Bound By Madness

45. Graceful Dance

It felt good to move like this again, my limbs stretching as I darted back, forth, and side to side, weaving about to avoid the ebony blade of my dearest friend. The mild pull of my stitches when I reached out to slash my dagger at his side felt odd, but I couldn't help wanting to see how fast I could move, how far my blade could reach. It was a rush when I felt the edge slip against cloth before the Jester Assassin was able to shift out of the way, knowing that I was getting better if I was able to get so close to cutting him.

Not that I want to cut him, of course! Oh no, not him! But I knew that if I was getting this close to landing a hit, then it meant he might hold back a bit less and I would be closer to seeing his real skill. Oh, how I wanted to see what it looked like for him to unleash himself, to use his full potential! Even if only in a practice match and not a real fight to the death...

"Faith should not let herself get distracted so easily," came a soft whisper from behind me moments before I felt a sharp blade press against my ribs, just shy of cutting the skin to release a flood of warm blood.

Turning my head, I looked shamefully into his eyes and blinked slowly.

I'm sorry, my Cicero. I guess I let myself get lost within my thoughts.

"And what was pretty Faith so busy thinking that it wasn't able to wait?" He said as he raised one hand to brush my hair behind my ear on one side, his lips quirking up in a smile.

I... I guess I was just wondering how much longer it would take me to get good enough for you not to keep needing to hold back. When will I be able to see you dance your best dance?

My heart was racing as I looked into his eyes, slowly losing myself within the sea of emotions that lived there. It was an almost familiar comfort, the way the world slowly faded away as I sank into someplace that didn't really exist.

"Faith still has a ways to go before she is that good, but Cicero can tell she is improving. She's starting to move differently at times, moves that are more her own and less those of Amicus? Cicero thinks it is a good thing if she can learn her own dance without relying on Amicus to lead her so much. It will free him to guard Faith's back instead of having to guide her hands and feet. Cicero would feel better knowing that her enemies won't be able to come up behind her so easily. It will be a while, but she will see him dance his best in time," the Jester Assassin put his dagger away as he slowly backed away a few steps.

Oh. I understand, Cicero. I do have a lot left to learn, but I'm glad you've noticed I'm getting better.

I tried to smile, knowing that he was proud I had begun learning to dance on my own and not have Amicus doing all the work. I wanted Cicero to be proud of me, to not think me only as good as Amicus could make me. But I also knew I had a long way to go before I was even close to what Amicus was able to do when he was being the Puppet Master.

I almost jumped when Cicero gave a soft laugh and held out a hand. "But perhaps Faith would be willing to see a different kind of dance for now?"

With a cheerful smile, he grabbed my hand as soon as I raised it, pulling me close before we began to spin and twirl across the floor. For the next several minutes, the room was filled with laughter as it felt like time both came to a standstill and yet passed far too quickly for my liking.

All too soon, it was time to get ready to leave the Sanctuary again. To leave Home.

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Another contract that should have been easy, and in some ways it was easy, but the aftermath hit hard and we once again found ourselves sweeping down musty corridors searching for treasures long lost to time. Traps were either disarmed or warned against, locks were picked, and relics were picked through and claimed or left behind for others to find.

This time, I put even more thought into the trinkets I grabbed, wrapping the more delicate ones in cloth or leather so they wouldn't get damaged. Even if we didn't get along yet, the smile that had appeared on the old mage's face when he'd found the trinket hidden under his pillow had far outweighed the coin that could have been gained from selling the thing.

 Of course, the hardest part was hiding some of the things I took from Destin's eyes, not wanting him to be able to point his finger at me if anyone started asking questions. It wasn't for their thanks that I did this.

No, I didn't want anything like that. I wanted the real treasure, that first unguarded reaction upon seeing the little trinkets I left them. The smile that curved their lips, the widening of their eyes, or the gasp of shock before they looked around trying to see who might have left it. Of course, I'd gotten good at hiding over the years and so far Cicero was the only one who could always find me.

I'd even made a game of it, moving something from one spot to another or leaving behind something that would attract his eye and seeing how long it took him to find me. Last time, it had taken him less time to find me than it had taken me to hide, but he'd still patted my head and chuckled before sitting down to eat his sweet roll.

Ahh, but I had yet to find a trinket worthy of hiding under his pillow. No, nothing left behind in this labyrinthine tomb was even close to being good enough for my dearest friend, nothing that jumped out and said "I'm meant for him" or "I would put a smile on his face". No, I had a feeling that nothing found within these dead hallways would ever be for my Cicero.

For my Cicero, I would need to search for a much rarer treasure than any that could be found inside of this crypt.