Chapter 1

Lament of Silence

After a long journey south I had reached a small stream to rest at. I stripped the horse of its saddle and my belongings. Stolen horses never seem to stick around long so I tied it up to a nearby tree.

I went over to the stream to wash off the blood from myself. Afterwards I could finally see myself instead of the bloody mess that was on me.

My curly long ebony hair cascaded down as I sat there looking at myself, tips dripping with cool water. The small ripples in the water obscured the reflection of my soft pale light blue skin with almost a dim glow of white in the moonlight that surrounded me. The deep wound on my cheek had finally stopped bleeding.

My delicate oval face held cold crimson eyes, rimmed with an array of long voluminous ebony eyelashes and a dark crimson eye shadow that was smudged away traced around the waterline of my eyes. Eyebrows were arched over the curve before dispersing onto the concave bridge of her dainty nose. My small red-violet lips were marred by a small bruise at the corner from when that woman threw a vase at me. I sighed at my reflection and made my way under a nearby tree.

I cleared the small area and set up the saddle as a pillow to sleep, it wasn't comfortable but it would have to do. My thoughts wandered as I drifted off to sleep.

I wonder how long I'll have to live like this...

"You sleep rather soundly for a murderer." I was awakened by a man in black robes. It was still much too early, the sun hadn't even risen. "That's-"

I simply rolled over and went back to sleep in response. I wanted sleep!

He began to shake me awake again, I simply grabbed his arm and brought it towards me to cuddle it. I suppose I shouldn't be doing this, but if he was going to kill me. I'd be dead by now.

"Five more minutes please." My voice crackled with drowsiness. He seemed rather patient, normally people would rip me away from my sleep, he simply sat down quietly. Oddly I couldn't even get back to sleep after that. I sighed and sat up, I might as well listen to what he has to say. I look at him, his face was shrouded by the shadows of his robes, I could only make out the bottom half of his face.

"Who are you?" I asked curiously.

"I am Lucien Lachance, a Speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. And you, you are a killer. A taker of life. A harvester of souls. Your work, your deathcraft, pleases the Night Mother. And so, I come to you with an offering. An opportunity... To join our rather unique family." His velvet voice was deep and mysterious.

A family? Suddenly this struck my curiosity strongly. "Please continue." I wasn't sure if it was just my curiosity or his entrancing voice.

"Ah, I find your etiquette refreshing." He smiled briefly, "On the Green Road to the north of Bravil lies the Inn of Ill Omen. There you will find a man named Rufio. Kill him, and your initiation into the Dark Brotherhood will be complete. Do this, and the next time you sleep in a location I deem secure, I will reveal myself once more, bearing the love of your new family." As he spoke he made some marks onto a small map and handed it to me.

I wasn't sure what to say. Did I really want to join a group of murderers? I looked into Lucien's eyes, the shadows that hid his features was feathering away with the rising sun. I could only get a glimpse of his features before he turned away to give me something else.

The glimpse was enough for me to see his whole face. His angular face held glistening auburn eyes with thick arch eyebrows that curve into a strong nose, and lush soft-pink lips. It was entrancing to see such handsome features.

"Please accept this token from the Dark Brotherhood." I took the blade from him and looked up at him, once more, his features were well hidden.

"What do I need to know about Rufio?" I didn't want to let him down, for once someone believes in me. Also, I think I'm taking an interest in him.

"Know that Rufio is old and weak, and sleeps his days away. You could kill him before he even has a chance to wake. If you so choose." I caught a second glimpse of his auburn eyes as well as the jet black hair seeping out of his robes into his face.

"I won't let you down" I said with determination.

He smiled "Then your path is clear. Send Rufio to his death, and the Dark Brotherhood will embrace you as family." He rose up a bit before he was off I stood up.

"By the way my name's Roselia." he turned to me for a moment and smiled before disappearing into the forest.

I looked down at the coordinates on the map, the Inn was about two days worth of traveling from where I was. I readied my horse and gathered my things. Soon after I was on my way. I couldn't help but think back on my encounter with Lucien, I wondered if I'd see him again. I tried to shake the thoughts from my head. I had neither time nor patience to deal with a small insignificant infatuation. I had a feeling this wasn't going to end pleasantly.

I arrived at The Inn of Ill Omen a bit later than I thought. I went inside, there was an old man at the desk. I suppose I should ask him about Rufio. I walked up to the man and smiled as he greeted me.

"Do you know someone by the name of Rufio?"

"Rufio? He's an old codger. Been living here for a couple of weeks now. If you ask me, he's hiding from something. But what do I care? He pays his tab." He said nonchalantly.

I blinked, well that was easy?

"I'd like to rent a room for the night. How much will it be?" I might as well get a room while I'm here.

"It'll be 10 septims." I handed him ten septims, that left me with 50 gold. The man handed me the key and told me where the room was. I went to my room for the night, it was nice to have a bed to sleep in. I woke up around midnight, I decided to sneak around to look for Rufio's room.

Once I found his room I went over to him, he slept so peacefully. I took the blade Lucien had given me but stopped. I stared at the old man sleep, was I really willing to kill to get this so called family? Memories of the past started pouring into my mind as I stood over Rufio's soon to be deathbed.

I sat alone with my twin sister Asher in the basement of the Riverview Manor my father owned, he never really liked me. He let me and my mother stay out of pity. My mother was a Dunmer, she had flawless dark blue-grey skin. Even with her low class, she was still very beautiful. I on the other hand was pale, I took a more lighter skin like my father. He was an Altmer, quite rich, quite rude as well. Mother had worked for him ever since I could remember. He never treated her right, he would always hit her if anything had not been done specifically as he requested. And I, to him I was an abomination, I was quite pale, a light blue skin that glowed almost paper white in the sun, with long black locks that curled. It was ironic how my best friend was his daughter as well; he named her after her mother. Such a pretty name it was…

"Hey Asher, do you want to look for Rosey with me?" I look up at what seemed to be a live reflection of my features.

"You know what today is, you know father never allows us upstairs during his parties, he punish us!" she sneered, I looked down disappointed. Father never threw us a special birthday party…

I glared at Rufio as reality had hit me. Hate started to flow through me as I smiled down at his slumber. I took my blade and slit Rufio's throat. As he awakened I watched as he struggled to breath. I took out my special dagger and used both the blade Lucien gave me and my silver blade to pin his forearms to the bed. I stood back as I watched him choke on his own blood.

Afterwards I took out both blades and cleaned them off the blood on his sheets then made my way back to my room. Silently I closed the door to my room and crawl into the bed. I thoughts wandered, what was wrong with me? I had slain a man in his sleep. I rolled over onto my side.

I smiled to myself, I had done the deed well and slaughtered the man. I hoped that the reward was worth the travel. After a bit I drifted off into sleep again.

"Roselia... Roselia." I woke up to Lucien gently shaking me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and intently listened to what he had to say.

"So, the deed is done." He smiled.

"How would you know?" Was he some sort of stalker?

"How do I know this? You will find that the Dark Brotherhood knows a great many things."

"That… Nice I guess?" So I guess he was a stalker. What a creep! "Now what's going to happen? Now that the old guy Rufio is dead..."

"For you are now part of the family." He whispered. He gently tucked the stray hairs from my face behind my ear.

I looked up at his hidden face remembering the features I had saw before. A handsome creep, it almost makes up for it, but a creep is still a creep no matter how flattering it seems!

"Now heed these words."

I sat up attentively.

"The slaying of Rufio was the signing of a covenant. The manner of execution, your signature. Rufio's blood, the ink. As a Speaker of the Black Hand, I directly oversee a particular group of family members. You will join that group, and fulfill any contracts given. You must now go to the city of Cheydinhal, to the abandoned house near the eastern wall. Enter the basement, and attempt to open the black door. You will be asked a question. Answer thusly: "Sanguine, my Brother." You will gain entrance to the Sanctuary. Once inside, speak with Ocheeva. We must now take our leave of each other, you and I, for there is much work to be done. I'll be following... your progress. Welcome to the family."

The sun the peaked through the window feathered the shadows from his face. This time he did not move away or try to hide his face. He merely continued explaining the about the covenant, Five tenets, and Sithis.

"Will I be seeing you again?" I asked in a low whisper. I mentally slapped myself for this, it was such an embarrassing thing to just sputter out like that! Sure he catches my fancy but that doesn't mean he has to know!

I mentally sighed, I'm so idiotic at times...

"Perhaps you shall." He smirked as I peered into his auburn eyes.

"Questions dear child?" He wanted to make sure everything he said was clear to me. I merely shook my head; I didn't trust my voice at this moment.

I simply watched as he left my room, he stopped for a brief moment to look back at me before disappearing. "May the night mother watch over you."

Inwardly I was jumping with joy and excitement as I gathered my things and set off for Cheydinhal.

As I left The Inn of Ill Omen, my thoughts wondered about Cheydinhal… I would be coming home at last, after all these years of keeping away.

"What's wrong dunmer, can't fight back?" A child, no older than ten taunted. I looked up at him fearfully.
"Come on Estalri, just stop. We could be friends."

Estalri laughed. "Friends? With you?" The orc boy fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. "Why would anyone want to be friends with a dunmer like you!" He continued to whip me with the small tree branch he plucked from the tree. I could only take so much before I picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at him. Sure he was much bigger and older, but being small had its advantages.

I stood with another, more blunt stone and started beating him with it. We were out behind the back houses of Cheydinhal near the river that flowed through the Elven city. The tall green grass hid us well. No one was in line of sight to us, nor hearing shot.

After a bit I had calmed down. Then I realized what I had done, I stood in fear. Fear of what would happen if someone saw me there standing over the fresh corpse upon the ground, and fear of myself. I was frozen in place, I could only stare at the bloodied mess upon the floor. I had mangled Estalri's body, there were purple bruises, small cuts and gashes scattered around his body. His face was hardly recognizable. His arms broken, his bone was visible and sticking out of his forearm, surrounded by a puddle of blood. As soon as I heard rustling in the nearby bush I ran off. I had left town unnoticed. That's when my life had started falling apart...