Because not only does Raelynn have a gift of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, she also has a gift of occasionally being in the very right place at the right time.
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Raelynn groaned as she swam back towards consciousness. She shifted, realizing belatedly that she was no longer in her bed at Breezehome. She kept her eyes closed as she assessed the situation.
"You may as well open your eyes. I know you're awake." His voice was soft and calming and set her nerves on edge. She slowly opened one eye and then the other, squinting in the dim lighting. He was perched on a table across from where she half-sat, half-laid on a bench. One of his legs was swinging casually over the edge of the table and the other was perched on a chair. The armor he wore was red and black and looked vaguely familiar. She frowned as she tried to remember where she recognized it from. A hood covered most of his head and a mask kept the lower half of his face obscured so that all she could really see where his piercing green eyes.
"You've been very naughty!" The childish voice startled her and she whipped her head around and spotted another man, an Imperial one dressed in a jester's outfit. His red hair was slicked back from his face and his hat was askew, making him look like a madman. She blinked. "Naughty, naughty and now you have to pay!" His words were almost a song and the wild grin he gave did not sooth her nerves.
"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, eyes darting between the two of them. The jester began cackling and shivers rolled along Raelynn's spine.
"I could tell you," the first man answered her, "but then I'd have to kill you." The rasp of the dagger as he pulled it from the sheath made her squirm and press back against the bench. His eyes glinted in the light from the one lantern and he held the blade up, running his thumb along the edge. "Of course, since I'm going to kill you anyway," he continued and Raelynn's blood ran cold, "I suppose I can tell you." Her breath caught in her throat and no matter how much she tried to suck in, no air seemed to make it to her lungs. She was terrified, fear keeping her from moving despite the fact that she was a mage and could easily fight back with spells. The jester cackled and Raelynn could feel the goosebumps dance along her skin. The other man pushed his hood back and drew the mask from his face revealing short white-blond hair, finely tapered ears, and eyes the color of grass after it rains.
Her gaze flickered over his features and she gasped. "I know you!" she exclaimed. He paused, a frown flitting over his face. The more she looked at him the more certain she was. She distinctly remembered those eyes peering out at her from behind the bars of his cell. She had thought it strange that an Altmer was a prisoner of his own kind. "You were at Northwatch Keep," she added.
He blinked at her slowly; once, twice, three times. "How… why do you think that?" He tilted his head and she had a feeling her life depended on this answer.
She licked her lips. "Because I was the one who let you out," she answered softly, praying to the Divines that he let her live.
He leaned in closer, those vivid eyes studying her face. "By Sithis," he exhaled, his breath wafting over her forehead. "It is you." He straightened abruptly. "Fuck." He ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her.
"Listener?" the jester piped up, startling Raelynn and she looked over at him again. His face was twisted in confusion and he held a dagger even more wicked looking than the other one. Raelynn swallowed around the lump that had risen into her throat.
"Contract's off, Cicero," the first man said, pivoting back around to face them. Raelynn gaped up at him, unsure if his words were good or bad for her.
"But, Listener… we can't just… that's not something… Mother will be so displeased!" the shorter man objected, stomping his foot in protest.
This Listener arched an elegant brow and then pulled his hood back up. "Mother did not give me this contract. Nazir did." He held a hand up and she heard the jester snap his mouth shut. "This woman is the only reason I am alive, Cicero. The contract is off." His tone of voice was severe and she knew his words were final, whether that was good or bad for her.
The jester, Cicero, was suddenly in front of her and she jumped. He took one of her hands, clutching it in both of his. "This woman… saved the Listener?" he breathed. "Cicero… thanks you so much milady!" He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "You should be rewarded! Honored for your work! Without you there would be nobody to hear Mother's words and Cicero would still be all alone. Why, Cicero should-"
"Don't start Cicero," the Listener said, tossing an amused grin at the other man. "You forget she's a Companion. She has several large, burly friends to keep her safe. You just stick with me and Mother and let them take care of her."
"If she's here they didn't do a very good job," Cicero muttered. "We plucked her out of that house from right under her Housecarl's nose and nobody noticed."
She caught a smirk on the Listener's face as he slipped his mask back on. "You need better locks on your house in Whiterun," he said. "Or you need to stay at Jorrvaskr. I never would have gotten you there. Damned werewolves can always tell when we're around." She was not sure if he wanted a response but she nodded anyway.
His hand slipped into his pouch and she jerked back when he drew it out and moved it towards her. He snickered and then twisted his wrist, producing a blue gem shaped like a star. He held it out. She gnawed on her lip, looking at it warily. "Take it," he said, waving it towards her in encouragement. "It's a sign of the life debt I owe you." She hesitantly reached out and accepted the gem. "You are now under the protection of the Dark Brotherhood," he declared and then he shifted and the light caught his eyes and she could see the smirk there. "Pretty rare for somebody who isn't a member. Don't disappoint." He winked at her before he looked at the other man. "Cicero." The jester skipped across the room and opened the door. "Take care of yourself, Dragonborn," he called and then they were gone and she was left alone.
She waited for several moments before she stood and pushed the ratty curtain away from the window. A quick glance outside revealed that she had no idea where she was. She dropped her head against the cool glass and groaned. "Now what do I do?" she muttered.
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Only a few hours had passed when the door to the hut slammed open and she jumped, stumbling backwards and fetching against the wall. "Farkas," she gasped.
He was across the room in three long strides, hands on her shoulders as he peered down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded, mouth hanging slightly open at the intensity of his gaze.
"How did you find me?" she questioned. He reached into a pouch and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment.
"Kodlak got this note," he said. "I recognized the handprint at once." He squeezed her shoulders. "That's twice that the Dark Brotherhood has grabbed you Rae! You have got to be more careful!"
Her hand curled around the blue gemstone and she drew it out and showed it to him. "Not really," she said and he stared at it, confusion written across his features. "Turns out the Listener, who I gather is their leader or something, was at Northwatch Keep at the same time Thorald was. I released him along with a handful of other prisoners. I'm apparently under their protection now."
Farkas chuckled and shook his head and she bit her lip in concern; the laughter sounded almost manic. He swallowed and covered his eyes with his hands. "I swear to all the Divines Rae, you are going to drive me into an early grave." She let out a sound of hurt and he shifted his hand to look at her with one eye. "You're lucky you're so damn cute," he added and she blushed bright red. "Come on, let's get back to Whiterun. First thing we're going to do is replace those locks at Breezehome." She nodded, trailing him as he led her out of the small fishing hut and into the wilderness.
