I could feel the flush of health slowly winding through me after drinking the last of the potion the soft-spoken brother had given me, ignoring the smirk the Jester Assassin gave me as he steered the wagon down the path and away from the busy Hold behind us.

"Cicero is surprised that quiet Faith has so much trust for a stranger. Or perhaps she does know the man and that is why she worries not about poison?" I sighed at his words, rummaging through my pack before turning to meet his gaze.

It isn't that I know him. I simply know what a potion of healing should look, smell, and taste like. Amicus would skin me alive if I didn't check before drinking something a stranger gave me. Besides, not gonna waste a free potion if I can put it to good use. Those things aren't exactly cheap.

As I 'spoke' to him, I opened the jar I had pulled from my pack and began trying to apply the salve within to the bruise on his cheek, scowling at him when he moved to pull away from my hand.

It's just a salve to help the bruise heal faster, Jester Assassin. See? No poison.

I rubbed some of the basic healing salve into the back of my hand, lifting it up for him to see as he waited patiently for a reaction. When there was no sign of anything untoward happening to my skin, he slowly tilted his cheek toward me, eyes still watching closely as I dipped my fingers back into the jar. Slowly, my fingers traced over the bruise before rubbing the salve into his skin as gently as I could.

Is the bruise from the fight? Or did it happen afterward? Things are a little blurry, I'm afraid, and I don't quite remember exactly what happened.

I avoided meeting his eyes as I leaned back, putting the lid back on the jar and slipping it back into my pack. Grabbing a clean rag, I wiped the remaining cream from my hand and stuffing the tattered cloth into a pocket once done.

"Cicero didn't pay attention to when he got the bruise. He instead wonders where interesting Faith got the salve. It smells like the flowers Cicero used to pick for Mother in Cyrodiil," he nearly sang the words as his eyes darted from my face to my hands, watching as my fingers plucked at a loose thread I'd found near the bottom of my shirt.

Its something I learned to make a long time ago. My mother, sometimes she worried if I came back home with bruises, so she taught me a simple remedy that could be made with flowers and herbs that grew wild around Bru- around the town I grew up in. And when I moved, I found a book that explained other ways to make it. I was never very good at alchemy though, so this is about the only thing I know how to make.

I'd pulled at the loose thread enough that it was beginning to unravel, a small hole forming in my shirt, but I couldn't seem to stop picking at it. I hadn't even bothered to look up again at the Jester Assassin to see if he was looking at my lips. Part of me didn't care at that moment if he knew what I was saying.

It was so strange talking about even just one part of my past with someone other than Ellery or Amicus. They had always been the ones who I had these conversations with, the only ones who could understand what I said. Having someone else able to read my lips rather than words written upon clay or paper had me feeling almost like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure if I was going to fall off the edge or if I would somehow spread wings I'd never noticed before and suddenly fly.

I wonder what it feels like to fly? When I die, do you think I could come back as a bird, Amicus? I think I wouldn't mind being a bird, free to go anywhere the wind could take me. Would you and Ellery become birds with me? I wouldn't want to be a bird if I had to leave you behind. If I became a bird and you didn't, would you let me stay with you anyhow?

Before I even realized it, I found myself curling against the Jester Assassin. The exhaustion from a night spent in the rain fixing a broken wagon, followed by a fight to survive and a poor few hours of sleep in wet clothing, left me falling asleep once more against the man's side.

Why haven't you killed me yet, Cicero? I don't understand...

"To be honest, Cicero is not sure. Perhaps he is just lonely and wants company before he must join a Family that might not care for his arrival. It could be he is just curious about what secrets Faith holds within her. Or maybe she reminds Cicero of something he has forgotten. Cicero couldn't really tell sleepy Faith just yet. But when he knows the answer, he will be sure to let gentle Faith know as well."

I fell asleep to the feeling of fingers combing gently through my hair, the scent of sweet treats wafting from someplace close by.

--------

When I woke again, I could barely shake the memory of the dreams that had plagued my sleep. I could still smell the blood and smoke, feel the soft velvet pressed against my cheek as warm fingers had roamed across my body. Wait, no, it hadn't been velvet. Wha-

"Is mysterious Faith finally awake? She must have had interesting dreams. Faith has been rubbing her cheek against Cicero's shoulder for a while now, not that he minds," I pulled back at the words, rubbing my hands against my face to banish the feel of his velvet motley from my skin.

Looking up as my face grew hot, I saw those honey-in-sunlight eyes shining with mischief and could only hope he was just messing with me. Please, let me have just been leaning against him, as that was bad enough! Oh, please tell me I hadn't been actually rubbing my face against the jester's shoulder!

"Ahaha! The look on Faith's face! And Cicero thought Faith turned red when her Amicus was playing with her! Oh-ho-ho! Perhaps Cicero is going to become a 'special friend' for pretty Faith? Cicero wouldn't mind, no, no! Cicero hasn't been anyone's 'special friend' in a long time, though, so he must warn sweet Faith that he might be a bit rusty," the Jester Assassin cackled with far too much glee as he winked at me, growing even louder as I pulled back from him so hard I nearly fell off the wagon.

No! I don't have any 'special friends' and even if I did, you would be the last person to become one! I don't need any 'special friends' you fool! All I need is Ellery and Amicus and the treasures they will help me find! Those who I can call my own and-!

I choked as I realized I'd spoken of something I was not ready to speak of with anyone other than my beloved companions. This fool of a man didn't deserve to know about that which I had yearned for since losing Bastian, since I'd lost a piece of my Ellery's heart, and the Assassin who became Amicus had first touched me so gently. No matter how much I had gained over the years since then, I had lost something that I couldn't replace. Not on my own.

I didn't know this Jester Assassin, didn't trust him not to try and trick me, blind me from being able to see any of the treasures I desired so desperately to find. Of even kill me as soon as I found them, but before I could claim them as mine.

Amicus... Amicus, I've said too much! I didn't mean to tell him! I didn't mean to tell!!

I barely even felt it as I reached up and began ripping at my hair, only freezing in place when I felt warm hands upon my own as they gently uncurled my fingers and pulled them down. Soon, arms were wrapping around me and pulling me close.

"Shh, lonely Faith doesn't need to worry. Cicero understands. Cicero seeks a similar sort of treasure himself. For his sweet Mother of course! She needs it far more than Cicero does. He's gotten used to being alone with just Mother to keep him company. Of course, it would be nice if she would speak to poor Cicero. Cicero would always be willing to Listen to his sweet, sweet Mother, if she would just talk to him. But Faith talks to Cicero, keeps him from feeling so alone. Perhaps kind Faith will be-" his voice slowly faded into a soft murmur as gentle hands ran down my back, pulling me into a dream of crushed velvet and gentle whispers as I danced about a darkened room.