Bound By Madness

53. Growing Closer

"So when did you get him the ring? And when is he going to get you one?" The Listener's sudden question caught me by surprise, leaving me a blushing mess as I waved my hands around in shock.

Huh? Oh, well, I had it for a bit now. It had an interesting design but it was too big for me to wear and it didn't have any enchantments on it, so I put it in my pouch and forgot about it for a while.

"But it was enchanted when you gave it to him. Did you have Festus enchant it for you? Or maybe Gabriella? She can enchant things, right? Err, at least, I think she can?" The Listener interrupted me as he blurted out the words before hushing again, his face turning red as he blushed at the look of frustration on my face.

As I was saying, I'd forgotten about it, but when Ellery spoke of how my Cicero was beginning to wonder if I was even real when we were gone from Home... Well, I began trying to think of something I could do to remind him he was not alone anymore and, while I was looking in my pouch to find where my yellow thread had gone to, I saw the ring sitting in the bottom next to some buttons.

With a smile, I patted my favorite pouch. It had served me well over the years since I'd stitched it together from scraps of leather and cloth.

Of course, I couldn't just hand it to him as it was. I had to make sure it was worthy of someone as wonderful as he is, so I spent a day and went hunting to fill the soul gem I bought. I didn't dare use one of the ones in the Sanctuary since I just know the Pretender would have held that against me. No, no, I would not give her any chance to try and lay even the slightest claim upon the ring and take it from my poor Cicero. I will not let her break him while I am not there to keep her away from him!

I'd begun pacing back and forth across the path in from of the Listener, no longer walking forward toward our destination. I was far too agitated with the thought of what the False Leader might be doing while we were away.

Ahh, but she has no claim so if she tries to take it, it will be breaking a Tenet and I am sure it is one that even the other members of the Family will not ignore. No, even they will not let theft go unquestioned. No, the ring is for Cicero, to keep him safe while I am gone as much as to keep him from breaking. It is the closest I can get to stitching him together again. I don't think he would want to have stitches, even if he seems to like my own.

I frowned for a moment, hands coming up to grasp my arms as I stopped pacing and looked up into Destin's eyes with something that could almost be called a smile.

Most people... don't approve of my stitches, but he called them pretty when he saw them.

"When you love someone, it becomes easy to see that which makes them beautiful," he whispered, looking off into the distance.

I never bothered telling him that I didn't expect a ring of my own from my Jester Assassin. If I didn't expect it, then it wouldn't hurt to not get one. Besides... that wasn't why I gave it to him. Straightening my shoulders, I once more began walking down the path, the Listener following behind as he led his worn-out horse along with him.

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Of course! Of course, the crypt just had to have skeletons and Not Dead Things active within, leaving me worried that maybe the petitioner had been injured during the excessive wait the Pretender had kept them here for. If something had happened to the man, I would never forgive her for it!

Looking down at the skeleton we had just defeated, I saw the edges of a book poking out from under its ribcage, leaning down to pick it up after glancing about to make sure nothing else waited to jump out from the shadows. Peeking within the pages, I frowned for a moment before a grin slipped across my lips.

Well, well, how interesting... I wonder what kind of trinkets there might be to find within such a place as this particular crypt. Ahh, but it will have to wait. For now, we have a man to find and Mother's words are more important than trinkets and relics.

Shoving the book into my pack, I turned and followed the Listener down the stairs, watching for any sign of movement. There would be time later to check for trinkets, even if it meant coming back at another time.

"Do Amicus or Ellery have any ideas which way we should go? There's a lot of options here and I don't see anything that makes one path look more accurate than any others," he said as he glanced around the room, hand rubbing at the back of his head nervously as the other rested on the grip of his sword.

I looked at him in shock for a moment, since he'd never asked for my companions' opinions before. In fact, other than Cicero and the Not Child, nobody had asked for their thoughts, ideas, or opinions before. Not about anything. It felt odd, but at the same time pleasant, to know the Listener had joined that small group who had come to acknowledge my dear companions.

Ellery, have you seen anything that might suggest where Mother's prayer was performed?

"Give me a minute to check the other passages. But I can tell you it is not either of those two," he said as he peered curiously at the Listener, waving his arm at the North and Northeast pathways as he walked past us toward the tunnel in the southwest wall.

Not those two.

I pointed in the direction of the pathways Ellery had pointed out, knowing most likely he had already been checking for signs of battle or at least recent disturbance. That meant most likely this place rarely saw exploration, making my desire to return for trinkets grow.

"Okay. He checkin' the others? Should we help? I mean, I don't want him to think I'm not willing to do my part. He's part of the team and I really appreciate the help, but he doesn't have to do it alone. Besides, it's not fair if he's the only one taking risks here," he said as he began walking toward the southeast passage, his teeth worrying at his lower lip as he moved past me.

I reached out and grabbed his arm, a smile on my face as I brought my hand up to pat his head.

Silly Listener. If Ellery didn't want to help, he wouldn't go check the other rooms for us. Besides, the Not Dead ignore him as much as most people do, so he is least likely to be hurt if something is waiting. But thank you for being concerned. Amicus and I appreciate that you care about our Ellery enough to worry.

"Faith, over here. There are bodies here, those dead things you hate, and a door with people talking on the other side. Well, one person is talking... a lot. I think he just likes to hear himself talk," Ellery called from just inside the tunnel he'd entered, the gold of his motley shining in the torchlight.

With a grin, I grabbed Destin's arm and began running toward the tunnel, happy to see what kind of person would pray to our Mother.

This way, my Brother! My Listener, Mother's prayer happened over here!