"Astrid, I love you." The two assassins lay beside each other in bed, breathing hard. Astrid, her blonde head buried in Silvanus' neck, smiled, and leaned up to kiss him. They kissed for a few more moments, before she replied, straddling his waist once more.
"I love you too." They kissed again, passionately, as Silvanus entered her again. They continued to make love, blissfully unaware of the world.
And the man with white hair who was watching them through a crack in the door. Watching. With eyes as cold and cruel as the sea in a storm.
Scarlett watched her stepfather carefully. She was sitting in a chair, in a relaxed position, with her head tipped to one side. She knew that Arnbjorn hadn't noticed her. He was standing at the door to her mother's bedroom, and staring in with a mix of both fury and lust on his face. Scarlett thought of her mother as a friend and leader as well as mother, which was why she didn't mind her mother... doing things like that. She loved her mother deeply, and only wanted her to be happy. And Pollux, too. Scarlett had never liked it when her mother slept with people she didn't love, like Arnbjorn and Delvin Mallory. When things like that happened, it disgusted her. Both were so OLD. Delvin was in his forties, at least, and Arnbjorn? Almost fifty five. Her mother was twenty six, for Sithis' sake. And Pollux was younger than her... but they went well together. Scarlett wasn't stupid: she doubted he'd ever be a father figure for her. She'd never had a father figure, nor ever wanted one. But with Pollux, she knew she had a friend. That was better than nothing.
Softly, after watching Arnbjorn lick his lips and feeling an immense disgust rising up in her, she coughed quietly. The werewolf whipped around, with a furious look on his ugly face. "Having fun?" Scarlett asked, eyebrows raised in a sarcastic glare. She made no move to get up, even when he stormed over to her, and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You knew! You little bitch, you know exactly what's going on!" "Well done. It's been three months, Arnbjorn. They knew you'd find out... And so did I. So, finally, you have. They didn't know it would be today... But I did. I've been watching you every second you were standing outside that door. Watching, and..." she smirked nastily. "Enjoying. Disgusting, lap-dog, bloody disgusting. Your little games of make believe are at an end. Leave." "That's my wife in there! My wife with that little lamb-rack Pollux... I'll kill him! I'll kill them both."
Scarlett was chewing pine-resin gum. It left a fresh taste in her mouth, and she liked it. It annoyed some of the others, because the gum rarely left her mouth, but it had it's own purposes. It made her look calm even if she was excited... or scared. Slowly, she sat in a less relaxed position, and yawned like a cat, as she gave Arnbjorn one of her predatorial smiles. Her new fingers had, as Babette had predicted, begun to work properly, but they had vicious scars around their bases, and she liked that. The cuts on her chin had healed leaving no scars, and, annoyingly, all the battle scars she had gained over the years were in places that she wouldn't be showing off. However, her right hand was now heavily scarred, and she always felt more powerful with them in clear sight. She had a gash on her stomach from climbing over a wired fence when she was 11, and a small brand on her shoulder that was technically a tattoo. She'd wanted it to be of a fox, her favourite animal, but it had turned out more like an orange blob. Not good. "No you won't. Do you want to know why? Because they're more powerful than you, and it isn't against the laws of this sanctuary to have sex with people you aren't married to... But you know that, don't you? Gabriella-" she was cut off, as he swung a fist at her head, and she ducked it nimbly with a laugh. Scarlett loved playing with people. "We all know about it, puppy-" she ducked another blow to her head; she knew she was being far too cocky, because she certainly couldn't take down a werewolf. Her tongue could cut him, but her fists couldn't. "The whole sanctuary knows, even Astrid. Why do you think she doesn't let you jump her anymore?" she chuckled, as she began to run into the sanctuary, with Arnbjorn in hot pursuit. He was practically steaming with anger, as, like a cat, she cartwheeled away, still taunting him. She was having more fun that she'd had for AGES.
"You know, stepdaddy, I quite like playing with you. I've been getting so bored recently!" she climbed up the rocks nimbly, going for the ledge above the waterfall where the stained glass window was. She was the only one who could get up to that ledge, because it was very high, and only her hands were small enough (aside from Babette's) to grip the slippery rocks. Hauling herself up onto the ledge, and sitting on the edge with her legs swinging, she watched the werewolf yelling with anger, as he leapt up again and again trying to reach her legs. She laughed cruelly, and then practically broke her ribcage laughing as he jumped too far forwards, and dived straight into the pool. "Haha!" tears of mirth left her eyes, as he emerged from the pool, sopping wet and furious. Arnbjorn growled in fury. "You interfering little cat! I'll kill you with them!" he swatted at her legs, like a person swatting a fly, and just missed; she pulled her legs up just in time to stop him pulling her down into the pool with them. Scarlett was, indeed, very cat-like. However, like a cat, she was foolishly brave. She didn't know that she should probably of left it there, and slept with a knife for the rest of her life. But Scarlett had many faults, and one of them was that she couldn't let something go. And now, instead of being playful, she was just angry.
"How dare you! You abandon my MOTHER, you sleep with any other whore who'll take you, and then you have the bloody audacity to say you'll kill her for doing just that? But no! It's different! She loves him, puppy, and he loves her. And that's better! Because at least she means something by it; she means that she's fed up of you and what you do to people! I love her, Arnbjorn, because she's my mother! And I swear, by Sithis, if you hurt either one of them, I will track you down and slaughter you. I'm small and weak, maybe, but I am THE SPEAKER!" she yelled, standing up, and Arnbjorn could have sworn at that moment, that her green eyes turned red as she glared down at him, with such a look of poison, venom, and hatred in her eyes that he felt almost... afraid. And by no means was she weak: she was insolent, yes, and a child, but she had so much power... She frightened all of them, a little. They both knew that Arnbjorn could best her in a plain, straight out battle of strength, but when it came to blades, tactics, wit, and nimbleness... She could run circles around all of them. She'd been raised an assassin: two years old to four years old, she watched the other assassins train, made notes, worked out techniques... From five years old to seven she was errand girl: she'd clean, carry messages, and fetch things. Then, from her seventh birthday, she would train every day. Othrelos, the Dunmer, had trained her: he'd taught her to withstand pain and to be strong. He'd taught her how to wield a sword, and how to outwit her enemies. After four years of training every day, at age 11, she did her first contract... And brought back the poor Bosmer's head as proof.
She had a strange power that none of them really understood, including her mother.
"You know NOTHING about it!" Arnbjorn yelled out to her, and she grinned sadistically. Once again she surprised him with her acrobatic ability, as she leapt down from the ledge, and landed on both feet. She walked forwards, and stood in front of him, as he looked down at her and she up at him. She was defiant, she was insolent... But he didn't want to mess with her. He gave her one last horrible look, before storming off to work the forge.
Scarlett had won.
Silvanus awoke to find himself sleeping alone. Sighing in pleasure, he lay back, and looked up at the ceiling. The Breton could still feel the heat of last night on him. But he could hear talking, and knew that he could not dwell on it for long. He got up, to find his armour on the floor, where he had left it, along with a note. As he pulled his armour on, he read the note carefully.
Pollux I'm sorry, my dearest, but there was some kind of disturbance in the sanctuary. I had to go and sort it out. Arnbjorn and Scarlett had a fight, from what I can work out. I'll see you when you wake up,
-Astrid xxx
He smiled. Pressing the thin piece of parchment to his lips, he kissed it.
But his mind was not just on loving Astrid. Ever since that thing had attacked him, Veezara, and Scarlett, he'd been trying to work out what had happened. And, a few weeks ago, he'd worked it out. He'd known that someone was trying to kill him: after all, several assassins had been sent to kill him. He'd changed his identity, yes, but if the contract-giver was someone who knew him... Silvanus had come to the conclusion that whoever was trying to kill him knew who he was and where he was. Which was exactly what worried him. He knew plenty of people who'd want a contract out on his name: families of the people he'd killed, and so on. Originally, he'd been suspicious that it was Muiri again. However, he'd spent a few weeks tracking her, and had found that she held no resentment for him anymore. But who else? She didn't know who he was and, he'd found out, neither did many of the other people who might want Silvanus Coppercroft dead.
However, there had been one thought that had been eating him more than any of the others. Aurelius. He'd always been trying to forget his brother: memories of him, even, were very blurred. Silvanus remembered he had hair the colour of chestnuts, but that was it. He might look completely different now: he'd be almost twenty five. He might even be dead, by Sithis, Silvanus didn't know. He'd joined up with the legion, so there was always the chance. Silvanus, himself, had killed some legion members when he was allied with the Forsworn, but then he'd also tried to kill Stormcloaks. He hated politics.
Silvanus had been meaning to find out about him, if only to find out whether he was dead or alive. To find out if his brother had a family, now, or if he was all alone. It all interested him. He'd always had a fascination about what life would be like with an older brother. Maybe, then, he wouldn't have killed their father. He'd still be rotting away in Dragon's Bridge. The Breton spat on the floor. No way in hell was he going back there again. He'd heard reports that it had been almost entirely burnt down. Silvanus liked fire.
But what worried him most was that Aurelius might be the one trying to kill him.
He didn't know why he had that thought: it was irrational, and stupid. His brother hadn't seen him past three years old, for Sithis' sake, so how would he even know who he was, let alone who he was now? But he just had that strange, annoying little thought stuck in his head. Aurelius would have no reason to kill him, apart from tying up loose ends which, if Silvanus remembered correctly, Aurelius wasn't the type to do. His older brother had always been the shy sort, who rarely stood up for himself. It had been a miracle, almost, when the poor boy ran away. Dorian Coppercroft had always been very clear on his views. Silvanus grimaced when he remembered the debasive little song his father had made up. He began to bitterly sing it to himself,
"First came my little Aurelius,
Untainted little bugger, always knew he'd be a failure,
Born on Friday full moon, thought he'd be wolfkin,
No, just a furry little fella,
Second came my Juliana,
Stupid as a skeever, ugly as a horker Shared my gift, but coulda done better,
Poor little Juliana Third came my little Silvanus,
Shared my gift too, and used it better,
Pretty little boy, third time lucky?
No, he was the worst of all."
Dorian had sung it loudly and raucously when he was drunk. It didn't have a particular tune, and Silvanus supposed it couldn't have really been called a song, but he wasn't a bard. He didn't really care enough to spend time reasoning whether a little fifteen line list of insults for him, and his siblings was a song, even if their father had sung it, sort of. It made him angry just to think about it... Then Silvanus had an idea. He didn't have any contracts; they'd had a bit of a drop. Most of them needed Arnbjorn, which also worked to his advantage. It meant the furry psychopath would be out of the sanctuary a lot of the time. But maybe he could go and find his brother. He'd always meant to, and now he was at such an important stage in his life... If he went to Solitude and asked around... Maybe he could find him. Silvanus could basically remember what his brother looked like, and it was quite rare for a Breton to be in the legion... If he went to ask Astrid if he could have a week or so off, then maybe... Yes. He would. Walking into the entrance hall, he saw Astrid was leaning against a wall. She smiled playfully at him. "Sleep well?" he chuckled, remembering when they'd first met, and went and kissed her quickly. Then, he pulled away. "Astrid, I was going to ask for a favour..." he paused. "Go on."
"I have this brother, you see. Lives in Dragon's Bridge. I heard about the fire there, and I've been worrying about him ever since..." Silvanus was lying through his teeth. "So can I go and check it out?"
"Of course. As long as you have the gold, feel free." he smiled apologetically at her, and she stroked his face. "Love you."
"You too." he kissed her once more, and then, grabbing his knapsack which he kept stocked full of everything he needed in case he needed to leave in a hurry, and didn't have time to pack. Slinging it onto his shoulder, he waved goodbye to his lover, and walked up the steps to the pine forest, opening the door on his way out. But, as he opened the door into the pine forest, something happened that he didn't quite expect.
Cicero leapt onto his shoulders. "Listener! Cicero wants to come with you, to make sure you don't get hurt!" Silvanus reeled; the jester was surprisingly heavy. Slipping over on a twig, the youth fell forwards with a yell, as Cicero forward rolled off his shoulders, and straight into the pool where Silvanus knew the horses were housed. Moments later (in which Silvanus fervently prayed that he had drowned), Cicero emerged, covered from head to toe in tar, with a manic smile on his face. "Oooh, did you see that? Did you see what Cicero did?" Silvanus groaned, stumbling to his feet, and rubbing his head where Cicero had landed on it. Cicero, who was now covered in sticky black tar, started dancing, and Silvanus swore, ducking as the tar flew everywhere, splattering onto the Dark Brotherhood door, and onto the trees. "Cicero, stop dancing!" Silvanus yelled, covering his face with his hands, as more of the stuff flew everywhere... Then it stopped. Silvanus waited a few seconds, then opened his eyes to see the jester, cross-eyed, in his face. "Oooooh! Are we hiding? Are we sneaking? Cicero wants to go with Listener! On the hunt! Pleeease?"
"Cicero. Go away."
"Oh." Cicero turned away, pouting considerably. "The Listener is mean to poor Cicero... The Speaker is more mean though. You know, that harlot Astrid's brat?" Silvanus pulled out his dagger with a fluid motion, and slammed Cicero up against the door. Putting his face very close to the man's, and holding his dagger at his throat, Silvanus whispered menacingly. "Don't you ever insult Astrid again in front of me, Cicero, do you understand? If I ever hear you insult her again in anyway, I'll rip out your tongue, and slaughter you like the dog you are. And, no. You can't come with me. Now go and... do whatever you do. And leave me alone."
Silvanus got off Gamygyn, and flicked the stable hand a septim. The man fumbled it, then, biting it, grinned at the Breton, showing broken teeth. "I'll keep your pretty horse safe, sir... Anything else? Don't think I've seen you in Solitude before..." Silvanus had his cowl on. He didn't need anyone recognising him... He knew exactly who the stable hand was: Geimund. He'd talked with him numerous times, and Silvanus had helped him take care of the horses half a dozen times. It made him grin to hear the old man calling him "sir". It had used to be the other way round, when Silvanus worked there. Well, Silvanus had never actually bothered, as he was not one to be beaten down, but Geimund had always pointedly asked him to call him sir. But it did amuse him slightly for the old Nord to address him with a title... "No." Silvanus walked through the gates to the large city, stopping to wave cheerfully at one of the guards, who was staring at him gormlessly. He loved that nobody in the city knew who he was, when he'd spent a significant amount of his childhood there. Because it was a short ride away from Dragon's Bridge, he'd been with his friends, and on his own. He'd found work at the stables there, which was from where he knew Geimund, and had also pursued less... honest work there. He'd been a very efficient pickpocket. He was slightly surprised that the guards didn't recognise him, even now he was a year older, taller, broader, and was wearing a cowl. Most people said they recognised him through his eyes. They were quite distinctive.
As he walked through the city square, hands in pockets, he caught sight of Sorex Vinius, a childhood friend, talking to Vivienne Onis, whom he'd also known. Sorex and he had got briefly acquainted on a drunken revel when he was sixteen, and he remembered that Vivienne always used to come and sneer at him while he shovelled muck in the stables... Stupid bitch. However, he knew that Sorex had an immense thing for Vivienne, as did most of Solitude. Including Vivienne herself. They were both ten or so years older than him, but he'd talked to Sorex a few times. He'd seemed quite pathetic and childish. However, amused, he stopped to listen, and leaned against a wall. He knew for a fact that Vivienne knew Aurelius, and would possibly know where he was. "Oh Vivienne, you know I love you!" Sorex was pleading. Silvanus snorted quietly, but neither noticed. "Sorex, I'm engaged! For Mara's sake, just leave me alone, or I'll have my Aurelius," Silvanus' breath quickened. "Come and beat you to a pulp." Silvanus leaned back. She was engaged to Aurelius! His own brother was engaged, and he wouldn't go to the wedding. He'd never see his children, unless...
Sorex skulked off, throwing the bouquet of flowers over his shoulder. Silvanus was considering picking them up to give to Astrid, as they were very pretty and looked expensive... But Vivienne was staring at him oddly, so he gave up, and walked over to her. "Yes? Hey, don't I know..."
"Listen, do you know a man called Aurelius? I have business with him." Vivienne looked at him suspiciously for a second but, at the earnest look in his eye, she sighed, and gestured upwards towards Castle Dour. "He's in the barracks, I think. He lives with me usually. We're engaged to be married." she smiled, and Silvanus noted, although her outwards appearence wasn't particularly attractive, her teeth were nice. Sithis, that was a weird thought. Trying to shake it out of his head, he began to walk towards Castle Dour, after smiling at her.
He was wandering through one of the alleys in Solitude, thinking. He was heading in the general direction of Castle Dour, but something was plaguing him... What was the point of all this? Why was he going to visit Aurelius, anyway? It wasn't like there was any point to doing it... He'd just had the odd feeling he'd had before, when he had a strange urge to go to Dragon's Bridge. He was almost certain that it was Arcturus puppeteering him, as usual, but he wasn't sure. He felt like... Well, he felt like he was doing it for precisely that reason: to get away from Arcturus. What he really wanted was to not be Listener, and be able to just keep it like it was: with him and Astrid and Scarlett and Veezara and Babette... Like it should be. Maybe even Festus and Nazir too: they'd been more friendly to him recently. Gabriella was trying and failing to flirt with him, and Arnbjorn... Arnbjorn treated him like a piece of human slime. Silvanus was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he barely noticed a huge, hulking, dark figure was behind him... Until it leapt on his back, and pinned him to the floor.
"Fuck!" Silvanus swore, as he moved his head out of the way just in time to avoid a claw that missed his face by inches. The thing... it was a wolf! The Breton cried out in alarm, as he wriggled from under it's back, and withdrew his new ebony sword in one hand, dagger in the other. Facing the beast, he charged forwards, ebony sword and dagger held aloft, but was catapaulted backwards as the thing headbutted his stomach. Silvanus got up immediately and stabbed forwards, and this time the thing let out a howl, as blood fell from it's pierced great stomach. Silvanus heard another cry of alarm, and whipped around to see a man standing behind him. The man was wearing legion armour, and yelled at Silvanus, "Don't let it get away!" Silvanus didn't like taking orders, but he knew that this one was necassary. The legion man withdrew a steel sword, and the two plunged towards the wolf, stabbing at it. Now, even though the beast was larger and stronger than them, it couldn't take two immensely talented swordsmen at once, and ducked away, before coming back with a fist at the legion man's head. Silvanus stabbed his sword into the beast's back, and more blood poured out. As Silvanus distracted the thing, the man pulled his sword back, and drove it hard into the beast's neck. It howled again and, looking in horror at the two of them, sprinted away on all fours. They made to follow it, but, suddenly, it disappeared it a wave of black smoke... The alley was silent.
Silvanus turned to look at the other man, who was breathing hard. He looked quite young, maybe twenty four or twenty five, and had short, curly chestnut brown hair. His skin was pale and youthful looking, but he had several battle scars that gave him a slightly aged look. His eyes, large and heavily lidded... were electric blue. Aurelius. Silvanus looked at him in shock, and fell backwards, almost in a faint again. It was AURELIUS! He and his own brother had just fought that thing... All feelings of wondering what it was disappeared from his head. Aurelius saw he was falling back, and caught his arm, pulling him back up. "Whoa there. Are you alright?" "Aurelius!" Silvanus cried out, shaking off his brother's hand. But Aurelius frowned at him, and nodded his head, but didn't seem to understand. "Ye-es. I'm Aurelius. So what? I'm more interested in what that thing was." "Aurelius, you idiot, it's me! Silvanus!" "S... What? Silvanus? I... Silvanus?" his voice held nothing but confusion. He was shaking his head at Silvanus, and the look on his face was a mix of anxiousness and disorientation. He clearly didn't know what Silvanus meant. Silvanus hit him, hard, around the face, and Aurelius fell back, with a cry. "What was that for, you bloody idiot?" he said, fury now mixed in with the confusion. His nose was now bleeding a little. Aurelius took a hankerchief from his pocket, and took it to his nose to stem the bloodfall. "And you don't even punch me back. It is you. My brother." "You... you what? Brother... I lost my brother. I lost my sister, too, and my mother, and my father. I left home. I don't have any family... Except my Viv." when he said her name, the look on his face softened. Silvanus sighed, and sang:
"First came my little Aurelius,
Untainted little bugger, always knew he'd be a failure,
Born on Friday full moon, thought he'd be wolfkin,
No, just a furry little fella,
Second came my Juliana,
Stupid as a skeever, ugly as a horker Shared my gift, but coulda done better,
Poor little Juliana Third came my little Silvanus,
Shared my gift too, and used it better,
Pretty little boy, third time lucky?
No, he was the worst of all."
"You... you know that song? Then... then it is you. Silvanus Coppercroft. My own little brother." but the look on his face was not warm and welcoming, as Silvanus thought it would be, but wary and... angry. "I'm not coming back home. I don't care if both mother and father said I should, and Juliana too. I'm not coming. D'you hear me?" "All dead." Aurelius took in a sharp intake of breath. Then, stepping forward, he grabbed Silvanus by the shoulders. Silvanus shook him off, and gave him a bitter look. "All dead. Mother died a few years after you left. When I was ten. Father got drunk, sent her out to the well at the dead of night... I found her corpse. Bears got her." Aurelius shivered, and Silvanus was careful not to let emotion get into his voice. "Juliana a few years later, when I was twelve. Father got drunk again, and beat her to death, then ate her body. Then, last year, I killed father. As revenge." Aurelius looked at him, with a look of mixed horror and... awe. "Silvanus. Oh by the Gods, Silvanus... I always said you'd do the bastard. Hoped it would be me, but I've never had the guts to go back there and stab him in the gut... Well done, little brother. But I shouldn't be saying that. Listen..." he took Silvanus by the shoulders, and he didn't shake him off this time. "Silvanus... I don't want to be too familiar with you again. It's not that I don't love you as my brother, but... I've moved on. I've fought in Cyrodiil for the last eight years of my life, and I got together with my Viv, and she's pregnant with my baby... I don't want to live in the past anymore. And you... Do you have a girl?"
"Yes. And I love her more than you could ever know. You cold, cold bastard." he felt blind fury filling his veins. "I came all the way from Falkreath to find you. I came so I could find out what happened to you. You didn't even write! Do you know how miserable it was on my own in that damn place? Do you know the amount of shit I went through? If you'd been there, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. I would have been happy with just a single letter... You just couldn't be bothered. It was all HIM! You didn't write back to our own mother, and it tore her to pieces! You didn't write to Juliana, and it drove her crazy! Just because you were so wrapped up in your miserable..."
"You think YOU had it bad?" Aurelius and Silvanus were nose to nose: Silvanus was the taller, so looked the more impressive. "Father bled me every day, and you have the nerve to tell me that YOU had it bad?" "Yes! You had ten years of it. I stayed for sixteen years with him as he beat me, made me work sixteen hours a day, and watched my mother and sister die before my eyes. So no, Aurelius, you didn't have it that bad. He liked you best, if that's anything."
"No he didn't! You were always his favourite! You were the one who he liked best, because you were the evil one, who had no bloody problem draining every single kid in the village of their blood. I didn't leave, Silvanus, I came back to watch. I watched you kill your own best friend, I watched you drain your other so-called best friends of blood! And you, I know you killed Vega, because you're jealous she has a life!" Silvanus could take it no longer. Pulling an iron dagger from his knapsack, and pushing Aurelius up against the wall, he sank it into the mans ridiculous imperial uniform, pinning him to the wall by his armour. Although he had not actually harmed him, it would take the bastard a nice, long time to get rescued.
"I hope you starve, you Imperial bastard!" and, kicking him one last time, Silvanus swept off, cursing Arcturus in his mind.