MOURNING NEVER COMES

With all the changes that have taken place in my life as of recent, I'm glad that Markarth has stayed the same. Upon entering the city, I find a bandit savagely impaling a guard. I fling an ice spike and nab him right in the eye before he can stab the man even more. Even if the guard deserved it. I leave the crowd to mourn the both of them.

The bar, also known as Silver-Blood Inn, is right across the way and in easy access. It's a good place to wash off the grime of the city. Or, to wash down the sorrows of your time here. I glance at the seat Vorstag used to inhabit. Come to think of it, it's almost like he lived here. I never saw him anywhere else aside from when he was adventuring around Skryim. By the looks of it, the rest of the patrons miss his singing and talents too. Many people surround the bar with their heads buried in drink or have fallen face flat onto the counter. The only music here is the incessant arguing between the bartender and his wife.

Someone needs a divorce soon if they want better business. I don't see the contact among the drunks, so I make my way back into the rooms for rent. The bartender isn't paying attention anyways.

Second door in. Voice whispers. Resourceful one.

I do as she says. Seated at the desk near the bed is a very pretty, young, woman. Only thing odd about her is the markings on her face. And the fact she's calling on me to murder her ex-lover.

"You finally made it." She stands. Her orange and white dress moves to cascade down her generous figure.

"Yep, I was under the impression you were in the Hag's Cure." I read the name off the little note I made for the mission. The details weren't too memorable at first glance.

"I was, I'm just…taking a break. But…oh my, you are the Dark Brotherhood! I can't believe the Black Sacrament actually worked! It did work? You got my message?"

"A little too loud and clear. Who am I supposed to gut out?"

She winces at my crassness. I get the picture on why she didn't take the murder on herself. But then, her outburst is full of passion. "I want Alain Dufont to die! I want him hunted down and murdered like the dog he is!"

"Perfectly acceptable. What did he do?" I lean back against the wall so I can have a bit of a rest. And to make sure no one will stab me in the back.

"I didn't know when we were…with each other…but Alain is actually the leader of a cutthroat group. Bandits. They're holed up in some Dwarven Ruin. Raldbthar. It's near Windhelm. They use it as their base. It's where they stage their raids. I want you to go to that ruin, find Alain Dufont, and kill him. I don't care about his friends. Do what ever you want with them. But Alain has to die!" Her eyes widen, looks like she's been thinking about this for a long time.

"You got it. I'll be back soon."

"Excellent." She goes on while Voice talks.

This bandit shouldn't be such a moral dilemma for you, will he?

"Not at all." I whisper.

Woman stops talking then starts again, "There is one more thing, if you're interested?"

"Sure." I rub my temples. Voice is very happy with this new deal we have, she orders me around, I don't get my friends killed.

"If you can… I want you to kill someone else as well. You don't have to- not as part of our deal. But if you do…I'll pay you even more."

I raise a brow. Not like I need the money.

"It's Nilsine Shatter-Shield, in Windhelm. If Nilsine dies, too…I'll make it worth your while."

"I'll see what I can do." Before she can give me even more contracts, I bolt out of there.

"Is Nelsie necessary?" I ask her as I maneuver the room and around all the stumbling patrons.

Voice understands, No. Get the contract done and don't worry about her.

I consider as I hop on the carriage. If I kill her, I might get brownie points with Astrid, which means she might send me on more missions. Then, I don't get to sit around with Cicero. Between killing more people and being in Cicero's presence…I take the former. Even if my conscience is bruised because of it.

Alan Dufoe screams like a little girl after someone pulled her pigtails too tight. He screams even louder when the Ebony Blade is slid further into his heart. As with the others, it was easy as cake getting into here and killing the contracts. Helped that they were a bunch of no-life bandits.

I lurch the Blade free, his high-pitched voice fades, and I'm left with the silence. All the other bandits are piled around the room in various puddles of blood. The only really annoying aspect of this job are the flamethrowers hooked into the wall.

I leap over it and dodge another fireball with ease. Carriage is right outside. I gave the driver a five spot to look the other way.

I've changed my mind. Go to Windhelm and kill Nilsine Shatter-Shield.

I trip over a rock and catch my footing in time. "Why?"

She might be…a nuisance for later on. It's better to get rid of her now.

"Fine, that gives us a few extra days. Looks like I get to catch up on my sleep." Carriage driver gives me an odd look. Guess he hasn't been around enough homeless to know talking to the voices in our heads is normal.

A beggar, a guard, a random man, and a priest surround the body. Looks like she died as soon as a few hours ago. No, this is not Nilsine. This is a random woman, unclothed, mutilated, and covered in bruises and scars that looked like my own. The guard told me to stay back…but I couldn't when I saw the weapon used.

The guard was leaning over a blade that looked very much like the Ebony Blade. It was a damn good replica, even without all the red spiderweb-like magic surrounding it.

"Where was that?" I question.

"Lodged in her chest." The guard mutters, "I can't tell if it was put there before or after her electrocution."

My heart plummets. The cold wind brings on another chill but that's not the reason I shiver. Someone might be mimicking us. Trying to frame us. Voice states the obvious.

"This is the only one?" I move my shoulders, so my own Ebony Blade won't be in her line of sight.

"There was one other girl in Windhelm. Two near Whiterun but none in the city. All electrocuted." The guard says. Something catches my eye and I see the priest behind her turn to watch me. I feel all eyes in the vicinity turn to me.

Forget Nelsine. Get out of there now.

"I hope you find the one who did it." I murmur. Not sure if the guard caught it, not like she was listening, so I run. No one else watches me with suspicion as I make my way out of the city. I personally believe Voice is overreacting. But if I can get out of killing another innocent, then I'll take any chance I can.

Astrid looks surprised at my panicked demeanor. But as usual, she keeps her cool. "You're back. How went your first real contract? A bit more exciting than what Nazir's been offering, I'd wager." She crosses her arms.

"It was alright. You win and you lose some." I shrug.

I won't tell her how disappointed the contact was when I told her Nelsine still lives. I won't say that she seemed more concerned with that than Dufoe. But not my problem. I still got paid. I also won't disclose how Voice was panicking the whole way home.

She had no idea why those women were killed with the Ebony Blade replica, or why they were electrocuted. It did seem oddly suspicious but for the first time I had to comfort her. Tell her that, if anything, it was a strange coincidence. Or, maybe someone really liked my killing style and decided to pay the best compliment ever through imitation.

Eventually, she calmed. I think it helped that we were almost home to her corpse and Keeper.

"Of course, dear. From what my little ravens tell me you handled yourself quite well." She clears her throat and bows her head ever so slightly. She's…embarrassed? "I need your assistance with a matter of a more…personal nature."

I don't like the sound of this, "What's wrong?"

"It's Cicero. Ever since he arrived, his behavior's been…Well, erratic would be an understatement. I do believe he is truly mad. But its worse than that. He's taken to locking himself in the Night Mother's chamber and talking. To someone. In hushed, but frantic tones." She pauses, "Who is he speaking with? What are they planning? I fear treachery."

"I've known him for some time, trust me when I say this is normal."

She looks at me a bit more closely. "You knew the Keeper? Interesting. But this is concerning. My gut is telling me that demented little fool is up to something."

Based on how he was murdering Astrid with his eyes, I don't blame her for the paranoia. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Dear sister," Her voice is raw, "I need you to steal into that chamber, and eavesdrop on their meeting. It will be no use clinging to the shadows. They'll see you for sure. No, you need a hiding place. Somewhere they'd never think to look." She smiles, "Like in the Night Mother's coffin."

I lurch and almost spit up the blood I had this morning. Is this woman as mad as Cicero?

"That seems…" Gross? Abhorrent? Dangerous? "Disrespectful."

"Be that as it may, we have no other choice. You need to remain unseen! Now go! Before they meet. And report back to me with whatever you learn." She turns to her map, dismissing me.

My plan was to go in and pretend I "eavesdropped" on them. But my feet are not my own anymore. It's like when I blacked out while I was fighting Potema. Voice had control over me and over my consciousness. This time she kept that intact.

My heavy feet carry be up the stairs, past the Argonian watching me curiously on the ground, and up into her chamber. Cicero isn't there yet. This gives me time to look onto her bare coffin. It's just as I remember it. The gray carvings etched the story of a different era onto her resting place. Her body is encased with two very heavy doors, which slightly open as I approach.

I would stand in another part of the room. Hell, I'd turn into a bat and hang upside down if I could. But she wants me.

The coffin opens, her gnarled and deformed body is framed in the center. Her dead eyes latch onto mine. I have no choice in the matter when I let myself fall into her embrace. The coffin doors slam shut.

Cicero's Journal Entry

20th of Evening Star, 4E 201

Cicero…has deliberated. It will take some time for the others to come around…but what if the Listener is here? And they are not saying it? Hm? I thought maybe Traveler…or the un-child…but oh, Mother I surely hope not! What if the Listener is actually…Astrid! What if fate played a cruel joke on us? Oh! I certainly hope not. Things to ponder…