The Strange One Chapter 10: The Death of Tussaud, an elder scroll series fanfic

Chapter Nine: The Death of Tussaud.

Within a few days, Walks-in-Shadows had gained a recommendation from each branch of the Mages Guild. He had even obtained one from Bruma, which had been restored under the orders of the Arch-Mage of the Guild, Aranwen Greenwood. While gaining his recommendations, the Argonian had also found and stolen some filled Grand Soul Gems, as well as gaining the Ring of Khajiiti by going to Howling Cave and killing all of the Necromancers who dwelt within it for Meridia, a female Daedric Prince. The next thing that Walks-in-Shadows did was to follow the Yellow Road to the first bend past the Corbolo River, then leave it and locate the Shadow Stone to the north of the road. Once he had found the stone, the dark Argonian activated it and was granted the Fingernail Moon greater power. This was a Chameleon spell, which would allow him to create a simpler version that he could use at any time, as well as enchant items with Chameleon.

With the Fingernail Moon and the Grand Soul Gems in hand, Walks-in-Shadows went to the Arcane University and used a spell making altar to create a spell which would give him ten percent Chameleon on himself for fifteen seconds when cast. Then he used an enchantment altar and four of the Grand Soul Gems to enchant his helmet, necklace, one of his rings, and his shield with twenty percent Chameleon each. In total, he would have one hundred and fifteen percent Chameleon and be invisible. After a week and a half of work, he was ready.

Walks-in-Shadows travelled from the Arcane University, through the Arboretum and the Temple District, to the Waterfront. Once there, he equipped his Chameleon enchanted items, then sneaked over to the Marie Elena and into an empty crate which stood amongst others on the quay alongside the ship. After a few minutes, the crate was closed and he felt it being picked up then put down again.

"This crate's heavy for bein' empty," a voice said.

"Only the inside's empty," replied a second. "There could be ebony between the walls."

"True enough. You'll have to help me with it."

The crate was picked up again, the men carrying it laughing and making ribald jokes as they did so. Then, after what seemed like ages, the Argonian inside the crate felt it being put down once again before the voices faded into the distance. Walks-in-Shadows waited until the pirates had been gone for a few minutes, then pushed the crate open. Perfect. It didn't seem that anybody but himself was around. The umbric Argonian got out of the crate and crept to the other end of the cargo hold, then went up a ladder which was on his left. As he arrived on the mid deck, he heard the voices of the two pirates who had carried the crate discussing the Dunmer first mate, Malvulis. The conversation lasted for some minutes as Walks-in-Shadows listened.

"I'm tellin' ya, lad, it's bad luck. A woman onboard a pirate vessel! Back in my day, it never would've happened."

"Oh, come now. How many times has Malvulis saved our necks, huh? Captain Tussaud keeps her on for a reason. She's a better sailor than any one of us."

"Ho there, laddie, now you're just bein' insultin'! She may be tougher than me, and meaner too, but a better sailor? It ain't even possible!"

"Oh, right, how could I forget? That time we were almost dashed upon the rocks near the city of Firsthold. That was somebody else at the helm."

"I told you a million times, that wasn't my fault! The wheel was covered with… gull droppin's! My hand slipped! Could've happened to anyone!"

"Well, it's never happened to Malvulis, has it? You know why? 'Cos she could sail better than you in her sleep, you old fool!"

"Bah! You mark my words, boy. That Dark Elf trollop is bad luck. The captain'll end up dead with her around. You'll see."

"You'd better watch your tongue, old man. Captain Tussaud hears you talkin' like that, he'll cut it out! Now come on, we been gabbin' long enough."

After this conversation, the pirates went their separate ways. The one who'd defended the first mate coming fore to a room without a door, where he sat at the table inside to read. The sexist one went to another room, also without a door, this one nearer the aft of the ship, where he got into bed and went to sleep. The Argonian took this opportunity to sneak past them and to the ladder which led to the next deck, climbing it to the captain's cabin. When he arrived at the cabin, he took a quick look round. Good, Captain Tussaud was asleep. Walks-in-Shadows went further into the room, picked the captain's pocket for the key he carried, then used the key to unlock and loot Captain Tussaud's Booty, picking the Nirnroot he heard singing on the way. He cleared the chest of the Septims, lockpicks, and repair hammers that it held, then went over to the captain and slit his throat.

After taking the Septims that the captain had, as well as his steel cutlass, the dark Argonian unlocked the door at the back of the captain's cabin, went through it, then jumped from the balcony at the aft into the water below. He swam to the side of the harbour away from the Marie Elena and got out of the water, then walked to the Bloated Float, an inn on a ship at the other end of the quay. He walked through the door and up to the counter where he hired a room for the night from Ormil, the Altmer owner of the ship.

"The room is down below deck. It's the door on the left," said Ormil.

Walks-in-Shadows uttered his thanks as he paid the ten gold, then went downstairs to his room. He entered it and got out his coarse linen shirt and rugged breeches before stripping naked. He needed to dry his armour and loincloth. However, before getting his clothes on to sleep, the Argonian needed to check his sex. He was surprised that he hadn't remembered before. Since he didn't dare look as Ocheeva had suggested, he laid on his back on the bed, slid his hand down his abdomen, and located the flap of skin that the Dark Brotherhood Executioner had told him about. Good, he did have a male body in this world as well as in his own. He had been worried about that. While it was weird enough to no longer have any obvious genitalia and to have his bum on his belly instead of where it should be, a female body would have really put the cap on things. Now that this was done, he dressed in the clothes that he had taken from his satchels, got as much water as he could out of his wet things and into the chamber pot from under the bed, laid his gear out on the floor to dry, then got into bed and put his satchels on the covers at his back before going to sleep. He was getting more easily tired these days, and he couldn't blame hell joint this time around.