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Description
Leith perched on a chair at the far end of the hall, picking through platters finding the cold cuts of meet. Vilkas threw her glances from the other end as he read papers and talked with the steward. She shared some of Atty's ruder gestures, ones that he was only beginning to learn. He couldn't hold a conversation in sign but he could swear quite well. He had to bite his tongue to stifle a laugh at her.
He heard the Steward cough. "All of your concentration is required Sir." He said dryly "and I'm sure you can't give the state your all if your elven playmate is signing you love notes."
"Love notes?" He scoffed, "I think they are a far cry from that."
Leith lazily walked around the table leaning over his shoulder, a kebab of tasty treats on her short blade. "I thought you'd be thankful for my distraction Steward" she said picking at pieces with her sharp pointy teeth. "It would have been the best way to get him to sign that paper your passing with a 5% tax increase for all produce created by the peasants." She loved saying the word peasant, she loved being at her leisure and fed in the castle, instead of cold and hungry in the streets. That didn't mean she wanted to see their work and hard labour pillaged by greedy men behind the throne.
Vilkas swivelled in his seat. Fixing the steward with more than an unamused glare.
"It's just that the kingdoms coffers are growing light, the war effort takes..." The steward tried to explain.
"War effort? What war are we fighting Steward?" He asked quietly still holding the older man in his steely sights.
"We are preparing..."
Vilkas cut him off before he could spread his excuses "To what? Fight the Stormcloaks? Or would you rather the Imperials? Skyrim is the closest nation to us and they have enough to worry about. Or were you perhaps going to take on the Dragur that haunted the streets at night." A sarcastic tone painted the edge of Vilkas' words "No, the bandits then? We don't need an army my brother and I use to deal with bandits like that before breakfast."
"But sir."
Leith was beaming she could get use to this politics business especially now Vilkas seemed to come into his own. He turned to her.
"What do you think we should do Leith?"
She frowned and shrugged for a moment leafing through papers for ideas. "You have an iron mine that's closed despite still being full of ore, and you have a armorer charging a premium to fit the palace soldiers because he is the only one in town."
"The iron mine is closed because no one wants to work." The steward scoffed.
"Pay them more then, make sure there is a healer, give them incentive. Get another smith over, train some more, get a bit of competition going. Train a small force of guards, to take out the bandits, offer a tax break to people who work for the kingdom."
"How is spending more money going to help girl." He snapped
"Get your people working for you, happily, you'll have more produce to sell. Give them tax breaks and get the kingdom work done for free. Work with the people, for the people, don't just work them to the bone to fill your coffers."
Vilkas smiled "good thinking Leith I'll take them into consideration." He picked up the papers "I think we're done here."
"I think you have some things to research for me steward. And as for advisor Leith," he stood offering her an arm "care to accompany me on a walk about the palace."
She mockingly curtsied finishing the last of her kebab, poked her tongue out at the steward and took the soon to be kings arm, following him out of the room.
The steward wrapped his fingers against the wood, holding his temper in check with gritted teeth.
"Patience." He whispered under his breath. In a dark mood he stormed from the room as well.

"I don't see why Atty hates him." Leith chirped "he's just another rich man trying to get richer, but she eyes him like he'll produce a cobra from under his cloak."
Vilkas huffed "Let me list every one Atty hates, there's the healer, the entire palace guard, the cook, the notary, Te gatehouse keeper, the steward and me. She wild, this place is civilised, of course she hates it. You don't have to differ to her rule ever minute of every day."
Leith laughed at his out burst. "Your jealous. I can't believe it."
"No I'm not."
"You are" she teased "your about to be crowned king and you're jealous I still listen to my friends advice. You're an idiot."
"You can't call me an idiot."
"I called you an idiot before you were king and I'm not going to stop when you're crowned."
He shook his head having to laugh. "it's good. To many people jump when I speak around here. You get to use to being all powerful."
"Then I will bare the burden, of reminding you of all your flaws." She held the door open allowing Vilkas to walk out onto the battlements "for your benefit of course, to keep you grounded."
"You won't enjoy it at all."
Winking she grinned enjoying the sun on the battlements and the moments piece with Vilkas.
"You seem to be adjusting to palace life well." He mentioned softly.
"I always knew I had a destiny to be waited on." She added coyly before her attention was pulled away from the friendly moment.
A black figure ran across the battlements, she felt a twinge of fear in her gut looking at it. It moved like a predatory animal, low, slow, it was reaching for something.
"A cross bow?" She whispered.
"What?" Vilkas queried.
"Get down." She yelled pulling him to one side as a bolt lodged it's self in the wall next to them, she heard it re load. And kicked over a bench to use as cover.
"An assassin?" Vilkas shouted helping her hold the cover as they felt the wood quake from the bolts.
"It can't be." Leith stammered. "Where is Atty?" She had no bow, nothing to defend her self with bar the little dagger that she had used to eat the meat.
"She will be with Farkas, what if they are attacking him too?"
"She will hopefully be better armed than we are." Carrying their cover with them back to the door they fled inside to look for the missing pair.
Leith came out of Attys room with her bow and quiver.
"Any sign?" Vilkas asked after finding nothing but empty halls on his quick look.
She shook her head, now she was worried, her friend never travelled any where with out her bow. It was her left arm.
"I don't like this." Vilkas grumbled.
"Look if any one can survive an assassination it will be those two. Don't worry."
"Worry I'm not worried I'm terrified. That's my brother." He snapped
"And it's my best friend." Leith retorted.
They heard voices down the hall, guards grumbling.
"You said it couldn't be an assassin before, why?" He asked her, the words eating at his curiosity.
"Atty would had mentioned something."
"How would atty have known unless she was a...." His voice trailed off as they turned to see what to the commotion was.
"Stop assassin." The guards threatened.
Atty held her hands up, a display of surrender but her body language said the opposite, her tongue ran over her lips as she eyed the guards. The mark of Sithis tattooed in deep black ink on her for arm amongst the trailing giants tattoos.
One brave man stepped forward taking her hands and a rope a tuning them behind her back. She was dripping water on the stone floor and in her underclothes. Farkas with her trying to diffuse the situation to no avail.
"Guards stop." Vilkas bellowed.
Leith would have burst out laughing if there wasn't a more pressing matter at hand.
"Release her." Vilkas commanded.
"But sire the mark of Sithis, she was making off with your brother."
"Making off," leith snarked "that's what the young folk are calling it."
atty poked her tongue out to her friend.
"No time, atty. There is an assassin on the loose."
Attys frown instantly deepened, she urged her friend on with her eyebrows while she worked her self free. Her hunting blade hidden in the back of her undergarments bound to her waist, proving to be again her most formidable weapon as it's sharp curve was just enough for her to cut the ropes with.
"They attacked us on the battlements, he may still be there. " leith explained.
Atty nodded tossing the shredded rope to the guard who restrained her, grabbing her bow and quiver off her friends and shoving passed the guards. Teeth gritted and a fire in her eyes.

She burst through the door to the battlements, the sun gone, the only light candles flickering in a slight breeze.
"It's gone." Leith sighed disappointed.
Shaking her head Atty stalked her prey. Her sharp eyes peered through the dusk. She looked over the side of the building down to the fields she was just on. A dark rider on a dark stead galloped across the moon illuminated field. She took a red arrow from her quiver.
"You can't think to hit anything from here." Leith murmured in awe.
Atty pulled, hard and tight her bow cried under the strain. She was not letting this creature away the strain passed to her arms and her muscles held the bow like steel, until she lined up the perfect shot.
She wanted the Assassin alive, she wanted to look into it's eyes, and learn what secrets she could from it.
She loosed.
The rider fell.
"You did it!" Leith exclaimed, "I'll get Vilkas, we will want to interrogate this bastard."
Atty didn't follow Leith. She wanted to get to the assassin first, before king or steward had a chance to interfere.
She cut down a nearby flag and used the rope to climb down the side of the building.
For the second time today she ran across the plains barefoot. Though this time she did so with much more urgency.
The rider reached for its horse. Attempting to snaffle the reigns. Atty notched a black arrow and fired near the steeds head, it's scream Spooking the beast, making it bolt.
Stranded the rider tried to crawl.
A well placed toe on the back pushed it face first into the ground.
She turned the body with her foot and crouching down lifted it to sitting while ripping off it's cowl and exposing it's face.
The Orc spat at her, the glob landing on Attys cheek and sliding down her jaw. She didn't flinch, she didn't wipe it away. She put her hand around the red arrow in his leg and pushed.
The Orc bellowed in pain, struggling against her. She released him after a moment. Continuing her silent stony faced interrogation.
"Your her aren't you?" He asked through pained grunts. "From the Dark Brotherhood."
Atty smirked in response.
"So it's true, Sithis' bastard is a mute." He laughed to himself.
She placed pressure on his wound again, causing his laughter to stop as he sucked air through his tusk like teeth.
"I can't tell you who contracted me even if I wanted to." He told her "The contract it's old, as old as the former monarchy."
Again she twisted the arrow.
He winced "You'll have to kill the whole of Morag Tong to stop us. Unlike you we don't abandon our contracts."
Atty raised a brow and ripped the arrow from her captives leg.
He cackled at her "no wonder your guild is ripe to fall. Weak creature you are." He shoved her, attempting to scramble to his feet. He turned and tried to escape.
She wrapped her arms either side of his head and with a sharp twist snapped his neck. Allowing his body to fall back to the ground.
Slowly pushing her body to standing she turned to see Leith and Vilkas approach on horse back, Leith dismounting before the horse had even come to a stop.
"Broke his neck as the horse threw him?" She asked her friend who had finally stopped to wipe the spit from her face.
Atty nodded, a confirmation the girls knew was a lie.
"Good thing, if hate to see what happened to him when the poison hit." The golden elf when to inspect the body, while Atty walked back towards the castle.
Vilkas joined her by the crumpled heap of Orc.
"She's an assassin too?" He asked leith.
"Former, well out side contractor." She tried to smile to relieve the lines of concern digging their way across the nord mans face.
"She would attack her own for us."
Leith sighed "he wasn't her own. And the two guilds have an old feud"
Vilkas went very quiet, a bristly paranoia returning to him.
"You saved me back there"
"Of course." She touched his arm while they looked at the dead assassin on the ground. The gravity of the situation slowly sinking in.
Atty entered the palace gates standing before a very Un-flustered steward. He was never flustered, and only angry around leith, but this was an assassination attempt on his would be king. There should have been something.
Her feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed she regarded him with ferocity. The dark elf was no more to him that a piece of furniture normally. She said nothing and took up no space in all his interactions with her before. But standing in front of him, swaying with his movements to walk around her, almost naked, he small clothes all she wore, the white tattoos of her face illuminating her red eyes in the moon light, he felt her presence was less benign, than he had initially anticipated.
She was boring into to him, silent yet accusing. Eye to eye threatening him in a manor no elf or woman should.
he knew, she must have known. Every fibre of him began to quake and he knew some how she could see it as her mouth curled into a cruel smile.
"Move." He shouted.
Atty ran her tongue across her teeth,Watching a bead of sweat run across his brow and down his beard.
Treason was on his mind from day one, she had wished the assassin had spelled it out in as many words so she could throw him to the wolves. Or better yet they could hand him over to her. Bildsfel was still Skyrim territory which meant it fell under Dark Brotherhood jurisdiction. That was two slights, one against her guild, the other against that which she classed family.
"I said move elf!" Heat began to rise from his collar.
"Atty move aside." Vilkas asked returning with Leith.
"Unless your accusing him of something." She chirped, knowing her friend wouldn't threaten with out cause.
With no proof other than a well educated guess and her own dealings with political assassinations, she finally allowed the man to push passed her. He stopped, seeing the body of the assassin relief flooded over him. Feeling the eye's of both Leith and Atty. Gold and red suspicion eyeing him.
"Sire. I'm so thankful your unharmed." He sneakily tried to make his fopar into loyalty.
"No thanks to the palace guard. Capturing the wrong person." Vilkas snapped.
"They were after an assassin and they caught one" he retorted, avoiding looking at Atty.
She Rubbed the black mark of Sithis before crossing her arms.
"The wrong assassin." Farkas defended her, joining them now he was more clothed, bringing a shawl for Atty to keep warm.
"Is there ever a wrong assassin?" The steward bit.
"Atty would never hurt us. You believe that Brother." He put an arm around her but Vilkas remained silent.
'Not for all the gold." Farkas added.
Vilkas believed that, unlike her small friend Atty wasn't driven by want of gold or greed, but loyalty was another matter, And it's exactly where her loyalty lay he was worried about.
"I owe my life to Leith." He said slowly taking a page from the careful speech patters of the steward. "And Atty has my thanks. I pray it's never you that takes the contract for our life, I doubt we would survive."
Patting Farkas' hand on her shoulder she pointed to Vilkas and with a fist made a turning motion away from her face.
Leith chuckled As her friend strode off.
"What did she say?"
"You wouldn't."
***
Bustling cooks, groundsman, and housekeepers instigating the perpetration a for the party. The ball before the coronation, to welcome guests from all walks of life.
The steward and his clique of advisors giving up that the new princes might oust their elven friends from their life sent each girl a team of women to prepare them for the coming ball.
Leith found it hilarious as they tried to find a dress to fit her tiny stature and masculine tastes, while also trying to enhance the gold of her colouring with out putting her in more Gold.
They primed and pampered and she laughed.
Atty looked on the whole experience with the terror of a caged animal.
"Why can't we get the little one." A nord woman hissed "She's cutest least."
"It's the tattoos I'm worried about." The other muttered.
"What does it matter, I bet she's never worn a skirt in her life. She'll look like a bear in a dress."
Crestfallen Atty looked down at her arms, as she waited for the only seemingly kind woman to finish filling her bath.
The lines that covered her body were badges of honour, testimony to the trials she weathered.
The red guard woman smiled up to her reassuringly. "You may get in now it's finished."
Touching her chin Atty thanked the woman and stepped in to the warm soothing waters. The two other woman bustled into the room, the older of the two running her hands through Attys hair.
"Agh Wildings locks. I suppose we have time to cut and brush them out."
Atty pulled away, shaking her head violently.
"I don't think she likes that idea" the red guard woman protested.
"She doesn't have to. It's what's happening."
The old woman made a step for the scissors, Atty was faster snatching them and brandishing them like a weapon in wet hands. She pointed to the two horrid woman then to the door.
"Well I never..."
This time Atty pointed with the scissors, a far more defined and threatening gesture.
The women muttering under their breath protested quietly and left the elf.
"You wish me to leave as well?" The red guard woman asked.
Atty shook her head returning to the water. Using the scissors to cut the ties that held her hair back in the two tails.
Putting her "Wildingslocks" into the waterr to clean them.
She pointed to the woman and signed.
"Me?" The woman asked shocked "my name?"
Atty nodded.
"Moraine." She said. Atty offered a hand to shake, there were one or two kind people in the palace and she made sure to know them by name.
While she bathed and fixed her hair into a more elegant number Moraine found a dress. Black long and simple. A square neck fixed at the shoulders, dagger sleeves that allowed glimpses of her body of tattoos. It was bigger than she was, fitted to a nord woman of her height but healthier frame, not the lanky limbs of a wandering hunter. Moraine bade her to raise her arms and she tied a long belt of green twice around her waist to give her shape.
"Look at you." She mused. "You can't be hunting in that get up though." She laughed "well lest your hunting a husband."
Atty smiled and looked at her self in the looking glass. It was a clearer reflection than what lakes showed her or the backs of spoons. She stood in front of her self. A more striking image than she realised. Powerful and dark. She hazard the word beautiful before her face. Laughing to herself no, enigmatic.
"You look as though you've never seen your self."
Shrugging Atty ran a hand over her face, she hadn't really, not like that. Not clean, and fed.
The mothers voiced whispered. She felt the words crawl up her spine. She had ignored her duties to long.
"My child" she hissed "there is a man who favours the exotic flesh of skyrim. His wife has grown sick of his indiscretion and bastard children."
Atty turned from the mirror plans mulling over in her head. How to sneak away from the coronation ball. How to sneak through empty streets as the population had folded the palace, and entice the mark into letting her get close enough to kill him.

"Well fancy" Leith's exclamation echoed passed the clamour of the busy hall.
"Look at you"
Arty signed at her friend while she straightened her dress noticing the wood elf had gotten away with a smart pair of breaches and a tunic.
Leith giggled gently "Atty you a the far from being a bear in a dress."
Atty grinned, as Leith offered her arm. The young man at the door leaned over to leith and asked in a hushed tone "how shall I announce you?"
"The same way as always."

"The hunter and the thief." The titles cut the noise of the party pretentious and prestigious eyes alike left their conversations to see what would call them selves hunter and thief. Leith stood golden and grinning next to Atty's shoulder, waving to her "adoring public" while Atty had put on heirs of royalty standing in a dress made out of midnight. Staring down any one who thought they could be better than the pair.
Vilkas laughed. Not at the girls but at the reaction to them. He chuckled while his brother stood besotted next to him and conversation returned to normal.
As custom the girls joined the line to meet the princes give gifts and praise. Atty was first. Meeting Vilkas, un-ceremoniously she reached under her dress to a hidden belt and unhooked a short blade.
It was gilded for her, simple for a king, a single red gem in its scabbard alerted Vilkas to the significance of the blade. She tucked it close to his body, under his vest, keeping a sharp look out for anyone spying what was going on. She put her hands on his shoulders either side an looked at him before finally nodding and moving to Farkas.
"That's from Atty and Leith. " she quipped taking Atty's place.
"You steal it, she makes sure it's poisoned an sharpened?"
"Something like that" she paused before adding "it means your family now"
Farkas and Atty regarded each other while the other two talked. He seemed to take a breath to begin a thousand sentences but never started one.
She pointed to him and stroked her cheek. Complementing his appearance in his regalia, family colours of Gold and brown much more charming than the blacks she had come to know him to ware.
"Your amazing." He stammered quickly.
Atty blushed and he ran his hands through his hair nervously. "I'm terrible at this part, can we go back to running round the fields?"
She nodded quickly as lutes strummed a more lively tune joined by the sweet twitterings of flutes.
She caught his hand as it lowered and pulled him from the line. Neither good at words, but movement had never let them down before.
subtly Vilkas signalled for Leith to take his brothers place
"You should get use to standing beside the king." He whispered as the line of important locals began to move
"What as advisor?"
"Or queen."
She would have fallen over laughing had the next dignitary not arrived on the scene. Vilkas winked at her and she blushed. She blushed in a way that she would have teased Atty for, as the tips of her ears became hot and the feeling spread to her cheeks.

Atty slipped into the dance seamlessly, Leading Farkas while dancing backwards until he figured out the pattern and soon they were spinning and twirling as if they had danced the dance as children.
Body Occupied, Farkas Brain freed up.
"I've never seen you in a dress. It's a beautiful sight." He leaned forward "though I preferred what we were wearing the other day."
She smiled this time coyly. As the song stopped and the dancers retired.
Gilding from the ball room she led Farkas like the doting lamb he was to the courtyard. They stood together hidden from prying eyes by the large tree, whose heavy bows rested weakly on the ground. Hints of light from inside illuminated the cobblestones with a yellow hue. But it was starlight that guided the pair.
Farkas touched her cheek, she cupped his hand and closed her eyes leaning into him.
He sighed, Atty knew that sigh. Words were on his tongue, sentences that he didn't think he had the vocabulary to say. She opened her eyes and put his hand on her waist then made the other one join it. She linked her hands behind his head and tried to coax him on with a nod.
"It's like tales, the ones about the legend's, but I don't know what to say." He laughed "I guess that doesn't make me the hero. The hero's in story's always know what to say."
Atty smiled, she figured that didn't make her the hero either. A hero had a voice.
It was her turn to couch him, her fingers brushing his cheek coaxing him forward.
With out words or voice they leant towards each other. Eyes closing as lips met for the first time.
Sweet and pleasant they stopped almost as soon as they started. A quick silent check that all parties were in agreement and they moved together to try it a second time.
This time the feeling was more adult, the tone less sweet more filled with desire. Her hands in his hair, his on her waist and back pulling towards each other. A window groaned and they thought they had been caught. Jumping away like guilty thieves with a delicious prize. Snatching his hand she pulled him to a darker patch of the garden a mischievous grin on her face. A lusty flush to her cheek. Farkas followed hands in her waist, a fair idea if the nature of the trouble she wanted to cause.

Quietly seeing the scene from Vilkas' side Leith noticed the two had been Gone almost an hour. No one had noticed.
She had expected Attys disappearance to go unfettered but the brother of the king? The steward almost seemed gleeful that they had lost one heir. Any other party guests were more interested in the food.
She ventured out side into the cooling air away from the lights. Following their last trails. Atty slipped from the shadows first. Hair still immaculate dress flawless she turned bak to who ever was still back there and with a final lingering kiss began to leave.
A hand caught hers And Farkas followed it his shirt buttoned up wrong his hair lose ruffled. If Leith hadn't guessed what had happened before she had proof now.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
Atty smiled and bopped his nosed while quickly fixing his shirt. Before slipping from his hands and melting into to darkness.
Farkas ran a hand through his hair and returned his attention to the ball room jumping as he saw leith standing there.
She smirked, "well well."
Farkas said nothing but his sheepish grin told many tales.
"Pity she had to go, or you two could have had a really fun night."
"Why did she have to go? What did she say."
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies." Leith said plainly. "There will be a mark she has to take care of, it's better for us to not know any more than that."
"Why?"
"Plausible deniability"

Straightened and less flustered Farkas returned with Leith to the party.
"Were did you go." Vilkas asked her.
"To find Atty and Farkas." She said plainly
"So where is Atty?"
She shrugged and Farkas shook his head. "I don't know." She muttered plainly "never do. Oh look a new cheese platter."

The coronation continued with lights and string quartettes as Atty knocked on the large mansion door of her target.
"Oh." He purred as he saw her at the door. "I must thank the dark lord that sent you too me."
She couldn't believe how right he was.

A single shadow crept over the plaice walls, it's feet not even making a crunch sound on the ground. Slipping un seen though landscape and into the warm bustle of the party. Hiding amongst the liquor filled guests and muffled by music.
Dressed in black and red leather, a mask covered the bottom half of it's face but left it's piercing red eyes visible to any who dared to look.
The assassin made a move to snatch the almost crowned king. A black dagger in her hand as she wrapped her arms about him with the blade at his throat.
Vilkas the former Companion had other ideas. A sharp quick elbow flew back into the assailants ribs, knocking her back.
Shouts and screams began to split the music as more assassins tried to panic the crowd.
He turned un sheathing, the emergency dagger he had been given. Looking into the frowning red eyes, surrounded by white tattoos.
"atty?!" He whispered. Stunned for a moment. There were no other discerning features as top to toe everything was covered in leather. But that was how they had met.
The assassin Atty or not lunged wildly for him which he parried, lashing out in return. Cutting a long bloody trail down the right side of her face. She reeled. Falling back to join her brotherhood who leith and farkas where fighting back. Leith with her small dagger and Farkas with anything he could get his hands on.
Quickly as they arrived the dark assailants faded back into the night. Leaving guests and royalty more than a little confused.
"Where is she?" vilkas bellowed.
Farkas and leith looked at each other perplexed.
"Who?"
"The Assassin!" Venom dripping off the title leith could sense the accusation.
"I don't know." She stammered honestly.
"Is she here?"
"I don't know." She repeated
"Did she take a contract tonight?"
"I don't know" she finally shouted. Plausible deniability was designed to save her skin but it left atty a dark elf with out an alibi.

Description
Leith perched on a chair at the far end of the hall, picking through platters finding the cold cuts of meet. Vilkas threw her glances from the other end as he read papers and talked with the steward. She shared some of Atty's ruder gestures, ones that he was only beginning to learn. He couldn't hold a conversation in sign but he could swear quite well. He had to bite his tongue to stifle a laugh at her.
He heard the Steward cough. "All of your concentration is required Sir." He said dryly "and I'm sure you can't give the state your all if your elven playmate is signing you love notes."
"Love notes?" He scoffed, "I think they are a far cry from that."
Leith lazily walked around the table leaning over his shoulder, a kebab of tasty treats on her short blade. "I thought you'd be thankful for my distraction Steward" she said picking at pieces with her sharp pointy teeth. "It would have been the best way to get him to sign that paper your passing with a 5% tax increase for all produce created by the peasants." She loved saying the word peasant, she loved being at her leisure and fed in the castle, instead of cold and hungry in the streets. That didn't mean she wanted to see their work and hard labour pillaged by greedy men behind the throne.
Vilkas swivelled in his seat. Fixing the steward with more than an unamused glare.
"It's just that the kingdoms coffers are growing light, the war effort takes..." The steward tried to explain.
"War effort? What war are we fighting Steward?" He asked quietly still holding the older man in his steely sights.
"We are preparing..."
Vilkas cut him off before he could spread his excuses "To what? Fight the Stormcloaks? Or would you rather the Imperials? Skyrim is the closest nation to us and they have enough to worry about. Or were you perhaps going to take on the Dragur that haunted the streets at night." A sarcastic tone painted the edge of Vilkas' words "No, the bandits then? We don't need an army my brother and I use to deal with bandits like that before breakfast."
"But sir."
Leith was beaming she could get use to this politics business especially now Vilkas seemed to come into his own. He turned to her.
"What do you think we should do Leith?"
She frowned and shrugged for a moment leafing through papers for ideas. "You have an iron mine that's closed despite still being full of ore, and you have a armorer charging a premium to fit the palace soldiers because he is the only one in town."
"The iron mine is closed because no one wants to work." The steward scoffed.
"Pay them more then, make sure there is a healer, give them incentive. Get another smith over, train some more, get a bit of competition going. Train a small force of guards, to take out the bandits, offer a tax break to people who work for the kingdom."
"How is spending more money going to help girl." He snapped
"Get your people working for you, happily, you'll have more produce to sell. Give them tax breaks and get the kingdom work done for free. Work with the people, for the people, don't just work them to the bone to fill your coffers."
Vilkas smiled "good thinking Leith I'll take them into consideration." He picked up the papers "I think we're done here."
"I think you have some things to research for me steward. And as for advisor Leith," he stood offering her an arm "care to accompany me on a walk about the palace."
She mockingly curtsied finishing the last of her kebab, poked her tongue out at the steward and took the soon to be kings arm, following him out of the room.
The steward wrapped his fingers against the wood, holding his temper in check with gritted teeth.
"Patience." He whispered under his breath. In a dark mood he stormed from the room as well.

"I don't see why Atty hates him." Leith chirped "he's just another rich man trying to get richer, but she eyes him like he'll produce a cobra from under his cloak."
Vilkas huffed "Let me list every one Atty hates, there's the healer, the entire palace guard, the cook, the notary, Te gatehouse keeper, the steward and me. She wild, this place is civilised, of course she hates it. You don't have to differ to her rule ever minute of every day."
Leith laughed at his out burst. "Your jealous. I can't believe it."
"No I'm not."
"You are" she teased "your about to be crowned king and you're jealous I still listen to my friends advice. You're an idiot."
"You can't call me an idiot."
"I called you an idiot before you were king and I'm not going to stop when you're crowned."
He shook his head having to laugh. "it's good. To many people jump when I speak around here. You get to use to being all powerful."
"Then I will bare the burden, of reminding you of all your flaws." She held the door open allowing Vilkas to walk out onto the battlements "for your benefit of course, to keep you grounded."
"You won't enjoy it at all."
Winking she grinned enjoying the sun on the battlements and the moments piece with Vilkas.
"You seem to be adjusting to palace life well." He mentioned softly.
"I always knew I had a destiny to be waited on." She added coyly before her attention was pulled away from the friendly moment.
A black figure ran across the battlements, she felt a twinge of fear in her gut looking at it. It moved like a predatory animal, low, slow, it was reaching for something.
"A cross bow?" She whispered.
"What?" Vilkas queried.
"Get down." She yelled pulling him to one side as a bolt lodged it's self in the wall next to them, she heard it re load. And kicked over a bench to use as cover.
"An assassin?" Vilkas shouted helping her hold the cover as they felt the wood quake from the bolts.
"It can't be." Leith stammered. "Where is Atty?" She had no bow, nothing to defend her self with bar the little dagger that she had used to eat the meat.
"She will be with Farkas, what if they are attacking him too?"
"She will hopefully be better armed than we are." Carrying their cover with them back to the door they fled inside to look for the missing pair.
Leith came out of Attys room with her bow and quiver.
"Any sign?" Vilkas asked after finding nothing but empty halls on his quick look.
She shook her head, now she was worried, her friend never travelled any where with out her bow. It was her left arm.
"I don't like this." Vilkas grumbled.
"Look if any one can survive an assassination it will be those two. Don't worry."
"Worry I'm not worried I'm terrified. That's my brother." He snapped
"And it's my best friend." Leith retorted.
They heard voices down the hall, guards grumbling.
"You said it couldn't be an assassin before, why?" He asked her, the words eating at his curiosity.
"Atty would had mentioned something."
"How would atty have known unless she was a...." His voice trailed off as they turned to see what to the commotion was.
"Stop assassin." The guards threatened.
Atty held her hands up, a display of surrender but her body language said the opposite, her tongue ran over her lips as she eyed the guards. The mark of Sithis tattooed in deep black ink on her for arm amongst the trailing giants tattoos.
One brave man stepped forward taking her hands and a rope a tuning them behind her back. She was dripping water on the stone floor and in her underclothes. Farkas with her trying to diffuse the situation to no avail.
"Guards stop." Vilkas bellowed.
Leith would have burst out laughing if there wasn't a more pressing matter at hand.
"Release her." Vilkas commanded.
"But sire the mark of Sithis, she was making off with your brother."
"Making off," leith snarked "that's what the young folk are calling it."
atty poked her tongue out to her friend.
"No time, atty. There is an assassin on the loose."
Attys frown instantly deepened, she urged her friend on with her eyebrows while she worked her self free. Her hunting blade hidden in the back of her undergarments bound to her waist, proving to be again her most formidable weapon as it's sharp curve was just enough for her to cut the ropes with.
"They attacked us on the battlements, he may still be there. " leith explained.
Atty nodded tossing the shredded rope to the guard who restrained her, grabbing her bow and quiver off her friends and shoving passed the guards. Teeth gritted and a fire in her eyes.

She burst through the door to the battlements, the sun gone, the only light candles flickering in a slight breeze.
"It's gone." Leith sighed disappointed.
Shaking her head Atty stalked her prey. Her sharp eyes peered through the dusk. She looked over the side of the building down to the fields she was just on. A dark rider on a dark stead galloped across the moon illuminated field. She took a red arrow from her quiver.
"You can't think to hit anything from here." Leith murmured in awe.
Atty pulled, hard and tight her bow cried under the strain. She was not letting this creature away the strain passed to her arms and her muscles held the bow like steel, until she lined up the perfect shot.
She wanted the Assassin alive, she wanted to look into it's eyes, and learn what secrets she could from it.
She loosed.
The rider fell.
"You did it!" Leith exclaimed, "I'll get Vilkas, we will want to interrogate this bastard."
Atty didn't follow Leith. She wanted to get to the assassin first, before king or steward had a chance to interfere.
She cut down a nearby flag and used the rope to climb down the side of the building.
For the second time today she ran across the plains barefoot. Though this time she did so with much more urgency.
The rider reached for its horse. Attempting to snaffle the reigns. Atty notched a black arrow and fired near the steeds head, it's scream Spooking the beast, making it bolt.
Stranded the rider tried to crawl.
A well placed toe on the back pushed it face first into the ground.
She turned the body with her foot and crouching down lifted it to sitting while ripping off it's cowl and exposing it's face.
The Orc spat at her, the glob landing on Attys cheek and sliding down her jaw. She didn't flinch, she didn't wipe it away. She put her hand around the red arrow in his leg and pushed.
The Orc bellowed in pain, struggling against her. She released him after a moment. Continuing her silent stony faced interrogation.
"Your her aren't you?" He asked through pained grunts. "From the Dark Brotherhood."
Atty smirked in response.
"So it's true, Sithis' bastard is a mute." He laughed to himself.
She placed pressure on his wound again, causing his laughter to stop as he sucked air through his tusk like teeth.
"I can't tell you who contracted me even if I wanted to." He told her "The contract it's old, as old as the former monarchy."
Again she twisted the arrow.
He winced "You'll have to kill the whole of Morag Tong to stop us. Unlike you we don't abandon our contracts."
Atty raised a brow and ripped the arrow from her captives leg.
He cackled at her "no wonder your guild is ripe to fall. Weak creature you are." He shoved her, attempting to scramble to his feet. He turned and tried to escape.
She wrapped her arms either side of his head and with a sharp twist snapped his neck. Allowing his body to fall back to the ground.
Slowly pushing her body to standing she turned to see Leith and Vilkas approach on horse back, Leith dismounting before the horse had even come to a stop.
"Broke his neck as the horse threw him?" She asked her friend who had finally stopped to wipe the spit from her face.
Atty nodded, a confirmation the girls knew was a lie.
"Good thing, if hate to see what happened to him when the poison hit." The golden elf when to inspect the body, while Atty walked back towards the castle.
Vilkas joined her by the crumpled heap of Orc.
"She's an assassin too?" He asked leith.
"Former, well out side contractor." She tried to smile to relieve the lines of concern digging their way across the nord mans face.
"She would attack her own for us."
Leith sighed "he wasn't her own. And the two guilds have an old feud"
Vilkas went very quiet, a bristly paranoia returning to him.
"You saved me back there"
"Of course." She touched his arm while they looked at the dead assassin on the ground. The gravity of the situation slowly sinking in.
Atty entered the palace gates standing before a very Un-flustered steward. He was never flustered, and only angry around leith, but this was an assassination attempt on his would be king. There should have been something.
Her feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed she regarded him with ferocity. The dark elf was no more to him that a piece of furniture normally. She said nothing and took up no space in all his interactions with her before. But standing in front of him, swaying with his movements to walk around her, almost naked, he small clothes all she wore, the white tattoos of her face illuminating her red eyes in the moon light, he felt her presence was less benign, than he had initially anticipated.
She was boring into to him, silent yet accusing. Eye to eye threatening him in a manor no elf or woman should.
he knew, she must have known. Every fibre of him began to quake and he knew some how she could see it as her mouth curled into a cruel smile.
"Move." He shouted.
Atty ran her tongue across her teeth,Watching a bead of sweat run across his brow and down his beard.
Treason was on his mind from day one, she had wished the assassin had spelled it out in as many words so she could throw him to the wolves. Or better yet they could hand him over to her. Bildsfel was still Skyrim territory which meant it fell under Dark Brotherhood jurisdiction. That was two slights, one against her guild, the other against that which she classed family.
"I said move elf!" Heat began to rise from his collar.
"Atty move aside." Vilkas asked returning with Leith.
"Unless your accusing him of something." She chirped, knowing her friend wouldn't threaten with out cause.
With no proof other than a well educated guess and her own dealings with political assassinations, she finally allowed the man to push passed her. He stopped, seeing the body of the assassin relief flooded over him. Feeling the eye's of both Leith and Atty. Gold and red suspicion eyeing him.
"Sire. I'm so thankful your unharmed." He sneakily tried to make his fopar into loyalty.
"No thanks to the palace guard. Capturing the wrong person." Vilkas snapped.
"They were after an assassin and they caught one" he retorted, avoiding looking at Atty.
She Rubbed the black mark of Sithis before crossing her arms.
"The wrong assassin." Farkas defended her, joining them now he was more clothed, bringing a shawl for Atty to keep warm.
"Is there ever a wrong assassin?" The steward bit.
"Atty would never hurt us. You believe that Brother." He put an arm around her but Vilkas remained silent.
'Not for all the gold." Farkas added.
Vilkas believed that, unlike her small friend Atty wasn't driven by want of gold or greed, but loyalty was another matter, And it's exactly where her loyalty lay he was worried about.
"I owe my life to Leith." He said slowly taking a page from the careful speech patters of the steward. "And Atty has my thanks. I pray it's never you that takes the contract for our life, I doubt we would survive."
Patting Farkas' hand on her shoulder she pointed to Vilkas and with a fist made a turning motion away from her face.
Leith chuckled As her friend strode off.
"What did she say?"
"You wouldn't."
***
Bustling cooks, groundsman, and housekeepers instigating the perpetration a for the party. The ball before the coronation, to welcome guests from all walks of life.
The steward and his clique of advisors giving up that the new princes might oust their elven friends from their life sent each girl a team of women to prepare them for the coming ball.
Leith found it hilarious as they tried to find a dress to fit her tiny stature and masculine tastes, while also trying to enhance the gold of her colouring with out putting her in more Gold.
They primed and pampered and she laughed.
Atty looked on the whole experience with the terror of a caged animal.
"Why can't we get the little one." A nord woman hissed "She's cutest least."
"It's the tattoos I'm worried about." The other muttered.
"What does it matter, I bet she's never worn a skirt in her life. She'll look like a bear in a dress."
Crestfallen Atty looked down at her arms, as she waited for the only seemingly kind woman to finish filling her bath.
The lines that covered her body were badges of honour, testimony to the trials she weathered.
The red guard woman smiled up to her reassuringly. "You may get in now it's finished."
Touching her chin Atty thanked the woman and stepped in to the warm soothing waters. The two other woman bustled into the room, the older of the two running her hands through Attys hair.
"Agh Wildings locks. I suppose we have time to cut and brush them out."
Atty pulled away, shaking her head violently.
"I don't think she likes that idea" the red guard woman protested.
"She doesn't have to. It's what's happening."
The old woman made a step for the scissors, Atty was faster snatching them and brandishing them like a weapon in wet hands. She pointed to the two horrid woman then to the door.
"Well I never..."
This time Atty pointed with the scissors, a far more defined and threatening gesture.
The women muttering under their breath protested quietly and left the elf.
"You wish me to leave as well?" The red guard woman asked.
Atty shook her head returning to the water. Using the scissors to cut the ties that held her hair back in the two tails.
Putting her "Wildingslocks" into the waterr to clean them.
She pointed to the woman and signed.
"Me?" The woman asked shocked "my name?"
Atty nodded.
"Moraine." She said. Atty offered a hand to shake, there were one or two kind people in the palace and she made sure to know them by name.
While she bathed and fixed her hair into a more elegant number Moraine found a dress. Black long and simple. A square neck fixed at the shoulders, dagger sleeves that allowed glimpses of her body of tattoos. It was bigger than she was, fitted to a nord woman of her height but healthier frame, not the lanky limbs of a wandering hunter. Moraine bade her to raise her arms and she tied a long belt of green twice around her waist to give her shape.
"Look at you." She mused. "You can't be hunting in that get up though." She laughed "well lest your hunting a husband."
Atty smiled and looked at her self in the looking glass. It was a clearer reflection than what lakes showed her or the backs of spoons. She stood in front of her self. A more striking image than she realised. Powerful and dark. She hazard the word beautiful before her face. Laughing to herself no, enigmatic.
"You look as though you've never seen your self."
Shrugging Atty ran a hand over her face, she hadn't really, not like that. Not clean, and fed.
The mothers voiced whispered. She felt the words crawl up her spine. She had ignored her duties to long.
"My child" she hissed "there is a man who favours the exotic flesh of skyrim. His wife has grown sick of his indiscretion and bastard children."
Atty turned from the mirror plans mulling over in her head. How to sneak away from the coronation ball. How to sneak through empty streets as the population had folded the palace, and entice the mark into letting her get close enough to kill him.

"Well fancy" Leith's exclamation echoed passed the clamour of the busy hall.
"Look at you"
Arty signed at her friend while she straightened her dress noticing the wood elf had gotten away with a smart pair of breaches and a tunic.
Leith giggled gently "Atty you a the far from being a bear in a dress."
Atty grinned, as Leith offered her arm. The young man at the door leaned over to leith and asked in a hushed tone "how shall I announce you?"
"The same way as always."

"The hunter and the thief." The titles cut the noise of the party pretentious and prestigious eyes alike left their conversations to see what would call them selves hunter and thief. Leith stood golden and grinning next to Atty's shoulder, waving to her "adoring public" while Atty had put on heirs of royalty standing in a dress made out of midnight. Staring down any one who thought they could be better than the pair.
Vilkas laughed. Not at the girls but at the reaction to them. He chuckled while his brother stood besotted next to him and conversation returned to normal.
As custom the girls joined the line to meet the princes give gifts and praise. Atty was first. Meeting Vilkas, un-ceremoniously she reached under her dress to a hidden belt and unhooked a short blade.
It was gilded for her, simple for a king, a single red gem in its scabbard alerted Vilkas to the significance of the blade. She tucked it close to his body, under his vest, keeping a sharp look out for anyone spying what was going on. She put her hands on his shoulders either side an looked at him before finally nodding and moving to Farkas.
"That's from Atty and Leith. " she quipped taking Atty's place.
"You steal it, she makes sure it's poisoned an sharpened?"
"Something like that" she paused before adding "it means your family now"
Farkas and Atty regarded each other while the other two talked. He seemed to take a breath to begin a thousand sentences but never started one.
She pointed to him and stroked her cheek. Complementing his appearance in his regalia, family colours of Gold and brown much more charming than the blacks she had come to know him to ware.
"Your amazing." He stammered quickly.
Atty blushed and he ran his hands through his hair nervously. "I'm terrible at this part, can we go back to running round the fields?"
She nodded quickly as lutes strummed a more lively tune joined by the sweet twitterings of flutes.
She caught his hand as it lowered and pulled him from the line. Neither good at words, but movement had never let them down before.
subtly Vilkas signalled for Leith to take his brothers place
"You should get use to standing beside the king." He whispered as the line of important locals began to move
"What as advisor?"
"Or queen."
She would have fallen over laughing had the next dignitary not arrived on the scene. Vilkas winked at her and she blushed. She blushed in a way that she would have teased Atty for, as the tips of her ears became hot and the feeling spread to her cheeks.

Atty slipped into the dance seamlessly, Leading Farkas while dancing backwards until he figured out the pattern and soon they were spinning and twirling as if they had danced the dance as children.
Body Occupied, Farkas Brain freed up.
"I've never seen you in a dress. It's a beautiful sight." He leaned forward "though I preferred what we were wearing the other day."
She smiled this time coyly. As the song stopped and the dancers retired.
Gilding from the ball room she led Farkas like the doting lamb he was to the courtyard. They stood together hidden from prying eyes by the large tree, whose heavy bows rested weakly on the ground. Hints of light from inside illuminated the cobblestones with a yellow hue. But it was starlight that guided the pair.
Farkas touched her cheek, she cupped his hand and closed her eyes leaning into him.
He sighed, Atty knew that sigh. Words were on his tongue, sentences that he didn't think he had the vocabulary to say. She opened her eyes and put his hand on her waist then made the other one join it. She linked her hands behind his head and tried to coax him on with a nod.
"It's like tales, the ones about the legend's, but I don't know what to say." He laughed "I guess that doesn't make me the hero. The hero's in story's always know what to say."
Atty smiled, she figured that didn't make her the hero either. A hero had a voice.
It was her turn to couch him, her fingers brushing his cheek coaxing him forward.
With out words or voice they leant towards each other. Eyes closing as lips met for the first time.
Sweet and pleasant they stopped almost as soon as they started. A quick silent check that all parties were in agreement and they moved together to try it a second time.
This time the feeling was more adult, the tone less sweet more filled with desire. Her hands in his hair, his on her waist and back pulling towards each other. A window groaned and they thought they had been caught. Jumping away like guilty thieves with a delicious prize. Snatching his hand she pulled him to a darker patch of the garden a mischievous grin on her face. A lusty flush to her cheek. Farkas followed hands in her waist, a fair idea if the nature of the trouble she wanted to cause.

Quietly seeing the scene from Vilkas' side Leith noticed the two had been Gone almost an hour. No one had noticed.
She had expected Attys disappearance to go unfettered but the brother of the king? The steward almost seemed gleeful that they had lost one heir. Any other party guests were more interested in the food.
She ventured out side into the cooling air away from the lights. Following their last trails. Atty slipped from the shadows first. Hair still immaculate dress flawless she turned bak to who ever was still back there and with a final lingering kiss began to leave.
A hand caught hers And Farkas followed it his shirt buttoned up wrong his hair lose ruffled. If Leith hadn't guessed what had happened before she had proof now.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
Atty smiled and bopped his nosed while quickly fixing his shirt. Before slipping from his hands and melting into to darkness.
Farkas ran a hand through his hair and returned his attention to the ball room jumping as he saw leith standing there.
She smirked, "well well."
Farkas said nothing but his sheepish grin told many tales.
"Pity she had to go, or you two could have had a really fun night."
"Why did she have to go? What did she say."
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies." Leith said plainly. "There will be a mark she has to take care of, it's better for us to not know any more than that."
"Why?"
"Plausible deniability"

Straightened and less flustered Farkas returned with Leith to the party.
"Were did you go." Vilkas asked her.
"To find Atty and Farkas." She said plainly
"So where is Atty?"
She shrugged and Farkas shook his head. "I don't know." She muttered plainly "never do. Oh look a new cheese platter."

The coronation continued with lights and string quartettes as Atty knocked on the large mansion door of her target.
"Oh." He purred as he saw her at the door. "I must thank the dark lord that sent you too me."
She couldn't believe how right he was.

A single shadow crept over the plaice walls, it's feet not even making a crunch sound on the ground. Slipping un seen though landscape and into the warm bustle of the party. Hiding amongst the liquor filled guests and muffled by music.
Dressed in black and red leather, a mask covered the bottom half of it's face but left it's piercing red eyes visible to any who dared to look.
The assassin made a move to snatch the almost crowned king. A black dagger in her hand as she wrapped her arms about him with the blade at his throat.
Vilkas the former Companion had other ideas. A sharp quick elbow flew back into the assailants ribs, knocking her back.
Shouts and screams began to split the music as more assassins tried to panic the crowd.
He turned un sheathing, the emergency dagger he had been given. Looking into the frowning red eyes, surrounded by white tattoos.
"atty?!" He whispered. Stunned for a moment. There were no other discerning features as top to toe everything was covered in leather. But that was how they had met.
The assassin Atty or not lunged wildly for him which he parried, lashing out in return. Cutting a long bloody trail down the right side of her face. She reeled. Falling back to join her brotherhood who leith and farkas where fighting back. Leith with her small dagger and Farkas with anything he could get his hands on.
Quickly as they arrived the dark assailants faded back into the night. Leaving guests and royalty more than a little confused.
"Where is she?" vilkas bellowed.
Farkas and leith looked at each other perplexed.
"Who?"
"The Assassin!" Venom dripping off the title leith could sense the accusation.
"I don't know." She stammered honestly.
"Is she here?"
"I don't know." She repeated
"Did she take a contract tonight?"
"I don't know" she finally shouted. Plausible deniability was designed to save her skin but it left atty a dark elf with out an alibi.