Fool of Hearts

by Dark Nightngale

What if one day you fell in love with a complete stranger in a strange new world? Araleni, a dark elf, escaped her life as a slave in Morrowind and found a new life in Skyrim. The jester Cicero thinks highly of this new person, but what do they have to say to each other about it? Twists and turns send the two through all the reaches of the empire on the journey of a lifetime.

1. The Stranger

Fool Of Hearts

A Skyrim Fanfiction

Chapter One

Araleni, a young dark elf who was sold into slavery by her family and ran away to Skyrim. She found her way to Whiterun to try and find work she had been held up by an execution in Helgen, which she had almost been a part of. Both lucky and unlucky a dragon had came and sent everything into chaos. She ran from Helgen with a man named Ralof, a stormcloak. His sister Gurdur had helped her when they arrived in Riverwood, a small town not too far from Helgen. After that she went to Whiterun in search of work. She sold armor that she had pillaged form dead soldiers and bought herself some nice leather armor and some more arrows.

Now she was in the wilds of Skyrim, to the east of Whiterun. Her breathing came even and concentrated as she drew her bow and aimed at a large elk by the river. She loosed the arrow and let out the breath she'd held in for a few seconds. The elk turned its head and ran just before the arrow would have hit it. Araleni mutters a soft curse and watches it run up the hillside. She shoulders her bow and walks slowly back toward the main road, knowing well that nothing else would be in the area for awhile. Instead of going back to Whiterun she walks down the road farther from the city, passing Whitewatch Tower. With a glance up at the darkening sky she continues on having a few hours at the least until dusk. A horse whinnies just a little ways ahead and she frowns slightly, Lorieus doesn't have a horse, she thinks. She walks farther with caution, it could be more imperial soldiers or her masters come to find her. She sees the horse and a wagon, one wheel lay on the ground broken. A man, in jester's clothing stands by the wagon and the horse muttering to himself. Deciding he can't be too dangerous, she walks up to him.

"Poor mother, sweet mother. Cicero will get you home." He says with his arms crossed.

"Hello," Araleni says tilting her head ever so slightly. "Do you need help?" She inquires.

"Oh, yes! Would you help Cicero? No one else will help poor, poor Cicero get his dear mother home."

"Of course I'll help, what can I do?" She shifts her weight to one leg and puts her hands behind her back, a gesture that had become habit after being whipped for addressing her masters in any other manner. Cicero looks at her and smiles slightly.

"You could get supplies from Lorieus and help Cicero fix this stupid wheel," The last word is stressed more than any other and full of an unknown hatred. Araleni nods and half bows before going up the path seek help from Lorieus. He stands with his arms crossed on his porch glaring into the distance.

"The fool really thinks I'll help him? Why would I ever help him!" He sees her and stiffens slightly narrowing his eyes. "What?"

"I came to ask for supplies, to fix a wheel." She looks at her feet, another habit that had formed.

"You aren't helping that, jester, are you?"

"Maybe I am, what of it?" She looks up at him, almost in a challenging way.

"Why would anyone in their right mind help a fool like him?"

"A kind hearted person, who obviously isn't you." She half spits. Hatred of people without a willingness to help others had grown strong within her.

He sighs. "Fine, but don't ask me to help you fix it." He pushes her aside and she follows. He gets tools for her and shoves them into her arms, making her step back to keep her balance. She nods to him and bounces back down to the wagon. Cicero jumps from one foot to the other clapping in rhythm as she draws toward him.

"Oh good! Now Cicero can get the wheel fixed and get mother home!" He says it musically and takes some of the tools from Araleni's arms. She smiles and he smiles back gratefully. Together they get the wheel fixed and the horse hooked back onto the wagon.

"Oh thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much you helped Cicero." He hugs her, which surprises Araleni greatly. She awkwardly pats his back her feet barely touching the ground.

"Your welcome, Cicero," She laughs and slightly coughs. He releases her and mutters an apology.

"Cicero forgets his manners sometimes." He says embarrassed.

"It's alright, I don't mind." She looks away a blush rising in her blue cheeks. Her white hair is braided and slightly ruffled from the embrace.

"Cicero must really be going, but thank you once again. Cicero will not forget your kindness!" He smiles almost deviously at her and climbs onto the wagon's seat.

"Wait, Cicero, where are you going? If I may ask," She looksup at him.

"Cicero is going to take mother home, near Falkreath, why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering, I have no real place to go. I ran away from my owners, I was sold into slavery you see," She rubs her arm slightly, regretting that she asked.

"Oh, Cicero had no idea! Cicero would offer to bring you along, but Cicero's family isn't that accepting of strangers."

"No, it's quite alright. I shouldn't have asked. Good luck," She turns and starts to walk away.

"If you ever find yourself in Windhelm, find Aventus Arentino. Cicero will explain later, if we ever meet again."

"Yes, okay."She looks over her shoulder and nods cutting off from the path and heading into the wilds. She glances back to see the wagon heading off down the path. She sighs softly and runs down the valley, knowing where she would go next, Windhelm.