Dar'ari slept in, which is something she had not done for a very long time. She noticed that she was alone in the bed and that Arnbjorn had been gone from it for a while. She contemplated staying in bed for a while longer and perhaps just going back to sleep but she knew Arnbjorn was eager to get to the Sanctuary. She trudged down the stairs to see Arnbjorn and Elisica eating breakfast. "Lambshank, I hope you don't mind but I went through your things and made food," he said between mouthfuls of stew.
Dar'ari sat at the table with them and ate the stew trying her best not to say anything about its blandness. They decided it would be best to take a carriage to Dawnstar and then walk to the sanctuary from there. Dar'ari paid her coins for the ride and took a nap in the back seat while the driver told Elisica what he knew about Dawnstar. Dar'ari would have rather taken horses back but knew that this was less expensive.
They got to Dawnstar by nightfall, which was rather nice so they could walk to the black door in relative peace without having to watch who sees them. She told the door, "Innocence, my brother," and it swung open lazily. They walked into the main room where Nazir and Babette were. Dar'ari gleefully snickered at the surprised looks of Babette, Nazir and Arnbjorn. It was like they were all seeing ghosts.
They were all so happy to see one another, especially Arnbjorn who previously had nobody from his family. She was taken away from her thinking by Nazir's happy attitude. He clapped Arnbjorn on the back and said, "You take as long as you need to get settled in! Whenever you are ready, you can get contracts from me." Dar'ari butted in, "Or you could go on contracts with Cicero, Aventus and I. There is more freedom if you're working with me." He thought it over for a few, "I don't want to stay here and do nothing for very long. Cat, I'll be coming with you on this next one."
"Well we can have Nazir get some of the Shrouded armor but for now, let me see what I have lying around hmm?" She walked off towards her room where she kept some of her extra armor odds and ends. She dug through her chest until she found the article she was looking for. "Ah, here it is," She pulled it out to reveal a very unique piece of light armor made from some sort of fur. "It was a gift. It is called the Savior's Hide." She handed it to Arnbjorn, "You will still have to put on some fur boots and perhaps wrist guards. I still have some pieces of my wolf armor from my time in the Companions." Arnbjorn gave her a look somewhere between disgust, confusion and pain. "No thanks," he said, "I do thank you for the Savior's Hide, but I will just find some of the other pieces on my own."
Dar'ari shooed them from her room so she could continue to write in her journal, except that is not what she told them, "Get out so I can get some rest!" She wanted to finish writing about her meeting with Arnbjorn and Elisica. She particularly wanted to write about her suspicions about whether Arnbjorn's dear half sister is a werewolf as well. She can commune with wolves, which is definitely a unique thing to see.
She had written everything in as much detail as she possibly could and even drew a small line map to show the path they walked along and where it was the wolves surrounded them. She also felt some inkling of wonderment and decided to act upon it. After a few hours of meticulously slaving over a page in her notebook, she had a beautiful depiction of Elisica standing with her wolves when Dar'ari first confronted the wolf girl.
Dar'ari had looked at the perfect lines and details she had put into her illustration of Elisica and the features of the wolves. She began to think of all the times she had pictured something and wrote about it, but she realized now that she could capture better details of her kills and life events with her drawings. She had a glorious idea. She looked through her chest until she found a scroll of parchment and flattened it on her table. She started to put her quill to the parchment occasionally dipping it into the inkwell. She was not sure what it was that she wanted to draw at first but after a few moments of laying down the lines she knew exactly what she wanted to create. It was something she would never forget for it was burned into her memory forever.
Cicero stood behind her quiet as ever. He watched as she started her masterpiece and he watched until she finished it. She began to blow softly on the ink as she waited for it to dry. Once it was dry, she capped the ink and turned around to put it away. She dropped the inkwell as she reached for her dagger in her belt, "Oh Cicero," she put away her dagger and picked up the ink, "you scared me. How long have you been standing there? When did you get back?" He put his hands behind his back and pretended to think, "Cicero came back with the Listener's favorite initiate. He has been here since his sweet Listener had started her wonderful depiction of… where exactly is this?" Dar'ari looked at the parchment. She was going to have to make an excuse for this one.
"This is how I imagined the Dragonborn defeating the World-Eater," she internally screamed at herself for almost letting on who she really was. "I heard so many wonderful stories of the Dragonborn and her defeat of the Dragon God. I remember when she paraded around Solitude in her armor and brandished her weapon proudly." Cicero looked astonished that she had the pleasure to see the Dragonborn. Apparently the stories of how she viciously slaughtered dragons had gone around and reached Cicero's ears. "Cicero idolized the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn was ruthless and really made a show each time she had killed one. Cicero remembers one time when he saw the Dragonborn in action."
"Cicero remembers because he was stuck on the rode with Mother, you remember because you had helped me some time after the Dragonborn defeated the big dragon. Well the Dragonborn had been chasing a dragon in the distance for quite a while. She eventually got closer, enough for myself to see her more detailed. She was in black armor I have seen many Deadra wear and she had a fluffy tail much like yours. She killed the dragon much like the way you drew this, foot on its large snout with her sword driven deep into its skull." Cicero told her of what he saw. She was mildly surprised because she remembers that dragon and remembered it being a rather easy dragon to take down. She supposed that it doesn't take much to please people apparently.
Cicero snatched her work of art and ran off towards the kitchen area with it. She heard the awe and shock from her brothers and sisters. Dar'ari walked out to there to receive many compliments on her depiction of the defeat of Alduin. Aventus was quiet. He had a knowing look on his face that was soon replaced with a feigned surprised look. "You really drew this Dar'ari? Where is this?" Babette asked her with wonderment. "It just seemed like a nice place to me, I have no idea where it is or even if such a place exists," she lied through her teeth. "If I could please have that back now…" She gingerly took it back and retreated to her room with Cicero behind her.
She began to put her journal away from the prying eyes of the jester behind her. She also rolled up her memory of Alduin's defeat. She planned to take it with her next time she visited the Greybeards so that they may have some sort of record of the last Dragonborn. She sighed and put it somewhere she would remember it. "What did Aventus need help with?" She started counting her Septims. "He was requested to deal with a very special case. Apparently someone had a strong dislike for the Dargonborn's Housecarl." He started to gleefully tell the story of how he helped break into the Dargonborn's house so that the Housecarl was dealt with. Dar'ari was seething with rage. She could care less about the life of the Housecarl but to think that they disobeyed a direct order and entered the premise of the house. She inhaled and exhaled calmly as to dispel her rage before the jester noticed.
"Cicero was quite upset that Aventus wished to clean up the mess as best as he possibly could. Cicero is not sure of the significance but perhaps he too knows the Dragonborn." She internally laughed at how right he was, "Well I would doubt such a thing. If I count correctly, then he would have been around 10 when the Dragonborn disappeared. I doubt he had ever actually met her," she said coolly. She looked around the room and wondered what time it was. "I think it is getting late. I am feeling a bit tired anyways. You should get some rest as well. I asked Nazir earlier if he could wake me when it was noon so that I may start planning out my next moves." She began disrobing. "Good evening Cicero," She handed him a broken bow, "if you could be a dear and fix this for me. I accidently snapped the string with my claws again." The Keeper sighed and took the bow from her and went to the armory.
"'Fix my bow Cicero' she says! 'Do this, do that!' Listener sure likes to order poor Cicero around. Cicero cannot blame her. She seems to have a difficult time whenever the Dragonborn is brought up," he mutters to himself. "Maybe she once had a bad run in with the Dragonborn or perhaps she got caught stealing. Dar'ari does seem to have sticky fingers when she enters a home that is not her own." He walks over to where the workbench was and begins to restring her ebony bow. How she kept breaking her bows, he would never know. Where she kept getting all these exquisite and expensive looking weapons was a mystery as well.
He finished stringing up the bow and set it on a weapon rack while humming a tune. "Our hero, our hero; Claims a warrior's heart; I tell you, I tell you; The Dragonborn comes…" He began to hum the parts he did not quite remember, "Beware, beware; The Dragonborn comes…" More humming ensued because he could only remember the tune. "For the darkness has passed; and the legend yet grows; you'll know, you'll know; The Dragonborn's come." He kept humming its tune over and over until he tired of it.
Dar'ari looked over her mock itinerary and map placing points everywhere she had to go. She listened to the Night Mother some time before she was going over plans and was surprised to know that there was only one contract. She decided that she needed a break from the whole Brotherhood business for a while. She spent many years doing nothing but contracts. It was time for a break anyways. Dar'ari decided that she would first go to Whiterun to pick up some things she needed to sell. She was running low on Septims and had an abundance of pilfered jewelry in her home just waiting to find a new home.
From Whiterun, she would travel to Ivarstead where her companions would wait as she made a delivery to the Greybeards. She would then go on a trip to Falkreath and take a look at the destroyed sanctuary. She was hoping to expand once she got more people in the Dark Brotherhood. She wanted to run up to Rorikstead briefly on her way to Druadach Redoubt so that she could talk with Madanach about how the rebellion is going. She then would have to find some way to separate herself from her friends so she could go to her home in Solitude. They would then hightail it back to Dawnstar she they could go back to work.
She was hoping to bring Aventus with her, but if Nazir were overly stacked with contracts then he would have to stay behind. It was beneficial for him to be working so much because he was learning a lot and making a pretty penny doing so. The downside is that it slightly throws a wrench in her plans. There is no way that she can get all the way up to High Hrothgar without Aventus acting as a buffer between the waiting Cicero and Arnbjorn while she treks to the top after asking them to remain in Ivarstead. It is also going to be the same commotion with Solitude.
She went to the main area of the sanctuary to find Nazir, Aventus, Elisica, and Asuicus sitting at the table. "Ah, Asuicus. Glad to see you again," Dar'ari pulled out a coin purse and handed it to him, "for your great work in taking on most of the contracts Nazir has been putting out. Spend this on new weapons or women. There are Argonian women around right? I haven't seen many as of late." If an Argonian could blush, Asuicus would be red as a tomato. "Elisica, I assume that you have taken on a few contracts of your own?" Dar'ari turned to Nazir, "If you could try and give her the contracts of hunters or travelers, she would most likely enjoy a hunt with her wolves. Plus it would be a lot more believable that way."
Elisica lit up with happiness at the mention of a hunt with her wolves. Dar'ari turned towards Aventus, "Well I would like you to come with me for my break from assassinations, but it is your choice. I will not hold it against you if you choose the coin." Aventus looked down at the ground guiltily, Dar'ari got the hint, "Alright, well Nazir, if you could give him some of the obvious assassination contracts. And please try and keep them close to here just in case there are any problems."
Dar'ari went down to the armory to see if Arnbjorn was still coming with her. He was doing some hand-to-hand combat training. "Arnbjorn," She called him excitedly, "You are coming with me on my journey right?" He took some rags and dried the sweat from his forehead. He walked over and said, "Of course Lambshank. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Where are we heading to by the way?" She giggled and then turned to go, "It's a surprise," she called from the other room.
Next she went to Cicero. He was tending to the Night Mother. She decided to wait so that she does not disturb him. After waiting an hour for him to be done, he turned to greet her gleefully, "Good afternoon my Listener. When are we to head off on our surprise vacation?" She thought it over briefly, "Well I would like to leave as soon as I possibly can, so whenever both you and Arnbjorn are ready." She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Make that whenever the clown is ready," Arnbjorn said behind her.
"Cicero will meet you when he is ready. He has to pick up a few things for the road." He skipped towards his room cheerfully. Dar'ari went to her room quickly and grabbed her pack of extra armor and potions. She slung a bow over her shoulder and put her daggers in her belt loops. She took her sword and sheathed it on her hip. She wore her shrouded armor with a heavy black cloak over so no one could see it. She put the hood on and grabbed her roll of parchment that was to be a gift to the Greybeards and tucked it carefully into the bag. She walked quietly through the sanctuary towards the black door. Arnbjorn was leaning against it waiting for her.
They stood outside in the cold waiting for Cicero. She was happy to see that Arnbjorn was wearing the armor she gave him. She had an extra cloak with her just in case she got cold. "Arnbjorn," she got his attention, as he seemed to be lost in thought. "Here," she held out the cloak. He took it only to give her piece of mind. She was only being nice, perhaps she did not know that the cold weather was normal for Nords, let alone werewolf Nords. He put it on and thanked her. The cold may not have bothered him, but the warmth it provided was rather nice.
Cicero soon arrived outside the door dressed in his usual jester's outfit with a cloak hanging on his arm. "Cicero is ready! Where is the horse?" He looked rather distraught that Shadowmere was nowhere to be seen. "Cicero, we are walking. The initiates are going to be needing horses and we are on a break, so we get no horses," she told him and then began walking towards their first destination. She was upset that they waited so long to get going because the sun was already setting.
Dar'ari walked onwards with pep in her step knowingly ignoring the bickering that was going on behind her. Cicero would crack a rude joke that somehow applied to Arnbjorn and then Cicero would gracefully dodge every one of Arnbjorn's swings. She sighed. Without Aventus I think I may become as crazy as Cicero, she thought. Perhaps they would all become as crazy as Cicero if he kept up with his jokes and foolishness. They walked past the time the light finally gave way to darkness. The moons were out that night so there was plenty of light for her to travel by, but for her companions not so much. Arnbjorn and Cicero lacked the night vision she took advantage of having.
They made camp off the side of the road so that travelers and bandits did not see them. They decided that there would have to be shifts throughout the night just in case of an attack or overly nosy animals. There was only one tent and Dar'ari would not dare ask the boys to sleep there together. She decided that she would take first watch with Arnbjorn.
Cicero happily took the time to sleep in the warm pile of furs they had laid out in the tent. Dar'ari sat outside the tent flaps with her cloak still wrapped around her. Arnbjorn sat next to her while she was looking up at the stars. She also liked the Aurora Borealis. This time of year it was blue and purple, two of her favourite colors. "Arnbjorn, you should really get some sleep. You don't have to go sleep in the tent but at least get some sleep," She pointed to some of the extra furs. Arnbjorn grunted, "I'm not tired." Dar'ari lay in the grass and looked up at the stars. "Fine, but don't complain that you're tired tomorrow on the walk up to High Hrothgar." She heard some footsteps and then felt a large fur placed over her. She looked over to see Arnbjorn using the rest of the furs as a place to sleep.
She waited for a few hours until she got tired. Dar'ari planned to give the boys a few extra hours so that they could make the climb without complaining. She walked over to the tent Cicero occupied. "Cicero, its my turn to sleep," she quietly called to him. She waited but got no response. She hear some rustling behind her, and then the gruff half-asleep voice, "I'll take this watch Lambshank." She didn't even get to thank him. She was out as soon as she lay on the soft furs.
Dar'ari woke with heavy eyelids wishing she could have just a few more moments of peace before having to deal with Whiterun and the seven thousand steps. She was happy and warm even if she was lying on the ground. She noticed that yet again she was wrapped in a pair of arms. Too big to be the imperial's arms, which left only Arnbjorn and his lack of concern for personal space. She wiggled free of his arms and he continued to sleep soundly as if he did not keep a captive in his arms at all. She dusted off her armor and stretched out her body. She noticed Cicero who was sharpening his dagger on the ground by the supplies. "Arnbjorn, get up. It's time to go." She called over to him. He grunted but did as she said.
The wind carried the snow through the air at high speeds and gave a chill to the travelers. Tiny icicles began to form on the Khajiit's whiskers as she walked up the steps. Her cloak roughly fluttered in the wind as she tried her best to keep it still over her shoulders. Dar'ari trudged forward on the steps with Arnbjorn and Cicero in her wake. Arnbjorn was perfectly fine with the cold and wind. He had a cloak on but felt it was not very necessary. Cicero on the other hand was shivering and cursing as he tried his best to get warm. Arnbjorn gave up his cloak to the imperial. Arnbjorn noted that he was exactly as a typical Nord: somehow very resistant to the cold.
They arrived safely at High Hrothgar just before the setting of the sun. The snow had an orange glow that radiated a feeling of warmth. Mental warmth anyways, since they were still freezing in reality. They opened the heavy doors to the warmth of the monastery with sighs of relief. "Wait right here. I will talk to the Greybeards and see if we can stay the night here. Please do not move from this very spot." She turned on her heel and left. "Yes, Listener! I will remain in this very spot until you tell me otherwise. Spiders could eat my face off, but faithful Cicero would not move an inch!" Cicero called as she walked away.
She wondered around the monastery until she found Arngeir. She asked him very kindly to treat her as if she was just a regular passerby whom used to come by once in a while to study. She explained her situation of being in the company of people who did not know. He reluctantly agreed that he would pretend she was nothing more that the occasional scholar and that he would inform the other greybeards of her situation quietly. She handed him the roll of paper that had been carefully packed away and requested board for the night.
She watched as he carefully unrolled the paper and viewed it with a very small smile. True that they were against destroying Alduin and the other dragons, as they were passive men. It was a good piece of history though and he felt that future generations would appreciate this. "This was how you did it hmm?" he asked with a wry smile. Dar'ari nodded. "This is a wonderful illustration," he said as he admired her line work. "Perhaps we will sent this to the college? They may appreciate this very much. I have heard they have much information on the dragons." He talked to her for a while until he noticed they seemed to have been talking for too long. She thanked him for allowing them to stay and keeping her identity hidden. She walked back towards where she had left Arnbjorn and Cicero.
They were exactly as Dar'ari had left them, with the only exception being the look of murder written all over Arnbjorn's face. "We can stay here for the night, but we have to leave in the morning. The beds are this way," she walked off towards the extra beds. She set down her things and carefully plopped on the stone bed. The furs were warm albeit a little dusty. She lay on the stone bed unable to fall asleep. It was rigid and cold. She sighed and continued to toss and turn. Eventually she found a spot that was comfortable enough to fall asleep.
It was a dreamless night. She woke up stiff and sore. She could not complain that at least she was warm for most of the night. She quickly woke Cicero and Arnbjorn as she was getting herself ready. She stretched out some more and smoothed her fur. She waved goodbye to a few greybeards while on her way out. She wished she could again go to see Paarthurnax but knew better than to blow her cover by disappearing to the top of the mountain.
They took their leave and walked down the mountain. The decent was easier than their accent up the mountain. Dar'ari walked with purpose through the icy winds with Arnbjorn right on her heels. Cicero took the time to frolic in the snow and make some silly rhymes. He would chatter about Mother and his need to find her some pretty flowers. He would tell the punch line of a joke once or twice. Both she and Arnbjorn figured he told the first part of the joke in his mind but got too excited to keep it all there. They were finally on their way to Falkreath. Checking up on the old Sanctuary was priority. Delvin would have to be taking part in this if it got too bad during the attack.