Chapter Eight – The Shady Argonian
Amaund stood from his chair. Lucas continued to stare out of a nearby window, a bottle of ale in his hand. Amaund looked rough, when they had first met he had been a prominent politician, well dressed, well groomed...now his hair was greasy, his chin was covered in fuzz and his clothes, although had once been expensive, were now drenched in sweat and filth.
"Why...why this is wonderful!" he shouted towards Lucas, who didn't turn his head. "You did it! You actually did it, I thought it went to hell when you and your kin were attacked but by the Gods you did it!"
Lucas swigged his ale. "Payment. Twenty thousand." He said simply
Amaund laughed and jumped around the room "You have no idea what you have done here! The political changes throughout the empire, the ramifications! My family could have the entire council in their palm by the end of the month! Oh thank you!"
Lucas turned his head, his dark hood and cloak hid most of his body from sight, it was hard for Amaund to tell what was going through his mind. Try as he might the shadow cast by that hood hid his eyes and Amaund could not see them, not gage his emotions. "Payment." Lucas said again "So we can be done with this."
"Septims? But of course! Do you remember where we first met?"
Lucas nodded
"Good, good! It is in there, that very room. Where it all began." Amaund closed his eyes and leant his head back. "And it is well earned my friend! Twenty thousand, it's all there, ready and waiting. Oh how things will change now..."
Amaund opened his eyes, a flash of pain ran through his body, emanating from his stomach. He looked down, then up. Lucas's hand was pressed against his belly, a sharp metal sword firmly in its grasp. Lucas's expression didn't seem to change, he stared at Amaund with those unseeing eyes. His head began to get dizzy, the world began to blur. Lucas pulled the sword from Amaund's innards, who immediately dropped to his knees.
"Fitting." Lucas said to himself as he stared back out the window. "Very fitting."
Amaund reached out "But.., we had a deal..."
"I always fulfil my deals Amaund. As a matter of fact, I just completed my second contract of the day. The Emperor sends his regards and waits for you tenderly in the afterlife."
Amaund's eyes widened, then they closed and he sprawled himself across the floor. Lucas took another sip of his ale.
"Astrid. Gabriella. Festus. Arnbjorn. Veezara." He raised his drink to the window. "we did it." He poured some of the ale onto the wooden floor. "Cheers to you all. Hail Sithis."
"Gah!" Lucas bolted up right so fast he fell out of his bed. Lydia immediately jumped out of her own bed, the other side of the room, sword in hand and ready to fight. But she soon put it away when she saw Lucas rolling around on the floor. She sighed under her breath and got back underneath the quilt. "Nightmares again?" she asked.
Lucas didn't respond, he stood up silently and looked out the window. "I'm going to get a drink."
"But my Thane."
"I'm not a Thane!" he shouted. Lydia raised an eyebrow, she had been with Lucas for a little over a month now. More than once he had woken up startled and in a foul mood. She had come to expect his nightmares, but he always just went back to sleep. This one must have really spooked him. He quietly put on a shirt and left the room, Lydia led in a bed a little longer. They had arrived in Solitude that night, it had only taken them half a week by direct horse and cart. They had travelled with Delphine but she had to jump out before reaching the city for fear of being recognized, she told them to meet her at Katla's farm the following night. Lydia and Lucas hadn't spoke much since he found her with Sven in Riverwood. Lydia had been very formal with Lucas, as she always had been, but Lucas used to like to tease her about that, to try and make her laugh and be informal. Now he just went a long with it, ignored what she said and even gave her orders. Was he...was he jealous?
Of course he isn't Lydia thought He's the Dragonborn! I'm sure that's the last thing on his mind!
She tried to lie back down and sleep but she found herself worrying about Lucas and decided against her better judgement to join him at the bar.
Lucas approached the bar and pulled up a stool. It was quiet now, he checked the grandfather clock in the hallway, and it was four-thirty in the morning. Not a busy time. Still though a few patrons hung around, the type who would rather drink themselves silly than be alone with their thoughts. Lucas would fit right in. Of course he could talk to Lydia, but something strange had happened when he had found her with that bard. Something inside him felt...wounded, betrayed. He didn't know why, but Lydia...he just didn't enjoy being around her as much. He felt flat.
He pulled up the stool and placed a couple of coins on the bar. "Ale." He said simply, the tired looking bartender just nodded before sliding a metal flagon towards him. Lucas nodded his appreciation and sipped it quietly.
"I don't believe it." A croaky voice said behind him "Mr Stryke."
Lucas rolled his eyes and planted his head down on the bar. "Gulum-Ei." He said out loud, turning to face the shifty Argonian sat at a table behind him. "It hasn't been long enough."
Gulum-Ei laughed and sipped his wine. "Well, didn't expect to see you again. How's business?"
"You know I'm out of the game Gulum."
"I do, but I always like to shake the tree. See what falls out."
Lucas grunted and turned back to the bar. Gulum-Ei crept up from his table and pulled up a stool next to Lucas, who banged his forehead against the table once again.
"Go away."
"Not excited to see your old friend?"
Lucas raised his head "You tried to have me ambushed and killed."
Gulum-Ei waved a hand "You just can't let things go, can you."
"What do you want Gulum?"
Gulum-Ei lent in close and cupped a hand to Lucas's ear. "Words out. They're looking for you, all your old contacts have been shaken down. Including poor old Gulum-Ei here."
"pfffft, they must be desperate if they think of you as one of my contacts."
"They offered a large amount of gold to anyone who has any information on Lucas Stryke. It may take a little more to keep this Argonian mouth shut."
Lucas turned to the Argonian, who smiled back towards him. His eyes widened and his grin revealed rows of razor sharp teeth. Lucas smiled back at him.
"You were always a good businessman Gulum, that's why we always looked after you. Let me just get my coin purse..."
Lucas stood from the stool and moved to leave the bar. Gulum-Ei also stood to follow him, in order to collect his bribe of silence. Lucas however turned back around, incredibly fast, and punched the Argonian square in the jaw. Gulum-Ei fell to the floor. The other patrons looked up and a few of them even clapped. Gulum-Ei was not well liked and known for his shady deals. Lucas kicked the Argonian several times, he coughed and spluttered and raised his hands over his heads.
"Azura's tits stop! Stop!"
Lucas ceased his assault, he put his knee across the Argonians neck. Gulum-Ei choked, he tried to scratch at Lucas with his claws but Lucas grabbed both of his wrists, and increased the pressure on his neck, leaning his weight onto his knee.
"You tell them one word Gulum, one word and I swear, it will be the end of you."
Lydia walked down the stairs, she wore simple leather clothing. She was quite tired and did notice the noise downstairs getting louder with the sound of jeering and cheering. When she finally reached the bottom of the stair case, she found her Thane strangling an Argonian floor. She wanted to intervene but he was not in any need of her help. Whatever she had missed, it had apparently been violent. She watched as the Argonian struggled against Lucas, who was pressing his knee down on his neck. Lucas had a face of thunder, she had seen him upset and angry, usually after those nightmares, but this was real rage.
"You know what I'm capable of Gulum. You know the things I've done! Can you really imagine I would think twice before dispatching you to save my skin? You really think I would spend coin to make you disappear? Oh Gullum, if there is one thing I can do, it's making people disappear for free!"
At first Lydia had expected some kind of bar room brawl, some moron had provoked Lucas whilst he was still in a foul mood. But now, she knew there was something going on here. Did he truly intend to kill this Argonian, whilst the patrons and bartender looked on? Surely not...
"My Thane..." Lydia said involuntarily
Lucas looked up, he saw Lydia standing across the room by the stairs. His rage dissipated and he closed his eyes, before looking back down at Gullum-Ei. He continued to press his weight down for a couple of seconds before raising his knee and letting go of his wrists. Gullum-Ei immediately rolled over and began coughing and spluttering as he gasped for air. Lucas stood and composed himself, before punching the Argonian again.
"One word Gullum. One word and I swear..."
"Okay, Okay!" Gullum said, holding his chest. "Was just shaking the tree" he smiled through his bloodied jaw. "They won't hear anything from me."
Lucas wanted to hit him again, but he remembered Lydia standing by the doorway. Without looking at her he went to the bar and fetched his ale. The tavern was silent as the patrons felt to self conscious to resume conversation. The bartender nodded at Lucas.
"You know, normally I would call the guards. But I've found that Argonian making off with my stocks so many times, I really quite enjoyed that. Just don't kill him, not in my tavern at least."
Lucas didn't respond as he picked up his flagon and walked to the stairway. He stopped by Lydia who was still watching the Argonian climb to his feet. No-one rushed to help him.
"This is why I am not a Thane" he said in a hushed voice. "My character can bear no titles."
Lydia was beginning to understand Lucas, his casual demeanour, his laid back, sarcastic, unserious attitude was a mask. Lucas was an angry person really, who could get violent on the wrong day. He wore this other personality to hide who he really was, because...he is ashamed of it.
Lydia nodded "Well Lucas..." she used his name, it felt strange to say it. Even Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty sure of yourself. But tell me, would this character, even with all things he had done, kill a Dragon outside Whiterun to save the peasant farmers who live there?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I guess...that was a minor hiccup."
"Well perhaps you should stop letting your invented characteristics define who you are, and just be who you are."
Lucas chuckled a little. Lydia smiled at him.
"For example." Lydia said, beginning to walk forward. " I am headstrong, rash, always taking the violent option, even when there is a more peaceful one available. Those characteristics are me, but that doesn't define me. That person wouldn't do this..."
She left the stairway and walked towards the middle of the room where the Argonian led against a wall. Lucas watched as she helped him to his feet and sat him in a nearby chair. She asked the bartender for some cloth towels, which he brought over, and then began dapping the wounds on the Argonian's face. She was being very gentle, very caring...for a rash, headstrong and violent warrior. Lucas sipped his ale, ashamed of his actions and returned up to bed.
Lydia rubbed the blood from the Argonians face. Gullum-Ei stared back at her and chuckled.
"You need not feel pity for me girl, the others were quite right not to help me up. I would've picked their pockets the second they laid a hand on me." Gullum-Ei throw a coin purse to Lydia who instinctively caught it. She felt her pockets, it was her coin purse. Gullum-Ei must have stole it whilst she helped him to the chair. He smiled then coughed "You're a friend of Lucas, so I'll give ya that one for free."
Lydia placed the coin purse back in her pocket. "I'm starting to see why he was trying to kill you."
"Heh, he wasn't trying to kill me. He was deciding if he should. If he were trying to kill me, I'd be dead."
"He's got a reputation in these parts then?"
Gullum-Ei laughed "Of course not, he hasn't got a reputation in any parts...hmm, maybe Riften. He's got a reputation amongst certain people, but not certain locations. That would've been very counter-productive back in the day."
Lydia signalled the bartender for a bottle of whisky. She poured it into some cloth and dabbed Gullum-Ei's forehead, he cringed as it sterilized his cuts.
"What kind of work did he do, back in the day?"
Gullum-Ei, slanted his head "How much do you know about our mutual friend?"
Lydia shrugged "Not much."
Gullum-Ei lowered his head "I see."
"So tell me, how did you two become such good friends?"
The Argonian laughed, he regretted it moments later as his rib cage ached from Lucas's kicks. "We were both members of the Thieves Guild, a long time ago now."
Lydia stopped dabbing the Argonian's forehead "Th-Thieves guild?" She was right, he had been a thief. But she was expecting something petty, roaming the streets and stealing from merchants stalls. The Thieves Guild was high time, the type of people who would pull of heists so complicated that it would make your head spin. That Sapphire must've have been one to. "That makes...sense."
Imagine that, the Dragonborn a master thief!
"Yeah, well me and your boyfriend had a little mis-adventure. He was kind enough to have let me live after."
Lydia shook her head, the word boyfriend dragging her back from her thoughts. "He's not my boyfriend."
"I'll bet."
"He's not. I'm his servant."
"Kinky."
Lydia rolled her eyes and dabbed a little harder with the alcohol drenched cloth. Gullum-Ei winced with pain.
"All right, all right!" he laughed "I get it. Seriously though, you're not his actual servant are you? I mean..."
"I am his Housecarl." She said flatly
Gullum-Ei squinted his eyes. "Housecarl...but that would make..."
"Lucas Stryke is Thane of Whiterun. I was appointed as his protector and his servant."
The Argonian's eyes widened and he stared back up the stairs. "In the name of all things holy...Lucas is a Thane?! He really does get around. You leave him alone for five minutes and...Bam! Thane!" He chuckled to himself. "People do change."
Lydia stood from the table. "I must go to bed now, my Thane will want me up early in the morning."
Gullum-Ei nodded "Thank you for your kindness, but help me again at your coin purses peril."
Lydia smiled and began to walk towards the stairs. Well that explained an awful lot about Lucas, a member of the Thieves Guild? The Dragonborn? There was almost something poetic about it. A zero to hero feeling. Maybe it was this Thieves Guild who he referred to as his family? But that Sapphire girl was the one who told him about his family... that wouldn't make sense. It was too late (or early) to think about these things. So she resolved to going back to sleep and asking her Thane about it in the morning. They had also had what could pass for a conversation near the stairs, first time since the whole...Sven thing.
"Hey lady!" A croaky lizard voice shouted across the room. Lydia turned around and instinctively caught something which had been hurled through the air towards her. She looked down into her hands, it was her coin purse. She felt her pockets, yep, Gullum-Ei had stolen it again. She looked back to the table where the Argonian was laughing to himself. "That was so easy I felt bad, and trust me that is rare." Lydia rolled her eyes and continued on up to the room. Strangely though...she kind of liked the Shady Argonian.
XENDX
