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That night

Farkas was waiting for Zev at nightfall as they all agreed. They needed more numbers on their side and Kodlak well .. he had spoken and hitned of the Gift to Zev. They would do that for him at least. "Good your here. Vilkas and Aela are inside." He said seeign the Redgaurd approch, all be it very tentivly. "Also relaxe no one likes a jumpy blade they tend to slip." The underforgde the place where only the cirlce was allowed and knew of.Vilkas was present as was Aela in her wolf form.
"Dont panic this time." Farkas said having to acutlaly grab Zev tihglty by the arm to keep him from nealry tumbling backwards. "Your here for a reason."
"I turst Welp you understand how .. sensitive this is." Vilkas spoke thogh his furry had by no means wavered at all in the previous two and half hours. "I trust you reconzie Aela. For this she agreed ot be your forebarer. If you are turely enarnest in your want to avenge Kodlak and make up for everything this is what is needed.Know this," He spoke seriously with a coldness that could chill blood. "Kodlak and Skjor are boht dead unentally or not becuase of your cowdess. Kodlak had plans to share the girft with you ... for his wishes and memory alone that is why we give you this honor.Become part of the Pack and wash Skyrims snows with the blood of the Silver Hand."

Markarth than Windhelm. The contract was imple enough well more or less. Astrid and all the others had given her their opinons of how to proced and handle the contract. All gave good advice, evne Cicero depsite his .. odd speech pattern.
'What is it with me beign braught here time and time again?' She wondered as she entered the city mainly to end the life of a girl who did nothing wrong but save be the sister of a murder victim, but Sonja didn't care. Her contracter offered the obnus and she would tkae it regardless of who's soul was sent to Sithis along the way.
the poor wentch died in her slip, throat slit so fast she didn't even have a chance to rouse form her slumber.
The bandit leader and Ex-Lover had been a tad tricker to track down and of cours ehtye were in a Dwarven ruine, forutanly for her nerves still at the top level. He died, his men died they all died in the name of Sithis.
So many souls their Dread Father wanted.
The trip back to Markarth seemed to take forever but if she wanted her payment she needed to go back threw the Reach all over again. Murie had been extatic in the news at least with her ex lovers deaht anyway. Her bonus was an enchanted ring Murie said would help in her alchemic creations, well in hr line of work that would never not be useful.

Aela croutched won next to Zev as if making sure he was fully awake. "Good your awake. Most don't survive the first turn you gave us evne more toruble than Farkas did at his first turning. We spent over a day and a half chasing you." She said stnaign while her torth lite the area around them. "Farkas headed back to Whiterun before you awake to make sure the rest of the Compaions are ssafe. Vilkas went scouting and went ahead. You and I are to hunt the prey." She said while noting his bareness.
"You'll need new armor the first change is hard and painful but .. exhilerating all at the sametime. I almsot envy you. Nonetheless welcome to the pack." She siad laying the armor and clothing at his feet, Farkas had insisted sayign that it would be to cruel to make him run around naked. "Vilkas already handeled the scouts so you and I are to take out the rest consider this your initiaon for what it is." In the moonlight she appeared almsot more wolf than women evne in her norn form. "You want to make right what happend yes. Than you'll and kill wiht us till this blood oath has been paid fo rKodlack and .. Skjor." Her voice wavered at Skjor's name but she owuld strong .. for him. For both of them.

Astrid had been pleased with her and from what Sonja gahtered form the other's slightly warmer greeting of her she had appanrlety earned her spot amongst them. Strange really she'd been there for a few weeks and oddly enough it was starting to really feel like home. Her and Bobbete talked while the vampire child taught her poisens and potions she hadn't ever heard of. Gabriella was oddly very good company to just talk with as was Neezara both were so welcoming to her int eh beginnign she felt odd at first. Now she felt at home amonst them.
She had a few times spoken to Cicero though at times it was hard to tell exaclty what he was syaing unless he was direct about the subject, an odd man to be sure. She also ntoed he was distnat and away form everyone. That was odd she suppsoed but than again eveyrone there was odd.
Bobette had made a request of her to amke sure the Keeper didn't die of starvation, which was odd to say the leat. "Why am I the errand runner?" She asked the vampire.
"Because you can pretend ina belibael setting not to find him annoying." Was her repsonse but she had a small smile on her face. "Besdies we sort of Need the Keeper alive and not dead like the Night Mother."
Sonja wasn't sure if she was initally confrotnable in Cicero's presence, apart for him being male and her alreayd steadfast dislike of men, his behavior was off putting and distrubing.
"Bobette made a comment about you starving." She said as she stood at the inner threashold of his room, where he was always it seemed. "But I think she just wants to make sure we don't ahve to repace a keeper for some inner humor of her own." She thught about how odd that sounded as he looedk at her. "Do you .. ever leave here? Other than tkaing care of the Night Motehr?" She asked akwardly.
'Oh Bobette I'm goign to make you eat a plate of garlic for this!' She swore inwalrdy.

"We wont encoutner any Silver Hand till we're inside the Fort should have a weapon layign around or loot one formt he dead that Vilkas took care of. Relaxe you will have your share of blood this night." She said movign towards the fort witht snow crunthcing beneaht her boots. Depsite wearing heavy armor and it being .. somewhat revelaing she mvoed with such quite presission she was often mistaken for a rogue. She glanced intot he courtyard finding bodies literalling the ground. "Vilkas does good work." She said sniffing and finding nothign around them.
"He isn't using his sword." she indicated to one laying on the ground .. his chest rorn open and intrails strewn around. "Once insdie fallow me Vilkas will need back up if he's meet more thna he can handle. With all threw us .. they'll have a swift and reuthless death."

Sonja was rahter unconrtble with his constent smiligna nd seemignly never ending amusment. "She says as the resident healer she has a right ot make sure everyone is lviing other than hersle fand the Night Mother of course." She repsonded. A few members were out on contracts at the moemtn so the Sanctuary was somehwt quiter than nroaml. "I'm .. sure she'll .. speak.." She wans't sure exaclty how to speak to him more or less when it came to the Night Mother.
"So ... what does a Keeper do? Other than take care of the Night Motehr?" She asked sense she felt more like a trapped mouse int he rpesence of a cat with her tail trapped under his paw, claws fully extended and lightly prickign her with them. "Unless htat's a tenit violation that I'm not aware of." It wasn't mean to be a mocking commnets simply put .. she was never told the tenits nor were they anywhere in the Sanctuary so she was hardly an expert ont hem.

Month Later

The hunts had been going very well. One hideout after anothe rthey an one hide out after antoher tehy exterminated. Fakras even joined in a few etheir swithcing places with Vilkas or Aela to join in, as a Circle member needed to remain at Jarvaskir just in case. Teh fnal assualt though they woudl all be their they knew. Farkas had said it wasn't required for one of them to be there at all times when Zev had fianlly grown the courage to ask him, they simply preferd it to make sure the surviving members had an elite member with them.
The Silver hand as Aela had desribed them were like roahces they always seemed obe one more to squash.
"You handelng the Beast Blood better?" Farkas asked as and Zev headed back from a small camp they learned off. It was Farka's turn to hunt htem and he had been more than patient, odd for him which made Vilkas and Aela immedalty worried. "Thefirst while's the worstI know but .. it grows on ya. Look at this way," He said as he jumped down a small enbankment sense the rest of the path ahead of them was blocked by boulders and ruble. They were on the edges of Whiterun hold and the Pale. "you just ran around the providence, I uh .. broke a few things .. andpeople." He shrugged like it was no big deal sense by his logic he killed people even when he hand't been a werewolf so the kills he made int he beastform were hardly somthign to be shamed of.

'Oh Sithis why di I agree to this! I should have picked anywhere but the coffin!' Sonja thaught desperatly as she gagged and chocked wiht Cicero's hand clenthcing her thraot. Astrid had asked her to find out what the Fool no the Keeper had been planning and who his partner was. Hid in the Coffin She had said, part of her felt that was a tad to much of a desicration but the room offered nowhere else and she was een more hesitent to lay apon the ragil skeleton.
She heard him mumlbe she hear swhisperings again for what felt like .. common now.
She hadn't reconized the woment speaking. That made her tense with more than nervousness. She had been less than an inch formthe Night Motehr's face when .. when ....
Darkness Rises When Silance Dies
The words he had longed to hear
But she fell out and the fury fromt he keeper was such she was acutally terrified. he was on her dangling her like she was nothign her back brutlaly slammed to the wall next to the coffin. He didnt need his dagger she thaught with a strong sense of terror, his hand alone could crush her throat. How was somone so seemingly small this storng? The irony wans't lost on her and she wodl have laughed had it woudlnt cause her her to chocke faster, plus Cicero woudl not find it tolerable in thi sitaiton.
"She s-spoke..!" She chocked out her voice was a gagged dying thing as she actually tired ot pry his terryfing iron grip of her thraot. "Said to ..! Said..!" Her vision was starting to get foggy as her air was cuahgt off andthe look in his eyes ... she had known genuine true fear more time sin ehr life than she wanted to admit in Skyri their were times ... the dragon had been the most recent. cicerowas up there with the dragon in terms of terror. There was no laughter or anythign abou him previouly that described the full he became a force of avenging furry for his Mother, Their Mother. The look in his eyes held so mcuh furry and cold distane she alsmot Wanted himt o kill to make it go away.
"Darknes .. rises when -- when silance dies!" She forced out havign to use a burst of her voice's volume to speak otherwise ... he mgiht kill her in his furry.

"Eh, Kodlak was looking into a cure before he died." Farkas rarely spoke of Kodlak it still hurt to much and depsite feelign like a child from hsi emotions the other's gave him no grief over it. Kodlak had been a father to him and Vilka growing up when their suppsoed father had dropped them off there to fight in a war and never come back. when he felt to upset about it or fustrated he would normally punch something but nothing was in the immedate vacienty save for Zev.
Farkas would give him space in regard to his own guilt.
"If you were going to lose your mind to the blood it would have happened already. The hightened sense you'll get used to them." He told him as theytraveled over a shallowed icy raverlet. Farkas was never tlakitive by nature but there were times words were more cofnorting than silance, sense than he felt at a lose with himself. "You had uh .." He began suddnely feeling dumb for askign soemthing sense he hardly really spoke to Zev when he had first joine dup with thdm save for a few jobs here and there. But if he rembered their was a small women with Zev at a time. "um didn't you have like .. a lady firend with you? Or am I forgetting again, hwich is ... normal." He thaught more allowed to himself towards than end.

Sonja layed crumbled and coughing on the floor when Astrid barged in demanding to know what was ahppening, her conern was real enough Sonja supposed. She onlyheard tid bits of Astrid and Cicero's covesation for what it was Cicero extsatic of a Listener beign revlived and Astrid ... unbeliving of the whole sitaiton even more so when Ciceor revealed it to be Sonja.
Astird had been even less pleased about the contract given to them. Refusing to have her authotriy overthrown so easily. 'But isn't it the Ngiht Mother's always?' Sonja thaught as Astird left room telling to speak to Nazir for a contract or two.
Fianlly getting herself up into a stnadin positon she wathced as Ciceor seemignly danced aobut in an utter fit of delight his previous anger literally washed away like a freash snow in the sun.
"Well thanks for uh -cough- not chockign me or slitting my throat." She said rubbing her throat while her voicey was raspy, it'll pass eventually. Hoenlsty if that was how Cicero acted in surpsied furry she didn't want to be anywehre near him when he had built up and fianlly released.
She was startign to see perhpes why he was chosen evne if it had been nealry twenty years ago. Well over half her own life span.

"I .. think I remeber her. Small puny little thing whiter than snow. Some of the other's said she looked like a ghost covere dup head ot toe even in the middle of the afternoon." Farkas hadn't paid much midn to Zev's initaiton that had been Vilkas but he had wathced a bit of it while he had been outside having a ale. The small ghost of a women had been off simply watchign Zev go up agaisnt Vilkas. "Some of the others thaught she was your wife." He laughed somewhat but never realy got the joke that many other male members had been making, than again he harldy rembered her save for her ungodly white aperance depsite bieng clothesed uttelry in black.
"And you handel the news better than mos tI guess. Many just want ot kill us on pricible Bigilent of standar are the most common. Anythign that is human or elf or whatever the cat's and lizards are." He shrugged as they existed the frozen riverlett to cross ontomore flat terrain. "Even if you attakced me I wouldnt' have tried to kill you. Just hodl you off till you calmed down." He admitted.

"Perhapes." Sonja was wondeirng how this was goign to affect things, more than likely it would be negative for her. Everythign was startign to shape though if Cicero had bene searchign for nealry twenty years, more or less, than how long as the Brotherhood been falling intot he shame that it now was?
The thaught of them all dying was hoenslty heartbreaking to her.
"I .. read somewhere in an old book here that ... the Balck Hand is suppsoed to rule beneath the Listenr. What happend to all of them?" If there was sitll a Black Hand, which she knew everyone int he Sanctury were the last, than how far had they turely fallen?
She wans't sure how she felt about all this etheir being the Listenr and all, she wans't sure she evne wanted ot fully think about it. "Shouldn't we look into that contract though?" She asked looking at Cicero form the side. Astrid had made it clear she wouldnt' ahv eany of it basically sayign wihtout words that her contract were what mattered not the Night Mother's.

"You looked uncfrontable so figured I try talking?" Farkas replied inccoenlty enough as htey walked.

Three Weeks Later

Three weeks of hunting them and killing them and they fianlly foudn their main camp. Al the remainign cirlce and Zev were hidding in outskirts of the Fort assesing their positon.
"One scout on the roof above the door, one on ehtier isde." Aela said quitly after she reammerged form her private scouting. "One goes for the roof two go for the one's ont he side."
"You got the roof than." Vilkas replied. "The new blood and I will take the ones one the sides. Farkas you'll take care of any that straggle out." Farkas was the least adopt when it came to sneaking Vilkas wans't much better but coud remain hiddne far longer than his brother. Aela was a born hunter to the bone.
"Stick them with the pointy end." Farkas said as everyone set up their positons. Though their appeared calm they wanted blood and they intended on ripping every silver hand member inside apart.

Sithis she was tired! One contract after another never ending. When she ifnished one and reutrned she was sent out again across every direction of the provdience. She wouldnt midn it so much if it wasn't for the fact that these were initiate assighnments. She was a full fledged assassin! She bit her otngue everytime she was givne another pup job as she called them.
'If I am the Listener than why am I the errand runner?'[/] She thaught with emmense bitterness as she foudn herslef a rare moemtn to rest. The others ... they avoided her. Acting as if Cicero's madness had become contagious and she had contracted it. Pnly a few spoke to her now in non mockign tons. Bobette gave her lessons on poisens still while Vezzar seemed uncertian of how to apprhc her. Gabriella appeared polite enough but Sonja foudn it was somehwat hard to fully read her ture intnetions at times.
But they all thaught her crazy and Mad.
Cicero seemed to be the sole exception of isolating her in fact he took to sticking to herlike a lost puppy half the time, at least when she was allowed ot be in the Sancturary for more than maybe and hour or so. The Night Motehr's room was always empty save for Cicero and at the moemtn he seemd to be elsewhere.
Though the room and coffin were eerie she felt oddly conforted by the Night Motehr's presence in some strange way.Teh bench she was on wans' texalcyt confronble but it was far more so than the rest of the family of late.
'Cant decide which is worse. Them thinking I'm an abomination or that I'm complety mad. Used to the frist not so much the second.'
Cicero said ht eListner's return was supposed to be a blessing form Sithis himself yet it felt more like a curse to Sonja at the moment.

Only one Silver Hand had come out to appanrlety do a guard shift only to have Farkas grab him and his neck broken in less than a second. Four bodies a good start.
A moment ot collect themselves before they headed in, Vilkas mentioned somehting aobut beign careful initally how many they drew tot hemsevles, as they had no way of knowing just how many were turely present. Given that this was their main base however, it stood to reason there was a lot.
Nearly a hundred currenlty that they could be sure of.
But the Silver Hand knew to expect an assault regadless consdiering the varies raids on camps and leaders beign assassinated, they knew the Compaions were coming.
"I think I prefer killing them in beastform." Farkas mentioned as Aela pulled the arrow form the skull of agaurd. "That'll make'em scared alright."
"It's only right that they should die int error of wha htey claim to hunt, though they forget that their our pray." Aela commented likeing the idea.

"Nowehre else to go." Sonja muttered, the main dinning room hadn't exalcyt been 'warm' in her presence these days. At firs tshe took to eatign in a far corner ont he upper levels in oneof thebakc hallways, than cicero offered his room. Taht's where they were now. His room was the furtherst back depsite possibly being in terms of size the alrgest with only candels for light and a few lanterns he had taking to lightening himself. No fires for warmth, it was turely a miserable place. The obvious lack of care the room recived was also evdient, and it had been that way even before the Keeper's arrival.
Her curiosity had gotten the best of her a few times and though she knew it was a iiolation of privacy she had shifted shallowily threw his things though never acutlaly goign threw them. Her curiosity though had to be rieghned in so she woudlnt' accidnelty stumble into somehting, once again, she shouldn't. Cicero himslef hadn't hoenslty added anythign new to thte room save for the stack of aparent journels he bruaght with him a few knives hse occaisonly saw him shaprenign and obvious things to care for the Night Mother. "The Night Mother seems more talkitive and welcomign than everyone else these days." She had simply been sharpening her dagger for what felt like the millioneth time that day.
Never can be to sharp.
"So what you just spend all your day in here or in the Night Mother's room?" She asked while examinign the dark metal int he dim light. It seemed nearly black.