Chapter 2:

Three days later during breakfast I was in the middle of a conversation with Babette when then Night Mother finally called for me.

I was to travel to Whiterun and speak to a Nord by the name of Hulgran in the Drunken Huntsman and receive his contract. I walked to my quarters and began to pack enough for a few days. Once I was done, I walked to Cicero's quarter and knocked on the door, I was greeted with no response. The stupid Jester was probably still asleep.

I was right; I opened his door and found him snoring, half hanging off the bed. I walked over to him and shook him awake.

'Cicero, a contract awaits me in Whiterun, I was wondering if you wanted to come?'

He jumped up off his bed with no warning almost knocking me off my feet.

'Argh! Cicero!'

'Oops sorry Listener, Cicero gets a little too excited sometimes'

'Sometimes…' I muttered.

'Anyway, I have a contract in Whiterun, pack your things if you want to tag along, we leave in an hour'

'Oh yes Listener! Of course Cicero wants to tag along! Cicero will be ready in a jiffy'

'Good, meet me at the stained glass window when you're ready' and I left him to pack.

Cicero was ready in 15 minutes, I was still eating my toasted bread when he came skipping in the room.

'Cicero is ready Listener and his blade oh so sharp and at the ready'

I looked on at him amused 'Very well, let's go then'

I bade farewell to Babette and Nazir, the other two initiates were still asleep. We climbed the ladder of the secret entrance, it was snowing today, well usually that's a normal day for Dawnstar, I pulled my furs about me tighter and we began the journey to Whiterun.

As we passed Mortal, Cicero was recounting all of his favourite contracts he had in Cyrodiil when he first joined the Brotherhood.

'I miss Cyrodiil' I muttered. Cicero looked at me curiously

'Listener, you have been to Cyrodiil?'

'Yes indeed, I have, I was born there in fact, in Chorrol. Daughter of a Blacksmith, and when he died my mother tried to make ends meet my forcing me to marry some wealthy Breton pig. I ran to Skyrim two years ago.'

I was surprised I was telling him this, I think he was just as surprised himself. I didn't feel to strange telling him, I'd grown rather close to him this past year and he welcomed my presence long before I was Listener as I was one the members who actually welcomed him to the Skyrim sanctuary, I pitied him, after reading his journals to find him when I was ordered to kill him for attacking Astrid. All those years alone with the Night Mother's corpse, trying to hear her voice, driven insane from the loneliness and the waiting, once I found him, I couldn't bring myself to kill him, so I left without a word.

I remember giving his journals back, apologizing to him for having read them, but he promptly took them back with a wide grin, so I don't think he minded that much.

'Cicero is glad the Listener came to Skyrim, he doesn't know what would have happened to the Brotherhood if you did, there'd be no Dark Brotherhood and the Night Mother would have stayed silent…forever' and said in a high pitched tone which sounded like he was about to cry, then his voice turned sinister.

'And that harlot Astrid, that fake, pretender, like Rasha would have still been leading, how Cicero hates pretenders' I looked at him, he looked ready to kill at the thought of her, he noticed me watching and his face split in a grin.

'But Cicero needs not worry now, for the Listener, almighty and powerful has been chosen!' and he began to dance. I stifled the urge to burst out laughing and pressed on.

Whiterun was in the near distance, and I put on my hood and mask that covered my face save for my eyes. Cicero put on the black hooded robe, to conceal our identities when we took contracts, and we head into the city.

The guards watched us but said nothing as we head into the Drunken Huntsman. The wood elf who ran the place looked at us wearily but offered us bartering, I shook my head and sought the contact.

'Hulgran?' I said softly the Nord who shook in his boots at the sight of us. He gave a small nod and gestured us to a darker, more secluded part of the building. While Cicero stayed back and kept watch.

'You're the…you know? Dark Brotherhood?' He whispered. I nodded wordlessly and he continued.

'I need a man dead, he goes by the name Vantus Loreius, he lives on a farm just north of here, we, have bad history and I want revenge. Kill him in any way you see fit, and if his wife intervenes kill her too' he reached into his bag and pulled out a fat coin purse.

'I hope this is enough to cover everything'. I took it and nodded

'It will be done'

'Thank...thank you, and if anyone asks, this conversation never happened.' And he promptly walked out of the Huntsman and into the night. We followed suit a minute after and exited the city.

Once far enough from the city and well out of earshot we pulled off our robes and hoods.

'Cicero, guess who we've got to eliminate?'

His face turned to excitement and he began to giggle.

'Ooh tell, do tell curious Cicero! Who is it, does Cicero know him?'

'I'm sure you remember Loreius, the stubborn farmer I had to convince to fix your wheel?'

He gave a high pitched cackle and jumped a foot in the air.

'Ha Ha! Stupid Loreius for not helping poor, needy Cicero. Luckily you were there Listener to help out stranded Cicero and our dear Mother'

We reached the farm shortly it wasn't much of a walk, we snuck up to the small farmhouse and I told Cicero to wait and keep watch ('yes Cicero, I know you wouldn't move an inch even spiders ate your face off, now ssshh!')

I picked the lock and slid into the house, there was a warm fire crackling in the other room, and I looked around to see if anyone was awake.

Not a sound.

I crept into the bedroom and found Loreius fast asleep on his bed. I looked around for his wife. Where was she? I made up my mind, before banking on it any longer, I drew my dagger and hovered over Loreius and quickly sunk it into the flesh of his neck, he gave a loud gurgle, his eyes the size of saucers before they slowly closed and his body fell limply to the side.

As I was about to draw my blade, I stopped and gasped.

A sharp pain started in my right shoulder and soon branched out to my entire torso, sending bolts of pain up and down my spine. I looked down and saw the end of a dagger sticking out from the right side of my chest.

I sunk to the floor with a loud painful yelp and saw Loreius' wife standing over me panting heavily with a look that could kill. My vision blurred as I began to fall and I saw a flash of red and black before I succumbed to the warm, comforting darkness.