"That can't be good," Archer said. He and Rapier both jogged forward toward a coffin. There were two spikes that looked like a stand poking out of the top.

"Isn't this where Arngeir said the horn was supposed to be?" Rapier asked. "Archer, what on Nirn are you reading?"

I walked up and peered over Archer's shoulder. He held a note written in hasty cursive.

Dragonborn--

I need to speak with you, urgently.

Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you.

-- A friend

"Back to Riverwood then?" I asked. "Or do we look somewhere else?"

"I'm willing to bet that whoever left this note took the horn with them," Shay pointed out, earning a glare from Rapier. "We need to go to Riverwood to make sure though."

I wondered yet again why Rapier hated Shay so much. Archer looked from Rapier to Shay, clearly thinking the same thing.

Shay cleared his throat. "I'll just... scout ahead." He shot Rapier an apologetic look and walked away.

Once he was gone Archer turned to Rapier. "I was going to wait a while longer, but it's killing me. Why do you hate my brother so much?"

Rapier stared at Archer in dismay. "He killed my parents when I was younger," she said after a long moment of silence. "He didn't know I was there until after he'd done it. He was scouting the house and found me holding an old sword." She stopped and looked down.

I put an arm around her shoulders. To my surprise, she didn't pull away. She rested her head on my shoulder and sighed.

"He tried to apologize then. Tried to tell me he didn't know," she took another shaky breath. "I've been avoiding him since then. He's tried to find me, I've tried to run. I'm mad at him for what he did, but I'm more scared of what he'll do to me. He tried to apologize recently, in Whiterun, under the Gildergreen. When I ignored him, he left one of the flowers on the bench with a note saying he was sorry. Then he took the arrow for me... I don't know where I stand now."

"Rapier..." Archer trailed off and looked at her sadly. "If I'd known I wouldn't have asked."

Rapier snorted and pulled away from me. "If you'd known you would not have needed to ask," she growled. She didn't meet his eyes. Even if she said she didn't know where she stood, I knew that she had forgiven him, even if she hadn't told him so yet.

"If you don't mind," Archer said hesitantly. "Is that why you joined the Dark Brotherhood?"

Rapier froze. "How did you know?"

"Your armor," Archer said. "Not many know Dark Brotherhood armor when they see it, but I do. Is that why you were at Helgen? Sent to find me?"

I stopped as well. How did he know so much about the Dark Brotherhood? I had joined at Rapier's side, we'd done most of our missions together.

Rapier glanced at me before she nodded. "Yes, that is why we were at Helgen. Yes, I joined the Dark Brotherhood because I hoped it would make me disappear and that Shay would stop trying to find me. It didn't work though. Astrid never told us why she wanted you found, only that she wished to see you again."

"I'll bet she does," Archer snarled. "More likely she wants a fair fight with me. The Greybeards aren't going to like this, but I need to end this battle."

"What do you have against the Dark Brotherhood?" I asked hesitantly.

Archer's eyes burned with anger. "Templars," he spat. "Always, always get in the way of what we assassins want!"

"But the Dark Brotherhood are assassins!" Rapier snapped, lashing her tail.

"Not quite," Shay walked forward and leaned against the coffin. "Not the kind we are. Remember in Whiterun, when Archer said he was an Assassin of Skyrim and none of the guards wanted to kill him?"

"Yes," Rapier hissed, "but what does that have to do with anything?"

"The Assassins of Skyrim are the people who keep Skyrim safe from their enemies," Shay explained, "namely, Templars. Assassin of Skyrim is only what we are called around here. Anywhere else, we are simply assassins. It seems the Templars have taken over the Dark Brotherhood."

I noticed for the first time that Rapier had stepped away from Archer and Shay, leaving me standing in between them. She now thought Shay and Archer were our enemies, I guessed, but I still thought of them as friends.

"Rapier," I said quietly, walking up to her. "We can trust them. I know that much. After everything we've been through together don't you think we should help them?"

Rapier's eyes locked with mine, but she looked away just as quickly. "Fine," she growled. "But we go to Astrid."

"Sounds good to me," Archer said calmly. "Let's get moving." The silver and gold in his eyes glowed slightly in the darkness. "Lead the way Rapier."