A/N: Okay so here is Chapter Two! I had to go back and redo a few parts of Chapter One before publishing because I found a few errors. Goes to show how long it's been, eh? Anyway, I hope anyone who's read this so far has enjoyed it! More chapters to come hopefully as soon as possible.

Chapter Two: Home again, Home again

"Unnf!" I grunted as I landed face-down on my bed in Breezehome, my body making a dull thudding noise. I lay there for a few seconds, before rolling off the bed and onto the floor, landing unceremoniously on my face. Behind me, I heard Lydia chuckling lightly.

"Tired, are we?" She asked bending over and helping me to my feet as I grunted in response. She shook her head, and led me downstairs where she had prepared some lunch for the both of us – her Skyrim famous stew and fresh bread from the Whiterun Market. I greedily dug into my food as Lydia slowly picked at hers, watching me with mild amusement. I glanced up from my lunch to catch her staring at me, and she burst out laughing as some stew dribbled out of my mouth.

I glared at her, wiping my mouth clean before speaking. "What are you staring at?"

She smiled knowingly, "Nothing, my Thane. You just seem happy to be home. And," she added, "If I may, we would have been home sooner if someone hadn't stopped to help a crazy jester." She winked at me, but I could tell she was still brooding about it.

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore that last comment, "Lydia, how many times do I have to ask you to call me "Rina"? "My Thane" is just too formal." She chuckled again and I scowled. "And yes, I am very happy to finally be home. These last few weeks have been such hell for the both of us." It was true, in the last few weeks I had been on my toes with the whole "Alduin" thing. After learning "Dragonrend" I had faced off against the beast, but he had escaped to Gods know where. Now, almost two weeks later, Alduin had still not shown himself, and I was beginning to get restless. Arngeir, one of the powerful Greybeards at High Hrothgar who had helped train me in The Voice, told me that Alduin had left Tamriel, perhaps even Nirn, and it was crucial that we find out where. However, neither of us could figure out how to do that. Arngeir had told me to leave him for a while, and when he needed my help again, he would call for me. Like I said, it'd already been almost two weeks, and I still hadn't heard anything. I figured Arngeir was probably consulting with the leader of the Greybeards: Paarthurnax the Old One, also known as Alduin's brother.

I poked at my stew with my spoon as Lydia watched me with a worried expression. "You're worrying about Alduin again, aren't you?"

I glanced up, nodding slowly, trying to feign just how worried I really was. "It's been almost two weeks, and Arngeir still hasn't contacted me."

Lydia reached across the table to pat my hand sympathetically. For a Nord, she could sometimes be really caring. "You worry too much, Rina," she put more emphasis on my name so to show that she was abiding by my request, to which I responded by sticking my tongue out at her. "You need to just relax; take some time for just you while you still can."

I shook my head, "I can't afford to relax Lydia, not while Alduin is still out there somewhere." I went back to eating my stew while I could feel Lydia's exasperated glare upon my head.

"But we don't know that!" She protested, "Besides, why not take this downtime as "Rina Time"? The Gods know you've certainly earned it."

I shook my head again, causing her to throw her hands up in frustration. "I can't, Lydia. We have to go and see Arngeir as soon as possible, I can't wait any longer."

Lydia held up one finger in front of my face, and I recoiled, afraid she was going to jab me with it in the eye or something. "One day," she began, looking me dead in the face. "All I ask is that you take one day to relax and recuperate before we go and see Arngeir. Is that fair? You're pushing yourself too hard, Rina."

I looked back down at my stew, and then back up at her. "Fine, I'll take your one day; we'll head out tomorrow." I was confused when Lydia began to shake her head again.

"Today doesn't count as the one day. You need a full day of relaxation, Dragonborn-Duty free. Tomorrow, you will take the whole day to relax, and the day after tomorrow, we will leave for High Hrothgar, okay?"

I knew there was no sense in arguing with her so, as much as I hated her right then, I nodded slowly, not giving her the satisfaction of a verbal answer. Lydia grinned at me, and got up to put her now surprisingly empty bowl away to be cleaned later on.

I got up slowly, and stretched, looking around and trying to decide what to do. I eventually decided to head outside and speak with Adrianne Avenicci about selling her more of the iron dagger I had collected over the last several weeks.

I exited Breezehome, and walked down towards "Warmaiden's" – Adrianne's shop. I found her outside, using her tanning rack. When I approached her, her back was to me and, without looking up, she said, "I've got some good pieces out here, if you're looking to buy. More inside."

I smirked, "I'm not looking to buy, Adrianne; merely sell." She turned to look up at me, and a smile crossed her tanned face.

"Rina!" She stood and embraced me like a long-lost sibling, "It is so good to see you; how have you been?"

I pulled out of her embrace, "Just fine, thank you. I have more daggers for you that I found while out traveling."

Adrianne laughed merrily, "More? I swear, Rina, I've got more daggers here than I know what to do with! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hoarding them just for me." We both laughed, as I dug around in my leather bag for the daggers. As I was searching, Adrianne continued to chat to me. "You know, something very curious happened this morning."

I glanced up at her, as I pulled out a few daggers and handed them to her to examine before giving me a price. "Oh? And what was that?"

As Adrianne turned the dagger over and over in her hands, she looked up at me, smiling. "You're never going to believe this, but a jester came into town earlier. A jester, can you believe it? I haven't seen one of those since my time in Cyrodiil all those years ago!"

I stared at her; had she just said a jester? Did she mean Cicero? Why in the Gods names would he have come to Whiterun? I thought he'd have been on his way by now. I tried to keep my voice steady when I replied. "A jester, you say? Really? That is odd."

Adrianne nodded, "Yes! He came by about an hour ago, asking where he could buy food. . . and oil of all things. Strange, don't you think? And a very odd fellow as well; he kept talking to himself about his mother or something – about how he wanted to get her some pretty, pretty flowers. He was a very strange man if you ask me, even for a jester. He kept speaking in third person; it was rather unnerving."

I hurriedly handed her the rest of my daggers. "Here, this is all of them; I'll pick up the gold later. How long ago did he leave?" I had no idea what compelled me to ask where Cicero had gone, but I had to know. It was probably because I hadn't stayed around to make sure he'd gotten on alright, and I think I felt a little bit guilty. Damn my need to help people; it wasn't an aspect of myself I was terribly proud of, to be truthful. I knew if Lydia found out where I had gone, I wouldn't hear the end of it. Either way, I had to know for myself, in order to put my stupid conscious to rest.

Adrianne raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, he probably left about twenty minutes ago I expect, why?" Before she could finish her sentence, I had already rushed past her towards the doors that led out of the city.

"No time to explain," I called back over my shoulder, "I'll be right back for the gold!" I threw open the doors to Whiterun, and tore down the winding path to the base of the city, where the stables were. To my good luck, I saw Cicero and his wagon were just now leaving the city, with what seemed to be a few extra crated of what looked fruit, flowers, and some different kinds of oil. The broken wheel on the wagon appeared to be fixed, I observed, as I hurried up behind him.

"Cicero!" I called out, and the jester turned around to face me, and his face lit up just as it was when I had gotten Loreius to help him out earlier that day.

"Oh! The kindly Rina who helped poor Cicero! She has returned!" He grabbed my hand and shook it very hard, causing my elbow to pop once or twice. "Cicero is so grateful for all Rina's help earlier! Loreius came down right away after Rina left, and he fixed Cicero's wheel! Now Cicero can take Mother to her new home!" He let go of my hand to gesture wildly to the wagon behind him, which I again regarded with apprehension. Suddenly, he whirled to face me again, his amber eyes suspicious. "But, how did the kindly Rina know where foolish Cicero was, hmm? How did she find him?"

I felt my cheeks start to burn, and I stared down at my boots. "Um, Adrianne the blacksmith told me she saw you in Whiterun getting supplies for your trip, and I wanted to make sure Loreius fixed your wheel like he promised, or I'd have had to back and talk to him."

Cicero threw back his head and let out a shrill laugh that made me cringe. "Ha, ha, ha! Miss Rina is so very funny! And kindly, oh so kindly! She was concerned for poor Cicero! Mother will be so very pleased to know of her kindness." He smiled fondly in the direction of the large crate atop the wagon again. This time my curiosity got the better of me.

"So, your mother is in there? Is this really a coffin?" I began to approach the coffin, but before I could even touch it, Cicero had moved at lightning speed at had my wrist in an iron grip. I mentally scolded myself for not having worn any armor, as he now just gripped my bare arm skin.

He looked completely demented now, and his amber eyes were fiery in colour now. "No one touches Mother but loyal Cicero, no one!" He screeched, shaking my arm around like a ragdoll.

I wrench my arm again, backing up as fast as I could. I threw my hands up in surrender, careful to keep my emotions in check, lest I throw him twenty feet from me with "Unrelenting Force". "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I won't go near your Mother again, and I won't talk to her again, I promise." That seemed to appease him, for Cicero's face was back to happy again. He stepped away from me, and towards his wagon. He ran his hand along the wooden crate, and whispered something, before turning back to me.

"Cicero must be off now! He thanks the kindly stranger, Rina, again!" He bowed low, and this time his nose actually did touch the ground. I felt an involuntary smile worm its way onto my face. "Once again, Cicero hopes to see Rina again, very soon!" He flashed me a manic grin, before turning away. I raised a hand in farewell as he began to trot off down the road, chatting happily with the wooden crate again. It was odd, for some reason, a small part of me hoped we would meet again as well, but hopefully under better circumstances, and Alduin would be dead.

I returned to Whiterun and hurried up the path to one of the small guard viewing posts that overlooked the terrain below the city. In the distance I could see Cicero and his wagon, making their way up the path, in the direction of Riverwood. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, my grey-green eyes narrowing, and I tilted my head, curiosity eating away at my insides.

"Where are you off to, jester?"

A/N: Chapter Two is done! A little longer than the first, and much more well written I think. R&R, please!