She dreaded night when she would pitch her tent in the darkening evening and her troubled thoughts would swirl around her like blood gnats. It wasn't the thoughts that she dreaded so much as it was the way she was torn from them each night and sent to the twilight world of the Night Mother's corner of the Void. Not that she saw the Night Mother again, she didn't, but she recognized that tranquil eventide that she visited the moment she lay her head down. The bothersome thoughts would dissipate in that gentle place and then she'd fall into a deep, natural sleep.
It frightened her. What if she needed to awaken at the approach of a footstep and couldn't? It finally happened one night and she awoke quickly, bow in hand, as if pre-warned of danger approaching. It was a saber-cat and she had calmly shot as it leapt for her. The arrow had pierced her eye, and penetrated into the brain. As she threw herself to the side, out of the cat's trajectory, it hit the ground dead.
Of all the fears she had, at least she knew that whatever sorcery pulled her into the Void at night, she would return when she must. Still, the loss of control frightened her. She tried to deny sleep, staying up all night one night, refusing to rest even though her journey had been exhausting.
It didn't work. The sleep stole over her, taking her like a silent Argonian assassin would take a guard when he yawns sleepily. She awoke the next morning, warmly cradled in her bedroll and not knowing how she got there.
The next night it happened in the blink of an eye, literally. She was perched on an uncomfortable rock, staring into the fire, determined not to let the Void-sleep take her, but the fire warmed her knees and her face; her eyelids slipped, just a little, but that was all that was needed. Again she awoke well-rested and comfortable in a bedroll she had no memory of crawling into.
By the time she'd completed Nazir's first assignment, she'd stopped trying to fight it. Every morning, the prior night's torturous thoughts were forgotten, but they'd accumulate around her throughout the day and by night she'd be cursing her fate once again.
Slowly, however, she grew inured to the role she'd been assigned. Perhaps Astrid would come to realize that she didn't choose this role for herself. She didn't want it. Maybe Arnbjorn could make her understand. It had to be over between them she understood that. When she got back to the sanctuary, she'd stay out of Astrid's way. Of course she wouldn't challenge her authority. Arnbjorn had always made it clear that Astrid came first with him. And Astrid… She hates me now. The guild leader's words replayed in her head. It was her tone more than the words, the anger, but the message was clear: You're a threat.
There was something about the concentration, stealth, and danger that cleared her head. I'm a professional. She vowed to put her thoughts in order. If I'm to be the Listener, I won't be able to hear Her over the noise in my head.
She didn't like it, but there had been plenty of things in her life she hadn't liked. She had, so far, survived them all. She would survive this as well.
~o~o~o~
"You need to go to Volunruud and check out her story." Astrid had been in a terrible mood ever since the Night Mother had spoken to Nessa.
"You still don't believe her?" Arnbjorn was beginning to get impatient with his wife. Her paranoia about Nessa was entirely unfounded as far as he could see. Nothing, nothing, about Nessa bespoke someone who would grasp after power.
"I didn't get this far—we didn't become the last surviving sanctuary—by not being careful. So, no. I don't trust her. We both know she's not entirely what she seems. She seems like such a good girl and yet she murdered Grelod. And she was a thief. I should've seen it before. The pieces never did fit right, Arn."
"You're nuts, Astrid. That girl loves you. She'd do just about anything for you."
"She loves you, Arnbjorn. She always did." She slammed a dagger down against her table. "She not only wants my job, she wants my husband. Well, I won't have it."
Arnbjorn grabbed his wife's arm as she leaned against her desk. "Stop this, Astrid. If she can hear the Night Mother she can tell you, and you can assign the contracts. Nothing has to change. We can work this out."
She turned around, her eyes holding distrust and suspicion. If, as she suspected, Nessa had been playing them all along, how far under her sway was her husband? He might love her. Sending them to Solitude together had been a mistake. What an idiot I've been. "Yes, we will work it out." She smiled at her husband.
The smile did nothing to reassure Arnbjorn; there was too much vampire in it. Nonetheless, he left for Volunruud.
~o~o~o~
It was not by coincidence that Nessa returned to the sanctuary several hours before dawn. Everyone should be asleep by now. She could steal down the stairs and into her room. She had the entire day plotted out. Astrid would come down to breakfast with Arnbjorn, about the same time as always. Nazir was always the last to leave the kitchen. She'd wait until everyone else was gone from the kitchen, slip through the back way into the kitchen, and report to Nazir. Then she'd just slip back into her room. With luck, it could be days before Astrid figured out she had returned.
Fate, of course, had other plans. Astrid was waiting for her in the hallway. She had heard the door rolling open. Arnbjorn had already returned and no one else was out on assignment. The girl looked startled to see her. A guilty look. Well, at least she has a conscience. "We need to talk."
Nessa swallowed and tried to remain calm. She wanted to throw herself in the older woman's arms and beg her to understand that she didn't want to be the Listener, and that she'd do anything to go back to the way things had been. But if she hadn't gotten through to Astrid, why should she believe it would be any different now? "Of course. What is it?"
Arnbjorn had found Amaund Motierre at Volunruud, just as Nessa had said. "I believe you. Something is going on. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but… Well, we need to find out." Astrid's voice was calm.
Nessa nodded, daring to hope that she was coming around.
"If the Night Mother gave you an order to talk to a contact, we'd be crazy to ignore it. I think we can both agree, Cicero's enough crazy for this sanctuary."
Nessa blinked slowly, but didn't respond.
"So, go to Volunruud. It's a crypt to the north east. Talk to this… Motierre. Let's see where all this leads." Astrid watched Nessa absorb all of it. She'd been surprised when Arnbjorn had returned with word that Amaund Motierre existed and was, in fact, waiting at Volunruud. She thought about going herself but it would be more interesting to see how Nessa handled this. Would she use this as a springboard to get the others to agree to back her for guild leader? She'd considered all the possible scenarios, including a possible purge. But it was too early to act. Only she, Nessa, Cicero and Arnbjorn knew that the Night Mother had spoken to her.
So far Cicero had kept quiet about Nessa, but Astrid could see that his silence wouldn't last forever. He was like a teapot about to boil over. His insanity seemed to ebb and flow, but for some reason, now that a so-called Listener had been found, his madness seemed to have quieted some.
Nessa nodded slowly, trying to glean meaning out of everything Astrid was saying and how she said it. Her voice was low and calm, but professional. There was nothing of her prior anger, but also nothing that spoke of their intimacy either.
"Any questions?" Astrid asked. Nessa looked like she would burst if she didn't speak, but she remained silent. "You can leave tomorrow." Astrid smiled briefly and turned away, leaving Nessa behind her. It would be best if she kept Nessa busy and out of the sanctuary while she figured out how to deal with all… this. Arnbjorn was another issue. He was clearly angry. Nessa had sunk her hooks into him more deeply than she had known. He defended the girl from every allegation she made. He thought her entirely guileless. Ha! Women are never guileless. Well, keeping her out of the way might make him rethink.
Nessa bit her lip, wanting to speak but afraid. Finally she said, "Astrid." But it was too late; she'd rounded the corner already and Nessa had spoken too quietly. She stood look at the spot where Astrid had disappeared and sighed heavily. Readjusting her backpack, she trudged heavily down to her room. The Void-sleep claimed her yet again.
The trip to Volunruud was like most of the other trips she'd made for the guild, only this time there wasn't an assassination to perform. She was performing the duty of the Speaker. As Cicero had explained it, the Speaker was secondary to the Listener. She would have suggested to Astrid that she would be perfect for the job, but the implication is that she, Nessa, would be in charge. She knew that wasn't going to be acceptable to Astrid. So… onto Volunruud. This would work itself out somehow.
~o~o~o~
"By the almighty Divines. You've finally come. This dreadful Black Sacrament thing… it worked." Amaund had peered into the shadows and seen a slender form wearing dark, close-fitting armor. "It took longer than I expected. I've been here for a several weeks." He wiped his hands nervously on his tunic, they were getting sweaty. "Not complaining, but I'm no fan of crypts and the sacrament is… well, starting to smell."
The shadow stepped into the dim light of the room he'd set up in. It was… a girl? Well, properly a young woman, he supposed. She sure didn't look like an assassin with her pink cheeks and blonde braids. "You are from the Dark Brotherhood?" His voice registered his skepticism.
"I am." Her brows furrowed. No one else from the guild would have such a problem getting the respect of a contact. Even Babette would. She spied a burly looking guard, dressed in Imperial armor, standing behind the Breton nobleman.
"Are you sure? You look far too… Well, if I might be blunt, inexperienced." Amaund began to get testy. The Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim didn't seem up to his rather complicated task if they were sending a mere girl to him.
Nessa began to get angry. It had been ridiculous for Astrid to send her, but she had. Maybe Astrid was testing her, to see if she were truly worthy of the Listener title. She mentally cursed herself and her constant trying to second-guess the guild leader. I will not fail, and that's all there is to it! Once again she thought of Babette and wondered how the little vampire would handle it.
It should be obvious, silly. Lie!
Nessa almost looked around, but realized Babette was nowhere nearby. "I am far older than I look," she said. She kept her countenance impassive and calm, imagining herself to being much older and wiser than she was. "My people do not age." She imagined Babette nodding in approval.
Amaund frowned for a moment, then his eyes widened and he took a step back. "Ah, yes. Well, I suppose that makes sense." He rubbed at his neck nervously. "I'll cut right to the chase, then. No sense in small-talk, I suppose."
"Do." Nessa felt a moment of pride at sounding so mysterious and even perhaps a little commanding. Perhaps the Night Mother was inspiring her performance.
"I would like to arrange a contract. Several, actually. I daresay, the most important work your organization has had in, well… centuries."
Nessa's stomach tightened and she began to feel a little sick to her stomach, but she carefully kept her internal feelings out of her expression. Why now, Night Mother? Why not wait until I'm a little more experienced with this sort of thing?
"Go on."
Amaund watched the girl, or whatever she was, closely. He wanted to see how she would react. "As I said, I want you to kill several people. You'll find the targets, as well as their manners of elimination, quite varied. Someone of your… disposition… will probably even find it enjoyable."
Nessa gave a small half-shrug and tried to look bored. "Perhaps."
"But you should know that these killings are but a means to an end. For they pave the way to the most important target. The real reason I'm speaking with a… with you… in the bowels of this detestable crypt: I seek the assassination of…," he paused for dramatic effect, "… the Emperor."
The last part didn't sink into Nessa's brain for a moment, which was good since her façade was already being strained by her nerves. "Business is business. He'll die like anyone else," she said, coolly. Then it hit her. The Emperor? I must have misheard. Her stomach gave a sickening lurch. She was glad the crypt was dark, she was sure all the blood had drained from her face.
Amaund was impressed with the… creature's insouciance and quiet confidence. Perhaps the rumors of Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood being the last of a dying order were overblown. "Wonderful. You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that."
The man began to pace back and forth, his jubilation clear in his voice. Nessa could barely focus on his voice with the word emperor was echoing through her mind.
"So much planning and maneuvering. It's as if the stars have finally aligned," he continued, talking almost to himself. "But I digress. Here, take these." He looked over his shoulder and called to his guard. "Rexus." He clapped his hands sharply as if calling the man by name wasn't enough of a prompt. "The items, Rexus!"
The guard shambled forward, a menacing sneer on his face. "Here." He thrust a letter and an ornate amulet at Nessa.
She took the items and looked at Amaund for further explanation.
"The sealed letter will explain everything that needs to be done. The amulet is quite valuable—you can use it to pay for any and all expenses."
Nessa stood there a moment, wondering if he had more to say, but when he remained silent she nodded. "Where will you be staying? We will need to find you to report our success."
The girl's… err.. creature's… self-confidence was inspiring. "I'll be staying at the Bannered Mare in…."
"Whiterun." Nessa nodded. "I know it. We'll be in touch." She turned, her stomach lurching with anxiety. She faded into the shadows and slipped away silently.
Amaund turned to his guard. "Well… that was interesting. I confess, for a moment, I had my doubts." He gestured to Rexus to lead the way out of the crypt. "I thought she was a mere chit of a girl. Ha!" He barked out a loud laugh, made all the louder by his nerves. "A vampire, Rexus. Imagine that. I suppose it makes sense they'd make use of those blood-thirsty creatures. Vampire gets a meal. Dark Brotherhood fulfills a contract. Everyone wins. Well, everyone but the poor dead fool."
The pair wended their way out of the crypt as Amaund babbled. When the door creaked open they squinted. Blinded and stumbling, they came out of the dark crypt where the noon sun assaulted their eyes.
"My lord…," Rexus said, hesitating to mention the tiny detail. It was hardly significant now.
"Yes? What is it, Rexus?" The note of impatience crept back into his voice.
"Do vampires go about in the sun?"
Amaund stopped in his tracks and swore softly. It was too late now to do anything. Either the girl was a very old, very powerful vampire—if such tales were true—or he had been bamboozled by a mere girl.
~o~o~o~
"Did you meet Motierre? What did he want?" Astrid asked her shortly after she set foot into the sanctuary.
She'd had a few days to live with the news and wonder how Astrid would react. "He wants us to kill the emperor." Nessa had rarely seen Astrid look at a loss for words.
"You're joking," the older woman said.
Saying nothing, Nessa took the sealed envelope and amulet out of her backpack and set it on Astrid's desk.
"What's this?" She looked at the envelope and picked up the necklace. "Exquisite."
"The letter should explain it all. The amulet is for expenses," Nessa said.
"By Sithis, you're not joking." Astrid looked up in wonder at Nessa. How did she get the trust of someone powerful enough to order the emperor's elimination? "To kill the Emperor of Tamriel… The Dark Brotherhood hasn't done such a thing since the assassination of Pelagius. As a matter of fact, no one has dared assassinate an Emperor of Tamriel since the murder of Uriel Septim, and that was two hundred years ago."
The skepticism in her voice was obvious. "I don't think the Night Mother would misdirect us." Nessa said.
"No, she certainly wouldn't. And… for whatever reason, she chose to relay Motierre's information to you."
Nessa heard a note of bitterness creep into Astrid's voice.
"I don't know exactly what's going on here, if you're the Listener, or this is some fluke, or what. But what we now have before us…." Astrid trailed off, lost in thought.
"So we'll accept this contract?" Nessa asked. Can we even turn it down if the Night Mother told us to go?
Astrid laughed. "You're damn right we'll accept it. If we pull this off, the Dark Brotherhood will know a fear and respect we haven't seen in centuries." She turned to Nessa, her pleased expression turning into a slight frown. "You don't think I'd abandon an opportunity to lead my family to glory?"
There it was, the possessiveness Astrid held for her position. It made Nessa's heart sink. Being the Listener would always irk the guild leader. Well, it was fine with Nessa if Astrid wanted to continue to be the leader. She'd just… well… listen.
"This is a lot to take in," Astrid continued. "I need time to read the letter, and figure out where we go from here. And this amulet. Hmmm…. I'll need to get it appraised and see if we can actually sell it." She gazed at the exquisite amulet in her hand. There was only one man who could truly appraise this item—Delvin Mallory. She considered for a moment sending Nessa, but remembered they'd snatched the girl from the thieves' guild in the first place; it'd be a mistake to send her back. She'd go herself.
"Good job, Nessa," Astrid said, smiling at the girl. "Take some time to rest up, you've earned it. I'll be running some errands for a few days."
"Thanks, Astrid." Nessa smiled at the guild leader. It felt good to have her work acknowledged. Maybe… perhaps their relationship was irrevocably changed, but at least they could work together.
Astrid smiled pleasantly and turned to walk back to her room.
Nessa, emboldened by her successful assignment and Astrid's praise decided to risk it. "Astrid. Wait."
The older woman paused in her tracks and turned around. "Yes?"
"I didn't want any of this to happen." Nessa felt her moment of brashness rapidly fading under Astrid's gaze. "I want to go back… to how things were... If we can." As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she felt foolish.
It was no wonder Arnbjorn was so taken in by her. It reminded her of when Nessa had first come to them—so shy, so vulnerable. For a moment she remembered how she too had responded to her, and the moments, both tender and passionate, that they'd shared. Could she be wrong about her? No. Suspicion and wariness had always served her well. "It's over, Nessa. We'd all be best served by accepting that now."
The hardness to the faint lines around Astrid's eyes said it all, even if her mouth hadn't just said it. Nessa inhaled deeply as if she'd just been punched. She didn't exhale again until Astrid turned and walked away.
Astrid left the Sanctuary that very day, eager to get on with the greatest task ever set before her. With misgivings, she left Arnbjorn behind and made it quite clear she didn't want him near the girl… the Listener. His response had been a simple growl which could've meant many things, but mostly it held the promise of an explosive argument if she pursued the topic, so she'd abandoned it.
~o~o~o~
"Well, as I live and breathe, Astrid. What brings you to see your old chum, Delvin?"
Her chuckle was warm and low as she hugged Delvin and kissed him on the cheek. "It seems just like yesterday, doesn't it?"
His answering laugh was just as low. "To you, maybe—it's been almost half a lifetime to me."
"I never should've let you leave, Del. You were a good assassin. The lot I have to work with now… I can barely trust them with anything sharper than a butter knife."
Delvin knew the game. "Oi, don't complain to me about it. I spend half my time springing this bunch out of jail." He gestured expansively. "Things aren't what they were."
Astrid looked around and began to wonder if her old friend would be able to help her. "What's happening, Del?"
"We're just having a run of bad luck. A very long run of bad luck. Some might laugh, but I think we've run afoul of some god. If there's something that can go wrong, it will go wrong. Our profits have plummeted. We even lost a promising young recruit… but I reckon you know about that. That seemed to cap off the worst of it. Some of the lads haven't been the same since."
Nessa. She knew this topic would come up. "Ah, yes. Sorry about that, Delvin. There was a matter to settle."
Delvin nodded, staring at the floor, a little frown on his face. "I figured as much." He looked at Astrid, his keen eyes searching her face. "What was it? I never could figure out how a sweet girl like her could run afoul of the Brotherhood, but then I never figured her for a thief either, and she was a damn good thief."
More proof then that Nessa had managed to perfect the façade of an innocent. A talented thief, but an innocent? Hardly. "Your sweet, innocent thief stole something from us. A contract. She murdered Grelod, right here in Riften. That was our contract, bound by the Black Sacrament."
"By Arkay's balls. Our Nessa?" He rubbed the rough scruff on his cheek and mused. "Look, I know this ain't any of my business, but Brynjolf never has come to grips with this. It might help the lad to know the girl is dead, if she is."
Astrid didn't answer for a moment and considered her words. Maybe she could foist Nessa off on the thieves. That would be one way to be rid of her. But the Night Mother was a complication. She couldn't just ignore the fact—no matter how irritating she found it—that Nessa was the Listener. The Night Mother wasn't likely to appoint another one while she still lived.
"She's dead."
"Hmmm. Well, good to know, I suppose." Delvin pursed his lips and nodded. Brynjolf hadn't been the only thief in the guild holding out hope. To his surprise, he felt a little grief. Of course, they all knew she was probably dead, but to know for sure… that was another matter. Well, they could put that behind them now.
"So, the reason I'm here, Del…," Astrid said, changing the topic.
"Ah yes, back to business, I presume?" He watched her closely as she pulled something out of a pocket. "Wait, a minute, love. Never do business dry, I say. Can I buy you drink?"
Astrid smiled at Delvin. "I doubt you're serving what I drink, Del. But go right ahead."
Delvin chuckled and rubbed his cheek. He motioned to Vekel and the bartender refilled his flagon.
Astrid reached into a pocket, pulled out the amulet, and dangled it in front of Delvin. "What do you make of this?"
"Where, oh where, did you get this?" His tone was one of awe. He squinted at the amulet and put his hand under it.
"A Breton. A client. A very ambitious client." Astrid dropped it into his waiting hand.
Held up to the goat horn lamp, the rare engravings shimmered. He examined it closely "This is an amulet of the Emperor's Elder Council. Specially crafted for each member. Worth a small fortune. Ain't somethin' you'd give up lightly. If you killed a member of the elder council…."
Laughing lightly, Astrid said, "No. No one that important has died… yet. This is to cover our expenses, Delvin. This one is big."
"I don't want to know, love." He held up a hand.
"Oh, you'll know soon enough." She laughed again, almost giddy with the knowledge they would kill the emperor. "Well, will you buy it?"
"Buy it? This? An Elder Council amulet? Oh yes. Oh yes, indeed. I'll have to give you a letter of credit. Our standard arrangement."
A smile crossed Astrid's face, the one that showed just a hint of her vampire fangs. It was one that Delvin knew from his years, decades ago, in the Dark Brotherhood. "Of course. I trust you implicitly, my old friend," she said.
Ah, the games they used to play. Delvin chuckled and wrote a number on a piece of paper and handed it to Astrid. "You know I'd never cheat the Brotherhood, love. This is a very generous offer."
Taking the piece of paper, she glanced at it. Far too experienced to give away how impressed she was by the sum, she pushed it back over to Delvin. "That will suffice."
"Excuse me a moment and I'll make this formal," Delvin said. He rose from the table and disappeared into inner sanctum of the thieves guild. Emerging a few minutes later, he handed Astrid a sealed note. "I think you'll find everything in order."
Astrid smiled gently this time. Leaning in, she kissed him on the cheek. "Always a pleasure, Delvin. Keep your ears open, old friend. The Dark Brotherhood's star is rising once more." She pocketed the letter of credit and disappeared into the darkness.
~o~o~o~
The Listener watched him as he gently picked up the Night Mother's corpse and laid it out on the long table covered with a black silk cloth.
"Can Cicero help you, Listener?" he asked. The cherub was looking unusually serious and quiet. "Is the Mother speaking to you?" He poured some scented oil into his palms.
Nessa shook her head. "No. Just that once."
"How about now?" Cicero asked then broke into laughter. He began to massage oil into the corpses desiccated limbs.
Sighing with irritation she shook her head. "No." She watched the Keeper tend to the Night Mother while humming and chattering.
"What would happen if a Listener refused?" she finally asked.
Hands slowing in their work, he glanced at the girl. "A Listener, Listener?"
"Has anyone ever just walked away from it?" she pressed. "What if the person who got it, didn't want it?"
"Not want it? I must not have heard you right, Listener." Cicero's voice wound higher. "Cicero doesn't understand. How would someone not want to talk to the Night Mother?" His voice dropped into low, threatening tones. "For years I begged to hear her voice… I don't understand the question. Not want to hear the Night Mother?"
Eyes closed, drawing a deep breath, she tried again. "Just… a pretend question, not a real one, Cicero, of course. Just a sort of… what if."
"Oh! Make-believe, I know that game!" He laughed. "If a Listener didn't listen, or ran away, I would imagine the Night Mother has ways of making herself heard. Maybe she'd haunt the Listener in her dreams, hmmm? Maybe the Black Hand would hunt down the Listener and bring her back, force her to listen. Keep her chained up in the dungeon, so she wouldn't run away again." He giggled madly. "That's all pretend and make believe, of course." He went back to grooming the corpse.
"Of course," Nessa mumbled.
She left Cicero tending to the Night Mother, and went to her room. The hot spring would be a welcome place where she might be able to relax a little. She changed and went to the peaceful grotto. Slipping out of her robe, she eased into the water. It was a blessing that no one else was here. The hot water might have eased the tension in her muscles, but it did nothing for her mind. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against a rock at the edge of the pool.
Cicero was probably right. Every night she was being pulled into the twilight realm of the Night Mother. She didn't relish the idea of angering her again; she'd already shown impatience with Nessa's questions. She tried to relax herself and let her troubles wash away and she succeeded to some extent, but a splashing sound brought her back in an instant and she Arnbjorn's naked form slipping into the water quietly.
"Sorry, bit. You looked so peaceful there. I didn't want to disturb you." His gruff voice was softer than normal.
"It's okay. I should probably get out anyway." She stood to leave and, as she passed Arnbjorn, he caught her hand with his and examined her fingertips.
"You haven't been in that long. Don't go." He noticed the pads of her fingertips weren't wrinkled in the slightest. "I've been wanting to talk to you."
He didn't let go of her hand, so she sat next to him. "What's to say? Astrid made it clear… all that is over. I… understand. There's nothing more to say." She tried to pull away her hand and leave, but he wouldn't let go.
"There is more to say, Nessa. Sit down and listen." He turned his old glare on her, but it didn't intimidate her any longer. "I'm sorry Astrid is acting like this. I don't know if I can get her to listen, but I'm trying. When all this began, bit, it was for her." He felt like his throat was going to close off to prevent him from saying what he wanted to say, but the words kept coming. "I don't want this to end." It was his last chance to escape… "I care for you, morsel." Then his better sense kicked in and his brain shut down his mouth. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him, gently.
"I care for you too," she said. "For both of you," she said, very softly, in a whisper only he could hear.
It was just a kiss. Not a particularly long, or an unusually passionate kiss, but the moment was uncharacteristically tender for one who was sometimes more wolf than man. Astrid watched them, unseen in the doorway until they parted. Then she melted away into the shadows, a quiet fury erupting within her.
~o~o~o~
Notes: My thanks to Draton, Holly, Nightlain, Moosesaregreat, Janele, Biff, Cortana Phantomhive, Zevgirl, cromar21, Scarlet Nyx, EllaBea, Inuyashagirl2015, KK Jace, steffiii07 and Heiwako for you invaluable feedback and encouragement. I always love to get reviews!
I apologize for the long time away from the story. Holidays, and I had to write presents for a few friends. My Skyrim readers might enjoy the story "The Bear and the Maiden" which is a bit of unrepentant PWP written for my friend, Heiwako. Those who also read my Dragon Age stories might enjoy the latest chapter in "The Lost Chapters" which is the continuation of Lucy's saga in snippets. One of the upcoming chapters is going to be a present for Zevgirl.
I was hoping to get a little further in this chapter, but decided to end it here just to get something out. I'm intending to restart writing on "Post-Blight Management for Dummies" so chapters of this story may take a little longer to come out. Sorry about that, but my PBMfD readers have been without updates for a long time.