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<\/p>\nThey ran up over the nearest dune to the north.\u00a0 The night was so clear and the air so still that everything along the feet of the mountains was clearly visible, including an area with dense, bright fog along the base of buildings, far to their northeast.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that it?\u201d Brynjolf asked, pointing toward the fog.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 We\u2019re supposed to go due north from Al Shedim and that place we can see is way off.\u00a0 We can go exploring if you want, though. It\u2019s probably full of wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head. \u201cNo. I think we need to focus on finding this Cowl and getting it back to Nocturnal.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded. \u201cMaybe we can all rest a little easier then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAye.\u201d\u00a0 They trotted along for a few more moments. \u201cYou know this is about more than just Dynny, don\u2019t you?\u201d he asked quietly, surprising her.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you\u2026 oh! Look over there!\u201d Sayma interrupted herself, pointing ahead.<\/p>\n
In the depression behind the dune they were on were two lighted areas. Nearest them was a fountain of magical energies glowing pale blue. More importantly, to Sayma\u2019s mind, was the lighted gateway, high up on the hillside.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat looks like a place you have to be careful getting into, to me. If I were hiding something important, I\u2019d hide it in a spot like that. What do you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re leading. Whatever you want to do, I\u2019m behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She grinned at him. \u201cI\u2019ve heard that before, Red,\u201d she laughed, sprinting away from him as he grunted.<\/p>\n
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They ran past the fountain and up the side of the hill toward the gate. The sandstone brick walls enclosed a narrow walkway leading toward a larger building at the rear, one that looked very reminiscent of Al Shedim, with a wedge-shaped doorway and narrow, carved pillars along either side.\u00a0 Sayma dropped into a crouch and crept closer toward it, and was about to enter when Brynjolf tapped her on the shoulder and shook his head.\u00a0 He pointed to the rocks high along the right side of the narrow canyon and headed in that direction.<\/p>\n
She followed him up onto the boulders beyond the right-hand wall until he stopped and turned to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw movement in there. Between the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally? I couldn\u2019t see anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brynjolf sighed. \u201cMy eyes aren\u2019t as good as they were when I was a vampire but they\u2019re still sharper than they were before. There\u2019s something moving around in there and it\u2019s low to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cheetahs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably. I think we need to try to get around them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oh good.\u00a0 She told me they\u2019ll kill anything that moves.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cTell you what. Let me go ahead and see if I can find a way in.\u00a0 Follow me.\u00a0 Unless you hear me scream, in which case you\u2019ll know it\u2019s not safe.\u201d<\/p>\n She was about to proceed when Brynjolf laid a hand on her arm and turned her around.\u00a0 His expression was somber and his eyes intense.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you were joking, but it wasn\u2019t funny. Be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n She was disoriented for a moment.\u00a0 This was the most serious he\u2019d been with her since they\u2019d left Dardeh and Roggi\u2019s house.\u00a0 She could see nothing aside from complete sincerity in his eyes.<\/p>\n And his eyes are still beautiful, no matter how well they see.<\/em><\/p>\n What is going on here?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u00a0 I\u2019m always careful, Brynjolf. Trust me, I have no desire to be clawed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight. Go ahead, then.\u201d<\/p>\n She crawled forward, over the boulders and to the end of the nearer of the two walls.\u00a0 The closer she got to the wall, the more her nose wrinkled; there were definitely animals on the other side of that wall. It wasn\u2019t just their droppings she smelled, for as cats were wont to do they took pains to bury their waste; but there was a definite, warm, animal smell coming from just over the sandstone wall.<\/p>\n Saber cats are bad enough. I want to avoid these.<\/em><\/p>\n There was a gap there, between this entry corridor and what looked like a narrow pass beyond.\u00a0 She glanced left, back out toward the desert, but only for a moment before she ran as fast as she could through the gap and into the canyon.\u00a0 Behind her, she heard angry snarls. All she could do was run, leap over the boulders trying not to fall, and hope fervently that the cats would not follow and that Brynjolf had made it safely into the gap as well.<\/p>\n Her heart was beating as fast as it ever had by the time she was forced to stop and catch her breath. She stopped, hands on knees, gasping for air; she listened for the sound of animals behind her but heard nothing. She listened even more closely for the sound of a man screaming and once again, thankfully, heard nothing. Her breathing slowed, gradually, and then she jumped nearly out of her skin as a voice startled her badly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was interesting,\u201d he said, appearing from behind a pillar of rock next to her.<\/p>\n \u201cBryn! You nearly gave me heart failure!\u201d She glared at him, angry to be on high alert again and thankful beyond belief that he was unharmed.<\/p>\n \u201cHeh.\u201d His eyes twinkled. \u201cSorry. Those cheetahs took a bit of convincing before they would let me through.\u201d<\/p>\n What?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2026 did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I always do. Created a distraction. I managed to convince one of them that the others were a threat. Just long enough to slip in behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n Her mouth fell open. \u201cAre you telling me that you used your Nightingale power\u2026 on a cat<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI tried. Figured it was worth a shot. It didn\u2019t last long, but I managed to make a break for it while they were confused. They don\u2019t think the way we do.\u201d\u00a0 He chuckled and pointed ahead of them. \u201cLet\u2019s get going.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sorry for startling you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell. I\u2019m\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She stopped and stared at the grin on his face, and didn\u2019t quite know what to say. Arrogant bastard, isn\u2019t he? Proud of himself, too.\u00a0 And rightfully so, I have to admit.<\/em> \u201cI\u2019m impressed. Astonished, but impressed. And I\u2019m glad you\u2019re alright.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a very narrow corridor before them, more a ravine than anything else, with high rock walls and a sandy path. Only a few plants clung to an existence in a place where the light had to improvise a route to the canyon floor. The pass followed a gentle s-curve, then split just short of a large structure built into the mountain beyond.\u00a0 The path to the right seemed to lead directly to the structure, and Sayma would have gone that way without thinking; but she stopped and pointed forward, looking at Brynjolf with one eyebrow raised, looking for another opinion.<\/p>\n He peered into the darkness for a bit and then turned his head to one side, closing his eyes, clearly listening.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he whispered at last. \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure there are more of them up ahead.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be eaten. Try the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded.\u00a0 Syloria had warned her that they would need to get past the cats somehow because they would attack; and she was positive, having heard the snarls, that she didn\u2019t want to test that idea. She circled around to the left branch of the canyon and started climbing.<\/p>\n The passage to the left led up a steep slope, boulders covered with sand, and it was a rigorous climb. They moved slowly, but silently; Brynjolf seemed to climb easily, and Sayma grumbled silently to herself that she was that much shorter and slighter, her struggles to reach handholds that much more strenuous. I don\u2019t want to look foolish in front of him. I\u2019m the Listener after all, not a mountain goat, but still.<\/em><\/p>\n I guess if I could climb those hills in Coldharbour, though, I can climb this.<\/em><\/p>\n Finally she pulled herself out onto the uppermost level of rock and found herself midway between two tall, square towers of the same design as Al Shedim: smooth stone blocks with Daedric lettering inset panels. The towers didn\u2019t appear to be connected; there was in fact a large prominence of mountain between them.\u00a0 There was no door into the left tower, and while there was a gap in the rock nearest the right tower, it was blocked by a large grate.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s the other side of this?\u201d she whispered to Brynjolf. \u201cI didn\u2019t see anything from the desert that looked like this and I\u2019m sure it\u2019s not Al Shedim \u2013 that\u2019s in the other direction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no clue. Can you see anything on the other side of that grate?\u201d<\/p>\n She scrambled and jumped up the last few boulders to stand next to it.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. It opens into some kind of plaza.\u00a0 I can\u2019t see the cheetahs but I can smell them.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a quiet chuckle beside her as Brynjolf hauled himself up onto the highest rock. \u201cYou have the nose and I have the eyes, I guess. Let me see if I can bend these or something.\u201d<\/p>\n He grabbed for the metal gate and pulled as hard as he could on two of its pieces, his face turning red. Nothing happened. He finally released them and gasped for a breath.<\/p>\n \u201cNot a chance. How do we get in there, then?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma stood staring at the bars for a few moments.\u00a0 There had been any number of places on her way to this place that had seemed impassable; things she had known about and needed to get to that didn\u2019t appear to exist.\u00a0 Only one thing had worked to get her through them.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me try something.\u201d\u00a0 She raised her left hand, gathered her magic, and cast Ancient Vision.<\/p>\n As it always did, the spell made a ghastly loud noise followed by an explosion. The grate between them and the tower disappeared.\u00a0 Sayma moved forward, tentatively, and stopped just beyond the point where the grate had been. She waited for a moment or two, and then another; and as expected the spell dissipated.<\/p>\n \u201cSayma!\u201d Brynjolf hissed from the other side of the gate.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve left me out here!\u201d<\/p>\n She turned to smile at him.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Bryn,\u201d she whispered. \u201cListen, those cats are down there and there are lots of them. I can see them moving around. There\u2019s only one amulet to find. I can sneak down and get it and meet you back at the split in the canyon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t do this alone!\u201d he said between clenched teeth. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m here with you.\u00a0 Cast the spell again and let me through!\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head.\u00a0 Still as stubborn as ever, and I\u2019m glad of it, but you\u2019re wrong. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBryn,\u201d she said quietly, reaching through the grate to pat his arm. \u201cI am completely muffled in this armor.\u00a0 I have the Shadow Stone.\u00a0 And\u2026\u201d\u00a0 she hesitated and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what?\u201d He was clearly angry, his brows so furrowed they nearly met in the middle.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still the Agent of Stealth, my dear. I can remain invisible for a long period.\u00a0 Nocturnal didn\u2019t take that away from me when I left Riften. I need to use it now, and maybe it will show her that I\u2019m still worthy of it.\u201d\u00a0 She reached for his nearer hand and squeezed it. \u201cYou used your power getting us here safely. Now it\u2019s my turn. Let me do this, Bryn. I\u2019ll meet you in front. It\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf looked as though he wanted to explode. Finally, though, his shoulders lowered. He took a deep breath and expelled it, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. It seems I have no choice in the matter. Be careful<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma turned back toward the tower and jumped down into the paved area below, invoking her Nightingale power as she went. She landed on the tile surface and immediately crouched, blinking out of sight, and felt sorry for Brynjolf in the rocks above. It was unnerving to watch your partner suddenly disappear, even under the best of circumstances.<\/p>\n Huh.\u00a0 He<\/em> is my partner right now, isn\u2019t he. <\/em><\/p>\n She smiled even as she moved forward into danger.<\/p>\n There were rows of the same pillars they\u2019d seen in Al Shedim\u2019s outer courtyard, dark red stone at the bottom and lighter stone above. By wriggling in between them she was able to reach an opening in the base of the tower and slip inside, and discovered that what had seemed like a solid structure was more a partially-enclosed plaza. Immediately to her right was the back of a pedestal, of the same design she had seen holding the first bust of the Gray Fox inside the eye of Cyrodiil. The problem was that she couldn\u2019t squeeze past it to find out what it held.\u00a0 She would have to venture farther into the place; and that was going to be a dicey proposition. There were cheetahs beyond it: beautiful, fat, orange cheetahs pacing back and forth, clearly aware of her presence even though they could not see her. They were easily as long as she was tall and probably three or four times her weight, and she wanted nothing whatsoever to do with them.<\/p>\n She turned back from the pedestal and into the corridor. An alcove directly behind her held a chest, but she passed it by; it was more important to find the amulet while her invisibility might save her. She whipped around the corner and nearly ran headlong into one of the cheetahs, and only by freezing and holding her breath was she able to avoid it.<\/p>\n After a few heartbeats she snaked her way forward, between the walls and the pillars, hoping to get to the front of the pedestal before her invisibility failed. There were a great many cheetahs in the place, and the farther into it she went the more agitated they became, snarling and switching their tails in angry slashes.\u00a0 She took a deep breath and rolled herself around the end of the stone wall, to face the front of the pedestal she\u2019d been trying to reach.<\/p>\n There was a strongbox inside the pedestal.<\/p>\n Please don\u2019t be locked. Please have the amulet. Because as soon as I touch you I\u2019m going to be visible and I don\u2019t know whether I can get hidden again before I am cat food.<\/em><\/p>\n She reached out, took a deep breath, and lifted the cover of the strongbox.\u00a0 There was in fact an amulet inside it, as well as a hefty pile of coins, all of which she scooped out with a practiced motion of one hand.\u00a0 She closed her eyes and threw the heavy chain over her head, half expecting the agonizing rake of razor-sharp claws down her back at any moment.<\/p>\n Instead, there was a viciously loud explosion.\u00a0 Sayma\u2019s eyes flew open and she whirled to look out over the plaza.<\/p>\n Absolutely nothing happened.<\/p>\n Must have been a magic explosion. It\u2019s the amulet. <\/em><\/p>\n She slowly uncurled herself to a standing position, because her invisibility was broken and there was no time left for her Nightingale power. I could use the Standing Stone but they all know I\u2019m here. I have to test this thing to see if it works. I have to do it. There\u2019s no point in hiding.<\/em><\/p>\n She stepped slowly out into the open.<\/p>\n The cheetahs that had been racing back and forth before her looked at her and then wandered away, toward the brazier-lit edges of the open platform before them and down over stairs at its far side. They seemed as unconcerned as any animals she\u2019d ever seen.<\/p>\n And a good thing, too. Look at those fangs. <\/em><\/p>\n Each cat had fangs the size of an ebony dagger.\u00a0 She shuddered to imagine what they would have done to her if she\u2019d been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n But I wasn\u2019t. I did it.<\/em><\/p>\n She returned to the chest she had bypassed and took its wealth. There was a great deal of it, too: two circlets, a beautiful ring, several flawless gems, ingots of precious metal, coins and several empty soul gems. It was a good haul for a single chest, and she smiled thinking of adding it to the collections back in Ben Erai.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s hope Bryn is still in one piece.<\/em><\/p>\n She left by way of the path not taken earlier. It was wider than the steep route up the other side, and mostly flat, and would have been very easy to travel. But she passed at least five of the big cats patrolling this passage, and mentally thanked whatever twist of fate had left Brynjolf\u2019s sight and hearing so sharp after becoming human again. The cheetahs would have made short work of both her and Brynjolf if they\u2019d made the mistake of coming this way.<\/p>\n It took only a few moments for her to reach the place where the canyon split.<\/p>\n \u201cBrynjolf?\u201d She looked around but didn\u2019t see him immediately.\u00a0 \u201cBryn, are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe right down.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a small ledge partway up the rocks, with a small tree clinging to its edge. Brynjolf had scrambled up to wait beneath the tree\u2019s slight shade, and Sayma had to admire his wisdom; if the cheetahs had attacked, or raced down the ravine after her, they might well have found him too. She certainly never would have seen him had he not called out to her. She smiled at him as he approached.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re good at hiding, thief.\u201d<\/p>\n He snorted. \u201cI should hope so. And don\u2019t ever do that kind of thing to me again. I didn\u2019t follow you out here to be left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma studied his face. There were so many layers of meaning that might exist in that statement.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t seem angry, though, just frustrated that he\u2019d had to wait and relieved that it had gone well.<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t, Bryn. It was a good thing I did, though. I just barely got this amulet around my neck in time and if we\u2019d both been there one of us would be dead by now.\u201d<\/p>\n To his credit, he simply nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are we getting out past the cats at the end, though?\u201d<\/p>\n She froze.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think about that. Um\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She looked around, frantically. \u201cMaybe there\u2019s high ground out there near the gate. Gods, Bryn. I don\u2019t know. What\u2019ll we do?\u201d I didn\u2019t go through all this to watch you be torn apart when it\u2019s almost over.<\/em><\/p>\n He shrugged. \u201cLet\u2019s see what it\u2019s like when we get there. I don\u2019t really remember what I saw.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither do I. I was just running.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked, this time, rather than running down the canyon; and as they did so Sayma\u2019s heart fell with every step closer to the exit. The walls closed in, the passage narrowed, and by the time she saw the first of the Daedric-inscribed columns the rocks on either side were sheer and vertical. There was no higher ground for Brynjolf to climb to.<\/p>\n She stopped just before the stone exit. There was indeed a cheetah running back and forth between the short walls they\u2019d passed on the way in. There was only one of them, but it was a cheetah all the same, with fangs as large as the ones they\u2019d left back in the canyon.<\/p>\n An idea popped into her head. She reached back, waving her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cBryn. Take my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust do it. Take my hand and stand close to me. They won\u2019t attack me. Maybe if we\u2019re attached \u2013 you know, skin to skin and you\u2019re really close? Maybe they won\u2019t see you as different and we can make it out past them.\u201d<\/p>\n She felt his warm hand wrap around hers, and then his large form step up to stand beside her.<\/p>\n \u201cGood idea. Thank you. I think I may have a chance after all.\u201d<\/p>\n She glanced up to see him smiling at her. It was just the small, one-sided smile he had so often worn but it was a smile nonetheless and she was happy to see it.<\/p>\n They walked forward, slowly and calmly, and Sayma watched as the remaining cheetah flopped down onto the tiled pathway.\u00a0 It looked up at her, seemingly unconcerned, and yawned.<\/p>\n Brynjolf let go of her hand and stopped moving. Before she could stop herself she was several steps ahead of him.\u00a0 She whirled, panicked, and waved her hand at him.<\/p>\n \u201cBryn!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. It\u2019s ok. Look at him.\u201d Brynjolf moved closer to the cat, murmuring in that same low voice that she\u2019d always thought resembled a big cat\u2019s purr itself. \u201cYou\u2019re not fussed about me are you, lad?\u201d\u00a0 He kept walking, and motioned Sayma to follow. \u201cYou\u2019re quite the noble beastie, and doing a fine job of guarding the place. We\u2019ll just be leaving now. Thank you for letting us in.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma moved to stay as close to him as she could. The cheetah watched them, looking almost bored, and within a few moments they\u2019d cleared it and were stepping slowly across the remaining tiles of the entryway and down the stairs before it.<\/p>\n If this cat doesn\u2019t kill him, I\u2019m going to do it myself. What in Oblivion was he thinking?<\/em><\/p>\n As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs Sayma dashed away, down the hillside and out onto the sand, and waited for him to catch up with her.\u00a0 She had all she could do to keep from screaming in her frustration. She heard him running up behind her, chuckling, and turned to stare at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of idiotic, horker-brained move was that, you great, thick-headed, red-haired Nord??\u201d she snapped. \u201cYou might have been killed, right there! I thought we agreed to stay together!\u201d<\/p>\n As soon as she said it, she regretted having said it. Brynjolf winced. Just a bit; but it was clear that he\u2019d been stung and she wanted to take the words back.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026\u201d\u00a0 he paused, and stared down at the sand for a moment, obviously considering his words, before looking back up at her and continuing. \u201cI heard that magic explode, all the way down the canyon where I was waiting. I knew it had to have a range. I wanted to test the theory.\u201d He shrugged. He started walking slowly back in the direction of Al Shedim, to the south.<\/p>\n She followed quietly along behind him, wondering how much more of a fool she could possibly be. I might as well have stood there and said Hey, Red, remember how we used to be married? Remember how I left you? My gods what a stupid woman I am sometimes. <\/em><\/p>\n Brynjolf cleared his throat and spoke again. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I should have said something. That was foolish of me.\u201d He turned and smiled at her, a sad, lopsided smile. \u201cAnd yes, we agreed to stay together. I shouldn\u2019t have let go of you.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned back to the south. \u201cWhere are we headed now?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma was numb. Brynjolf hadn\u2019t gotten angry with her. He\u2019d actually apologized. But there was an entire world of distance between them, and she\u2019d probably managed to make it a bit wider. Her mind was racing, and she struggled to focus on the question he\u2019d asked.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest with you I\u2019m exhausted.\u00a0 I want to go back to Ben Erai and rest before whatever comes next.\u00a0 I\u2019m not even sure where we have to go.\u201d\u00a0 I want to lie down. I want to get clean.\u00a0 I want to sleep for a million years. And I want to take back everything I said a minute ago.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat sounds good,\u201d he said, starting to trudge toward the southwest.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll take some time to get back. Maybe we can sleep through the heat of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOk,\u201d she said numbly, moving to catch up to him. \u201cWe can probably sleep in shifts. Or buy some extra blankets at the store or something to make a bedroll.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can rest sitting on the floor, as long as I have my back up against something,\u201d he said, walking briskly up the side of a dune. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma suddenly remembered waking up with a muzzy head and turning to see Brynjolf resting on the floor beside his own bed in the Cistern. It seemed like another lifetime ago, and it made her sad.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember,\u201d she murmured. \u201cBut that\u2019s no way to sleep, and you need rest as much as I do.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned and grinned at her. \u201cYou actually remember that? I\u2019m surprised you remember anything about that morning.\u201d<\/p>\n In spite of herself, she chuckled. \u201cBribe Gulum-Ei. That was almost all I took away from that conversation. But I do remember that you\u2019re a real wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n He laughed.\u00a0 It was a full, hearty laugh and her heart leapt to hear it.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, well. I certainly have given them more to whisper about in the past while.\u00a0 I can only imagine the tales that will be going around now. \u2018Bryn\u2019s left town again. Who\u2019s he with this time?\u2019\u201d\u00a0 He snickered. \u201cSome of them couldn\u2019t quite get over the fact that I spent time with Andante.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t want to laugh, but somehow his good humor carried over and she found herself chuckling anyway.\u00a0 She picked up the pace and started trotting back toward the town.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did more than spend time with him, Brynjolf.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d he replied. \u201cAh, don\u2019t be hard on the lad, Sayma. He was good for me.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, he was bad for me as well and I know that\u2019s the case, but still.\u00a0 There\u2019s something to be said for being reminded of being twenty years old when you\u2019re closer to forty-two.\u201d<\/p>\n He grinned at her and suddenly broke into a sprint, racing away from her over the dunes, obviously inviting her to catch him.\u00a0 Sayma laughed and broke into a chase.<\/p>\n He may have been a vampire but he doesn\u2019t know how long a Redguard can run, does he?<\/em><\/p>\n The race didn\u2019t last too long, for Brynjolf was in fact human again and was a tired human, to boot. Sayma had the massive reserves of stamina common to all full-blooded Redguards, so she caught up to him quickly. Still, when he finally slowed to a stop both of them were smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cAhh,\u201d he said between pants for air, \u201cthat felt good. One of the things I miss about \u2013 you know \u2013 is running. Running and running, and we were so fast. That felt very good.\u201d\u00a0 He worked at slowing his breathing for a moment more, then chuckled. \u201cAnd now I really am tired. Let\u2019s get back to town.\u201d<\/p>\n By the time they stepped through the door into her tiny house in Ben Erai, Sayma was more than ready to rest. Brynjolf looked the same. They unloaded the loot they\u2019d collected and then both peeled off boots and outer layers of armor. Brynjolf took it all up to the rooftop to air out while they rested. He came back down bearing a blanket.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was in a box up there,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll toss it on the floor here.\u00a0 Give me one of those cushions for my head and I\u2019ll be asleep in five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d she said, climbing up onto the bed and pulling down several of the heavy tapestries hung on the wall. \u201cPut some of these down too. That floor will be awfully hard otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma watched him getting settled as she crawled onto the narrow bed. Not much more than a few minutes later she smiled as she heard him begin to snore quietly.<\/p>\n Her own eyes began to close.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve heard that snore.<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s a nice sound.<\/em><\/p>\n They ran up over the nearest dune to the north.\u00a0 The night was so clear and the air so still that everything along the feet of the mountains was clearly visible, including an area with dense, bright fog along the base of buildings, far to their northeast. \u201cIs that it?\u201d Brynjolf asked, pointing toward the … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-1-18-3.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart I: Sayma Sendu<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"