This chapter is a meld of two plot ideas on my checklist for this particular fanfic, so yay for that! In any case, the Altmer featured here is meant to represent the OC I use in the game. She was too Sue-ish to make a main character for this fic and when Lisette was created, I liked her much better for the purposes of this fic. Anyway, if the other OC will be making another appearance, it will only be a cameo. Oh, and I suppose I did shove the "vampire" quest in Bruma out of the airlock as far as canon is concerned, but I certainly won't be changing it now. Consider it my little slip. By the way, thanks for the wonderful review, Daniel. Feel free to point out any mistakes in my English - it's my second, possibly third language, so any imperfections are mostly my little quirks - besides, I don't have a beta for my work, so I take full responsibility for the mistakes.

o.O.o

Silver

o.O.o

Raminus Polus was reading a book when Lisette returned to the University; sitting at his favorite spot in the lobby once more, early in the morning, while it was still peaceful – though he had his own office, he seemed to appreciate the majestic air the Arch-Mage's lobby offered. Once Lisette entered, he lowered his dusty tome with the usual smile, though his eyes were slightly less bright, as if expecting something.

Rightly so.

"Miss Lemieux." Credit had to be given to the fact that he got up How did your journey to Skingrad go?"

Lisette swung her bag off her shoulder and let it drop on the nearest chair. She had hoped for teleportation, not a journey on horseback with a Dark Brotherhood assassin riding with her. Still, it was likely the safest night journey she had ever had, so who was she to complain?

"The journey was fine, Master-Wizard. The meeting itself, less so." she noted, glancing at Raminus pointedly, waiting for him to reveal things properly.

"Was Count Hassildor not… agreeable?" But it was small talk and both of them knew it; the Imperial was trying to see just how much of the true purpose of the mission had been compromised. Lisette felt irked by this, simply because she believed she had a right to know what kind of mission she was being sent on.

"It was well within his rights not to be, I suppose." Sitting down on the chair next to the one her bag was occupying now, the Breton brushed a few stray hairs off her face before looking up at the Master-Wizard rather sternly. This wasn't what she was accustomed to when it came to the Steward; not at all. "He had not only discovered Necromancers within his own castle but that the Council of Mages had sent an associate under false pretenses to observe him."

"I see." Raminus straightened up in his seat, giving no impression of relaxing, though he did. It meant that things had gone according to plan, most likely. "Count Hassildor is a shrewd man, to say the least. I apologize for that inconvenience to you both, Miss Lemieux." he said, and it looked like he meant it as well. "I assure you that there are reasons for it."

"Forgive me, Master-Wizard, but I question their severity if they make a member of our guild expendable by default. The Necromancers in question lured me out into an ambush. Without…" Lisette caught herself before saying something that would inevitably lead to awkwardness. When she spoke with righteous indignation, she didn't put much thought into what she would say several sentences later, so she tried to get her thoughts straight. "Without the timely assistance of the Count, I would have likely died."

"Saved you, did he?" Finally, Raminus relaxed visibly, exhaling. This was obviously to his liking. That is very welcome news. I understand that you are now familiar with the Count's… unique disposition, correct?"

If vampirism was considered a unique disposition, then yes, she was, Lisette supposed. She couldn't think of anything else that was completely unique about Hassildor and this was certainly big news to anyone. " It was… surprising, but it answered some of my questions about the Count and his rule over the city."

"Janus Hassildor is in a unique position, to say the least." Raminus explained, perhaps in an attempt to regain Lisette's complete trust and faith, perhaps believing her to be ready for the explanation. "He has managed to keep his condition a secret from the public, but the Council of Mages isn't so easily deceived. We have a mutually beneficial contract – or have had. We weren't certain if it was still intact."

"So in return for keeping his nature a secret, he helps you gain information? Isn't that close to blackmail?" Lisette didn't believe the Council would resort to anything like that, but then again, she had seen enough improbable things in the course of the past year.

"It wouldn't be in anyone's interest to reveal Hassildor to the public eye. He is powerful and has ruled peacefully over Skingrad for quite some time." Raminus explained, though he neither confirmed nor denied the blackmail theory. "I'd say those are reasons enough for us to allow him further existence. However, as a vampire, the Count has few allies he can trust."

"But the Guild doesn't trust him." Lisette pointed out, scratching her knee while keeping her attention on Raminus all the same.

"Many of our own have joined the Necromancers – we simply couldn't be entirely certain." It was plausible; after all, vampires were undead as well and thus it wasn't that far-fetched if one didn't know the Count very well, which Lisette supposed few did. But if anything, Hassildor had seemed very firm in his decision-making. "I chose you for this task for a different reason, Miss Lemieux; so that you may prove to the Council and your peers that you are a loyal and worthy member of our guild." Raminus continued.

The Breton felt some blood return to her cheeks, making her seem healthier; it was her equivalent of a blush. "I didn't realize that you paid attention to student gossip, Master-Wizard… but thank you." She had expected something of the sort. Though it wasn't common from someone that high-up to pay attention to the reputation of a student, but then again, it was also true that not many students were involved in murder investigations. "I just don't like being made to lie to people."

Raminus understood, but if she had been aware of the lie, she would have never been able to tell it. "That is a more than reasonable concern. I apologize once more; it is unlikely to happen again. The Council has been delegating information strictly on a need to know basis. It was decided that it wasn't necessary for you to be told of the reasons for this distrust."

"I see." Lisette said, studying her shoes.

"In any case, you have succeeded in that endeavor." The Imperial stood up in a rather noble fashion; he was obviously glad to be able to administer this reward. "The Council wishes for you to know that your efforts are recognized and in light of recent events, I am promoting you to Magician."

In a flash, Lisette looked up, baffled. When she saw her teacher's face, she knew that she hadn't misheard. "Master-Wizard, I-I thank you." she stammered out, unable to say anything else. It was a bit too fast, all of it.

Magician was the sixth rank on the Mages Guild scale; those who had ascended to that level were among the more respected members, only two steps from becoming a full Wizard. For most, the path ended there; only the best of the best could reach the rank of Master-Wizard. And above that, there was only a single rank, open to only one person; the rank of Arch-Mage. Lisette had no hope of going that far and no ambition to try; becoming a Magician was like a dream come true on its own.

"You deserve it, Miss Lemieux." Raminus noted, smiling graciously upon seeing her almost child-like excitement. He meant it as well; after the resignation of half their Council once Arch-Mage Traven took over, capable mages fully devoted to the guild were becoming rare. And Lisette, with no strict political opinion about Cyrodiil and quiet devotion, was ideal material for the guild. The Imperial privately believed that in a few years, she would advance higher than this. "The numbers of the Guild are dwindling and we must recognize potential at an early stage. I feel you will prove to be a valuable member of the Arcane University in the future."

"I really don't know what to say, Master-Wizard." Lisette confessed, quietly jubilant. "It… well, I know I have been here for more than just a few days, but I certainly didn't expect advancement at this early stage."

"Progress will be slow from now on, I'm afraid." the Imperial warned her, but he seemed to be glad to see that she was taking it so well. "You must graduate before you can attain the rank of Wizard and there is still one rank in-between now and then. However, I believe you will manage it."

Lisette was practically beaming, even though she quickly jumped up and bowed respectfully to the Imperial. "Thank you very much for this honor, Master-Wizard. I will finally be able to continue my research more thoroughly, I hope."

"One final thing, Miss Lemieux. I understand you have lost an amulet during the skirmish a few weeks ago. Along with your promotion, please accept this, with our thanks." The Imperial produced a golden chain with an enchanted amulet decorated with twin emeralds. It was visibly enchanted, beautiful and not to mention likely expensive. On the other side, there was the faint engraving of the word "Spelldrinker". Raminus smiled fatherly when she looked up in astonishment and joy, truly like a child receiving a wonderful toy. "May it serve you well."

Lisette practically bounced out of the lobby, forgetting the world, forgetting the Dark Brotherhood, even, and racing to find her friends. Merete and Iver were sitting at their favorite spot on the University grounds, where Lisette never failed to find them. They were both dressed in full battlemage armor, along with the blue hoods signifying their specialization.

"Finally, you're back!" Merete was the first to spot her, but too lazy to get up just yet. Instead, she pulled Lisette down on the nearest spot on the grass to sit with them.

"Hey, guys." the Breton said brightly, dusting off her sleeve. It was good to be back home, hopefully permanently this time. "I see you have your new armor, Iver."

"Hi, Blanche!" the Nord said brightly; the two of them liked the nickname, particularly because it was one of the easy words of the High Rock language, at least when it came to pronunciation. "Yeah, Rohssan was great about it all. She even put the guild insignia on it, which was real nice of her."

"That's great."

"Speaking of new purchases," Merete leaned in, examining the Spelldrinker amulet, which she immediately spotted atop the blue of Lisette's robes. "I haven't seen these pretty baubles before. You had one from back home, but it was smaller."

Lisette grimaced slightly, remembering the necklace with guilt. She hadn't even gotten the chance to see if Lucien had it still – unlikely, but still a possibility – and if he could return it to her. It was a keepsake, a gift, after all. "My amulet got stolen during the… incident."

"Stolen?" Iver asked, a bit confused. His memory wasn't the sharpest, but he remembered this particular detail. "I thought it was the Dark Brotherhood, not the Thieves Guild."

"Yes it was, but the assassin tried to strangle me when I used a spell to subdue him. My amulet got ripped off then…" Lisette looked away somewhat shamefully. She had forgotten about it. What kind of friend was she to Erline and Bradon? "I haven't found it yet."

"Too bad about that." Iver said, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "I know you got it from your parents." That was how Lisette had told it to them; that was how she felt about it.

"But this…. it's more magic that any jewelry I've yet… oh, my." Merete let go of the amulet, glancing up at Lisette with wide and excited eyes. Iver simply looked from one to another, confused. "You mean to tell me you got another promotion?"

Lisette looked down, swallowing. "I'd rather not say anything."

"Promotion it is, then!" Merete cried, grinning widely. Nords weren't prone to envy, thank Akatosh, but getting a sharp pat on the back from one of them should be classified as physical assault. "Damn, what are you now, Magician, right? You're the same rank as Thalfin now!"

"I suppose, yes." the Breton said quietly, but happily as well.

"You look a bit flustered by that." the Nord girl gave a devilish grin. "Was the Count of Skingrad that good-looking and still unfortunately married?"

Lisette, whose thoughts were now straying from the Lirrians and their amulet to her second encounter with Lucien Lachance and back almost jumped, her eyes saucer-wide. "What? Merete, as if something like that could happen…"

"Aw, come on, Miss High and Mighty Magician!" Merete whined, prodding on, while Iver simply remained confused.

Lisette disclosed part of the details eventually, but she didn't really think getting into the details of her little trip were that necessary to recall. Instead, she tried her best to forget it (for the time being) and focus on the sun, the nice day and the friendly company.

o.O.o

A mere two hours later, Lucien Lachance, now dressed as a casual traveler rather than an assassin in shrouded armor in the colors of the night, arrived in Bravil and headed straight to Ungolim's house. From what he knew, the Listener would be there or in the vicinity, so it wasn't a problem to locate him. His observations of Lisette had been sufficient, in his opinion, to determine her worth.

As before, the stable staff outside of the city was rather bewildered to receive Shadowmere among their horses, even temporarily, awed and rather frightened by the magnificent steed. Lucien wasn't too bothered; unless mistreated, Shadowmere knew better than to lash out and usually, fear was enough to keep the daring in check. If not… well, the consequences would hardly be pretty for those who tried anything with the horse.

The little shack in Bravil was as poorly-furnished as before, nothing indicating that a highly-ranked member of the Dark Brotherhood lived there. It was still early in the morning when Lachance opened the door to the upstairs bedroom, but the Bosmer was already sitting there in an ancient-looking rocking chair, reading a book that was just as unremarkable and shabby-looking as everything around him.

"You have returned, Eliminator." Ungolim noted, nodding towards the nearest chair in the small room, which Lachance took without response or hesitation. "Has your observation yielded success?"

Lucien nodded respectfully. "I believe so, honored Brother."

"Very well, then." Lowering his book, Ungolim marked the page and glanced up at his subordinate. "Tell me what you think of this Miss Lisette Lemieux in terms of our purposes."

This was no trouble, as Lucien had already formulated the report in his mind. "She is not high up enough in the Mages Guild to be considered of any true importance, but apparently, the Steward of the Council of Mages, Raminus Polus, has taken note of her potential."

Ungolim raised an eyebrow. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"She was sent on a mission to monitor the activities of Janus Hassildor, Count of Skingrad, though she wasn't told of the actual assignment."

"That implies a certain amount of trust or the change of being expendable." the Listener pointed out, frowning. "Neither is particularly useful in a potential contact."

"I believe she was given this task to overshadow her involvement in our operation at the University." Lucien suggested, privately believing the Bosmer's logic to be rather illogical. But who was he to decide just yet? "I expect they will promote her soon to prove her competence to the rest."

Ungolim nodded curtly. "Knowing the mages, that is possible. Very well, then; it seems you believe that Miss Lemieux can be useful to us. I will make certain she gets an offer from us as soon as possible."

Lucien understood that it was unlikely that he would be given the task of conveying the message to the Breton mage, which was unfortunate. Still…

"Honored Brother, if I might have one request." the Imperial began, a strangely mischievous glimmer passing through his dark eyes.

o.O.o

For an entire month, Lisette heard nothing about either the Necromancers or the Dark Brotherhood and was all the more content about it. As a Magician, her research was finally considered thoroughly serious and, what was most important, she could easily get to be first in line for using magical equipment, which was fabulous in itself. The mission to Skingrad wasn't mentioned to anyone but Merete and Iver, who both promised to keep their tongue behind their teeth. But her quick progress to Magician, which really couldn't be disguised, was noted by both her peers and her teachers.

Some chalked it up to the Council trying to cover up any negative involvement she might have had with the murder case. Others whined about favoritism from Master-Wizard Polus, but fortunately, she was too studious for anyone to attribute this to any involvement with one of her superiors. Besides, she certainly didn't look the part of a trophy bimbo, so all the better for her.

She was still working on the enchanted broom to aid with housework when Thalfin, her Bosmer fellow student from the Magician-rank courses at the University, opened the door to their common lab to find her.

"Lisette, you have a visitor waiting in the main lobby." Thalfin said curtly.

"Okay!"

Setting off one last enchantment, Lisette dusted off her robes and practically bounced off to the Arch-Mage's lobby, where visitors from outside the Academy usually gathered. University members referred to anyone not from the University as a visitor, though Lisette didn't stop to consider that this might not be such a neat thing in this case. She was by now confident that her family wouldn't come looking for her and if it was anyone of the Bruma guildhall, they would have been able to enter. The only other possible candidates were Bradon and Erline… but they didn't have quite enough money to make such a journey. She would have to come visit them as soon as she finished that self-maintaining broom and give Erline a free one.

She almost bumped into the door to the lobby because her mind was still with the magical broom she was developing. There were quite a few people in the lobby, most of them around or above her rank, chatting about experiments and reading, but every male eye occasionally darted to the single person who wasn't dressed in robes of any kind, the foreign element in the University, the one who was presumably the visitor Lisette had been told about.

Though Lisette was well-aware that being elven didn't necessarily imply beauty, her visitor looked like a living embodiment of a youth's fantasies about elven warrior princesses. She was an Altmer, towering Lisette by margin of at least a head and a half, with a long, almost unnaturally immaculate ponytail of straight golden hair, sky blue eyes and deceptively youthful features. There was something highly eerie about the way she smiled when Lisette approached her and when she offered a gloved hand to shake.

"Good day, Miss Lemieux." she said pleasantly as Lisette accepted her hand uncertainly. The Breton had absolutely no idea who she was speaking to. "My name is Alastriona. I am pleased to meet you."

"Likewise, I'm certain." Lisette gave a nervous smile, taking in the sight of the mer and her enchanted light armor.

Finally, her eyes rested on the elf's gloved hand, which rested on the hilt of a longsword strapped to her belt. The gesture was meant to show both that the weapon wasn't going to be drawn and… the cause of the slight pressure Lisette had felt on her palm when she had accepted the hand.

A ring; an all too familiar black-stoned ring. Whatever smile Lisette had been attempting to show froze. She felt as if someone had grabbed her by the throat and pressed down on her windpipe. Calm. Peace. She was relatively certain that the woman wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she did something stupid; moreover, it wouldn't be necessary, because no one would believe her.

How would she even know such a thing, anyway? Panicking would only make inconvenient questions appear.

Checkmate.

Lisette swallowed, almost choked and cleared her throat in a matter of seconds. "Would you care to…talk in private?" she added politely, watching the elf cautiously.

The assassin gave her a brilliant smile before nodding and getting ready to follow her. "That would be wonderful."

Lisette led the way to her own room, feeling the eyes upon her every inch of the way. That was the only chamber in the entire complex of the University she could deem completely secure for this kind of conversation. She bolted the door behind the Altmer once she entered, glancing around with mild interest. It wasn't common practice to have guests coming to the interior of the University and most people who didn't belong to the guild never saw any of the actual rooms. Surprisingly, the assassin didn't sit down; like a sentinel, she remained standing at the door and watched Lisette drop whatever weak mask of casual behavior she had put on.

"What do you want from me?"

At another time, she might have been proud of how steady her voice remained throughout the question. The armor and perfectly polished blade gave the elf the appearance of a knight, which was likely why she was admitted into the University with such ease. Their real purpose, disguise and likely remind Lisette what she was dealing with, were left unnoticed by the others.

"Why are you here?"

"Blunt and to the point." the Altmer said with an appraising nod, though her smile had mellowed out somewhat now that it wasn't entirely necessary. "A good combination, but I pray for your own sake that you have more subtlety than that. Obviously I need not make any introduction as to who I represent."

"I have had the chance to meet some of your associates, yes." Lisette said carefully, remembering those various moments. But never had a Dark Brotherhood… Sister, was it? Never had a member simply come to call on her for a visit such as this. It was a daring move and a frightening one as well. "Now please give me a single reason why I shouldn't expose you the moment we step out of this room."

As Speaker of the Black Hand, Alastriona had heard much better and more believable threats in her lifetime.

"You have already given that reason to yourself; because it would put your own loyalties into question." she explained with unnerving patience and calm. "Besides, I haven't come to harm you, Miss Lemieux, or anyone at the University. Today is a purely social visit."

Lisette's eyebrows rose; the Dark Brotherhood never did social visits. Only… business visits. "Somehow I have trouble believing that."

"Then I will tell you a small story that will prove this to you." Alastriona obviously took the mage's silence as a confirmation that she might continue. She obviously had no problem with playing the bard, even though this time, she wasn't giving the usual initiation speech to a new recruit. "You are familiar with the Bosmer merchant Gradilmos that makes a monthly supply run to the Arcane University with stocks from Valenwood? It appears that the market can indeed be competitive for someone to care so much for his removal from position…"

"What does your business have to do with me?" Lisette asked slowly, her mind coming to several possible conclusions, none too pleasant. She also realized that in public, the mer looked much less dangerous, which was likely little more than a perfected act. She had no doubt that she was facing a seasoned member of the assassin's guild, likely one of those handling recruitment.

"Miss Lemieux, I will be frank." True to that, any traces of a lenient smile vanished from the elf's face in favor of a truly business-like expression. "The only reason I am speaking to you is because you have unknowingly managed to catch the eye of several of my associates. The only reason you are alive to listen to me now is because of your status as a mage of certain capability and your place at the Arcane University."

Lisette could only gawp at her. She wanted to say several things, one of them being that if she had her way, they wouldn't be speaking at all, but didn't think that was a good idea.

"What do you want from me?" she asked instead, forcing firmness into her tone.

"Your abilities and your resources." the Altmer said calmly, as if she didn't have a care in the wo. Lisette supposed that unless this woman wanted to reveal her allegiances, no one would ever suspect her of being what she truly was. "We are always on the lookout for talented people."

"I don't have the kind of talent you want." Lisette said immediately, though she realized this was an offer of a different kind.

The Bosmer was going to die; that was what this woman was telling her. And there could be only one reason why she was being told this: blackmail. It would probably be very easy for them to make it seem as if she did it. And if not the Bosmer, then it would be someone else, someone nearby, somewhere she could be implicated.

As the experts in murder, they could implicate her without the slightest effort.

Alastriona shrugged gracefully, as if to say that didn't really matter.

"You have eyes too keen for your own good. Be certain that it would be no problem at all for us to arrange things to make it seem that you killed Gradilmos with your very hands and have you sent to the Imperial Prison for the rest of your lifetime." she noted, taking note of the fact that the mage paled. Her theory got confirmed by that. "Besides, I am not asking anything involving our profession of you. Simply think of this as a civilized trade; your life and freedom for your services as a mage and healer."

"I'm quite certain you have enough qualified people in both fields of knowledge." Lisette objected weakly. The news of what was happening was just sinking in. So this was why that man, Lachance, had saved her life. It was a process of evaluation – whether she was useful to them or not.

"You are both correct and mistaken. We are hardly ever in the field of Restoration." Alastriona explained patiently. There were very few healers among them, though accidents were plentiful among the new and even among the skilled. Scrapes and burns weren't uncommon, but lax and inattentive Family members got worse injuries at times. "And you, as a member of the Arcane University, have access to resources usually denied to us. We could access them, of course, but it would require more… effort on our part. How fortunate that you came along. Of course, do not think you will gain nothing of this. If you prove your trustworthiness, you can expect to enjoy life of security."

To Lisette, it was as if a gigantic black hand was closing in around her, every finger blocking her path. "The life of a well-placed pawn, you mean." This wasn't an offer of life in privilege; it was the offer of a life of crime, where she would be expendable.

"There isn't any need to phrase it that harshly. Consider it an investment in your future." the Altmer noted supportively. The girl didn't seem fast, but if she was at least bright enough to understand the implications of her position, she would understand that any betrayal would be punished by a similar setup. No one would believe that she hadn't done the deed if the Brotherhood worked properly. "Do you need time to consider your decision?" she asked in a finalizing matter.

"You know you wouldn't get away with killing me." the Breton countered weakly, but she didn't have any real faith in those words. "Not here, in the heart of the University."

The Altmer almost sighed, giving a slight smile once more. "Miss Lemieux, who said anything about killing you right here and now? As an alchemist, you should know that accidents do tend to happen in the laboratory. And who said anything about killing you at all?" Assuming it was physically possible, the little Breton became whiter than the wall behind her. "Your decision?"

"I…I…" Lisette hung her head, glancing at the ground. "I accept." she said quietly, unable to meet the assassin's eyes. This wasn't right; this was an absolute mess and she wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and never, ever surface from it.

Though Lisette didn't see it, she received a brilliant smile from the Speaker.

"I was told you were an intelligent young woman. This ring is for you; a sign of our protection." She handed the Breton an object she was already familiar with; a golden band with a gleaming black stone and, upon closer examination, the small engraving nox et solitudo on it. "You may take it off if you wish, but keep it close. Any Family member will know the signet when you show it." Alastriona instructed, "You need not worry about compromising your status at the University; your contacts will address you as Cousin Blanche, which I understand is a name you go by in private, as you are now a rather unique part of our Family."

"I understand." Lisette said, slipping the band onto her right ring finger. It felt like a manacle and chain binding her to something filled with darkness and despair. Not inexplicable, considering her new "employer".

"And Miss Lemieux?" Looking up, Lisette saw that Alastriona was already at the door. Apparently, no written agreement signed in blood was necessary for this. The ring was a sufficient pledge. "I was told to pass on a message from Lucien Lachance." Lisette blinked; she had momentarily forgotten all about Lucien. But why the Eliminator (assuming she remembered the rank correctly) would want to contact her once his report on her was finished was beyond her. "He wishes you to know that if someone ever issues a contract involving you, he will do his best to gain it. He said you would understand." the elf noted, obviously slightly irked by not understanding herself.

Lisette did. But the jest about a kiss of death sounded more like mocking laughter to her now. By the time she looked up to say something, nothing even indicated that someone else had ever been in the room.