They took the northern road and slowly wound around the Throat of the World towards Eastmarch. Veria was steely but no longer angry. They spoke every so often, making comments about the things they passed and briefly sharing with each other what the other might not know about them. Soon the pines gave way to volcanic earth and smoking streams. Several times they had to walk their horses carefully along where the road fragmented among steaming rifts in the earth.

Finally, they were approaching the southern edge when Vex suddenly guided them off the path. Not questioning where they were going, Veria followed her to a collection of colorful pools. The water was bright and murky with minerals and steam rose lazily from the surface. Vex was tying up her horse when she said, "Let's stop for a while. I'm covered in filth from the road and we'll never hear the end of it if Delvin sees us come in smelling like Skeever scum."

"You want to bathe? Here?" Vex was already removing her armor and stacking it neatly by a dead tree.
"Sure," she said. "The waters here are heated by the earth. Whenever I'm in the area I like to take advantage of it." Finally bare of any and all clothing, she slipped into to waters of the pool and sunk to her collar bone. She sighed and leaned her head against the edge. She glanced over to Veria still standing by the horses. "You just gonna stand there all day? Suit yourself. I'm going to be a minute."

Veria glanced over herself. She was covered in dust from the road, and she felt rough. A bath would do her some good, she thought, and she had never bathed in a hot spring before. She unbuckled her armor and placed it near Vex's along with her undergarments. Cautiously, she slipped into the water next the pale thief.
The water was surprisingly warm, almost as hot as a fresh kettle of tea. She was so used to bathing in chilly rivers that she had never considered what warm water would feel like.
"This is quite nice," she admitted, resting her back on the rocky walls of the pool. The heat seeped into her tired muscles, and the fatigue of the long journey slowly loosened its grip on her.

They sat together in silence for a while until Vex said, "So why do you call yourself Wraith?"
Veria didn't answer right away. She chose her words carefully and said, "It's like I said before. The person I was died."
"Maul said you looked about ready to give up the ghost when you stumbled into our little town." Vex sat up a little straighter and rested her elbows on the edge of the pool.
"It's true. I felt Oblivion at my back," Veria said quietly. "It's fiery gaze was boring into me. But...It was a long time coming. I died long before that day."
Vex tilted her head towards her. "And you haven't come back to life yet?"
"That is my goal. I'll take a new name when I find a reason to."

Vex sighed and crossed her arms behind her head. "I wish I could sympathize, but the truth is my life hasn't been that hard." He leaned her head back and glanced over the clouds. "I was an orphan running around the streets of Solitude, sure. But that's where I first learned to steal. I lived on the road for a while, took a few odd jobs. Mostly to keep myself fed I sneaked around farmhouses and city homes. I joined the Guild when I made the mistake of trying to pick Mercer's pocket."
"Really? I had a similar run-in with Brynjolf."
Vex chuckled. "Oh, I wish it had been Brynjolf. Mercer had me thrown in jail for a few days before offering me a chance in the Guild."
"He likes to discipline, does he?" Veria grumbled.
"He's a little older and wiser nowadays. I don't think he feels the need to be so brash now."

Vex glanced at Veria and said. "Hmph. You ever notice how you and Brynjolf have almost the exact same hair color?" She reached forward and delicately took a lock of Veria's hair in her fingers. "Even wet it shines like copper."
"Don't be jealous, Vex," Veria teased. "It's unbecoming."
"I'm a thief. I'm attracted to the uncommon." She was closer than before; Veria could feel her leg touching hers under the water.
"Don't sell yourself short," Veria said. "I've never seen anyone with hair as white as yours."
Vex pressed a paranoid palm into her thin cheek. "Huh. I look like a Wispmother..."
"I think it's lovely. Like fresh snow."

Vex rolled her eyes but a smile played on the corner of her mouth. She weaved her fingers through the gleaming white mane. "You want to touch it?" She asked.
"Only if you promise not to make me bait again."
"Ha. I promise."

Veria slid her fingers into Vex's damp hair. Even wet, it was as bright as starlight. Her skin, hot from the volcanic bath, was just as ghostly. Veria's hand slid down her face and settled on her breast.
Vex turned and leaned towards her, resting her palms on Veria's waist. She slid her leg over Veria's and straddled her. Her pale breasts, slightly smaller but as perfect as the sculpted bust of Dibella, pressed into Veria's. She could feel the flesh of Vex's thighs spreading over her hips, and heat that had nothing to do with the water rushed to her cheeks. Even Vex's normally washed complexion flushed with faint scarlet.

She arched her back, and their breasts swelled slightly with the pressure. Veria sighed as Vex's palms slid down her waist under the water. Vex's left knee tucked under Veria's right thigh, and she rested her right leg on top of Veria's right.
Veria's fingers dug into Vex's back. At Vex's movement, she arched backward with a heavy sigh. The water of the pool felt like it was getting hotter against her skin. As the steam rose she closed her eyes and let it cloud her mind.

When they finally found their way southward into the Rift, the sun was edging towards the horizon. Sunset was a few hours off still, and there was no doubt they'd arrive in Riften before nightfall. They rode together in silence, their mounts trotting at a brisk pace. Up ahead, Veria could see Shor's Stone, a tiny mining hamlet, peeking around the edge of the mountain. They'd reach it within the hour. A little bored, Veria reviewed the last few hours in her head.

"One time thing, understand?" Vex had said sternly when they were pulling their clothes on back at the spring. She was almost defensive. "And not a word to anyone, got it?"
"I don't know what you're referring to," Veria said flatly, mounting her horse.
"That's right."

And that was that. They continued on like nothing had happened, and Veria didn't mind it in the least. It was the first time she had let someone touch her like that in ages, and the first time with another woman. She like Vex, of course, but she felt no more fondness for her than that of a business partner. She was a fellow thief, nothing more. Their exchange in the hot springs was nothing more than a sort of business transaction. A token. It reminded Veria briefly of her girlhood in Windhelm, quietly seducing weak-willed men for sport. She was young and stupid then, and they weren't the best of her years. It was a time she'd sooner forget.

The men of Shor's Stone didn't pay them any mind as they passed through. Veria glanced around and saw them busy with chunks of unrefined iron from Redbelly Mine. They were all far more concerned with work than two travelers, so Veria and Vex passed through without a word to anyone.
When they finally secured their horses in the stable and wandered their way to the Riften graveyard, the sun was beginning to set. After making sure no one was watching, they slipped into a secret entrance hidden under a tomb. In the darkness they descended until finally emerging into the Cistern.

"There you are." Mercer appeared with arms crossed. He was not welcoming. "You two took long enough. Take a detour, did you?"
Vex began unwrapping the dagger case saying, "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Mercer. Here, we have it." Vex pushed the small case into Mercer's hands. He lifted the cover to confirm its contents. Upon laying eyes on the glimmering object, he neither smiled nor showed any sign of gratitude or pride. He simply closed the lid and said flatly, "Very good. I'd expect nothing less from you, Vex."

"Don't thank me," she jabbed a thumb towards Veria. "The heist would've burned if it hadn't been for our new recruit here."
Mercer raised a skeptical brow and peered at Veria. She glanced towards Vex but kept her surprise concealed. Vex continued, "I hate to admit it but..." she sighed, "Credit where credit is due. Wraith made the whole thing possible."
"Hmph." Mercer tucked the case under his arm and said, "Perhaps you weren't such a waste of time after all...Wraith. " He turned and headed for the vault, leaving Vex and Veria standing alone near the edge of the reservoir.

"Vex."
"What?" She placed her hands on her hips and turned towards Veria. She looked as cold as ever. Her words to Mercer had been an exaggeration, that much was obvious, and Veria wasn't about to insult her with grateful words. So she said, "I'm told you can get me some extra jobs."
Unsmiling, Vex replied, "Let me take a nap first. Talk to me in a few hours and I might have something up your alley."
Veria nodded and let Vex walk off alone.