A/n: I don't particularly like how this story turned out but somebody may like it. Enjoy.
"Listener please! Cicero is fine I assure you!" Cicero doggedly followed behind the young Bosmer, the Listener, as she made her way to the sanctuary door. "Cicero can still accompany the Listener-" Cicero was momentarily interrupted by a fit of very hoarse and sickly sounding coughs. "...and keep her safe from harm..." He took in a deep breath that wheezed. "as always." He managed to finish his sentence, but his voice sounded broken and Columba imagined it must have been painful for him to speak.
Columba sighed for the umpteenth time and turned to face the Keeper, pausing just before the stairs leading to the black door.
"I said no Cicero! Your ill and need rest!" Columba stomped her foot as if to add an emphasis on her statement. He was beginning to irritate her. Why was it that anything she asked of him was done without a second thought or questions asked, oh but gods forbid she ask him to stay behind once in a very great while. True, this was the first time since they had been at Dawnstar that she would have left on a contract without him but... Still. He should be listening to her...
The irony of that statement was not lost on her...
"Oh please Listener!" He pled, his voice again portrayed a difficulty speaking. "Allow Cicero to come! He doesn't want to risk losing you to-" Cicero then began to ramble on. Listing just about any and every danger a normal traveler could expect to face in Skyrim. Columba honestly felt belittled by some of them, how defenceless did he think she was?
"I. Said. NO!" She finally snapped at the end of it all. The Thu'um erupted out with what she had expected to be a regular yell, but instead was a shout. Columba clasped a firm hand over her mouth in surprise. Cicero had been forced backwards, staggering before regaining his balance a few feet back from his original place. Thankfully the shout hadn't been used at it's fullest.
"Stay here Keeper," She stressed the title she nearly never called him by."that's an order."
Columba stomped up the stairs opened the heavy door then slammed it as hard as she could after exiting.
Columba sighed, beginning to feel just the slightest bit guilty at her outbursts. She could just imagine the hurt look on Cicero's face. She didn't go back though. She instead started right on her way to Morthal, which was where the client for this contract was waiting for her...
As Columba made it further and further from Dawnstar, two things happened. The snowfall picked up considerably, and something about Columba's surroundings felt... odd to her. Uncomfortable to her.
Columba gazed about and watched her back, feeling more paranoid as she walked on, the minimal visibility from the snow didn't help either. Soon she felt startled by every faint sound, and every light sent she smelled on the chilly wind. Columba also turned to look behind her, feeling like she was being watched and/ or followed from behind...
After that nagging thought in the back of her mind came to the surface, she couldn't help by follow up on it. With a heavy sigh, Columba promptly ran back to the sanctuary, apologized to a now uplifted Cicero, and then left to Marthol with Cicero in tow. Not feeling at all paranoid like she had before.
A/n: I've decided to try and write more shorter stories as opposed to longer ones since I never have enough motivation finish longer ones...