I was the first to enter the new Sanctuary, telling Hadranius to keep the others outside while I made sure the chambers were not flooded by melted ice, infested with yet more Chaurus, or even partially collapsed. I was surprised to see where the Black Door of this sanctuary once stood proudly- it had somehow been torn from its hinges and lay covered in ancient dust on the floor of the entry chamber. I entered the tunnel into the sanctuary proper with caution- not knowing what could have done such damage or if it was even still here. All caution drifted elsewhere for several moments as I entered the main hall- my eyes wide from the sight before me. The main hall resembled a rectangular trophy room of sorts- almost like the throne room in Windhelm- but at the far end the room widened out and on the back wall was the iconic stain glass depiction of Sithis standing proud behind a large oval table with several chairs around it in the center of the widened area; save for space enough for all seated to cautiously watch the entrance. The trophy plaques and stands had been emptied long ago- though I could still see timeworn outlines of swords, axes, and daggers that had once been displayed with honor and dignity; where these relics of our past glory had gone, I couldn't fathom a guess. The main hall seemed stable enough, so I returned to the entry chamber and allowed my fellow assassins to bask in the ancient glory of the Dark Brotherhood.
"Whatever had once been here must have been displayed soon after the construction of this sanctuary to have had such a lasting afterimage on the plaque." Hadranius pointed out as he immediately began to examine the room and its meager yet interesting contents. I walked to the oval table, my hand running along the cold stone surface as I walked around the toppled and broken stone chairs- reaching the chair at the farthest end and feeling… as if it was mine; it must have been a place reserved for the Listener, not that I cared for special treatment or traditions of needless respect. I dubbed the sanctuary safe for use and allowed them to disperse- I would check in with them and how they were settling in later, for now I needed a nap; however I still needed to locate the living quarters.
I explored the halls, finding that of the two passages on either side of the oval table- the right one lead to a training hall and forge, while the left lead to a dining hall; however, the path taken did not seem to matter really- as the whole place had been constructed in a circle, the living quarters being the farthest from the main hall and connected the dining hall with the training hall. Though I was quite surprised to find five individual rooms, plus one larger room for what I was guessing would be the Matron of this sanctuary… however there still remained a seventh door- one in the center of the other six that seemed to be spaced far apart from the other doors, as if it needed that much space between them. I opened the seventh door and was almost disappointed to find that it was a simple office, no doubt reserved for the Listener when visiting. I sighed as I examined the room quickly, noticing another door behind the desk. I opened this door… and my breath left me; this room was far larger than the Matron's room, with a double bed on a raised dais- draped with slightly damaged, but still beautiful bed curtains. On each of the walls there were more plaques and even a few weapon stands as well as dressers and chests for my things. I sat on the bed and looked around in awe, this grandiose room was to be mine? I highly doubted it, such things were meant for people of importance… but the only people more important to the Brotherhood than the Listener were the Night Mother and Sithis- and I knew the Dark Brotherhood had never been stupid enough to reserve a room like this one for their Unholy Matron and the Dread Father.
"Damn, someone hit the jackpot… mind if I help you christen that bed?" said the eternally flirtatious Johnny as he leaned in the doorway, eyeing me as I sat on the bed like a wolf watches a doe.
"No. I'm certain its previous owner christened it long before either of us was even born." I said with a sigh, a lame excuse- but it was enough to turn Johnny's advances down. He sighed and turned to leave,
"If you change your mind, I'll be in the Training Hall." he said with a chuckle as he walked off and left me once again in peace. I fell back on the bed, a small cloud of dust rising up from underneath me- making me cough lightly as I sat back up and spent the next few hours cleaning my new bedroom and my office.
I was exhausted by the time I finished cleaning, climbing into bed after wolfing down a light dinner. I slept like the dead- that is until a familiar voice awoke me from my slumber,
"The Listener must wake up! Mother is waiting!" said the voice of the one and only Cicero, I groaned into my pillow- thinking I had left him behind in Dawnstar… though apparently not. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, thinking this madman had no idea what sleep was or of its importance.
"Cicero… leave me be... or… I. Will. Kill. You." I said darkly, though muffled through my pillow, the mad jester simply laughed at my threat as he began to dance at my bedside.
"Oh ho ho, he he he- the Listener is quite cranky." Cicero sang, teasing me out of my bed by invoking my anger. Cicero fled my room in a rush of hysterical laughter, with myself following close behind- no weapon in hand, but I was still quite angry about being awakened so rudely. I followed Cicero out to the main hall- that I had started to think of as 'The Meeting Hall'- and when I turned the corner into the large room… he had apparently vanished. Yet I could still hear his insane giggling as I stood before the stain glass image of Sithis. Then a thought occurred to me… in Dawnstar, there was a hidden entrance to the Sanctuary behind an image exactly like this one; I examined the edges of the glass- looking for signs of a handle or switch, finding a small handhold hidden behind the glass's iron rim. I opened the glass door and entered what appeared to be a small, candle lit chapel hidden within the sanctuary; at the back of the room, on a raised pedestal, already sat the Night Mother's coffin.
"You have done well my child, the family grows in numbers and skill- all thanks to your efforts. Rest a while and let the family tend to itself, for expanding too quickly can often lead to disaster." came the voice of the Night Mother, her voice once again slamming into my mind and making me nearly fall over- thankfully the stone benches of this unholy chapel seemed sufficient enough to break my fall. I sat on the stone bench and waited for my mind to stop spinning, thankfully Cicero was being quiet for once. The Night Mother had basically just given me time off for a vacation, and as I left the Unholy Chapel and found Zany once again trying to wring Cicero's neck for something the fool had probably done yesterday… I realized I needed the time off.
"Hadranius, you're in charge. I'm going on a little vacation." I said simply, the aged Dunmer walking in from the dining hall at just the right moment. Hadranius nodded respectfully as he smiled and calmly pried Zany off Cicero; as if he was separating two squabbling children. I sighed lightly and left the Winterhold Sanctuary behind, standing out in the light snowfall of morning- the Sea of Ghosts stretching out calmly to greet the rising sun. I took Shadowmere by the reigns and walked her across the ice that served as a bridge over the water to the shore- I had never liked swimming by the sea, nor had I ever liked the deadly Slaughterfish that often hid beneath the waves. I climbed up into the saddle and off we rode, I wasn't quite sure where I would go and simply let Shadowmere pick our route as we dashed along the shore- eventually veering off inland. As I reached the cliff top overlooking the Sea of Ghosts, I realized I had no idea where I could go that would be peaceful and maybe even relaxing; then I remembered the sulfur springs near Riften. Many times I had seen hunters lounging about in the hot waters of these springs, never really finding the time to try it out myself… now I had the time. I journeyed south from Winterhold into Whiterun territory- giving the city a wide berth as I passed through the mountains into the hilly plains. The sun beginning to set as I made camp near what appeared to be a hidden shrine to Talos; taking a few moments before going to sleep to pay my respects to the outlawed Divine.
I awoke to the sound of movement not far from where I lay half-asleep, the sun barely a glimmer on the horizon as I slowly opened my eyes to see someone rummaging through my knapsack. I jumped to my feet and was bewildered to find my weapons gone- I had been disarmed in my sleep, this intruder having taken my daggers from their place beside my sleeping form. I could care less about my ordinary steel daggers, but Steel Heart was one of a kind; and a family heirloom at that. I lunged at the intruder, a bandit by the looks of him, but he apparently expected this and jumped out of my way and dashed to his waiting horse- taking off in a hearts beat. I slammed my fist on the ground in frustration, momentarily forgetting the location in which this theft had occurred… the open plains of Whiterun. I leapt to my feet and saddled Shadowmere quickly, my heart beating rapidly as I watched the bandit quickly become smaller and smaller over the plains. I would need to push Shadowmere to her limits to catch the thief now, but I had to try; though I was thankful that Shadowmere could not die from over-exertion should my attempt fail. I swung myself quickly into the saddle, willing Shadowmere into a sprint from the start- receiving her excited whinny in response; she was all too willing to chase after her master's target. We slowly began to gain on the thief, being within shouting distance by the time we neared the city of Whiterun itself. I began to wonder just how long this bandit's horse could keep at this speed, as it was nothing more than a Riften Dapple Grey. Just as we crossed the bridge over the creek that joined to the rushing river, the bandit's horse began to falter; the bandit abandoning his steed and rushing off up the hill and out of sight for only a moment… before I crested the hill myself and lost sight of him.
"Damn it… we must find him." I muttered to myself, Shadowmere shaking her head as she scoffed at me- her actions all too obviously meaning: "No, you think?". I sighed and approached the river, my intention to allow Shadowmere a few moments of well-earned rest before setting out to track the thief… my eyes catching on the sight of freshly torn fur on a patch of briars. The fur was up too high to be a wolf- yet the wrong color to be any other animal- leaving the only conclusion to be that it had come from the bandit's fur armor as he passed through here. The sneak had apparently crossed the river on foot- thinking he had covered his tracks, but had not realized his armor had been torn. "Rest for a moment my friend, I've found that little fools trail." I said simply, patting Shadowmere's mane encouragingly as she lowered her head to drink from the cold waters of the river.
Shadowmere and I crossed the river where I had found the bandit's fur- chuckling absently as we emerged on the opposite side to find that the bandit made no attempts to hide his tracks on this side, believing himself safe from my search. His foolish folly would be his undoing and my triumph when I showed him first hand the power of what he had stolen from me. I sighed as I realized I had been spending far too much time with Cicero… his careless lust for killing was bringing to rub off it seemed. I chuckled at the thought as I watched the tracks lead straight through Riverwood and into the woods; the tracks finding their end near the mouth of a seemingly abandoned mine. I entered the mine with caution, bandits being prone to crude but effective traps; keenly watching the floor as I warily crept along through the shadows of the entrance tunnel. As I entered the chamber at the end of the tunnel, I was surprised to see that someone was apparently here before me- two bandits in the lower area of the large cavern lying dead with a single arrow to each throat, the scent of blood still fresh in the air. A shadow shifting across the wooden path in what appeared to be a make-shift gate house caught my attention quite easily- though to these dim-witted bandits it would have seemed nothing more than a trick of the light. I moved deeper into the shadows and made my way across the high wooden platform that spanned the entry cavern across the partially flooded floor. I moved slowly as I crept through the well-lit tunnel that appeared to lead to the gatehouse. Upon entering I began to feel as though something was amiss- soon realizing what as a hand covered my mouth and an Orcish Dagger put to my throat.
"You do not appear to be a bandit, who are you and what are you doing here?" whispered a voice close to my ear as my captor held me against their chest to prevent me from moving, the hand lifting slightly to allow my response.
"I am no bandit, who I am and my business is my own." I said simply and without fear of the dagger that could so easily end my life.
"And why should I believe you? I could release you- only to receive a dagger in the back for my naivety." he reasoned, the dagger becoming slightly closer to my neck- just enough to press uncomfortably into to my flesh without breaking the skin; this man no doubt being well trained to achieve just the right amount of pressure immediately.
"If I was a bandit, would I be sneaking around the hideout?" I reasoned, hoping this would give him food for thought. My captor taking a moment's pause,
"Point taken…if you are not a bandit, then I have no business with you. Leave." he said simply as the blade was drawn from my neck and I was released, I turned to my former captor and found his face obscured by the hood of his dark green cloak. The man seemed to look at me for barely a moment before turning to flip a switch on the floor, lowering the bridge to the inner section of the cavern and made for the tunnel- his cloak swishing as he moved.
"I have business with these bandits myself, they have taken something dear to me- so I will take their lives if need be." I chuckled lightly as I followed the man through the tunnel and to the bridge. He said nothing to that as he drew a bow and swiftly killed the two bandits that came to investigate the mysteriously lowered bridge- with a single arrow each and barely a moment's aim. Needless to say, I was impressed- I had seen several archers in the past year, but I had a feeling this man was probably the most skilled of them all. He paid me no mind as he crossed the bridge and into the tunnel on the other side, I stayed for a moment- so that it might seem like I had left… but followed shortly after. In addition to locating the hideout of the thief who had taken Steel Heart… perhaps I had found another addition to the Brotherhood? What a 'vacation' this was turning out to be; at this rate I doubted I would be able to spend any time at the hot springs before Hadranius would send a search party looking for me.
I followed the mysterious man across the bridge, keeping enough distance between us- staying in the shadows and out of his sight as we entered a wide dark corridor; the man reaching the illuminated end and leaning against the wooden support at the corner as he peered around, jumping out quickly and firing an arrow at a startled bandit. The man disappearing from view as I quickly peered around the same corner to see the lone bandit with an arrow protruding from his throat, his dead eyes glazed in silent terror as blood pooled on the stone floor beneath the corpse. I took a moment to look into the room behind the corpse, seeing various ill-gotten goods stashed behind the iron gate that barred the entrance. On the wooden table- in plain sight- lay my daggers and my knapsack on the floor beside it. I rushed quietly to the door and tried the latch- finding it locked tighter than a miser's purse. Once again I cursed my lack of lock picking skill and vowed emptily to learn more of that particular craft once I was out of this mess. I would return when I had more time to examine the lock, for now I would continue my observation of the mysterious man; returning to the path through the bandit hideout and finding the man watching and waiting from a ledge looking out into a large cavern spanned by a wooden bridge over a pool of water and a tall yet slim waterfall that dropped sharply into the room. Below the ledge was oddly a forge, hidden within the mine, an Orc bandit hard at work on what looked to be the start of a steel mace; though his work was interrupted by an arrow penetrating the back of his neck, severing his spine as he dropped to the stone floor with a thud. Before the other two visible bandits could even draw their weapons to search for the cause of their comrade's death, they too fell to the mysterious man's arrows; falling into the water below the bridges they had stood upon only seconds before. This man appeared to be a faster shot than Johnny… if I could persuade him to join the Brotherhood we would have to test who was a better shot at farther range. The man returned his bow to his back with his quiver and turned to leave the mine, as I stepped out of the shadows slowly.
"My you are quite the shot, what say you to a small proposition?" I asked him quickly, getting to my point without mincing words; uncertain if this man would draw his bow again if I took too long. He folded his arms without a word and I took this as a sign that he was listening. "I lead a very… particular group, and would like to offer you a place with us. You caught me off guard and could have killed me before I would even have had the chance to scream. Your archery is impeccable; I only know of one archer that even comes close. You also seem to have no issue with killing silently and without bringing attention to your exact location. What say you… to joining the Dark Brotherhood?" I said, using a flattering silver-tongued tactic to persuade this man into seeing how well he would fit in with a family of murderers.
He seemed to flinch slightly at the thought of consorting with killers, but after a moment he spoke up.
"If I may choose my contracts- taking only those who deserve death- then I will join you. I am no cold-blooded murderer." he said simply; with what sounded like pained conviction in his every word as he stood rigid as stone. I smiled softly,
"I see no issue with that, despite our reputation we are not all the monsters we are made out to be. Some of us are, but most of us have honor and do no more than is necessary to get the job done right." I explained, the man's stance seeming to relax as we came to a quick and easy understanding.
"Then it is settled, where shall I accept my contracts?" he asked simply and to the point.
"At the Sanctuary, meet me in Winterhold and I will show you to your new home… but first, perhaps you could help me with something?" I said, asking sheepishly for assistance with the locked door down the hall. The man laughed lightly before walking away to pick the lock for me; I followed along behind him and retrieved my things with a grateful smile.
"An assassin who cannot pick a lock? How unusual." the man remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone as he teased me. Oddly, I was not even slightly angered; on the contrary, I accepted the teasing as his way of showing some ease around me- as before he had been tense and far too wary of every movement I made.
"What I lack in stealth I make up for in strength." I said simply, drawing one dagger from its sheath and slamming it deeply into the wooden table- nearly slicing through up to the hilt before drawing the dagger back out and sheathing it at my side. The man's eyes widened, no doubt surprised a young woman of my stature could possess such strength… if only he knew the training I had endured during my teen years, then it would not be nearly as much of a shock. I walked around him and began to leave the mine, but stopped when I realized something-
"I don't believe I caught your name yet. I am Alyce Lachance, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood." I said, seeing no point in hiding my position or my heritage- he would find out eventually; though I doubted he actually knew the significance of the name Lachance. As expected, he had no idea the significance of my name or title,
"Arren Tr- I mean- Arren… simply Arren." he said, almost giving away what I assumed was his last name; I did not ask as it was none of my business.
"Well then Arren, I will meet you at the tavern in Winterhold. May you walk always in the shadow of Sithis, my Brother." I said kindly before walking swiftly to the main chamber and out the way I had entered the mine.
I sighed when I realized it was now sunset, the day having passed swiftly in my pursuit of the thief and the excursion into the mine. I had no idea how long the Night Mother would be willing to wait for me to return, and was less than keen on testing her patience. I clicked my tongue, seeing neither hide nor hair of Shadowmere; which was odd for her when we were abroad from the Sanctuary. The fact that she did not respond to my summons alarmed me, and though my steed could not die- she could indeed be knocked out for several hours.
"Shadowmere, I am in no mood to play games." I said aloud, warning my demon horse that her mischief would not be tolerated today if that was indeed the case… and I actually found myself hoping that it was. Something did not feel right. The forest was still- deathly silent- and I could almost hear a whisper of warning on the wind.
"Run… watching… danger…" whispered the wind in my ear, turning my stomach with dread as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. My eyes darted around as I searched for signs of someone spying on me from the forest around me, seeing nothing out of the ordinary- but the wind and the lack of even the slightest birdsong told me otherwise. I heard a rustle of the bushes to my left and in a blink my daggers were drawn, my arms out before me in a defensive stance. My heart pounded as I waited for whatever made the noise to emerge from the bushes- and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when I saw the glowing red eyes and inky black pelt of Shadowmere approaching as the source of the noise. Had the voice on the wind been nothing more than a trick of my worried mind? It had sounded so real… so terrified for my safety and urgent that I flee the area at once. I felt far safer once I sat securely in Shadowmere's saddle, and rode off into the falling night towards the city of Whiterun and Winterhold beyond that.