To most, the smell of the place would have been unpleasantly pungent and not for those with a delicate senses. However, the Ragged Flagon's musty, dirty, and damp scent was like a welcome home kiss when Runa took a deep breath after stepping foot into the underground tavern. It had been too long.

Throwing her bow and quiver to the side, she ran past Dirge, and straight into Brynjolf's arms as soon as he spied her enter the room. She was delighted to be squeezed tightly by him, just as he did when she was a girl and returning successfully from a petty pick-pocketing job.

She could see in her peripheral vision that Vex was already rolling her eyes. She knew Vex to think that Brynjolf doted too much on her. The truth was, Runa loved Brynjolf so dearly and it seemed like no amount of embracing could ever convey how thankful she was to him.

The guild wasn't supposed to be a family; it was a business, but Runa couldn't help but to feel as though the leaders were like family. Brynjolf was a mentor, she daresay a father-figure. Vex was an older, disdainful sister. Delvin Mallory, she imagined as a curmudgeonly uncle.

"Hello and welcome back lass," Brynjolf greeted her warmly, and then released her—cupping her face in his hands and looking her over. "Did you complete the job in Cyrodiil?"

The job in Cyrodiil had been a high-stakes task. It was rare any client in Skyrim requested an object from a different province. It was entirely possible that she had broken guild rules by treading on territory that wasn't theirs.

The Thieves Guild of Skyrim was not a profitable society, and hadn't been in some time. Runa had always remembered the senior members reminisce about the old days when the guild had influence and riches beyond her dreams. It seemed that they all scraped by on lifting coin or fencing stolen items of meager worth, but Runa happily joined them because they had accepted her. It was an exciting life, so much more than working on a farm or in any mine which would have taken her in otherwise.

When she was a little girl, she had always been exceptional at sneaking coins out of Grelod the Kind's purse. Sometimes her amateur thievery was at the expense of causing any one of the boys at Honorhall Orphanage to receive a beating when she wasn't caught. After the death of the cruel headmistress, Runa was able to sneak out and take to Riften's streets to purloin gold from travelers and townsfolk with ease. It wasn't long until she had seized the attention of Brynjolf and the guild. Runa was small, quick, and could fit in places the adults could not, and she never seemed to be caught. Brynjolf swore that Nocturnal had blessed the little lass in her favor.

Thievery was her one true calling, and she had no hesitation to take to the Ratways to seek membership in the guild.

"You know I wouldn't have returned unless I had it," Runa simpered as she turned and approached Vex who had given her the job in the first place.

"Where is it then?"

"My hand," she replied and brought out both of her hands in closed fists, making Vex a sudden unwitting player in her guessing game.

"Well aren't you the tricky little minx?" Vex sneered and made a grab for the girl's right hand. Runa immediately opened her left, and deftly maneuvered the ring onto one of her fingers. Those present in the Flagon gasped and mumbled as Runa seemed to disappear into thin air.

Her amused laughter gave her position away; all eyes searching in the direction of the noise, which was definite once they heard her say, "What an extraordinary ring, can't we keep it?"

The patrons of the Ragged Flagon could barely make out the young woman's outline against the stone sewer walls and the bar. A bottle of ale seemingly lifted itself from the surface and poured itself into a mug.

"Unfortunately, the client who wanted us to extract it offered to pay handsomely, so it's not ours to keep," Vex retorted and held out her hand sternly, in the direction she guessed Runa was standing, "Come now, take it off and give it here."

Runa's shape was once again discernible as she removed the ring and tossed it behind her at Vex while placing the mug to her lips. Vex caught it and pocketed it immediately. After a long swig, Runa turned her back to the bar and placed her elbows on the top of it. She gave an exaggerated pout, "That's a damned shame. I could have robbed every Jarl from here to Solitude."

"Listen to her talking like she's a master of stealth," Vex scoffed and then made a laugh in which Delvin joined in from where he was sitting. He was the actual master of stealth in the vicinity.

"Last I knew, you weren't a master of stealth either," Runa snapped back.

"Still better at it than the guttersnipe tart you are."

Runa noticed Brynjolf frown with disapproval, either at Vex's insult or at the indication of Runa's behavior. It could have been a disapproval of both.

Runa slammed her mug to the bar counter loudly and only glared at Vex. Vex enjoyed antagonizing Runa ever since Brynjolf led her into the guild at a tender age. What seemed to annoy Vex the most was that the girl had never seemed to listen to directions, yet managed to be successful anyway. Vex couldn't stand to be ignored.

"So whose bed did you lay in this time to obtain it? Some Cyrodiilic Noble? Or was it his roguish stable boy that gave you the in?"

Runa shrugged at Vex's inimical tone masked as teasing—it was true that Runa was coquettish and sly, she knew how to disarm those with a weakness for charming smiles and a low neckline. As she grew older, she found certain aspects of her femininity were her greatest assets to get what she wanted. Vex was just jealous that she couldn't get away with it anymore, not being in her first youth.

"I didn't have to sleep with anyone to get it," Runa mumbled into her mug. Vex raised her brows in feigned surprise and with a hint of doubt at Runa's claim.

Runa wondered if she should tell them the rest of what had happened on her journey, but decided not to. It was not in her best interest.

She took one last swig from the mug and placed a few gold coin from the pouch at her waist on the bar for Vekel the Man to collect. Delvin and Brynjolf had been listening but as always, stayed outside of the antagonistic words that Runa and Vex exchanged—figuring it would never go far enough to get physical. Both women knew that it was forbidden to assault another member of the guild.

Runa refused to make any further eye contact with Vex and grabbed her weapon, before making her way through the stony passage to the cistern. The small remainder of her guild mates were mulling around the space as usual, so she casually walked through the room as if she hadn't been gone for a month.

She had never been outside of Skyrim before and figured Vex had only given her the job to get rid of her for a while. Or perhaps it was more likely because of the fact that Runa had the best record of lifting precious gems, gold coin, and jewelry off unsuspecting targets. Vex knew Runa's success would bring in a good chunk of wealth the guild had missed, as much as the older woman would hate to admit it.

It was known that the youngest member had pulled off more heists in the past few years than the guild members had in twenty. After the old guild master had made off with most of the guild's coffers of wealth, the Thieves' Guild was in financial ruin. Many members had left to find more profitable work elsewhere. Those who couldn't afford to break away, or were just too set in their ways to make an honest living, stayed and suffered together. Runa decided to suffer with them, but by some miracle of Nocturnal, they landed a wealthy client who wanted a particular enchanted ring last seen in Cyrodiil.

Rune was first to greet her, he grabbed her arm in greeting and then held her hand fast, "Welcome home, little sister."

She smiled and squeezed his hand—it was an inside laugh they shared since she became a member of the guild. Their pasts and names were so similar that they figured they should be siblings, despite him being an Imperial and she a Nord. Even though Rune was nearly 10 years her senior, he did seem to her as an older brother should.

Rune was kind and he gave her helpful advice like how to hold a bow properly and how to listen for that refreshing drop of a tumbler once a lock had been picked. He understood her need for family and her everlasting gratefulness to Brynjolf for taking her in.

"It's good to see you again, Rune."

"As it is you. We must have a drink later."

She nodded sincerely; Rune was always good drinking company too. He knew all the tavern songs by heart. She scanned the room a brief moment, looking for someone in particular.

Her search was interrupted by a pair of muscular arms that suddenly encased her from behind. He wasn't the one she was looking for though. Nevertheless she allowed Vipir to give a fond kiss to her cheek and heard him mumble, "I missed you."

"I told you I would return."

"You've been away too long."

She knew he felt for her, with all his clandestine touches and the wanton tone in his words—he was the first man to ever pay her romantic attention once she matured and as a master in pickpocketing, he gladly demonstrated to her how to get hands into places without being noticed. She fancied him off and on, usually when her own attentions weren't elsewhere—on a wealthy noble she could steal from or handsome mercenary that happened through Riften.

But she wasn't in the mood to hear him try to charm her into a shadowed corner at the moment.

She wanted to talk to Sapphire. Sapphire had a sharp tongue that Runa admired, and in turn Sapphire respected the younger girl's skill at obtaining loot. Unlike Vex, Saph found Runa a cheeky and refreshing female presence in the guild and the two became as close as one could in a den of thieves. Runa even knew Sapphire's real name, no one else could claim as much.

"I am back now, as you can see," Runa escaped his grasp and turned to face him, "Where is Saph?"

Vipir frowned and narrowed his eyes at her sudden change of attention, "I haven't seen her."

She knew that Vipir the Fleet didn't have as many fond feelings toward Sapphire as he did for her, mostly because Saph rebuked all his flirting. Sapphire had warned Runa against Vipir's inevitable advances as she grew, but Runa enjoyed them most of the time. Vipir was the easiest to manipulate because he had such a liking toward her.

Vipir's ability to lie wasn't a strong skill; he squinted when he tried to falsify truth, and she knew he was withholding information. She drew closer to him, and made sure that her bosom was pressed as tightly against him as possible, "Are you sure?"

His gaze melting downward and staying focused there—seeming too distracted to think for a second—before answering, "The practice room." He probably figured telling the truth would make her more favorable toward him.

Runa suddenly pushed herself away, breaking her seeming spell over him, and shoved him for lying to her in the first place. He protested and nearly fell into the water but she ignored his shout and turned on her heel to leave him. She strode purposefully through the remainder of the Cistern and into the room filled with empty chests. Sapphire was crouched next to one and carefully picking the lock of it. Runa stopped at the entrance and looked on curiously because Sapphire always seemed adept at picking locks.

"Keeping up practice?"

Sapphire's lock pick broke as she flinched slightly, coming out of her intense focus on listening to the tumblers. She saw that Runa had been the interruption but smirked, "Lock picking is the best distraction."

"Distraction from what?" Runa wondered and set her bow down against the wall.

"The present," Sapphire picked herself up into a stand and lifted on her toes to stretch her calves. Runa didn't completely understand Saph's answer. "When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago, actually."

"Did you get it?"

"Of course."

Runa swore she saw a hint of regret pass through Sapphire's features, though she couldn't have an idea to why. The expression passed quickly; Sapphire smirked again and let out a breath from her nose, "Of course. There isn't a shiny ring out there you couldn't snatch."

She could see why the ring was so valuable, ever since she got curious on her way back to Riften and tried the ring on, only to find she couldn't be seen by the untrained eye. Even the clumsiest thief could sneak past a group of guards wearing it. She would never say otherwise, but she may or may not have taken a detour through Bruma and Falkreath to gather additional items for fencing using the power of that ring.

She was good at keeping secrets to herself, she had to—being a thief. However there was one secret weighing heavy on her mind and that was why she sought out Sapphire.

Runa bit her lip, and looked at the ground, "The owner of the ring is dead."

It was made clear that if someone were killed while in pursuit of a job, then she'd be out of her cut of the profit, if not the entire guild.

This caught Sapphire's attention in full, causing her to frown, "Did you kill them?"

She often wondered what it would be like to take a life. She had seen how just one death could solve so many problems after Grelod's demise. Runa could never could bring herself to do it though, especially after she joined the guild, they had a strict 'no murdering' policy.

"Someone from the Brotherhood did."

For a moment all they could hear was faint echoes of water dripping from the wet points of the Cistern. Sapphire narrowed her eyes with consideration.

Runa had been shocked, as she hid above the assassin and the former owner of the ring. She could tell they were from the Brotherhood—such precision in the way they killed—so quiet too. If it hadn't been for her sharp hearing, the murderer would have walked in on her before she could make it to the rafters above. Hiding there brought unpleasant memories of hiding on the wooden ceiling beams of Honorhall, holding her breath and hoping the headmistress wouldn't look up. She had always been good at hiding, had to be, while growing up and being pursued for any minor infraction of the rules which would result in a heavy punishment that varied from being starved for three days to a good kick in the ribs.

It didn't make her any more comfortable knowing who the assassin was either.

The boy she had grown up with clearly didn't recognize her, as it was dark and her thief hood had obscured her features. She knew it was he, especially after she had kissed him. She had seen his face clear enough in the twilight, finding that it had matured into a man's visage but yet he had the softest of expressions that she remembered on him when he was but a boy, and that same goofy flash of confusion after being kissed—as if someone had given him a complicated puzzle to solve and he had no idea what to do next.

It disappointed her some that he had tried to kill her, but Aventus was a killer. He had murdered Grelod, and even though she couldn't have thanked him enough for that deed—there was no surprise nor happiness on her part that the lad ended up with the guild of assassins. Unfortunately, she also knew they spared no witnesses to their murders, so she distracted him long enough to punch his lights out and prevent him from following her.

She just prayed to Nocturnal that taking that course of action wouldn't come back and bite her in the worst of ways.

Because what was the harm if he didn't know that it was her?