A/N: So, here it FINALLY is – I had prom and then my muse died on me so she and I had a bit of a chat, and I ended up being inspired by my friend and his lover, and my muse came back full swing. I was quite pleased with the result, so I'm hoping you'll enjoy it as well. Seri Frost-Bitten finally makes her appearance; (I hope she lives up to your expectations, and you don't mind my creative license with her too much, Shapeshifter89). I was gonna put the last 1000 words in the next chapter, but it seemed weird to do that because of what I have planned, so it's all here instead. So, here we go, enjoy and review, my brothers and sisters in darkness, and may you walk always in the shadow of our Dread Father.
PS: will someone let me know if Gabriella is still spelled as Gabrielle in previous chapters? I think I got most of it, but maybe not all. Thanks to Azaisya for the reminder in the previous chapX3
Chapter 24: On Avenging the Fallen (I)
I woke up smiling.
And not the I-just-killed-someone-and-now-I'm-happy sadistic kind of smile – the I-kissed-the-man-I'm-in-love-with-and-I'm-fairly-s ure-it-wasn't-a-dream kind of smile. I put a hand over my mouth and turned over onto my side, burrowing into the furs on my bed. I supposed I'd have to make an appearance eventually, but for the moment I was enjoying the foreign feeling of bliss that wasn't brought by a kill, but by another person.
It took me all of a content sigh to be frustrated with just lying in bed – so I gave up trying hard to be lazy and fell into my usual morning routine, the only difference today was the cheeky grin Uvelaes flashed at me from the table when I walked up to the previous night's leftovers for breakfast. A sweetroll would have been ideal, but I wasn't quite in the mood to go to all the effort to pinch one of Cicero's sweetrolls.
I could feel my face grow warm when a sudden, very unbidden thought fueled an even more sudden desire. It made me stop for a moment, and I tried vainly to push it away. I ate breakfast by myself, and finally made my way to the training area to practice by myself or spar with whoever was there.
I wasn't sure if it was a lucky or unlucky thing that Aventus was there, but it was a pleasant challenge to fight someone who had gained experience since we last fought. He proved to be strong, but wasn't quite as fast as what I was, and it proved to be the determining factor for my victory. I was still smirking smugly and gloating over my victory when a disheveled Gabriella and Uvelaes came in from outside. Clearly, they'd been experimenting with their latest obsession, and both seemed pleased about it. Aventus seemed to miss the underlying meaning entirely, much to Uvelaes's amusement.
"Gabriella," I called, stopping her before she could disappear again. "What do you know about the next contract? Astrid said you were handling it."
She nodded lazily. "Yes; it'll be another day or two to finalize, but I will find you and give you all the details then. For now, you should know that you're going to hunt Gaius Maro, son of Commander Maro–"
"Of the Penitus Oculatus," I finished bitterly. It wasn't that I didn't want to kill the bastard, just that I so hated the Oculatus agents I couldn't help the hatred that crept up so cold and furious that it was natural for me to be so bitter about them.
Gabriella smiled. "That's the spirit! You'll need to follow little Maro as he inspects the various cities for the Emperor's visit to Skyrim – it seems the assassination of his cousin was just the push he needed to come here. You'll need to incriminate him, and the letter forgery is all that I'm still finalizing. Then you can go out and make us all proud! I envy you, to kill an agent…. Send my regards when you send him to Sithis."
And with that, Gabriella disappeared, Uvelaes smirking at her from behind.
"If it would please you, I'd like to train with you, Listener, and Aventus," Uvelaes said, coming closer to us. I nodded, and the Dunmer raised his hands. Oh, another mage – where's Festus when you need him? I grumbled to myself. Let's see what he can do.
Aventus laughed. "I'd like to go first, if you don't mind," he glanced at me. I shrugged: this would give me and advantage. "Yes!" he exclaimed softly, and Uvelaes smirked. I stepped to the side of the training area, and leaned against a wall, arms folded across my chest. Aventus had swopped his wooden training axe for his actual weapon, holding it at the ready, swinging it comfortably and a cocky glint in his eye. "Twenty gold the Dunmer won't last against the Imperial," Nazir rumbled from next to me.
I shot him a glance from the corner of my eye, and held out my hand. "Make it eighty and we have a bet."
"Ha ha! It's a deal!" Nazir laughed, shaking my hand briefly as we settled in to watch. Uvelaes's hands glowed a dark purple and black, and a tall, broad dremora and storm atronach appeared next to him. Aventus's smiled wavered and Nazir gave a low whistle. I smirked broadly.
Uvelaes stepped back, arms outstretched at his sides as he commanded softly: "Go!"
Aventus didn't stand a chance. The dremora charged, heavy armor plate thudding against plate and the ground, the greatsword grating out of its sheath, the strange voice roaring its battle cry. Aventus jumped out of the way at the last second, only to have the atronach fling him backwards and send lightning coursing through him. "Hold!" Uvelaes commanded, and the atronach floated back to his side. The dremora wasn't so willing, and hissed before reluctantly sheathing his blade and stalking closer to Uvelaes. Aventus gasped for air on the ground.
Giggling and the light tinkle of bells announced Cicero's arrival, and he sniggered even harder when he saw Nazir's shocked and disappointed expression. "Oh, the humble Fool of Hearts should have come earlier! To see! And bet! And say Good Morning, Brothers and Sister! Hehehe," he giggled nervously at the end, a light pink color in his cheeks when he looked at me. I couldn't help myself – I grinned back and felt my own cheeks color as well. Nazir 'hmm'-ed. "You're eighty gold richer, Alysa," the Redguard fished out a small pouch and counted out my winnings.
I bounced the heavy pouch in my palm. "I should have bet more."
A hiss and fizzle brought our attention back to Uvelaes and Aventus. The Dunmer's summoned creatures had gone back to Oblivion and he crouched by Aventus, a golden healing spell just fading around the Imperial. Uvelaes stood, and pulled Aventus up with him. They stood so close I would have bet my winnings from their sparring with absolute certainty that they were about to kiss. I looked at Cicero to find him staring at me. I don't think anyone noticed when exactly Nazir left, I just knew he was gone. "May your humble Keeper have the honor of a walk with his most glorious Listener?" Cicero held out a gloved hand. I walked towards him and placed my hand in his. "Of course, my most faithful Keeper," I sniggered, unable to keep the same straight-faced countenance as Cicero. He giggled as well, and tugged me along to the Door. I always did like a nice day out….
Oh-ho-ho! Cicero was so pleased to see his new brothers sparring, and how his Dunmer brother won so easily! I do believe that the Family will hear many great things about him in the times to come – unless he dies, for some reason. That would make Cicero sad, but really – Cicero hopes he lives. He always liked the mages who Conjured and Summoned and Cicero thought it fascinating! Exciting! Festus would like him, if he had stayed to see – but Cicero knows he left early for a contract somewhere.
But this humble Keeper of the Night Mother – this Fool of Hearts – feels like flying! Singing! Skipping! For his beloved Listener Alysa Ice-Wrath was holding his hand, and she was laughing with Cicero! She kissed Cicero! Oh, it makes him to happy! Ecstatic! Thrilled! We were outside with the horses now, stopping for a quick breath and Cicero couldn't help but admire his lovely Listener – starting from the bottom, with her nimble feet and long, strong legs (and Cicero would know they're strong – Cicero had sparred with her often) to her hips, deceivingly slight; Cicero knew that she could look even more beautiful than any woman there ever was and will be – aside from our sweet, dear Night Mother, of course – and her small waist, toned from all her running and jumping and sneaking and training. Cicero let his gaze go further up a little faster (he didn't want to blush too obviously, after all) to the white-pale skin on her neck and deadly beautiful face.
Oh, her face, sweet Mother… humble Cicero does love that face so…. That heart-shaped face, and the soft-almost-elven cheekbones (the only thing Cicero liked about the elves, otherwise they were too sharp and pointy, hehe), and her small mouth and lips oh-so-full of the world's sweetest poison to the humble Fool of Hearts, and her long lashes, those icy-blue eyes that Cicero found difficult and easy to read sometimes, her fine-fine eyebrows, and her thick, light brown hair. Cicero wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through it, what it would feel like wet…. Cicero blinks once, twice back to now! And I see the Skyrim autumn breeze blow her loose, dry hair in wispy-strands – it grew since Cicero first met his deadly dancer, and now hangs past her shoulders. Cicero thinks he quite prefers it longer, like this, than what she had then. It was little under a year ago… I can't believe that so much time has passed. It doesn't feel that long to Cicero at all. Cicero blinks again, and looks at his Listener as she looks at him. She's smirking in that way an assassin grins – Cicero does love that smirk – and he knows she knows he was staring at her…. Cicero grins back, clasps his hands behind his back. "Do you like what you see, Keeper?"
"Very much, my Listener," Cicero stepped closer. "But Cicero wonders: is seeing enough?"
Alysa gave Cicero a dark smirk – he swears by Sithis she is teasing him. But all she does is smirk, and turned to the forest, glancing back to see if Cicero would follow. And Cicero did – he always would.
The way Cicero had been staring at me… by Sithis, I'd never felt anything like it before. It was the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of the kill, and yet nothing like it. And it both excited and frightened me – I didn't know what it was, but I was ready to know, after all this time. I stopped walking when I reached a clearing; the very one, now that I stopped to look, where I had stolen Cicero's cap the last time we left the Sanctuary together.
I grinned, listening as Cicero stepped quietly around dry twigs and leaves, crunching softly on a few here and there, and stopped behind me. I trust him, I realized, leaning into him when he wrapped his arms around me. I closed my eyes, half-smiling when he kissed my jaw. I unlaced my fingers from in between his, about to turn around to face him when the sound of horse hooves thudding to a halt made me open my eyes and stiffen. We both moved to stand up straight, listening for any movement.
"Spread out! Search for anything related to our targets!" a voice shouted, not much farther from us. I glanced at Cicero. I was dressed in the Dark Brotherhood robes; if they were looking for us…. Cicero's eyes gleamed suddenly, and he gave me a dark smirk. "Go, my Listener! Cicero will make sure they don't find you, or our Family…" he whispered, pushing me back the way we came. I stared for a moment, then nodded and took off through the trees, Cicero's voice fading in the distance. I hope they aren't the Penitus Oculatus….
If they were, I didn't have much time to bring backup.
"Good sirs in the forest!" humble Cicero called, taking a step, and a second step, and a third step backwards. "What is it that you're looking for? Perhaps this humble jester can be of service! He knows these woods well – very well, well, the best!" he giggled, a hand on his shiny-sharp-deadly ebony dagger. That tall man from the last time Cicero was in Falkreath with his dear Alysa was striding to Cicero with his men in tow – just like the Imperial dogs they are. Cicero almost giggled again – does that make Cicero an Imperial dog, too? He finds that quite funny, but he'll try not to laugh. "You, fool, what are you doing here?" the horrid, evil man demanded. Cicero never had liked him – neverminding he was Penitus Oculatus.
"Humble Cicero was going home – see, he doesn't live in Falkreath; well, he does, but the Hold, not the city, and then he heard the horses and you said to spread out and look for a target and Cicero said Hello! Well, not exactly –"
"Enough! Silence, yourself, fool! You clearly cannot speak as a proper man, so hold your tongue," the agent hissed at Cicero, striding even closer.
Cicero just cocked his head to one side and tried so, so, so very hard not to laugh. He saw another eight or so were behind his nemesis. Oh, sweet Night Mother, dark Sithis, will Cicero get the chance today to strike back? To avenge at least some of his fallen brothers and sisters? Cicero hopes so… he really does. Cicero stared at the agent in front of him – nose-to-nose, of course – and stayed calm-looking, his fingers closing on his dagger and ready to whip out and slash and cut and stab-stab-stab and then run – run from the Sanctuary, somewhere faraway so they will never find his Listener; never destroy the Dark Brotherhood…. Will you tell sweet Alysa that I love her, Night Mother? Will you tell her that we shall see each other in the Void again? Your humble Keeper would be so grateful if you could. Oh! Cicero sees he's talking – but Cicero didn't really want to listen, anyway. "I don't believe you, fool, but very well. What's in these woods? Do you know of a door? A large, black stone door?"
"Many things are in these woods, everyone knows that, good sir! The White Stag of Falkreath – though rumor says someone killed it – bears, dead things, some say – Cicero doesn't believe all of it; well, the living dead things, at least – and he knows of many doors everywhere, but no black stone door. Cicero thinks it would be a beautiful door, if he believes what you say, good sir."
Cicero didn't like the way this agent breathed on him – again – as if he owned this angrily-calm, calmly-angry Cicero. Oh, to stab-stab-stab, and slash-swipe-sweep and…. Ah, it would be fun! So much fun!
"Bind him. Take him to the encampment," the agent ordered, backing away and striding from Cicero. Now was his chance to strike! To take out as many as he could before he died!
Sithis must have disagreed with the Fool of Hearts.
Cicero heard the soft hiss of a summoned bow – such a ghostly thing! Cicero quite liked them. I let a massive grin spread over my face. "This Fool of Hearts really doesn't think he wants to go with – in fact, he has a much, much better idea; Cicero just thinks you won't like it. But he doesn't really care…."
The agent turned, furiously fuming! Fumingly furious! Cicero giggled: he couldn't help himself. He pulled out his dagger. The agent drew his Imperial sword.
"Cicero really wants this one, brothers and sisters," he took a steady stance, deadly-sharp blade in hand.
The agent snarled, charging Cicero! So did the others! A ghost-blue arrow shot one down! Cicero ducked away from under the swing of his horrid agent-opponent, slashing the throat of another and shoving the body into the first. Cicero cackled, soon soaked and covered in crimson-red-blood!
A dremora and a spider daedra and her spiderlings were attacking the agents as well, followed by Uvelaes and his ghost-bow.
Cicero swept forwards! Kicked out and tripped an agent! Stabbed his arm! Moved on!
Deadly-sweet Alysa was suddenly next to Cicero, firing one more shot and slamming her daedric bow into an agent's face. How wonderfully it cracked and smashed, sweet Mother! Cicero attacked and deflected while his Listener slung her bow and pulled her twin daggers, turning and slashing and kicking and punching and killing!
Cicero was sure more agents appeared because he saw six already dead and twelve (he guessed) were still standing – rather, fighting, and his first opponent was one of them against the spider daedra. Aventus and the wolf-man were a part of the fight, too – the wolf-man was deadly as a wolf! For once, Cicero was glad he was here and not yet dead.
Cicero found himself facing the first agent again, dodging and kicking and slashing! Alysa threw one of her daggers at him from somewhere, and he slashed at the blade, and Cicero saw his opening!
I jumped!
I stabbed!
And the agent toppled backwards, dropping his sword with Cicero on top, and I shrieked with laughter while the agent gurgled to his bloody-red-drowning death!
Suddenly it was all quiet for a moment, then Cicero heard the wolf-man Arnbjorn kill all the horses with roars and screams. Cicero panted, and wiped his brow with a glove. His cap was still on, and only one tip had been sliced off. Cicero would have to fix that when he got home…. He looked around to see Alysa pick up her lost dagger and wipe them both on Penitus Oculatus cloaks, and sheathe them. She was also sprayed with blood…. How Cicero wanted to kiss it all off his Listener…. He giggled and she smiled, holding out a hand to Cicero. He took it and stood, pulling her close and kissed her. He really didn't care who saw what now. Alysa pulled his cap off, and wove her fingers in the Fool of Hearts's hair. Oh, how I wanted her… here and now. I was sure she wanted the same – Cicero could tell by how fiercely she kissed.
But she pulled away finally, grinning devilishly at Cicero. We turned to see what wonders we had done, sending all these souls on to the Void. Uvelaes was healing a cut in Aventus's leg. Cicero and Alysa chortled when Aventus blushed as the Dunmer ran his fingers along the now-healed thigh-cut.
Arnbjorn came back, still the large-meal-white-wolf, growling and snapping with red-red blood all over. Cicero didn't see any injuries, but it looked like some fur was shorter in places. "There were quite a few agents here; that means there's an encampment nearby," Alysa spoke for the first time since the fight.
"There is! Cicero was about to be bound and taken," Cicero added. Uvelaes nodded and pulled his Imperial to his feet.
"Then we need to find it and eliminate the rest. Will you find them, Arnbjorn, since you're the most equipped to? And take Uvelaes with you – he can summon a few more fighters for the two of you if you need it," Alysa said, glancing briefly between the two. The wolf-man growled fiercely, but nodded and snapped at the Dunmer, crouching lower. He would let the Dunmer ride him?
"I will return, my beautiful Imperial boy," he said softly, touching Aventus's face and grinned devilishly as he bounded over to the wolf, quickly vaulting on and holding onto the fur. Arnbjorn howled and raced into the woods, following a trail only he could smell.
"Seems you've found your match, Aventus!" Alysa teased, chortling when he turned a deep red. Even Cicero had to snigger at the boy. "Let's clean this up, unfortunately, and make sure the other agents won't find us that easily if they should come this way again."
"Sure thing," Aventus agreed eagerly, and we set to work. We'd be busy a while, but Cicero was proud to have sent so many of these agents to the Void to suffer the worst punishment for all eternity. Ah, revenge really is sweet….
It was dusk when Cicero, Aventus and I finally got back to the Sanctuary. Gabriella, Babette, Veezara and Festus had stayed behind to protect our home, and make sure there were some survivors in case we didn't make it out. Nazir left soon after he lost the bet on Aventus and Uvelaes, and Astrid had disappeared some time in the night, and I couldn't help but suspect she might have had a hand in it. I didn't know what she stood to gain from it, but it was a nagging suspicion. Uvelaes and Arnbjorn hadn't come back yet, and I hoped they would be alright.
When I had raced into the Sanctuary earlier today, we had agreed to wait twenty-four hours before assuming that everyone who had left was dead, captured or compromised and move on – that gave the Dunmer and werewolf the night and some of the morning to come back. I might not have been fond of Arnbjorn, but he was my brother and our Family wasn't as powerful or large as it had been, and loses simply weren't acceptable or viable for us – no matter how minor in the bigger scheme of things.
We stayed cautious as we walked through the seemingly abandoned Sanctuary until we got to the main hall with the Word Wall. I sensed Babette before I saw and heard her tackle us and split us across the room. I sat up with a groan, and shifted to a more comfortable spot while the little vampire snarled and hissed at us. I was pleased to see that Cicero and Aventus were similarly thrown. "It's ok, Babette. We took care of them; and Arnbjorn and Uvelaes are looking for the encampment to see if they can deal with the rest of the Penitus Oculatus agents," I said, looking right into her deep crimson eyes.
She looked us all over warily once more, then straightened and her fangs retracted again. "Thank Sithis. No-one followed you? You cleaned up the mess?" she quizzed, waiting in the centre of the room while we picked ourselves up and walked closer to her. Cicero nodded, and between him and Aventus they explained what had happened. I could have sworn that Babette was sorry she couldn't go out during the day to help us. "Well, now that's been settled, we should probably set up shifts for the next three or so nights and get some food and rest," I said, earning a few appreciative nods. Even Babette followed us to the dining hall, and Veezara immediately took her place in the front. Astrid came down the stairs from the sleeping quarters, a white-blonde woman following close behind. I narrowed my eyes at her, and Cicero stepped next to me, a hand on his dagger hilt.
The woman looked a lot like Astrid, and when she looked up at me, and I saw her emerald eyes, it was all I could do to stop myself from running at her. I still couldn't keep the snarl from escaping. She flipped her shoulder-length hair over a shoulder, and Astrid stared between us. I had a feeling this is how she felt when I brought Uvelaes in yesterday. "Well, it's good to see you again, Alysa. At least you aren't a street rat anymore," her emerald eyes twinkled when she mentioned my time in Windhelm when I was sixteen.
"So you know each other, Ree?" Astrid asked coyly.
"Of course! We grew up together in Helgen. I remember we were friends, until my family moved to Windhelm, and then Alysa and I met again when we were both sixteen. Oh, I'm Seri Frost-Bitten, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, really," Seri grinned, her patronizing eyes never leaving me for more than a few brief seconds. "In fact," she started to add, moving to take a plate and a bread, "Alysa and I were best friends as children."
Cicero glanced at me. I met his slightly confused gaze with a mild glare I wasn't aiming at him. I hadn't had a chance to tell him about my twisted past just yet, and I was going to make damned sure he wouldn't hear Seri's version of it. "I remember how you laughed when I came to you for help in Windhelm, and how your father spat before slamming the door in my face. I believe shortly after he lost most of his prized oxen that night. They never found the culprit, did they?" I returned, smirking at her when she stared wide-eyed at me. It had been difficult to kill five of eight oxen without causing a ruckus to wake even the deepest sleeping drunk all the way in Riften, but I had done it.
I looked up and smiled at her and Astrid as I sliced the breadroll in half. I could play this game, too – and so far, I had a few more people backing me than Astrid had, and everyone else simply wanted to keep the peace so they stayed out of any power-play that came up. I ignored both of them and cut a slice of cheese and some ham to go with my bread, and did another one for Cicero while he poured mead, and sat down at one end of the table, doing my best not to sulk too obviously at Seri's appearance – we had been of the same middle-class as children, but where my father had squandered our wealth, hers had stumbled into a fortune and it had only grown from there. She was living the life I could have – should have – had.
But, thinking it over briefly, I would have been bored with it, and done something else that would have gotten me in much more trouble. "So," Aventus started, clearing his throat. "How do you and Astrid know each other, Seri?"
"We're cousins," Seri said easily, throwing a glance at Astrid who was scowling at her for divulging information like that.
"Oh! I see! You do look similar," Aventus said, caught in the middle when Cicero sat next to me, Astrid and Seri sat down at the opposite end of the table, and Babette and Gabriella sat across from each other in the dead centre. I couldn't really blame him – the choice he made now would play a larger role in the scheme of things. In the end he opted for sitting next to Babette as though he was made of inflexible metal. He was the only one who ended up talking after that, and the rest of the night was tense enough with the wait for Uvelaes and Arnbjorn. We certainly didn't have enough beds anymore for everyone living here.