Riften

The marks were getting wise to him. You can't work the same town for too long, eventually they'll figure out that Barenziah's Own Beauty Tonic has the same effect as the Emperor's Immortality Elixir, they'll both get you drunk enough to think you're beautiful and immortal, but in the morning you'll wish you were dead and find yourself uglier than ever. It was time to take the show on the road awhile. But Brynjolf had a last night drinking with Delvin in the Ragged Flaggon.

"It's getting worse," Delvin complained. "Our luck just keeps getting worse, lad."

Brynjolf shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe people aren't as stupid as they used to be."

The pair of thieves argued over luck and whether or not the gods cared at all about thieves and, if so, which gods. Delvin had a wide superstitious streak, but Brynjolf couldn't be more agnostic.

But Delvin was right about one thing, the thieves' guild was deteriorating. Brynjolf couldn't find it in himself to recruit anyone else since Nessa disappeared. The remaining thieves were getting caught or having streaks of bad luck. The cost to bribe guards to look the other way, while the sprung their thieves from jail, was cutting deeply into their profit. What profit? There hadn't been profit in almost a year. Even Vex had bungled a job or two and that had her pissed off. When Vex was mad everyone suffered. She was almost as bad as Mercer, but at least the guild master was gone most of the time doing… gods only knew where and what. Brynjolf was, in all but name, the real guild master, but it wasn't a job he liked or even wanted. Someone had to bring in the coin and it was as good excuse as any to get out of town for a while.

The next day he set out – on foot, they didn't even have the money to pay for a seat on the wagon – for Whiterun. He'd set up in the market and hope he wouldn't run into any of his old marks. Before things went stale, he'd move onto the next town. Hopefully, by then he could afford the wagon. He didn't mind too much. Walking from town to town reminded him of his younger days and the season was warm. The mountain flowers and tundra cotton were in bloom and the sky was a shade of blue that reminded him of the eyes of the lass who had disappeared. Best not think about that. If there were any proof that Delvin was right it was in the disappearance of that girl.

Ah, well. He readjusted his pack and pushed thoughts of the thieves' guild out of his mind and let himself be cheered by the warm sun, cool breeze, and abundant flora and fauna.

Sanctuary

Astrid returned to the sanctuary nearly a week after leaving. She resumed her duties with her normal placid demeanor and competence, but Arnbjorn knew how demoralized she truly was.

"Where is she?" she asked him immediately upon arriving home. Somehow she knew the girl wasn't there. There was something missing from the sanctuary and she felt it immediately. She was still so attuned to the girl's life force that she could sense it missing.

"I sent her off to fill a couple of contracts. Veezara went with her." Her husband watched her closely to see her reaction.

She frowned but then nodded. "Probably for the best." She heaved a sigh and unpacked her things, saying nothing more.

Arnbjorn could sense her misery and how poorly she was covering it. He watched her silently, pondering what to say. None of the words he was considering were adequate. "You love her." It was a statement of fact, not a question.

Astrid's shoved her clothes into the armoire with more force than necessary. "No."

"Then what is going on with you?" He was beginning to lose patience with her sullen avoidance of discussion.

She slumped against the armoire and sighed again. "It's an infatuation. I'll forget about her soon enough."

Arnbjorn reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into him. "I'll make you forget, love."

She smiled at him. The smile looked sad and wistful. "I love you, my wolf. I know I take you for granted sometimes, but I will always love you. I warned you when we married that vampires are prone to boredom."

He growled in his throat, pleased to hear her confession of love. "I've never denied you your little adventures, my love."

She kissed him on the cheek and loving drew her hand along his face. "You're remarkably civilized for a wolf," she said, teasing him.

He stared at her a moment trying to divine her thoughts. He made up his mind. It was time for her to move on and forget the girl. He pulled her tighter to him. "I'll show you just how civilized a wolf I am," he growled. He kissed her neck and nipped her shoulder though her shirt.

She didn't melt into his arms, or rake him with her nails, or thrust him back onto the bed and climb on top of him. "I'm not ready yet, love," she said softly, pushing him away gently. She turned away from him, going back to unpacking her bag, and he stared at the graceful lines of her back, wanting her intensely.

Making a low noise in his throat, frustrated with her refusal to discuss the situation and his own inability to broach emotionally loaded topics, he knew how this would play out. Eventually one or both of them would bubble over like an untended stew pot. They'd have a huge fight and maybe it would get resolved… or not. He shook his head and left their room.

In the great hall he took his frustration out on a training dummy with his great axe. He whirled around, wielding it like it weighed nothing. The training dummy was a splintered wreck before he was breathing hard. Then he took his axe to the grinding wheel and honed the blade. When he felt like he couldn't stand to be in the sanctuary a moment long, he left and walked into the forest.

I want my wife back, he thought as he transformed into a wolf. He sprinted deep into the forest and picked up the scent of an elk. It tired before he did and his frustrations were forgotten as his jaws clamped onto the neck of the animal and its warm blood spilled into his mouth.

~o~o~o~

"Blades, Nessa." Veezara put his hand on Nessa's bow as she pulled it off her back preparing to assassinate their next target.

Nessa looked at Veezara, her brows gathering together. She bit her lip and put the bow back then slowly drew out her blades.

"What is it, sister?" Veezara asked. He knew Nessa was more than competent with her blades.

She felt foolish for saying it but… "It's just easier to do it from a distance. Less… personal."

There were advantages to being Shadowscale; you're raised to be an assassin from birth. This sort of squeamishness had never been a problem for him. Dead was dead whether it happened near or far. He put a reassuring hand on Nessa's shoulder. "You must practice most that which you like the least. Overcome your fears and put aside your dislikes. What we do should be done with finesse, grace, and artistry, otherwise it is mere butchery. We honor our victims by killing them swiftly and without pain, except of course, when the contract calls for other conditions."

"But I'm much better with my bow. I think I would have far more finesse and grace, not to mention it being more painless."

He shook his head. "This is good training and I want to see how stealthy you are and how you use your blades."

She nodded her acceptance, but the worry lines didn't go away.

The afternoon was late and there was ample shade. She took a deep breath and slipped into the darkness, carefully picking her way around the target's camp until she had circled behind him. She began to perspire with the tension that was mounting. Killing someone like this was awful. She much preferred killing from a distance. Granted it wasn't the first time she'd done this, but in Grelod's case she had been fueled by a cold anger and with Beitild, the woman had been drugged and quite unconscious. This was different.

Veezara was watching; she couldn't disappoint him. And Astrid… Astrid, I won't disappoint you. Nazir, he'd probably be happy if she failed; all the more reason to succeed. She steeled herself to her task and slowly crept up on her target. He was singing and chattering to himself. He sounded like he might be insane. It was just as well; perhaps he wouldn't hear the inevitable little noises she made.

Ten more steps, then eight. She slowed her breathing and tried to calm herself. Five steps, three, two, one… She reached around his neck and pulled him close. Her leg wrapped around his. He was firmly under her control, but only for a moment. That was all she needed. Her blades crossed over his neck and pulled back, biting deeply into skin, sinew, and arteries. He tried to shout but all that issued forth was a wet gurgle. She let him go and he fell to her feet in front of her. It was done.

Her hands shook as she looked at the dying man in front of her.

This is what I am now.

She looked up and saw Veezara walking toward her. She wiped the sweat off her brow and watched him closely for his reaction. Trying to read a reaction from an Argonian was difficult. Their faces were incapable of much expression.

"You did well, sister. My only suggestion is to move faster, there was too much opportunity for him to turn and see you."

"I'm not an Argonian or Khajhiit, Veezara. My people are not as silent as yours. I can either move quickly or quietly. I don't think I can do both."

He nodded in agreement. "That is true, my Nord friend, but you do run quickly enough. Next time, when you're a dozen paces away, explode into movement. Take down your prey before they have an opportunity to react, yes?" He looked around at the open area they occupied. "Let's practice it a time or two."

"Here?" Nessa stared at the bleeding corpse.

"Yes. Get accustomed to corpses, my friend, you'll be creating many of them." He hissed in short, sibilant bursts, which Nessa had learned was his laugh.

She gulped and tried to forget the man she'd just murdered. They practiced until it got too dark to see.

~o~o~o~

The next target was a Khajiit traveling with a caravan. The pair of assassins watched the Khajiit setting up their camp from behind a rocky outcropping.

"How will you kill this one, Nessa?" Veezara asked her.

She surveyed the small Khajiit caravan. There were two others in the camp. There were no trees that were large enough to hold her, only those short, twisted yew trees that grew in this area. She could hide behind some boulders and shoot him from there, but it would be obvious. She had no doubt the cat-people could outrun her. She was about to admit she didn't know what to do when Astrid's words came back to her. "If you can master becoming that girl at will, you will be a formidable assassin." She swallowed hard. "Perhaps I can get him alone."

Veezara blinked slowly several times. "Ah… this is an art I can't coach you in. Are you sure you want to do this?"

She licked her lips nervously and nodded. She knew it would please Astrid if she succeeded. If she didn't… She pushed the thought away. "I'd better change into a dress." She rummaged through her pack and pulled out her new blue dress. She found a potion that she'd concocted at the sanctuary. It had worked splendidly on Beitild, hopefully it would work just as well on a Khajiit. She put it in her pocket and strapped a dagger to her calf.

"How do I look?" she asked Veezara.

"You appear colorful. I once saw an Agaceph princess that very shade. Very attractive. She was a mate desired by many."

Nessa stared at Veezara wondering if that was his idea of a compliment. "You don't like it?"

"I did not say that, guild-sister. I don't know if the Khajiit like blue." Veezara was confused by her question. He had complimented her choice of colors, did she not believe him?

She looked at Veezara speculatively. "If you were the Khajiit, would you want to mate with me?" She couldn't believe she was asking her friend that question, but she was curious. She was not attracted to him, but she wondered if perhaps he was attracted to her.

"I am not a Khajiit, so I cannot say, Nessa. I have heard of stories that Khajiit and humans mate sometimes, but not to have children. I don't think that's possible."

Veezara certainly wasn't good at picking up on innuendo. Nessa decided to try to be blunt. "Would you want to mate with me? I'm just curious whether or not Argonians find humans attractive… in that regard."

Was she asking him to mate with her? His reptilian tongue shot out nervously several times. She's ugly, as all humans are, but her manner is pleasant. How do I answer her? "I am certain you are considered a very desirable mate amongst your people. You are young, healthy, and your temperament is agreeable. Your children would be many and strong. However, my kind generally does not mate with humans." His tongue flicked out again and again and his tail began to lash.

Nessa picked up on the fact that he was being made nervous by her line of questioning. "Can't you just say it, Veezara? We are friends, are we not?"

Flick, flick, flick. He shook his head. "I do not wish to give offense, sister. I do not find you attractive. At least, not in a way that makes me want to mate with you. Your hair is shiny and I like the color of your eyes." He was surprised that she smiled when he said it.

"Very well, I won't bother flirting with an Argonian if I need to assassinate one. That's all I wanted to know." She toyed with her braids and wondered if she should leave them in or take them down. Asking Veezara's opinion would be futile. He stood with his tail still twitching madly and his tongue still flickering. "Is something wrong, Vee?"

"Did you want to mate with me?" he asked.

"No!" she said vehemently and then realized it might hurt his feelings. "I mean, you're definitely a handsome Argonian and your personality is very friendly, but I don't want to do… that."

"I am relieved, my sister. I was worried."

She laughed and hugged him briefly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

He laughed in his reptilian manner. "Never fear, my friend. You can ask me anything." He pointed in the direction of the Khajiit encampment. "Your target awaits. I will be here. Shout if you need help."

Nessa nodded. "I will. It might take some time to lure him away."

"The Shadowscale are taught patience from the day they hatch," he said.

She gave him a quick nod and turned to walk to the encampment. She limped a little as she walked, thinking of a plausible story. She got relatively close to the camp before they noticed her. She paused a respectful distance from them. "Hello, travelers. Might I rest beside your fire for a bit? I have had some ill luck today and I'm weary of walking."

A Khajiit woman rose. "You are welcome to our fireside, Nord, even if your kind does not welcome us. I am Eshita. That is Kesh, sharpening his sword, and Tsavi is preparing our meal. Would you join us?"

Nessa perked up at the mention of Kesh's name. That was her target. "I would be honored, Eshita." She joined them at the ring of logs they had made around their fire. She told them a story that she was traveling to a nearby town when her wagon and horse were stolen by bandits and now she was reduced to walking and she had no means of defending or feeding herself.

The Khajiit females were sympathetic, but a little aloof. Nord's were not friendly to their race generally. They were often barred from the great holds in Skyrim and accused of crimes they didn't commit. Nessa was truly sorry to hear their plight especially when they had graciously welcomed her offering to share their meal and let her sleep by their fire. Her heart sank when she thought about murdering the man in their midst. I mustn't fail. She remembered Nazir's certainty that she would fail and die, and the story he told about the assassin killing himself rather than his target. I will not fail. Thinking of Astrid's disappointment if she did fail redoubled her will.

She accepted a drink from Tsavi and sat down by the fire across from Kesh. He was a battle-scarred cat with a notch missing from his ear, even so his coat looked thick and soft. She smiled shyly at him. Her natural shyness was still very much a part of her. What was new was that she knew she could use it to her advantage. She asked Kesh a question about his sword and that lead into stories of his warrior past and Nessa was full of questions.

People usually love being the focus of attention and asking people about themselves is the greatest compliment. Normally she asked questions to evade having to answer any about herself. The only difference this time was that there was an agenda: Nessa wanted Kesh to like her.

Kesh was suspicious at first, but he soon saw the girl was guileless. She was as shy as a kitten and pretty too. It would be an interesting evening's diversion to get this one into his bed. It'd been a long time since he'd bedded a human, and never a Nord. She was a tall girl, there would be a lot of her to enjoy. He edged a little closer to her and offered her a bottle.

"Skooma, my dear? It will make you forget your bad day." He pulled out the cork and handed it to her.

"Oh… I don't think… I mean, I never have and I probably shouldn't," her nerves got to her suddenly. She couldn't afford to be incapacitated.

"Ah, just have a small sip then. It will just serve to relax you a little." He nudged her hand holding the bottle closer to her lips.

She could feel herself flushing with embarrassment and a little panic.

"Kesh, that girl doesn't need your bad habit," Eshita scolded. "Dear, give him back that bottle. Skooma is a terrible habit to acquire and you're best not trying it. We have some good mead for you here."

Nessa was grateful for her intervention. "I think Eshita is right," she said to Kesh. "I'd better not try it." She handed the bottle back.

The Khajiit shrugged and took a sip from the bottle himself. He replaced the cork and put it back in his pocket, staring at Nessa the entire time. It was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

Tsavi served them dinner and they shared their meal with Nessa. It was quite spicy food with flavors and heat that she was unused to. The Khajiit seemed amused by her antics when she swallowed a hot pepper and thought she would die. But she soldiered on through the simple meal and found she rather liked the food.

"It's a lovely night, isn't it?" Nessa asked Kesh. She tried to think of some way to get the sleeping draught to him, but it was impossible with two other Khajiit there.

"The sky is clear and the stars twinkle like eyes," he replied, staring at her still.

Holding her bottle of ale, she stood up and turned away from the fire as if admiring the sky. She carefully emptied the packet of sleeping draught into her own ale while her hands were out of sight of the others. Then she stretched. "I think I will go for a little walk before I go to sleep. My muscles are getting stiff from all that walking today."

"I will go with you," Kesh offered. "You shouldn't be out in the dark alone, what with all the bandits and… bears."

Nessa smiled shyly at him again. "Thank you. You can tell me more about where you come from and I'd like to hear about that war. I'm sure you must have more stories."

"Of course, kitten. Of course." He took her by the arm and they meandered out of the camp, in the direction where Nessa had left Veezara.

She pretended to sip from her bottle of ale a few times. "Would you like some, Kesh?" She offered him the bottle.

"I do find myself a little thirsty, the skooma does that. Thirsty enough to drink this piss-water you Nords are fond of." He took the bottle and he drank deeply. "Now that we're away from the interfering old biddies I guard, perhaps you'd like to try some skooma?" He pulled the bottle out of his pocket and handed it to Nessa.

"I…" Nessa stared at the bottle a moment. It was dark enough she could probably put her finger over the opening and pretend to drink. "How much should I try?"

Kesh laughed, pleased with her willingness. "Well, you're a Nord but rather thin. A small swallow should suffice."

She held the bottle so he couldn't see that she didn't really take any. "Ummm…" she remarked. "I thought it would taste different than that. More like sugar." She had no idea what it tasted like, only that it was refined from something called moon sugar.

She handed the bottle back to Kesh. He was openly leering at her now. "You will feel very relaxed soon, kitten." He pointed at the rocky outcropping they were headed toward. "Let's go there and watch the stars for a while. You'll find the night sky is even more beautiful with a little skooma. Best shared with a companion, no?" He wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I… well, yes. I like looking at stars." She leaned into him a little. "How long does it take before I will feel the skooma?"

"Not long, just a few minutes."

They walked on a little further. It was still some distance to the rocky outcropping where Veezara waited when Kesh began to lean on her. The sleeping draught was working very quickly, perhaps because of the skooma in his system. She would need to get him further from the camp.

"The skooma was a bit strong tonight," he said. His walk became wobbly and then he stumbled, nearly falling.

Nessa laughed and helped him up. "Oh, well, perhaps the walk will make it wear off some." She encouraged him to keep walking but he was drooping against her more. He stumbled again and again and then he finally fell. He made it to his hands and knees but then collapsed back down to the ground. She bent over him and saw he was unconscious. Suddenly she wasn't sure what to do. They were still too close to the camp. Picking up his legs, she wrapped her arms around them and began to drag him closer to the rocky outcropping.

He was heavier than he looked and his clothes kept snagging on plants and brush. She dropped his feet and went to check on him. His breathing was very slow. She didn't know anything about Khajiit anatomy but she put her fingers on his neck to find a pulse. It was in the same place hers was. His heart was beating very slowly. She picked his feet up and began to drag him along further.

"Nessa?"

She recognized Veezara's voice. "Vee! Can you help me?"

A piece of shadow peeled away from the night and came to her. "Ah. You've killed him already? Why are you dragging him?"

"He's not dead, just unconscious. He collapsed too close to the camp. I need to get him further away to… you know."

"Kill him."

She nodded.

"Say it. This is what we do. Embrace it, sister. Take pride in your profession," he said.

"Kill… him," she said slowly. She pushed away the feelings of shame and revulsion. "This is who I am now, a killer."

Veezara shook his head. "No, an assassin of the Dark Brotherhood. There is a difference." He bent over the Khajiit and put his hand in front of his nose. "It appears your job is already done, sister. This cat is dead."

Dropping to her knees beside Kesh, she put her ear to his chest. She couldn't hear a heartbeat and his chest didn't rise or fall. "Odd! I didn't think the sleeping draught would kill him. I'll have to ask Babette and Gabrielle about that. Perhaps Khajiit are more sensitive to it."

"You need to make certain of it, sister," Veezara said and handed her his dagger.

"Oh." She gingerly took the dagger from him. Biting her lip, she refused to allow herself to hesitate. She cut his throat just as she had with Beitild. "May you find your gods, Kesh," she said. Then she wiped the dagger on his clothes and handed it back to Veezara. A wave of nausea began to rise from the pit of her stomach. A host of doubts began to rise to the surface of her mind in a disorderly stampede. No! I won't think about it. This is who I am now. I'm an assassin. She pushed away the questions, the doubts, all the emotions arising from what she'd just done. Astrid will be proud of me. That thought calmed her.

"That is good. The blood will draw animals. By the time the others find him, all they'll find will be his gnawed remains. They may assume you met the same fate." Veezara gestured her to precede him. "Let's gather our things and return."

With one more hard swallow, she turned and left Kesh's corpse, wishing she had Veezara's pragmatic way of looking at their profession.

They collected their things and began to walk back the nearest village. They'd take a cart back to Falkreath, back to the Sanctuary. Back home… to Astrid. The thought both quickened her step and made her fearful. What had happened was still something of a muddle to her. Arnbjorn had said Astrid nearly killed her, but she didn't believe him. He was jealous, of course. He'd sent Astrid away, no doubt to keep them apart, hoping his wife would forget her. Astrid won't forget me. She knew this as certainly as she knew anything.

~o~o~o~

Notes: For those who haven't played Skyrim or its predecessors, Argonians are reptilian humanoid creatures and Khajiit are cat-like humanoids.

I love getting reviews and hear what my audience is thinking when they read this. Criticism is always welcome.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, it really buoyed my spirits! I'm happy to hear most of you are enjoying it.

I hadn't planned to write so much about these assassinations but I had so much fun writing Veezara and Nessa together I couldn't stop myself.