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Windhelm was a city as blunt and dull and severe as its inhabitants, and Vex hated it; every scene the same cool, mute grey as the last. The seaward winds bit at her face like ice wraiths, frost crunching underfoot as she trod along the high, narrow alleyways to Windhelm’s marketplace. Far too open, far too guarded. It had always been her least favourite city to steal from. At least today’s visit had taken her there on slightly bigger business, rather than grabbing a few trinkets and trying not to get thrown into jail.The marketplace bustled with activity, the late morning bringing out Windhelm’s citizens to shop and gossip and gawk. Vex made her way to the stand at the far corner, cautiously eyeing the Altmer who attended it. There was a strangeness to her—the fact she was Altmer and setting up shop in Windhelm alone raised questions—but it was more than that, Vex realised. She was still elegant, as many of her kind were—tall and willowy and painfully statuesque—but there was a casual, almost anachronistic quality to her movement, in stark contrast to the floaty, haughty affectations that Altmer so often wore. Vex wasn’t sure if it was a product of her environment or her lifestyle, but she was intrigued. Finally, Mercer had sent her on an interesting job.Vex approached the stand, eyeing up the ill-gotten goods with interest. “Niranye.” She smiled, looking up at the Altmer. “Heard you’re the one to come to for specialist merchandise.”“Depends what you’re looking for.” Niranye’s tone was clipped, curt.Vex leaned over, lowering her voice. “Quite a few things I’m looking for, actually.” She lifted a sword perched pride of place at the front of the stand. “One is a reliable fence in Windhelm for the Thieves Guild. We did have one, but it’s funny—” Vex cocked her head, watching for any hint of a reaction, “—our last contact said she wasn’t dealing in stolen goods any more.” She ran her gloved hand across the bumpy surface on the pommel where the maker’s mark should have been. “Except, it doesn’t really seem like she’s keeping to that end. So,” Vex’s smile disappeared, leaving stern severity in its place. “Now I’m looking for some answers.”Steadfast, green-gold eyes glowered back at her. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”“We’re really going to play this game? Okay,” Vex smirked, setting the sword back down. “Talked to Torsten Cruel-Sea earlier on. Seems his daughter was murdered recently.”Niranye’s eyes widened in faux-sympathy. “So I heard. How terrible, for such a young thing—”“Spare me the bullshit. Apparently a group called the Summerset Shadows were responsible. Even stole a locket from her corpse.” Vex’s lip curled. “Say what you will about the Thieves Guild, but at least the bodies we steal from are still alive. Anyway, apparently the Summerset Shadows had connections with a nearby fence to sell the heirloom. Ring any bells?”For the briefest moment, Niranye’s eyes shifted before settling back to feigned indifference. “I’m afraid not.”“Thought you might say that.” Vex reached into her pocket, retrieving the letters she’d procured earlier. “It’s just… these documents from someone named Linwe seem to suggest otherwise.” She allowed a grin to spread over her face. “Nice house, by the way.”“How… how dare you!” Any previous control Niranye had been attempting to maintain was gone, seething rage now in its place. “Breaking into my domicile and threatening me and—I’ve a good mind to summon the guards—”“Careful, Niranye.” Vex’s voice was low and soft, soothing and warning at the same time. “Let’s not do anything we’ll both regret. After all, I’m not the only criminal here.”Fear washed over Niranye’s face. She was trapped, helpless, backed against the wall. Someone who didn’t have a heart of stone might’ve felt bad for her. But that’s why Mercer didn’t send Delvin on this errand.“I’m not going to hurt you, or turn you in, as long as you co-operate.” It was imperative that she did. Vex needed the information, and Gods knew the Guild needed the fence. “I just want to know where the Shadows are based.”“I can’t tell you,” Niranye whispered. “They’ll kill me.”Vex grinned. “Not if I kill them first.” Niranye was packing up her stand when Vex returned from Uttering Hills Cave three days later, dark eyes blazing with victory and the scent of ash and blood still clinging to her leathers.She slammed Linwe’s dagger down on the table. “For you. Gods know he won’t be using it any more.”It was Elven made—somewhere in Shimmerene, if Niranye had to guess—moonstone intricately inlaid with silver, its curved blade bearing stunningly hand-carved designs. Even the sheath was a thing of beauty—welwa leather, if she wasn’t mistaken, worn and weathered but still in surprisingly great shape. Most surprisingly, it didn’t appear to be stolen. When Niranye picked it up, feeling at it with magickal sense, the only fingers other than her own that had wrapped around it were Linwe’s and Vex’s. The only person this dagger had ever truly belonged to was Linwe, and the blade sang with every encounter, up until the final blows between him and the thief currently in front of her.If she were to sell this, she could feed herself for a year. Likely more, if she bartered well enough with Hillevi.“I—I can’t thank you enough,” Niranye finally said, looking up at Vex.“Probably not, but you could be our fence again,” she shrugged, arms folded. “Guild isn’t exactly in a great way, so we could use all the help we can get.”The admission surprised Niranye, and for the first time, she saw behind the cold, businesslike mask that Vex wore. The smile wasn’t as sardonic, the posture not as cocksure. She simply looked tired. Niranye could relate—she hadn’t slept much at all in the past few months. And as much as Vex’s actions had been undoubtedly quid pro quo, they’d help her sleep soundly again. At least for a while.“I’d be more than happy to resume fencing for your organisation,” Niranye said, pulling the canvas on her stall down. “Now, I think we should celebrate the union over a drink somewhere warm. What do you reckon?”Vex shrugged, smiling. “One couldn’t hurt, I suppose.”