Astrid gripped Athene's arm and led her out of the sanctuary. "Find Cicero. Kill him. Put this family back in order, Listener."
Athene let herself be led and didn't look back at the mess Cicero had left. Veezara was lying in a pool of his own blood and what sympathy the others had for the jester was back to zero.
"He's fast, I'll give him that," the Argonian had wheezed. Athene had winced and patted his shoulder where she was sure he hadn't been hurt.
Of the few people in the sanctuary she'd really started to like, one had nearly killed the other and run away. And of course it was up to Athene to stop him.
"Take my horse Shadowmere. She's one of us, and she'll get you there quickly," Astrid said. Her husband had run after Cicero, so of course she was worried. Though not worried enough to go herself, it seemed.
"What brought this on?" Athene finally said. "What did you say to him, Astrid? He wanted to be here. I read his journals and they said he was acting for the Night Mother. He's been loyal for years, and gave up everything to come here. He wouldn't abandon his Mother for nothing."
Astrid hissed and looked at the pool by the black door. It was frothing and bubbling, but she didn't comment on that. Instead she said, "I may have made a few comments about the Night Mother. But come on. It's ridiculous, all of this. We were fine before that Night Mother arrived, fine before her Keeper and her… before he ruined everything. I knew I shouldn't have welcomed that freak in, and now look what he's done." She pinned Athene with a glare. "Kill him and fix this." She turned and went back into the sanctuary.
"No problem!" Athene yelled. She bit her lip to stop a further outburst. It truly was ridiculous, all of it. Cicero hadn't attacked Veezara, he'd attacked Astrid, and no wonder. Now her orders–Orders! After everything, she was taking orders from a bitchy Nord who clearly despised her–were to murder the Keeper. She would have fumed further on that train of thought, but the froth on the black pool was resolving itself into… something.
A horse. Midnight black, with glowing red eyes. Clearly demonic, or daedric, yet it stamped its foot and peered at her as any horse might, and Athene smiled. One of us, Astrid had said. Now Athene understood.
She smoothed her hand over its soft nose, and patted its neck. When she mounted Shadowmere it kicked up its feet and they were on their way to Dawnstar, racing the wind. To move so quickly and ride with such power, Athene imagined it was it felt like to be a horse–or a demon.
Arnbjorn lay outside the Dawnstar sanctuary and it looked like he'd taken a few rounds with a bear. Athene wouldn't have cared if he'd been dead. He'd clearly adopted his wife's attitude towards their newest recruit and showed little respect. And anyway, he could have a dozen broken bones and it wouldn't affect Athene after she'd seen Veezara so battered.
"I knew she'd send you," he said, holding his guts with a hand. "I didn't know you'd smell of werewolf."
"Get gone," Athene said. "I'm going after Cicero."
He took no convincing, and made no further comment about her smell. Athene was left with a new black door, and she spoke the password she'd read in Cicero's diary. Shadowmere stamped and huffed behind her, and she pushed into the sanctuary.
It was nothing like Falkreath. There the ancient space had been made into a home, but here a home had been abandoned so long ago it was an icebox.
"Listener? Is that you? Oh, I knew you'd come!"
It broke her heart to hear him call to her. He bragged about the traps in the sanctuary, and the restless spirits of old assassins. His voice was everywhere and more than once she turned, thinking he was behind her, only to realize it was another spirit with its blade raised. Athene cut her way through the ancient ghosts and Cicero's voice became more and more strained.
"This is not what Mother would want! The Keeper kill the Listener, the Listener kill the Keeper? Madness! All right, I attacked Astrid, but you must understand! What's a fool to do when his mother is slandered and mocked?"
Athene wanted to call out, What did Astrid say? She wanted to ask Cicero about the jester he'd mentioned in the diaries she'd found, the one who had given him his new purpose, and his laughter, when the sanctuary in Bravil had been desecrated, and all other assassins had left him on his own. She wanted to hear about his growing madness, but she kept silent, because…
"The Listener listens!" Cicero called. "A joke! I get it. Listener, listen. I do feel bad about Veezara. He got in my way. That was all. But tell me that hulking sheepdog has bled to death?"
She had to smile. Sneaking past a troll that looked like some kind of mutant horror, she nearly laughed and caught herself before she gave away her position.
Then there was just one last door, and she opened it to find Cicero curled at the end of a room. He was pale and bleeding, and he looked at her bleakly.
"So Astrid sent you," he said. "Astrid commanded the Listener, and the Listener obeyed. Foo. And yes, I attacked her, and I'd do it again. Anything for Mother! Listen to Cicero. Don't obey Astrid. Go back and tell her you did the deed. Tell her I was stabbed, strangled, and drowned! Tell her anything, only let me live!"
"Cicero," Athene whispered. "What will you do? The Night Mother is at Falkreath. You're the Keeper. You've left her behind."
Suddenly there was real pain his face, which made her wonder if his physical injury was an act. Was he not as hurt as he seemed? It didn't matter. She had made the decision when she'd seen him there, begging. This was not a contract bound in blood. This was the Keeper, and she would not kill him.
"I don't know," Cicero said. "Know not, know not. I don't know that! But I know it isn't over!"
He looked at her with the same expression she recognized from when she first met him, on the road near Whiterun. When he'd admitted they were both going to the same place, and she'd realized who his Mother really was.
"I stabbed you," Athene said. "I strangled you, and I drowned you. Goodbye, Cicero."
She turned and left him alone in his sanctuary.