Rebuilding the Brotherhood.

Part 3.

14th of Rain's Hand, 5E 3.

Mitsu arrives in Ivarstead a day later at around sunset. She dismounts Shadowmere and walks through the village. The cave said to be this mystery woman's current home is on the other side of the bridge near the base of the seven thousand steps.

  She'll definitely be surprised if that woman isn't being bugged by either the locals or guards. She's so close to the village. Last time Mitsu went here she was attacked by some bears. When she went inside she found no sign of a Sithis shrine. Maybe one was there but it's long gone. She does, however, remember some rubble from what looked like a column that had long since been turned to dust over time. The only thing that remained was a small base and some stones. So that could have been the shrine. Who knows.

She enters the cave and hears speaking. From what it sounds like guards but she's unsure as to how many.
"Alright, you're coming with us." A guard says.
"Why though? I haven't done anything wrong. As you can see I'm just restoring this area." A young woman says.
'That has to be her.' Mitsu thinks and pulls out her lethal daggers preparing for a fight.
"What are you restoring? We all know what this place used to be assassin." The same guard accuses.
"I'm no assassin just a pilgrim. I travel to shrines because they're a part of my religion. I'm simply trying to restore this one to its former glory. That's all. After I'm finished I'll leave."
Mitsu can then hear the sounds of weapons being drawn. From four people she mentally counts.

"And leave you will. With us." A female guard says.
Mitsu sprints towards the center of the cave and immediately calls out to the Rift guards.
"Oi! What the hell is going on here!" She yells out.
One of the four guards turns away from the young woman who is practically cornered at the far end of the small cave.
"We have everything under control here. We're just arresting this assassin. She's coming with us for questioning."

Mitsu's brow furrows.
"Like hell she is! You let her go before I break y'all in half." The Bosmer readies her blades. "She's coming with me!"
"Suit yourself!" Two of the guards charge Mitsu while another is backstabbed by the woman and the other goes after her.

Mitsu can feel her vampiric blood-boosting her reflexes and her strength. She violently kicks one of the guards in the knee breaking it and stabs him in the throat as he cries out. The second one swings at her with his hammer. She catches it in a hand and breaks it in two. The man gulps and turns to run. His mistake. She grabs him spins him around and runs him through with her Blade of Woe. A large amount of blood splurts both out of his mouth and gut. He drops to the ground still alive but won't be soon.

Mitsu looks up to see the woman stabbing the guy in the face and ripping the Imperial gladius out. She calms her breathing and watches Mitsu approach her.
"Who are you?" The woman asks her chest heaving.
"I'm Mitsu Yann. The Listener." She offers a hand to the woman.
"The Listener? You're Dark Brotherhood. Nice to meet you." She takes the Bosmer's hand and shakes.
The woman continues to speak.
"I'm not Brotherhood myself, just a simple Sithis worshipper." She thinly smiles at Mitsu while withdrawing her hand.

"I am aware. I overheard you and the guard talking." She looks around briefly.
"So what are you restoring exactly? There isn't much of a shrine left here." Mitsu nods over at a pile of rubble.
"Yeah I know but I'm cleaning all that I can and I was attempting to at least make the pedestal and offering column recognizable." She walks over to her camp and pulls out a book.
"Here, this is what the shrine looked like long ago." She opens the book to a page and hands it to Mitsu. She looks at the illustration and admires how simple the shrine is. A large stone skull placed on a pedestal engraved with the story of the Nightmother on it. Besides that the column with nightshade plants carved into it.

"It was right over there." She points to the beam of light coming from the hole in the cave's ceiling. Mitsu hands back the book.
"So I see. So, do you have a name?" The Bosmer asks the young woman.
"Sorry, my name is Hlín Sappho both words are my first name. Or just Hlín it's up to you." She crosses her arms.
"So Hlín where do you come from?"
"I'm from Cyrodiil but my family is nomadic. We travel to wherever there is a Sithis shrine. Once there we either clean up the shrine, place offerings or meditate in the glory that is Sithis. This is just the latest one. It's by far the most damaged sadly." She gestures around the cave.

"Sounds peaceful," Mitsu says trying to imagine how many shrines there are. She's only seen one and that was in High Rock on the outskirts of Wayrest. That was the night she was reborn.
She notices the lack of parents and going by how Hlín looks she's only about sixteen or seventeen. Too young to be off on her own.
"Where are your parents? You look so young to be alone."
Hlín noticeably flinches and looks to the ground.
"They're dead. The Penitus Oculatus killed them a few years back after the Emperor was assassinated. They assumed we were the Dark Brotherhood because of our robes. That and we were out in the middle of nowhere minding our business but they didn't care. We have the handprint so we die." Hlín slightly rubs the stitched on handprint in the center of her robes.

"Listener, why are you here? I doubt it is to pay respects to Sithis." Hlín looks back up at Mitsu.
"I was actually following a lead about you. I want to recruit you. You'll be much safer with us than on your own. That is if you want to join." Mitsu hopes she'll join her.

The young woman shifts from foot to foot in thought.
"I'll... I'll join you just let me get my things." She turns away from Mitsu and walks to her bedroll and knapsack.
"Of course. Take your time." The Bosmer knows how it feels to be on your own for so long. She was only younger, ten to be exact when her mother was ripped away from her.

"I'm ready." Hlín stands beside her pulling Mitsu away from her thoughts.
"Alright let's go." She leads them out of the cave and past the town.
They meet Shadowmere by the other bridge and Hlín takes a step backward upon looking at the Daedric horse.
"Don't be afraid this is Shadowmere. He's like us." Mitsu pats his side and he whinnies at them both. She mounts her horse and offers a hand to pull up Hlín. She joins the elf on the horse and they ride off towards the Pale.

Along the way there Mitsu decides to ask more about her new sister.
"So Hlín if you don't mind answering more questions how old are you?"
"I just turned sixteen last month." She answers.
"I was right in that assumption then. Next question. Your sword belongs to the Imperial Legion. Was a relative a member of the Legion or did you just take it off a body?"
"My father was a legionnaire. He was the one that trained me to fight and survive. This was his sword." Hlín answers once more and wraps her arms around Mitsu as they go up a mountain.
"Is there anything else you want to ask Listener?"
"Nothing that I can think of right now. You know usually, I take initiates on trips with me to see how they can handle themselves in a fight but since you've already proven yourself you'll be spared."
Hlín chuckles.
"Well, that's a good thing. Where do you usually take them?" Hlín is curious.
"Wherever I feel like. Once I took an Initiate named Lilith to an abandoned fort then took her to a dwarven ruin. With the other one Mason, we cleared out a bandit camp and then a fort. With bear and saber cat encounters along the way." Mitsu explains.

"Do you think the other members will like me? I am different from them after all."
"I'm sure they will Hlín. We're all a colorful bunch of people after all." Mitsu smiles back at the Imperial.