The Dark Brotherhood and Penitus Oculatus found themselves on a collision course yet again. This time, the agents of the Empire sent in Celeste, their best agent, to finally put down the leader of the Stormcloak rebellion, Ulfric himself.

It seemed, also, that the Imperials in Solitude had the same idea and someone performed the Black Sacrament to send an assassin after Ulfric and, this time, the Night Mother allowed it. Simply put, both sides were looking to end the bloody conflict in Skyrim and by eliminating the leader of the rebellion, they would go a long way to doing that.

Once again, only the elite were sent in to stop them. Penumbra and Celeste, already having crossed paths and escaped multiple predicaments, the two were determined to get the job done this time. Of course, neither knew the other was there and that they both once again had the same target.

Things were poised for success this time. They were both inside the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm. In taking separate routes, both of them avoided the many guards, and the gruff, stern gaze of Galmar Stone-Fist, the right hand of Ulfric.

The best to time to strike would be when he was all alone. Facing him head on was pointless, considering the sheer disadvantage of facing him and all his guards, along with Galmar. So the best thing they could do was to wait until he headed off to bed, alone, and strike while he was asleep.

Unfortunately, on their way, they wound up running into each other.

“Assassin!” Celeste hissed. “What are you doing here!?”

“I have no time for your questions, girl,” Penumbra said. “Ulfric dies by my hand. Tonight.”

“Ulfric? Wait... you’re here to kill Ulfric?”

“Obviously, I’m with the Dark Brotherhood. It’s what we do.”

“But... um...” Celeste didn’t know what to say. After some thinking she realized that this, it turned out, could be an advantage for her.

“You know what? Go ahead.”

“Wait... what?” Penumbra furrowed her brow.

“I won’t stop you.”

“You’re not here to stop... oh. Of course not. You’re here to kill him, aren’t you? Because you’re just another Imperial toady! I should have guessed.”

Celeste tensed her arm and her hand fell instinctively to the blade at her side. “Don’t call me that...” she said, gritting her teeth.

“What? It’s the truth.”

Celeste let out a short breath and relaxed again, standing straight. “Just... kill him. My job here will be done.”

“In exchange for what?”

“Um... you doing your job? They’re paying you for this, right?”

“I’ve been around, sweetie,” Penumbra said. “I’m nobody’s fool. You’re going to find some way to make sure I get caught, aren’t you? That I take all the blame while you take the glory.”

Celeste smirked. “Not bad... And here I had you pegged for stupid.”

“Stupid? Wasn’t it me who tied you up in that Falkreath prison? Got the drop on you?”

“Don’t push me, assassin...”

Before they could continue, they heard voices from the hallway outside the room they were within.

“Hey, do you hear voices in there?” It was a woman’s voice, with a heavy accent. Another woman, with almost the exact same voice and accent, answered her back.

“It sounded like there was someone arguing.”

“Haelga, tell me... did you see anything strange in town today?” the first voice asked.

“Why, did you?” the second voice responded.

“Well, you remember that Aretino boy, right?”

Uh oh Penumbra thought. It had become something of lore within the Brotherhood. The Listener, the Dragonborn as it turned out, had accidentally stolen the contract put out on a cruel old lady in Riften who ran the orphanage a young boy had fled from. That was how she was recruited and now Penumbra had a sinking feeling... had someone seen her?

“Yes,” the second voice said.

Not good Penumbra thought. There was no way out of this room. No windows, and the only door would put them face to face with at least two guards outside. The odds were even but, still, it’s not like Penumbra could rely on Celeste to back her up in a fight... They were trapped in that room together, for the time being.

“I heard a rumour going around. A Dark Brotherhood assassin, not even wearing her hood, just came walking into town. Even bought a drink at Candlehearth Hall.”

Celeste smirked. “Not as good as you though you were, are you?” she whispered.

“Shhh!”

“There, I heard the voices again. You don’t think...” the second voice said.

“Could be. I wouldn’t put it past those Imperial bastards to hire a cowardly assassin to murder the High King.”

“Well then let’s get in there!”

Before either of them could react, the guards busted the door down, swords drawn, and charged in as soon as they spotted the two women.

“Halt, in the name of the Jarl!” the first woman said. “I knew it. An assassin and... an Imperial!”

Celeste was still dressed in her Imperial, Penitus Oculatus garb. She stuck out like a sore thumb in Windhelm.

She sized up these two Stormcloak women and... didn’t bother reaching for her sword. They were both gigantic. Thick, tree trunk legs, impressive arms, towering over both her and Penumbra... neither one wanted to pick a fight with them.

Reluctantly, Celeste raised her hands in surrender. Penumbra followed suit.

“Smart ladies. Still, we should make sure they aren’t armed. And have nothing to escape with...” the first woman said.

“I’ll restrain them once we get them into a cell...” the second said.

Great Celeste thought. Another night, tied up with this bitch...

...

“Mmmmphh! Mmmmrrrgghhh! Gggghhmmmpph!”

“Hmmmph! Mmmrp mmmp mmmmpphh!”

Both women struggled, grunting into their gags, as they stood side by side in a tiny cell, trying not to stare at one another.

The two guards had stripped them both completely, down to their cloth bra and panties. So neither woman was wearing much and both women noticed that her fellow captive looked rather fetching, their well toned muscles and shapely figure on display, framed expertly by the tight ropes that bound their arms...

They had been tied nearly identically, though the two guards chose to even tie Celeste’s fingers together because she put up a bit more resistance. And she was also an Imperial so it was likely just vindictive on their part.

Both women had their legs free but their arms were hopelessly bound together with what felt like miles and miles of rope.

The ropes framed their chests in a sort of harness, going under and above their breasts and also cinched tight around their shoulders. Their arms were wrenched behind them, fused together first with the chest harness also pinning their arms to their back.

From their, a tight coil of rope wound around each woman’s biceps, above the elbows, below the elbows, around their forearms and, finally, holding their wrists in place. It was all made doubly tight by more rope that anchored it all together in the middle, cinching all the coils, and practically fusing each woman’s arms into one.

Adding in the ropes around Celeste’s fingers, forcing her palms together, they were identically gagged with white cloth over their mouths, holding an ample amount of cloth stuffed into their mouths.

Now completely bound and helpless, all they could do was struggle and glare at each other. Both women tried not to let their eyes wander downward but... they couldn’t help it. Maybe it was the fact they only had each other for company. Maybe it was the cold outside pressing in on them in the stone cell, making them delirious. Either way, they were both starting to entertain other ideas for keeping warm, aside from simply fighting their bonds...







For the time being, however, they were trapped. Bound, gagged, locked inside a cell, captured by Stormcloaks... but they had both been in similar scrapes before. And both were convinced they would get out again.

During her struggles, Penumbra, the dark-skinned, beautiful, cocky assassin, brushed her hand against Celeste’s thigh by accident, eliciting a squeal of surprise from both women. They each stepped back and paused, looking each other in the eye.

Celeste could feel herself beginning to sweat. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, her breath quickened... and based on the wide-eyed expression of her fellow captive, she sensed Penumbra was feeling the same.

Oh, to Oblivion with it! Celeste thought, pressing herself up against Penumbra, pinning her against the wall. And Penumbra... didn’t resist. She actually leaned in, pressing her body tighter to Celeste, trying to reach around and touch her thigh again.

Celeste shut her eyes and pressed her gagged lips into Penumbra’s.

“Hmmmpphhh...” Celeste groaned.

“Mmmmppphhh...” Penumbra sighed.

They leaned into each other, pressing their bodies tighter, rubbing their faces together the best they could in their own, bound and gagged form of kissing. They took it in turns lifting their legs, rubbing their thighs together, all while battling their bonds and breaking out into a sweat as they struggled to touch each other’s bodies with their bound hands.

Moaning and groaning, rubbing, grinding, struggling, kissing... they wiled away their time in prison, both sweating profusely now and actually enjoying each other’s company. For now.

In the back of each woman’s mind, they held one thought. Since they were enemies, it was perhaps the only thing which they mutually agreed upon. If and when they managed to escape this prison, they would both agree to one thing.

Never speak of this to anyone...