Month: September 2017

Dodger: Continuation (14) – Conclusion

Author’s note: Sorry, this is a long one and I don’t normally like posting more than one per day, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m rather proud of it. I think I included every trope in the book. It’s like watching an old black and white movie. It appears I love tropes. Well, so be it. I like what I like, and, though it’s long, I think it’s very satisfying. (There’s bound to be a dirty joke in there somewhere.) Eventually I’ll add more images to these too.

The next minutes were the longest of Dodger’s life. For a while, it was easy going. The two at the end of the rope even helping as much as they could, swimming with their feeble bodies. She felt Yellow-Eye’s efforts behind her as the rope would loosen at his thrusts. But then she felt vibrations along it. She was mercifully unable to see anything behind her in the darkness, and didn’t even try. Her muscles began to tire but she felt the water speeding past and she would not relent. The vibrations became stronger, then became tugging. Then it felt like she was actively pulling against them and she was afraid they were no longer moving fast enough. But she heeded the words of Yellow-Eyes and kept going.

Finally, the vibrations subsided and then were gone. She still felt Yellow-Eyes behind her, but now she was towing inert bodies. She knew they didn’t have long to live, and she pushed through the aching of her muscles. But it was taking too long. She was sure of it. She didn’t know if the little torch could possibly be still burning ahead, but her eyes strained to see it. On and on she kept swimming until it seemed she must be out into the river by now. Yet the touch of the stone walls beside her told her otherwise. Too slow. Too long. Her burden was surely dead by now. But Yellow-Eyes was still back there, and he wasn’t giving up. She had no choice. If they were dead, they were dead. Nothing could help that now. All she could do was to keep going.

Then, hours after she had entered the water, she saw a glimmer ahead. Her tail was knotting up and her arms felt like they were being pulled off, but she found renewed strength at the flickering light. Then, without warning, it was above her. She surfaced with Yellow-Eyes right behind her. She felt she couldn’t even struggle up to the shelf, but a strong push on her backside sent her up and over. She didn’t exactly help Yellow-Eyes out, but she at least gave him an anchor to pull himself up with, but then they both hauled on the rope with all the strength they had left, and two bodies came into view.

They hauled them onto the shelf as quickly as they could and Yellow-Eyes ripped the tape from Veronica while Dodger did the same for Grey. Veronica started gasping for breath, though still unconscious. Grey lay still as death.

Without lips, Dodger had to use her hands to form a seal between her mouth and the inert Khajiit’s. Veronica was coming around though so Yellow-Eyes left her to help Dodger, each taking turns trying to breath life back into Grey. Suddenly the Khajiit coughed and inhaled.  Dodger spared a second to look at Yellow-Eyes in relief, before resuming their resuscitation until the cat was clearly breathing on her own.

“Good work,” said a voice, “but it was pointless.”

Dodger spun around. The first thing she saw was Veronica, wobbly but holding onto a man who stood a few paces away.

“Johan?” Yellow-Eyes asked, incredulous.

“Hello Kem,” said the man, a crossbow loaded in his hands and a quarrel of bolts at his back. He had it leveled at Yellow-Eyes but swung it to Dodger.

“Stay down, both of you. You were supposed to get caught you know. You were going to be killed while escaping. But this works too.” he warned while Veronica was finding her feet. She was trying to say something between gasps.

“What in hell are you doing Johan? We got her out!”

“You sure did, you stupid lizard. You helped a convicted murderer escape the Imperial prison. Congratulations.”

Veronica said something then, now standing on her own but bent over gasping. Johan handed her a second crossbow.

“What… the fuck… are you… waiting for?” she asked, drawing in a deep breath.

Johan turned to her, the confidence earlier fading. “But… I can’t just…”

“SHOOT THEM!” She screamed, but before her words could register, Yellow-Eyes had launched himself at Johan.

Veronica was weak but rapidly gaining strength. Johan hadn’t enough time to turn, but she did, though badly aimed. The bolt from her crossbow took Yellow-Eyes through his right leg and he went down with an agonized screech, inhuman and feral.

Johan started to say something when a blur shot past Dodger. A grey blur. “Assassin!” it hissed as it streaked towards the pair. They had barely any time to react before a raging mass of talons and fangs were upon them. But Grey made a fatal mistake. She attacked Veronica, whose crossbow was empty, instead of Johan. His bolt pierced her through the heart and she fell without a twitch, her life ended instantly.

Dodger was too stunned to do anything. She was having trouble comprehending what she was seeing, but then in a flash it all came to her.

“YELLOW-EYES! VERONICA IS THE PENIS!”

But her fellow Argonian was writhing in pain from the bolt still lodged halfway through his leg. He could do nothing. “And she was the assassin,” he groaned through clenched teeth.

“It’s not like in books,” Dodger thought as she looked from him to look back at Veronica. She saw Veronica take a bolt from Johan’s quarrel and lazily put it back into her bow.

Dodger held her hands out, as if in supplication. “But, he told me you saved his life!”

“Useful tool,” she said in a heartless voice, blood streaming from wounds Grey had inflicted. “But his usefulness is over. Only him and Grey knew about the assassination. And you, now. It’s time to clean up the loose ends. Goodnight Dodger.”

Dodger thought desperately for some word, some action that would stop this, but she was too confused and too tired. She looked at the eyes of the woman she’d once thought was beautiful. The blood from myriad scratches wasn’t what ruined her beauty though. It was the cold, dead eyes. She hadn’t noticed those before. Now it was too late.

And then Veronica’s head exploded.

A figure stepped forward, clad in a long black coat. It held an odd wand in one hand.

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“Please, ‘Johan’, drop the crossbow before I have to waste more magic.”

“Briarbird?! What…”

“Perhaps you didn’t understand my words? Take a look at your lover. Not a good look for her. You will look little better, I assure you.”

The crossbow hit the ground.

“Now then, ‘Johan’… or perhaps I should call you Mr. Torval? Let me tell you what you are going to do. You are going to leave here. You are going to go back to your place on the governing council, and you will await your instructions. You will not report this to your friend, the Captain of the guard. You will shortly find out that he is already dead anyway. And you will not leave the city. All your activities concerning the late holder of your post in the Council are duly recorded and await publication at any time we deem fit. Any attempt to leave will result in your immediate execution by members of, let’s say, a higher power. Do you understand all of this Mr. Torval? No. Don’t speak. Just nod your head. Yes… just like that. You may leave us now.”

The man Dodger knew as ‘Johan’ turned to go, but then the High Elf Briarbird interrupted.

“Wait one moment. I believe you have some coin you were going to give to your friend in the Imperial prison, no? Be a dear and drop it.”

Johan didn’t protest. It landed with a thud on Veronica’s body.

“Thank you, you may go,” Briarbird said, waving him on to where Johan opened a hidden doorway in the rough rock face of the cave. Another high elf stood within and followed him as the door swung shut, sword drawn.

“And now, Mr. Kem. Or is it Yellow-Eyes? No… I think your name is… let me see if I can pronounce it correctly. Jeetum-Ze Calus, correct?” Briarbird asked, putting away his weapon.

Yellow-Eyes nodded through clenched teeth. The High Elf approached him drew a long, vicious blade, a blade mercifully quick, that flashed and sliced the bolt in two cleanly.

“Pull that out, would you child?” he asked Dodger, who complied without question.

Her friend let out a muffled screech as she drew the the bolt out, and blood began trickling from the wound. But Dodger then noticed the red vial Briarbird had left beside him and she poured it down Yellow-Eye’s throat. Immediately the Argonian recovered his wits and his leg began to heal.

“Anyway,” Briarbird continued, “you will have some questions, no doubt. In time you’ll figure them out on your own. I’ve little time to waste on you. But you may be comforted to know that your headless assassin here was using a charm on you. Johan as well for that matter. Note that the body you see before you doesn’t look quiet so enticing as it once did. Well… I mean, regardless of the head. We cannot blame you totally for your actions. But really, ‘Knock Three Then One’? ‘Two then Two?’ Mr. Calus, you are strictly amateur hour. Do us both a favor won’t you? When you recover at Luther’s inn, please leave this city. And, for your own health, do not return. It would be awkward.”

Yellow-Eyes nodded.

“Good. Well then, I bid you adieu. You may dispose of that gold as you will.”

Dodger debated if she should speak up, but found she had to, if only to understand where she stood with this agent of… of something larger than the governing council anyway.

“Sir?”

Briarbird turned back to her, disdain and impatience in his every pore. “Yes, waif?”

“What about me?”

“You? Why would I care about you? Do whatever you want. You are of no concern to me nor those I work for.”

Dodger turned to the recovering Yellow-Eyes, smiling even with the gore of Veronica so nearby at the reprieve.

“Oh, waif. You may be interested to know, your friends are waiting for you by the tree you so unfashionably swung from recently.”

“Kitty too?! She didn’t leave?”

“The one you know as ‘Kitty’ remains. And it appears your male acquaintance has left the abode of his parent. Permanently I believe. I suggest they could use your help. We don’t need more valueless riff-raff wandering the city, after all. And now, I have much, much more important matters to attend to." 

With that, Briarbird stepped towards the hidden door, opened it, and was gone.

Dodger helped Yellow-Eyes to his feet. She grabbed the bag of gold Johan had dropped on the way, but when they got to the hidden doorway, they found it locked. They had to leave the cave the same way they had entered, out to the river.  Though tired, the warm morning sun was already turning hot as they stepped onto the river bank and started towards the city. Dodger opened the bag and her eyes sparkled looking at the gold within.

"Keep it,” Yellow-Eyes told her. “You’re going to need it more than me if you’re going to stay here. Just… here… let me have a couple for the inn. There, that should be enough for all we owe and a few more days besides.”

“Thank you, Yellow-Eyes!” Dodger said.

“If you like, you can come back to the Marsh with me of course, but I suspect you won’t,” Yellow-Eyes offered, though they both knew she wasn’t going back there.

“I… think I’ll stay here, if it’s all the same to you. I’ve got some ideas, and a book to write.”

“Are you going to join the Thieves Guild? That coin won’t last forever.”

Dodger laughed and shook her head. “Oh no! No way! I’m not cut out for the criminal life, Yellow-Eyes. It’s just too much… effort! Lies, secrets, prison.  No thanks, I think I’ll just write about it instead from now on.”

“Good thinking,” Yellow-Eyes agreed.

“But, one question… why ‘Yellow-Eyes’? What does that mean?”

The big Argonian looked to be on the verge of answering her, but then he smiled – something she hadn’t seen him do in a long, long time. “Come visit me in the Marsh and I’ll tell you.”

But Dodger had already turned away from him. Over the hill, she saw a tree by the river in the distance. Two figures were there, one in the water, the other she saw jump off an overhanging limb. That one had a tail.

“Yellow-Eyes? I’m not going back with you to Luther’s. I’ll visit you tomorrow. But… can I have that rope?”

Dodger: Continuation (13)

Dodger watched as Yellow-Eyes picked and scrabbled his way up the well wall slowly. He was certainly not trying to make any speed records here as he tested every hand and foothold in the meager and slippery ridge that the stone block wall afforded. Yet advance he did without any serious mistakes until he reached the top far above her.  The light filtering down was dim, but compared to the utter blackness of the tunnel she found it was more than adequate. Then he was lost from view and she waited an anxious minute till he came back into view again, lowering down his rope slowly.  When it reached her, she tugged on it and saw him tie it off before going out of sight again.

Dodger was not exactly without prowess physically. In the marsh, climbing and jumping were part and parcel of life as there were plenty of dangers there that far exceeded the civilized environs of the Humans. While she was by no means confident she could have tackled the bare well walls as Yellow-Eyes had done, climbing up them with the help of the rope was child’s play. Most of her effort was in trying to keep herself from making any noise. Yellow-Eyes helped her once she’d gotten to the top and he recoiled the rope and put it back around his neck, all silently.

Then he held a catch on the bucket mechanism open and fed the bucket back down to the bottom of the well while Dodger went to the open arched door and peeked out. No one was in sight and soon Yellow-Eyes was back. He motioned to the left and they slipped out and headed down a curved hallway cautiously.  While they didn’t see any guards, Dodger could hear some talking coming from somewhere not too distant.

Yellow-Eyes stopped at a barred door, but the mechanism was barring people from the inside and he slid the bolt back carefully, making only a quiet thud as it opened and the door shifted a bit. They stood motionless, but the talking continued unabated. He then drew something odd from his pack and poured something over the large hinges on the door.  Oil, she decided, for though the door creaked alarmingly when he first tried to open it even a little, it stopped as he continued and they slipped in before closing it again.

Inside the room was dark, but for light coming from an area below. As she stepped to a railing that ran around the room and looked over, the presence of a variety of vicious-looking tables and devices below left her with no doubt that this was the observation room. What had gone on in the room below, she didn’t care to contemplate. Yellow-Eyes tied the rope off and lowered it down, it’s slack coiling up on the stone slab floor below.  He then climbed over the edge with Dodger following close behind while Yellow-Eyes held the rope.

Then she saw the Captain. He lay sprawled atop a device evidently meant to stretch people to the breaking point, it’s ropes and pulleys belaying it’s purpose. He was breathing, she could see, but appeared to be sleeping.  When she looked back towards Yellow-Eyes, she saw the familiar figure of Veronica nodding to him. She was in her whore’s outfit again, she noticed, her cloak covering her. She gestured them outwards to the right, then retreated back inside before catching up with them with the Captain’s keys.

Fortunately they didn’t have to go far and Veronica produced a key that opened the Solitary area where they presumed Grey was kept. Within Dodger saw stone walled cells with their outward faces only barred. Most were empty but there was one in the back with a sleeping form under a blanket. It’s tail was evident poking from the blanket.

“Grey!” Yellow-Eyes half-whispered. The form stirred and a Khajiit head looked around before seeing them. It’s eyes went wide and round as it climbed out of the bed and crept to the door.

“Kem? What are you…”

Veronica instantly silenced her, pointing towards the way they came. Then she tried a key in the lock. It didn’t work, followed by a second, that also didn’t work. One by one she tried the rest, all failing. Finally she looked hopelessly up at Yellow-Eyes with a panicked shrug. None would turn in the lock even slightly. Grey looked at Yellow-Eyes, and took his hands, shaking her head. The scene looked familiar to Dodger, but it was desperately more earnest. She was trying to tell Yellow-Eyes to give it up. Veronica shook her head violently. It was obvious she was not ready to quit.

Yellow-Eyes thought for a moment before whispering, “Tower”.

Veronica turned her head curiously to him and she pointed to the door but Yellow-Eyes mimicked running with his fingers. Grey shook her head, her eyes becoming large and worried, but Veronica assured her silently. They all stood back from the door except Yellow-Eyes who shouted the word of command while connecting to the door strongly with his outstretched palm. The noise was deafening and the shouting from guards clearly audible. They ran.

The Captain was still sleeping when they got to the torture chamber but alarm bells began to ring. A guard rushed past the door but didn’t look inside. Then the four saw it. Or more precisely, they didn’t see it. There was no rope.

Veronica shook her head sadly. “It’s over,” she said in a quiet but conversational tone. “They’ll be here any second. You gave it your best, Kem.”

“No! There must be some way!” Dodger said, looking around desperately, but Yellow-Eyes put his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him. She could see the rope still tied to the railing over his shoulder, but it’s length was now inside the observation room. Someone had pulled it up. Then she looked back at him, at Veronica, to Grey and to the torture device.

“Grey, get on all fours right here,” she demanded.

The other three looked at each other confused.

“Do it! There’s no time! Veronica, you stand here,” she said indicating a position a few feet beyond where Grey was now. She obviously didn’t understand either, but did as she was bid.

“Yellow-Eyes, you stand right in front of the rack. When I say so, I need you to jump straight up.”

Understanding began to dawn in their eyes as she backed off almost to the door. Then she raced towards Grey, holding nothing back. The leap off of Grey’s back was strong and knocked her to the floor, but Dodger was continuing and kicked just as hard off of Veronica’s shoulder, shouting “Now!” to Yellow-Eyes.;

Between the slight boost off Yellow-Eyes’ shoulders as she kicked him hard and a touch on the top of the rack, she hit the wall with a vertical momentum and kicked again against the wall up and to her left to gain the last few inches to the edge of the observation room above. She managed to get a claw on the edge of the floor of the observation room. For one panicked moment, she felt herself losing her grip, but a sudden jolt on her scrabbling feet was just enough to secure her hold. She looked to see Yellow-Eyes, on the ground below, having made a desperate leap to help her. She didn’t dare look long though and finished her mad scramble to the top. She grabbed the rope and tossed it back over as shouting voices sounded like they were nearing.

Grey came first, scrabbling up the rope in an instant. She was followed by Veronica, wide eyed and obviously frightened but Yellow-Eyes helped her and she was soon over the top. Yellow-Eyes came last, untying the rope quickly before leading them all back to the well. Below, shouts of “Captain!” came to Dodger’s ears but she had no time to waste with that now. They were at the well. They should have a few minutes before the guards figured out where they were.

“Grey,” Yellow-Eyes was saying. “I need to explain this quickly. We’re going to get you out through the well, but you can’t make it on your own. This is Dodger. She and I will get you and Veronica out, but it’s a long way underwater. You will not be able to breathe, and you will black out, but we will get you out alive. We’re going down into the well, and when we get to the bottom I’m going to need to tie you both up and tape your nose and mouth. You will struggle, but we’ll be at the other end of the rope so you won’t slow us down. Grey, this will work, but it’s going to be scary as hell. You’re going to think you’re suffocating. Understand?”

Grey looked down into the well anxiously, her eyes widening as she began to understand the ordeal she and Veronica were about to go through, but the sound of the guards shouts were getting closer. “Got it,” she gulped. “What are we waiting for?”

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Yellow-Eyes nodded, then turned to Veronica.

“Veronica, that cloak has got to go. It will slow us down.”

She was out of it in an instant and was climbing down the bucket-rope. Dodger and Grey followed, then Yellow-Eyes brought the bucket up and jumped down the well while the others retreated to the sides of the well, holding onto the wall while he hit the water hard and went under. He came up with his waterproof pack and quickly tied Veronica and Grey’s hands up with the ends of the rope. Dodger took the middle of the rope.

“Putting the bucket back up may keep them from figuring out where we are a little longer,” he explained while he worked. Then he pulled out the tape.

“Breathe,” he said to both the mammals. “Breathe hard and fast. Dodger, hold this tape out of the water till I’m ready for it.”

He let them hyperventilate for a few more seconds, before saying, “Ready?”

Grey and Veronica nodded, closing their mouths.

He did the job quickly, testing to be sure they were secure. “Sorry for this,” he said, then turned to Dodger and nodded. “Let’s go. Swim fast and straight. Don’t stop for anything till we’re out and don’t let go of the rope. Not for ANYTHING. Now GO!”

With that, Dodger was under. Her fins extended to the max, she swam down with Yellow-Eyes right behind her. The slack on the rope became suddenly taut and she knew she was dragging the two underwater. She didn’t like to think what they were feeling right now, but she didn’t have to. She had one job. Swim.

Dodger: Continuation (12)

“What are you looking for?” Yellow-Eyes asked her as she turned back and sat on the bed.

“Nothing. Just a friend. So, what’s the latest? Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes. Veronica came by earlier too. We’re on for tomorrow night.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

Yellow-Eyes unfolded a piece of paper that had a sketch drawn on it and sat beside Dodger.

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“Here. Take a look. This is a map of the prison. They get their fresh water from the river, here. There’s a sort of tunnel that starts at a deep well and runs towards the river. The other end of the tunnel comes out inside a little cave. The well itself comes up inside the prison but outside of the secure area not far from the observation area above the torture chamber here.  It was gated at the cave, but yesterday I removed the gate. The tunnel is long and completely submerged though, so Humans and Khajiits can’t use it. But we can.”

“So… you plan on swimming in, climbing up the well and getting to the observation area. I see that well enough. But how do we get them out?”

“We’ll tie a rope to the observation chamber, climb down from that and get them, then climb back up and go back down the well. Then we’re going to tie them up with rope and you and I will swim them out.”

“But… they’ll drown!”

“No, they won’t. If we tape up their nose and mouth, they’ll not be able to breathe, but they will survive if we can get them out in under 5 minutes. I’ve swam the distance in 4 with a bag tied to a rope of about the same weight. I couldn’t do it in time with two though. I need your help with that. There are no other Argonians I know of here in the city that would help. But Dodger, they’ll think they’re drowning. They will struggle before they lose consciousness. They’ll do everything they can to get free. So we’ve got to tie them up.”

Dodger looked at Yellow-Eyes. “Does Veronica know this? Does she understand?”

“Yes. I’ve explained it to her. She’s doesn’t like it, but she’ll do it.”

“And Grey?”

“She has no choice. It’s that or await the executioner’s axe,” said Yellow-Eyes, shaking his head. “I still just can’t see it. I know you don’t know her, Dodger, but I just can’t see Grey killing anyone. What could Johan possibly have on her that would make her do that?”

Dodger shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Well, anyway, we’ll leave well after midnight tomorrow night.”

“Nothing to do tomorrow then?”

“No. I’ve got everything we should need, which isn’t much. Just some rope, tape a couple of small torches and igniters really.”

“Wait, how will we get up the well?”

“I’ve already tested that. I can climb the sides. When I get to the top, I’ll drop the rope back down to you. On the way back we use the rope on the bucket to climb down. We’ll tie them up at the bottom so we’re as close as we can be. Fortunately the tunnel is a straight shot. Nothing in there to cause any problems.”

“And this is the best way I suppose?”

Yellow-Eyes looked at Dodger as if he felt guilty he wasn’t able to find any better solution. “Without anyone on the inside to help, it’s the only way.”

“And if we’re too slow?”

“Then they die Dodger. We can’t be too slow. But with your vestigial fins, you’ll be even faster than me. We can do this!”

Dodger was beginning to wish she’d never agreed to this. It was one thing to risk her own life, though she figured if she actually did get caught they probably wouldn’t really execute her. But to be responsible for the death of other people, that was more than she’d expected.

Well, it was too late now.

“Yellow-Eyes, this scares me. What if I fuck up? What if we don’t get them out fast enough?”

“I know Dodger. This whole situation is fucked up. We just have to make sure we don’t.”

“Yellow-Eyes, have you considered just not doing it? If Grey really did assassinate some guy, maybe she should be executed? If Johan ordered it, maybe he should be be revealed?”

The big Argonian sat back on his makeshift bed on the floor. “I think of it a lot, Dodger. Veronica was in rough shape tonight. That Captain of the guard is a pig. But she went through with it anyway. She’s committed. I can’t back out now. I wish I could tell you that you can, but Dodger, they’ll die if we don’t get them out, and I can’t do that without your help. I need you Dodger.”

Dodger lay down on her bed as Yellow-Eyes blew out the candle.

“I’m going to be out all day tomorrow with some friends then. I’ll be back at night.”

“I’ll be here,” Yellow-Eyes said. “Goodnight Dodger.”

“Goodnight Yellow-Eyes.”

Dodger closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. For hours she lay still, imagining tomorrow night. When finally she did drop off to sleep, she had a nightmare watching Veronica slashing at her throat while struggling to get air before becoming peaceful in the darkness of the tunnel.

The next day dawned with dark clouds overhead and a drizzle that refused to turn into an honest rain. Dodger awoke feeling she’d gotten no sleep at all, but left with Yellow-Eyes admonition “One knock, then Three.”

She took a little breakfast with her, hoping to be able to share it with Donny and Kitty, but when she arrived at Donny’s door a man opened it with anger clear on his countenance.

“Donny’s grounded for a week. Longer if you ever come back! And tell that mangy cat who’s been hanging around the same thing! I saw her out there. She’s not to come anywhere near this house!” he shouted before slamming the door on her.

Dodger had taken some hope that Kitty might be around, but she couldn’t find her. She did catch a glimpse of Donny at one of the windows though with a sad look on his face. She waved back at him before curtains were closed by an unseen hand.

After that she decided to see if she could find Kitty’s house. After asking around, she discovered where the lighthouse was and left the city in that direction. She met an old man who was laying under an awning who looked likely.

“Sir, do you know of a Khajitt that lives around here? Yellow.”

“Got any coin?” he asked hopefully.

Dodger fished around in her pants before producing a couple of septims, which he accepted greedily.

“Sounds like Ma-Kaasha. Was staying down at the old abandoned house at the end of the street.”

Dodger perked up at that. “Yes! That sounds like her,” she said, turning to head that way.

“Won’t be there,” the old man said. “I saw her this morning. Said she’s going back to her caravan. She must have gotten some money too, had a nice pair of boots on.”

Dodger’s spirit sank. “Thanks,” she said, but she trudged down the street anyway, her clothes now thoroughly soaked.

The dingy house was more of a shack actually. No one answered when she called so she tried the door. Locked of course. But she found an open door to the basement with it’s lock broken, and she went inside. There was definitely evidence that someone was staying there, but the place was deserted now. She was just leaving when a different man came in through the door.

“Who’re you?” he asked, brandishing a rather sturdy looking stick.

“Sorry sir! I’m just looking for somebody. A Khajiit. I think her name might be Ma-Kaasha.”

“Oh. Her,” he said, putting his stick down. “She’s gone. Got some money from some sucker, she said. She bought some traveling clothes and left this morning.”

Dodger felt worse than ever. “Did she say where she was going?”

“She went back into the city to see somebody she said. Then I guess she was off to find her caravan.”

Dodger nodded. “Sounds like her.”

“Hope she finds her family. Nice kid. She left me some coin before she left too. I’ll miss her.”

Dodger stepped outside back into the drizzle. “Me too,” she said under her breath.

With no where else to go, she returned to the inn. She spent a long, morose day in the room with Yellow-Eyes, neither talking much. The day dragged on until she wondered if it would ever turn dark, though finally it did. She didn’t even remember falling to sleep, but somewhere in the night Yellow-Eyes was up and moving around.

“Time to go?” she whispered quietly.

Yellow-Eyes turned to her, nodding, so she got up and dressed before they headed out. The tavern was dark when they descended the stairs and they slipped out without notice.

“At least the rain stopped,” Dodger thought as they left the city and headed towards the river.  There Yellow-Eyes opened his pack and undressed while she did the same. She didn’t need to ask why. This was no adolescent whim, this was life or death. Clothes would only slow them down and besides, they were Argonians after all. Yellow-Eyes strapped a rope and a waterproof pack across his chest and they waded into the river and were soon on their way with Dodger following Yellow-Eyes. The entrance to the cave itself was barely visible above the water line, but once they’d gone inside it spread out considerably.  A shelf had been built above the water line and Yellow-Eyes helped Dodger up onto it.

“Okay, this may be the last we can talk before we’re inside,” he said while lighting a small torch from his pack. “Do you understand the plan? Any questions?”

Dodger shook her head confidently, even if she didn’t feel anything like confident inside.

“Good. The tunnel starts right over there at the end of this shelf. Ready?”

Dodger looked at him with worried eyes.

“It’ll be alright. Just stick to the plan. And be as quiet as you can.”

Then they slipped back into the water and Dodger held onto Yellow-Eyes’ tail as they turned and entered the tunnel itself.

It was pitch black within, the light from the little torch barely perceptible just a few feet from the tunnel, but she had no problem following it since, as predicted, it ran perfectly straight. Eventually she was able to pick out a faint light ahead, though she was surprised how quickly they reached the end and turned upwards. They surfaced quietly, though the top of the well was quite a bit higher above them. She estimated it had taken only a couple of minutes to swim the length of the tunnel. Maybe this was going to be alright after all.  Yellow-Eyes waited to catch his breath before he started the climb upwards into the prison.

Dodger: Continuation (11)

“So where do you live?” Dodger asked Donny once they got back in the city.

“Oh, come on. I’ll show you!” Donny said and they went clockwise northward from the gate till they came to an otherwise unremarkable building.

“We live on the third floor. There’s stairs just inside.”

Dodger looked around, sure that she recognized the area. “Wow! This is just a block from where I’m staying. You know Luther Broad’s place?”

Donny nodded, “Sure! It’s right down there around the corner. How long are you in town for?”

Oh, probably about a week I guess. Kinda hard to know for sure.“

Kitty’s stomach growled and she looked up apologetically. “Sorry,” she said.

“Hey, why don’t we go to Luther’s?” Dodger suggested, an inspiration striking her. “I won’t have to pay there, or at least not much. We’ve got a tab. And then we can buy Kitty some food for the rest of the week.”

“Dodger, you don’t have to do that. I’ve already eaten more than I usually do in days.”

“Tell that to your stomach. Besides, I saw you when you were wet. You could use some more meat on those bones,” Dodger replied.

“Not really, that’s pretty much how all Khajiits look when they’re wet,” Kitty explained. “We’re not as big as we look usually. At least, not my kind of Khajiit.”

“Well I’m going to anyway. Let’s go,” Dodger declared, deciding for the others, but they followed along gratefully.

Dodger stopped by the room, but it was still locked and no one answered the door so she figured Yellow-Eyes must still be out. Instead they went back to the common room where Luther got them a table in the back away from all the other patrons.

“Sorry guys, no menu here. You get what Luther brings you.”

“You know what they say, beggars can’t be choosers.” Kitty said with a little smile while they waited for Luther to come back with their food.

“This place is nice,” Donny said while looking around. “Not all prissy like the King and Queen and not as crappy as the Bloated Float. So, where do you live Kitty?”

“Pretty much anywhere I can stay without someone noticing me. Right now me and another couple of guys are staying at an empty house out by the lighthouse. But I just go there to sleep really. Mostly I hang around the city.”

While the stew Luther came back with was certainly no high cuisine, it was filling and he didn’t ask for any money even for the other two. After they’d finished, Donny came back from the restroom with an odd look on his face.

“What is it Donny? Are you alright?”

“Fine!” he snickered. “Let’s get out of here though.”

Kitty looked at Dodger who looked back at her with a shrug, and they left the inn.

“Ever been on top of the wall? I know a way up there. It’s a great view!”

“Donny,” Dodger said with a frown, “we just got out of prison. I don’t think they’d want us up there.”

“No, really, I know a place the guards don’t go. Come on!” Donny insisted, and led them back the way they’d come. But as they entered the next district, Kitty protested.

“Can we go around this area. There’s some people here I don’t like.”

Donny thought for a minute. “Sure. We’ll go towards the tower, then come back out on the other side.”

Kitty explained without prompting. “Just some girls I got into a fight with a while ago. But they’re pretty mean.”

Donny nodded. “I think I know who they are. Real bitches, but one of their dads is some high up guy in the Council, so they get away with anything. You’re right to stay clear of them.”

“Did they do that to you?” Dodger asked, indicating her ear.

Kitty nodded. “They called it ‘notching’. Said all animals need to be tagged. It hurt. A lot.”

“You’re lucky it didn’t get infected, Kitty!” Dodger said, examining the scar under her eye closer. “Donny, isn’t there anybody that could do something about them?”

Donny shook his head. “Not them. Sometimes it’s better to just avoid trouble. Sorry you had to run into them though Kitty.”

“Me too,” Kitty agreed.

Eventually they came to a section of the wall where a tall tree grew next to it. Though it was dangerous, Donny showed them how to crawl out on a big branch, then drop down onto the walkway of the wall when the guards were gone.

“Now, check THIS out!” Donny said, and hopped atop one of the openings in the crenelated wall and stepped out onto a little platform on the other side.

“Whoa,” Kitty and Dodger said together.

The platform apparently had been built for a statue that was long gone, but it made for a beautiful view of the landscape outside the city. The sun was just low enough now that the clouds were lit from below while the rolling hills and woods nearby gave way to mountains in the distance that were red with the color of the setting sun. The first stars were just beginning to show and they all sat with their backs to the wall, taking in the spectacle before them.

Dodger felt something cold and hard against her elbow. When she looked, Donny was grinning from ear to ear, a square-ish glass bottle in his hand that he was tapping her with to get her attention.

“Donny! What’s that?”

“Some hooch! Nabbed it from behind the bar at Luther’s!”

“Hooch?”

“Hell, I don’t know what it is. I just grabbed it. Want some?”

“Gimme that,” Kitty laughed and snatched the bottle from Donny’s hand. She opened the top, sniffed it a second, then took a long pull.

Her eyes bulged for a second as she handed it to Dodger.

“Wow,” she said between coughs. “That’s strong stuff!”

“Oh, you’re just a lightweight,” Dodger bragged, “We Argonians can take twice what Humans and Khajiits can take!”

When finally she stopped sputtering after her drink and handed the bottle to Donny, she concluded, “…or so they say.”

Donny took a drink every bit as much as the other two, and handed it back with no obvious reaction.

“What can I say? I have a lot of practice. It’s Whiskey. By the taste, it must be some good shit too.”

“Whiskey,” Dodger said, forming her tongue around the unfamiliar word. “What’s that made out of?”

“Wheat, rye, barley… who knows? I just know what it tastes like. And this is some primo stuff.”

Kitty crawled out on her belly to look over the ledge. “Damn it’s a long way down. You know, if we get drunk up here, someone’s going to fall and kill themselves probably.”

Dodger took up position beside her. “Wow. It is a long way. How about we just barf over the edge when we get too drunk instead?”

Donny was last and literally crawled on top of the other two, forcing them to slide to the sides a little to make room. He conjured up a rather impressive ball of spit and let it drop. A breeze grabbed it as they watched it fall, hitting a bush below.

“Oh no. See that man and woman walking this way?” Dodger pointed out.

“Those two?” Kitty asked, pointing at a couple that were walking on the path below, towards underneath them.

“Lovers for sure,” Donny speculated.

“Think I can hit them?” Dodger asked with a mischievous grin stealing over her face.

“Never!” said Kitty.

“No way,” said Donny.

The two were strolling slowly along below while Dodger estimated the distance, trajectory and wind speed before producing her own spitball, taking one last look, and letting fly in a strong outward trajectory. Then all three watched the speeding wad of lizard spit shrink with distance. It hit the lady square on her head and the three instantly retreated out of sight to the safety of the wall, snorting mirth in their every aspect.

“oh my god!” Kitty squeaked out in a whisper.

“what are they doing?” Dodger giggled to Donny.

“I’m not going to look!” he whispered back.

The sun set as the three continued to drink like drunken gargoyles against the darkening sky as the stars came out.

“I need to piss,” Donny confessed.

The other two looked at the edge of the platform.

“No, I’m not going to piss over the edge!” Donny laughed. “Let’s get down.”

Though it was a challenge, all three made it back to the walkway atop the wall without falling.

“So… how do we get back up to that branch?” Dodger said, looking up the way they’d come.

“We don’t. We’re escorted down by the Imperial City’s finest.”

As if on cue, a voice shouted “HALT!”

Donny stepped towards the voice.

“Oh, it’s just you. Come on, time to get down,” said a female guard’s voice as she came into view.

“I brought some friends to enjoy the view,” he said without slurring his words at all. Dodger was impressed.

“Well bring them along too. And stop doing this. You could get in real trouble. I saw your dad looking for you earlier Donny. You’d better get home.”

“Was he drunk?” Donny asked

“I don’t think so.”

The three climbed down through the guard station, which was thankfully empty, with Donny’s guard-friend ushering them along.

“I guess I’d better get going,” Donny said with a sigh.

Dodger looked at the night sky above. “Yeah. Me too.”

“I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind,” Kitty offered. “I’m not heading back for a while anyway.”

They ended up walking hand in hand with Kitty in the middle till they were standing in front of Donny’s building.

“Thanks guys,” Donny said, “I don’t suppose you’d like to get together again tomorrow?”

“Sure!” Kitty said enthusiastically. “I got nothing better to do.”

Dodger shook her head. “I think I’m going to be busy. Sorry.”

“Well, we’ll miss you. But drop by sometime if you can Dodger,” Donny said before giving them both a hug and heading inside.

Kitty and Dodger walked the block-and-a-half back to Luther’s hand in hand.

“Kitty,” Dodger said, digging into her pants where she kept her coins. “Here, have this.”

The coins sparkled in the eyes of the vagrant cat as much as in her paws. “Dodger… I don’t know what to say. Thanks!”

“No problem, Kitty. I don’t need it as much as you do. Spend it wisely.”

Kitty’s face turned dark. “You know, if I wasn’t a bum, I’d refuse it. That’s what they do in the books I read.”

Dodger took Kitty’s shoulders in both hands. “But you are a bum. For now. But only for now. Only people who WANT to be bums stay that way.”

Dodger hugged Kitty fiercely. “Take care of yourself Kitty. I don’t know if I’ll be around much more, but if I don’t see you again, say goodbye to Donny for me, okay?”

“I will. He’s fun, isn’t he?”

“You’re both fun. Goodnight Kitty.”

“Goodnight Dodger,” Kitty said as Dodger turned to step into the inn.

“Dodger?” Kitty said and Dodger turned back to her.

“Mmm?”

“Today’s been really special to me,” Kitty said stepping up to the Argonian.

“Me too, Kitty. Very special,” Dodger said, taking Kitty’s paws. They felt warm and soft and furry.

“I won’t forget you, Dodger,” Kitty said and kissed Dodger’s cheek, tickling her with her whiskers. Dodger’s hand went to the spot reflexively, but when she looked back, the cat was walking away quickly, her tail twitching in embarassment.

“What a sad cat,” Dodger said to herself, then turned back to go inside.

Once inside, she found Yellow-Eyes waiting for her, but once he’d let her in, she went straight to the window and looked out at an angle to see if she could see the street out front. But she couldn’t.

Dodger: Continuation (10)

Donny led them around the river to a secluded spot where they wouldn’t be bothered as the heat of they day became oppressive. A big tree stood beside the river and Dodger saw an old rope was tied to a sturdy overhanging branch.

“I used to come here when I was a kid. We used to swing out on the rope and drop into the river,” Donny said while tugging on the rope.

Dodger sat on the ground and started removing her shoes. “There’s no slaughterfish in there is there?”

Donny pulled off his shirt, the muffled sound of his voice coming from under it, “No, no slaughterfish. I saw a snake once, but it was a little one. Probably not even poisonous. Besides, aren’t you a relative?”

Kitty even laughed at that.

“Hey! I’ll bite you!” Dodger said, then noticed Donny wasn’t stopping at his shirt. “Oh! Skinny dipping are we?”

“Well, duh! Unless you brought some swimming clothes. You got a problem with that? Last one in is a rotten egg!” Donny yelled, then ran towards the rope, leaping onto it and arcing out over the slow-moving river before letting go and going under.

“DANGLY BITS! DANGLY BITS!” Kitty called when he resurfaced as she finished stripping and grabbed the rope. “I SAW YOUR DANGLY BITS!”

“Jealous? You got nothing!” he called back, but the cat was by then arcing on the rope even higher than Donny had, giving it her all.

“I’m FLYING!” she cried as she let go of the rope.  

A few seconds later she proved that Khajiits could, in fact, swim just fine.

“Nice tits Dodger!” Donny called, but Dodger just kicked off her pants, grabbed the swinging rope and and almost managed the height that Kitty had.

“Lookout Donny! Incoming!” Kitty yelled as Dodger’s trajectory and good aim sped her straight at the boy, who dove underwater at the last minute.

Dodger felt an accidental kick on her tail from him as she went underwater herself, and turned back to look at her two friends treading water above her. She could hear their muffled voices through the water while she stayed submerged.

“Where is she?” Donny was saying.

Kitty dove underwater and looked around, but didn’t see her as Dodger had circled behind her.

“I don’t see her Donny!”

“Can Argonian’s swim?” Dodger heard the panic rising in Donny’s voice.

“I don’t know! I thought so!” Kitty answered him.

“Oh no! Maybe she thought it was shallow!!!” Donny said, in full panic mode now and submerging to look for her.

But Dodger lay still on the bottom and he didn’t see her through the murky water. Then she saw Kitty do the same, though she had to laugh a little when she noticed that the Khajiit’s eyes were tightly shut and the cat couldn’t stay under very long. Then she swam up behind Donny and emerged slowly and quietly inches behind him.

“We swim just fine, Donny,” she whispered in his ear.

His scream had both her and Kitty laughing while he tried to recover his dignity. “Damn you Runt!  I mean, Dodger! We thought you drowned!”

“You really don’t know much about Argonians do you? I can breathe underwater! You think these fins are just for show? Why, we’re practically fish!” Dodger expounded proudly and proved it by a quite impressive simulation of a dolphin standing on the water with only her tail and feet still in.

“Wow! That’s cool!” Kitty cried delightedly when Dodger sunk back under and then leaped out of the water over them both.

Donny was still a little miffed though when Dodger rejoined them. “Never seen boobs on a fish before,” he pointed out.

Dodger thrust her chest out, again above the water higher than either her friends could dream of maintaining. “Never heard of a mermaid?”

“HA! A mermaid with scales? And no nipples?”

Dodger sunk back into the water at the level of Donny, then noticed Kitty swimming back to shore. The figure that emerged from the water looked dangerously close to a skeleton with a huge head.

Dodger caught up to her quickly, leaving Donny behind. “Kitty? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I know I look weird. Like a skeleton, right?”

“Well, yeah. But that’s not what I mean. What’s wrong? I’m sorry about the whole drowning thing.”

“It’s not that,” Kitty said as she climbed back up the bank to her clothes, then looked back to see Donny calling for them to come back in.

“Well, what is it then?”

Kitty looked down at herself, then at Dodger’s boobs, then back. “Guess.”

“Oh. That.”

“I’ve got nothing. Just like he said. I’m a freak.”

“Yeah, you are. Guess you’ll have to kill yourself.”

“Hey! What kind of sympathy is that?" 

"At least you have fur. Try being bald. Can’t hide that. Or these teeth!”

“I bet you don’t get into fights much though,” Kitty replied enviously.

“I’d bite their arm in half!” Dodger said, baring her toothy maw. “RrrrrAHGH!”

“Nice! I wish I had those!” Kitty said, turning back to look at Donny who was still flailing around in the water. Dodger noticed she couldn’t help smiling at him despite her self-pity.

“….ASSHOLES!” he was yelling while trying to present his butt to them but failing to get it out of the water.

"Well, come on Dodger. Let’s go back in. He’s going to drown himself at this rate.”

“Race you!” Dodger said, running back towards the rope.

They arrived at the same time and swung out together over the lake, but the rope snapped at the peak of their arc and they went sailing out far beyond Donny who hooted at them as they flew overhead, landing with a huge spash awkwardly.

“Hold on to my neck Kitty!” Dodger called after they’d surfaced. Kitty grabbed hold and Dodger swam as fast as she could around Donny.

“Whoa!” Kitty laughed, the speed enough to blow her fur around a little as Dodger came within inches of Donny before speeding past.

“Hey! I want a ride!” he called as they went by.

Later they all clambered out of the water, Dodger panting from the exertion of hauling them both around for what seemed like hours. They lay flat on the ground to dry off and rest while the afternoon wore on.

“So what do you want to do next?” Donny asked as they watched the clouds float by.

“Don’t you have to go home sometime?” Kitty asked while absently combing her fur out.

“Shit no. Dad will still be conscious. He’ll probably just tell me to go get more booze. If I go home way after dark he’ll be asleep. Best time.”

Kitty turned to Dodger on her other side. “How’s your money holding out Dodger?”

“Fine,” she said between breaths, “if we don’t go crazy. I’ve got enough for another dinner anyway.” she replied without opening her eyes.

The sun felt good and Dodger really didn’t feel like getting up though. Fortunately the others were in no mood to leave either, so they just sprawled there in peace for a while more.  Finally Kitty got up and got dressed, her fur mostly back to normal, so Dodger and Donny did likewise and they all headed back to the city.

Dodger: Continuation (9)

The next day turned out to be one of the happiest of Dodger’s life.

When Dodger got to where the inmates got out at the prison, Kitty was already there waiting for her.

“Hi Runt,” the Khajiit said, though Dodger had seen the smile when Kitty had first seen her so she wasn’t fooled by Kitty’s disinterested manner.

“Hi Kitty. How’s everything going?” Dodger asked, sitting down beside her.

Kitty resumed her habitual combing. “Okay, I guess. Still broke. But I got a little food from a guy I know.”

Dodger nodded. “Hey, I have enough to get us some breakfast when Donny gets out, if you want.”

The cat’s ears perked up. “Really? You’ve got money?”

“Some. Enough for breakfast for us all at some restaurant.”

The ears went back down again. “They don’t let me in restaurants.”

“The Khajiit thing?” Dodger asked. She knew humans had a tendency to shun Argonians and Khajiits, but she’d not experienced it first-hand in the city.

“Well, yeah. That and they mostly know me by now. I’ve probably stolen from all of the restaurants in the city.”

“A real baron of crime, you,” Dodger joked.

“Just call me Macavity.”

“Oh, you read?”

“Some. Not much else to do. I can’t get a job because everyone thinks Khajiits are theives, and I have to be a theif because I can’t get a job.”

“I’m a writer. Well… I’m going to be a writer.”

“Good for you.”

“Kitty, do you mind me asking a personal question? How’d you end up here?”

“Walked,” said the cat, but then she sighed. “No, I don’t mind. I escaped from my parents’ caravan. I thought I’d like it here, but it’s lonely. Thousands of people and it’s lonely. How’s that for ironic?”

“You don’t know anybody here?” Dodger asked.

“Just some old bums. There’s some kids too, but they mostly don’t like strangers like me. And really don’t like cats,” she said quietly.

For the first time Dodger noticed the cuts in her ear and the scar under her eye. They didn’t look all that old.

“I thought you Khajiits didn’t like being called cats. They call me a lizard,” Dodger replied.

“I like cats. Sometimes I wish I really was a cat. They don’t need money. They get all the food they want too.”

“If you want to eat garbage. And bugs.”

Kitty looked at Dodger for the first time since she’d sat down. “What do you think I eat?”

“Garbage?”

“And bugs.”

“Well, screw the restaurants. I can still get some food. Heck, I can buy enough food for you for a week from a shop.”

Kitty looked away again. “Thanks Runt. I’ll take it. But I think I’m going to go back to the caravan. I really don’t want to be a bum.”

“I’ll probably be a bum. I’m doing a project with my ‘dad’,” Dodger said, inserting the quotes with her fingers, “But when that’s over, I’ve got nowhere to go.”

They sat in silence for a while, each contemplating a bleak future. But they contemplated it together, and that was something.

Then the doors of the prison opened, and Donny came out alone.

“KITTY!” he yelled, and ran to her. His enthusiasm was obviously embarrassing to the Khajiit, but she endured his excited embrace, looking pained. Yet Dodger noticed she hugged him back too.

“Donny!” Kitty said with mock interest. “Oh joy, it’s Donny, the mass-murderer. Oh! You stink!”

“I do! We can’t all smell like gorgeous cats, you know. Or lizards! Hi Runt!” Donny said, giving her a hug every bit as enthusiastic even if a little unexpected.

“Wanna sit on some oranges?” Dodger suggested. “They make a great perfume!”

“Oh yeah,” Kitty said with a little enthusiasm of her own, “Runt says she’ll buy us breakfast!”

“Really? I’m starving. Let’s go!”

In the end, they did go to a little restaurant outside the city. Donny had suggested it, and they didn’t put up any protest at letting Kitty in – after they’d gotten some of Dodger’s coins anyway. They had to pay first. The three were sitting back after gorging on a cheap but filling breakfast. Kitty was picking her teeth with her claws while Donny burped a little tune to Dodger’s laughter.

“So, are you a bum like Kitty?” Dodger asked the boy.

“Naa. My dad’s just a drunk. I’ll go home later.”

“Oh?” Kitty said, spitting out a piece of food that she’d dislodged. “Got any booze?”

“Probably not. He drinks everything he can get his hands on. But you never know! Wanna go see?”

“Later,” Kitty said, leaning back and closing her eyes. “Right now I just want to sit here. It’s kinda nice, pretending to be normal.”

Donny and Dodger nodded.

“Three species, in the prime of life and doing absolutely nothing with it,” Dodger stated. “We should be ashamed.”

“Yeah, Runt. We should be,” Donny laughed.

“By the way, call me Dodger. I don’t like Runt,” Dodger said.

“Is that your real name?” Kitty asked.

“Actually, yes. Well, part of it anyway. We have weird names.”

“Dodger’s a good name. My name’s Donny,” said Donny. His two friends laughed. “I’m not very imaginative.”

“Screw you guys, I’m not telling you my name. I like ‘Kitty’,” said the Khajiit.

“Fine. So, what do you guys want to do?” Dodger asked. “I’ve got all day.”

“Me too,” Donny said. “Not like dad showed up at the prison or anything.”

“I’ve got all day every day,” Kitty said, looking depressed again.

“I know – let’s go swimming!” Dodger said.

Donny looked at Kitty. “Works for me!”

“You stink anyway. A bath would be an improvement.”

“Do cats swim?” Donny asked.

“No. We sink like rocks. Of course we swim! But…”

“What?” Donny and Dodger asked together.

“I look really weird when I get wet. All the fur you know.”

“Ooo! So we finally get to see what’s under all that fur?” Donny asked, perking up noticeably.

“You won’t like it. I look weird.”

Dodger tried to assure her, “Hey, we’re friends right? We won’t laugh.”

“Yes you will. But it’s okay. I don’t care, I laugh myself. And a swim sounds like a great idea… later. When it gets hot.”

In the end, they lingered a good while longer before they finally got up and headed to the river.

Dodger: Continuation (8)

A few men and women gathered around where Dodger was waiting when the gate was opened and a few inmates were released. She had no trouble spotting Yellow-Eyes as the only Argonian. He locked eyes on her immediately and fairly ran to embrace her.

“Dodger! Are you okay!? I’m so sorry! I never…” he asked.

“Runt, don’t you mean?” she interrupted him, laughing. “I’m fine… dad. They lied to you. I was in my own cell and there were only two others there. Plus, they were kind of nice anyway.”

“Really? You’re fine?” he asked as they headed away from the prison.

“Really.”

“Dodger, I’m really happy you’re all right. I imagined the worst.”

“I think that’s what they wanted. But shouldn’t you be calling me ‘Runt’?” she asked.

“Probably, but I’m not acting anymore. I should never have asked you to come inside with me. But you’re right. Let’s get back to the inn,” he said, then hesitated. “No. Let’s go to a restaurant instead. My treat.”

Dodger looked at the big Argonian. She realized that her time with him made her suspicious of his motivation. Did he really care about her, or was it all an act? She realized she really couldn’t tell. In the long run, she could only trust him or not. He’d never lied to her as far as she knew, so she decided she might as well go on trusting him.

“Sounds good… dad,” she said and held his hand.

The day passed slowly, but he didn’t discuss anything about his plans. He told her he would wait for Veronica that night instead and then he’d tell them both what he’d learned. Instead they spent the day walking around the city with Yellow-Eyes pointing out various places of interest, and not just places of interest to tourists. He showed her where merchants tossed out their stale bread that the ‘urban outdoorsmen’ could eat. He showed her cubbies and untenanted buildings where someone ‘on the lam’ could hole up for a few days. And he told her about all the laws that could get you into trouble if you were from a rural area and didn’t know the rules.  By the time they returned to their room, her feet were exhausted but her mind was spinning.  She spent the next hours making extensive notes in her notebook, which was quickly getting filled up.

It was early evening when the knocks came.

“Alone,” Veronica’s voice said from behind the door, and he opened the door for her.  This time she was dressed very differently, and Dodger admitted that she rather missed the outrageous outfit of the previous night. Now she was dressed in a dark but well tailored outfit, her hair tied back and a sword at her side.

Dodger sat on the bed, but very much alert as the two sat at the small table.

“Veronica, it is impossible. I think I’ve got a way in. It’s dangerous, but it offers a way out again. But there’s no way I can deal with the guards. The best time is around 4am. The night watch is getting tired and the morning watch hasn’t come on yet. I expect your assassin is being held in the Solitary wing, but a guard is stationed at the only way into that wing at all times, and he sits facing outward. He doesn’t sleep either. They’re good guards.”

“But, you found a way in and out? Of the Imperial prison?! Through the sewers I bet. That’s what Johan was thinking.”

“No. The sewers are a maze, and the guards know them perfectly well. Anyone trying to escape through the sewers is bound to get lost or mauled by the rats that live there, and the guards would be on him long before he found his way out. Plus there are traps and wards there. That is a suicide’s escape. No, there’s a better way. But it doesn’t matter because we can’t get past the guards.”

Veronica sat back and looked at Yellow-Eyes a long time before sighing deeply and saying, “I can get rid of some of the guards, if you can tell me which ones.”

“You?! How? You don’t go in the field.” Yellow-Eyes asked, incredulous.

“You tell me which I need to get rid of, and I’ll tell you how,” Veronica said, looking sad.

“Only two really. The one at the entrance to the Solitary ward and there’s also an area near the torture room that needs to be cleared. The guard there paces from the torture room to main cells and back.”

“That’s all? Just those two? That seems impossible.”

“That’s all. It will take about 20 minutes, tops. But I won’t tell you how until you need to know. The less people that know, till we’re ready, the better.”

“I’ll need to get out too,” Veronica said, her eyes closed in thought. “I can’t leave the way I come in. But I can get to the torture chamber.”

“You? Veronica, I only planned for one field op and the target to get out.”

“You can’t do two?”

Yellow-Eyes looked directly at Dodger. “Not without help.”

“Her? What can she do?”

Yellow-Eyes ignored the question. “Dodger, after last night, I have no right at all to ask this of you. But if this plan is going to work, and Veronica has a way to get rid of the guards, I can’t do it without you.”

“So you are going in the field too?” Veronica asked him. “I thought you might have to.”

“It’s the only way I know.”

Dodger spoke up then. “I’ll go.”

Yellow-Eyes spoke in a quiet, serious tone, “I guess I don’t have to tell you how dangerous this is, right? This is death-penalty stuff Dodger.”

Dodger looked at Veronica. She didn’t know what Veronica was going to have to do to get rid of those guards, but it was obviously something serious.

“I’m in too deep to turn back now, Yellow-Eyes. I’ll go.”

Yellow-Eyes turned back to Veronica, who looked like she was about to throw up. “Veronica, how will you get rid of the guards?” Yellow-Eyes demanded.

The face that looked up at him was expressionless. “You know what I used to do, before I met you and Johan.”

Yellow-Eyes blurted out, “No!”

“It’s the only way. I know the Captain of the guard. He… likes me.”

“Johan would never let you do that. He may be an arrogant, ambitious asshole, but he loves you.”

Veronica looked at the big Argonian, her face now stern. “He doesn’t need to know.”

“Even if you took him out, how would that get rid of the other guards?”

“I’ll demand we do it in the torture chamber. He’ll dismiss that guard while we’re… busy. And I’ll tell him I get loud and the guard of Solitary is too close. He’ll have to go too.”

“So what will you do about the Captain himself? You can’t kill the Captain of the guard!”

“I’ve got something from an alchemist. Some sort of elixir. Smells terrible but if you pour some on a cloth and hold it over the nose, it renders them unconscious for a little while. It’s quick too.”

Yellow-Eyes thought about that. “Then you don’t have to actually…”

“I do, Kem. He’s not stupid. He wouldn’t take me in there unless he knew I would do it. I need to start a relationship with him beforehand. A week before preferably but we don’t have that much time.”

“And I need a day to find out something. Are you sure he’s worth it Veronica? Johan?”

“No. Not really. But I have no choice Kem. I’m… pregnant. I need to get out of this business. But there’s something else you need to know Kem. Grey is the assassin.”

“Grey? Wait, WHAT? Grey wouldn’t hurt a mouse, let alone kill someone!”

“You don’t know her as well as you think you do, Kem. She is the assassin. You know how stealthy she is. She snuck up behind the target and put a knife to his throat, as planned.”

“No. I don’t believe it. Why would she do that? Even for you and Johan?”

“Johan blackmailed her I think. He knows something about her. I don’t know what, but she agreed to do it.”

“No wonder she put that fail-safe letter in place in case she was caught.”

Veronica nodded.

“And she would have had plenty of opportunity to find out who you and Johan are in ‘real life’,” Yellow-Eyes continued. “Veronica, when this is over, it’s going to be all I can do to keep from killing Johan myself. Turning Grey into an assassin? He’s a cruel, cruel man.”

“Well, if you’re not going to tell me how you’re getting in yet, I guess I’d better get going. I have to go find the Captain.”

“Sorry Veronica. I met him yesterday. He’s not a nice man.”

“Perfect match. I’m not a nice woman,” Veronica said, standing up and crossing to the door. “Thanks again Kem. And you too Dodger. When this is over… well, I’ll make sure you’re both well compensated anyway.”

Yellow-Eyes unlocked the door and she left quietly. Yellow-Eyes stood at the door a long time, lost in thought before turning back to Dodger. “I’m going to be busy tomorrow, Dodger. You can do whatever you like. I’ll leave you some money before I go. Go have a good time.”

Dodger brightened up. She knew just where she was going tomorrow.

“And Dodger… if this should go wrong, please believe me. I’m sorry.”

“It won’t go wrong. Though I’m awfully curious what your plan is.”

“You won’t like it. Grey and Veronica will really not like it. But I can’t do it without you. And, if I know Johan, he’d try some lame plan through the sewers and get Grey and Veronica killed if we don’t,” Yellow-Eyes said, then looked out the opaque window.

The wan light illuminated his face, though whatever he was seeing, it wasn’t anything outside. “At least now I understand her desperation. Pregnant. That’ll change a woman.”

Dodger: Continuation (7)

Author’s note: There WILL be an image with this one, but it’s going to be a day or two. Now that I’ve got my offspring/artist roped into doing them, I have to wait for her though, esp. when stealing borrowing one of Kazerad’s just doesn’t work. It came down to, ‘should I post it without, or wait for it?’ I went with posting without as it lets me move onto the next post.

The guard that took them inside was the big, silent type. He walked them to an office within the gates where a rotund man in an official uniform sat. The guard and the official spoke for a moment before they turned back and the guard took up a position at the door.

“I am the captain of the guard here in the Imperial prison. I understand you stole some fruit this morning Missy.”

Dodger nodded, seemingly chagrined.

“And you’re her father, right?” he said, turning to Yellow-Eyes.

“I am, much as it pains me to admit it,” he said.

“And I understand you want me to hold your child here for a night, to teach her a lesson. Is that right?”

Dodger looked at her father, her eyes expressing anger. “You told them to keep me here?!”

Yellow-Eyes ignored her. “That’s right. She’s always been a…”

“Sir. Shut up. Do you think we’re some sort of child care service? We are the IMPERIAL PRISON. Do you have any idea what type of people we keep in here?”

Now it was Yellow-Eyes’ turn to be chagrined. “I’d thought maybe we could share a cell or something.”

“We are not running a hotel here! I should keep you in for a week with the general populace. And I would, if I thought you’d survive it. Well, it just so happens we do have a wing for juvenile delinquents. That is where your daughter will spend the night. You, on the other hand, will be given your own private cell, where you can contemplate just what an idiotic idea this was, and think about what you have subjected your child to. With luck, she may not be bruised too badly. Being an Argonian, she might not even leave here pregnant. I only promise that she’ll come out alive.”

“Wait! Sir!” Yellow-Eyes said, his eyes grown large and alarmed. Dodger thought the look might actually be sincere.

“Captain.” he said, looking back to some papers on his desk.

“Captain, I didn’t realize… Don’t do this. She’s not that bad. I just thought…”

The captain spun back around and stood up, fists on the desk, “No, you didn’t think. You didn’t think at all. What you need is a good understanding of just what this prison is. Guard, take this child away. I’m going to show her father just how wrong he was! Send Beric in here. We’re going to have a little tour!”

“But. Wait! Keep me, but let her go. Don’t let my stupidity…”

But the guard was already leading her out of the office. The guard kept her tightly held and spoke briefly to another guard just outside who went into the Captain’s office behind them. Real fear came over her then. She was now truly alone without her trusted friend, misguided though that may be. Her knees buckled and she let out a sincere cry.

“Hush girl. I’m taking you to a private cell, don’t worry. He’s just scaring your dad.”

“Honest?” she said, looking up at the guard with tears in her eyes.

“Honest. It’s not just you who is going to leave here with respect for the Law, but you’ll be fine.” the guard said as he unlocked and opened a heavy door to a hallway. Open, barred cells lined the walls on both sides with locked doors facing the central hall.

He stopped at a cell and opened the door. She stood looking within. It was open to other cells on both sides, save the iron bars between them. Only a chair and a bare bed lay within with a deep bowl at the back that she assumed was the concession to biological needs for the inmates.

“Go on,” the guard said. He actually looked rather sad, she was surprised to see. “I’ll be back in the morning to let you out.”

Then he turned to the two cells to either side. “You two leave her be. If I find out you bothered her in the slightest, you will regret it.”

“Yessir!” someone said.  

And then the door closed and she was alone, an inmate of the most secure prison in all of Cyrodiil. She sat on the bed and thought. She had only the word of a guard that she would ever be released. No one knew she was here but Yellow-Eyes, and he was a prisoner here too now. She could die in here and no one would mourn her. Her mother would wonder what happened to her, but no one would come looking. Still, the guard seemed kind of nice actually.

“What did you do?” asked a thin voice from her right.

She looked at the source. It was a human boy, about her age and rather scrawny. His matted mop of black hair nearly covered his eyes. At least he didn’t look dangerous.

“Stole some fruit.”

“Is that why you smell like oranges?” said a feline voice on the other side.

A yellow Khajiit sat there, looking at her and combing the fur around her neck with her paws.

“I sat on them when they caught me,” she admitted with a sheepish grin.

“Sat on ‘em! That’s great.” said the boy. “I’m in for killing a guy myself. Kitty over there is in for stealing some rich guy’s silverware.”

“Khajiit did nothing wrong!” came the raspy voice, in imitation of the stereotypical Khajiit response.

Dodger laughed. “What’s your name?” she asked the boy.

“We don’t give real names here. But you can call me Donny. That’s Kitty. At least, that’s what I call her. She won’t give me a name.”

“I like ‘Kitty’,” the Khajit stated as if in explanation.

“Is anyone else in here?”

“Nope. Just the two of us. Three now. I’m supposed to get out day after tomorrow. We’re not sure about Kitty.”

“Day after tomorrow? For murder?” Quill asked, suddenly puzzled.

“Well, okay. I didn’t really kill anybody. It just sounds cool. I don’t like to talk about it. It’s embarrassing. But hey! I’ve never met an Argonian before. Seen ’em before of course, but I never talked to one. Are you from the Marsh?”

Dodger nodded.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked, laying back down on his own bunk.

“Just call me Runt.”

“Well, welcome to our home, Runt,” the Khajiit said sarcastically. “Let us know if we can get you anything.”

“A little privacy would be nice. I need to get this orange crap off my butt.”

“No such thing as privacy here. But go ahead. You’re going to have to use that bowl eventually anyway. I won’t look.”

Unexpectedly, considering the lack of consequences if he lied, the boy was true to his word. The cat, however, watched her every move but never stopping her combing.

Once she’d gotten all the orange stuff out of her pants and got dressed again, she thanked the boy for not looking.

“Mutual respect, the last girl here called it,” he said. “She didn’t look at me, I didn’t look at her. It’s really not so bad, as long as you don’t get one of the bad ones. Kitty’s not bad though. But she looks.”

“Never said I wouldn’t,” Kitty smiled back with an arched eyebrow.

“How long are you in for?” Dodger asked the Khajiit.

She shrugged, and scratched her chin. “Who knows? They got all the silver back anyway. I’ve been here almost a week now. I’m hoping they’ll let me out tomorrow.”

“I’m supposed to be out tomorrow too. Maybe we’ll get out together?”

“Hope so,” the Khajiit said.

“Aw. Then I’d be all alone!” Donny said.

Dodger giggled, “Solitary confinement. A suitable punishment for a heinous murderer.”

“I ate his liver,” Donny laughed.

“With some fava beans,” Kitty joined in.

All in all, Dodger thought when she finally went to sleep that night, it wasn’t so bad. She kinda liked these two delinquents. When the next day came and the guard unlocked her door, she was happy to see him unlock Kitty’s door too.

“See you later, Runt… Kitty.” Donny called. Dodger thought she might have detected a little sob in his voice.

Kitty stopped for a minute and looked at the guard, who let her go. She went back to Donny’s cell and took his hands. “If you want, I can meet you tomorrow when you get out.”

“You’d do that Kitty? You’d wait for me?”

“I will. You don’t have any parents, do you?”

“No. Not really.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

Dodger felt herself feeling bad. Of course, she hadn’t spent as much time together as they had. But still… “Me too Donny. If I can.”

“Well thanks, bitches. I’ll see you tomorrow! My own little harem.” Donny said with mock bravado.

“Watch it buddy. I’m a cat, not a dog! See you later, Donny.” Kitty said, and she returned to the guard and Dodger as they walked out together.

She didn’t see the Captain again, but the guard who walked them out into the morning sunlight told Dodger to wait till noon when they release the adult prisoners.

Kitty gave Dodger a hug, promising she’d be back tomorrow morning if Dodger wanted to come back to see her and Donny. Once again, Dodger promised to try but she couldn’t be sure what she would be doing tomorrow. Then she watched the Khajiit head back into the city.

Through the most unlikely of circumstances, she realized, she may have just made some friends. In prison. It came to her that the camaraderie of the criminal class might be more understandable than she’d first assumed. She returned to retrieve her pack where she had hidden it the day before and began scribbling some notes while she walked back to the prison to await Yellow-Eyes.

Dodger: Continuation (6)

“So, what do you think? Want to get arrested?” Yellow-Eyes asked Dodger as they were eating a fine breakfast in their room.

Yellow-Eyes had left early in the morning to pick up the money Veronica had left. Dodger was beginning to understand more about him as well as the secrecy necessary. She didn’t ask to come along or where the drop-off point was. It was something she didn’t need to know.

“Of course! What do you have in mind?”

“Just some petty thievery. Steal something from a shop or something. You have to do it in a way that looks like you are trying not to get caught, but you have to be sure you get caught too. Think you can pull that off?”

“Oh sure! They’re not going to cut my hands off or anything though, right?”

“No no. That’s the Thieves Guild. But even they won’t mess with a rookie who gets caught her first time.”

“What about you?”

“Leave that to me. By the way, I’m your father in this situation. No need for a name though. You’d just call me ‘dad’.”

“And me? What will you call me?” Dodger asked, getting excited about the role-playing now.

“Runt.”

“RUNT?”

“Come on. Let’s go find me some pants first,” he said, getting up from the small table and stretching his legs. “Don’t leave anything important here. We won’t be back till tomorrow.”

The two left the inn and Yellow-Eyes led her to a rather seedy area just outside the walls, but he knew just where he was going and they soon were looking over clothes in a large used clothing shop. The shopkeeper pointed them to a corner where Argonian clothes were kept. In no time Yellow-Eyes was properly dressed in a decent pair of trousers and a loose-fitting shirt. While clearly not new, the holes weren’t too noticeable and they were surprisingly clean, given the source.

“And now, it’s time to break the law,” Yellow-Eyes said quietly, nodding towards a small fruit stand after they’d returned to the city. “There’s a city guard just down the street. Should be perfect.”

Dodger swallowed hard. This was the real deal, and she knew she was going to get caught too. She was about to go to prison for the first time in her life. She looked back at Yellow-Eyes, hesitation in her every feature.

“It’s okay Dodger. If you don’t want to do it, no problem. I can go in without you. But they’re pretty tough on adults. No so much on teens or parents. I’m using you, and you should know it.”

Dodger thought about that. He was using her. He was honest, but he was using her innocence and naivete to get himself into the Imperial prison with the least chance of being roughed up by potentially aggressive city guards.

“Clever, but it still sends me to prison,” she thought.

Yellow-Eyes may not be a bad person, and he seemed inordinately honest with her, but he wasn’t above using her for his own ends either. She would have to keep that in mind.

She drew a deep breath, and headed to the fruit stand. Yellow-Eyes stayed some distance off, apparently browsing a nearby shop’s wares. Dodger grabbed an orange and stuffed it down her pants and awaited the alarms.

Nothing happened. She looked at the shopkeeper. He was looking right at her!

She grabbed another and down it went.

Nothing. He was smiling at her!

She reached for another when finally he spoke.

“Okay, that’s enough Miss. No more freebies,” he said kindly but with increasing sternness.

She grabbed another and stared back at him defiantly. Her pants had some very odd looking lumps in them now.

“Now stop it or I’ll call the guard. You can’t just steal from me, you know! I pay the Guild!”

Now her stare turned into a smile as she grabbed another and held it over the waistband of her pants, daring him to do something. Finally, he broke.

“GUARD! GUARD!” he yelled, his face turning red. For good measure, Dodger grabbed the last orange and pulled open her waistband in the back, preparing to drop it down her butt.

A strong hand caught her, “Here here, what’s going on?” said a gruff voice.  The iron grip told her all she needed to know.

“This lizard girl was stealing my oranges! Right in front of me!”

“RUNT!” came a familiar voice. “What trouble have you gotten into this time?”

Yellow-Eyes came walking briskly over to her, his attitude completely that of a long-suffering father for his wayward teen.

She spun around to face the guard who had taken the doomed orange before it was lost to edibility forever.

“She’s got 5 more stuffed in her pants, Sir!” the shopkeeper said, his rage calming.

“Oh no,” Yellow-Eyes said, shaking his head. “Not again. Runt, give them back.”

She reached down her pants and pulled one out, then stuffed it back under her tail.

“Officer! DO SOMETHING!”

Dodger sat down. Hard. The smell of orange juice was obvious.

“Do you want to press charges, Ed?” the guard said to the shopkeeper.

“One moment, officer. Can I speak to you in private a moment?” Yellow-Eyes said conspiratorially to the guard.

Dodger sat with a big smile on her face as her ‘Father’ took the guard aside and they talked quietly. They spoke for some time before she saw the guard nod and they turned back.

“That’s it, Miss. You’re going to the Imperial prison. Your father tells me you’ve done this before. Well, it’s time you learned your lesson. Maybe a night in prison will straighten you up!”

Meanwhile, Yellow-Eyes was handing some coins to the vendor. “Serves you right, you little thief!” the shopkeeper said as she was led away, an orange stain growing on her backside.

She couldn’t help giggling.

image

Two hours later as they were being led through the prison gates, she had decided that the feel of squished orange pulp all over her tail and bottom was not nearly as funny as it had been.

Dodger: Continuation (5)

The light from the flickering candle in the hallway was meager, but it was still more than the dirty window pane admitted.

Yellow-Eyes opened the door slowly and a female voice from the other side whispered “Kem?”

“Are you alone?” Yellow-Eyes asked cautiously.

“Yes. It’s just me.”

Kem opened the door wider and a female form rustled in, her silhouette framed in the door for a moment before the door was closed and locked. Dodger felt, more than saw, the new figure standing still just within the door while Yellow-Eyes crossed to the table and lit the candle there.

The figure sprang to life as if a dream of Dodger’s had come to life, right down to the laced-up tunic that was too small and open sided leather pants, revealing the pink but well-muscled leg within. Dodger heard the familiar ‘fwip’ of her vestigial arm-fins as her eyes opened wide, but she was so smitten that she didn’t even bother to be embarrassed.

image

The candle lit the newcomer’s face within the hood, her eyes blinking away the gloom while they recovered. Soon though the woman could see again and she noticing Dodger immediately.

“I heard you had a companion. That’s not like you.”

“And you don’t normally dress like a cheap whore.”

“Such a charmer, you. Besides, I’m supposed to be a medium-grade whore. At this time of night, who’s more noticeable? A lady strolling into a tavern or… this?”

“You’re right, of course. You always did know the city best.”

“Besides, this outfit isn’t all that cheap. It’s not easy to get clothing undersized in just the right way. Now introduce me to your friend.”

Yellow-Eyes put his sword away.

“She’s okay. I had something of a delay you may have heard of. She helped me escape.”

“Oh did she?” the lady said, an eye raised.

“Veronica, This is Dodger. She’s fresh out of the Marsh but learns fast.”

The lady Yellow-Eyes called ‘Veronica’ knelt at the edge of the bed and held out her hand. “It’s good to meet you Dodger.”

Dodger just stared, not intending insult but not really hearing her either. Veronica picked up Dodger’s hand and shook it anyway.

“Not very talkative, is she?”

“Oh, she talks plenty.”

“How’s her Common tongue?”

Dodger managed to break through the spell at that, “I speak Common well I’m told, Veronica. My apologies. I’m a writer.”

“A writer?” Veronica asked, turning back to Yellow-Eyes in alarm. “Just how much has she learned?”

“I know what he does for you. But I also know how to keep a secret.”

“And if you were caught and tortured, what would you tell them?” Veronica said, turning back to Dodger, eying her closely.

Suddenly Dodger realized that this was a test. Even Yellow-Eyes was looking at her expectantly. She thought about the question and it’s implications. She closed her eyes and sighed. She wasn’t going to pass this test.

“Absolutely everything I know,” she admitted.

The beautiful lady took her hand again. She felt the hot blood within it warm her own hands and she suddenly felt ashamed of her scales and her talons.

“Of course you would,” she said. “And so would I, and so would Kemmy. That’s the right answer, Dodger, because it’s the truth. We just have to be careful about what we all know, understand? But if Kem trusts you, that’s good enough for me. Besides, you may be of some help. Some of the best field ops are kids.”

“Seventeen. I’m seventeen,” Dodger said, suddenly offended. Why did everyone insist she was a child? “I may not be as old as you guys, but I’m not a kid.”

“I’m sorry Dodger,” Veronica said while running one of those hot hands down her shoulder and arm. “Of course you’re not. But you’re going to have to get used to it. Some of our friends are certainly going to call you that.”

Dodger nodded, her voice suddenly choked up.

“So, what’s up Veronica? What would get you and Johan all worked up enough to look me up in the Marsh? That guy that came to get me was top rate.”

“Well, you remember that job I asked you to do for us last month. The one you refused?”

“Yeah, I remember it. You know I don’t do those kind of jobs though. After I smacked Johan I bet he remembers it even better.”

Veronica turned around and sat on the bed beside Dodger, turning to face Yellow-Eyes. Dodger was trying her best to make mental notes of everything she was hearing.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Kem,” Veronica said, looking at her lap. “That wasn’t smart.”

“I know. But he just wouldn’t take the hint. I don’t do those kinds of jobs. You both knew that.”

“Well, anyway, we carried on without you. We got another guy. And we got the job done. But the escape wasn’t clean. We lost our architect and the assassin was captured.”

“The architect went in the field? Always a bad move.”

“He was a field op too. But he wasn’t as good as you.”

“And the assassin?”

“Due to be executed at the high king’s command. The king is due back in a week’s time.”

“So? What’s the problem? Surely you kept clean of him right? I mean, he doesn’t know who you really are, right?”

“You see straight through to the problem as usual Kem. We didn’t think so. Until after he was imprisoned. He sent us a note.”

“From prison?”

“It seems so. Kem, he knows who Johan is. He might know who I am. He’s got a poison pen letter he says will be sent if he isn’t freed. We need to extract him.”

“So you believe him then. No, I get it. Where’s he being held?”

“Where do you think?”

Yellow-Eyes put his head in his hands, “Imperial prison of course.”

Veronica nodded, though Yellow-Eyes wasn’t looking. When he looked up again, he looked very sad to Dodger’s eyes, though it was likely Veronica didn’t recognize the look since it was less in the angle of the brow than the nictitating membrane.

“Veronica, this is the Imperial prison you’re talking about. You know that right? That place could be warded with traps I couldn’t possibly predict, and it’s full of guards who have worked their way up to a position there. They’re good. I don’t even want to know how long it’s been since the last prison escape there. I’m not a miracle worker. I think you and Johan need to plan for a failure on this one.”

“Kem, he was just elected to the governing council. We can’t just leave now. If worse comes to worse, we will of course. But not till we give this every effort we can. Kem, this is what he’s been working towards his entire life.”

“What about you? You could leave.”

She shook her head, “Not going to happen Kem. I love him.”

“Oh that’s just great,” Yellow-Eyes said, standing up and showing real anger this time. “Veronica, he’s a PENIS. He never cared about you or me or Grey or anyone but himself. Why can’t you see that? It’s always about his ambition.”

“You need to use the euphemism, Kem. You call him a ‘dick’, and let the euphemism do the heavy lifting. You don’t call someone a penis,” Veronica said, not looking up at him.

“I don’t care. He is a penis. He only has one goal and he doesn’t give a fuck about what gets in his way.”

Veronica ignored his outburst and looked up at him. “Can you do it?”

As if the air of his rage had burst out of him, Yellow-Eyes slumped to his knees in front of her. “Veronica, for you, I’ll give it my best. But this is the last time. I can’t work for him any more. He’s gone too far. Assassinations? How is he an improvement? And honestly, I don’t know if I can do it. I might get your field ops killed. This isn’t like infiltrating some back room to listen in on a conversation. This is the fucking Imperial prison!.”

“I know. I can’t ask for more than your best. How soon?”

“I’ll have to go inside. I don’t know enough about the place without going in. Can you get me out again? It’ll just be a petty crime.”

“No problem. When?”

“You said a week so we haven’t much time. I’ll go in tomorrow. Get me out the next day. I need to stay overnight. I may take Dodger in with me, if she wants to go.”

Veronica turned back to Dodger who was intensely following the conversation. Dodger felt she practically had it memorized. She just needed to work out some details.

“If she wants to. Only if she wants to,” Veronica agreed, taking Dodger’s hands in her own and pulling her up to stand beside her and the tall Yellow-Eyes.

“Veronica,” Yellow-Eyes said looking down at her, seemingly ashamed of having to ask. “I don’t know how much you know about what happened, but I’m broke.”

Veronica laughed and slapped him on the ass. “Is that why you’re naked? I thought you’d just gone native back in the Marsh. No problem. I’ll leave some expense money at the standard drop-off point on the way home. Enough to cover you till this is over.”

“Thanks,” the big Argonian said, leaning down and giving the human woman a hug that was reciprocated in earnest. It was clear these two were dear friends regardless of what had come between them in the past.

“As for you, my new friend,” Veronica said, “don’t think you have to help here. You don’t owe me anything.”

Dodger looked up at Yellow-Eyes, before turning back to the beautiful human lady. “Any friend of Yellow-Eyes is a friend of mine.”

Suddenly the lady looked surprised. “Yellow-Eyes?” she said, then turned back to look up at him. “You gave her that name?”

The old Argonian nodded.

“He must really like you,” Veronica said, turning back to Dodger.

“She may have saved my life. Or at least, she tried to,” Yellow-Eyes said as if he were apologizing.

“You are a sucker for that, I grant you,” Veronica said. But before she put her hood back up, she gave Dodger a long, warm hug that was softer than it had any right to be. This time Dodger was plenty embarrassed by the extension of her vestigial fins.“

“Oh! I guess you’re happy to see me, Dodger! Well, goodnight then. Kem, drop the signal and we’ll meet again day-after-tomorrow.”

“I’ll do my best Veronica. Just please, don’t count on it. This is beyond my pay-grade.”

“Your best will have to do. Two and then Two, right?”

“Two knocks, and then two. Until then, be well.”

“You too,” said the lady, and then she was gone. Yellow-Eyes had the door latched instantly. Meanwhile Dodger was still trying to get her fins to stay in place.

“She… doesn’t know about these, does she?” Dodger asked Yellow-Eyes hopefully.

“When I first met her, my vestigial fins were the least of my problems. At least you’re not male.”

“Oh gawd…” Dodger said, burying her head under the blanket. “Oh gawd oh gawd…”

“Goodnight Dodger,” Yellow-Eyes said as she heard him return to his makeshift bed, though even without seeing him she could hear the smile in his voice.

“If it makes you feel any better, I really don’t give a shit who you like.”

“Oh gawd oh gawd oh gawd…” she continued, then thought of something that made her feel better, and poked her head back out.

“Goodnight Yellow-Eyes.”

No matter what he thought about her, she realized, he’d apparently given her a special name – even if it wasn’t his real name. Veronica had said as much. That made her feel a lot better actually, and she went to sleep without feeling too much like the proverbial red lizard on a green leaf.