Trading Fables

The house's inside was far more impressive than the outside. Inside furs of nearly every animal and food of nearly every variety littered the interior, the warmth of the place was supplied by the grand fireplace imbedded on a large pillar in the very center of the house. The walls had plaque upon plaque of strange looking weapons and shields. Green banners hung from the second floor railing, this place was like a palace. The man brought the two bodies to one of the doors and kicked it open, he vanished into the room only to emerge minutes later. Isabela and Merrill had shed the animal skin and they took it upon themselves to explore the main room ogling at this or that.

"There are rooms on the right and left of you, your friends are in that one there," he pointed to the now closed door that he had gone in moments earlier,"If you need anything Gregor can help you, I will be in my quarters if you need of me." with that he disappeared upstairs, my eyes followed him as he escaped to his room and shut the door.

Gregor stood ready by the fireplace, watching us all with hidden diligence.

I was tired, just very tired. I… just need some sleep.

"Thank you for looking after us ser Gregor." I told him, "Sorry to be a burden but where is a bedroom? I...would like to rest."

Gregor smiled,

"A friend of my Thane is a friend of mine. No need to take honorifics to my name. Right there." he pointed to a closed door. I said a quick thanks and headed in said direction. I opened the door and was greeted with a pleasant surprise. There was a king sized bed, big enough to hold many. I looked around, there was a large window, pale wintry light flooded in. The room was littered with intriguing trinkets. Necklaces, crowns, circlets, just so many things. There was a simple dresser and an end table, upon the end table sat a small platter filled with some kind of treat. A few books sat of the dresser, I was interested but my tiredness overcame my curiosity. Fenris came in and shut the door.

"He is an apostate." he said, "but he cured the taint." fenris looked just as tired as I was.

"Where are we, Hawke? Why were darkspawn waiting for us to crash?" fenris questioned me, but he knew full well what I'd say.

" I don't know. For now we have to rely on him. If he lives in a place like this, he's bound to be important. Friends in high places could help in a land we don't know anything about." I answered, sleep was clawing at my head, "Right now, we are safe, so I am going to sleep, I suggest you join me." I said as I stripped the pieces of my armor away until I was left in my leggings. I gingerly walked over to the bed and through back the covers. Getting in the bed made my very bones heavy as lead.

"You coming or what?" I asked him. He sighed and carefully took piece after piece of armor off. He crawled in next to me and I wrapped an arm around his neck.

"We need to get you some shoes." I mumbled. I felt him smirk against my bare chest as I shut my eyes.

oo00oo

Sitting down in the desk situated at the end of the room, I slowly unlaced my ebony gauntlets. I placed them on the desk and pulled off the ebony boots of the ox, placing them to the side. Standing up I untied the cape and let it fall to the ground. Now the hard part begins. I remember when i first put on this lovely piece of armor, it latched onto me like a living being, grabbing and pulling, it molded to my skin like a fitted glove. I tugged at the ebony mail in certain parts, letting the blasted thing know I wanted it off. Bit by bit it loosened its grip. Gently I tugged it off and folded it nicely, I placed the armor on the desk. A strange sigh was heard from the folded blackness. I swear that armor is sentient. Now in my small clothes free of my weapons and armor I felt so light. I walked over to my dresser and pulled a warm dress from its confines. I slipped it over my head and it settled around my body. I went to work adjusting the fittings, tightening the belted bustier, clasping the back. I stepped over to the shelf and picked some normal boots. After I finished buckling the shoes on my feet I heard a small knock at the door. I was about to speak when my hand flew to my hair. Volsung. Shit. I had volsung on the entire time, they probably don't even know what gender I am. I gingerly took it off and tossed it on the bed. Quickly I grabbed a black head scarf from my bedside table and wrapped it about my head.

"come in." I said.

The wood elf came in, those forest eyes widened in surprise.

oo00oo

Merrill and Isabela poked about the huge mansion-like house. There was riches and weapons and odd things like no one has ever seen before just lying about the house.

"You could catch a hundred septims on this single necklace right here! Gosh he must be so rich!" Isabela cooed in amazement.

"Well this is pretty." Merrill stated looking at the armor on the mannequin. The ancient glass armor sat so daintily there.

"It looks too gaudy, I like that one," Aveline pointed to a set of dragonbone armor."subtle but intimidating."

"Both of you can push off, This one is tight, not too revealing, and sexy!" Isabela said pointing at ancient dark brotherhood armor.

"You don't know the meaning of 'not too revealing', Isabela." Aveline bit. Merrill snorted.

"Well sure I do Aveline! Its the clothes i'm wearing now. These are not too revealing. You should see my night wear." Isabela stated matter of factly.

"Since when do you have nightwear?" Aveline asked.

"Exactly." Isabela said.

Merrill started laughing full out then.

"Sorry-heh-sorry," she caught her breath, "couldn't help myself."

Something had been bothering Aveline, all the armor was fitted for women. The man that saved us had a male name, and voice. Maybe he's a collector.

"Well I wanna know about our knight in furry pelts. Why don't we go seduce her slash him?" Isabela said walking out of the armory.

"Oh, for the last time, Its a man! You could just tell." Merrill spoke.

"I am going to agree with Merrill here, That was a man." Aveline followed.

"Why don't we make a bet, hmm? How about… five septims." Isabela asked, stopping to look at them when they were right outside the door.

"OOh, you are on." Aveline challenged.

"I don't see why not? Ten septims." Merrill said. Merrill and Aveline shook hand with Isabela. Isabela smiled.

"Now, who will knock on the door?" Isabela said. "Merrill, you do it."

"What? Why?" Merrill questioned.

"Because, sweetheart, we don't have a problem with knocking on doors. Come out of your shell a bit, you never know." She trailed off. Merrill sighed. She knew that Isabela cared about her, and was only trying to help her.

"Don't make her do it if she doesn't want to." Aveline spoke up.

"No, I'll do it. And then you'll owe Aveline and I five septims each." Merrill straightened her back. Isabela smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Go on now" she said encouragingly.

Merrill felt a knot form in her stomach. She stepped up to the door and knocked gingerly on it.

A rustling noise came from the other side of the door. Then a voice erupted.

"Come in."

It was that smooth voice from earlier. She opened the door and stepped in the lavish room. She was met with an astonishing sight. There stood a woman in a white and dark red dress with a fur lining on the collar. A black head scarf covered her head and face loosely. She had curves in all the right places from what she could see.

"Oh hello, did you happen to see a man around here? About your height and build...oh" Merrill came to the realize their savior was a woman after all.

"Yes! You both owe me five septims!" Isabela shouted.

"Damn." Aveline said as she dug a hand into her coin purse and shelled out five septims, merrill reluctantly did the same. Isabella, instead of taking the gold took Merrill's hand and closed it around the gold. Merrill blushed. She was always so kind to her when she didn't deserve it.

"So you bet on what gender I was?" The woman asked. Just hearing the voice come out of that figure made it all the more feminine.

"Well, its happened before, I don't blame you. Ah, sorry, my name is MaEve." MaEve said.

"Ah, well, this one is Merrill, and the woman sized battering ram over there is Aveline. I am Captain Isabela, well more like was but still Isabela." She introduced.

"I am not a battering ram." Aveline called out.

"Ooh, yes you are." Isabela retorted.

"You are a funny lot, I knew you for a sailor the moment I saw you Isabela. You seafolk have your airs. Please, let us go to the sitting area downstairs so that we may talk more comfortably." MaEve finished. She walked towards the door and Isabela moved out of the way to let her pass. They followed her down the steps and Isabela just could not take her eyes off of that swelling behind. She had a beautiful body alright. Isabela wanted to see what she looked like, all of her.

The group sat down at the table, all the foodstuffs looked so appetizing.

"Please if you are hungry eat. I've got more than enough food." MaEve welcomed them. Isabela didn't hesitate to uncork what she assumed was alcohol and down it.

"This, is way better than the hanged man's stuff." Isabela glorified.

"Its called Nord Mead." MaEve explained."That reminds me, Merrill, what race of elf are you? I've seen tons of elves and none of them look like you or your friend. Are you a descendent of a wood elf?"

Merrill cocked her head.

"Races… of elves?There is only one race where I come from. Either you are or you aren't. I am a Dalish elf, we try and keep our distance from humans and such, Hawke let me tag along a while ago. Haven't left his side yet."

"Hu-mans? Is that some kind of beast?" MaEve questioned.

"You're joking." Aveline, who had just picked up a cooked rabbit haunch, deadpanned.

"No." MaEve folded her hands together."I have never heard of such a thing."

"Well, I'm a human, she's a human, the tall one in there is a human, and Hawke as well." Isabela scratched the back of her head.

"What of the short one?" MaEve questioned.

"He's a dwarf, you know. The short people who build massive underground cities and such." Aveline took a bite of the haunch, savoring its flavor.

"Like, a Dwenmer? Nonsense, those all died centuries ago. Killed off by the Daedric Princes."

"Dwen-what? Daedric Princes?" Isabella asked.

"You, don't know about Dwenmers? Or Daedric princes? If thats true you don't know who the Divines are either. Or the races." MaEve thought.

"I could show you."

"Show us what?" Merrill asked taking a bite of bread.

"Skyrim. This place is called Skyrim. It nests on the continent of Tamriel." MaEve stood and walked to a bookshelf, she grabbed certain books then came back to the table. Opening one she flipped to a picture of a cat-like person.

"This is a Khajiit."

oo00oo

Hawke opened his eyes. His cheek stung. Fenris's breathed slowly, Hawke couldn't keep his eyes away from the steady rise and fall of his chest. For a few minutes he stared at Fenris, until he heard a giggle. What in the name of the maker was that? Hawke carefully pushed Fenris on his side, he swung his feet off the side of the bed. There it was again, that weird giggle. Hawke walked to the door and put his ear to it, he heard very silent footsteps.

"hmmhame…...listener will…..hehe….night mother knows….hehemamhe."

Someone was definitely out there, and he was crazy as a fox in a heatstroke. I heard footsteps upstairs, he going for the guy that saved us! I looked for my blade and armor but found it missing, as well as fenris's things. I knew this seemed suspicious! I opened the door a crack, from this angle I could only see his feet. He was crouched and sneaking faster and faster. As soon as he disappeared I opened the door further and snuck out. His door opened and he went inside. I stood and grabbed a dagger from a plaque, I was ready to fight if he needed more than just the one man.

"Listener! Oh, oh, oh, good news!"

Instead of screams came a joyful banter.

"Cicero, I have company keep your voice down." The man's voice sounded tired, he was just woken up.

"We got a contract! OOOOh ho ho and its a fun one! Its the captain of the Markarth guard! So when can we go out hmm? Now? Ok lets go now!"

"Cicero, calm down. We will do it in three days time, I have...Special guests."

"Oh pooo you're such a spoil sport sometimes, Listener!"

"How about we wait for them to wake up and I'll introduce you to them? They're seasoned warriors. They've killed lots of people."

"Hmm, sounds a decent way to pass the time, can I kill one?"

"No, you may not, Cicero. they are valued guests. One of them is a Dwenmer."

"Oh oh oh? A Dwenmer? You mean the fellows that built the ruins? But they've all died! They ignored the night mothers call."

"Apparently they've never heard about and Divines or princes. They believe in a figure called the maker…Its quite odd."

"hmmm, then maybe I will stick around. Just for fun! Hehehaohhommmmm."

"Cicero I'm going back to sleep for a few hours."

"Can ciero join? Hmmhemmm? I haven't slept for days!"

"Man what did I tell you. You need to sleep or you start hallucinating. Remember Kagrenzel? I can show you the scar again if you wish."

*deep inhale* "no no! Cicero does not want to think of hurting the listener again. I will sleep just as the listener commands."

"Good."

My brain was trying to register what just happened. Instead I put the dagger back on its place on the wall, walked into our room, crawled under the covers and went back to sleep.