Libby had spent the next hour calming Diamond by letting her cry herself out. They had traveled back to Libby's mansion on Lakeview and Libby settled them atop her alchemy tower. The night is warm with a cool breeze off the lakeside. Libby had settled Diamond in the kitchen as she gathered things for the picnic atop the tower. But before they got up there, Libby had to nurse Diamond as she had cuts and bruises and burns along practically all inches of her arms and legs. Diamond had let Libby clean her wounds and patch her up, still sniffling.
Libby had given Diamond new clothes, seeing as how she didn't have any form of the Brotherhood uniform with her; and Diamond quickly changed out of them as if they were burning her in the process. Since she didn't have the sense to explain, Libby simple lets her be and fetches her some tea with a mint leaf.
Now sitting atop the tower with food and a blanket draped over her shoulders, Diamond clasps the glass of tea between her wrists even though she finished the glass without wanting seconds. Libby sits with her legs crossed in pretzel style simply sipping the same tea flavor with a plate of sweetrolls in front of them; though neither of them bothered to eat one.
Diamond leans her head on Libby's shoulder, and Libby only wraps her arm around her and strokes her hair. Libby bites the inside of her lip as she tries to figure out how to start the conversation, if Diamond's even willing to talk yet.
"I don't know what happened to you, but, I just want you to know that I'm so, so sorry that I didn't help you. That I didn't know where you were." Libby swallows, her voice is hard. "I should've known. I should've seen the signs. I'm so sorry."
Diamond eyes slowly fill with tears. It's not Libby's fault, but still she takes the blame, in hopes of taking the burden off of whatever Diamond's done; hoping to make her feel better. But it can't. She can't take the blame, and Diamond won't let her. She's tired. So tired. She aches, inside and out, and nothing seems simply anymore. Nothing seems right. Libby's expression is haunted, and Diamond knows she blames herself for today. Diamond doesn't know how to comfort Libby when nothing soft and conciliatory lives inside her anymore.
"I'm sorry I didn't think anything of it. I just . . . I should've come looking for you." Libby pleads.
It's not your fault.
A small whimper escapes Diamond, and tears spill down her cheeks. Diamond tries to tell Libby. To make the words come, but sobs choke her instead. Diamond's fingers are icy, trembling. Tension coils within her.
She swallows thickly before speaking. "It's not your fault. It's mine. It's my fault. It's all my fault!" Diamond begins to weep again and buries herself into Libby's shoulders. She burrows deeper a she feels Libby wrap her arms around Diamond and tug her closer. Diamond hiccups a couple time and claps her hand over her mouth.
Libby rubs her and pats her back as Diamond calms herself. Whatever the opposite of fine is, that's what Diamond is. She goes ahead and tells Libby about Zusa, the Faceless, Veera and Malick's sacrifice, and how she thinks Zusa must be killing him at this very moment. Libby doesn't interrupt once, and because of this, Diamond tends to look up to her to make sure she's listening. Pulling Diamond closer, Libby brushes the hair back behind her hears with her fingers. Diamond's stopped talking because there's really nothing left to say and there's this piercing sort of pain where Diamond's heart is. Diamond thinks she's even having a heart attack, but it doesn't seem worth mentioning.
"Diamond, I don't think Zusa will kill, Malick." She says. Without an explanation as to why, Diamond is surprised at how easily his name rolls off Libby's lips. But of course, she says this; it's what she thinks will calm Diamond. But her next few words come as a surprise. "If she does, she won't have anyone left you want. She won't have any way to hurt you."
Suddenly, Diamond realizes that this is Libby's Guild training coming out. The Guild specializes in blackmail and bribery; somehow the thought of Zusa keeping Malick alive both scares and reliefs Diamond. She realizes what Libby it trying to say, either Zusa will use him to bribe Diamond, or use him to find where she is. Libby would know, she's been on both ends.
Then Diamond knows Libby is right, that Zusa cannot afford to waste Malick's life, especially now while Diamond has caused so much havoc. She's killed Veera already. Her home destroyed. Libby and the Brotherhood are all out of her reach. Malick's really all she has left.
Diamond's afraid to ask her next question, but does anyway. "So what do you think she'll do to him?"
Libby sounds about a thousand year old Guild master when she speaks.
"Whatever it takes to break you."
What will break me?
This is the question that consumes Diamond as she deservingly rests herself in Libby's mansion. What will break her into a million pieces so that she is beyond repair, beyond usefulness? Diamond doesn't mention her unease to Libby, but it devours her waking hours and weaves itself throughout her nightmares.
Diamond jumps every time there's a knock at the door over the next three days. No Faceless assassins show up to kidnap her, though, so eventually she begins to relax.
Libby never leaves the house, let alone the property even though Diamond didn't ask her to. Still, Diamond can't say she wasn't grateful. The first night, Libby promptly let Diamond sleep with her and stayed in the room that same morning. With the fear gripping her, Diamond decides to have Libby teach her the basic Shadowmarks that's spread out all around Skyrim. Since Diamond is practically family now that Libby is in charge of the Guild, or at least she will be after its back on its feet, Diamond decides she could use another place to stay if she's ever on the run.
Libby shows her the signs for Danger, Caches and what marks indicate where certain members live. Libby describes them with such detail that Diamond is curious as to if the members have secretly elected her the new Guild Master should anything happen to Mercer. She know all the marks like the back of her hand and even talks to Diamond about how she wants to change the Guild around with the approval of the others. This excites Diamond and she's soon eager to see what plans Libby now has in store.
Soon their conversations drift to where Libby had met her father Gallus and how she had obtained a special ability as prize for her being champion of Nocturnal. Then Diamond follows Libby as she branches off to the backyard where she practices her archery. It's quiet, absorbing work that helps take Diamond's mind off of her troubles. She likes to watch Libby's hands as her fingers knock the arrow to the string and she draws back to aim. Her face takes on a special look when she concentrates. Her usual easy expression is replaced by something more intense and removed that suggests an entire world locked away inside her. Diamond has seen flashes of this before: in Helgen, or when she's in battle, or even when she's trying to calm Diamond when in the midst of chaos. Diamond doesn't quite know what to make of it. Diamond also becomes fixated on Libby's eyelashes. Fringed with dark lashes, they're so dainty and delicate and so long that Diamond doesn't see how they keep from getting tangled up when Libby blinks.
On the afternoon of the second day, Libby is shooting, while Diamond sip on a cold glass of tea Libby's steward fetched for her. Libby stops shooting her arrows and looks so suddenly that Diamond starts, as though she was caught spying on her, which in a strange way maybe she was. But all she says is, "You know, this is probably the only normal thing we've done together."
"Yeah," Diamond agrees. Their whole relationship isn't a normal one, it was never a part of it. But it withstands deception, shadows and bloody blades, so it must be strong. "Nice for a change."
Later Libby and Diamond sit in the grand master bedroom on the first floor of the mansion while Libby's bard, who name has a reference to a Nightingale, plays an instrumental number while the girls snack on venison, potato soup and a new creation that Libby discovered, apple pie. They keep their conversations flowing up until Diamond is tired enough to go to bed.
Libby has her steward fetch her a stack of books and a few pieces of parchment paper and a quill and an ink bottle to keep herself busy since she isn't tired yet; and with Diamond being afraid to sleep alone, she needs something to keep herself busy. Diamond at first keeps talking with Libby as she watches her scribble. Diamond eyes skip between the paper and Libby's face. Her hand following the flow of her handwriting as the words in the book manifest onto the parchment. Then hew bard's music soon seems to overtake Diamond's senses as she rolls over in the bed to her other side and shuts her eyes.
About halfway through the night, there's a rustling that causes Diamond to start to drift towards consciousness. As she does, the sound becomes more muffled, sending a ripple through the still pool of her slumber. On weak arms, Diamond props herself on her elbow. She blinks her eyes open and finds a fire still brewing in the hearth in the main hall.
Her first reflex is to check the last spot Diamond saw Libby. She's still there, but she's changed. Diamond feels he heart weakly skip a beat as she watches Libby drape a cloak over her Thieves Guild uniform.
At first Diamond is perplexed. With the Thieves Guild regaining its footing in Skyrim, she would think that its members would proudly wear their armor out in the open to establish their mandatory respect to the citizens; but then again, maybe it's still a hazard despite the fact that many guards are starting to be able to be bribed should a member of crime uprise. And the revealing of a Thieves Guild armor could have citizens lock themselves and their things up, but that never stops any member before.
Libby's silhouette begins to pulls back her hair and secure it with a ribbon, which again is peculiar to Diamond seeing as how Libby always likes her braids.
"Libby?" Diamond mumbles.
Immediately the silhouette turns its head. It approaches casually and Diamond feels a hand stroke her hair.
"Shh," She hears the whisper. "It's okay, Diamond. Go back to sleep."
Diamond's eyelids seem to immediately begin to flutter shut and she follow the gentle pressure of the hand until her head rests against the pillow once more.
