I own nothing. The world of Elder Scrolls is owned by people who are not me, I just create fiction in it.
A few strange looks were given to the Dunmer woman who walked the streets of Port Hunding. She was a stranger in this land, having managed to gain entry into Covenant lands by the support of a Nobleman, who'd given the okay. The Dunmer had nothing to hide, she was a cartographer and wasn't part of the Pact at all. Of course, they'd have thought she was to be some spy sorts. A logical idea, if not for the pardon.
She entered the Screaming Mermaid, a large building that was a bar and an inn. Her employer, a tan furred Cathay-raht, sat at a table to the back, flanked by a dark skinned Red Guard, sitting to the left. The Red Guard stood up to greet her. He had a shaved head and goatee, greeting her with a smile. He wore light metal armor in the Breton style of craft, with a definite sign of wealth to it. The Khajiit had a red mohawk and two earrings on the right ear, giving her a look over with his cat like eyes.
"Nefar, this is the cartographer I told you about, Miss Circe Nora," the Red Guard said. Ushering her to a seat infront of the Khajiit.
The Khajiit, Nefar, gave a polite smile, "Greetings Miss Nora. Please sit, have a drink if you'd like, this one shall pay the tab."
The Dunmer sat down in the seat offered to her. Circe's skin was dark purple; two like tatoos came down from the corner of her eyes to her cheeks in a tribal pattern. She had some beuaty, a working womens kind of look. She smoothed her dress out, nothing like what the Khajiit wore, a red tunic with a dark purple jerkin. Circe had a dreary blue tunic and skirt.
"Let's get down to buisness shall we. I am Nefar. We've hired you to help map out the terrain on our expedition, sponsored by this one's friend Abraham here," said the Khajiit pointing to the Red Guard, "You'll be paid well, and you'll get a cut of whatever we bring back."
"How long is the expedition?"
Nefar looked to Abraham, "Maybe three, four months, depending on weather and if we find what we're looking for."
"And what is it that we are looking for exactly?" She questioned.
"We'll tell the full details on the ship. Meet us on the docks, in front of the ship, The Dreaming Privateer, in the morning," said Nefar.
"I don't like the secrets," said Circe, not sure. Something wasn't right here. Usaully, her clients were very open to tell her what the buisness she'd take part in. By Azura, she worked with slavers who revealed more to her than the two in front of her, and they broke treaty enslaving Argonians.
Nefar slumped in his seat, "Listen. We'll pay you well, and garuntee your safety. Just make sure Miss Nora,you get to the ship on time."
"And don't be late," said the Red Guard Abraham. He drank of from a tankard of mead, sliding a room key over to Circe, "I've paid for the room already. It's late, and you'll need the rest for tommorow. Your belongings have already been taken to the ship."
"4000 gold, I am correct?" She stood up, grabbing the key.
"Yes, and whatever we find on the journey," said Nefar, "Good night Miss Nora."
Circe was still fishy over the whole expedition. She didn't trust that cat, Nefar, one bit. Even the Red Guard seemed off. Taking a deep breath, she went to her room. Once there, she commenced with the usual rituals of getting ready for bed; stripping of her clothes, and washing dirt and grime off her body in the small tub provided in the room, but while she was doing this, Nefar and Abrahm conversed with another figure.
"Has everything been taken care of?"
"Yes Ringleader," the figure told Nefar, "All members of the crew have been investigated, thirty-five in all. The Dreaming Privateer is also fully equiped for the there will be trust worthy."
"That is good news, tell the Guild Master everything is going to plan, you're dismissed."
The figure walked out as Abraham spoke, "This better be worth it Nefar. I've got a large stake in this little operation of yours, and I don't intend to be left strapped for coin at the end."
Nefar chuckeld, "Just relax, Nefar knows what he is doing. Abraham and Nefar have been friends for many years. Nefar wouldn't put soo much at stake for a bogus treasure hunt, espeacially when so much coin has been invested into it. Besides, the Theives Guild shall be in your debt."
"You know I hate debts Nefar,"sighed Abraham, drinking from his tankard.
"Yes yes, this one has never liked debts himself. Think of it as a favor."
"Damn it Nefar, you have too damn good of a tongue for me," he said. They both had been friends for a long time. Knowing each other since they were kids on the streets of Sentinel.
After another hour of drinking, Nefar parted from Abraham. The Kahjiit got up, walking slowly and closely to the wall for balance. He left Abraham alone, alone,by himself. As Nefar left his sight, his happy exterior turned to a frown. He didn't touch his tankard, he had no taste for the alcohol any longer. Abraham clutched his face, he was tired from this days activities, having spent the day finishing up paper work for the cartographer, as well as the requistion of food stuffs on the ship. Yet there was something else on his mind, a sad fealing.
Across the inn from where he sat, he could hear some laughter and cheering. He lifted his head to see what it was all about, and he could see a crowd had gathered. At its center stood a black feathered argonian, lute strapped to his back. In each arm he held a redguard woman, both slender and full breasted. He held a wineskin in hand, from which he drank happily. Abraham could not make out much of the conversations from across the room, but he did hear loud and clear the many people of the crowd hollering at the Argonian for a song. Finishing what was left in his wineskin, the argonian started to climb the inn table, the women still clinging to him. He whispered into their ears and they both looked to each other and laughed, before taking a seat on the table at the lizard-mans feet. He stood upon the table and bowed deeply, removing his hat even though he was not even wearing one.
He put his finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. He began to delicately pluck his lute strings, playing a somber and melancholy melody, though after a few measures, the pace quickened and the minor key turned into a bright and soft major. The argonian bard began stomping the table top with his foot, and members of the crowd began to follow his rhythm, beating the floor with their feet and clapping their hands. The slow, flowing and dark melody changed into a fast, light and bouncing jig. The argonian winked at the ladies at his feet and started his song with an,"AAAAaaaaaaaahhhh!"
"Skipping across the glittering stream
to lick the sand where hammers fell
The guar is hot from dragons breath
while the candles are asleep in your eye
Show me if I can't see the breeze
Somebody, anybody
Is right for you.
Breathe in the cloudless and over-ripe evening
while the scrib is drank dry by an ogres left hand
The smell of roses shows the poor afternoon that
the dreugh are to lazy for a sleepless morning
Save me if you don't see the stars
Somebody , everybody
Is wrong for you.
Without all my feet the treeless woods
find ravens devouring the sleeves of the host
And giants club cries out, "Vengance for,
the kwama is grey because it is not!"
Help me if they can see my heart
Somebody, nobody
Is just for you."
The song awoke the Red Guard from his sadness. The Argonian was a talented bard, excellent at his trade. Abraham forgot the sorrows of the mind, to his usual happy and stoic self. He loved music, it reminded him of happier days as he got up from his seat. He needed to rest, going to the room and falling haphazardly to sleep on the bed.
The next day, Nefar waited patiently at the dock for Abraham and the Dunmer. Amid the crowds of shoppers and peddlers, pirates and privateers, he saw them through the thick of it. The Khajiit flagged them down , as they walked towards him. Abraham got to Nefar first, then, Circe. They greeted each other before heading off to the ship, just a small walk away. It was a smaller ship, more in the area of looks to a packet and a lorcha, with the masts to that of a sloop. It looked tough and fast, bringing a smile to Nefar.
"Question," said Circe as they got to the ship, "I had no clue how to get to this ship. How'd you think I'd make it here then if you I hadn't seen you?"
"Consider yourself lucky that Abraham was late talking to that Argonian this morning. We'd have already been waiting on the ship for you," said Nefar.
Circe gave a pout as they walked up the gangplank. The crew was composed mostly of Bretons and Red Guards, with two Argonians, a Suthay-raht Khajiit climbing up to the crows nest, and an Orc strongman. The crew went about preparing the ship for its voyage, a few member fixing up what was a small balista, another on the port side. In all, four balistas in total. The captain, a hardy looking Breton with a large curly beard, walked down from the helm to greet them.
"Good morning, you must be Ja'Nefar and Abraham Ginosh," he looked over to Circe, "And who is this lovely Dunmer maiden?"
"Miss Circe Nora, our cartographer."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, offering her hand which he quickly kissed.
"And to you as well. My name is Captain Edwan Lancaster," He bowed. Edwan looked to Nefar, "Thank you for the brand new sea balistas. They'll come in handy if any trouble arises, at least giving us somemeans of defending ourselves. The seas can be quite treacherous," the captain said, leading them to the helm of the ship.
"Well Captain Lancaster, the guild is thankful that you offered your services."
The captain grabbed the man waiting by the helm, another Breton with a black goatee and a bald head, "This man is my first mate and friend, Tristan Greenton."
"Ahoy, a pleasure to meet you all," he greeted them.
"Miss Nora, you will be working very close to Greenton as he also doubles as our navigator," said the captain, "Now let's head to my private quarters to discuss matters shall we."
They headed down the stairs to the door to the captains quarters. It lead to the main room, a parlor. Captain Edwan took off his coat, draping it on a coach nearby and walking to the liqour cabinet. He poured himself a drink offering it to his guests. Abraham accepted the offer, while Nefar and Circe kindly refused. After handing Abraham the drink, he sat down lazily on the adjacent couch.
"So, I was told of this being an expedition of sorts, yes?" asked the captain.
"At least you were told something, I wasn't told a thing at all," spoke Circe.
Nefar pulled an item from underneath his tunic. It was a key, wrapped around his neck like a necklace, "We are on mission from Nefar's superiors to find what this key opens. This one had bought it from a merchant only months ago, locked in a strange chest. After some research and throwing some coin at it, my associates believe that we have found a Aylied ruin that may contain vast tresures, far beyond what lies even in the most largest of DaggerFall vaults," he raised the key up, looking at the intricate gold workings, "and this here key, opens all of that."
"And how can you be sure of this?" asked the captain.
Nefar smiled, "Where is my room?"
The captain pointed toward a room off to the right side of the parlor. Nefar, with haste, went to his room. In the parlor, you could hear the Khajiit go through his belongings, until, after several grueling minutes of waiting and curses, Nefar came back with a folded map, pushing away items that sat on a table in the middle of the room. The group gathered around him as he layed and straightened the map out.
"See, we are here," he said pointing to their location, he then pointed to a small X, with a longitude and latitude written under it, "This is were the loot is."
"You have to be fucking kidding me," Circe slapped her hand to her face.
"Lass's got a point you know."
"Edwan and Circe are right."
"Damn it Abraham, you too?"
Abraham shrugged, "Nefar, these cordinates could easily be nothing but rubbish. Books from Aedra damned ancient libraries and bookstores aren't gonna give us even an accurate estimate."
"But you sponsored this operation?"
Abraham sat back down on a couch, keeping quiet while he sipped from his drink in hand. The captain looked to Nefar, "This'll put us in Pact waters."
"What's the matter?" Circe asked suspiciously.
Captain Edwan shifted his eyes, "No reason, just some privateering work for the Covenant."
"You mean pirating!"
"Will this impede the expedition captain?" Nefar questioned.
"No Khajiit."
Circe frowned, "I'm guessing you'll need me to map out the ruins. Will we be able to take any of the treasusres for ourselves?"
"Yes," said Nefar, "Take everything in moderation. Be sure to tell your crew Captain Edwan of that, and be ready to set course for the island."
"Excellent, I'll tell my crew of this. We'll be leaving within the hour."
"Wait Captain Edwan, what about where Abraham and I are going to sleep?"
He looked to Circe, "Your's is next to the Khajiit's. Abraham's is next to mine to the right. All your belongings and equipment have been tacken to the room for you, just like Nefar's. Now, without further questions, I must ready my crew for departure," with that, leaving the parlor out the door.
"Well, I have to go through some paper work and check bank transactions made for the trip," Abraham looked to the Dunmer. She was a hardy looking woman, yet attractive for her kind, "Would you like to come to my quar..."
"No," she bluntly interrupted.
Nefar began to laugh, as he pined the map down to the table with a few old books, that sat on a small stand. The Red Guard frowned storming to his room, slamming the door behind him. Circe smirked at her conquest of the foolish human. Another dream stomped out of a foolish man. She crossed her legs as she sat down on a small chair to the corner, writing away on a note pad she kept with her in a small satchel.
"You know he attends mass to the eight?"
Circe looked at Nefar, stopping her writing to look up at him, "I'm a Dunmer. The Tribunal Khajiit, the Tribunal, "she spoke.
"Well, I see. I'm gonna go and watch them set the ship for sail. Carry on Miss Nora," Nefar walked out.
Circe looked down at her notes, she did not write. She spoke once she felt no one was listening, "Am I really this desperate to be working with pirates. Then again, I've worked with pact violating slavers. O' Azura guide me."
The ship bell tolled, signifying to the crew it was time to depart, raising the anchor and taking the gangplank away. Captain Edwan ordered his crew around as men on the dock untied his ship from port, and his own men used long poles to push away from the dock. The Dreaming Privateer lurched away, eventually seperating from the dock. The dock got farther and farther, a flag unfolding out at the highest mast by the lookout in the crows nest, as they went to sea.
The flag was a darkish purple. A diamond in the middle from top to bottom, with a circle in the center, outlined in white, There was another smaller flag which denoted the ship for commerce, but the main flag still drew the smile of the Khajiit Ja'Nefar. The flag's symbol so proudly displayed, yet none would know outside the group he was apart of what it stood for...
...the symbol of the Thieves Guild.
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