Feels a little weird, but hopefully you all can help me get this chapter straight. Dialogue isn't always my strong suit
Chapter Four: The Enemy "No, no, no; I still noticed you! If you want to be a successful assassin you'll have to learn how to get the job done without killing sometimes." Louis criticized Lucien once more, stopping the drill by turning to face his pupil. The training room floor was not a comforting place, nor a private one for discussions. The combat dummies, archery targets, and other training tools that lined the stone walls cast long shadows in the torchlight, and the smell of blood and sweat permeated the entire space. Fellow assassins filled the room, either in pairs or alone, going about their daily exercises, sparring, or working stealth scenarios like the one Louis and his student were doing.
"Yes Master." Lucien said, his voice a mixture of anger and disappointment. 'Why can't I get the damn key? A normal person wouldn't have his kind of senses!'
Louis sighed, noticing his pupil's frustration, "Look, Lucien," he said comfortingly, "Don't worry about the missions. It takes practice; our tools are not things that you learn in a day. I went through years of hard training and failed missions before my master finally allowed me to act on my own. You have the talent, believe me you do; all that's left is hours upon hours of practice."
Lucien looked up into his master's familiar eyes; his melancholy diminished noticeably, "I understand, Master. I'll do better next time."
Louis smiled in satisfaction, "I'm sure you will. But until then you have to train. Try again!"
Lucien nodded, stepping back to the designated distance for the exercise. Louis put his travelling cloak's hood back on, and turned away from his student. Lucien eyed the bulge in his pocket indicating where the all important key was located, and slowly made his way towards his target. As Louis walked along the training room floor, Lucien ambled behind him, careful to avoid notice in his black mission garb.
The Imperial teen drew his hand out, creeping ever closer to his master, his focus at its utmost. He slipped his gloved fingers into the large coat pocket, wrapping them delicately around the small brass key within, always careful to avoid alerting his master.
Just when Lucien thought he had finally completed the exercise, he felt the slightest touch on his fingers. He had brushed against his target!
'No! Not again!' "Try again!" Louis' smooth tenor voice sounded out, echoing across the training room. The only assassin that paid him any attention was the dark figure behind him, a boy with short black hair and an agonized look on his face.
"Louis! Louis!" A short Bosmer carrying a small stack of papers burst into the training room, calling out for the Breton Speaker as his short legs carried him past fellow assassins.
Lucien looked up first, turning away from the cloaked figure in front of him to watch the small elf run towards them. Louis gave a deep sigh, bringing his gray hood down around his neck as he turned to face the cryptologist.
"Yes, Galdin, what is it?" The Breton said dejectedly.
The Bosmer came to a sudden halt in front of Louis, his long brown hair flowing back into its elegant positioning seemingly of its own accord. He proffered the papers he was holding up as his high alto voice responded, "I've decoded the messages you took from the Count's desk, and you'll never believe what I found!"
"Really? That's excellent! Well, what did they say?" Louis' annoyed expression brightened into a wide smile. His apprentice's expression mirrored Louis', albeit with a good deal more curiosity.
"Ah, well, I can't say here, but it is very important." The Bosmer said, his excitement slightly lessened, "But the Listener sent me to get you at once. He's in my lab, reading a few of my decryptions."
"The old lizard left his hole, then? Well, this must be important." Louis smiled, "Let's go."
Galdin nodded, and was about to turn to leave when he noticed Lucien walking with his master towards the exit. "Oh, Lucien, I meant to say this earlier, but you can't come." The boy's excited expression immediately dropped into deep disappointment, but the Bosmer cryptologist cut off his response, "I'm really sorry, but it's the Listener's orders?"
"Fine." Lucien said irately, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Lucien," his master said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he's just being paranoid; I'll ask him if I can fill you in later. In the meantime, why not keep up your training? I'm sure your archery could use a little work yet."
Lucien sighed in dissatisfaction, "Alright, I'll stay. But you owe me." He finished with a playful smirk, hiding his frustration for his master.
Louis smiled, and was about to reply when Galdin interrupted once more, "Well, that's settled. Louis, let's go; I really would hate to be late."
Louis eyed the Bosmer spitefully, then forced a grin onto his face as he turned to the elf, "Yes, we wouldn't want to be late, would we? Then let's be off."
Galdin smiled, his ignorance a shield of happiness, and promptly walked off at a brisk pace, with Louis a step behind. The Breton turned to his still dejected apprentice, gave his signature smile and an over exaggerated wink, and continued on towards the door.
Lucien smiled in return, his mood lightened slightly, and set off to find the nearest bow.
Louis walked down the hallway with a mixture of apprehension and determination on his face; his steps were sure, but his eyes seemed unsteady. He brushed his perfectly even hair with his finger tips, his weather stained cloak still hanging heavily around him.
The dark stone walls were interrupted periodically by a tapestry or similar decoration, the shadows creeping along the edges of the lamplight. Louis could hear the familiar sounds of the training room echoing behind him, the small Bosmer cryptologist's footsteps sounding off rhythmically beside him.
"So," Louis began, "what was in the letters?"
"I really shouldn't say." Galdin flashed Louis a sheepish glance, then continued, "But I will tell you that this is huge. Probably the worst thing to happen since- since? well, ever." The elf's tone was serious, but he tried to end it lightheartedly. By the look in Louis' eye he knew he was not successful.
"And you can't say until we get there?"
"Yes." Galdin tried to sound firm, but it was a tone he was not used to taking.
"Humph." Louis looked ahead, deciding it was better not to press the matter. He could wait, no matter how important this was.
The pair reached the thick door separating the training room hall, with all its storage closets and private studies, from the atrium, the cozy space between the exit and the separate halls of the sanctuary. As always, several Brothers sat about the room, each focused on his or her activity, be it reading, talking softly to their neighbor, or just taking a quick doze by the fireplace. Louis could faintly recall a few of their names, but was not good friends with any of them. The Brotherhood's numbers were fairly great, roughly three or four dozen, but Louis was never interested in getting to know any of them regardless. If he was not away on a mission, he was with Lucien or Sadon.
'Sadon?' Louis reflected to himself, gazing at the floor absent mindedly.
"Ahem." Galdin brought Louis out of his musings and back to the task at hand, navigating through the hallways towards the Bosmer's lab and sleeping quarters. The two passed by the ornate black door leading to the shrine and made their way to the private quarter's hall. Galdin held the door open for Louis, letting the Breton assassin lead the way into the dim passageway.
They moved along in relative silence, broken by the occasional noises of the sanctuary: the soft sound of lamp oil burning, the snoring of a resident, and the heavy hissing emanating from the only open door.
Louis stopped for a moment to collect himself, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. Galdin stopped as well, looking at Louis as if he were a madman. To keep the Listener waiting a moment longer than he had to was not something the Bosmer did. Louis' deep blue eyes opened slowly, and the Breton walked calmly into the dim room, Galdin a step behind him.
"Louisss, the news is dire." The Listener leaned against the left wall of the Bosmer's room, holding several gray envelopes in his hand. Louis rarely saw the Listener outside of his darkened room, so to see the whole of his wiry frame was a surprise, even in the soft torchlight of the cryptologist's cluttered room. Most of the light came from a large chandelier hanging over a large table, covered in books and parchment.
Galdin rushed over to the table, spilled his stack of papers chaotically on the mess, and then looked back to the Listener eagerly, waiting for his turn to detail his findings.
Louis remained stoic, keeping his sea blue eyes focused on the shirtless Argonian in front of him.
"What's wrong?" Louis asked gravely.
"The Count knows. Has been with the enemy, and they told him much." The Listener's cryptic, barely comprehensible statements irritated Louis.
"The enemy?"
"The rivals in Morrowind, the Tong." The Listener's eyes reduced to slits as he spat out the name of the age old enemies of the Brotherhood.
"The Tong!" Louis exclaimed, "How did he come in contact with the Tong?"
Before the Listener could hiss out his answer, Galdin jumped in with information of his own, "The letters don't specify entirely, actually, but we believe Count Regulus Terentius somehow went through the Morrowind government, asking for help in getting rid of us. We're not sure if the Tribunal are involved, but-"
The Listener cut him off with an acid stare, then continued on himself, "It matters not, all we care is letters gave instructions to kill Brothers. Worse still, one gave location of sanctuary. Worst, though, they found all of it out through traitor."
Louis paled visibly, and then flushed with rage, "No? That's impossible; no one would betray the Brotherhood! Who is it? I'll kill the bastard myself!"
"His blood is cold, Louis. It was Sadon." The Listener remained impassive as ever, his crimson eyes looking always at Louis. Galdin looked to the floor solemnly; he knew as well as the rest of the Brothers how close Sadon and Louis were.
"Sadon?" Louis collapsed into a nearby armchair, his usually lively eyes cold. He clenched his teeth, trying to fight back tears. The room was silent for a long moment, until Louis looked up at the Listener, fresh steel in his eyes, "What's our next move?"
The Argonian gave a slow nod, eyeing Louis with approval, "They not strike for week, but we leave before dawn. The rendezvous out city is watched, all exits watched, escape will be difficult. The others pack as we speak, but one last contract for you."
Louis nodded- his brow knotted with anger, and folded his hands in front of him as he fixed his gaze on the stone floor. This was the worst possible scenario.
"Watch guards; alert us if a change in plans. Galdin will give you details." With that the Listener gave Louis one last look, then rose from his spot on the wall and walked swiftly out the door. Louis saw him leave out of the corner of his eye, his attention still fixed on the floor, his mind lost in thought.
'Sadon, why? Why did you do it?' Louis fought back a fresh wave of angry tears, trying to put the seemingly good-natured assassin out of his mind to focus on the task at hand.
Galdin watched him for a moment, debating whether or not to interrupt Louis. Eventually he reached an agreeable compromise with himself, and the Bosmer took a step towards Louis, "The Listener wanted me to fill you in on the details of the letters, but if you want to be alone my decryptions are in that pile over there." He indicated a mess of papers on a smaller desk in the corner, next to the small, parchment covered bed.
Louis ignored him, his only reply a harsh sigh as he dropped his head into his hands.
"Ok? then I'll just be going." Galdin said apologetically, taking small steps towards the open door. He closed it behind him with a soft click, leaving Louis to himself.
After several long minutes of despair, Louis reluctantly set himself to studying the Bosmer's notes.
'This would have been easier if you had just accepted his help, you idiot.' He began to read the top paper in the stack, the elf's untidy scrawl speaking volumes to the Breton assassin,
'The letters seem to be written on pressed wickwheat leaves, then dyed with roobrush to give it its strange color. Both plants are found only in Morrowind, as is the crimson ink, which I believe, is made of Hypha Facia caps, but I can't be certain. Closer examination of the seals does give a broken image of the Tong emblem, and the wax-' 'Pointless,' Louis thought, throwing the letter aside,
'Where does it talk about Sadon?' The Breton flipped through the pages, keeping an eye out for any mention of his late friend.
'Aha! Here we are.' Louis picked up the parchment, holding it near the candle burning beside him,
'Letter 6B gave definite proof of Sadon's involvement in the conspiracy, mentioning him by name several times. The Tong seemed suspicious, questioning whether or not they could trust a member of the Brotherhood, who they said were already starting to give them trouble within their province. I assume they are referring to our Brothers in Mournhold, led by the young Severa Magia. Any connection between them and this conspiracy is unknown.' Louis put the paper down with the others, and then pulled up the stuffed chair he had been resting in and sat down. He pulled another parchment up, reluctantly setting himself to studying the whole case. He absent mindedly brushed his mahogany hair as he labored through the task,
'Knowledge is strength, Louis. And we are going to need strength to get through this one?'EDIT: Completely edited, with the timeskip removed and a whole bit about walking down the hallway added. Listener dialogue changed, along with that one line of Louis'. I'll be trying to pay more attention to characterizing them in the future, so as to set them apart from the OB Brotherhood. If you have any concerns or comments, feel free to let me know
» Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:56 pm 
But not for a while, at least. Even if you hadn't played OB, just by his character and his relationship with Lucien you can tell. Not killing him would be more of a twist than doing so at this point 
