Fields of Crimson

The Brotherhood, and their Listener

Gazing around the ruins of the Falkreath Sanctuary Vanikath began to realize just how lucky they had been to survive the events of last night. The Penitus Oculatus, the emperor's elite guard, betrayed their former leader and matron of this sanctuary: Astrid. She herself had betrayed them, though he understood her reasoning; she did it to save everyone, and he held no grudge against her for it... even as he granted her wish to become the Black Sacrament. With the contract to kill the emperor complete, Vanikath now helped Nazir lift the rubble off the bodies of their fallen family for burial. With Astrid dead, he was now both their Listener and their Sanctuary 'matron.' "Damn... it's hard to believe that we could be whittled down to only three members in just one night." Sighed Nazir as he sat down on a nearby pile of rubble, the Redguard had been through quite a bit in the past twenty-four hours and Vanikath couldn't blame him if he needed to rest for a minute. "While I agree with you Nazir, we live on so that is all that should matter. Isn't that right Listener?" Said Babette as she walked into the main chamber from the entrance hall, with two shovels in her small hands. Although she may look like a child of around ten years old, Babette is in truth a three hundred year old vampire; she had just finished doing her part to bury their family members by digging at least one of the graves- a vampire she may be but a child's body can only do so much. Vanikath simply nodded, hoping they would give him time to let all of this sink in; although he had lived it, he was having trouble accepting it. He was still expecting to hear Festus grumbling about something down the hall, Arbjorn hammering away at a sword on the anvil, and to hear 'Greetings brother.' from Veezara every time he passed by his favorite spot near the waterfall or even the faint clinking Gabriella's mortar and pestle as she worked on her latest poison. They wrapped the bodies in what bed sheets they could find and carried them outside, with the graves already dug it was simply a matter of committing the bodies to the earth.

As the last of the soil was dropped into the graves, Vanikath approached each in turn and placed a single Deathbell flower in farewell. "Shadowmere... we're leaving." Vanikath said aloud, receiving a loud neigh in response. The black spirit horse walked up to him and tramped at the ground; in front of her former master's grave. Shadowmere had once belonged to Astrid, though she had lent her to Vanikath during his recent contracts- though now he supposed, she was officially his. Leaving the Falkreath Sanctuary behind would be difficult, but Vanikath rode away in silence after telling Nazir and Babette that he would meet them in Dawnstar... He still had some things left to do. He rode out and across Skyrim to the capital of Riften and stabled Shadowmere before entering the town. He walked through the town in the direction of the Temple of Mara, he walked around to the graveyard behind the temple and into the open air crypt. He pressed the button hidden in the diamond shaped insignia and the stone coffin slid back revealing a staircase leading to a door. He walked down the stairs and into the Thieves Guild Headquarters in the cistern. He greeted his friend Brynjolf as he passed him, and continued on to the Ragged Flagon, where he found the man he was looking for in his usual place.

"Delvin, I have some work for you- Brotherhood business." Vanikath said as he sat down at the table. He leaned back in his chair with one hand on his drink. "An' wot kinda work are we talkin' about?" He asked, wary of what Vanikath might require.

He sighed and pulled out a bag of septims, "Nothing much, I just need you to fix up our new Sanctuary in Dawnstar." Vanikath explained as he set the bag on the table. Delvin's eyes locked on the bag and he held out his hand, "Sir I do believe we have a deal!" He exclaimed, one hand shaking Vanikath's and the other on the bag of gold. Delvin was a bit of a leech, but he always got the job done quickly; no doubt the Sanctuary would be in pristine condition by the time Vanikath arrived. Vanikath dismounted from Shadowmere outside the Dawnstar Sanctuary, and for some reason something felt... amiss. He put it off as being uneasy about a new place and entered the sanctuary. Indeed Delvin worked fast, Vanikath walked into the main hall and found the whole place looked considerably better... except for one of the tapestries- it was still moth worn! Vanikath would have to take this up with Delvin the next time he was in Riften. He sighed and walked down into the dining room to find Nazir sitting at the table drinking a flagon of mead. "Ah, you're back!" Nazir said as he turned his head to Vanikath before returning to his mead. Vanikath explored the refurbished sanctuary for a few minutes and was very pleased with his personal bedroom. He wanted to take a nap for a bit but now that everything was settled he wanted some time alone and would rather not be around anyone for now. He walked back to the main hall and out the Black Door, back onto the beach. He walked up to the water and looked out at the sea. The cold northerly winds blew strongly and whipped by, blowing back his dark obsidian locks. He sighed and closed his dark carmine eyes and simply relaxed to the sound of the cold waves on the shore accompanied by the whistle of the wind. His eyes shot open as that same odd feeling washed over him- now he knew he was right... someone was watching him. "Show yourself." Vanikath demanded with a hand on one of his two daggers. He waited for a moment, and before long out of the shadows came someone he didn't think he would ever see again.