Second chapter already! This fic seems to be going along fairly well. It'd certainly be nice if someone was reading it though. I feel very lonely over here.

Oh, by the way, the first part of this fic takes place before Elder Scrolls IV. I'll get into the main plot eventually, but not for a while.

I don't own Oblivion or any of the characters directly affiliated with it.

888

Rohssan returned a day late due to rather dreary weather. It had been raining heavily for the past two days without break, keeping me cooped up indoors. The stranger I had met, Abadon, was frequently on my mind. It began to drive me a little insane, so to distract myself I set to the shop in a frenzy, scrubbing and polishing everything. I sharpened weapons that needed it, sanded the rough spots out of the counter, replaced a cracked window and chased dust clouds out from beneath Rohssan's bed. When I ran out of things to clean, I worked my body mercilessly, drilling over and over with all the weapons I knew how to use: I could fight hand-to-hand, with a stave, I could shoot a bow and use a knife and I had just picked up the mace. I was, however, best bare handed or with a knife so I practiced with the bow and stave mostly, and worked on acrobatics.

I was in the basement the day Rohssan returned, flipping from one end to the other. I was aware of her the moment she stepped into the basement, but knew she would knock me top over tail if I stopped in the middle of my routine to greet her. So I went through an excruciatingly complex set of twists that left me winded, dropped into a tight spinning kick and stopped right in front of her. She gave me a tight-lipped smile and a nod of approval.

Very good. I do believe that you are one of the most talented students that I've ever taught. You are ready and more than to move on to the sword." I stared at her and tried not to gape. To say that Rohssan was sparing with praise was to say that the rain outside was wet.

"Thank you, ma'am." I nearly fell over in my hurry to bow. Rohssan laughed heartily and steadied me with one hand.

"No Jared, thank you for being so willing to learn." She replied. Then she tilted her head, listening. "We've a customer? In this weather?" She frowned and headed upstairs. I followed, snatching up a rag to wipe my face with as I went.

When we got upstairs, the first thing I saw was the stranger who had purchased the sword.

"Jared!" Abadon greeted me cheerfully. "I wanted to thank you for the katana. It works beautifully." He said, tilting his head towards the hilt I could see poking over his shoulder.

"You know each other?" Rohssan queried, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Umm…sort of." I replied, looking at Abadon. He was soaked through, his auburn hair nearly black with water, his fine clothes dripping all over my newly clean floor. Even sopping wet, he was still undeniably handsome, and I was suddenly very aware of my sweaty, disheveled state.

"It really was no problem." I replied, not daring to meet Abadon's eyes.

"Anyway," Abadon continued as though I had not spoken. "I've come to see if you would have lunch with me on the morrow, weather permitting." Abadon made his request easily, smiling broadly the entire time. I admitted to myself that he was charming, and that I was drawn to that charm.

"Ah, alright I suppose." I said, mentally scanning through what I had to wear for the occasion. I came up with a big nothing.

"Excellent! I'll be here tomorrow by noon." With that, Abadon bowed to Rohssan and me and sauntered out of the shop.

Rohssan looked at me and shook her head.

"Do you know who that is?" She asked, running a hand through her short-cropped hair.

"A noble of some sort?" I hazarded a guess and shrugged. "I helped him pick a sword while you were away." I stretched slowly, nonchalantly, as I worked kinks out of my back.

"Abadon DuLac, son of one of the most powerful families in Cyrodiil. The first son." She added the last part as an afterthought. I looked at her incredulously.

"Then why is he buying a sword here?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. That earned me another raised eyebrow and a frown. I winced and held my hands up defensively.

"I didn't mean it like that! I meant that he could have his sword commissioned and his crest put on it and everything instead of buying one off of a rack…" I trailed off as I realized that I was babbling and Rohssan was suppressing a smile.

"I know what you meant. As for your question, I've no idea. Odd things happen around you, Jared." With that strange statement, Rohssan headed upstairs to her bedroom.

888

The next morning I threw myself into a wild fit, scrubbing every inch of my skin down and throwing on my best clothes, which consisted of a simple black tunic and white leggings. I combed out my hair until the black waves shone softly and just brushed past my shoulders. Rohssan helped me line my eyes with black kohl, as was fashionable. That was the best that I was going to get.

"Here, this is for you." Rohssan pulled a flat box out from behind the counter, as we stood around in the store front, waiting. I took it uncertainly, for Rohssan had never given me any gift but her teaching lifted the lid off slowly and peeked inside, stifling a gasp when I saw her gift. On the bottom of the box lay a beautifully worked black leather baldric with two black-sheathed knives already attached to it. I thought I saw a soft glow around it, but it was fleeting at best.

"Rohssan…"I began, at a loss for words. She held up one hand, silencing me.

"Shut up and take it Jared. The leather is spelled to resist fire and water damage, and the knives will never dull." Rohssan frowned, but I could see that she was pleased with my reaction. I lifted the gift reverently out of the box. It was, by far, the nicest thing that I had ever owned. I slipped it on over my tunic, marveling at how perfectly it fit.

I was about to say something else when the door swung open and Abadon strode in, resplendent in a green silk shirt that brought out his eyes and looked well against his sun-kissed skin.

"Are you ready, Jared?" Abadon asked, tucking his thumbs into his belt.

"Yes." I replied wittily. I bid Rohssan farewell and left, trailing along behind Abadon.

The rain had stopped, but the sky was still overcast. The air held the distinct chill of the coming autumn, slowly seeping through my thin shirt. Abadon seemed undisturbed by the cold.

"So where are we going?" I asked to break the silence. Abadon's head snapped around and his eyes focused on me as though he had forgotten that I was there for a moment.

"I thought we might go for a picnic. I do not particularly care for inns and taverns." Abadon remarked.

"Sounds good." I said, trying to sound enthusiastic as I eyed the fray, cloudy sky. Abadon caught my tone and chuckled.

"Don't worry, I've a reason for it." He said, nodding to the guard as he scrambled to open the gate, bowing obsequiously.

"Of course." I replied, following him with my hands clasped behind my back. Waiting patiently just outside the gate was a saddled horse.

"I only took one so as not to arouse suspicion. You'll have to ride with me." Abadon stroked the beast's muzzle; it's warm chestnut fur glowed against the gold of his skin.

"I don't ride very well." I said nervously, eyeing the horse. It seemed gigantic and menacing.

"Just hold on." Abadon said, grinning boyishly. He swung himself gracefully into the saddle and offered me his hand. I hesitated for a moment and then took it, surprised at how easily he hauled me up behind him. I was not short by any means, nor was I gangly, though I wasn't stocky either. I suppose I was lean at that time. Weight never really stuck to me after all my years on the street.

"What now?" I asked, looking at the ground. It seemed very far away.

"Arms around my waist and don't let go." Then he clicked his tongue and we were off at a headlong gallop across the stone bridge. I barely had time to grab his waist, and my stomach plummeted in a sickening fashion as I was tossed about like a sack of potatoes from the gallop. In front of me, Abadon tossed his head back and laughed.

888

Abadon pulled the horse to a stop behind a copse of trees about half an hour out of the city. There was a circle of willows surrounding a small pond, and there were riots of flowers everywhere.

"Here we are." Abadon said cheerfully as he slid off of the horse. He helped me down, but I had to lean against a tree for a moment before I could support my own weight again. When Abadon saw the expression on my face, he laughed.

"You really don't like horses." He observed as he dug through a saddlebag. He pulled out a heavy looking canvas cloth and set it on the ground, untying the corners and letting them drop away to reveal a pile of food.

"Set that up while I care for Windy here." He said, taking the horse's reins in his hand and leading her over to the pond. I dropped to the ground and did as I was told, setting out the loaves of bread and cheese neatly, putting the bottle of wine to one side and piling up apples. Abadon joined me when he was finished and picked up an apple.

"Enjoy." He gestured, popping the wine open with his belt knife. After a moment I shrugged and ripped off a hunk of bread, sliced some cheese and began to munch as Abadon took a swig directly out of the bottle.

"What did you want me for?" I asked after I had finished half of my bread. Abadon regarded me for a moment over the top of the wine bottle.

"I've a request to make of you. You do not have to accept, but I would appreciate it." He took another long drink and then offered me the bottle. I took it and sipped.

"Well, make it then." I said, raising my eyebrows at the wine. It was some of the best that I'd ever tasted. Curiously, I peered at the label and felt my eyebrows nearly vanish into my hairline. It was a Tamika 399, some of the best around.

"I would like to hire you as a bodyguard for a trip to Anvil. There is a mage I need to consult." Abadon said, taking a bite out of his apple. I could tell that something was off.

"Why me? You're Abadon DuLac. Surely you have scores of guards." I said, knocking back some more wine.

"It's something I'd rather my family not know about. If I can tell them I'm just going on a pleasure jaunt with a friend who also happens to be a good fighter, then they won't protest too much." Abadon said, getting up and searching through his bag again. He came out with a pale purple bottle.

"Trade you." He offered, gesturing to the wine bottle. I took the purple one and handed it to him.

"What is it?" I asked, turning the label-less container around in my hands.

"Just try it." Abadon ordered, tilting his head back and gulping wine. I sighed and popped the cork out, raising the bottle and taking a long drink before I could even stop to consider my actions. The drink was warm and fiery, burning all the way down to my stomach. I gasped and tried not to cough. Abadon laughed again, his voice smoother than whatever I had just drunk.

"Brandy." He supplied, finishing off the apple he had picked up and reaching for some cheese. I looked at the bottle for a moment and then took another drink.

"So will you come with me?" Abadon asked. I considered it for a moment, rolling the brandy around on my tongue.

"If Rohssan will allow it." I said finally. Abadon leaned back, looking relieved. He had finished the bottle of wine and it now lay on the grass next to him.

"Thank you. I will, of course, reimburse you for your service." He said, his speech a little slurred.

"Should be fun." I tipped my head back to drink more brandy.

888

I was quite thoroughly intoxicated by the time the two of us decided to head back, as was Abadon. On the ride back, we went a bit more slowly. It was dark by then, so I couldn't really see Abadon, but I could feel him, pressed up against him as tightly as I was. He was all firm muscle, with no trace of the softness that nobility usually carry with them.

I let my forehead rest against his back and closed my eyes, feeling him tense slightly at that.

"Tired?" Abadon asked, laughter in his voice.

"Kind of." I stifled a yawn and shivered in the cold, sharper now than it had been when we left.

"We're back." Abadon dismounted, handed the reins to a hostler at the stable outside of the city, and helped me down. Together we made our way inside, staggering slightly and only keeping upright because we worked off of each other.

I don't remember getting back to Rohssan's shop or falling into bed.

888

I woke the next morning, surprisingly headache free, and rolled over. I promptly hit something warm and muscular, sprawled out over more than half of my bed. It was Abadon, still asleep, stretched out like a rather large cat. I blinked, confused in my half-asleep state. Why was he still there?

A moment later, he turned over and his eyed flicked open, taking me in.

"Morning." He said, sitting up. The blanket slid down, revealing him as shirtless to the waist. I was still fully dressed.

"Good morning." I replied absently, unable to take my eyes from him. His torso was just as golden as his arms and face, with smooth skin and firm ridges of muscle. His nipples were like small, dark coins on his chest.

"You awake yet?" Abadon asked, raising one eyebrow. I fought back a sudden blush and looked back to his face. He was running his hands over his hair, smoothing the auburn strands of his braid into place.

"Sort of." I replied, stretching slowly. All of the bones in my spine cracked and popped.

"I should get going then." Abadon rolled out of bed and picked up his shirt from where it was neatly folded over the back of a chair. He slipped it on, the muscles in his back shifting and flexing as he did so. I watched, mesmerized.

"Goodbye then. I'll be back in a week with more information on the trip." With that, Abadon grinned at me and left. I watched him leave and then stared at the door for a moment longer. Then I groaned and flopped back onto my bed, rolling over and falling asleep.