This next part gave me some trouble, so it was a while to get it out. Hope you enjoy it.

The Stranger nudged Sharah awake. "It's done."

Sharah rubbed sleep from her eyes and got up to take a look. With the two documents in her hand, Sharah couldn't tell the difference as far as the script. But the order of names was changed. Hieronymus's name was now at the top of the list, with the Commander's personal recommendation.

Sharah read through everything carefully, just to be certain. "Are you sure this will convince her?"

The Stranger huffed. "Of course. I know Millo…I know noble folk. And I know what I'm doing."

Sharah nodded. "I just have to be sure. Thank you." When she folded the letter up and made to tuck it away, he coughed pointedly. "Oh, right. My apologies."

Sharah went to her gold chest, and opened the lid to reveal a section of the chest filled high with gold coins. She reached in and picked out pieces to the equivalent of five hundred septims. Now was not the time to be skimping. She handed him the heavy sack of coin. "Here you are. Five hundred gold for your services." The Stranger took the amount but his eyes strayed to the chest. Sharah nudged it closed with her foot. "Like I said, I don't need to steal. You may rest here if you would like. My home is at your disposal."

Sharah took a look out her mostly blocked window. It was light outside, but early daylight. She couldn't afford to make a run on the Imperial Commander's office under a bright Magus. That meant a day spent waiting. Waiting for her second real heist. Robbing Lazare Milvan's house had been for fun and personal satisfaction. This time, her theft would be for a far more serious reason. And the consequences would be dire if she was caught…She could not be caught. If she was even seen…

She went riffling through her drawers until she came across a scrap of black cloth. She cut two slits and set the cloth over her face. It would do. And just as a precaution. Sharah had no intention of being seen tonight. She stuffed the cloth into her pack and collected a set of dark clothing, tucking all of it at the bottom of her bag and piling her usual travel gear on top. She'd be seen leaving the city today. Before the heist occurred. It would provide her an alibi if it was ever needed. Again, just as a precaution.

The Stranger watched her prepare to depart. "You're just going to leave me here in your house? Alone?"

Sharah tossed the pack on her back. "You've been up all night. Certainly you deserve the rest." She caught him looking at her chest of gold. "Oh. That. You're bound by Guild rules as much as anyone. Or is there some other reason I should be suspicious of you?"

Without waiting for a response, Sharah headed out the door. She had gold caches stored all over Cyrodiil. If he took another few handfuls, she wouldn't be affected to greatly. Besides, gold was less important than the task she now faced. Stealing into the Legion Compound for the sake of a Captain's career. She had to focus.

XXX

Wear shadows in the dark of night

to hide your form from others' sight.

Even wanting to keep Umbra close, she couldn't afford to carry anything more than absolutely necessary. She had to be light on her feet if this turned into a chase. She left her horse and supplies in the Ayleid ruins across the water from the Legion Compound. Then she waited until after dark and slipped into the water.

Windows to doors, walls to floors,

A thief must make their own path

The Imperial Prison wall was daunting. But the front door was out of the question. One entrance, well lit, always guarded…not likely. Sharah tugged the knot of her cloth face mask tighter before pulling out two arrows of Dwemer make and digging them between the stones into the wall's mortar. It took all the upper body strength she had and every inkling of focus she could muster but one after another, one stubborn movement at a time, Sharah drove the arrow points into the wall and pulled herself up. The ground beneath her moved steadily away, and foot by foot, Sharah climbed the sheer wall. She would not look down, nor up. Only focus on the next foothold, the next placement of her arrows, the next inch to be traveled up.

Wary, wary, ear and eye

Wary, wary, listen, watch

Wary, wary, all are your enemy

It was impossible to tell how long the climb took. But, at last, Sharah saw the top of the wall above her. And the most impressive, not a sound of difficulty had passed her lips during the entire climb. She'd been too focused even to acknowledge her screaming muscles. And didn't dare think about the climb back down. It would be the same: driven by straight will and stubbornness.

Near the top, her mouth opened and she recited a spell she'd learned in Leyawiin. It was spoken so softly that the sound was carried away on the wind, but the magic itself coalesced behind her eyes and provided Sharah temporarily enchanted vision. No guards within sight. No life forces anywhere beyond or upon the wall she'd scaled.

Sharah pulled herself the last two feet and hauled herself up over the wall. Her entire body sighed at the reprieve. But there was no time for rest. She had to get inside properly and find that office. At least the Thieves Guild was good for something. Someone, sometime, somehow had slipped a parchment into her pack. Sharah had found it while preparing for her heist in that Ayleid ruin: a layout of the prison. Sharah couldn't ask who, but she owed them something fierce. She'd started out with a plan but the holes in her plan were coming to light now that she was actually on the job. Sharah really should have taken more time to prepare. A note for the future. But now, the job.

See the soles upon your feet? They tread not upon the ground.

See the fingers upon your hand? They touch not what you lay them upon.

She followed the rooftops. How fortunate that facility layouts were mapped as though from the sky. It meant she could find the Commander's office without ever setting foot in the building. Sharah came to the edge of the roof and slowly lowered herself over the edge and found hand and footholds upon the wall. Her dark clothing was masked in the shadows of the night cast by the buildings. She edged slowly toward the window and, after casting another spell to Detect any life forces, opened the window's latch and slipped inside the empty office.

The desk was easy to pick out, the seal in the upper drawer with a lock that was no match for the Skeleton Key of Nocturnal. Sharah used the Commander's source of wax and heated it with a light fire spell, all the time with her heart pounding in her throat and ears. It was a miracle the entire compound didn't hear the thing. The casting of the spell forced her to focus. She tried to duplicate the seal on the original document. The amount of wax and, finally, the care of imprinting the Legion seal upon the document.

Sharah waited only long enough for the wax to cool and harden. Then she replaced everything, bid the Skeleton Key reengage the lock, slipped the document securely within her shirt and left through the window again. She retraced her steps: closing the window, wiggling the latch back into place, scaling the wall back to the roof, the roof back to the great facility wall. Up over the edge, down the outside, one closely focused arrow placement after another. She reached the ground and moved with all speed down to the lake, over the lake to the ruin, into the ruin to her horse, exchanged thief garb for that of a warrior. Then upon her horse and out onto the road toward Anvil.

She'd done it. She'd really done it. Sharah hadn't taken a proper breath the entire time and now…she had done it! She'd snuck into a heavily guarded facility, stolen the mark of the Legion and, as far as she knew, gotten away with it. Sharah smiled…then grinned…then laughed out loud. She shouldn't feel such a sense of accomplishment for this. But, while she'd been in the Thieves Guild for a couple years, while she'd stolen things and worked with the thieves she knew, only now could Sharah truly say this to herself, 'I am a thief.'

A true thief never comes and never goes,

A true thief was never there at all,

A true thief does not exist,

Because the Shadow hides you.

XXX

"I have a document to deliver to Countess Millona Umbranox," Sharah told the steward. She'd been stopped outside the audience chamber where the castle steward now questioned her. This was Dairihill. The one who was intent on getting her cousin the job that Sharah now sought for Hieronymus. The next obstacle in Sharah's path now that she'd made the long ride from the capital.

"And what document might that be?" the Bosmer asked.

"The list of candidates that the Countess requested of the Commander of the Imperial Legion for her new Captain of the Guard. I have the list and am here to deliver it to Countess Umbranox."

The Bosmer replied, "Ah, yes. We have been expecting that. Well, if you would just give that to me, I'll see to it that she gets it." The steward held out her hand expectantly.

Sharah didn't budge an inch, and certainly did not produce the document in question. "I have been instructed to deliver this directly into the Countess's hand. I cannot give it to you."

The woman winced, then scowled. "Do you know who I am? I am the Countess's steward. She has given me the power and authority to handle the matters of the county. And certainly to take in the mail. Now give me your letter."

"You may be the steward but this document is sensitive. And both the sender and the recipient supersede your position. This goes to the Countess and the Countess alone." There was no way Dairihill was getting in the way of this. Sharah had already put too much work into it.

Before the steward could make a physical attempt to gain the letter, Sharah side stepped around her and strode quickly into the audience chamber of castle Anvil. The Countess was holding court, looking through some document on her throne at the chamber's end and looked up at Sharah's entrance. Dairihill hustled in after her, but couldn't actually force Sharah to exit without causing a scene.

When Sharah drew near, the Countess asked, "Greetings. Welcome to Anvil. Who might you be?"

Dairihill spoke up, having finally caught up with Sharah, saying, "Just a courier, my Lady. With your permission, I would take care of this."

Sharah ignored the woman. "I am here to deliver your Guard Captain recommendation from Commander Phillida in the Imperial City. I apologize for the interruption, my lady. But my instructions were to deliver this document to your hand alone." Just beside and behind her, Sharah could hear Dairihill steaming in her gold stitched shoes.

The Countess frowned. "Hm, these missives are normally handled by my steward. However, as you are here," and she set her document aside and extended a hand.

Sharah climbed the stair, drawing the sealed envelope from within her cuirass and placed it into the waiting palm, then stepped away. She tried not to wince when the Countess spared the seal only a brief glance before popping the thing open and pulling out the forged list. It's not like the noble could know how much work Sharah had put into getting it to look so official.

Countess Umbranox scanned the list. "…Hieronymus Lex looks like the best choice. And with the Commander's personal recommendation. Certainly there could be no one better. Remain where you are, courier. I will have you return with the reassignment orders. Dairihill, would you bring them to me, please?"

The Bosmer marched off, still seething, and returned with papers in hand. No matter what she'd wanted for her cousin, there was no way she would defy the Countess herself. Countess Umbranox filled in the forms with the appropriate names, signed and sealed the envelope and presented it to Sharah. "Deliver these to Captain Hieronymus Lex. I shall expect him to arrive promptly."

Sharah bowed, "Yes, my lady," and turned to leave the audience chamber.

Another swell of accomplishment in her chest. She had the orders. All that work and it was coming to exactly where she'd aimed it. All that was left was for Lex to receive these orders and it would be done. She would have saved the Thieves Guild a whole lot of trouble, and Lex a ruined career. She was so close. Just a few more steps to the finish.

"You! Stop!"

Sharah turned to see that obnoxious Bosmer trotting toward her, her face still screwed up with discontent. "Here," she snapped, throwing a small coin purse at Sharah's chest. "The Countess insists I tip you for your work."

Sharah smiled pleasantly, hefting the bag and counting the coins by weight and feel. "Thank you. She is most generous."

The steward Dairihill scowled. "Next time you come to this castle, think twice before pulling that kind of stunt. I don't care what orders you get, you keep in mind who holds the power in this castle."

"The Countess?" Sharah asked, feigning a simpleton's smile just to see the Bosmer's face get even more heated. It was actually kind of fun watching her cheeks go through all those different shades of red.

"I control any in's and out's here. I'm the one who dispenses policy." She jabbed a finger into Sharah's chest. "You just remember that the next time you come here. I don't care what the Countess says. If I see you again, I'll—"

Sharah heard the threat building. But before it could be voiced, however, Sharah grabbed the finger that the woman had been stabbing into Sharah's cuirass and twisted it sideways drawing a surprised yelp from the woman, Dairihill. "Why you insolent—"

Another twist and yelp cut her off. Sharah kept her grip firm, making clear she could break the finger at a moment's notice, but discrete so that casual passer's by wouldn't see the potential for damage.

"It is not wise to threaten someone whose capabilities you aren't fully aware of. Stop trying to convince yourself you're still on top of things here. You tried to manipulate things so they'd go your way. But you failed. You've lost this one. And your cousin will just have to find work on his own."

Dairihill stopped struggling and her eyes widened a little. "How did you…?"

Sharah leaned in. "Walls have ears, Dairihill. And I am a very good listener. So I suggest you take the loss and move on. Before you hurt yourself."

She let go of the steward's finger and moved swiftly to the castle's front door. She shouldn't have threatened the steward. But it had been even more enjoyable than watching the color spectrum of her cheeks. Hopefully worth whatever trouble she'd cultivated from that last exchange.

Sharah thought it better that she not actually deliver the orders herself. Now that she'd actually gone through all this trouble, it felt worth it to her not to let Lex know who'd been involved with his reassignment. The convenience of it all would doubtless occur to him. And now that Sharah could actually consider herself a thief, she wanted to keep it to herself.

At the courier outpost, Sharah passed the Countess's orders, oddly enough, to the very courier she'd stolen them from in Weye. Apparently, even with her heist at the Legion compound, she'd still managed to get to Anvil ahead of him. The seal got his attention and he assured her it would be delivered to the Captain post-haste. But hopefully with more care than he'd carried the original list of candidates. Even if there was no one actually aiming to steal his burden this time.

So it was done. Attaining the final goal was only a matter of time. But Sharah had to be certain. She didn't want to approach the Captain before he'd received and accepted the orders. Perhaps she would just wait here. Be sure he showed up. The orders were official. And, being a loyal soldier in the Legion, Captain Lex wouldn't refuse them. Even if they did take him far from his quarry, he'd be bound by his own sense of honor to obey. So Sharah would wait here. She'd wait in Anvil, just until he showed up. Then, back to her Fighters' lifestyle.

Whatever she'd done as a thief, however exhilarating it had been to creep within shadows, she was a Fighter. She felt right with a weapon in hand. And she was Fighters Guild, through and through. No amount of thieving would change that.

Now…she just had to find something to do while she waited on Lex.

And there it is. We're just about finished with this story. A couple more chapters to go. Leave a review on your way out.