Better Than The Night Mother

Chapter 1

memes_love_poptarts
Okay, so for the sake of the plot, Astrid and Arnbjorn aren't married. In fact, I'm probably just going to ignore him altogether in this little story.

I... really hadn't anticipated this. maybe I should have, but I didn't. Obviously, I knew that something would happen, I mean, seriously, you don't just pretend to be a member of the Dark Brotherhood and take a potential kill from right under their noses and just expect to get away unscathed. Even if their power has greatly diminished from what it was when my so-many-great grandmother was the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, some four-hundred or so years ago (Ironically, she was also the Arch-mage of the Mages Guild, the "Gray Fox" in the Thieves Guild, Arena Champion, Master of the Fighters Guild, which I think was her equivalent of the Companions AND Champion and Savior of Cyrodill, by the end of her long and very interesting journey. I would know, she kept a journal, several, actually, it would have been impossible to record her whole life in a single book, which have been passed down through our family since her death, and I've read all of them in detail several times. They're quite interesting, to say the least), it's still a known fact that you don't screw with the DB and expect to get away with it, you just don't!

Regardless, when I had heard a rumour about a young orphaned boy trying to trying to contact the Brotherhood, I was very curious- And when I get curious, the curiosity refuses to leave me alone until its satisfied. So, eventually, I ended up in Windhelm, where I knew the boy was. Of course, at first I had no idea where in Windhelm he was, but you would be amazed how far a slightly low cut tunic, a pretty smile, flattery, and a pouch full of gold, or some combination of those things, can get you.

Within half an hour of arriving, I already knew the exact location of the child. Though, I suppose that being only 17 means I probably shouldn't be referring to a 12 year old boy as a child just yet. I strode into the house, not sneaking, since that would just look strange and suspicious if someone saw, and was immediately greated by the boy. He asked me if I was from the Dark Brotherhood, but then answered his own question incorrectly, as he decided that I was, indeed, a member of it. leaving me no time to deny it before he told me of his predicament. I shouldn't have listened to what he was saying, I really shouldn't have, I should, instead, have listened to that little voice in my head that said that I should have just told him I wasn't from the Dark Brotherhood and just left.

But no, I just had to stay and listen, and by the end, I was cursing my stupid self and how I could never walk away from someone who was in trouble but didn't deserve it, and it wasn't just Aventus Aretino who was suffering either! All of the orphans who remained under her care were currently suffering, and the thought both saddened and incensed me. I couldn't stand it when people who were supposed to take care of children, their own or otherwise, failed to do so properly, or, even worse, abused those children in some way, it just hit way too close to home.

So, by the end, I just knew that, despite the voice of reason saying that this was a bad idea, and if I wanted to live, and keep all of my limbs and not be tortured to death by pissed-off assassins, I should really just apologize to this kid and walk away, despite all of the people who had warned me off of it when I got info about it from then, I just couldn't break this kid's heart and I could knowlingly let children, who had already lost their parents, suffer when all it would take is a bit of sneaking, a slash from a dagger, and perhaps an invisibility potion to keep people from noticing me leaving.

I actually only said one word to the kid. After he finished giving me all of the necessary information, the name of the caretaker, the orphange location, ect, I assumed my role as an "assassin" and only nodded, signaling that I would "Accept his contract" and finally (too little, too late, though), but before I could sneak out (just cementing my image as an "assassin" in the kid's mind), he had one more thing to say. Honestly, it really got to me, it was just so innocent and childlike, and it broke my heart that this innocent young boy had gone through so much.