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.
bdfanfic 