So let's start over. From now on, you and I will be the best of friends!
The Khajiit's words echoed through Arvina's head endlessly. The young Imperial remembered M'raaj-Dar's harsh treatment of her, then his sincerity when he had apologised after the Adamus Phillida assignment and finally, the shock, hurt, betrayed look that the Khajiit gave her when he realised she poisoned him.
Arvina wept at the memory of that. She loved the people the Cheydinhal sanctuary. She remembered when she first arrived, how warmly they all had welcomed her.
Except one.
She saw the Khajiit scowling at her from the shadows. She tried to approach him but was harshly rejected.
'The Tenets prevent me from killing you, but that doesn't mean I have to like you,' he had said harshly, before leaving.
While the encounter had left her stunned and slightly dejected, the other members had quickly made her feel right at home. When she was not on assignment, she was trading jokes with Gogron, discussing assassination techniques with Telaendril, comparing her achievements and cooking with Antoinetta Marie and learning from Teinavaa, Ocheeva and Vincente. She developed a bond with them quickly.
However, it was M'raaj-Dar that intrigued her the most. The Khajiit kept to himself most of the time and not much was known about him. She often tried to talk to him while purchasing items from him but was always rebuked harshly.
Arvina did not understand why the Khajiit treated her so, but she also could not understand why she felt so hurt and depressed every time he rebuked her.
She tried to impress him with her skills and continued success within the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, she tried to charm him with her child-like naivety and curiosity and she tried winning his approval by learning some magicka and hand-to-hand combat skills that he was so proficient at.
Each time, she was rejected.
By the time she received the Adamus Philida mission, she gave up hope of ever befriending M'raaj-Dar.
After she had assassinated Phillida, she had received the order to Purify the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. She had felt so frightened, and did not know what to do.
Then, it happened.
M'raaj-Dar had apologized to her and asked to start over. She had agreed most gratefully that she forgot about the Purification.
In the following days, Arvina spent nearly all her time with the Khajiit. They trained together in hand-to-hand combat skills, studied magicka together, talked and joked together.
The other family members had been most surprised but pleased at the sudden change of behaviour in M'raaj-Dar. They all were glad that any hostility within the sanctuary had vanished. An aura of happiness permeated the dark walls of the sanctuary. But alas, it would not last…
Arvina was going to the nearby shop in Cheydinhal to buy some food to replenish the sanctuary's supplies when she suddenly felt a familiar chill down her spine as she passed the chapel. She turned and saw Lucien Lachance standing in the shadows of the chapel. She silently approached him.
'Why has the sanctuary not been Purified?' demanded Lucien in a cold voice.
Arvina clapped her hands to her mouth, she had completely forgotten about it.
'I forgot…'
'You forgot?' repeated Lucien incredulously. 'How could you forget something as important as this? The traitor resides in the sanctuary; you must Purify it before he strikes again.'
Arvina trembled and suddenly spoke up. 'The traitor can't be in the sanctuary! Ocheeva and Teinavaa have served you and the Dark Brotherhood from childhood, they have been nothing but loyal and have even ask me to kill a friend who had betrayed the Shadowscales. Vincente has served the Dark Brotherhood for three hundred years, why should he betray it now? Antoinetta is too infatuated with you to even think of betraying the Brotherhood. Gogron is too big and clumsy to remain undetected for so long if he was the traitor! Telaendril couldn't be the traitor because she spends so much time traveling, I know because M'raaj-Dar showed me a spell that can show me what every member of the Cheydinhal sanctuary is doing, and he can't be the traitor bcause he hasn't left the sanctuary for the last two years!'
Lucien's eyes narrowed dangerously and before Arvina realised what was happening, he had seized by the throat and pinned her up against the chapel wall. 'If the situation were not so dire, I would have killed you,' he growled. 'You will do as you are told, or I shall I kill you and do it myself. I might start with your precious cat. You think I don't know your feelings for him?'
He released her, and Arvina slumped back against the wall.
'Personally I think it's disgusting: an Imperial pining after a Khajiit,' Lucien spat. 'If the Purification is not completed in the following week, I will kill you and carry it out myself. You understand?'
Arvina nodded weakly.
And so she had started the Purification.
She took them all out one by one. Gogron with poison, Telaendril with an arrow to the head just as she was leaving Cheydinhal, Teinavaa with a stab to the throat, Ocheeva in the back while she had been training, Antoinetta Marie by poisoning one of her horrible cooking, Vincente by stabbing his heart with Sufferthorn as he slumbered but she could not find it in her heart to kill M'raaj-Dar outright.
She had hidden the bodies well and cleaned up all the blood and mess, so there was nothing suspicious for M'raaj-Dar to see other than the fact that the sanctuary was completely empty except for Schemer, the pet rat, the Dark Guardian, Arvina and himself.
'Where's everyone?' he asked.
'Out,' Arvina replied.
'Even Vincente?' he asked.
Cursing under her breath, Arvina wildly made up a story. 'Vincente fed last night and went out. He said something about wanting to get some fresh air.'
They both stared at each other, Arvina praying to Sithis that M'raaj-Dar would buy it.
He did.
'Well, after three hundred years in the Sanctuary I suppose he would want some fresh,' he commented, chuckling.
Arvina relaxed slightly.
'Let's get something to eat,' she said.
The Khajiit nodded and followed her into the living quarters.
Arvina and M'raaj-Dar ate silently at the table. When they had finished, Arvina got up to pour them both some mead.
Her back turned to M'raaj-Dar; Arvina quietly slipped some poison into the Khajiit's drink.
She placed the goblet before him and the Khajiit picked it up quietly and brought it up close to his mouth when he paused.
'Is something wrong?' he asked, concern in his voice.
Arvina blinked and realised that a tear had found its way down her cheek.
'Nothing,' she answered. 'I'm just so happy…that we're friends.'
The Khajiit smiled broadly, and raised his goblet.
'To everlasting friendship.'
And he drained his goblet.
Something within Arvina died.
Now, alone in the tent on Gnoll Mountain, after she had assassinated Havilstein Hoar-Blood, she felt lonelier than she had ever felt in her entire life. She wept bitterly as she thought of all those who had trusted her and treated her like family had died by her hands.
She felt a wet nose poking her questioningly. She looked up at Schemer, who had followed her when she had left the Sanctuary. The rat had shown nothing but trust in her and is her only reminder of the family she once had. She cuddled the furry animal quietly.
Suddenly, Schemer twisted out of her hold and ran out the tent, squeaking. Arvina followed quickly in fear of losing him. But that was unlikely, as Schemer was highly intelligent (for a rat anyway) and would never run off.
She saw a robed figure in the snow walking towards her, carrying Schemer in its arm. At first, she thought it was Lucien Lachance, but when she saw who it was, she felt a tremor of disbelief, joy and fear run down her spine. Only one word escaped her mouth.
'M'raaj-Dar?'
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my first oblivion fanfic, i've always been a fan of M'raaj-Dar and i thought there weren't enough strories putting him in a good light so this is my little contribution
i'll work on the next chapter soon enough.