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Week Later

She had anticipated Astrid to be angry or cross perhpes. But the women was so f=calm Sonja had to wonder what she was thining, all attempts to gther information had proved to be fruitless. One report of nothing after another had caused the older women to grow inpatient with her, depsite her saying may times that Cicero literlaly had nothing.
However this lastest order was psuhing her resolve of this whole matte. She had agreed origonally becuase parania was helathy and she could understad, ciceros demanour hardly spoke of good will. Despite his supposid happy attitude he was up to something, what it was though remained a mystery.
"You want me to .. what?" She asked stupidly despite herself, she heard perfectl in fact. Despite having not a religous bone in her body this still felt .. wrong.
"hide in the night Motehr's Coffin. It's the ne place no one would suspect and never look for you. Perfect vantage spot." Astrid said matter of faclty and her annoyance was bleeding through.
"I was under the usumption that any descration to the night Moterh's coffin was strickly forbidden." That's what she heard and her history of the order had by no menas inroved with in the last two years she'd been there, nno one bothered ever mentioning the old ways.
"You wont be arming her body and esides I"m sure that given the circumstnaces you'll be forgiven. Now go." It wasnt a request.
If she hid her aggrivation to the situaiton any better she might pass for normal, however this felt wrong. She hadn't felt wrong in a long time, and she wans't one to care about doing the occasioanl murder in a chapel however this .... This felt different.
Given it was meal time cicero was gone .. where she had no clue she had found apon her observations he would hoenslty disappear from the Sanctura He might actually leave which was both surpsing and not so much, however it only happened during mela times when everone else was in one place.
Another thing she had worked to connect but had yet to find the ending to.

"So I imagne nto beign form Skyrim oru wheather has got to mess with ya, a I rgt?" rea asked as her and Zev made their way on horseback out of the forests and back tot he main road. They had just fjnisied up a job that had been called up that day, a large pack of wolves had been hutning and killing far to many livestock in the area, the famrers noramlly could handle it but the reports made the guild uneasy.
Wolves, Ice Wolves and even bigger ones.
Strongaly they had arrived and their was evidance that the pack had been there and they fallowed their trail for hours into the forst but had to turn back once it begna getting dark. A cold wind picked up causing small flicks of snow flacks to sprinkle aorund.
"Though ntot going to lie rahte rhappy this job ended ina no show. hutning wolves int he dark never fun evne more so when their a large pakc like the reports said."

"Ah yes Skyrim's sweltering sands cousin." Rea laughed thinking of the comparison. "Hey by chance when your in town's outside of Whiterun do armored people not guards come up to you and start asking you ver specific questions aobut he Compaions?" She had been thinking on how to branch the topic with someone. "I mena I'm used ot it and I'm sure you are to but they ask ... weird htings. One of the men called me a bnagy dog under his breth when turned away and ignroed him. Not tohe most interesitng insult just foudn it weird." Thiking back really it just seemed like a small group looking to pick a fight. "I mena yeah Nords we cna be a bit enthusiastic aobut things but I don't think calling us savage animals really is warrented."

Don't think. Don't breather.
She repeated over and over in her head. Listen and gather be invisible don't be there were you are.
This situaiton felt wrong, wrng on such a level to her that she was figtening an urge to do something ... she dint' know what. Ru? Screma? Beg?
But the urge was growing the longer she was inside the cold coffin wiht the body. The eyes stared back at her and never felt more unnerved than that moment.
Just give me what Astrid wants.
She thaught over and over hoping praying evne that he would just say somehtign that would make all this go away and stop.

Her first thaughts were that he was more isnae than she first thaught. In truth she knew he was off the walls out of his ******** mind, if what she found in hsi room was nay idnication. Her body was getting sore form remaining so sitll for so long, she coudl feel them beginning to burn.He's insan. Was all she kept repeating over and over again in her head.
Her blood ran ice cold when a femmine whisper caressed her ears. There was no one else here though!

Speak the words he has longed to hear; Darkness Rises when Silance Dies

There was no way!
She glanced as much behind her as the crmaped space would allow to stare at the body she was ressed against. Tere was no way the Night Mother just.. soke to her!

Yes youDaughter of Akatosh. You who warms my ancient bones.

There was no way this was hapenign that this was even possible. The Night Mother had been silent for years beyond anything. Why now? Why her! Sonja couldnt remeber the feeling of lurching away formt he corpse in terror the fact that there was nothing stopping her form falling back and out only breifly registered to her. Her vision her whole world was the Night Mothers face her vocie in her head and the ghost of her carass on her cheek.
She hit the floor hard but didn't feel it still staring at the corpse but the shift in the room made her turn her head slowly and looked up.
If Sithis were to ever choose a mortla form she was certian she looking at Sithis himself in all his fury.
How fitting than she'd be on her knees and shaking in fear before him.


"I get those sometimes I gnroe them. I tlold the Circle about them a few times and they looked more annoyed. Not at me exaclty just at the whole situaiton." Ria shifted in her saddle as the headed down a rather steep hill.
"So um... have you noticed tha they um ,, dissapear for days at an end?" She asked not sure hwo best to state her observations. None of the others wanted much to do with her and Zev was the closest thing she had to true friend int he rnaks. Being the newest till him she was treated with tolerated contempt form everone save some of the Circle. Farkas being the most friendly and Vilkas beng the most knodgeable but distnat.

It was one thing to have the voice of a dead owmenmany ceturies gone sekaing in our head, saving the world, being an cinet dragon warrior and than being held like a doll by your neck by a man that was up until now personified incompetance.
However he was dad seirous on killin g her right now.
Her mind raced with a million things to say, however none of them would evne avail her for naught given the Jester's rage. It was getting harder to breath with the vice grip he had on her throat and her feet dangling in the airwhile he held onto his wrist with desperation tyring to pull it off. his arm was pre muscle and her sturggling small self was worht nothing compared to him.
She had made the dangeorus move of underestimating him How could evaulate him? She never saw him draw a weapon nor even engage in fightieng sparing or antying like that. However now being dangled like she weighed nothing by one hand she was having it homed in how baldy she was screwed.
"Spoke." she suttered out trying to nto sound as pancied as she felt. "She .. spoke ...Words..phrase been waiting for.." she choked out. A distnat part of her mind was wondering why was no one coming to help her. She knew that they had made enough noise ot warrent investition so why was no one coming to help her.
"Words of ryou.. Words ..Silance dies." Her vocie driftened ina n out as she stuggling to breaht while feeling the cold sharp steel on he rneck. "Darkness .. dakrness rises whe-wen .. si-silance Dies!" She chockd out as she caughed and clawed evne more despteratly on his arm.
Why werent' they he;ing her!?

"Welll that aside form what I've heard the Cicrle like syou. And by the Circle I mena more like Farkas thinks your pretty good Aela finds you compitent and Skjor says yoru nto as bad as he feared." She purpsolyleft out Vilkas as the smaller twin, depsite bieng polite enough if asked osmehting never revealed his opiniosn of tohers. Despite his tempter and fiscious fightening skills he was probalby the msot critical of the elite warriors. "Also dont' tell anyone this but I think one of us is going for a big job soon!" She said wiht excitment. "Beofre you say anything I manage dto over hear it the other week and appanrlety one or two fo the Cirlce will be tkaing one of us with them."

The disorientation of being chocked and than hugged and than beign twriled aorund had her head spinning. If anything she was more alamred by his complete change in mood in less than a second, furious with full intent to kill than going to jumping around like an over excitc puppy thae et.
It was too much for her.
Despite her atemptes at getting free of him she found it to be inpossible.Once again she was rmeidned that despite his demourner and odd, loud and childish behvioar he was pure muscle and she found herself crushed agaisnt him powerless to escape. "Happy to hear it." She muttered out while nearly crushed in his hold, she didn't want to think what coudl have happened a seocnd later if she hadn't forced the words out fo her mouth. She already had a stark idea of what it would be.
Astrid would demand an explanation and she would love to give her one fi only to have one herself. She could hear footsteps racing towards he rdirection and foundself staring at Astrid. There was nothing intimate or romantic about the scne let alone the enrass however Sonja found her face heating up at beign caught as shewas. Literally crushed agaisnt he fool' chest like a toy and he appeared to nto care or had no intention fo releasign her. She was tyrign to figure out which one was makign her more uncofnrotnable.
"I heard the yelling and feared the worst." Astird had her blade drawn and was locked ina glare mathc wiht cicero. "Though I excpected to find you in more distress."
"That makes two of us." She muttered still in her temperary prison. She had to will her magic not lash out becuase of the invasion of privacy and space, it was hard but prsently she was didn't want to risk swithcing him back to the other mood int his close proximity.

Sonja found little solace in her work the last few weeks, enough that she missed travleing the wilds with Zev. Those days were in fact very fun and she remebered them fondly enough, enough that she considering writting him. She had ene sarted one in the little alcoe that was her room, but found herself lakcign in words.
Being nobility most would assume she'd reveal in such a title but it was the oposite. she depsised it in turht even more than the others. But what she hated even more was the total isolation it cause dher, she had joined them to aovid just that.
'Join us and have a family. You'll never be alone or judged again.'
She remebered Astird's words liek they were yesterday, and yet she was alone and jusdged. Save for the Clown.
Her latest contract was nothing specile, thogh she wans lbidn to the undertone of it. A point was being made and though she was admittidly ignorant to the true ways of the rotherhood she could say with certaintiy that this, whatever it was, was wrong. When she got back, late and tired, she walked her horse to where they kept their mounts and found the blakc horse-ciceros- was staring at er. That horse had a far greater intellangance than any annimal should. She was certian the horse was actually growling at her and all the other horses always gave him a wide berth. Moment like these amde her wonder if a mount took after its master than what sort of person was she really dealing wih. her horse was the opposite the meekist of all the mouunts and always shied away form eveyrone save her. She was teased merclessly becuase of it evne more os when they'd catch the poor animal hidding its' face in her chest.
The poor animal hated it here, mirrioring he rown feelings.
"The Fool not feed you today is that why your glaring at me?" She asked the black horse that grunted with anger at her, daring her to approch. Her own backed away wile she walked confiendly up to the large black horse and looked it striaght int the eye. "Behave nicley and maybe I'll give you somehting." She said with hr arms over her chest the horse gave an evne angrier snort than, she knew the beasts temperate and was gld he was teethered. It might save her from losing a hand if he tried to bite her.

"Yeah Vilkas doens't do that s**t and frnakly none of the circle do." Farkas said taking a large drink. "Besides we have a motto ere better to get it out than let it stay in, which is hwy we fight all the time." It was part of it anyway, e forgot the rest of it anyway. "Eh Vilkas said once that having this may people like us in a small plae for so long cuases problems. So yeah fights happen but none of us mean it at least. If it does get seirous well Cicle interviens."
The Cicrle had ben in constnat debate aobut the situaiton, Farkas lost track becuase it gave him a headache. Vilkas was methotically processing it while Aela and Skjor wanted blood. Kodlak was .. Kodlak.

In truth the Circle were debating more if they should involve the other members, they should on the pretense that they are Companions. but there were other reasons for them not to want the others. "If your supposed to know, you'll know." Was all Farkas said, he knew some considered him the eiasest to get ifnoramton out of and that was fine. However he knew when it was fine to let slip somehtign and when to keep his mouth complelty shut, this was a compelty shut moment. The Circle was at such a stalemate on o many matters that it was hard sometimes to tell if they were beign secreative for theselves or for the Guld.
"You and everyone else are getting excited it's understnadable but what a lot of them forget is that one of the Circle is going to be wiht you IF this turns out to be an autal job. They like to forget that part a lot."

Sonja took the horses hateful snorting as an answer, not her problem. The beast as far as she knew never let anyone save for Ciceor apoch him let alone feed him. She saw Gabrilla try once and the horse tried to tear her hand off, forutnaltythe Dark Elf was to quick in the small space but even still.
Upon giving her report she returne dto her room to finish writting, or start writting it seemd to change so often thse days. When she wlaked in the room fet of than, soemthig was moved or tkaen she could feel it.
She noted the ple of paper that was supposed to be on her makshfit test was gone, which menat someone helped htemsleves to her room and is things. She breifly tried to think who would bother but the answer was clear, only one person cared nothing for personal space to invade her area like this.
They weren't just alf finished ltteres to Zev, they also had spells she was workng on. Incnatations and other thing shse had found and was looking into. They were as personal as anythign she coulld hope to wn and that b*****d just took them.
She didn't care about begn polite or careufl or anything they were hers. Two places he would be andhe wans't, surpringly witht he night Motehr sothat left one place. She didn't knock or even ask permissions he went striaght in and demanded.
"Give the back. Now." She glared at the Fool was was sitting at the table in his room eating and writting soemthing of his own. Hell sh saw her papers on his damn table!