"I think it is cool enough, don't you Dovahkiin?" Earl said as she returned a nod. He looked down at his cup of tea which had lost its steam mere minutes ago. Being untrained in the art he attempted the shout he was learning.

Yol Toor Shul

Earl yelled at his cup of tea, producing a few sparks in the tea's direction with the appropriate sparking sounds accompanying it. The liquid in the teacup began to bubble for a moment and began steaming again. Earl took a sip and set down his tea, a wide grin of excitement on his face. "Someday I'll be able to light a cigar". Dovahkiin nodded again, returning a smile on her face excited to see her pupil learning the shouting art that few other than Dragonborns can perform. 

They sat back in the Adirondack chairs on the balcony overlooking the gardens, enjoying their teas and the warm sun that was shining brightly and warm for possibly the last day of the season. Earl turned to Dovahkiin, ready to ask something important but her gaze was focused on the garden below. "Is that... Is that a guy down there?" Earl and Dovahkiin gazed at the garden below, fixated on a man dressed in black wielding a Bow, an arrow was clenched in his opposite hand. He crouched without moving, staring up at the balcony, as if to think he was invisible to us and that we would soon shrug our shoulders and continue our conversation. 

"I'll take care of this" Dovahkiin said to Earl, who sat back in his chair and sipped his tea, eager to see what was going to happen next. 

She stood from her chair, stretching her back and walking to the rail of the balcony, leaning on the edge.  She seemed to gaze off into the darkness, but her eyes watched the would-be assassin below.  Really, he couldn’t get more creative than a bow and arrow? It wasn’t even a good bow, she doubted even a master archer could land a killing shot on that bow. She let out a sigh, placing her palms on the edge of the railing. 

With a quick push and a leap, her feet landed on the balcony railing, and then quietly like a shadow she slid forward off the edge, dropping down into the dark garden below. She landed on her feet and crouched, waiting for a sound.  She heard a rustle from the bushes, the fumbling of fingers against the bowstring, trying to knock the arrow fast enough.  She drew the dagger from her hip with the quick shink of metal against metal, standing and lunging through the bushes.

With a growl that didn’t quite belong to a human, she burst into the clearing where the assassin was.  He fumbled the arrow and fell back, and she was upon him.  She drove the blade into his gut, wrenching upward while pressing her hand over his mouth to stifle his dying scream.  Blood seeped through her fingers but she held fast, twisting her blade and digging it in harder until his body went limp in her arms.  She pulled back, yanking the dagger back and letting the corpse drop to the ground.

Her heart raced now as she stood there, breathing a little bit harder now.  She never did grow tired of the feeling.  She bent down, wiping her blade off on the assassin’s clothes, sheathing it again and straightening up.  She turned and walked to the trellis, grabbing onto the wood and starting to climb.  She climbed back over the balcony, reaching up to wipe some blood off her cheek.

“Would you mind if we headed inside so I can clean up?  Otherwise I’m going to get blood all over your nice new chairs,” she said, smiling impishly at Earl and raising a brow at him.

Before Earl could answer they were interrupted by one of the bodyguards on security detail in the gardens below. His arm was shaking as he held his gun at the ready, pointed towards Dovahkiin. He stammered as he said, "Miss, you can't climb the trellis!". 

Earl and Dovahkiin exchanged glances toward one another and returned their focus to the clueless out of breath guard. Earl set down his tea and grabbed the armrests of the chair to help him stand. He placed his hands on the railing and addressed the guard below. "Tell me sir, what is your job here?". The gentleman lowered his firearm and nervously responded to the Godfather, "To keep you and the residents of the mansion safe sir!". Earl returned a nod, "So tell me, what is more dangerous, a trellis climbing resident or a member of the security detail that lets an assassin onto the property?" The gentlemen thought for a moment before offering up the obvious answer, his train of thought quickly interrupted by the open palm extended toward the dead assassin. Realizing there was an intruder that got past his watch he began to stammer once more, "I... Uh... There was like a 3 minute window, I had to use the bathroom. Uhhh, I think Vinnie was supposed to be..."

Dovahkiin rolled her eyes and watched as Earl nodded along to the excuse, slowly reaching into his jacket pocket. He turned to look at Dovahkiin, his arm rising slightly, his hand obscured by his jacket. Keeping his eyes on Dovahkiin he pulled the trigger of his hidden pistol, firing a bullet straight through the jacket, the loud sound of gunfire echoed over the property as the security guard dropped to the ground 15 feet from the dead assassin, a large hole between his eyes. "So hard to find good people these days, lets head inside." Earl removed his jacket and looked at the new hole, complete with burn marks. He tossed it over the balcony railing as it gracefully fell to the grass below.

Dovahkiin and Earl entered the mansion through the balcony door into the master bedroom, he opened the door to the large marble bathroom and invited her to wash up. A loud knock on the bedroom door came from the Right Hand, "Everything alright Earl? I heard gunshots." Earl strolled to the door and opened it, "All is well, Send a cleanup crew to the gardens and have someone repaint the trellis, do not do it yourself, I want you to come back here with those keys." Knowing exactly what to do Yacht made his way with haste. 

Earl poured himself a hot cup of tea and before he was halfway through sipping it, Dovahkiin and Yacht returned to the room and took a seat on the couches. "Dovahkiin, you have been an invaluable member of our family and district, A district I am proud to lead. It has come to the point where the Bronx needs to expand once more to accommodate the new blood that wishes to learn and progress in our way of life. Yacht and I have been talking and we believe you to be ready to take these keys and move into your own Head Quarters, if today was any indication of how you handle yourself, I can be sure that this is indeed the right decision. Your new HQ isn't as big as the mansion, but your bedroom will be an upgrade!" He smiles and looks to Yacht who held the keys up high in the air and jingled them a few times. "Will you do this for me?"

Dovahkiin smiled at her leader, nodding her head.  She had not expected this day would come, but now that it had, she was thoroughly pleased. “I will, and I swear on my sword that I will make you proud.  It is a great honor that I will not shoulder lightly,” she said, reaching out and accepting the keys from Earl.  She closed her hand around them, and when she opened her hand again, the keys had vanished as if by magic. 

Pausing for a moment to comprehend the parlor trick Earl remembered he was dealing with someone that can shout a person to death. He shrugged his shoulders and offered his hand out to Dovahkiin. A firm hand shake settled the deal, afterwards Earl spoke, "Congratulations Dovahkiin, it will be quiet here in the mansion without you but please remember you are always welcome here. I've taken the liberty of stocking your HQ with plenty of exotic teas as well as one of my prized black and copper Koi fish tea kettles. I know you will do phenomenally!" He paused for a moment and then asked one final question, "Might I ask what you will call your family?" 

The Dragonborn smiled, nodding her head once more.  Even though tea wasn’t her preferred beverage, she could still appreciate a fine brew when it came her way.  Of course, no one made tea the way Earl did, but she knew enough not to burn the water or over-steep the leaves.  “Thank you, I’ll make sure its enjoyed properly,” she said with a smile.  

When he asked her the name of her family, she tilted her head to the side, taking a moment to think.  It was a big decision, naming a family.  She only had this moment to think, her hand straying to the sigil on her chest, tracing the outline of the raven’s wings.  Then a smile settled over her face.  The answer was clear.

“We will be The Nightingales, your eyes in the darkness and your thieves in the shadows.  I look forward to seeing the new Nightingale Hall,” she said, turning her gaze back to Earl.  She’d need to take a cab there once she got the address.  For all her many gifts, she’d never been comfortable behind the wheel of a car. A true luddite, she wasn’t even a fan of guns.  Why take a noisy shot when a quiet blade in the dark could be so much simpler?  

“I do have a favor to ask.  You’re both aware of my discomfort behind the wheel, perhaps I could get a lift to the new Headquarters?” she asked, tucking a strand of hair back under her leather hood.

John was getting impatient there he was, wondering back and forth in front of the new headquarters of The Nightingales.

Soon after the announcement of Dovahkiin's auth he had set his course over there, to catch a glimpse of her, and offer her his gratulations.

However, after waiting for her for almost 24 hours, he was wondering where in the world she was.

"Taxi," John had decided to go look for Dovahkiin. As he stepped into the taxi he gave the adress for Earls headquarters and set away to find Dovahkiin.

Arriving at Earls headquarters he finds Dovahkiin.

"What in Gods name are you doing over here still? Shouldn't you find your way back home to your new headquarters?"

John points towards the waiting taxi, "Jump in, I'll give you a ride over there."

Before dropping off Dovahkiin at the new headquarters John makes sure to offer her his gratulations, and wish her the best.