Thanks for the reviews everyone! ^_^
Next chapter incoming! XDDDDDDDDD
"GET UP!"
Lilith Aurelius didn't even yelp as the rough pair of hands grabbed the top of her hair and yanked her to her feet, pulling out several strands out of their roots. Instead, she summoned as much saliva as she possibly could and sent it flying into the man's face, smirking in satisfaction when it hit him directly in the eyes.
Then the backhand followed, just as it always did. She spat blood out of her mouth now, and once more, it hit it's intended mark.
"Fucking pig. Dirty fucking Stormcloak! Wait till my daughter gets here. You will never see another fucking da…!"
A punch this time, and everything went black…
Ulfric Stormcloak turned away from the sight of the unconscious woman and motioned to Galmar to follow him. He ran his hands across his face and sighed heavily, sitting on his throne and fixing Galmar with an un-amused stare.
"It seems she will not break with….conventional means."
"Perhaps we should let the men have her…seems that is all she is good for these days. She never eats anything dropped off at her cell, we have to force feed her. She fights back as well…two men have broken jaws and another….well, he will never have children," Galmar grumbled, pouring a bottle of wine into two goblets and handing one over to Ulfric.
Ulfric took the drink and drank a mouthful, savouring the taste and thinking hard.
"Tell the men to increase the times she is awoken during the night. We need her to break. Someone can then leak a rumour that she is almost dead and then…then we rid Skyrim of the last obstacle between me and the throne. Elisif will fall into line when her protector is no more, the College of Winterhold will also lose one of their beloved 'friends'. The Companions in Whiterun…they can be bought to behave themselves during our rule."
Galmar nodded, eager to hear the rest.
"Then we root out the last of the Dark Brotherhood and the Empire…and then we are free. The Thalmor have been distracted by the Dragonborn and the death of that bitch Elenwen, so we need not fear them for the time being. We are approaching winter and the weather will hamper any army amassing at the borders, giving us time to prepare. Have I forgotten anything my friend?"
"What about those filthy bloodsuckers in the north? The ones that tainted the so called 'heroine of Skyrim'?"
"They will be dealt with too of course. Once we gain control of all the Holds, we can amass men from everywhere in numbers that the vampires cannot fight nor escape from. And then we come to the final problem."
"The dragons."
Ulfric nodded.
"They can die, Dragonborn or no. I have heard tales that they have been sighted all throughout Tamriel, including the Summerset Isles…another reason why we need not fear the Dominion for the moment."
"Which leads me to my final point. The Dragonborn…how are we going to be rid of her, the little bitch doesn't seem to know how to die."
Ulfric snorted. Galmar did have a point. Morgan may be a constant thorn in his side, but he had to admit that she knew how to fight.
Just wish she would fucking die as well as she can fight.
"Anything else?"
Galmar shook his head, drained the goblet of wine and walked out of the room, a few Stormcloaks following him. Not one person had seen the young woman in the rags who had been peeking inside the main doors…
2 days later…
"What troubles you, Dovahkiin?"
Morgan sighed and looked up at the massive red dragon that was perched on the rock, his wings folded up comfortably, his eyes fixed on hers. She had spotted him flying around the area outside of Whiterun, and he had landed in a small clearing nearby after Morgan and Serana had sprinted into the forest to get his attention.
"The usual sahrot Ah," Morgan replied, smiling when Serana raised her eyebrow and mouthed 'sweet talker' to her.
"The Stormcloaks mainly," she continued, idly inspecting one of the glass daggers in her hands and imagining it was imbedded inside Ulfrics eye. "I just want to get my hands on every single fucking Stormcloak and tear their spines out. Like I said….the usual."
Serana placed her hand on Morgan's back in a comforting gesture and Morgan leaned back in response, tilting her head back to mutter a quick 'thank you' to her.
Odahviing chuckled, a whisper of smoke trailing from his nostrils.
"Pruzah. One less Stormcloak joor is a good thing…geh?"
"Geh," Morgan agreed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
It had been two days since she had killed Olfrid Battle-Born and not a single suspicion had been raised about his death. The guards had seen the blaze of course but could not get close to the burning house, thanks to the distance between them and the river. The house had been gutted entirely by the following morning, and the guards had began their investigation.
They had concluded that Olfrid had been drinking heavily, as was his custom, and had fallen over in a drunken stupor, knocking over several braziers in the process. The fire had been amplified with the spilt wine bottles and the vast amount of wine and flammable objects within and Olfrid would have stood no chance surviving the fire…if he hadn't already been killed of course. The blood had been burned away and because his body was reduced to a few bones and charred pieces of flesh, no-one had known he had had his throat slit.
Morgan and Serana had then left Whiterun after visiting Lydia briefly, making sure she had enough gold to get settled into Breezehome, and had then made their way to meet Odahviing, taking a rare opportunity to get some rest.
The three of them heard footsteps and the two vampires jumped to their feet and drew their weapons, Morgan with a glass dagger and a hand of lightning, Serana with her dragonbone dagger and a vampiric draining spell. Odahviing merely grunted and turned his head in the direction of the footsteps, a flicker of flame visible at the edges of his mouth.
Morgan smiled when the footsteps belonged to one of the couriers that always seemed to be in the area. She still held her dagger in her hand however, she had to be careful having a large bounty on her head after all.
"Oh…I…"
Morgan had to laugh. The sight of two vampires with their weapons drawn and a large red dragon must have been an intimidating sight.
"How the fuck do you people find me in the middle of nowhere?" Morgan laughed, nodding to Odahviing. "And as long as you don't do anything rash, you need not fear my friends here."
The courier was shaking a little and Morgan smiled at the young man.
"Relax. Take a deep breath and take your time."
"S..sorry Dragonborn…I never thought that a dr…dragon would be with you," he stammered. "I have a letter for you. From a 'Silda the Unseen'. Here."
Morgan took the offered letter and pressed a small coin purse into his hand.
"Take this. And thank you."
The man nodded, took one more look at Odahviing and sprinted out of the clearing at a speed that impressed both Morgan and Serana.
"We must have that effect on people," Morgan remarked with a giggle as she opened the letter…and frowned when she began to read.
Morgan, you need to get here fast. Your mother…
They beat her every night and force feed her all manner
of things even I wouldn't touch.
You need to get her out of here. Ulfric is getting impatient
at her and her attitude.
Silda.
Serana wrapped her arms round Morgan's waist and kissed the nape of her neck.
"Let's get her out of there."
"We need a plan. I doubt even the two of us can get inside there alone."
Serana grinned.
"You have plenty of friends you know. I think Odahviing would relish a chance to prove his fighting prowess once more… as in distracting the bulk of his forces away from Windhelm?"
"Like attacking a camp of the bastards?" Morgan smirked back, her fangs extending at the thought of the blood that could be spilt.
"And maybe Durnehviir could assist? Two dragons would certainly keep the Stormcloaks busy."
"But there's the problem of getting inside the palace to deal with too. There will still be guards in there, not to mention that creepy bastard mage of theirs. Oh and Ulfric and Galmar will be there too, I cannot see them leaving the relative safety of the building," Morgan snorted.
Serana sighed and nodded.
"Fuck."
Then Morgan smiled wickedly.
"I know someone who will definitely be able to help. Someone who knows how to kill silently and without attracting any attention," she said.
Serana raised an eyebrow.
"Who?"
Morgan extracted a scroll from her hip pocket and concentrated, being careful to speak each word correctly. There was a large blue flash and a gust of wind swept across the clearing. And from within the bright light, a figure emerged, a hood obscuring his face and a small dagger strapped on each side of his waist.
"I LIVE AGAIN!"
Morgan nodded in respect to the former Dark Brotherhood Speaker as she put the summoning scroll into her pocket.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice Lucien."
"You called for my services, Sister." Lucien LaChance replied smoothly, nodding at Serana and giving Odahviing a long look and nodding respectfully in the dragon's direction before concentrating on Morgan once more.
"Yes, I find myself needing some advice. Specifically, on how to infiltrate a large town and extract someone alive with a minimum of fuss."
Lucien smiled slightly.
"You speak of your maternal mother I presume. Yes, I can help you in this regard. But perhaps it would be best if the rest of the Family were to hear your thoughts…"
Morgan bit her lip slightly, being careful not to break the skin with her fangs.
"I would, but I also need Odahviing's and possibly Durnehviir's input and I think neither of them would fit inside the Sanctuary."
"The meeting could occur near the coast, away from prying eyes. The Keeper could stay inside the Sanctuary to watch over the Unholy Matron while the rest could listen to your thoughts and your plan," Lucien countered, a slightly larger smile forming on his face.
Morgan couldn't stop the grin that was forming on her face.
He cornered me easier than trapping a spider trapping a fly.
"Alright, we do it your way. We go back to the Sanctuary and get everyone involved, yes?"
Lucien nodded and even gave a small bow in her direction, and Morgan felt her skin flush slightly.
An assassin and a gentleman? The world is fucked up already.
Paarthurnax stared into the sky, his eyes narrowed slightly in concentration.
The winds have changed. Keizaal will tremble at Her approach.
He spoke of the Dragonborn of course. Since their last meeting, he had heard from other dovah that she had been living a quieter life than usual. And he knew that such a thing was impossible for their kind.
Bah do faal Dovahkiin.
All the dovah in Skyrim knew of her by now, and he knew it. Many of them were angry at her for defeating their Lordship Alduin. Others were rejoicing in her strength and were eager to assist her in whatever capacity they could gain. Others still were jealous of Odahviing and his apparent friendship with the Dragonborn and wished to take his place.
And there were a fair amount that were afraid of her and the power she possessed.
Himself included.
Kosirr, kosirr, faal Dovahkiin loost meyz….
He prayed that she remained true to the Voice. For if she did not, Skyrim would not survive her wrath.
"How are you getting along Brelyna?" Morgan asked the moment she spotted the Dunmer sitting at the table.
Brelyna shot to her feet and ran over to embrace Morgan, and Morgan laughed as she swung the taller woman in a circle before letting her go. Serana greeted the mage as well and Brelyna immediately began to talk fast.
"I'm fine. Better than fine in fact," Brelyna gushed, smiling at Babette who was also sitting at the table and nodding to her. "Babette has been wonderful in explaining how she coped with feeding and how to rid herself of the guilt when she took someone's blood. Nazir has been telling me about the structure of the Dark Brotherhood and how he gets contracts. Gabriella has been telling me that Onmund is a little angry at the both of us but also understands that I needed some space for myself…And Astrid has been explaining everything else."
Morgan raised her eyebrow and Brelyna giggled.
"She told me about how the organisation used to be run, with Speakers and Listeners, and…"
"There is still no Listener!"
Morgan rolled her eyes as Cicero screamed this statement while he busily organised the array of deathbell and nightshade flowers at the base of the Night Mother's coffin.
"Cicero has been…odd," Brelyna murmured as they walked away from the jester and deeper into the Sanctuary.
"How so?" Morgan asked.
"He keeps saying that 'time is short' and 'darkness is rising'….does that mean anything to you?"
Morgan looked over her shoulder to see Lucien LaChance standing beside the Night Mother's coffin, looking at the emaciated corpse with something close to reverence.
"I think he means something big is coming. And I have a feeling that he may be right. Come on, I need to talk to Astrid."
Astrid nodded and smiled at Morgan.
"I think it's time we got her out of there. But first, here."
Morgan took the small bag from Astrid and opened it, revealing a small ring. But on a second and closer inspection, she could tell that this ring was heavily enchanted, much more so than anything she had ever seen or heard about.
"Amplifies fire damage, frost damage, shock damage, absorb health, damage health and…"
"Restores health. A handy ring wouldn't you agree?" Astrid purred. "It's your reward for a good clean kill. Well done, Sister."
Morgan beamed at her and slipped the ring onto a finger, shivering slightly as the enhanced enchantments connected to her body and took hold.
"Fuck me," she gasped.
"You like it?"
"Damn right I do. Thank you Astrid."
"Don't thank me. Lucien had it with him when he returned ahead of you. He mentioned that you would be 'the perfect recipient of the ring'. Those were his exact words."
Morgan looked to her right and smiled as Lucien walked over to the four of them.
"Thank you Lucien."
"No thanks are necessary dear Child. The ring was created by someone very important to the dark Brotherhood. Namely, someone who wished that the ring be passed on to a worthy person after the death of the original owner."
"And who was the owner?" Serana asked, thinking as if she knew the answer already.
Lucien smiled.
"Why, the last Listener of course. If you would excuse me, I have to assist Nazir with the forthcoming plans. We shall meet at the allotted time and place this evening, if that suits you Astrid?"
"Of course. Thank you Lucien."
Lucien nodded to them all again and walked out of the room, the spectral blue hue of his ectoplasm vanishing up the steps.
Morgan fingered the ring and smiled softly.
The Listener herself owned this ring?
Yes, my Child. She was a very talented and dedicated servant of the Dark Brotherhood.
My Lady! I apologise for…
You have no need to apologise for you have done no wrong Morgan. In fact, I think it is time.
Time for what My Lady?
Seek out Cicero. My dear, humble Keeper that is tending to me as we speak. Tell him the Words.
The Words?….
Tell him: 'Darkness rises, when Silence dies'. He will know what I speak of. And know this dear Child…we approve of your actions. Serve us well….Listener.
Morgan shivered again but this time it was not the ring that caused it…
"Cicero? Could we talk a moment?"
"Cicero is always happy to talk to the sweet Dragonborn!" Cicero squealed, clicking his feet together in an action that Morgan doubted most dancers could not accomplish.
"I don't know how else to put this Cicero but.."
"A guessing game? I LOVE guessing games! No clues, let Cicero guess! Let's see…you have a sweetroll!"
Morgan shook her head, a grin spreading across her face.
"No? What about…..a heart? A bloody red heart torn from the chest of one of those 'Stormfarts'?"
Morgan stifled a giggle now.
Will definitely use that insult one day…
"Oooooh, last guess! Is it….you have a new blade and you wish to plunge it into a horker!"
"Darkness rises when silence dies."
There was silence for what seemed like an eternity to Morgan. She was aware that everyone was watching the two of them now, having heard Cicero's increasingly amusing answers and were awaiting what Morgan would say at the end. Serana had a knowing grin on her face. Brelyna, Nazir and Gabriella were wearing poker faces, wondering how the jester would react to these cryptic words. Astrid was looking on with a small smile on her face, and when she exchanged a small nod with Lucien, Morgan knew that something massive had just transpired. Babette was merely watching with mild interest, as though wondering what Morgan may say or do in case the Keeper decided to do something unexpected.
"The Words."
Morgan took a breath, even though she never really breathed anymore. She only did the action to keep up appearances and to out other people at ease. But she felt as though she needed to breathe at this point, because Cicero was also breathing heavily, his eyes now fixed on hers eagerly.
"The Binding Words! The Words written in the Keeping Tomes! It's the sign that Cicero has been waiting for all these years! The waiting is OVER!"
"Cicero? What do you mean?" Brelyna asked softly.
"She….is… THE LISTENER! She is the chosen one! The Night Mother has chosen her! ALL HAIL THE LISTENER!"
The silence was only broken when Nazir fainted.
"Well, I think we better sit down and talk," Morgan said at last, pointing to the table and chairs nearby.
If I was still human, I would have fainted as well…