-1Chapter 2: Extended Leave

She walked all around City Isle after a change in clothes. She realized that her trip out of the prison had only taken a couple hours, where it had felt like eternity in the dark underground. It was only midday and she had turned her sack shirt into... Well a sack for all her loot. The staff she would keep handy. It was very menacing with it's rotting goblin head. That had to be here favorite part. She HATED goblins and this was one of the few tangible trophies of her victory of the race of monsters that she had. It would be a lovely new staff since her old one was broken in two and in need of repair. Currently it sat in her house in Bravil. Or was it Chorrol? Neither, it was her mansion in Skingard.

Tsamusa walked into the Thieves Guild's headquarters looking very stunning in her black and burgundy dress. It felt good to be clean again. Her large bag of loot flung over her shoulder. She couldn't fit it all in her new dress. "Tsamusa!" It was Fathis Ules, the Dark Elf and life long friend and fence.

"Fathis!" She hugged him and gave him a once over, "How have you been, you old Fence you?!"

"Fine, since my return to the city. Bravil is far to damp and skooma infested for me."

"Oh I know, lovey. It's so good to see you. I'm sorry I wasn't here for your arrival. I was caught you see. Sentenced to thirty days in the pen."

"My! But don't you look lovely for someone just out of jail."

"Yes! I sold all of my legitimate loot in the Market. Not much I assure you. I saved this for you. Fresh from the evidence chest in the Imperial Prison." She dumped it out on the round table. And the old black market merchant's eyes went wide.

"This is amazing." Then he spotted something, "Is that the Royal Silver set-?"

She smack the Goblin Staff between him and the dishes. The rotting head on it's end glared at him with it's remaining eye, her own face darkened. He yelped and jumped back, "That is NOT for sale." Then she smiled, "Everything else is. I need money quickly."

"What you skipping town?"

"Something like that-" There was a clatter. She turned and saw Armand Christophe's face pale. He'd dropped a container of lock picks on the ground at the sight of her. Then suddenly he ran to her and spun her around, "Armand! Put me down, you son of a sea dog!"

"But you've made history, love! It's been forty years since anyone has escaped from the Imperial Prison! I knew you were the best but by the gods I didn't know you'd become legend. I have to tell S'krivva! Man will that get her tail in a knot. You know how that Khajiit can get when it comes to her Tsamusa."

Fathis was watching her, "How much of your sentence did you serve, missy."

She grinned "Two days."

"How did you manage that!?" He was astonished.

"The gods must have been smiling upon me." Fathis was silent, watching her face curiously. It made her uneasy. "What?"

"You've never credited anything to the Nine before... Did you find faith in prison? After only two days?"

"Something like that. There was this man... Well if you want to be specific there were two. This one was a NASTY man, Valen Dreth." Fathis spat on the floor, "Then you know him. He reminded me how terrible the people of this world can be. But..." She looked over at a bottle of cheap wine, a soft expression in her eyes. "There was another, who said there was hope. The world will survive these hard times and it will be filled with light." Fathis was about to ask more when she smiled at him. "Name your price for each item and I will take it. Armand, may I talk with you upstairs?" The doyen stared at her but nodded. She entered the room in the upstairs, where she'd been living for two years now. It wasn't huge but it was very nice. In her base of operations yet private. No one in the guild knew she was herself and the person they believed lived in this room. No one could ever know unless she told them and wanted them to remember. "Armand?" She said as he closed the door behind him.

"What is it? You have asked me up here since..." He turned red and looked toward the bed. She knew what he was thinking but she shook her head.

"I know. I must speak with you about the guild, away from prying ears. Fathis has a loose tongue. I love the man like family but he can't be trusted to keep his mouth shut." She took a deep breath, "I'm leaving in the morning. I have something important I must do."

He was angry now, "Has the Gray Fox told you to-"

"I am the Gray Fox, Armand Christophe." He stared at her. Then blinked, then blinked again and shook his head as if shaking off drowsiness.

"It's as if that's always been on the edge of my mind. But I've been able to finally grasp the thought."

"It's part of the Gray Cowl's power. Only those I tell directly can ever know. I'm telling you now because I need someone to look after this place while I'm gone... And if I don't come back."

"What?!"

"Armand, please-" He suddenly threw his arms around her, and squeezed her tightly.

"Do not go. Stay here and be safe. Can't someone else do it."

"I must, Armand. Something is coming. I don't know what it is. But all of Tamriel may be at stake. I MUST GO."

"What is so important the YOU must go."

"I saw the Emperor die. He gave this quest to me, and me alone. He saw in me the hope of the world. He trusted me without anything to go on but that. No one has ever given me such a chance before. It is a burden. But I will bare it knowing that my world will be safe too." She stepped out of his hug and his arms fell to his side. "I need you to stay and keep my guild from imploding while I'm gone. I will contact a beggar whenever I enter and leave a city. I will return, when and if I can. I don't expect to be able to stay long if I do." She went to the chest at the foot of her bed and revealed the Gray Cowl. "It is here. If you need to address anyone as the Gray Fox. They won't know the difference. Do not try to stop me."

He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth together, "I won't."

"I am not GIVING you my title. I am merely lending it to you while I go play hero."

"You're off to save the world then?" He didn't sound surprised.

"Yes. Anymore questions?"

He shook his head, "I'm still against it but... they better make a statue of you. I wish you'd tell me why you broke it off between us and went roaming for whole a year. Then spend the past three months acting like it never happened." She opened her mouth to speak but he held up his hand to silence her. "But you don't have to tell me."

She never had to elaborate with him. He always took whatever she gave him. "Then let us rejoin Fathis and the others. Tell them to gather for I've brought the finest foods and wines in the land for us to feast upon." He turned reluctantly and trudged out.

She left the next morning in the waning darkness full speed to the northeast.