Cicero hummed happily to himself as he danced in place, the snow fluttering around him. He was waiting patiently outside of the Snow Veil Sanctum for the listener to return. The listener had to go and be off with the leader of the thieves, Cicero never understood thieves, stealing something off of a person before they die? That was just madness. Chuckling to himself, Cicero perked up at the sound of the door to the sanctum opening. Practically jogging up to the edge of the sanctum, he peered down and watched as the thieves guild leader emerged and shut the door behind him. Not paying Cicero any attention, the man walked up the stairs, Cicero waited for the Listener to come out, but, she didn't.
The jester watched as the leader of the guild walked out of site, Cicero almost wanted to run up to the man and demand to know where the listener was. But, he promised the listener that he would stay right where he was. After a while, the sun started to set, turning the sky a bloody orange color. Puffing his cheeks out, Cicero kicked a bit of the snow with his foot. The sun continued to get lower and lower until the sky turned as black as the dark brotherhood armor. Huffing, Cicero started to grow impatient, the listener has yet to come out, the listener could be dead. He had to check.
Going against the listener, Cicero walked inside the sanctum.
"Listener?" Cicero whispered, he looked around, passing dead draugr, Cicero kept his weapon sheathed as he walked. "Listener? I know you told Cicero to wait, and yes, I said I would wait until spiders would consume my flesh. I'm just concerned for the listener." The jester continued to whisper, has the Listener been harmed? Was she unable to move?
Kicking a few dead draugr out of his way, Cicero kept on walking forward, walking up a bit of stairs, he opened a door and looked around. It was the same as before, nothing but dead draugr.
"Dirty draugr..." Cicero grumbled as he continued to shuffle passed the dead. Walking down a hallway, he sensed a presence not of his own or the listener. Narrowing his eyes, he put his hands on his dagger and unsheathed it, walking into the room at the end of the hall, Cicero raised his weapon, prepared to strike down whoever was there.
He stopped when he noticed the listener on the ground, unmoving, blood had pooled around her body from an open wound on her side, made from a sword, no doubt.
"Listener?" Cicero whispered softly, as he gotten down to one knee, the jester started to slowly move the listener on to her back. Removing the mask from her face, Cicero knew she was dead. Her face ashen and gray, her eyes were shut, and her mouth hung open slightly. Cicero felt his mouth jerk a bit to the side, he had seen dark brotherhood members die before, yet, seeing the listener...The sweet, sweet listener who had allowed him to live, the listener who let Cicero follow her allow on many adventures, the strong and noble listener, lay broken and dead in her own bodily fluids. It made Cicero feel sad and angry. He didn't know if he should weep over the Listener's body, or hunt down the one who did this.
Cicero knew who did it. Cicero knew it was the thieves guild leader! The way he just walked out of the sanctum! If he was a loyal follower to the listener then he wouldn't of left her alone in a sanctum for the skeevers to eat! Oh, the skeevers were going to eat, but, not on the listener! Cicero will make sure that the skeevers will eat on the thieves leader's flesh!
Grinding his teeth, Cicero shut his eyes and looked down at the dead listener.
"...Don't worry, Listener, Cicero will give that man what is coming. Nobody crosses the dark brotherhood and think they can get away with it!"
Ok, short chapter is short. I know, I know, Short chapter is rather painfully short, actually. But, I promise you, chapter two will be much longer. Anyway, this idea came as I was finishing up the thieves guild quest, I had Cicero following me around, when a thought struck me. What if I had actually died by Mercer's hand? Would Cicero find me? (I had him wait outside since he couldn't be with me) Would the dark brotherhood go after the thieves guild? would they come together to stop Mercer? and thus, this story was born!