Author's note: This story is, obviously, non-canon. As such, there may be instances considered as out-of-character conduct from established (canon) characters. Any delving into established characters' pasts, or growth or regression, are not based upon any canon information and only for use of this story. This also applies to any change of location, whether to mapped locations or fan created. I do not own any rights to The Elder Scrolls property or any of its associated contents. Original characters (OCs) written here are nothing more than fan imagining.
A foreword of clarification: This story takes place within the Dragonborn Era of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The setting here begins after the fall of the Falkreath Sanctuary, but memories will be discussed of the happenings and time spent there.
As of the start of this tale, the Dark Brotherhood currently is resided at Dawnstar Sanctuary with surviving members of Falkreath being Nazir, Babette, Cicero, and the Listener.
There are new members and their numbers are continuing to grow, but due to lack of that in-game (besides the two unnamed initiates), I'm going to have to make OCs for them as well.
The Listener is whatever the player decides in-game, but a short summary of this story's Listener is: Going to be unraveled. Ha. There's a point to it. But an already known right now is that she's a very young woman (perhaps anywhere from 18 to early 20s). Easily revealed through her youthful frame and personality (no worries, I'm not implying a vivacious young woman's body with large bouncy breast- also sorry that I'm not implying that fun-
But she is of small build, built for stealth and agility and is of quite short stature. Even shorter than Cicero, and Babette can stand at chest level.
She stays garbed in her stealthy attire and never removes the hood from her head nor mask from her face. So, no, not at present does anyone amongst them know what's under there, not even her race. This is very relevant to the story, obviously , so please stick with me. Haha
Chapter One: Do It Yourself
Tressa dragged her feet through the sloshy snow of Dawnstar's inner street. She had just arrived back by cart from a supply trip for The Sanctuary.
She was grumbling beneath her mask, still annoyed with being tasked with the job.
Which wasn't anything but her fault, as she had volunteered herself for it.
She wanted some fresh air and something to do, since Mother hadn't given her a task for a week now and Nazir was being stingy giving the initiates all the low priority contracts.
He had been promising he'd give her a high contract if they got one, but they haven't gotten one.
It wasn't concerning. There were still slumps in their call to duty sometimes as they were still rebuilding their rep in the undermarket, but Tressa was still going to pout about it regardless.
She took up the supply task to ease her stir a little, but didn't realize she'd have to go out of her way until it was too late.
She could have turned back and told everyone to get it their damn self, but she was stubborn even at her own cost.
Besides, a little break outside the Sanctuary was indeed what she wanted, so she turned her list into a quest and told herself not to set foot back in Dawnstar until she got everything on that paper.
It took her five days to gather everything, especially since one of Nazir's requests was a cooking ingredient that was out of season. She went on a wild goose chase for the thing but finally managed to find it.
She was actually quite proud it only took her five days to travel, get everything—especially Nazir's damn vegetable--, and get back.
Tressa was always quite happy with the confidence boost completing quests gave her, even if she was grumbling in annoyance now.
The high of completion, though, had worn off by the time she arrived back at Dawnstar on the horse cart.
She probably could have gotten back even faster if she had rode Shadowmere, but he was a big horse and she has always had trouble reigning any horse with her small stature.
She didn't want to keep falling off or slipping the reign on this whole adventure and take even longer getting back.
She'd been meaning to ask Cicero to teach her how to ride better, as he is a surprisingly good rider despite his also small stature .
At least it was surprising to her. She figured it had to be hard for anybody close to the ground like them. She'd be devastated if Babette was an elite wrangler too, but she's never seen Babette ride and didn't want to until she herself could manage the beasts.
Just on the chance that Babette could trot circles around her.
Tressa kept trudging through the slosh, her backpack brimming full of the list, icy particles of the ocean mist were tapping upon the lens of her mask as she got closer to the shoreline to round the outcrop of rocks that blocked their Sanctuary door from obvious view.
She noted she could still hear the dragon in the far distance that was out there five days ago when she left.
Tressa's grumblings of the list, the cold, and the icy mist obstructing her vision shifted to complaining about the Dragonborn needing to do his own work too and wondering if the rumors she heard on her travels, about him being amongst the Thieves Guild, were true.
She could very possibly run into him while fencing goods and tell him to get back to work slaying these damn dragons so rerouting around them could stop slowing her down too.
"What are you whining about now?" a child's voice startled Tressa as she rounded the outcrop.
"Babette! Sithis sake. You could start with a hello," Tressa huffed as she saw the unchild crouched near a snowberry bush, plucking the red fruit from its branches.
"Hi, Listener," the little vampire deadpanned, "We thought you we're dead."
Tressa was nearly past her but now turned to the girl.
"Huh?" the Listener quizzically titled her head.
"Yeah, I mean," Babette explained, "You have been gone for days. We thought maybe the dragon flew over and ate you."
"Seriously?"
"If you were gone any longer, yes."
Tressa quickly swung her backpack from her back to hold out in front of her.
"Did you all forget the novel of a list you sent me out with?" she said.
Babette shrugged her shoulders as she began to head towards the Sanctuary door with a satchel of the berries she just picked.
"Towns right there," she replied.
Tressa tilted her head again, quite dramatically for effect.
"Towns right the--Town's right there?!" she repeated back in exasperation. She yanked the list from her bag and held it out as if it was the answer to all things.
"Do you know what all is on here?! I swear I almost had to go all the way to Els--"
"I know you wrote down my request for lavender and some pine thrush eggs," Babette interrupted, "Did you get them?"
Tressa was frozen in her stance, probably highly annoyed at the unchild, but it was impossible to read a covered face.
She finally swung the arm holding the list down and mockingly answered, "Yes, I got them, little grandma."
Babette grinned a bit.
"Thank you, Listener," she said to which Tressa nodded with sarcastic enthusiasm.
She and Babette headed to the door together.
The others inside didn't pay much attention to the sound of the main entry door slamming as they knew it was just Babette returning indoors.
But the chatter of the Listener and the unchild began to echo into the main chamber and grabbed their attention, as Babette had riled Tressa up again by teasing her about having gotten startled earlier.
"Jump scares don't count!" Tressa argued, "I'm telling you, YOU didn't scare me!"
"You jump at everything," Babette nodded.
"No! No I do not!" the young Listener waved her finger dismissively, "And that doesn't mean--"
Tressa was then, unfortunately but well timed, quite startled by the loud shout quickly approaching from her right as they entered where the Night Mother's sarcophagus rested.
"LISTENEEER!!" a high pitch tone from their jester clad Keeper rang out as he hurried to the two entering.
Tressa nearly back peddled into the door frame out of reflex to bound away from any possible approaching danger.
She caught herself and pushed forward when she realized it was just Cicero.
She also heard Babette snickering and turned on the vampire.
"Jump scares don't count, damn it!" she snapped.
The jester was now upon them and was unloading every bit of his apparent concern about the whereabouts of the Listener for the past five days.
"My Listener! Sweet Mother's mercy! We thought you were dead! Eaten by that dragon!" he said, repeating what Babette had said outside, "Worried absolutely crazy! Cicero was this close to gutting that dragon himself and fishing you from his belly! We can't lose our Listener, Listener! No! No! No! We waited sooo long for one. So long. And sooo long for you to return from your little quest!"
"Little quest?!" Tressa flung her arms up, "What is with you lot and forgetting the massive book of groceries you sent me for! I had to go far and wide for you people!"
"Far?" Cicero looked at her with question.
"Yeah. Far," Tressa nodded.
The jester's eyes darted as if through the wall then back to her.
"What?" the girl asked impatiently.
"Towns right there," he said.
The Listener dropped her arms in dramatic fashion and leaned back to let loose the pure agitation in a loud, frustrated sigh.
"Dread Father, give me strength!" she growled and straightened up, pointing her finger accusingly between the jester and vampire, "You all did this to me on purpose, didn't you?!"
The two of the accused both shook their heads in unison.
Tressa put her hands to her hips, indicating she probably wanted to berate them more but the deep voice of a Redguard piped up from the stairs of the common area.
"So, you finally return," Nazir said as he leaned on the support beam at the top of the stairs
Tressa whipped around and pointed her angry finger at him.
"Oh no! Nuh uh! By Gods, don't you start too," she lit into him, "And I swear! I SWEAR! If you ask what took me so long or 'towns right there', I am going to set this backpack on fire and THROW IT IN SOMEBODY'S FACE!"
Nazir held up a hand and waved limply in acknowledgment.
"Alright, Listener, I hear you. Calm down now," he said, "I was only going to say that I'm glad you didn't become dragon chow for the sake of my vegetables."
Tressa then fished those requested vegetables from her bag and threw them quite vigorously at Nazir, who almost fumbled the catch, laughed a bit under his breath, and proceeded to head back down to the commons.
"Thank you, Listener," he said as he descended the stairs. The Listener's response was merely a huff.
Her masked eyes then locked on to Cicero.
He raised his brow in question, "Hmm?"
"Oh, don't 'hmm' me like you don't know," the Listener replied and retrieved his requested item from her pack now, "Here's your damn oil."
Cicero smiled greatly at her as he clasped both hands around her hand and the vial.
"Oh, thank you, dear Listener! Thank you!" he said with what seemed to be genuine gratefulness, but his over enthusiasm sometimes rubbed her as brazen cheekiness. She definitely knew sarcasm was frequent to leave his tongue.
Usually, she did actually find good humor in this, but her only response this time was an unamused "Eh."
"Oh! Mother thanks you too!" he added, seeing as it was to aid the Night Mother directly.
Tressa decided to be cheeky herself, whether Cicero had intended to be or not, and say, "Oh, how would you know? I'm the Listener….She can only, and should, tell me her damn self."
Her last comment changed Cicero's expression immediately to one that she knew he was about to rebuke her fiercely for such a heinous comment, so she leaned to the side as if she heard the voice of the Night Mother calling from behind him.
"Oh my, she just did!" Tressa exclaimed in a false tone of shock, "What a sweet, kind Mother! Of course you're welcome! You shouldn't even HAVE to thank me for ANYTHING. Not ANYTHING. Nothing I ever do for you. Ever!"
Cicero didn't look the least bit convinced, or amused, and a tense silence fell for a moment.
But he then released his hands from the grip he had been holding on hers and snatched the vial of oil as he did so.
"Thank you, Listener," he said again, but his tone was clearly sardonic now. He turned heel; however, and walked away.
"Yeah, you're welcome," Tressa replied, but then mumbled under her breath as he furthered away, "….where's your sense of humor, you grumpy frumpy funny man?"
The jester may or may not have heard her, and if he did, he showed great restraint by only pausing for the slightest of a moment and then continued on with a peppy hum.
The Listener paid him no mind anyway and was now descending the stairs to the common area.
"Oi, you guys! Kor! Aphid!" she called down to the young men, two Nords and of the new initiates, seated at the meal table.
She held up her bag as she continued down towards them.
"I got your shite!" she said, shaking the pack, "Aphid, I hope you're okay with damaged goods, because I dropped the damn thing SO. many. times."
She stopped upon the last step and stilled for a moment.
Kor, the younger of the two men, was just about to ask her what was the matter but she spoke up again , revealing the answer.
"Urgh, of course. As soon as I--Coming, Mother!" Tressa called out, having heard a beckon from the Night Mother above.
She shook her head a tad and tossed the bag onto the table, knocking some utensils and empty tankards on to the two men, but they didn't seem to mind. Kor, though, did save his mead cup from spilling.
"Either take the rest to everyone else or tell them their shite's on the table. I don't care which. Just do it yourself," Tressa threw her hands up and began ascending the stairs now.
Kor's mumbling comment of hoping it's not a bag full of dragon dung made her snicker a bit, but she made sure to stomp loudly upon the steps so no one could hear it and everyone knew she was clearly agitated with them.
Tressa made it back atop and rounded to the Night Mother.
Cicero was just getting done putting the vial she obtained for him inside a satchel of supplies he kept behind the sarcophagus.
He stood, and having heard Tressa call out from below a moment ago, he knew why she had come back. He did an exaggerated bow and wave of his arm as he stepped aside and leaned upon the wall in wait.
The Listener made no indication whether she found it funny or not and stood before their revered Mother to await instruction.
Cicero watched as Tressa swayed her head a little here and there and gave a tilt, something he learned was a habit of hers to indicate she was listening to whoever spoke at length to her.
After an unusual lengthy moment, she stepped back and gave a curious, but stated "Huh."
"Huh?" Cicero mimicked in a question, "….Why huh, Listener?"
She turned her head towards him, but of course, Cicero couldn't read any expression she may have had under that mask.
He made a motion that could only be read as "Well? Go on?"
"Um,…I think this calls for a meeting," Tressa explained, "Come on."
Cicero looked absolutely curious now and most certainly followed as they began descending the stairs to the commons together.
Tressa waved out to those below and called, "Family meeting!...Except for low ranks…Seriously clear out! Things to discuss!"
Aphid began to do as told but Kor didn't.
"We're part of this guild, no?" he asked.
"Barely!" The Listener replied and waved as if shooing a fly.
"But Babette doesn't hold any special rank," the young Nord ignored her motion for him to clear out and pointed to the eternal child following behind the Listener and Cicero.
"She holds lifetimes more rank than you'll ever achieve here," Tressa retorted, "Don't question me or her. Now get out of here, before I sick my rabid merry man on you."
Cicero suddenly seemed to snap his attention up, having been lost in curious thought.
"Hmm? What? Me?" he said, "…..Did you just call Cicero rabid?...That's rude, Listener. Such a foul mood you'v--"
Tressa quick turned on him swinging her arms from him to Kor.
"No. Him. Look at the initiate. Look at this rudeness," she said, "Defying his Listen--"
"DO NOT DEFY YOUR LISTENER, YOU INSOLENT CUR!" Cicero suddenly boomed at the Nord, slapping the tabletop for good measure.
He startled both Kor and Tressa, the latter quickly regaining composure to try and cover it.
Kor held his hands up and finally conceded.
"Okay, okay. I didn't mean nothin' by it," he said and decided it best to trot off with Aphid.
After being sure the initiates were gone, Tressa, Cicero, Babette, and Nazir sat at the table to discuss what the Night Mother had shared with the Listener.
They all looked very curiously at Tressa. Nazir speaking up first.
"So, exactly who is so high on a kill list you needed to call upon all of us?" he asked.
Babette gasped just a slight.
"Oh no, it's not the Dragonborn, is it?" she asked, "I don't want to sound faithless, but we are no where near ready to slit that throat."
Tressa shook her head.
"No….No. See, um, the thing is..," she began and seemed rather befuddled at the explanation she had to give. She brought her hands up to the sides of her head as if in troubled thought.
There was a silent moment that hung over them waiting for her to speak.
Then suddenly, she slammed her hands down hard on the table with a loud shout to accompany it.
All three of the others jumped from the sudden fright.
"YES!" the Listener cheered, "YES! Finally! I got all of you! See how it feels, huh?!"
"Jump scares don't count, Listener!" Babette snapped.
Cicero had a hand to his chest and looked at the Listener with what seemed a mix of disappointment and anger.
"Listener!" he said, "Really?!...Did the Night Mother give you instructions or was this all a prank, you imp of a child!"
"Oh no no," Tressa replied, "She did. She did. I just couldn't waste a good opportunity for vengeance. I mean—you guys can't see it, but I have the biggest smile on my face now….You can see this, though."
She flipped them the double bird.
"Enough, already," Nazir scolded, having grown more than tired of the shenanigans, "Please. Stop. What contract has the Night Mother spoken of?"
Tressa set her hands down and blew a raspberry beneath her mask but pressed the childishness no further.
"It's not a contract, as I did say," she finally explained, "….It's a retrieval."