A/N: A thousand apologies for the lateness. I thank you all for reading and those who have follow/fav/reviewed. It means a lot to me. Here's chapter 25, hope you enjoy.
Chapter 25: Content
"Ah, this should be a perfect beginner's contract for you, dear..." Babette smiled, her dark eyes grazing over the piece of parchment Zirath had given Astrid.
"So where exactly is Falkreath, anyway?" Astrid inquired, only vaguely remembering the name of the town that her new client supposedly lived in.
Babette chuckled, bringing a small hand up to her mouth in such an innocent, childlike manner that Astrid nearly smiled in reaction to it. "Why, this is Falkreath, dear! Well, not the city itself, of course, but this very sanctuary lies in Falkreath. It's only about two miles from here. That's a rather convenient contract, considering you won't actually have to travel far. That young man lives just on the outskirts. It'll be simple, really."
"I see..." Astrid studied the name as she took the parchment back from Babette. Though she wouldn't admit it, Astrid was actually quite relieved that this contract would be so simple. It wasn't everyday that one had to actually begin murdering people for coin. True, she had killed before, but never had she murdered in such cold blood. Before, she had been emotionally driven and full of the desire for revenge at any cost. Now, she had to do it because it was her new profession. Without her previous motivations driving her to do the act, she wasn't quite sure how difficult this task would actually be.
"You'll do wonderfully, dear. I know it. Now go out there and knock 'em dead...literally." Babette grinned fiendishly, bearing her menacing fangs.
Night had crept upon the city of Falkreath as Astrid spotted a large, well-fashioned home in the distance. This must be it, Astrid thought, as she noticed the way in which the large house sat off to itself among the more modest homes nestled together in town.
She silently crept throught the shadows of the night, walking the small, winding trail until she now stood before the front door. Astrid sighed, pondering just how one would enter the home as an assassin. Obviously, the young man would be expecting her, but what if he had guests or family who didn't realize his plight? Astrid then realized that this assassin business was a bit more complex than she'd initially thought.
Biting her lip in a mixture of anxiety and frustration, Astrid held her hand up, ready to knock on the front door, when another idea hit her. She stepped back, before creeping back into the shadows. She began to crouch, circling the house, watching, waiting, and listening for any signs of more occupants.
She was met by nothing but darkness and silence. Only one window on the top level of the home shown the faint glow of candlelight. Astrid shrugged, standing and returning to her starting position at the front door. Perhaps her client was alone - if that was her client in the first place. She thought to herself a moment, before knocking and darting behind a large tree, where she watched the front door to see who would actually emerge. Sure, it wasn't the smoothest method, but it would be an effective way of hiding herself from unwanted company.
Astrid listened as the floorboards creaked, moving from the upper-level to the lower, and heard footsteps approaching the door. The lower-level windows began to glow from the lighting of candles. Finally, the door swung open.
"Hello?" the inquiring voice of a man echoed into the night, as Astrid caught sight of him. The Imperial was young, and he seemed to fit the description. It had to be him, she decided.
She inhaled deeply, before calmly stepping out into his view. The man turned to her, startling, before getting a good look at her and smirking. "Oh...I see...Come with me."
Astrid slowly nodded, before adjusting her cowl to make sure her identity was secure. She followed behind the man, entering his home.
Her eyes gazed upon the lavishly furnished home. From the expensive looking furniture, to the exotic rugs and vases, it was apparent that this fellow had coin, and plenty of it.
He turned to her with a slight scowl now etched on his features. "It's about time one of you showed up. I've been performing that disgusting ritual for two weeks! Do you realize how many servants I sent out before one actually found a dead corpse? Lucky for me that there's a high population of homeless beggars about this region, or I'd still be waiting." he spat, his lips curled in a snarl.
"...Ritual? What ritual?" Astrid inquired, with an equal amount of venom in her voice. She realized she'd have to do what this man requested of her, but after only a few moments in his presence, she wasn't exactly fond of his petulant demeanor.
"You are an assassin, aren't you? You mean to tell me that you're a member of the Dark Brotherhood, and you don't even know your own practices?" he asked, seeming to grow more irritated by the second.
Astrid began to seethe. There was a certain disgusting trait about this man's character that reminded her of someone else. This arrogant, snotty man appeared just as selfish and despicable as him. Needless to say, that didn't sit very well with her.
"Enough!" Astrid hissed, surprised by just how furious she'd instantly become. "Do you want me to murder someone or not? Just tell me what I am to do, or I'll pick someone myself...and it won't be in your favor..."
"Sir, would you like me to bring your nightly wine?" an elderly woman asked, coming into view, before turning to Astrid and freezing into place. Apparently, she was a maid or servant of some sort.
"NOT NOW!" the man fumed, obviously redirecting his anger to a much safer target. The old woman nodded anxiously, before quickly scurrying off. Astrid rolled her eyes, realizing that there was more than one person to catch sight of her.
"Very well, then." he continued, appearing to collect himself due to her outburst. At least the whole intimidation thing came naturally, Astrid mused. "He's upstairs. I'll leave you to it." He waved his hand dismissively.
Astrid raised a brow. "Who is?"
"Ugh...I'm not paying you to ask questions." he replied, his snotty voice grating on Astrid's last nerve.
"Tell me. I need instructions." Astrid demanded, her inner desire to control the situation kicking in. She wasn't going to take any lip from this arrogant, ungrateful monster. She'd dealt with his type before, and it hadn't ended well.
"Fine! He's my grandfather. He's been laying on his deathbed for months now, and I'm sick of him stinking up the place! I thought the old bastard would be dead by now, but he's just lingering on to spite me! He knows I'll get my inheritance, and he doesn't want me to have it! Just go murder him...Oh, and make it appear natural. I don't want the other villagers to get any ideas about me. I'll be travelling to Solitude now to visit with some cousins, so I'll be away when that wrinkly sack of dung ceases to exist. I'll have the perfect alibi, actually." the man grinned slyly, seeming utterly proud of himself, and causing Astrid to cringe from the conceited way in which he spoke.
"What about the maid?" Astrid asked, reminding him that someone else had witnessed a Dark Brotherhood member in his home.
"What about her?!" he sniveled, in an almost mocking tone. "She's already been given an extra allowance to keep those ugly lips sealed tight. Now, get to it - and lock the door when you leave. My maid will pay you when dear Grandfather is nothing more than a rotting corpse." he remarked, before leaving the house, slamming the door behind him in what seemed to be a final idiotic act of defiance.
Astrid took in a deep breath, attempting to calm herself, as the elderly woman timidly re-entered the room. "I'll show you to the Master's room."
Puzzled by the strangess of the whole situation, Astrid simply followed the old woman up the stairs until she stopped at a large, finely engraved wooden door. The maid simply bowed her head, before leaving her alone.
Astrid straightened herself, before slowly turning the knob and creaking the door open. Darkness. Silence.
She let her eyes adjust to the dim room, only illuminated by the soft light flooding in through the open doorway.
Her eyes finally caught sight of her soon-to-be victim. He was old, broken, and extremely frail. She studied him, taking soft, quiet steps to his large, luxurious bed. Faint light spilled across his haggard features, which seemed to have hardened into a permanent scowl over the years.
"You have the wrong room..." the elderly man, whom Astrid had assumed was asleep or unconscious, uttered.
"...What?" Astrid insquired, surprised that he was, indeed, talking to her.
"I...said you have the wrong room...It would be my dearest grandson that is in need of your services. Now go...harlot..." he rasped, as something inside of Astrid shifted in hearing the venom in the frail man's voice. There was something strikingly familiar there, something vile and disturbing. His demeanor was not one of a kind or compassionate man. Of course, Astrid felt the need to provoke her curiosities out of him.
"I'm not a prositute." she spat. "Your beloved grandson sent me to kill you."
"Hah!" the man scoffed, before coughing violently. "If he sent you, then you'll likely be as daft and worthless as he is! A woman killing me? That's...extremely laughable..." he mocked her, before another fit of coughing began. "In my experience, women are only worth what they provide...which is heirs, and the ability to satisfy a man. Now, what is this, harlot? Are you planning to rob me? I'll have you know that my fortune is located far away from here, and not even my filthy little skeever of a grandson will be allowed to have it, much less you! Just go back and kindly inform him that he's been excluded from my will...slimy little bastard..." he raged, rasping and fighting for air with each spite-filled sentence he spoke.
Astrid simply stood there in the shadows, glaring daggers into the vile old man's cold, cruel eyes. Those heartless eyes were much like those of his spoiled, ill-mannered grandson. Now she realized where the younger man had learned his apalling behavior. Then she insinctively realized that they were both monsters. She could just feel it. That frail old man that laid helpless before her, his eyes were like those of the monster she once knew - ruthless, menacing, unforgiving. Those grey, sickly eyes turned to green in her mind. Those eyes were the same as his.
Time began to slow, and Astrid's surroundings began to shift. Her hands began to tremble and the world around her began to quake. Those eyes were glaring into her, as the elderly man cursed and hurled obscene remarks with his every fighting breath.
Her eyes traced the bed - the furs blankets and lush pillows. It wasn't just a bed. It was a deathbed. Nona's voice filled Astrid's mind, as did her face, her letter - the one that had sent Astrid away to be devoured by the monster. And now, Astrid herself had become a monster in her own right, ready to murder a man she barely knew - but another monster, nonetheless.
Fear, pain, and rage began to fill her insides, spilling out into her surroundings. She could've sworn the monster from her past was actually there, abusing her, harming her, and violating her.
"I...hate...you..." her trembling lips hissed, as her wild eyes darted about, landing on a large, embellished pillow at the side of the bed.
"Have you gone mad?!" the old man taunted, now hurling more insults her way. His words, however, had fallen on deaf ears. She could only hear her uncle's voice berating her. She could only see him, and feel the pain he'd inflicted, damaging her in every sense of the word.
Not being able to stand it any longer, her world fell in, as she pounced on the old man, grabbing the pillow, and pressing it on his face with all her enraged strength. She not only needed the monster to die - she desired it.
The more she felt the old man fighting against death - against her- the more she reveled in it. At this point, murdering this frail, venom-filled aristocrat was the same as murdering him all over again. It was him. He had that same expression, that same despicable sense of entitlement, the same selfish indulgence at the expense of others.
Astrid breathed heavily, feeling a complete rush of euphoria flood her system, as the man struggled and writhed, fighting like a caged sabercat. Eventually, however, his attempts to live began to fail, and he began to wither and grow still under her.
Finally, the monster had been quieted, and Astrid found herself removing the pillow and smiling at how his lifeless face had frozen, twisted in agony.
Slowly and calmly, Astrid climbed off of her victim and now stood, examining her surroundings once more. Everything had, indeed, returned to its previous form. The world was no longer a dark, tormenting abyss in her mind. She had twisted fate in her favor, and now things were nearly perfect once more.
A light drizzle had begun to fall, as Astrid made her way through the woods, now on the final stretch to her new home. The night was cold and the rain was chilling, but Astrid was more than content. She had successfully completed her first contract and gained a hefty coin purse. She found herself grinning when she thought of telling Zirath the details of her kill.
Suddenly, the rustle of leaves followed by a low growl alerted Astrid, causing her to freeze in place. Quickly, she hid herself among thick brushes, watching and listening to the low, gutteral noises until they ceased.
The rain began to pour as thunder rumbled in the night sky overhead. Astrid's eyes grew wide as a dark form walked past her, following the same trail she had. She stood, narrowing her eyes and trying to figure out who this could be. Then, she caught sight of his hair - it was silver. It was him.
Without hesitation, Astrid quickly stepped out onto the path. The man instantly heard her movements, whipping back to lock his cold, blue eyes with her own. Astrid's heart began to race, when the mysterious man's lips curled up in a charming grin.
"Hello, again..." Astrid smiled slyly.