his cape, began marching towards the exit and left Babette standing with her mouth agape.

Usually their arguments lasted longer than this. His sudden way to end their conversation surprised her, and it took her a couple of seconds before she was able to react. "Trond!" she called out angrily and began to run after him.

Just as she was behind him, he suddenly turned round and shoved both of his hands into her chest, sending her backwards.

Babette fell into the pool, and when her head broke the surface again, she looked up to see that Trond was already gone. The small vampire breathed in deeply. His sudden action had not hurt her, but damn, it was a cheap trick. Babette punched the surface of the water in frustration.

As Rune kneeled down near the pool, he entered her vision. He held out a hand for her to grab. "So I promised to keep an eye on you."

Babette found it weird that just a few hours ago, they had been celebrating the battle between the Dawnguard and the Volkihars. Now she was unsure if her family was still alive. Trond had left her and now she was considered helpless.

The vampire sighed. "This turned out to be a tragic night."

Half an hour later, she was wrapped in a blanket and left alone for a tiny bit of solitude in one of the alcoves. The thieves were still guarding the area, but Babette's mood was sour and no one wanted to start another argument. Well, perhaps Vex did, but Rune made sure to keep her and others at bay.

Babette cursed under her breath. She was very much aware of her own limits (and Trond did a masterwork of reminding her), but that did not mean she was not supposed to do something. It was her family as well, and she there was no way she would let Dagmar kill off her family again.

Dagmar…

Trond had said that she needed to realize her role. Well, according to Astrid, that would mean killing the Dragonborn.

Babette breathed in deeply. She could do that. She wanted to do that.

But she could not find a way out of the Flagon, never mind finding a way to Ulfric's mistress. She needed help, like always, but in truth she was alone.

She closed her eyes and cursed her situation. If only she had a potion of invisibility with her. Then she could use a moment of distraction to disappear and then sneak off. She would be able of that. For all her lack of skills, Trond had always praised her ability to sneak away. He had said her presence would be as faint as a ghost's….

Babette's eyes snapped open.

Why had it taken her this long to realize she was never truly alone?

A/N: Trond's past was briefly mentioned in chapter 23, but I wanted to touch upon it again. Ah, I love Trond. I am going to miss him when his story is over.

Since this turned out longer than expected, I decided to split up the chapter. We will see to the rest of the dark family in the next chapter. I hope to get it out soon!