Tales of the Past: Qa'jo

She stood there with her mud-brown tail wrapping around her body while leaning against a dead tree stump. Her white fangs glistening against her dark scaly lips as she sneered at the silent stranger standing in front of her. She got a tingle down her spine, the kind she gets when a predator starts to stalk her through the marsh. Like a cold fish.

She swallowed. "What do you want stranger?"

His black leather mask tilted in curiosity, or at least what normally would be interpreted as curiosity. He wore no coat of arms, or any other means of identification. He was either not under a noble man's rule or was a freelancer, mercenary. However she never saw a mercenary wear what this man wore, it was tight leather died a somber black with crimson red arms and legs. He had a hood covering his head and a black mask over his mouth and nose; obscuring any way to identify his birth race. A flash of movement caught her eye and she watched the fur belt that wrapped itself around the man's waist loosened and began to sway. He stepped out of the water and onto the small mound of dirt she was standing on, his tail twitching every time it touched the water.

"Qa'jo was wondering about this one. The one who 'braves the marsh'."

The argonian shivered at the sound of the cat-man's dusty statement. His voice carried well in the marsh lands and the instant he spoke the whole area hushed, more out of fear than respect.

She laughed, her whole body shaking. "And I am curious about the one who thinks this tiny puddle is a marsh!"

The Khajiit tilted his head, the slits of his red-gold cat eyes narrowing at the argonian woman. "Qa'jo does not think this is a marsh. He is merely repeating what the villagers stated in Morthal." He shifted, allowing the lizard-woman to see his corded muscles shift under his armor. Another shiver, another fish swimming up her spine.

Her next laugh came out as a huff and she looked into his blood soaked eyes. "Ah ha. I see. Well, what does that make you stranger? A copy-cat?"

She heard a low hiss and watched as his hand twitched over one of his daggers. "This one should learn to be more polite."

Her lips parted into an even wider grin. Even though she felt her life was in danger she felt something akin to humor in his behavior. "Sorry stranger. It is just you adventuring types are so easy to tease. I cannot help myself when you leave yourself open like this."

"Qa'jo has a name. It is Qa'jo."

The argonian woman smirked. "Alright Qa'jo. What brings you out here? Other than to disturb my peace."

The cat-man turned to look out at the "puddle". "Chaurus venom and spider glands. To hunt."

"Well I have nothing better to do, so if you want any help just say the word I'll hunt with you."

Qa'jo nodded and began to walk away. He then paused and looked back. "Name."

"Excuse me?"

"Qa'jo shared his name. It is only polite this one shares hers."

"Anum-La"

The cat-man nodded and walking away.

"Let's hunt."

-xox-

As Qa'jo stepped through the door of the sanctuary he was greeted with a blond haired white toothed smile. "Ahh our protégé returns. Tell me do we have new leather to make those snake skin boots I always wanted?"

"No."

The smile vanished and a sneer replaced it. "What? What did you just say…"

The cat-man removed his mask revealing a dark furred Khajiit with a crimson mask made from paint covering his eyes and nose. The paint seemed to emphasize the large burn marks on his lower jaw and neck, along with the deep scars on his nose. "Qa'jo said no, since Qa'jo was never given a contract."

The blond woman leaned forward her breath coming out as a low hissing sound from her clenching teeth. "What do you mean you were never given a contract? I gave you a damn contract now I want you to go back out there and kill that argonian worm!"

"Qa'jo refuses."

The woman raised her hand, a strip of metal gleamed from the golden light of the candles. In one quick movement she brought the piece of metal down across his scarred face. She smirked when she heard a quiet grunt from him. "You… Dare… to disobey me? It was I who accepted you into this family and I can toss you out if I feel like it. You are nothing but a stray. Do you understand?"

"Qa'jo hears this one but he still refuses."

She continued to sneer at the tiny smirk the cat-man gave her and she struck once again. "Tell me cat why I shouldn't toss you out right now. Why after years of service you decided to abandon your loyalty."

"Qa'jo has not abandoned his loyalty, he is showing it." The cat-man shifts so that his back was against the corridor's wall. "The Night Mother has arrived so Qa'jo is waiting for the listener to appear so he can serve the listener, The Night Mother, and Sithis."

The blond blinked her mouth open enough to slip a Septim through her parted lips. Then she began to laugh. "Oh this is rich. The clown got to you too I see. Very well it seems I will be fulfilling one of Sithis' commands." She unsheathed a dagger. "Qa'jo you have betrayed your family, The Night Mother, and Sithis. And in doing so shall be punished with death."

Qa'jo's ears flattened and he hissed. As the blond lunged forward he jumped down the corridor stares to his left. Calling magic to his hands the cat-man felt the ice which he summoned block the corridor behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief. However he knew this feeling would be short lived, not wanting to cause any more suspicion he walked down the stairs as if nothing interesting happened.

"Ho ho ha ha! Kitty made Astrid maAAaaad."

Qa'jo turned his face towards the person who spoke, his ears flat against his skull. He was quickly grabbed from behind and a leather hand was put over his mouth. As he struggled against the attacker he could feel the man's grip tightening even more.

"Hush now Kitty-cat… Don't want Astrid to hear you…"

The man Qa'jo recognized as the 'Jester' pulled him up into the room that Night Mother was in. When he closed the door Qa'jo was released. Breathing the cat-man looked at his 'rescuer'. The man's name is Cicero and as Qa'jo nicknamed him, he is a jester, both body and soul. The man's auburn hair hung in lose ringlets under his pointy clown hat and he had on what looked like a cross between red and black sleep wear and formal dress. He had a lopsided grin plastered onto his sand blasted face.

"Kitty kitty what did you do to make Astrid so angry?"

"Qa'jo refused to fill out false contracts."

Cicero giggled and began dancing. "Ohh ohh Astrid was not happy! No no no! Mother would be quite pleased to hear you are following her will and not that of the false leader."

I aaammmm.

Qa'jo's ears perked up. "By the moons. What was that?"

I am pleased Qa'jo. By disobeying the false orders you have revealed both Astrid's true nature and yours. Such dedication deserves a reward…

Qa'jo stepped away from the mad jester and toward the sound of the voice. "Who is this?"

It is me my son. Your Mother.

Qa'jo stood in front of the twisted coffin that held the Night Mother's remains. "Night Mother…"

Welcome home my listener.