Kaitlyn

As Kaitlyn held the blade to Jamie's throat, Annie gasped, Leon and Gen had completely straight faces, but Rose and Zeera sniggered, the thought of Kaitlyn murdering Jamie right here to be rather amusing. Kaitlyn however had a grim look on her face.

She pushed him off his horse, to which he replied with a roll, managing to land on his feet. Gen reached to nock an arrow, but when she reached for her quiver, she came back empty handed. Annie charged a fireball, but Rose looked at her and shook her head. Kaitlyn got off and walked into a forest with Jamie

"And you're doing this because?" Jamie began, hoping for an answer in return

As a reply Kaitlyn had a surprisingly soft tone, at least for someone with a dagger to someone's throat and another eleven throwing knives in her belt.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "Why can't I tell anyone else the entirety of our arrangement?"

"You're a thief though, why would you want to tell them? What connections have you formed with them?"

"Heh, Rose and I go pretty far back"

FLASHBACK

The clouds were finally dropping their buckets over Riften. Kaitlyn was running from the drunken men, her dress torn and dripping, a patch of deep, dark crimson on her shoulder.

"Come back here, ya pretty little thing" One of the men said, stumbling towards her, before tripping, nearly bringing the other man down with him. But he was fit, and young. He jumped away and dashed towards her at break neck pace. She ran, and ran, but he caught up to her in what seemed like a moment. Time seemed to slow down. She saw the lazy drops falling down and prepared for what was going to happen when The arrows tip plunged into his neck. When she looked and hoped to see a guard, all she saw was a girl, judging by her armour an archer, walking by calmly an arrow on her back. She pulled up her hood but Kaitlyn saw the smile on her face.

And then everything went black

When she woke, she was sitting in a comfortable bed, lined with feathery pillows, and soft, silky blankets. God where am I, she thought over a splitting headache. She felt the back of her head and felt no lump on the back of her head, and her hand came back void of red. She looked to her side an saw a small mark weeping a few drops of blood.

Poison

The thought flashed across her mind, and with attention drawn to it, she began to feel the dull ache in her side.

Rose walked out the door. "Sorry about that. My name's Rose."

"Kait-"she began before trying to stand and falling back on the bed.

"Just wait, I'm mixing a potion to fix you right up"

Kaitlyn replied with a sigh and allowed herself to sink into the soft pillows. "So what're you doing with such a fine home?"

"Hah, in my line of work, money is made very, very quickly. Especially with skills like mine" rose boasted. Kaitlyn was forced to believe her story. Looking at the aalchemy shelf, it was lined with expensive ingredients, even a jarrin root. Kaitlyn simply waited there on the pillows. When rose was down, she placed a bowl carved with ornate blue roses on kaitlyns lips. The potion was sweet, a little less sweet than honey.

"Thanks. Why does it taste so good?"

"I made it that way, and you're welcome. If I didn't add a certain concentrated honey it would have tasted like the jarrin root you were looking at"

Kaitlyn would have been surprised by how she knew she was looking at the root, especially while focused on her alchemy, but adding up all that had already happened, this didn't seem too huge.

"Um, do you mind if I ask you something?" Kaitlyn asked, a shyness in her voice.

"Ask away dear friend, ask away."

"WHY DID YOU KIDNAP ME" She yelled, loud as her voice would let her shout, which wasn't very impressive since she had been drugged not a few minutes ago.

"Oh, was that wrong? I am ever so sorry" Rose replied, conjoining her fingers to make a 'platform' of sorts.

"Yes, yes it most definitely was"

"Truth is, I am here to be your gateway." Rose replied, now with a tone of seriousness. "You have two options. Your first is join me here, in my job, living in the lap of luxury."

Kaitlyns ears pricked at the sound of that. When she heard the word luxury, she silently shunned herself for stroking one of the soft blankets. "and the second option?"

"Don't join me. As I said I'm your gateway, but you can choose to stay as the little girl, out in the streets, in the rain. You can stay as the girl who gets chased by men. You can stay as that. I can't tell you to do anything. But make your choice"

At the first sound, the choice was obvious.

Luxury

Kaitlyn was a girl of expensive tastes, but little money. Yet she couldn't help but hesitate. This could be dangerous, I could get killed, she thought. But what did she have to lose. Friends? She had none. Parents? Abandoned her years ago. She took Roses hand. "When do we start"

PRESENT TENSE

"So that's how you met Rose."

Kaitlyn lowered her blade "yeah, yeah that's it."

Jamie yawned "And what did this achieve?"

Kaitlyn shrugged as she sheathed her dagger. "No idea"

"Cool" Jamie vanished.

Kaitlyn smiled and walked back to the horses, the same grin on her face as Rose had in the tree above her.

"God she's come so far"