A/N: First fanfic in a while. When criticizing please be constructive. Review if possible, helps give me more incentive and what not. Currently trying to improve my writing style, but most importantly, I hope you enjoy the story!
Rated T for now. May change the rating to M for later perhaps if I'm feeling mature enough. Ha! Get it? No, okay now…..
Enjoy!
Brotherhood
Chapter 1: Dark Tidings in Dawnstar.
Dawnstar was a backwards little town. It was located in the northern most reaches of Skyrim. The small town acted as an outpost and minor port that served travelers who couldn't afford the luxuries of Solitude. The population of Dawnstar was around roughly 50 people, hardly enough to call itself a capitol of an entire hold of Skyrim. Most people visiting Dawnstar were traveling caravans, wanderers, treasure hunters, sailors, or travelers heading to parts unknown. Some went into the forests of the Pale for hunting or to look for riches in the tombs of long-dead Nords, while others went through the Sea of Ghosts in search of warmer places like the Summerset Isle or Hammerfell.
There was no magnificent castle in Dawnstar like Mistveil Keep in Riften or Dragonsreach in Whiterun. Instead it was given a somewhat bigger, poorly built hut that could only hold a handful of people at most. Yet during the Civil War, the cities of Dawnstar and Winterhold acted as important buffer zones between the Imperials in Hjaalmarch and the Stormcloaks in Windhelm.
Contrary to its name, one could hardly tell it was dawn in Dawnstar due to the sheer amount of snow storms that occurred there. While Winterhold was worse in many aspects, the sheer cold and in-hospitality of the place deterred even the hardiest of Nords from staying there too long. It did not help that Dawnstar's already "stellar" reputation was sullied by rumors of the Dark Brotherhood's presence.
Since the nightmares from Vaermina had been quelled, there had been talk about a mysterious Black door at the edge of town. At first many people paid no mind. It was obviously a Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, but people had known that it had outlived its purpose.
The Dark Brotherhood was a shadow of its former self. Plagued by betrayal, espionage, and, ironically enough, murder, one by one the Sanctuary's of the Dark Brotherhood were destroyed. Even their last bastion in Falkreath had been all but razed to the ground by the Empire's Penitus Oculus. Indeed, with the destruction of the Falkreath sanctuary, many people had assumed that the Dark Brotherhood's evil was extinguished forever.
That assumption had been proven wrong, thanks to the successful assassination of Emperor Titus Mede the Second, hero of the Great War and the man who became both famous and infamous in Tamrielic history.
When news of the Dark Brotherhood's successful assassination reached Dawnstar; children stopped playing around there and travelers avoided the area around the Black Door altogether. At night and during the day, the people of Dawnstar could see shadowy figures come in and out of the door, along with what sounded like the hammering of nails and the sawing of boards.
It seems that, ironically enough, Dawnstar was the new home of the infamous Dark Brotherhood. While many citizens voiced their displeasure, there was nothing Jarl Skald could do about successfully addressing the threat the Dark Brotherhood poised. There were rumors that the new Listener was not only Skyrim's savior from Alduin, but that she had connections to just about every Jarl in Skyrim.
It was said that she was the new Harbinger of the Companions, and that she was a master in the arts of Illusion and Conjuration. Tales were told of her decimating garrison after garrison of Imperial forces by simply using the powers of Illusion to contort and twist the minds of the poor soldiers that stood in her path.
These tales had undoubtedly peaked Nord interest in the College of Winterhold. Soon after these tales were heard, the College of Winterhold had seen a boost in Apprentices. The citizens of Winterhold had even started to slowly warm up to the College again as more apprentices brought more revenue. The College of Winterhold's Arch Mage, Savos Aren, took great pride in stating that the Dragonborn had studied the arcane arts in their own walls.
That statement had caused Nords all over Skyrim to travel to Winterhold in hopes of meeting her. While many of the Nords did not have a chance to meet the Dovahkiin, a lot of Nords soon decided to stay in Winterhold. Some stayed because they wanted to make a new life, other Nords stayed because of their interest in using the services of the college, and many others stayed because they had wanted to say proudly that they were living in the city where the "Savior of Skyrim" lived.
Of course these were just rumors. No one had the courage to confront the Dragonborn about her dealings with the Dark Brotherhood. She did save Skyrim after all, and the Jarls, Ulfric included, turned a blind eye to her. So long as Skyrim was free of the Thalmor and of the Imperials, the Jarls were happy and content. Besides, the last thing any smart Jarl would do is anger a person with so much power and influence. Facing a master of the Thu'um was one thing. Angering a faction that specialized in murder and money like the Dark Brotherhood was a whole different matter entirely.
So Jarl Skald did nothing, as did the other Jarls of Skyrim. The Black Door remained as a sign that the Dark Brotherhood was back, and deadlier than ever.
Past the first well-lit corridor that served as the entrance to the Dawnstar Sanctuary, there was an alchemical garden that was a heaven for any aspiring alchemist looking for their next break in Tamriel's deadliest poison award.
It had. Nightshade, Deathbell, Namira's Rot, and all sorts of little nasty ingredients that were at hand for the Dark Brotherhood's whim. The garden's source of light came from a glistening hole that was covered by malachite glass to help keep the cold air and snow out of the Sanctuary.
"He even added some Chaurus Eggs" the Listener muttered to no one in particular. The High Elven woman soon caught herself. After reading Cicero's descent into madness in his badly kept journal, she made it an obligation to routinely exercise her mind frequently so that she would not become like the resident Jester of the Family.
"Ah! Listener! I see you have returned! Who was your target? Huh? Huh? Was it a Nord, oh those people are so….tall….and…haha…so hardy. It's hard to make them bleed, got to cut them in just the right spots! Stab stab stab! HA! Unlike those Elves, no meat on them at all! Intelligent to boot, Cicero hates dealing with spell casters. Got to close in fast! They're so….annoying, with the pointed ears and fire….ah…no offense to you my dear Listener!" Cicero boomed in his high pitched voice. It held a bit of envy that Seras had gotten the honor of being the Listener, though one could not easily tell do the sheer demented nature of his voice. He unnerved most people, but the Listener, known as Seras, thought of him as a reliable friend if one looks past his devotion to the Night Mother and his insanity.
Seras merely nodded her head to show that she took no offense. She didn't even look at Cicero or the Night Mother. The Listener had just wanted to go grab some dinner and go to bed; it had been a long three months with the destruction of Alduin, her tasks with the Thieves Guild, and the war with the Empire. She did find some respite in the Companions however, and even though she was Dark Brotherhood, Seras would not end up in any other realm. The calls of Sovngarde beckoned her, and, though she was a Werewolf, the heroes had sworn to her that Hircine would not claim her for the Hunting Grounds nor would Nocturnal claim her for one of her many realms.
All of these events occurring at one time had drained her so much she could barely think if not stand. The bone-chilling wind of the Pale and the hunger gnawing at her stomach made matters worse and soured her cold personality.
As she walked down the creaky old stairs, she heard the painful moans of the newly arrived torture victims, courtesy of one their new initiates whose name currently escaped her. She would have to get to know these associates by name and heart if they were to become a Brotherhood again. Seras heard the crackling of the fire and stopped momentarily to survey her family.
The table in the middle held all sorts of foods cooked up by an initiate who was as good a cook as she was skilled with a dagger. The food that caused the aged table to groan under its weight consisted of Roasted Mutton with Redguard berry sauce, Venison cooked in Beef Broth and grilled leeks, Snowberry Pie with a touch of Ale, and Chicken stuffed with aged Cheese from High Rock and sausage mixed with Elsweyr chilies and celery, and herbal tea supplemented by the resident alchemist, Babette.
"My my initiate! You really outdone yourself today!" exclaimed Nazir. His red Alik'r Hood was reminiscent of the crimson liquid that frequented his contracts. He sat on the edge of the table closest to the fireplace, and closest to the mutton in Redguard berry sauce.
"I have a name you know." replied the Breton initiate in a somewhat irritated tone. "Now, now, don't act all offended, Nazir means well, and it's rare that he gives out compliments to new initiates. Just ask our Listener. "Babette said through a sip of tea.
By this time the Seras had sat down at the head of the table, her eyes exhibited a mixture of hunger and exhaustion. She eyed the Roasted Mutton first, and then brought her attention to Nazir. While she didn't say anything, her eyes gave a slight warning that she stated: "After all the crap I've been through I get first choice."
Nazir heeded the warning, while she was generally carefree and more adventurous than your average cut throat; she had the cruelty of a dragon. Fitting, considering she was one of the few known Dragonborn in existence.
Before chomping on her roasted mutton she looked around the table at her "family". She counted two green initiates who had yet to be trained by Nazir and Babette in the arts of espionage and daggers. Seras could certainly not count on the mad jester to train them what with his obsession over maintaining the Night Mother's corpse.
There was the child Vampire Babette, whom she befriended almost immediately upon her entrance into the family. Babette had a knack of finding the most unorthodox alchemical ingredients, and she had told stories of her life during the years before the Great War. The imprisonment of Uriel Septim VII by the Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, the Warp in the West in Daggerfall, the Blight and unrest in Morrowind, and the Oblivion Crisis at the turn of the era, and the subsequent events that happened afterward including the Argonian Invasion of Morrowind and the explosion of Red Mountain in Vvardenfell.
Then there was Nazir, who refused any talk about his past. Aside from being from the Alik'r Desert, there was not that much really known about him. He was rude and sarcastic, but he was incredibly reliable as a friend. His jokes made Seras laugh more than once and he had proven himself many times over that he was a reliable friend as after a botched assassination in Morthal. .
All in all, including the mad jester and herself, there were six people that belonged to the remnants of the Dark Brotherhood not counting the four tortured people in the newly dubbed "practice room".
This would not do. Not at all.
The Dark Brotherhood would make its return to the glory days soon enough. Seras vowed to herself that she would not let the sacrifices of Gabriella, Festus, Arnbjorn, and Astrid go to waste.
Seras bit into the Mutton slowly, savoring the taste of the berry sauce and seasoned meat mixed together. She downed it with a tankard of Berry juice and Ale, and soon after the rest of the family dug in, Babette grabbed a couple chicken breasts and Nazir warily took a bit of the mutton, still remembering the great Mutton incident in the Falkreath sanctuary.
As the members of the Dark Brotherhood ate, outside the black door, on the outskirts of Dawnstar, a Nord with the eyes of the Hunter peered at the Sanctuary's sewer entrance from the all-consuming blizzard.