Every single brother and sister in the Dark Brotherhood found themselves lingering in the main chamber of the sanctuary for one reason or another. Perhaps with the absence of the Listener and the constant threat of an outside guild attacking, subconsciously they all felt much safer if they remained together.

They didn't speak a work, but busied themselves with mindless tasks. Cicero even held his tongue, even though he felt it was far too quiet for his liking. He didn't like the silence; it reminded him of his horrid period of isolation in Cyrodiil. The only thing keeping the jester from barking his head off was the peace of mind that he could see all the members of his extended family. Their presence was enough to comfort him.

Everyone in the Dawnstar sanctuary stirred when they heard the loud slamming of the Black Door echo through the chamber. The first to make his appearance was Dro'marash. The cat padded his way down the short stairwell and his normally bright orange eyes seemed dull. He was still in mourning from the loss of his sister in Winterhold.

Kaie was rushed towards him and pulled the Khajiit into a tight embrace. They had lost Shaleez, but at least their brother was still alive. Vytalas slowly made his way over and held both the Breton and feline close. All four of the assassins had grown up together as initiates and their bond was stronger than that of most blood relatives. With their Argonian sister gone, the three were going to need to rely on one another to get through the rough patches ahead.

While the three Dark Brotherhood members tried to console each other, the older residents of the sanctuary remained silent and kept to themselves.

Nazir was pretending to be involved in his stew, Babette was grinding some fire salts with her pestle, Lachance was sulking off in a dark corner and Cicero stared expectantly at the entranceway, anxious for the appearance of the Listener.

The Black Hand leader briskly made his way down the stairs, his rush coming to an abrupt stop once he reached the bottom. His head was hung low and he was still wearing the Arch Mage robes, not bothering to change back into his Dark Brotherhood shrouds before entering.

"Listener!" Cicero exclaimed as he started towards his friend. "Welcome home."

The Keeper took a quick step back and the smile lifted from his lips when he saw the unpleasant expression fixated on the Argonian. KaNack's face was frozen in a grimace and his eyes were illuminating a bright white in the dim light of the sanctuary.

"Meeting room," the Listener growled suddenly.

"Pardon?" Babette asked, looking up from her work.

"Meeting room…NOW!" the reptile roared pointing furiously towards the tunnel that led to their council chamber.

Everyone could not scramble from the main chamber fast enough…everyone except for the Spectral Assassin. The ghost gave the mage an unimpressed look as he slowly approached him.

"Taking your anger out on them won't bring Shaleez back, Listener," the spirit explained stiffly. The caster shot Lucien a dark look before storming past him, not responding to the observation. Lucien patiently trailed behind the furious Argonian as they made their way through the familiar tunnels.

Everyone was already settled in their respective seats. Kaie and Dro'marash seemed to shrink in size when they saw their leader appear. They had witnessed firsthand just how dangerous the mage was when he allowed emotion to consume him and feared to even make eye contact with him.

KaNack gradually made his way over to his side of the table where Cicero was patiently waiting, his hands clasped tightly together. The Listener took his seat and his dark look scanned over every face at the table making everyone all the more uncomfortable.

"Someone," KaNack uttered darkly breaking the silence, "give me good news."

The Redguard cleared his throat, causing the Black Hand leader to turn to him.

"Well, we received a message from Brynjolf. One of his thieves spotted a young female Dunmer meeting with an Argonian and a Redguard just outside of Ivarstead," Nazir started. "They were acting suspicious and the man thought it best to report it back to his Guild."

"Ivarstead?" the Argonian said as he rested his chin on his clenched hands. "There is nothing there but…"His eyes narrowed. "If those Morag Tong think they can kill a Greybeard, we might not have to worry about destroying them ourselves." A cruel smile formed on his lips. "Arngrier could shatter them to pieces with one Shout."

"This concerns me," Lucien stated quietly. "If that female Dunmer is Dinya, that means that there are more than just elves making up the Morag Tong." The spirit turned to stare at his caster. "Diversity always plays an important role when forming an effective faction of killers, as you know all too well, Listener."

"Dro did have an encounter with that Orc that turned out to be a werewolf," the Khajiit started suddenly. "He had a personal interest in destroying me once he discovered I was a follower of Sithis."

"A werewolf executioner?" the reptile hissed as his brows furrowed. "He just might be the one who was behind the slaying of Farkas." The mages eyes squeezed shut as he thought about the Whiterun Sanctuary. The brothers and sisters in Dawnstar had already dealt with enough loss, it was best to keep this news quiet until they recovered from Shaleez's death.

"What of the Companions?" the Redguard asked suddenly. "Last I heard they were still on the hunt for us."

"Maven Black-Briar was gracious enough to give the Brotherhood a brief reprieve from the mercenaries of Jorrvaskr's hounding. Tullius and the Legion are still after us, but he won't question anyone who rides with me." The reptile's eyes widened. "With the death of Onmund, however, J'Zargo is leading a group of some of the best apprentices in the school in an attempt to avenge our friend. The Khajiit is a close ally of mine, but he will not hesitate to strike down any whom he might suspect of being a member of this family."

"So, we no longer have to worry about the Companions, but now the College of Winterhold is after us?" Babette asked with a sigh. "It's only a matter of time before we find ourselves found out and surrounded." The Unchild gave her leader a look of concern. "Even your charm won't be able to save you if they find out who you really are, KaNack."

"I am not concerned," the reptile answered. "These are my friends, and I will not fear them. My only concern right now is Othrelos and his bloody executioners." KaNack slowly rose from his seat and looked angrily at the Dark Brotherhood members surrounding him.

"The Morag Tong decided to take my adoptive daughter away from me. If this Dark Elf in Ivarstead is in fact Dinya, I am going to make damn sure to repay the favor to that warlock." The Argonian pointed a claw at the Khajiit. "Dro, what is the deadliest poison you have?"

The cat's ears pricked up as he stared at his leader. "Dro…Dro's poisons? Why do you want Dro's…?"

"Dammit, Dro! Do you have something that can kill someone in one strike?!" the mage snarled.

"Yes! Yes of course, Listener! Dro has a very potent and toxic poison! It almost rivals the Jarrin Root!"

"Get it!" KaNack ordered as he took his seat.

The cat got up from his seat and quickly sped out the exit. Babette looked after her protégé in concern before turning to the Black Hand leader.

"I am hoping that you have a plan to back up all of your barking," the vampires hissed, not very pleased with the Argonian's attitude.

"Plan?" the Listener asked. "My plan is to find the Dunmer bitch, stun her with a Shout and poison her before she can kill anyone else. I am not taking any more chances with these executioners. I want to kill them as quickly as possible." He pulled out the Blade of Woe and ran a claw along the blade. "I don't usually like to work outside the realms of magic, but I know just how effective a poisoned weapon can be."

"The Listener is referring to Maro?" Cicero asked as he stared at the dangerous blade in the reptile's hands.

"The tactic was good enough to almost kill me; it should be good enough to kill the Morag Tong." KaNack sheathed his blade. "Maybe even Othrelos if I can get close enough."

"You worry me," Lachance remarked quietly, causing the mage to turn to him. "In all the years you have led this sanctuary, I have only seen you use that blade on three occasions," the spirit remarked. "Are you sure that this is the weapon of choice to be used when you once again face this man?"

A grumbled rumbled in the mage's throat, but he knew that the specter had a valid point. Othrelos was dangerous and getting too close could easily lead to a quick death. "You may be right, Buddy. I should have followed your advice and perfected my training in melee fighting. However, I still think that poisoning is going to be the only way to take down the Morag Tong leader."

Scrambling through the entrance, the feline alchemist rushed towards the Argonian grasping a dark red potion bottle. Dro took a few moments to catch his breath before he leaned over and tenderly placed the poison on the table.

"A teaspoon of that would drop a mammoth in fifteen seconds," the Khajiit announced proudly. "You want a person dead? This is the best Dro has to offer!"

The Listener reached forward and grabbed the bottle and began to stare at it intently. Khajiits were known for their boasting, but in Dro'marash's case, KaNack knew better than to doubt his alchemist's abilities in the art of poison.

The mage's pale eyes lit up suddenly and he turned to once again face his spiritual guardian. "Lucien, what you did to me in the training chamber has now inspired me," he announced. "You're right, I might not be able to get close enough to strike Othrelos with the Blade of Woe, but I am willing to bet a coated arrow tip could take that warlock down permanently."

"I've yet to meet the man who can outrun one of my projectiles," Vytalas stated as he rose from his seat. The archer's red eyes narrowed as he gave a stern nod of his head towards his leader. "Give the word, and you will have my bow, Listener."

"The boy's confidence has been shaky at best recently," Lachance hissed into the mage's ear. "Are you sure you want to entrust this task with him against such a dangerous opponent?"

"You can't fire his bow for him forever, Lucien," the reptile whispered back. "He won't ever recover if we never give him the chance to prove himself once again." The Dark Brotherhood leader nodded his head to the archer. "Very well, Vytalas. When the time comes to once again face Othrelos, I will ensure the task of his bitter end to you." A wicked smile kept up his scaly face. "Make him regret leaving you alive."

KaNack left his seat and began to pace in front of the long table. "I wish to look into Ivarstead. If whom the thief saw was Dinya, I will recognize her. I could never forget her face," the mage muttered. "It was branded into my subconscious the moment she disrespected Fetus' grave." The Listener brought his pacing to a halt and stared at his family. "The Dunmer is not stable in the head and bound to make a few mistakes. Killing her should not prove to be too difficult without her bastard of a father watching over her."

Lachance rose from his seat and stormed over to the Argonian to hiss in his ear. "Don't underestimate your enemy, child," the Spectral Assassin warned him. "She may not be a mage like Othrelos, but she is still dangerous. If you do manage to find this Dark Elf in Ivarstead, she will not be alone."

"Neither shall I." The Dark Brotherhood leader scanned the faces of everyone at the table before looking back at the ghost. "I see at least four other assassins present, and I am willing to bet that Vy has been itching to shed some Morag Tong Blood."

The Listener pointed a clawed finger at his brothers and sisters. "There is the possibility of at least two other Morag Tong executioners accompanying Dinya. I know that Lucien is with me, who else is willing to avenge their sister's death?"

Every single person at the table stood up at once and had a look of desperation in their eyes. They may be ready to kill in the name of Sithis, but this desire to end life went beyond mere servitude to their deity. It had become personal and they needed at least one of the Morag Tong to die before they could even start to recover from Shaleez's death.

A smirk crawled up the Black Hand leader's face. "Alright, Vy and Kaie, you are coming with me. Babette, I want you and Dro'marash to start working on a fresh batch of this poison. I want to make sure that we have plenty in stock."

"As you wish," the vampire said with a shrug. "I just hope you don't end up getting yourself killed."

"It won't happen," KaNack laughed. "With Buddy by my side, no one could ever kill me!"

"So sure of that, are you?" the ghost remarked bitterly before he turned and left the room. KaNack was surprised by his spirit's resentment and wasn't about to let it go.

"Prepare for travel," the mage said as he looked over his shoulder to the Breton and Dunmer. "We're leaving tonight."

The meeting over, the Argonian hurried through the tunnel to catch up with the slow pace of Lachance. The Listener scowled at him as he walked alongside the Spectral Assassin.

"I know you might be getting a little tired of pulling my ass out of the fire, Lucien. Was that comment really necessary, however?"

"You're not invincible, KaNack," the specter grumbled out. "I might not always be there to look out for you and there are vast amount of people out there, aside from the Morag Tong, who want nothing more than to see you dead."

"I'm a Legate in Tullius' army," the reptile announced proudly. "I am Arch Mage of the College of Winterhold. Nothing can change that fact."

"It matters not, they will kill you," Lachance stated rather callously as he shot KaNack a dark look. "Years of loyalty and devotion will mean nothing to them. Even your closest allies will see you as nothing more than the bloodthirsty leader of the Dark Brotherhood, and they will make you suffer for it."

The Listener locked eyes with the Spectral Assassin. "Are you referring to Applewatch, Lucien?" the mage asked quietly. This made the spirit scowl at the Argonian. "These aren't people whom embrace death the way we do. They are different from the Black Hand."

"Fool," the ghost growled at him. "You think this would be any different? As far as they are concerned, you killed Farkas, you killed Legate Rikke and you killed Onmund. Stop thinking that you are so flawless; you'd be horrified to find out just how many of your friends would turn on you if they knew who you really were." Lachance turned away, but his jaw was clenched tightly. "The only people you can trust are in this sanctuary and that's more than I had when I was still alive."

"So, the Morag Tong is my Mathieu Bellamont then?" the mage asked. "You think I am doomed to follow in your footsteps?"

"I fear that you do not fully comprehend just what is happening outside the safety of this sanctuary," Lachance grumbled. "Just believe me when I say you need to be more careful." The ghost once again began to walk down the tunnel.

"Don't speak to me as though I were a child!" the reptile barked after him.

"Then stop acting like one!" Lachance shouted as he spun around to glare at the Listener. "You are allowing yourself to get wound up with emotion and are making sudden and rash decisions because of it. How much thought did you really put into this plan to kill Dinya in Ivarstead?"

KaNack was about to answer when the ghost started to walk off again.

"None; as to be expected when you're upset. I just pray that someone else doesn't get killed because of it."

The Listener's lip curled up into a snarl and he charged forward and spun the spirit around roughly by the shoulder.

"You think Shaleez's death is not going to haunt me for the rest of my days?" he spat furiously. "I am doing my damnedest to keep from falling to pieces, Lachance! People are dying all around us! We don't have time to think over every little detail!"

"I understand that you didn't mean for your protégé to get killed," the ghost answered coldly. "When you make rash decisions, however, incidents can and will happen. I never sent any of my Cheydinhal family members out unless I truly comprehended what they were going up against! A true leader always considers his brothers and sisters safety first! That is why, just like you, they trusted me!"

"Yes, I guess that's why they didn't see it coming when your Silencer killed them all in the dead of night. Of course, unlike the others, that was not Bellamont's doing…was it Lachance?"

The Spectral Assassin's eyes widened with fury and his fist sprang forward connected right with the Argonian's temple sending the mage staggering backwards.

"You little bastard," the spirit growled darkly. "All these years I've done nothing but do my best to serve you and you dare speak to me in such a way?!"

KaNack rubbed at his head, but when he turned to look at Lucien, there was no anger in his eyes. "You're right," he started quietly. "I shouldn't have said that to you." The reptile leaned against the wall of the tunnel before continuing. "Actions can be deafening; but words can be eternal. I have been struck many times over the years, Lucien. This bruise on my head?" KaNack gestured to it. "It will heal and go away in a few days. However, I have no idea how long it will take for you to recover from the sting of my words."

The mage's head lowered. "It hurt so much to lose Festus, Veezara and the others. The pain of losing Shaleez and Onmund was even worse." He stared at the ghost with frightened eyes. "I feel like I'm about to explode because of all this pent up energy building in my gut. I need to lash out, but everyone is expecting me to keep calm and defeat the Morag Tong. Othrelos and his executioners are killing too quickly and they are spread about Skyrim."

The mage slid to the floor. "My friend Onmund's funeral was less than twenty-four hours ago, yet I know that if I don't do something soon, someone else is going to die. The people in this sanctuary are turning to me looking for answers." KaNack's eyes narrowed. "You know damn well that I don't have all the answers. I'm doing the best I can while also fighting to keep my emotions from overtaking me." He smacked his head hard across the back of the wall before looking at the Spectral Assassin sadly. "How were you able to do it, Lachance? How were you able to remain so strong even when you lost everyone?"

"I was much older than you when that tragic event took place," the spirit said solemnly. "Death seemed almost second nature to me. One cannot be in our line of work if death affects them so negatively. I was merely doing what I thought was the will of Sithis, and that definitely helped me get through it. I had faith that my deity would not lead me astray."

The Listener slid to the side as the spirit made his way over and sat down next to him. "It hurt to lose Vincente and the others, but I knew that I would see them again in the Void. That made it a little easier to get through it." The mage let out a soft groan as Lucien placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are right though, this is your 'Mathieu Bellamont'. If the followers of Sithis aren't cleared for the crimes of the Morag Tong, it will only be a matter of time before you have to experience your own Applewatch."

"I don't think I'm ready."

"No one is ever ready, child. How can one possibly prepare for the worst? I am not going to be as arrogant as the jester and claim everything will work out; the truth is I don't know what fate is going to befall any of us. Whatever happens though, at least be sure to do your best and not be afraid to die."

"I'm not afraid to die," the mage said softly. "I'm afraid to die alone." KaNack turned to stare at the ghost. "When I called you to that tower in Solitude when I had been betrayed by Astrid, I was so scared that I was going to die with no one around who cared about me. I'm always braver when I'm with a friend. The thought of dying alone?" He shuddered. "I just don't think I could have been as strong as you were in that farmhouse. I don't want to die alone, Lucien. I don't want to die scared."

"We were bonded together through the Void, Listener," Lachance said quietly. "I swear to you, so long as I can return to the plane of Tamriel, you won't ever have to die alone."

KaNack head lowered shamefully. "I'm sorry for what I said, Lucien. I never would have gotten this far without you helping me along the way."

"Words can sting, as you said," the spirit said gently. "Fortunately though, they can heal as well. Let's just try and put this bitter matter behind us. " The Dark Brotherhood spirit stood up and offered the Listener his hand. "Come now; let's see if we can't send one of the Morag Tong's souls to the Void."

A small smirk crawled up KaNack's face as he grasped the transparent hand. "All hail Sithis."