“I'm selling him weapons, not armour,” Ghorza growled. “Why would I need to measure him?”
“To make sure it's in his size...” Elisif stopped, seeing the incredulous stare the Orc was giving her, and slowly turned to look at Cicero, who was giggling nervously, looking rather flushed.
“Your arm wasn't sore at all, was it?” she snapped, glaring at him. “Did you just want a new bow? You could have just asked!”
Cicero giggled, swaying from side to side as he looked coyly up at her. “Oh but sweetling, you might have said no! Or left poor Cicero behind! And Cicero cannot keep using yours, can he?” He turned to Ghorza, producing his own coin purse. “Four hundred and forty septims for the bow, yes? Here!”
Ghorza took the coin, probably just wanting to get him out of her shop and gave him the bow. Elisif could only shake her head as she followed him out.
“I really don't get you sometimes,” she sighed. Cicero was still giggling. “Do you have any money left?”
“Well, no,” Cicero admitted. “Not a lot. But some! More will come. It always does. Oh but sweet Maia, pretty Maia, it was a funny joke, was it not? You believed me! Believed foolish Cicero's funny joke!”
Which Delphine hadn't seen fit to enlighten her about either, although it was possible the Breton had seized at any excuse to get Cicero out of her hair. Elisif had her hands on her hips, glaring at the little jester, who just laughed all the harder. At least he did... until he glanced over her shoulder, the smile fading, blood draining from his face and then he promptly dived into the Markarth Brook, hiding under Ghorza's forge, out of sight, finger pressed to his lips.
Elisif would have asked why until she saw the figure walking down the steps from the Hag's Cure alchemy shop at the top of the city. A woman in hooded red and black robes with a handprint on the front, and as she approached, Elisif could see the grey skin of a Dunmer. Cicero had gone pale, hiding in the shadows and while he didn't look scared exactly, he looked nervous. Elisif could only think of one reason for Cicero to look nervous. Red and black, like the armour on that Argonian who tried to kill her, and Elisif didn't know if it was a good thing or not that she knew his name now, Veezara he'd been called.
This woman was clearly one of his siblings in darkness. Elisif drew out of the way, staying close to the wall and watching out of the corner of her eyes as the woman headed for Understone Keep, barely sparing her a second glance. It wasn't until she'd gone that Cicero finally clambered out of the stream, shaking the water off himself.
“Who was she?” Elisif whispered, needing confirmation of the worst.
“Gabriella,” Cicero murmured, the syllables rolling over his tongue like poison. “Obsessed with death, claims to venerate Mother but she's Astrid's really. Never stepped in to defend poor Cicero from the others' teasing, no!” He turned to Elisif, looking unusually grim. “Maia must go. Now. Leave the city, go back to the Temple. Cicero shall deal with this.”
Elisif nodded, looking nervously at the rest of the city, wondering if there were any others out there. Cicero seemed to guess what she was thinking.
“Do not worry, pretty one. Astrid has few enough people left to her and she could not have known you would be here. She is likely here alone on other business. You will be safe once Cicero has dealt with her. But go you must! Quickly now! Cicero shall see you back at our Sanctuary.”
Without further words, Cicero was gone, slinking off after the Dunmer and Elisif could guess what he was planning. The thought made her a bit sick, but on the other hand, her safety lay in secrecy and Gabriella was an assassin after all. Even so, the thought of Cicero killing her in cold blood unsettled her. This city had seen enough death.
Elisif recalled the note the young Reachman had given her earlier. To meet at the Shrine of Talos. It had to be about that young woman's death, must be.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 12.6
Date: 2013-11-10 03:39 pm (UTC)“To make sure it's in his size...” Elisif stopped, seeing the incredulous stare the Orc was giving her, and slowly turned to look at Cicero, who was giggling nervously, looking rather flushed.
“Your arm wasn't sore at all, was it?” she snapped, glaring at him. “Did you just want a new bow? You could have just asked!”
Cicero giggled, swaying from side to side as he looked coyly up at her. “Oh but sweetling, you might have said no! Or left poor Cicero behind! And Cicero cannot keep using yours, can he?” He turned to Ghorza, producing his own coin purse. “Four hundred and forty septims for the bow, yes? Here!”
Ghorza took the coin, probably just wanting to get him out of her shop and gave him the bow. Elisif could only shake her head as she followed him out.
“I really don't get you sometimes,” she sighed. Cicero was still giggling. “Do you have any money left?”
“Well, no,” Cicero admitted. “Not a lot. But some! More will come. It always does. Oh but sweet Maia, pretty Maia, it was a funny joke, was it not? You believed me! Believed foolish Cicero's funny joke!”
Which Delphine hadn't seen fit to enlighten her about either, although it was possible the Breton had seized at any excuse to get Cicero out of her hair. Elisif had her hands on her hips, glaring at the little jester, who just laughed all the harder. At least he did... until he glanced over her shoulder, the smile fading, blood draining from his face and then he promptly dived into the Markarth Brook, hiding under Ghorza's forge, out of sight, finger pressed to his lips.
Elisif would have asked why until she saw the figure walking down the steps from the Hag's Cure alchemy shop at the top of the city. A woman in hooded red and black robes with a handprint on the front, and as she approached, Elisif could see the grey skin of a Dunmer. Cicero had gone pale, hiding in the shadows and while he didn't look scared exactly, he looked nervous. Elisif could only think of one reason for Cicero to look nervous. Red and black, like the armour on that Argonian who tried to kill her, and Elisif didn't know if it was a good thing or not that she knew his name now, Veezara he'd been called.
This woman was clearly one of his siblings in darkness. Elisif drew out of the way, staying close to the wall and watching out of the corner of her eyes as the woman headed for Understone Keep, barely sparing her a second glance. It wasn't until she'd gone that Cicero finally clambered out of the stream, shaking the water off himself.
“Who was she?” Elisif whispered, needing confirmation of the worst.
“Gabriella,” Cicero murmured, the syllables rolling over his tongue like poison. “Obsessed with death, claims to venerate Mother but she's Astrid's really. Never stepped in to defend poor Cicero from the others' teasing, no!” He turned to Elisif, looking unusually grim. “Maia must go. Now. Leave the city, go back to the Temple. Cicero shall deal with this.”
Elisif nodded, looking nervously at the rest of the city, wondering if there were any others out there. Cicero seemed to guess what she was thinking.
“Do not worry, pretty one. Astrid has few enough people left to her and she could not have known you would be here. She is likely here alone on other business. You will be safe once Cicero has dealt with her. But go you must! Quickly now! Cicero shall see you back at our Sanctuary.”
Without further words, Cicero was gone, slinking off after the Dunmer and Elisif could guess what he was planning. The thought made her a bit sick, but on the other hand, her safety lay in secrecy and Gabriella was an assassin after all. Even so, the thought of Cicero killing her in cold blood unsettled her. This city had seen enough death.
Elisif recalled the note the young Reachman had given her earlier. To meet at the Shrine of Talos. It had to be about that young woman's death, must be.