Emerging from the charred remains of the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, Veezara looked about the forest of Falkreath, ignoring Festus' body which remained stuck in the tree to the immediate left. Behind him the Argonian was relieved to discover that he was not the sole survivor, Nazir, Babette and the Listener, a Nord, having also made it out of the ordeal.
Veezara winced in pain, clutching his side at the stab wound he had received from an Oculus agent. It was deep and would take several weeks, if not months, to heal.
"Everyone alright?" Veezara asked, diverting attention away from himself in order to remain as calm and collected as possible.
Nazir looked everyone over, the only who sustained substantial injuries besides Veezara was the Listener, who he became less concerned about, given his god-like status.
"We're fine Veezara" Nazir replied, "You're the one we need to worry about, not the other way around."
Veezara shook his head in denial as he sat down on the nearest rock he could find. It was becoming difficult to breathe, his lungs felt as if they were on fire, for the first time in his life Veezara knew what it felt like to drown.
"Help me" he begged, "Please. Don't-don't let me die. Not like this. Not while there's so much that needs to be done."
Babette made her way to Veezara's side and began mixing a healing potion using the various ingredients she had at her disposal.
"Hush now" Babette commanded, "You were very brave Veezara. We would have died had it not been for you, we are forever in your debt."
Veezara laughed, gently brushing Babette's hair out of her eyes as he did so, "Just a few more people to add to my list then."
The Listener looked up towards the northern sky, the sun shone through the Pine Forest for the last time as nightfall began to fall across the land. The trees themselves were beginning to change with the turning of the seasons from fall to winter.
"We need to get moving" The Listener exclaimed, "The longer we stay here the longer the Emperor lives. As long as we're alive the Brotherhood lives on."
Veezara nodded in agreement, "Aye Listener, aye. But what about me, what am I to do? Surely you don't expect me to go marching through Solitude in this condition-"
Veezara stopped himself, for he realized who he was talking to and what he was talking about. Veezara began to cry, everything that had been his life was gone for a second time. The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, and the people who resided in it, were all that he had come to know after the Shadowscales organization ceased to exist.
"What is left for me?" Veezara said to himself as Babette finished the mixture, bidding him drink, "What part do I play in the world?"
Nazir shook his head, in his mind there were only two options- wait until Veezara recovered from his injuries and continue with the contract as planned, or leave Skyrim and the Emperor far behind and go separate ways. To go without one would mean to go without the Brotherhood, for they were all they had left, either they all lived or they all died, there was no in-between.
"The Listener is right of course" Nazir declared, "We do have to move. But I for one refuse to go on without Veezara."
The Listener stared confusingly at Nazir, for it sounded as if he had simply ignored a direct order. Babette however, stood in Nazir's defense.
"I'm with Nazir" Babette added on, "We're all we've got now. We have to stick together, either we all go, or no one does."
Veezara moved to protest, for he knew that he was not worth the Dark Brotherhood's chance at glory, but before he could even voice his opinion Babette had silenced him with a simple hand to the mouth.
"You talk too much" Babette said with a laugh, "Rest Veezara. It'll do you some good. We'll take care of everything else; you just try not to die, okay?"
Veezara nodded and gave a soft smile, for he always had a soft spot for Babette, seeing her as the daughter that he never bothered to have but always secretly wanted.
"You're too kind" Veezara exclaimed as he laid his head against a rock, "But how am I supposed to move? I can barely stand as it is!"
The Listener gave a knowing laugh and a whistle, summoning Shadowmere.
"Simple" The Listener answered, "By horse of course."
Veezara rolled his eyes in disbelief at his own stupidity, but in his defense, he was suffering from a side wound. By the time it healed the Emperor would be well out of Skyrim, the window of opportunity forever closed. As Nazir and the Listener hoisted Veezara upon Shadowmere, strapping him to the horse to prevent him from falling, the Argonian couldn't help but think that the Brotherhood would be better off if he had died in the Sanctuary. He knew that such thoughts were pointless for Veezara was, for the most part, very much alive and, for the time being at least, would continue to be so, but he couldn't help but think these thoughts all the same.
On the road to Markarth, the remaining members of the Brotherhood looked cautiously in the tree line for any signs of hostile movement, taking no chances in the event of another Penitus Oculatus attack. The Listener had a bow ready, a full supply of arrows slung across his back, Nazir was equipped with his scimitars, Babette had her teeth and a handy supply of poison and Veezara held his sword with as tight a grip that he could manage.
"By Sithis" Veezara cried as he rolled his arm, which was beginning to become numb as he lost feeling in it, both from the cold weather and the natural blood flow of human creatures. "If we don't find a place to lay low soon I don't think I'll make it."
Nazir nodded as he scanned the area once more.
"Listener I would gladly follow your lead anywhere, you know that" Nazir added on, "But I highly suggest we get somewhere safe, preferably somewhere with people who won't kill us on sight. Veezara's barely holding out here."
The Listener nodded in turn, in his head he was trying to think of someplace quiet, someplace that was nearby and easily defendable should the need arise.
"We'll make our way to Cracked Tusk Keep, it's an old abandoned fort not far from here" The Listener replied, "We'll be safe there for a few days at least."
"Last I checked that old fort was inhabited by a band of Orcs" Veezara pointed out, "How do you they're not still there?"
The Listener laughed knowingly as he led Shadowmere up a horse path, the others following close behind.
"I cleared it out" the Listener answered, "Trust me Veezara; everything's going to be fine. We'll be there within the hour and we'll make sure to get you real nice and comfortable like. Give you mead, a nice fire to sit by and maybe a good book. Now how does that sound?"
Veezara shrugged, "The only thing missing from that equation is an egg-sister for which to bed. Other than that, I'd say it sounds pretty good."
The Listener and Nazir laughed heartedly, Babette, although catching Veezara's meaning, said nothing, too concerned with the Argonian's well being to respond.
As they walked a light snow began to fall from the sky, the first snow of the new season. Babette, who was not a fan of snow despite being in Skyrim, ran up next to Shadowmere seeking shelter, causing Veezara to look down with concern.
"You alright dear?" Veezara asked
Babette nodded, "Just cold Veezara, I'll be fine."
Veezara looked Babette over and noticed that in terms of clothing she was barely wearing anything suitable for the weather. The only thing she had on was her one set of civilian clothes that she constantly wore to keep up the appearance of a child. From Veezara's position Babette was as white as the snow and that wasn't taking in the fact that she was a vampire, for Babette was shivering, her lips were beginning to turn blue, the first signs of hypothermia along with frostbite, which Veezara himself was starting to show.
"Listener" Veezara exclaimed, "The night has fallen fast, how much further?"
The Listener, who had lit a torch at this point, a dangerous risk given their situation, turned around to answer him.
"We should be there within the hour" he replied, repeating the same information as before, "Just hold on for a few miles more."
Veezara nodded and looked down at Babette, with his tail he gently wrapped himself around her shoulder, at the moment doing the best he could do to keep her warm. Shadowmere, in response, shifted his stance to bring as much protection from the wind as possible, as a consequence making Veezara suffer the cold night air against his wound. Veezara however, did not care, for both horse and rider was concerned with one thing and one thing only, making sure that Babette stayed warm.
"You're going to catch your death Veezara" Babette warned, "Tell this stupid horse to ease up. And get your smelly tail off of me!"
Veezara laughed, for he loved when Babette whined, it reminded him that the world still turned.
"Shadowmere" Veezara ordered, "Ease up on the girl eh? She's suffering enough with me at the moment; don't want to make it worse."
Shadowmere complied and gently eased off of Babette. Veezara kept his tail where it was, refusing to move it until they reached the fort.
Nazir, still maintaining his cautious gaze on the tree line, despite no evidence of raid by Oculus or any other force, walked behind Shadowmere and began going over what provisions they had. According to his current records, they only had enough for a single day. Nazir hoped that there would be an amble supply of food and other goods, particularly weapons, at Cracked Tusk Keep, which until they arrived would remain a pit in the Redguard's stomach.
"I don't like the look of these trees" Nazir thought to himself, "They're whispering to each other, talking. They ridicule and despise us; they say that we are not worthy to walk the earth. That scum such as us should be put down and sentenced to the Void. The voices of the Penitus Oculus, the voices of both Imperials and Stormcloaks, of everyone, it is nerve racking to tell the truth. I've heard of manhunts, but this is almost too much, even for me."
They continued their journey from the Sanctuary to Cracked Tusk in relative silence. The Night Mother, the pinnacle of their organization and the religion that came with it, all but forgotten, lost in the rubble, the tomb forever buried in stone, her voice silent and heard by no one. As this realization hit them, each at different times, they began to contemplate their existence as the last living faction of the Dark Brotherhood. The Listener decided to take Astrid's mantle, to lead as she had led, but without the backstabbing betrayal that resulted in the near extinction of the organization. Nazir would continue as he had always done, serve as advisor and second in command to the Listener. Veezara resigned himself to two duties, one as part of the Dark Brotherhood, the other a personal choice- to carry out assassinations and do recruiting on the part of the Brotherhood, and for himself to take care of Babette.
"Appearances can be deceiving" Veezara whispered to himself, "Remember that Veezara. Babette is a smart girl, a good assassin, a vampire. Still...it makes me sad to think about it. She never got a chance to live life as it should be lived, wither by making a living through the blade or the spade."
Veezara wrapped his tail tighter around Babette as she continued to shiver, Babette did nothing in response. She was too tired to protest and simply grabbed the tail, casually rubbing the scales that covered it as if it were a doll's hair or a pet. To humor her, Veezara gently swayed his tail side to side, giving the illusion of life causing Babette to drift in and out of sleep. Seeing this, Veezara used what remaining strength he had to pull Babette onto Shadowmere, hanging on to her torso to prevent her from falling off.
After a twenty more minutes of walking, the group finally reached Cracked Tusk Keep. The fort was still covered with the bodies of the Orcs that formerly inhabited it. The rotting corpses, mixed with the snow, dirt, mud and a recent rainfall, made the fort smell like the Ratway in Riften, only ten times worse. The Listener was reminded of a battlefield, for almost immediately after any battle, the flies gathered around the bodies of the fallen.
"Well this is interesting" Nazir exclaimed, "And here I thought this place was going to be boring. Guess I was wrong."
"We should burn the bodies as soon as we can" Veezara suggested, grasping his side once more as his injuries took their toll, "The fires would provide...warmth for Babette."
The Listener huffed, "Since when did you care about her wellbeing?" he asked curiously, "I thought you were supposed to be an assassin."
Veezara shook his head as he guided Shadowmere towards a small stable in the right corner of the fort.
"She is my sister Listener" Veezara explained, "Just as you and Nazir are my brothers. Babette may be a vampire and an assassin, but she is limited in her abilities being stuck in the body of a child. She must be taken care of with every precaution imaginable. Besides...we're all we've got now, we need to stick together, take care of each other."
Nazir began piling up the bodies of the dead in the center of the square. He then took a piece of flint, struck a dagger against it and made a spark, which grew into a small flame as it caught the cloth in the bandit's armor. Veezara, carrying Babette in his arms, unstrapped himself from Shadowmere and dismounted as carefully as he could, before collapsing on his knees, Babette's weight too much for him to carry alone.
"Wake up dear" Veezara said encouragingly, "You have to stand now, okay?"
Babette slowly opened her eyes, staring directly at Veezara's pain stricken face. As she pulled herself together Babette noticed that she was in Veezara's arms, immediately becoming uncomfortable she rolled onto the ground and ran over to Nazir, not caring if she was near the fire.
"Sorry if I startled you" Veezara said apologetically as he struggled to stand, "I was only trying to help."
Babette spat in Veezara's direction, "I didn't ask for your help scaleback!" she screamed, obviously insulted, "I am an assassin of the Dark Brotherhood. I have lived for 300 years! I can take care of myself."
Veezara nodded in understanding; still he couldn't help but feel hurt.
"I know that you could personally care less about what happens to me" Veezara said sadly, "but you must understand where I'm coming from Babette. You may be a vampire, but that doesn't change the fact that you are in a child's body. There are certain limitations, physical limitations, that you have-"
Babette huffed, cutting him off before he could finish, "What I lack in strength I make up for in intelligence. Surely you understand that by now."
Veezara sighed; he knew that there was no point in arguing with her, for he would ultimately lose. The Argonian resigned himself to the fort, limping his way to the door, saying nothing as he began to grieve in his own way.
"Stupid lizard" Babette grumbled, "Can't he see that I am capable?"
Nazir begged to differ, although he kept his opinions to himself. He wondered what the world would be like if Gabriella, or even Astrid, had made it out alive. Babette was, for better or worse, alone in this group of ragtag assassins. The mere idea that they still called themselves the Dark Brotherhood was a joke in and of itself, for what was an assassin's guild with only four members? And that was without taking into account Veezara's injuries, which made the question even more complicated than it needed to be. With the loss of the Night Mother, whose guidance was needed now more than ever, the Dark Brotherhood was nothing more than a group of glorified bandits, Nazir knew this and still he dared to call himself an assassin in service to Sithis, for he suspected, as all who hope do, that there was a chance to bring things back to the way they were before.
