The air was crisp and smelled of blood. Shaye kept her hand in her pockets, waiting for whoever ordered her here, no one ordered her around. She glanced at a nearby roof where Archer was perched and saw his signal, someone was coming. She was told to bring two men with her so she had brought three, Archer on the roof while Rionach and Mal stood behind her, pretending to be the scary ones. A man emerged from the shadows with two hulking men on either side of him. He was at least fifty with salt and pepper hair almost completely covered with a bowler hat. He stopped five feet away, looking her up and down, from the top of her blonde head to the bottom of her stained boots.

"I'm guessing that you're the infamous Bitch of the Devil's Backbone, Shaye Ripper?" He scoffed and the men beside him smirked. "I assumed you'd be older...Or maybe even a man. Can't get the tough men anymore so I guess you have to do." Rionach snarled and Shaye raised her hand carelessly.

"Easy, Rionach. As much as I want you to show this man a thing or two," She smirked at the man who seemed uncaring. "I want to hear him out. I promise if he tries anything, you can shoot him." His men didn't deem them a threat any more and walked off to drink rum...Idiots, Shaye thought as the man strolled closer, his every step making her know one thing for sure, he was rich.

"Ms Ripper, I have a propostion for you," He began before stopping a foot away from her. "Which I would like to discuss with the two of us, no guards." She glanced at where Archer was perched and smirked before doing a mocking bow.

"Please, this way," He strode past her and she felt Archer watching her as she followed him to a dark alley. Before she could say anything else, he slammed her against the wall and started to frisk her. A sudden terror went through her and she shoved him off before kicking him the chest. He looked up at her from where he landed and it hit her what she had done. "Apologies, rough childhood. I don't like men touching me and the only weapon I have are my boots." She tapped them against the wall and two knives popped out. He scrambled to his feet and she could see some unease in his posture.

"To business then. I hear you want to own this city and I want you to," She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, nodding at him to continue. "I have the plans to get the gold under the city. You have the crew, I assume?" She shrugged, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "You get the city and you let me run my business as it is." Shaye licked her lips, suddenly tense.

"I prefer to know who I'm dealing with before I make any deals," She purred, spreading her hands before Archer whistled urgently, a warning. "The Rats. You better hurry before they hold you to ransom and send you home in pieces." He ran off, yelling something at his guards. Tough men indeed, She thought as Archer landed beside her lightly. There was at least one tough man.

"You know our bet ends tonight...This is going to end our tie," He remarked as he handed back her weapons belt which she put on as quickly as possible. "You ready to tell me anything I want?" She shrugged, twirling her twin daggers as two Rats walked towards them.

"That depends, you ready to walk around in a dress for five hours?" She purred before launching herself at the nearest Rat who was far too slow to make it fun. She looked up as five more ran towards her, all the more fun. She waited until they were nearly on top of her before jumping into the air and landing on the back of the tallest one. One swung his sword at her feet and she jumped, letting him kill one of his own before slicing his throat. One grabbed her by the hair and hauled her to the ground before straddling her, pinning her hands to her sides, idiot. "As much as I'm enjoying you pulling my hair, I have a bet to win," She lifted her leg up and her boot knife embedded itself in his head. She yanked it out and shoved the corpse off with annoyed grunt before seeing Archer stab the remaining two. "Looks like we're still tied." She grunted, getting to her feet. He opened his mouth to probably to make a witty retort when his face changed.

"Look out!" But he was too late and Shaye felt someone stab her side as she tried to turn. She grabbed her side and looked at Mal who held a bloody knife. Before she could react, a bullet flew past her and bury itself between his eyes. Her knees buckled and before she could hit the ground, Archer caught her. "I got you. Rionach, give me a hand." Rionach stepped over Mal's corpse and helped Archer lift her to her feet. Shaye looked at Mal, blinking away tears as they helped her past him.

"He betrayed us...Why would he do that?" She said more to herself than the others and remembered when she thought she had feelings for him. "If he had asked me years ago to be with him...I would've said yes," She whispered and Archer tensed beside her until she let her head fall onto his shoulder. "Good thing I stopped feeling or I could be dead." They made slow progress to The Dancing Hag, where The Forsaken had their more illegal pass times and where the three of them lived. Archer made an impatient noise and put his arms beneath Shaye, carrying her.

"Rionach, you get the supplies, I'll get her back faster by myself," He ordered and Rionach gave a swift nod before sprinting away. "Hold on to me, Shaye," She put her arms around his neck obediently and he started to run, faster than she had ever seen him run. She ignored the pain in her side as it started to rain and she could see The Dancing Hag in its deteriorating glory. "We're almost there." Archer whispered...More to himself than her, he must care. She buried her head into his shoulder, breathing in his scent of blood, rain and strangely pepper. Archer kicked the door open and every soul in the tavern stopped talking. He ignored all of them and carried her up the stairs to her room/office.