A/N: What is this? An early update?! This cannot be! And, with such an unimaginative chapter name too! But, it suits it. It's from Ri'sasha's POV. What, did you think I was going to let Alval and Banus do all the talking?
ReaperRain: I know that automatic analysing too well, my friend, for I am studying Psychology with English as my university.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burgundy and Black
Chapter 7: Ri'sasha
Neither Alval or Banus know but I have been watching them. Don't ask me what led me to believe there could be anything between them other than Alval's irritation and Banus' servitude but I did. Perhaps it was the fact they were both Dunmer. Perhaps it was because Banus seemed to become less scared of Alval as time went by (normally, with recruits, it was the other way round). Or, perhaps it was Alval being able to put up with Banus, in his own way (I mean, he wasn't throwing fireballs at him on a daily basis).
Whatever reason it was, it made me stride into the Imperial City Waterfront, resisting the urge to claw the faces of blind-drunk pirates who kept stepping on my tail. It was a clear night, as I remember, with the few Imperial soldiers safely stowed away on barstools and around tables in the taverns. It was the time of year when the nights were shorter and they didn't need to stay on watch as long. A good time for us assassins and criminals in other words (not to mention, the fact that it was warmer and we weren't hindered by extra fur coats).
The Waterfront was humid and my fur was starting to smell from the sweat already, Alright, better get somewhere underground and cool, quick. I remembered thinking, as I always did. Lucky the house I wanted was right near the gate. I knocked and my yellow-furred brother appeared in the door, "Knew it was you, Ri'sasha." He said, as I strode in, "You're the only one who ever knocks before entering 'round this place."
My manners had been thoroughly ingrained in me ever since I was a kitten. Even now, they constrained me. When me and him sat down, he lay back in a slob-like position that I would never adopt and scratched his ears (something I would never do in front of anyone), "So, what brings my darling little sister back from the underground?"
That was what we called
the Brotherhood, the 'underground'. It was a rather safe name to use,
even if it did imply criminal doings. He agreed on it, not me, "A
bit of news for you, Ji'sano. Something I thought you might find
interesting."
"What about? Come on, don't you go
keeping me in suspense. Rat?" He held out a dish of
medium-cooked rat meat. I took a piece in a dignified manner and ate
in politely. Much more than Ji'sano did, who shoved three pieces a
second down his throat while I explained it, "It's about Alval."
He paused momentarily, "He's still as moody as ever...and I
might be wrong but, I'm starting to see a change in him."
By
now, Ji'sano had completely sobered at my words and had finished the
rat meat, "What kinda change? A good kind?"
"Maybe."
I leaned forwards slightly, "You see, there's this new recruit
that's come to the underground. A Dunmer boy. Nice boy, really. A
little nervous when he first came but he's got over it
now."
"Ri'sasha." Ji'sano moaned, "You're
rambling."
"Sorry. Anyway, he had to stay at Alval's house for a few days during some trouble."
"Ooh, that can't have been good for him. I heard how good at roasting stuff Alval's become."
"Actually, the boy was okay. Better than okay, if I'm right."
One of Ji'sano's ears raised, the Khajiit equivilant of raising an eyebrow, "This boy cute?"
"Ji'sano." I
glared at him, flattening my ears against my head, the universal sign
among Khajiits of irritation, "Don't make light of this. The boy
is going to be staying with Alval again while he's on the run from
the boss." As much as I loathed to show the Legion any respect,
that was the agreed codeword for it, "Alval didn't look as
annoyed as he did the last time. And, there's something
else."
"Ri'sasha, does being underground make you love
keeping people in suspense? It's annoying me."
"He stood up to
Lachance."
The empty bowl clattered to the ground with
indecent volume. My already-sensitive ears twitched in annoyance,
"Whoa, really? What did he say to Lachance?" Ji'sano had
changed completely from his usual careless lethergy to the sharp
attentiveness I wanted. His tail was erect, his ears were pointing up
and his pupils were slits,
"Insulted his mother." I found myself smirking despite myself at the memory of Lachance's face. Ji'sano cackled,
"Oh, I bet that stuck-up Imperial didn't like that."
"Didn't do anything
about it, though." I pointed out, "Alval made him
leave."
"Ah, so he is recovering after all."
Ji'sano's face darkened, "I was beginning to wonder if he would
ever have the gall to
stand up to Lachance."
"It is indeed a very good sign." I nodded, wisely, as my hopes and theories came back into my head, "And, I am certain that the boy will make a difference. He is going to be staying at Alval's house for about two weeks. Maybe more."
"You think Alval might fall for him?"
"If he is still capable of it, I hope so." Ri'sasha nodded, her ears drooping slightly, "If Lachance has not truly beat it out of him."
"Ah, don't you get miserable again." Ji'sano groaned, "Be optimistic, for once."
"I am simply worried for him."
"Again? You're always worried about Alval. You've got a total mother complex."
"Oh, who wouldn't with him?" I answered, feeling my face grow hot and hoping my fur covered it up. I quickly turned the topic to him, "So, how your underground going?" He was a member of the Thieves' Guild and, if I asked him nicely, he would do some spying for me to help me with certain contracts. He didn't have to do as much to persuade me to help him, mind. That's the way I am,
"Not bad." He stopped being attentive and more lazy again as he rattled off a story of how he managed to steal something from a Legion captain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As it happened, I felt that I didn't need Ji'sano's help with checking up on Alval. When I got back to Leyawiin, it was nighttime and lights were coming from Alval's house. Drawn to them like a moth to the flame, I crept to one of the windows at the back where there was a gap between the shutters. A gap big enough for me to get a view inside.
With the skills five years in the Brotherhood had given me, I peered over the ledge, flattening my ears back against my head and glancing about. Alval was at a table, meddling with alchemy ingredients, but that was not what caught my attention. Banus was sitting in a chair a little way behind him, just watching him and staying still as a statue.
Alval was not so deep in his work that he would not notice him, that was plain, so I wondered why on earth he was allowed to remain. A hope fluttered in me that Banus would get through to him and I continued to watch longer than I had planned and longer than I ought to. During this time, Alval turned round to Banus twice, asking him to pass something, which Banus did without comment.
A rather boring scene by anyone else's standards. Most people would probably think it was a simple master-apprentice relationship between them. I knew better though. I knew that Alval normally distanced himself far from anyone in the Brotherhood, let alone people lower than him. This tolerance of Banus made my grin to myself, Perhaps, he is on the road to recovery, after all.
I'm not making much sense to you, am I? Of course, you all wouldn't know what I do. Well, I am sworn to secrecy so I'm afraid I can't say it outright. I can tell you about the time I let Banus know a little bit of it, though.
A week later (and after a good deal more spying on the two), I decided it was time to take a gamble and let Banus in one a few essential things he needed to know. On the pretence of delivering the news of the schedules of Legion guards around Leyawiin in the dead of night when I was sure Alval was asleep (that was what I told Blanchard and the others at the Sanctuary), I sneaked into the house and poked Banus awake (who had taken residence on the sofa in the drawing room).
It took a few pokes but he finally opened his eyes, blearily, "Oh, 'lo, Ri'sasha."
"Banus," I kept my voice low, keeping my ears perked up for any signs of Alval being disturbed, "can I tell you something? Something you can't let Speaker Uvani know that you know."
He frowned at this idea but let me go on,
"You see, I've been
sworn to secrecy about something. Me and my brother."
"Maybe,
you shouldn't be telling me, then." Banus suggested, carefully,
he too starting to worry about Alval hearing us, "If he doesn't
want someone to know something, there's a good reason."
"Indeed,
there is a good reason." I nodded, "But, I think it will
safe to tell you."
Banus frowned more deeply, putting his head to one side, "If you think it's safe..."
"Well." I moved
in closer so my whiskers were close to brushing his face, "Speaker
Uvani prefers men over women."
Banus blinked in surprise
but, to my very great relief, did not show any signs of reacting
badly (with disgust or the like). On the contrary, he looked as
though he had been told Alval used a mildly strange oil on his hair.
He let me go on without comment,
"He'd turn me into
ash for telling you-"
"He's ashamed of it?" Banus
whispered, leaning in, too,
"He is, now." I
nodded, "He used to be fine with it."
"Did
something happen?" The boy was now looking more serious and
fully awake, "I mean, did the Black Hand do something to him?"
I was amazed how quickly he was catching on and glad that he was so open-minded. Not many people are like that, least of all in the Brotherhood. I remember thinking that I was very lucky that night, "The Black Hand was involved, yes." I answered him, after a bit of thought of how to get around my vow of secrecy,
"I see." It was a good thing that Banus wasn't too inquisitive, too. Or, probably, he was remembering that it was breaking an oath of secrecy, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, he doesn't act the same way that he normally acts towards other people towards you."
"You think..." I could almost see the wheels in his head turning underneath his scruffy dark hair, "...he might have...feelings for me?" It was hard to read the expression on his face. He only looked inquisitive but I was still worried that he was secretly disgusted underneath. He wasn't so young and ignorant that he didn't know the implications of this,
"Perhaps. It's too early to say for sure. But, Banus, if you think for certain that he is, do as much as you can to encourage it. Don't show that you know. Just let him advance on you. Don't worry, he won't advance too quickly."
"Is he afraid of his own feelings?"
This
boy's good. I remembered thinking, It's
like he knows how Alval's feeling. Really knows, "He'll
be nervous, yes, and hesitant. He will also be worried about other
people seeing him."
"How come, if you can answer that?"
After a bit more
considering, I hissed, "Two people are involved in it. Lars
Ice-Soul and Cyrel Chevalier. Ask him about those two people when you
feel that he trusts you completely. That will take a bit of time, you
understand."
"Of course."
"But, don't
even mention them in front of him until then. He'll kill you and me
if he does. He'll know I told you for sure."
He nodded, warily, "Lars Ice-Soul and Cyrel Chevalier...alright."
As I slipped back out and left Banus to ponder over what he had been told, I wondered once again whether I had done the right thing. He didn't seem disgusted by the information or outright showing any signs that he thought any less of Alval. Still, I worried. I consoled myself with the thought that the rigid manners he had brought with him into the Brotherhood would probably do a good job of keeping his silence.
When I got back, I found Blanchard lazing around as usual. And, as usual, I charged him with a petty chore and chased him off my favourite chair. Relaxing, I stared into the fire and thought of how I had pondered over Alval in exactly the same way all those years ago. Now, I had hope, though, and it was a happier time thinking about him now. Marginally, though. I still fretted over him like a fearful mother-cat.
The next week dragged by and I tried my utmost to stay away from Alval's house. I was running a gauntlet, after all, and he definitely would not go easy on me if he found me spying on him. There were chargrilled bodies of potential thieves dissolved into silt on the bed of Niben Bay to prove that. So, when Banus came back, I wanted so much to pounce on him (not literally, of course) and beg to know what was going on between the two of them.
I held myself back, however. This was something I had to stay out of from here, after all. I had played my part and all I could do was stand back. As it turned out, I needn't have worried.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I am so evil with my cliffhangers, aren't I?
