The Dark Brotherhood

2: And it All Came Crashing Down

Daniah's mind was racing. How did he know? Was her plan revealed by someone?
"I almost didn't believe it when one of your own came to me, offering you in exchange for the freedom of your precious sanctuary," Maro stated, answering her questions. "But you know what? I think I'll break my end of the deal. My men should be infiltrating the Sanctuary right about now." Daniah's eyes widened in shock. Everyone... they would die. Maro saw this gesture, and seemed satisfied by it. "We'll burn it to the ground, and then burn the ashes." Daniah drew her dagger from its hiding place, ready to throw it. Maro, however, was confident he'd survive this endeavor. "Kill her, and report to the camp outside Falkreath." And with that, he was gone. Immediately, the dozens of Imperial soldiers rushed at her, swords drawn. She dodged them with ease, killing each one successfully within a few moments. But she didn't stop to rest. Daniah ran, as fast as she could, toward the stables. Throwing herself into Shadow's saddle, she flicked the reins with more force than usual. All she could think about was home.
Falkreath was hours away, even with a fast horse like Shadowmere. She'd never reach it in time. She could only hope that her family was as crafty as she believed they were, and that some of them would escape. But this hope crumbled as she spotted the dense plume of black smoke rising to the south. No doubt about it, that was home. She urged Shadow onward, knowing with remorse that she was pushing him too hard, but he rode on, sensing the direness of the situation just as much as his rider. So he pressed on, his breathing steadily climbing in speed and volume as his legs beat the ground in rhythm.
They reached the sanctuary a few hours later, only to find more smoke than before. Outside, several Penitus Occulatus agents stood guard, laughing as if they were enjoying a good drink of mead. The laughter switched off as a dark figure burst through the smoke, firing arrows almost faster than humanly possible. Within seconds, the five unfortunate guards lay dead, the dark shafted arrows buried in their hearts.
Daniah flung herself from the saddle, stopping to gasp at the body of Festus Krex, which was impaled by at least thirty arrows that pinned him to a tree. His arms were thrown out in front of him, as though he were trying to protect himself from the arrows arching in his direction. Daniah shook her head, sprinting inside the burning cave entrance.
She had to hold her breath to keep the choking fumes from nearly killing her. She could hear the voices of people conversing, and crouched, pulling out her bow and an arrow. Around the corner, she spotted two guards. She fired at each of them, swiftly impaling them with her black arrows. She straightened, running at full speed into the main room. Inside the normally beautiful room, she found dark smoke choking the nightshade and lavender blossoms. In the open, she spotted Arnbjorn, Astrid's husband, fighting off several Imperials.
"Arnbjorn!" she screamed, watching in horror as one of the guards struck him down. He fell, his werewolf form not disappearing. In a rage, she flew at the remaining Imperials, stabbing them viciously with her daggers. She ran past the remains, stopping at the body of yet another fallen comrade - Veezara. She shook her head, and ran past him, climbing the natural ramp into the second anteroom. She heard the clash of steel, and what appeared to be Nazir's voice, and followed it. She launched herself into combat between her fellow reguard and a young Imperial soldier. She let out a war cry, jabbing an arrow into his chest with her bare hands. He dropped to his knees, falling over the stair rail, and hit the ground below with a crash.
Daniah rushed to Nazir.
"Are you alright?" she questioned.
"Never better," he said, a slight smirk in his voice, "Thanks to you."
"Think nothing of it," she said, "but there's no time for conversation now. We have to get out of here."
"This way," he said, leading the way down the hall toward the guest rooms. They ran through these, killing a few more Imperials, and finally reaching the room in which the Night Mother's body was kept. Finding it blocked, they struggled to find a way out. Nazir cursed under his breath.
"How do we get out!?" he yelled over the sound of the roaring flames. Daniah looked around, and found herself face-to-face with the night mother, who suddenly spoke to her.
"Climb inside my coffin, child," the corpse hissed, "you must survive this." Daniah climbed inside, slamming the metal doors behind her, she felt a tremendous heat, and heard the sound of breaking glass. Then, she was thrown to the side as the coffin flew downward, into the deep pond below, and splashed into it, sinking to the sandy bottom. Daniah searched for a way out, to no avail. "Sleep," hissed the Night Mother, and Daniah found herself overwhelmed by tiredness. "Sleep."
She was awakened by the sound of something heavy grating through sand. Her eyelids fluttered as the sound of a child's voice penetrated her slumber.
"Hurry, Nazir! I know she's in there!" it said. More grating, then Nazir answered.
"I'm going.... as fast..... as I can.... you little she-devil!" he exclaimed between pulls of the heavy metal coffin, "Just... a little... further!" And he sighed in relief as the coffin came upright.
"Open it up!" the child exclaimed.
"Hold on a second..." Nazir said, quite winded. He rested for a few seconds, then attempted to open the coffin.
"Come on, pull harder!" the girl exclaimed encouragingly - Babette, Daniah remembered.
"I don't see you doing anything to help," Nazir said.
"I'm just a little girl, I'm not exactly built for manual labor..." Nazir chuckled, and tried again to open the iron coffin. Daniah smiled softly at the people outside.
"Speak to Astrid, here in the sanctuary," the Night Mother's voice wheezed. "Fulfill your destiny."
Daniah nodded, feeling a sudden burst of air as the coffin gasped open. She sprung out, talking about everything at once.
"Whoa there, slow down!" Nazir said.
"Astrid's still alive! She's here, in the sanctuary!" Daniah exclaimed, already heading for the only remaining open place.
"She's alive?! Lead the way, then!" Nazir exclaimed, following her. Daniah speed-walked into the first anteroom, stopping to gasp at what she saw.
"A-astrid?" she asked. On the ground below her, a scorched body lay almost motionless, but breathing. The woman looked up, a cough escaping her lips along with her now raspy voice.
"Y-you're alive," Astrid choked, "Good..."
"Sh-h-h..." Daniah hushed, "keep your strength."
"I'm so.. sorry," Astrid wheezed.
"For what?"
"I... sold you out to Maro," Astrid confessed. Daniah was suddenly filled with confusion.
"You... what?"
"I just wanted things to go back to the way they were. Before the Night Mother, before Cicero, before you." So she was telling the truth. Boiling rage rose inside of the young assassin who stood before a woman who she'd seen as a sister, a mentor, a friend. A woman who'd betrayed her to her death. "So, I want you to kill me... I'm the Black Sacrament, see? I'm hiring you to kill me..." Daniah felt the heat of anger rise to her face.
"I'd rather leave you alive, writhing in pain," she spat, "How could you?" She picked up Astrid's own dagger from the floor, gripping the hilt with shaky hands.
"I know... but you have to kill me." Daniah was silent for a few moments, gathering all that had happened because of the betrayal. She saw the bodies of her friends- no, her family. She saw the fire that scorched her only home. She saw the many souls she had sent to the void. And in that moment, something snapped.
"How..... HOW DARE YOU!?" she burst, raising the dagger slowly. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THIS COST!?" She brought the dagger above her head, holding it there for a few moments with a very unsteady hand. "I HOPE THE VERY VOID REJECTS YOUR BLACK SOUL!!" She arched the dagger downward, slamming it into the unprotected, burned flesh of her former comrade, falling to her knees in the burst of force.
"Thank... you.." choked Astrid. And then, she breathed her last.
Daniah sat there for quite a while, trying to restrain the tears coursing down her cheeks. She never cried. Ever. She was cold, unfeeling. She hadn't had moist eyes since her husband had been murdered, three years before.
But now, in the midst of all the pain and suffering...
She broke