Focus.

Liss crept a little further out on the edge of the roof. It was no problem for her to keep her balance, she had done this so many times before, but still...

Focus!

She crept even closer, and peered her head over the edge. She looked down on the cold, dark street, only illuminated by a few dim lanterns hanging from walls. The cold winter night was harsh, but Liss enjoyed it. This was what she wanted to do. But once again, she felt her cold thoughts melt away.

Focus already, goddamit! What are you doing?

She shook her head and gritted her teeth. Her hands gripped harder on the ledges, and she continued spying down on the four persons below. She could hear them speak through the wailing wind.

"...Hahaha! Yes, I swear, shall we go to the inn and continue?" a bony Imperial laughed. He was thin but dressed in thick clothes, warm clothes. He was wearing a fancy hat.

"Yes, let us indeed." an Imperial woman answered. She was wearing a long skirt and a thick dark coat with wollen linings. She was noticeably younger than the Imperial.

The woman giggled and took the male's hand. They began walking away. Liss smirked. That was the couple she had been ordered to kill. Why, she did not know, it did not mattered. She did the deed, and got the money, and the customer was satisfied. Still, in the back of her head, a picture appeared. She found herself thinking of Valyrios. The young, dark-haired male. He was handsome. Actually, very handsome...

Stop! What are you doing? Get yourself together, Liss!

Liss scorned herself, and swore silently. Why was she thinking about him? Sure, he looked good and he was nice to talk with, and he was a brother in her guild, but still, he was an Imperial...

He is not like them. She thought. And she felt that she was right. After all, Valyrios had fled, just like herself. But she could not develop any closer bonds with him. He was young, but still much older than her.

When she sped across the rooftops of Windhelm, Liss though about it. The couple she was pursuing, the couple she would kill, they weren't the same age, definitely not. Besides, in love, age doesn't matter...

Love? What are you thinking about! You serve the Night Mother and Sithis, you do not have time for love. She told herself. She knew she was right.

She stopped and peered down again. The couple had come to a stop in a narrow alley. They were embracing each other, kissing passionately. Liss watched them for a moment, feeling a warmth gather in her chest. It was a pleasant warmth. She breathed a little faster now, watching the loving couple. They stopped kissing and looked at each other. Liss drew back into the shadows, and began climbing down. It took just a short amount of time to descend, and soon she was watching the couple at a very close distance. Liss' hand went to the sheath at her right. She gripped the handle of her steel dagger and pulled it out. The sound of the steel did not stir the couple, however, who were still kissing.

Liss took a step forward, and now she was out in the light, just a few metres away from the couple. She began walking towards them. The male noticed the assassin and stopped kissing the woman. He looked at her with fear in his eyes.

"What? Wait..no!" he shouted, but before he could run away, Liss had planted her dagger between his shoulders. She pulled it out with a meaty sound and proceeded on to the woman. She was shaking.

"Why are you killing him? He's dead! Why is he dead?!" the woman said, her words shaking. She was crying now, and icy tears were falling from her eyes.

"Sithis wants it." Liss said between gritted teeth. Her hand clenched the dagger. She grabbed the woman by her neck and slit her throat. It was a quick death for her. She noticed the man still squirming a little on the ground, so she put and end to him. Better finish him off rather than giving him enough time to call the guards.

…..

Back in the sanctuary, things were calm. Her brothers and sisters were all out on missions, Liss knew. She had the entire sanctuary to herself. She went down the steps to the main hall and proceeded to the Night Mother's coffin.

"Oh, unholy matron, I have done your bidding. The couple now rests with Sithis in the void." she whispered, kneeling with her eyes closed in front of the big iron coffin.

"You have done well, my child. Rest now." the Night Mother's cold, loving voice replied. Liss smiled to herself. She had served her matron, and some rest would be pleasant. But as she stood up and began walking away, her thoughts again turned to Valyrios. She imagined him kissing her, just like the couple in the alley.

"Is it love I sense?" the voice of the Night Mother whispered again. Liss stopped. She was standing with her back to the coffin, looking down on the rough floor made out of stone and clay and dirt.

"No, mother. I do not know why...but... I have been thinking thoughts..."

"You are growing, dear. Everyone has these thoughts."

"No, you don't understand. They are, how shall I put it.." Liss sighed. "Dirty thoughts..."

"That is indeed what I am talking about, Liss. You are becoming a woman, it's nothing weird about that. Now go, Sithis does not wait. Take your rest."

Liss was struck by many thoughts as she walked away.

"Liss." she heard the Night Mother call again. Liss turned around. "He is rather handsome."

The Night Mother giggled a little, her rough voice sounding through Liss' head. She smiled a little and shook her head. Walking up the stairs to her bedroom, thoughts crowded her head. Could the Night Mother be right about Liss becoming a woman? Of course she were. Liss had been expecting this. Sighing, she undressed. She took off her uniform and threw it over a chair. She took off her underwear as well, and stood in front of her mirror. She looked at her body. Looked at her curves. She was pale, as she had always been. She had a few freckles over her nose. She let her long hay-colored hair fall over her shoulders. She did see a few changes, she was growing, and not only in length, her chest as well. She thought about what the Night Mother had said. She yawned and laid down in her bead. She pulled the thick fur blanket over her naked body and went asleep after laying thinking for awhile.

When she woke up, she checked the hourglass. She had been sleeping for about an hour. It had been a good nap, and she found herself well rested. She was humming a song when she got dressed again. She put her hair up in a ponytail and walked down the stairs into the main hall. She saw a familiar figure sitting by the table reading. It was Valyrios. Liss blushed a little before she went down. She swore silently over how childish she was, and descended the stairs.

"Hello, Liss!" Valyrios said, looking up from his book. "Have you read this? It's a really good book."

He held up the black-blue book so Liss could see it.

"Thief." she read. "Thief.." she let the words dance on her tongue a little.

"How did the contract go?" the Imperial said with a smile. Liss immediately thought of the couple kissing.

"It went well. As usual. I took great pleasure in condemning their souls to Sithis. How did you do, by the way?"

"Oh, it went well." Valyrios said with another of his warm smiles. "It was harder than I thought to kill another person.."

Liss sighed silently and rolled her eyes, almost unnoticeably. He might be handsome, she thought, but he is still inexperienced in killing.

"...but I got it done. It felt odd, refreshing, in a way, if you understand what I mean."

"I do." Liss said. She knew exactly what he meant, the unexplainable feeling of killing someone. "It is a refreshing experience."

Valyrios put down his book.

"Liss, would you like something to drink? Some mead, maybe?" Valyrios asked.

"Yes please, that would be nice." Liss tried her best at smiling. She thought it went quite well.

"I'll be back in a moment." Valyrios returned her smile.

Liss followed Valyrios with her eyes as he went out of the room and into the kitchens. When he dissapeared, she sighed and put her face in her hands. What was she doing? What was going on? Why was she feeling so weird? She didn't have time to answer her questions, for Valyrios returned shortly with two tankards and a decanter of mead. He was also carrying a loaf of bread, and he was struggling to keep hold of it all, so Liss stood up and hurried over to him.

"Here, I'll help you," she said, and reached out to help him. But Valyrios somehow managed to trip on a loose rock in the floor, and he fell forwards. He fell into Liss, and soon she found herself lying under Valyrios, the decanter crashed down close to them and showered them with mead. Their bodies were close now, and Liss could feel the young Imperial breathing heavily. She looked into his eyes, a weird tingling sensation growing inside her. They were so close to each other, Liss could have reached up and kissed him if she had wanted to. Valyrios shook his head and looked up.

"I..I am.. Terribly sorry, my lady, excuse my foolishness..." Valyrios grabbed a nearby cloth.

"Let me dry your face, Liss." he said softly and Liss couldn't help but let him. He ran the cloth over her cheeks and her forehead with soft, careful movements.

"I..." Liss stammered. She could feel her cheeks reddening. "I've got another contract... so... well.."

She smiled awkwardly at Valyrios and hurried away, blushing uncontrollably, a feeling of warmth surging through her body.