From the Series Nerevar Blue: A Novel Based off The Elder Scrolls and mods Ashlander Julan by Kateri and the Metal Queens.
First Two Weeks
I woke up in the morning to the sunlight beating down across my legs in the slightly decrepit apartment I managed to find and rent. It came cheap as part of the door was buried in the foundation of another building, and the stench of stale beer floated up from the bar close by. Standing, I took a deep breath. From that breath and onward, careless weeks were spent taking in the sights and sounds of Balmora. I stopped at taverns across the city and drank until I saw beauty in the river Odai.
In between hitting various dens and caverns, the time and the money earned on such pursuits was spent training as I knew my skills had diminished while languishing in an Imperial dungeon. I also knew I had to report to Caius Cosades-I just didn't want to. The idea of helping the Imperials in any way made me physically ill, so I just hung around town doing odd jobs for various guilds. I was a natural thief, so I gravitated toward Southwall Pub, home of the Thieves Guild. One night, while staring into my Matze, I lucked into seeing an old man running around the bar half mad from skooma. I was shocked to learn that this skooma addict, Caius Cosades, would be my mentor for the Blades. It was comical in an odd way and I had a few laughs at the Emperor's expense. His bender was several days solid, and on the third night I followed Cosades back to his home. In the time I watched him, I observed a handsome man with white hair and intense blue eyes. He never seemed to wear a shirt, and spent hours drinking and pouring over books when he was not busy sucking on worn brass skooma pipe. Occasionally he would look up towards his window as if he knew instinctively that someone was watching him, and then slowly turn back to his papers. I knew I had to report to him, though I just couldn't bring myself to go in, at least not yet. There were still things to do...
I came upon Nels Llendo as he was skulking in the bushes around the Ascadian Isle region, a short and picturesque walk south from Balmora. Taking in the fresh air and well paved road lined with Mushroom trees and golden kanet, I spied Nels waiting for his next victim. I knew I was in no danger as he snuck like a child, loudly and clumsily. It's a wonder how he makes any money in this business whatsoever, I thought. Rather than avoid him, I decided to make my way past. I figured I could practice my newly honed skills should he be foolish enough to try me. I picked up a stick and started walking, then followed a well-worn trail around the cluster of bushes in which he was skulking and caught him by surprise, putting a twig to his throat. He pushed me off and spun around. I started laughing, and after staring blankly for a second, so did he.
"I am Nels Llendo, famed highway man, at your service." He took a deep bow and continued, "I see by your blush that my name is familiar to you." I had never heard of him but decided to play along. He took a moment, pausing for effect. "From a charming and gracious a woman as you, I would ask for but a single kiss."
My gods you've got to be kidding me, I thought. "You want a kiss? Really?"
He cocked his head to the side and gave me warm. smile."Well, yes...A kiss from you would be the most precious prize I have solicited from a...client."
"Oh, what harm could it do, I suppose?" I reached over and kissed him. He wasn't bad looking; with the trademark red eyes of his Dunmer kind, he also had reddish brown hair and a sly smile, and well, it had been awhile.
"Ahh...yes. Though they call me a thief, it is you, Annika Blue, that have stolen my heart. That kiss is worth more to me than the gold I might find in a Duke's treasury."
Bah! Didn't voice that thought out loud though, as he might change his mind and try to snatch my purse. Thought it best just to bat my eyelashes and giggle like a ninny.
"I must take my leave of you, fair lady," he continued, bowing deeply. "Though, should you ever need me, I take my lodgings at the Halfway Tavern in Pelagiad. Perhaps you will do me the pleasure of visiting me sometime."
"I will indeed," I said, smiling graciously. Of course I knew Nels was a con man, but right now I was willing to be conned. And though he was both an ineffective bandit, and most certainly a rouge, Nels was not an unpleasant sort and he might be of use. I decided to take him up on his offer, spending about a week with him, er training, particularly on short sword. His lessons did include some invaluable information. From him I learned where I could unload my loot, who's card tables were lucrative, and the location to some ill-guarded caverns. He also taught me some Dunmer terms. N'wah was a derogatory term for a slave or Outlander. S'wit wasn't too bad, just another term for dolt, and fetcher, seemed to be a universal term. I had heard it used in Cyrodill, its meaning implied filth-someone low enough to fetch. Sadly though-for Nels, I grew tired of the country air and decided to take my leave of him and Pelagiad.
Week Three
From the golden shores of Ascadian Isles, I decided to journey down to Vivec, not to see the great city of Vvardenfell, but to take a boat. Erica, who was my partner then subsequent cell mate when I resided in Anvil, swore that if she ever got out she would make her way home, back to Dagon Fel. Out of curiosity, and boredom with Nels, I decided to take a chance and see if she actually made it there. I also was looking for any way to put off the inevitable-Cosades.
The trip to was long and expensive, involving five boat transfers and an unpleasant stay in Khuul-thanks gods no lice. Upon reaching Dagon Fel, a small spit of a town with a few ruins surrounding it, I searched for Erica. Turns out she did make it back and was the proprietor, or actually one of the proprietors of a bar and trade house called Metal Queen. What a name, I thought as I walked in. Upon entering I was immediately greeted by three striking women, one of which was Erica.
"Holy shit! You made it!" Erica ran up and embraced me then turned to introduce me to her friends. "Hey, ladies this is an old friend of mine. Annika Blue, this is Ice, Red and downstairs is Vicky. "Gods, it's good to see you. Let's have a drink!" Red, a petite strawberry blond with wry smile served everyone her "specialty". I nearly fell off the stool.
"So how the hell did you get out?" Erica asked.
"Made a deal with the devil," I said quietly. She knew what that meant right away. "Don't worry, Erica, you'll have no problems out of me."
"Well, that's comforting, but we're pretty much legit 'round here," she shrugged.
I found that hard to believe coming from her. Erica had been an arms smuggler and skooma peddler of the first order. She was also a surprisingly good smith. "I see you've developed you techniques in making weapons," I said looking at the shields hanging off the wall. "Those shields are stunning."
"Well, I've moved on from prison shanks, Anni." Everyone laughed. It was good see her happy. A tall Nord, with blonde wavy hair Erica towered over me. She wore an eye patch now-that was new, but she wasn't strung out. "So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?"
"I wanted to see if you made it back. You were always speaking of Dagon Fel."
"Made it back with Ice and Vicky," Erica said. I later learned that Lorel, aka Ice, a cool blonde who's pseudonym fit, was a plantation owner's daughter and that Vicky, a beautiful Orc, had been a household slave. Slavery was a rare occurrence on the Mainland, but the black market slave traders were still very much alive and well-they shipped to Vvardenfell all the time. So the two ran away together when Ice's father was about to put Vicky on the auction block.
"We met Red in Balmora and kidnapped her," Vicky said wryly.
"Can't kidnap the willing," Red, quipped. "I was happy to get away, trust me."
"I'm living in Balmora now. It's not too bad. Got place by the Southwall."
"Uhhh, I couldn't stand it," she moaned. "Married to a herder. Was glad to be rid of him and that shit town."
"Red, did you know a Caius Cosades? I'm supposed to report to him soon." Balmora was a small enough area, a place where people would run into each other and odd behavior was fodder for gossip.
"Strange man," she mused for a moment. "We lived close to him, though I didn't know him well, but from what I gathered your Cosades developed a love of sugar. Not much else to tell."
"Interesting," I said, shaking my head. "It's hard to imagine an Imperial Blade being strung out."
"Not really, not if you think about it," Erica noted with a shrug. "Anni, if you're spying on cultists, criminals and peddlers, you're bound to pick up a bad habit or two. Some of my best customers were Imperial officers."
I thought about it moment and, yeah, I guess the logic made sense.
"Your drinks getting low. Have another," Red said pouring the green, foaming concoction in my glass. "So did you come here by yourself?"
"Red she just got off a prison ship," Erica said, annoyed.
Red sauntered to me from by behind the bar and plopped in my lap. "Well she might have met someone interesting. Someone to talk about. We're drunk as hell and I want to gossip about something other than Imperial spies and skooma addicts. Anni, you've been in Vvardenfell long enough to get in trouble."
"I just left a thief, Nels Llendo, in Pelagiad."
"Figures. You're taste in men has not improved with age, Anni," sighed Erica.
"Well, I haven't had as much time as you to mature," I joked. "Seriously, I just couldn't stick around with him. He was handsome, though."
"Breton?" asked Vicky.
"No. Dumner," I said.
Red made a face. "Gah! No wonder you got bored. Gods, they are so dull...and so holy. Might as well marry a priest. Did you crush the poor guy, Anni?" she giggled.
"He seemed mildly hurt, and of course over-reacted, but in truth, ladies, had I showed him any affection, I seriously doubt he would have missed me as much-."
"Want what they can't have," Red answered.
"Not all of them," said Erica.
"Oh, gods, now you've got her started," Red laughed, rolling her eyes. "Here we go with Horthar the Horny."
"Shut it, Red! It's Horthar the Hornsmasher, Anni. And for your information we've been together as long as the shop's been here. He's not bad. Fisherman by trade. A good man. No problems outta him."
Red wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered in my ears, "I pick whatever crawls from the bottom of the sea floor. I just don't take them that seriously. Been down that road once. I'm just looking for some fun."
"You've had more than your fair share," said Ice. "How many angry wives have come calling to Metal Queen to look for a missing husband?"
"Oh, here comes Miss Priss. Ice you don't know what you're missing," Red guffawed. I then noticed Ice subtly glance towards Vicky.
"Ah," I said looking over at Ice and Vicky. Not surprised. Childhood sweethearts I guessed. "Well ladies, it's been fun, but I think I need to crash." I was beyond exhausted and drunk.
"You can land here. We have a couch," offered Vicky.
"I'll take you up on that offer. Thank you."
Erica walked over to me. "We'll see you in the morning-well, maybe late afternoon. We keep our own hours here. Good night, well actually day-whatever."
I went to sleep immediately and when I woke it was nearly 4:00 pm. I started to put my clothes on and heard Erica's voice behind me. "When were you supposed to report to Cosades?"
"Weeks ago."
"Anni, you've too much at stake to risk it. You going to run?"
"No. Not this time. Erica, I'm so tired of running. I'm just so tired." It was the truth. The sentence and the subsequent (and unexpected) release took a toll on me. I was not the same person I was when Erica and I shared a cell.
"Well, I'd say stay here, but I think that would make Vicky and Ice a little nervous. They took a lot of loot off her old man. I'm sure they're both wanted on the Mainland."
"Probably. And you're right, you've done well Erica and I wouldn't want to attract any attention." I paused for second, reaching for her hand. "Erica, the Emperor had something to do with my release, I was assigned to do work for the Blades."
"Doesn't get any easier for you, does it?"
"Not now Erica, but soon, I feel it will all be over soon. And then on to something new," I said smiling wanly.
"Well, here are some parting items the girls and I threw together last night after you crashed. We saw you admiring them. Take them. They're yours," Erica said then handed me a shirt, bear skinned coat, and a few other sundries. She then went behind the bar and pulled out the shield.
"This is too much, Erica, but thank you."
"You were there for me. When all this is over come back and see us-when you're truly free."
