Chapter 621 - Appraising Values

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*Falkreath, the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary*

"You're back!" Astrid saw Serana in as the latter seemed to be absent-minded.

"Yep." Serana replied.

"And?"

"What?"

"The Night Mother's contact! Tell me everything first. What did this Motierre want?" Astrid was personally waiting for Serana at the entrance of the sanctuary in order to hear the matter they were given by the matron of the cult. If it wasn't for that, Astrid would have had a relaxing afternoon rather than worrying about every little thing.

"I've met him and…" Serana took a deep breath showing that she was still shocked, "Motierre wants us... to kill the Emperor."

Astrid raised her brows with a neutral face before breaking into a smile and giving out a short laugh.

"You're joking!" She said.

Serana shook her head and handed over the letter she had and the amulet she was handed by Amaund Motierre.

"What is this?" Astrid asked.

"The letter explains things. The Amulet is the expenses." Serana replied.

Astrid took the letter, retreated to a chair behind an old table, and brought closer a candle to read it. Serana joined her and waited a minute, two, and three until Astrid read the paper carefully a few times at that.

"By Sithis! You're not joking!" Astrid exclaimed, "To kill the Emperor of Tamriel... The Dark Brotherhood hasn't done such a thing since the assassination of Pelagius. As a matter of fact, no one has dared assassinate an Emperor of Tamriel since the murder of Uriel Septim, and that was two hundred years ago."

"You're going on this fooly?" Serana asked, "Do you even trust the Night Mother?"

Seeing that the Listener herself is skeptical from the situation with the Night Mother. Astrid was for once baffled but still determined to see this one through.

"The Night Mother wouldn't misguide the Dark Brotherhood on purpose. And... for whatever reason, she chose to relay Motierre's information to you. I don't know exactly what's going on here, if you're the Listener, or this is some fluke, or what. But what we now have before us..." Astrid replied, waving the letter of Amaund Motierre.

"So you're accepting the contract?" Serana asked.

"Damn right I am. If we pull this off, the Dark Brotherhood will know a fear and respect we haven't seen in centuries." Astrid replied as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, "You think I'd abandon an opportunity to lead my Family to glory? But this is all so much to take in. I need time to read the letter again and figure out where we go from here. And this amulet. Hmmm..."

"What are you thinking?" Serana asked.

"I'm thinking we need that amulet appraised. I want to know where it came from, how much it's worth, and if we can actually get away with selling it. And, there's only one man who can give us what we need." Astrid paused a second before uttering the name, "Delvin Mallory."

"Delvin… Mallory?"

"He's a fence, a private operator. Works out of the Ratway, in Riften. I'll keep the letter. Bring Mallory the amulet. Find out everything you can, and sell it if he's willing. He'll offer a letter of credit, that's fine. Delvin Mallory and the Dark Brotherhood have… a long history. He can be trusted."

"Is he like… a dealer of goods?" Serana asked.

"He is… why are you asking?" Astrid asked back.

"Ah! Nothing! I am just thinking about selling something away from the eyes of the public." Serana replied meekly.

"Just tell him it is something that has nothing to do with the Brotherhood. I don't want more favors to be placed on my tab." Astrid gave Serana a cold reply and went off to her quarters.

Serana snorted as she wasn't pleased with the situation as a whole. After all, she was determined to follow her own path from now on.

But some idea came across her mind. Maybe she can stay in the Dark Brotherhood for a few more days or so since she had to travel towards Riften either way.

Riften is where everything starts after all.

Serana walked out from where she had a meeting with Astrid and headed into her quarters in the sanctuary. Usually, she has a small room dug for her and it is where she keeps some of her items.

She headed in and searched her belongings until she found a bottle of a certain brew. From the peculiar shape of the bottle, this is supposed to be a bottle of Skooma.

Serana opened the Skooma bottle and smelled the unique scent of the Moonsugar. Despite the smell being very familiar to her, Serana suddenly realized something was amiss.

"That's not my Skooma." She mumbled.

While she keeps the Skooma in her quarters, the sanctuary has a golden rule and that is no stealing from other brotherhood members or else there shall be retribution.

Yet someone still dared to steal from her.

But the Skooma of all things? Half the sanctuary already snorts that shit in the open. They wouldn't just go after her bottle… her special bottle of special Skooma.

Serana immediately went and closed her quarters' door before turning around and cursing.

"Astrid! She's suspicious of me being the Listener and now goes through my stuff!"

Serana was angry yet she didn't break her cool one bit. She understood her situation and it is not like she keeps all her belongings in the sanctuary. She has a lot of stashes hidden in places even Jon Dare wouldn't find.

Calmly, she walked towards one of the walls of her quarters and waved her hand at it as she cast some illusion spell on it. The spell caused the illusion that was already here to disappear immediately.

While the wall looked ordinary, it was just a simple cover to hide a small alchemy table and some ingredients behind it. Deathbell, Nightshade, Moonsugar, and more. What's interesting is the product Serana seemed to be brewing is indeed Skooma.

Serana picked another bottle of Skooma from her hidden stash and threw the one that was replaced away. This Skooma she retrieved was the real deal compared to the watered-down crap she just found.

"This will change everything." Serana thought and kept her original Skooma bottle in her bag before carrying it and walking off the Sanctuary of the brotherhood.

She also made it clear to some of the brotherhood members that she is heading to Falkreath to confirm a few things before leaving.

Once she headed off the sanctuary, however, she felt like she was being watched and no matter how she tried to check her surroundings secretly, she failed to pick a trace of whoever is tracing her.

Someone is a very skilled creep.

She needed to immediately get out of the forest and find transportation to the next town.

She was indeed fast on her feet and managed to slip away from her tail.

Watching her disappear with superior speed, the one who was sneaking behind appeared from the shadow of a tree.

"Oh, Listener… dear, Listener! Such a fate! Such a horrible horrible fate!" The stalker whined in agony as he rubbed his face on a bottle of Skooma.

He agonized over something going on in his mind.

"Astrid! Treacherous Astrid! Terrible and treacherous and cowardly Astrid! To think she is controlling the Listener… the poor poor Listener with this tainted Skooma! Argh! Treachery shall be punished! Yes, mother! Cicero shall punish them for you… and for the Listener!"

***

A week later, Serana arrived at Riften and went down the Ratway. The city was chaotic as ever since the emergence of the Dawnguard especially for being the closest city to their stronghold. Moreover, this city became filled with crosses and sticks where captured vampires are publicly executed day in and day out.

In summary, it is the complete opposite of a place like Whiterun and Solitude where the Vampires almost attack daily.

And for any vampire on any day of the week, it is insan