Bond Of Blood

Chapter 6

"So she will recover?"

Babette fought the urge to roll her eyes and simply nodded to Morgan's question. Babette had heard the same question from Nazir, Astrid and even Cicero, and was beginning to get annoyed that hardly anyone seemed to appreciate her talents in alchemy.

"Yes. Nightshade poison is effective but luckily for everyone, I have been around a long time, and I know how to counter the effects if I have what I needed."

Morgan nodded this time as she continued to gently grip Gabriella's hand. She knew that Babette was taking good care of Gabriella, but seeing the dunmer woman seemingly helpless and unconscious shook her to the core.

"Maybe a day or two and she will be awake," Babette added as she patted Morgans hand gently before turning back to her alchemy table.

"Thank you Babette," Morgan said as she stood up and ruffled the vampire's hair playfully before ducking a bowl of troll fat that Babette slung at her a second later.

"Missed!" Morgan laughed as she exited the room.

Babette smirked as she once again turned back to her work.

"Am I the ONLY one who is mature in this frozen place?" Babette muttered.

"So...what's first?"

Astrid smiled a little at Morgans eagerness to begin. She reminded her of the few initiates that Astrid had met in the past. Eager to prove themselves, and eager to spill blood. But the smile faded when the reality of their situation dawned on her.

We have next to nothing, and yet it could get worse.

She was grateful when Nazir took over.

"Well, normally we would start by giving you contracts but seeing as we have no contacts left..." he trailed off as well.

Morgan nodded sadly as she also began to think about what had happened. The remainder of the most legendary group of assassins in Tamriel was reduced to three members and one other in a coma. And the same group had accepted her with open arms and were trying so hard to give her what she craved...and yet they could not.

"As long as we survive, the Dark Brotherhood yet lives."

Morgan looked sharply at the spirit that walked into the room, his arms held behind his back in a pose that Morgan had seen only once in her life...her father used to walk like that when he had been thinking. Lucien seemed to possess a calmness that radiated off him, and she noted that every single set of eyes were also locked onto the spirit as well.

Lucien LaChance didn't seem to notice that he everybody's undivided attention. He continued to walk around the room, pausing briefly to nod his head respectfully at the Night Mother's closed coffin before continuing to pace.

"Our numbers are few, yet there are still members of the Dark Brotherhood. There is Nazir, who follows his orders to the letter, and swears loyalty to our Family," he said, nodding to the Redguard, who gave a small nod back.

"There is the unchild, who has lived longer than I have. An expert in alchemy and a dangerous assassin is something that happens only rarely," Lucien continued.

Morgan agreed with that statement. Babette was also an expert in manipulation...that thought made her smirk for a moment before she focused back on Lucien.

"There is the young Dunmer lying in a deep sleep. Someone who appreciates that any moment may be her last, yet still goes forward with her life, serving the Unholy Matron with unmatched devotion."

Astrid ran her fingers along her eyebrows as she looked down at the stone table...what was left of it anyway, after Morgan had punched a hole into it the day before.. She didn't think that Lucien would say anything good about her. After all, more than half of her fellow assassins had died under her command.