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Part II

The audience chamber was dark as the Emperor entered, and while the Emperor himself moved to the throne in the center of the room, two of the Blades moved to light the torches that lined the room. As the light began to come up, the Blades were shocked to see a pair of glowing green eyes in the center of the room. They drew their katanas, but the Emperor just laughed.

"Continue lighting the lamps," the Emperor called as the Blades all stopped to face the center of the room. The ones with the torches did so, but the ones that had drawn their swords remained on alert.

The lights came up, revealing not the two Shadowswords that the Emperor had expected, but three. Shadow, whose eyes had provoked the Blades, and Grubak (the Emperor was the only person outside the Shadowswords who knew about the relationship between the Khajiit and the Orc) had been joined by a young Argonian, who was wearing a somewhat worn suit of Shadowsword armor. All had their hoods down (except for Shadow), and they were also unarmed- a habit that Shadow encouraged- kneeling in the center of the room, facing the throne.

"Welcome, my Shadowswords," the Emperor greeted as he sat down, motioning for his assassins to rise. "Master Shadow, it is good to see you again. Grubak, I see that you are also well. And I do not believe that we have met your new acquaintance."

"My lord, this is Raven-Eye- my new student," Shadow said.

"Welcome Raven-Eye," the Emperor said warmly. "You must have shown great promise indeed for Shadow to take you on. You are most welcome here."

"Thank you, my Lord," Raven-Eye said sheepishly. He was a bit overawed by being in the presence of the Emperor.

"To business then," the Emperor said finally. He put his hand on a large purse on the table by the side of his throne and tossed it to Shadow. "I need you to head to Elsweyr, and prepare for an Imperial visit. Your orders are with your initial payment."

Shadow said nothing, but Grubak did have a question.

"What's the purpose of your visit, my Lord?"

"Normal politics," the Emperor sighed as he leaned back in the throne. "Discussions about border disputes, the Moon Sugar trade, taxes and so on. Nothing special, just talks that end up with everyone a little mad, and trying to get everything you can out of one side without giving up too much on your own. Politics, my dear Orc."

Raven-Eye squirmed a bit, unsure of his place in this conference. The Emperor motioned for the Argonian to speak.

"What is our role, my Lord?"

"That is for you to determine," the Emperor said patiently. "Your Master has the details of what I need done, and the rest will be up to you. You are allowed as much leeway as I can give, Raven-Eye- this is how things are done between us."

Raven-Eye nodded, but looked dejectedly at the floor. Shadow looked over at his student with a frown on his face, but the Emperor rose and put up a hand to forestall any outburst from the Master Assassin. Septim walked over and put a hand on the Argonian's shoulder.

"Do not be ashamed youngster, there is only way to gain knowledge in this world- and that is by asking questions. You have done nothing wrong my Shadowsword."

They departed a few minutes later, Shadow lingering for a few minutes to have some further discussion with the Emperor. When the Master emerged, Shadow led the others to the Imperial Gardens. Shadow took a seat on a secluded bench, passed the bag of coins to Grubak after he extracted a piece of paper, and began looking over the paper. The Orc sat down on the ground with his back against the bench and counted the coins. Raven-Eye sensed that there was some sort of common ritual being followed, and sat quietly off to the side watching the proceedings. After a few minutes, Shadow folded the Emperor's note into his pouch and looked at Grubak.

"Three thousand," Grubak said without prompting. Shadow nodded, as he had expected, this wasn't their payment, but merely money for supplies.

"Halve it," Shadow told the Orc before turning to Raven-Eye, who was standing up. When the Orc had finished sorting out the coins, he gave one set to Shadow, who passed them to Raven-Eye- much to the Argonian's surprise; he had thought that the Master would divide it into thirds at most.

"You have been to the Market District before? Good. Head there now and get anything you think you need for a two month journey," Shadow told him. "Do not trouble yourself about food (except for treats), potions, or clothing- they won't have anything like what you need here."

As Raven-Eye ran through his needs, that left mostly extra arrows. Shadow clapped him on the shoulder, and somehow passed him a few more coins.

"I know you are thinking about loading up on arrows, but only get enough to get you through the trip to Elsweyr- there will be plenty of opportunities to get more along the way. If you can't think of anything, then do not get anything- there will be plenty of exotics where we are going. Alright?"

"We are going our separate ways? Where and when will we meet?"

Shadow's face fell a little. "The Temple of the One at sundown."

That was the last of that particular conversation, and Shadow and Grubak took off, leaving Raven-Eye to ponder why someone as clearly not religious as Shadow was would chose to meet at the Temple of the One. Raven-Eye could not come with an answer, so he took off for the Market District and didn't let it bother him that much.

Raven-Eye didn't end up spending much of the two thousand septims that Master Shadow had given him. He rather quickly got the arrows he thought he needed, and got his shortsword sharpened, and for his own peace of mind bought a handful of healing potions. When he was leaving the alchemist, he saw Master Shadow and Grubak for the only time that afternoon- they were leaving the general store. They waved to each other, and Raven-Eye did decide to get himself some "treats" as the Master had described them and stopped at the general store himself. That done, he spent the rest of the afternoon in the Arena, and managed to make back most of what he had spent. He headed to the Temple about an hour before sundown in possession of eighteen hundred septims in his pouch for the trip to Elsweyr. He arrived at the Temple to find Grubak and Shadow waiting- the Orc bareheaded and the Khajiit with his hood up. Aside from an older Imperial male in the brown robes of a priest, the circular dome of the Temple was empty and silent save for the roaring crackle of the Dragonfires at the center of the circle. The two Shadowswords smiled broadly as Raven-Eye approached. The Argonian was worried that he was late, but Shadow waved him over to stand with them. Raven-Eye's boots clacked loudly on the white marble of the Temple floor, which was so highly polished that the former Shadowscale could almost see himself in it. This place was the antithesis of the places he had been brought up in, the places he had come to call home. The sense of unease, that he was trespassing, returned over him.

"Whenever a mission takes us far afield and into possible danger," the Master began, gently maneuvering Raven-Eye so that he faced the Dragonfires. "I find it helpful to remember just who it is we serve."

"The Emperor and the Empire," Raven-Eye responded, hoping that this wasn't some sort of test.

"Empires are just constructions of man," Shadow said seriously. "With men to rule them- and men can be wrong. I have told this Septim on more than one occasion that I would not carry out the orders he had given me because he was wrong. Look at your armor and you will find the truth."

Okay, this didn't seem to be a test- more likely this was Master Shadow's world view on life. But what other power besides the Empire could he serve? What other service would the Empire tolerate being held above it?

"I don't understand, Master."

Shadow tapped him on the shoulder. "What is this?"

"The dragon of the Empire," Raven-Eye responded, catching that Shadow had tapped the insignia on his shoulder pads.

"And who is the dragon of the Empire?"

Now the Argonian was seeing at least what the Master was trying to say, if not his exact point. "Lord Akatosh."

Shadow nodded. "The rivalry between the Blades and the Shadowswords extends much deeper than simply the fact that they are bodyguards and we are assassins: they serve Talos, and we serve Akatosh. This is an important difference- at the end of the day, realize that our concerns extend beyond the concerns of just the Empire. In the shadows we make a difference. We affect the flow of events, we effect time itself."

"I think I see," Raven-Eye said, his tone registering some uncertainty. Grubak sympathized, but remained silent during the whole conversation. The priest had moved closer, but remained a respectful distance away.

"It is a long process to come to understand," Shadow said. "I do not expect you to fully understand it right now, especially since that relationship is a personal thing- I will not force my view on you, you will have to come up with your own. For now it is well for you to remember that we serve the Dragon God, and simply remember that having someone look out for you is not a bad thing."

Shadow clenched his student on his shoulder, and then moved off with Grubak trailing after him. Raven-Eye stood blinking and stared into the Dragonfires, unsure about what to do. He was still in this state when he was approached by the priest.

"You will forgive me for overhearing your conversation," the priest said. "But I have had many dealings with the Shadowswords, and with your Master in particular- perhaps I can assist you."

"I do not know," Raven-Eye mused. "My upbringing has not given me a view of religion."

"Indeed," the priest replied. "There are not many assassins that are very religious. Your Master feels that such experience is a personal experience between yourself and the Divines. But not all of us can find that connection by ourselves- some of us need guidance along that path."

"I wouldn't know where to begin," Raven-Eye finally admitted.

"Then perhaps if we observe your partners, we can find a place to begin," the priest replied as he turned to face the Dragonfires, and Shadow and Grubak.

Shadow was facing the Dragonfires, slightly turned away from Raven-Eye so that the Argonian couldn't quite see his face- especially since the Khajiit still had his hood up. But the Master Assassin was shaking slightly as he reached up and pulled his hood down. Raven-Eye's eyes went wide as he saw the Master's exposed head. Khajiits had hair just like humans or elves, and it was courser then their normal fur- most wore it in a kind of mane, tucked into a headband, or in a row of dreadlocks- but not Shadow. The Master kept the fur on his head as short as the fur on the rest of his body, so that by Khajiit standards he was bald- but not now: Shadow had grown his hair out into a single dreadlock in the back of his head. As Raven-Eye watched, Shadow summoned the Shadowedge and used the dagger to cut the dreadlock off. He held the severed dreadlock in his hand for a long moment and Raven-Eye saw the Master Assassin chew on his lip before tossing the severed hair into the Dragonfires.

"The Master Assassin has performed this ritual every time he has come to the Temple in the past year," the priest commented soberly. As they continued to watch, Raven-Eye was shocked to see Shadow turn around and fall sobbing into Grubak's shoulder. "He has lost someone very dear to him, a loss that he will likely never get over. That love is in the care of the Dragon God now, and the Master Assassin chooses to use this time to show that his lost love is still remembered."

"Now, observe the Orc," the priest continued. "In allowing his lover to go first, he reminds himself that his problems are not so great and that his love needs him as much as he needs his love. Clever, as it keeps him from asking too much." As the priest talked, Grubak stepped up, still holding Shadow, and lowered his eyes for his own prayer.

Raven-Eye continued to watch this display, but felt no closer to understanding what he was supposed to do in this situation. But then, that was what the priest had offered to help with wasn't it?

"Then what do I ask for?" he finally asked. "I don't have those kinds of problems, and my life has gotten much better lately- I am quite happy now."

"Then perhaps that it is enough," the priest said with a helpful smile. "Offer thanks to the Dragon God for being rescued from the darkness and delivered into the shadows. And perhaps you might ask for continued patience on the part of the Orc." And with that, the priest pulled his own hood up and walked away, leaving Raven-Eye to think it over.

It took a long time for Raven-Eye to realize the priest had been telling him things that he could not have known. How did he know that Shadow and Grubak were a couple? And how did he know that Raven-Eye had been in the Dark Brotherhood? Was he implying that Grubak had an interest in Raven-Eye that went beyond the sibling relationship they were forming? When Raven-Eye looked around, he could not see where the priest had gone- he could only see Grubak still holding Shadow. The Master Assassin had collected himself enough to look up and see Raven-Eye looking in his direction; Raven-Eye looked away quickly before Shadow could feel uncomfortable. The Argonian decided to take care of what the Master had advised, and lowered his eyes to thank Akatosh for the turn around his life had taken, and to hope that the Master would not be as pained by his loss, and asked for the Dragon God to look out for his new family.

With that done, Raven-Eye looked up to find Shadow and Grubak approaching him. The Master Assassin had pulled his hood back up, putting his face back into shadows and covering the fact that he had been crying. Grubak had moved to the door to retrieve their packs while Shadow collected his student. With that done, the trio left the Imperial City and headed west to the city of Skingrad where they would head south for Elsweyr.

When they stopped for the night, Raven-Eye brought up the subject of the priest at the Temple of the One. Neither Shadow nor Grubak had seen the priest, nor had they ever told any of the priests at the Temple that they were a couple. But how could the priest have known? Shadow chuckled at his student's puzzlement.

"It seems that you have had your first encounter with a Divine," Shadow told him.

"What?" Raven-Eye asked, even more puzzled then before.

Shadow reached into his pack and flipped a 100 septim piece to his student. "Was that the priest you saw?"

Raven-Eye caught the coin, unsure of what the Master was saying, but looked at the portrait anyway. He almost dropped the coin, and the shock made his tail go stiff- the portrait on the coin was an exact likeness of the priest in the Temple of the One.

"Tiber Septim," Shadow intoned, stretching lazily out on his bedroll. "Or Lord Talos, as he is more commonly called these days, as he has become a God. He still likes to look into mortal affairs every now and then, and will occasionally reveal himself to those he deems worthy. Congratulations on being counted in that number."

"I spoke with Lord Talos?" Raven-Eye asked numbly. Grubak chuckled as he threw some more wood on the fire.

"Aye, and it seems he's taken a shine to ya. Not bad for someone just goin' on their first mission."

"You've spoken with him too?"

"Well, not lately," Shadow said as he pulled his boots off. The Shadowsword armor was flexible enough to sleep in after the boots, shoulder, and hip armor had been removed- and it was clear that Shadow meant to do just that. Raven-Eye began to follow his Master's example- Grubak had the first watch, and he had the second. "He does not like the fact that I recognize him- something to do with the Black Book. But yes, I have spoken to him and so has Grubak." The Orc nodded in agreement.

Raven-Eye was silent for a long moment, knowing what he had to ask, knowing that it might backfire spectacularly.

"Master," he finally began in a halting tone. "Lord Talos said that you'd lost someone dear to you, someone whose loss you would never get over. Was that true?"

Shadow was silent for a long time, and Grubak could not find it in himself to chastise the Argonian. For his part, Shadow was now laying on his back, his hands tucked behind his head, one leg bent, the other stretched out, his arms obscuring his face, looking up into the stars. There was no way to deny it- even if Talos had not been there, Raven-Eye would have seen Shadow's little ritual, and the God had insulated Shadow from the consequences of that. But he still would have to explain, at least in part, and the former Emperor had provided the inroad for both of them. Shadow took several deep breaths to hold back the tears that once again threatened to overwhelm him.

"Raven," he said in a choking voice. "Is what we do dangerous?"

"Yes," the Argonian replied.

"So there is a distinct possibility that we might be killed on any assignment?"

"Yes."

"And should the fact that we live in Death's shadow keep us from living? Keep us from loving?"

He knew the answer, knew it right away, but to deliver it quickly would make it seem that he was being flippant.

"No. It should not."

"Then sooner or later, we have to face the fact that sometimes Death wins," Shadow sighed. "Lord Talos was quite correct. I have lost someone very dear to me, and why don't we leave it at that for now."

And that was indeed the last of that discussion, and Raven-Eye respected his Master's wishes. The next day, they arrived at Skingrad and restocked their supplies before heading straight south for Elsweyr. Shadow gave Raven-Eye a few more coins to buy two large canteens for his own use, a point that the Khajiit was very insistent on. As they were approaching the border, Shadow finally told them that they were headed for the city of Dune. Dune was the westernmost of the cites in Elsweyr, and as the name implied it was in the desert that made up the central section of Elsweyr- but that was all Raven-Eye knew about the city; his trips into the Khajiit homeland had not taken him that far north and west. Grubak also seemed to be similarly ignorant of the city, although Shadow clearly was not.

As the Master explained it, Dune was not one of the major cities in Elsweyr- and that was why the Emperor and the Mane (the religious head of Elsweyr, and essentially the central authority to all Khajiits) had chosen this place for their negotiations. The first of their tasks would be to prepare a place for the Imperial contingent to stay, a task that they would accomplish with the aid of a representative of the Mane. And that, for the moment, was all the Master Assassin would say about their task. With that said, Shadow returned to being mostly concerned with the concerns of the trip and the mundane tasks of camping and traveling. From Grubak, Raven-Eye got the distinct impression that this was completely normal for Shadow. When they got closer to their objective, Shadow would provide more information. Raven-Eye had some general questions about the city itself, and Shadow was more than happy to provide his student with those details, but nothing specific about the mission- so after one attempt, Raven-Eye realized that Shadow didn't want his student worrying about their mission before anything could be done about it. And so, the trio continued the weeklong trip from Skingrad to Dune.

Aside from the normal problems associated with cross-country travel (bandits, marauders, wild animals), the rest of the trip was uneventful until they reached the city. Dune was built into the side of a hill, with the city ring at the base of the hill and the palace of the local rulers at the top of the hill. As the Shadowswords continued down the road to the city, Raven-Eye understood the Master's insistence on having him buy the two canteens and not buying clothes in the Imperial Province- it was hot. Now Raven-Eye had grown up in Black Marsh, and was used to the heavy humidity and heat of his homeland- but this was something completely outside of his experience. It was so dry! He could feel the moisture being sucked out of his scales as he walked. Shadow was very careful to monitor his student to make sure that Raven-Eye was drinking enough and keeping as cool as he could. Shadow kept the Argonian drinking water, passing his own canteen when Raven-Eye's ran dry.

They reached the city gates about mid afternoon, an hour where the traffic was at a minimum. The guards gave the Shadowswords (who were in their black armor) a minimum of fuss, and it seemed clear to Raven-Eye that Shadow was well known in the city. To the Argonian's mind, it was strange that the Master was advertising the fact that Shadowswords were in the area. But, whatever his reason, they headed through the market in their full armor. As they moved through the stalls and other buildings, Raven-Eye understood why Shadow had instructed him not to invest in casual clothing in the Imperial Province- nothing for sale in their markets would have sufficed. Shadow elbowed Grubak in the stomach several times as the Orc's eyes followed some of the males that were simply wearing loincloths, while many were wearing that or pants only. The females were just as scantily clad, many with just the chest and hips covered. In the higher class sections of the city, the females were covered from neck to knee; but as they moved to the somewhat seedier sections of the city, the females were showing more and more fur- as were the males. As Raven-Eye continued to scan the people, a few shabbily dressed Khajiits seemed to recognize either Shadow or their armor, and took off as soon as they saw the Shadowswords. When Raven-Eye pointed these out to Shadow, the Master told the Argonian not to worry about it.

Raven-Eye soon found that he had more to worry about as the trio was wandering into the seedier sections of the city and the darker alleys began to feel like they were closing in on the Argonian. At one time, this would not have bothered him, but in his new life, he found himself pressing a little closer to Grubak. The Orc recognized the fears and gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder. Shadow had no problem with the city and also seemed to know exactly where he was going. He led them to the end of an alley to an unadorned building, pausing for only a moment before waving them inside.

To the shock of the Orc and the Argonian, they passed through the open doorway to find themselves in a bordello. Scantily clad females, dressed in sheer fabrics, were walking through what was clearly a waiting room with a sunken floor with a fountain in the center of the room with padded benches along three of the walls. The wall across from the entrance was screens, with a doorway that clearly led to the business rooms. Tropical plants lined the screens and bushes occupied the corners.

"Shadow!" came a cry from many of the workers, and suddenly the Master Assassin was rushed by a mob of Khajiit females. Grubak was shoved aside in the rush, but found the patience to not snap at them; secretly, he found it rather amusing.

"Hello ladies," Shadow said with a bemused smile as those closest to him began running their hands over his armor. "Is your Mistress in?"

As if summoned by Shadow's question, another Khajiit female appeared in the back door. While the other females were appropriately lithe, this one was much more heavily muscled then the others- she wore a black top that covered her breasts only and a bottom that only covered from her waist to her mid thigh, cut in such a way that most of her right hip was exposed. She wore several silver chains and bracelets on her arms and sandals that seemed to be of the same material as her clothes- and the trained assassins caught the subtle impression of twin daggers hidden under her dress. Her coloration, like Shadow, was darker than most Khajiit, a tawny brown more than the tan fur on display on most of the females surrounding the assassin. As she moved over to confront Shadow, her tail swung from side to side- a sign that Grubak knew was one of agitation. He took another step away from Shadow. Shadow, for his part threw a confident smile.

"Ra'shara," he greeted the new comer as the crowd around him parted. Whoever this female was, she was respected and feared by those around her. Raven-Eye followed Grubak's example by taking a step away from Shadow as well.

"The Thieves' Guild's informant just left," she stated as stopped in front of the Master Assassin. "And here you are. Almost as if you knew that I would be here."

"Who else would the Mane send?" Shadow replied with a satisfied smirk.

"Umph." Ra'shara snorted. "You are still too smart for any fun, Little Brother."

Grubak and Raven-Eye looked at Shadow with a shocked look.

***

With that revelation, the conversation ended as Ra'shara threw her arms around Shadow's neck and drew him into a warm embrace. They whispered to each other briefly in the Khajiit language, and after one exchange, both stiffened, and their embrace grew tighter and Grubak saw Ra'shara's eyes tear up. The Orc had thought he heard the name "Ra'jarr" said before that happened. The moment passed fairly quickly, and Ra'shara departed to change into less revealing clothing and then they departed the house. First, she led them to a very nice inn where they had the entire top floor to themselves- the building across the street was the building she had picked out for the Emperor to stay at. The Mane would be staying at the palace itself. After they had collected the keys and dropped off their things, Ra'shara took them to a very nice restaurant down the street.

As they ate, Ra'shara's role in this conference became clear. First and foremost, she was not a litter-mate of Shadow- but she had trained with him and his brother, and that was the relationship that they had developed. After training with the Shadowswords, she had returned home to Elsweyr and had become the Mane's personal assassin. She had built up a smaller version of the Shadowswords, one that was all female, as the organization was hidden as the Mane's harem. And that was why Shadow had known to go to the pleasure house when he had arrived in Dune. She was very curious about both Grubak and Raven-Eye and was very sympathetic when she heard the Argonian's tale. Grubak attracted seemingly less sympathy and more wary looks, but Grubak understood that: it was clear that she was very protective of her "Little Brother", and she had known Ra'jarr. It was only Raven-Eye's clear ignorance of the situation and whatever Shadow had told her in their brief exchange that kept her from trying to figure out what in the Nine Hells Shadow was doing with an Orc for a partner (Shadow used that term rather than mate, as he felt that "mate" implied permanence- and neither of them were ready to declare their relationship permanent, as they both felt they were too young for it). And so, conversation steered towards recent exploits- including the dustup they had with the Dark Brotherhood Speaker back in Leyawiin. Ra'shara was just as curious as the Shadowswords about why a Speaker would be involved in provoking a political dispute, but they came up with no real answer.

With dinner finished, they headed back to their rooms and Ra'shara back to the pleasure den- both the Mane and the Emperor would arrive within the week, and there was much to be done. The next day, they went shopping- particularly for clothes, and Ra'shara knew a tailor that specialized in "outlander" cuts for native fashions. While Shadow had expected there to be plenty of Orc cuts as the Orc city of Orcrest was to the east, but the tailor revealed that there was more demand for Argonian fashions as there was a larger population of Argonians in Dune then Orcs. Raven-Eye was a little nervous about trying on outfits, as the amount of scales that these outfits showed was more than he was normally comfortable with- but when Grubak began trying outfits on with great gusto, the Argonian went at it with all the enthusiasm he could muster, with Shadow joining in, which took some of the edge of un-comfort off the proceedings. Ra'shara found the whole show particularly amusing, especially when Shadow was strutting around in just a black loincloth, his ever present silver locket, and a top that was little more than two leather straps forming an X across his chest and back- as he modeled the outfit, Ra'shara burst out laughing. Shadow bought it and two other outfits, Grubak also got three outfits, and so did Raven-Eye. All had some variant of the outfit that had sent Ra'shara laughing. There next stop was the blacksmith, where they all got new armor- which basically covered from loin to neck with legs and arms left bare- though shoulders and hips were covered as well. Raven-Eye found it similar to the Shadowsword armor without the bodysuit- the shoulders even had the insignia on them. That, with lunch and dinner, ended their first full day in Dune.

The rest of the week was a blur to Raven-Eye, as they constantly were going out, walking the city, shopping, eating, and generally seeming to just announce their presence to the city. But Shadow did have some point to this, as he kept asking Raven-Eye about things that he had seen. If the Argonian had to guess, the Master Assassin was taking the pulse of the city and seeing how they would react to an Imperial visit. With few exceptions, the reaction was mostly positive. The other thing that Raven-Eye noticed was that Grubak became noticeably more agitated as the week went along; Raven-Eye wondered if he was not getting quality time with Shadow. Orcs tended to be passionate about two things: fighting and sex, and if they didn't get those things, they tended to get moody. Raven-Eye noticed and analyzed this behavior on the same day that the one remarkable incident before the arrival of the Emperor happened.

Shadow led them into one of the seedier sections of the city and down a dark alley. At the end of the alley was a small booth with a middle aged Khajiit male seated in it, eyeing them cautiously. He seemed to recognize Shadow.

"Shadow of Clan Shadowsword," he greeted. "It has been too long."

Shadow approached the stall, while Grubak stopped a few yards away and motioned for Raven-Eye to do the same. In subtle signals, the Orc motioned for the Argonian to watch a pair of beggars on his side of the street that suddenly seemed fascinated by the new comers. Raven-Eye did so, and still managed to catch the conversation between the Master and the vendor- half of which was taking place in the Khajiit tongue. It sounded to Raven-Eye like business was being transacted, a guess that was confirmed when the vendor produced a large pouch. At that exact moment, Grubak jabbed Raven-Eye in the ribs, wanting him to make sure that the dirty Khajiits in the street did nothing, as they seemed to be getting ready to move closer before a growl from the Orc sent them scurrying in the other direction. Save for the Shadowswords, the alley was now deserted. Raven-Eye turned back just as Shadow was retrieving his purse, but was waved off by the vendor.

"This one will not take your money, Master Shadowsword," the vendor told him, in Imperial. "The loss of a great artist is more than payment enough."

The vendor had to shove away Shadow's hand when the assassin still attempted to pay him, and eventually threw the coins into the street, where beggars appeared as if by magic to collect them- only to be rebuffed as Grubak drew his axe on them and told Raven-Eye to collect them. This seemed to improve the vendor's opinion of the Orc greatly, but he turned back to a dour Shadow.

"May it help ease your pain, and help you remember that the Gods still love us."

And with that, he dropped the wooden slats over his window, forestalling any more argument from Shadow. With no other alternative, Shadow slipped the pouch inside his armor and headed back up the street with his students in tow. The whole scene had left Raven-Eye with more than a few questions.

Grubak got his in first. "News travels fast I suppose. He knew Ra'jarr?"

He said it in a casual way that suggested he had done it without thinking about what he was saying, and the look on his face proved that he regretted it just as quickly. But surprisingly, no outburst was forthcoming from Shadow, he simply shrugged. Raven-Eye just noted that now Shadow's lost love had a name.

"This is the Thieves' Guild we are dealing with," Shadow said with a sad chuckle. "Everyone knew Ra'jarr."

"Master," Raven-Eye finally asked before anything else could happen. "Is that Moon Sugar?"

"It is," Shadow replied. "Is that a problem?"

Raven-Eye thought about that as they continued to walk. He had known a Khajiit in the Brotherhood that used to take Sugar before every mission- he said it enhanced the pleasure in the kill. But then there had been a lull in contracts, and he had started taking the drug all the time- and then he tried Skooma. The Khajiit disappeared after he had been caught stealing from a Brother to buy more of the drug. Raven-Eye well remembered the cycle that had brought that acquaintance down, and his Master showed none of the signs of dependence- this was obviously a recreational, and every once in a while thing for him. Eventually, Raven-Eye just shrugged his shoulders.

"I've never tried it," he said, keeping his tone even, so that it would not be read as desire to try.

Shadow caught the Argonian's dismissal, but Grubak did not- and for whatever reason, that sent the Orc grinning broadly. The action earned him a jab in the ribs from Shadow, and the Orc fell in muttering behind the Khajiit as he took Raven-Eye by the shoulder and continued walking down another alley. Raven-Eye knew that they weren't headed back to the main portions of the city, a fact confirmed by the large number of dirty Khajiits that suddenly lined the alley. They were a desperate lot, unwashed and mangy- the complete opposite of what was normal for Khajiits. Many had teeth missing, scars on their noses, and eyes sunk well back into black sockets- all were emaciated, even by the standards of Khajiits who as a race were naturally lanky. A few began to reach out, honing in on the Master Assassin, as if they could smell the cargo he carried- and maybe they could, for a desperate call of "Shhuuugggarrr!" went up into the air. Many of the somewhat better off seemed to recognize that it was not a good idea to attempt to touch the Shadowswords, but one of the worst looking ones actually put a hand on Shadow's hip. Whatever he thought to accomplish, his mind was instantly changed a Shadow snatched his wrist and through a move that Raven-Eye dimly recognized, bent it backwards to just before the point of breaking. The pathetic creature let out a squeal of agony, and was gone the instant the Master released the pressure. In fact, the alley emptied after that, leaving the Shadowswords alone. Shadow continued on a few more paces before turning to Raven-Eye.

"I trust I've made myself clear," he said firmly, in a tone that brooked no objection, and made it clear that he had no pity for the creatures that had thrown their lives away and ended up here. Raven-Eye nodded, this had been for his benefit: he hadn't really expressed interest in trying the drug, but he hadn't rejected the possibility either.

"No student of mine is ending up here," the Master continued. "If you want to try Sugar, it will be on my terms and no others. Understand? We Khajiits are more resistant to the effects of Moon Sugar than other races- and you just saw that that isn't enough. Until you know how it will affect you, you're getting very small doses, got it? And don't feel like I'm treating you like this because you're young- I did the same thing when I introduced Grubak to Sugar."

Shadow had used contractions during his little speech, the last time he had done that he was setting Raven-Eye's leg after a fall in the mountains- the Master was being about as serious about this as it was possible to be.

"I understand completely Master," Raven-Eye answered. "I hadn't really thought about trying Sugar, but I hadn't rejected it either."

Shadow nodded. "We will let you try it- you might as well if Grubak and I are going to be using it while you are around. But not now, perhaps after the mission is over- I don't what you to have a scrambled head during this, alright?"

Raven-Eye nodded, and much later that night he found out why Shadow had been so reticent to talk about Moon Sugar with him. The Mane had arrived in town early in the afternoon, a day ahead of the Emperor himself, and was meeting with Shadow and Grubak leaving Raven-Eye alone with Ra'shara. When the Argonian inquired about Moon Sugar, Ra'shara described the effects the drug (at least to her) and reminded him once again that Khajiits were less susceptible to the effects of the drug. Then she went on to describe the drug's role in the Khajiit religion.

"It is a reminder that the Gods love us, and that has been transferred as the Nine Divines have become more popular," she paused, thinking about something for a long time. "That is what your Master uses it for, in a more... secular sense."

"As an aphrodisiac?" Raven-Eye asked after a long moment of thought.

"Yes. He was introduced to it as... as a way to help him, help him relax through... his first few times," she said it reluctantly, both because she was giving out a very dear and old secret, and because she was unsure how much she should bring this up to someone who (according to Shadow) was conflicted about their own sexuality.

"That would explain the improvement in Grubak's mood after we bought it," the Argonian mused.

"It would be safe to assume that he has continued the practice with the Orc," she said with a laugh, which was cut short as a look of horror crossed the Argonian's face, followed quickly by one of shame.

"What's wrong?" Ra'shara asked him.

"His mood didn't improve right away: it improved when I said I hadn't tried Moon Sugar," Raven-Eye replied sullenly. "He thought I meant that I wanted to try it. Lord Talos was right, he is interested in me."

His voice dropped away as he spoke, and Ra'shara barely caught the end, even though they were seated on a hallway bench less than a foot from each other. Her trained mind flipped through the many revelations that the Argonian had just dropped and quickly pulled the essential details out of it. He had met one of the Nine Divines, and had been told that the Orc was interested in him as a sexual partner- why a God would manifest himself in Mundas to offer that wisdom was beyond her, so she assumed that this had been a small section of a larger discussion. Ra'shara frowned- and her opinion of the Orc lowered a little more; Shadow was clearly in love with him, and if he was giving up on her brother just because some Argonian tail dropped into his lap there would be hell to pay. But first thing first, the one in front of her needed support- and it was clear to her that Shadow was looking at Raven-Eye almost as a son, and so, she would help him.

"Does that bother you?" she asked finally, her tone supportive, but neutral.

"I don't know," the Argonian said finally in an anguished tone. "It... it hurts to think about it..."

And if to drive that statement home, he reached up and took hold of his shoulder as if it pained him and began breathing rapidly. Ra'shara, experienced enough to recognize an oncoming panic attack, stepped in and took his hands.

"What's wrong with me?" the Argonian asked, now seemingly on the verge of tears. "Why can't I get past this?"

"There is nothing wrong with you," Ra'shara soothed as she knelt down. "We all go through this at some point, trying to decide if what we feel in our hearts is the right thing."

"But not like this," Raven-Eye gasped. "You don't know what this is like."

"Perhaps not, in the sense that I have never had feelings for another female, or had an utter rejection of love like you have," she replied. "But I have fallen in love with someone I wasn't supposed to. The point is, Raven-Eye, you don't have to just suffer through this. This one is sure that your other partners went through similar problems when they were your age. Talk to them- this one is sure they can help you, but in the end you are going to have to decide what you want, and you are going to have to overcome your past."

That seemed to calm him down somewhat, enough that he was breathing normally and able to look her in the eyes.

"You fell in love with someone you weren't supposed to?" he asked.

"Several of them, this one is thinking," came a voice from behind Raven-Eye. Both of them turned to see Shadow walking down the corridor towards them. Shadow ran his eyes over the situation in front of him and stopped several paces away.

"Should this one return later?" he asked. He was referring to himself using the proper Khajiit "this one", something that Khajiits raised in the Imperial Province only did when they were embarrassed. Shadow clearly understood that he had interrupted something, but was not sure what.

"No, I think we are finished," Ra'shara said as she stood up and dropped Raven-Eye's hands. "This one told your student why you started using the Sugar." She said it as a dig against her brother's flippant remark, and the glare she shot Shadow made that clear.

To his credit, Shadow took this news in stride, seemingly not bothered by the fact that someone outside his family knew one of his potentially most embarrassing secrets. Of course, Raven-Eye was well on his way to becoming part of Shadow's family, which may have accounted for his lack of reaction. Shadow made sure the conversation was indeed concluded, that Raven-Eye was ready to head back to their rooms, and that Ra'shara would join them for lunch the next day, their last meal before the Emperor was scheduled to arrive, and then he collected his student and bid her good night.

Back at Shadow's room, they moved Raven-Eye's mattress into the room that he was sharing with Grubak and began attempting to empty as much of the inn's wine cellar as they could. Raven-Eye was feeling confident enough after two bottles to ask if they had ever had an experience like his. Grubak told him about his first time, in rather vague details, which had resulted in him getting caught with his pants down in the town blacksmith's shop- at the time it had been written off as youthful foolishness. Shadow had no such story, and Raven-Eye merely asked if Ra'jarr had been handsome right before falling asleep. Shadow feared that all the talk of sex would provoke another nightmare from the teen, but he slept soundly through the night- in spite of Grubak's snoring.