Madanach decided it was time to intervene before Cicero actually killed the man. He flung the door open to be greeted by Borkul staggering around the central fire, trying in vain to dislodge the short Imperial with red hair who was draped around his upper body, looking as if he was actually trying to pull Borkul's head off by the ears. From the very focused look on Cicero's face, he might even manage it.
“ALL RIGHT, THAT IS ENOUGH!” Madanach roared, sending an Ice Spike flying across the room for good measure, narrowly missing Cicero. As the spike splintered into the far wall, Cicero looked up, saw Madanach standing in the doorway glowering at him and promptly let go of Borkul, slithering to the ground and seeming to almost glide over to him, all hostility seemingly forgotten. Instead, he was actually grinning broadly.
“You are Madanach!” he cooed. “The King in Rags! Cicero has heard about you! Cicero has heard that you are deadly and murderous and fearsome! Is it true?”
“If you wish to find out firsthand, by all means keep babbling at me and attacking my people,” Madanach growled. “If on the other hand, you had a reason for seeking me out, I suggest you get on with it.”
Behind him, Borkul was staggering off, rubbing his neck and groaning. Cicero had left some nasty bruises. If Madanach hadn't already known he was Dark Brotherhood, he'd have suspected it after seeing that.
“Oh, Cicero wasn't looking for you. Well, not specifically. Cicero has a friend here! A dear friend who was wrongfully imprisoned only yesterday. A pretty young lady called Maia. Cicero has looked all over this prison, but not found her. So he asked the others and they said she was with you.” Cicero tilted his head, those dark eyes narrowing and Madanach, for the first time in a very long time, began to actually feel nervous. “Cicero hopes Maia has come to no harm down here. That would be most... unfortunate. Cicero would become... angry. Madanach does not wish to see Cicero angry.”
Madanach shifted a little uncomfortably as he began to realise Cicero was actually right about that one. He really didn't want to see this one lose his temper.
“She's fine,” Madanach said tersely. “Unharmed, quite happy, fast asleep... and if you think I'm letting some random stranger in to see her, you have another think coming. You could be anyone. She has enemies, Cicero. How do I know you're not one of them?” He lowered his voice, leaning a little closer. “They say the Dark Brotherhood are after her. How do I know you're not one of them, hmm? Not many could take on Borkul like you just did.”
Cicero opened his mouth to speak then closed it again, clearly a bit torn between two things which were both true and yet in direct conflict. In the end he settled for avoiding the question.
“Oh but of course Cicero is a friend of sweet Maia's!” he trilled, fluttering his eyelashes. “Maia helped poor Cicero, saved his life, and now Cicero helps protect Maia! Madanach need only ask her, she will tell him that!”
“I will be doing that very thing, you can be sure of that,” Madanach growled. “But first, I need to be sure I can trust you to behave. You've attacked one of my people already, and someone of your description also savaged a camp of mine not so very long ago.”
Cicero's eyes barely flickered. “Did they?” he said, all wide-eyed innocence. “That's awful! How dare some miscreant kill all those poor, innocent Forsworn and that lovely old woman in charge of them? Shameful, sir, quite shameful.”
Indeed, although Madanach by this point was thinking the actual concept of shame was entirely foreign to Cicero's mind.
“Quite,” said Madanach, repressing a smile. “In fact, when I catch up with that miscreant, he can be very sure he'll need to go quite some way to making it up to me. But I'm sure you'd never do such a terrible thing, would you now, boy?”
Cicero quite vehemently shook his head, protesting that he never would, loyal Cicero was a good boy who loved order. Loyal, eh? Madanach would see about that.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 14.7
“ALL RIGHT, THAT IS ENOUGH!” Madanach roared, sending an Ice Spike flying across the room for good measure, narrowly missing Cicero. As the spike splintered into the far wall, Cicero looked up, saw Madanach standing in the doorway glowering at him and promptly let go of Borkul, slithering to the ground and seeming to almost glide over to him, all hostility seemingly forgotten. Instead, he was actually grinning broadly.
“You are Madanach!” he cooed. “The King in Rags! Cicero has heard about you! Cicero has heard that you are deadly and murderous and fearsome! Is it true?”
“If you wish to find out firsthand, by all means keep babbling at me and attacking my people,” Madanach growled. “If on the other hand, you had a reason for seeking me out, I suggest you get on with it.”
Behind him, Borkul was staggering off, rubbing his neck and groaning. Cicero had left some nasty bruises. If Madanach hadn't already known he was Dark Brotherhood, he'd have suspected it after seeing that.
“Oh, Cicero wasn't looking for you. Well, not specifically. Cicero has a friend here! A dear friend who was wrongfully imprisoned only yesterday. A pretty young lady called Maia. Cicero has looked all over this prison, but not found her. So he asked the others and they said she was with you.” Cicero tilted his head, those dark eyes narrowing and Madanach, for the first time in a very long time, began to actually feel nervous. “Cicero hopes Maia has come to no harm down here. That would be most... unfortunate. Cicero would become... angry. Madanach does not wish to see Cicero angry.”
Madanach shifted a little uncomfortably as he began to realise Cicero was actually right about that one. He really didn't want to see this one lose his temper.
“She's fine,” Madanach said tersely. “Unharmed, quite happy, fast asleep... and if you think I'm letting some random stranger in to see her, you have another think coming. You could be anyone. She has enemies, Cicero. How do I know you're not one of them?” He lowered his voice, leaning a little closer. “They say the Dark Brotherhood are after her. How do I know you're not one of them, hmm? Not many could take on Borkul like you just did.”
Cicero opened his mouth to speak then closed it again, clearly a bit torn between two things which were both true and yet in direct conflict. In the end he settled for avoiding the question.
“Oh but of course Cicero is a friend of sweet Maia's!” he trilled, fluttering his eyelashes. “Maia helped poor Cicero, saved his life, and now Cicero helps protect Maia! Madanach need only ask her, she will tell him that!”
“I will be doing that very thing, you can be sure of that,” Madanach growled. “But first, I need to be sure I can trust you to behave. You've attacked one of my people already, and someone of your description also savaged a camp of mine not so very long ago.”
Cicero's eyes barely flickered. “Did they?” he said, all wide-eyed innocence. “That's awful! How dare some miscreant kill all those poor, innocent Forsworn and that lovely old woman in charge of them? Shameful, sir, quite shameful.”
Indeed, although Madanach by this point was thinking the actual concept of shame was entirely foreign to Cicero's mind.
“Quite,” said Madanach, repressing a smile. “In fact, when I catch up with that miscreant, he can be very sure he'll need to go quite some way to making it up to me. But I'm sure you'd never do such a terrible thing, would you now, boy?”
Cicero quite vehemently shook his head, protesting that he never would, loyal Cicero was a good boy who loved order. Loyal, eh? Madanach would see about that.