A/N: So sorry for my long absence! Otakon was fast approaching and every waking hour had to be spent getting my cosplay (Skyrim's Shrouded Armor) ready to roll. But I am back and making up for it with an extra long chapter! Whodunit is my favorite quest in the entirety of Elder Scrolls so I felt inclined to do it justice.

I was away from the Sanctuary for almost a fortnight. In those two weeks, I grew even more hateful of this cursed existence I now lived. Raminus Polus sent me to the count of Skingrad, who sent me to an old witch, who sent me back and forth all across Cyrodiil on a ridiculous search and find mission. It took a stupid amount of time, and I sustained several burns due to ill-prepared travel time (made worse by the fact that I never found myself in a good opportunity to feed), but I eventually brought her everything she needed. My last nightmare as a vampire, more of a dream really, was of feeling the sun on my face.

It was excruciating. The feeling of every dead cell returning to life, my blood pumping again, my organs reworking themselves back to the way they were before to accept mortal food again. I fainted, just like I had when I became a vampire. When I came to again, I felt blind. All of my senses were so dim. I had forgotten. But no matter. I would reacquaint myself with my senses, and in time forget the sharpness they had had. My main focus was on the sun beating down. It was warm, and pleasant, and it didn't carry death with it.

I pushed myself back to my feet. I started my way back to the Sanctuary, when it hit me like a blow to the gut. Vicente. I had essentially just spat on his gift. Oh no, oh Sithis, how was I going to look him in the eye? In that moment, I debated never going back, never having to face him, seeing his hurt and disappointment. But I knew I had to. The Sanctuary was my home, my Brothers and Sisters my family, and if I didn't go back I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Besides, I couldn't rightly never return and still continue to see Lucien. I had been apart from him for far too long already. Hm? No. Shut up, I was not in love with him.

I meandered quite a bit more than I intended on my way back. I was so ecstatic to feel the sun again. When I did reach Cheydinhal and dropped down the well, I turned to see that the front hall was empty of everyone, either in the training hall or living quarters. Empty of everyone except Vicente.

I gasped and turned away, lifting my hand to hide my face, and started to climb back up the rope ladder. Vicente speaking is what stopped me.

"Lillian, don't leave." His voice didn't sound angry or hurt, so I stopped and turned back to face him, biting my lip in nervousness. "Come." He turned and made his way back to his room. My mind was empty and numb, so I didn't even think to disobey.

As I followed him, my mouth tried to form an apology, an explanation, but half-formed words and thoughts were all that escaped. My stomach had vanished, and my body was so tense with anxiety that I thought I might cry.

"I'm sorry," I managed to stammer when we got back to his room. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Vicente, I-I-I am so, so sorry for rejecting your gift, can you ever forgive me? I –" I couldn't finish as I was now so upset that I was beginning to hyperventilate.

I expected Vicente to yell at me, or guilt me, or even just look at me disapprovingly, but he did none of these things. Instead he simply hugged me. "It is good to see you again, Lily," he said warmly.

I was so caught off guard. This was the opposite of the reaction I expected. I hugged him back tightly and buried my face in his shoulder, willing myself not to lose this last shred of control from having some kind of attack.

We stayed like that for awhile. When I let go and pulled back, Vicente held his hand up to silence me before I barely had time to open my mouth again.

"You don't have to apologize to me," he said. "I'm not angry. I'm not upset. Merely glad to see you back home with your health. It was quite plain from the start that you were an ill fit to the dark gift. If I could've taken it back when you first fell ill, I would have. I didn't say anything for fear of making you feel worse."

"I'm sorry," I said again, mostly out of reflex. "I-I just feel like I spat on your gift."

"Oh, don't think that," said Vicente, waving his hand dismissively. "Your health and happiness are more important."

"I wish it wasn't necessary," I said meekly.

"You're a Nord," said Vicente. "Have you been to Skyrim?"

"Yes, I was born there," I answered. "Riften. But what does that…?"

"You may be more receptive to the Skyrim strain," he said.

"What?" I asked. "But that's impossible, I was told that once I cured my vampirism I could never contract it again."

"Well, that's half true," said Vicente. "You would now be immune to the Cyrodiilic strain, Porphyric Hemophilia. You are not, however, immune to the Skyrim strain, Sanguinare Vampiris. And as you are a child of Skyrim, you are likely to be much more accepting of it. There is even a vampire in the Falkreath Sanctuary, near the Cyrodiil-Skyrim border. She was still a young child when she was sired, so I went north and helped her adapt when the Sanctuary leader picked her up. Babette is her name. From what I understand from observing her, sunlight merely weakens instead of injures, and there are no nightmares."

"And she could infect me if I wished it?" I asked.

"I'm sure if you asked nicely," said Vicente with a grin.

I smiled. "Thank you, Vicente."

"It is good to see you smile again, Lily," he said. "Now off with you. Ocheeva has a contract."

I smiled wider and nodded, running off. I found Ocheeva training and approached. "I'm home," I said happily.

"Ah, Sister!" said Ocheeva, turning around and sheathing her weapon. "It had been some time. It is good to see you back and looking healthy again."

"It's good to be back and healthy again," I said. "Vicente said you have a contract for me?"

"Do you like parties? Because you've been invited to one. Of course you'll be killing all the other guests," she said.

"Sounds like a ton of fun," I said. "Can't wait."

"Splendid," she said with a grin. "You need to go to the city of Skingrad, to the large house known as Summitmist Manor. There you will meet up with five very unlucky guests. In order to receive your bonus, you must kill each guest secretly, one by one. If anyone sees you committing murder, the bonus is forfeit. The guests believe there is a chest of gold hidden in the house, and have agreed to be locked inside until one of them finds it. In fact, the guests believe the key to the manor is inside the chest, and only by satisfying their greed will they be allowed to leave. Poor fools. There is, of course, no chest of gold. The guests will find no key. After you arrive, the doors will be locked behind you, as everyone expects. When all the guests lie dead, you will be free to leave. Now go, see the doorman at Summitmist Manor. He will explain the rest. Have fun."

"That sounds amazing," I said. "I will."

I left the training hall and went to my Brothers and Sisters. All of them said about the same thing, make the guests trust me and along those lines. Vicente told me not to wear my hood, so I went home to change into the Deceiver's Finery before making my way to Skingrad.

Storm clouds were gathering when I entered Skingrad in the morning. Thunder boomed as I approached the manor. A finely dressed Nord approached me outside the doors. "Fafnir, of the Skingrad Sanctuary," he introduced himself. "So, the last guest finally arrives. I'll tell you what I told all the others. You go in, I lock the door. You don't come out 'til it's over. Now I'll tell you what I didn't tell everyone else. We have the same Mother, you and I. And she wants you to have this. It's the key to the house. I guess someone else has already told you the other details. Kill all the guests then leave, right? Well, you'd better get in there. Time to mingle."

I stepped into the house. The door closed behind me and I heard the lock click. An elderly woman in a green dress approached me.

"The sixth guest has finally arrived!" she exclaimed. "Well it's about time! Do you know how long we've been waiting? It seems like an age! Whoever invited us here must at least know us, don't you think? In any event, we're all stuck here together, so we might as well get acquainted. The rest of us have already traded introductions. I'm Matilde Petit. The others are Nels the Naughty, Neville, Dovesi Dran, and Primo Antonius. Now, who might you be? Please, tell us a little about yourself."

"My name is Lily," I said. "My baby is sick, and we are so poor." The lie slid easily off my tongue. It helped that the elegant dress I wore was dirty and torn from my travels.

Matilde's face fell for a moment. "Oh, you poor dear!" she said. "Well, this does make things difficult for me. I want to find the gold as much as anyone, but you need it so much more than I do…"

I waved my hand dismissively. "No matter," I said. "This contest is fair for us all. What happens will happen. Now, what about you? A name like Petit isn't native to Cyrodiil, is it?"

"That's right, it's a Breton name," said Matilde, clearly impressed. "I'll have you know the Petits are one of High Rock's oldest and most respected noble families."

"And what do you think about the other guests?"

Matilde shrugged. "The little Dark Elf? She seems a nice enough girl. But to be perfectly honest, I've never trusted her kind. Nels? He's a Nord. Mead-swilling barbarians, all of them." I felt a stab of annoyance at the slight on my heritage here, but kept my mouth shut. "Neville? From what I gathered, he's a retired soldier. He's been all across the Empire fighting in various campaigns. Goodness, he's handsome…" She seemed to trail off, so I cleared my throat. "Hm? Oh, yes, Primo. He's young, well-educated, and clearly full of himself. Not much different from any young nobleman, really."

"Is that really all you have to tell me?" I asked. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "I mean, we are the only ones on this floor…"

Matilde looked around. "Well…alright. The Dunmer? Personally I think she's a little floozy. She's been eyeing young Primo Antonius, probably smells his wealth. It's obvious that young Primo comes from wealth. A chest full of gold would be mere spending change for him. And Nels, oh, that man disgusts me! I find his entire manner offensive. Why, just before you got here he told me the most off-color joke about an Argonian maid! And Neville… well, if I can be perfectly honest with you, I find Neville quite attractive. Redguards are so… exotic. Don't you think?"

"I suppose," I said with a smile. "Though my heart belongs to an Imperial, with a little bit of Breton thrown in." I smiled despite myself, thinking of Lucien. "Anyway, it was great to meet you. I'm going to go introduce myself to the other guests."

I left Matilde and went upstairs, where I saw a Redguard and a Nord arguing, presumably Neville and Nels.

"So Nord, if you find the gold, what will you spend it on?" asked Neville. "Wait, let me guess, a sleazy whore and a nice new battleaxe. Am I right?"

"I'm going to open a tavern," answered Nels. "Not that I'd welcome your patronage. No pigs allowed inside you see. You Legion types tend to stink up a place."

"A tavern?" Nevilla laughed heartily. "Oh, I should have known! Leave it to a barbarian to spend an entire chest full of gold on beer and mead. How pathetic."

"You can call me a barbarian," growled Nels. "It's true and I'm proud of the fact. But you call me pathetic again and I'm going to show you just how barbaric I am."

"With every word you speak you're just proving me right, Nord. Your kind has contributed nothing to our Empire and never will!" I decided I didn't like Neville.

It was Nels' turn to laugh. "'My kind,' as you like to call us are plenty happy serving our own needs while your useless Empire crumbles down around you."

"Your words border on treason, Nord, and I will not tolerate them! You will respect the Empire! You will respect the memory of our dear Emperor!" spat Neville.

"Bah! Don't get your linens in a bunch! You have no authority in this house, or anywhere else! You're not even in the Legion anymore!" said Nels dismissively.

"Nevertheless, I still serve the Empire in my heart and will not abide such talk! Walk away from me now, barbarian, or you'll regret your arrogance!"

"Pfft. I was done with you anyway. I can only talk to an Ex-Legion pig for so long before my ears start bleeding. Besides, I need a drink!" Nels laughed and went back to the table, picking up a mug.

I decided to approach Neville first, so as to confirm my dislike of him. "Hello, you must be Neville. I am Lily," I said, inclining my head.

"Ah, yes, the sixth guest. I'm Neville. It's nice to make your acquaintance," he said with a small bow. I wasn't sure if he just didn't like Nels, or if it was due to my being female, but he was much politer to me.

"What can you tell me about yourself, Neville?" I asked.

"I'm a Redguard, but I've never actually been to Hammerfell," he admitted. "I was born here in Cyrodiil. My family has been in the Legion for three generations."

"And what of the other guests?" I asked.

"Well," he said. "Matilde seems like an upstanding citizen of the Empire. She respects the law and recognizes the Legion as Tamriel's greatest defense against evil. Nels is a Nord, and like all Nords he's a lawless barbarian with no respect for authority." I felt another stab of annoyance. "Primo's a blue blood, a noble through and through. He thinks he's better than most people, and in most cases he's right. Who else? Ah, yes, Dovesi Dran. She's a Dark Elf, originally from Morrowind, or so I hear. I get the sense she doesn't like me very much."

"Is that really all?" I asked. "Come now, you're not bound to the secrets of the Legion anymore."

"I shouldn't," he said. "But alright. Dovesi is a Dark Elf. They call themselves Dunmer. When I was young, I spent some time stationed at Fort Moonmoth in their homeland of Morrowind. I have a great respect for the Dunmer people. They are strong and noble, and generally understand the importance of law and discipline. Unfortunately, Dovesi doesn't seem to like me very much. But I don't blame her. The young ones tend to have problems with authority figures. Matilde…if I may be honest, I feel a bit sorry for the old woman. She comes from a noble family, I'm sure, but she seems a lot less well off than she should be. Nels? Know what I think? I think that barbarian will do anything to get his hands on that chest of gold. His kind are greedy and vicious, all of them." I raised my eyebrow, but he ignored me. "Trust me, I know. I was stationed at Fort Frostmoth for a few years on the isle of Solstheim. Those Nords are a bunch of animal-worshiping savages. They're all the same, full of mead and something to prove. We lost a lot of good men up there. A lot of good men. And Primo. I'll confess I have no idea why Primo is here. The kid's got more wealth than the rest of us combined. He sure doesn't need a chest of gold. Maybe he's incredibly greedy, but I don't think so. My guess is that Primo is so bored he simply has nothing better to do."

By Sithis, he loved to talk, and was not at all dodgy about his racism. By now I had a deep dislike of him. I thanked him for his insight anyway and decided to find this Primo kid. I found him downstairs and introduced myself.

"So, you finally showed up. It's about time," he said. "People of my station are not accustomed to waiting."

Well that was awfully rude of him. "Antonius is an awfully nice name," I said with a forced smile.

"It's a regal name, from a rather regal family," he answered. "Indeed, my father owns more property than the East Empire Company!"

I disliked Primo already. "What do you think of the others we're stuck with?"

"Like Dovesi?" he asked. "She's quite beautiful, isn't she? A little young, perhaps, and not exactly high born, but she possesses a unique elegance. The old woman? She's quite a pest, really. I think she's gotten it into her head that I need mothering, or something. She is sorely mistaken. There's something about Nels I can't quite place. He's not from money, that's obvious. But I don't think he's quite the buffoon he seems, either. Neville reminds me of the guards under my father's employ. Strict, no nonsense, and ready to fight at a moment's notice."

"That can't be all, Primo," I said. "Come on, you're not in your manor, you don't have to hold your tongue."

"Well alright," he said. "Can I be honest with you, my friend? I find Dovesi…captivating. She possesses a beauty beyond compare. Maybe you could do me a favor? If you speak with her, put in a good word for me, would you? I would be forever in your debt."

"Consider it done," I said. "And the others?"

"Apparently the poor old woman thinks she's from a well-to-do family. Truth is, I have servants with more nobility in their blood than her. Nels is a drunk. He doesn't even try to hide that fact. But what else is he? When the liquor has dried, what remains of the man? I think Nels drinks to forget, maybe about some tragedy in his life. He plays the buffoon, but I sense a deep sadness in him. As for Neville, I know he's a retired Legion officer. Apparently he's been in campaigns all across the Empire, from Skyrim to Morrowind. I also get the sense that he's very eager to find the gold. I can't imagine his life of servitude to the Empire has left him much to retire on."

I left Primo and went back upstairs to Nels. He looked up at me and smiled. "Well, hello there. Nels is the name. Some call me naughty, but don't you believe it." He laughed. "It's good to see another Nord in this racist hellhole. And a pretty young lady at that."

I forced a blush and smiled. "And what can Nels the Naughty tell me about himself?" I asked.

"Ah, don't let the name fool you," he said. "I had a bit too much mead a few years back, and there was this tavern wench… Anyway, just call me Nels."

"Alright, Nels," I said. "What do you think of the others? No secrets between us, okay? Nords gotta stick together."

"Let me confide something in you, my friend," he said. "Dovesi is the spitting image oh my own daughter! Her skin is darker, of course, but that sweet face… My daughter was killed, you see. A few years back, by bandits. I'm sorry, please forgive a father's heavy heart."

"It's quite alright," I said. "I'm sorry about your daughter. What do you think of the other three?"

Nels laughed. "You should have seen the old biddy try to talk to young Primo Antonius. She may be a noble, but he looked down on her like a scullery maid. Primo is young and foolish. I sense a decent person in there somewhere. He just has to get his priorities straight. I will confide something in you, my friend. I despise Neville, and all his Imperial Legion ilk! They are useless, uncaring tools of corruption! Three years ago, my village in Skyrim was attacked by bandits. We went to the nearby Imperial Legion outpost, but they refused to help us! My dear sweet daughter Olga was killed that day. She was murdered, and the Legion would do nothing to help her. Neville and his kind are scum."

I left Nels to his drinking and went to meet the last member of the party, this Dunmer girl who had the respect of one, the love of two, and the distaste of one. I found her coming down from the top floor. "Hi, I'm Lily," I greeted.

"Hello, I'm Dovesi," she said. "I'm very pleased to meet you. Now that you're here, we can really start looking for that chest of gold. What I mean to say is, before you arrived, we all just sort of glanced around a bit. Now that we're all officially here, we can look in earnest!"

"Indeed," I said. "What can you tell me about yourself?"

"Not much to tell about me really. I'm from Morrowind originally, but my family moved to Valenwood a few years ago," she said.

"And the others?"

"Well, I don't really know her, but Matilde seems like a very respectable old lady," she says. "I wonder what makes Nels so 'Naughty'? He seems nice enough to me. Neville's a very serious man, but I guess that's normal for a retired soldier. Primo's very handsome, but don't tell him I said so! Hehe!"

"There must be more than that," I egged.

"Honestly? I don't think Matilde likes me. It's because I'm a Dunmer. I heard her say something to Neville and it wasn't very nice," she said sadly. "Every now and then Nels looks over at me and smiles. I think he's sweet on me. If Nels finds the gold, maybe he'll want some company." What a little gold digger. "I know Neville's a retires soldier. But not just a soldier – he was a soldier in the Imperial Legion! I hate the Legion and everything is stands for! Neville may not be in the Legion anymore, but who knows what atrocities he's committed. When those soldiers came to Morrowind, they persecuted my people and stole our lands. It's pretty obvious Primo comes from a wealthy family. He would never be interested in a girl like me, I'm afraid…"

"Not true! He told me he likes you," I said.

Dovesi's face brightened. "He…he did? Oh my goodness, what should I do? Should I talk to him? Or maybe play hard to get? Or should I, you know? Would that be too forward?"

"Go to his room," I suggested. "Wait for him there."

"Oh, you think so? I mean, it is rather forward, but I like it! Alright, I'll wait for him in the room upstairs! Oh thank you, thank you!" Dovesi turned right around and went right back up the stairs.

Now came the decision of who I should kill first. I wandered the house, acting like I was searching for the gold. I decided fairly quickly on Neville. I disliked him and his blatant hate for my race, and as a retired soldier, if things went sour he could cause me a lot of trouble. And just my luck, when I explored the upstairs, I found him taking a nap, alone. I glanced around, closed the door, slit his throat, absconded the fuck out and waited.

It didn't take much longer than half an hour before I heard Matilde's scream from upstairs, before she ran downstairs screaming that Neville had been murdered. I reacted in shock and horror along with the rest of the guests, before approaching the shaken woman.

"Please, sweetie, stay close to me," she said tearfully. "The killer might strike again, whoever he…or she…is."

"Calm down," I said soothingly. "What did you see?"

"Why would one of us kill Neville?" she sobbed. "What if they try to get the rest of us? You'll protect me, won't you?"

"Of course," I said. "Who do you think did it?"

"That little tramp is as guilty as sin, you hear me?" she said with no hesitation. "She's the killer, and if we don't keep our eyes on her she'll do it again."

"What about Nels?" I asked.

"You think Nels might be the killer?" she asked, horrified. "He plays the buffoon, but it could be an act. He is a Nord, and they're such a savage, uncivilized people." Annoyed, I let her continue. "I worry about the boy. What if the killer is after money? Primo is quite wealthy, he could be the next victim!"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," I said. "I'll go do some investigating, okay? Stay here and sit down."

I left Matilde and went upstairs to where her primary suspect had run. She saw me and greeted me with "Why? Why would someone do this? The taking of a life is against every principle I hold dear. It's something I just can't understand."

"It'll all be over soon enough," I said.

"Oh, I certainly hope so," she said. "I still want to find the gold, of course, but is it even worth it? I just want to go home. Alright, so I didn't like Neville. But the man was a trained soldier! He knew how to handle himself! Who could possibly have killed him?"

"I don't know," I said. "Who do you think?"

"I don't trust that old hag," she growled. "She pretends she likes you, and then she stabs you in the back. Who knows? Maybe she'll really stab you in the back. But do you think Nels could have done it? He comes across as somewhat of a drunk, but you never can tell what someone is capable of. I...I rather like Primo. He's not like the other boys I've known. He has…class. He could never have killed anyone."

"Shh," I said. "Calm down. Get some rest. I'm gonna go investigate some more. I'll come back when I figure out who the threat is."

I left her and went downstairs to Nels. "Have you heard, my friend?" he said. "One of our fellow guests has been murdered! This bodes ill for our stay, and our search for the gold."

"What do you think happened?" I asked.

"Neville was probably the most capable fighter among us, yet he was cut down silently, just a few rooms away," he said gravely. "I fear one of us is not who they appear. You want to know how I really feel about Neville's death? I'm afraid. I may hate the Imperial Legion, but its members are trained warriors. This isn't the work of some greedy house guest. There's an assassin among us, you mark my words. We must watch ourselves at every step."

"Who do you think it is?" I asked.

"Let me tell you something," he said darkly. "If anyone thinks they're going to hurt that poor Dark Elf girl, they're going to have to get through me first. It seems Matilde's upset about the murder, but there's something else. It's almost like she's glad there's less competition for the gold. Greedy old bat. Whoever the killer is would have to be strong, and quick. Now, I'm not saying Primo is our murderer, but you have to admit it's at least possible."

"I'll go scope things out," I said, going downstairs to Primo.

"I'm beginning to get a bad feeling about all of this," he said when he saw me. "I'd leave right now, if I could. The money means nothing to me, I just thought it would be fun."

"How do you think the others are faring?" I asked.

"I can tell the murder is weighing heavily on Dovesi's heart," he said. "She seems such a paradox to me. So gentle and beautiful, yet so strong… Now that somebody's been killed, Matilde may be a little frightened for her own safety, but she's still more concerned with finding the hidden gold. Matilde claims to be one of High Rock's most distinguished noble families, but I have a feeling their fortunes have long been squandered. Before the body turned up, I got the sense that Nels was a bit of a drunkard. But he seems truly unnerved now, and is drinking rather excessively."

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"My friend, I am truly worried!" he cried. "Neville was a strong a capable man, a soldier of twenty years! The rest of us will be easy prey for the killer now!"

"That's right," I said softly, so as the upper floors wouldn't hear me. "You will be easy prey for me." And I drove the Blade of Woe into his stomach.

Primo dropped. I wiped the blood off onto his back, sheathed it, and calmly went back upstairs. Two down. I had killed the biggest threat to make it easier on me, and now I killed the most innocent one with the least suspicion on him to rock the boat. I waited again for someone else to discover the body. This time it was Dovesi. She fled upstairs in tears, leaving the remaining three of us downstairs. I approached Nels first, eager to hear what he had to say. He was perceptive, that one.

"I haven't seen death like this in a long, long time," he said, taking a swig. "It's a big more than my nerves can handle, I'm afraid. I plan to gather up every drop of drink in this house and keep it to myself if things get any worse around here. I find comfort in it, you see."

"What do you think happened to Primo?" I asked, faking distress.

"Primo being here made no sense," said Nels. "Whoever our host is, why would he invite someone who didn't even need the money? It's as if we were invited here for another reason altogether. Think about it. We're trapped in this house with no way out. And now people start dying. I think poor Primo was tricked, just like the rest of us. If we're not careful, we'll end up dead too. Mark my words."

"Who do you think did it?" I asked.

"I don't know, but so far the killer has claimed two victims," he said. "If they plan on adding Dovesi to that list, they can think again. I won't let any harm come to that girl. I'll be honest, friend. I don't know what to think of Matilde. Yeah, she seems frightened, but she's also still alive. Why wasn't she killed? She may look old and weak, but that's never stopped a murderer before, has it? Don't doubt for a second that she couldn't be the killer."

I went across the room to Matilde, where she sat near tears. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I just can't believe he's dead," she said. "He was like a young, beautiful prince. I hope whoever did this can live with themselves."

"Who do you think it was?"

"Don't trust her, sweetie," she said. "Not a thing she says. If she tries to get you alone somewhere, get away as fast as you can! She's a cold-blooded killer! But…two people dead, yet Nels still lives? I don't think that's a coincidence. Nords are savage, born to kill. I just know he did it!"

She was right, of course. It wasn't a coincidence Nels was alive, I liked listening to his insight, and I was born to kill. I left her alone to go upstairs to 'comfort' Dovesi.

"I don't care about the gold anymore!" she sobbed when she saw me. "I just want to get out of here! I'm going to try all the windows and doors, see if I can't get one of them to open!"

"You seemed very upset about Primo," I said.

"Primo was my chance, don't you understand me!" she shouted. "He was wealthy! He could take me away someplace! Whoever did this will pay!"

"Which one of them do you think the killer is?" I asked.

"At first I thought she was just a cranky old crone," said Dovesi bitterly. "Now I'm beginning to think she's a cold-blooded killer. Can I be honest with you? Nels won't stop looking at me. At first I was flattered. But now he's scaring me! He could be the killer! I could be next!"

"You are next," I said. "How stupid can someone be, running off all alone with an assassin in the house? You'll be with Primo in a moment." I shove my Blade of Woe up under her chin, through her skull, wiped the blood off, and calmly left.

Luckily, Nels and Matilde continued to wander, and both were alone at certain periods. I decided it was my turn to find a body and announced that I was going to check on Dovesi, only to fake a scream when upstairs, run downstairs, and announce her death. Matilde took one look at Nels and ran downstairs. I ran to Nels for 'comfort'.

"My friend, please stay safe!" he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Three of us have been murdered! Besides you and me, there's only one guest left, if you know what I'm saying."

"I'm sorry about Dovesi," I said in a forced broken voice. "I know you liked her."

"I've seen death like this before," he said somberly. "Many years ago, my daughter was murdered by bandits that came to our village. I'm sorry…I…I need a drink. No…no! When I looked into Dovesi's face, it was like peering at my own daughter. I…I feel like I've lost her all over again. I'm sorry, I'm going down to the cellar to be alone."

Nels left, and I followed him down to the ground floor, approaching Matilde from behind. She turned around and jumped violently, gasping loudly. "Oh, thank goodness it's you, sweetie! Please, don't wander too far away, I feel safe with you."

"Not the smartest feeling you've ever had," I said. I drew the Blade of Woe.

"What?" asked Matilde, horrified. "But…no! No! Please! NO!" Matilde let out a bloodcurdling shriek before I silenced her for good.

Knowing there was no way Nels didn't hear it, and also knowing that he's definitely smart enough to finger me as the killer, I opened the cellar door, blood dripping from my Blade, to find him waiting on the stairs.

"You want to know something, my friend?" he said. "I just don't care anymore. We're the only two left. I know I didn't kill those people, so that leaves you. And now you're here to kill me, right? Well, let's get this over with."

"I'll reunite you with your daughter," I said.

Nels didn't try to fight me, merely turned his back and bowed his head, making the severing of his spine easy.

Ocheeva greeted me when I returned. "Well done! Not only did you kill the five guests, you acted as an agent of terror and grief. You have earned your reward and bonus, Assassin."

She bestowed on me the Night Mother's Blessing, and I felt her unholy power strengthen me. I dropped in on Lucien that night, making up for my two week absence until near dawn. I had had a lot of fun that day.