"Wow..." Maris muttered. "I... would have never thought."
Vilkas shrugged.
"That's probably why no one else seems to know about me... I was spending all my time with you." She smirked.
"This doesn't change anything... your still an arrogant bloodsucking nightwalker..." Vilkas growled. "But, as I said. I care about you allot and that's not because we used to be friends... its because we ARE friends."
Maris smiled warmly "And your still the stupid pompous mutt mutt that I couldn't live without..."
Vilkas smiled in return. He still couldn't tell her that he was in love with her but for now, that was okay. They were in a good place and he wouldn't change that for anything.
"And how did... This, happen?" Vilkas asked, pulling away and gesturing to her many bandages.
"Me, Nejir and Brynjolf had to take this key back to this temple and well... The nightingale sentinels... weren't the most welcoming." Maris shrugged. "I got quite beaten up though you should have seen the state of Nejir after he fought Mercer..."
"Mercer? You mentioned him before..." Vilkas said. "Despite what you were saying to those two before you left... you seemed quite upset that he had left you."
Maris sighed and brushed her hair from her face.
"He was the guild master before me. That was, until he tried to kill Nejir and blame it on Karliah. I looked up to him and he was my friend and we were close. He was the only person I could talk to about all... This... then we found out he'd been steeling from the guild for years. Ironic right. The thief stealing from Theives. Then he disappeared. He made me trust him then he turned round and stabbed us in the back. Then he left. Like they always leave." Maris sighed. "At least I'll always have you. I can't seem to get rid of you."
Vilkas chucked. There was always something that seemed to gravitate towards one another. No matter how far apart they go from one another, something brings then back and something keeps then together. It was what drew Vilkas to that training yard when he was 10 and what brought Maris back to skyrim and drawn her into that particular dungeon that day. It was what made her so curious about the companions after Arnbjorn had mentioned it which lead to her joining. It was also what had lead Vilkas down into the ratways. Even if they weren't meant to be in love, they were meant to be around each other at least. She had changed so much. Her hair had grown much longer, though when she was younger she often had it styled or plated. She had gone from the muddy, messy little 'scrappy' into a sleek and poised woman. Though she barely looked it. She had looked 18 since she had been turned. It was no wonder why Alaris was so much taller and curvier then her twin. There was something ethereal and graceful about Maris' petite form and youthful appearance. She had become less heroic and more secretive and manipulative but there was still that same sense of spirit within her.  A nobility and pureness.
"When do you think you'll be returning to whiterun?" Vilkas asked.
"I'm not sure, I have allot to deal with now that Nejir is well enough to take over from me, I need to do allot before that is possible." She sighed. "Why do you miss me?"
"We all do..." Vilkas muttered. Maris was slightly taken back with how bluntly he had said it and with no hesitation. Was she really so accepted by the companions?
"What, even with Alaris there to take my place?" Maris sneered.
"No one could ever take your place. You are our Harbinger. People may like Alaris but that doesn't mean they like you any less. You are a person of your own right and a damn good one. You don't have to compare yourself to Alaris." Vilkas said.
Maris smiled and shook her head slowly. "I know which one the men would be more interested in." She laughed. Vilkas went to speak but hesitated... better not try to correct her on that. This silver tongue of hers had men falling at her feet... which annoyed him to be honest.  He had heard two of the guards by the gates talking about her, quite objectively so and Vilkas had half the mind to knock their heads together.
"How is Aela handling things?" Maris asked.
"She's handling things well, though i think she would father be off with a blade in her hand." Vilkas smiled.
"I would have thought so but it was quite short notice." Maris giggled.
"Broul and Barbas have also missed you  and the companions have been quite worried, even your sister." Vilkas added.
"Then ill be sure to get this done as soon as possible." She smiled.
"I could stay in Riften a few more days if you wanted to go back together?" Vilkas asked.
Maris put her hand to the side of his face, her blue eyes shining.
"Don't worry about me, I'm defiantly coming back this time." She mumbled. 
With that she turned back to the door.

Vilkas followed her back out into the cistern. 
"Brynjolf?" she called over to where he was stood over a log book, Nejir close at his side. Vilkas raised an eyebrow.
"Are those two..." He muttered.
"Oh yea... quite sweet really but annoying for the most part. All relationships are. I'm not the most enthusiastic person when it comes to love." She hissed.  Brynjolf looked up and hurried over. A serious, threatening air fell back over Maris and she stood tall and strong.
"Yes Maris?" He asked as he approached. He seemed the only person in the guild that referred to her by her own name. Thinking back, neither had the jester or Babbette. She had also called her mistress, though she was clearly not in the Theives guild. What else was Maris the mistress of and why had this Cicero person called her the Listener? He didn't even know if he wanted to know anymore.
"I want you to take my friend here back to the surface. He shouldn't be a problem and if he tries to tell anyone about the cistern, i will personally rip his tongue out and feed it to him. But at least for now, make sure he is safe." Maris said sternly. "I also want the rest of the guild to know that an attempt on him means death for them. And bring Rune to my office, I want a stern word with him about leading stray dogs into the ratways."
"Aye lass, can do, C'mon outsider." Brynjolf sighed.

Vilkas wad taken away by the hooded man and Maris returned to her room. She closed the door and let out a long sigh of exhaustion mixed with relief.  How was it possible that Vilkas was her friend as a child? It seemed to fit well. She went over to her desk and pulled a let her bound book from the draw. She flipped to the back and looked upon the prints there. The wolf and the black hand... The heroic and the evil. It couldn't work, even if she had wanted it to.  Besides, Vilkas wouldn't see her like that... They were friends from childhood and that's probably the only thing he saw. She ran her fingers down the pages. For the first time in her life, she actually wanted to remember her childhood. Being told about it want enough... she wanted to see if what she felt for Vilkas now, had always been true.