Bound By Madness

27. Morning Sun

It felt like we had only just left Whiterun and yet we had left days ago, the wagon slowly making its way further eastward with every passing hour. The more distance we traveled, the thicker the trees seemed to become as we made our way along the dirt road. Each day, my Jester Assassin and I took time to practice our dance of death together and I could feel my speed and agility increasing.

Although, I began to doubt I would ever reach his skill since he had yet to go all out against me. No, he still held back in our dances and each time it left me yearning to see him at his best, his most deadly. Seeing him even when he was holding back against me in practice left me nearly as breathless as the fight itself often did, the grace and skill he showed so easily captivating to me in ways I had never thought a fight could be.

Still, each day we slowly came closer to reaching the Sanctuary my friend had commented upon so many times of late, even if he still did not tell me the actual location. Even after this long together, he still had moments where he seemed wary of me, but it was not the same distrust as before. No, now it seemed almost as if he was afraid I would leave him behind if I knew where to go.

How silly of him, as if I would leave my dearest friend just to meet people that likely couldn't even hold a candle to him. No, Cicero was truly one of a kind. I could tell, he was something special in this boring world we lived in and I wouldn't trade him for anything, just as I wouldn't trade Ellery and Amicus.

No, these three men were far too important to me for me to just give even one of them up. Far more so than some group of strangers that had even my Jester Assassin speaking cautiously of them, of the potential forsaking of our Mother and the betrayal of the Old Ways. No, even for a dozen potential treasures I would never give up a treasure like the ones I already had.

"Silent Faith has been making interesting faces for a while now. Does she want to tell Cicero what she has been thinking of? Or should he start guessing and see if he can figure it out?" Came the Jester Assassin's playful voice as he nudged me from his place on the wagon's seat.

Grinning, I nudged him back and shook my head.

Just thinking about all the time we have spent together and wishing it could last longer before we make it to the Sanctuary. I feel like this part of the trip is going too fast after spending so much time in Whiterun. I enjoyed the time there, all the time we got to spend together without worrying about where we were going. It was... nice. I didn't even realize how much I was enjoying it until we were already gone.

"Oh. Cicero didn't expect that answer, but he also enjoyed the time spent there, not having to worry about what waited for him down the road. Literally! Oh, but now it waits for both of us and not just Cicero. Cicero will make sure that Faith is welcomed into the Family, just as they shall welcome him!" Turning his head away, he muttered another phrase before turning back with a forced smile. "Faith shall not be unwelcome, even if Cicero must have words with them about it."

Sweet Cicero, as long as you welcome me, Ellery, and Amicus to be by your side, that is enough for me. That is all I need to be happy, my dear friend. Just let us stay beside you, wherever you go.

"Always, dearest Faith. For as long as Mother allows it."

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I could almost tell how close we were getting by how much more time Cicero took each time we stopped to have a break. He would spend extra time setting up camp each night, even if we were not tired enough to sleep and instead spent the time chatting while I worked on a new cap for Ellery. Afterward, he would take extra time breaking the site down, checking each bedroll for tears needing repair and making sure I had a chance to renew the frost spells on the different bundles of meat, even as the one slowly grew smaller.

I found it taking less effort to cast the spell, fewer attempts needed before the ice would form around the bundles and my fingers less often feeling numb afterward. It made it easier to fight off the undercurrent of worry I always had that someday I would cast the spell so badly that I would freeze my fingers instead of my target. I doubted I would ever fully lose that worry, however, since it was built upon a lifetime of worry and fear.

Still, by the time we were turning away from the lake to take the south branch of the road, I found myself noticing the Jester Assassin fidgeting nearly as much as I was. I would catch him tugging at his hair or the tails of his cap almost as often as I pulled on the loose threads of my shirts or traced patterns upon my leggings.

Patterns that I would stitch quietly each night as the Jester Assassin slept while Amicus and Ellery helped me keep watch during our turn. It took longer than usual to stitch my patterns, with how limited time had been since Cicero began training me, as well as my efforts to keep it hidden from him during our travels. Still, I was finally able to nearly complete them, just having a few areas left that needed to be filled in to finish the new design.

Ellery has been kind in allowing me to start his cap before I was finished with the patterns! He must have forgiven me for allowing the last ones to be ruined in the first dance with Cicero! I wonder if he's starting to like Cicero as well, Amicus. After all, they are both Jesters. It wouldn't make sense to dislike each other. What reason could Ellery have for disliking our Cicero?

"Yes, what reason..."