Skyrim: The Thief Chpt.11

Chapter 11 – Purity: Part 2

Before...

"I'm asking you for the final time. Tell me where you got all this" Erik questioned, both hands placed on the table in front of him as he interrogated the teenager sitting opposite. Glancing up from the floor, Talon looked at the contents placed between him and his father. Sitting between them, on a rectangular piece of cloth, was a whole assortment of food ranging from fresh fruit to preserved wine. Standing behind Erik was a woman, her hair as black as night and her eyes enveloped in green, giving Talon the same look of dissatisfaction. Sighing, Talon's gaze returned to the floor.
"You stole it all, didn't you?" Erik answered for him, his tone of voice descending from irritated to furious.
"Yes, sir" Talon admitted, not even looking up from the floor. Removing his hands from the table, Erik turned his back to Talon, running a hand down his face and shaking his head penitently.
"Talon, I've told you-LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!," Erik ordered, causing Talon to bolt upright in his seat out of pure fear, "I've told you time and time again, I'm getting sick and tired of your larceny"
"I know, you never shut up about it" Talon sassed in response, getting Erik to slam his fist down on the table irritably and nearly making him fall off his chair.
"Do you think of this as a joke?" Erik demanded, getting Talon to return the look of anger.
"Most of the time. It takes the edge off" he answered, narrowing his eyes at his father.
"Then tell me: Did you think it was funny when you got arrested in Markarth? Did you think I enjoyed having to walk all the way there just to pay your bail?" Erik asked, causing Talon to slump back in his chair. He remembered that day perfectly, mainly because his father kept on bringing it up. He'd been caught pickpocketing loose change at the Silver-Blood Inn and he'd had to wait in the Guard Tower for his father to take him home. Unfortunately, a fee had to be paid for Talon's release, meaning that Erik had to sacrifice a week's payment. Not only that, but then he had to work extra hours in the mine to earn the money back.
"Your father's right, Talon. For all you knew, you could've gotten caught again. Where did you get all of this anyhow?" Talon's mother, Caroline, questioned, gesturing with her hand to the heap of food.
"From the Battle-Born house up in Whiterun, they had a whole table full of this stuff. I was in and out before they could even notice" Talon answered, attempting to reassure her in hopes of getting off the hook.
"Whether they noticed you or not isn't the issue here, son. The issue is that you need to stop stealing before you become obsessed with it. I still have my job at the mine, I can still provide for this family" Erik replied, causing Talon to stand up and narrow his eyes.
"Really, father? Just when were you going to tell me that you got fired?" Talon asked with crossed arms. At the sound of this, the angry expression disappeared from Erik's face, leaving him with a look of surprise.
"That's right, I heard you two talking about it last night. How long were you going to keep it from me?" Talon questioned, looking on irascibly as his parents exchanged distressed glances.  
"That's why I stole this stuff. To keep us going until we found another way to earn coin" Talon revealed, getting moved expressions from the two of them, his father letting out a sigh.
"Talon, I know you meant well, but it still doesn't give you the right to steal from others" Caroline explained, joining her husband by the table respectively.
"Your mother's right, son. What if you had gotten caught again?" Erik assumed, narrowing his eyebrows at his son, his tone returning to its previously maddened stage.
"But I didn't. I got away with enough food to last us a week. You two should be thanking me right now" Talon retorted egotistically, angering his father even further.  
"Thanking you? For what? Nearly getting arrested for a second time?! FOR STEALING FROM THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL FAMILY IN WHITERUN?!" Erik raged, picking up a loaf of bread from the pile of stolen goods and lobbing  it and his son. Shielding his face, Talon backed away from the table as the loaf rebounded off his hands and landed on the floor.
"Erik, calm down" Caroline tried to solace, simply ignored by her furious husband.
"How about for keeping us from starving? Honestly, the one time I do something nice for both of you and you spit in my face. Can't you calm the fuck down for once in your life?!" Talon countered, stepping forward until he was within arm's reach of his father.
"YOU WATCH YOUR TONGUE, BOY!!!" Erik yelled, jabbing his index finger into Talon's chest and causing him to move back an inch.
"Stop it, both of you!" Caroline cut in, still being ignored by the two of them. However, she covered her mouth in shock as Talon brought back his fist and propelled it straight into Erik's face, causing him to stumble backwards, clutching his nose. Erik looked up at Talon furiously, blood now trickling from his nostrils to his lips. As for Talon, he just stood there, his hand still clenched into a fist, his chest drastically moving in and out with each breath.
"By the Eights, what is wrong with you?!" Erik yelled, scaring both his wife and his son.
"You made me do it, you asshole! Because no matter how much I try to help this family, you'll always find some kind of downside!" Talon yelled in response, angering his father even further.
"That's it. Go to your room, boy. We'll discuss your punishment tomorrow!" Erik ordered, pointing to the door to the left of the room. Angered, Talon kicked over the chair he'd previously been sitting on and stormed out of the room, slamming the door loudly. However, even with the door closed, he could still hear his father's shouting.
"Mark my words, if you ever get caught again, you can rot in jail for all I care!" he shouted, causing Talon to open the door once more, surprising both of his parents.
"I HATE YOU!!!" he cried, slamming it once more with a grunt. Leaning back against the door, he allowed himself to slowly slide down the wood, hitting the floor with a soft thud. He ran his hands through his hair, looking over to the window ahead of him, the moon shining brightly behind the glass. Narrowing his eyebrows, he stood back up, headed over to his bed and reached under it, pulling out a rust-colored satchel. Opening his bedside table, he pulled out all the coin he had and his copy of 'Nords of Skyrim', placing them inside the satchel. Closing it, he swung the strap over his shoulder and headed for the window. Opening it as wide as it could go, he shivered as the outside air penetrated his dirty, white shirt. Ducking under the frame, he slowly dropped down onto the grassy ground, crossing his arms to hold in the warmth as he headed away from the wooden cabin. Pausing in his tracks, he took one last look back at what he had once called home. Sighing, his breath made visible by the cold, his mind forced him to turn away, taking off into the night as fast as he could.

-

Erik sat by the fireplace, his gaze refusing to look away from the spectacle of flickering embers and orange flames. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he quickly turned to see Caroline standing behind him, a small smile on her face.
"Something wrong?" she asked, removing her hand and crossing her arms.
"No, I'm fine" Erik stated, turning back to fire earnestly, getting a chuckle to exit his wife's throat.
"Come on, I know when you're feeling bad. It's because of Talon, isn't it?" she queried, getting her husband to sigh and run his hand down his face, causing his skin to stretch downwards briefly.
"Of course it is. I just hate it when he disobeys my orders" Erik revealed, causing a comforting look to appear on Caroline's face. Bending down, she pulled her husband into a reverse-hug and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Hey, I disapprove of his theft obsession just as much as you. But you can't get him to stop with yelling and violence. You need to treat him with respect, he's your son after all" Caroline soothed, getting her husband to smile as his cheeks warmed up.
"I guess I should go and apologize" Erik suggested, standing up as Caroline released him from her hug.
"Now that's the wild-eyed Nord I fell in love with" she agreed, kissing him once more before he headed over to Talon's room. Turning the handle, Erik opened the door.
"Talon, I-" he paused, his eyes widening as he observed the empty room. Heading over to the open window, he looked out into the night, seeing no sign of his son. Or anything else for that matter.
"Erik, what's going on?" Caroline asked from the doorway, causing Erik to quickly turn around.
"Talon's gone" he answered worriedly, his heartbeat increasing rapidly.
"He's gone? What are you talking about?" Caroline asked uneasily, tears beginning to surface in her eyes. Pushing past her, Erik opened the front door and walked outside, heading a few feet away from the house and looking in every possible direction.
"Talon?!" he called out, his voice somewhat echoing across the land as he awaited a response. Hearing nothing, he felt his heart sink. He knew that, deep down, this was all his fault. Bringing his hands to his mouth, he called out again, more out of guilt than of concern.
"TALON!!!"

- Whiterun Stables, six days since Talon was bitten -

"Talon?"
Gasping, Talon quickly sat up on the wooden carriage's bench, seeing Ailios sitting opposite. Taking in deep breaths, he looked around at the carriage's other inhabitants. Sitting beside him was Helgor, his arms crossed and his eyes closed, possibly trying his best to get some sleep. Leia and Freyja sat beside Ailios, giving Talon the same look of concern.
"Are you okay? You drifted off for a second" Leia asked, concerned for Talon's well being just as much as the others.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little drowsy is all" he replied, doing his best to put on a grin. Ailios couldn't blame him for his fatigue. He had been this way since they had left Riften. His skin had turned pale, bags had formed under his eyes and, as you would expect, he had claimed to be unbelievably thirsty. Helgor had taken a bottle of water with them when they left, but Talon had finished it off in less than an hour. Somehow, Ailios had known that her blood wasn't enough.
"We're here" Sigaar, the driver, announced, nodding towards the large city ahead of them. Pulling on the horses' reigns, the carriage came to a halt, allowing the five passengers to get off. Reaching into his pocket, Helgor pulled out 20 gold and handed it to Sigaar, getting a grateful nod from the carriage driver as they headed up the path to the city.

- Jorrvaskr, home of the Companions -

Athis, the Dunmer, swiftly placed the shot glass back on the wooden table between him and Arowa, gasping for air as he swallowed the remaining Alto wine. Instantly, each onlooker standing around the table turned to Arowa, sitting across from him. Six shots each had been placed in front of them, with only three remaining for Arowa and two for Athis. Between each row of shots was a stack of coin, assorted potions and the occasional soul gem. This was the prize for whoever could hold their liquor the longest. Taking in deep breaths, Arowa shakily reached out for one of the shots and brought it to her lips. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, allowing the alcoholic liquid to pour down her throat. Smirking, she placed the shot glass back on the table, brushing a loose strand of brown hair behind her pointed ear. Each head turned back to Athis as he reached for his fifth shot, some with their fingers crossed having placed bets on him. Unfortunately, before the glass could even touch his lips, his eyes rolled back and he fell off his chair, dropping unconsciously to the floor. Groans of defeat and victorious laughs erupted from the group of spectators, some begrudgingly handing various sums of coin over to the other. Wiping her forehead on her arm, Arowa stood up and placed her winnings in the sack beside her chair, closing it tightly before swinging it over her shoulder. As she began to head away, Arowa paused as a familiar face entered the front entrance. Grinning, she gently placed the sack on the ground beside her and went over to greet her friend.
"Good to see you again, Helgor" she greeted, allowing the burly Nord to pull her into a hug.
"And you, Arowa" he returned, releasing her heartily. Normally, Helgor wouldn't stand being in the presence of a Wood Elf. Arowa was an exception. A long time ago, whilst hiking through The Pale, Helgor was ambushed by a hoard of Frostbite spiders. Seemingly doomed, he was surprised to see multiple arrows fly out of nowhere and kill each spider instantly. He was even more surprised to see a Wood Elf emerge from behind a rock and assist him to his feet. Since then, him and Arowa had stayed in touch, getting in the occasional spot of bother with a Sabre cat or clearing out a cave crawling with Draugr.
"So, what brings you here?" she asked, her question answered for her as she saw the young Nord standing behind Helgor, his skin gradually turning white and his once unique leather armor reduced to mere remnants. Behind him stood Ailios, Leia and Freyja, all looking to the Wood Elf desperately.
"We have a problem" Helgor spoke, turning back to look at the slowly deteriorating thief with a look of concern.

-

Arowa grimaced at the sight of Talon's blackened wolf bite, quickly covering it back up with the bandages tied around his ribs. To avoid prying eyes, the group had relocated to the sleeping quarters of Jorrvaskr, gathering around the bed Talon was sitting on. Once down there, Helgor had explained the situation to Arowa and had allowed her to check Talon's symptoms.
"Terminal Lycanthropy, huh? Never thought I'd be dealing with this" she disclosed, worrying Talon as he brushed his hair out of his eyes.
"So, you don't know how to cure it?" he assumed, now sounding genuinely scared. His mind suddenly became fraught with questions. What would happen if he couldn't be cured? Would he have to be put down? Or would his wolf spirit beat them to the punch? Fortunately, his worries were put to rest as Arowa answered him.
"I never said that. Your wolf spirit may be corrupted, but it can be dealt with just like any other" she reassured, calming Talon down, yet confusing him at the same time.
"How? And where did you learn so much about werewolves anyway?" he asked, causing Arowa to go silent, her gaze shifting to the floor as she tried to think of a good excuse.
"You may as well tell him, Arowa" Freyja insisted, causing all eyes to turn to face her.
"Tell him what?" Ailios questioned, raising an eyebrow and turning back to face Arowa, crossing her arms. Outnumbered, Arowa sighed, brushing another strand of hair behind her ear.
"Years ago, before Kodlak Whitemane became Harbinger, one of his predecessors made a with the witches of Glenmoril Coven: they would give the Companions great power, but only if we hunted in the name of Hircine. He didn't know that the power was Lycanthropy" she explained, causing Talon's weary eyes to briefly widen in surprise.
"Wait...so...you...a-and you..." he stammered, looking back and forth between Arowa and Freyja. Nervously, Freyja nodded her head.
"I was given the gift when I joined. We both were" she admitted, looking to Arowa for support. Smiling, she nodded in reassurance.
"Why didn't you tell us back at the Cistern?" Leia asked her sister bewilderingly, raising an eyebrow.
"'Cause I was worried how you'd react. I...I'm sorry" Freyja apologized, looking down at the ground regretfully.
"It's water under the bridge. The problem for now is getting that...abomination out of Talon" Helgor reminded, pointing to the teenage Nord's partially exposed chest.
"He's right. Did the witches say how the power could be lifted?" Ailios asked, turning to the Bosmer companion.
"Unfortunately not. But Kodlak was able to find out before he died. He learned that, since the witches' powers were what caused the curse in the first place, only they could remove it" Arowa explained, pausing as Talon added his own input.
"So, we just go up to the witches and ask them to take it away?" he assumed, anything to get him cured faster.
"It's not that simple. Or suicidal. When Kodlak wanted to be cured, he sent Aela, Farkas and Vilkas to cure his spirit of the Lycanthropy. First, they needed the head of one of the witches. Then they headed to Ysgramor's tomb. After that, they never spoke about it again" Arowa explained, trying her best to reassure him.
"Their coven's just northwest of Falkreath. Me and Leia could get one, then meet the rest of you at Ysgramor's tomb" Freyja suggested, getting looks agreement all around.
"That's not a bad idea. But what do we do with the head when we get there?" Leia asked, turning to face Arowa, expecting her to answer.
"We'll figure it out as we go along. Where's the tomb located?" Helgor asked afterward, also facing Arowa.
"On an island, northwest of Winterhold. If we hurry, we can be there by nightfall" she answered, raising Talon's spirits ever so slightly.
"Then it's settled: me and Leia will go get the head and the four of you will meet as at the tomb" Freyja confirmed, getting a confirmatory nod from Helgor.
"Let's just hope this thing doesn't catch on to what we're doing" Talon hoped, raising a hand to his heart worriedly.

- Later, outside Glenmoril Coven -

Leia stood outside the cave impatiently, tossing her dagger in the air over and over again, catching it by the handle every time. Freyja had entered the cave not too long ago, later accompanied by a werewolf's howl. A few seconds later, the sounds of spells being cast and hagravens screaming echoed off the cave walls, sending chills down Leia's spine as they were quickly silenced. After that, the cave was silent for a brief period time, worrying the blonde haired thief as she awaited her sister's reappearance. Hearing the sound of boots stomping down and gravel, Leia quickly turned her head in the direction of the cave's entrance. Sure enough, Freyja emerged from the dark abyss, a bloodied, burlap sack in her grasp. The sack contained an almost spherical shape, a sight which nearly made Leia sick.
"Is...that the head?" she asked, nearly retching as the scent of the severed head hit her nostrils.
"Sure is. Took it off with one swing" Freyja answered almost proudly, raising her free hand, now stained the same color as her dark, crimson hair. Rolling her eyes, Leia started heading in the direction of Windhelm, Freyja following suite soon after. As she walked, Leia's gaze slowly shifted to her sister's blood drenched hand, her nails still sharp from her previous transformation. Freyja couldn't help but notice this behavior.
"What's wrong?" she asked, following her gaze down to her hand.
"Nothing. It's just...what does it feel like? Being a werewolf I mean?" Leia asked, making things clearer for her sister.
"Not that different. Makes winning fights a whole lot easier though" Freyja answered contentedly, getting her sister to let out a small chuckle as they continued over the grassy landscape.

- Much later, Ysgramor's tomb -

Helgor and Arowa were sitting just outside the tomb's door, catching on up their different adventures. As for Talon and Ailios, they were sitting across from them, discussing their various tales of thievery and escape.
"No way. That did not happen" Talon denied, somehow staying positive due to his current condition, his skin paler than it had been at Jorrvaskr.
"Yes it did. So, I'm running over the hill, it's pitch black outside and I can hear the guards catching up to me. I get to the bottom of the hill and what do I find? A farm. The guards are getting closer, so I run over to the cow's pen and jump inside. I had to wait in there for half an hour until they finally went away. By the time I get back to Cistern, I'm covered in mud and cow shit" she retold, causing the two of them burst out laughing.
"I have to admit. That is pretty crazy. But I've been through worse" Talon retorted, surprising his friend.
"Like what?" she questioned, crossing her arms expectantly. Talon wasn't worried, there was no way she could top his story.
"You remember not too long ago when Jarl Siddgeir's circlet was stolen from Solitude?" he asked, putting on his trademark grin. As you'd expect, it didn't take Ailios long to catch on.
"That was you?" she asked, getting him to nod in response.
"I shit you not, I had every guard in the city after me. And I escape from them by jumping off a bridge" Talon explained, content with how Ailios was hanging on to every word.
"What did you do with the circlet?" she asked, causing Talon to reach inside his satchel. When his hand reemerged, he held the ebony circlet in his grasp, causing Ailios' mouth to drop open in amazement.
"Wow, it's beautiful" she commented, amazed by the amount of precision gone into its crafting.
"I know. I can't imagine how much I can sell it for on the black market" Talon answered, holding it up to the sunset to observe its workmanship. Hearing this, Ailios' smile reverted into a confused expression.
"You're going to sell it?" she asked, watching as he studied its design.
"Yep. As soon as I'm done here in Skyrim, I'm going to sell this off, get a ride to Cyrodiil and start fresh. Try and get my life back" he explained, causing a look of hurt to appear on Ailios' face.
"Oh. So...you're just going to leave?" she asked, turning her head away to hide her depressed visage. Unfortunately, her depressed tone had captured Talon's attention, concerning him as he turned to face her.
"I guess so. Do you have a reason why I should stay?" he asked in response, their gazes locking as she looked back at him. There was a brief silence between the two as their eyes met, the emerald green of his merging with the sapphire blue of hers. Both of them too mesmerized to speak.
"We got the head" Freyja's voice called from above them as her and Leia made their way down the stone steps into the stone barrow the tomb was located. Quickly, both Talon and Ailios quickly departed from their close encounter, standing back up to avoid suspicion, Helgor and Arowa following suit. As the sisters joined them at the bottom of the steps, they all headed for the entrance, pausing as Helgor turned back to face them.
"Remember, there could be anything in there. Stay sharp" he warned as he reached for the stone door, slowly pushing it open and allowing the cold air to promptly enter the tomb.

-

Passing the tall statue of Ysgramor himself, the group cautiously made their way down into the cave, their weapons raised and ready for any surprises. Eventually, they came across a large chamber, the floor a shallow river or water lined with vines, both sides lined with black, stone coffins, wooden support beams lining the walls and ceiling. Before stepping in the shallow water, Helgor sternly looked back at the others once more.
"Be careful" he warned, placing his left foot into the water, a ripple flowing across the surface of the water as he did so. Almost instantly, rasping voice echoed around the chamber, amplified by the stone walls surrounding them. They all gasped as multiple spectral apparitions emerged from the closed caskets placed along each wall, their ghostly weapons prepared to dismember the intruders. These were the ghosts of former companions. Arowa's eyes widened in fear, she knew they didn't have much time.
"Move! Quickly!" she instructed, a direction which everybody eagerly obliged, desperately running through the shallow water with small splashes lapping at their heels. As the spirits made their way towards the group, Freyja turned to face Helgor, handing the bloodied sack over to him.
"Me and Leia have got this. We'll catch up when we can" she explained earnestly, getting an accepting nod from Helgor as he lead Arowa, Ailios and Talon through to the next chamber, picking up speed as the sound of fire materializing out of the thin air and blades colliding followed them. Arriving in the next chamber, everyone froze out of fear. The walls, floors and stone pillars were enveloped in a familiar, white material. Spider webs.
"Shit..." Ailios and Talon whispered simultaneously, on the off chance they'd attract a predator to their location. Luckily, no such thing happened.
"Don't worry, they probably got cleared out when Aela and the others first came here. Just take it slowly and don't make any sudden movements" Arowa whispered reassuringly, taking in a deep breath. Slowly, the four of them headed past the multiple webs and spider eggs and into the next chamber, freezing as they noticed what was inside. However, their shuffling had attracted the attention of the creatures standing across from them. Two small frostbite spiders began to crawl in their direction, to transfixed on devouring them to notice Arowa take out her bow and a single arrow. Pulling it back in the string, she released it, hitting the first spider straight in the head, killing it. As for the other one, it made the mistake of going to Helgor. Retrieving his Nightingale blade, he gripped the handle tightly and drove it the blade into the abnormal arachnid, watching as a mixture of blood and venom began to spread across the floor. Suddenly, a shadow formed from above, in the form of an even bigger frostbite spider, emerging from the open hole in the ceiling.
"Ailios, you and Talon go ahead. We'll hold it off" he ordered, handing her the sack before making his way towards the collosal spider, taking a swing at one of its legs and causing it to squeal as the blade pierced its skin. Obliging, Ailios and Talon quickly moved on to the next chamber, leaving the Nord and the Wood Elf to face the mighty beast. Quickly running down the steps, a wave of nausea suddenly washed over Talon, causing him to stumble and fall down, scaring Ailios as she ran back to help him. Kneeling down, she held his chin and moved it up so she could see his face, now turning a ghostly white, reminding her of the ghosts they'd left Leia and Freyja to fight.
"Talon?" she asked, almost whispering, her voice catching in her throat as she observed her friend's withering form. With his breathing becoming scratchy, she put his arm over her shoulder and painstakingly lifted him back onto his feet, a low groan escaping from between his lips.
"C'mon, we're almost there" she urged, helping him as he limped through the burial tomb and through to a large chamber. Like the room full of spirits, the walls were lined with stone caskets. But that wasn't what caught their attention. Placed in the center of the chamber, on an old, stone pedestal, was a mystical, blue fire. As they approached it, Ailios let go of Talon's shoulder, allowing him to groggily stand freely.
"What are we supposed to do with the head?" she queried, looking down at the sack in her hands, the stench becoming more than she could handle.
"I have...a theory" Talon answered, his hand frailly reaching out for the sack. Worried that she'd hurt him somehow, Ailios gently placed it in his hand, her heart beating rapidly as she feared for his health. Pulling open the sack, Talon nearly wretched at the scent of the gradually decomposing head, the skin already turning grey and clammy. Dropping the sack to the floor, Talon held the witches head by the hair, seconds before dropping it in the fire. As soon as the flames engulfed the decapitated head, a sudden pain developed in Talon's chest, causing him to stagger as a bright red light shone through the tears in his armor. Ailios backed away, covering her mouth in horror as Talon screamed in agony, the profane condition of his wolf spirit making its excretion much more painful than any other. Until suddenly, a red-outlined, transparent wolf burst forth from Talon's chest, landing on the other side of the pedestal. Immediately, Talon's skin returned to its former color, bringing back his trademark grin before he noticed the wolf spirit standing across from him. The deranged and disembodied spirit looked back and forth between the thieves, its gaze finally resting on Ailios, bearing its teeth hungrily. As for Ailios, she was frozen in place, her legs immobilized by the growing fear inside of her. As the wolf began to advance on her, a voice sounded from the other side of the chamber.
"Don't you touch her!" Talon ordered, narrowing his eyes at the spirit as it looked in his direction, suddenly loosing interest in Ailios.
"This is between you and me, fuzzball. Bring it" he threatened, retrieving his dagger from his belt and wielding it defensively. Snarling, the wolf charged in his direction and pounced on him, instantly knocking him to the floor. Ailios watched in horror as Talon and the wolf rolled around on the floor, the combined sounds of Talon's shouts and the wolf's snarls filling her ears. With a burst of strength, Talon shoved the wolf off of him, quickly regaining his footing. Now standing up, Ailios could see the scratches the wolf had left on Talon's exposed skin, slowly bleeding out with each heartbeat. His pulse vibrating, Talon and the wolf began to circle each other, neither of them breaking eye contact. Unfortunately for Talon, the wolf made the first move. Lunging at the teenage Nord, the wolf pinned him to the ground and knocked his dagger out of his hand on impact, clamping its apparitional teeth into his arm with a fierce snap. Crying out, Talon could feel his veins being lacerated and his warm blood seeping down his arm as the wolf treated it like a dead rabbit. Looking to his left, he saw his dagger just out of reach. Trying his best to ignore the pain searing through his arm, he desperately tried to reach for the blade, his fingers just brushing the handle almost mockingly. All of a sudden, Talon felt the wolf cease its biting, his maimed arm limply dropping to the ground. Gasping out in pain, he watched the wolf spirit drop to his side, an iron dagger shoved into its back. As its eyes finally shut, it vanished into thin air, the dagger dropping to the ground with a clatter. Looking up to where the wolf had previously been standing, he saw a merciful sight. Ailios towered over him, breathing heavily, one hand still unclenched as if she was holding an invisible blade. Both of them looked to where the wolf spirit had previously been lying, then back at each other. Kneeling down in front of Talon, Ailios quickly pulled him into a hug, letting a tear of joy stream down her face she embraced him, Talon's trademark grin reemerging as a response. As they departed, Ailios looked over to his arm, gasping at the state it was in. Luckily, the sound of footsteps coming from the chamber's entrance filled their ears, resulting in Helgor, Arowa, Leia and Freyja heading over to them. Seeing Talon's arm, Arowa gasped in shock, quickly joining the others as they ran to his aid.
"Did you deal with the spirit?" Helgor asked, helping Talon lift his arm and trying to make less painful.
"Yeah, it's gone for good" he reassured, looking over to Ailios thankfully, his heart racing as she smiled back at him.
"We better get him back to the Cistern" Leia suggested, watching as Helgor assisted Talon to his feet. Now victorious, the group headed out of the chamber, ready to make the journey back to Riften.

- The Ragged Flagon Cistern -

Talon irritably scratched his neck, the sling around his arm causing it to itch irrepressibly. As the itch went away, he sighed, looking down at the leather rags clinging to his body. He'd been sitting on Ailios' bed for a while now, waiting for her to return. She'd said she had a surprise for him. Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned to see her with a bundle of leather in her arms. A set of armor. Thieves Guild armor.
"I had a talk with Brynjolf and he said, due to your condition," she paused, quickly glancing at the remnants of his armor, "you could borrow these"
"Seriously? Thieves Guild armor?" he questioned, taking the leather components from her grasp with his one good arm.
"Do you have a problem with that?" she queried, giving him a stern look, yet keeping a smile on her face.
"No, of course not. It's just that I'm not even a member" Talon reminded, trying his best to return the smile.
"You're a thief though. That seems like a legit reason. Why don't you go try it on?" she insisted, getting a sly expression to emerge on Talon's face.
"Is this another excuse to see me with my shirt off?" he asked, causing his cheeks to turn red. He couldn't help but chuckle at this, earning himself a punch in the arm. The good one.
"Get over yourself, prisoner" she joked, getting Talon to roll his eyes implausibly.
"Really? You're back to calling me that again?" he asked, getting her to smile again.
"Yeah, it suits you. Now go try it on" she ushered, turning away to give him some privacy. However, as she heard him dropping the rags to the ground, she peeked around to get a quick glance of his developing abs before turning away again. She heard him let out a gasp of pain as he placed his sling back over his neck.
"How do I look?" he asked, allowing her to turn back to face him. The armor was dyed black, just like Vex's, the multiple buckles gleaming silver.
"Wow, that actually suits you" she commented, getting him to put on his trademark grin once more.
"Really? I never thought black was my color" he revealed, causing Ailios to give him a dumbfounded expression. Seeing this, Talon let out a chuckle.
"Just kidding" he clarified, getting her to giggle with relief. He didn't know why, but he loved hearing her laugh.
"All you need to do is lose the sling and you're good to go" Ailios suggested, heading over to him and brushing some lint from his shoulders, being careful not to hurt his arm.
"How long do I have to wear this...liability for anyway?" he asked, almost insulting his arm like it had a mind of its own. Ailios couldn't help but roll her eyes at his sullenness.
"It's hard to say. A couple of months ago, when Sapphire broke her arm, it took about five...maybe six weeks" she answered, slightly worried about how he'd react. Blowing his hair out of his eyes, Talon looked down at his busted appendage with a sigh, feeling almost vulnerable.
"You okay?" Ailios asked, rubbing his back comfortingly. Turning to look at her, he smiled, as if her near-angelic voice had taken all his worries away.  
"Don't worry. I'm fine. Just need to take it easy on the thieving for a while" he replied, the greens of his eyes more than enough to make Ailios' heart flutter. Breaking eye contact, the two of them sat down on Ailios' bed, side by side, their shoulders almost touching.
"You know, if you want to, you could stay here and work with us until your arm heals" she assumed, getting Talon to look at her with surprise.
"You mean...work with the Guild?" he asked, wondering if he'd caught on to what she was thinking.
"Sure. It's less dangerous and, most importantly, you can still reel in a lot of coin" Ailios explained. Upon hearing the final word of that sentence, Talon's eyes widened as if he'd just seen Vex bathing in the lake.
"I'm listening" he ushered with interest. Ailios smiled, she'd got him hooked.
"Vex and Delvin can set you up with different jobs, stealing from houses, pickpocketing, you name it. If we work together, we can split the loot fifty-fifty" she explained, intriguing her friend as he considered this partnership. He obviously trusted her. And she had saved his life more than once. But there was something else. Something which made butterflies fly around in his stomach whenever she smiled at him. Whenever she spoke. Whenever she brushed a strand of silver-tipped hair out of her eyes. Somehow he knew, deep down, if he left, if he went off to risk his life again, he'd never forgive himself for leaving her behind.
"I'm in" he agreed, holding out his hand in acceptance. Ailios held back a cheer as she took hold of his hand and shook it.
"Talon, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" she commented, still shaking his hand with a smile.