You Only Live 18 Times – #4

“Besides,” said Dar’Amon, “I’m not technically an Alfiq. We have a rather specialized research division working on our unusual biology. In some ways, we khajiit are even more unusual than the argonians in that regard. With the dwindling of magic in the world, there is some real concern that we khajiits may die out. So we had been experimenting with moonbeams, moon sugar and lycanthropy some years ago.”

“Lycanthropy?” Ra’Jirra asked, sitting back in her chair.

“Oh yes. We were making interesting strides too. But our research was terminated. I’m afraid I’m the only tangible result.”

“What, do you turn into a werewolf or something?”

“Well, technically I turn into the Alfiq form you see here. However, unlike werewolves, this is now my more stable state. But when Secunda is full, and Masser is waning, I return to my original Cathay form. It’s really quite annoying”

“I’ll bet!”

“You get used to it,” said the cat, and leaped onto Ra’Jirra’s lap.

Ra’Jirra found herself reflexively petting Dar’Amon, who accepted her attention happily.

Em continued, “Dar’Amon has proven himself quite useful with his unique abilities, as you can imagine. I think he will be valuable to you on this mission.”

Queue stood up then. “I have something that I expect you’ll find useful as well. Come with me. Let’s go down to the lab.”

The cat reluctantly climbed down off Ra’Jirra’s lap, and she stood up to follow.

“Stop back by afterwards and I’ll give you all the details, Ra’Jirra. We’ve already briefed Dar’Amon,” Em said.

***************************

Ra’Jirra and Dar’Amon followed Queue through the labyrinth of rooms that comprised the HMSS laboratories, finally stopping at a large pool. Floating atop it was one of the oddest vehicles she’d ever seen.

“This,” Queue said, shooing various technicians away from the vehicle, “Is the Collapsible Aquatic Transport. Version 3.”

Ra’Jirra groaned, doubled by Dar’Amon.

“Oh, you’ll love it!” the argonian protested. “We have yet to build a successful, full ship-sized engine as the Imperials and Redguards have done. But we have managed to create a much smaller one that we’ve embedded into this. Please, climb aboard.”

“I’m not exactly dressed for the water, Queue.”

“Oh! Yes. Well, if you’re careful…” he started, but Ra’Jirra was already climbing out of her dress and shoes.

“This will have to do,” she said, ignoring the technicians as she managed to sit astride the main body of the device in her underwear.

Dar’Amon jumped aboard and sat between her legs as she put her hands on the handlebars. One of the technicians turned a switch and the CATv3 began to rumble quietly.

“How does it turn? Is there a rudder underneath?” Dar’Amon asked.

“No, actually,” Queue answered proudly. “The engine sucks water in at the front, and expels it at the rear, but the rear port is flexible. The handlebars bend it left and right. The throttle is that lever underneath the right handle.”

“Well, Dar, you ready for a ride?” Ra’Jirra asked.

“Hell yes!”

And with that Ra’Jirra gave the lever a good pull.

Seconds later she surfaced from the water with Dar’Amon swimming beside her. The CATv3 was on the far side of the pool, idling quietly.

“Damn,” Dar’Amon said as he paddled towards the edge. Ra’Jirra lifted him out before she hefted herself up to follow.

“It’s… quite powerful,” Queue said in apology.

“Yeah, I noticed. Can you please tell those dweebs to stop staring at me?”

“Gentlemen,” Queue said, giving the technicians an angry stare.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Dar’Amon said as he ran around the pool to where the vehicle rumbled. “Let’s try that again!”

Ra’Jirra ran after him and they both got back on, but this time Ra’Jirra was significantly more careful with the throttle.

“Woohoo!” she called as the vehicle sprang to life.

“Oh, this is GREAT!” called a small voice from between her legs. “Go faster!”

For an indoor pool, the area was quite large, but not nearly large enough to really test the machine’s limits. She did get a feel for it’s turning radius though, learning how leaning into the turn could significantly improve that radius, and how quickly it slowed when she let off the throttle.

Unfortunately, Queue had stepped too far away, anticipating the splash she had aimed at him when finally she pulled the CATv3 to a stop and climbed off.

“Thank you,” she said as one of the techs brought her a towel.

“Whew! That’s a hell of a machine Queue!” Dar’Amon said as he shook himself dry.

“It is indeed.”

“Got any secret weapons aboard?”

“There’s a mine deployment button in the center console. Only four though.”

“Nothing forward-facing?”

“Afraid not. Tests showed that it’s just not an aim-able platform. No, speed is your best weapon here. You’ll have your gun, if you want it, but it’s nearly impossible to aim on rough water. Also, be aware of the charge meter. It will recharge slowly over time, but will drain rapidly. On a full charge you have only an hour or two of power, and it will take at least 6 hours to recharge in full sunlight. Or overnight.

“Still, you’ve outdone yourself on this one, Queue,” Ra’Jirra said sincerely.

Dar’Amon nodded. “Indeed. But I have to ask the question. Version 3? What happened to 1 and 2?”

Queue’s moment of pride quickly passed. “Oh. Well, we lost version 1 to an accident with one of the mines.”

“And version 2?”

“That one was unforeseeable. We were testing it at sea. It seems that version’s rhythmic vibrations are apparently very attractive to sea life. Large sea life. Extremely large sea life. It was never recovered.”

Ra’Jirra looked at Dar’Amon who was looking back at her.

“We’re pretty sure we’ve resolved that issue by randomizing the idle frequency. At least this one hasn’t been eaten yet.”

***************************

Wears-Only-Ropes stood up from the bed. For the first time in a week, she felt better. The hospitality of the villagers who had taken care of her after she’d staggered into their little enclave had been exemplary, but it had taken a week to recover. She had lost everyone she cared about in the disaster, and the grieving had been the bigger part of that recovery.

But life goes on, and she felt like it was time for her to move on as well. She had told the locals about her experience, but few of them believed her. Few even believed in the existence of large ships for that matter. Yet argonians helped argonians, and she dreaded to think what state she would be in had they not helped her.

She looked down at the shift they’d clothed her in. Apparently here it was standard garb for females, but she found it confining. Her appellation wasn’t true of course. Even at sea, sailors of all races certainly wore clothing, but female argonians – as well as other races – often dispensed with their blouses as cumbersome and unnecessary when out on the open ocean. Yet for some such as her who had been more generously endowed by the Hist, other means of support proved helpful and she’d learned early on that ropes were plentiful and handy aboard ship for a variety of uses. And so the appellation stuck.

Even in the centers of civilization, argonians didn’t care much for travel, and the ships that docked at their ports were always of foreign origin. Exceptions such as her weren’t exactly rare, but weren’t the norm. She would have to find her way onto a ship, hopefully Imperial, and work her way back to Cyrodiil if she was to continue her life as a sailor.

The thought of working with another crew, another Captain though… It was enough to break her heart. She wasn’t sure she could bear it. She’d worked on temporary assignments with other crews of course, but she always knew she would find her way back to her own eventually. They were her family, and now that family was gone forever.

She looked around the little room that was now hers. The widow who had opened up her hut for the stranded sailor was a gentle soul, and Wears-Only-Ropes owed her much. She decided then that she would stay here for a while longer. Now that she was recovering, it was the least she could do for these kind people. She walked out into the sunlight in search of the elders. It was time to find some work to do here. She hoped they needed something involving ropes. That was, after all, her specialty.

Shipping Consequences pt. 3 (end)

Katia gave Quill-Weave a hug as her and Rajirra left the Argonian’s home to get a room at the nearby inn. However, Quill-Weave held Katia for a moment and looked at her with an odd expression that Katia didn’t recognize.

“Katia…” Quill-Weave started, unusually hesitant.

“What is it Quill? What’s wrong?”

When she replied, her words were quiet, obviously meant to not be overheard by Rajirra who was waiting outside. “You’re… sure about this right? I mean, you and Rajirra?”

Katia looked at her puzzled, then understanding dawned in her eyes. “Oh, you mean about her sex. I know. I had no idea myself! It’s a little embarrassing to talk to you about it, knowing about you and your friend in Chorrol, but yeah! We’re quite… compatible in that department. Who knew I, of all people, would fall in love with a woman!?”

“Certainly not me,” Quill-Weave said, but Katia felt there was still something not being spoken.

“Quill, I’ll come over tomorrow afternoon and visit with you for a bit after we’ve got everything lined up at the chapel. But yes, I’m very sure. We love each other very much. We’ll be very happy together, I’m sure!”

“Well, alright. If you’re sure. Goodnight Katia,” Quill said and closed the door.

“What did she want?” Rajirra asked as Katia rejoined her and they headed next door.

“Oh, what any good friend would want. She wanted to make sure I was confident I was doing the right thing.”

“And… are you… confident?”

“Never more in my life,” Katia said and gave her partner an earnest kiss as proof.

The next day was a whirlwind of activity for both Katia and Rajirra. While, of course, they had few guests to worry about, both still wanted to do the wedding right so they spent the morning getting all the preparations into place. Finally, Katia left Rajirra to do some last-minute decorations in the Chapel while she went to talk to Quill-Weave.

The Argonian opened the door graciously enough, but something appeared to be wrong with her face.

“I’m sorry, Katia. I’ve just gotten something in my eyes,” she said, wiping tears away. “But come on in, it’s alright. But I did want to talk to you a little before tomorrow.”

“Sorry to hear that Quill. Have you tried flushing your eyes out with clean water?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. But about Rajirra. How much do you really know about her? I mean, you haven’t been gone all that long.”

“I know. It’s been kind of a love-at-second-sight sort of deal. Oh she hated me at first! If it wasn’t for that joke Sigrid pulled on me I doubt I’d have ever seen her again. Which might have been a good thing because I was non-too-kindly disposed towards her after she left me locked in with that giant Imp either! But the feelings we felt for each other afterwards, even after we confronted Sigrid, were real. Still are. And Cyrodiil isn’t a place you want to wait too long on such decisions either!”

“But… when I met you, you were so… well, to not put too fine a point on it, so heterosexual.”

“I know right? I think it was because sex with men was the one thing I was so good at that I never thought about any other way. Had I known myself better, that night with you would have been just as uncomfortable for me!”

“But, it wasn’t?”

“Oh Quill, no. After all you did for me, I’d never dream of taking advantage of you in that way. You’re the best!”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t?”

Katia stopped, trying to understand what her friend was saying.

Quill looked away, but explained, “…that you wouldn’t dream of me.”

Suddenly Katia understood. “Oh Quill… Quill, you should have let me know! All this time I… I had no idea Quill!”

She tried to give Quill-Weave a hug, but the Argonian pushed her away. “Quill, I don’t know what to say!”

“I’m sorry Katia. Please leave. I don’t want you to see me right now.”

“Quill, if you don’t want to come to the wedding, I understand. I’ll just tell Rajirra you were sick or something. Really, you don’t have to come.”

The Argonian turned to face her, her eyes even redder than their usual orange hue. “I’m sorry Katia. I… just can’t.”

“You should have told me, Quill. I’ll…” Katia stammered, trying to find words.

“No. It’s alright,” Quill said, escorting Katia to the door. “I want you to be happy Katia. You understand, I just can’t do it. Now go. Goodbye Katia Managan.”

“Goodbye Quill-Weave. I do thank you for everything, sincerely.”

Katia stepped out of Quill-Weave’s house for the last time and heard the latch close behind her. And then she heard a sound she’d never heard before, the subdued wailing of a heartbroken Argonian.

The wedding, though sparsely attended, was nonetheless going smoothly until the fateful line was spoken by the priest…

“Do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?”

As if to punctuate the line, a pounding and a scream was heard behind them and above them, behind the stained glass rose window. It cried only one word, “Katia!”

Rajirra turned to Katia, who looked at the vague silhouette visible behind the window, then back to her lover. She shook her head.

“Ignore her Rajirra. It is you I love,” Katia said, then turned to the priest who wasn’t quite sure what to make of the awkward interruption.

“I do. Now and forever.” she said to him clearly and strongly for all to hear. The shadow at the window disappeared and was not seen again.

Slutcat and Sworddog – update

Damn this is fun for me! I’m nearly updating these daily, and I don’t even have to write a plot!

But I noticed I got some “likes” here for the story and I wanted to clarify something. I’m up to 5 “chapters” already but I’m posting them here:

http://slutcatandsworddog.tumblr.com

I made that blog specifically for Slutcat because I have other things to post in bdnsfw.tumblr.com. I know, I confused everyone as I first pointed them to bdnsfw, now I’m pointing to slutcatandsworddog. I promise I won’t move it again!

I do LOTS of Skyrim screenshots there besides straight text, and yes, it’s lewd. Not porn but… it’s a naked Khajiit basically. What would you expect? This image is actually a relatively safe one, but you might as well know what you’re getting into if you go there:

I just wanted to clarify for anyone looking for it that http://slutcatandsworddog.tumblr.com is where I’m continuing it at. Here’s the archive link so you can kinda follow it in-order properly and easily.

http://slutcatandsworddog.tumblr.com/archive

Thanks for the reads though! I know some are essentially pornbots but I’m having such fun making it I don’t really mind!

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.

“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 (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 (2)

bdprequel:

“One question,” Dodger said after they’d risen in the morning and resumed their trek to the Imperial City. “Why did you need my knife when you had that sword last night anyway?”

“Can’t throw a sword,” came the terse reply.

Dodger nodded to herself and they walked on in silence.

As they got nearer the city, the road became wider and Dodger began to see other people on the road. First came a farmer, driving a wagon loaded with just what she expected – corn and lots of it. She waved and called a greeting to the old man as he rumbled past, but he didn’t even slow down and Yellow-Eyes took her hand and led her off the road before he got too close.

“Are they all so friendly in the city?” she asked sarcastically.

Yellow-Eyes looked at her before replying, “Be grateful he didn’t run off the road to hit you. They don’t intend any disrespect, Dodger. Most of them don’t even see us as people. We might as well be the grass or the trees. You wouldn’t expect him to talk to a passing tree.”

“But, they’re not all like that. Right?”

“No. There are exceptions. It’s like those slavers yesterday. I think they really believe the bullshit they spouted. They had to muzzle me so they could imagine I couldn’t talk. Otherwise I’d shake their world view and they might even feel guilty about binding us all up as slaves.”

“But they had respect for that Briarbird guy.”

“They did indeed. On some level, I think humans see the elves as superior to themselves. High elves at least. It’s a sure bet the High Elves do.”

“He decimated them didn’t he?” Dodger laughed, kicking a rock down the road.

Yellow-Eyes didn’t respond.

“Well, technically he didn’t. Decimated would mean he killed a tenth of them. He killed ten-tenths of them. He deci-decimated them.”

Yellow-Eyes kept walking.

“You probably didn’t know that,” Dodger muttered.

Still nothing.

“It was supposed to be funny,” Dodger said to the ground as they topped a hill.

But when she looked up, she saw the city. “Oh… my… god!”

Yellow-Eyes took her hand to help keep her out of trouble as they approached the city, steering her this way and that to avoid the increasing traffic while her eyes were glued upward to the walls as much as the awesome spectacle of the White-Gold Tower that loomed larger than any tree she had ever seen, ever even imagined. In her experience, only mountains could rival it’s size. But this had been built by… someone anyway!

“Human’s can’t be all bad! Look at what they built!”

Yellow-Eyes didn’t even turn to look at her. “Bullshit. This was built by the Aldmer. Humans just took it over.”

“Oh. Well, anyway it’s so… BIG! Surely you must be impressed. Briarbird said you were an architect.”

They passed within the gates without incident.

Once inside, and away from the guards Dodger noticed, he said, “Not that kind of architect.”

Dodger pulled at his hand and he stepped aside out of the road.

“What do you mean, not that kind of architect? How many kinds are there?”

Yellow-Eyes looked around, then led them to a more secluded area, where he knelt before her.

“Dodger, I know you’re young…”

“Seventeen,” she reminded him.

“Seventeen. But do you really think the Imperials would send someone like Briarbird to find me if I was just a designer of buildings?”

“Well, I didn’t really think…”

“You need to start thinking, Dodger. This is no place for a dope who can’t put two-and-two together. Do you think my friend went through all that expense to find me just to have me draw up plans for some outhouse? An emergency office tower?”

Dodger began to pout. “You think I’m stupid.”

“No, Dodger. I don’t. I think you’re unusually smart in fact. But you need to use that brain. Especially here. I’m not kidding when I tell you ‘I’m not your nanny’. You’re going to have to take care of yourself, and that means keeping your eyes open and that brain of yours engaged. Now, you said you were a writer, so you know words. Let’s see if you can puzzle out just what kind of an architect I am.”

Dodger brightened when he said she was smart. So she thought about it.

“Well… no offense, but you look kinda rough. Those scars didn’t get there designing buildings I guess.”

“No, they didn’t.”

“And they said they found you with your tail caught in a printing press in a warehouse. That’s an odd situation for a building architect.”

“That was an odd situation for me. Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime. But the word… architect. What does it imply, other than buildings. What does an architect do?”

“He… um,” Dodger thought furiously. Yellow-Eyes was being unusually talkative. He wanted something from her. She needed to work this out. “He… makes plans.”

“Good. Yes. I make plans. But not plans for buildings. What kind of plans would someone want that are valuable enough to send an Imperial agent out for? An obviously highly qualified Imperial agent at that.”

“Something big. But not big like a building. Someone… wants you to make plans… for something big…”

Suddenly Dodger’s eyes grew very wide and she looked at the Argonian with newfound respect and something like awe.

“Something CRIMINAL!”

Yellow-Eyes nodded, closing his eyes in a sign of satisfaction.

“You’re a… mastermind!”

“Well. Sort of. I plan things. I don’t do them, but I plan them. I have a reputation among certain people of being very successful at it too. My friend wants me to plan something. I don’t know what yet, but he went through a lot of expense to get me here. If you’re going to tag along, I figure you should know what you’re getting yourself involved in. This isn’t some petty drug thing. It’s not even smuggling or slave running. It’s big, and likely political. It usually is with… my friend.”

“Is it dangerous?” Dodger asked, eyes practically sparkling.

“For me and you, if all goes well, no. For the field operatives, sure. But I just make plans.”

“You’ve been a ‘field operative’ though, haven’t you.”

Yellow-Eyes looked at her with more seriousness than she’d seen in him before. Normally he either just ignored her, or looked down on her like a child. This time he looked at her like an equal.

“Yes, Dodger. I have been. I got out of that though. It’s a bloody business and not one I recommend. But I owe my friend my life, so I come when asked. You don’t. I’ve already told you that you should go home. But you’re right. I can’t stop you. I can advise you though. Seriously advise you. Go home. If you get involved in this any more than you are right now, I don’t want to be responsible for any consequences. You’re making a very grown-up choice right now. It’s up to you, but staying with me is not wise.”

Dodger looked at the Argonian she called Yellow-Eyes. She noticed the little wrinkles around his eyes for the first time. The scar on his head looked deeper than she’d noticed too. He was certainly no young buck. His eyes had seen a lot. This was as serious as he knew how to get. He was trying his best to warn her off, but he didn’t understand that his warning had the opposite effect.

Dodger smiled back, a smile that was more mature than her years. “Thank you Yellow-Eyes. I know you’re being serious. But I also know what I’m doing. There’s nothing waiting for me back home. I need to get away. I’ll stay with you, if you’ll have me. For a little while.”

Yellow-Eyes stood up and sighed like an old man. “Mistake. But it’s your mistake Dodger. Always remember, it was your mistake. Deal?”

Dodger held out her hand and grabbed his. It felt at once strong and old at the same time. She shook it once firmly. “Deal.”