Night Of The Hunter

A strange stranger

The sun was slowly setting and the light created a symphony of beautiful orange and pink colours on the sky.
It was pretty. I wasn't paying much attention to the road ahead of me. 
I stopped the horse and hopped down as I admired the sky for a little longer until I heard a voice.

"Agh! Bother and befuddle! Stuck here! Stuck! My mother, my poor mother. Unmoving. At rest, but too still!" The voice was high pitched and sounded quite irritated. I turned around to see a strange man in a jester uniform, standing by a carriage with a broken wheel. There was something on the carriage, it almost looked like a coffin?
I was intrigued so I went over to man. He looked sadly at his carriage wheel, and I asked "Problems?" He looked up at me. His red hair reached down to his shoulders and some few short strands was falling down onto his face. His eyes were of a beautiful golden, orange colour. They seemed almost glowing when the sunlight hit them.
I quickly noticed that he had a dagger hanging from his belt. 
When I was doing jobs for the bandits as a child. They thought me to always keep an eye out for people carrying weapons. And even tho I didn't suspect this guy, one can never be too careful.

The man stood up, he was a little taller than me. He started talking in the same high pitched voice as before "Poor Cicero is stuck. Can't you see? I was transporting my dear, sweet mother. Well, not her. Her corpse! She's quite dead. I'm taking mother to a new home. A new crypt. But... aggh! Wagon wheel! Damnedest wagon wheel! It broke! Don't you see?" He pointed at the wheel while pouting. The wheel on his carriage had fallen of and he was indeed stuck, but it was fixable. Normally I wouldn't care about things like this, so why did I? I didn't know this man, who I guess was called Cicero, but for some reason I didn't feel uneasy around him, and there was something weird about that carriage, that I couldn't explain.

He looked at me, and it was like he could see right through me and read my mind like an open book. There was definitely something weird about this Cicero fellow. 
"Is there some way I can help?" I asked.
His face lit up and he answered me with great enthusiasm "Oh. Oh yes! Yes, the kindly stranger can certainly help! Go to the farm - the Loreius Farm. Just over there, off the road. Talk to Loreius. He has tools! He can help me! But he won't! He refuses! Convince Loreius to fix my wheel! Do that, and poor Cicero will reward you. With coin! Gleamy, shiny coin!".
He pointed towards a house further away and I simply nodded. 

I turned my back to Cicero and could still feel his gaze bore right through me.
But something else was bothering my mind. That carriage, it had this weird aura. Kinda familiar, but also not even close to anything I've felt before.
The further I got away from Cicero and the weird carriage, the more I felt like myself.

I walked up too a man who was standing right outside the Loreius farm. He looks up at me and already seemed annoyed by my presence "Oh, for the love of Mara. What now?" He said in a angry tone while crossing his arms. 
"Is something wrong?" I asked not knowing why he had to bite my head off for no apparent reason.
"Is something wrong. Is something wrong?!" he asked. "Yes, something is bloody well wrong! Or maybe you missed the demented little man in the jester's garb, down by the road? Goes by the name of Cicero? Crazy fool's asked me to fix his broken wagon wheel five times. He won't take no for an answer. Why can't he just leave us alone?"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Lorieus. What was this guys problem?
"Why don't you just fix his wheel? I'm sure he will pay you" even tho you don't deserve it you dimwit. I didn't say the last part outloud, but this man was making it hard for me to keep my temper!

"Pay me? You think this is about money? Have you seen the man? He's completely out of his head. A jester? Here, in Skyrim? Ain't been a merryman in these parts for a hundred years. And he's transporting some giant box. Says it's a coffin, and he's going to bury his mother. Mother my eye. He could have anything in there. War contraband. Weapons. Skooma. Ain't no way I'm getting involved in any of that." Loreius shook his head and his thin gray hair where flying everywhere.
I took a deep breath and did my best to sound sweet and convincing.
"Please, he's a stranger who needs assistance." It sounded like I had dipped my voice in honey. It was almost painful.
"What? And just who in Mara's name are you, anyway? Hmm? Come here, telling me my business. And for what? To help a... a... a fool!" Loreius was stubborn and I was too tired for this. It wasn't funny anymore and my patience had slipped up.

"Listen up! You might find Cicero irritating or something, but I really couldn't care less. He hasn't done anything wrong and you are just disrespectful. He asked for your help, and what do you do? Nothing! You just stand here and complain and keep making up excuses, when you know damn well you should help him!"
I had to use every remaining strength in my body to stop myself from killing this idiot.
Loreius looked shocked at my outburst, but he suddenly responded in a normal tone "Look, I... I... You're right. You're right. Feller might be nutters, might not. But fact is, he needs help. I turn him away, what kind of man am I, hmm? Look, um... Thanks. And I'm sorry for my unneighborly reaction. If you talk to Cicero, you be sure and tell him I'll be down to help soon." 
I took a deep breath. I felt relieved that I had finally convinced this lunatic to help Cicero.
I thanked Loreius and went back to Cicero to tell him the good news. 

"Poor mother... Her new home seems so very far..." 
I could hear Cicero muttering for himself. I can't wait to tell him the good news! However I started to wonder again. Why did I go through all this trouble for this strange man? I don't know him. Loreius could be right? Not that that mattered to me. I couldn't care less about war or politics. But the fact that I suddenly feel excited to tell something to a stranger. 
I haven't actually felt excited about anything since the Old One disappeared. 
I was always looking forward to come home to the bandits and tell him about my missions and there was nothing better than him teaching me the ways of the Dark Brotherhood and the arts of assassination.
He thought me everything I know, and then one day, he was just gone. He just left me.

I tried to focus on something else. It's so many years ago, it dosen't matter anymore.
I shake the feelings of me and look up to see Cicero standing right in front of me. 
I really need to stop getting lost in my thoughts all the time.
Cicero looked at me with a smile, he was waiting for me to tell him what Loreius had decided. 
"I talked to Loreius. He's agreed to fix your wagon wheel." I say. "You... you did? He has? Oh stranger! You have made Cicero so happy! So jubilant and ecstatic! But more! Even more! My mother thanks you! Here, here. For your troubles! Shiny, clinky gold! A few coins for a kind deed!" 
I accepted the gold he handed to me.

"I will wait for Loreius! Oh yes, mother and I will wait right here, right here until he fixes our wheel. And thank you! Thank you again." Cicero smiled and did a little dance on the spot. I actually couldn't help but pull a little smile. It kinda seemed like Cicero noticed. But that might just be my imagination.

I went over to my horse, or borrowed horse. But was stopped by Ciceros voice. "May Cicero ask for you name?" I looked back at him. "my name is Jet. Jet Raven." I said. I then hopped up on the horse and went for Whiterun.

"Jet Raven... Raven? That sounds familiar? But where from Cicero wonder." Cicero looked after Jet as she disappeared into the city of Whiterun.