Little Red Daggerhood

A story of a Dunmer's luck

By Moogle from Cyrodiil

She happens to not own the idea of this world,

but if she were to make up a back story and

a different world, rename the charries and

organizations, she might be able to.

Notes: This is before the prophecy is fulfilled,

Almalexia and that Sotha Sil are alive, and

this has TES: Oblivion charries in it.

Furthermore, I know that I have changed the

race of certain charries, and I'm okay with that.

It's just that I have way to many Dunmer and not

enough of the other ones.

Now you may enjoy my story.

She sat there in her sleeping bag in the abandoned tent, one hand under the covers clutching a knife, and the other holding this new blade of something or other that that imperial had just given her. She should have placed it in his neck, where it belonged, but she had not. Why could she not do it? Why, why, why! She continually asked herself this question as her eyes looked at the door the man had just departed.

Well, now that she had screwed up royally, she decided to recall the event of the past day…no that wouldn't do. She decided to recall the events of the last week and see what would be the best course of action. After all, Eno Hlaalu had always taught her, You can only make good decisions by looking at what had happened and what you did to get it that way.

She searched the back of her mind, trying to remember where she was a week ago. Ah, wasn't it was Balmora? Yes, it indeed was. She could almost see the terracotta buildings and the sun flying high in the sky of Vvardenfell, casting its light on the buildings, and placing her in the shadow of one. She was resting there, for she knew once she had her assignment, she would not be relaxed again until she reached Vivec.

One week earlier in Balmora

A smile was plastered along the dunmer's dark blue face. Her black hair was slightly blue in color and it bounced as she almost skipped to the Morag Tong sanctuary. A rather plane steel cuirass covered her body, and under it she had a used browned tunic long sleeve on. With greaves and boots of netch leather, she looked like your average novice adventurer looking for her big break, her pot of septims under the rainbow.

The girl was Carmen Daggerhood, courier of the Morag Tong and adventurer. Having just finished taking a satchel full of writs to Sadrith Mora, Carmen was now bringing some to Balmora. Her feet had brought her to her destination, and her nimble hands opened the door. Inside she saw the man she was looking for; a grey haired Dark Elf in odd black whole body armor and a funny tattoo on his face.

He sensed her presence and got up from his table, striding over to her. He smiled cruelly at Carmen and asked in a gruff voice, "You've got my writs, right?" He extended his arm, palm up, waiting for them to be placed in his hand.

Carmen nodded cheerfully to him and gave him a package covered in brown paper and tied in a brown hemp string. "Here you are Exalted Master Balyn. Do you have anything you want me to pass along to the other guild masters?"

Balyn titled his head to the side and sized the girl up. She looked healthy and strong enough, but was she smart enough? He turned away from the puzzled Dunmer and placed the package softly on the table. He knelt and was getting something from the drawer as he inquired, "Do you know where Vivec Morag Tong is stationed, or are you just a hand for hire?"

She was just a hand for hire, but she didn't want to refuse the work. She was sure it couldn't be too hard to find the guild HQ; it was probably in the Foreign Quarter, like the rest of them. So, she cleared her mind and used her No-I'm-Not-Lying voice and said, "I know where it is. Who do you want me to deliver-"She stopped as her turned around with a huge pile of what looked like a small mudcrab. ", That to?"

He gave her the package, believing her words to be true, and Carmen was taken aback by its massive weight. "Hlaalu. I want it there promptly and neatly, it must be there by sundown tomorrow. Eno will pay you for your work, understood."

Carmen nodded her head up and down and Balyn put that smile that was not saying, 'I'm happy'. "Okay shortie, get moving if you want to be on time."

Carmen turned on her heels and headed for the door, glad to be out of his house. Her face no longer held a smile, and she wanted to fall to her knees right there and cry like a wuss. She kept her poise, at the loss of her jovial smile. That was a fair trade, work for happiness, she thought. Then she walked the open city heading for the stilt-strider port.

She ascended the stairs to get on the strider, and heard the man at the top say, "I'm sorry miss, but all of our stilt riders are out on travel right now. You'll either have to use the Mage's Guild or walk to your destination, unless want to wait a day."

Carmen looked up towards the sky and asked, "Why me Azura. Why today?" She stood half way up the stairs and said to the man, "No thanks. I'll find a guar and ride it if I have to." She waved bye to him, her hand making one pass and it was very fast, in an annoyed fashion. Then she ran down the stairs and down the walk boarding the river. She had her quite a ways to travel, and not too much time.

Six hours later, Sunset

A dumb beat rapid sixteenth notes in her chest. Carmen could've sworn it might break sink. Her hands were clutching her knees, but she knew that she had made good distance. She could see a small house and other various places. Praise Azura, one of those places was a small boat. She hobbled over to it, ignoring the glance a farming Dunmer was giving her.

One man was sitting on his boat, when he noticed the girl and how Murudius was looking at her. He got off his boat, machete ready. A scar was over the Redgaurd's eye and he spit as he asked, "What say you, Dunmer?"

Daggerhood was too tiered to notice his hostility. All she could say between pants was, "Huh-ho, huh-ho. Do, travel, to, Vivec?"

Realizing that she was a customer, her went to her, and aided her in walking. "I travel to the Foreign Quarter and to Ebonheart. Will one of those work?"

"Foreign Quarter, please." She had regained her breath now and her heart beat at its old rhythm. He helped her to get on the boat, and then she laid down on one of the wooden planks, resting up. Then she was interrupted by Baleni, who asked her for the thirty five coins needed to get there. She said nothing, and counted out the coins in silence. She placed them in his hand and then closed her eyes.

Vivec, Foreign Quarter

The sun was not up and already the little boat had reached its destination. The water rocked it ever so slightly, in a soothing fashion. Baleni noticed that the girl was still sleeping when they had arrived, and had neglected to wake her. She was beat when she arrived and he thought that the least he could do was let her sleep. He exited the boat, and told the Dunmer that would have it next of Carmen.

When the sun had risen a little, and dawn was gone, Carmen awoke, refreshed, but sore. She moved her legs over the bench and sat up. She could just feel the knots in her back and calves. She put her hair in a messy bun and then slowly departed the vessel. The Dunmer at the top said nothing to her, he only sneered at her. If she had been an outlander, he would have made a comment, but she had no outward indication of this.

Carmen paid no heed to him, she held her head high and, even though her legs protested, walked up the sloping walks to the top of the Foreign quarter Canton. As she walked, she thought of people to ask. There was a guard within view, a couple who looked like tourist, and someone who was just having a nice morning walk over looking the other cantons. Maybe I should just ask the walker, she idly thought. Her feet lead her to intersect the Altmer.

The man went to look over the canton, and placed his arms on the ledge, and Carmen mimicked it about a yard from where he was. Carmen was surprised when he was the first to talk. "You're new here, eh?"

She smiled as she looked at the Redoran Compound. "A little. I've been here before, to give an offering at the palace of Vivec. You're a local?"

He turned his head to look at Carmen and said, "Yes, you could call me that. I actually spend most of my time in the Arena and in the St. Delyn compound; I just like the view from here better."

The corners of her lips went down ever so slightly. So he didn't spend a lot of time here. That was great. Just. Great. Still, he might know something. So she prodded a little more. Her eyes met his as she asked, "I noticed that you have a rather spiffy short sword with you. Are you in the Fighter's Guild?"

He almost laughed, but it just came out as an audible exhale through his mouth and nose. "No, my causes are just a fraction less noble, why do you ask?"

She could almost see his disposition fall with that answer. She thought quickly and then smiled and said, "Well, I'm really in the Dark Brotherhood and I'm trying to infiltrate the Morag Tong, or at least that's what I think I am."

This time, he did laugh, and might I add, loudly. The guard turned his golden head and stared at him, then returned to his patrol. "You know, if you weren't lying, I'd have to take you to the guard, or the Morag Tong. You know, if you say that to the wrong person, they would."

"I know, I know. May I assume you're in the Morag Tong? I mean, who in the world can find their base, save members?" Yes, now she was almost certain that this was either a member, or maybe a seasoned and trustable courier. Either way, he knew.

He looked around and found the guard and the couple who were here before were gone. Then he turned around to Carmen and calmly said, "What, do you wish to bribe me to find o-, their base? Why do you even want to go, and why should I trust you, I don't even know you're name."

Bingo; she had her informant, and on the first try, none the less! She wanted to dance and praise Azura in a loud voice, but kept it in her heart. She would do that later. "I'm Carmen Daggerhood, Adventurer and freelance courier. I hail from Dagon Fel. My father and mother were both fishermen and I have two younger brothers, one who wants to be a pirate and the other a fisherman. I left them three years ago and joined the Morag Tong as a lay member. That means I'm a courier." Then she pointed to the huge pack on her back. One or two envelopes shown out of her pack, but they did not show any indication of the Morag Tong.

Not surprised, but not ready for such an autobiography, the Altmer said, "Nice to meet you Carmen. I'm Nels Llendo. So, you have to deliver this to the Vivec compound." He thought this over for a little, trying to decide if he should trust the Dunmer, and if yes, what to have her do. He picked his head up, and knew what to do. "Very well, Carmen. I will bring you there if you get me sixteen pounds of crab meat, three quarts of Cryodiilic brandy, and some scrib jerky. Bring it to the guard in the Canalworks, west side. Follow him and then wait for me there. I will then blindfold you and use a recall spell to get you in and out of there. Understood?"

Sixteen pounds crab meat, three quarts Cyrodiilic brandy, and scrib jerky. Gotcha captain. She nodded as she placed those things to memory. There were many crabs just bellow the cantons, brandy could be bought from the local merchants, and scribs could be found on the way to Ebonheart. "Yessir, Nels. I won't disappoint!"

The Altmer held his face as placid as he could, but it wasn't long. A grin came to his face and he laughed softly. "l'll be waiting. See you tonight." Then he left her and continued his walk, heading towards the descending plane. Carmen watched him go, and let out a breath in relief. So, fist of all, she was going to go to St. Delyn Canalworks and drop off her writs. If the twenty pound tumor was taken off, she could accomplish her work faster.

She searched her armor and found a weak potion of levitation. It would last for what, thirty seconds? That was enough, right? She hoped so, for automatically while she was thinking, she downed the liquid and sprinted through the air south west. Rising above the cantons and water, she felt elated and free, as if she had cast the ultimate feather spell. She had just gone over the top of the Redoran Compound when she felt the elation die, along with the feathery feeling. Right in between both compounds, she started to fall. She screeched as the forty foot drop to the bottom of the Canton approached. A sense of dread was with her as she fell.

Her body hit something oddly shaped and she heard a snapping noise as she finished her descent. She could feel an odd pain in her stomach and strangely enough, she felt something tickle her in between the end of her cuirass and greaves. I mean, her abdomen and legs were higher than her shoulders and head, and frilly things were making it hard for her to keep still. She rolled over to see what it was, feeling excruciating pain in one arm that was assumed broken.

I've broken the wrong arm, she thought as she cursed Azura. She was turned away from the mass that had saved her life because she couldn't have rolled on her broken arm. That would have been painful and stupid. She couldn't think of that now, she told herself as the fire in her arm spread with vigor. With her good arm she took out her short sword and maneuvered it awkwardly underneath her broken arm. Once that was done, she commissioned her arm to take the ribbons from her hair. The one hand couldn't undo the knots, but it did take them out of her hair.

What had surprised her most was that not one Ordinator had shown up to do anything. They usually came running when something happened such as this, but….Oh no, that couldn't be, Carmen told herself. Did she land on someone? Oh Azura, oh Vivec, Oh Akatosh! She felt an odd presence around her, but dismissed it for her own self loathing and shame. She tried to convince herself that she hadn't done that, if only to stop her crying from clouding her vision. Somehow, she managed to secure the sword to her arm, and painfully and slowly she got up.

Her red eyes where hidden as she made a circle. When they finally showed themselves, they looked directly into the orange building. Slowly and unsteadily, her head came down to peer upon the golden armor and blue skirt of an Ordinator. She panted loudly as she panicked. What would she do? Should she confess to the Ordinators at Hall of Justice, or just throw it over the ledge? She'd never get the package to the Morag Tong if she didn't get the crab soon, and the Hall would want her there for hours, if not days, to sort this all out. Ledge it is.

Her good arm was working over time today, she idly thought to cover the pain. This must be the most overweight Ordinator on the watch! She kept on telling herself this to keep her from think about the thousands of little pins and needles piercing her arm. However, her other arm was just sore, so it also protested to this task, but her mind was adamant about it. The Ordinator was now half way over the ledge, and she, surprisingly, happy, and not too surprisingly, relived. She stepped back a little and kicked the rest of it off with her foot.

She recoiled back and then went over to the ledge to watch the body on its trip to the water. She saw the body make a large splash and then skin peacefully to the bottom. She looked up and breathed out in relief, but she could not shake that strange feeling from her. She looked around, and only saw the terracotta canton and some of the Ebonheart peninsula. She looked the other way and saw a bridge connecting the cantons and…wait, what was that? She looked over the St. Olms canton, her eyes scanning it thoroughly. She could have sworn she saw a figure in black robes looking at her. Did he see her throw the body over, or even kill him? Did-

"Augh! Hunhh hunhh." She let out a gasp in pain as her arm came back with a pain she hadn't felt since she fell in the first place. The sword must have slipped, she told herself. She couldn't take it anymore. It was just getting worse and worse, and now it was almost crippling. She fell to her sore and bruised knees, and then laid on the walk. Slowly her face touched the hot stone, and her check stayed there contented with the slight burn it was feeling. She could not move anymore, and she didn't want to. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep or death to come.

…Present…

Carmen looked at her arm after remembering that scene. That mage, no he was no mage, she thought to herself, had done wonders with her arm. In retrospect, she realized that she shouldn't have been that friendly with him, even though he had helped her tremendously. He was also such a gentleman, walking with her on her journey north and keeping her company, but now that all of the puzzle pieces started to fall into their places, she started to hate herself for trusting him.

Her hands no longer clasped the daggers with ferocity. They had traveled to her arm where she broke it. All that remained from that break was a large and colorful bruise. She looked at its yellows and purples and wondered, How did all of this happen? She placed the dagger and knife onto the bed stand next to her bed and then laid down on the pillow, her head between her palms. Now she would have to recall her recovery and tardy delivery.

Well, that's chapter 1, I plan for there to at least be seven,

if not more. This chapter might be changed later, just in case I

decide to change something to make more sense. I'll tell you if that happens.

Help me help you by helping me and reviewing.

Moogle from Cyrodiil

Or

Cyrodiilic Mog