It's been eight days since Dar'Elaraya arrived in Riften. Since then, Kharjo's caravan had left and Dar'Elaraya had made friends with some shopkeepers in the market. One man never talked to her casually, though, or anyone else for that matter. A Nord, a noble, judging by his expensive clothes, who had red hair. He would call together the market to show off items he was selling every few days, and Dar'Elaraya was intrigued. He didn't seem like anyone else in the city, and she wanted to know why. As Dar'Elaraya was leaving the Bee and Barb bright and early for the seventh time, she was stopped just before she got to the door.

"Running a little light in the pockets, lass?" The Nord noble asked. He stood right in her path, making Dar'Elaraya have to step back a few paces. What in the name of the Mane does he want?

Dar'Elaraya, taken aback by his sudden question and intrusion of her space, didn't have time to slip out of the Bee and Barb before he got in her path in a much more final way, as though to make her hear him out. "This one is sorry, what?" She says in confusion, slipping back to the normal way Khajiit speak for the moment.

"Your pockets..." He says, eyeing her pockets. "They're a little low on coin. I can tell."

Flattening her ears in annoyance and dropping her hand casually and slowly to loosen her dagger's scabbard, she kept up the conversation to hopefully keep him from seeing what she was doing. "How could you possibly know that?"

"It's all about sizing up your mark, lass. The way they walk, what they're wearing. It's a dead give away," he replies, not breaking eye contact, thank the Moons.

"My wealth is none of your business," Dar'Elaraya hisses before she tries to slip by the strange Nord.

He notices and in a flash blocks her way. "Oh but that's where you're wrong lass," he continues as if the Khajiit hadn't just tried to slip away. "Wealth is my business. Maybe you'd like a taste?"

Dar'Elaraya sighed then thought about it for a minute. If she wanted, she could bolt for the other exit, but the Nord had a point. She was low on septims she hadn't been able to get from her bard or fur trader acts. She would have to switch tactics for gaining any wealth, and this might be her path. "What do you have in mind?" She replies, finally and slowly.

"I've got a bit of an errand to preform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid." He says, having a shadow of triumph on his face.

"And what do I have to do?"

"Simple... I'm going to cause a distraction, and you're going to steal Madesi's silver ring from his strong box under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to plant it in Bran-Shei's pockets without him noticing."

"Why plant the ring on the Dunmer?"

"There's someone who wants to see him put out of business permanently. That's all you need to know. I'll be at my stand all day, from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. Meet me then if you still have the stomach for it," he then goes back to leaning on a wall, leaving Dar'Elaraya to leave the inn at last. So she left the inn, and walked around the city. I do have some time to kill, she thought, so how do I spend it?

Then she decided. She would have a look around the Rift, just outside Riften's walls. People in the market and rich in their mansions would mean too much trouble to get into before the job that Nord in the marketplace wanted done. So she headed towards the North Gate, exiting riften, while slipping on her leather boots and bracers and switching her Imperial sword for her steel dagger, stashing her normal boots and dagger in her knapsack. It's getting full, she thought ruefully, I need to find somewhere to stash my stuff. Riften isn't at all a good spot. I'll lose my coin and weapons, not to mention my much-needed potions. She carries on around RIften's walls, noting now that there isn't more than one wall encircling this part of city. Oh well, it doesn't really matter, does it? She walked around the wall, seeing the back entrance she was going to enter when she got here with the other Khajiit. Now it was guarded by one guard instead of two when she had arrived.

Casually walking by him, she sees the docks. The docks of Riften, she thinks while staring into the water, Why aren't these being used more? As she walks around Riften's wall, she notices some of the mountains the surround Skyrim. She had heard that there was a Standing Stone in this corner of Skyrim, in the southern mountains. Maybe I would find it? But what should I do: take the new Standing Stone power, or keep my own? She then turns around, knowing that there is a Standing Stone nearby. She could feel it.

Suddenly, some thief runs up to her, bringing her back to the real world. "Here, hold onto this," he gives her iron armor that seems to be enchanted with minor illusion enhancement. "I'll be back for it later. I'll pay you good. Don't lose it."

"Wait, what?" The Khajiit says, stunned.

"No time to talk. Snitch or double-cross me and I'll kill you. I mean it!" And he sneaks away, into some brush near the wall.

Still confused, Dar'Elaraya looks around for whoever is chasing the thief. He was so jumpy there just had to be someone tailing him. And sure there was.

"Did you see someone run past just now?" The pursuer asked urgently. Dar'Elaraya nodded.

"Uh, yes. He went that way." She nods and points, "I was just about to tail him. He gave this to me, and may I assume it's yours?" The Khajiit handed over the enchanted armor.

"Yes! How'd you get this? Never mind, here. It's not much, but it's something," he hands her a gold coin. "I'm going to track down that thief and murder him!" He runs in the direction Dar'Elaraya pointed. Well, I guess that's my good deed for the day.

She then walked towards the mountains, and found an old trail. Maybe this leads to the stone? She followed it to a dead end and a huge pillar-like stone with a symbol on it. "A bird? What does that mean?" She murmurs before going around the mountain in search of the Standing Stone nearby. It had to be near!

Dar'Elaraya found a new path, now one that hasn't been walked on in a while, and sloping upward. It then ended at rocks. Frowning, Dar'Elaraya goes back down onto level ground to look for a new path. That cliff just had a feeling to it, and she needed to get up it.

Then she sees a mostly clear path up the rocks. I probably won't find any other way up, and someone is here other than me. She was down wind, so she could scent someone there. Someone who knew magic very well. Dar'Elaraya pulls out her sword quietly, not letting it ring while drawing it from the scabbard. She sneaks up the rocks, and sees someone in necromancer robes. Necromancer! She sneaks up behind a tree, and sheathes her sword in favor of her bow. She grabs her best arrows, which are steel arrows, and nocks one on the string. Pulling it back as far as she could, she aims for the necromancer's chest and looses the arrow, letting it fly towards the necromancer's heart. The necromancer gave a slight "oof" before falling over, dead.

Dar'Elaraya walked towards her, still in a crouch, and looted her. Blue dartwing, fifteen septims, a potion of little use (Skirmisher's Potion), black robes and boots, my steel arrow, and an iron dagger, she lists off, Let's just take what we want, shall we? So she took the dartwing, gold, potion, and her arrow, though now it was bloodied. I'll clean it after I do the Nord's job, she thinks as she stand up and sprints back to Riften. After all, it's been a couple hours.

"I'd better get ready for the job," she mutters while entering the North Gate of Riften. As she walked by the Bee and Barb, Dar'Elaraya realized that she didn't know the Nord's name. Perhaps she would find out while he does his distraction in the market. She walked towrds his stand, deciding to give him her answer. "You told me to meet you, Nord." She hisses, looking over the Nord's wares blindly. She was here for his plan, not to waste away her gold on his wares. The shadow of a smirk appeared on his face, and she knew he had the answer he was hoping for.

"So you finally came around, lass?" Dar'Elaraya nods. "Good. Now, get into the crowd if you're ready to make some coin. Then wait for me to start the distraction and show me what you're made of." Dar'Elaraya does as she is told, and starts up a conversation with Madesi. Then she heard the Nord's distraction.

"Everyone! Everyone! Gather 'round! I have something amazing that demands your attention! Over here!" The Nord calls loudly, causing everyone in the market to gather around his stand.

Everyone crowds around his stand, leaving the Khjiit to stand by herself. She ducked down behind Madesi's stand, and got to work.

Bran-Shei calls, his tone bored, "Come on, Brynjolf... what is it this time?" So the Nord's name is Brynjolf. Then she walks nonchaluantly away from Madesi's stand, watching the guards' patterns so she can steal and plant as she may. Then she could hear Brynjolf replying to Bran-Shei, making sure he could keep their attention.

"Patience, Bran-Shei. This is a rare oppertunity, and I wouldn't want you to get left out."

Then Madesi joined in. "That's what you said about the wisp essence and it turned out to be crushed nirnroot mixed with water!"

For a brief moment Dar'Elaraya saw a look of alarm on Brynjolf's face, but it vanished so fast that she wasn't entirely sure she had seen it. "That was just a misunderstanding," Brynjolf called out in defense, "But this item is the real thing. Lads and lasses, I give you Falmerblood Elixir!" he raised the potion bottle he was holding so all could see it, except Dar'Elaraya. She was doing her part of the deal, and had already gotten through the strongbox lock under Madesi's stall. Carefully, she kept crouched and dashed to the other side of the little wall that surrounded the market place, hiding behind Grelka's stand. From here she was able to see Bran-Shei's pocket. She had made friends with the Dunmer, but this was her chance to get into the Thieves' Guild. She couldn't mess this up.

Bran-Shei's disbelief of the potion was voiced faintly like a sneer. "Oh come on, are you talking about the Snow Elves?"

Brynjolf then called, "Mystical beings who live in legends and were masters of great magic. Imagine the power that coursed through their veins!"

Madesi joined in once more. "How did you get that, then? No one's seen them in years!"

"My sources remain a secret for their own protection, but I promise-" Brynjolf is cut off by one of the guards.

"Hold, thief!" The guard was on the other side of the wall from the thief. Dar'Elaraya stood up quick and bolted out of the market place and towards the North Gate. I'm stuck between the hammer and anvil! There were guards at the gate and behind her, so she ran to one to the balconies that Maul had leaned on, and grabbed the railing with her hands. She ran up the pole, her grip always moving. She got into the balcony and onto the roof, keeping low and out of sight. They know where I am, she thought nervously, her heart pounding, I need to get out of Riften! She got up and had a running leap to the next house, though it wasn't far. She fled to another house roof, and then jumped down onto the path below her. Before the guards were moving towards her once more, she dived over the railing. At least Riften has this canal. It makes a good escape route. She swam towards Lake Honrich, pushing the canal gate aside just a sliver, and moved it back once she was out.

Thank Azurah.

Then arrows were heard flying by her. Damn it all! she thought, close to panic, how will I get out of this? She reluctantly but quickly swam below the surface of the lake, not knowing how she could escape these guards. She then felt a piercing pain like fire explode in her left leg. S'rrendar's mercy that-

Her thought got cut off by hearing and seeing arrow shafts diving past her. I need to get out of here! When her lungs start to burn and she swam to the lake surface, paddling as fast as possible towards one of the shores.

She gets out of the water, instantly making her cold. At least this is Riften and not a northern Hold. The Khajiit runs west on the path she walked getting to Riften. She smirks ruefully. How ironic that the path I took made me so excited, and now it makes me take it out of the city. Looking behind her, she sees no one. Looking down at her left leg, she winces. That can't be good. Feeling the pain much more precisely, she limps over to the lake and reluctantly puts her leg in the water. Maybe this will numb my leg so I can get the arrow out. What could I put on my leg to keep from bleeding then? Then she notices that the water around her leg is not the color it should be, and not the color of blood. It was a pale, green fog in the water. Those arrows were poisoned! Lifting her leg out of the water, Dar'Elaraya moves the arrow slightly, wincing. After letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she looked at the liquid that was around the wound. Again, it wasn't clear water or crimson blood. It was a pale green. Poisoned... She got some on her finger and sniffed it, recoiling from the stench and let her leg go back into the water. How much of this poison is in my blood stream? What is the poison? Then she remembers how far she got before the need to rest, and how sharply the pain in her leg was.

Is this Frostbite poison? Or a combination of nightshade, death bell, and nirnroot? Curse me for not knowing what I should know! She thought angrily. I can feel my endurance is not as good as it normally is, and I feel weaker. Those guards know what they were doing, but now it's cost me more than gold. Noticing that she couldn't feel her leg, she brought it out of the water. Gritting her teeth, she gets a firm hold on the arrow.

Before she could pull it out, however, someone behind her said monotonously, "You can't run from us, Khajiit," Expecting to see the guards, Dar'Elaraya faces the speaker. It was someone in black and red clothing with a black hand print on a red cloth. The Khajiit's blood went cold. Facing her was a Dark Brotherhood assassin. Summoning fire and a healing spell to her palms, Dar'Elaraya looked right into the assassin's eyes and growled defiantly, her ears flat indicating anger and aggression. He laughed.

"You dumb or are you just that brave?" He says, jokingly. Then he was all business again. He pulled out a piece of paper and summarizes it for the wounded Khajiit, knowing she can't run away. "Someone wanted us to track down a Khajiit female who is wandering the Rift alone with no caravan. She has been seen stealing from mansions. She is known to dwell in the hold capital of Riften." He looks at her and continues. "You are wanted by the guards, Khajiit. Unfortunately, you are wanted alive. I find that quite a bore." Dar'Elaraya pulls her lips back into a snarl and narrows her eyes.

"Think again if you think I will willingly turn my self in, assassin. You are no guard, and assassins kill. You have no business with me now. Leave me." She snarls.

"No, I'm not here to kill you, but I'm here for your bounty, however. We assassins aren't called upon much currently."

Dar'Elaraya watches him, not even daring to blink. "I can't be worth that much." She spits out.

"Actually you are. I saw you running from the guards earlier. And they saw you running even with that arrow in your leg. So from what you were to what you are worth now, you are a good source of money." He retorts evenly.

Maybe I can trick him into helping me get this arrow out of my leg. "Fine. But I can't go anywhere with this arrow in my leg." I need to get back to Riften anyway so I can talk to Brynjolf.

"Here. Have some netch jelly, it's mixed with canis root and blue mountain flower," he holds out the jar of jelly. "Though it will-"

Dar'Elaraya, having thought she knew alchemy, already grabbed the jelly and scooped out a small bit, rubbing it on her leg before the assassin could tell her something else about the jelly. She knew the canis root an dnetch jelly would paralyze her, but they weren't strong, were they? And she knew that the blue flower was used in healing potions; she had picked some up while walking this trail with the Khajiit caravan. She slowly stiffened, her eyes glazing over. She was now paralyzed. The poison ran through her veins, numbing her wound, but herself as well.

"-make you paralyzed." He finishes. Dar'Elaraya was already fuming. The assassin smirks at her obvious anger. "That was much too easy, especially for a Khajiit." The assassin then proceeds to knock her out, and then he calls over the guards. Then he follows them with Dar'Elaraya to claim his gold.

♖ ♖ ♖

She wakes up in a room, her knapsack gone. She was still in her normal clothes, but her leather bracers adn boots were taken. She was aslo unarmed, except for her claws. Looking around, she notices that there are iron bars and an iron gate. She growls at herself. Then, looking through the bars, she saw into other cells, one opposite her having a very nice room full of valuables and a noble. Is that the Black-Briar who got arested for murder? She looks at her leg, and it was bandaged up. I hope that doesn't leave a scar, she thinks angrily. Her escape had failed, and she got a nasty wound because of it.

One of the guards on patrol notices the Khajiit was looking around the prison. The guard walks over and demands, "Are you going to pay or do a week's worth of time?" Dar'Elaraya watches her coolly and says evenly, "Depends on my bounty. How much is it?" The Nord told her that it was five hundred septims. Five hundred septims? I don't have that much! "Fine. I'll pay with time." Dar'Elaraya grumbled finally.

♖ ♖ ♖

After the week of jail, Dar'Elaraya was let free with all her stuff. "Thank the Twin Moons that I haven't stolen anything." ...yet. She then goes and looks fro Brynjolf, hoping she showed promise, though seriously doubting she had. Anyone could've gotten that far on his job, she thought sulkily, but I better find him, just in case I had. She remembered something about the Guild being somewhere in the Ratway. If she couldn't find him in the market, she could always have a plan B to becoming a master thief.

Just then a hand landed on her shoulder. The Khajiit whipped around, eyes narrowed, ears flattened, teeth bared, and tail swishing furiously. Then she recognized the person attached to the hand and sighs, letting herself relax slightly. It was Brynjolf.

"Good to see you, lass. You still a good thief-for-hire?"

"I've failed the job, Brynjolf. Why did you come looking for me? Anyone could've gotten that far on the job."

"You'd be surprised. I still saw you sneak behind Madesi's stall, the opening in the market place wall, then into Bran-Shei's pocket. Even from other thieves, even though they were novice, could not match that of a certain Khajiit's," he looks pointedly at her and continues. "My organization is having rough patches anyway. But I saw promise in the way you thieve."

Dar'Elaraya was stunned. Is this real? I am about to join the Theives Guild? "Does that mean what I think it means? Can I join?"

Brynjolf nodded. "Your trial will be getting to our hideout in the Ratway, and then a job to see if your loyalties lie with us. If you get there and past the job, then we can talk about you joining the Guild with the Guild Master, Mercer." He added the last few words in a mumble, and Dar'Elaraya wasn't sure if she'd heard him right. Talking to the Guild Master? It would make sense, wouldn't it? He would see the new recruits and see if they are worth a septim at all.

"I'll be there. Have the job ready for me when I get there," soon, she adds silently. "I will impress your Guild Master."

"A confident thief? If you can't impress him, no one will ever join us again as long as he lives." He walks away, back to his stand.

The Khajiit walks away, her thoughts buzzing. I'm going to join the Guild at last! She heads into the Bee and Barb and starts talking to Keerava and Talen-Jei, and orders a White-Gold Tower, one of Talen-jei's special drinks. Before he left her table, she told him not to sell her anymore. She didn't need to spend all her money here, drinking. Dar'Elaraya hardly drinks, but she deserved it. Besides, she hadn't had alcohol in years, and she heard that Black-Briar mead tasted terrible, and even from the two Argonians who had to sell it said that Maven shoves it down their customers' throats.

The White-Gold Tower was delicious, nearly as sweet as Moon Sugar. It was a wonder to her how there was none in the recipe. It was only noon, so in a few hours time she would head into the Ratway. There's time for that later, she thought, but now I'll enjoy my drink.

♖ ♖ ♖

A man walked up to her, his scent and the look in his eyes was familiar. Her mind muddled with the alcohol, she could not pin point this man. What was he: friend or foe? He sat down in the empty seat at her table, his eyes suggesting that he knew her. Dar'Elaraya had enough sense to distrust this man, even after he greeted her kindly. She grunted her greeting, though she was obviously not happy to. Her ears twitched while lying flat, and her tail twitched slightly. Who are you? she asked herself mentally, how do I know you? How do you know me? He then notices the Khajiit's wary and narrow gaze.

"Ah, you don't recognize me without my mask and hood, do you?" He looks at her drink, "Or are you too drunk to remember?" His tone was joking, yet business like.

Dar'Elaraya looks at the man, and speaks, her voice only slightly slurred. "Leave me, stranger. I may not have the sense to recognize you, but I need no sense to distrust you. Or fight you, if I must." Not even the drink could cloud her firm gaze, which burned like ice-fire into the strange man's own. She sat there, tensed, waiting for his reply while taking another swig of the White-Gold Tower.

"No. How about I stay and chat with the only Khajiit in Riften?" His reply showed he had no intention to leave, and had confidence in it. Dar'Elaraya didn't have to be sober to know what the confidence was hiding: if it came to a fight, he figured he could take a drunk easily.

"Just try me, stranger. I may be drunk but I'm no helpless kit." She spat out the last few words, baring her teeth, and showing her hostility towards this irritating stranger openly to everyone in the inn.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Dar'Elaraya," he said her name perfectly, so she started to stand up, still baring her teeth, keeping her ears flat on her head, and her eyes narrowed. "Calm down. I'm not here to kill you." That sprung the memory.

The Khajiit rested her hand on the hilt of her dagger. "You're the assassin!" She hisses, "What do you want now?"

"Ah! There we go! You do remember." He smiles, as if the two were old friends. "Here I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me already."

"You got me in the Riften jail for the past week!" She set down her drink angrily and had no sense to keep her voice down.

"Shh! Do you want everyone to know you were in jail?" He whispers, pointing out logic that alcohol has taken from her. Still fuming, Dar'Elaraya just stands there, glaring at the assassin. He then takes her arm kindly and takes her out of the Bee and Barb and along the pathway towards the Riften cemetery. He lets her go, and looks at her calmly even though she is still very much hostile.

"What do you want of me, assassin?" She growls, not even trying to hide her anger.

"I'm trying to help you, Dar'Elaraya, so you don't get caught again." At this the Khajiit explodes.

"You're trying to help me?! You got me into that cell!"

"Yes, but that was while I was doing a job. At least it wasn't an assassination contract!"

"Leave me!" Dar'Elaraya repeats, this time running out of the cemetery, next to the Temple of Mara. She ran uncoordinated, and very much showed she had alcohol. What's a way out of here? Oh! She headed down to the lower docks, and into the Ratway. She passed by the gate, and through the wooden door into the sewers.

Instantly she crouched down, and snuck into the tunnel and found a niche in the wall, dark and quiet. I have to keep down, hide from the assassin. But by the Moons it smells terrible here! Then she heard voices. She was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she heard the quiet words of "Guild" and "Black-Briars." She peaked around the corner, seeing the men in nice armor: scaled armor. I'd better stay here, she thought, her thoughts still sluggish, until I have my senses back. So she waits for a while, and starts to silently organize her knapsack. Little bits of string she used to tie up her flower ingredients, making the pocket she used for ingredients able to carry much more. Then she heard the door that leads into the Ratway open. A scent came in with a slight breeze. When she recognized the scent, she had to keep herself from hissing out of annoyance and anger. The two men seemed to hear the slight noise also, and stopped chatting to look into the tunnel. Then two arrow shafts fly down the tunnel, embedding themselves in the two mens' heads, and they fall over dead.

The person who shot the arrows spoke after his kill had been made. "Stupid Khajiit... why did she run into the Ratway of all places?" His footsteps got closer, as he walked towards and then past Dar'Elaraya's hiding spot. She noticed he still had his bow out, with a dagger of some sort on his hip. It was too dark to tell what he had otherwise, but his armor was dark colors: red and black. The assassin. After he had passed, Dar'Elaraya tailed him, close behind. The alcohol was releasing its grip on her mind, but she was not as graceful as she is while sober. She let herself go into the familiar ways of silence and stealth, muscle memory doing most of the work.

She took note of this place, the directions the assassin was going, the pathways he didn't go through. She barely noticed a drop, only a bit higher than a doorway, and dropped down silently after the assassin. She timed it right so that as he made a killing blow on a skeever, she landed as it squeaked. She had her mind back now, free of the effects of the drink she had. Soon I will confront the assassin, and demand why he followed me, or even cared. He sent me to jail for Alkosh's sake! he went up a stair case, after had coming from a circular room that was most likely under the market place as it had the well and the familiar sounds of the market, and pressed himself against the wall. When Dar'Elaraya saw what it was he was avoiding, a log trap's pressure plate on the stairway. They walked in silence, the Khajiit forgetting that she was hiding from the very person she was tailing. Then he stopped, drawing back his bow. His target was another thief in the Ratway, one who wasn't good enough to join the Guild. She was at a table in the middle of the room, which had three other pathways branching. Not needing to care about killing, Dar'Elaraya thought distractedly, which one leads to the Guild? Will this assassin know the way, since the Brotherhood and the Guild have Maven in their favor? She hardly noticed the thief die, but followed automatically behind the assassin. There was a doorway to the left leading down, and he headed toward it.

Before he got there, however, the Khajiit stood up, and casually said, "Assassin." In a terse greeting. He jumped up and brought our his dagger, holding it to her throat. This all happened in a heartbeat, surprising the Khajiit. She jumped back, her ears flat in fear and aggression. She was about to hiss when he recognized her. "Damn it, Dar'Elaraya! You almost made me slit your throat!"

Dar'Elaraya was not thrilled to have him hold his dagger to her throat, and he realized this and sheathed it immediately. "I don't need to be protected, you know!" The Khajiit snapped. She did not enjoy being shadowed. Then she spotted a little insignificant symbol next to the doorknob where the assassin had nearly entered. The symbol was a Shadowmark. Dar'Elaraya had memorized every single one of them, and here was one that symbolized the Thieves Guild's presence. She stopped listening to the assassin, and he noticed she had as well. He followed her line of sight and looked towards the door.

"You know what's behind that door, don't you? You looking to be a thief?"

Dar'Elaraya nods absently. She could walk through that door now, and be a thief. The Thieves Guild was right in front of her. So she walked by the so-far-nameless assassin, and opened th door. Before she closed the door behind her, she heard him call, "So long, Khajiit. We will meet again, Sithis providing," then she closed the door.

She entered, and followed a path around the center of the well above, like in the previous circular room. She could hear voices head, in the part of the Ratway everyone called the Ragged Flagon, and all guards warned people to stay away from. as she approached she could make out their conversation. One man was wearing an appron, Dar'Elaraya guessed that he was the bar tender, one was Brynjolf, and one was in leather armor.

The man in the apron spoke first. "Give it up, Brynjolf. Those days are over."

"I'm telling you, this one is different," argued Brynjolf.

The man in the leather armor added to the bar tender's words, "We've all heard that one before. Quit kidding yourself."

"It's time to face the truth, old friend," the bartender added. "You, Vex, Mercer... you're all part of a dying breed."

Dar'Elaraya then decided to step out and be living proof that she would be joining them, if not now, soon. Brynjolf sees her and smirks to his companions.

"Dying breed, eh? What do you call that then!" He points over at Dar'Elaraya in triumph, then walks over to her to greet her. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you again, lass."

Dar'Elaraya, having heard the disbelief in his voice, retorted, "Getting here was easy." Especially since I was following the assassin... otherwise I would've been dead before getting farther than the entrance to the Ratway.

Brynjolf missed the slight displeasure in her voice. "Reliable and headstrong? We'll make a good thief out of you yet!" Then he returned to his business side. "Now, just to see if your loyalies lie with the Guild, about that job I mentioned in the marketplace..." Brynjolf explained the job--more like three jobs--and Dar'Elaraya headed back through the Ratway. The assassin had left, his scent was stale. Dar'Elaraya didn't notice or care, however. She was excited to be doing her first job for the Guild, she had to get gold from three deadbeats who owed them: Keerava in the Bee and Barb, with a weakness of her family; Haelga in her Bunkhouse, with her weakness of her statue of Dibella; and Bearsi in the Pawned Prawn, with his weakness his Darven vase. So first she headed to the Pawned Prawn to get the gold from Bearsi. She walked in, and strode up to the counter.

"So, can I interest you in anything today?"

Dar'Elaraya nodded, a bit of sympathy in her eyes. But that was soon gone and her voice was even and betrayed nothing. "I have a message from Brynjolf."

"Wha... what? Oh so it's one of you people. So, Brynjolf doesn't even bother to show up himself anymore, eh? What's this message?"

"I think you know what it is." She said in a low tone, a growl.

"You're gouging me for what little coin I make and you can't even protect yourselves? Ridiculous!"

"We can protect ourselves. Trust me." She narrowed her eyes while she said the last words, a challenge in her voice for him to prove her wrong.

"Don't fool yourself. It's only a matter of time before you people are run out of Riften."

"I think you should shut your yap." Dar'Elaraya growled, her ears laying flat.

"I'm going to make you sorry for this!" Coming out from behind the counter, he pulls out his fists. "Come on! Let's see what you're made of!"

Dar'Elaraya brought out her claws, and growled, "A brawl you want, a brawl you'll get, and lose." She spat out the last word in a hiss, and the fight was on. The Khajiit threw a nasty punch, scratching the man and slight drawing blood. Inwardly, she cringed.

"Ugh! Its that your best?" He sneered. Dar'Elaraya stayed silent, her focus on the fight and how to win it best with no more bloodshed. Then she saw an opening, and she took it. Not exactly wanting to fight him, she didn't take his unguarded ribs. She swiftly crouched down and did a sweep kick, knocking Bearsi to the ground.

"The coin." She grunted, watching him get back up.

"Please, no more. I'll pay, I'll pay! Here." He handed her the one hundred gold the Guild was owed and she left without another word.

"Now for Haelga." She murmured, heading towards the Bunkhouse. She entered and strode up to the counter like she did in the Pawned Prawn.

"If you want a room, try the Bee and Barb. This place is for working men."

"I carry a message from Brynjolf, Haelga."

"What does he want now? I told him you can't get blood from a stone."

"This isn't about the money anymore."

"Look, I can't make the coin appear out of thin air. Please, be reasonable. I'll... I'll pay next month."

"We've run out of patience."

"And so have I. What's the point of paying anyway? Your outfit cant even fend for it's self. I could do better tossing the coin into the sewer." She changed her tone to hostility and defiance. "You can't scare me with your tough talk. I'm not paying you people a single coin."

Dar'Elaraya growled at this, and she could feel the fur along her spine rising. Haelga noticed the anger in the Khajiit's eyes. "Ask all you want, you can't squeeze blood from a stone. Not in this part of the world, anyway."

Then Dar'Elaraya remembered the statue of Dibella that Haelga worshipped. Time for plan B.

"So be it." The Khajiit left the counter and behind the wall next to the door. On a table was the statue. She grabbed it and walked back to the counter, a smug smirk on her face.

"Please! Don't take the statue! It's the only thing of value I have left!"

The Khajiit's smug smirk turned into a smug smile. "So, should I drop this down a well?"

"Not Lady Dibella! No! Please! I can't lose her! I get the message. Here, take your gold. I hope you choke on it." Haelga gives Dar'Elaraya the gold that was owed and the Khajiit gave the statue back. She then left the bunkhouse and walked to the Bee and Barb with a sigh. Keerava and Tanen-jei are my friends. I hope they understand... though I know they won't like it. She pushed open the doors and walked up to Keerava.

"Hey, Keerava," Dar'Elaraya started out, "I, er, have a message from Brynjolf about some coin the Thieves Guild is owed..."

Keerava just about jumped out of her scales. "Look, everything was all just a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to tell Brynjolf to go jump off the peir. You'll tell Brynjolf I'm sorry, yes? Take this. Every single coin I owe is there. I swear."

Dar'Elaraya nodded sadly. "I'm so sorry, Keerava. I'll never steal from you guys ever, I promise." The Argonian nodded and the Khajiit left, headed back to the Ratway. Soon she got to the door leading into the Ragged Flagon. She opened the door and found Brynjolf sitting at a table in the cistern, greeted him and sat down in the other seat.

"Job's done, Brynjolf."

"So, job's done, and you even brought the gold. Best of all you did it clean. I like that. Dumping the bodies and keeping the guards quiet can be expensive."

"Here's what they owed us." She handed him the three bags of gold.

"Well done. And it would seem I would owe you something in return. Here you go, I think you might find these quite useful." He gave her three hundred gold, a weak aversion to fire potion, a health potion, and a skirmisher's potion. Stuffing those in her knapsack, Dar'Elaraya asked, "What's next, then?"

"Judging from how well you handled those shopkeepers, I'd say you did more than simply prove yourself. We need people like you in out outfit."

"If there's more gold where that came from, I'm in."

"Thats the spirit! Larceny's in your blood... the tale tell sign of a practiced thief. I think you'll do more than just fit in around here."

"Before we go, I have to ask..."

"What's on your mind?"

"Word is your outfit isn't doing to well. True?"

"We've run into a rough patch lately." Brynjolf admitted. "But its nothing to be concerned about. Tell you what, you keep making us coin and I'll worry about everything else. Fair enough?"

"Fair enough." Dar'Elaraya agreed.

"Now if there are no more questions, how about following me and I'll show you what we're all about." He walked off towards a hallway Dar'Elaraya didn't think of exploring before now. She, having no other choice, followed.

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♪♫♖ Chapter Complete ♖♫♪

What does anyone think of me putting out chapter by chapter instead of bit by bit? Even if they are so long... Sorry for the wait, if anyone cared yet! :) thank you to the person who voted on my last two chapters, it means a lot!

Also would anyone like to see her start fulfilling her destiny of being a Dovahkiin (Dovahkaaz: kaaz is dragon for cat/Khajiit) and/or have her join the Dark Brotherhood (The Unlucky Red and Black Khajiit [a joke about black cats, which I love by the way so no offense intended])? Those will be separate stories which will come after this one. Post in the comments if anyone wants either idea to be written. Thanks!

Sorry to anyone who has been hoping for a new chapter soon, I'm too busy to play Skyrim and record the character dialogue. So, yea. But I am always getting new ideas (and writer's blocks) for a new story, so why don't you check it out?