I laid low in Riften for a week, barely venturing out of my house except to see Haelga. I wasn't worried about being tracked down. It was simply a cause of caution and vigilance. My presence in Markarth would have been noticed, no matter how careful I was, and as I'd left the same day as Maro, and that man was now dead, those investigating his death would make assumptions.
No doubt Astrid would have heard the news, but after no sign of her coming to see me, I finally left Riften for the Sanctuary. After leaving my horse hidden as usual, I approached the black door to find Gabriella waiting for me. Although she didn't look concerned, the fact it was her waiting instead of Astrid worried me.
"There's been an incident," she said, barring my way inside.
I felt my stomach drop, my immediate thought being 'Not again!' "Astrid is fine," Gabriella added quickly, "Or, at least, she's alive. But... Follow me."
We walked into the bedroom to find Astrid fast asleep. Her top was off, her stomach covered in bandages. Her eyes opened upon sensing my presence, and I sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing her hand. "So I leave for a week and this is what happens."
She laughed for a moment before her face creased in pain. "Is it bad?" I asked Gabriella.
"It was a nasty wound, but she'll live."
Looking at Astrid, I stated, "I would know who did it." Not a question, as it was easy to figure out who. "Where is he?"
Gabriella disappeared, returning a few minutes later, holding a few diaries. "This will tell you everything, Ragnar. His thoughts prior to what happened. And, most importantly, it will tell you where he has gone. And we're all available to assist you if necessary. Many of us were happy to see the return of the Night Mother, perhaps a sign that our fortunes would improve. But none of us wanted this. No matter what happens, no matter if the Night Mother has returned, Astrid is and always will be our leader... At least until the time she decides to leave..."
Astrid had remained silent until then. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"Can you give me a few moments, Gabriella?" She dipped her head, and after closing the door, I looked back at Astrid. "He will die. But what set him off?"
She couldn't help smile. "I'll admit I probably provoked him a little. But the little bastard was faster than I imagined. He has talent with a dagger."
"I'll study these and leave first thing tomorrow."
"No, stay with me for a day. There's no rush."
"Are you sure?"
"Please, Ragnar."
I relented easily. I guess there was no rush, though my blood was up. Cicero would die. Despite the brave face, she was still in a lot of pain, so although she was healing, I brought her meals in bed, and otherwise stayed with her, mostly just to keep her company and her spirits up. She managed to turn onto her side so she could at least cuddle with me, and although she wanted to be intimate, even she admitted that she had to ignore her desires, at least for a little while.
It was nice spending an entire day in bed next to her. She wanted to know everything about taking down Maro, as although news had filtered back that he was dead, she wanted to know the details. I had no need to exaggerate. Astrid had never seen me work, but she didn't need to see it to know I was good. She was surprised Maro travelled alone, figuring I would have had to go through bodyguards to get to him.
"He died well," I said, "He faced me down like a warrior. And he died like one."
"Didn't think you cared about things like that."
"I don't usually. Things like honour mean little to me nowadays. But I can still look a man in the eyes and give him a good death."
"When you leave tomorrow, Ragnar, I want you to promise me something." She squeezed me, looking up into my eyes. "Come back to me. I'm not saying Gabriella's words are empty, but you are the only one I truly trust here now."
"I think we've talked about enough things that I'd fight Mehrunes Dagon himself to ensure I returned, Astrid."
"So you love me that much?"
"Well, helps that you're a beautiful and rather flexible Nordic goddess. Add the dangerous aspect of your personality and, well, I think it's easy to see why."
"I'll be honest. I just love your big cock." I could only burst into laughter as she went into great vivid detail about it and what it did to her. "Do you know what it is most, though? Despite what you do. Despite what you've done. You still have this... honesty, though perhaps that's just due to me."
"I lie all the time, except to you and Haelga. Well, I'll clarify Haelga knows about the Thieves Guild, but doesn't know about this. She probably has an idea that I'm up to no good, so simply doesn't want to know. Don't ask, don't tell. All she wants is a promise each time I leave that I will return. I haven't broken that promise yet."
I left early the next morning, Astrid managing to walk with me outside as I packed supplies onto the rear of my horse. I intended to make it north as quickly as possible. Astrid warned me that the Empire would have increased their patrols due to what happened, so suggested I avoid the main roads if I could. That would delay me, but there would be no doubt the army would be merciless. If they even minutely suspected someone, they'd find themselves in chains and escorted to the nearest cell.
The delays meant an extra night on the road, but I figured if Cicero was where I assumed, he would by lying in wait for someone to come find him. I wondered if he figured it would be me though. No doubt he would assume I would be an ally due to me being the Listener. What he wouldn't particularly know is that I didn't care about being that. My allegiance would always be to Astrid. It probably didn't help that I was intimately involved with her, but I'd rather take orders from her than a rotting corpse.
The door into the Northern Sanctuary was surprisingly out in the open. Not hidden at all. I hadn't asked around Dawnstar about it. I simply followed the coast until I found it. Dismounting my horse and leaving it, I approached the door. Just like Falkreath, the door asked a question before allowing me entrance.
"What is life's greatest illusion?"
"Innocence, my brother."
The place had been abandoned for centuries, at least according to Cicero's journals. Though abandoned, it was not empty, as I found myself encountering... Well, ghosts, to be honest. Ghosts who were not happy to see me. I thought they'd recognise me as Listener and part of the Brotherhood, but they chose to attack me instead. As I was busy fighting them off, I could hear Cicero from further inside, taunting me. All that did was incense me, clearing my mind, knowing I'd kill him for what he'd done.
There was even a bloody big troll living in one of the caves that I had to fight my way past. I took a hit from it, leaving a nasty wound across my left arm, but I took its head in return, stabbing it a few more times, just to make sure the thing was dead before moving on. Cicero continued to taunt, though his voice was becoming louder and clearer. I knew I was closing in.
"Keep talking, Cicero. You merely dig your own grave."
The taunts continued, and rounding a last corner, I entered a large room, where I found Cicero lying on the ground. It was obvious he was feigning injury, I wasn't stupid, ensuring I stayed back far enough, as I figured he was hiding a weapon under his body.
"You caught me! I surrender!" he cried, laughing away as he always did.
"You tried to kill Astrid, Cicero. Your last mistake."
"Being intimate with the pretender displeased the Night Mother, Listener. How can you not understand that?"
"You're a fucking lunatic, Cicero. And all you've done since arriving is prove to be a gigantic pain in the arse. There is only one solution to the problem."
He made to move, no doubt withdraw a weapon and get up, but a good kick into his stomach caused him to curl up, another kick to the face rolled him over onto his back, the dagger he'd been holding clattering away. I wasn't going to stab him. I just put my foot on his throat and pressed down, watching his face as he suffocated. He tried to say something as my foot pressed down harder, but I didn't want to hear his pleas. He was getting what he deserved, his hands grabbing my lower leg, trying to prise it away. But he weakened with each passing second, eventually passing out. Getting down on my knees, I lifted his body and snapped his neck to ensure he was truly dead, before dragging it all the way out the Sanctuary, turning right and walking out onto the nearby headland. With no ceremony, I dumped his body into the water, hoping the tide would take it out. If it ended up on a nearby shore, I didn't care. No-one would know who he was.
Mounting my horse, all I did was point it southwards, leaving Dawnstar and the sanctuary behind, though kept it in mind, just in case the worst was to ever happen.
My return journey took just as long as the one north, so that by the time I returned, Astrid was back on her feet, and I found myself dragged into the bedroom for some lovemaking after letting her know Cicero was dead. If I didn't know her better, I would have thought the fact I'd killed the man who tried to kill her turned her on. Her language as she rode me, generally filthy anyway, took on a certain twist as she imagined what I did to him. When I went into detail of how I did, she had one hell of an orgasm.
We sometimes had what many would have thought a weird relationship.
Later that night, once the Sanctuary was silent, cuddled into my side as she always was, she whispered her concerns. "I think more than Cicero is conspiring against me."
"Who?"
"Festus has made his opinions known. And although Gabriella swears allegiance, I know she is torn. Plus, there is still the Arnbjorn factor. Considering how we parted, I'm sure he'll want his revenge, particularly against you, though I'm sure his heart only knows hate for me too now."
"What do you want me to do?"
She kissed my cheek. "Nothing, Ragnar. You're listening. That's all I wanted. But... If I asked you to..."
"Yes."
