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Andante smiled with satisfaction as he enjoyed the view from Honeyside\u2019s deck in the wee hours.\u00a0 It was a lovely night, cool and clear, and he\u2019d been hunting on his own for a few hours prior.\u00a0 He was full, and had enjoyed a snifter of brandy; and the contents of one of his bedside bottles were coursing through his body, sharpening every scent, each caress of the light breeze, every impression that passed through his mind.<\/p>\n
He was alone on this night, a circumstance that had become more than a little unusual for him of late, but he was used to being by himself.\u00a0 He\u2019d spent most of his life by himself, to the best of his knowledge \u2013 on the fringes of groups of people, interacting with them, having them appreciate and take advantage of his presence and his skills; but mostly on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n
The years Vitus had spent in the Dark Brotherhood in Cyrodiil \u2013 those were coming back to him, slowly; he remembered being a valued member of the group but never feeling as though he really mattered to anyone in particular. Oh, the Listener surely appreciated his skills, otherwise she\u2019d never have taken him in, or spent time working with him on techniques, or referred him to the red-haired Bosmer for the finer points of archery, or sent him out on increasingly difficult jobs as he grew and practiced.\u00a0 But she\u2019d never really let him get close to her, and neither had any of the others. He was just the orphan kid with the quick fingers, the soft mouth, and the well-concealed nasty temperament, and they\u2019d taken advantage of that.<\/p>\n
He remembered these things now, in bits and pieces, and remembered also how he\u2019d learned to enjoy his life anyway.\u00a0 He was alone, he was meant to be alone and to kill and to limit his engagements with others to jokes, and pleasantries, and the pleasurable but shallow exchanges of physical delights.\u00a0 Some of them had lasted for some time, but none of them had meant anything more than that.\u00a0 Now, now that he was Andante, now that he\u2019d learned a new emotion and loved Brynjolf to distraction, and while Brynjolf clearly enjoyed being with him, it wasn\u2019t Andante\u2019s place to be in the midst of Guild management business.\u00a0 They\u2019d smiled at each other when they reached Riften and parted, agreeing to meet the next night to take care of Volkihar business.<\/p>\n
Brynjolf was there, in the Cistern, dealing with Vex and Delvin and planning another visit to Maven Black Briar, the new Jarl of Riften, in the morning.\u00a0 Andante had watched him shift from the predator he\u2019d become to the calm and capable Guildmaster he\u2019d been just as effortlessly and completely as though he\u2019d thrown open a lever.\u00a0 It had been impressive.\u00a0 But everything about Brynjolf had been impressive in recent days.<\/p>\n
Andante thought about their run back to Riften under the eerie, dim sky, and grinned even more broadly when he thought of Brynjolf\u2019s reaction to it all.\u00a0 At first, he\u2019d seemed just as put off as everyone else; unsettled, glancing up at the black sun from time to time and almost visibly shuddering.\u00a0 As they\u2019d run, though, and it was clear how fast and how strong both of them were even at the height of day, his face had slowly lost its tense expression and he\u2019d dropped back into his usual efficient, deadly routine of hunting \u00a0just as though it was the middle of the night instead of high noon.<\/p>\n
Their quick stop in Solitude had been inspiring. They knew Andante there, knew that he owned the big house in the middle of the city, and knew that he travelled a lot. \u00a0Everywhere they\u2019d stopped people had approached him. \u201cI\u2026I can\u2019t see the sun! Where did it go?\u201d or \u201cWhat\u2019s happened to the sky?\u201d\u00a0 Beirand, the blacksmith, had been agitated when they approached him to sell some things, saying \u201cAs if the dragons weren\u2019t enough, now we\u2019ve lost the sun too?\u201d\u00a0 Andante made comforting noises to all these people but inside he\u2019d been exulting.<\/p>\n
Yes! Yes, we\u2019ve done it, Brynjolf and I. The world is ours now. We can control day as well as night!<\/em><\/p>\n All the way from Volkihar to Riften, the two of them had hunted. Brynjolf\u2019s techniques were becoming more and more refined, and were enhanced by his abilities as a thief; he could approach a mark from behind without a whisper and either gently feed on the person, almost undetected, or rip out a throat in silence.<\/p>\n He\u2019s getting so strong now. The feral vampires we run into have no chance anymore, between the two of us.\u00a0 Not even the gargoyles do. He told me he wants to protect the Guild and he certainly has the power to do so, now.\u00a0 If he keeps feeding the way he has been, well, he\u2019s going to end up being a match for me. That\u2019ll be something.<\/em><\/p>\n It hadn\u2019t taken very long, on their way south and east from Volkihar, before he and Brynjolf had discovered one of the unfortunate side effects of blotting out the sun.\u00a0 They\u2019d been running south from Dragon Bridge, skirting the edge of the river, when an eerie roar had erupted just in front of them and two figures had arisen from behind the boulders.\u00a0 It was a sound Andante would not have recognized before their work rescuing Serana, or before restoring Volkihar Castle; but he knew it instantly.<\/p>\n \u201cBryn! Gargoyles!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on it, lad!\u201d<\/p>\n One of the gargoyles was like all the others they\u2019d met in the ruined vampire keeps: gray, nasty, but more or less easy to dispatch.\u00a0 Its companion, though, was something Andante had never seen before.\u00a0 It towered at least a full head over even the tall Nord and more than that over Andante, and it fought twice as hard as the other one had.\u00a0 Andante used every bit of acrobatic ability he could muster as he rolled under claws, leapt out of the way of flapping wings and tearing feet, and tried his best to land axe blows.\u00a0 Brynjolf worked from the other side of the beast, attacking it with his sword, trying to keep it off-balance with his shield, and taunting it unmercifully, something that Andante would have been laughing at if he hadn\u2019t been so occupied with trying to stay alive.<\/p>\n Finally, they took it down with a simultaneous attack.\u00a0 Brynjolf slashed sideways into the gargoyle\u2019s wing and knocked it forward with a bashing attack; Andante used the Daedric axe in a backhanded blow, following with Mehrune\u2019s Razor as he turned, then dropped to one knee to get clear of flailing claws.\u00a0 The gargoyle uttered a bizarre, hollow groan and toppled to the ground.<\/p>\n Andante peered up at Brynjolf as he approached.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in Oblivion was that? Some elite kind of gargoyle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know for certain. It seems all the night creatures are coming out to play now that it\u2019s dark all day round.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante stood and brushed himself off.\u00a0 \u201cAs well they might.\u00a0 It\u2019s about time we all had a chance to enjoy the world as everything else does. In our full power, not weakened by the sun.\u201d He smiled. \u201cJust like everything else living in this place.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf smirked at him.\u00a0 \u201cDo we live?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh indeed we do, my dear.\u00a0 For example, you\u2019re quite<\/em> lively.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you \u2018lad\u2019 me, Brynjolf. You know perfectly well what I mean. And I\u2019ll have you know that I promised Dynjyl to keep you lively if it is possible to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n The look on Brynjolf\u2019s face was priceless, he thought.\u00a0 It\u2019s probably just as well that it\u2019s dark. I\u2019ll bet he\u2019s red as an ash yam. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou promised Dynny\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed, and slipped his arms around Brynjolf for a quick hug. \u201cI promised Dynny to watch out for you, and to try to keep you happy. And so I shall.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf grimaced. \u201cWhat did I do to deserve the two of you working together against me? Honestly. I never mentioned what a bad influence he<\/em> was while he was alive, but\u2026\u201d He chuckled. \u201cI\u2019m the one who knew where<\/em> to get into trouble but I promise you he was the reason why<\/em> we did, half the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can tell,\u201d Andante said. \u201cI told you, I like Dynny. I can\u2019t say that about too many people, Bryn; but, well, you have good taste in men. He may be very proper on the surface, but underneath he\u2019s a wild one. I can tell.\u201d He snickered. \u201cI think he\u2019d almost have to have been just short of a terror to grab hold of you the way he did.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf snorted.<\/p>\n \u201cBut right now, dearest, I think we are coming up to a place where we might need a little extra power.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf peered around him and furrowed his brow.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you \u2013 oh, wait.\u00a0 That place by the bridge?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Andante nodded.\u00a0 \u201cFull of bandits. They\u2019ve built right straight across the road and blocked it.\u00a0 We could<\/em>, I suppose, swim across the river and go around but that hardly seems the noble thing to do, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf grinned. \u201cYou\u2019re saying that a pair of thieves needs to be noble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, yes.\u00a0 Plus, I\u2019m hungry.\u00a0 If we let the bandits kill off all the travelers, who shall we feed on in the future? And I need a chance to spread my wings.\u201d<\/p>\n He transformed to his vampire lord form.\u00a0 Brynjolf sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf in his Lord form was very appealing to Andante \u2013 or as appealing as a vampire lord could be.\u00a0 He was sleek and grey, his huge wings making a substantial whomp-whomp <\/em>sound in a slow, regular pattern as he hovered above the ground.\u00a0 His long, black claws were the equal of Andante\u2019s. As Andante admired him he smiled as best he could.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty. Very pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLad.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed.\u00a0 \u201cTake a compliment, sir. I have very refined tastes. Let\u2019s go get some lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n They had decimated the robber\u2019s gorge, leaving little aside from carnage in their wake. While Brynjolf had torn through the three men stationed on either side of a barricade, Andante had fired his life-draining spells at the archers stationed above the road. They\u2019d made their way up through the camp to the open cabin at its highest point, somehow surprising the bandit chief inside despite the shouts and shrieks that had been going on outside.\u00a0 They ripped him apart and feasted on him when they were done.<\/p>\n Then, reveling in their power and still marveling at the black disc that floated through the sky where the bright, burning sun had been just days before, Andante led them along the roadway, over the rolling hills and into Whiterun Hold, destroying anything that stood between them and the way to Riften.\u00a0 It was nothing short of a heady, glorious rampage. They killed a Dawnguard patrol, and shredded a group of Thalmor to ribbons.\u00a0 Several groups of bandits attempted to stop them but met their respective ends.<\/p>\n Look at him, Andante had thought as he watched Brynjolf feeding on one of the bandits.\u00a0 He\u2019s going to surpass the rest of Volkihar soon at this rate, even as ancient as they are.\u00a0 I truly am a bad influence, aren\u2019t I? Look at what I put in motion.<\/p>\n The most impressive moment had come when they inadvertently surprised a small group of vampires and their thralls prowling about in the middle part of Whiterun Hold, west of the city.\u00a0 There were three or four of them, some clearly newly-fledged and one of them much stronger. Andante looked up from checking to make sure the vampire he\u2019d just destroyed was really dead, just in time to see Brynjolf latching onto the neck of the strongest of them.\u00a0 He watched in awe as Brynjolf crushed the man\u2019s windpipe with his powerful jaws and then fed, finally dropping the corpse to the ground and wiping his mouth.<\/p>\n He floated to where they were and examined the body, then looked up at Brynjolf in awe.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a Nightlord.\u00a0 A new one, I think, but a Nightlord.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante just stared at Brynjolf for a moment, watched his massive wings beating time in the darkness, and grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what to say, except that I\u2019d best be careful now that I know you can dispatch someone that strong. Well done<\/em>, my dear. Well done indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, lad. I have a long way to go before I could take on the likes of you but I\u2019m working on it. Listen. You know why I wanted this, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPower.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell yes, but power for a reason.\u201d\u00a0 He inclined his head toward the east and started making his way in that direction; Andante rose back into the air and followed him, curious.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that would be?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Brynjolf shrugged. \u201cI watched the Thieves Guild be brought down, nearly destroyed, by a man who should have been watching out for it. Should have been working his fingers to the bone trying to make it a success.\u00a0 It nearly failed, Andante. We were nearly the last of it, after hundreds of years, and I was desperate to keep it from dying. I was trying my hardest, but no matter what I did things kept getting worse.\u201d<\/p>\n He stopped for a moment and turned to face Andante.\u00a0 \u201cThe Guild is the only thing I truly cared about after Dynny died.\u00a0 Well, until\u2026 you know.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, yes I know. Remind me again. Twist the knife a bit; I\u2019d almost forgotten about it all for a moment.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDagnell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. But even if she hadn\u2019t been there, the Guild would still have been my highest priority. They took me in when I was young. They\u2019re my family. I don\u2019t ever want to see that happen again.\u00a0 I am going to protect my family, lad, and this is one way I can make certain to do it. Nobody is ever going to take us apart again, not if I am alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf shook his massive head. \u201cI know what you\u2019re thinking. No, she didn\u2019t hurt the Guild. \u00a0She didn\u2019t. We\u2019re still doing better than we have in years. That\u2019s why I can leave with you and not worry that there\u2019s something going on that Delvin and Vex can\u2019t deal with themselves. All she hurt of it was me. Trust me, if she had done anything to harm the Guild I\u2019d be out there hunting her down with my claws ready, not just trying to find her because she\u2019s my wife. I would kill her, and I wouldn\u2019t think twice about it.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I wanted you to turn me, Andante. Not only to be powerful, even though I obviously wanted that; but to be able to protect the people I care for.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante had flown beside him, silent for a time, thinking about what he\u2019d said. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever felt that strongly about someone.\u00a0 <\/em>He thought about the Listener in Bravil, and the flames, and wondered whether he would have sacrificed himself or even a part of himself to save her. Yes, I would have tried; but if I\u2019d been in any real danger I\u2019d have run, the way she told me to run. The way I did run. I wouldn\u2019t have changed myself or done anything to harm myself just because of those people. <\/em><\/p>\n I guess that makes Brynjolf a better man than I. <\/em>\u00a0He glanced at Brynjolf.\u00a0 He\u2019s beautiful to me, even in this form. I wonder if I would go to lengths like that for him.<\/em><\/p>\n He stopped and settled to the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cBryn. We\u2019re coming up on Whiterun. I think we should probably revert, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf laughed. \u201cYes. I forgot that I was flying for a moment there.\u201d\u00a0 He dropped to the ground and his body shimmered, shortened, turned human again.<\/p>\n Andante smiled, looking at him.\u00a0 Yes, I think I would. I think I would do just about anything for this man.<\/em><\/p>\n __<\/p>\n \u201cMeet me at Volkihar in a few days, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye.\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf was fresh out of the bath, with only a towel wrapped around his hips.\u00a0 His hair dripped on Andante\u2019s face as he leaned forward to brush a light kiss across his lips.\u00a0 \u201cTry to behave yourself, lad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBryn,\u201d Andante said, running his hands over Brynjolf\u2019s chest and down his sides toward the towel.<\/p>\n \u201cAndante,\u201d Brynjolf replied, grabbing Andante\u2019s curious hands as they approached his waist. \u201cIf you don\u2019t go now you\u2019ll never get out of here. It\u2019s bad enough with me being your boss as it is. You do work for the Listener as well, and it\u2019s been a long time since you\u2019ve checked in. I\u2019ve been keeping track.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Bryn.\u201d\u00a0 Damn, he thought. I just want to give that towel a little tug.\u00a0 Then he sighed. \u00a0He\u2019s right. That towel comes off and it\u2019ll be hours. He knows me too well.<\/em><\/p>\n And besides. Delvin\u2019s contact isn\u2019t going to be happy if I am late.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAll right, all right. I\u2019m on my way.\u00a0 See you in a few days.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled and walked up the stairs, out the door, toward Riften\u2019s north gate.<\/p>\n The job for Garan Marethi had been quick and painless.\u00a0 Andante had taken a great deal of pleasure in shooting the sun as they walked down the road toward the intersection that would take a person across the Rift in one direction and into Morrowind in the other.\u00a0 He had waited for the satisfying explosions, watched the blackness race across the sky, and then turned to grin at Brynjolf and say \u201cGood morning, sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf had snorted and rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n Broken Helm Hollow was up on a hill, above the road, an old mine that was still in good enough shape to make a decent headquarters for bandits.\u00a0 And bandits there were; but not very effective ones.\u00a0 It took the two of them only minutes to take them all down. Either one of them working alone could have crept up behind each one of the bandits and slit throats or drained bodies without making a sound.\u00a0 Between the two of them, it was deadly and efficient. Andante expected worse deep in the most secluded part of the mine, but was surprised. What they found there was a lone vampire.\u00a0 He was a very strong vampire, but he was up against two others that surpassed him \u2013 for Andante had to admit that at this stage Brynjolf was getting to be nearly as strong as he was himself \u2013 and the battle was over almost as soon as it began.<\/p>\n They\u2019d returned to Riften to rest at Honeyside. When Brynjolf finally slept Andante crept out of the house to the Ragged Flagon to find Delvin Mallory.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we ready to move, Delvin?\u201d he\u2019d asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes we are,\u201d Delvin said. \u201cI\u2019ve got the courier ready to go when you\u2019re ready to meet him.\u00a0 It took some time to get everything arranged but it\u2019s done, just give the word.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Andante an odd look. \u201cIt sure has been busy down here lately. I hope things are all still nice and quiet on the outside, no trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no more trouble than usual, Delvin. People trying to kill me, gargoyles out of nowhere in the dark, sun black during the day, just normal things. I\u2019ll head out first thing tomorrow if that works well.\u00a0 Meet the courier at the Listener\u2019s house?\u201d<\/p>\n Delvin nodded slowly, still peering at Andante with an expression Andante couldn\u2019t quite interpret.<\/p>\n \u201cRight. Go to the inn and look for a guy wearing a green outfit with a hood. Looks just like a normal courier but he isn\u2019t.\u00a0 Make sure he sees you; he knows to wait a little bit and follow you to the Listener\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent.\u00a0 I really think we\u2019re on to something here, Delvin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo do I. It wasn\u2019t easy to find one of these people who was willing to talk to me; they\u2019re not supposed to be known, not even to each other. He\u2019s going to come back and visit our face-changer friend once he\u2019s done, that\u2019s how secret this group usually is. Now what we\u2019ll do with this choice bit of information if it turns out to be true, that\u2019s another thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante nodded.\u00a0 \u201cFor another day.\u00a0 I know it would make Brynjolf happy\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He trailed off, remembering I would kill her, and I wouldn\u2019t think twice about it.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cAt least I think it would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with that when the time comes,\u201d Delvin said, crossing his arms and nodding. \u201cGet in touch with me once you\u2019re sure. I\u2019ll contact Roggi.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante nodded. \u201cThanks, Delvin.\u00a0 I\u2019m off.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Delvin a short bow, and slipped back across town and into the bed beside Brynjolf.<\/p>\n All the way to Dawnstar he thought about it.\u00a0 What if they were right and the Listener, Sayma Sendu, was really Dagnell?\u00a0 What, exactly, would he do about it? It wasn\u2019t as though he hadn\u2019t pondered the question before; but now there was a distinct possibility that they would find out soon.<\/p>\n I really will be right between them, if it\u2019s true, just as I\u2019ve feared: the shade of Brynjolf\u2019s former lover and the very much living and breathing woman who he\u2019s married to.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be an unfortunate, embarrassing side-note. <\/em><\/p>\n Or will I? Would he really take her back? <\/em><\/p>\n There was a tiny part of him that thought no, of course Brynjolf wouldn\u2019t take back a woman who had drugged him and left him holding the reins of the Thieves Guild against his will.\u00a0 Of course he wouldn\u2019t want back the woman who had betrayed their marriage and then left him alone, especially not when he was currently with someone who so thoroughly loved him and couldn\u2019t conceal it no matter how hard he tried.\u00a0 Of course not.<\/p>\n And then he remembered the look on Brynjolf\u2019s face, the sound of his voice when he\u2019d said \u201cI want to bring her home and hold her.\u201d\u00a0 It was like the looks he\u2019d given Dynjyl when he thought Andante wasn\u2019t looking, only moreso.<\/p>\n Of course he\u2019ll take her back.<\/em><\/p>\n I think.<\/em><\/p>\n As he whispered the answer to the Black Door\u2019s question and let himself into the Sanctuary, he could feel his resolve to learn the answer to the question slipping.\u00a0 He stepped into the darkened space, nearly ready to abandon the whole idea.<\/p>\n \u201cAndante!\u201d\u00a0 The voice, oily and bright, called from his right and he turned to see a familiar face in a jester\u2019s hat.<\/p>\n He froze.<\/p>\n Cicero.<\/em><\/p>\n Another veil in his mind dropped. Another of Vitus\u2019 memories came fresh and clear into his head.<\/p>\n Cicero was in Cheydinhal. He was part of the Bruma sanctuary before the collapse. He visited us in Bravil \u2013 or we visited him \u2013 I\u2019m not sure. But we\u2019ve met, before. Why doesn\u2019t he recognize me?\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n It came back to him, as clearly as if there\u2019d been no decade or more intervening. The handsome redheaded assassin, senior to him by many degrees but every bit as obsequious and annoying then as he was now; he\u2019d met him, but as a much younger man.<\/p>\n Cicero \u2013 except that his name wasn\u2019t Cicero then, just as mine wasn\u2019t Andante. It was\u2026 it was\u2026 Or was it? I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t remember, damn it all.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHello, dear,\u201d he managed to call out to Cicero.\u00a0 Red hair. Why is it always redheads?\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n A horrible thought occurred to him.<\/p>\n Did we\u2026<\/em> He shuddered. Oh by all the gods I hope not. I don\u2019t remember such a thing.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh my lovely Andante,\u201d Cicero said, wriggling about in front of the Night Mother\u2019s coffin.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been so long since dear, sweet Cicero has seen you.\u00a0 Is everything well? Are you well?\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s mad. Of course he doesn\u2019t remember me. I was a nobody. And I\u2019m older now. He might remember the name Vitus, if he heard it. I\u2019d best take care that he doesn\u2019t.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes, dear, I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 You look well, yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Cicero looked in danger of coming out of his skin with excitement. \u201cOh yes, yes indeed.\u00a0 And so is our Mother. Cicero takes very good care of Mother.\u201d<\/p>\n Gritting his teeth, Andante stepped forward and patted Cicero on the shoulder.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be so excited that I touched him that he won\u2019t remember anything else for days.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI know you do, my dear.\u00a0 Now tell me, is the Listener about? I\u2019m quite overdue to check in with her, see if she might have a contract for me, you know, that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n True to form, Cicero nearly fell apart at having been praised and, even more, touched.\u00a0 He was nearly ecstatic. He babbled about the Listener and the Night Mother and the others for a few moments and Andante stood there, nodding sagely at appropriate moments but understanding exactly nothing that Cicero was saying.\u00a0 Finally he excused himself and made his way to Babette.<\/p>\n Babette\u2019s eyes were dancing as she looked up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did <\/em>it, Andante! You actually did it!\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded. \u201cYes.\u00a0 We did it, Brynjolf and I. We got Auriel\u2019s Bow, and we took Volkihar.\u00a0 We\u2019ve rebuilt it, by the way, the castle. It\u2019s beautiful. You\u2019re welcome to visit us at any time. Just let me know in advance so that the nobles don\u2019t think they\u2019re being invaded by ferals or something equally ridiculous. They really are so<\/em> full of themselves out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Babette shook her head. \u201cI knew all that, Andante. Word travels quickly. I meant the sun. You blotted out the very sun!\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled, and feared that it was an unpleasant smile, the smile that Vitus would make, as the tiny curl of excitement rose from his core at the thought.\u00a0 Yes, we did.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell I won\u2019t keep it dark all<\/em> the time, Babette. Growing food, and such, you know. But be careful if you\u2019re out and the sun is hidden.\u00a0 It seems that all manner of things have come out now that it\u2019s dark. Gargoyles and such, and they\u2019re really rather impressively strong.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t want you to be hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will be careful, Andante.\u00a0 Now I\u2019m guessing that you\u2019re looking for the Listener?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and Cicero was less than helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n She snickered. \u201cI have no doubt.\u00a0 She\u2019s at home.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll want to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Babette,\u201d he said, turning to leave.\u00a0 Then he turned back. \u201cFor everything. I wouldn\u2019t have done any of it if you hadn\u2019t convinced me that it was a possibility.\u00a0 There\u2019s just one thing. About Falion\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI heard. As I told you, word travels quickly.\u00a0 It\u2019s a shame, but I\u2019m sure it couldn\u2019t be helped.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante nodded, and left.\u00a0 Right. It couldn\u2019t be helped because I\u2019m a gods-damned skooma addict and the only thing that keeps me from being a complete catastrophe is the fact that I\u2019m a vampire.\u00a0 But that\u2019s all done now. I won\u2019t ever be turning human again.<\/em><\/p>\n He stopped at the Windpeak Inn long enough to buy a drink and toss it back, and to make eye contact with a skinny, unimpressive man wearing a green tunic with a hood.\u00a0 The man gave him the slightest of nods and then turned away.\u00a0 Andante thanked the innkeeper for the hospitality and left, scooting up the road to Sayma\u2019s home.<\/p>\n She looked him over after opening the door to his knock.\u00a0 Andante couldn\u2019t tell whether she was pleased to see him or annoyed that it had been so long since he\u2019d checked in.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Andante,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve darkened our doors.\u00a0 What have you been up to?\u201d\u00a0 She gestured to a seat and rustled about while he sat.\u00a0 When she came around from behind him and handed him a snifter of brandy he accepted it but looked up at her in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cWell thank you, Listener,\u201d he said. \u201cMy favorite. To what do I owe this degree of hospitality?\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s Sayma, I\u2019ve told you. And I know this is your favorite, so there you are.\u201d\u00a0 She sat down opposite him, near the fireplace, and smiled. \u201cAm I not allowed to be hospitable?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026 no, not at all. It\u2019s just that I thought you might be a bit less than pleased that I\u2019ve taken so long to check back in.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma grinned at him, a crooked little grin that admitted what he\u2019d just said.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yes I am. But I understand that things come up.\u00a0 I finally tracked you down when people in Solitude said you\u2019d been coming and going frequently out in that area lately, in the company of a man with red hair?\u201d<\/p>\n She does have a good network.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why I would have expected otherwise. <\/em>\u201cYes,\u201d he said carefully. \u201cBrynjolf and I were handling some business out by the border with High Rock. I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t go into many details.\u201d\u00a0 He sipped at his brandy, grateful for his vampiric immunity to poisons. He\u2019d heard the story of how Sayma had drugged Brynjolf\u2019s drink often enough to be a bit wary.<\/p>\n Sayma smiled. \u201cWell Brynjolf is nothing if not conspicuous.\u201d She shrugged. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t met me, but I do know who he is. It\u2019s hard not to notice him with that red hair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue.\u00a0 I tell him that all the time.\u201d\u00a0 Andante fought not to look at the door. Let\u2019s get on with this.\u00a0 I\u2019m very uncomfortable at the moment. <\/em>\u201cSo am I to understand that you have a job for me?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOne moment.\u201d\u00a0 She stood and disappeared into the bedroom to the side, then emerged and handed him a note.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s in Riften, which is why I wanted you to handle it.\u00a0 An itinerant priest of Mara who apparently takes his calling to spread love amongst the people a little too literally.\u00a0 The father of one of this man\u2019s ministrations wants the priest dead, according to the Night Mother. Could you handle it for me the next time you\u2019re there?\u201d<\/p>\n Andante nodded, and slipped the note into a pouch. \u201cOf course, Listener,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 I\u2019ll check the details later. It sounds like a simple five minute errand. <\/em>\u201cI should be back in Riften very\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The knock on the door interrupted him, and he glanced toward it as Sayma made her way across the room.\u00a0 The courier stepped inside. He didn\u2019t speak, merely presented the note for Sayma to take.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this from someone in particular?\u201d she asked. \u201cAny message, besides this?\u201d The courier shook his head and motioned once more that she should take the note.<\/p>\n \u201cOne moment,\u201d she said, opening a small safe in the nearby bookshelf and pulling out a small pouch of coins.\u00a0 She presented it to him with one hand and took the note from him with the other.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for your trouble,\u201d she told him.\u00a0 The man\u2019s gaze flickered to Andante before he left.<\/p>\n Sayma opened the note and read, and Andante watched her face, carefully, trying to catch the look in her eyes as well as her expressions.\u00a0 She was completely neutral at first, nodding a bit as her eyes ran down the page.\u00a0 Alright, it must say it\u2019s a job. She hasn\u2019t gotten to the location yet. <\/em>The seconds ticked by. Come on, come on. Could we all possibly have been wrong about this?<\/em><\/p>\n Sayma suddenly flinched.\u00a0 Her eyes widened for just a moment and then squinted again, an expression that might have been calculation or might have been pain.\u00a0 She turned away from Andante and cleared her throat.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would seem,\u201d she said slowly, \u201cthat I have another job for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes! Yes it must be her! Be calm, be calm\u2026 <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh yes? Tell me. I have nothing in particular to do aside from what you just gave me and I\u2019d be more than happy to take another. Don\u2019t want to get rusty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she replied faintly. \u201cThat wouldn\u2019t do.\u201d\u00a0 She faced him and handed him the note.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s nothing special, just a bandit leader.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have to take out the whole group, of course but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust a bandit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it\u2019s in a location I\u2019d prefer to avoid myself and I don\u2019t know that any of the new ones are ready for this type of thing yet. Not multiple targets at the same location.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cAnd Nazir and Babette are busy training them, and Cicero, well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Andante laughed.\u00a0 Perfect. She\u2019s just told me everything I needed to know. Hello, Dagnell.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t do assassinations any longer anyway, does he?\u201d he said.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t. He used to. I remember him back then. By all the gods. He was so good at it, too.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCorrect.\u201d\u00a0 She met his gaze. \u201cSo you\u2019ll do this for me? It will be on your way back to the Rift anyway, if you go that route.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly. Whatever you wish.\u201d\u00a0 He rose, trying to keep his face neutral, trying not to reveal his excitement.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Andante,\u201d Sayma said, opening the door for him.\u00a0 \u201cAnd, um\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe sure to give Brynjolf my regards.\u201d<\/p>\n Andante smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI shall, indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n He slipped out into the crisp air and began running south.\u00a0 As soon as he was certain that nobody near Sayma\u2019s house could see him, he turned west.\u00a0 He would run to Windhelm and take a carriage directly to Riften. There was nothing at Nilheim but the ghost of a moment that only Dagnell and Roggi Knot-Beard had shared.<\/p>\n Yes. We found her.\u00a0 Brynjolf\u2019s wife.<\/em><\/p>\n Damn.<\/em><\/p>\n Andante smiled with satisfaction as he enjoyed the view from Honeyside\u2019s deck in the wee hours.\u00a0 It was a lovely night, cool and clear, and he\u2019d been hunting on his own for a few hours prior.\u00a0 He was full, and had enjoyed a snifter of brandy; and the contents of one of his bedside bottles … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/3-2-14-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart II: Counterpoint<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious <\/a>\/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"