A/N: Argh, no time anymore for writing X.x Prove yourself a dependable worker, and they take all your time away *gripes* Anyways. Squee! Reviews! Ya made my day. And, yeah, I know, same old stuff with the beginning of the damn Main Quest, but *shrug*. I absolutely adore the DB quests, they're so fun! But for this character, I didn't want to have her a part of the DB… at least not yet .; And I always love killing old Valen. Ass. *cough* Character development! Yes! Um, I do try to show the characters personality, always try to make them grow and change, so, yeah. I love Skye's character, anyways, she was fun to make up. Always imagine her with an English accent, dunno why, but that's just me.

Anyways. Story. It's up, here ya go, have fun. Read. Review. Enjoy

Fate

Detour

I blinked against the bright sun, my eyes adjusting as I stepped from the shack. Keirinir was standing there, waiting for me, and as I squinted around the Waterfront, he tossed me a sack. I heard the chink of glass, and when I peeked inside, I saw glass vials.

"Invisibility. A couple Health, I think," he told me. I nodded, knowing they'd been left by Issa. I turned my gaze to him, able to make out the brown waves of his hair, and the green glinting in his bemused eyes. He was studying me, I realized, mouth wry and smirking, an eyebrow raised. I turned to better face him.

"Like what you see?" I asked saucily. I saw desire smolder for a moment in his eyes and his smirk grew. I smacked his arm. "Job to do first, right?" I teased.

"Yes. And rewards after," he answered, both of us knowing exactly what he meant. I laughed and dropped a couple wine bottles into the pack. He furrowed his brow. "Since when do you drink on a regular basis?" he asked.

"Never. But jailors do. Just in case something goes wrong," I replied before putting the sack into my bag, along with a few other items I thought I might need. I walked off, purposely swaying my hips. A pause followed, and then he was quickly at my side, if perhaps slightly behind to keep watching. As we moved through the City, we caught a few stares, some of disgust, some of confusion. I was used to it whenever I was seen with Keirinir in public; an Imperial and a Bosmer, an impossibility. Especially since there were some that saw Wood Elves as little better than the beast people, or animals. But I didn't really care; my relationship with Kei was my business, and I had fun with it. Which was more than I knew most people in this City could say about their marriages. It was why I kept such a lucrative job going in the taverns, keeping unhappy married men satisfied, if only for a night and broke in the morning.

I paused along the path to the prison district, and made a turn towards Thoronir; I still had some things to sell him. Without looking, I knew Keirinir was scowling. He didn't like the cheerful Mer, but I almost always used him to sell random goods to. I paused outside the shop and let loose my hair. "Stay here, Kei," I ordered. He grabbed my arm, turning me towards him to give me a glare.

"And why should I?" he asked. I smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek.

"Because you scare him when you're inside, and I don't need my best buyer to drop dead out of fear. I won't be in long enough to do anything. Couple minutes, I promise," I told him, pulling away. He mumbled under his breath.

"S'all it takes for some guys," and I laughed as I entered the building. Thoronir was behind his counter as always, and as always, he smiled brightly when he saw me. I sashayed over to him and leaned over the counter, giving him my most charming smile.

"Ah! My best customer! What can I do for you today, Skye?" he asked.

"I acquired some things I was wondering if you could help me out with. A few jewels and a short sword, to be exact," I told him. He eyed me warily, the cheerfulness fading just a little.

"You didn't steal them, did you, Skye? I'm trying to go legit here, you know…" he cautioned.

"Well, given that it was me that found out where your merchandise came from, yes, I do know. Hence, Thoronir, you kinda owe me, whether or not I stole them," I reminded him, tracing the grains in the wood counter.

"Ah, but, Skye, if it's stolen, I can't sell it again. I wanna help you, you did so much for me, especially not going to the Guards, but… but…" he seemed at a loss for words and I turned the smile to a more soothing one.

"Don't worry, Thoronir, I didn't steal these. Swear to Azura I didn't. But I do need to get rid of them; the sword'll wear me down, and the gems are too tempting a target for a thief," I told him. He visibly relaxed.

"Well, in that case, then! Let me see, I can give you… 15 Septims for the sapphire, but only 7 for the two flawed pearls. And, that sword's a bit rusty, so I'd say… 25, no more," he offered. I widened my eyes and pretended to gasp.

"But that's not nearly enough for the trip I'm about to make, Thoronir! And I know that I could get at least 40 Septims from Rohssan for the sword; it can be polished nicely, and it has such history to it…" I lied; Rohssan wouldn't give me much more than Thoronir was, but the thought of a customer going to someone else was always abhorrent to a merchant.

"Well, maybe I could go up to 30 Septims, but really, Skye, it would do me terribly when I try to sell it. No profit!" he shook his head. "No, 30."

"I wouldn't have thought one would sell an old Guard's sword for less than 40; the history behind it, Thoronir, and that it's a good, solid weapon…" I pouted.

"Skye… Is it really? How'd you come by it, then?" he asked, seeming a little wary again. I smile reassuringly.

"Easily enough, when the Guard was drunk and I was willing to spend some time celebrating his promotion with him, Thoronir. He got a new sword to replace this one. 35, to fund my trip?" I asked, smiling sweetly. He looked determined for a moment, then caved, nodding.

"Sure, alright, Skye. 35 Septims."

"Thank you, dear friend. Now, about that sapphire…"

~*~

When I was through with Thoronir, I left the shop with 66 Septims; I'd known better than to try and get the pearls at a better price, they truly were trash. But I'd gotten him to go up on the price of the sapphire. I would have had a handful more coins, but he'd brought out a blue silk shirt and skirt he'd 'just gotten' and I'd fallen in love with it, although not enough to pay full price for it, of course.

Keirinir was glowering as I left the shop; I'd taken a little longer than I'd said. I smiled at him. "Got my gold, got a new skirt out of the deal, let's go," I said brightly. He snorted and shook his head. Really, this mild jealousy didn't suit him, and I wondered where it had come from. Normally he was more distanced. Hm.

I led him out of the City and to where I'd escaped the prison. He eyed our surroundings, the Ayleid ruins, the lake, the grate entering the sewer. I was pulling my hair back again when he suddenly turned and kissed me. I was pleasantly surprised, especially when he wound his arms around me. When he pulled back, it took me a couple of breathless moments to realize that the colors of the world had changed into a scheme of blues. I blinked several times.

"You'll need to see in there; I can't risk you getting us caught," he answered my unspoken question, gesturing to my chest. I looked down, and surely enough, there was a necklace there, gleaming with an enchantment. I cocked a grin.

"You shouldn't have, darling, really," I joked. I reached out and tugged on the gate, only to find it locked. I scowled; it'd only been a day, perhaps a day and a half, and they'd already gone and locked it. I blamed Baurus. Keirinir smirked and produced a key, fitting it into the lock and opening it. "How…?"

"The Dark Brotherhood has it's ways, Skye. Do you remember that spell? Or will you be needing the potions?" he asked.

"I know the spell, I just don't have that much magic. I'll… use the potions when we're close enough to people for my Chameleon spell not to work," I informed him. I could only do a few spells; even with all my free time (ha, like all the bartering, conning, gossiping, and other things I did around the City left me with much time) I didn't get to work on what little Magicka I had. A simple healing spell, a partial Chameleon that only worked well in semi-dark conditions, a spell to boost my charm when I touched a person, if only for a short burst, and a way to unlock very simple locks when I didn't feel like (or couldn't) pull out my lock picks. That was it. I muttered the spell word for my spell, and my form became somewhat transparent. Looking at my own hand, I could see the way the light blurred around the edge of my shape, but in the right light (like the bright sunlight at the moment) I was visible enough to know I was there. Hence why even as I stepped a few paces to the side, he was still able the gauged where my other hand was as he handed me a knife.

"Just in case," he said before crouching and opening the door.

~*~

We snuck past goblins, rats, and mudcrabs that had somehow taken up residence while I'd been drunk before entering the ruins. Along the way, I'd kept up my Chameleon spell; it lasted long enough to regenerate what little Magicka I had, and it was good practice. The potions, I'd use when I actually needed them.

Keirinir was silent, both in manner and words. I could never hear his footfalls, his breath, and not even his armor made any noise, though normal leather did. I was as silent as I could be, but I hadn't quite as much practice as he; again, if it was dark enough, I was safe.

I loved watching him, though. The impassive set of his face, the focused coldness in his eyes as he led us by the monsters. He would twitch his fingers and mouth words to his spells, and would gesture when we needed to stop and wait; he had a Detect Life spell he was fond of, along with his own Chameleon and Night-Eye spell. He didn't use the former just yet, not for goblins and animals.

When we stepped through the door that led to the familiar path through the ruins, he tapped my shoulder and we both backed against the wall. He then used his spell, and I heard the voices belonging to the life signs he'd seen;

"Of course I'm proud to do my duty. But what are we guarding? Cold stone and shadow, that's what," a man said. From the tone and the deepness of the voice, I guessed a Nord.

"I'm not disagreeing with you, believe me. Those assassins got what they wanted," a Redguard replied. They were around the corner, and I bit my lip, turning to where I knew Keirinir was, waiting for instruction. Did he want us to kill the Guards? Or would we wait?

I got my answer when he knelt down and kissed me again, distracting me from the guards. I struggled to stay silent under his assault, and only when I heard that name, Dreth, from the Guards did I go still. Keirinir stopped, and we both waited as they finished talking, the Redguard walking down the hall with a torch, the Nord moving further away. Keirinir moved his mouth to my ear and whispered, his voice almost unheard even this close.

"If I kill or harm the Guards, I lose my bonus. We are to be unseen and unheard until we kill him." I nodded and renewed my spell, and we snuck down the hall. I stopped as candlelight to my right caught my attention. I could see the Nord Guard standing at attention, boredom apparent on his features. But it was through a small chamber, lit by candles, that caught my attention.

A dead body on a table, a body that was not the Emperor, nor the two Blades that had fallen. Without thinking, I crept towards it, and Keirinir paused before following, a curse likely on his lips. We snuck past the Nord and I crawled into the small space into the room the corpse lay in. Another Guard sat at a table and was writing on a piece of paper; I was brave enough, or curious enough, whichever, to sneak close enough to see that they were his notes, and that the corpse was one of the assassins. I felt anger boil inside me as I turned back to the body, then looked around the room. Here, or near here… the Emperor had fallen. How had they cleaned the blood up so well, so quickly? My stomach churned, and I led Keirinir down the passage back on track.

We passed pillars and arches, and only after Keirinir went first and I downed the first potion did we dare go past the Redguard that was standing by a door we needed. He didn't move for a long time, until Keirinir finally reached into a pocket, and tossed a pebble at a faraway pillar. The Guard turned quickly and strode to investigate while we snuck through the door.

We passed another guard, and a table that had coins and a helmet on it (note I said had coins; they didn't remain there long). I smiled as I saw the boarded up hole I remembered the rats having come through, and knew we were close. We crept up through the passage leading to my old cell, and paused as voices again spoke.

"I have to admit, I'm going to miss you, Dreth. The late-night beatings, your pitiful cries for help…" an Imperial Guard spoke.

"Filthy cur! I told you I was going to get out of here! My time is almost up, and there's nothing you can do about it," that annoying Dunmer replied. I wondered if he truly knew how much time he did have left.

"Yeah, well, what's it been? Seven, eight years? We've had a good long run, you and me. I always knew it would end someday."

"Eleven! Eleven years in this rat-infested hole!" was the indignant reply. Hm, that long, I was curious what he'd done. And just who wanted him dead. "But I'm getting out, and you'll still be stuck in here! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Riiight, 'cause the Guard hadn't chosen this profession, and didn't still have the freedom to walk the streets. The Mer truly was insane.

"Oh yeah? And where will you go? Huh? What will you do? You can't survive out there, Dreth. You're an animal. You belong in that cage," the Guard replied. Nope, he deserved to die. Someone wanted it, and going by Keirinir's contract, the Night Mother wanted this death.

"I'll remember that when I'm lying on the beaches of Sumerset Isle with your wife, you Imperial pig!" Dreth snapped. I rolled my eyes; typical insult from the likes of him. I expected the Guard to get angry, but instead, he laughed.

"Right! And you'll be rich, too. Oh, and you'll become a king! You know what I think, Dreth? I think you'll be back. You lot always come back." How true. Look, I was back. But then, I'd be leaving here soon, to. I was starting to get impatient, wanting this over and done.

"You'll see, you Imperial dog! When I get out of here, all of Tamriel will know my name! Valen Dreth! Valen Dreth!" Yeah, he was so insane and definitely arrogant. Annoying. Hence why I wanted him dead, too. Hm, had the Night Mother known that and thus sent Keirinir to the City at the right moment? A possibility, and an interesting one to ponder.

"All right, all right. I'm tempted to let you out right now, if you'll just shut up," the Guard snapped before he finally walked off. We waited for several long moments, and the only sounds were the Mer pacing in his cell. I reached for Keirinir and tapped his bow to let him know that that's what I wanted him to use. He looked at me, our Chameleon spells momentarily worn off, as I whispered.

"I wanna speak with him, if only for a moment. Snipe him when he goes to yell. Preferably in that damn mouth of his." He nodded his consent. In the past, I'd served as distraction or look out or spy for him or R'azi, and normally would let him take the lead. But on this, well, I was a little frustrated, and liked the idea of taking charge in this death.

I used my spell and snuck out of the cell and moved away from them, to the stairs. I crept to the top, then listened. No one nearby that I could hear, so I stood straight and let myself be heard by Dreth as I descended the stairs again. Let him think I'd just arrived. He'd come near the bars by the time I approached, and I put on a cheery mask.

"Hello, Valen Dreth," I greeted. He frowned, then his eyes widened.

"Wait, I know you… You… You're the one! The other day, when the Emperor was killed! They went through your cell! You lucky strumpet! But… you came back? Come on, you've got to help me! Let old Valen out of his cell! You've got your freedom, now give me mine! What do you say, huh? Come on, friend!" he pleaded. Friend? He dared call me friend. I smiled indulgently.

"You'll get your freedom, Valen." His face lit up with hope. Oh, this would be so fun… I tapped my chin, as if in thought. "Now, let's see, what was it you said… Oh, that's right." My smile became cruel. "You're going to die in here," I told him. His face fell, and turned to anger.

"What? You filthy little maggot. When I get out of here, you're dead! You hear me? Dead!" he snarled. I pulled the dagger out and showed it to him.

"The Night Mother says goodbye, Valen," I told him as I shoved the knife through the bars into his ribs. Pain and terror shot through his features.

"The Night Mo… No!" he was about the scream more, likely call for help, when an arrow suddenly thwacked into the back of his mouth, piercing through him and silencing him, finally. The force of the arrow flung him back and he fell, and stayed still. I closed my eyes and smiled, relishing the lovely silence. No more babbling. A sense of peace floated through me, a feeling that I'd felt twice before, on other occasions I'd killed…

Keirinir was behind me, a hand at my back, causing me to open my eyes. There was a glow in his eyes, one of victory and cold bloodlust. We stood in that blessed silence for a few moments, then he whispered to me.

"A Guard's moved closer to our exit, and wasn't moving the entire time. He didn't hear, but getting back through there will be more difficult," he informed me. I stayed quiet as I thought, then smiled and reached into my pack. I pulled out my normal clothes and the wine bottles. He watched with a slight frown as I quickly stripped, then dressed in a crimson skirt, white low cut blouse, and a blue bodice that I purposely left the tie undone on, showing a hint of my breasts. I let loose my hair and shook it out, running my hands through it to add a messy, just-came-from-bed look to it. I picked up the wine bottles and took a sip, smearing the liquid over my lips and then pulled Keirinir in for another kiss, this time short, but hard, to give me that perfect just-kissed look. I bit them for extra affect and pinched my cheeks to get them rosy.

"How do I look?" I asked, adding a practiced giggle.

"Like you just got done playing with the Guards," he admitted, bemused.

"Exactly. Wine, check… Ok. I'll distract the jailor, you sneak out. Don't forget my pack," I said. We went to the door, and he managed to unlock it and opened it just enough for me to slip through. I used my Chameleon spell, then drank an Invisibility Potion quickly before handing him back the bottle, and then walked to the entrance to the jail.

The jailor was, as I expected, sitting at a desk, looking very bored. What I didn't expect was the Guard sitting at a chair nearby, dozing off. Didn't matter; this would still work. I had used the potion to slip by, just in case my spell didn't work, and it wore off as I opened the door, then pretended to be coming in, letting my spell wear off as well. Both looked up as I came in, giggling, eyes bright, lips and cheeks red. I held up the two wine bottles, and purposely swayed as I walked to the desk.

"Hi," I giggled. He jailor opened his mouth, bewildered, and I kept speaking. "The tavern, the other night? We met? I thought, maybe, we could play some…?" I asked, biting my lips and looking as guileless as possible. I was lying through my teeth, but almost all Guards and jailors acted similarly enough that the ruse would almost always work.

"I, ah, but I'm on duty… and how did you…?" Good, he was falling for it.

"So you won't play with me?" I asked with a pout. "The Guards at the Guardhouse were so nice in telling me where to find you…" I said, letting my gaze fall down to my chest, and then blushing. Let his imagination go where it would.

"I'll play with you," the Guard in the chair said as he stood and walked over to stand behind me. I giggled.

"Ooh, but I'd love to play with the both of you… I even brought you this," I purred, leaning across the desk to put the wine bottles on it, allowing a glimpse down my shirt as well as purposely allowing myself to bump into the Guard behind me.

"Well, it's not like the prisons full right now, just Dreth… I got nothing to do…" the jailor said. I smiled happily and stood upright, then turned and sat on the desk to face the Guard.

"So you'll both have fun with me?" I asked. Another practiced giggle. The Guard enthusiastically nodded as both took the bottles in hand and drank deeply from them. So predictable. I saw the door behind the Guard opened enough to let a slim Mer through, and smiled.

Now I just had to wait this out.