Walk with Shadows

Trust Your Gut

Gweneith found herself unable to wipe that silly smile off of her full lips. She was simply vibrating with her good mood from the last week with the guild. Everyone was nice to her and being near Brynjolf made her feel something she had shrugged off as gone forever. Even if she had only admitted it to herself. There was an ease within her as they talked over plans for an estate an important client needed to be handled.

Honestly, knowing how Nazir felt about it all made her believe she could do both. Heart was ready to dive into a new adventure and learn a new skill set. There was just one thing that bothered her. She pushed her hair to the side, walking in the wilderness of Falkreath under the shade of the trees. The sun was high and her mind was picking at Mercer. He was polite enough for a thief master, and Brynjolf had the nicest things to say about him but the way he looked at her gave her the creeps. It was as if she threatened him somehow. It was a very odd feeling.

Her feet carried her to the all too familiar door, eyes looking up to the carving. She was too busy thinking to manage much more than that. She stared for a good while before walking to the door and whispering the password. Moving back into her home always felt good. Far more comfortable in the shadows and darkness than she was in that shack with a small farm attached. "Gweneith... You're home. Good." Astrid looked up to her from leaning over the table. She stood up slowly, her mouth dipped at one end.

"Did something happen?" Astrid saw her eyes flare, her finger twitch at a dagger at her side and the concern in her voice. It brought a very pleased smile to the woman's lips.

"Yes, but nothing you need to be too worried over. We have a guest." She motioned to the stairwell.

"Iszara has been here for a little while..."

Astrid shook her head. "A guest with more reverence than her." She smirked to the woman. "Come on down. They are meeting with the others."

"Then why are you up here?" She raised a brow.

"I was waiting for you, Gwen. You did say you would be back today in your letter." She moved to the Bosmer, patting her back and guiding her to the stairs. "Would that we all had you dependability. We are waiting for Iszara to come back as well." They both started down the stairs to some voices. There was a very shrill one hovering above the others and it spoke in a most peculiar way.

She set her eyes upon a dirt covered man standing next to a coffin, in a jester outfit. Gwen had to rub her eyes to even believe this was what she was really seeing. The man asked a question of Babette who she could tell even from the back turned up her nose. She simply nodded and the man gave a little jig in responce. "That... Thing is Cicero. Oh, and the nightmother's coffin."

Gwen's head shot behind her to Astrid, eyes wider than she could imagine. Over her time with the family she had read many books about the nightmother, the old ways, the listener and the tenants of their brotherhood. She took in a shallow breath, feeling that she needed to give this the respect it deserved. After a moment she whispered a question. "So... Is Cicero the... Listener?"

"Cicero? Is poor Cicero the listener? No no no my dear girl. Cicero cannot be the listener. The mother won't talk to poor Cicero." She turned to the man who heard her, his hand on the tomb. "I would very much like to be. No no. We came because the other sanctuaries aren't safe. Just not safe. So I took her and fled. No listener here, just her keeper."

Biting back her words, Astrid looked to Gwen with her brow furrowed. "We can't get him to stop talking like that." The words were whispered, but Astrid moved on to the circle of members anyway, leaving Gwen amused. "We won't have a listener, Cicero. I told you that my judgement and way of doing things isn't perfect but it works for us."