Well, hello again. I had three chapters edited all at once, so I figured, hey, I'll post up two chapters this weekend (the next won't come until I've updated Heart of the Hero, but that might be subject to change). So, this chapter actually begins with Stolen Hearts quest content. While yes, this does rely heavily on dialogue from the quest (though parts have been changed to make things flow better and get rid of some unneeded information), a story is more than just the conversations (and yes, I wrote down all that was said while doing the quests). There are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that we miss out in the game, and I've tried to bring that into this story. I have found that my 'formula' for these is two in game quests, then my own ideas. So, naturally, for Arianna the two quests are Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.

Some months earlier…

Fall had fallen over Misthalin. A crisp chill hung in the air, cool enough for a light cloak to be worn in the early evenings. Leaves had begun to change color and fall, giving the landscape a beautiful array of colors.

But in Draynor, the lack of leaves left the trees looking dead, giving the village an eerie feel, eerier than usual.

Leaves crunched under Arianna's footsteps. She traveled to Draynor with no heist in mind. From what she understood, there wasn't much to be had in the village, and she dared not go to Draynor Manor after hearing the rumors and horror stories about the place.

She figured she'd check the village out for a short while before heading on to Falador. This would be a short trip.

She passed under a sign that spanned across the path. 'Draynor' was painted in a deep red paint across long wooden planks. The painter was less than careful when the sign was created, paint had dripped from the letters, like droplets of blood perpetually stuck sliding down the face of the sign.

She shivered. She heard too many vampire stories about this place.

A rough, wooden fence ran along the left side of the road, separating her and others of the village from a large field of wheat. She watched as farmers set up equipment, readying for an approaching harvest.

The fence also acted as a perch for a countless number of crows. As she came to a small bend in the road, a small murder of crows looked to her, and cawed at her angrily before taking off. They joined the others in the trees and skies around the village.

She took the first path that split off into Draynor. It seemed that this end was mainly residential, with small houses built close together. None of the houses stood out from others as if the owner had any kind of money.

Just as she passed the first house, she heard movement down the alley to her right. Her left hand came to rest on one of the daggers strapped to her belt. With the stories about this village, this place had her on edge.

"Psst," she heard from the alley. "Hey, buddy, over here."

She turned and saw a man standing at the end of the alley. He stood in the shadows, which obscured her view of him. But she could tell this man was fit and if it came down to defending herself it would be a challenge.

And yet, she decided to take her chances and approach him. 'Besides,' she thought to herself. 'He has no idea I'm ready for him if he tries something.'

She strode over to the alleyway. "Me?" she asked, even though the street was sparsely populated.

"Yeah, you. I know you, don't I?" he said, looking her over.

"Um…" she said, certain she had never met this man before. "I don't know…"

"Hm, I'm sure it'll come to me. Never mind for now; my name's Ozan," he said, stepping out from the alleyway some.

Now she knew she had never met him before. She knew who Ozan was, many did. He was a very well-known thief and heartthrob. And now that she had met him, she could understand the latter one.

Ozan was a very handsome man. His skin was sun darkened, much like the others from his home of Al Kharid. His eyes were a deep, rich brown, very warm and welcoming. There seemed to always be a small smile on his face, and she was sure that when he gave a real smile it was gorgeous. And his hair looked- but she suddenly realized her was looking at her, waiting for her to return with her name.

"Uh, I'm Arianna Wylde," she said.

He flashed her a smile, and just as she suspected, gorgeous. "Arianna," he repeated, rolling the r some. "That's got a very nice ring to it."

She couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Well, I'm glad that you stopped by. I've got a bit of a situation here and I could use some help," he said.

"Oh," she said. "Uh, I'm sorry, Ozan, but I don't think I can really help out-"

"Please, listen," he said, cutting her off. "An old friend of mine- Khnum's his name- seems to have fallen in with a new gang setting up shop here in Draynor. When I saw him, he was acting all shifty, wouldn't talk to me about it. I think he's in over his head. So, I need someone on the inside. I'm a bit too well known."

"I'm sorry, Ozan," she said again. "But I'm not really the 'helping' type."

"You're a thief, right?" he said suddenly.

"I…uh," she said, surprised by his sudden question.

He gave her another one of those smiles. "From one thief to another, help me out and I'll owe you. Adventures with me tend to be a bit…unpredictable, but I'm sure we'll have a few laughs along the way. What do you say?"

She thought about it. Having Ozan, what with his reputation, owe her could be huge, and a very valuable tool to have. After a few moments of consideration she nodded. "Alright, I'll help you out, but I'll hold you to owing me."

Ozan smiled widely, hearing her decision. "Great! Right now, Khnum is holed up in a cellar of this house." He nodded to the building to his right. "Knock on the trapdoor, pose as a thug and try to get yourself recruited, then see what you can find out about Khnum."

"Wait just a moment," she said. "If I'm going to do this, tell me more about this 'Khnum'."

He sighed, but said, "I knew him when I was growing up in Al Kharid. He was a palace guard and I was a petty thief, but we were good friends. That is until I had to, er, leave…then we lost touch. I've no idea how he went from being a palace guard to joining such a violent gang…but I'd like to help him out of it, like he used to help me. He's a good man at heart."

She watched him as he spoke. He meant every word. She looked to the house she had promised she'd venture into, where this violent gang was said to be. "Tell me about this gang that I'm going to be infiltrating."

"They call themselves the Skulls- relatively new to the game. From what I've heard, they're making a lot of waves, trying to make a name for themselves. They take jobs other more 'reputable' outfits wouldn't touch with their blackjacks. I mean, I've got a bit of a shady past myself, but some of the things these guys do…it's just not right. This cellar they're in is the gang's secret drinking den."

She nodded, taking in everything he said. "Alright, I'll head in there. You'll stay here so I can find you once I have your information, right?"

He nodded. "Right in this alley," he said. "Thank you, Arianna."

She smiled inwardly and went around the front of the house.

It was a typical house, though on the small side, just like every other on the street. She tried the door and was glad to find the door unlocked. At twenty gold a piece, she did not want to risk breaking any of her lockpicks, even to help Ozan. The house was only a single room, and a bare one at that. The only notable feature, other than the few dusty crates, was a trapdoor in the corner of the room.

She took a dagger from her belt, hoping it would make her look more intimidating. She walked over to the trapdoor and knocked on it.

Rap, rap, rap.

She waited, and was about to knock again when a small panel of the door slid away. A pair of eyes peered back at her from the opening.

"Wot d'ya want?" came a male voice from below. He paused for half a moment, hardly giving Arianna the time to answer and continued, "Come on, I dun have all day!"

"Uh," she said, put off by this. "Let me in…or I'll…I'll poke out your eyes." She held up her dagger in a mildly threating manner.

The man was quiet for longer than she liked. She desperately hoped that this man didn't want her to carry out on her threat. Moments passed, and just as she began to move, the man nodded. "Yeah, you seem alright. Come on in."

The trap door swung open. The man on the other side sized her up once more. He then stepped aside, seemingly satisfied, and gave her an almost toothless grin. "Welcome to the Skullery."

She sheathed her dagger, and nodded. She stepped onto the stairs, past the man, and descended down into the cellar.

Well, I hope enjoyed this chapter. 'See' you all soon. Cheers.