It had taken every ounce of cunning and speed, but Cicero had managed to get to the Black Door and through it before Arnbjorn could do more than take a chunk out of his side. Once the Sanctuary doors had swung shut and Cicero had a moment to think, he realized that his retreat wouldn’t be safe for much longer. He had foolishly left his journals at Falkreath and the password within.
But he was too tired, hurt, and weak to keep running. Instead Cicero had curled up in the torture room, waiting for the Listener to come for him. Surely she would be the one they would send. She had been his friend, the only one he had been close to. It was only fitting to send the best to defeat the best.
Hours passed into days, days into weeks, and no one came. Slowly Cicero began to realize that the Listener, HIS Listener, had decided to not come and kill him. He had been so happy! He was safe because she was kind and true!
Finally, Cicero decided he had to go back. It didn’t matter if the others attacked him if they saw him; he had to attend to Mother. Too much had passed since he had last oiled her. She may have not spoken since her command to take Motierre’s contract, but that was Night Mother’s choice. He wouldn’t allow her vessel to be desecrated while he lived.
Cicero immediately knew something was wrong when he arrived in the Pine Forest. There was the smell of smoke in the air. As he got closer to Sanctuary, he was horrified to see that there had been a fire and the whole surrounding area was covered in soot and bones. Even the Black Door was off its hinges leaving the Sanctuary exposed and naked.
Cautiously going in, the Keeper discovered that the fire had originated within the Sanctuary and had consumed almost everything. Only the Night Mother and her chapel were untouched, far away from the rest of the living area and closed off with heavy iron doors.
Later Cicero would discover the truth of the matter after getting Arnbjorn very drunk. Elaninde had refused to kill Cicero after Astrid had ordered her to. “If you want him dead, then you do it yourself,” she had sniffed.
But Astrid had not had the password. Elaninde had hidden Cicero’s journals to keep her from finishing what Arnbjorn had started. “She would laugh about it,” the wolf admitted. “How much she enjoyed how pissed off Astrid was. Besides, she figured you had bled to death. Even if I hadn’t hit the artery, few can survive a werewolf’s bite.”
Cicero was hurt. She hadn’t cared about him at all. She had figured him dead and not worth the trip, but useful to hurt her ally.
Eventually, Astrid had assigned Elaninde to go to Solitude to kill the Emperor. She was supposed to go alone, but she had convinced Arnbjorn to come with her as “back-up.” It was lucky for him that he had agreed because Astrid had tried to betray Elaninde to Commander Maro, the head of the Penitus Oculatus and the father of Gaius Maro, a young Legionnaire the Brotherhood had framed to draw the Emperor out.
Maro had decided to double cross Astrid by killing not only her rival but the Brotherhood as well. The Penitus Oculatus had discovered the location of Falkreath Sanctuary and hit while Elaninde was gone. The werefox and werewolf had managed to escape with their hides, but instead of immediately returning to Sanctuary to try to warn anyone, they had hidden in the woods until things had calmed down.
In fact, they had just returned to Falkreath shortly after Cicero did because they needed somewhere to go and Elaninde had been stubborn about returning to her “rightful” place. The Altmer wasn’t a fool though. They had made sure to stop by the Dragon Bridge to kill the Penitus Oculatus in their sleep so no one would know the location of the Sanctuary.
“Oh, you’re back,” had been Elaninde’s greeting when she saw Cicero. “Be sure to oil the Night Mother immediately. She’s overdue.”
Cicero had tried to convince the Listener to relocate to Dawnstar Sanctuary. It was safer, undiscovered and unknown to most. Cicero had only known of it from an old text. But a fox wants to go to ground where her den is and Elaninde had refused to move.
“I like this place despite how much work we’ll have to do to clean it up,” she insisted.
The Joy of Touch 2/?
But he was too tired, hurt, and weak to keep running. Instead Cicero had curled up in the torture room, waiting for the Listener to come for him. Surely she would be the one they would send. She had been his friend, the only one he had been close to. It was only fitting to send the best to defeat the best.
Hours passed into days, days into weeks, and no one came. Slowly Cicero began to realize that the Listener, HIS Listener, had decided to not come and kill him. He had been so happy! He was safe because she was kind and true!
Finally, Cicero decided he had to go back. It didn’t matter if the others attacked him if they saw him; he had to attend to Mother. Too much had passed since he had last oiled her. She may have not spoken since her command to take Motierre’s contract, but that was Night Mother’s choice. He wouldn’t allow her vessel to be desecrated while he lived.
Cicero immediately knew something was wrong when he arrived in the Pine Forest. There was the smell of smoke in the air. As he got closer to Sanctuary, he was horrified to see that there had been a fire and the whole surrounding area was covered in soot and bones. Even the Black Door was off its hinges leaving the Sanctuary exposed and naked.
Cautiously going in, the Keeper discovered that the fire had originated within the Sanctuary and had consumed almost everything. Only the Night Mother and her chapel were untouched, far away from the rest of the living area and closed off with heavy iron doors.
Later Cicero would discover the truth of the matter after getting Arnbjorn very drunk. Elaninde had refused to kill Cicero after Astrid had ordered her to. “If you want him dead, then you do it yourself,” she had sniffed.
But Astrid had not had the password. Elaninde had hidden Cicero’s journals to keep her from finishing what Arnbjorn had started. “She would laugh about it,” the wolf admitted. “How much she enjoyed how pissed off Astrid was. Besides, she figured you had bled to death. Even if I hadn’t hit the artery, few can survive a werewolf’s bite.”
Cicero was hurt. She hadn’t cared about him at all. She had figured him dead and not worth the trip, but useful to hurt her ally.
Eventually, Astrid had assigned Elaninde to go to Solitude to kill the Emperor. She was supposed to go alone, but she had convinced Arnbjorn to come with her as “back-up.” It was lucky for him that he had agreed because Astrid had tried to betray Elaninde to Commander Maro, the head of the Penitus Oculatus and the father of Gaius Maro, a young Legionnaire the Brotherhood had framed to draw the Emperor out.
Maro had decided to double cross Astrid by killing not only her rival but the Brotherhood as well. The Penitus Oculatus had discovered the location of Falkreath Sanctuary and hit while Elaninde was gone. The werefox and werewolf had managed to escape with their hides, but instead of immediately returning to Sanctuary to try to warn anyone, they had hidden in the woods until things had calmed down.
In fact, they had just returned to Falkreath shortly after Cicero did because they needed somewhere to go and Elaninde had been stubborn about returning to her “rightful” place. The Altmer wasn’t a fool though. They had made sure to stop by the Dragon Bridge to kill the Penitus Oculatus in their sleep so no one would know the location of the Sanctuary.
“Oh, you’re back,” had been Elaninde’s greeting when she saw Cicero. “Be sure to oil the Night Mother immediately. She’s overdue.”
Cicero had tried to convince the Listener to relocate to Dawnstar Sanctuary. It was safer, undiscovered and unknown to most. Cicero had only known of it from an old text. But a fox wants to go to ground where her den is and Elaninde had refused to move.
“I like this place despite how much work we’ll have to do to clean it up,” she insisted.