Bound By Madness

76. Can Break

"Sweetness? You need to wake up. As much as he enjoys having you wrapped around him like this, Cicero needs to get up. Nature's call will not be refused for long," his voice sang into the air around me as he poked gently at my side until I shifted away, eyes blinking open as I looked up at my Jester Assassin when he moved to lean over me.

Pressing his lips against my forehead, he smiled before pulling away so he could push himself to his feet slowy, managing to keep his balance only by using the wall to brace himself against as he made his way toward the door. Climbing quickly to my feet, I hurried to grab his other arm and pull it over my shoulders, careful not to pull at the stitches in his side.

"Faith? Cicero can make it. Pretty Faith can stay and rest more and her Cicero will return to her quickly," he said softly, his voice raspy as he tried to lift his arm away.

No. I'll not have you wandering the Sanctuary alone, not with wounds still healing. What if the fever returns? Or you fall on the stairs? No, you need me with you and I'll not let you out of my sight until you are fully healed! I already left you once to get medicine, I'm not leaving you again! Oh... But, I will turn my head away once we find someplace for you to... relieve yourself.

I turned my head away, blushing fiercely at the sudden laughter he managed before he gave a dry cough, leaning heavily against me as he tried to catch his breath again.

"Cicero thinks some water might be nice while we are up and moving around?"

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"Why didn't Faith tell Cicero that the guardians were active again? He would have made sure they knew not to attack her," he whispered into my ear as he watched the nearest specter move closer, glancing between me and Cicero.

I wanted you to rest. The fever had only just broken when you fell asleep, after all. But maybe now would be a good time to tell them?

"The Night Mother... spoke to us in the void. We wish to apologize, as we did not know you were her favored Child. As the Keeper is, you too shall be safe from harm so long as we stand. Although, your companions do well in protecting you. Perhaps you and your companions would be willing to join our ranks someday?" The whispered voice echoed strangely as the ghostly entity stopped and bowed before straightening up again.

My place is with my Cicero, to stay beside him for as long as Mother allows it.

"And our place is with Faith, for as long as we exist," Ellery said as he walked forward, passing the specter on his way toward the Sanctuaries exit. "If you want any of us, then you will have to convince Mother to send all of us, since I doubt the Jester Assassin will let Faith leave his side for the likes of you. And I don't see Mother giving up her Keeper so easily. Especially after you hurt the Keeper's lover when she was simply trying to get to his side where she belongs."

"Well, I shall make sure to talk to both of them when I next have the opportunity to visit them in the Void. It would be interesting to see if you would join us as three or as one," the spirit said with a smirk before turning and moving back down to the main chambers where the other guardians waited.

"Ignore them, sweetness. Mother would not let them take you from Cicero's side and his place shall be with Mother in the void, not here to wander the halls of a long empty Sanctuary that the Family forgot even existed," Cicero said softly, pulling me carefully against his side as he began moving forward again. "Perhaps we shall be lucky and they will be off doing something useful when we return. Like cleaning up some of the mess around here."

Grumbling, he began to move down the final corridor that led to the exit, frowning at the stairs leading up to the Black Door.

"Why do all the Sanctuaries in Skyrim have so many stairs? Why not a simple sloping path now and then? Do they never think of those who might be injured? Stupid stairs," he muttered, placing his hand against the wall as I reached out to open the door.

They likely figured that there would be potions to cure anything that was wrong. There were the remains of an alchemists area inside, so I am sure at one time they had plenty of potions and poisons to keep everyone supplied.

"Yes, well that was all good for them," he said with a sigh, shivering when he felt the cold wind sweeping down the waterfront. "Oh, look! Suddenly Cicero feels much better!"

Pointing down at the blood staining the ground, he grinned widely until he saw the frown on my face.

"Ah, sorry. Cicero was just glad that he wasn't the only one to take an injury during the fight. For a mutt, he was rather... decent," he said, clearing his throat until he began coughing again.

I know. You and he did not get along so well, but he is still our Brother, my Cicero. I am just glad he managed to get up again. He must have gone to town as I asked him to so that he could get healed. Hopefully, he will be on his way back to the Sanctuary by now.

"Oh, is that what the message was for?" He asked, pointing at the rock I had written on the day before. "Hmm, Cicero thinks Faith should not stay away from the Family for too long. They need her to guide them, otherwise, they might slip further away from Mother again. Cicero... Cicero is sorry that he might have caused trouble for kind Faith."

Cicero, as long as I have you beside me, then everything will be okay. Trouble or not, as long as I can see your smiles and hear your laughter, it will be worth any price I must pay to be with you. Besides, the Family wouldn't be my family if you were not part of it and it was not you who caused the trouble in the first place. Just let me stand at your side and I'll happily lead our Family back to Mother's arms as many times as I have to!

Smiling, I leaned up enough to press my lips against his cheek before pulling away with a laugh.

Now, didn't you say that nature was calling for you? Is there any particular part of nature that beckons to you?

Blushing, he turned his head away and motioned toward a small cluster of trees.

"Over there will do for now. Just... Let Cicero have a bit of privacy?" He pulled his arm from my shoulder, trailing his fingers along my cheek before taking a few steps away from the door. "And thank you, dearest Faith. For finding Cicero when he needed you.  You always return when Cicero needs you most."