!NOTE FROM LACHANCE!
JUST AS A WARNING, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A HELL OF A LOT OF FOREPLAY, MOST OF IT VIOLENT (SILVANUS X ASTRID- WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?) SO YOU CAN SKIP OVER SOME THINGS IF YOU WANT TO. HOWEVER, THE PLOTLINE IS IMPORTANT, SO SKIM-READ IF YOU AREN'T A FAN OF THE PAIRING. NO ACTUAL LEMON- I DON'T WRITE THAT SORTA THING

The Breton awoke with a cry. He could feel cold, cold stones underneath him, and for a moment he thought he had awoken back on the farm and that it was all a dream... But, opening his eyes with a groan, he saw people crowding around him, with looks of both fear and curiosity on their faces. Someone was holding his hand, gripping it so hard it was practically numb. Looking, he saw it was Astrid, her face calm, but her knuckles were white. "Pollux! What... By Sithis what..."
"Astrid, I was wrong! I..." Silvanus sprang to his feet, pulling Astrid with him. Grabbing her other hand, he pulled her to him, and whispered, "I was wrong... Astrid, did you see what happened?" She frowned at him, and looked around at the others with a look of confusion on her face. As Silvanus looked around too, he saw their faces registered bemusement, and shook his head in frustration. "After I was ranting like a bloody madman! After that! Before... Before I passed out, I suppose. Did I pass out? What happened?" his tone was frantic, as he looked around at his fellow's faces. None of them seemed to understand... He turned back to Astrid, who was looking at him like he was completely insane. "Listen, I know I sound like Cicero, but I need to know... I started ranting about Sithis, and then I was pulled into the Void... But what did you see?"

"You fainted." her voice sounded perplexed. "You started going on about how we shouldn't worship Sithis anymore, you looked like you'd seen a ghost, then you fainted. There wasn't anymore to it..."
"You'll think I'm insane. You probably think I am insane, but I'm not... I was wrong about Sithis. I've gone too far... By the Gods, I'm a zealot. I've been having dreams where I'm in the Void. Some ancestor of mine named Arcturus talks to me and tells me things. And just now, I was snatched into the Void because I was being a fool... I am a damn fool! He exists, Astrid, and so does the Night Mother... I shouldn't be the Listener." he turned to Scarlett. "You should! You kept the faith, at least the faith of Sithis!" Scarlett backed away, agitated. She bit her lip, and her green eyes met Silvanus' blue ones. She opened her mouth to speak, but Silvanus held up a hand. "Wait. There are other things... Leave me." he looked at Astrid, and held out his hand almost pathetically. She looked down at his hand, and then, slowly, took it. It was clear by the look on her face that she wasn't quite sure if Silvanus had gone insane, or if he was truly telling the truth. Slowly, with mystified looks at Silvanus, the others began to disperse, leaving only the Breton and Astrid in the room. When they were finally all gone, he turned back to her.

"I'm a filthy liar. After I tell you what I've done... Oh Gods." he ran a hand through his hair, and felt her cool touch on his cheek. He turned his head away from her as if burned. "I've done things... I deserve to be tortured in the Void! Oh Sithis... Oh Mother Mara... By the Nine... By fucking Talos! What have I done? What have I done?"
Astrid moved to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Pressing her lips to his ear, she whispered, "It can't be that bad..."
"It is! You don't understand! I..."he pulled away from her, and whipped around, to stare into her eyes. He could feel tears of rage and misery trickling down his face, and he wiped them away furiously with the back of his hand. "I've been a fool! I've lied, I've betrayed the tenets... I had a dream, Astrid. But it wasn't a dream. My ancestor, one of the old Listeners named Arcturus, he talked to me. He showed me my chains... And your chains. And Scarlett's. Us three... we've betrayed the Night Mother and the tenets... I HATE THIS!" he slammed his fist into the rock wall, as he heard Astrid hiss behind him. Turning around, he saw her mouth was hanging slightly open, and her eyes were narrowed.

"What? Are you insane? Chains? Scarlett? What are you talking about, Pollux? Calm down, and tell me what you mean!" she placed a hand on his arm, and he didn't shake it off. They gazed into each other's eyes: a look of lust, mistrust, confusion, love... Mixed emotions clouded both of their eyes, and suddenly they were together, kissing passionately. And Silvanus knew it was wrong, but he couldn't hurt her, he couldn't abandon her! Arcturus said he'd talked to her and Scarlett, but neither seemed to understand what was going on... With a sigh, he gave into his feelings, and he and Astrid stood in the middle of the room, kissing. Finally, she pulled away. "You're calmed down now. So tell me what you mean." her face, usually seductive, was serious now, as she stared into his face, searching for lies. "Before now, I've had dreams. Dreams of my ancestor, a man named Arcturus. And he's been trying to persuade me to take on my role as Listener and embrace the tenets, but I couldn't do it... The power has been going to my head. I thought that I was immortal... so I decided that I'd seek the highest power and take on Sithis. And, when you thought I blacked out, I really went to the Void. That's where the dreams are, where Arcturus is. He told me that if I didn't embrace the tenets, the Night Mother, and Sithis, both you, I, and Scarlett would be tortured in the Void for eternity... He showed me the chains that would hold me... And when I asked him what I should do to avoid this fate, he said I had to do as he said... And tell you all the truth."
"The truth?" her face was now stony, as she gripped his shoulders. "What do you mean, the truth? You've been lying to me? What..."

"I've been lying to everyone. I'm a fool." he looked into her face, then shut his eyes. But then, he felt a strange sort of courage fill him. And knew that the only way that she would understand was if he faced up to it. He opened his electric blue eyes, and looked steadily into hers. "I am the Listener. I heard the Night Mother. And my name isn't Pollux. And more things... I killed Cicero, but I also killed Arnbjorn. Out of jealousy and spite. And I'm sorry, for you. I'm not sorry for killing him. I'm an assassin, and I am jealous and spiteful... I love you. But you'll probably hate me, and you may even have to kill me here and now, and I'd let you. I'd let you slit my throat, I wouldn't fight. And I won't. You see, I'm not Pollux, like I told you." he took a deep breath. "My name is Silvanus Coppercroft. I am the one who killed Othrelos, and the other Khajiit assassin. I believe I still have a contract on my name, in which case, like I said, you'll have to kill me. I'll go without a fight, I swear by all I hold dear. I betrayed the tenets, and I deserve to die..." he looked at her. Her face was full of shock, hurt, confusion, pain, misery... A tear was trickling down her pale cheek.

"You lied to me." she whispered, and her voice was full of venom. "Traitor." "I am a traitor. Take my dagger." he took her hand in his own, and brought it to his belt, making her fingers grip his knife's hilt. Closing her fingers around it, she pulled it out of it's sheath, and, as the light from the glass window reflected off it. The ebony metal gleamed, as Silvanus took her hand and slowly brought it to his throat. "Kill me, Astrid." He planned to die that day. Thoughts filled his head as he shut his eyes and bared his neck; thoughts of home, his mother, his brother, his sister... But no. They weren't his family anymore. He moved his mind to his true family: the Dark Brotherhood... Who he had betrayed. Betrayed them all; the people he held most dear! And Astrid... Oh Astrid! How could he have lied to her? How could he have done this? He'd dug himself deeper and deeper into a hole, and now he was going to face the consequences... A knife in the throat would be his punishment. Scarlett, Veezara, Babette, Festus, Gabriella, Nazir, all of them! Even Diablos and Andromeda, who he barely knew! They were his family... And he had betrayed them. The pain that filled his heart was worse than anything Arcturus and Sithis could throw at him... It was the pain of failure. Astrid hated him now. He was a fugitive, a wanted man, who had finally been caught. And he didn't even know who had put the bloody contract on his head! Tears of rage spilled down his cheeks, and he let them, as he felt the cold metal of his own blade pressing against his neck... It was all over now, Silvanus thought, as he pictured Astrid standing in front of him, knife at his throat... He waited for the final blow, the final blow that would put him out of his misery, send him to his punishment in the Void, send him to his chains... Maybe Astrid would fall in love with Veezara, Nazir, or Diablos or someone... Oh Gods! At that moment, he prayed to Sithis. He prayed to Sithis again and again, and his mind was full of prayers of death as he whispered, so quietly he was certain even Astrid couldn't hear him:

"Sweet Mother, Sweet Mother, please Sweet Mother, the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear... Let Astrid strike true... Let me go to the Void... Sweet mother, sweet mother... Save her, please, Mother, save her please..." He didn't pray for himself, or his pitiful life. He was evil to the bone, but even evil can be penatrated by love and honour. Silvanus had little honour, but the honour he had resided in his family, and knowing that he was wrong, and deserved the chains that would bind him, now, for eternity. The Breton could feel the cold blade against his neck, and wondered why Astrid was taking so long. Couldn't she just end it? End his thoughts, and condemn him to the pit of humanity known as the Void? Why did she have to prolong it? Couldn't she see that he would die for her, die for Scarlett, die for his family, die for the Dark Brotherhood? He wanted to die that day, for the first time in his life, as he knew that the woman he loved was behind the blade... He deserved this fate. Gritting his teeth, he decided he would stare death in the eyes. Maybe then, at least, he could die with pride.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at her, and was surprised by what he saw. Silvanus had been expecting hatred, fury, disgust in her beautiful green eyes... But all he saw was pity, love, and sadness. Her hand was shaking as she pressed the blade to his throat, and tear tracks stained her cheeks, like with his. Seeing his shocked gaze, she turned her face away, and tried to regain the cold, venomous look he remembered... "Astrid..."
"Please, Pol-... I mean Silvanus. Don't do this." Hearing his name on her lips gave him courage. He prised the the knife from her hands, and pressed it to his own throat. "Give me the command, and I'll do it. I'd follow you to the damned abyss and back. Tell me to stab myself, and I will." he said quietly, pressing the tip of the blade to his neck, and feeling a droplet of blood spilling from his neck. The first of many, he assured himself, as he looked defiantly down at her. Astrid was full of confusion. She shook her head. "I... I can't."
"You're an assassin! Have some backbone!" Silvanus felt the words escape his lips before he thought about them. His eyes were fiery, as he took her hand, and made her grip the dagger. She pulled her hand away, and glared at him, ferosity in her face. "How dare you! You will die!" "Do it then! I'm letting you! Take the blade and run me through! I deserve it! Do it NOW!" "Don't tell me what to do!" "I am the Listener!" she growled, and slapped the blade from his hands, tackling him to the floor. She landed on top of him, and straddled his waist, as they glared into each other's faces. His lip was curled back predatorially, as she smiled down at him, her dangerous seductiveness back from where he had missed it so. "Oh yes? And what would the Listener do if I did this?" she lowered her mouth to his throat, and bit him hard, blood trickling from his throat. He was right, the blood he had extracted with the dagger wouldn't be the last to leave him that night. He cried out in pain, and then in undisguised lust as he pulled her down on top of him, and kissed her. She pulled away, as they fought for domination. Finally, Astrid won, as she pulled him up by the scruff of the collar with extraordinary strength, and slammed him against a wall to attack his mouth again. There was going to be nothing gentle about their sex that night, and the both of them knew it. Grabbing the dagger from the floor, Silvanus pushed it into her hand again, as he swapped their positions, pushing her back against the wall, lifting his knee between her legs, and pulling her fist up to his throat. "End it, God damn you!" She ground herself down on his knee, and pushed the dagger to her own throat, cutting a small line, leaving a trail of blood. He howled in frustration, and then lowered his mouth to her neck, sucking the blood away hungrily. "Filthy Night-Spawn..." "Kill me, you bitch!" she moved a hand up to slap his face, but he caught it, and pressed it to his lips, kissing it. She laughed wildly, and then threw the knife across the room. He kissed her again, then roughly threw her to the floor, and ran to the knife, picking it up, and holding it to his own throat. She ran, faster than him, and struck the blade from his grasp, before pushing him to the floor and straddling him again, as they kissed wildly.

"I don't understand," he whispered, letting her take domination for once. "Why aren't you trying to kill me?" "Because I love you, you poor fool..." she whispered, groaning aloud, as he bit her neck. "And I can forgive things... I don't care whether you are Pollux, Silvanus Coppercroft, or whoever you are... I don't care that you killed my husband; he was a bastard, no matter what the tenets say... and he broke them in his own right... And I'll let you preach..." she ground into him suddenly, and he let out a grunt. "But no matter what, I am the leader of this sanctuary... And I won't let my authority be so easily dismissed..." Silvanus kissed her. "And the contract?" She smiled down at him. "Contract was closed ages ago... He withdrew the gold, saying he would find a better way of killing you... But you're a big boy. You can take care of yourself."
"And you won't give up the leadership of this sanctuary... even for me?" He kissed her again, and she kissed him back hungrily. Then, she licked some of the blood off his neck, and then pressed her lips to his, as they both tasted his blood. Then, slowly, she pulled away, as they gazed into each other's eyes again, electric blue on poisonous green. They smiled at each other; a perfect vision of hellish lovers. The love was there... but it was twisted. But then, they both liked that. "Even for you. I love you, Silvanus Coppercroft."
"I love you too."

She got up, and he got up too, not looking at each other. They both went over to the pool, and began to wash the blood of themselves, afraid that it would be noticed. The other assassins were accepting of their relationship, however Scarlett for one would be disturbed if she found out that they had just almost had sex whilst bleeding each other, hitting each other, and drinking each other's blood... It was a rather disturbing thought. However, Silvanus was almost certain that it was the best time they'd ever had together. His heart was still beating, he'd admitted to her that he was Silvanus, and she didn't seem particularly bothered. "Astrid?" he felt a little awkward talking to her after foreplay that heated. However, she didn't seem bothered. "Mmm?" "Don't you care that I'm Silvanus?"
"I was upset at first... For a few minutes... But when you live among assassins you get used to lying. At least you've told me the truth now. Any longer and I'd have slit your throat, though." Silvanus chuckled; she was obviously bluffing. She threw him an amused glance, as she stripped off her armour, and submerged herself, naked apart from her underclothes, into the crystal clear water. He did the same, and went under the waterfall, where he washed his hair carefully, eyes never leaving her as she rubbed a bar of soap over herself. He finished cleaning himself before her, and quickly went out onto the bank, where he redressed, and just sat watching her. She played up for him for a little bit, not being a shy woman, but was done all too soon, as she dragged herself onto the bank next to him, and began to pull on her armour. He watched her affectionately, before they came to sit next to each other, idly watching the waterfall.

"I could have sworn we've been in this situation before." they both laughed, but Astrid looked a little distracted. He put a hand on her cheek, and she turned to face him. "Are you alright?" She sighed, and gave him a gentle look. "Were you really born in Dragon's Bridge? Tell me about yourself... No lies this time."
"I swear to you, by Sithis, I am not lying. My name is Silvanus Coppercroft, I'm almost 18 years old, and I was born on a farm on Dragon's Bridge. My father was a vampire, so I got that through blood. My mother and oldest brother... Weren't. Me and my sister inherited his curse. I took it reasonably well, I adapted but she... Not so much. She was called Juliana, and she... she had something wrong with her. I don't know what. When I was three, my eldest brother ran away from home, because my father used to feed on him. I found him recently; he's joined the legion, got a lover, and she's pregnant with his child... I envy him. His life is so simple. When I was ten, my mother died. Well, my father had a drunk fit and made her go to this well at the dead of night, said he'd kill me and my sister if she didn't fetch him water from that particular well, and I found her body. Torn apart from bears. When I was just twelve, my father murdered my sister in another drunken rage. He ate her body. My best friend Archus... He was the first person I ever killed. It was by accident... Well, no, it wasn't. I was almost thirteen, and I was sweet on the same girl as him, we were fighting to impress her by seeing who could stay under water longer, and I pushed him under too long... He drowned. After that I just killed randomly. It just didn't mean anything anymore. When I was sixteen, I killed my father, and got arrested. Spent a few months rotting in the Solitude jail, then got sent to Helgen to be executed... But I got away, because there was this huge black dragon that just flew down... I don't know what happened that day. I don't honestly care. All I know is that I survived. All that matters to me. An assassin came after me, with a note from you..." he blushed slightly. "I got slightly obsessed with you... Forget I said that." turning to Astrid, he saw she had a mocking look on her face. He chuckled. "I got attacked again, and I fought and beat Othrelos. He told me I should join the Dark Brotherhood... So I did. And here we are now."

Astrid looked at him, then kissed him again gently. "Here we are now." she said softly before getting up, and walking away.

Leaving Silvanus sitting alone on the bank.

Knowing his job was now half done.