Author's Note: It's been a while! Sorry for the delay, folks! I tried to make this a bit longer to make up for it. C; I hope everybody had a fantastic holiday!

The first thing I did when I returned to Cheydinhal was go to the market.

After a fitful night's sleep, remembering in dreams seeing my mum embrace the Night Mother, saying goodbye. Where is she, now? I couldn't know - the Listener's location was secret to me, privy only to her most trusted family members. I gave a quiet scoff at that - not her daughter, but her family.

Still, it was good to be somewhere normal again. No blood, or tombs, or traitors - just peaceful Cheydinhal. Even knowing of its dark underbelly, I was able to forget it for a time. I walked around the makeshift stalls, losing myself in my thoughts, in the chorus of sellers boasting their wares and in the many scents around me. But I wasn't wandering aimlessly - I did have a goal in mind. It was the dull glint of sun on iron that caught my eye.

"In the market for a weapon, girl?" A tall Dunmer leaned over her stall, putting down a half-polished dagger. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm - not really certain, to be honest." I glanced over the weapons, frowning. The woman gave me a smile barely too polite to be a smirk, and I felt a pang of embarrassment, directing my gaze to the blades again. Still, I had to have something. It wasn't only mum's new title I'd thought about, last night.

She spoke through me. I shivered, remembering the Night Mother's comforting voice, the power of her exploding from within me, turning the traitor to ash. But what if she hadn't? If I'd been alone, unable to fight…

I shook the thought away, setting my jaw. That's why I'm here, to make sure that never happens. To make sure I'm never at someone else's mercy again. I couldn't rely on the Night Mother again. I didn't know how to fight, but having a true blade, beyond a dagger made for slitting throats, seemed a good first step.

"She'll take the wakizashi."

I jerked at a sudden hand on my shoulder, gritting my teeth as I turned to glower at the familiar smirk behind me. "I can make my own decisions, you know."

Lucien inclined his head. "Trust me, pet. Anything larger you won't be able to handle - anything smaller, you'd be dead before you could get close enough to use it."

I scoffed, but glanced at the stall keeper. She raised a brow, and I reluctantly nodded. As much as I didn't want to give him the satisfaction, he would know better than me. And it was better than risking losing limbs trying to use a blade I couldn't handle. I watched as she began to wrap up the Akaviri weapon before turning to Lucien.

"What are you - "

"You'll want to pay the woman."

I blushed, turning back and rummaging through my bag as the woman only watched, slowly wrapping the blade in cloth. Damn it, I've barely looked at the thing. I took it in my arms in exchange for five purses of coin - a good month's worth of potions sold. I sighed, looking back at Lucien, only to watch him walking away.

"Hey!" I ran after him, holding the linen scabbard to my chest. Again he looked so plain, so unremarkable compared to the last time I'd seen him. No black robes or blood - simple, well-made clothes and his hair tied back in a tail. I shook my head, trying to keep pace with him. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"I wanted to go for a walk." He didn't look at me as he spoke, striding onwards. To the cover of the sanctuary - a pretty little house, registered as owned by a Miles Garrus, taxes paid, kept clean. A convenient disguise. I followed him down a path I knew well by then, through the basement, to the dark door of the sanctuary.

"I thought you were with Vicente."

"I was." He only stopped when we were safely inside, the door creaking shut behind us. It was only then I realized I'd followed him here, effortlessly, as though I were stepping into my own home. I pursed my lips, glancing around the silent, dim sanctuary.

"You're - feeling better, then?"

His answer came slowly, reluctantly. "I was well enough to begin with, poppet, but Vicente has - aided me in becoming used to my new prowess."

New prowess. "He would know about that sort of thing, I guess." I met his gaze - his eyes, iris gone black since that strange night in the unholy matron's tomb. What they saw, I couldn't imagine. Vicente had told me briefly, as Lucien was resting, what he had told him of his new gaze. Vision beyond what I, what anyone could experience without having been so gifted, or cursed. He could see everything. Every movement, every flicker, to the point where he could predict changes. Not a seer, but enough that any opponent in battle would never be able to draw his blood - he could see their every move before it began. Lucien raised a brow before giving a quiet growl, cupping his forehead.

The curse was that he could see not only the single possibility, but all of them. He had to learn to focus, to centre upon the essential, true changes and ignore the rest. I winced as he massaged his forehead. A lesser man would go mad.

"I should - go." I winced as he growled in pain, glancing at me from under his hand as he rubbed his brow. I clutched the wrapped blade to my chest, biting my lip. "And you should go rest. You shouldn't be wandering around on your own right now, either. What if something had happened, with your eyes?"

I shrunk under his glare. "I am perfectly capable of caring for myself, pet." His gaze softened, moving from my own down to where I held the blade close. "But as for you, you'll be lucky if you don't lose limbs trying to use that. You've never even been trained, have you?"

"It's not like I'd had a lot of opportunity." I grimaced. "I wasn't even allowed to ride horses straddled until mum told my governess to let me. Because my legs would be spread improperly for a lady," I simpered. Lucien snickered as I rolled my eyes. "But I know how to move, thank you."

"Is that so?"

"Well, I took dancing lessons. That's the only time I'm really graceful, mum always said…" I shook away the memory with a wry smile. "But I've seen fencing lessons, at some of the tournaments in High Rock. The movements looked the same - it seems to be about moving fluidly, knowing when to do what, that's all." It sounded foolish, but from what little I knew it was true. Certain steps to be memorized, a certain grace...

"You make it sound so simple." Lucien smirked, gazing down on me and slowly arching a brow. "But perhaps you have potential. We'll find out."

"We will?" I frowned, following him again as he made his way through the Sanctuary, to the training hall. "What are you planning?"

"In due time, my dear. Follow me, and have a look at the blade."

I growled, rolling my eyes as I walked and carefully unsheathing the wakizashi from its linen sheath. I slowed my step as a door behind us creaked closed, running my finger from the handle, to the refined edge of the blade. Beautiful. I knew next to nothing about weapons, but the gleam of it and the thin edge told me enough. Lucien stood still, watching as I dropped the cloth and dared to raise the blade, running my fingers over the rippled, cylinder handle, over the curving metal.

"Light enough for you?"

"…Yes." I paused, slowly raising it up and down, moving it through the air like a twig through water in a child's hands. It was light, enough that I could swing it, if I had to. Longer than my dagger, though not as long as a proper sword. I looked up at the feel of Lucien's eyes on me. "What?"

"Nothing," He remarked, though his smirk spoke volumes. He stepped closer - I pursed my lips at the slight shiver I felt when his hands slid over mine. "It's for close quarters, like a dagger, but it will give you more distance. Generally it's used with another weapon, like a katana, but this will serve you well enough in…" He paused, slowly adjusting my grip and turning the blade in my hands. "Difficult situations."

I nodded as he spoke, feeling my cheeks grow hot as he moved behind me to manipulate my movement. "It looks thin."

"It is. Don't bother using it against heavily armoured opponents. Don't use it at all, if you can help it." He shifted my hands and arms, moving them to balance the blade upright. I gave a little gasp at the sudden rush of his hot breath on my neck, narrowing my eyes at his quiet snicker. "Only use it when you must."

I rolled my eyes, speaking flatly. "Easy for you to say. You didn't just spend weeks worth of work in gold on it." Still, I had to confess the blade felt comfortable in my hands. A bit strange, but comfortable, as though it were something I'd learned once and long since forgotten. I wondered for a moment if Anya had trained with one of these. The thought made me shiver, unconsciously lowering the wakizashi as I lost myself in thought. Only moments latter did the clatter of metal on stone register as I was swept off my feet, suddenly tangled in Lucien's grip.

"Lucien, what the hell!" I grappled at his arm wedged under my chin, his hand encircling my wrists. "Let - me - go - you - fetching - "

"You weren't paying attention, pet." Lucien smirked, releasing me and snorting as I rubbed my throat and pouted. "Come, then. Let's put that blade and those skills you spoke of to good use. Take it, and try to wound me."

I frowned, slowly lifting the wakizashi, trying to find the proper grip while looking Lucien over. The dozens little scars from the traitor's torture had healed easily enough, but some remained, ugly and dark. "… I might hurt you."

Lucien deadpanned. "You will not. Trust me."

I snorted, half-jesting. "Well, if I don't get to hurt you, what's the point of this?" I felt a glimmer of satisfaction at the crooked smile Lucien gave. He only inclined his head, waiting.

Trust me.

I took a breath, and with the blade ready, I lunged. And missed - he moved easily, actually pressing his body towards the blade, but trapping it between his arm and waist. We separated, and I tried again.

And missed.

By the end of it I was exhausted, arms aching, panting, sweat beading on my brow. The once light blade had grown heavy in my hands. Lucien, meanwhile, seemed to move as easily as liquid, dodging my attempts, time and time again disarming me. And all of it, without a scratch. I glared, taking a deep breath and trying not to growl at his smirk. It's just training, I reminded myself, despite my annoyance. Just training where he can make me look like a fool, since he can see what I'm going to do, bloody cheater…

I blinked, feeling a tingle go down my spine. Lucien raised a brow, ready for me. "Well, pet?"

Cheat.

We'd never exactly clarified what was permitted, after all. So it wasn't really cheating. And surely there was nothing wrong with putting all my resources to good use?

I gave a breathy laugh, returning his smirk, and lunged. Not with my sword - with my hand, to grab his sleeve and pull him close. Magicka channelled through my fingers, into his skin, and an expression of mild surprise froze on his face as the paralyzation set in through his body. I knelt beside him, taking my blade and placing it carefully above his throat. The scene was familiar - but before, I had been the one paralyzed, with him gloating over me.

"No experience with paralyzation, my dear?" I grinned as his face slowly changed, the spell wearing off. His lip curved into a satisfied smile.

"I hadn't seen that coming. For half a moment, but the spell set in quickly, too quickly for me to react. And I suppose after parrying your pathetic attacks for so long, focusing on those - visions - I simply didn't expect it." A dark laugh. I smirked at that, tilting my head and lowering my blade.

"What is this I hear?" I couldn't resist gloating, not when I had him under me like this, even with my blade dropped. "Are you confessing defeat? Am I the winner of this little ga -?" It took me a moment to realize what had happened - that I was suddenly beneath him, pinned to the ground as Lucien smirked down at me. I blinked, barely managing a squeak of surprise as he snickered.

"Oh no, pet. Not hardly."

His hot breath down my neck made me shiver. I searched for words, some clever retort, but the best I could manage was blinking and a quiet, "oh." He laughed quietly, sliding his hand under the small of my back, holding his weight just barely on me. Yes, very clever, Dust, I scolded myself, Surely he's riled after that, but memories flooded and it became difficult to think. Being under Bolor, trying my aphrodisiac, the kiss in Lucien's fort, all those little moments of heat and want, and a sudden urge to reach my arms around his neck and hide that damnable smirk with my lips -

"Now." Lucien traced a path from my neck to my jaw with his lips with a wolfish smile. "Let's review what we've learned."

We did