Standing in front of the abandoned house in Cheydinhal in the early morning light Lilia took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She'd managed to survive her second encounter with Lucien Lachance. He'd joined her in her room at the Faregyl Inn as she was quickly making short work of the edible contents of her pack. She'd already drained the water from the chipped pitcher on the dresser.
He'd welcomed her to the family. His talk of covenants with Sithis had worried her. She didn't feel any different. Would a person know if their soul was forfeit? She'd reassured herself that her soul was still her own. By the time he'd finished reciting the five tenets she'd been fighting to keep a straight face. She couldn't help but be amused by the constant repetition of "To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis," said each time as if it was a surprise. Instinct had told her that the assassin before her, her new Speaker, probably had some sense of humour, but not when it came to the Dark Brotherhood.
If she read him correctly he had been amused by the threats of her wrath should he assign her contracts that went against the conditions she had laid out. Several times she'd thought he was about to ask her something, but he never did. Lilia hoped that all the assassins she met were as able to contain their curiosity. She wanted to answer as few questions as possible.
She looked again at the door in front of her. It was weathered and stained with dirt. A simple lock held it shut. Glancing around once more, even though she was invisible, Lilia magically opened the door and slipped inside. People might not be able to see her, but they would certainly see the door move. She heard the lock click back into place as she shut it behind her.
The first floor of the abandoned house looked more mundane than she expected. She rolled her eyes at herself. What had she been expecting? Piles of skulls in the corner, the walls painted in blood? As if that would be discreet. Broken boxes and shattered furniture littered the room. Dust lay thick everywhere, and she could see the small footprints that some animal, most likely rats, had left. She saw a stairway rising up to the second floor, and a door underneath the stairwell that most likely led to the basement. Lucien had told her the entrance to the sanctuary lay down there.
She entered the basement, which looked just as mundane as the first floor, except for the large hole that had been knocked in the far wall. Making her way down the rough earthen tunnel her heartbeat grew faster. She could feel something ahead of her. Stepping around a sharp curve she froze.
A large rounded stone door lay before her. A strange carving of a woman lifting a dagger towards five small men was the only decoration on it. Looking at the grooves of the carving she noticed a dark colour, like that of dried blood. Closing her eyes she tried to control her breathing. Waves of evil pulsed around her, emanating from the door. She could hear whispers in her mind, and somehow she knew the door was observing her. Opening her eyes she forced herself to move forward. As she stood directly in front of the door she heard a voice inside her head, dark and unwelcome, ask her: "What is the colour of night?"
Fighting her instinct to flee she managed to stammer out the answer. "Sanguine, my brother." She heard the voice inside her head welcome her, and then her mind was quiet once more. The stone door swung open and Lilia quickly stepped inside.
She was standing in a large room that had been carved out of the earth itself. A set of thick wooden doors was visible on both the left and right hand walls. She saw a hole in the far left corner, opening up to a shaft that was gently illuminated by the sun's weak rays. Set in a corner of the large room was a small reading area consisting of a low bookshelf, a small table, and a couple of chairs. Ahead of her a hallway curved away to the right. Between her and the hallway stood a female Argonian dressed in a dark set of leather armour. The Argonian was smiling as she walked forward. Lilia walked forward to meet her, happy to put as much distance as she could from the door. As she made her way across the room she noticed the crushing waves of evil dissipate. So the door was cursed, but the sanctuary was not. Lilia was relieved to realize it.
"Greetings! I am Ocheeva, mistress of this sanctuary. Lucien has told me all about you." The Argonian's scales were varying shades of green, with a ridge of orange under her eyes that made her look as though she was blushing. Lilia could see that Ocheeva was still relatively young, most likely in her early thirties. Ocheeva continued. "It is always a pleasure to welcome another Sister into our ranks. Truly, the Night Mother smiles upon her blessed daughters."
"Let me tell you about our sanctuary. The training room is through there," the Argonian waved to one set of wooden doors, "and the living quarters through those doors on the opposite wall. My own personal quarters are just down the hallway, and Vicente's room is at the end." Ocheeva pointed as she spoke. "As a new member you'll need to complete your training before you get your first assignment. You will receive a set of armour," here she pointed at her own, "when you're finished. Vicente handles the training and assignments of new members, so you may wish to speak to him right away. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask." With that Ocheeva continued on towards the living quarters.
Deciding to head down towards Vicente's room Lilia met the other members of her sanctuary. They were all unusual, some more than others. Gogron gro-Bolmog was a giant Orc dressed in a complete set of dwarven armour, a heavily enchanted dwarven battle-axe strapped to his back. Despite his intimidating appearance he had been the friendliest of all. Teinaava was also an Argonian, the egg-mate, or twin, of Ocheeva. His scales were orange, with patches of green around his eyes. He confirmed Lilia's suspicions that the two were Shadowscales, trained assassins of the high courts of Black Marsh. Telaendril was a tall Bosmer; Lilia found her polite, but not overly warm. The Khajiit M'raaj-Dar had been downright nasty. She was pleased to think that he'd hate having to sell his wares to her. She made a mental tally of the gold she would need to find in order to buy some of his more unique items.
The last member she met was Antoinetta Marie. The petite Breton was very pretty. Her eyes were the palest blue, and her soft blonde hair framed her porcelain face. She was welcoming, stopping to chat about the sanctuary and Lucien. Lilia didn't know why, but every instinct screamed that this woman was danger. Something about her manner made Lilia suspect that she was deeply disturbed, yet completely lucid.
Arriving at the end of the sloping hallway she found herself in front of another pair of heavy doors. She reached forward to open them, and then decided that knocking first would be more polite. She heard a male Breton voice call out for her to enter.
Pushing the door open she stepped into the room. Upon seeing Vicente she immediately unsheathed her dagger. She'd met vampires that looked like him before, and they hadn't been welcoming.
Seeing her in a defensive stance, dagger at the ready, Vicente let out a small chuckle, his fangs showing from under his thin lips.
"You must be our newest Sister, Lilia. So good to finally meet you. Please don't let my appearance unnerve you. The needs and tenets of the Dark Brotherhood come before my own needs as a vampire." Feeling foolish, Lilia quickly sheathed her blade and stood upright. The other vampires she'd dealt with had been incoherent with blood lust. From what she knew, if Vicente could look so vampiric, his face so drawn and gaunt, and still have a civilized conversation then he must be a very old and powerful vampire indeed.
"I see Lucien was right – you do move quickly. But first, let me formally introduce myself. I am Vicente Valtiere, Executioner of the Dark Brotherhood." He gave a slight bow. Standing up his eyes fell to the straps around her shoulders. "Have you had a chance to settle in yet?"
Upon learning that Lilia had come straight to him Vicente insisted that she have a guided tour of the sanctuary. He led her past Ocheeva's quarters, pointed out the hole in the wall that led to up to a locked well, took her through the training room, finally ending the tour in the middle of the living quarters. Lilia did a quick count in her head. She'd met seven people who called the sanctuary home. Ocheeva and Vicente both had private quarters, and the rest she assumed shared the large common living space. Counting again she arrived at the inescapable conclusion that with five beds in the room she had nowhere to sleep.
Vicente looked at Lilia as she stared towards the sleeping quarters. She'd been delightfully entertaining during the tour. Vampiric senses, which had been honed with years of use, had been amused to see her heart race every now and then. He'd been able to see her elation at learning of the well entrance, and the bitter disappointment when she'd learned it was locked by a special key given only to higher-ranking members. Her reaction to Antoinetta had been particularly strong, and he'd had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He personally felt the same way about the strange Breton girl.
Right now he could almost see gears turning in her mind as she puzzled over the beds, though that was just his imagination. Leaning towards her he spoke. "Ah, yes, we weren't expecting you so soon. There is a spare bed around in storage somewhere that we'll pull out for you." The way her muscles tensed he could tell the idea didn't please her. It was fascinating how little she showed in her face, and yet how much the inner workings of her body spoke volumes.
"Or would you prefer something a little less exposed?" Turning to look at him, he saw her heartbeat quicken slightly. She was definitely interested in more private quarters. Thinking about it later, he never could figure out exactly why he made the offer.
"That bed could just as easily be set up in my quarters. I'm sure you noticed the alcove to the left of the door – a very long time ago I used to have a roommate. I think the curtains that separated the space are also around here somewhere."
Lilia still didn't know how she felt about the ancient vampire. He was the nicest, sanest person in the sanctuary. But sometimes she thought he considered her as a shiny new toy, something to be amused by. Still, staying in his quarters had some distinct advantages. She wouldn't feel so exposed to the other assassins, and she had noticed a trapdoor set in the floor above where her bed would be. That would give her two possible escape routes should she ever need it. Without another option, other than sleeping on the mats in the training room, Lilia agreed to the idea, after making Vicente swear that he wouldn't use her for a midnight snack.
Grabbing an apple from the dining table Lilia followed Vicente into the hallway that connected the living quarters to the main hall. Crates and barrels, many covered with years of dust, were stacked against one wall. Helping Vicente as best she could they eventually found the mattress and curtains. Both were musty, but Lilia wasn't too concerned about that. Directing Vicente to bring them up to the training room, she marveled again at his strength. She knew academically that vampires possessed keener senses and were much faster and stronger than mortals, but it surprised her to see it in action. On the way she explained her idea.
Gogron and Telaendril were both practicing in the training room when the newest member and her mentor walked in. They both stopped their exercises to gawk at the strange scene before them. Calling Gogron over, Vicente had the Orc stand in the middle of the room and hold up the cloth wrapped mattress that he'd been carrying.
During the tour Vicente had mentioned that he would be training Lilia in several different methods of combat, as well as giving her a crash course in deadly poisons and teaching her the fine arts of stealth. The first combat skills taught would be in unarmed combat, as Vicente firmly believed that an assassin should learn how to kill without a weapon.
Demonstrating on the mattress Vicente showed Lilia numerous punches, kicks, and combinations. Stepping back he watched her as she repeated his actions, hitting the mattress again and again. Years of dust were flying off at every blow, and every now and again Gogron would have to take a break to have a sneezing fit. Telaendril, in the meantime, was collapsed against a pillar, holding her sides as she laughed at Gogron's plight. After about an hour Vicente declared the training over. Gogron, eyes red from the dust, slunk off to the living quarters, Telaendril trailing behind, teasing him mercilessly.
Vicente looked again at the new member. She was definitely intelligent. Her idea to combine unarmed combat with beating the dust out of the mattress had been a good one. He could see that her breathing was faster, and her heart rate up, but she wasn't as tired as most new recruits were after such intensive training. He was also intrigued. As much as she couldn't hide, he suspected that she had many surprises for him still. The way she improved her movements so quickly led him to believe that she was already well trained, and was merely pretending to learn.
The two spent the rest of the day in setting up Lilia's new living quarters and chatting. Vicente had also managed to find a small dresser and a mirror hidden away, and he could tell Lilia was relatively pleased with her new home.
Once the furniture had been re-assembled and arranged, the curtains hung, and everything given a good cleaning Lilia sat down at the round table across from Vicente. "Vicente, can I ask you something?"
"It's about my unique gift, isn't it? Yes, I can see how you would be curious. I was stricken with vampirism over 300 years ago, while on an expedition deep into the ashlands of Vvardenfell. For nearly 100 years I hunted in secret, until the Dark Brotherhood found me." The vampire watched Lilia absorb this.
"Ah. Well, actually, I wanted to ask you something different." She said with a sheepish grin. "What did Lucien say about me? Everyone here seems to have been told something, and I'm curious to know." Vicente didn't need his hunter's sight to see a slight blush on her face.
"Hmm, so here is another one caught under Lucien's spell." He thought grimly to himself. He'd seen this happen a few times before. New recruits seemed be susceptible to the charismatic speaker.
"Truth be told he didn't say much. He merely told them that he'd found you killing bandits in the wilderness and that you had successfully fulfilled your first assignment."
"Them? Does that mean he told you something different?" There was no disguising the intense curiosity in her eyes.
"I am the one that you report to. He told me a few more details, including your expertise in dealing with mud crabs." At the mention of mud crabs Lilia's nose wrinkled involuntarily. "And that you seem to have some magical talent. Not many people can open locks and detect life with only their mind." Hmm, her blood pressure was up. She hadn't expected that statement.
He watched her look at nothing in the middle of the table, obviously lost in thought. When she didn't follow up with further questions about Lucien he volunteered some more information about the Speaker, including the fact that he rarely visited the sanctuary. Surprisingly the news didn't seem to bother her. Perhaps he had misjudged the cause of the blush.
"Sorry about that. My mind just wanders off sometimes." Lilia apologized when she realized that she'd been sitting in silence for the past few minutes. Vicente didn't seem to mind. She suspected that after 300 years things like silence and waiting didn't matter as much to him.
"Now Lilia, can I ask you something?" Vicente smiled, fangs on display. Seeing her nod, he continued. "Just where did you learn to herd mud crabs?"
With a laugh, Lilia told him a slightly modified version of the events that happened at the bandit camp. She'd just finished explaining how she'd surprised Lucien with a bottle of sujamma when she stopped speaking suddenly. Glancing towards the hall Vicente could see and smell Teinaava approaching. Strange that Lilia knew he was close; she had been facing the wrong way to see him with a normal detect life spell. He followed Lilia's gaze to the door, and as Teinaava raised his arm to knock she called out for him to enter. Teinaava opened the door, a mildly bewildered expression on his face. Vicente knew that the assassin was puzzled by Lilia's greeting. Teinaava prided himself on his ability to sneak up on his fellow Brothers and Sisters undetected.
"Ah, you've been busy." The Argonian took in the change in the room, giving a slight nod in approval. "I've been sent to summon you. It's dinnertime, and Antoinetta has made her famous crab chowder in your honour." The Argonian flashed a toothy grin, which quickly fell when both Lilia and Vicente burst out in wild laughter. Shaking his head he turned and headed back down the hall.
Unable to resist the opportunity to watch his protégé face her first real challenge, Vicente offered his arm to escort her to dinner. Accepting it, Lilia found Vicente's hand cool to the touch. Even though it was a strange sensation, not being able to feel a pulse beneath the skin, Lilia found she didn't really mind.
Lying on her new bed in her new home Lilia pondered the day's events. Glancing around, she let her life detection spell wander as far as she could. Most of the sanctuary was asleep. Teinaava was the only exception, sitting in the main hall reading a book. She looked at the curtains that were drawn in front of her. She could make out the prone figure of Vicente, lying on his stone bed. Again, she wondered if vampires really slept, or if their bodies just went into a state of undeath. The gentle glow outlined in her mind never shifted or changed like regular mortals. But of course, he didn't breathe or have a beating heart like them either.
Knowing she would never be able to sleep without confirming her suspicions she crept out of bed and peaked out from behind the curtain. Letting her vision relax she took in the figure of the sleeping vampire.
Returning to bed she knew she would sleep, though it would be a long time coming. Her mind would be too busy trying to solve the puzzle of how a high-ranking vampire assassin could be an innocent in the eyes of the Nine.