Gallus managed to carry me all the way back to the Thieves' Guild graveyard entrance.

"You're on your own now," Gallus grumbled with the effort it took to gently put me on my feet. I stumbled around before regaining my balance and pressing the button to open the floor. The open floor revealed a wooden hatch that led to the main room of the sewer. Gallus and Mercer beckoned for me to descend first. I turned around as I gingerly tested each creaky rung of the ladder before going any further.

"I'm done!" I shouted up the ladder.

"Okay," Mercer's gruff voice replied.

Mercer quickly ran down the ladder, skipping steps and twirling giddily despite the horrible creaking sounds the ladder was responding with. Gallus then followed with the same fancy tricks and skips that Mercer had performed just seconds earlier. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Welcome to the Thieves Guild, Karliah," Mercer chuckled with playfulness. Gallus laughed appreciatively, then beckoned for me to follow him to a rickety old bed with a straw mattress infested with vermin.

"This is yours," Gallus said with a depressed grumble. He continued, "It was the only one left. I hope you understand…" He trailed off. I was already jumping up the ladder to construct something better to sleep on.

"Wait! Karliah!" Gallus called. His voice sounded muffled and far away once I was outside of the sewers. In front of the Talos statue near the Guild's secret entrance there were innumerable blades of grass waiting to be shoved into a new mattress filling. They waved in the breeze gently in a shade of brilliant green despite the browning leaves on Riften's autumn trees. I almost felt bad sawing them away with my dagger and shoving them into my knapsack. After I smelt like the Empire's finest gardener and was filled to the brim with blades of fragrant grass, I stepped onto the docks of Riften in hopes of earning some "free" sheets.

After about an hour of aimlessly wandering throughout the residential docks of Riften, I decided upon my target. I was going to rob Honorhall Orphanage. Okay, maybe I should have had more of a moral dilemma than I did at that moment. But, I felt no remorse as I tapped open the unlocked door in broad daylight.

I heard a gaggle of roistering children running amok as I stepped into their dining hall. After craning my neck to see the sleeping quarters, I was pleased to see racks upon racks of children's clothing. "Perfect!" I thought. I turned into the room containing the whirlwind of children and saw an old hag ordering them around and spanking them when they talked back or whined.

"But Cylandra!"

"Come on! We never get to go outside!"

"I used to think Wood Elves were nice!"

"Yeah, Cylandra! You're a Wood Elf!"

"Ugh! I hate you!" Cried the rambunctious children.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe!" The startled caretaker cried.

I bent down next to one of the children and kindly cooed, "Hello, dearie! Is Mistress Cylandra mistreating you?"

"Yes!" They whispered with no hesitation. I hesitated before asking my next question.

"Um… How would you feel if she was gone… Forever?" I questioned tentatively.

"Oh! That would be great. We were going to perform the Black Sacrament tonight!" The kid squealed in excitement.

"Shhh!" I whispered urgently. "First of all, it's probably not a good idea to perform the black sacrament. Second of all, don't tell anybody what I'm about to do. Third, I'll be back to save you soon," I muttered.

Then, I sprung up and swiftly placed a deadly poison in her pocket. She fell to the floor silently, and I hid her behind the cupboard.

"The deed has been done," I announced to the kids. They cheered with giddiness and thanked me profusely. "Quiet down!" I continued, "But in return, I have a simple request. Can I borrow some of your extra clothes?" I waited for my motives to be questioned, but the kids instead handed over a heap of tattered clothes. Now I could fix my sheets and quilt. I turned to leave before I remembered.

"Who's gonna take care of you now?" I inquired. A girl who looked to be sixteen Nord years or so stepped forward.

"I already take care of them when Cylandra is… Or was… Too busy. So I'll do it now," she muttered.

"You're so sweet. What's your name?"

"Grelod."

"Well we should call you Grelod the Kind!" I said with a chuckle.

"Come back to see us!" The kids chorussed.

I never came back to see them.