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.
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.
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