She turned the corner and gasped. Sitting on one of the ledges was the court fool she'd seen earlier, the one who'd thought her mother was someone he knew, and who Ancalime had seen in the Keep carrying a load of rather valuable things around. He was wearing his fool's clothes, kicking his heels and singing to himself, not a care in the world. Ancalime had never met a proper court jester before. They'd had them in Alinor back in the old days, but not since the Thalmor took over. Haldyn said he'd seen one once, as a boy, but Ancalime was a bit suspicious. Her older brother liked to tell tall stories to his sisters and laugh when they believed them. Liriel had told her to never entirely believe his stories unless she'd asked Mamma and Daddy first.
Ancalime missed her big sister horribly. But this city was her sister's home now, and it occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, the court fool had mistaken Mamma for Liriel.
“Oh, and if I see a sneaking elf, it won't be good for the dear child's health!” the jester cackled before his head swivelled to look at her, dark eyes shining and his lips pulled back into a grin. Ancalime gasped, beginning to wonder if this was a good idea... but it was too late now. He'd seen her and had skipped over, kneeling next to her, still grinning.
“Hello, dear little child!” he cooed. “Don't be afraid, humble Cicero doesn't mean you any harm!”
“Is that you?” Ancalime said nervously. She thought he was referring to himself but couldn't be sure. Cicero giggled, clapping his hands.
“Yes, yes! The little elf is clever, she is! Yes, you see humble Cicero before you. Cicero knows who you are, sweet child. You are the sister of the Listener, you are!”
“Sister of the Listener?” Ancalime said, confused. Cicero glanced around, narrowing his eyes.
“Foolish Cicero has said too much. But you are the sister of Liriel, aren't you. You know her. You look like her. And those others, those are her... parents.”
“You know Liriel!” Ancalime cried. She'd been right! He did know her sister, he did! “What's she like? Did she learn magic? All the magic? Does she have a magic castle? And a pony? She had to leave hers behind...”
“Yes, oh yes!” Cicero giggled. “She knows spells, many spells. More than she even knew existed! She can control dragons and the weather and she can breathe fire! Cicero wishes he could breathe fire. But he can't. He's tried, you know. Liriel says to learn a Shout, you must unlock its meaning through constant practice. So Cicero keeps trying, but he still can't breathe fire.” He looked at Ancalime sadly, pouting as if this was the most tragic thing to ever happen to him. Ancalime felt sorry for him. That was if he wasn't making it up, of course.
“Mages can cast fire from their hands, like Mamma,” Ancalime said. “You could learn that?”
Cicero smiled sadly. “It is not the same. But Cicero thanks you.” He got up, holding out his hand. “Come, come, sit with Cicero! Cicero shall tell you stories of your sister, all the ones he's allowed to speak of anyway. She doesn't exactly have a magic castle, but she has lots of houses and she's Archmage of an entire College! And she has a big black horse with red eyes called Shadowmere and he is the fastest horse in Skyrim and the Reach!”
Ancalime gasped and excited beyond all measure, trotted after him, taking a seat on the ledge beside him and listening as Cicero proceeded to tell an edited version of How the Dragonborn Killed A God and Won A War. And if Ancalime had adored her sister before, now she truly believed she was magic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Oh, and if I chance to see a cat, I'll feed its corpse to my pet rat!”
“Heeee! Oh that is good, very good, sweet child! You will be as good as Cicero soon!”
Ancalime blushed and giggled. She liked Cicero. He was funny! Very very odd, but funny. Liked to talk about sneaking and stabbing a lot, claiming these were Very Important Things for a young child to learn. Ancalime was fairly sure that sneaking up on someone and stabbing them before they knew you were there was illegal, but when she'd pointed that out to Cicero, he'd just cackled. He was a very strange man... but funny.
Re: Thicker Than Blood 3.9
Ancalime missed her big sister horribly. But this city was her sister's home now, and it occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, the court fool had mistaken Mamma for Liriel.
“Oh, and if I see a sneaking elf, it won't be good for the dear child's health!” the jester cackled before his head swivelled to look at her, dark eyes shining and his lips pulled back into a grin. Ancalime gasped, beginning to wonder if this was a good idea... but it was too late now. He'd seen her and had skipped over, kneeling next to her, still grinning.
“Hello, dear little child!” he cooed. “Don't be afraid, humble Cicero doesn't mean you any harm!”
“Is that you?” Ancalime said nervously. She thought he was referring to himself but couldn't be sure. Cicero giggled, clapping his hands.
“Yes, yes! The little elf is clever, she is! Yes, you see humble Cicero before you. Cicero knows who you are, sweet child. You are the sister of the Listener, you are!”
“Sister of the Listener?” Ancalime said, confused. Cicero glanced around, narrowing his eyes.
“Foolish Cicero has said too much. But you are the sister of Liriel, aren't you. You know her. You look like her. And those others, those are her... parents.”
“You know Liriel!” Ancalime cried. She'd been right! He did know her sister, he did! “What's she like? Did she learn magic? All the magic? Does she have a magic castle? And a pony? She had to leave hers behind...”
“Yes, oh yes!” Cicero giggled. “She knows spells, many spells. More than she even knew existed! She can control dragons and the weather and she can breathe fire! Cicero wishes he could breathe fire. But he can't. He's tried, you know. Liriel says to learn a Shout, you must unlock its meaning through constant practice. So Cicero keeps trying, but he still can't breathe fire.” He looked at Ancalime sadly, pouting as if this was the most tragic thing to ever happen to him. Ancalime felt sorry for him. That was if he wasn't making it up, of course.
“Mages can cast fire from their hands, like Mamma,” Ancalime said. “You could learn that?”
Cicero smiled sadly. “It is not the same. But Cicero thanks you.” He got up, holding out his hand. “Come, come, sit with Cicero! Cicero shall tell you stories of your sister, all the ones he's allowed to speak of anyway. She doesn't exactly have a magic castle, but she has lots of houses and she's Archmage of an entire College! And she has a big black horse with red eyes called Shadowmere and he is the fastest horse in Skyrim and the Reach!”
Ancalime gasped and excited beyond all measure, trotted after him, taking a seat on the ledge beside him and listening as Cicero proceeded to tell an edited version of How the Dragonborn Killed A God and Won A War. And if Ancalime had adored her sister before, now she truly believed she was magic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Oh, and if I chance to see a cat, I'll feed its corpse to my pet rat!”
“Heeee! Oh that is good, very good, sweet child! You will be as good as Cicero soon!”
Ancalime blushed and giggled. She liked Cicero. He was funny! Very very odd, but funny. Liked to talk about sneaking and stabbing a lot, claiming these were Very Important Things for a young child to learn. Ancalime was fairly sure that sneaking up on someone and stabbing them before they knew you were there was illegal, but when she'd pointed that out to Cicero, he'd just cackled. He was a very strange man... but funny.
“Cicero, Cicero, is it true?”