I am SO sorry that this new chapter is so late. In the past few months, I've gone through a Major change, Finals Week, moved out of my college dorm, and moved out of state. I've also had this chapter half written for most of this time. Now that it's summer and the likelihood of me finding a job is depressingly low, I'll have more time to tend to this. I hope.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter six!

"I'd like you to come to Riften with me."

The request caused Cicero's hand to pause in its smooth back and forth motions, rubbing an oiled cloth over the gleaming iron coffin before him, removing nonexistent dust and grime. He cast a glance across the room to where Karma was seated, watching him in his work but offering no assistance…not that the Keeper needed any. It was unexpected, considering that she hadn't wanted him present for the last journey. Karma seemed to read the emotions in his face and spoke again, slightly shy,

"…It's a long trip, and I don't want to do it alone. Would you accompany me, dearest Keeper?"

The jester shrieked in utter delight at the sound of the title, spoken so softly by her voice. Cicero however simply smiled and turned back to his task, dipping his fingers into the intricate lines of Mother's coffin, scrubbing softly,

"Humble Cicero lives to serve."

It took a lot of coaxing to get Shadowmere to leave the warmth and comfort of the stables. Only after insistent promises that they were leaving snow behind would the demon horse even walk without Karma tugging on the reins. Purchasing a second horse for Cicero was simple enough. The saddlebags were packed with supplies, as well as the ample amounts of coin and other objects that needed to be sold off to a fence. After she'd returned from her long trip of "sneaking and stabbing", Karma had revealed just how sticky her fingers had been. Nazir had been torn between impressed and unamused, but had agreed that selling the merchandise (most of it taken off the Katariah) for good money was the best thing to do.

Travelling with Cicero was much better than travelling alone. Karma didn't regret the decision to bring him along at all. While others would have tired of his shrill voice and constant antics, the Redguard didn't mind it in the slightest. In fact, she relished in the lack of silence. She enjoyed his jokes and morbid songs, even committing a few of them to memory. Days deep into their journey they spent a number of hours trying to beat each other in a game of riddles. Cicero won.

On day five they had finally reached Eastmarch, crossing over the White River. Karma lay down on her bedroll for the night, as close to the fire as was safe, her hands tucked under her head. The sky was clear of any clouds, dark with twinkling stars. She could pick out constellations that had been taught to her years ago by people long since dead. Cicero sang something chipper as he tended to the fire and settled down for rest as well,

"Dearest Listener does a magnificent job of listening, yes she does, but can she sing as well~?"

Silence met the question, and Cicero almost rolled to face Karma, to see if she'd fallen asleep already. But her eyes were open and still on the sky. Her eyebrows were furrowed harshly and her mouth was twisted into a frown. The jester scolded him for offending her, but then the Redguard cleared her throat and began to sing.

The song was slow, a rather mellow tune, and the words told the story of a lonely traveler who had lost his home and was searching, ever searching, for a new one. In the end, he never found one, but he did find solace and peace by settling in the place he found to be beautiful. He always mourned the place he'd lost, but was able to mostly forget. Karma's unhappy expression didn't change, even when she fell silent. The jester was silent too, surprised as he was to hear the smooth tones of Karma's voice distorted by sad music.

"…dearest Listener has a beautiful voice. You should sing more often,"

Karma snorted, turning her head to give him a wistful sort of smile,

"I hate that song."

The civil war made the roads dangerous to travel, and that wasn't even adding in the recent slew of dragon attacks across Skyrim. Nonetheless, Karma wasn't worried about it, even with her saddlebags full of stolen goods. She'd never met an enemy she couldn't best and so she wasn't afraid of any bandits or guard patrols that might get in the way, especially not with the mad jester watching her back.

They were quite an odd pair, really. The small Redguard woman on a coal-black horse and a cackling Imperial in a jester's garb…they turned heads for certain. Especially since they weren't exactly trying to be discreet. Cicero would crack of joke or mutter some snide comment under his breath and Karma would laugh with unbridled delight—the jester joining in quickly after, shrieks of mirth echoing over the empty plains. Travelers passing them would give them a wide girth and avert their eyes, not wanting any contact with the strangers…but it was only a matter of time before they attracted the wrong attention.

A patrol of Stormcloak soldiers met them when they had almost reached The Rift. They had shouted for the two to halt, and so Karma had gently pulled the reins to bring Shadowmere to a gentle stop. Cicero brought his own sandy-colored mare close to hers, his expression bright, but fingers twitching. The Redguard watched the Nords approach carefully, the leader stepping forward and grabbing hold of Shadowmere's bridle. The demon horse snorted with irritation and tried to pull away but Karma patted her neck to calm her.

"Where're you headed, strangers?"

Karma regarded the man for several moments before answering, "Riften," in a dull, uninterested sort of tone. She was sizing him up, taking note of his weapons and the armor on his body. The patrol contained four men, all with swords and only two with bows in addition.

"For what reason?" the guard pressed.

"My own," her answer came out as a snarky little scoff, as if the man was a fool for asking such a question. The slight insult wasn't lost on the Nord and he pulled his sword from its sheath,

"Off the horse, Redguard."

Karma clicked her tongue thoughtfully, "Why?"

"We're going to perform a search. I'll need to look through your saddlebags and any other satchel you might have,"

The Redguard woman hummed thoughtfully, dusting her hands together to ease the calluses on her fingers. She could feel Cicero's eyes on her, judging her reaction, waiting for any order she might want to give. Her fingers danced over her thigh, searching for the dagger at her waist,

"That, my friend, is not a wise order. Please let us pass. I don't want to cause any trouble."

The guard's sneer was audible despite his face being hidden by the helm he was wearing,

"Got somethin' to hide, Redguard?"

"Of course~!" Karma's voice was a delighted chirp, "Doesn't everyone?"

The guard was silent for a while, watching her. Karma's hand was steady over the hilt of her dagger, and the foot on the opposite side of the guard was slid half out of the stirrup, ready in case she needed to get out of the saddle quickly. For a moment, she actually thought the guard would let them pass, but he seized her by the leg and gave a hard tug, meaning to topple her,

"I said off the horse!"

Shadowmere whinnied in alarm as her rider was pulled from the saddle, and Karma braced herself for impact. Shadowmere was a tall horse and she was a small woman, a badly aimed fall could cause serious injury. As expected, the guard sidestepped to avoid catching her, and Karma managed to get her arm up fast enough to catch herself on her forearm. She missed the mark slightly, though, and felt pain jar across her wrist; but she was still able to take the fall gracefully enough to roll back to her feet without too much effort.

"…that was a bad idea. Fool."

The word was like a trigger, and Cicero was off his horse in an instant. His dagger was made of ebony, sharp enough to slice parchment with the slightest swipe. He was upon one of the guards faster than any of them could move. He'd forced one of the Nord's head aside and jammed his dagger into the man's neck before there was the slightest protest. Blood poured from the wound, splattering over his motley, but he just laughed and pushed the body from him.

Karma couldn't recall seeing Cicero kill, at least not up close. Of course, as Keeper, he was supposed to hang up his weapons in order to care for the Night Mother, but to defend the Listener…there could always be exceptions. But the sight of blood and the sound of his laughter were exhilarating…and Karma forgot about her injured wrist as she attacked the man who'd pulled her from her saddle. Small as she was, she was a force to be feared, jabbing her dagger into the man's belly and twisting. The other two had their swords out now, startled by the sudden loss of their comrades. The one closest to Cicero slashed at him with a powerful swing that would have taken off a limb had it made contact. But the jester danced out of the way, and the sword sliced nothing but air. Smaller than the Nord, he was more agile, and not weighed down by any armor. A game of cat and mouse began, with Cicero cackling every missed swing. Karma felt laughter rising in her own chest, but she was less about the funny game than her partner. She entertained the final guard with her own sword, slightly dismayed to find that her one-handed skills were a bit rusty. She made a mental note to practice more as she ducked under a swing and slashed upward, steel ringing against steel. It was always a sound that had made her teeth jar together in pain, and perhaps that why she just preferred archery…but the sound of Cicero's delighted giggling made the clashing easier to ignore.

"Come now, are you even trying? Sweet Cicero is getting bored!" Karma managed to glance over to see him punctuate the sentence with a deft slide under the man's arm, easily sliding his dagger up into the unprotected space. The artery there was severed easily, and the guard's arm went limp. Blood poured down his side as he fell to the ground, and the final guard, startled to be the last one standing, actually turned from Karma's swing…and ran.

Shaking her left hand to ease the throbbing in her wrist, she sighed a little as she sheathed her unbloodied sword. Karma gestured to Cicero, "Bring my bow, please."

The jester hummed as he went to Shadowmere's side, easily unhooking the bow from the saddlebag and pulling a single arrow from the quiver. He danced back to her, holding both out. Karma took them, flashing a grateful smile, and notched the arrow. Her wrist throbbed from the pressure of holding the bow steady, but her hands stayed still despite the pain. Karma's eyes were narrowed as she judged distance and wind rapidly, before pulling back in one easy stroke and releasing. The arrow was true, embedding itself into the man's spine, downing him immediately. He'd made it more than a hundred feet, but it was hardly a challenge.

"…should have zigzagged," Karma muttered unhappily, lowering both hands and shaking her injured hand again. She handed off her bow to Cicero, massaging it once her hand was free. She couldn't feel that any of the bones were broken, but the tendons screamed in protest…they must have been jarred and hyper-extended when she broke her fall.

"…the Listener is injured?"

Karma turned to face Cicero, looking up into his face with a little smile, "Hardly~"

The jester searched her face, found no lie, and returned the smile. Karma's eyes slid down across his torso, and she wrinkled her nose at the sight of blood spatter across his clothing. At least by the time they got to Riften they could wash up in the river or it would be faded enough that no one would notice. She glanced down at herself. She wasn't much better…

Karma sighed a bit as she looked around them, "Ugh, what a mess," she waved a hand at Cicero, "We should get out of here before anyone comes along. But first…" she stooped to pat down the man at her feet, "…a few septims for my trouble,"

Cicero shrieked with laughter, "Oh, dear Listener, it would be rude not to loot~"

The Black River was fed by Lake Geir, flowing steadily north until it met with the White River and emptied into the sea. Lake Geir was filled by water that flowed down from Lake Honrich, which was directly southwest of Riften. A cluster of islands in the center of the Lake Honrich housed the Goldenglow Estate. Luckily, since the origin of the water was far from snow, it wasn't bitterly cold. Karma was able to control the shivering tremors in her body as she sat on the bank, water up to her waist, rubbing the blood from her tunic. Soon enough, her body became used to the swirling water and she was comfortable. The crackling of the fire behind her was comforting as well, since when she was done with this, she'd be able to sit next to it. She could hear Cicero humming as he tended to the flames, his back to her, to preserve her dignity. At least that's what he said.

Karma cared little for dignity while sitting in a river mostly nude, rubbing blood from her clothes.

For the first time, she found herself wondering what he would think of her body. He'd never glimpsed her in anything less than her nightclothes, tending to her wounds from the Purification. She paused in her washing to let her eyes wander curiously across her own body, judging it as if she'd never seen it before.

She was short for a woman; she knew that was a trait passed from her mother. But she had also been given thick, strong thighs, toned by constant activity, and wide, child-bearing hips. The thick, dark hair across her pubis was less than tamed, but clean. Muscles rippled under her dark brown skin, forming lines on her abdomen, though she'd always carried a little extra weight around that area that never seemed to slim off. Her breasts were small, easily bound back to feign a flat chest, with large, dark areola. Her chocolate eyes travelled up her arms, across her hands that held more nicks and scars than any other part of her body. Being dark sinned, her scars showed up as bright lines, obvious indicators of all the people who had managed to best her in the past. One crossed over her left shoulder, another over her left knee. A long, deep one traced across her hip where she'd been slashed open once. She touched it gingerly. That wound had almost killed her.

Karma huffed a little and continued with her work, pulling her sopping tunic back across her lap. She scrubbed at the stain with a new vigor, but it only lasted a few moments before she was glancing over her shoulder at Cicero. The jester was still facing the fire, whistling a tune to himself. His shirt was missing, newly cleaned and dripping wet, exposing a large expanse of creamy skin. Karma's eyes followed the path of his spine, taking in every dimple in his skin around the bones. He was thin, ribs visible under the slim muscle. He was filled out by his motley.

He must have felt her eyes on him, because he cast a glance over his shoulder in her direction. Karma met his eyes, and they stared for several moments before he gave her the smuggest smirk she'd ever seen and turned back to the fire. Karma rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at his back, and turned to keep washing.

Her foolish Keeper.

We're away from the game quest-line now.

What do you guys think so far? A review telling me if you're interested in this would help out a lot. Thanks!