I have to admit, I absolutely loved the Dark Brotherhood when I played through Skyrim, especially Astrid and her fuzzy man. I decided I should write a story about before she was the leader of the Dark Brotherhood, before she knew Arnbjorn and before Skyrim! Let's saaay...13 years before Skyrim! Don't worry, Arnbjorn will show up soon enough ;) This is AU because it's my own interpretation of things. Let me know what you think! Characters go to bethesda, story is my own!

Chapter 1 - Hail Sithis

Catlike eyes followed the movements of the beings that marched silently through the night. Closer and closer they came to Solitude. Closer they brought the prisoner. Closer they came to the Nord's (by his build it was easy to see what race he was) death. Some sort of fellowship stirred deep within the cold heart of the young woman that now clung to the edge of the jagged cliff, for the same bloodlines ran hot through her own self. While she had always kept strictly out of political things, there was no love lost for the Thalmor. None whatsoever. Still, indifferent eyes followed their movements, until the leader was nearly directly underneath her. At that moment the flicker of a movement was her cue to action from the cliff side opposite herself. With the full moon as their backing, it was easy to see - if you knew what you were looking for.

Quickly shifting her grip, the young Nord moved her feet to the jagged face of the cliff and peered over her shoulder to see when she was to strike. In her hand not gripping the edge clasped a dagger, her grasp firm. Deep within her was the heart quickened with excitement. She loved the thrill of this life - had since she'd been found a worthy companion of the Dark Brotherhood. At the precice moment, She settled deeper into the face and then sprung from her position to find herself sailing downward and toward her target - the Thalmor to the right in the last position. To her left she could see the nearly perfect timed assault on the second elf.

When she made contact, she left no time for the elf to shout a warning - simply burying the steel blade into his neck and dropping him with a soft 'thud'. Her attack was matched on the left. And yet, the sensitive ears of the elves must have picked up on the noises, for they whirled - too late to see the two shadowy figures retreat to the side. Miling about the two bodies, they were too enamored to see two more of them fall for the first moment or two. Yet when they found the two new bodies, they nearly broke and ran. "Steady!", came the bellow of the leader. And out of the shadows they came again. Astrid avoided a wild slash of a blade narrowly, ducking underneath and expertly kicking the legs of her attacker out from under him. Upon him before he could have time to recover, she put an end to his life quickly.

From there, she found herself face to face with the leader of the group - an aged, battle wise elf. No matter. Smiling devilishly behind her cowl, Astrid cocked her head to the side while she studied him for a moment, feeling his eyes do the same in the darkness. "Die, assassin scum." The attack that followed was neither wild nor eager, but one of a man that knew what was to come and was saving the energy for it. Yet he was neither a master of the darkness, nor a master at facing the foe he now did. While she took a quick step to the side to dodge his initial attack, the second met with a loud clash in the night as blade met blade. Quickly Astrid flicked her wrist, throwing his arm to the side and weakoning his hold on his blade. Realizing the importance of not allowing him to recover, she attacked again, one he managed to defend himself from - albeit weakly, and followed it by jumping up and kicking both heels directly into his chest. While she fell back, Astrid caught herself with those same and one hand tucked behind her body, coming to her feet as quickly as she had gone down. He hadn't managed to right himself yet, and his hold on his weapon wasn't anything that would help him now.

And again she attacked. Yet his obvious combat experience must have subconsciously saved him, because her swipe at him with her dagger was blocked by the arm that came up to still her attack by bluntly hitting his arm against hers and causing her dagger to fall into the snow. That desire to live and fight was strong with him, even with an area of fighting he wasn't overly familiar with. A low grunt issued from her mouth while Astrid ducked under the sweeping blow from the right and jerked her knee up to slam into his abdomen. Dodging the second wild blow he swung at her, Astrid easily rolled over the crouched figure, her back to his, before landing on his other side. Intertwining her arm in his, she twisted and arched her back to put her full weight into her attack. She felt the cracking of bones underneath her pressure, before she once more arched her back and threw him off her in a rolling twist, his blade sinking into the pale snow as well.

Gracefully snatching up her dagger from where she'd seen it fall, she was in time to avoid the wild attack to her knees. At least the elf was holding true to her expectations as a worthy combatant and was putting up a decent fight. Catching his neck with her arm, Astrid whirled around to avoid his chest plowing into her legs and putting her down. Setting her feet back in the snow, she crouched down to place her weight closer to the ground and jerked back on the man's neck, managing to reverse his entire movement with her slighter body weight. Putting all her weight into it, Astrid grunted and snapped his neck, instantly stilling him. Releasing his neck with her arm, Astrid shoved the still body down and stepped back, panting a few times as she caught her breath again.

In her time spent with the leader, her partner had dispatched all but a trembling excuse for a Thalmor, huddled there in the snow with his arms held over his head in surrender - or did he think that could save him from death? As well as the Nord of course, who was standing there with the proud look in his eyes, facing them courageously. She had expected no less from one of her own proud race. Stalking over toward the fallen elf, she hooked her toes and kicked him so that he now lay face up in the snow. A whimper followed. Pinning him there with her foot, Astrid leaned down until she was nearer, her blade edging dangerously close to his throat. "Leave him. He is a simpering boy - one who will speak of our conquest tonight." Her companion was right of course. She could only sneer in contempt at the shaking figure. "Go then, tell them of what the Dark Brotherhood can do." With that she released him, stalking then toward the proud Nord. Her dagger once more in her hands, she stood looking at him for a moment, before reaching forward and cutting his binds.

"Hail Sithis."