“So. Cicero. You're Dark Brotherhood. Or were. Guess they kicked you out, huh.”
“Cicero still is Dark Brotherhood!” Cicero hissed, face twisting in a grimace. “They, they are the heretics! The false Brotherhood! Deceivers, liars, pretenders! All dancing to the tune of that harlot Astrid!!!”
“So you said,” Delphine said calmly, sitting down next to him, cross-legged on the tundra. “I also heard what you said to Elisif.” She beckoned her over, and Elisif approached, sitting next to Delphine. Cicero did look up at her then, actually smiling, heavy-lidded eyes blinking slowly at her.
“Pretty Elisif,” Cicero laughed, still a little breathless. “Cicero is sorry if he scared you. And for the contract too. It wasn't Cicero's idea, you know. Astrid organised the whole thing.”
“Astrid,” Elisif said softly, thinking over everything that had been said so far. “The leader of the Dark Brotherhood.”
The wrong thing to say. Cicero's face clouded over as he started shrieking again.
“LIES! TREACHERY! ASTRID IS NOT THE LEADER OF THE DARK BROTHERHOOD, MOTHER I-!” Cicero immediately stopped talking, horror in his eyes as he realised perhaps he'd said too much.
“Mother,” said Esbern softly, looking absolutely fascinated. “You mean the Night Mother, don't you? She was the one who split from the Morag Tong all those centuries ago, your order's founder.”
“But she must be dead by now, surely?” Elisif heard herself say, and then it occurred to her that the mother Cicero had been transporting to her new crypt hadn't been his own but the mother of his order. He'd been taking her... where? To the Dark Brotherhood's Skyrim base, that much was obvious.
“CICERO IS TELLING YOU NOTHING!” Cicero howled, eyes darting nervously between them all, and Elisif had a feeling he was going to go for his knife again.
“It's all right,” Delphine said, sounding gentle and kind and utterly unlike her usual self. “I'm not interested in the details of Dark Brotherhood politics. I'm just looking to protect my Dragonborn. I was a Blade once, sworn to protect and guide any Dragonborn that might arise. You understand I'm not pleased this Astrid of the Dark Brotherhood has taken a contract against Elisif.”
Cicero glared at her, spitting on the floor. “Oh, Blades. Cicero has heard of the Blades. Blades killed Dark Brothers and Sisters once. Protecting their Emperor. Pah!” He scowled at her, pouting a little and then his mouth curved into a smirk. “Cicero has heard the Blades are not doing so well these days either.”
Delphine steeled herself, pointedly not rising to the bait. “We've had better days. But we have a Dragonborn again and a purpose. We've got dragons to kill, a world to save.” Then Delphine actually smiled. “Want to help?”
“Delphine!” Brynjolf shouted. “You cannot be serious!”
“He's a murdering little fiend from an organisation that we know has it in for Elisif!” Aela protested. “How do we know he's not planning to kill us all?”
“Oh, Cicero is tempted,” Cicero muttered darkly. He glared up at Delphine. “What is in it for Cicero, hmm? And why is Delphine offering? Cicero doesn't actually believe Delphine secretly wants him for a plaything.”
Delphine did grin at that. “Sorry, Cicero. That's not what I'm after. But what I do want... The Dark Brotherhood aren't going to stop hunting Elisif. Not when there's a large amount of coin and a lot of professional pride at stake. I can help keep her safe and one step ahead, but she's going to be queen. She can't keep running forever. To get her out of this, we need to take the fight to them. But to do that, I'd need to know where they lived and how to get to them.” She tilted her head, smiling sweetly at him. “That's where you come in.”
“Delphine, this sounds like a terrible idea...” Esbern said, looking warily at Cicero. Brynjolf also looked dubious, but Aela was starting to nod in understanding and Elisif realised what Delphine was getting at. The Dark Brotherhood's safety lay in secrecy, but if someone were to spill their secrets, an outcast member with an axe to grind...
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 10.12
Date: 2013-10-30 10:58 pm (UTC)“Cicero still is Dark Brotherhood!” Cicero hissed, face twisting in a grimace. “They, they are the heretics! The false Brotherhood! Deceivers, liars, pretenders! All dancing to the tune of that harlot Astrid!!!”
“So you said,” Delphine said calmly, sitting down next to him, cross-legged on the tundra. “I also heard what you said to Elisif.” She beckoned her over, and Elisif approached, sitting next to Delphine. Cicero did look up at her then, actually smiling, heavy-lidded eyes blinking slowly at her.
“Pretty Elisif,” Cicero laughed, still a little breathless. “Cicero is sorry if he scared you. And for the contract too. It wasn't Cicero's idea, you know. Astrid organised the whole thing.”
“Astrid,” Elisif said softly, thinking over everything that had been said so far. “The leader of the Dark Brotherhood.”
The wrong thing to say. Cicero's face clouded over as he started shrieking again.
“LIES! TREACHERY! ASTRID IS NOT THE LEADER OF THE DARK BROTHERHOOD, MOTHER I-!” Cicero immediately stopped talking, horror in his eyes as he realised perhaps he'd said too much.
“Mother,” said Esbern softly, looking absolutely fascinated. “You mean the Night Mother, don't you? She was the one who split from the Morag Tong all those centuries ago, your order's founder.”
“But she must be dead by now, surely?” Elisif heard herself say, and then it occurred to her that the mother Cicero had been transporting to her new crypt hadn't been his own but the mother of his order. He'd been taking her... where? To the Dark Brotherhood's Skyrim base, that much was obvious.
“CICERO IS TELLING YOU NOTHING!” Cicero howled, eyes darting nervously between them all, and Elisif had a feeling he was going to go for his knife again.
“It's all right,” Delphine said, sounding gentle and kind and utterly unlike her usual self. “I'm not interested in the details of Dark Brotherhood politics. I'm just looking to protect my Dragonborn. I was a Blade once, sworn to protect and guide any Dragonborn that might arise. You understand I'm not pleased this Astrid of the Dark Brotherhood has taken a contract against Elisif.”
Cicero glared at her, spitting on the floor. “Oh, Blades. Cicero has heard of the Blades. Blades killed Dark Brothers and Sisters once. Protecting their Emperor. Pah!” He scowled at her, pouting a little and then his mouth curved into a smirk. “Cicero has heard the Blades are not doing so well these days either.”
Delphine steeled herself, pointedly not rising to the bait. “We've had better days. But we have a Dragonborn again and a purpose. We've got dragons to kill, a world to save.” Then Delphine actually smiled. “Want to help?”
“Delphine!” Brynjolf shouted. “You cannot be serious!”
“He's a murdering little fiend from an organisation that we know has it in for Elisif!” Aela protested. “How do we know he's not planning to kill us all?”
“Oh, Cicero is tempted,” Cicero muttered darkly. He glared up at Delphine. “What is in it for Cicero, hmm? And why is Delphine offering? Cicero doesn't actually believe Delphine secretly wants him for a plaything.”
Delphine did grin at that. “Sorry, Cicero. That's not what I'm after. But what I do want... The Dark Brotherhood aren't going to stop hunting Elisif. Not when there's a large amount of coin and a lot of professional pride at stake. I can help keep her safe and one step ahead, but she's going to be queen. She can't keep running forever. To get her out of this, we need to take the fight to them. But to do that, I'd need to know where they lived and how to get to them.” She tilted her head, smiling sweetly at him. “That's where you come in.”
“Delphine, this sounds like a terrible idea...” Esbern said, looking warily at Cicero. Brynjolf also looked dubious, but Aela was starting to nod in understanding and Elisif realised what Delphine was getting at. The Dark Brotherhood's safety lay in secrecy, but if someone were to spill their secrets, an outcast member with an axe to grind...