Too many things were happening at once for Thorunn to make sense of it. On one end, guards were scrabbling for their swords and swinging at anyone who looked faulty. On another, Alik'r soldiers and Stormcloak soldiers alike were shoving each other as they fought to get out of the palace. The music had ceased and Thorunn almost missed it. It had been drowning out all the death.

Now the screams were laid bare. Thorunn had her sword drawn, ready to strike at whoever dared test her. "Altair," she warned, moving cautiously across the dais alongside Ulfric.

"I don't know!" he exclaimed. "I don't know what's happening. I don't know why they would do this." He'd drawn his dagger, but it was his sword hand that had to hold his cane in place. He wouldn't be able to do much if he were attacked.

The hall was beginning to empty. "We need to move," Ulfric shouted. Hurriedly, he grabbed Thorunn's wrist and pulled her along as he moved from the dais. Stepping onto the floor meant painting their selves a target for the assassins. They had no other choice, either.

The dancing shadows were beginning to dwindle. Thorunn assumed that meant some had left now that their contracts were fulfilled. She only wished she knew what their main target was. She and the others moved quickly through the floor, stepping over the dead and dying and trying to dodge arrows and spurts of magic.

"Majesty, with me!" one of their guards hollered. His shield was up and covering his head and three brothers surrounded him. Ulfric conceded and the unit of guards pooled around them, forming a shield wall to protect them.

Two fell before they made it even halfway to the door. Thorunn grew weary and began to wonder why they were fleeing in the first place- these were backstreet assassins going up against battle-hardened war veterans. Sword drawn, Thorunn shoved a guard out of her way and picked up a shield from one of the fallen soldiers. Ulfric and Galmar followed suit. With his wounds, Altair was indisposed, so Thorunn pushed him behind her and ordered him to stay close.

One shadow popped into view and did not vanish right after. "Altair!" the shadow growled. Their form came into view, revealing the slender body of a woman.

Thorunn hesitated in pointing her sword. Altair laid a hand on her arm to halt her as he stepped forth. "Stop this, Astrid," he commanded.

"Ho ho ho and he he he, break that lute across my knee!" sung a joyous, high-pitched voice from behind them. Thorunn sharply whipped her head around and spotted a man in red and black jester's robes, prancing to and fro and juggling his daggers. He barked a merry sing-song laugh.

"What in Talos' name is wrong with that halfwit?" Ulfric grumbled.

"He's... odd," Altair supplied, followed by a shake of his head. "It doesn't matter. What is the meaning of this, Astrid?"

"You know what the meaning of this is," she hissed. Sharp grey eyes burned through the slit between her hood and mask. "You would have us believe you're dead while you prance around with these... these warmongering fools."

"'Warmongering,'" Galmar scoffed as he tugged an assassin's dagger free from the chest of a fallen nobleman.

"You belong to us, Altair. The Night Mother whispers only to you, you know this. How could you leave us? And before your contract is even fulfilled..." She shook her head, abashed.

"...and if the bard should choose to fight, why then I'll set his clothes alight!"

"What contract?" Thorunn demanded, eyes boring into Altair's.

"One the Stormcloaks may be in favor of," he answered shortly, not taking his eyes off of Astrid. He was torn, she could see it clear. He couldn't tell this woman he planned on returning in front of Ulfric, and he couldn't say he wasn't going to return unless he wanted to break his oath.

Ulfric had given him a decision during his trial. Forsake his Sithis and Night Mother in favor of the Divines, and denounce his servitude to the Dark Brotherhood, or meet his life's end. The Thalmor attacked before he could ever reach that decision and Ulfric had pardoned him for the role he played in Solitude's victory. Altair would not be pardoned a second time.

His knuckles were white against the handle of his cane. "I can't go with you, Astrid."

"What do you hope to do, then? Ignore the Night Mother and hope she goes away? It doesn't work like that. The only thing that will break her hold on you is the end of your life. Is it really worth it? Leaving your family and taking your life all for the sake of your captors?"

"His captors come to play my king, play my king, play my king!"

"Perhaps we can work out a deal," Thorunn proposed before Altair dug a deeper hole. Astrid's narrowed eyes flitted her way. Ulfric's eyes turned to her as well, his lips slightly parted as if he were ready to retort if she said something he didn't agree with. "You can have your 'Listener' if you help us in the war effort against the Thalmor."

Astrid went to turn her down, but stopped herself short and considered it. "Would you allow us to fulfill our contracts without persecuting us?"

"So long as the target isn't one of us."

"Define 'one of us.'"

Thorunn gestured to the people at her sides, to Galmar and Ulfric and Jorleif.

The Dark Brotherhood leader hesitated. "One more thing," she said, testing Thorunn's limited generosity. "I want Commander Maro dead and the Penitus Oculatus out of Skyrim."

"They aren't supposed to be here in the first place," Ulfric stated, eyes narrowed. He was calculating. The heat and confusion of the moment was the only thing on Thorunn's side. Without it, she'd have to convince him as well as Astrid.

"Deal with them," Astrid ordered, lowering her mask and revealing a straight nose above thin lips. Sharp features, they were.

"And what is this contract the 'Stormcloaks may be in favor of'?" Galmar questioned.

Astrid smirked. "Emperor Titus Mede the Second."

Galmar exchanged a look with Ulfric. They had a secret language like that. "You realize if the Empire catches wind that we've allied with the Dark Brotherhood conveniently around the time their Emperor is assassinated, they'll declare another war against Skyrim."

"You defeated them once," Astrid reminded him.

"We do not fear Imperial dogs," Galmar snapped. "They can drive at us a hundred times if they think it will get them somewhere. Each time, we'll lessen their numbers until they're dust."

Ulfric waved his hand in agreement. "That we will."

"Do we have an arrangement, then?" prompted Astrid. "Our Listener in exchange for immunity and assistance."

The deal leaned heavily on Ulfric's side. The Listener must have been worth a lot to the Dark Brotherhood. Stiffly, Ulfric nodded.

"Good. Altair, stay here until your wounds are healed. You know the way to the sanctuary." With a wave of her hand, she vanished. Thorunn saw several other silhouettes disappear out of the corner of her eye.

The last vanished with the ghost of the fool's disturbing songs. "...and if I spy a singing bird, I'll snap its neck before it's heard..."