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The Emperor arrived in the middle of the afternoon with a great deal of fanfare, including meeting the Mane in the central market in a middle of a cheering throng. The Shadowswords watched the event from the roof tops and followed the procession up to the palace. That night, Shadow, Raven-Eye, and Ra'shara went out in street clothes- leaving the more obvious Grubak behind at their rooms. Ra'shara hesitated a moment to let Shadow and Raven-Eye get to the stairs before turning back to face Grubak. Her face was very serious.

"Someone will be coming for you shortly," she told him quietly. "A representative of the Black Crow, the head of the Elsweyr Thieves' Guild; I want you to go with him. Conduct yourself as a representative of Shadow- understand?"

The Orc nodded, and Ra'shara left the room, and the Orc was left alone and puzzled. Well, whatever happened, the Orc would be ready- so he washed, put on nondescript pants and shirt and put a short sword by the door- then sat down to the small supper that had been delivered to his room. And he waited. Before long, a quiet knock sounded from the door. Grubak opened the door to find a completely non-descript Khajiit male standing in the hallway.

"Master Grubak gro-Grash?" he asked.

"You are the representative of the Black Crow that I was told to expect?" the Orc asked in turn.

"Mistress Ra'shara has informed you then," the Khajiit said with a bow. "The Black Crow would like you to come with me."

"Alright then," the Orc said as he collected his sword and strapped it on. "Lead on."

The Khajiit led the Orc out of the building and into the darkened streets of Dune. Grubak had no idea where he was going, probably as was intended, and kept close to his guide. He hadn't done much exploring of the city, hadn't needed to since Shadow knew all the ins and outs, and probably would have gotten quickly lost without the guide.

The arrived at their destination, just another door somewhere in the heart of the city- to Grubak, they could have been anywhere. The Khajiit opened the door and held it for Grubak.

"This is where we part company Master gro-Grash," he said when the Orc hesitated. "The hallway has only one door, at the end, so you need not fear getting lost."

Grubak frowned at the Khajiit, which just made him laugh.

"You need not fear," he said. "The fact that you are Master Shadow's mate has guaranteed that you will come to no harm in this city. Enter, as the Black Crow is waiting."

That didn't really reassure him, as he did not altogether approve of the circles that Shadow moved in. But, he reminded himself, he was here as Shadow's representative, and so he nodded his thanks to his guide and started off down the hall, pretending not to notice the door closing behind him. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the dimness, as the only light in the hall came from under a door at the other end of the hall. Keeping one hand on his sword, he walked down the short corridor and turned the latch on the door.

The room he found himself in was a large one, brightly lit, with a short staircase leading down from where Grubak stood to the main floor. Columns lined the walls, and the lack of windows gave the Orc the feeling that he was underground even though he had not noticed any slope in the floor. The room was dominated by a large table, a table set for a banquet- and at that table sat dozens of people- mostly Khajiit of the various types that populated Elsweyr and Wood Elves, but the Orc saw a couple of Argonains and a Dark Elf mixed in as well. At the end of the table was a raised dais with a smaller table set with only four places, three of which were taken. And at the head of that table sat a male Khajiit, dressed head to toe in black and wearing a mask that covered the entire top of his head, with a piece coming down over his nose that did indeed remind Grubak of a bird's beak. The masked Khajiit rose as Grubak entered and addressed him.

"This one offers greetings, Grubak gro-Grash of Clan Shadowsword," he called over the rapidly quieting chatter. "This one is known as the Black Crow, and is very glad that you have chosen to join us. This one would be most pleased if you would join him at his table."

The Crow motioned to the empty seat at the high table, and then turned back to the assembly.

"My friends and fellow Guild mates, I present Grubak gro-Grash, of the Shadowswords- mate to our dear friend Shadow, Master Assassin of the Shadowswords. He has offered to join our celebration tonight in his mate's stead, so that the Master Assassin may keep the Mane safe!" That produced a quiet chatter among those seated at the table, which continued as Grubak began walking across the room to the seat that had been kept open for him.

"If you will excuse my asking Master Crow," Grubak called, remembering to be as polite as he could. "I was not informed what it was the Thieves' Guild would be celebrating tonight."

"A fair concern Master Orc," the Crow said. "One which is best answered with another: Did you know Ra'jarr of Clan Shadowsword?"

Grubak paused in his approach, the question catching him completely off guard. But his eyes kept moving, and saw pain in many eyes at the table.

"To my great misfortune, I did not," he said, speaking carefully and slowly as Shadow had taught him, trying not to let his rustic upbringing show through.

The Black Crow seated himself. "Our celebration tonight is what this one believes in the Imperial Province is called a 'wake', a final goodbye to a dear departed friend." He paused as glasses were raised and a toast drunk to that. "But, this celebration by its very nature must be bittersweet, and since the story of Ra'jarr's life has closed, we must have the final chapter. Only you can provide that chapter."

"You could have asked Shadow to attend," Grubak said as he climbed up to the dais.

"Indeed, but Ra'shara sensed that the hurt for Shadow was still to near," the Crow said quietly as the Orc took his seat. "To invite him would have ripped his heart open yet again. Can you mourn with us as your mate would?"

"I don't think that's possible," Grubak said, accepting a glass of wine from a server. "But I will do my best."

"Tell us then," the Crow said loudly once again. "Tell us of Ra'jarr's final tale, that we may then drown the sorrow with the happy tales of our fallen friend.

Grubak swallowed the entire goblet of wine, reminded himself he was here for Shadow, stood up, and began speaking.

***

When Shadow and Raven-Eye returned to their rooms, it was only an hour or so before dawn. Ra'shara followed them up the stairs chatting to keep herself awake- Raven-Eye was unsteady on his feet, but was putting on a show of not being tired. Only the Master Assassin seemed unaffected by the long day- but he could routinely go days without rest, Ra'shara recalled. Still, he had an ever so slight slump in his shoulders that told her that he was thinking about his bed- and he had expressed more than once the hope that Grubak was asleep. Privately, Ra'shara wondered if the Orc had even returned yet. No answer came as light seeped into the hall from under Shadow's door and the Master Assassin sighed loudly as he jiggled the handle to the door- it was locked, so Shadow put his key in and pushed the door open. This revealed an unexpected sight- a fully clothed Grubak: snoring quietly just a few paces inside the door. Sitting next to the Orc's head was an origami bird made of black paper.

"Well at least he enjoyed himself," Shadow said as he stepped into the room and knelt down beside his partner. "No cuts or bruises either, so he seems to have behaved himself too for a change."

He picked up the bird and showed it to Ra'shara. "I did not know the Crow was in town."

"It was a short trip," she said. "He will have left before dawn."

Raven-Eye supposed he should have asked who the Crow was, but instead he smothered a yawn. Shadow just shrugged.

"Pity, I will have to see him some other time. Alright, Raven- don't just stand there yawning, go to bed. I will come get you in the morning. Good night Ra'shara."

"Master, don't you need help with..." He stopped as Shadow put Grubak's arm around his neck and pulled the larger Orc up into his arms, the way a father would a sleeping child- only Grubak was twice Shadow's size.

"This isn't the first time I've had to carry my Orc to bed," Shadow chuckled with a playful slap to the Orc's rear. "Close the door behind you, Good night, Raven-Eye."

Ra'shara was wrong about the Black Crow leaving right away- at least if she meant that he was not keeping an eye on the events in Dune. With the increased Imperial presence in Dune, the operations of the Thieves' Guild were somewhat curtailed. Three days after the Emperor's arrival, Shadow received a note from the Black Crow stating that "something" was afoot. The Master Assassin was on his guard, but even so, he was unprepared for the encounter that confirmed the Crow's warning.

Four nights after the arrival of the Emperor, Shadow once again took his Argonian student into the alleys of Dune. Raven-Eye had learned that they were simply looking for things that were out of place, and by now the Master expected the former Shadowscale to have a good handle on what did and did not belong while fitting in himself. Raven-Eye had always been a good study and followed Shadow down the street, munching on candied fruit, and taking in the scenes under the pretext of studying the wares of the market. The city had an almost carnival feel as Dune welcomed the influx of visitors that the Imperial state visit had brought. Music and light filled the air, and the vendors were staying open far longer than when the trio had first arrived. If anything, the offerings had become even more exotic- as had the prices (at least to the obviously imperial). The less legitimate operations that had trade with the other vendors when they had first come had seemingly vanished, although Raven-Eye thought a few of the merchants or their help looked familiar from previous night time excursions.

Shadow stopped, seemingly to examine a cape to view the street. Raven-Eye continued a little further along, pausing at the mouth of an alley to dig into his bag of candy while examining the side street. Shadow set the cape back on the rack after comparing it to the black with red trim tunic and short pants ensemble he was wearing- the colors did not match well enough to justify the purchase. The shop-keep, perhaps persuaded by the twin daggers on the Khajiit's hips, offered no comment as the Master Assassin moved off after his student. Shadow's eyes scanned the entire street before focusing in on Raven-Eye: but when they did, the assassin's heart stopped.

Raven-Eye was standing completely still, not even his tail was swaying, and staring down the alley to his left. This was in complete disregard of his entire training, but any anger towards his student that Shadow may have felt was curtailed by the look of absolute horror on his student's face. The Khajiit lost all sense of pretense and broke into a dead run.

"We need them," he heard a familiar voice whisper as he closed with Raven-Eye. "This is the Emperor we are talking of- not some backwater lord."

Nuncio, Shadow growled to himself through bared teeth. Of course the Dark Brotherhood was here.

"All the more reason to be stealthy," an educated Argonian voice replied. "A single Shadowscale could eliminate both the Emperor and the Mane with no need for mercenary interference."

What in all the hells was a Shadowscale doing here? The Argonian royal houses should have better sense that to attempt to unseat the Imperial house. Shadow had no time to consider this new knowledge further, as he set his hand on Raven-Eye's shoulder and slid in the gravel. Both Nuncio and the Shadowscale looked up, giving Shadow a look at a middle aged Argonian male with a similar coloration to Raven-Eye. Scars showed where his knife had slashed his snout, and smaller scars that showed where his ridge brows had been broken. Their eyes locked, and instantly a feeling of mutual hatred surged in Shadow and the Master Assassin could see it as well in the Shadowscale's eyes.

As instantly as the confrontation began, it was over: Shadow snatched Raven-Eye from his feet and took off into the night. The assassin did not have to look back to know that the Shadowscale was in pursuit. Everything in Shadow screamed at him to turn and face his pursuer, but he ignored them- he had to make sure that Raven-Eye was safe more than anything. Raven-Eye was in a state of shock, all but limp in the Master Assassin's grasp and Shadow wasn't sure he blamed him. He hadn't expected the Dark Brotherhood to really be so suicidal as to make an attempt on the Emperor- and he surely hadn't expected Raven-Eye to be the one to find them first. Shadow had to get him to safety.

The Master Assassin bobbed through the traffic, but none of the pedestrians could be mistaken for carrying a limp Argonian. So the Khajiit kept moving, doubling back, taking different alleys, and ducking through market stalls. He caught brief glimpses of his Shadowscale pursuer, so he kept moving and headed for the one place in the city he knew would be safe. He cut through two alleys and doubled back down the street to Ra'shara's bordello. The quick move left him just enough time out of sight of the Shadowscale to duck into the building undetected.

Ra'shara looked up from the table in the main room, which was empty, and began a greeting to Shadow. There was clearly some business in the establishment, as two servers cleared tea cups and glasses off the tables.

"No time," Shadow bit out tersely as he continued through to the back room. "Shadowscale. Get rid of him."

Ra'shara went stiff as Shadow ducked through the curtain and placed Raven-Eye gently in the corner. The teen was still in a state of shock. Shadow moved back to the screen that separated this room and the main room, arriving at it just as Ra'shara moved to intercept the Shadowscale as he entered. She greeted the newcomer warmly, and was asked a question that Shadow couldn't hear. Shadow pressed himself closer against the screen. Ra'shara replied with a laugh.

The Shadowscale grunted at that and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "I guess it wasn't him then," that enraged Shadow even more. It took every ounce of control the Master Assassin had to not leap out there and cut the bastard down- and at that moment, Ra'shara shifted a little, placing herself between him and the Shadowscale. The Shadowscale reached down to his purse and extracted a few high value coins and pressed them into Ra'shara's hand.

"Then show them a good time," he hissed. "As an apology for wasting your time." And then he turned and left.

Ra'shara immediately came back behind the screen that separated the business rooms from the entry way and glared at him.

"Get away from there you idiot," she snarled. "What's the point in hiding if you are going to work so hard to try and get caught?"

"You should have let me kill him," Shadow growled, turning away from the screen. "He'll be out there waiting for us."

"And do you really think that any building I designed would have only one exit?" she snorted and moved over to the tea set on a side table. "Did you see his markings, little Brother? He's almost twice your age- do you think a Shadowscale that has managed to survive that long won't pose a challenge?"

She poured two cups of tea, both with plenty of sugar and then turned back to find that her brother had that alpha male look on his face- the look of a male that was confident enough in his own abilities that he was sure he could do anything. She found it completely annoying at that moment. Fortunately, she had a solution for that. She passed him the cup of tea in her right hand.

"You're not thinking clearly Little Brother," she said to him. "You need to relax a moment, and get your head on straight."

The glare he gave her told the story she wanted to know, that he didn't believe her and was ready to go after the Shadowscale, but he drank the tea she had given him. The look confirmed her choice for her- she didn't regret it.

"I know what I'm doing," Shadow told her. He set the cup down, and took two steps towards the door. Then the Moon Sugar hit him, and his next step was unsteady. He looked down at his hands, and then slowly collapsed to the floor, taking a seat with his back to the screen, his eyes showing the betrayal. Ra'shara knelt down next to him and took his hand.

"I'm sorry, Little Brother," she said sympathetically. "But, you didn't leave any choice."

She reached up and stroked his face. "You need to relax, and your time has been paid for- you are going to enjoy yourself."

Shadow continued to look up at her, and made a moaning noise- whether it was a noise of protest or just his normal reaction to the drug, she couldn't tell. She stood up and clapped her hands, summoning some of the girls to her.

"I'm sorry I don't have any males working here," she told him regretfully. "But hopefully, the girls can show you a good time as well."

And with that, the girls lifted him off the floor and half led him half dragged him to one of the rooms. He made noises of protest, but offered no physical resistance- he probably couldn't, she had dosed him with twice her own normal dose of Moon Sugar to keep him quiet. Given Shadow's extremely limited use for the drug, it was likely more than he used in a month. The crash would likely be spectacular.

For the next hour and a half, she had the girls keep Shadow entertained, and while the Master Assassin never managed to give himself over fully to that entertainment (he couldn't, of course), he did at least seem to begin to enjoy himself a little. His main protest throughout the whole affair was that Grubak wasn't here, which puzzled the girls for a while.

Ra'shara hadn't thought about that aspect, she had taken many lovers in her time, even multiple lovers at the same time- but Shadow had only ever had one lover at a time. Even this might be considered cheating by his standards, and Ra'shara told the girls to promise him that the Orc would be given the same treatment as well. After that, Shadow protested a lot less and gave himself up to the expert explorations of Ra'shara's workers.

The Argonian, she left with just two of the girls- giving them strict instructions not to force anything on the teen. Raven-Eye was still in a state of shock and fear, and so the girls never went beyond massage, although they did manage to get his clothes off. Ra'shara did not give him any Sugar, as she recalled he had no experience with the drug, and in his current state who knew what kind of effects it could have on him.

When she went to check on Shadow, the Master Assassin was already sobering up- and was not happy. In any other situation, he may have been a comic figure- naked and seated among a mass of pillows, his fur still matted from his exertions, his shoulders slumped, his tail still, and glaring at her. She sighed as she entered the room- he was crashing, a new experience for him very likely, as his usual use of Moon Sugar would have him asleep long before that happened.

"You were not thinking clearly, Little Brother," she said again. "You needed to calm down, and while you may disagree with my methods, you have had time to relax."

"Where are my clothes?" he croaked. "Where is my locket? I need my locket. Who took it? I don't care, I'll pay for it- I just need it back. Where is my locket?"

A hint of panic was creeping into his voice, and he began looking around, as if he hoped that it had just been dropped somewhere.

"Ra'shara, I need my locket!" he was all but shouting now, and Ra'shara was beginning to become unnerved- she had never seen this kind of behavior from him before.

"Calm down, Little Brother- I took your clothes and your locket for cleaning. You didn't need them right then, and the chain on that locket was so tarnished, you'd think you never took it off."

"Where is it? I'll go to the jeweler if I have to, I just need it back!" He leaped to his feet now, and took a few unsteady steps to where she stood in the doorway.

"Relax," she told him, her tone growing strained. "I have it. I have a jeweler who works extensively with the Guild, he took care of it- even replaced the clasp for you, all in less than an hour."

"Ra'shara! Please! I need it back!"

"I'm not going to run off with it, Little Brother. I will have it for you after you have had a bath, you could use one."

"You don't understand. I can't... I can't..."

Then suddenly, he dropped to his knees, completely exposed, his ears folded back, his tail straight behind him, his hands held open at his sides, his eyes on the ground in front of him- a position of complete and utter submission. It was something that Ra'shara had never seen from him before, and it frightened her.

"I'll do anything you want," he whispered, and she knew it was true. "Just please, give me back my locket."

She reached into a pocket and pulled out Shadow's silver locket. The medallion at the end of the chain was circular, and she found the release. When the locket popped open, her whole body went stiff and she nearly dropped it.

A very familiar Khajiit male smiled at her, a much lighter coloration then either her or Shadow, black tipped ears, and a row of brown dreadlocks. The yellow eyes had a friendly gleam to them, a gleam that now existed only in memory and this painting. How many times had he flashed that smile at her, somehow assuring her that everything would be alright? Any doubts were banished by the inscription opposite the portrait: So I can always be with you- no matter how bad things get. She looked down at Shadow, and the look on her face must have shown Shadow that she now understood.

"He gave it to me for my birthday... I don't know how long ago. It was the first one he, he ever did for me," tears were beginning to form in his eyes. "I've never taken it off since... since... ever, not even with Grubak."

He blinked away tears, and turned away from her. She dropped to her knees in front of him and with trembling hands she put the locket back around his neck. Then, by mutual consent, they put their heads on each other's shoulder and cried as they both let out the fact that they missed Ra'jarr. They held each other for a long time.

After that, Shadow seemed to be back to his normal self, even seeming to shake off the effects of the Moon Sugar crash.

"How long have we been here? Could the Shadowscale have found the back entrance by now?"

"He can't find it, even if he suspects it exists- it is not connected to the sewers," Ra'shara told him. You have all the time you need- and I was serious about you needing a bath."

"Alright," Shadow said with a nod. "How is Raven-Eye doing- you didn't do the same thing with him did you?"

"Of course not," Ra'shara said somewhat defensively. "You saw the state he was in, who knows what could have happened?"

Shadow consented to a bath after that discussion, although he hurried the process, and dressed just as quickly to check on Raven-Eye. He found his student in another room, nude, still in shock, and being rubbed down by two of Ra'shara's girls.

"Master!" Raven-Eye squawked as he saw Shadow. "I..."

"It's alright Raven-Eye," Shadow said. "It's time to go home- I have your clothes. If you ladies will excuse us, why don't you get ready?"

The trap door in the back of the pleasure house led to a tunnel specifically put in by Ra'shara's request, and finally, Shadow understood why Ra'shara had picked that inn for them to stay in- the tunnel ran directly to it. As Ra'shara had said, no other tunnels intersected it, but Shadow didn't shake off the fear that they were pursued- if he did, the Moon Sugar crash would catch up with him and he would likely fall asleep on his feet. Raven-Eye seemed to be doing a little better, as he no longer required constant physical contact to keep him moving, but he still trailed Shadow by a little more than the Master Assassin would have liked. Still, given his experience, Shadow could not bring himself to blame him for what happened. Shadow remained focused on getting Raven-Eye back to the safety of the inn- anything else was secondary. By his own sense of reckoning, they were halfway to the inn when Raven-Eye spoke for the first time since they had left the pleasure house.

"Master, are you angry with me?"

"For what, Raven?" he asked, continuing to look ahead for any danger- water had seeped into the tunnel from the sewers, and the Master Assassin knew that somehow wherever water managed to get to, other things could get in too. He hoped his tone made it clear that he had nothing to be angry about, but his student was recovering enough to realize that he had performed very badly in a moment of crisis. It all came bubbling out now, the "should haves" and the "if I'd"s, and the Argonian began babbling about how sorry he was, and how next time would be different. Shadow let him go for about a minute before turning back to put his hands on Raven-Eye's shoulders and shut him up.

"Stop this," he said forcefully. "This isn't helping you. You did nothing wrong. We train and we train and we train because what we do is not normal. But you cannot prepare for everything- some things you just have to experience for yourself. I know that you won't freeze up next time Raven-Eye, you will know how to handle it."

Shadow let go of his student and went back to scouting ahead, turning briefly to make sure Raven-Eye was following. They went on for a few more paces before the inevitable question was asked.

"Master, has this ever happened to you?"

Damn it. He knew that Raven-Eye would ask that question, knew it from the moment he had started coming around again, and he knew that he would have to answer it. The smoke from the torches filled the air, but could not cover the thick smell of blood. Tears streamed down his face as he tried to summon the Shadowedge, but the dagger wouldn't come. Suddenly, all the air was gone and he couldn't breathe.

"I... I can't... I can't do this," he gasped, as if the denial would make the situation go away.

Shadow shook his head to banish the memory before the pain truly began, and found that he was panting. He had stopped, and he knew that his student was watching him in the dim light.

"Yes," Shadow said quietly. "Yes it has. And it is the darkest memory I have. I'm sorry Raven-Eye... I can't, I... I'm not ready to face it. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master," the Argonian said.

They began walking again, and Shadow asked another question that they knew they would have to face, just to change the subject.

"So, that older Shadowscale knew about you, huh?" Shadow asked, keeping his tone light. "Was he one of your trainers?"

"After a fashion," Raven-Eye said bitterly. "His name in Imperial is 'Night-Stalker'.

"He's my father."

Shadow was silent in the face of that revelation, but felt the rage beginning to return.

"He knew," Shadow said quietly. "And he let them..."

"Ha!" Raven-Eye laughed- a short, bitter snort. "'Let them?' Their solution of what to do with me was to give me to him."

***

Grubak was awakened a few hours later by the door to the room slamming shut so hard it sounded like it would shatter. From his lying position, the Orc jumped so high that he could look down and see the top of the headboard before landing back on the mattress. He threw the covers off his naked body and sat up, desperately hoping that he wasn't the one that Shadow was angry at. And Shadow was fuming, the Khajiit was all but running in tight circles in the center of the room, his ears twitching, his tail thrashing. He looked up and apologized for waking his lover, and then told Grubak exactly what had happened that evening. The reaction was instant, and Grubak leaped out of bed and began looking for his axe. Oddly enough, while the Orc had become enraged, all the anger seemed to be gone from Shadow- he was still pacing, but his tail was no longer thrashing, and his ears were upright again- almost if he had transferred his anger to the Orc. This had unnerved Grubak the first few times it had happened, but he had come to understand it: Ra'jarr had been the older member in their partnership, and had provided the calming influence to an angry Shadow, allowing the young Master Assassin to think clearly. Now, with Ra'jarr gone and Shadow being the older member in their partnership, Shadow had to fill Ra'jarr's role. It helped that the fiery Orc temper allowed Grubak to easily absorb Shadow's rage and calm him- a service that Grubak was more than happy to provide.

"We can't just run out hunt him down," Shadow said calmly. "We don't know what the Speaker is up to. He's brought this Shadowscale here for a reason."

"To attack the Emperor and the Mane! He told you that himself!"

"It doesn't fit," Shadow mused. "It can't be a Brotherhood contract. There is no way that the Brotherhood would be..."

Shadow was interrupted by the door handle turning and the door to their room swung open, allowing the Emperor himself to enter. Instantly, Grubak leapt back into the bed and threw the covers back on himself, but it was clear from the way the Emperor smirked that he had seen the flash of green skin all too clearly.

"My apologies to you both," the Emperor said. "But I am meeting with the Mane for breakfast, and I thought that I would check in and see if anything was happening that I should be aware of."

"There is something my lord," Shadow said. "For the past two days, we have been tracking a Dark Brotherhood Speaker through town. It is Gladius Nuncio, the one who was causing the disturbance in Leyawiin."

Shadow paused, and after a moment of reflection, the Emperor motioned for him to continue.

"He is gathering mercenaries for an attack on the Palace- it would seem that he plans to assassinate both you and the Mane."

"And risk your wrath, my dear Shadow?" The Master Assassins of the Shadowswords were among the few things that the Dark Brotherhood as an organization feared. Shadow's legendary ancestor, of the same name- but he called himself Midnight after his rare black coloration, had twice come close to wiping out the organization entirely- and Shadow and Ra'jarr had killed a Listener and two Speakers. "Clearly their level of stupidity has been allowed to grow too high."

"My lord," Shadow said hesitantly. "I am not convinced that the Black Hand has ordered this action."

"I see," the Emperor said, rubbing his chin. "Then what is his goal? Ah, that's why you did not want to speak- that is what you do not know."

Grubak sat quietly on the bed, watching the exchange take place and desperately trying to make sure he was completely covered without being obvious that that was his goal. Through the open door he could see a pair of Blades in full armor, looking rather bored as the Emperor continued talking to his favorite assassin. They probably should have been paying more attention, if they had been, the probably would have been less surprised when Ra'shara stepped into the doorway.

Shadow nodded, admitting the fact to the Emperor.

"Very well," the Emperor said. "I trust your judgment Shadow. Continue your investigation, and I will have the Blades step up their patrols. Is there anything else?"

"Actually," Shadow said sheepishly. "There is, my lord. The Speaker has brought in a master Shadowscale to assist him in his endeavor."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed at that. Shadowscales traditionally operated in the pay of the Argonian Royal Court; if a Shadowscale was here, that opened all sorts of possibilities- most of them implying some sort of conspiracy.

"He has a personal vendetta against my student," Shadow finished. "It is likely that he may make an attempt on Raven-Eye."

"I see," the Emperor said. "And why would a Shadowscale go to such trouble?"

"Raven-Eye was a Shadowscale my lord," Shadow said dejectedly. "The Shadowscales do not tolerate the concept of 'former members'."

"You did not tell me that your student was a member of the Brotherhood," the Emperor said, his eyes narrowing.

That got Shadow riled up alright, and Grubak as well. If the Emperor was going order his Blades to take out Raven-Eye, they were going to have to go through the both of them to do it. But as Shadow bristled at Septim's challenge, the Emperor smiled, showing that it had just been a test.

"Captain!" he called over his shoulder. When the Blade captain entered, the Emperor turned to face him. "You will place a guard outside this building at all times and another at the room of Master Shadow's student. They are to be kept in place at all times, and one is to remain with Raven-Eye where ever he wishes to go unless he is with Master Shadow or Master Grubak. No one is allowed to see him without a guard there except for the people in this room. Do you understand?"

He stammered for a minute before finally agreeing. He pushed past Ra'shara, who had entered the room, and set about his new duty.

"Thank you my lord," Shadow said gratefully.

"I look out for my servants," the Emperor said. "Now, I will leave you, as it seems you have another guest."

"Ra'shara," Shadow introduced. "My sister, a former Shadowsword, and now in service to the Mane."

"A pleasure to meet you," the Emperor said as he passed her. "Thank you for giving my Blades a scare, if there is a Dark Brotherhood Speaker in town; they need the reminder to maintain vigilance."

"At your service, milord," Ra'shara responded with a bow, and then closed the door behind the Emperor. "You're not going out like that are you?"

That was directed at Shadow, and Grubak now saw the telltale signs that the Master Assassin was exhausted. Ra'shara clearly saw them as well.

"I am going to change my clothes," Shadow replied. "Raven-Eye will stay here with the Blades."

"And the Orc?"

"As promised," Shadow said. "He's all yours."

Grubak started to protest, but Shadow headed into the washroom. As he passed the bed, he grabbed one side of the covers that were preserving Grubak's modesty and yanked them off the bed before the Orc could react.

"Oh. So that's why Little Brother is so loyal," he heard Ra'shara say as he entered the washroom. He couldn't help but laugh at that.

Shadow was gone for most of the day. Raven-Eye had just sat down to dinner, when his door opened to allow the Master Assassin to enter passed the Blade guard. Raven-Eye had slept through most of the day and had only discovered that he had been given a guard at lunch time. Despite the Blade's assurance that he could go anywhere he wanted, the Argonian did not feel like going out. He spent the day reading and trying to forget what had happened to him last night. Shadow had been right- it was not something he should dwell on.

But Raven-Eye could not fully drive the image of Night-Stalker from his mind. He had no pleasant memories of his father, and perhaps the most loving thing that had ever been said to him was that he was not a disappointment. Even now, Raven-Eye shivered at the memories. He hoped Shadow would return soon- somehow, he felt better when the Master was around.

Shadow did, at the exact moment that dinner was brought up to Raven-Eye's room. The teen couldn't contain himself, and wrapped his Master in a hug the minute the Khajiit entered the room. Shadow favored his student with a sympathetic smile.

"Rough day?" he asked, getting a nod in return. "You feel like doing something about it?"

"Like what?" Raven-Eye asked curiously.

"Eat your dinner," Shadow said with an evil grin. "And then get your armor on. We'll collect Grubak, and then we're going hunting."