Chapter One: The Old Woman and the Cottage

I killed the old woman. I don’t know what made me do it; I still can’t understand it to this day. I suppose that this is where my tale starts; where my life gets interesting. Oh boy, does it get interesting. And I don’t generally mean that in a good way. You’ll see. I had been hunting up North, by the Nordic-fashioned city of Bruma, when I felt a presence nearby. I guess you could call it a sixth sense. I crouched down, bow in hand, and slowly crept over a small hill. When I reached the top, I saw a little cottage nestled in the mountains, with a patch of flat land serving as a single person farm. An old woman was there, working in the farm, raking down new rows for what looked like fresh potato plants.

How could I know then that this house would be the location of so much pain and misery in my future? Looking back, I wished that I had simply turned around and never glanced back. However, my instinctual curiosity, useful in so many aspects of my life, was my downfall here. I sat to watch the woman, mystified, as I hadn’t seen a human, elf, or beast race for nearly a week. I had become a rather solitary being, making my living off of the land, sleeping where I felt it was safe enough, whether it be cave or slab of rock.

Squinting against the setting sun, I saw the woman’s graying hair and wrinkling face, her movements obviously displaying the aching and grinding of her old bones. After a moment of her work, she straightened, shielding her eyes from the sun with a callused hand. She must have decided that it was enough for the day, as she collected her supplies and headed toward her thatched-roof cottage in the slow, shuffling, achy pace of the elderly.

I don’t know what came over me at that moment, but I suddenly had the overwhelming desire to kill the woman, to drive my dagger into her flesh. I felt a sudden…rage at her, such inexplicable anger that I needed to act upon. I’m not sure if my fury was against her, or against the world. But at that moment, all the feeling I had in me was focused on her. I have had such urges before, to strike, to kill, but always in public, surrounded by many. My impulses had always been controlled by necessity. Now, however, I was in the middle of nowhere. I guess that’s the reason I couldn’t stop myself.

And before I knew what was happening, everything around me became silent. Time seemed to slow as my senses were heightened. Her breathing was a slow, rhythmic rasping in my ears, and an eternity seemed to take place in the dull thudding of two of her footsteps. I started to feel faint as I tried to control the desire to stop the noise of her footsteps, to eternally end the sound of her breath. I was fighting a loosing battle. After what seemed an eternity, but was in reality were seconds, I had put my bow on my back and was reaching for my dagger.

The sound of my dagger sliding out of its sheath was intoxicating; it made my lust for the kill even stronger. I started to creep toward her, my worn leather boots padded against the ground as I silently trod upon leaves and twigs. As I grew closer to the woman, my pace increased, until I was nearly sprinting at her on bent legs. My heartbeat was like a war drum, pounding out a fast steady beat, making my head felt like it was going to explode any second. It was overwhelming; I had to end it. When I was within yards of the old woman, I stood straight, getting into a full-out sprint at her.

She didn’t hear me until I plunged my dagger into her back. With a choking gasp, she spun about to face me, her eyes meeting mine. I saw them fill with a fleeting look of surprise, before quickly turning to one of intense pain and fear. However, her pain did not last long, as I leaned behind her and yanked my dagger out of her back, and slitting her throat in one smooth motion.

She crumbled to the floor on her very own doorstep, breathed her last gasping, gurgling breath, and became eternally still. I stood over the dead body for a moment, panting slightly. Once my heart rate had started to slow, and my senses seemed to return to normal, the reality of what I had just done crashed into me, physically staggering me.

My eyes widened, and I slumped against the side of the cottage. I still held my dagger, glistening in the fading light. It was smeared with a line of blood, dripping noiselessly to the ground, joining the pool of red liquid forming steadily at my feet. Staring at her motionless body, I felt a strong mix of emotions. First, I felt disgust in myself, but I also felt an almost disturbing sense of pride, and…fulfillment. My desire for blood had been filled; the desire I had held back for so long. I had killed livestock and beast for food, but this was different. This was…murder. However, as quickly as it had come, the disgust started to ebb away, and a small smile formed on my face as I stood up straight again.

At that moment, I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my neck; a feeling that someone was watching me, that someone had seen what I had done. I whipped around, dagger at the ready, but saw nothing. The sun was nearly lost behind the mountains to the West, but there was still enough light for me to see the landscape around me in detail. I shuffled in full circle, but could pick out no one in the surrounding forest. Even so, I still could not loose the feeling of being watched, so I kept my dagger and bow at easy access.

Casting one last suspicious look into the immediate area, I turned back toward the body. As I looked at her corpse again, I felt another overwhelming feeling of disgust, but this time not at what I had done- now at the fact that I didn’t feel any remorse for my actions; no pity for the defenseless old woman. I wanted to- I genuinely wanted to feel bad, to feel guilty. But I didn’t. I…couldn’t. Sighing, pushing the unsettling thoughts out of my mind, I squatted down and started to search her for valuables.

I found about 4 gold, which was quite a sum to me at that time, and a letter to some gift-giving service listing the locations of all of her kids. I pocketed the list, not really sure why. I also found the key to her cottage. I looked back up at the sky, finding that the sun had almost disappeared, so I decided to spend the night in her house. I dragged her body into the tall grass surrounding the home before slipping the key into the lock and opening the cottage door.

Upon entering, I found that the old woman (Perennia Draconis, according to the letter) had a dog when it started barking incessantly, but it seemed as ancient as she had been. I tossed it some old boar meat from my pack, and he eagerly started gnawing at it, completely forgetting my presence. I quickly scanned the interior, looking for valuables, but not finding much. According to the sign over the mantle, the place was called “Applewatch”.

My stomach growled, so I looked into my pack and pulled out some venison and various vegetables I had stored for my trip. I cooked them in the fire place, petting the content dog while stoking the fire. Looking back, I didn’t even feel uneasy spending such a pleasant time in the home of the woman I had just mercilessly slain. My thoughts at the time were only of the food I was cooking. After my meal, I felt a wave of fatigue sweep over me, so I stripped out of my leather greaves, boots and cuirass and pulled on a long coarse shirt to sleep in. I slipped my dagger under my pillow, placed my quiver and bow on the bedside table, and slid into the warm recesses of the covers. It was extremely comfortable, compared to my recent sleeping arrangements, which had consisted of rock slabs and leaf piles. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I was woken not four hours later when my blood seemed to turn to ice, the air still and silent. In one fluid movement I had sat bolt upright and pulled my dagger out from under my pillow, holding it menacingly out into the dark room. I sat there, panting for second, trying to peer through the complete darkness, when a deep, sinister voice spoke to my right.

“You sleep rather soundly for murderer. That’s good. You’ll need a clear conscience for what I’m about to propose.”

I leapt to the left, pulling the covers off the bed as I swung my dagger wildly into midair, attempting to defend myself. I pressed my back against the wall, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. Across the bed I saw a man, clothed and hooded in the darkest black. His deep brown eyes were studying, assessing every move I made, always calculating. He seemed to be almost…amused at my reaction. His lips were curled up ever so slightly at the corners, and his intense eyes were gleaming with laughter.

“Who-who are you?” I demanded, mentally assessing my options. Listen to him talk, charge and attack, or run. Talking seemed to be the most favorable of my options; he looked quite skilled with a blade, and his athletic form could be seen even through his robes and the way he moved; he could probably outrun me. Besides, I wanted to see what he had to say. He was…intriguing.

“I am Lucien Lachance, a speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. And you, you are a killer. A taker of life. A harvester of souls. Your work, your death craft, pleases the Night Mother. And so, I come to you with an offer. An opportunity to join our rather…unique family.”

I had no idea what to say. How did he know I had murdered the woman? And how had he known so quickly? Could he have been the presence I sensed after her death? But how had he known I was going to kill her? And what- My internal bombarding of questions was cut off as he continued, looking at me in a way that seemed to convey that he knew exactly what my thoughts were.

“So, I have your rapt attention. Splendid. Now listen closely. On the Green Road to the North of Bravil lies the Inn of Ill Omen. There you will find a man named Rufio. He is an old man, his body frail, and he sleeps his days away. You could kill him before he woke, if you so chose. In whatever way you choose, kill him, and your initiation into the Dark Brotherhood will be complete. Do this, and the next time you sleep in a location I deem secure, I will reveal myself once more, bearing the love of your new family.”

I thought about his last statement, and some of the possible implications one could interpret from it, and was suddenly extremely aware of the shortness of my shirt, and how much my legs were showing. I colored slightly, embarrassed at my own thoughts, which were most likely completely unfounded. He continued on, seemingly undeterred by my silence.

“Please accept this token from the Dark Brotherhood. It is a virgin blade, and thirsts for blood. May it serve you well, as does your silence,” he said with his slight smile, handing me a gold-decorated dagger.

‘The Blade of Woe’ was inscribed on its gold and black hilt. I stood digesting this for a moment, before I looked him in the eye and said questioningly:
“The Dark Brotherhood?”

“Have you not heard of the Dark Brotherhood? Of the remorseless guild of paid assassins and homicidal cutthroats? Join us, and you’ll find the Dark Brotherhood to be all that, and so much more. We are, more than anything, a union of like-minded individuals. We kill for profit, for enjoyment, and for the glory of the Dread Father Sithis. We are a family, with bonds forged in blood… and death.”

Deep in the recesses of my mind I found a distant memory; of my early teen years, working at the linen shop with my aunt. The daily routine involved scrubbing fabric clean in the back room, while gossiping with the fellow workers. I remember my aunt leaning conspiratively over her scrub board, eyes wide and her voice fearful: “They say that when you murder someone, the Dark Brotherhood visits you in your sleep. It’s how they recruit new members.”

The understanding must have shown on my face, for he nodded briskly and said: “Now, I bid you farewell. I do hope we’ll meet again soon.” And with one last lingering look, in which he took in my scantly dressed form with a slightly raised eyebrow and an amused gleam in his eye, Lucien Lachance vanished. Literally. The door to the cottage opened and closed, seemingly on its own accord, and a cold draft sweeping into the room. The sounds of night filled the room, embracing me.

I stood for a moment, perhaps more, rigid in astonishment. I realized now that I had often heard of the Dark Brotherhood, but these were always tales of evil and heartless murder. And I had just been asked to join them. To ‘join their family’, as Lachance had put it. Did that make me evil? Was I evil? I thought of the body lying cold outside in the tall grass, and still didn’t feel a pang of shame or guilt. I realized that I was just that; a cold, heartless murderer. Maybe not evil, but I was a cold-blooded murderer. I wasn’t ready to admit myself as evil. Not yet.

When Lachance had spoken of them, he made the Brotherhood sound like they were…close. A family. A loving family of cold-blooded assassins. The idea seemed so preposterous that I almost laughed out loud. My first inclination was to forget the whole prospect- to never even go near the Inn of Ill Omen. Best to disregard the whole thing. But as I lowered myself back onto the bed, picking up the comforter and pulling it over my body, I couldn’t stop replaying Lucien’s words in my thoughts.

For my whole life I had felt almost overpowering urges to kill, to murder. But I had always resisted, always controlled myself. At sometimes I had barely contained myself, but I had never given in. Until now. Since my desires did not seem to be shared by any I knew, I had always considered myself a freak of nature, a one of a kind outcast. I felt that my only option was to just conform to fit in with society. But now it seemed that there were others like me; those who embraced their gifts for murder. And these people wanted to accept me as one of their own.

And what about this ‘Speaker’, this Lucien Lachance? The way he spoke of murder- he seemed to feel the same way that I had felt about killing the old woman. It was…intoxicating. I had not even accepted his offer, yet he was already treating me as family. No one had ever treated me like that, not since my aunt died when I was young. Part of me wanted to see this “Lucien Lachance” again…in the short time I had met him he had made an impression.

Maybe I would just go and check out the Inn, to see what was there. Just to see where the man lived, I thought to myself. The rest of the night continued in the same fashion, with internal arguments and self-objections. Finally, after a sleepless and thought filled night, I set out at dawn for the Inn, fill of determination and purpose. I was going to kill that man. I was going to join the Dark Brotherhood.

Chapter Two: The Old Man and the Inn

The journey was shorter than it should have been; I was so invigorated that I hardly slept at all, and only when it was completely necessary-like when I was practically tripping over my feet. My rising anticipation was almost unbearable; when I saw an Imperial Legion Officer who politely saluted me on the road, all I wanted to do was impale his skull with an arrow. But instead I smiled amiably back and walked on, hands clenched on my dagger. In my mind I still imagined the satisfying thunk of the arrow piercing his skull.

When I neared the Inn, I found that there was another one just down the road. I decided that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to go stay in the Ill Omen, so I headed toward the other one, “The Faregyl Inn” it was called, if memory serves. I decided to buy a room for the night- 10 gold out the window. I barely had enough, but I figured that I would be getting some gold soon, providing all went well. I paid the Khagiit, gave her a (totally fake) friendly smile, and headed up into the room.

It was small, but comfortable and homey. I gave a valiant attempt at sleep, but all I did was inspect the inside of my eyelids for a couple of hours. I kept looking anxiously outside to see if it was dark yet. After what seemed days, but was only a couple of hours, I decided that it was time to prepare. My plan was to leave the Inn without being seen, get into the Inn of Ill Omen also without being seen, kill the Rufio silently and without being seen, and leave, guess what, without being seen.

My plan called for a lot of discretion, so I pulled on my dark green shirt and black pants. I chose my soft leather shoes, hoping they would make my steps quieter. I tied a black leather belt around my waist and slipped the dagger that Lachance had given me into its sheath, which I attached to the belt. Next, I slipped my quiver over my shoulders and tightened the leather straps- I didn’t want it to slip off if I had to make a fast exit. Then I slipped my bow into its slot on my quiver. I debated bringing my long sword, but decided that it was too cumbersome to carry along, so it was left it behind. I also slipped some vials of poison that I had concocted last week for hunting deer and wolf. I wasn’t sure what the effects on humans would be, but I was pretty sure they wouldn’t be positive.

I opened the door to my room a crack and looked out into the upstairs hallway. It was deserted, and seemed quiet downstairs. Sliding into the hallway, I closed my door silently behind me and crept down the first flight of stairs. I peered through the opening in the chimney that held the stove and could see that the Inn owner was asleep on a bed roll by the counter. There was no one else in the room, except for a drunken Legion officer lying asleep at a table, face in his mug, snoring loudly.

I crept quietly as I could towards the exit, avoiding a bowl of strawberries that had been knocked over earlier. Opening the door, I winced each time it creaked, praying that no one would wake. When I finally got out I paused, soaking in the midnight air. It was a quiet, cloudless night, and all around me was shrouded in shadow, the trees swaying in the cool breeze, the crickets chirping quietly in the background. I stood still, breathing in the night air, savoring it. The cool night air invigorated me; it always had. I smiled slightly, and moved on.

Making my way quickly but silently up the road, I made sure to keep checking for Legion officers and any other travelers out late. Luckily I found no one- the threat of Daedra was keeping most in their homes in terror. However, when I got closer to the Inn of Ill Omen, I heard the sound of arrows being notched and shot at a target. I headed up over the hill in the forest surrounding the Inn and found, to my dismay, an Imperial Forester shooting arrows at a hay target by the left side of the entrance. He was a little too close to the Inn door for my comfort, but I wasn’t sure if I could kill him quickly enough without his alerting anyone nearby…Guards were tricky that way.

After watching for another moment, I weighed my chances and decided to take him out. I didn’t want anyone to see me enter or exit the inn, and I didn’t think I could sneak past him. He was too close to the door, and a guard was the last possible type of person I wanted to see me near the scene of an about to be committed murder. The adrenaline started to coarse through me again at my decision; I pulled out the dagger in my belt and dipped it into the vial of poison, slowly making my way down the hill, grimacing every time I made a sound in the deep grass. The Imperial Forrester was still absorbed in his archery practice, oblivious to my movements behind him. I pulled closer and closer, speeding up as I hit the dirt path in front of the Inn. I was about 10 feet from him when I my right foot kicked a rock that tumbled right towards the forester. My blood ran cold as the rock hit the back of his boot.

Time seemed to slow even further as he started to turn. All I had was pure instinctual reaction; I held up my dagger and sprinted at him, my each footfall feeling light and nimble. As he turned to face me, dropping his bow and drawing his sword, I slashed my dagger across his chest. I didn’t make too deep a wound, but it was enough to stagger him. He gave a surprised grunt of pain, staggering back slightly, the sword going limp in his had. I think I was so surprised to have made contact that I was momentarily stunned, as I fell back as well. He recovered quicker than I did and lunged forward at me, using my surprise to his advantage. I swung my dagger up in a desperate attempt to block the strike- I knocked his sword aside, but was pushed back a couple of steps from the force of the attack. He found his grip on the sword again, but this time I was ready. I sprung forward, slashing underneath the raised sword, slicing deep into his stomach. He dropped his sword, wrapping his arms around his gut. I watched as his insides literally tumbling out before my eyes.

Falling to his knees, gasping painfully for breath, the Imperial Forrester tried desperately to hold his innards in his stomach with two bloody, trembling hands. I stood over him, chest heaving with each breath I took. And as I stood there, he looked up into my eyes with a look full of pain, and what seemed to be fear; I could sense that he was not ready to die, not ready to face what someday we must all face. His gaze held mine, right up until the moment the light left his eyes, and he collapsed face forward on the ground. It was déjà vu to the woman; I felt the same feeling of disgust in myself, but it was becoming less intense. The feeling of fulfillment, of malicious and sadistic glee, was becoming more prominent.

I gained my senses quickly enough, and realized that I had to hide the body before anyone came out to investigate the noise; the first part of my plan hadn’t been completed as silently as I had hoped.

Grabbing him underneath the shoulders, I tugged his body around to the side of the Inn, where I opened the grate of the well. Panting from the effort, I lifted the corpse over the ledge of well, and shoved. After hearing a satisfying distant splash, I quickly turned and jogged to the front. I replaced my iron bow with his silver, stuck his remaining arrows into my quiver, and chucked his long sword into the forest. As an afterthought, I kicked up some dust to try and cover the blood stains. I was wiping the layer of sweat that had formed on my forehead when the front door of the Inn creaked open.

In a flash, I darted into the shadows along the side of the building, flattening myself against the wall, my heart pounding a fast, steady beat. A Nord walked out, whistling tunelessly to himself. He stopped when he had gone about ten feet from the entrance, and turned about, as though searching.

“Patric? Where the hell didya go?” he said, his voice sounding slightly amused. I realized that he must be the barman due to the dirty rag in his back pocket and his beer stained shirt. The only other reason his shirt would be covered in alcohol would have been if he was drunk, but he certainly wasn’t.

“Patric! You’ve been slacking off again, haven’t you, you dirty little cheat! Ordered to guard the inn, but always running off, you sweet talking brown noser!” the rest of what he said dissolved into incoherent mumbling and grumbling.

He trudged a little further down the walk, still mumbling, and I decided I would take my chances and try to sneak inside while he was out. Keeping my back against the wall, I slid toward the door, opening it quickly but as quietly as I could manage. I was blessed with the fact that it was empty, probably due to the lateness of the hour. Or this could be a normal occurrence- who in their right mind would ever want to stay at an inn with a name like the ‘Inn of Ill Omen’?

That’s probably why Rufio is staying here, I thought to myself. He figures no one will ever come here, that it will be safe. I decided that Rufio wasn’t a stupid man.

I stepped further into the Inn and looked around the small bar and dining room, wondering where the old man would be. After a brief moment, however, my pondering was cut off abruptly when the front door started to open behind me. I leapt to the left, praying the barman hadn’t seen me. As he didn’t look in my direction or make a sound, I was safe- for now. The shadows were not enough to conceal me for long.

Beneath my foot I felt an uprising in the wood; I looked down and saw a hatch. There wasn’t anything else I could do, so I lifted up the trap door and dropped in before I could think of all things that could go wrong, bending my knees, preparing for the impact. My feet hit a dusty stone floor, and I tumbled to the side to lessen my impact. I found myself in a hallway, with two doors on my left side. Deciding to investigate, I pulled out my dagger and tread silently down the hall. I tried the first door, but found it was locked. Moving on to the next door, I turned the handle slowly and opened it a crack. The room was bare and dark, and on the bed in the far corner was a sleeping man. He seemed almost frail, his hair white.

This could possibly be Rufio; Lachance had said he was old. However, I wasn’t quite certain as to how I could be sure, so I decided I could ask him. Looking back, my skills as an assassin are almost laughable. Screw almost laughable, they were downright pathetic, perfectly worthy of scorn and ridicule. But I got better- I swear.

Anyways, I walked over to the bed, sheathing my dagger to look less threatening, and poked the sleeping man in the shoulder. He started, tumbling out of bed and scrambling to his feet.

“Who- who are you? What do you want?”
“Are you Rufio?” I asked, getting straight to the point.
He didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes gave me my answer.
“What do you want?” he said, his voice wavering. “I ain’t done nothing!”

I wanted to sound threatening I suppose, and in those days my innocence and naivety had led me to believe that most people would only wish evil individuals dead, so I supposed he must have done something.

“Oh, but you have, Rufio,” I said, my voice low. The fear in his eyes made my heart beat hard with anticipation, a thrill rising in the back of my throat.

“It wasn’t my fault! I told her to stay still, but she didn’t listen…she didn’t listen! I didn’t have a choice!” he sputtered, his voice high and shrill.

At these words, my eyes must have shown my intentions, as he started to run toward the door. I drew my dagger out again and bounded after him, almost cat-like, stalking my prey, playing with him. I could have killed him then, but I wanted to savor in the kill, to take my time. If he headed for the trapdoor I could get to him before he reached the top, so I wasn’t worried.

However, luckily for me, he scrambled into the locked room, casting a spell to open it before him. He ran the wall and crouched down, his hands over his head protectively, cowering.

“Please don’t hurt me!”
I walked into the room leisurely, letting each footstep echo around the room. Stopping behind him, I took my bow off my back and notched an arrow. My movements were all unhurried and deliberate, as I was relishing in each movement, taunting him with the excruciating slowness. I pulled the arrow slowly back, making sure he could hear and understand exactly what I was doing. I walked around to face him. His head was bent, looking at my feet, his body shaking with silent sobs. Pointing my arrow straight into the center of his head, I waited for him to look up. After a moment more of shaking sobs, he finally raised his head, red rimmed eyes hopeful. I smiled.
“Goodbye, Rufio.” And I let go of the arrow.

Chapter Three: Welcome to the Family

I left the Inn without being seen- the barman was asleep behind the counter. I walked blissfully down the road, back to the Faregyl Inn, entering silently. When I was back in my room, I sat down in the chair, my lips turned up in the corners, eyes gleaming, feeling more fulfilled than I ever had in my life.

It took awhile for my exhilaration to ebb away, but a couple of hours later all my sleepless days and nights caught up with me, and I fell on the bed, barely pulling the blankets over myself before falling into a deep sleep. However, I was awoken minutes later by a slightly familiar chill in the air. I still leapt of the mattress, but I wasn’t as surprised when I saw the dark robed man at the foot of my bed.

“So, the deed is done. How do I know this? You will find that the Dark Brotherhood knows a great many things. For you are now part of the family,” Lucien Lachance said, eyes gleaming.

I wasn’t really sure how to respond to this, so I just returned his gaze, prompting him to continue. His lips twitched in the corners, and he spoke again.

“Now, heed these words. The slaying of Rufio was the signing of a covenant. The manner of execution, your signature. Rufio’s blood, the ink. As a Speaker for the Black Hand, I directly oversee a particular group of family members. You will join that group, and fulfill any contracts given. You must now go to the city of Cheydinhal, to the abandoned house near the eastern wall. Enter the basement, and attempt to open the black door. You will be asked a question. Answer thusly: ‘Sanguine, my Brother’. You will gain entrance to the Sanctuary. Once inside, speak with Ocheeva. You are now one with the Dark Brotherhood. Visit Ocheeva, and your new life will begin.”

I understood most of what he had said, but there was one thing that he said that confused me.

“A covenant?” I asked.
Lachance gave me an appraising look, as though deciding how to answer me.

“Know this. Every dark brother and sister is a child of Sithis. He whom we call Sithis has many other names. Chaos. Doom. Discord. Sithis is the Void. We of the Dark Brotherhood serve the Night Mother, who is the bride of Sithis.” His tone was a loving caress as he spoke of his dark matrons.

“Sithis?” I said, thirsty for more knowledge.
“How does one best describe our Dread Father?” he said ponderingly for a brief pause. Then, with a cloudy, far away gaze, he continued in a low voice.

“Imagine a perfect, cloudless midnight, cold as winter ice and shrouded in shadow. That is Sithis.”

I took in a sharp intake of breath, recalling what I had felt about this very night. Lachance had been right- we were like-minded individuals. If the other family members were like this, I had a feeling that I would be right at home. I smiled to myself, and glanced up to see Lucien staring at me, looking almost pleased with my reaction.

“I’m afraid that we must now take our leave of each other, you and I, for there is much work to be done. I’ll be following your…progress. Welcome to the family.” Lachance lips twitched in the corners (which I now figured was a smile), his dark eyes sparkling. My heart skipped a beat and I felt short of breath; but then he was gone, vanished into thin air again.

I let out a deep sigh and fell back onto the bed. Lying there with my arms crossed behind my head, I had another genuinely content smile on my face- it had been a long time since I had done that. I was part of the Dark Brotherhood. I had a family.

* * *

I arrived in Cheydinhal after a two day journey, in which I didn’t run into much trouble. It was a pleasant trip, the days sunny and the roads clear of enemies. I had never been to Cheydinhal before, and upon arrival I found it to be a quite irritating place, with a lot of smiling rich people, walking around and enjoying the sights.

Nobody seemed to have a care in the world. All they talked about was how a traveling champion had landed one ‘Ulrich Leland’ in jail for overcharging on fines, and now everyone was perfectly happy. It was infuriating. The buildings in Cheydinhal were of stone and wood, with an upper layer of white, and the roofs all a pleasant purple, tall and spiraling, As I entered the town through the West Gate, I started to walk it’s roads, the carefree atmosphere etched into the air around me. The tall buildings gave the illusion of walking through a canyon; they almost felt restricting as they towered around me, wherever I went. It made me feel like someone was always watching me, and I didn’t like it.

A scowl plastered on my face, I crossed a bridge and went along the path, searching for an abandoned looking building. The town was rather wealthy and well-kept, so I felt that an abandoned house would stick out. I was starting to get discouraged as the path looped around the church, but just as I began to wonder if I had missed it, I saw the house.

A broken wall and boarded windows were the first indication; broken off stones and planks of wood scattered the front lawn, leading up to a boarded up door. It was twilight, so most of the townspeople were heading to bed by now. Checking around the area, there was only one person present- a guard, standing outside of a home in the square. I stood by the doors of the church, watching him for a couple of minutes. He didn’t move. I supposed he must have been posted as a sentry, because most guards had schedules and routes they were tasked to walk. I decided that I would have to try to enter the house without him seeing me.

Striding across the square at what I hoped to be a leisurely, carefree gait, I saluted him as I walked by and started to head further down the road. When he turned back towards the church as its door opened I leapt into action, sprinting silently toward the Abandoned House. When I reached the door I found it was locked, and cursed under my breath. However, I had a stroke of luck; an Altmer leaving the church had distracted him with the talk of the town. I quickly started my work on the lock, rotating the picks just so, the guard’s and Altmer’s voices sounded strangely muted in my concentration.

“Anyone looking for work should consider the Fighter’s Guild. I hear they’re always looking for recruits.”

Ah ha! I heard the sliding of the lock and I opened the door, slipping in noiselessly. The interior of the house was as rundown as the outside. I drew my dagger, just in case, and searched the upstairs of the house, not finding anything, including the door I was supposed to talk to. Slightly confused, I head back downstairs. Looking more thoroughly, I noticed a door on my left. Opening it, I saw a flight of stairs heading down into darkness, so I pulled out a torch and descended the flight of stairs carefully. There was a gaping hole in the wall straight across from the stairway, and I headed through it cautiously, following a narrow path around the corner. I looked down the passageway, and saw it was bathed in a red light. At the bottom of the path there was a door; an ancient door with a mural painted upon it, depicting a large skull with a glowing red hand in the center of it, and a woman holding a smaller being, threatening a line of praising figures with a long, razor-like knife. As I walked up to it, staring in fascination, a deep voice posed a question.

“What is the color of night?” it drawled out, in a raspy voice.
“Sanguine, my brother,” I said, my voicing wavering only a little.
“Welcome home” it responded slowly. And the door creaked open slowly, showing another short red glowing passage, and at the end, an Argonian. I walked toward the figure dressed in a suit of black leather, trying to keep my step confident but wary. As I drew closer, the Argonian walked briskly toward me.

“Greetings! Greetings! I am Ocheeva, mistress of this Sanctuary. Lucien has told me all about you.” I felt myself blush slightly, wondering what he had said. Ocheeva smiled warmly at me. She had a common Argonian face of green and streaks of red under her eyes. She had some random things hanging from her ears, like curtains or something.

“Let me welcome you to the Dark Brotherhood! It is always a pleasure to welcome another Dark Sister into our ranks! Truly, the Night Mother smiles upon her trusted daughters! You stand now in our Sanctuary. May it serve as your new home, a place of comfort and security whenever the need arises. When you’re ready for work, go and speak with Vicente Valtieri. He handles all assignments for new family members. But before you go, please accept this gift from your new family. A unique set of armor, lighter than normal leather and black as the Void,” she said, handing me a folded pair of black leather armor which I noticed was like hers. As I was examining it, she continued.

“But I’ve kept you long enough. Vicente is waiting. You’ll find him in his quarters. Go now, dear family member, and may the Night mother wrap you in her cold, loving embrace.”

I nodded to her, and she smiled again and walked away. I looked around the sanctuary. It was a large room, with two rows of thick pillars almost creating hallways. Lanterns hung from the ceiling in the center row, creating shadows along the walls. Red carpets were placed in a way that seemed an attempt at making the place homier. As I walked down the lantern filled center row, several others clad in the dark armor came up to me, with various greetings and hand-shaking. I was quite overwhelmed, but smiled and said that I was told to speak to Valtieri. They all let me go with apologies, and I headed onward. As I headed down some stairs I saw a Khagiit in blue robes. He scowled at me as I passed by, and I was rather surprised, comparing that to the others reactions. But I didn’t think about it for long, as I reached the two thick doors that led to Vicente Valtieri’s room.

I entered to the room and was alarmed by the appearance of a man standing to the left of me. He was wearing all black, but it wasn’t the standard armor I saw on the others. His eyebrows were white, but he had a black long ponytail. The most unnerving thing about him was his red eyes and his extremely gaunt face. His cheeks were so far sunken in that his mouth seemed to be sticking out, like a beak of some sorts.

“Ah, here you are. So good to finally meet you.” He said. Why was everyone acting like they all had heard a lot about me?

“Warmest greetings to you. I trust you’ve already spoken with Ocheeva? I am Vicente Valtieri. I provide assignments for all new family members. Please do not let my appearance…unnerve you. The needs and tenets of the Dark Brotherhood come before my own needs as a vampire.” My eyes widened and my mouth opened slightly. Oh. So that explains it. He seemed used to my reaction, and unfazed by it.

“Now if you’re ready to get to work, I can provide you with your first contract.” Already? I thought to myself; well, bring it on!
“I am ready,” I said.

“A contract is a secret pact one enters into with the Dark Brotherhood. They provide us with gold, and we remove someone from existence. A contract is fulfilled by a skilled assassin, such as yourself, who keeps the Dark Brotherhood’s end of the bargain. So it has always been. While carrying out the contract, you may have the opportunity to earn a bonus if certain parameters are met. Now, let’s begin, shall we?” I nodded vigorously, totally captivated by his eloquence of speech.

“I’m not sure how you feel about pirates, but you’ve got to kill one. A captain, in fact. On his ship. Surrounded by his crew. Interested?”
“Yes, I’ll accept the contract,” I replied, eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Excellent. Here is what you must do. Go to the Waterfront District of the Imperial City. There you will find a ship named the Marie Elena. Board the ship and find its captain, Gaston Tussaud. He’ll be in his cabin. Eliminate Tussand in any manner you see fit. The pirates have been moving a lot of cargo onboard lately. You may be able to smuggle yourself onboard in one of the packing crates. Oh, and one more thing. Get into the habit of asking your fellow family members about any current contract. Their insight may prove invaluable. Take care,” he said abruptly, and he strode from the room, closing the door behind him.

Rather stunned by his sudden departure, I turned and looked at the closed door. I was being paid to kill someone. I was being paid to do something that I enjoyed, something I genuinely enjoyed. This was the first time in my life that had happened. I smiled, and thought to myself, I’m gonna fit in just fine here.

Chapter Four: A Union of Like-Minded Individuals

I decided that I would introduce myself to the other family members, to try and get to know them. I also wanted some advice on my next contract; I needed all the help I could get. I left Vicente’s room and started to climb up the steps. The Khagiit who I had saw on my way down was still there; I walked towards him, but rather warily, remembering his reaction when I walked by before.

“If it isn’t the newest member of the family. Let’s get one thing straight- the Tenets prevent me from killing you. But I don’t have to like you. I’ll sell you equipment, but only because Ocheeva is making me. This family doesn’t need any…outsiders.” He spit out these words, his little yellow eyes flashing with anger. He had a red headband, with tufts of hair sticking out at the sides. His nose was the common for a Khagiit; a very large muzzle, commanding your attention.

As I was trying to think up a response to this rather frank and rude remark, he turned on his heel and strode off; I distinctly heard him mutter under his breath “Foul smelling ape”. Well, that didn’t go to well, I thought to myself. Shaking my head, I resolutely decided I’d disregard the Khagiit and move on and meet the rest of the family. I climbed up the second flight of stairs and into large entry room. There another Argonian standing off to the left, so I headed in his direction.

“I wish to welcome you to this Sanctuary, my newest Sister. My name is Teinaava, and I welcome you to our family, and to this Sanctuary. May you find yourself at home here, in the loving embrace of our Lady the Night Mother,” he said, smiling warmly while shaking my hand. He had a red face, with green stripes under his eyes.

“Thank you so much for being so kind; the sanctuary is amazing...and to think, people search for the Dark Brotherhood hideouts throughout all Cyrodiil, in the most remotest of places, and here is one of them, hidden right in the middle of a town!” I said, lifting my arms and gesturing around the room, smiling lightly.

“Actually, I've heard the Count of Cheydinhal knows about this Sanctuary. But he is offered much gold, as well as... other incentives, to keep his mouth shut,” he said, leaning in conspiratively and grinning mischievously. I smiled widely back, giving a little chuckle.

“How long has the Sanctuary been here?” I asked.

“Vicente joined the Brotherhood 200 years ago, and according to him the Sanctuary was already here,” said Teinaava, smiling as my eyebrows shot up. “Two hundred…years?!” I said incredulously.

“Have you not met him yet? You know that he is a vampire? Vampires live a long, long time,” he said, nodding his head. “You should ask Vicente about it sometime, interesting stuff.”

Teinaava smiled at me one more time, and said that regrettably, he must be going, but that we would speak later. He then strode off, heading for the exit. I thought about our conversation- it had been short, but already it felt so easy, so free, to talk to him. I hadn’t faked any of it; it was all genuine. I had an enjoyable conversation for the first time since my aunt’s death.

Smiling to myself, I stood and decided to find out what was behind the doors off to the right of the room. I was just about to push them open when a big Orc came barging out, nearly knocking me over. I stumbled back, but he stuck a big hand out and pulled me back steadily to my feet.

“There you are!” he boomed. “Welcome! Welcome to the family! I’m Gogron gro-Bolmog. I’d hug you, but Ocheeva told me not to!”

“Uhm, well, glad to meet you too,” I said, rather alarmed by his over excessive welcome.

“Well, if you need anything, just ask!” he rumbled. He had a big green face, with small kind red eyes and laugh lines etched into his features. “I’m normally at the sanctuary, so just look around for me.”

“You like the Sanctuary, then?” I said.

“Well, you know what they say- home is where you hang your enemies head!” And with that, he gave me a clap on the back and headed through the doors across the room. I shook my head amusedly, and headed through the thick doors he had just exited; led to a training room, with several targets and dummies set up for practice. There was a small Breton girl crouched down in the corner, whacking a wooden dummy with a dagger. I strode into the room, admiring it, when she turned and wiped her forehead of sweat. She had a round face with blonde hair and small green eyes; a rather pretty girl.

“Hi, I’m-”
“Oh, I know, I know- you’re Adrienne! So good to finally meet you, dark sister. My name is Antoinetta Marie. I hope you’re getting along all right. If you need anything, anything at all, you need only ask,” she said, green eyes flashing.

“Thank you, it’s so nice to meet everyone. The Sanctuary is fantastic, it already feels like home,” I said, once again wondering what everyone had heard about me, surprised that she knew my name.

She was silent for a brief pause, and then said “I know what you mean. Have you ever lived on the streets, struggled to survive? This Sanctuary is my home. Here I have the safety and love I've searched for all my life.”

“I understand,” I said shortly, nodding my head. We were all so similar, I thought. It was almost alarming. She smiled thinly at me and strode off a little haughtily, leaving me in the room alone. I followed her, staying a bit behind though. I entered the doors across the hall and followed the passageway down to a room with a row of beds, and two tables with various foods and drink lying around. Sitting at the table next to Antoinetta was a square-faced Bosmer, with peach skin and green eyes. She had a small, pursed mouth and a large chin. She was wearing the hood that was the same as the one I had been given. When I approached she rose and shook my hand.

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance. Warmest welcome to you. I am Telaendril, Wood Elf and loyal daughter to Sithis. I hope you find our Sanctuary to your liking, dark sister.”

“Its great- everyone’s been so kind,” I said.
“Well, we are a family,” she replied. She glanced over my shoulder, and I turned to see what she was looking at- it was Ocheeva.

“I heard you’ve accepted the contract from Vicente- very good. With every life you take, Sithis grows stronger, and the Brotherhood flourishes.” I smiled at her in answer, nodding my head once.

“Ocheeva, I have a question…” she nodded. “Everyone keeps calling me ‘dark sister’, but aren‘t we a brotherhood?”

“While the Brotherhood maintains its ancient name, membership is always open to skilled women. For can we not draw blood as well as any man?” she replied, smiling with an eyebrow raised. I laughed agreeably with her and Telaendril, while Gogron, who was sitting on his bed, grunted. We all smiled at his typical male reaction.

“So, your first contract,” said Gogron, obviously trying to change the subject. “No chance for a bonus, huh? That's all right, you're better off! Who needs magic items when you've got raw skill? And the great thing about killing a target up close and personal is you can talk to 'em before you do it! You know, say something scary!” Telaendril shook her head wearily, and Antoinetta and Ocheeva exchanged exasperated, yet amused looks.

“For example, this one time, I had a contract to kill a little Nord girl at her birthday party. She asked me if I was the jester! So I said to her, "No, I am a messenger of death." You should have seen the look on her face! Ha ha ha ha! Anyway, she won't be seeing age six!”

All three of my companions laughed, and I sat there stunned for a second before joining in. They spoke of murder so casually, and of a child as well! I had never really been affected by tales of murder, whether about adults or children. However, I had always acted like I was horrified by them, as was customary. I guess I wouldn’t have to here.

“So, what is your first contract?” asked Teinaava, who had just entered the room and came to stand by myself, Telaendril, Ocheeva and Antoinetta. It was around when everyone ate dinner, so family members were starting to congregate in the room. I thought of what Vicente had said about asking my family members for aid on my contracts, and thoroughly explained my orders to kill the Pirate Captain.

Teinaava nodded, and said “The Marie Elena, you say? I've seen that ship. There's a unique balcony at the stern. My guess is it leads to the captain's cabin. Could be useful.” “Thanks, Teinaava,” I said gratefully. He nodded, and grabbed a loaf of bread and come cheese, and sat on a chair.

“I've traveled by prison ship. It was cramped and dark. There was little room to move around, but plenty of shadowy nooks to hide in. Remember that,” said Antoinetta, but she didn’t seem to happy to be helping me out. What was her problem? I wondered, smiled at Antoinetta, who shrugged indifferently back, and then asked a question I had been wondering about.

“So how does someone set a contract, anyways? I mean, how do people get intact with us if we’re secret?” I asked the group.

“To employ the services of the Dark Brotherhood, one must perform a ritual to the Night Mother.” It was Ocheeva who answered me. “Only then will she heed their prayers for murder. It is an ancient rite, this Black Sacrament. All across the Empire, every day, people beseech the Night Mother to take the lives of others. After a person performs the ritual, they are contacted by a Speaker. Gold is exchanged, and the details worked out. So it has always been.”

I digested this, and then asked “How did the Dark Brotherhood begin?”
“Long ago, in an age now forgotten, Sithis came to the Night Mother and begat her five sons. So you see, his love gave birth to the Dark Brotherhood,” said Telaendril. Everyone else nodded in assent. Gogron rolled back into his bed, seeming to prepare to sleep. Ocheeva and Telaendril returned to their chairs, while Teinaava munched on his food. Antoinetta sat down next to Teinaava, across from me. We all started to eat whatever we could grab, indiscriminately.

“So, how did everyone else join the Brotherhood?” I said, chewing on an apple. “Actually, Lucien did not try to recruit me. Not at first. He tried to kill me. My father wanted me dead, and he hired the Dark Brotherhood to do it.” Her feature contorted slightly. “I escaped from Lucien, and paid my father back for his treachery. Lucien came to me again that night with an offer I just couldn’t refuse,” said Telaendril, her eyes looking far away, as (I supposed) she thought of her initiation.

I was interested to know more about Lucien, and was lucky that the others continued the path of conversation.

“Ocheeva and I have known Lucien since we were hatchlings,” said Teinaava, gesturing to Ocheeva (who nodded) with a slab of cheese. “He is the one who trained us in the way of the Shadowscale, and is like a father to us.”

“I once saw Lucien deal with an insubordinate Brother, someone who had broken the Tenets. It took me a week to get the blood off my boots,” Gogron said gruffly from his bed in the corner. Everyone around the table (except for me) laughed and chuckled, recalling the incident.

“I will always think of Lucien Lachance as my savior. When he found me, I was living in a gutter, an inch away from death. I owe him everything.” It was Antoinetta who said this, and the way she emphasized her last sentence that made me wonder what her relationship to Lucien Lachance really was. I felt a sharp stab of…jealously, for some reason. Suddenly I realized that I wished to talk to Lucien again; I wanted to ask him several questions, and first of all, I wanted to know what he had been telling everyone about me!

“Is Lucien here? I didn’t notice him,” I said carefully.
“Lucien isn’t here very often. His duties with the Black Hand keep him very busy, so he trusts me to keep the Sanctuary in order,” said Ocheeva.

“Oh,” I said, rather dejectedly. I slumped back in my chair, disappointed. I hadn’t realized how much I was looking forward to speaking with him again. Ocheeva seemed to pick up on my behavior, for she gave me an inquisitive look, but conversation was picked up again and she seemed to forget about it.

We continued eating, talking and laughing for another hour or so, until some had to say good night, and others headed out to attend to duties. I wasn’t heading for the Imperial City till morning, so I just shuffled over to bed, extremely content. That first family dinner was one of the happiest times of my life. The feeling of companionship, of…fitting in somewhere. People may tell themselves that they don’t need that feeling of belonging, that they’re fine without it, but I think everyone needs to have their own place where they fit in. And I had finally found the place I belonged.

Chapter Five: A Pirate’s Life for Me

The next morning I awoke to the sound of sound of uproarious laughter. I sat up with a start; first surprised at the sound of laughter, secondly surprised by being in a genuine bed, before remembering where I was. The Living Quarters of the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary. I looked over to the table and saw Telaendril sitting at the table, her back to me, and Gogron across from her. Gogron was pounding his fist against the table, shaking as he tried to hold in his laughter. Telaendril was trying to shush him, but he just raised his finger to point at me and started his deep, throaty laughter again. Telaendril turned and saw me sitting up in bed, a confused look on my face. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Sincerest apologies, dear sister. I told him to be quiet, but once he starts laughing there’s no stopping him” she said, shooting Gogron a dirty look.

“I am sorry, dear sister,” he choked out, still attempting to hold back a snigger. “It’s fine,” I said truthfully. It was something new to wake up to the laughter of friends, and it was something I could get used to. “What’s going on?”

“I was just telling Gogron about my latest contract, and how the girl’s nanny turned out to be a Fighter’s Guild bodyguard- lets just say it was quite the surprise for me. Gogron found it extremely amusing,” she said, jerking her head towards his still shaking form.

I smiled with her as Gogron started to roar with laughter again, unable to contain himself any longer. Still smiling, I swung my legs out of bed, rubbing my eyes. “What time is it?” I asked.

“Around noon,” said Telaendril, turning back to her lunch.
I pushed myself out of bed and stood up, yawning and stretching my stiff body. I knew I would have to get going soon if I wanted to arrive in the Imperial City with enough time to scout out the area before I carried out my contract, so I started to pull on my traveling clothes- leather greaves and a dark green shirt, with my leather boots and headband to hold back stray strands of my long black hair. I strapped on my dagger and shouldered my quiver and bow, while Gogron watched the process.

“You heading out to the pirate ship then?” he asked. I nodded, feeling oddly nervous. I was scared to be caught; I had never gone out with the intention to kill before Rufio, and that was in a secluded place. This was in the middle of a city, the Imperial city no less. I would be surrounded by guards, and if I was caught they would descend on me like a pack of wolves, ready to take me down. I was starting to get myself worked up when Gogron interrupted my thoughts.

“You’ll do fine,” he said, in a brotherly tone, his eyes warm. Telaendril turned to look at me and smiled encouragingly.

“Gogron’s right- you’ll be fine. From what we hear you’re more than capable,” she said, glancing at Gogron, who nodded encouragingly.

I smiled at them both, and was about to voice my thanks when I realized what she had said.

“What do you mean, from what you’ve heard? What has everyone heard about me?” I asked quickly.

“Oh, it’s been nothing bad, dear sister. I’m sorry to leave but we both really must be going. Good luck- I’m sure you’ll return to us with the blessings of the Night Mother after a successful kill.” And with that, they both left me alone in the living quarters, pondering on what she had said. I once again wanted to know what everyone had been told about me, and by whom. The only Dark Brotherhood member who had met me was Lucien Lachance, so I figured it was a safe bet that he was the one who had been telling the others about me. But it wasn’t like we had met for long- just two short visits. How much could he have learned about me in that amount of time?

I put my musings into the back of my mind, and focused on the task at hand. I wanted the journey to be as quick as possible, so I decided that I would try to steal a horse from the stables. This I had done several times before, along with your petty thievery and even the occasional pickpocket. They were skills I had to posses to survive in the world after the passing of my aunt, and I now put them to good use.

Twenty minutes later I was riding a freshly hijacked black horse on the road to the Imperial City, hair flying back in the wind, eyes gleaming with the thrill of traveling so quickly. My journey was going to almost non-existent on this horse- I would have hours before it was dark.

I decided that I would leave the horse by the banks of Lake Rumare and swim across to the Waterfront, instead of riding all the way around. Also, that would meal less guards would see me entering the city- always a good thing. Having only one bridge to access the City, which was surrounded on all sides by the lake, really could be a hassle sometimes.

I dismounted the horse near the shores of the lake and gave it a little shove in the right direction, back towards Cheydinhal. I watched it trudge off for a moment, and then turned toward the lake, switching my leather greaves for some flannel pants and yanking my boots off. I waded into the water slowly, letting the cold wash over me. It was really quite refreshing. After a few moments of floating around, I started swimming at a leisurely pace toward the distant island that was the Waterfront. I was always on the lookout for slaughterfish- the damned things could be such a nuisance.

The swim was a long one, and when I reached about the half way point I was seriously starting to regret my decision, but all I could do is press on. After what seemed hours, I reached the shores of the Waterfront and dragged myself on the beach, exhausted. I rolled over onto my back and tried to catch my breath, staring up into the azure blue skies. Suddenly I heard footsteps in the sand behind me.

“Are you okay miss?”
I tilted my head back and saw the up side down face of an Imperial Legion Officer looking down at me, his face curious.

“Oh, I’m okay, thanks,” I said quickly, starting to stand up, but nearly falling over. He caught me at me at my elbows and held me steady, his face now concerned.

“Are you sure ma’am? What’s happened to you?”
No one in their right mind would have just swum that, and I couldn’t exactly tell the truth now could I?

“I was across the Lake, heading toward the bridge when a bandit attacked me. He was faster than me, so I jumped in the water and started swimming, hoping it would slow him down because he was covered in heavy iron armor,” I said, inventing wildly. “He followed me to nearly the middle of the lake. I decided just to swim this way instead of heading back, but it was a lot further than I thought,”

“What happened to the bandit?” asked the Officer, getting into official business mode.

“He drowned, the armor dragged him down,” I said, putting my head down as if I was an innocent, sorry for the indirect death of someone else.

“It was not your fault- you did what you had to survive. Not many would have had such quick thinking in a similar situation. I thank you for making the roads safer for the next innocent traveler,” he said, lifting my chin. I did have quick thinking, I thought to myself, but not for the good he believes. I smiled in return, and he asked if I needed anymore assistance, but I told him I was fine and proved it by taking a couple of steady steps on my own.

“Good day, ma’am,” he said, and strode off.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped my face with a dry piece of cloth. There wasn’t anything he could have gotten me in trouble for, but I had just given myself a reputation among the Waterfront Imperial Watch as an innocent girl. It could be useful if things went wrong, either now or in my future.

I changed my clothes, pulling on a skirt and plaid shirt for walking around the area. Surrounding me were several wooden shacks, old and rotting, barely standing. Behind them was a huge stone wall, with entry-ways through it that led to the docks. I headed through the center entryway, looking around at all the people.

It was a lot different from Cheydinhal- everyone was dressed in rags, and they all looked slightly undernourished. They also had a look in their eyes that I recognized, and could relate too- they were all hungry, and would steal, cheat and lie to get food and money. I saw several beggars who gave me a pickpocket’s eye, but I stared them down and they realized I wasn’t a likely target.

There were two boats in the harbor- to the right was a ship that I found was called “The Bloated Float”, and it had a tavern and inn on board. The boat to the left was the Marie Elena, where Captain Tussand was. It was an average size boat, its sails flowing in the soft breeze. As I walked briskly towards it, taking on the airs of a tourist seeing the sights, I saw a Dunmer woman and two shirtless men standing by the boat, singing songs of the sea. As I drew closer they looked at me suspiciously, their song wavering and then stopping completely. I looked around quickly, realizing that no one else was strolling around these ends of the docks. So much for being inconspicuous.

“What do you want?” asked one of the men harshly.
“I’m just looking around,” I said, putting on a slightly defensive tone.
“If you take one stop onto my ship, I slice my sword across that pretty little neck of yours,” the other said, leering at me.

“Okay, okay, I’m going!” I replied, acting scared as I scurried off the way I had came. The laughter of the sailors echoed behind me, and they started to sing again. This was going to be a little more complicated then I thought it would be. I had noticed that the beach with all the shacks looped around to behind the boat, so I decided to head there to further inspect the ship.

When I reached the corner beach I could clearly see the back of the boat, and I stood at an angle that the sailors couldn’t see me as I mapped out the best possible route to kill their captain. Teinaava had been right- there was a small balcony at the back of the boat, and I could see from here it was tightly locked; definitely seemed like it led to the captain’s cabin.

Scanning the dock around it, I saw that I could probably make the jump from the dock ledge to the balcony if I aimed just right, but the crewman would have to be out of the way. I knew that I would probably have to wait until later for them to leave the area and go on the ship, and I would need it to be dark if I wanted to make the jump without looking extremely suspicious, so I had all day to spare.

I spent the day in the Market, selling and buying, haggling and coercing with the little money I had. I sold some of my old gear, repaired the stuff I kept, and purchased some more arrows just in case of emergency. Around six, I still had some time to kill, so I went back down to the Waterfront and got a drink at the Bloated Float, and spent my evening going through my bag of various plants and herbs and testing around, concocting potions and poisons.

At around eleven, the bar in the Bloated Float was still rather full, but the crowd was starting to disperse. I left the bar silently, no one noticing my presence, and head out to check if the pirates had left the area yet. The Waterfront was nearly deserted; the only sounds the yells and shouts echoing dully from the Bloated Float; the area attracted a rather boisterous crowd. I walked carefully around the edge of the outer wall, toward the little area with all of the shacks, and quickly shed my day wear, slipping into my new Dark Brotherhood armor. It fit snugly, tight, but also loose in the right places so I could move easily. I then pulled on the dark hood, which effectively hid my face.

When I started to move around with the armor on, I felt as though I could walk more silently- it must have some sort of enchantment on it, I thought. I crept along the wall, sticking to the shadows, until I could peek around the corner and get my view of the ship and the area surrounding it. There was an Imperial Legion Officer walking along the pathway, but he was heading for the lighthouse. The pirates were no where to be seen, and I figured now was my chance. I walked out from behind the wall, crossing the well lit road quickly and silently, and clambered onto the ledge across from the balcony.

I looked around once more, still saw no one, and I dropped down lightly onto the balcony. I landed with a soft thump, and the ship shook slightly, bobbing in the water. I steadied myself, trying to get my sea legs as the boat swayed with the waves. After a moment, I could stand fairly still and I leaned down to inspect the lock on the door. It was a very difficult lock, with several pins that I would have to place. Pulling out my lock picking tools, I started to manipulate the pins, slowly, testing them out, feeling where their weaknesses were.

It was slow work, but I needed to be concentrating deeply- however, I was constantly worried I would be caught, so I wasn’t having much luck. Ten minutes and 6 broken picks later I was starting to get worried- one, that someone would come along and see what I was doing, and two, that I would run out of lockpicks. I only had 5 left. I started to work again, with a sense of urgency but also an extreme caution. After two more broken picks I finally heard the clicking and sliding of the lock opening, and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

My heart was racing in anticipation, my breath starting to become short. I drew my dagger, and crouched down, preparing to open the door. I tried to look through the keyhole, but it was too dark and I couldn’t get the angle right; so, I slowly twisted the handle down and started push the door open, bit by bit.

Once I could see in the room, I stuck my head in, only to jump back in alarm upon finding that the captain was sitting in a chair not two feet from the door, his back to me. My eyes widened and I leaned against the railing of the balcony, trying to slow my racing heart. I didn’t have much time- the captain was bound to notice the breeze from the open door any second, so I leaned forward and with a silent prayer to the Night Mother, pushed the door open all the way, slipping silently into the room.

I stopped right behind the captain’s chair, the lust for the kill causing a thrill to rise in my stomach, my breath becoming short and excited. In one smooth motion I brought my left hand up to cover his mouth to stifle his scream and brought my dagger to his throat.

“The Night Mother says good-bye,” I whispered softly, and he whimpered, struggling against my grip, pulling on my hands. If someone had been in the room, they would have seen as I drew my blade mercilessly across his throat; they would have seen that as Captain Tussand fell gurgling to the floor, I was wiping my dagger on his tunic indifferently; they would have seen the red gleam in my eyes as I watched the final moments of his life, and they would have heard my soft, dark laughter as he finally gave in to the fate we all share.

Not a moment later, however, there was a banging on the door and voices from outside. I was instantly alert, my body in battle mode, facing the door.

“Captain Tussand, are you alright in there?”
I couldn’t tell how many, but there was definitely more than one man out there. I wasn’t one for multiple persons combat, at least not yet, so I started to panic slightly.

“Captain Tussand we heard some loud noises. Captain we’re coming in there!” I did the only thing I could do- I darted out the door and leapt off the balcony. My last thought before I plunged into the waves was that this probably wasn’t a good way to break in my armor- leather and water don’t mix.

Chapter Six: Unpaid, Undead, and Unusual

The next few weeks at the Sanctuary flew by, full of contracts fulfilled, time spent with at the Sanctuary with the family, and training. I had several contracts, which included staging an accident in Bruma and killing an old friend from the Imperial City Prison. Both I carried out perfectly, earning the offered bonus. I was starting to gain status within the guild, and Vicente had taken to calling me ‘a dark gift from the Night Mother herself’.

The time I spent in the Sanctuary was regularly filled with talks with various members of the family about contracts and rumors- I became rather close with Teinaava, who was very open and friendly. Ocheeva was always very kind as well, but she was much more business-like. Gogron was also very warm, but he couldn’t get through a conversation without sharing a tale of his bloody massacres, or questioning the stealthy methods of the guild. Telaendril was away carrying out duties for Ocheeva most of time, and that left Antoinetta and Mraaj Dar. Mraaj Dar had made his distaste for me known, so I often tried to avoid contact with him. Antoinetta, however, never outright said she disliked me, but she was always very short with me, and often her comments seemed to have a rude or sarcastic feel to them. We just didn’t get along well, and I wasn’t really sure why at the time.

As for all my training; I had a natural talent for the art of assassination, yes, but it still ‘needed to be honed and tuned to maximize my potential’, or so said Teinaava one day when we were discussing advancement within the Brotherhood. So I spent hours and hours in the practice room, never receiving any ‘official’ training from my family members, but I would observe while they went about their separate specialized skills. They would know I was watching and make sure that their movements were clear and deliberate so I could learn from them; but they would never be obvious about it, as to keep me from the disgrace of pleading for help.

And so went life at the Sanctuary. It was a pleasant life, one that I often reflect on and miss dearly in my current state.

I was having a discussion with Teinaava about the organization of the Black Hand and the Brotherhood (which we actually knew very little about, as I was to find out later) when Vicente came into the room.

“Can you give Adrienne and I a moment, Teinaava?” he said, his silky voice showing that he meant no offense.

“Of course, dear brother,” Teinaava responded, bowing his head slightly to Vicente as he walked out of the room. Vicente turned back to me, his tone official.

“I have a special contract that needs fulfillment. In truth, I don't wish to offer it to any other family member. I've come to rely on your abilities. We're usually called upon to take a life, but not this time. This contract requires us to stage the assassination of a marked man. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I'm ready. I accept.”
“Excellent. You must go to the city of Chorrol and break into the house of Francois Motierre. Inside you will find Motierre waiting for you. Do not kill him!”

My eyebrows shot up at this statement- I had never heard the Brotherhood to be one for faked assassinations. We served Sithis, and he demanded souls. I was about to say this when Vicente shook his head, his look telling me to hear him out.

“You see, Francois Motierre is a marked man. He owes a considerable sum to the wrong kind of people. So, they have sent an enforcer to kill him. The enforcer’s name is Hides-His-Heart. Here-” He handed me a silver dagger “-you will use this specially poisoned knife to stage Motierre's death, in the enforcer's presence. Motierre himself will provide more details. This is an unusual contract. Motierre had to make a special arrangement with us before it was approved. I trust in your professionalism.”

“A special arrangement?” I inquired.
“The Dark Brotherhood is not in the business of staging deaths, no matter how much gold is offered. Sithis demands blood, and blood must be paid. In order to accept the contract, we demanded a life. Motierre offered his mother, and we accepted. Lucien has already taken care of that... detail.”

My heart skipped a beat involuntarily at the sound of the Lucien’s name- I had not forgotten him, and still had hopes to see him again soon. I shivered, imagining Lucien fulfilling a contract- I knew by the way he spoke of killing that he enjoyed it immensely. He was rather frightening even when he was being quite kind to you; I could only imagine the fear he could generate in anger. He had a very powerful presence. It would be scary as hell to have him and his intense dark eyes the last thing you would ever see (at the time I did not know how close I would come to experiencing just that)…and I found myself wondering if the victims of my contracts were terrified of me in their last living moments. Probably, I said to myself, and smiled lightly at this pleasing thought.
Vicente cleared his throat, drawing me out of my reverie.

“Anyways, the knife I gave you has been coated with a rare poison called Languorwine. You need only cut Motierre once, and he will appear to die. One drop in a normal human bloodstream will mimic the effects of death immediately. I have provided you with a vial of antidote, which will be used to revive Francois Motierre after you successfully stage his death. You should also know that there's only enough Languorwine on the blade for this one contract. After Motierre is sliced, the knife will be useless. Good luck, dearest sister.”

Vicente gave me a nod, his fangs slipping out of his lips slightly, and he strode from the room. He wasn’t one for small talk, and I soon found out from the others that he wasn’t meaning to be rude when he leaves to abruptly; he was just used to his solitude after all his years as a vampire with no one around him that he had forgotten most of the social habits of normal beings, and saying good bye before ending a conversation was one of them.

I was finishing my meal when Teinaava came back in.
“So, what was all that about? Or can you tell me?” he added with a smile, showing he didn’t mean it in a negative way. I explained my contract to him, and he looked impressed.

“I have never heard of the Dark Brotherhood staging death…but there was a soul claimed for Our Dread Father, so I suppose it isn’t too strange,” he said thoughtfully.

“I was thinking the same thing,” I said, chewing a on my final piece of bread.

“I just hope I don’t accidentally kill Motierre or something- or kill the enforcer…”

“Remember, timing is everything. You need to slash Motierre with the blade in Hides-His-Heart's presence, and then flee before the enforcer can react,” Teinaava said.

I smiled my thanks to him, then drained my goblet and wiped my mouth.

“And Adrienne-” he said as I rose to leave “-this is quite an honor to be chosen for.” His face was earnest and genuine, and I smiled gratefully at him.

We then exchanged the customary farewell of blessings of the Night Mother. I was going to the training room to practice my accuracy for my new contract. When I entered Gogron was in there, whacking away at a dummy with his favorite axe. He seemed to be enjoying himself, so I let him be, heading towards the opposite corner and pulling out my bow. After a couple minutes of firing arrows the racket Gogron had been creating suddenly stopped, and I glanced over at him. He was watching me, shaking his head.

“Why waste your time with that-” he pointed at my bow “-when you could use this-” he held up his axe, which was about the size of my upper torso “- and walk right up to your target and bash their heads in!”

“Gogron…” I groaned, having had this conversation several times. Before he could get wound up, I intervened. “Wait until you hear about my new contract- you’ll absolutely despise it.” He grew silent with curiosity, so I explained the details.

“What? Fake a death? And you can't even kill the enforcer?!” he looked at me in horror, his eyes wide, as I nodded. “I don't envy you, friend. But a contract's a contract. Just do what you've got to do.”

I nodded halfheartedly, over-exaggerating a sigh as he clapped me on the back and left the room. As soon as he was gone I smiled, giving a little laugh. Gogron was always interesting to talk to.

In a much elated mood, I returned to my training, mind working in overdrive about my new contract. It was a disappointment that I wouldn’t get to kill, but it was still a contract nonetheless- and according to Teinaava, I should be proud to have been chosen for it. Vicente had specifically said he didn’t want to give it to anyone else…

After an hour of vigorous training, I walked back to the living quarters to gather my supplies for the trip to Chorrol. I traveled light, wearing basic clothes for the journey and walk around town, while carrying my shrouded armor in my pack. I brought my trusty dagger and bow, with my quiver full of (now all matching) arrows.

I arrived in Chorrol after a day of travel, as I was delayed by several bandits. They were becoming more and more plentiful along the roads, and really were a nuisance. I was in a foul mood when I arrived, and as soon as I entered the city it just got fouler. The city was richer and happier than Cheydinhal had been- everyone strutted around in their fine clothes, smiles plastered to their faces.

I stalked around the town, scowling at any who passed, on the lookout for Motierre’s home. As I entered the center plaza where the Great Oak was, I saw an old smiley woman chatting amiably with an also exceptionally smiley town guard (guards are not supposed to be smiley, it’s just wrong!), and all I wanted to do was cleave their smiley heads from their bodies. The whole atmosphere of the town put me in such a murderous mood with no effort whatsoever. Finally I spotted Motierre’s home.

Just in time, I thought to myself-I don’t know how much longer I would have been to keep from killing someone out here. I opened the door to his house and found the man himself standing with his back to me, muttering. He hadn’t heard me yet, so I closed the door silently and crept up behind him. Motierre sighed and turned so quickly that his nose hit mine before he realized I was there. I jumped back as he staggered in astonishment, gasping.

“Oh! Well... um, hello,” he said, holding his chest as he tried to catch his breath. He’s a jumpy one, I thought. But it was understandable in his situation, I suppose.

- - -
Francois Motierre looked at the assassin with interest- he had to make sure she was the one. He recalled what Lucien Lachance had said of her: ‘Black hair, icy blue eyes… one may call her a pretty girl’ he had said, keeping his tone light. Yes, Francois decided; it was her.

- - -

“You must be the one Lucien Lachance told me about. I've been expecting you” he continued. At the sound of Lucien’s name my head shot up. So, what exactly had he told Motierre about me?

“I borrowed quite a bit of gold from some underworld types.  I... I missed a payment. Now they don't even want the money. They say I insulted them!” he gave a shaky laugh. “They've sent an enforcer to kill me! His name is Hides-His-Heart, and he's on his way here now! That's why I hired you! So you can fake my death!”

“Go on, Motierre. I'm listening.” I said, hiding my impatience as I looked around the house.

“Well, when Hides-His-Heart gets here, I'll put on a little act. You'll cut me with your poison knife, and that vile enforcer will think I'm dead. You must then flee from Chorrol, and Hides-His-Heart must not be killed! That way he can go back and tell his employers I'm dead.” I nodded, and he continued, his voice gaining a bit of confidence. “If you wait a day my ‘body’ will be put on display in the Chorrol Chapel Undercroft. You can come to me then and administer the antidote. Got all that?” I nodded once again.
“Good! Hides-His-Heart will be here any moment. Get ready!” I turned toward the door with him, hearing him mutter “Oh, I do hope this works...”

We both stood facing the door, expectant and ready. However, a minute passed by and nothing happened…then another minute, and another. He started to fidget restlessly, making short tapping noises with his foot, clicking his tongue. I probably would have been annoyed out of my mind by him, had my mind not been somewhere else. I was thinking of how Motierre had said Lucien had told him about me- and how Motierre had known it was I who was the one who was supposed to assist him, without question. I found myself wondering what Lucien had said about my appearance.

“Motierre, what exactly did Lucien Lachance say-”
Just then there was banging on the door, and the voice of an Argonian passed dully through the thick door, posing threats. Motierre’s face turned ashen white, and he gave a little barely concealed squeal of fear. I looked at him with disgust at his cowardice as the door opened and Hides-His-Heart barged in.

“Motierre! I am here to exact payment, in blood! You will... eh? Who is this? The Dark Brotherhood?” he said, sighting me. He smiled wickedly and said “Oh, you have been a naughty boy, Motierre, haven't you?”

“What's this? Oh, Dark Brotherhood assassin, please don't cut me with that wicked blade! It looks like this is the end of poor Francois!” Motierre had to be the worst actor I had ever seen, but Hides-His-Heart wasn’t one to notice such petty things. He leapt forward, trying to push me aside.

“Stand aside, assassin! Motierre is mine! My employers demand it! We'll see who gets to cut you, Motierre! Let me show you how a real killer operates, you Dark Brotherhood mongrel! Defend yourself!”

I darted in front of Hides-His-Heart and, with one deft movement, sliced across Francois’ stomach with the Langourwine Blade, wishing I could have done more. His eyes met mine, and I could see real pain there, before he fell to the floor. I turned to have Hides-His-Heart’s livid face up in mine.

“How dare you-“
I was out the door in a flash, sprinting across the courtyard and out of the city gates, trying to restrain my intense desire to kill someone. Hides-His-Heart gave pursuit, but I lost him in the forest. Exhausted from the effort, I lay down on a high rock and took a much need nap.

When I awoke night had fallen and the stars were out. I was hungry, so I hunted down some deer and resigned myself to the wait. Time passed agonizingly slow as I waited for 24 hours to pass, replaying the day’s events out in my head. I thought of Francois- by Sithis, I hope I hadn’t cut him too deeply! The poison on the blade would fake his death, but if I had cut him too deeply it wouldn’t have to do that… I pushed the thought from my mind as another filled its place.

Francois had said that Lucien had told him about me- he had considered me for a moment, as though recalling a physical description. He was certainly in a situation where he would take every precaution to make sure I was the right person. I found myself wishing fiercely that Hides-His-Heart had not chosen that moment to appear, when I was asking Francois what Lucien’s description of me was. I kicked a branch in frustration. So many people spoke of things they had heard about me, presumably from Lucien, but every time I was close to figuring out what he had said something happened to prevent me from doing so.

I sulked and slept until the next day; I walked back through the town gates in the late afternoon, hearing people speaking of Francois’ death the moment I stepped in.

“Have you heard? Francois Motierre has been murdered by the Dark Brotherhood! I saw the body myself!”

Smiling to myself, pleased that I had helped cause the disruption in the perfect order of the town, I entered the chapel and slipped into the Undercroft unnoticed. It was dark, dank, and muggy, with the smell of the dead filling the air. I found Motierre’s body to the right of the stairs, dressed in a brown robe and shoeless. I leaned over him and carefully poured the antidote that Vicente had given me into Motierre’s slightly open mouth, making sure not to spill a drop.

After a moment he still hadn’t moved, and I was starting to get worried. What if I had sliced him too deep and he been killed from that instead? I thought of his look of pain after I had cut him, and I felt slightly queasy. I was never really sure how deep I could cut him without the knife hurting him... another moment passed, and I was quite alarmed- I hadn’t failed a contract yet, and I certainly didn’t want to start now.

In exasperation I poked him hard in the shoulder, and to my intense but pleasant surprise, his eyes shot open and he muttered “Ow!” indignantly. I gave an inaudible sigh of relief as he sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. His eyes darted around the Undercroft for a moment before resting on me.

“Ah, the Chapel Undercroft” he said. “Now you must take me to the Grey Mare and this nightmare will over.”

I nodded, but he still looked hesitant to move. I raised my eyebrows, gesturing to the door, but he spoke first, hesitantly.

“Ehemm, well, there was something I forgot to mention. All of my family members are buried here, and my removal from it will be seen as a…desecration of their tomb. My ancestors will react most violently to that. Oh look- here they come now! We must hurry!” I turned and saw a zombie staggering towards us, each step making a horrible squelching sound.

“Oh, Aunt Margaret, you are looking worse for the wear!” he exclaimed, as my arrow found a home between her eyes. The zombie fell and did not get up again. As we were heading up the stairs to the door, another zombie came at us, but I decapitated it easily with a casual flick of my wrist. The downside of this was that the bloody guts and nerves came spilling out onto me, covering my armor with the rather smelly stuff. Great- I would have to wash my armor again, I thought. I was really starting to hate leather.

Chapter Seven: The Swamp and the Shadowscale

After escorting Francois Motierre safely to the Grey Mare without any more incidents, I changed out of my Dark Brotherhood armor and into my traveling clothes (I held the black leather away from myself at arms length, wrinkling my nose in disgust before placing it in an empty compartment of my pack). It was rather late to start my journey to Cheydinhal, but it had been a long day and I was looking forward to my warm bed in the Sanctuary.

I arrived back at Cheydinhal just as the sun rose, dead tired and dragging my reluctant feet down the ramp and into the Sanctuary. Everyone was asleep, so I followed their example and dropped into bed, not even bothering to change my clothes. I didn’t wake until early evening. No one was in the Living Quarters, so I started to walk toward the central room, yawning and stretching contently. I opened the door and found Ocheeva and Teinaava sitting a shadowy corner, muttering darkly to each other. As I walked by, intent on letting them have their privacy, Teinaava suddenly seemed to sense my presence and looked up, smiling when he saw me- but it wasn’t his normal warm smile. There was a businesslike air to it, an almost withdrawn look; his mind seemed distracted, something I saw often in Ocheeva, but never in Teinaava.

“Ah, dear friend, may I steal a moment of your time? I have a rather delicate situation I was hoping you could help me with,” Teinaava said. Ocheeva rose, saying that she must go, but Teinaava would explain everything. I watched her walk away briskly, and then looked back at Teinaava.

“This is a personal matter, and will have no bearing on your standing within the Dark Brotherhood. Would you like to hear more?”

“Of course, dear brother-tell me more” I said, trying not to let my voice show my intense curiosity.

“I find your decision most agreeable!” Teinaava laughed, but it seemed rather forced. He was definitely troubled, and I truly hoped that I would be able to help him. “Now, the details. Far south of here, on the southern end of Cyrodiil, lies a swamp called Bogwater. Hiding in that swamp you will find an Argonian Shadowscale named Scar-Tail. Kill this renegade, and bring me his heart as proof of the deed.”

I sat there expectantly, waiting for more details, but Teinaava provided none. “A Shadowscale renegade?” I prompted.

“In the Argonian homeland of Black Marsh, those born under the sign of the Shadow are taken at birth and presented to the Dark Brotherhood. A Shadowscale hatchling is trained in the arts of stealth and assassination, and lives a life in service to the mighty kingdom of Argonia. Any Shadowscale who lives to come of age is accepted into the Dark Brotherhood as a full member of the family. So it was with myself, and Ocheeva,” he responded.

“Oh yes, I remember. It was… Lucien who trained you, no?” I asked. Teinaava only nodded before continuing.

“When Ocheeva and I trained with the Dark Brotherhood as children, we befriended another initiate, a Shadowscale by the name of Scar-Tail. The three of us were inseparable. When our training was completed, we reluctantly parted ways. But now... Now, the unthinkable has happened! Scar-Tail has fled Black Marsh and refuses to fulfill his duties as royal assassin! This is an act of treason! This treachery must be punished! Just as a member of the Dark Brotherhood cannot kill a fellow family member, a Shadowscale is forbidden from slaying another Shadowscale.”

It was now my turn to nod, because I was beginning to understand.
“That is why you must go to Bogwater and eliminate that treacherous snake! Please kill Scar-Tail, so Ocheeva and I can put this matter behind us. Scar-Tail was once as a brother to me and Ocheeva. But his act of treason destroyed any vestige of that relationship. His death will be well-deserved!” he ended with a thunderous yell, hitting the table with his fist. I could tell that he was not as happy about having his former friend killed as he wanted everyone to believe- it was really troubling him, and he was disturbed and distressed by the betrayal.

“I will do this for you, dear brother. With honor,” I gave him an encouraging smile, and Teinaava patted my arm gratefully, before striding off to the Living Quarters. I still had to go to Vicente to report my success and to receive another contract, so I walked off to his room, thinking about Teinaava's situation.

It certainly was a grievous one- to have to order the death of an old friend, someone who he grew up with. Shadowscales sounded familiar to the Dark Brotherhood in that they seemed as though they also became very close, like a family. I thought of Scar Tail's betrayal- why would he ever do something like that? I couldn't even fathom the possibility of ever betraying the Dark Brotherhood. I understood Teinaava's anger, but I could also understand why he would still feel a link to this old friend; why it was hurting him so to have to do this. But that is how life is, I suppose- you have to make difficult decisions, and often you are forced to make the less favorable choice for yourself because it is the right decision. I shook my head slightly before knocking on Vicenete's door.

Vicente was sitting at a desk, scribbling away with a large quill when I came in. I caught a glimpse of what he was writing before he slipped it into his desk; it was a letter to Ocheeva. He gave me a questioning look and I nodded that I had succeeded in my contract. He smiled up at me, his fangs slipping out of his lips.

“Ah, so Motierre has escaped? Well done! As payment, I am pleased to award you this amulet, Cruelty's Heart, as well as another advancement in rank. I hereby bestow upon you the title of Eliminator. Your blood is cold, your heart hard. You exemplify everything the Dark Brotherhood stands for. I present to you now this key. It unlocks the well behind the Abandoned House above. Use it to gain hidden, quick access to this Sanctuary.” I stood before him, glowing with pride.

“It is an honor, dear brother,” I said, bowing my head slightly, qutie flustered. Another promotion? To Eliminator? Already? I waited further orders, but instead Vicente gave a curt nod and started to turn away, signaling me (not rudely) to leave. I was quite confused.

“Wait! Don’t you have another contract for me?” I said, raising my voice after him. He turned back, and his face seemed pained.

“Well now, you are an ambitious one, aren't you? I'm afraid I have no more contracts for you. Our time working together has come to an end. Instead, you must report to Ocheeva, here in the Sanctuary. She will be providing all your contracts from now on, and is waiting for you as we speak,” he said, keeping his voice light.

My eyes widened in surprise- most of the Sanctuary members still worked for Vicente. They had been here for years, and nearly everyone had barely reached the rank of Eliminator. I wasn’t quite sure what to say, but Vicente understood, not expecting anything.

“Before you go, however, I intend to make good on an offer I made some time ago. As a vampire, I may pass my gift on to others as I see fit. You have served me well, and I choose now to extend that gift to you. Shall I use my dark powers and turn you into a vampire?”

I visibly started, having forgotten about his comment ages ago about turning those he felt worthy into a vampire. I never thought that I would have to deal with such occasion. I knew that I would never want to be a vampire; I may enjoy the night, embrace it, appreciate it during a kill, but would never want to be confined to it. I also found the look of vampires to be quite repulsive; the gaunt, pale faces, razor sharp fangs and red eyes were not something I found attractive. However, I didn’t want to offend Valtieri.
“No, not right now, thank you,” I said carefully.

“I can understand your trepidation. For it is not everyday one is invited to join the ranks of the undead, eh? If you ever change your mind, fear not. My offer will always be open. Simply return and speak to me about the Dark Gift, and we can proceed.”

This time it was I who nodded and left the room, still rather stunned. I walked up the stairs and towards Ocheeva’s room, but lingered just outside her door for a moment, gathering my thoughts. I had already been ‘promoted’ up to the highest rank of anyone here, except for Vicente and Ocheeva, and I had only been here for a few short months. I was proud, but also alarmed in a way; I was scared that some of my family members would turn against me because of my quick progression through the ranks. How had I progressed so quickly? Was I really that much better than everyone here? No, I thought to myself. By Sithis, they have taught me nearly everything I know! And yet... no one else had risen a single rank since I had arrived, while I have shot straight up to the highest standing in the Sanctuary, other than Ocheeva and Vicente. I had never really thought about my standing in the guild, had never really taken time to sit back and realize that my progression in the guild really was quite extraordinary. I sighed lightly, pushing the thoughts from my mind- there were other more important matters that I should be spending my time pondering- like this traitorous Shadowscale, Scar Tail. I suddenly remembered where I was, and why I was there- I had been ordered to speak with Ocheeva! Without further ado I knocked firmly on Ocheeva’s thick doors.

She answered promptly, ushering me in and shutting the door behind me.
“Hello, sweet Sister. It warms my heart to see you again. The Night Mother has been smiling upon you, I hope.”

I nodded, smiling in return. She then described my first contract under her order- a skooma addicted Altmer, to be killed in the Imperial City discreetly, due to the meddling of the Imperial Officer Addamus Phillida. However, I remained distracted throughout her description, thinking of Teinaava’s unofficial contract. Ocheeva saw that I was distant and preoccupied.

“Is there something troubling you, dearest sister?” she said, narrowing her eyes inquisitvely as she looked into mine. I started to reply that I was fine, thank you, but changed my mind suddenly.

“Actually, yes,” I said quickly. Her eyebrows rose, prompting me to continue. “It has to do with the renegade Shadowscale, Scar Tail..."

“Ah.” Ocheeva’s face darkened considerably, and her voice became harsh. “Scar-Tail is a traitor to Argonia, and a blight upon Tamriel! Kill him, as my brother requests, and we will be forever in your debt.”

“Of course, dearest sister,” I said, reassured that Ocheeva felt so strongly about the kill- Teinaava hadn’t seemed so.

"Teinaava says that you and him spent most of your early lives with together, and that Scar Tail was a close friend?" I said carefully.

"What he says is true. All our lives Teinaava and I have lived together in the shadows. We are egg mates. Twins. We were taken at birth, along with the traitor, Scar Tail, and given to the Dark Brotherhood. We returned to Black Marsh as Shadowscales, trained in the arts of stealth and murder. Together we served our nation as spies and assassins, as all Shadowscales do. When we came of age, the three of us joined the family as one. Teinaava and I were sent here, to Cyrodiil, to serve the Dark Brotherhood, while Scar Tail remained in the Argonian Royal Court. Now he has betrayed them...I shall never understand it," she finished, looking quite somber.

"I will make sure that this traitor shall receive justice for his treachery, dearest sister," I said defiantly. "May Sithis guide your blade!" Ocheeva responded, and we bade each other farewell.

* * *

I started my journey south the next morning, after another long night's rest. I decided to carry out Teinaava's contract before the official Dark Brotherhood hit because it felt more urgent; a skooma-addict wasn't about to be capable of disappearing as easily as a trained assassin. At least that was the reasoning I was trying to convince myself I using... but deep down I knew it really wasn't. Truthfully, I just wanted to solve Teinaava's problem as quickly as possible- he had done so much for me, as had most of the Sanctuary, and I wished to do something in return. He was family, my most trusted brother. It was time I repaid the kindness he had shown me, in the way I knew best- murder.

After three rather moist and humid days, I finally reached Leyawiin. It was a rather dilapidated town, wet and muddy. The homes were of a smooth clay, colored in red, green, and yellow- rather uncharacteristic of Cryodiil; the influence of the South was evident. All the citizens seemed to be Khajiits or Argonians, and they weren't dressed nearly as luxuriously as those in Cheydinhaal or Chorrol. They seemed more like the members of the Waterfront, all starving and desperate. I certainly found Leyawiin more to my liking than either of those towns, but the constant downpour was a deterrent for a permanent residence.

I stayed in town for one night just to get out of the bloody rain for awhile. In the short time I was there, a pickpocket was arrested, a brawl took place in the bar of the Inn I stayed at, and the body of a beggar was discovered in the gutter outside the ruined Blackwood Company building. Never a dull moment, eh?

The morning I left it was foggy and, surprisingly enough, raining. I spent three hours lost in the swamps, as my compass wouldn't work- it got too wet. Finally, I emerged in a clearing, smelly and grumpy, to a beautiful sight- a campfire smoke above the treeline. I was near his campsite. Taking a deep, calming breath, I started to prepare myself for a kill. It was dusk, and the fireflies and crickets were out in full force. I was strapping my dagger to my waist when I heard the snapping of a twig behind me. I spun, and found my nose inches from the red and green face of an Argonian. I leapt back about two feet but didn't reach for my dagger- I was dressed as a simple traveler, and I may still be able to deceive him into thinking I was just that.

The Argonian held up a weary hand, as though signaling me to stand down. I took a closer look at him and found that he looked as though he hadn't slept in ages, and his clothes were torn and bloodied. Someone had beaten me to him.

"I guess I've been expecting you... assassin." I started visibly, my mind working rapidly to deny the accusation convincingly. "Don't try to deny it," he continued, carefully studying my reaction with a look of weary amusement. "I can see it in your eyes. You're Dark Brotherhood, through and through."

That certainly surprised me. I thought myself a passable actress- in past contracts I was able to convince others that I was innocent. But as he gave me a knowing smile, I realized with a start that recently people in towns had kept their distance from me, that they seemed guarded near me; almost...wary of me. Was it that obvious? Was my mask that thin?

I thought of other members of the Brotherhood. The first time I had seen Lucien Lachance, with just a glance of his dark intense eyes, I could tell he was a murderer. I thought of Ocheeva, Teinaava, Vicente...they all had the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, pitiless and merciless. My transformation had been so gradual that even I hadn't seen what was happening. I was a full-fledged member of the Dark Brotherhood, I realized. It was everything about me, my life, my very soul.

I sighed and returned Scar Tail's look sardonically. His smile widened.
"Let me guess- it was Ocheeva, right?" he said, but I cocked my head, my look indicating him to guess again. "No, wait. Teinaava," he said slowly, his voice confident. I nodded.

"Yes, it was he who put you up to this, didn't he... Ocheeva was always too busy to even be bothered." He certainly knew them well- if there had been any question as to his identity before, there wasn't now. "Well, you can kill me if you like. I'm afraid I won't make much of a challenge, though. The Argonian Royal Court already sent an Agent to do the job." Ah, I thought. So that explained the blood. "He failed, of course. His body's around here somewhere. But he got in a pretty good hit. If I don't get some rest I'm probably dead anyway." By the look of him, I had to agree. "So maybe I can appeal to your sense of good will, huh?" I raised my eyebrows. He laughed, "Hahahaha. You let me live, and I'll tell you where I stashed my treasure. Is it a deal?"

I thought quickly- truthfully, I didn't want to kill him just yet. He had a personality, a affable personality, and there was still some things I wanted to ask him... "Sure. It's a deal," I said.

He looked genuinely surprised, startled at my decision. He gave me a disbelieving look.

"You show unexpected mercy. For that, I am thankful," I nodded my head shortly, and he continued. "My treasure is hidden in a hollowed-out rock near my campfire. It' yours," he said lightly. There was a silence, and we both began to speak at the same time.
"Now-"

"I have-" We stopped and looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak. "You have allowed me to live," he said, after a second of staring. "The least I can do is allow you to speak first."

"Well, I have a question for you," I said slowly, cautiously. He looked at me expectantly. "Why did you leave? How could you leave your family like that?" I finished hastily, anxious to see his reaction to the rather personal question.

He took a deep breath, and looked out over my shoulder, his eyes far away. He sat like this for a moment, and I was afraid that I had angered or offended him. But he spoke again, his voice low and soft.

"I have spent my entire life as an assassin, I was born into it, a Shadowscale. I daresay Teinaava and Ocheeva have spoken of this? At first, the thrill of a kill was intoxicating, it was all I had, all I needed... But as the years passed, and all of my fellow members, my friends, started dying... The Brotherhood consumes you, it takes everything from you- your 'ormal'life, your sense of morality, your humanity, and finally those you come to love. Oh yes, love,"he said, responding to the disbelieving look on my face.

"Assassins can be capable of love, but they themselves may not even realize it. That's what separates the life-long assassins from those who are temporary. The life-long assassin forgets how to feel for anything or anyone. They become truly heartless; all they enjoy, all they ever feel is the ecstasy of murder. It is a long and tortuous process, to become this way, and one I would rather not endure. I'm a temporary," he said.

Now, looking back, I wish I had considered his reasons for leaving, that I had understood why he had left, and heeded his words. And I wish I had followed his lead. But I didn't.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Scar Tail continued, his voice lighter.

"Oh yes, I suppose that Teinaava wants proof that I am dead, eh?" I took that to mean the previous subject was closed. "Let me guess- my heart? I suggest you take the heart of the dead Argonian Agent. His body is around here somewhere. Present the Agent's heart to Teinaava as proof, and he'll be none the wiser. I need to rest now, regain my strength. Farewell, assassin," he turned away and strode off towards his campsite, I followed him. When he reached his lean-to and fire, he started to prepare himself to sleep, while I strode over to the hollow rock and retrieved his treasure. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Turning back to Scar Tail, I saw he was shirtless and about to lean down onto his sleeping pad. And suddenly I knew I was going to kill him, even though for a moment I had intended not to. But I realized that I did not wish to lie to Teinaava, that I had promised him I would ease his heart and solve this problem, and I would do anything for my family (well, at least most of the members). It was a pity, but even though Scar Tale was a likable person, he was still a traitor. And for that, I thought to myself, he did deserve to die.

I slipped my dagger out silently and started to quietly step toward Scar Tail's bare back, the now familiar kill-lust adrenaline rushing through my veins. In one swift, deft motion, I slid the dagger across his throat and dug in. He fell to his side, clutching his neck and gurgling incoherently. He looked into my eyes, his look almost amused.

"Haha... I should have... seen that coming..." he choked out, each word taking immense effort. "Dark Brotherhood... through and through...eh?". And he took a final warbling breath before slumping to the ground, blood streaming steadily from his open neck.

* * *

I returned to the Sanctuary three days later, after dealing with the skooma addicted Altmer in the Imperial City. When I arrived at the Sanctuary was empty accept for a sleeping Valtieri, so I head back out for the day to buy, sell and repair my equipment. Since joining the Dark Brotherhood, I had been saving most of the money I had received for contracts. There wasn't really anything I was saving it for, but it was nice to know I had it, in case I ever needed it. Luck favors the prepared, they say.

That night I went back to the Sanctuary to find that everyone was present- a rare occurrence. I greeted everyone (minus Antoinetta and M'raaj Dar) and chatted amiably for a few moments before excusing myself and setting off for Ocheeva's room. I took a deep breath, untied the pouch on my belt containing the heart of Scar Tail, and knocked firmly on the thick doors.

"Who is it?" Ocheeva's voice dully reverberated through doors.
"Adrienne," I responded.

"Oh, do come in!" and Teinaava hastily opened a door, beckoning me in.
"So? Do you come with news of the Traitor?" Teinaava asked hurriedly. I held up the pouch. Teinaava gave me a quick glance before taking the small bag and opening it slowly. It stank of decaying flesh, and the buzz of flies surrounded it. Teinaava inspected the heart, poking and prodding. His face was passive, but I could see a dull pain in his eyes.

"Yes! That is an Argonian heart, of that I am sure! You have slain Scar-Tail! Well done!"

Ocheeva leaned back in her chair, heaving a great sigh, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. Teinaava smiled, and I could see some of the mischievous glint returning to his eyes already.

"Please, take these boots as payment for your services!" He strode over to a crate in the corner of the room and removed a pair of boots. They were leather, and looked ordinary enough. "They are called the Boots of Bloody Bounding, and carry a powerful enchantment. I'm sure you will find them most useful..."

"Thank you, dearest brother," I said earnestly. His and Ocheeva's relief would have truly been enough reward, I thought to myself.

"No, thank you," he said seriously, looking me straight in the eye.

I smiled at both of them and turned to leave. However, as I reached the door Teinaava grabbed my arm.
"Wait," he said.
I turned back to look at him, my glance questioning.

“Did he... did you talk to him at all?" he said, his gaze downward, as though ashamed of showing such emotion toward the fate of a traitor. I thought of what Scar Tail had said; "Assassins can be capable of love, but they themselves may not even realize it."

"No... no, I killed him well he slept," I responded, and Teinaava sighed.
"Thank you, once again dearest sister," he said. "Thank you."
I nodded, and left the room, leaving them to their privacy.

Chapter Eight: Whodunit Part I

“I would have eliminated all of his subjects, and then chopped his body to pieces!”

Teinaava, Telaendril and I sighed exasperatedly, rolling our eyes in amusement. We were sitting across from Gogron at the square in the Living Quarters, and I had been telling them of my latest contract. I was sent to kill the warlord ‘Roderick’ from the west, who was bedridden by severe illness. I had switched his daily medicine with a poison, causing everyone to think he succumbed to his disease, with none the wiser that the Dark Brotherhood had even been involved. Gogron gro Bolmog was giving his opinion on how things should have gone.

“His people were intensely loyal to him- your obvious involvement with his death would have sent them on a revenge hunt for us, endangering the whole of the Brotherhood!” Telaendril exclaimed reasonably.

“Then I would have killed them as well! All of them!” he roared, pounding his heavy first on the table, rattling the goblets, plates and silverware, an almost sadistic glare in his eye. Once again the three of us exchanged bemused looks, each wondering how Gogron had not yet single-handedly caused the destruction of the Dark Brotherhood with his unorthodox ways.

“Now listen, Gogron-” Teinaava began, but Gogron wasn’t paying attention; he was looking over Teinaava’s shoulder.

“Excuse me.”
Turning, we found Ocheeva standing behind Telaendril, Teinaava and I. We all greeted her, and she responded with a quick smile, but the air of business was about her. She looked at me.

“Adrienne, could you come with me for a moment? It is rather urgent,” she said. “Of course.” I nodded to the others, and followed Ocheeva up the stairs towards her private quarters. In the Common Room we passed Antoinetta Marie, who smiled at Ocheeva as she passed. However, as soon as Ocheeva could not longer see her, Antoinetta narrowed her eyes at me, a slight sneer on her face. I responded with a bright smile and continued on, enjoying the startled and confused look on her face.

Antoinetta’s hatred of me had become more apparent after my promotion to Eliminator- I outranked her, even though she had been at the Sanctuary many years longer than I, and she didn’t like it. She had hated me before, but when before she would make a snide remark that could be interpreted as negative; she now blatantly revealed to me her wishes that I was killed in horrific ways. However, she made sure to keep her gestures of dislike towards me out of the eyes and ears of our family members, and I wasn’t about to tell them, so our feud remained a secret. I was still at that point unsure of the exact reasoning behind her initial dislike of me, but I kept it out of my mind at the time, with other more important matters to deal with.

Ocheeva ushered me into her room and closed the thick wooden doors before turning round to face me. She smiled, with a rather mischievous glint in her eye that was often seen with Teinaava, but never in her. I was most certainly intrigued.

“Do you like parties?” she said, her smile widening at my inquisitive look. “Because you've been invited to one. Of course, you'll be killing all the other guests. Are you ready to hear more?”

“Oh, yes, I'm ready- tell me more,” I said eagerly, nodding my head. All the other guests? If I had heard correctly, than I had just been given a multiple target contract…“Splendid. You need to go to the city of Skingrad, to the large house known as Summitmist Manor. There you will meet up with five very unlucky guests. Each guest, at some point in the past, wronged their mysterious host. Now he's hired us to exact his revenge.”

I sighed wistfully, wishing that I could have used such methods with certain people I had known in my life before the Brotherhood.

“In order to receive your bonus, you must kill each guest secretly, one by one. If anyone sees you committing murder, the bonus is forfeit. The guests believe there is a chest of gold hidden in the house, and have agreed to be locked inside until one of them finds it.

“In fact, the guests believe the key to the manor is inside the chest, and only by satisfying their greed will they be allowed to leave. The poor fools- there is, of course, no chest of gold. The guests will find no key. After you arrive, the doors will be locked behind you, as everyone expects. When all the guests lie dead, you will be free to leave.” I started to speak, but Ocheeva cut me off with a raise of her finger.

“We have kept our host waiting long enough! Now go, and speak to him at Summitmist Manor. He has been playing the part of the doorman, and will explain the rest.”

I nodded, rising swiftly from the seat I had taken, and strode toward the doors. As I pulled them open, Ocheeva spoke again.

“And Adrienne?” I turned to face her. “Do have fun,” she said, smiling wickedly.
“Oh, I will,” I said, returning her smile and walking out of the doors.

I walked briskly back to the Living Quarters, my mind brewing over what I had just been tasked. Five targets, in one contract! And to kill each in secret, while contained to the one house… this certainly would be a challenge. At least, an enjoyable challenge… By Sithis, Gogron was going to be jealous! I thought, smiling as I pushed open the doors to the Living Quarters. As I walked down the hallway, I heard Teinaava, Telaendril and Gogron’s voices echoing down from the main room. It seemed that they were still in the same location and discussion as before I had left.

“Everyone you killed would have close relatives or friends who would then want to avenge their deaths, and the cycle would just continue! Killing all witnesses to open murder won’t solve the problems; it will create more!” Telaendril exclaimed. It seemed there were started to get worked up.

“I could knock them over the head with my hammer and they wouldn’t remember a thing. There, no more deaths, problem solved!” Gogron bellowed, the frustration evident in his voice. Teinaava started to speak as I turned around the corner. “Dear Brother-”

“Adrienne!” Gogron boomed, spotting me.
Teinaava and Telaendril at first seemed confused, but as Gogron pointed over their shoulders they turned to face me.

“Ah, Adrienne!” Teinaava exclaimed, shifting on the bench to get a better view of me.

“So, do tell us about your secret meeting…” he said, raising his eyebrows with a smile.

I smirked mysteriously and started over toward the chest in the far corner in the room, where I stored my spare belongings during prolonged stays at the Sanctuary. Inserting a key and opening the chest, I sifted through my belongings, tossing out what I needed and moving aside what I didn’t, while explaining the contract.

All three faces quickly changed from looks of genuine interest and curiosity to downright awe and good-natured jealously as I explained. Gogron’s face was especially comical- when I said that I had five targets, his mouth hung open and remained that way, as though he had forgotten about it.

“It’s all for revenge, you see- the client was wronged by all of them in the past, that’s what Ocheeva said,” I finished.

There was a stunned silence, in which Gogron’s mouth continued to hang open and Teinaava and Telaendril gave me wide-eyed looks.

“Five victims? More than two-person contracts are nearly unheard of for the past decade- except for rare special contracts, which are only commissioned by the Black Hand itself!” Teinaava exclaimed. He turned around to the others, looking to see if they agreed. Gogron’s mouth was still open.

“Well, I must say dear sister, I am rather jealous!” Telaendril said. She turned to Gogron and snapped his still open mouth shut with a sharp tap of her fingers. “Don’t look so stunned; unless I’m mistaken, it is your contract that Teinaava was speaking of!” “Yes- well- that was-” Gogron sputtered.

“Full sentences, dear brother,” I said, eyes sparkling.
“That contract was nearly seven years ago; I was told it would be the last of its kind unless under very, very special circumstances!” he exclaimed, looking indignant at this treachery.

“Oh yes, now I remember!” We all turned to Telaendril. “You were sent to Sumerset Isle to kill nearly thirty elves, but instead of the accidental deaths that the Black Hand had planned, you slaughtered them during a party, killing even those not included in the contract! It was a bloody massacre- everyone knew of the Dark Brotherhood’s involvement! You were the reason that multi-target contracts became so rare!” She said accusingly.

Gogron smiled sheepishly, looking almost proud at Telaendril’s revelation. Teinaava and I laughed, while Telaendril started to grin reluctantly as well.

“Yes, well, it would have taken weeks to finish it the way the Black Hand wished!” Gogron said huffily, but there was a glint of amusement in his eye.

We all laughed again, and this time Gogron joined in. They continued to banter while I turned back to my packing, now stuffing in some ingredients for potions and poisons. After a moment there was silence and Telaendril turned to me.

“On a more serious note-” she glared at Gogron accusingly “-a bit of advice. You should take your time with this one. Observe the other guests. Learn their schedules and behaviors, and strike each one when they're alone. Use your silver tongue. Try to befriend the guests, and then you may be able to lure them to their own dooms!” She smirked, and Teinaava nodded.

“Yes, remember the pretenses under which the guests are there. They will be suspicious. You must be as effective an actor as you are a killer. It would be a good idea to talk to each guest and appeal to their good disposition. Remember, if they really like you, they may open up to you…” he said.

“If you really plan on killing the guests one by one-” Gogron made a face to show his displeasure at the idea- “make sure that when you strike, you strike hard. Don't want anyone running for help, do you?” The others nodded in agreement. Teinaava was about to speak again when there came a noise from the far dark corner. It sounded like a snort of irritation and displeasure.

We all turned about in alarm, and found Antoinetta standing in the corner, her pretty features twisted into a look of anger.

“Antoinetta!” Teinaava’s voice was startled. “What are you doing over there? Why didn’t you make your presence known?”

She turned toward me, ignoring Teinaava, her voice venomous.

“Why do you get to go to a party? It's not fair. I hope they discover the truth and kill you in your sleep!” And with that, she stormed out of the room.

There was a stunned silence. Teinaava Telaendril and Gogron all looked at me, mouths agape, and I lowered my gaze. I guess my and Antoinetta’s little feud was out in the open.

Teinaava was the first to speak.
“What in the name of Sithis was that about?!” he exclaimed.
I sighed deeply, sat for a moment, and looked up.
“Yes, well, Antoinetta doesn’t like me very much,” I said.

“Humph!” Gogron snorted. “I’ll say she doesn’t like you!” Telaendril laughed, but Teinaava was inspecting me closely.

“How long has this been going on?” he asked me, his eyes narrowed.
“Oh uhm, not long, just recently,” I lied quickly.

“It must have been your promotion- she’s always had a high opinion of herself, she must be jealous,” said Telaendril, and Gogron nodded approvingly. However, Teinaava continued to eye me suspiciously. I still could not lie convincingly to him, and I could see he was ready to ask more questions. I decided to end this well I still could.

“I really must be going; the guests are waiting for my arrival…” I trailed off, standing up swiftly and swinging my bag over my back.

“Of course!” Said Telaendril, and they all rose as well, ushering me off, although Teinaava still looked as though he were pondering on the situation with Antoinetta. I can expect a questioning from him when I return, I thought to myself grimly.

Chapter Nine: Whodunit Part II

I arrived in Skingrad after a long and wet journey. I had... borrowed a horse from the Cheydinhal stables, but it was still a lengthy ride, the horse and I did not get along, plus the weather was not agreeing with me. However, my mood was not to be dampened by horse spit nor heavy rain, and I still arrived in Skingrad in an abnormally cheery mood. I shoved the horse roughly by the rump into the corral, receiving a strange look from the Town Guard, before entering the huge heavy gates into Skingrad.

It was a large, beautiful town; I had been there before, in better weather, and had appreciated the tall, spiraling towers and heavy stonework that made up the city. It was still a rich district, but the people here worked hard for their wealth, and for that I respected them somewhat more than the twats in Chorrol, or even Cheydinhal.

I knew where Summitmist Manor was, so I started straight for it. Once close, I stopped in an alley near the house, to change into my outfit and arm myself accordingly. I was wearing a vest over a plaid shirt, and a long brown skirt. I had been very careful when choosing this outfit; I wanted to look like I was fairly poor, and the clothing was nice but worn and used. Understanding my own feelings against the exceedingly rich, I felt that it would be best if I came off as a poor girl looking for some money. I wanted their pity at first; I hoped that would lower their guard around me.

Before moving on, I slipped a piece of parchment out from the pocket of my travel clothes. I fingered the frayed edges, reading its contents almost tenderly. It was the gift list of Perennia Draconis, the woman I had murdered so long ago. My first kill. I brought this list with me everywhere, and always read it before a kill. With one last loving stroke over the parchments aging surface, I folded it carefully and slipped it into a pocket of my skirt. I had things to do.

The weaponry for this contract had been an even harder choice- one good thing was that the guests had planned for a prolonged stay, so I could bring a reasonably large bag in which I could hide my more obvious instruments of pain and death without being too suspicious. On my person I kept a light, razor sharp dagger on a strap on my lower leg, and thin layer of Mithril protected my stomach beneath my shirt, just in case. Into my bag I slipped 13 of my best arrows, hoping they weren't too obvious in shape. The hard part had been bringing a bow- they are quite large and noticeable. If a guest was shot and I was walking around with a quiver and bow on my back, I think the others would catch on rather quickly. However, I was quite fond of archery, and much more skilled with it than I was with a blade, to be truthful. After some quick searching, I had located a short bow that was small enough to fit comfortably into my sack, but large enough to be effective. I also slipped some homemade poisons (and a few health healing potions), and two poison apples into the bag or into various pockets. I then shoved clothes and rags into the bag, stuffing them strategically until you could no longer clearly discern the outline of arrows or a bow.

I stood up straight, quickly scanning myself over, making sure everything was in place, before slinging my bag over my shoulder and turning back into the street, eyes darting around, always wary. It was deserted, except for a man standing in front of Summitmist Manor. When he saw me he smiled slightly, obviously amused by my disguise, and nodded as I slowed to a stop in front of him.

"So," he said, "the last guest finally arrives." I nodded, raising my eyebrow with a cynical smile.

"I'll tell you what I told all the others. You go in, I lock the door. You don't come out 'til it's over." I looked at him expectantly.

"Now, I'll tell you what I didn't tell everyone else. We have the same Mother, you and I. And she wants you to have this." He handed me a large, heavy key. I slipped it carefully into an inner recess of my skirt, and he continued.

"It's the key to the house. I guess someone else has already told you the other details. Kill all the guests then leave, right?" I nodded.

"Well, you'd better get in there. Time to mingle."

I nodded once more, but stood still for a moment, mentally preparing myself. This must have seemed like hesitation to him, for after mere seconds he burst out.

"Well, what are you waiting for? There's a party, and you're the guest of honor!" He added grumpily: "All I get to do is lock the damn door. You get to have all the fun..." and he motioned towards the doors, over embellishing the sweeping gesture.

I shook my head, smiling lightly, and hefted my bag up further onto my shoulder. Well, here we go, I thought. And I pushed open the heavy doors.

As soon as I walked into the entryway I was nearly knocked down by a figure clad in all green. It was an old woman, with a wrinkling face and gray hair. I had a sudden flash of the face of the old Draconis woman at Applewatch during her last moments... the look of shock in her eyes, the look of pain...It was so surprising and unexpected that I was physically staggered. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, and I took a deep, calming breath.

"Oh, sorry dearie! Are you all right?" she said, her voice kindly.
"Oh yes, I'm fine," I replied, making my voice sound more breathy and nervous than I would have normally been comfortable with.

"Well anyways, you've finally arrived, and it's about time! Do you know how long we've been waiting? It seems like an age! Whoever invited us here must at least know us, don't you think?" I nodded my head, and she looked pleased.

"In any event, we're all stuck here together, so we might as well get acquainted. The rest of us have already traded introductions. I'm Matilde Petit. The others are Nels the Naughty, Neville, Dovesi Dran and Primo Antonius. Now, who might you be? Please, tell me a little bit about yourself," she finished quickly, looking at me expectantly. I was quite stunned with her sudden questions, but I tried to keep my head together. One mistake could betray my identity, and one against five wasn't good odds, old woman included or not.

"Uhm, well, my name is Addy, and I used to live in Kvatch before it was... well you know," I said, letting my voice drift off soberly with the remembrance of the terrible night. "My husband died that night, and my baby is sick... and we are so poor," I added in an almost nervous tone, carefully watching her reaction.

"Oh, you poor dear! Well, this does make things difficult for me. I want to find the gold as much as anyone, but you need it so much more than I do! Anyways... now that we're all here, I guess we can start looking. I'd wish you good luck, but I wouldn't really mean it!" She smiled as she said it, but I got the very clear feeling that she wasn't being completely untruthful.

"And to you as well," I said. She turned around, starting to walk away. As she did so, I shut my eyes for a split second in concentration, a light yellow glow appearing around my hand before I cast it towards her back. I felt the connection of the Charm spell on her essence, and then tapped her shoulder. She turned back, her gaze questioning.

"Before you go, tell me- what's your opinion on the other guests?" I said, raising my eyebrows with a slightly mischievous smile. She smiled back, and I could tell that the spell had done its trick- for the next three minutes, she would be completely truthful with me.

"Well, they seem like they could be an interesting lot, to say the least," she started. She glanced around, and dropped her voice and leaned in. "Dovesi Doran, that Dunmer girl over in the chair-" she gestured to an armchair off to the right, where a young, attractive Dark Elf woman was sitting- "well, she seems a nice enough girl. But, to be perfectly honest, I've never trusted their kind." I nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"There's also the Nord- Nels. Oh, that man disgusts me! I find his entire manner offensive. Why, just before you got here he told the most off-color joke about an Argonian maid... I can understand why he was called Nels the Naughty, that's all I have to say.

"And there's also Neville, the Redguard... from what I gathered, he's a retired soldier. He's been all across the Empire fighting in various campaigns. Goodness, he's handsome..." She looked uncertain, but I widened my eyes expectantly.

"Well, if I can be perfectly honest with you, I find Neville quite attractive. Redguards are so... exotic. Don't you think?"

We both giggled like young school girls, and I felt sick with myself. The woman disgusted me; she was every bit the stereotypical old rich gossiping hag, concealed beneath a facade of sweetness. And I was going along with her! The only way I got through our conversation was by looking forward to her slaughter.

"I've forgotten someone...oh yes! Primo Antonius- he's young, well-educated and obviously full of himself. Not much different than any young nobleman, really." The way she said this gave me the feeling that she knew this from experience. "It's obvious that young Primo comes from wealth. A chest full of gold would be mere spending change for him."

"What would he do this for, if not for money?" I asked, surprised. I was rather put off guard by the fact that two guests were wealthy. Either they were exceptionally greedy, or they were here for different reasons than money. And that was an alarming notion to me. I had counted on the guests being gluttonous, self serving characters... but if they weren't here for money, what were their reasons for being here?

"I don't know, it is all rather odd, isn't it? I mean, being invited to this house…” She trailed off and we both sat in silence, her, contemplating the reasoning for being invited here, and I, pretending to do so.

“Well I’m off to start dinner- we’ll be eating at 8 sharp, so don’t be late! I’m cooking Roast Mutton, a special family recipe!” And with that, she turned away and walked toward the basement.

I glanced over toward the Dark Elf, but she seemed absorbed in her own world, so I took the time instead to look around the house. It had a wide foyer, with lavishly furnished rooms and tall bookcases to the right and left. There were two staircases; the left staircase went downstairs into a basement, and the right up to the second floor. I climbed the right staircase to find myself in a room with a balcony looking over the first floor. There was a round table laden with silverware and plates, and a Nord and a Redguard were standing on the far side, conversing in raised voices. Nels and Neville, I surmised. It sounded like they were arguing, but they broke off when I approached- the Redguard stormed away, completely ignoring my presence. The Nord shook his head, snorting.

I approached him slowly, tilting my head and looking curiously at him.

“Well, hello there!” he boomed in a loud, dominating voice. His voice and manner already had the hint of alcohol about it…

“Nels is my name. Some call me Naughty, but don't you believe it!” He laughed uproariously at his own joke, and I smiled forcefully, a tad bewildered.

“Ah, don't let the name fool you. I had a bit too much mead a few years back, and there was this tavern wench....” I used my look of wide-eyed innocence and naivety, and he drifted off, grinning sheepishly.

“Anyway, just call me Nels.”
“My name is Addy,” I said, and he shook my hand delicately.

“Glad to meet ya,” he replied. He turned to pick up his mug sitting on the table, and I, seizing the opportunity, cast a Charm spell once again. Taking the advantage while I had it, I decided to try and dig up some dirt.

“Who was that other man, the Redguard…?” Nels’ gaze instantly hardened at the mention of Neville.

His voice was raised as he spoke: “I will confide something in you, my friend. I despise Neville and all his Imperial Legion ilk! They are useless, uncaring tools of corruption!”

His gaze suddenly turned distant, and his voice lowered.

“Three years ago, my village in Skyrim was attacked by bandits. We went to the nearby Imperial Legion outpost, but they refused to help us! My dear, sweet daughter Olga was killed that day.” I was astonished to see his eyes turn moist, and even more astonished to find that I felt pity for him.

“She was murdered, and the Legion would do nothing to help her. Neville and his kind are scum,” he snarled, and I patted his shoulder soothingly.

“I am truly sorry for you loss,” I said. I could see the charm was starting to wear off, so I pushed the conversation forward.

“So, what do you think of the other guests?” I said hurriedly, drawing him out of his reverie.

“What did you say? The other guests? Well, that old woman- Matilde- she’s kind of stuck-up, that one. Right before you got here I told the funniest joke about an Argonian maid, and she didn't even crack a smile.” I laughed to myself, thinking of Matilde’s comment just moments before.

“The Imperial Antonius is young and rich, but I can sense a good, decent person in there somewhere. He just has to get his priorities straight. And Dovesi…” He trailed off, but I looked at him expectantly.

“Dovesi is the spitting image of my own daughter! Her skin is darker, of course, but that sweet face...” He took a deep swig of his mug, and I had the impression he was gulping back more than drink.

There was a silence, and I could tell from the way his body language became stiffer and his face had closed off that the spell would no longer be helping me. “I must be going, I have-” I started, but he interrupted.

“Yes, the hunt is on, eh?” If only you knew, I thought sardonically as he continued. “I wonder how much gold is actually in the chest? A thousand pieces of gold? Ten thousand? I guess it all depends on the size of the chest. The bigger the better, of course, but where would our mysterious host have hidden such a thing?” I started to inch away, and he caught on quickly.

“Of course, go ahead, start your search. I’ll be here if you need anything” he added kindly, and I smiled warmly before walking off to the right, heading up the next flight of stairs.

Nels seemed like an amiable enough fellow, if a little too fond of the drink.
reached the top of the flight of stairs and pushed open the door. I found a hall of doors, three on my right, two on my left. I supposed that these were the bedrooms. All of the doors were closed, except for one on my left. I walked down the hall and peered in, feigning an innocently curious look. I found the Redguard tapping on a bare section of wall, leaning into toward the wood, listening for the dull thud of a hollow space. He stopped in mid knock when he saw me in the doorway.

“Ah yes, the sixth guest. I'm Neville. It's nice to make your acquaintance.” He said, his tone official, too reminiscent of one of the Guard- they were all the same. “I’m Addy,” I said, and we shook hands. I watched him curiously for a moment, and he seemed to be embarrassed that I had discovered him searching.

“Well, that chest of gold is supposed to be in here somewhere,” he said abruptly, his voice almost defensive. “Though why someone would invite us all here just to give it away is quite the mystery…” he added.

“Yes, it is very strange, isn’t it?” I said. “Whoever invited us here is a very generous person.”

“That could be it…” He said, his gaze one of deep though. I looked at him questioningly.

“Never mind. So, have you met any of the other guests?” he said, pulling himself out of his thoughts and focusing on me. He was going to be harder to fool than the others, I decided.

“Well, I’ve only talked with Matilde and Nels…”
I looked up at him, and saw his expression was sour.
“You don’t really like Nels, do you?” I asked. He looked surprised at the directness of my question, but also seemed to appreciate my candor.

“Know what I think? I think that barbarian will do anything to get his hands on the chest of gold. His kind are greedy and vicious, all of them.” I changed my face to a look of surprise, and of doubt that a whole race could be so terrible. The naive look was working wonders- definitely the most tactful route if I wanted everyone to belief my innocence in the events to come.

“Trust me, I know,” he continued, looking down at me superiorly. “I was stationed at Fort Frostmoth for a few years, on the isle of Solstheim. Those Nords are bunches of animal-worshipping savages. They’re all the same, full of mead and something to prove.” He shook his head, looking disgusted.

“He did seem fond of the bottle…” I said, and he nodded knowingly, pleased with my reaction. “He also said she was fond of Dovesi, but I haven’t talked with her yet. What is she like?”

“Dovesi is a Dark Elf. They call themselves Dunmer. When I was young, I spent some time stationed at Fort Moonmoth on their homeland of Morrowind. I have a great respect for the Dunmer people. They are strong and noble, and generally understand the importance of law and discipline.”

By Sithis, all this man cared about was authority. Fitting, I suppose, for a guard, but that didn’t make it any the less annoying to listen to. Now him I was looking forward to killing already.

“Unfortunately, Dovesi doesn't seem to like me very much. But I don't blame her. The young ones tend to have problems with authority figures,” he finished. He gave me a look, taking in my fairly young form, probably wondering if I was that way.

“I hope I will be able to find that out first hand,” I said, and he looked at me curiously.

“My husband was in the Kvatch town guard, the night the Daedra came.” His expression changed immediately to one of pity and respect. That was a hit, I thought. “I was pregnant when he died, and was out of town visiting a relative that night. I haven’t been able to make much money, and my baby has fallen ill. When I received the invitation to come here, I jumped at the chance in hopes that I can save my baby. All I want is to see her grow up and scorn authority…” And for the final effect, I made my eyes mist over and gazed off into the distance.

“Your late husband sounds like an honorable man, and I am sorry for your loss. I hope the best for you and your baby, truly,” he said softly, looking me in the eye, and squeezing my shoulder comfortingly.

I sniffed my nose and smiled gratefully, acting as though I was holding back tears. Typical of most men, he seemed uncomfortable with a crying woman and tried to change the subject.

"Well, I don't suppose you've met Primo yet? The young Imperial?" I shook my head, and he looked relieved in my interest.

"The kid's a blue blood, noble through-and-through. He thinks he's better than most people, and in most cases he's right. I'll confess that I have no idea why Primo is here. The kid's got more wealth than the rest of us combined."

"Yes, Matilde mentioned he was quite wealthy. But why would he require more gold? There are many who actually need it," I said, an edge of resentment in my voice.

"You're quite right, he sure doesn't need a chest of gold... Maybe he's incredibly greedy, but I don't think so. My guess is that Primo is so bored he simply has nothing better to do," Neville said thoughtfully. He seemed quite more insightful than he appears, I would have to watch out for that- I thought cautiously to myself.

"He could have found other ways to spend his time," I said huffily, and he smiled understandingly.

"Although this is true, there isn't anything we can do about it now. We are all stuck here together until someone finds that chest, and it could be any of us. Now, the chest won't find itself. We both should start searching in earnest now, as you know everyone else will be doing the same. Good luck."

"To you as well," I responded, and I left the room, shutting the door behind me. He could knock on walls all he wished, he wouldn't find anything, I said to myself, rather satisfied at the thought. I was about to head down the stairs again when the door to my right opened, and a young blonde man walked out. He was dressed lavishly, and had the air of importance about him. So this was Primo.

"So, you finally showed up. It's about time. People of my station are not accustomed to waiting..." He looked down at me, raising an eyebrow. "My name is Primero Antonius. Just call me Primo. And you are?"

"I'm Addy." He looked at me expectantly, but I gave him a quizzical look. He sighed heavily, and then asked- "Addy what?"

"Uhm, just Addy..." I was caught off guard- I was had never known my real last name, and didn't think to give my new identity one either.

"You don't have a surname?" He seemed aghast. I could tell names and heritage were very important to him.

"Well if you really must know it was Diventius, but I've stopped using the name since my husband's death," I invented wildly. "I was an orphan, I never knew my pre-marital name." Keeping as close to the truth as possible was making this a much simpler thing pull off.

He looked taken aback for a moment, and seemed rather ashamed. Serves him right, I thought ruefully. Someone needed to take him down a notch. His voice sounded apologetic when he spoke again, after a moment of rather uncomfortable silence. "Yes, well… here we all are. It's funny how money can bring people together, don't you think?"

I acted relieved to be freed from the tension, and spoke energetically.
"It is rather odd, isn't it?" I said. "I've spoken with most of the guests, and everyone seems so different, so diverse...I mean, we have a Redguard who's an obvious enforcer and follower of law, and than a Nord whose name even suggests otherwise!" I said with a laugh.

"I wouldn't be so quick to stereotype..." Aha, he had taken the bait. "Yes, Nels is a drunk- he doesn't even try to hide that fact. But what else is he? When the liquor has dried, what remains of the man? I think Nels drinks to forget, maybe about some tragedy in his life. He plays the buffoon, but I sense a deep sadness in him.”

Woa. Either he had already had a heart to heart chat with Nels, or Primo was the most observant and insightful man I had ever known.

I gave him a thoughtful look, as though pondering what he had said. He was watching me closely, his expression betraying nothing. I was quite nervous, having just seen his powers of observation at work, but tried to maintain my composure. I already realized that he would be the most difficult to fool, and that therefore he would be the first to die. But when, and how?

I was about to speak the sound of a little bell ringing came from downstairs, and the old woman's shout of 'Dinner!' came echoing up the stairs. We exchanged looks and set out down the stairs, Neville following not far behind. We found the table was laden with bowls and plates, covered with steaming dishes.

"We're going to run out of supplies if we eat like this every night!" Nels exclaimed, stabbing some mutton from the platter with his knife and dropping it onto his plate. Dovesi was sitting next to him, looking unsure of whether to look amused or disgusted as he gnawed on the piece of meat.

"Please, sit down," motioned Matilde, who was welcoming each of us as we arrived.

I sat down next to Nels, and Primo next to me. Dovesi was already seated next to the other side of Nels, and Neville sat next to Primo.

"Well, dig in!" exclaimed Matilde, before taking the remaining chair.
We all followed her orders without protest, I especially. It had been awhile since I had had some truly exquisite cooking, and this was just that. The next twenty minutes or so contained a fairly comfortable silence, the sounds of skewering forks and chewing appreciatively. As the plates began to empty and the stomachs began to fill, conversation started to pick up.

As the others were speaking animatedly, Dovesi leaned across the table and shook my hand.

"Hello, I'm Dovesi. I'm very pleased to meet you," she said, her face pleasant. "My name's Addy, and I'm pleased to meet you as well," I replied.

We spoke pleasantly for a few moments, and after such a short time I already knew that she would be the easiest (except perhaps Matilde) to manipulate. She was young and inexperienced in the ways of the world, and seemed very set in her ideas. That made her easy to fool.

"Well now that you're here, we can really start looking for that chest of gold. What I mean to say is, before you arrived, we all just sort of glanced around a bit. Now that we're all officially here, we can look in earnest!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you for waiting," I replied, and her easily read face gave me the distinct impression that she had begun searching 'in earnest' the moment she had arrived.

I looked over at Primo on my other side. He had been silent throughout the meal, and I suspected he had been observing the guests. Every time I glanced at him, however, his gaze was upon Dovesi. She was now sipping from her glass, watching as Neville told tales his days in the Legion to the absolutely fawning Matilde.

I took a closer look at his expression, and suddenly made a connection from our earlier conversation. Primo fancies Dovesi! I exclaimed to myself. I became so engrossed with planning how I could use this to my advantage that I barely noticed as Matilde rose and started collecting dishes for cleanup. After a moment the others started to leave, heading for bed. Everyone started to head upstairs, except for Primo. He seemed to be in a state of deep thought as well, and I remained at the table with him, continuing to think hard as well.

I had a brief notion to kill him, as I felt he and Neville were the most threatening, but I realized quickly enough that the situation would be too obvious- I would be the prime suspect, and I most certainly didn't want that. I would have to wait until there was an opportunity where several others could take the blame.

I looked back at Primo, and saw that he was smiling slightly, but still deep in thought. I decided to take a chance.

"So, what are you thinking about?" I said, my voice amused.
“Wha- Oh nothing," he said, looking surprised to find me there. I gave him a knowing look, smiling superiorly.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding slightly irritable.
"You were thinking about Dovesi, weren't you?" I said, smiling broader still as his face gave him away.

"I don't- what are you- that's-" he sputtered, but the 'secret' was out, and he realized it.

"Oh alright," he snapped. He looked closely at me. "How did you know?"
I continued to smile mysteriously, and shrugged my shoulders indifferently. At first he looked irritated, but after a moment he shrugged his shoulders as well.

"Many say that women have a sense about these things..." he said.
"I suppose you could say that," I replied. Or you could have been sitting there staring at her for over an hour with a face like a lovesick puppy.

"Well you can't blame me, can you? She's quite beautiful, isn't she? A little young, perhaps, and not exactly high-born, but she possesses a unique elegance..." His voice was far away, his eyes misting over. I had a feeling like he could have this conversation with himself. I cleared my throat loudly- I didn't have time for this, I had his murder to plan.

"From the little I spoke with her, she seems like a pleasant girl," I said, steering him back down from his thoughts.

"Yes...Can I be honest with you, my friend?"

"Always."
"Truth be told, I find Dovesi... captivating. She possesses a beauty beyond compare. Maybe you could do me a favor?"

"Depends," I said, smiling to show I was joking. Sort of.

"She seems fond of you- If you speak with her, put in a good word for me, would you? I would be forever in your debt," he said, almost pleadingly.

"Of course, my friend," I replied. This was turning into a most productive conversation, I thought wryly.

"Thank you!" He cried, wringing my hand gratefully. "Well I'm off to bed... see you in the morning," he said, and strode off towards the stairs.

I remained behind, plopping myself down on the chair. I sipped a glass of wine, brooding on all I had learned a lot in my first couple of hours here. I thought of my fellow guests; there was so much potential for chaos, just how to harness it to my advantage... The feuds and friendships had already started to form, and were becoming stronger with each passing hour.

I thought about Primo and Dovesi- how could I use that for my advantage? If I told Dovesi of Primo’s feelings, and she returned them, then it would be an instant alliance between the two, meaning that if one was killed, the other would most likely be upset… and it would probably make them the prime target in the eyes of the rest of the guests. I had already decided that unless there were circumstances that I could not pass up, Primo was going to die first.

My musings were cut short when Nels came into the room. He shuffled toward the table and grabbed two bottles of Ale, looking at the labels with a broad grin, before he spotted me. He gave a start, and then smiled guiltily, holding up the bottles of ale. “Haha, guess ya caught me. Just a little something to help me sleep…” he trailed off, seemingly waiting for my reaction.

“Of course, my friend,” I said, laughing lightly. I gestured to my still half full goblet of wine. “I understand completely…” And I walked towards the stairs to the bedrooms.

I peaked in on all the doors and found that the first room on the right had an empty bed. The other was occupied by Dovesi, who was sitting up, brushing her hair. “Oh hello!” She exclaimed. “I was wondering when you would come up.”
“I was just thinking… this is such an odd situation, don’t you think?”

She looked hesitant before responding. “It is all so strange, isn't it? I don't know why I was invited to come here, but the gold could really help my family.”
“Me too,” I said, and we both looked at each other for a moment in silence.

“Its such an odd mix of people- have you ever met anyone here before?” I said, starting up the conversation again.

“I haven’t, actually. I wonder how our host chose to bring us all together,” she said, looking at me as if I would know.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know, it is odd. Everyone is so different…” She nodded, and I waited for her to speak. She didn’t.

“Well… what do you think of everyone? Personally, I don’t like Matilde. She gets on my nerves, always acting so sweet, but you can tell she’s not,” I said boldly, taking a chance. I got lucky- she giggled nervously, before responding.

“Honestly? I don't think she likes me.” I looked at her, surprise in my features. “It's because I'm a Dunmer.” I gave her a look of sympathy at the woman’s prejudice. “I heard her say something to Neville, and it wasn't very nice…” she finished sadly, and I patted her shoulder.

“It’s okay, everyone knows she’s a batty old woman.” I said, and she smiled. “And Neville, well, you know how soldiers are…”

“He’s not just a soldier -- he was an officer in the Imperial Legion. I hate the Legion and everything it stands for.“ She said, sounding rather angry. “When those soldiers came to Morrowind, they persecuted my people and stole our lands. Neville may not be in the Legion anymore, but who knows what atrocities he committed. And yet he continues to act as though he is sent from the Nine to do their bidding…”

“He does act all superior to everyone- did you see how he was talking to Nels earlier?”

“I heard! Just because of his name and race, Neville is treating him like the dirt on his shoe!” she exclaimed, before looking embarrassed at her outburst. She took a breath, and then continued thoughtfully.

“I wonder what makes him so "Naughty"? He seems nice enough to me. Every now and then he looks over at me and smiles. I think he's sweet on me.”

I smiled widely, but she didn’t full return it.
“What’s the matter?” I asked. “I thought you liked Nels?”

“Well…. To tell you the truth, I’m rather taken by Primo,” she blushed. “I think he’s very handsome. But please don't tell him I said so!” We laughed, but she stopped quickly, looking upset again.

“But it's pretty obvious that Primo comes from a wealthy family. He would never be interested in a girl like me, I'm afraid…”

I figured now that now was the moment.

“Not true! I told him I wouldn’t say anything, but… he told me he likes you!” I exclaimed, holding her shoulders. She looked stunned.

“He…he did? Oh my goodness, what should I do!?” she exclaimed, and I laughed good-naturedly at her.

“Calm down! I think you should just talk to him- he seems very smitten already, so I’m sure he’ll listen to anything you’ll say,” I said, and she nodded slowly.

She looked dazed as I climbed into my own bed and pulled up the covers, and I chuckled.

"Why don’t you get some sleep- want to keep yourself looking beautiful for Primo,” I said, and she grinned.

“Yes… well, good night,” she said.
“You too.”

Chapter Ten: Whodunit Part III

The next morning I awoke early, intending to investigate the house without interruption. I got dressed carefully again, making sure that the hidden knives and Mithril armor did not show through the fabric of my dress, and securely locked the chest at the foot of my bed. I glanced over at Dovesi. She was still sleeping soundly, snoring lightly. I crept out of the room, careful to close the door silently, and started down the stairs.

“Good morning deary!”
I nearly fell down the last couple of steps in alarm. I stumbled, caught my footing, and found myself face to face with Matilde Petit, who was full of early morning cheer.

“Sorry, I startled you again, didn’t I?” she said apologetically.
“Oh no, I’m fine,” I said, smiling. Inside I was fuming- it was five in the morning, I didn’t expect anyone to be up this early! What in the name of Sithis was the woman doing?!

“Well I’ve been working on breakfast.” Oh.
“I expect everyone will be hungry, and we all have a long day of searching ahead I expect…” she said.

“Yes, I suppose we do.”
There was a silence, and she looked at me expectantly. I gritted my teeth, and forcefully said “Do you need any help?”
“You’re so thoughtful! Actually I do, if you would be so kind.”

I spent the next hour listening to the woman babble about her days as a young nobleman’s daughter- the trials and tribulations of the rich. When Neville came down at 6:30, and distracted her attention, I was so excited that I didn’t feel the customary strong urge to slay him where he stood.

Over the next hour the others started to come down, and we started eating at around 8. Breakfast was delicious, but the talk was less free than it had been last night. I think the ‘contest’ had become more real for the guests this morning, and they were tense about it.

We all knew that as soon as breakfast was over, the hunt would begin...
And so it did. It was awkward, as plates began to empty, eyes started to dart around them room when they thought no one was looking (I, of course, was looking), already searching. When the last fork was laid down (Nels‘) we cleared up in almost complete silence.

Matilde was the first to leave, stammering about needing to get something from her room. Neville followed, with an equally pathetic excuse. Nels looked at the three of us standing before him- Primo, Dovesi and myself, and laughed heartily.

“Well, I’m not going to lie. I’m off to look for treasure!” he said, and then strode off in the direction of the basement, chortling to himself.

I exchanged looks with Primo and Dovesi, and we all smiled sheepishly. Dovesi and Primo exchanged a glance, and both looked away, blushing.

“Well, I’m going to…. Oh you know!” I said, smiling. I turned and walked off towards the second floor. As I reached the staircase I turned and gave Primo a wink behind Dovesi‘s back, and he returned with a grateful look, understanding that I had already talked to Dovesi.

* * *

The day was filled with observing people rather amusedly as they searched for treasure in the most preposterous places you could ever think of.

One particular incident that comes to mind is when I sat in the shadows of the foyer, watching Nels attempt to climb the bookcase shelves and reach the space between the top and the ceiling. He knocked several things over (including himself a few times) before resorting to a fit of rage and kicking the bottom shelf, causing nearly the whole thing to collapse.

And one particular thing I noticed was how Dovesi and Primo were rarely out of sight of each other, and almost always in close conversation. They really had become attached to each other, and in a extremely short amount of time.

There were no breaks throughout the day- lunch was a solitary effort. When you were hungry, you ate what you could whip up. The only to not eat alone were, of course, Primo and Dovesi.

The other guests were starting to notice their alliance, with varying reactions. Matilde and Neville, who did not seem to approve of Dovesi, therefore did not agree with the pairing. Nels on the other had seemed quite please that the girl was happy. I, of course, seeing the possibilities that this supplied me with as a ‘carrier of chaos’, was overjoyed that they had become so close so quickly.

I did not speak much to the guests throughout the day, only once with each to find their reactions about Dovesi and Primo. Otherwise, I avoided contact with them as much as possible. The house was large enough that it had many dark corners in which I could take refuge, just to listen and observe.

The thrill of the hunt was starting to get to me- it wasn’t like the normal stalking in the shadows… it was a game of sociology. I was making my victims like me.. I was getting to know them; I had never done that before- known a contract before I killed them. It added a… personal element to it. I thought of killing each of the guests in turn, and a thrill ran through my spine, into my very bones.

I lay in wait in the shadows, anticipating the right moment to kill Primo- but the occasion did not arise where I felt Dovesi would be blamed, and I free from suspicion. The sun set, and darkness fell. The night was my time. As the skies grew darker, there was within my soul an arousal; the Dread Father was with me, I could feel it. I would kill soon…

We all gathered for dinner, the seating arrangement varying only slightly from last night. Dovesi was sitting with Primo on her left and Nels on her right. Next to Nels was Matilde, who looked terrified to be that close to the big, rambunctious man. Neville was next to her, and I next to Neville. Talk was subdued, and we ate in almost complete silence. No one had found anything, and they were starting to wonder how far they would have to go to find the gold.

As we all finished and started to bade each other good-night, I remained behind to clean up. Matilde was collecting plates but I told her go upstairs and that I would take care of it. Everyone but Dovesi and Primo had left, who were still sitting at the table talking.

“Thanks sweetie- I am rather tired. It’s been a long day,” said the old woman. She left the room and walked slowly up the stairs.

“I’ll help you, Addy,” said Dovesi, and she turned to Primo. “Go read that book that you saw downstairs- you said you wanted to look through it, and now the house is quiet. We don’t need help here, the women can handle it,” she said, smiling at me.

“Are you sure?” said Primo, looking anxious.
“Of course, it’s fine. Enjoy your book.” He nodded vaguely before heading downstairs.

Dovesi and I cleared the table silently for awhile, washing dishes and packaging up remaining food. We were placing plates back into a cabinet when I decided to try to set things in motion.

“So, things seem to be going pretty well between you two,” I said, giving her a sideways smile.

“Mmm, they are…” she replied. “He’s a wonderful man, very insightful, and sensitive…” she trailed off.

“Yes?” I prompted.
“Well, I just want to spend some alone time with him, and he with I. You know, where we don’t have to worry about anyone walking in on us…” she trailed off again, and I nodded knowingly. And suddenly, a plan clicked into place. I took on a thoughtful face, tilted my head slightly, slow smile spreading as if in dawning comprehension.

“What is it?” asked Dovesi.
“Hmmm…” I pretended to be thinking again.
“Oh out with it, tell me!” she exclaimed, rolling her eyes and laughing.
“Well… you guys could go in our room…I’ll stay in Matilde’s room- she’s probably asleep already…” I raised my eyebrows, and her smiled broadened.

“Oh, would you?” she exclaimed. But then her face fell. “I mean, it is rather forward… but I like it!” I nodded encouragingly, and her smile returned.

“All right then, I'll wait for him in our room upstairs- there’s something I want to do…” she grinned.

“I’ll tell him, if you want… get him wondering what’s going on… you know, build the anticipation,” I said, and she laughed.

“Oh would you? Thank you, thank you!” she smiled, and gave me a quick hug before walking off upstairs, a jump in her step.

Smiling softly to myself, thinking of what lay ahead, I methodically and calmly placed the last of the dishes away, and took a deep breath. The thrill was already rising within me, my bloodlust was rising.

I started down the stairs toward Primo. As I walked I thought of Dovesi- it seemed to me that she was very interested in Primo’s wealth; I believed she was more keen on finding rich than finding love. Oh well, I thought. I would make sure she never found either…

I located Primo perched in an extravagant lounge chair, book held loftily in hand. Even when he was reading he held his nose high and his posture perfect, reeking in superiority.

“Primo?” He looked up.
“Yes? Do you need me for something?”
I put on the act of looking about, checking for onlookers (of course there wasn’t) and then returned my gaze to him.

“Well… Dovesi wanted me to inform you that she is waiting upstairs for you, in her room.” He looked confused, so I added a wink. Comprehension dawned on his face, along with a look of almost… fear. One could assume he had little experience in these matters.

“Oh… yes, well…” he looked back at me, seemingly looking for advice. I smiled kindly, while inside churning with rage at this pathetic form before me.

“Why don’t you collect yourself, and then head up there?” I said, patting him on the shoulder. He nodded vaguely, his mind already somewhere else.

I started to walk toward the stairs, careful to keep my pace steady. However, as soon as I was out of sight of Primo, I dashed up the two flights of stairs, quietly and lithe as possible. I reached the top, stood for a moment, fixed my hair, and walked into the Third Floor hallways of bedrooms.

I passed Dovesi’s room slowly. She was sitting on the bed, tracing her finger along the fine fabric of the comforter, when she spotted me. She gave a questioning look, and I smiled slightly and nodded.

I passed the room, but did not walk into Matilde’s. Instead, I turned, making sure no one else was in the hallway, before casting an invisibility spell. I walked carefully back down the hallway towards the stairs, wary not to make a sound. I opened and closed the door, sliding into the shadows of the landing. So far, my plan had been executed perfectly. And now for the final execution…

Several moments later I heard the footsteps of Primo climbing the first set of stairs. My heart began racing, my blood flowing quickly. I already felt an overwhelming sense of pride and fulfillment washing through my very bones, flowing through each and every inch of me. The anticipation for the kill was near unbearable, but I waited, knowing Sithis was with me.

Primo turned the corner. Time seemed to slow as he mounted the stairs, an eager yet nervous look in his eye. His steps reverberated and echoed throughout my body, each longer than the last. His breath was a gasping noise in my head, his heartbeat a steady drum- I wanted to end it all, I had to end it! It was becoming excruciating, this waiting, when he was so close… I could but reach forward and slice my dagger through his fair skin, red staining its purity… but I knew I had to wait.

Primo finally reached the landing where I stood, and reached to open the door. He twisted the handle, started to pull the door open…and I struck.

With one hand I grabbed his, clutched to the door, and whipped it open, dodging around it. Before he could utter a gasp of astonishment, I grabbed his throat. He started choking, eyes bulging and his stare bewildered and horrified.

I felt a thrill rise up through my entire body. My breath short and my heart flying, I used my spare hand and twisted his neck abruptly and fiercely. There was a satisfying crack, and I felt the high of a kill flow through my soul. I dropped his body and shoved it down the stairs, watching as it become limp before landing at the bottom, twisting and crunching in odd, unnatural angles.

This part of my plan I had went over and over in my mind, deciding how best to use it to my advantage. I didn’t want to arouse suspicion too early- one death could be passed off as accidental, and I wanted to use that opportunity to my advantage. But even if the death was pronounced an accident, I had still dropped the stone into the pond. The ripples and undercurrents of distrust and fear would start to brew, and from that they could only escalate.

And so I had decided to use the opportunity to my advantage, to absolve myself from any and all suspicion. If I was seen going into Matilde’s room before the accident, and only leaving once someone else discovered his body, no one could possibly suspect me. And it would put all the distrust in Dovesi.

I had only seconds to revel in the kill before I sprinted silently down into Matilde’s room, my invisibility spell wearing off. She was still asleep, the racket had not awoken her. But then I heard Dovesi moving in the next room. Her room was closest to the stairs, and I had counted on the others not hearing the sound Primo’s demise would have made, all but her, who was probably listening intently for his arrival…

I heard her walking in the hallway, she was at the door to the stairs, opening it… And as I had thought, she did not call out to ask about the ruckus, in fear that someone would become respond and would come to investigate. Her’s and Primo’s meeting was supposed to be secret, after all…

I listened as the door opened, and I waited as she looked down the stairs… Primo’s body had landed in an unnatural angle, his knee twisted outward at an impossible angle and his neck showed the obvious signs of being broken. His head was nearly twisted all the way around- he had landed on his stomach, but his face was almost directly pointed at the ceiling. His bloodshot eyes still held the look of surprise, and they seemed to be staring into your own...

I knew she had seen the body when there came a blood curling scream; a scream filled of intense terror and grief. It filled my heart with a malicious glee. The real party had just begun.

Chapter Eleven: Whodunit Part IV

The first scream was followed by shocked silence, in which I could just feel the tense bodies of the other freshly awakened guests, stunned, afraid to be the first to make a move or sound. Mere seconds passed, but they seemed to stretch on for moments as the guests desperately listened to some clue on what was going on; the tension could be felt thickly within the very air. I turned to Matilde, who was upright in her bed, her body stiff and eyes wide.

And suddenly, Dovesi screamed again… but it was now broken up by another sound; wailing sobs. Sobs that sent a morbid shiver down my spine, knowing that my actions, my patient plotting, had caused this pain, this anguish . But I could not relish long in the chaos I had so ingeniously created- I had a part to play.

And so I exchanged a frantic glance with Matilde before both leaping from our beds, dashing out the doors and into the now crowded hallway. Neville was up ahead, while I caught a sight of Nels standing bleary-eyed at a doorway behind us.

We reached the landing to find Dovesi curled up in the corner, her face streaked with tears, gaze directed down to Primo’s motionless body. I watched the face of each guest in turn as they saw the corpse, my heart swelling with the pride of Sithis.

Neville’s gaze grew hard and stony once the realization hit- I could tell he would know this was not an accident. Matilde’s face grew instantly to one of the utmost horror; she drew her hand over her mouth and gasped, eyes wide. Nels’ rather bloodshot eyes did not seem phased- more surprised than anything.

But in all their eyes I saw the morbid fascination with the horrific and grisly aspects of life. Something that many try to deny, or keep burrowed within themselves… No matter how much they tried to renounce it, however, it was there. I instead chose to embrace it.

After a moment of taking in the body, Matilde leaned back into the hallway, breathing deeply. Neville started to creep down the stairs, his steps cautious and deliberate, heading slowly and carefully to the body. Nels seemed transfixed, his eyes not wavering from Primo. I relished for another brief moment, and then I began my act.

I slid into the landing and knelt down next to Dovesi, taking her face in my hands and looking into her eyes. Her gaze darted about, unable to hold a focus on my own. I spoke softly and rapidly to her, muttering words of comfort, as she continued to shake with now silent sobs.

Neville had reached the body of Primo Antonius, and was inspecting it, touching only very lightly. Dovesi was now clutched desperately around my shoulders, and I gripped her slight figure back, pretending to share her sobs- but I made sure to keep Neville’s movements viewable through the gap in our arms. I saw him lean in to investigate further, but then hesitate. He glanced up towards our grieving forms and drew his hand away, rising and starting up the stairs again.

Dovesi had stopped crying for a moment to look over at Neville, her gaze pitiful. “Is he…is…” she choked out. Neville nodded, his gaze downward and solemn. She shoved her head into my shoulder and returned to her sobs. Nels finally drew his gaze from the body and looked down at Dovesi. His eyes were hard, filled with a fire that only a Nord could possess. He was angry.

“What happened here? Hmm, Dovesi?” he snarled, his voice accusatory.
Dovesi stopped her tears abruptly, her body growing still. She lifted her head slowly, her eyes filled with pain and anguish, but now her features were defensive. Before she could speak, however, I cut in.

“Nels! How could you even think such a horrible thing!” I exclaimed, my voice appalled.

He looked abashed, and Matilde jumped in.
“Nels, can’t you see the girl is upset? Someone’s just died, don’t you have any decency?” her voice cracking.

Nels was blinking hard, as though trying to process the situation. It didn’t seem to be working. However, Neville was quick to take control.

“Addy, why don’t you get Dovesi out of here, there’s no sake in keeping her here…” he gestured towards the bedroom, and I nodded understandingly. Matilde helped me lift Dovesi to her feet, who was now refusing to say anything. She was going into shock.

I was quite disgusted by her- it wasn’t as if she had even known the man that long! And if she was as poor as she claimed to be, she should have most certainly seen death before, and in more horrendous forms. And she didn’t even understood the truth about his death… By Sithis, the girl was so dramatic.

Matilde and I led her carefully into the bedroom, guiding Dovesi straight on to the bed. Silent tears were continuously streaming down her face, but her gaze remained distant.

Matilde helped the girl lie down and I started to walk back towards the door. She waved her hand, signaling that I could leave, and took out a handkerchief. She began to wipe the tears from Dovesi’s face, and I marveled at how quickly tragedy and chaos could change a persons view of another.

When I got back to the stairs, I came upon Nels and Neville arguing vehemently. Okay, maybe not so much…

They were both gesturing and shouting, pointing and waving. Not a word could be interpreted or understood, due to the fact that Nels seemed to have resorted to roaring instead of speaking.

“What’s going on?” I exclaimed. Nels and Neville both turned towards me, faces red.

“Someone has just died, and all you can do is have a shouting match?” I glared at them, and they started to look uncomfortable. “I think that we need to figure out what we’re going to do, together, instead of fighting in a time like this.”

There was a silence, while I continued glaring at both of them, and then Neville spoke, his voice soft.

“We need to move the body, we can’t just leave it here…” I nodded, and looked at Nels expectantly. He nodded as well, though rather reluctantly. I was pleased with this reaction- the reason I had interrupted their fight so early was because I knew that it was better that this conflict was left unresolved, as it could be useful later…

We quickly discussed how to handle the body- I went upstairs and pulled the sheet off of Primo’s bed, and then returned to the top landing, where Nels and Neville had carried his corpse. In silence we wrapped him up in the sheet and lifted him into the storage room, where I adjusted some boxes to make a sort of table. I backed out of the room while Nels and Neville carefully placed the late Primo Antonius, pulling the sheet over him.

We stood in silence for a moment, each with our thoughts in completely different places, looking the form beneath the sheet, the faint outline of Primo’s features. After another moment, Neville said: “We should wait till morning to discuss this. I think we all need some rest.”

I nodded, glad to have the night to plan my next move. Nels, however, looked disgruntled, but he still followed Neville and I out into the hall. We turned to our separate rooms, but they both hesitated at the doorway, as though they wanted to say something more. But then they seemed to think better of it, and continued into their rooms, shutting the doors behind them.

I walked into the other room that Matilde had been using, and lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, I started to plot my next move.

First I should probably spend some time with Dovesi, play the caring friend. After that…well I knew that Neville would die next, he was most certainly my most dangerous enemy. He knew that death was no accident, and he would use his Legion gained skills to figure out the truth. His death would also alarm the other guests even more- he may be getting on in years, but he was still strong and skilled in the arts of battle, and the guests would know that if someone defeated Neville, that person could certainly kill those remaining…

Smiling to myself, I thought about the already executed part of my plan. It had been completed perfectly…I lay completely out of suspicion, while all the blame had fallen on the foolish girl, Dovesi.

And so my thoughts went for most of the night- I was still intoxicated by the thrill of a murder, of death within these walls by my hands…but eventually sleep came, and I dreamt of the demise of Neville, his blood flowing freely, staining my blade…

When I awoke my surroundings seemed quiet. I took a moment to orient myself, and then listened harder. I didn’t hear the sounds of deep breathing or snoring, or the creaking of beds and shifting of bodies while they slept. But I did faintly hear the music of birds and doves; I had overslept, it must be well past morning.

Cursing rapidly under my breath, I leapt out of bed and pulled on a spare dress, quickly attaching a dagger and a few throwing knives to my leg, along with some poisons into the inner folds of my skirt. I walked into the hallway and peered into all the rooms- no one was there, except of course for Primo, still laying beneath his sheet. I ran fingers through my hair, attempting to tidy it up as I descended the stairs quickly.

I could now hear voices, raised voices.
“Well who else could it have been?” That was Nel’s voice.
“Nels, really now, look at the poor girl…”

I entered the room to quite a chaotic scene. Nels was standing across the table from Matilde and Neville, while Dovesi was standing off to side. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her face was defensive and angered. Nels’ face was beet red, and his eyes were flashing. Matilde looked flustered and upset, while Neville was watching with an impassive face, his eyes understanding almost.

When I entered the room all four turned to look at me.
“What is going on?” I asked, my voice cracking.
Dovesi uttered a little sob and walked over towards me, taking my hand in both of hers and looking into my eyes in despair.

“Nels thinks that I… that I…killed-” and she dissolved into sobs, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. Using an extraordinary amount of willpower, I put my own arms around her, patting her head comfortingly, while glaring at Nels over her shoulder.

“Nels, look at her! She couldn’t have killed him!” I said, my voice startled. Nels started to speak, but Neville cut in. “This was nothing more than an accident. I have seen murder countless times in my life, and this was not. I think we all just need to calm down,” he said… But I could tell he didn’t believe his own words. However, they did have a soothing effect on everyone else.

“What happened was terrible yes, but it was nothing more than an accident. Now I think we should all focus on getting out of here, and fast.” Aha, I thought. He’s scared. “I don’t know about you, but that gold’s not looking as appealing now,” Neville said, and the others nodded in consent.

“We can all search for the chest, together. We’ll decide what to do with the gold once we’ve found it, but all I know is that I want to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

“I agree,” said Matilde, speaking in an almost defiant voice. “It’s better that we work together- I don’t want to stay here any longer. There’s an…eerie aura about the house, don’t you feel it? A sense of dread?” She looked around at the others, who stared blankly back. “In any case, I think its time we set aside our differences,” she finished.

“We should start right away-” Neville said. “-Addy, take Dovesi to her room. I think that she would be more of a hindrance in her current state than a help.”

I nodded, internally fuming over being left out of the planning, and walked slowly up the stairs, listening intently over Dovesi’s quiet sobs as Neville ordered that they begin to comb the house in an organized manner- sending Matilde to the basement, Nels to the first floor, and himself to the third floor, leaving me the second floor. We would switch throughout the day- whenever you had felt you’d searched the area thoroughly, you’d find someone to exchange floors with.

This was certainly going to make things a bit more difficult for me, I thought grimly. Everyone was organized…I had hoped for chaos…but with the elimination of Neville, it seemed I would achieve this. Now how to bring that about…

I laid Dovesi in bed, wiping her face with a handkerchief and soothing her cries. After about fifteen minutes she had calmed down, and was starting to dose off. I smiled softy to myself as I pulled the covers over her body, knowing that soon, very soon, I would be sending her soul to Sithis…

I walked out into the hallway and found the area to be silent- but surely Neville had come up to begin his search? I stuck my head into all of the bedrooms, but didn’t see him.

Puzzled, I was about to walk down the stairs when I remembered- the storage room…where Primo’s body now lay!

I opened the door and found Neville with his back to me. He was lifting the sheet, inspected Primo’s neck. To announce my presence I gave a little gasp of surprise, and he turned about wildly.

“What in the name of Akatosh are you doing?” I implored, aghast.
“Well…” He looked me up and down, as though sizing me up. He took in my defiant and strong willed jaw, and seemed to come to a decision. He sighed, as though already sorry about what he was about to say.

“I tell you this in complete confidence… you are the only I feel can handle this appropriately. I can trust you to do the right thing,” he said.

I looked back at him, nodding slightly and responding “Of course.” He closed his eyes for a moment, obviously planning his words carefully, before continuing.

“To be quite frank, I wasn’t being entirely truthful downstairs.”
“Are you saying that you’re not searching for the-” I began.
“No, no that I was being completely truthful about,” he said irritably. “What I mean is… I don’t believe Primo’s death was an accident.” I changed my look to one of irritation and exasperation.

“Not this again,” I groaned. “I know Dovesi, she couldn’t have-”
“I’m not saying that it was Dovesi,” he interrupted, looking at me in a meaningful sort of way.

“Then what are you saying?” I implored, narrowing my eyes slightly.
He sighed again. “Here we are, locked inside a house with five strangers? It sounded like a trap when I read the invitation. Looks like I was right!” I widened my eyes, my mouth opening slightly in alarm. But the comprehension, the realization that he was right, was in my eyes as well. He took power from my confirmation and continued on, his voice raising.

“We're being stalked, like animals in the forest. I'm still not sure if the killer is one of the other guests, or is hiding somewhere in the house. One thing I do know is that the killer won't just stop with one. They never do,” he said ferociously, and I could tell he knew this from experience. I took a quick, gasping, nervous breath, and he put a comforting, strong hand on my shoulder.

“You and I, we need to watch each other's backs. I've got my old Legion armor and sword in a chest in my room. It's time I geared up and showed this coward just who he's dealing with!”

By Sithis, I hated this man! I had to act quickly, or matters could be taken outside of my control. I did some extremely fast thinking, and thankfully found a solution.

“I…they…” I stammered, and he looked at me apologetically. I acted as though this information had staggered me. After a moment of closed eyes and open mouthed processing, I look up at him, as though I had reached a decision.

“I don’t want to believe it-” I said, my voice stronger. “-but I think that you are right…I have a dagger, in my room…” My voice trailed off.

“Yes, you should most certainly keep that with you at all times…and please, keep this information to yourself. There is no need to alarm the others, and you could very well be informing the killer of our awareness…” I nodded, and we both walked out of the room, I in the lead. He headed for his room, while I darted into mine.

There wasn’t much time, not if this was going to work….I pulled my sharpest dagger out from the sheath hidden on my leg, and took out a vial of poison. Carefully, I smeared the edge of the dagger with the lethal substance, keeping it away from my own skin. I stuck the poison back into a pocket and stepped silently into the hall, sending a silent prayer to the Night Mother…

His door was ajar, and peering in I could see him leaning over his chest, rummaging about, the clanging of metals and steel clearly heard. And among this was another sound…my heart beating, reverberating throughout my head…the blood pulsing through my veins…and thinking of the blood in his veins, soon to be spilt…

I crept into the room, my legs bent and ready in case he turned unexpectedly. He didn’t. I was three feet from him….two…one…and with a surge of sadistic glee, I grabbed Neville by his hair and pulled his head back, level to my own. I pressed my dagger to his throat, and leaned in slightly, touching my lips softly to his ear.

“You’re right….I won’t stop with one,” I whispered.
And before he could shout out, I stabbed the tip of my dagger deep within his flesh, until I felt the hard resistance of bone, and slid it slowly all around his neck, relishing in the flood of blood that gushed forth from his open throat.

He had only time for one last gasping, gurgling breath before he slumped forward. He had fallen over his open trunk, and it was quickly filling with his blood, staining the shiny metals of his armor and weapons. I kneeled by his body, breathing rapidly and feeling rather dazed. I had never waited this long before a kill…not when I knew who the target was, when I knew what I intended to do…it was a thrilling, intoxicating feeling.

But there was yet more to be done- three guests were still awaiting their turn to be sacrificed to Sithis. And Sithis was always ready for more blood.

Chapter Twelve: Whodunit Part V

I knelt beside the body of Neville, watching as his veins were drained of their life’s liquid. My eyes were glowing red from the reflection of his blood, my lips upturned slightly at the corners, forming a dark smile of sadistic satisfaction. I sat very still, not a muscle moving, the only sound a steady trickling of blood.

Yet although my body was motionless, my mind was racing, attempting to calculate my next move. I did have more time to prepare than I had had after Primo’s death, but I couldn’t be sure when someone would go looking to change floors. And I didn’t want to be caught on the third floor instead of the second.

And although I thought intensely, I realized that there was not too much planning for the future that I could actually do; accurately at least. So much depended upon chance, on how things played out, I mused… but I did think it was best to leave Neville’s body where it lay, as it would be hard to hide the blood, and the fact that he was preparing himself for battle as he was killed would frighten the remaining guests even more.

Shaking my head slightly, I drew myself from these thoughts to find that the blood flow was starting to cease. Leaning over the rim of the chest, I found that it was nearly half full of the red liquid. Staring down at my crimson reflection, I was overcome with a powerful urge; I wanted to touch it, to feel the blood on my skin…

Reaching forward, my heart beating intensely, I slowly dipped my index finger into the deep pool, a chill running down my spine. I swirled the liquid slowly, savoring its thick warmth…it made me feel so alive, that I had caused this to spill from a once living, breathing body! That this had once been pumping through the veins of another, giving them life… and I had taken it!

Breathing hard, almost panting in anticipation, I withdrew my finger slowly and rubbed the blood against my thumb, smearing it, relishing in its warm density before bringing it below my noise. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the aroma. Many say that blood does not have an odor, but they do not understand- there is a scent, one that I know and love. It smells of freshly shaped metal, sill hot from the blacksmiths hammer. It smells like the stale air, just after a storm of rain has passed- and it smells of the night; of the cloudless midnight where shadow and shade hides all in its dark abyss…

And yet there was work to be done, and, deciding not to waste any time, I reluctantly left my vigil by Neville’s side. I wiped my hand carefully on a inner layer of my skirt, making sure no blood was visible on my body, and made my way softly down the stairs, praying that no one had switched floors yet.

The sounds of desperate and hurried movement came from below me- I could hear the tossing of books, the shuffled sound of feet moving rapidly around the room, and metal thud of platters and decorations being shifted about. Yet none came from the second floor, where I had been assigned.

I glanced off the balcony onto the first floor, and saw that Matilde was still down there- and quite a job of searching she was doing, I thought bemusedly, watching as she hysterically flung books from their shelves, pounding frantically at the wood behind, presumably searching for hollow sections which may hide the chest.

I could kill her where she stood, I thought with a jolt- but I never knew when Nels could come up the stairs, and he would most certainly raise the alarm, great enough to wake Dovesi. I couldn’t have that, so I decided to wait it out, play their game for awhile. I would await the most opportune moment to strike. This thought sent a pleasant shiver down my spine, and I too began to search my floor, making a show of throwing things about.

Time passed, I cannot recall how much, but I was beginning to grow restless just as Matilde finally offered to switch floors with me. She was quite pale, and her eyes were haunted. The old woman must have had a very sheltered life if this was the worst she had ever been exposed to, I thought bitterly. But I gave her words of encouragement, that one of us had to be able to find the chest, that Neville was right, there couldn‘t be a murderer, just an unfortunate accident…and that she would be free from this soon. Only the last statement was true.

I added to the destruction of the first floor, actually finding the activity to be quite enjoyable at times. Yet my mind was awaiting the moment that either Dovesi or Matilde would find Neville’s body, let out the cry of horror… yet nothing came. I was glad that I had switched floors, because now it was not only Dovesi and I who could be suspected; Matilde would now have had the location and time to commit the crime.

Yet the suspect I would have most liked to have blamed would have been Nels, yet he seemed the only one who would be free of suspicion when the time came, as he had yet to take the second floor, and Dovesi or Matilde was bound to find Neville before they could switch.

I was deep in thought, standing on a chair to check the bookcases, when suddenly I heard the sound of footsteps right behind me. Quite startled, I staggered and slipped wildly off the chair, barely landing on my two feet.

“Woa there!” came Nels’ booming voice, and he reached two massive arms out and grabbed my shoulders, helping regain my balance. Once I was steady, I pressed a hand to my chest and gave a short laugh.

“You scared me there!” I exclaimed, while internally berating myself for letting my guard down, and enough to let him surprise me so much.

He smiled again, but it did not quite reach his eyes. “I suppose everyone’s a bit jumpy, I mean, considering…” he trailed off, as if wishing he had not spoken.

I narrowed my eyes inquisitively at him. “But… Neville said everything was okay… that it was an accident… what is there to be jumpy about?” My voice was wavering slightly, eyes concerned and uncertain.

“Yes, yes he did. But I’m still not so sure- he may talk as though he is an experienced veteran of the Legion… but can we ever really know his past? Can we really believe anything that anyone here tells us?” he said thoughtfully. I was quite surprised by this insight from the Nord, and he spoke again before I could.

“I just get the feeling that even if he is telling the truth about that, he’s still holding something back. If he was a member of the Legion, then he surely knows the value of keeping the whole truth from the public, to prevent panic.”

“Are you trying to say…that Primo was murdered?” I stuttered, but my voice was doubtful.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, his gaze far off. “I don’t really know,” he said finally. “But I do know that Neville was hiding something, and that’s the only thing I can think of… but enough of this. We should work on getting out of here.”

I nodded, and he continued. “Would you like to switch floors? I’m finished with the basement, and believe me, there’s nothing down there. I tore the place apart.”

I looked around the room and felt lucky that I hadn’t searched it too thoroughly yet.

“Actually, I would like some more time… if it isn’t too much trouble, I think Matilde’s been on the second floor for awhile. She may want to switch.”

“Alright, I’ll ask her then,” he said, turning and raising his hand in farewell.
Climbing back onto my chair, I watched him intently as he mounted the stairs, listening closely. I heard him greet Matilde, and she in return. He did not attempt anymore conversation than that, skipping right to the offer of switching floors.

This is where I held my breath- if she accepted his offer, she would go downstairs, and that meant that Nels would have had time to kill Neville as well, making each and every one of us suspect. But if she denied it, he may go upstairs in search of Neville…

“Well yes, I suppose I’m finished here. You say the basement is finished? Well I guess I’ll go downstairs and help Addy then…” I let out a sigh of relief. Perfect.

“Yes, of course…. Say, you haven’t seen Neville since this morning, have you?” said Nels.

There was a pause, and I stopped moving, leaning upwards and putting every ounce of my concentration on the quiet conversation.

“Actually no, I have not. But I believe he is still upstairs, searching,” she replied, and I heard Nels give a small grunt of acknowledgement. This couldn’t get any better! I thought gleefully. If Nels was left up there for at least about a half hour, I mused, that conversation would seem highly suspicious after Neville’s body was found…

I started pulling out books from the shelf as I heard Matilde descending the stairs, and looked up when she was in view.

“Would you like some help, deary? Nels says that he is finished with the basement, and I would rather not go down there alone anyways.”

“Of course, I’d appreciate it,” I replied, smiling warmly.
In reality, I would appreciate very much to kill her where she stood, but I knew that a better situation would arise. Since the second floor was a balcony overlooking the first, the sounds of death could be easily heard by Nels, and he was moving around up there quite a bit; who knew when he would chance a look over the edge? Better not risk it, better to wait…

And so Matilde and I continued our fruitless search of the first floor, speaking little, only to instruct the other to aid with a particularly difficult spot to examine. She seemed nervous, and many times I thought she meant to ask me something- she would take a deep breath as though about to speak, but then let it out slowly, keeping her gaze lowered. I was appreciative of her silence though, and did not push the situation.

I was ever alert, awaiting the moment when Neville would be discovered. His absence had been noticed, and it couldn’t be too long until they went looking for him, or Dovesi awoke and discovered his body…

After a nearly excruciating hour, Nels called down to us.
“Are you two still down there?” his voice echoed from the floor above.
“Yes!” we called in unison, and he stuck his head over the railing, scanning the ruins we had left the foyer in. Books, papers, and pieces of parchment were spread all over the floor, broken splinters of wood and glass littering the ground.

“It looks like you’re nearly done searching, eh?” He said, a glint of amusement in his eye.

We nodded sheepishly, looking around at the destruction we had caused, before I spoke.

“We need to regroup, I think. Has anyone found anything yet?” I asked.
They both shook their heads, and we all glanced upwards towards the third floor.
“Has… has anyone spoken with Neville… at all today?” asked Matilde timidly. She tried to contain her fear, but her voice was cracking obviously.

We all shook our head slowly again, and exchanged looks of barely concealed anxiety.

“Well… maybe we should go check on him?” I said slowly, after a moment of tense silence.

The others nodded quickly, as though happy not to have been the ones to suggest it, and started walking silently towards the stairs, Matilde trying to conceal quick and anxious steps as she led the way.

We ascended the flights of stairs quickly, the air becoming thicker and tenser as we started to come to the door leading to the third floor hallway. Matilde slowed as she reached the last few steps, treading lightly. We came to a near stop, and were dismayed as we didn’t hear any sound of movement, no sign that anything was alive up there.

With an impending sense of dread, Matilde glanced back at us apprehensively and pushed the slightly open door until it swung wide, revealing the empty corridor. We all crowded through the door, the only sound greeting us the wood creaking and groaning beneath our feet.

We sat in the silence for a moment, listening hard, before Nels finally took a breath and said softly: “Neville? Neeeeville? You out there?”

Silence at first was all we heard, but as we took a few timid steps down the hall, dreading what each glance in a room may reveal, we heard something. Someone was moving around, the stirring of blankets, the shuffling of footsteps…

Matilde froze, and put her hands backwards, as though reaching for something to hold her steady. I darted forward, squeezing her hands reassuringly, and looked up at Nels. He had his fists clenched, ready for a fight. We stood impossibly still, almost crouching, our bodies tense…

But then, we heard a timid response; a soft, uneasy voice: “Is that you Nels?” We all sighed, and stood straight again. It was just Dovesi.
“Yes, it’s us. Where are you? Are you okay?” he responded.
“I’m… I’m fine. What’s going on? Who’s us?” she called out.

“Why don’t you come out here and we’ll talk.” Nels was suspicious, I realized. He understood that Neville had not revealed himself yet, and he was supposed to be up here, all alone, with Dovesi…“Oh, of course…” she said, and we listened as Dovesi opened the door into the hall, poking her head out cautiously at first, before walking slowly over to us. Her eyes were still clouded with sleep and the after effects of tears, her hair tousled and dress rumpled. Her gaze darted quickly at us, taking in the three of us, and then glanced around.

“Where’s Neville?” she asked.
“We were just about to ask you that, Dovesi,” said Nels quietly.
“Now before we start this again, let’s just try to find him, shall we?” I interjected angrily.

“Find him?” Dovesi squeaked. “He’s… missing?”
There was a silence, and then I said slowly “Dovesi, have you seen Neville at all today?”

“Not since this morning, before you brought me upstairs,” she said quickly, her voice weak.

I turned to Nels and Matilde. “Did you see him come upstairs?” I asked them. “I did,” said Matilde. “Before I went to the first floor, I saw him going up.”
“Well I was up here and I never saw him,” I said. “But I was with Dovesi for awhile, and he may have already been searching a room. I could have passed by him…”

We sat in silence again, I getting frustrated. Would I have to do everything? “Well… I think we need to find him. We can’t just let him disappear, there‘s not far he could have gone. And maybe he found a way out of the house and didn’t tell us….” Nels made a grunt of disapproval. “Whatever the case may be, we need to find him, or some trace of him,” I finished.

“You’re right,” said Matilde. “Not knowing can be worse, anyways…”
Happy that things were finally going the way I wished, we all agreed to search together, not to split up. It was only going to be a moment now, it couldn’t possibly take them long to find his body, I thought with rising anticipation.

We let Nels lead the way, and he first checked Dovesi’s room, looking about thoroughly for signs of any suspicious activity. I saw she took great offense to this, her eyes narrowed and her expression stony. Eventually however, even Nels had to admit there was nothing to be found, and we left the room and walked across the hall.

My heart started to pound hard within my chest, blood rushing throughout my veins. The moment I had waited for so patiently was about to arrive… the moment of discovery…

Nels pushed the door open slowly, peering around the edge. It creaked and moaned, slowly swinging back… and when it reached about halfway, Nels stopped pushing it, but it continued to swing open heedlessly. He was stunned, motionless, and once the door was fully open, the other guests understood why.

It looked as though the wooden chest wasn’t waterproof, as some blood had leaked out onto the floor and stained scarlet the area surrounding the body of Neville. The only skin that could of him be seen was the back of his neck, but it was ghastly pale, and his body had an almost deflated look, as though it were drained.

There was a moment where what lay before us sunk in, each guest’s eyes drawn unwaveringly upon the body- but it was soon broken as Dovesi let out a shriek, while falling back against the wall dramatically. Matilde gasped and her hands flew to her mouth, and she looked as though she was going to be sick. She turned back into the hallway and started to gag.

I looked over at Nels- he had yet to move, his gaze still firmly rested upon Neville’s lifeless form. His eyes were cold, his faze stony. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. His theory that Primo’s death had indeed been a murder was now almost positively proven true, but he obviously was not too pleased at this revelation. I could only imagine where his thoughts were right now.

Glancing at their reactions, I realized that I only had a few seconds now to decide how I was going to play this…

And so I drew my hands over my mouth, holding back a scream, before closing my eyes as if I could not bear to look what lay within the room. I stuck my hands out blindly forward, grasping at the wall and stumbling. I turned away from the door and back into the hall, leaning my back against the wall and sliding down to a kneeling position on the ground.

Dovesi, who was still plastered almost theatrically against the wall, tears streaming down her face, slid down next to me, and I leaned my head over towards her slowly, wrapping my arms around her shoulders as I did so.

“I can’t believe… Neville… is he…” Dovesi blubbered, and Matilde breathed in deeply, her eyes closed.

There was silence, but it was suddenly burst by an angry, deep voice.
“The man is dead, you horse's ass! There's nothing more to tell!” Nels had turned about and his gaze was fiery. “You… you, left alone up here all day, with him! And he turns up dead! What do-”

“Nels!”
My voice was commanding, strong and forceful. He seemed stunned, as I had not showed this side of myself. There was a long silence before I spoke again.

“It could have been any of us,” I said quietly, my gaze downward.
“What are you talking about?” Matilde said quickly.

“Think about it… yes, Dovesi was left up here alone with him all day, but she also could have been sleeping, as she said. Matilde, you were on the second floor alone for at least an hour, you could have snuck up here… and Nels, you were up on the second floor alone as well! And I, I was as well… we all had the chance…”

“You did ask about him before I went downstairs!” Matilde said accusingly at Nels. “You wanted to know if he was still up here!”

“But you knew he was up here! How could you have known unless you had been up here, and if you’d been up here you would have had to have seen his body!” retorted Nels, firing up for a fight.

“Now really, nothing can be gained from quarrelling like this-” I started, but Dovesi suddenly jerked free of my grasp and stood up, tears streaming down her face.

“Two of us, dead! And I know, whether you believe me or not, that I didn’t do this! So who would do this?” Her eyes were darting around spasmodically, her entire body shaking. We were silent, watching her in fearful apprehension.

“And why? Is that why we're all here? To be killed like vermin? I feel like I'm going mad! I don't care about the gold anymore!“ She shrieked. “I just want to get out of here!”

She turned about wildly, and then seemed to come to a conclusion.
“I'm going to try all the windows and doors, and see if I can't get one open!” she shouted as she ran off down the hall. She was unable to keep in a straight line, as though she were drunk, and kept leaning up against the walls as she bumped heavily into them, before starting to go down the stairs. The three of us were too stunned to react at first, but as she thumped down the stairs the realization seemed to hit.

“Someone’s got to go after her,” I said, looking urgently at them. “She’s not safe in her condition…”

“I don’t care if she kills herself!” said Nels. I looked at him horrified, about to speak.

But then his face softened, and his gaze was far away. “I haven't seen death like this in a long, long time…It's a bit more than my nerves can handle, I'm afraid. I plan to gather up every drop of drink in this house and keep it to myself, if things get any worse around here.”

With a start, I suddenly realized why he had reacted so vehemently against Dovesi after Primo’s death. I remembered when I had first spoken with him, and he had said how she reminded him of his long lost daughter- he had been fond of her, had looked upon her as a replacement of his daughter almost… but then, in his eyes, she turned out to be a murderer! The mind really was a strange thing, I thought as I looked into his still slightly wrathful face.

I turned to look at Matilde, but she just stared back, eyes wide. I had to act quickly, or Dovesi could ruin everything. Even if she couldn’t manage to get out, she would make enough noise to attract outside ears, and I certainly could not let that happen…

“Alright, well I’m going to make sure she’s okay. Please don’t separate, I don’t know what I’d do if… if…” I said quickly, and Matilde nodded emphatically, her face fearful.

Nels just closed the door to Neville’s room, in a final sort of way.
“We’ll take care of… of this,” he said, gesturing back towards Neville’s room. I nodded, and he watched as I started off at a quick pace down the stairs and towards the sounds of Dovesi’s movements.

I got off the second staircase leading to the first floor, and looked round to see Dovesi holding a chair high above her head, just about to throw it through a window. Before I had time to utter a sound, she had chucked it hard into the glass.

Only the upper area of window shattered completely, revealing a blue, cloudless sky. It was not enough space to fit a body through, and Dovesi started frantically clawing at the hole, trying to widen the opening. It was thick glass, at least a inch and a half, but her desperation made the process much quicker.

If I didn’t act quickly, she was going to ruin everything. This stupid, foolish girl! Falling in love with a man she had just barely met, over dramatizing everything, unable to keep her head straight when things got tough, just breaking down like a little child! She was such a selfish, self-centered little brat- a pathetic excuse for a woman, for a Dunmer, and for anything with any shred of intelligence! And now, now she was about to ruin everything I had worked for by having a nervous breakdown? No, I could not, would not let her!

I had lost all control in my fury; something had arisen within my soul, in my very being… and before I could pause to think about what I was doing, I was striding toward Dovesi, my anger and bloodlust that had been held back so long now fully released, unable to be contained any longer. Almost in a trance, I saw on the ground in front of me a piece of broken glass, in the shape of a long triangle, thick enough to stay sturdy, but sharp enough to slice the skin…

I kneeled down quickly to pick it up, savoring the feel of the heavy, jagged glass in the grasp of my hand, and took two more steps at Dovesi’s back, time slowing and my head filled with the beating of my heart, the deep rasping of my breath, and of hers…

And I drew back the piece of colored glass, taking in a deep shuddering breath of pure ecstasy, the sunlight reflecting the glass in a myriad of colors against the wall…

Time seem to come to a complete standstill as I had reached the end of my backstroke, my hand grasping the glass, about to strike forward towards the unscathed flesh of her back. I held my breath for that instant, the last second before the kill…

And as though a sudden fast-forward of time had taken place, I let the breath out and simultaneously drove my crude dagger into her back. I struck just below the neck, digging in deeply, shattering bone and puncturing lung and vein.

Dovesi’s body stopped mid-motion, her arm still upraised to tear at the opening in the glass window. There was a choking sound, a deep guttural heave as she tried to draw breath. My heart was racing and my breath was short as I watched her turn slowly about, stumbling slightly, to face me.

When her eyes met mine I saw a flash of surprise, of complete shock… and the look of a victim of betrayal at it‘s darkest meaning. But an instant later it turned to one of such intense pain that I knew she would have been screaming, had she been capable of doing so.

She held my gaze as she fell to the floor, the light leaving her eyes so quickly that I could almost feel the rushing shadow of the void coming to meet her at her life’s end. I held eye contact until the last second, where she tried to take one last breath before slumping down amongst the shattered window, her eyes glassy and unseeing.

I stood for another two seconds, completely immersed and fulfilled by this long awaited kill, before I realized the situation. If Matilde and Nels came down the stairs to see what all the noise had been caused by, everything would be ruined, it would be all too obvious that I was the killer. I had to act quickly… and it seemed there was only one thing for me to do.

I darted back to the stairs, angled myself so it seemed I had been walking down them again… and let out a high pitched, ear splitting scream.

I immediately heard the thumping sound of footsteps from above, and proceeded to slid down the wall, curl up, and continue screaming and sobbing. I distinctly heard two sets of footsteps coming down from the third floor, but only Matilde appeared at the top of the flight of stairs leading to the first floor. She descended quickly, her face full of concern.

“Oh my, what is it now deary?” she said, kneeling down beside me and clutching my elbows. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, trying to force tears out but failing dismally, so I instead pointed a quivering finger toward Dovesi’s body. She had fallen backwards, pushing the glass dagger all the way up through the center of her chest, it’s point scarlet and still clinging to chunks of her innards.

Matilde let out a gasp that turned into a short of shriek, and she looked back at me with fearful eyes.

“They must be hiding in the house somewhere, whoever did this! This just happened, they must be close by!” she exclaimed, casting her eyes fearfully about the room.

She really was dimwitted, I thought scornfully. But I was glad of it in this instance…

“They could be anywhere… anywhere! Just waiting for us to walk by…” I saw in Matilde the panicked, distraught look that Dovesi had just portrayed moments ago. She stood quickly and started pacing, darting her head about incessantly.

“Oh, I just can’t take it anymore, I have to get out of here!” she exclaimed suddenly, her voice ear splitting. And before I could speak, she was running towards the front door, emitting little sobs as she went. I turned quickly and looked up the stairs, trying to figure out where the hell Nels was… I had to kill Matilde, she was causing a racket, but I couldn’t let him see…

She was pounding on the door, screaming and shouting for aid, kicking and slapping… Nels was nowhere in sight, and so I tried to listen for him, to see if he was coming down the stairs. Yet after a quick moment of this I could not hear anything over Matilde’s exclamations of hysteria… the woman was an incessant nag… and seconds later I lost my patience. Under my breath, I muttered threateningly “Shut….up…”

And I pulled my dagger from the sheath hidden on my leg, eyes fiery and fingers clenched tightly around the hilt. I could not wait any longer to find Nels, if she wasn’t silenced soon the whole town would come barging through the door… things had gotten out of hand so quickly…

With all the passion, all the anger and all the fury I possessed, I took aim and hurled the dagger at Matilde with a cry of sadistic triumph. It struck her straight in the back of the head, and having been thrown with such force, went straight through her skull and into the door, quivering slightly from the impact. Her body went limp, and yet it was still held up by the dagger. She looked almost like a floppy rag doll of some sorts.

I was panting, trying to control my breathing, the anger still brewing within me. I forced my breath down to shorter gasps and darted back to the stairs, in case Nels would look over the edge of the balcony. I leaned my head backwards and closed my eyes, regaining control of my consciousness. It was times like those, while killing Dovesi and Matilde, that I truly felt as if my soul was being overtaken by some force, a sadistic being full of a never saturated thirst for blood, which I could not control.

But there were other matters that needed attending to, I thought brusquely. Nels was still out there…

I climbed the stairs slowly, hand resting upon my second dagger. I was tense, ready, in case Nels had witnessed the murder and was trying to surprise me. There was five steps left… four… three…two…

And as I poked my head up over the edge of the stairs to look onto the second floor, I found Nels in clear sight, sitting at the table, mug of ale in hand. There was three bottles already in front of him, and he seemed to be downing them at record speed. I walked up the last step, slowly making my way to the table, my gaze never leaving his hunched over form.

As I drew closer he raised his face to meet mine, his eyes already starting to turn bloodshot. His look was mild and sardonic, and his head bobbed a little as he spoke.

“Please, not now. I just want to be by myself for a bit…” he said. Looking him directly in the eye, I took a step closer.

His face darkened, but he did raise his voice or move a muscle. After a moment of eye contact, a fierce battle of stares, he turned away first.

“Fine,” he said, and he drew the mug to his lips and gulped down deeply, some spilling and drizzling down his chin.

I walked around the table and came to sit next to him, while carefully slipping a vial of poison from within my skirts and palming it. He lowered his mug and watched me. I smiled satirically.

“Let me drink with you,” I said.
He nodded, and gestured to the ample amount of alcohol on the table before us. As I was reaching across Nels’ torso for a bottle of wine, I let my sleeve fall and block his view of his mug of ale. While my hand passed over the ale, I dumped as much from the little vial as I could manage into the mug. A drop would have been enough, but it would have been a slow, prolonged death…

I made sure to slip the vial securely back up my sleeve before drawing my arm back, clutching the bottle of wine. I uncorked it and held it up, looking at him expectantly. He raised his mug and clinked it against my drink, and we both took deeps swigs of the liquor. We sat in silence, I awaiting the moment when his eyes would start to flicker, just as though he were falling asleep… But it did not come.

He turned to me several moments later. He was smiling, but it was a humorless look that did not reach his eyes.

“You want to know something, my friend?” he said, his voice throaty. I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

“I just don't care anymore. We're the only two left. I know I didn't kill those people, so that leaves you.” I held his gaze unwaveringly, never looking away. My expression did not change; my eyes were blank and could not be read. They were cold and dark; colder than they had ever been. That, he could see.

“So now you're here to kill me, right?” There was no denying it. I inclined my head slowly, but still kept eye contact. He swallowed deeply, but did not make any other motion.

“I have but one thing to ask,” he said after a few seconds. “Please, make it quick. I wish to see my daughter again, with all my heart… do not make me wait any longer…” his voice cracked.

My eyes continued to watch him, expression unyielding. He looked up at me, pleading almost, and I spoke after a moment, my voice even.
“I killed you five minutes ago.”

His face became confused, perplexed- but I looked at his mug, and he followed my gaze. Realization dawned in his eyes, and he took a deep breath, leaning back in the chair. It wouldn’t be long now…

“Sleep…” I murmured. “It’s time to sleep…”

He breathed out heavily, and starting to breath in again… but then seemed to think better of it. His lips turned up in the corners, almost a smile, and his body became still. He was finally at peace. He was going to see his daughter again.

After a moment I leaned forward and touched his forehead lightly, before softly closing his still open eyelids with the back of my index finger. I leaned back in my chair. The fifth and final soul had joined Sithis in the void.

Chapter Thirteen: The After Party

My four day return journey to the Sanctuary was one in a suspended state of elation- almost like a high, a drug. I relived each and every moment of the events in Summitmist Manor, each recounted murder sending a fresh chill through my blood. The weather was foul, with pouring rain and raging winds, yet my mood remained positive.

I had left the manor as it had been at the moment of Nels’ death- I of course brought my clothes and supplies home, but decided to leave my murder weapons with their victims. The five guests still lay where I last saw them- Neville in his room, Primo beneath the sheet, Nels at the table, Dovesi in the foyer with the glass knife in her back, and finally… Matilde still hanging from the front door, held up by the dagger impaled through her skull into the wood. The thought that when someone finally entered the house, however long from now, the first thing that would greet them would be the decaying corpse of an old woman hanging from the door, her eyes glassy and pained, her expression still a bit surprised… I fervently wished I could be there for that moment.

But I had left the house when night had fallen, careful not to be spotted as I exited through the front door (obviously not the one with Matilde sticking to it). Unfortunately there seemed to be some sort of gathering in the wine fields; all the workers were gathered around a bonfire or sorts, laughing and drinking and dancing. This meant that my chances of hopping on a horse and riding off unnoticed were very small, and I didn’t want to take the risk…especially if other things were discovered. The dagger currently on a sheath on my waist was a near exact replica of the one in Matilde’s head. Probably not the most logical decision to leave it there, but I just couldn’t bring myself to ruin such a beautiful scene.

And so I entered the Sanctuary four days later just as the sun was setting, a heavy fog descending among throughout the streets of Cheydinhaal. After descending dwon the well ladder, I walked into the hall and immediately spotted Teinaava seated at his favorite chair, book open in his lap. He looked up and smiled widely as I met his gaze, his eyes glowing.

“You’ve returned! And all in one piece… which I presume cannot be said of your fellow guests?”

I gave a wicked grin, and he returned it with an equally malicious smile.
“Ah, well I’m sure Ocheeva would like to speak with you, and your reward awaits. When you are done there, however, there is something I wish to discuss with you. Have you eaten yet?”

“No, I haven’t,” I replied.
“Excellent- share a meal with me?”
“Of course, dear brother,” I smiled warmly.
He nodded and gave me a last, lingering gaze, before turning and heading to the doors at the other end of the room.

I knew what (or rather, whom) he wished to speak with me about- Antoinetta Marie. I had not forgotten the reveal of our feud, and I knew that Teinaava wouldn’t either. Telaendril and Gogron may have passed it off with my simple explanation, but Teinaava knew better. For first time not looking forward to time spent with Teinaava, I knocked upon the thick doors leading into Ocheeva’s quarters.

“Yes, come in.”
I opened the door and strode into her room; she was seated at her table, eating a dinner of mutton and bread. Her mouth was rimmed in the blood of the meat, and she licked her lips clean before standing and smiling at me.

“Dear sister! Were you successful in your ah…goals?” she asked carefully. But her eyes gave it away- she already knew I had been. As Lucien Lachance had once said, the Dark Brotherhood knew a great many things…

I nodded, and she walked forward and put her hands on my shoulders in a congratulatory way.

“Well done! Not only did you kill the five guests, you acted as an agent of terror and grief. You have earned your reward and bonus, Assassin,” she said.

“The act was reward enough, my friend,” I said sincerely. She smiled in understanding, but continued on.

“Regardless, I lay upon you now the Night Mother's Blessing. May she walk with you always, and guide your hand as you act in accordance with the Five Tenets…”

Ocheeva raised her hands above her shoulders, palms facing me, and closed her eyes, her hands starting to glow softly blue as slowly brought them down to her waist. I felt a chill run down within me from head to toe, and I too closed my eyes as a glittering blue light passed over me.

When I opened my eyes again, I could immediately feel the change within myself. The room seemed more clear, as though I could see in the dark. I felt that my hands were steadier, as if I had perfect control. And not just my hands; I felt more in tune with my entire body, from my eyes right down to my toes. I raised my arms up to look at my hands, marveling at the precise way I could manipulate each muscle. Ocheeva smiled at the wonderment in my eyes, and stepped back as I walked forward a bit. My steps were silent, my movement lithe and nimble. I felt strange, different; yet in a good way. This… this was bloody brilliant!

“You have my most sincerest thanks, dear sister,” I said fervently.
Her smile widened at my enthusiasm.

“It is indeed a most honorable gift, my dear sister. One you should be very proud to have received. I’m afraid I have some pressing matters that I must attend to, but before I go, there is something I would wish to ask you.” Ocheeva narrowed her eyes in an almost analytical manner, before continuing.

“I hear talk of a feud between you and our sister, Antoin-” I interrupting her, sighing deeply, exasperatedly. She stopped speaking, widening her eyes questioningly.

“Teinaava mentioned this to you?” I said. My tone was sharp; I was surprised at the feeling of resentment I had towards my most dear brother. I had wanted to keep this between Antoinetta and I, but she had drawn in some of the rest of the family… and Teinaava was now only helping to spread it. I looked up, and found that Ocheeva was watching me closely.

“Do not be angered with him, please my sister- he only spoke to me out of concern for your wellbeing. He cares for you, and he cares for this Sanctuary. He just does not wish anything bad to happen. All the great guilds, the Great Houses- they all fell from the inside out…”

I let out a deep breath and was silent for a moment. She was right, he was only trying to help.

“I apologize- you are right, of course. And don’t worry, I’ve already made plans to speak with Teinaava about this matter, once we are done here.”

“Then we both have family members awaiting our presence, and should not keep them waiting any longer.”

We exchanged our farewells and both left the room- she heading to the right, I the left. I found Teinaava at the round table, placing two overflowing plates of food down. They were both piled high with breads, cheese, and meats. I smiled and rolled my eyes in amusement at him, and sat in the chair Teinaava offered. We both ate ravenously, accompanied an only slightly awkward silence. Once our stomachs began to fill, we both leaned back and held our stomachs appreciatively. After a moment, Teinaava turned to me.

“I think you know what I want to talk about, dear sister Adrienne,” he started. “That twat, Antoinetta Marie,” I spat out. He grinned at my rather brutal response, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Well I‘ll start off by saying that her little outburst before you left was a surprise. I never would have guessed that you two were having problems,” he said slowly.

“She’s been careful about making revealing her feelings to anyone but me.” “Yes… none of us, not Telaendril, Gogron nor Ocheeva had even a suspicion of this feud. We always thought our family was one without rifts… except for M’raaj Dar, but he hates everyone.”

We both smiled a bit, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I took a moment before responding.

“There really isn’t much for me to say about this, except that she is a dark sister held in high regard, and therefore has no reason to be envious of me. She’s handling the situation in a completely irrational manner, and judging from this I don’t regret our lack of affection for each other. She has made her choice, I have accepted it, and that’s all I will say of the matter.”

Teinaava pivoted himself quickly in the chair to face me, his eyes focused on my face.

“That is true. But there is one last thing I would like to know…“ I nodded slowly. He continued.

“Now please, tell me the truth. How long has this been going on? When was the first time she seemed… hostile towards you?”

I felt my eyes widen. He was watching me closely, and his lips upturned slightly at the corners at my reaction, as though he had been expecting it. He seemed to know how this point had often been on my mind as well- Antoinetta seemed to have hated me from the moment we met. But that made no sense- if her hatred was based on jealousy, logic would follow that she could not hate me until I had beaten her in something. And what had a I beaten her at within seconds of our introduction? Once I had been promoted past her, I could understand her animosity. But this had been a problem long before then.

Yet at this time in my life, I was unwilling to admit it.
“Truthfully, I cannot exactly recall when her distaste for me started.”

Teinaava looked disappointed, but he did not pursue the matter after that. We lapsed into more comfortable talk, and I was starting to describe my time at Summitmist Manor a little over an hour later when Gogron Gro-Bolmog and Telaendril entered the room.

Gogron was carrying a heavy crate, but when he saw me he practically threw it into Telaendril’s arms and started toward me. He charged over and swept me up in a bone-crushing hug. Gasping for breath, I peered through the small opening I had between the crook of his shoulder and his thick neck to see Telaendril shaking her head in exasperation, balancing the huge crate. He released me just as my face was starting to turn blue, and clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder.

“You’re back! Not that I was worried, I’m sure you could have handled plenty more! But still, you were missed,” he boomed.

Telaendril set the crate down carefully on the bench, and I heard it’s contents clinking together. She walked over, smiling.

“Although I don’t offer quite as an enthusiastic welcome, I am still glad to see you, dear sister.”

We all laughed lightly, and Gogron and Telaendril sat down across Teinaava and I at the round table. Gogron immediately demanded that I rehash each and every gory detail of my contract at Summitmist Manor, leaving nothing out. I was just starting my tale again when Telaendril suddenly let out an exclamation. We all turned to look at her in bewilderment, but she just smiled and stood up quickly.

“I have an idea…” she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. We watched as she went to the wooden crate on the bench. Gogron seemed to understand then, and gave an appreciative chuckle. Teinaava and I exchanged baffled looks.

Telaendril drew a slender dagger from within the folds of a skirt she was wearing, and shoved it under the lid of the crate, methodically prying around the edges. She lifted the lid off and stuck her hands in, amongst the sounds of clinking glass. And quite suddenly I understood, a split second before her hand reappeared with the bottles.

“For a celebration!” she exclaimed, triumphantly holding up the bottles of ale. I was never much of a drinker- it just seemed pathetic when done alone, and I’d never really had anyone to drink with. Not to say I’ve never had alcohol, but I couldn’t say whether or not I’d ever been completely drunk before.

Gogron gave a whoop of pleasure and immediately grabbed a bottle of ale for each hand. Telaendril passed each I and Teinaava a bottle, and kept one for herself. We gathered round the table, snapping the stoppers out of our the ale. Teinaava raised his bottle.

“To Adrienne, our Sanctuary’s dark gift!” he exclaimed, and then took a deep drink of the ale.

I felt my heart glow with pride as my family members raised their glasses up above their shoulders in my honor, the glowing torches reflecting off the smooth surface of the bottle, reflecting across to the opposite wall. The bottles clinked together above the table, and we all leaned back and drank deeply. I was the first to surface, and a moment later Telaendril pulled her glass away from her lips as well. We both looked at Teinaava and Gogron, who were still chugging away at the ale. I noticed they kept glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Telaendril seemed to notice this too, and we exchanged an amused eye roll. Men.

After another moment of slurping and swallowing noises later, Gogron thrust his bottle fiercely down on the table and threw his head back for a huge gasp of victory. Although Gorgon’s win was rather predictable, I have to give Teinaava credit- he was only seconds behind. Gogron uncorked his second bottle of ale and walked back to get the crate. He dropped it down in the center of the table, his face a huge, slobbery grin. He passed Teinaava a bottle, and then looked at Telaendril’s and my nearly full bottles with narrowed eyes. He shook his head woefully, as though disappointed in our efforts, and leaned back in his chair.

“Now we are ready to hear your story!”
“So you did kill all of them, without their suspicion?” asked Telaendril, awe in her voice.

I nodded, grinning a bit sheepishly.
“Excellent!” roared Gogron. “Now get on with it, I want the gory details!”
I started to tell my tale, but I was just beginning a describing my meeting with Primo when I was interrupted… again.

“Ho there!” Gogron had just finished his second ale, and was leaning forward in his chair, eyes gleaming intensely.

“I propose that we liven this up… with a game!”
“What sort of game?” Teinaava asked, narrowing his eyes warily.
“A drinking game, of course!”
“I, for one, truly just want to hear Adrienne’s story-” Telaendril started.

“Yes, yes of course, I meant we can make it part of her story!” Gogron boomed excitedly.

We all stared at him, faces blank. He swiveled his head to look at all of us, and then rolled his eyes in an over exaggerated manner as a response to our silence.

“Each time Adrienne tells us about a kill, we must all drink a whole bottle of ale! And the loser must drink another!”

“Now Gogron-”
“I’m in!” exclaimed Teinaava, interrupted Telaendril.
I looked at him in surprise, and he shrugged.

“Ocheeva’s gone to a secret meeting, so she probably won’t be back till tomorrow…” he explained, grinning.

“I’m in too,” I said, and Teinaava’s smile widened.

Telaendril looked around at us, her wide eyes half disgusted, half amused. We all stared at her expectantly, and after a moment she let out a huge sigh- but she was smiling.
“Oh all right!”

We all gave a whoop of success and finished what remained in our bottles while I talked, and we all made sure to have a full bottle ready as my tale once again reached the first death. And as I told the story of Primo’s death, we all glanced around at each other expectantly, uncorking bottles, fingers gripping the glass tightly in anticipation…

“…and as he hit the bottom of the stairs, I heard his neck snap, and his head faced up towards the ceiling,” I finished dramatically.

There was a moment of silence, and then all at once we threw our heads back and started to drink, chugging wildly. I quickly fell behind, and was only a quarter of the way done with my bottle when Gogron finished his. Teinaava finished soon after, and then a little later Telaendril. When I finally set my bottle down, what felt like ages later, there was once again a moment of silence.

…But this time it was broken by laughter. Loud, uproarious, unrestrained laughter. At first I was irritated, but their laughter was so infectious that I couldn’t help but join in. We were all laughing a bit louder, and at a bit higher pitch than normal. I would have felt bad for anyone who was sober that had to listen to us.

“You…are the worst… drinker.. I have ever seen!” Gogron managed to choke out, amidst fits of uncontrollable sniggers.

I glared at him, but in my slightly intoxicated state it came out as a sort of half-winking, smirking face, causing everyone to laugh harder.

“You’ve only had two!” exclaimed Teinaava, hissing in enjoyment.
“Yesh…” Oh my, I really was a terrible drinker- I was slurring already! Internally, I fiercely told myself to keep it together; I took a moment to focus, and then held up the empty bottle. “But the bottles are big!”

“And now you have to drink another!” Gogron said, and he handed me another full bottle, grinning devilishly.

I groaned, but that only made the carbonation churn unpleasantly about my stomach, so I refrained from doing so again. I took the bottle and drank it as quickly as I could, and was pleased that I finished a bit faster than last time.

By that time, my family members had calmed down, and actually seemed eager to hear the rest of my story. I continued, but with less detail then last time- and perhaps a slightly more basic vocabulary. I nearly beat Telaendril in the second round, but still had to drink another two ales. The room was starting to become a bit wobbly, and my story-telling skills were probably not up to par, but they insisted I continue.

I actually came in second for the drinking round after the kill of Dovesi, and was quite happy with myself. But the death of Matilde followed closely after, and I lost in that round once again.

Now having drank a grand total of eight bottles, I was pretty unable to form a coherent sentence. But I suppose my basic survival instincts were still functioning, as they realized I needed a bit more time if I didn’t want to finish last in the final drinking round.

“And then I walkzed up one schtep… and then I walkzed up the schecond schtep… and the third! That wasch a tricksy one, let me tell you…” And so on.

I continued like this for at least a few minutes, and my family members remained enraptured heedless of the obvious over embellishment. When I finally started to describe my poisoning of Nels, Gogron passed around the bottles. Everyone had difficulty uncorking them (Teinaava ended savagely ripping his open with his teeth), but by the time I told of Nels’ death we were all ready. We raised our bottles in unison, and then brought them to our mouths clumsily to begin the race.

I was chugging for all I was worth, willing myself not to throw up, praying to Sithis that I would not loose. And my prayers were heeded- Telaendril started to cough when I was about half way done, and in the time it took her to recover I finished my bottle, slamming it down on the table in victory. This actually resulted in it bouncing a bit and rolling off to shatter on the floor, but we paid no attention. We made Telaendril drink her final bottle, and then joined together at an odd drunken cheer. I was mostly cheering because the contest was over.

And then quite suddenly, Gogron burst into tears.
We were all stunned, even in our various levels of intoxication, into silence. We watched as Gogron leaned over, his body wracking with huge sobs, and wrapped his arms around Telaendril. She seemed too surprised to move, but after a moment she cautiously reached her arm as far onto his back as she could go (which was not far, because of his considerable girth) and patted him gently.

“Poor… poor Nels!” he said.
If we were stunned before, it was nothing compared to this. Was Gogron, the Orc who murdered a five year old girl at her birthday party, feeling sorry for one of the victims of the Dark Brotherhood?

“He’s just-just-just like my baby rabbit!” he stuttered out.
I swear, I never knew a room of drunkards could become so quiet.
“Binky…oh poor, sweet Binky!” Gogron continued to sob.
“How in the name of Sithis does ‘Nels’ remind you of ‘Binky’?” asked Teinaava.

“How could it not?! Binky…Nels…” We all looked at him blankly. He tried again.

“Binky….Nels…Binky…Nels!” His face was so serious that it was comical.
And for some reason, this was uproariously funny, and next thing I knew we were all laughing again. Laughing because I had finished my contract and returned safetly; because Gogron thought ‘Nels’ and ‘Binky’ sounded alike; because Gogron had a pet rabbit named ‘Binky’ and was crying about it… but mostly because we were all incredibly drunk.

After a moment, Gogron started laughing as well. And his laughter had reached the squeaky obnoxious stage that everyone’s else’s had- except that it was so out of the ordinary to hear the normally deep voiced Orc squeak that we all laughed even harder.

And the rest of the night passed in a haze of more drinking, linked arm dancing and singing, several secrets confessed (although none would be remembered in the morning), and an obscene amount of drunken laughter.

* * *

“What in the name of Sithis is going on here?!”

My eyes snapped open. I look straight up into a chandelier, and as the light flooded in my head felt like it was going to explode… so I promptly shut my eyes. Ow.

I heard moans of pain and discomfort nearby, and slowly opened my eyes once again, squinting. I was sprawled out in the middle of the floor, amongst what looked like a battlefield of broken bottles. I painfully rotated my head a bit to see Telaendril at my right; she was the source of the moans. She had tried to open her eyes too.

Keeping my eyes barely open, I looked around the rest of the room. Teinaava was lying across the bench to the rectangular table, while Gogron crumpled in a heap on top of the round table. I had a sudden flash of Gogron dancing on the table the night before…

“Everyone get up- right now!”

“Aaaarrghhh!” Four voices cried out in unison at the volume of Ocheeva’s shouts. There was no response, so we all turned to look at her. She was standing at the entrance to room with such a glare on her face that I swear Sithis himself would have cowered in fear. We all stood as quickly as we could manage, our heads pounding intensely.

“I am disgusted! I leave for one night and I return to find the Sanctuary in shambles! This is a disgrace! You call yourselves members of the Dark Brotherhood, but this…” She gestured around feverishly, hands quivering.

“All work and no play…” Teinaava chanted, still slightly sluggish, but then trailed off.

There was a silence, where Ocheeva just looked at him in revulsion, and we all waited for him to continue. He, however, was opening and closing his eyes repetitively, seeming to have totally lost his train of thought.

“Well? All work and no play what?” said Ocheeva finally, her tone threatening. Another silence, where Teinaava looked like he was concentrating very hard. But suddenly, he let out a snort of indifference.

“ I don’t know what,” he slurred out. Ocheeva widened her eyes in fury while the rest of us started to laugh uproariously. But that didn’t last long when we realized how much it hurt our aching heads.

“You will clean this mess up, and if I find so much as a shard of glass on the floor when I get back…” She glared around at the group, and we all hung our heads. “Now Adrienne, I need to talk with you. Come with me,” she said sternly, and I gave my family members a nervous, confused look, which they returned with obvious pity, before following Ocheeva up the hallway.

Ocheeva was silent as we walked, and I could not see her expression; I expected it wasn’t cheery though. I wasn’t about to be the one to speak, first so we reached her room in what I felt to be quite a bit of angered tension.

You can only imagine how surprised I was when I turned from having shut the doors behind me and found Ocheeva to be smiling broadly, body shaking silently.

I opened and closed my eyes several times, but this was no trick of the light- Ocheeva was laughing. Hard.

“I’m sorry…” she managed to get out between silent giggles. She held a hand up, the other grasping her stomach. “Just… give me a minute…”

To say I was astonished was an understatement, but I waited for a moment until she could collect herself.

“Once again, I apologize dear sister,” she said, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

“I thought you were… angry,” I said cautiously.
“No, no, quite the opposite actually. You should have seen the scene I walked into this morning- Gogron spread eagle on the table, Teinaava hanging off a bench, you and Telaendril on the floor, bottles everywhere… I had to leave the room for a moment to compose myself, before coming back to wake you all.”

I must have still had a confused look on my face, so she grinned and continued. “I have been set to lead this Sanctuary, and so it is my duty to discipline those who… misbehave. I acted how I was expected to behave, in that situation.” She leaned in, and lowered her voice a bit. “But between you and me, dear sister, I wish I could have been there- I’m sure it was an interesting night.”

I thought of Gogron’s bunny, of the group singing together later on in the night laughed with her, Telaendril’s admission that she was madly in love with Gogron (although I think I was the only one who remembered that), and replied: “Indeed it was, dear sister.”

“I’m sure- although it would have been very amusing to see what Vicente’s reaction to all of this might have been.“

I realized that I had not seen Vicente since I had returned.
“Where is Vicente? I haven’t seen him since before I left.”

“He has been sent on a contract involving a target who shares his, ah, condition. He’s not expected back for a few days yet,” she replied. I nodded, and she began to speak again, her tone more official.

“All else aside, there is something very important that I must speak with you about. When you're ready, I have a most important contract. One that has been sanctioned by the Black Hand itself.”

My eyes widened, and I felt my breath short in the my chest. The Black Hand? The leading organization of the Dark Brotherhood? This must be a very important person- and I had been their choice to take his life. This was a great honor. I nodded briefly, trying to conceal my excitement.

“Do you recall the name Adamus Phillida?” I shook my head. “The Imperial Legion pest?” I shrugged again, the name not ringing any bells. “In any case, it's time he joined Sithis in the Void.”

“What has he done to anger the Brotherhood?” I asked.

“Adamus Phillida has spent his entire career investigating the Dark Brotherhood, interrupting our contracts, killing our family members!” Ocheeva spat out, the distaste evident in her expression. “We’ve tried to eliminate him, of course, but failed on three separate occasions.” I raised my eyebrows at this- I had heard of failed contracts, of course- but trying to kill one man three times, and failing at each one? He must be very important indeed.

“Yes, he's a powerful man, and was surrounded by powerful associates. Now the Legion pig's years of service have come to an end. He has retired. Phillida must not be allowed such a victory! His destiny is... darker.” She gave a smug smile at this thought. “And so it is time he joined Sithis in the Void… do you think you're up to the task?”

“It would be an honor. I accept.” And it truly was- if the Brotherhood had failed three times before in his murder, I don’t think they would have taken the choice on who to send the fourth time lightly.

“It is even more an honor than you realize,” she said softly. “The Black Hand has sanctioned the Rose of Sithis.”

I gave her a quizzical look, and she gestured towards the small table behind me. Sitting on it was an arrow, a bit longer than the sort I normally used, and colored in a dark red. It had a thick rounded point, and an intricately designed fletching. I turned and picked the arrow up carefully, looking at it closer. It was very balanced, light yet heavy. Ocheeva continued, smiling slightly as I inspected the arrow.

“It is a magic arrow specifically enchanted to kill its target. And in this case, the target is Phillida. As long as the arrow pierces Phillida‘s flesh, he will die. But it has it’s weakness- it cannot pierce armor! Shoot while Phillida is armored, and the Rose will be wasted.”

“This a powerful weapon,” I said quietly, holding it with a new sense of respect.

“I am confident that you will not let it‘s power be wasted.” There was a moment of silence in which I tried to come up with a suitable reply, but then she continued.

“Now Phillida resides in Leyawiin, in the City Watch barracks, an honored guest of the soldiers there. Travel to Leyawiin. Track Phillida. Learn his schedule. Observe when he removes that blasted Legion armor! And then, let fly the Rose of Sithis!” she exclaimed, a fire in her eyes.

“Kill Phillida in any way-” she went on.. “-Rose or not, and the contract is complete… but to receive a bonus, you must go beyond murder. You must send a message! Once Phillida is dead, take the very finger from his corpse, the one that bears an Imperial Legion signet ring! Deposit this finger in the desk of Phillida's successor, in his office in the Prison Barracks, in the Imperial City! Do this, and the bonus is yours!” “I will not let you down, dear sister. Or the Black Hand.”

“I would not expect you too,” she said, nodding her head. “Now go- Adamus Phillida will find no rest in retirement. No, his soul will endure a kind of eternal suffering known only to those who have angered Sithis…”

* * *

I was ready to leave by evening- I had returned to the Living Quarters and aided Telaendril, Gogron and Teinaava to clean up the mess we had made… and together recovered from our rather intense hangovers. While doing so, I told them of my contract. Each had congratulated me heartily, and offered their advice.

“The Rose of Sithis! Such an honor! Just make sure your marksmanship is up to the task. If you miss the target, the enchantment will be wasted,” Telaendril had said, to which Teinaava added;

“And the Rose will only work if Phillida is unarmored- so, when would a soldier not wear his armor? I only take my armor off to sleep or swim…”

Gogron scoffed at them both, and gave his opinion.

“Don't get me wrong, that magic arrow sounds nice and all, but it seems to me like you don't even need to use it to get the bonus. As long as you cut off his finger and leave it in that desk, you'll get your extra goodies. Sounds to me like you can kill the old sod anyway you'd like. So what if he's wearing armor! You think that Imperial Legion scrap can stop a well-forged claymore? Not bloody likely!” And he had laughed heartily.

I had packed lightly for the rather long journey, anticipating the humid and rainy weather. I brought my best bow, a few throwing daggers, and the Blade of Woe- even though I did have a more powerful dagger, it had a certain sentimental value.

After eating a hasty dinner, I decided to leave and travel through the night- it was cool, the air was crisp and clear, and the moons shined down brilliantly, creating a myriad of shapes and shadows in the dark.

I climbed out of the well, locking it securely behind me, and turned towards the street. I could see no one out, but I had a feeling… just a sense, that someone was watching me. That someone was nearby. I started to walk cautiously towards the street, treading carefully on the long grass. A sound came from behind me and I turned about quickly, drawing my dagger in a quick motion.

Leaning nonchalantly against the wall of the Abandoned House, arms folded across her chest… was Antoinetta Marie.

When I saw her she pushed off the wall casually, taking a few steps forward. “Fancy seeing you out here, my dear sister,” she said, spitting the last bit out.

“I’m just as surprised as you are,” I replied while slipping my dagger back into it‘s sheath, my tone even.

I found it very odd that she had known I was coming- I doubted it was a coincidence that I had run into her here. I wondered if she had been sitting out here all day, waiting for me to exit. But that wouldn’t make sense- how could she have known that I was going to be leaving soon? Teinaava had mentioned that he hadn’t seen her all day, so she couldn’t have overheard our conversations… unless she had been hiding in the shadows again, watching and listening…

“So, you’ve sent to assassinate Adamus Phillida?” she said, her voice mocking. Well that answered my questions. I didn’t answer, but she already knew.

“Oh, finally Ocheeva has come to her senses! You'll be killed, just like the last three that have tried, and we'll finally be rid of you!” she exclaimed, her voice venomous and eyes dark.

I felt a rage awaken with in me, the fury coming in waves and tides- and I took a sudden, violent step towards her. Her eyes seemed to grow apprehensive, and I stepped forward again, enjoying her fear and alarm. She took a step back and found herself against the wall.

I stopped a few feet from her, my gaze full of hatred and fire. I truly wanted to kill her; right there and then, I wanted to stab her in the heart, to impale her with an arrow, to decapitate her with a slice of my sword… but I knew I couldn’t. My loyalty to the Brotherhood ran deeper than my hatred of Antoinetta.

And so after a few deep breaths, nearly shaking with anger, I started to turn and walk away.

“You know you wouldn’t be able to kill me if you tried. I don’t know what the Black Hand, what Lucien Lachance sees in you, but-”

I turned back so quickly that she faltered in her speech, and I drew in until my face was mere inches from hers. Her face once again grew fearful and she tried to lean back further, but the wall stopped her.

“You’re only so brave because you know the Tenets prevent me from killing you where you stand,” I said quickly, my voice dark and savage.

And I could tell that she knew I was speaking the complete and total truth, as her eyes grew even more frightened for a moment. But then they seemed to clear of the fear, and she stepped forward, forcing me to step back.

“Then why don’t you do it?” Her voice was like a honey, soaking over me, drawing you in with it‘s smooth eloquence. “No one is about, no one will know…just do it…”

And suddenly, quite out of my control, I felt my hand slowly moving towards the dagger at my waist. I was in an almost trancelike state, my vision clouded… I felt my fingers curling around the smooth, cool metal of the hilt of my dagger, felt myself starting to draw it from it’s sheath…

“That’s it, just take it now and paint it red with my blood…”
“No!” I exclaimed to myself.

My vision cleared suddenly as I drew myself out of her mind games, the half drawn dagger sliding back into the sheath. I was breathing hard, almost panting, and my heart was racing. I took a moment to collect myself, trying to ignore Antoinetta’s smug face. I was quite shaken up by how easily she had manipulated me, but I couldn’t let her know that.

“You’re not worth my time,“ I said darkly, and swiveled on my heel to stalk off into the gathering darkness.

Chapter Fourteen: A Permanent Retirement

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! As I made my way west through the forests surrounding Cheydinhaal, I replayed the scene with Antoinetta over and over through my head. I thought of the way she had tried to stalk me, her attempts to remain calm, cool and collected, her careful manipulation... and I had fallen for it! I had let her have control of me, and with such ease! As I listened once again to her voice in my head, I heard her softly whispered words taunting me, tempting me so; and all the while she knew that I could do nothing, that the Tenets prevented me from harming her... and I had known that too. Yet I had still reached for my dagger.

I cursed myself again. How could I have let that happen? She's insulted me before, she's taken digs at my position, my abilities... what was different this time? I couldn't even directly recall what had sent me over the edge. What had made me react so strongly? I tried to think back to her exact words... but it was all a just a blur of emotion. A blur of dark, deep anger, intense fury... and bloodlust. I had never felt such a bloodlust as this- and I had only withheld a feeling like this once before. Before I killed the old woman Draconis, what felt like so long ago, I had always had an almost primordial urge to kill. It was almost as though I had been curious; I wanted to see what it was like, to take the life of another. And that one day hunting in the north, where there was no one around, no one to see me… the temptation had been too much. And this lifelong urge was now nothing compared with the one to kill Antoinetta.

And I also found myself wondering, once again, why Antoinetta hated me. She hated me before she knew me, so she must have known something of me before I had come to the Sanctuary. And no one from the Sanctuary had known me before then… except Lucien Lachance. But he had only met me very briefly- what could he have said that would inspire such a passionate dislike in her? He may have spoken well of my abilities to other family members, such as Ocheeva or Teinaava, I thought to myself. That could potentially explain it, if he spoke very highly of me- but still, he had barely known me!

I groaned, and decided to stop wondering why- however you spun it, she had handled the situation dreadfully, and I felt my hatred of her was now entirely justified.

So I spent the rest of my journey pondering the most effective methods to bring death to Antoinetta; which would be the most painful, the most prolonged, and the most enjoyable for myself. I came up with everything from strangling her with my bare hands to freezing her body with a paralyzing spell, at even intervals, and slowly making incisions in the most painful places I could, forcing her to watch as I destroyed her body.

My journey to Leyawiin was long and painful- it was agonizing thinking of Antoinetta, who was probably sitting back at the Sanctuary, smugly recalling how she had so easily manipulated me, while I was slugging through the muddy swamps… but I had been sent to kill Phillida, chosen above all others at the Sanctuary; above Antoinetta.

This was the thought that kept me going (along with the fantasies of Antoinetta’s demise at my hands), even when on the fourth day of my travels it started to pour relentlessly. I was seriously regretting my decision of traveling lightly, because every single pair of my clothes had been soaked.

And so I finally arrived at Leyawiin on the fifth day- wet, cold, and pissed. It was still raining when I made my way through the city gates, and the roads were just as bad as the swamp had been. I made my way to the Five Claws Lodge, the establishment I had stayed at my first visit to Leyawiin, when I had been sent to kill Scar Tail.

I entered the Inn in what I estimated to be mid-afternoon; but it was hard to tell with the weather being what it was.

“Hmm… I believe you’ve stayed here before,” the proprietor (with the quite common name “Witseidutsei”) said to me when I approached the counter.

This came as quite the shock to me. I had always considered myself fairly adept at disguise, or at least at being forgettable. At first I was quite taken aback, but my already less then positive mood led me to a feeling of being offended.

“I have,” I responded shortly, and she waited for me to continue. I stayed silent- I was not in the mood for small talk. She coughed.

“Yes, well then you know the drill- ten gold for the night, in the cleanest rooms in Leyawiin, I assure you!” She eyed my dirty, muddy form. “And I expect them to stay that way.”

A quarter of an hour later I was in a room of the Inn, stripping down out of my disgusting swamp clothes. I had asked the proprietor to bring in a tub of warm water for a bath; she had grudgingly agreed, but only after a payment of an additional three gold coins.

I slowly lowered myself into the scalding hot tub, drawing in sharp breaths as the hot water soaked my weary bones. The water turned to a murky brown within minutes as the dirt and grime was washed from my body. I leaned back in the tub, sighing contently. I let my mind wander, and was slightly surprised when it settled upon Lucien Lachance. I had not seen him since the day he inducted me into the Dark Brotherhood, yet his presence had remained constant in my mind. I wasn’t sure what it was that had kept me so interested, what compelled me to continue to think of him. Closing my eyes, I thought of his handsome, aquiline features, his deep, dark eyes and eloquent speech…

My musings were cut off abruptly as there was a huge crash from outside, and I jerked back to reality with a start, sloshing water over the side of the tub. I listened intently, but there was no need- I heard the easily recognized shouts and punches of a bar fight. Taking in a deep breath, I leaned back and tried to relax again. But I could not drown out the sounds coming from outside my door, and I was rather disconcerted by where my thoughts had been going before the interruption, so I carefully stepped out of the tub.

I stood still for few moments, dripping dry, for I had just come to the realization that I didn’t have any clean clothes, except my Dark Brotherhood leathers. Everything had been covered in mud, and was now either soaking wet or crusty with dried crap. Just bloody brilliant.

I was starting to get a bit cold, standing there stark naked and soaking wet just as the night air was starting to seep in, so I decided to continue my internal berating in the bed, under the covers. Once I was comfortable and warm I decided there was no point in getting out of bed, and soon fell asleep.

I awoke slowly the next morning, rather confused as to my surroundings at first. It took me awhile to remember where I was, with the shambled room and uncomfortable bed... and no clothes. But after a moment I recalled my mission, and my mistake, and sat up full of purpose. I needed to find a way to get some clothes, and without being seen wearing my Dark Brotherhood armor. I really didn’t want to put on my dirty swamp clothes… and I knew I could wash them, easily enough- but I wanted new clothes, and I felt like doing something a bit daring, a bit wicked. It was just one of those moods.

I climbed silently out of bed, rather uncomfortable in my nakedness, and opened the shutters just a crack. Miraculously enough, it had stopped raining, but the sky was still a bit dark. It must be nearing dawn, I decided.

I didn’t see anyone about in the streets, so I pushed the shutter open further. The streets were empty, not even a guard was about as far as I could see.

I thought quickly while I pulled on my Dark Brotherhood armor- I needed to find somewhere, or someone, to get clothes from. I couldn’t exactly go shopping about in this attire, so it was either stealing, or murdering. And I was really in the mood for the latter.

I left my room to find that the Inn was empty and silent, not a soul awake. I grabbed some bread and cheese from the bar and started wandering about the town, trying to find something or someone to rob. I was rounding a corner when I sighted a figure down at the end of the street. Darting back round the corner, I carefully leaned out only my head and tried to see who it was. The early morning fog was starting to lift, and the sun beginning to rise. I could see it was a woman, and she was walking quickly and purposefully.

But what I was really intrigued by was her apparel- a brown corset-like shirt, with a long linen skirt. Easy to move in, but still almost flattering, I thought to myself. Perfect.

I turned around to check my surroundings once again- it was still clear. I stuck my head back around the corner- she was getting closer, and I realized that all I had with me was a cheap steel dagger. I closed my eyes quickly, thinking fast, and then darted around the house I was using as cover, sliding up the alleyway further down the street, closer to the woman. She looked like a Breton, with brown hair and brown eyes- no beauty, but certainly not ugly.

I felt my breath catch up in my chest as she passed the alleyway, her labored pant making quite obvious her effort to move quickly. I tuned into just that- all that mattered in the world, all I felt, all I heard, was her breathing. And so I darted out from behind the house, dagger still loosely at my hip.

She didn’t even hear me coming, didn’t notice I was there, until my hands were round her neck. I made sure my grip was tight, before turning her head slightly to left, almost like warm-up swing, before violently yanking to my right. There was a satisfying “crunch!” sound, and she fell limply to the ground at my feet. Her eyes were wide open, now eternally filled with fear.

I let out a deep breath, my eyes closed. By Sithis, that felt good. I’d had so much pent up frustration, anger, and bloodlust that I was quite proud (and rather surprised) of the restrained manner in which I had killed her.

But I did not have much time to enjoy the moment, for I knew that any instant someone could come walking by, and I still had not thought of what I was going to do with the body. I started to unlace the corset quickly, my fingers surprisingly steady. The kill had almost calmed my nerves, settled my emotions.

I slid her torso out of the corset, leaving her cloth bra on. I stuck my head out of the alley to check if anyone was round yet, but it remained clear. I started to loosen the skirt from around her hips, and found that she was wearing a layer of tan cotton pants beneath it. Smiling softly at my luck, I slid both garments off the woman and folded them carefully.

Now, what to do with the body? I could leave it where it was, but she would quickly be found, and the suspicion of murder would set in around the town. But there was not much time left before the streets would fill with people, and I had no idea where to bring the body. I realized I should have thought this out before killing her. Ah well- there was nothing I could do about that now.

I cast my eyes about the surrounding area, and Sithis was with me for I found there was a trapdoor coming out from one of the homes- most probably leading to a cellar or basement. Without a second thought I started dragging her towards it, lifting her up as much as possible to prevent a trail in the dirt. There was a lock holding the two doors shut, but I quickly picked it and swung open the doors to reveal a small ingredients cellar. I dropped her heavily down into the opening and slammed the trapdoor shut, relocking the entrance and smoothing the upturned dirt over in a matter of seconds.

I grabbed the pile of clothes and darted out into the street, striding briskly but lightly. Once back in my room (I climbed in through the window, for I sure that Witseidutsei was awake by now), I stripped down and changed into my new outfit- the corset was a bit tight, as I was taller then the woman, but the skirt was loose and fit comfortably. I set the pants aside, planning to wear them tomorrow if need be, and set about for preparation of the day.

I spent the morning getting to know the layout of the town, familiarizing myself with its design. There was not much to see- only a few shops, a church, the guildhalls and the castle. Something different from any other city I had been in Cyrodiil was the fact that there were little ponds and pools of water on the outskirts of the town, and I found that people used them to swim and bathe in.

I was keeping an eye out for Phillida, but didn’t spot him before late afternoon. I had been attempting to gossip with a group of woman outside the bookshop when I sighted the older man from afar, wearing an extravagant suit of silver armor. He was trailed closely by a smaller, younger man in beaten up Legionnare wear- obviously a body guard. They were walking out of my sight down another street, and so I hurriedly excused myself from the women and set off swiftly down the path, trying to seem inconspicuous while still moving quickly.

I rounded the street to and found that they were at the corner, talking with another guard. I walked a bit closer, listening carefully. They were discussing the mundane tasks of every-day guard duty- but as I drew closer, I saw the body guard’s eyes shift towards me. I immediately turned and pretended to be inspecting the flowers by the side of the road, but I could feel his eyes still upon me. After a moment I dared a glance up, and was startled by what I saw.

He was not looking at me in a suspicious way, as I had feared- no, his gaze was something was saying different. Something very, very different. His eyes were glazed over a bit, and I saw them travel from my feet upwards, pausing at certain points, until he reached my face and met my eyes. When he realized I was watching him he immediately looked away, and almost seemed to blush.

I could have laughed out loud- this man was attracted to me! My mind was already reeling with the possibilities, how I could use this to my advantage. I continued to watch him, and his charge. Phillida was turned the other way, talking to the other Imperial, but the bodyguard was now facing sideways to the road, and as he felt my gaze on him he visibly puffed out his chest and drew in his stomach, holding his chin out high.

Stifling a merciless grin, I decided to play along. I stepped back and leaned up against the building behind me, lazily stretching my limbs so the fabric of my outfit caught in all the right places. He shifted further so he could see me, and I could tell he was transfixed, so I decided to continue.

I gathered my hair in one hand, holding it off of my neck, while the other hand fanned my face.

“By the Nine, it gets hot in the afternoons!” I exclaimed.
I continued to fan my face for a moment, and then I reached down and pulled my skirt up on the right side (which was facing the body guard) to my upper thigh, under the pretense of cooling off. I could swear he was drooling by now.

By the way his eyes were exploring my body I could tell that he had never been with a woman- his expression was too curious, too naive, to be familiar with the ways of females. This made things all the more easy for me.

Before I could continue with my little games of seduction, Phillida started to walk off, and turned when he realized the body guard wasn’t following.
“Seviil! C’mon, let’s get going,” he exclaimed impatiently.

My eyes were on him as he turned and hurried off after Phillida. I originally would have followed them, but I had realized other possibilities. I could use this Seviil, the body guard, to gather my information- and it would be much faster, and more thorough, then my continued surveillance plans. The only problem was how to get him away from Phillida…

* * *

I did not arrive back at the Inn until much later that night, when most were already in their beds asleep. The bar was quiet, the only one present a drunken snoring Orc, and Witseidutsei. I approached her, ready to pay for the room another night. We exchanged the gold, and I was turning to go to my room when she spoke again.

“You know, there was someone asking about you today.”
I swirled around- probably too quickly, I realized, so I took a mental deep breath and calmed down, slowing my motions.

“Really?” I replied. “What for, and who was it?” I continued, trying to keep my tone neutral. So far my contracts for the Brotherhood had never brought me any trouble with the law, for I had been very careful- but you never knew when something incriminating could have been discovered, or someone had talked.

“That man who baby-sits Adamus Phillida all day- Seviil Varo- he was quite taken with you,” she said, wriggling her eyebrows. I breathed a sigh of relief, and then played the part. I also felt that my interaction with her the night before had been unnecessarily frigid, and it could be useful to have her on my good side- so I was going act much more amiably.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell… but I have seen him around town, I think. But how did you know he was asking about me?” I tried to seem skeptical, my confidence low.

“Well, he didn’t exactly ask about you at first… you see, he comes in here every day after the dinner rush- his only break from the old man, probably.”

I realized with a start that he must have been outside my room last night, if this was true. I had missed him because of my clothing dilemma… quite ironic, I thought sardonically, that the key to this contract had been so near.

“Anyways,” she continued- “I’ve come to know his moods, just like I do with most of the regulars. Today he was very distant and distracted, and I could tell his thoughts were elsewhere. I prodded a bit and finally got him to admit he was thinking about a girl,” she said, puffing her chest out proudly at this feat.

“I asked about her, and he said he didn’t even know her name. I told him to describe her, and he gave an almost identical description to you, clothes and all. And he also mentioned that he’d never seen you about town before, so you couldn’t be a native.”

“Really?” She nodded, and I realized I should probably show some reaction to this news.

“A guardsman, thinking I’m attractive…” I attempted a nervous giggle, and she smiled with a chuckle.

“Oh my, did he think you were attractive! I could swear he looked like a lovesick puppy when he described your dress.” I grinned sheepishly, and she continued, obviously proud with her matchmaking.

“I told him that you were staying here- boy did he turn about fast to find you in the crowd, you should have seen his face when I told him you hadn’t come in yet…” she laughed heartily, and I made gave little smile. “So he’ll definitely be by tomorrow, if you want to talk to him,” she finished.

“Oh… yes, of course! But what to wear…” I gave a nervous laugh, which she joined in with.

“Don’t worry, I think he’d be happy with anything… he’s a good boy, rather shy, but a he’s got a good heart. Treat him well,” she said, giving me a mock threatening look. I promised to do so, and bade her a vague goodnight, my thoughts already elsewhere. As I lowered myself into the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin, I thought of the situation. I could easily talk Seviil up, get him to tell me Phillida’s schedule- and then I could decide when the best time to make my move would be. This sort of insider information would make my task a very simple one. I closed my eyes, and felt myself drifting off to sleep…

I dreamt that night of a pool, the moonlight reflecting off its surface with an earthly glow. In the center of the pool I could see myself, wearing my Dark Brotherhood armor, water up to my waist. Held loosely in my hand at my side was the Blade of Woe, its point gleaming in reflection of the moon.

In front of me in the pool was a heap of dark cloth- the darkest black, even darker than my own armor. And as I watched, the pool transformed from water to a mass of these dark, soggy materials. I realized that they were corpses, of people in black robes and hoods, piled high in the pool. I raised my dagger, and blood was dripping from it.

A figure appeared behind me, also in dark robes. I could see no face beneath its hood, and a rose was in its dark gloved hand. I watched as it crept up behind me, and I wanted to shout out, to warn myself- for a feeling of dread like I had never felt before was overwhelming me- but I could do nothing. I could not move, I could not talk; I could only watch.

And watch I did, as the figure placed the rose against my throat. I dropped my dagger into the pool, and there was a splash of red blood to welcome it. I raised my hands and gripped the sleeves of the figure. Not to stop him- to aid him with his task. He drew the rose across my neck slowly and smoothly, my own hands guiding his. I could see thin lines of blood running down my pale neck.

My expression did not change, even as the blood started to gush from my open throat; my eyes were hollow and lifeless long before the breath left my body. As I fell beneath the surface of the pool, the figure raised its head to look directly across at me. And what I saw was indescribable- two pools of endless black, an infinity of space. A void.

When I awoke, I had forgotten the dream- but an unshakable feeling of dread remained.

However, I quickly pushed aside my sensation of dread as an anxiety over the gravity of the contract, and started to plan for the day. And as I set my thoughts to my task, I realized that I didn’t know what to do for the day. I was going to meet with Seviil Varo tonight, and try to woo him into revealing all I needed to know about Phillida. Therefore, I did not need to tail them- I didn’t even need to find them at all.

I sat for a good quarter of an hour, pondering this fact, after having made my bed, eaten a breakfast of stale bread and grapes, and dressed. After another quarter of an hour of silence and little movement, I realized something. I was bored.

This was a new feeling to me, at least for my recent past. I had been occupied by contracts, and by time spent at the Sanctuary, for there was always something to do there- be it long discussions with Teinaava about anything and everything, arguing with Gogron about the most effective ways of assassination, training with Ocheeva, trying to persuade M’raaj Dar to barter with me, or verbally sparring with Antoinetta- I was always occupied. I now had free time, and hadn’t the faintest idea what to do with it.

I thought back to my time before the Brotherhood- what had I done then to cure this feeling? I closed my eyes in concentration, for my years before the Brotherhood had been pushed to a far corner of my mind, to be covered in dust and never thought of again.

After a moment of careful meditation, I finally came up with something- I could go hunting, or gathering for alchemical supplies. Quite happy to finally have something to do, I put together a day pack and strode purposefully from the Inn and out the Main Town gates.

I spent the day hunting the scarce edible game around Leyawiin, and gathering some of the unique plant life. I found several bushes of my favorite flower, Nightshade, and looked forward to making some sinister poisons with the buds I carried.

I returned to the Inn in the later afternoon, my bag a bit heavier then it had been when I left. I cleaned myself with some spare water, and dressed carefully, for once taking a long time to make sure I looked appealing to the public eye. I used my fingers to unknot my jet black hair, and let it fall loose at my shoulders. I still had over an hour to spare once this was done, so I spent the time experimenting with my alchemy equipment, and my new ingredients.

I find alchemy to be a most satisfying art, one that calms my nerves. There is nothing like taking two, three, or four completely different things and combining them to achieve one effect. I especially was skilled at the art of poison making, and that was a reason Nightshade was my favorite flower, aside from it’s beautiful appearance.

One the outside, Nightshade is just an attractive, violet flower, with thick petals and a long stem. But on the inside, once brewed correctly, it’s properties can bring about a person’s death; and depending on how you create it, a slow and painful death, or a quick and silent one. This deception I found most appealing.

Today, however, I tried something different, something I had been experimenting with for quite some time- a sleeping draught. I had a few samples of it already, that had been mildly successful, but I wished to make it powerful enough to work for hours instead of minutes.

I was quite absorbed in my trials that I almost didn’t notice when the light started to leave the sky, and the barroom outside become louder and fuller. I carefully put my things away, slipped my freshly finished vial of sleeping draught in my skirt folds, and exited my room.

The scene I entered was a loud and crowded one- there was quite a full house that night. Men were drinking by the pint, already starting to break out into song and easy laughter, while others were becoming a bit violent and aggressive. I hastily scouted out the room, and saw that Seviil was not there yet.

I took a seat at the bar, and ordered a goblet of wine from the smug Witseidutsei, who was grinning knowingly. I sipped from it, waiting impatiently. I was quite keen to get on with the contract.

An old drunk man in rags approached me, grinning with yellow-stained teeth and red eyes, but he was quickly deterred by a death glare. I knew I could be quite terrifying if the situation arose for it. My eyes quite obviously said “I will kill you, and I will enjoy it”. And it was evident there was no lie in my gaze.

A few moments later I felt eyes upon my back, and I swiveled in my bar stool to find Seviil at the doorway. He looked away when I tried to meet his gaze, and his posture was stiff and his gaze fixed. There were two seats empty at the bar. One was next to myself, and the other around the corner. He started to head for the corner.

Witseidutsei was watching him as well, and when she saw this she shoved the drunken old man standing at the corner sideways, and he stumbled onto the stool, and found himself unable to stand again. Witseidutsei gave me a sideways wink, and turned back to serving.

I saw Seviil give a deep swallow, as though bracing himself, before striding over to sit next to me. He ordered an Ale, and tried to look anywhere but at me. His cheeks were tinted red, and his posture was still stiff. I realized, with a bit of exasperation, I would have to get things moving along.

“Busy night, eh?” I said, gesturing toward the crowd with a nod of my head. He looked alarmed at my speaking to him, and responded seconds later with only a curt nod of his head, and an “Mmm” of acknowledgment.

I waited another moment, where I noticed him shifting uncomfortably in his seat, before continuing.

“You know, I could swear I’ve seen you about town, but I just can’t place it,” I said, turning towards him.

“I seem to, ah, recall, seeing you too,” he said, his voice hesitant.

I narrowed my eyes, as though inspecting his face carefully, while he tried not to seem to notice. After a few seconds I let out an exclamation of triumph.

“Aha! I know now- you’re the one who is always with that man in the white armor- Adamus Phillida, right?”

“Yes, that is me.” He seemed quite pleased that I recognized him.
“So, that’s quite the important job, guarding such a respected and high esteemed man. You must be quite the guy to be chosen for such an honor,” I said, giving him a small smile. He finally was making eye contact with me, and seemed a bit more comfortable, his chest puffed out with pride at my words.

“I was chosen out of all the Legion based here in Leyawiin, and believe me, most were not happy about being passed up for this opportunity. My father especially was thrilled when I received such an honor, for he had not seen much promise in me before.”

I could see in his eyes that his relationship with his father was not the best, and decided to play on that a bit.

“Not seen much promise? Is he blind?” I made a show of looking him up and down. “You’ve got the natural physique of a soldier, with your broad shoulders and muscled arms!”

His face was bright red now, and he shifted a bit once again, only this time in a manner to puff out his chest and show his arms off a bit more. I continued on.

“And the way you walk- so limber, so graceful! You must do wonders at swordplay.”

“Yes, well, I have always been of the mind that my talent has not been appreciated yet,” he said pompously, looking me right in the eye.

The double entendre was not lost on either of us. I tried not to let my involuntary shiver of disgust show too much, before continuing.

“I must agree! I was just going to say how you’re armor isn’t really of great quality, and that you deserve much more- but even though your armor isn’t as extravagant as others, you wear it so much better,” I said this with a sly smile, and he gave a self satisfied smirk. Time to cut to the chase, I thought.

“I’ve always loved a man in armor,” I continued, my voice low and about as suggestive as you could get. I looked right into his deep brown eyes as I said this, and I watched as his expression came to something that I couldn’t describe in any way other than “hopeful”.

I was getting a bit impatient, and I could see Witseidutsei lingering near us more than was necessary- I realized she was listening. The information I was trying to gather may seem suspicious if thought about after Phillida’s death; I was not worried about the bodyguard, but Witseidutsei seemed to know everyone and everything, and therefore she had a gossiping mind. She may make the connection, I thought darkly. I didn’t want anyone to even consider me as a culprit, so I decided to make things a bit more private.

“Would you like to come into my room? It will be much quieter, and we can be alone, to-” I looked him in the eye meaningfully, “-talk.”

His eyes widened, and at first I worried I had gone too far. But I quickly realized it wasn’t reluctance, but fear. He was nervous. I suppose that was understandable, seeing as I knew now almost certainly that he had never bedded a woman before- but he was the man. He wasn’t supposed to show fear. I found myself feeling almost angered by his weakness.

“I would enjoy that very much.” He had found his voice at last.

Rising from my stool silently, he followed me as I unlocked my room. As I let him enter in front of me and turned to close the door, I saw Witseidutsei give me a surprised look, but she smiled a bit before the door clicked closed.

I turned back to Seviil, and gestured for him to sit at the little table with two chairs in the corner. He complied, and I filled the other chair. There was a bottle of wine and two goblets, and I poured one for each of us. We sipped in silence for a moment, and I realized he would not be the one to speak first. I ground my teeth in annoyance, before speaking.

“So, tell me more of your duties as a body guard. Does anything exciting ever happen?” I asked, feigning naivety.

“All I really have to do is follow Phillida around all day- he’s retired, so there’s not much adventuring going on,” he said, rubbing a hand through his short black hair.

I pretended to look a bit disappointed, and he quickly started speaking again.

“Well, there was this one time we helped to capture an escaping prisoner, but there wasn’t much fighting. After we heard of the prisoner’s escape, he made up a plan at a moment’s notice- and within the hour we had the outlaw in our grasp, with no casualties. Adamus is intelligent and wise, a good leader- and a good man, who believes in justice, but is also merciful.”

“That must have been very exciting! I’ve heard stories of Phillida’s skill as a guard, and all spoke highly of him. He doesn’t seem to be the man to retire, though. I always thought he’d work until he was killed in the line of duty, no matter how old,” I said thoughtfully.

Seviil shifted once again, his eyes darting about a bit. He was on the verge of telling me something, I could feel it. I batted my eyelashes at him, lips parted as though in curiosity, and his expression softened.

“To be truthful, he does get a bit restless. He’s also not happy that I’ve been assigned to watch him at all times… he feels he can obviously take care of himself, and wants to enjoy his retirement without someone breathing down his neck. Can’t say I blame him, I wouldn’t like the situation if I were him either…”

“Well you’re not with him right now,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Where is he now?”

“Ah, well, he’s in bed right now. Sleeping,” he replied, but after a brief and hesitant pause; quite obviously a lie.

I gave a little laugh, and he seemed quite confused. I rolled my eyes in an exaggerated manner.

“Oh, okay, he’s sleeping,” I said, still laughing, and he looked downward shamefully. I continued to watch him, my eyes dancing with amusement.

“Alright, alright, so maybe he’s not sleeping…” he relented, grinning- but he didn’t continue.

“Aw, now you’ve got me intrigued! So where is he, if he’s not in bed and you’re not beside him?” I said, my tone playful, and I batted his arm lightly.

He mocked rubbing his arm, as though I had hurt him.
“No more, no more! I’ll tell you- as long as you promise not to hit me again!”
“I make no promises,” I said, grinning wickedly.
“I guess I’ll have to take my chances then.”
“I suppose you will,” I responded, and I folded my arms and gave him an expectant look. He grinned.

“Well, if you must know, I do feel a bit bad for him… so I give him a break every once in awhile. The reason Phillida retired down here in Leyawiin is because he loves to swim; but he only likes to swim alone. Round this time, the pools in town are empty and everyone’s off having dinner. I come here to have a drink, and let him swim for an hour or so.”

I could barely contain my glee- Sithis be praised, I could not ask for a more perfect scenario! If what he said was true, and there wasn’t anyone about at this time of day, I could sneak out now, kill Phillida and be done with this all! Now, just to get rid of the bodyguard… I knew I couldn’t kill him, for it would be all too obvious that I was the culprit. But as shifted my leg, I felt the vial within my skirt. A plan formulated.

“‘Every once in awhile?’” I repeated. “You sneak! Witseidutsei told me you come here everyday!”

He laughed at my indignant expression, but then seemed to understand what my statement implied.

“You spoke to Witseidutsei about me?”

I lowered my head, as though in embarrassment. I felt his fingers beneath my chin, and he raised my head level to his gaze.

“I told you mine, now you must share yours,” he said, raising an eyebrow mockingly. I sighed, rolling my eyes.

“Mmm… well, to be truthful… I saw you in the bar the other night, and again in town yesterday… and I was intrigued.” I said, inventing wildly. “So I asked her about you, and she said you came in every night…” I trailed off.

There was a silence, and when I looked up into his eyes, I saw an all too familiar look in them. Hurriedly, I reached for the bottle in front of us, my other hand in my lap.

“Would you like another glass of wine?”
He shook his head lightly, as though clearing it of a thought, and nodded.

When I had placed my hand in my lap I had slipped the vial of sleeping drought out of the fold of my skirt, uncorking it swiftly with a deft movement of my fingers. As I went to pour into his glass, I made sure to lean in closely to his body, and I caught his gaze and smiled at him, keeping him entranced in my eyes as I dumped both the wine and the drought into his goblet. I leaned back quickly and placed the wine at a strategic angle behind the vase of flowers, so the vial was hidden from Seviil’s view.

I waited, but he didn’t take a sip. He was still watching me, eyes glazed over a bit. He started to lean forward, his hand about to touch mine, which sat on the table- but I drew it away quickly to grab my goblet of wine. I held it in the air, and gestured for him to do the same. He was confused at first, but caught on quickly. He grabbed his goblet and clinked it against mine, smiling.

I returned the smile, and then tilted my head back and drank deeply, watching Seviil out of the corner of my eye. He was doing the same. I kept drinking, gulping down mouthfuls of wine, and knew that he would not stop until I did- men, and their pride.

I made sure to drink a sizable portion of the goblet, which of his spiked would be enough I knew to knock him out for hours, before I took a final swallow and pulled away from the glass.

He waited another brief pause and did the same, smacking his lips. I met his eyes and gave a bashful smile. His eyes lit up, and he started to lean forward. Seeing no way to avoid it, I too started to lean forward, sending an urgent prayer to the Night Mother that the drugs kicked in quickly…

And it was answered. I could feel his hot breath upon my face, and was just inches away from his lips when suddenly his eyelids drooped, and his expression became lax. Another instant later he was collapsed in is chair, snoring loudly. I closed my eyes and gave a silent thanks to the Night Mother.

My plan was thus- I would now take him, undress him, and place his body in my bed, arranging the surroundings appropriately so it would seem that what he wished for had occurred. I would sneak out of my room window, find Phillida, kill him, and return to the bed. This way, when Seviil awoke, I could convince him we had spent the night together, and that it was just so amazing his memory must have been muddled. This would effectively clear me of suspicion, and I could leave the next day without worry.

And so I carried the first part of my plan out quickly, rather enjoying throwing things about the room (including his clothes) in an ungainly manner. But I was moving quickly, for there was no time to be wasted- we had been talking for a fair bit of time, and who knew when Phillida would be getting out of the water and putting that wretched armor back on.

I didn’t want to go through the rather lengthy process of putting my Dark Brotherhood leathers on, so I simply gathered up my bow, the Blade of Woe, and last but certainly not least, the Rose of Sithis. I opened the shutters of the window and stuck my head out, making sure no one was nearby. Once satisfied that the coast was clear, I stuck a leg through. I took one last look at Seviil, who was still snoring loudly, and pushed the rest of my body out, into the gathering twilight.

The sun was just disappearing on the horizon, and the crickets had come out to sing their songs. And that was the only noise to be heard, besides the dull sounds coming form the bar behind me. Seviil was right- no one was about. I couldn’t even spot a guard.

Not wasting another moment, I started off down the street, sticking to the shadows, which were rapidly forming as the sun disappeared. As I passed by an alleyway between two houses, I suddenly felt an almost familiar chill in the air, and a sensation that I was being watched.

It was quickly forgotten though, once I cast my gaze down the road. I could see between a gap in two houses a pool of water. And in the pool of water, I spotted Adamus Phillida, shirtless and exposed, with no one about. The familiar thrill rose in my stomach, and I dropped down into a crouch and drew my bow. I darted to my left, pressing my back against the city wall. I slid around the corner of the wall towards the pool, making sure to remain hidden in the darkness.

As I drew closer to the pool I slowed my step, treading carefully. I waited for a moment, until Phillida started to stroke and swim about a bit, before moving again, using the stirring of the water to mask my sounds of movement. I was very close now, just at the edge of the water, concealed by a cluster of boulders. He was facing away from me, swimming for the opposite side of the pool.

I started to creep closer, but I felt my heart stop as I kicked a small stone with my left shoe. It rolled quietly, but dropped off the edge of a boulder into the pool with a very audible splash. My blood turned to ice as Phillida’s body stiffened, and he started to turn. I dropped down as low as I could, pressing my bow to the ground, but kept my eyes on Phillida. After a moment that seemed to last hours, he appeared to disregard the noise and continued his leisurely swim.

His back was still to me, as he was doing the backstroke towards my direction. I raised my bow, notching the Rose of Sithis with some reverence. I drew my arm back slowly and as silently has possible, my muscles shaking from the effort of keeping the arrow fletched. I took careful aim, holding the bow as steady as I could. Time seemed to slow, and I felt the familiar rush of a kill, the sensation sweeping my entire body. The tension was too much, I had to release it, I couldn’t hold on much longer.

And I let go of the Rose, letting it fly free. It struck him through the throat, where I had aimed. That moment was indescribable, the moment of such a powerful kill. I could scarcely move for a time, my body completely consumed by the murder. For at long last, Adamus Phillida was dead at the hands of the Dark Brotherhood.

But there was still more to be done- if I wanted my bonus, I needed his finger. I lifted my skirt and waded into the pool, drawing my dagger. The blood from his wound was starting to taint the clarity of the water, turning it scarlet. I stuck my hands under his arms and carefully flipped over his body. I grabbed at his right arm and held up the hand on which the ring sat upon, raising my dagger in preparation. Just at this moment, however, I looked down at the face of Adamus Phillida.

And I was stunned by the spark of recognition. I was physically staggered, enough so that I dropped his hand with a splash back into the pool and stepped back. I had seen his face before, not long ago. Thinking hard, I had a flash of his face, upside-down, backed by azure skies, his lips mouthing “Are you okay miss?”

My first contract, when I had been sent to kill the pirate Captain, I had swum across the Rumare Lake, and when I reached the shores of the Waterfront, exhausted, an Imperial Legion Officer had helped me stand and asked me if I was okay. That Imperial Legion Officer had been Adamus Phillida, probably mere weeks before his retirement.

I am still not sure why this staggered me so, except that it had been so unexpected, and such a profound coincidence, that I noticed nothing else. For that must be the reason the sounds of the approaching guards were not heard by my ears.

They came from the barracks, their steps and talk loud enough- but I was completely distracted by my revelation, and did not notice their presence until it was too late. They spotted me a slight second after I saw them. Their gaze was confused, but when they saw the body of a man in the water before me, and my dagger still in hand, they instantly sprung into action, shouting wildly.

I supposed they had been heading to the pub, for they had no weapons, so I figured my best chance was to run. Cursing myself for my moment of weakness, I set off out of the pool and up the banks, darting between two houses. They tried to cut me off in the street. I sprinted the opposite way, my heart racing. My body jolted with adrenaline when I heard something strike a wall near me with a resounding crack; they were throwing rocks. And as I realized this, I started to dash down an alleyway… when time seemed to slow as I heard something strike the house on my right.

Next was a rushing sound, louder and louder, until a final crack echoed throughout my head… and all was black.