"I hope you have brought back good news, Carciniea," the Redguard, Nazir, said rather sternly to seeing the young Listener back so soon.
She kicked her feet up on the opposite side of the table from where he sat, sitting back in the old wooden chair, "Nothing to worry about, friend. Titus Mede ll is now a thing of the past."
"Truly? Could you have brought us happier news?" Nazir let out a jolly laugh, looking as if he was going doing some sort of victory dance in his seat, "From recent events notwithstanding, this a happy day for us, friend. Despite your misfortunes you have stayed true to the Dark Brotherhood. And for that, you have our eternal thanks."
She tried her best to suppress a yawn, waving a hand, "Really, it's fine. I'm used to things like this."
"Now this, I must ask... Killing the Emperor and all..." He leaned in, "How much did Motierre pay?"
"About twenty thousand or so gold. It could be better I suppose, but it was worth it. The little creep might have even paid me a little more, with that strange gleam he had in his eyes..." She mumbled the last part. She wondered if keeping Motiere alive was a mistake.
"Ha! Remarkable! The old bastard certainly made it worth your while, hasn't he? Now, might I offer some advice? Go down to Riften and speak to Delvin Mallory. I believe Astrid had you visit him once before, no? Mallory is an expert in obtaining goods. We can use him to remodel and refit this Sanctuary and make it a good home. You do that, and I'll see about recruiting some new members for our family..."
"Work never seems to end, does it?" She laughed. She shook her head, biting her tongue to keep her from saying something rude. She wasn't exactly happy with the not-so-warm welcome she received, but at least she could take peace in the inn at Dawnstar.
She noticed the Night Mother's sarcophagus that sat off to the side, giving it a sideways glance before taking her leave. Halfway out the door she could feel the cold air slip rough the crack just as usual, her ankle feeling the sharp nip as she opened the door.
She was genuinely surprised to not have heard any comment or seen hide nor hair of Cicero. This had left her slightly unsettled, though she was sure wherever the little jester run off, he was perfectly fine. She chuckled to herself at the thought of the redhead making himself a small flower crown in replacement of his hat.
"Daydreaming, Carciniea?" She heard Lucien sneer.
She stretched her legs, starting Shadowmere off on a small trot towards the town. "Something like that," she murmured, not feeling quite up to thinking of some sort of retort.
She heard him laugh, her stomach waking up up with a sharp churn as she could almost feel his lips ghost over her ear, "Ah, but we wouldn't want an accident now, do we?"
She felt herself instinctively sit up straight, turning to him and making a face, "Oh don't you go around and sending even more mixed signals, mister. I think you've already sent more than enough."
She halted Shadowmere to the side of Dawnstar's Windpeak Inn, wagging a finger at Lucien. Carciniea was a big over-joyous as she purchased a cheap room for the night, immediately plopping onto it with another thought on her mind. She had been waiting for this moment, instantly drifting off to sleep...
Everything quickly turned black and on its own, her mind painting a scene around her. There was a dark room around her, poorly lit and an awful stench filling up the air. Despite the poor lighting she could make out a small little red headed girl, shaking in the corner closest to the door.
There was shuffling and muttering right outside, but something forbid her from moving around and comforting the youthful girl.
"We've heard disturbances of screaming, sir. I don't recall the Sarethi family mentioning that they'd be packing up to move to Solstheim," said a gruff, Nordic voice.
"Ah, the Sarethi family. They mentioned they had a close cousin who fell sick and they went to their family's rescue at once. They were kind, yes. I had recently received a letter from them just the other day that..." The voice paused as another set of footsteps grew closer to the door, "Please sir, we mustn't touch what isn't ours."
Lucien? she thought. The voice was uncanny.
"Do you have the letter with you now?" Another, much more softer, voice asked.
"I..." There was a long, dramatic sigh, "Why must you all make things so difficult...?"
There was a scream or two that followed after the distinct sound of slicing through flesh. Thumping sounds echoed and vibrated through the room. The little girl seemed to be on the verge of tears at the thumping sound, inching closer to the door.
She opened the door up wide, a tall figure standing out vividly in the dull-colored scene. They stood before the bodies of three guardsmen, slowly turning their face towards Carciniea and the girl. She could make out the undeniable face of Lucien Lachance, looking almost angry.
The scene around her quickly dissolved into a black as she heard the whisper of a child: "Lucien, I'm scared."
This sudden sound immediately woke Carciniea up from her rest. She lifted her head up to reassure herself she was all alone, slowly leaning her head back down once the coast was clear.
"Bad dreams, my Listener?" She heard her ghostly companion ask.
She rolled onto her stomach, groaning, "Stay out of my dreams, Luce."
He chuckled, "I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you."
The trip to Riften was, thankfully, a short one. The roads were quiet and gave Carciniea the peace of mind she had been looking for. She was finally embracing the new weight on her shoulders, though the emotional pain had long since ceased. Now it was a numbing burden that plagued her mind.
She didn't mind this, though. She had dealt with emotions much similar to this and carried on just fine, despite the one difference. Lucien hadn't shown himself since she left Dawnstar, this disappearance reawakening another worry she had for Cicero.
Still, she needed to keep herself calm and collected for just a little while longer.
She headed through the Ratway that was held underneath the slime of the city itself, getting lost a few times before Lucien managed to point her in the right direction. The Ragged Flagon remained dusty and lonesome as ever, with the same old customers at that.
Carciniea took a seat opposite of Delvin Mallory, leaning against the table with both arms propped up, "I heard you could refit the Dawnstar Sanctuary."
"The Dawnstar Sanctuary? That's where you lot are holed up now?" Delvin made a face at his new company, sitting back, "Hm... I'll tell you what, it'll cost you- a lot- But I can help you out. What exactly are we talking about here?"
She took out the fat wad of coin from her pocket, dropping it on the table, "Everything. I want the entire thing patched and made good as new. I'll pay for everything."
Delvin took a piece of parchment and began to scribble down while muttering to himself, "Banners, yes, that'll pretty up the place... A poisoner's nook for the wee one... Get you a nice chamber fit for a king... Ah, yes it's not the Dark Brotherhood without one of these... And what's a secret society without a secret entrance?" He paused, sliding her the paper, "There you go, now."
Carciniea picked up the paper and felt a sad smile come on as she read the total price, sighing, "That's okay, I like being poor anyway..."
He chuckled to himself, "I hope the old place is livable now. Good luck with your, er... Murders and such."
She immediately took her leave, missing the smell of fresh air. The sewers were never the type of place for a girl like her to stay, especially with the foul stench that followed... She climbed out of the Ratways and out of the waterways right below it.
Instead of immediately taking her leave of Riften she lingered there just a little longer; the city was so close to Cyrodilic land she could also feel herself back in her former home. She made a face at the temple of Mara, going through one the openings to the side and spotting a small little cemetery that was filled with tombstones and bits of nightshade. Carciniea leaned on the fence, overlooking the very small graveyard.
"Oh, the pain of mortality," she plucked out one of the nightshades, examining it closely, " Knowing one day you're going end up six feet under without actually knowing when."
"You sound more and more pessimistic by the day, it seems."
"If anything I'm sounding more and more like you. Becoming cynical and almost unfeeling... I'm unlocking the secrets of the great Lachance. The only difference is soon enough I'll be wasting away. But maybe that's how I was meant to be- Lonely and pessimistic."
She felt a sudden cold grip on her forearms pulling her around out of surprise. Lucien held her in a close grip, their faces fairly close to one another, "Look into my eyes, Listener. Know that you are not the only one who suffers in these terms."
In just half a moment she felt her heart melt at the feeling of such actions. She did as he commanded, right before the last brick was taken down from her walls she pulled herself away and built them back up stronger than ever.
She let out a rather cold laugh, her voice became ice,"Oh, what? Are you going to admit to secret feelings you had for me at the start? Of course not, because that's for fairy tales and princesses and... Well, I'm far off from a princess." She took notice of how Lucien's eyes widened, "What? Were you under some assumption I planned on staying here as long as I could? If that's the case, you obviously don't know me as well as I thought you did."
"I never said I was here as a social call," he barked at her, which Carciniea flinch back and turn away from him. Lucien slumped his shoulders, taking a step forward and reaching for her hand, "Listener-"
"I remember how it felt to suffer," she deadpanned, the crickets and insectlife even quieting down, "To get to the point where it hurts most, where the Void is just outside your door... I remember that. I want to know that suffering again so when I do return home I can count my blessings and never leave anyone's side. This isn't about hopeless longing anymore, Luce. This has gone on long enough. It's time for my curtain call."
Lucien remained silent. The decrease of sound managed to get Carciniea to turn around out of curiosity, to see him still there.
"Isn't it? Or are you just hiding one more thing from me?"
Still there was the empty void of silence. Lucien only looked away, letting outa sigh and whispering something too low for the Listener to hear.
"I'll see you back at the Sanctuary if you won't talk, then," she immediately took her leave of the small garden, not looking back.
"MOTHER!" She heard a very delighted Cicero squeal the second she stepped into the Dawnstar sanctuary.
She chuckled to herself at this, walking herself through the narrow corridor and into Cicero's line-of-sight.
"LISTENER!" Cicero squealed even louder, leaping from the top of the Night Mother's sarcophagus onto the floor to greet Carciniea. He ran up to her and for just a second she thought he was going to kiss her, her eyes instinctively closing shut as she felt his cheek brush against her own. She felt his arms clamp tightly around her waist, his naturally high-pitched voice turned to a more somber tone, "I missed you."
She felt him drop to his knees, his grasp tightening. His head nuzzled against her thigh; she could already guess the pure isolation of being away from even his precious Night Mother broke him just a little more.
She couldn't help but rejoice in being back in his presence, a strange, yet vaguely familiar feeling emerged from it. "I missed you, too," she laughed.
She bent down to his eye-level, picking his face up by the chin. "What's wrong, little man?" She questioned, taking notice of the tears that stained his rather fair skin, "I thought jesters were suppose to be happy?"
"Cicero is happy... Yes, Cicero is jubilant!" He sprang to his feet, dancing, "What a truly merry day it is for the Listener to come and stay, with Cicero, and the Mother! All together, like a happy family..."
"Yes, we are!" She laughed at the sight of him, before being pulled into his silly dance.
He spun her around with one hand on her shoulder and another clasped her hand tightly, dipping her so low at Carciniea thought he was going to plop her on the ground. Her feet couldn't come close to keeping up with his fast pace, instead it looked like Cicero was trying to drag her around.
"The Listener is back, oh what a jolly jester that makes me..." Cicero sang.
She could see her other two friends sitting together down below, her face instantly becoming pale. She squirmed out of his grasp, craning her neck to confirm her fears. She slowly descended down the steps, Nazir and Babette immediately locking eyes with her. She let out a guilty laugh as she reached the bottom step; she rubbed one arm as she choked out a nervous laugh, "Hey guys..."
"Why am I not surprised to learn Cicero is alive?" Nazir folded his arms, looking and sounding stern as ever.
Her jaw hung open as she attempted to form some kind of comprehensible statement. Srs he raised her eyebrows, holding up her hands as a surrender, "I can explain, I swear. You see, what happened was that I was going to kill him-"
"That's a lie."
"... Okay you got me there," she slumped her shoulders, "But he had the saddest little eyes and the cutest little face! I couldn't lift a knife to someone like that!"
Nazir gave her a hard look for a long moment, making the Listener more uncomfortable than she cared to let on. He finally let out a long breath, "I still can't stomach the clown, but if you've welcomed him, I won't question it."
"So wait... Cicero's alive?" Babette finally spoke up, trying to make sense of all this, "And we're all friends again?"
Carciniea shrugged, "Well... Yeah, pretty much."
Babette rolled her eyes, sighing, "I swear, I can hardly keep up..."
She let out a hollow laugh as she scratched the back of her head, "Yeah, me too." She took her leave of the conversation, the second she turned her back she could hear the two whispering to each other once more.
She wandered around the halls and corridors, taking note of the new decorations Mallory had installed along with a couple initiates Nazir had gathered. No one seemed to have noticed her other than her close colleagues.
She managed to have found the bedrooms after the wandering, the room at the end of the hall was nice and large. Truly fit for the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. She smiled at the large bed, plopping her back on it as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Carciniea felt her tired and exhausted body grow restless as she finally found comfort on the bed. She managed to come close to sleep, but something small would make her eyelids snap open in fear. It was usually Babette wandering into one of the other rooms or the wind blowing in.
By the time she did almost manage to fall asleep, she felt a shift in the weight of the bed, her eyes eager to open up and see what kind of disturbance dared bother her but she felt too tired. It was probably just her paranoia getting the best of her again.
"My little Listener, sleeping so soundly..." Cooed a sweet, deranged voice.
She opened her eyes to see Cicero right above her. She opened her mouth to speak, but the jester held a finger to her lips and hushed her. Despite this, she did as he commanded.p
Cicero gave her a wide grin, keeping his voice to a mere hush, "Oh, you were a fool to spare me. What, did you think I'd be grateful?" He pulled out a blade dark as midnight, gliding it up her throat, "How naïve of you... Can I let you in on a little secret?" He inched closer, their noses poking one another, "Cicero is supposed to be Listener."
I guess this is how it all ends for Carciniea, she cursed herself, Done in by a mad yet adorable little jester...
His grin only widened as his blade came to a halt at the nape of her throat. She swallowed, closing her eyes tight as waited for her life to end.
But to her surprise instead of the blade sinking into her neck, Cicero fell off the bed from laughing so hard. "Gotcha!" He laughed, pointing a finger at her as his face began to turn beet red, "Oh, Listener, you should see the look on your face!"
He began to sit up until he smacked down by a pillow. Carciniea leapt onto him, pulling him up by the collar, "I have just one thing to say to you..." Cicero's eyes went wide until she pulled off his hat that sat on his head, "Did you go through my bag?"
"Just for the hat!" He snatched the hat back, holding it tightly against his face, "Cicero loves hit hat!"
Something in the corner of Carciniea's eye distracted her from the mad jester. She turned her head out the door to see Lucien halfway down the corridor. Something about the look in his eye and his presence manage to puncture a hole in her previous mood. It was a shallow reminder of what she really yearned for- What she told her spectral companion back in the Rift.
In just the blink of an eye, all that was left was an ethereal mist. She felt Cicero lean his head against her shoulder, singing, "Best friends... Forever."