Bound By Madness

12. First Thaw

"So, does the quiet, helpful stranger have a name to share with Cicero?" I glanced up at the jester as he spoke, my fingers wrapped around the edges of the rain-soaked wheel as I lifted it up from the ground.

"You shouldn't share your name with strangers. Especially one who smiles as he does at the sight of blood. He might end up smiling over your own blood if you aren't careful, sweet Faith," Ellery's voice called softly from the other side of the wagon as he danced about the puddles the rain had left behind when it finally stopped.

Tilting my head, I peered at the jester beside me as he helped hold the wagon steady for me. I paused for a moment before easing the wheel into place, securing it and replacing the large metal pin that had been lost when the wheel had come off. It was just a temporary fix, but should last until the Jester who was Cicero could get to the next town and seek proper repairs. Of course, he would have to be careful with how he rode the wagon since the repairs would not hold if he was too rough or drove the wagon too fast.

I am Faith. I do not fear my death at your hands. Amicus will keep me safe if you desire to try anything, just as he always does.

I stared into the man's eyes, seeing the curiosity grow within them moments before I felt that familiar grip pulling me to duck and twist moments before a dagger slashed through the air where once my neck had been. Mad laughter filled my ears as we began a dance of life and death in the dark, our feet slipping in the mud just often enough to keep us from the fast pace our bodies yearned for.

Between one breath and the next, I felt warm blood seeping from a smattering of small cuts on my arms as Amicus gripped my wrists and did his best to keep the blade from cutting deeper. The jester was far faster than we'd expected him to be, almost as quick as Amicus would be if he didn't have to lead my body's movements. I could only be thankful that I had grown used to being puppeted around like this over the years, having allowed my Assassin to lead me in similar dances before.

This was the first time, though, that I was unsure if I would live through to see the end of the dance. For once, I was unsure if Amicus could make my body move fast enough to avoid the blade's movements, frightened that the jester might get a lucky hit and sink his dagger deep into my flesh.

Oh, but I can't die yet! Ellery still hasn't forgiven me! And Amicus, we still need to find our treasure! You promised me family, Amicus! A treasure for us to cherish, to protect with our very lives!

I felt one last cut drag across my side before the world grew still, my legs collapsing from underneath me as Amicus finally let go and stepped back. I stared with wide eyes at the man before me as he grinned madly, his eyes bright with glee while I struggled to catch my breath.

"Your Amicus does his job well. Cicero hasn't had a target escape his blade so well before! Ahh, but Faith is not really a target, is she now... No, no, Cicero was just seeing if the words she 'spoke' were true. And they were! They were true! Faith ducked and wove and spun about so quickly in her dance that Cicero was almost hard-pressed to keep up! Almost. Cicero wonders where Amicus and Faith got their training from," the jester spoke as he stared at me, his voice pitched far lower than it had been before.

I'm not sure where or who trained Amicus, but he is the one who guides me. I learned through watching how he moves and practicing with him. When needed, I become his puppet and he moves me as he must to keep me alive.

"Oh! Cicero knows of puppets and puppet masters! But never has he seen it done like that before, oh no! Cicero wonders how long Faith has been practicing being a puppet for assassins. After all, he would have to be a different kind of fool not to realize that if Faith had wielded a blade as well, Cicero would have his own fair share of cuts to tend," the way his hand tightened around the handle of his blade spoke with just as deadly a threat as his own voice did.

I felt a chill run down my back as I tried to shift away from the jester who spoke of things he shouldn't know about. It was only when I felt Amicus' hands come to rest on my shoulders that I began to relax, his breath warm against my ear as he began to whisper to me.

"This is a test. He is testing you. To see if he needs to kill you or not. Perhaps, a test to see if you are worth keeping alive instead. Whatever you do, you... No, we need to pass his test. Faith, whatever you do, do not fail. We can't afford to fail now," I shivered when I felt his lips brush against my ear before he pulled away again, leaving me to somehow try and figure out what this test was.

Somehow, I had to pass a test I didn't even know existed before Amicus spoke up. A test I didn't know how to pass. Looking down for a moment, I saw the blood that was slowly leaching into the ground, seeing all the cuts he'd made on my arms and legs and felt anger begin to burn within me. He'd cut my stitches! He cut my stitches!

Glaring up at the man, I found myself leaping up at him and shoving him to the ground as I crouched over him, my inability to speak the only thing keeping me from actually screaming at him in rage.

You cut my stitches! Do you have any idea how long I worked on these ones? No! Of course not! Because you don't know anything about me! How can I show Ellery how much better I've gotten if you RUIN THE STITCHES I WORKED SO HARD ON?! How can I get him to forgive me if he won't let me work on a new cap? How can I live if I'm always surrounded by his death?!

I didn't even realize I was crying until I saw the tears splashing down upon the cheeks of the startled man beneath me. His face grew sad as he looked up at me.

"Shhh, Cicero didn't mean to make quiet Faith cry. He didn't know she even had stitches to be cut by his blade. If he had, he would not have been so quick with his dagger. Cicero is sure that Faith's Ellery will not blame her for Cicero's mistake," he spoke gently as I felt his arms slowly wrap around me, pulling me against his chest as he lay there. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay. Cicero understands now. He understands far more than Faith realizes."