Hey guys! Sorry for my sojourn. This past semester at school was pretty rough, and I didn't have a lot of time to write. I will hopefully get a few chapters out during this winter break. Thank you for being so patient and not giving up on me!

Chapter 7- Catching Madness: Part Two

Solitude guards flooded the streets from Castle Dour. Their general had been slain, and the killer was on the loose. Burz sat in the general's chair. He tried to make sense of what was happening. He had left the general alone, and now he was dead. Who could have done this? He glanced at the stiff body once more. He noticed a strange mark on his neck. Burz stood and turned Tullius's head to reveal a black hand print on the general's neck. Tucked into his armor was a note. Burz pulled the note out and read. The writing was small and frantic looking.

"My associate is contacting your new general tonight. We know of your intentions to contact us, and would like to hear your contract. Do not take this as an unwillingness to cooperate. It was just business. -Listener"

Burz felt a rage well up within him. The Brotherhood had the nerve to kill their general, and accept a contract from the Empire? He felt a low growl in his chest. He had to contain his Thu'um. He called in some guards and showed them the letter. "It is unlikely we will catch some one as skilled as the Listener, sir" One guard said.

"I don't care who you are looking for. It's just another man, like you or me. We can find him."

"Astrid... How do we know we can trust you?" Rikke asked the dark form in front of her.

"My child, if we were not trust worthy, we would be out of business. We do the Night Mother's bidding, and her bidding is to prosper." Astrid said as her smile faded back to a smirk. "I can assure you, no more of the Empire's blood will be shed as long as we are under your contract."

Rikke thought a moment about the matter. "I would like to speak with your Listener." She said quickly.

"I thought you would. She will be here by midnight tomorrow. As you can imagine, she has a long journey."

"How will I know who she is?"

"She is... A unique individual. No like most. She is an Argonian descendant of Sheogarath, Prince of Madness." Astrid's smile came back to her pale face. Her red lipstick glimmered in the moonlight.

"A Daedric Prince? How"

"Many moons ago, their was a crisis in the Shivering Isles, Sheogorath's plane of Oblivion. My Listener's grandfather, Al-Suan found himself transported to the island and fought off Jyggalag, the Prince of Order. He just so happened to be Sheogorath's alter ego. In his dying breath, Sheogorath granted Al-Suan his power, and title as Daedric Prince of Madness. This has had an interesting effect on my Listener. You will know." Astrid jumped onto the city wall and climbed away. Rikke called after her, with questions still buzzing in her head. But it was too late. Astrid was gone.

The next night, Rikke went on a later than usual walk. The sun had long since dipped below the mountains, and darkness had taken the land. The clouds were out in force, and covered the moon's light. Rikke had a hard time seeing her hand at the end of her arm. She did not know where the Brotherhood's Listener would meet her, but she made her way the graveyard where Astrid had met her. Maybe a graveyard was an assassin's favorite meeting spot?

The graveyard was once again covered in mist, and gave Rikke chills. She walked around, holding her candle out so she could see farther. The darkness seemed to swallow her candle light right up. She began to hear footsteps all around her, and scrapes of steel on stone. She looked frantically around, but could see nothing in the engulfing darkness. She knew she wasn't alone, but where was the Listener? Had Astrid tricked her into being an easy target? She felt a cold hand on the nape of her neck close and spin her around. Her eyes were drawn into a reptilian face. The eyes glowed a dark green, and the skin was cold and moist. Rikke's candle light danced on the dim purple of the Argonian scales.

"Do you like sweet rolls?" Asked a chilling voice.

"Wha?" Rikke could barely speak out of fear.

"I said... Do you like sweet rolls?" The voice warmed as it's owner backed away and pulled a bag out of a knapsack. "I have an uncle... Well... Had an uncle who loved sweet rolls. I make em all the time for him. But he died the last time I visited Pappy. Don't know why I still make them... Who will I give them to if you don't eat them?"

Rikke stood dumb founded. She didn't know what to say. "I hope I didn't scare you too bad. It was just a game! I could have made you squeal, but Mother didn't ask me too! Plus, I don't like the smell. Unless you went number two before your walk!" The voice began to ramble about the dirty side of murder.

"Are you the Listener? What is your name, Argonian?" Rikke asked, making sure her voice was strong.

"Oh... Found your brave, did you? Good... Good... Now we speak. I am Al-Sien, The Mistress Listener of my rag-tag Brotherhood! The war has been hard on us, and we want to settle those nasty elves into the ground. We know you were planning to do that. Mother wishes us to help." The Argonian spoke with almost child like playfulness.

"How did you know..."

"Mother knows much! And what Mother doesn't know, Pappy tells, too!" Al-Sien interrupted.

"Who is Pappy?" Rikke asked, almost knowing the answer. But she had to hear it.

"Pappy Suan! Or, as my brothers know him, Listener Al-Suan. Or as you mortals know him, Sheogorath, Prince of Awesome! Or... Madness? I never remember with you people."

"So, you are related to Sheogorath? And he was a Listener too?" Rikke asked. She was astonished at how childlike Al-Sien seemed. She had imagined her to be much more intimidating.

"YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" She hissed. "He was, and my daddy was, and then I was! Is... Am? Well, we all Listen to Mother. Well... Now Pappy does more than listen... if you know what I mean..." She said with a wink. "He speaks! Mind in the gutter, you have!" Al-Sien jumped on Rikke and took her to the ground as she pulled out a poison tipped dagger. "Now don't let your guard down! Huh?" Al-Sien screamed.

Rikke tried throwing the Argonian off of her, but couldn't get a grip. They wrestled for a few moments until Al-Sien jumped off and burst into laughter. "You should have seen your face! You thought I was going to kill you! I can't do that! We have a contract! Or do we? We didn't say yet..." She suddenly got very serious, "Don't EVER let your guard down again, or I'll slip my blade in." Her voice became like ice. "Do we work together now?"

Rikke could not tell if it was all an act, or if Al-Sien was truly mad, but she knew they had to make a deal. "Yes, we have a contract."

"Good," Al-Sien said with a big smile. She began to laugh as she climbed the wall and left Rikke standing alone in the graveyard once again. She felt as though her mind had been assaulted. She also realized that they had not discussed payment, or what the Legion needed of the Brotherhood. She walked back to the Grey Quarter slowly. She still could not see well, and didn't want to trip. She was also making sure she would not be ambushed.

Burz laid in bed. He could not sleep knowing that some one had murdered his general in Castle Dour. How did they get through the guards? He got out of bed and walked to the fire place. He struck a small fire spell to the logs, and soon had a roaring fire. He glared into the flames for a long while, trying to rid his mind of the lifeless eyes glaring into his. He and Rikke would now be the ones leading the charge. The war was drawing close, and he realized he had not seen his wife in over a year now. Not since he left Markarth. A tear welled up in his eye.

A cold hand reached up his back to his shoulder. Sharp claws dug into his shoulder and spun him around to see a small Argonian woman starring at him. She was in Brotherhood attire. She pushed her hand onto his mouth, hard. "Ah ah ah... We need to stay quiet. Don't want an alarm. Mother just wants a talk." The Argonian said in a hushed tone. "Don't be mad, bid bad orc. I didn't kill him to make you mad! I did it because Mother wanted it." Burz's eyes flared in rage. It was Tullius's killer! She must have come back to kill him too.

"I know you're a screamer, but please don't!" She had felt his Thu'um rumbling in his chest. "50,000 gold now, and 100,000 when we are done is what Mother wants. You need us to make madness in the Aldmeri Courts. We know how! You can not do it from the battlefield. We slip in, cut some necks, give gold to Mother. We shall keep some for ourselves, yes? But that is the stake you make with us. We know your targets. We have been to the meetings, and never spoke. We do what we are told, no mess. I can make this promise: your people shall not die by our hands till the contract is met. What do ya say, pal?"

Burz stopped his struggle and looked quizzically at the Argonian. She lowered her hand for him to speak. "You killed General Tullius?"

"That is the question you ask? I thought that was obvious... And they call ME mad?" She laughed.

"You should pay for what you did," Burz felt the rage again.

"Now what did I say about screaming? This was supposed to be a quicky. Do I need to invite Handsy for another kiss?" She asked with a smile.

"50,000 now, and 100,000 when the war is over. And you promise not to kill any more of us?" Burz asked.

"While we are under contract, yes... That is kind of the key, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, I make this promise to you: once the contract is up, I am hunting you down. We are not friends." Burz said with a snarl.

"Oh me oh my, I have plenty of friends! You just can't see them... They are up here," She pointed to her head, "I didn't want a friend! And you can try, but you wont see me again unless Mother wishes it. Promise number two! I promise that is all! Oops... Promise three..." She said with a giggle. She leaped off of Burz and jumped to the window seal. "The name is Al-Sien, and killing is my game!" She exclaimed with a wink as she leaped out of the window. Burz rushed to catch a glimpse of Al-Sien as she escaped, but she was already gone when he got to the window. All he could see is the rustling water of the sea hitting the jagged rocks below.