deadly nightshade

14

{Nightshades POV}

This is just getting annoying now. I feel like I've just been walking in circles at this point. Did Irri really throw me that far? As I was walking, I felt an odd tingling in my head. I stopped, and focused on it. Then, the familiar burst of excruciating pain shot through my head, and I yelped out loud, nearly collapsing but I caught myself on a tree.

"I will show you the way." I heard the voice of the Night Mother say to me. As the pain gradually faded, I opened my eyes to see a red mist. It led into the forest, and to a hidden path I must've completely missed. Almost as if it were instinct, I followed the path quickly.

After a while I began to pick up the pace, wondering if my search would be over soon. After at least 10 minutes of following the mist, I found the familiar door. I've never been so happy to see that beautiful skull.

With so much happiness and relief, I opened the door. Slowly I made my way down the stairs, still trying to be aware of my injuries. As I arrived in the main room, my happiness almost overwhelmed me.

"I'm back!" I called, which caused everyone to rush out of their rooms in a shocked frenzy. They paused, all seeming shocked to see me alive. Irri must've told everyone I died, not surprising.

"We thought you died.." Gabriella said, looking me up and down as if to see if I was real. That basically confirmed it. I grinned, giggling.

"What a good thing, huh?" I chuckled, earning a nervous laughs from some of the others. I eagerly walked passed everyone, no need to stick around for long. I still saw the red mist that had led me back, and I followed it to the Night Mother's chamber. It led directly to her.

"Thank you." I said, bowing my head. The mist disappeared, and I was glad she didn't respond. Feeling the pain again would not be too great right now.

I turned and headed to Cicero's room. We had left off on a horrid note, and I wanted to apologize. As I entered, I saw him sitting at his table holding something. It was a nightshade flower.

"Listener! You're back!" He gasped once he saw me. "I knew you weren't dead!"

I grinned, walking over to join him at the table, To my surprise, he hugged me tightly. I awkwardly returned the gesture, not exactly knowing how else to respond.

"Y-yea.." I said, cringing at my stutter. He let go, grinning widely.

"That Nord thought you were dead." He said. "She couldn't have been more wrong!" he added through laughter.

"I probably looked dead to her-" I sighed. "She threw me off a cliff."

Cicero tilted his head in confusion. "She told everyone you fell accidentally." At this, I just laughed. I suppose she wouldn't want anyone to think she killed me, that's against our code after all.

"Irri is wrong about a lot of things." I replied casually. "Speaking of- where is she?"

"She went to commit a stabbing." Cicero said with a laugh, tossing the nightshade flower into the air and catching it. His description of murder was amusing, and I chuckled.

"Hm.. where'd you get that flower?" I asked, finally taking a real notice to it. They weren't common around here, and only I collected them in the Sanctuary.

"Cicero has kept all your items safe from prying eyes!" he said, in a more hushed tone. "The Nord wanted to take your things away, but Cicero was one step ahead of her."

That was odd, did Irri really want to get rid of me that bad? Maybe she had other motives.. now isn't the time to think about this though. I grabbed a wine bottle off the table, reading the label. Without a second though, I chugged about half the bottle. After a journey like that, I deserved to let loose.

"How does the Listener manage to drink the sour grape juice?" Cicero muttered, and I laughed, grabbing a bottle of mead and handing it to him. He hesitated taking it from me.

"Try it." I said, watching as he took it from my hands. He eyed it suspiciously, before taking a sip. He erupted into a fit of coughing, and I chuckled. He looked like a skeever choking on poison.

"This is nasty!" he screeched, placing the bottle back on the table aggressively. After a moment, he took another sip.I laughed, finishing off the wine bottle I started. I already felt the familiar tingles.

"Ay.. Cicero did you happen to grab the bottles in the back of m' drawer?" I said, my voice already slurring a bit. He nodded, walking over to the closet and opening it to reveal a bag full of skooma bottles. I grinned widely.

"Niiiiiice." I purred, making my way over and grabbing a bottle. I lost the stupid pipe for this stuff a while ago, but was told by some Riften dealers that it could be eaten for a similar effect. It's been a while since I've done this stuff, and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try some now. I've always wondered how it would feel to be high and drunk at the same time..