Cearbhail:

And we're back to this story. I had a fun chapter today. Well, ok, not so fun. But it has its funny moments...I think. Well, anyway, what shoudl I talk about? I don't want to ruin what's going on, but I will say this, I guess. Remember I said Ruby was pretty much back to normal and that all her troubles were gone? Well, I wasn't completely lying. She's back to normal, however, I understand no one has been in Ruby's point of view besides me...you know...during the whole Dragon crisis thing. What you are about to read is how she normally feels and thinks. Well...except for the whole hallucinating ghosts. That's new, but the rest of it is pretty much standard for her. And someone else I know... well, anyway. Hope you have fun. Oh...and enjoy. ^^

[Ruby]

Dear diary,

We've been at sea for almost two days now. Ksaan's vomiting problems have not yet been resolved, and he's still puking off the side of the ship. Pantu and Zaliika are doing the couple thing and spending every minute together. I think it's cute to see. It makes me want Maleek more, though. Ysolda and Ralof are following me around still, though. It's nice to have them near me. It makes me feel safer. Of course, I'm on a ship surrounded by pirates (well high-risk merchants at least), out in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by miles of ocean, and protected by some of my strongest friends. I still woke up with nightmares, and I still saw Ranjier when I closed my eyes or looked in a mirror. I was doing my best to ignore it, but it's hard to shake.

So, last night when I closed my eyes, I dreamt I was in my bed. Ranjier was standing over me, holding his own head in his hands. It dripped blood everywhere and I felt like I was drowning in it. I woke up trashing in my bed, everyone trying to hold my thrashing limbs. Apparently I was screaming as loud as I could, saying that I was drowning or something. By the time I came to, I was too frantic to calm down. The dream felt so real that I couldn't shake it. I still can't. And after all that, I felt Ranjier grab my arm. I could feel it like he was there. I raked my own wrist, trying to pry him off. I never felt him let go, but I almost shredded my own arm in the process. Everyone had to restrain me and heal my bleeding wrist. I almost killed myself, and now I was on something close to suicide watch. This whole Ranjier's ghost thing is really messing with me. Why can't I just be normal? I killed Ranjier, he should be gone. But he's still haunting me; the very memory of his severed body is still haunting me. It figures he'd still find a way to torment me after dying. Probably did it on purpose too. Whatever, I need some fresh air, or someone to talk to. I can't just sit in this bed all day. I'll just continue seeing ghosts. Might as well commune with the living.

Ruby Nisha Stonearm.

…

I closed my diary, sitting up on my bed. I had a small bed in the crew quarters, where everyone slept. I was the only one here down here right now. Everyone else was above deck, except for Pantu, who was busy mopping the floor on the other side of the crew quarters. He didn't say anything to me, though. He looked over to me occasionally to see if I was freaking out, and then he'd go back to mopping. I guess he wasn't just here to mop, but watch me too. I was only assuming this because he'd been mopping the same spot for about an hour now. I guess I was on suicide watch now. Jeez…accidently scratch my left arm a few times and draw some blood in hopes of prying Ranjier's hand off me and suddenly I'm tagged as a danger to myself.

I suppressed a sigh, standing from my bed. I guess I couldn't hold it against them. I did try to claw my own wrist off. Good thing Zaliika had more of her special soup ready. It healed up my arm pretty quickly. I had a small scar from where my claws had raked my arm. Hopefully, I would be able to hold onto my own sanity long enough to make sure it would never happened again. I don't know if what I was experiencing was some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder thingy or if I was really being haunted by some specter. Whatever it was, I needed to get myself fixed immediately.

Pantu glanced at me briefly before returning his attention back to his mop. I could see him look at me with his peripherals, though. If I stepped behind him, he'd adjust himself so that I'd stay within his eyesight. Yeah, so convincing, Pantu. I'd never suspect that you were watching me if you always kept me in your eyesight. But…he's a good friend, at least. I couldn't blame him or the others for being worried about me. I almost killed myself.

"Hey, Pantu." I called out to him. He turned to look at me, taking his attention off of mopping. "I'm pretty hungry. When do you think lunch is?"

He smiled at me briefly before returning to his mopping. "You haven't eaten in the two days you've been here, Ruby. I'd wager that bowl is still waiting for you in the dining hall."

I nodded to him before turning to leave. "Thanks Pantu…you know…for everything." I started to walk up the staircase leading up, but Pantu stomped his foot to draw my attention.

"Ruby…I've never seen you like this before. I wish I knew what I could do to…well…make you more like you again." He called to me softly from where he was standing.

I stood there for a few seconds. The two of us just stared at each other. My heart called out in pain and my legs felt weak. My head started spinning and my eyes started to hurt. Standing here and feeling sorry for myself and making Pantu feel bad was making me feel worse! I started to shake my head, rubbing my own eyes as they snapped shut. Why did he have to go and make me feel things? I was feeling so normal until he said that. "Pantu…please…" I said to him as I continued up the stairs. "I need time." Time…yeah. That's what I needed. Time.

I thudded my way up the staircase and opened the giant storm door leading to the deck. As soon as I poked my head out, I heard the voiced of the crew crying out in song. "so early in the morning!" Everyone cried out as heavy waves crashed upon the ship.

I looked around while several pirates were spinning/dancing with mops in their hands. One of the pirates brought the mop to his lips like he was singing into an enchanted spatula amplification device. "Mopping floors with water from grimy depths!" He screamed out as loudly as he could.

"So early in the morning!" The chorus of pirates sang out in reply. Just as they said that, a giant wave crashed upon the side of the ship, throwing everyone to their knees.

"Whoa!" Captain Morgan called out casually as he wrestled with the wheel to his ship. He stroked the wheel, cooing to his ship. "It's ok, lassie. It's just the water." The ship groaned in reply. The sky was completely darkened with heavy clouds above us. The only light was the flash of lightning above us. Rain was flying down in massive pelts. I was already soaked and I had only been out here for a few seconds. Was it really this bad out here? I didn't notice when I was down in the crew quarters. "Ok, my merry men!" Captain Morgan called from his place by the wheel. "We need a new shanty! Keep morale up." He cleared his throat. "There's a pretty lass by a land far away, a lass I know, by the name Jyssabelle."

The crew bellowed a reply to his song. "The lass by the shipyard with the long golden flowing hair and the bra made of shells?"

He nodded. "Aye, that be the one." He replied singing. "She's always be working her craft by the way of the tailor, but what she does better than any lass I know, she knows how to blow." A giant wave crashed on the side of the ship just as he finished, spewing salt water everywhere. He brushed his face off, spitting salt water out as he looked down onto the crew.

"Aye, that be quite the show!" The crewmates bellowed out as they continued running around in circles to make sure the ship was falling apart.

"Serving mugs to the men in the bar may make her some coin, but where her true talent lie are with the man next to her in bed." Captain Morgan called out.

"Must be something going on inside his head!" The crewmates responded in reply.

What type of song was this? I'm not entirely sure I understood anything they were talking about. I decided to push myself all the way outside the exit to the sleeping quarters so that I didn't flood downstairs with the pelting rain. When I did so, one of the crewmates saw me coming outside. "Lady present!" He called out.

"Why work him so hard, this pretty lass…" Captain stopped in his tracks, looking down at me. "What? Lady present?" His eyes locked on me and he forced a smile. "Oh, Ruby." He called down to me, trying to keep his voice above the sound of waves crashing on the side of his ship. "How long were you standing there?"

"Ever since the beginning of that shanty." I called up to him. "Why'd you stop? I loved the tune."

He smiled thickly down at me. "Never you mind that, dear. Let's just say its lyrics are not child appropriate."

I nodded. Huh…I wonder what wasn't child appropriate about a whore sucking a man's dick. I guess I just didn't understand kids these days. So, I smiled up at him. Time to make him uncomfortable. "You know, your song reminded me of this time in slave camp when one of my slavers decided that my tongue would be…"

One of the pirates covered my mouth. He looked down at me, shushing me. "Please lass…please don't tell us more. We already have nightmares from half the stuff you tell us about that place."

Ok, I won't mention it then. I thought to myself as I waited for the pirate to release my mouth. "I promise I'll be good." I said into his palm. This was the most fun I've had all day. Perhaps I was getting back to normal then. Or…was I forcing it? I really didn't know, but it was something I would say and do. I enjoyed doing it to Lydia whenever I got the chance. And it was an honest way of telling her what I needed to get off my chest; the things that needed said so that I could begin healing from it. If I kept it to myself, I would never begin healing. But no one wanted to hear the things I went through. No one wanted that darkness in their minds, the knowledge of what I'd gone through growing up. I wanted to tell Maleek but I never got a chance to tell him. And if I did…would he dump me when he found out how damaged I really was? If Maleek left me…what would I even have left in this world? Lydia…I would have Lydia, and Asger I guess. If only I had more family members that I could be with. Like a brother, or even a father. Too bad my family was dead; killed by Ranjier.

I looked up at the thundering sky. The dark clouds reminded me of my mind. The dark clouds, he pouring rain, the lightning that flashed. It reminded me of who I was. The rain was trying to push me down, but I refused to fall. The dark clouds were like my mind, but the flashes of lightning that came and went brightened up the whole sky…if not only for just a moment. It was true; I couldn't keep up the happy act forever. But…I was happy, wasn't I? I'm energetic, but is that forced or is that just me? Gods I wished I knew. Perhaps it is just forced, but if that's how I normally act, is it still an act or is this melancholy thing the act? I didn't have an answer for it; not yet at least. I remember somewhere that we act how we wish to be. So, if I act happy and energetic, I want to be perceived as happy and energetic. And if I project that, don't I naturally become that? Where does the sad me…and the happy me separate? Which one is natural, which one the act? Or it is all the same?

I stood there for a minute or so, just letting the rain pelt me in the face while I thought it over. I forced my mind to clear. For a few seconds, I thought I was going to collapse on myself, but I felt everyone staring at me. I released a quick breath and forced myself to smile. "Hi, everyone!" I screamed. "I'm hungry. Where's the kitchen?"

Captain Morgan handed the helm off to his second-in-command, a Dunmer with a missing eye and a giant scar in his stomach where he was almost killed by a scimitar a few months ago. He strolled down the stairs, looking menacing while he did so. When he reached the bottom step, he glared at me for a few seconds. Lightning flashed above him and then he grabbed me by my arm. "Come, I'll give you some food in my cabin." He said to me as he began dragging me back to his quarters.

"Oh no, Captain is going to abuse her again." One of the crewmates called out in a mock-surprised yell. "Quick…someone stop him." No one moved. Ha, ha. Very funny, guys.

Captain opened the doors, ushering me inside. He snapped the doors behind him. When he did so, his shoulders dropped and he relaxed. He furrowed his shoulders, groaning as he displayed his disgust. "I hate that shanty so much." He turned to face me, taking off his very large hat with the one weird feather sticking out of it. He addressed me for a second before shrugging. "You look hideous, dear." He said as he walked around me. "Just look at your clothes. You ruined them!" He sighed as he walked up to his closet. "Seriously, we need to find something better for you to wear." He nodded to Ysolda, who started rummaging through the various hundreds of cute dresses he had somehow acquired throughout his lifetime.

"You know…they know you're not straight." I said to him. "And that shanty…wow." I called in reply. "You just had to pick the manliest one around." That's when I remembered he stopped singing it because I walked into the earshot of it. "And hey! I'm not a kid anymore. Sing whatever you want, it won't bother me. I've probably lived through worse than any song you could come up with."

He shrugged. "Doesn't mean you have to be comfortable with it. And as for my manliness, it's all about appearances, dear. My reputation is on the line. If someone found out, I'd be…well…I don't know really." He tapped his chin, shrugging it away. "Well, either way, I find it fun when I have to pretend I'm manly. It's like a play. I wanted to be a bard, but no…my father needed at least one son to keep his ship. 'Ra Gada are pirates!' He'd always say to my brother and me. And then my brother had to go and become a vampire hunter and I was stuck with the ship when my father died from an undiagnosed case of Boogie Fever."

"Yeah, that sucks." I replied. "So, what do your crewmates think you're doing to me in here?"

He laughed. "Exactly what I have been doing. Putting you in cute dresses with Ysolda. They find that to be very abusive." He sat down in his giant fluffy chair, pointing at me. "What was I thinking yesterday? Pale yellow blouse with orange skirt? You look like you'd be cute in blue."

"Well, my mane is blue with lavender tips so…I'm guessing a combo of the two." I suggested to him.

He waved it off. "No…never combine your hair color with clothes. It just looks weird." He said to me before shrugging. "Ah, why bother. With this storm, by the time I'd pick out something nice, you'd just ruin it again." He looked over to his left, where Ysolda was busy combing through the hundreds of cosplay dresses Captain Morgan had acquired throughout his lifetime. He'd been waiting for a chance when he could throw them on someone like me and make me parade around the ship like his model. The crewmates thought it was funny as hell, but I didn't really think so. I didn't mind dressing up once in a while, but all day? That's just torture.

Ysolda picked out a flowing blue dress with sparkles in it. "Here, this one. It's that dress worn by the Frost Princess in that bardic tale, Frosted."

I rolled my eyes, trying to activate my innate ability to block out certain memories. I tried to as soon as Ysolda started pushing the dress up against me, checking to see if it would even fit me. When she smiled and cooed, I knew it would. If I could just black out and wake up after it was all over…I wouldn't have to stand here and let them enjoy this. Too bad I could only do that when someone started pushing their stuff inside me.

…

[Lydia]

"Ysolda, open the door." I knocked on her door again. I checked the tiny piece of paper she sent me. 301 e Rimmen Rd, Rimmen, Elsweyr 55023. Yeah…this was the right address. So…why wasn't at least one person home?

"Lydia…do you see these arrows?" Lisa called.

"And these dried blobs of blood?" M'aiq asked next.

"Is…is that a head? Is that a liver?" Ahmbra asked as she pressed up to my leg.

Hmm…my deductive skills were starting to pick up something. But…what was it? I looked around for clues but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The door was busted in, blood spilt all over the front porch. Giant holes where exploding arrows had struck things. Intestines hanging off the roof. Hmm…it was like Talos was trying to tell me something. But…I just couldn't figure it out.

"There was quite the battle here." M'aiq called out. "An archer must have been firing from that rooftop." He pointed to a rooftop far away.

"And it seems that there were multiple assailants." Lisa called out. "Carrying two children…Khajiits I'd say: one boy, one girl." She bent down, pointing down the hill. "Looks like the children got free and were picked up by one Nord with huge feet and six toes on his left foot."

"Ralof?" I asked as I turned to face her. "He's the only Nord I know with six toes on his left foot." Hadvar had six on his right foot, though. I thought to myself as I considered it. Why was that? I sure have no idea why.

Lisa nodded. "So, this Ralof picked up the two Khajiits and carried them away from whoever the archer was firing down upon. He ran down the hill and then…he dropped them outside some warehouse. Should I go check it?"

I nodded. "Sure. Why not. And while you're doing that, I'm going to check inside. Ysolda might be sleeping inside." Or dead. I really hope she wasn't dead.

I don't know exactly what happened here, but if bandits had come by to hurt my best friend…I was going to find them and kill them. And two Khajiits had been stolen? One boy, one girl? Had Ysolda already adopted two children of her own? Would she even take Ahmbra as her daughter? I looked down at the girl clinging to my leg. What would I do with her if Ysolda didn't take her? I guess I could adopt her. It's not like I have many other choices.

I looked back at M'aiq and Jasmine. "You two stay here for a second. I'm going inside to check for my friend." M'aiq and Jasmine nodded as they took up some defensive positions around the porch. I started climbing up the staircase to the outside deck where two tables and chairs lied on their side.

"What happened here?" Ahmbra asked as she hugged my leg tighter. "Why is there so much blood here?"

"I guess that would depend on what time of the month it is, I guess. If I'm right…Ysolda doesn't begin hers for about another day or two…so…I'm guessing a real bloody battle happened here. We should check inside for her." I didn't wait for a response; I pushed inside the cracked door, unsheathing my sword as I started carefully gliding inside the house. Ahmbra nodded, following me inside, sticking as close to me as she possibly could. I could see streaks of mud and blood all over the floors, some blood on the walls as well, but not enough to be deadly. It looked like someone had been punched a few times and they spat blood up on the wall in response.

The muddy footprints and streaks of blood led to a mid-sized bedroom adorned in pink wallpaper, dolls, and other girly things. It reminded me of Ysolda's room when she was a little girl. The floor was stained with a pool of blood, like someone had been stabbed to death and left to bleed out. The bed looked just as bad. The sheets were cut up, the blanket and sheets were soaked in blood like someone had rolled around in blood and then slept in the bed overnight. This room was disgusting. Did they kill some girl in this room? Maybe it was one of the children I heard about earlier. But…that couldn't be right. They had escaped with Ralof when the archer fired down on the house. What on Nirn happened here? I just couldn't figure it out.

Ahmbra stood there motionlessly, her mouth covered with both hands while she stared wide-eyed at all the carnage. Then, her nose twitched. "This room belonged to a Khajiit girl. I can smell it." She looked around. "I know this scent. Ruby…this was Ruby's room."

Ruby? What the heck? I snapped my head around. "What do you mean, this was Ruby's room? How can you even tell?"

"She worked with me, protected me from slavers once, taking my spot for an angry abusive customer that wanted to hurt me. I got a good sniff of her natural odor when she did that. And now…I can smell it in the air. It's the smell of fear. It's hers, I can tell. She was here."

I looked down at the bloody mess of the bed. This must have been her bed. And that would mean…the girl's footprints leading away with Ralof…had to be Ruby too. She had to be in the warehouse. "Come on. We're not done yet." I rushed out of the room, Ahmbra behind me. I rushed to the door as fast as I could, looking around.

A group of kids playing in the river nearby looked at me, waving to me as they did so. They probably played here a lot. And they were kids, some of them Khajiit. I bet they knew who lived here. So, I waved to them, walking up to them with Ahmbra behind me. "Hey, kids. I have a question."

A small wood elf girl walked in front of everyone. She nodded. "Yes, ma'am. What is it?"

She must have been their leader. But…she looked like she was the youngest of them all. Wait…she was a Bosmer…they age slower. She was probably a teenager by now in our years. Or…is it that they mature quicker than humans? I forget which it is but it's known that Bosmer children are somehow older than our own. "I'm looking for the owner of this house. Ysolda lives here, right?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, Ysolda lives there. And her husband, Ralof too. And their daughter, Ruby."

My heart dropped. So, it was true. Ruby did live there. That bloody mess was Ruby. And if that was true…then this entire mess was Ruby's slavers coming to take her back. I did hear that Ranjier was coming to bring Ruby back with him. By the looks of it, some archer interfered with it and Ralof managed to get Ruby away to safety. I looked back at the house, nudging my hand back to it. "Do you know what happened here?"

They all nodded. The girl looked around, saying, "There were some Redguards here. They busted into the house and we all heard screaming, but we didn't leave our houses to come help. It happens sometimes, you know…Redguard slavers coming to steal children. I thought they'd come for Ruby. And they did. They took Ksaan too. But as they were taking them away, Ksaan's friend, Pantu, started shooting these…exploding arrows at the group. Ralof grabbed Ruby and Ksaan, and ran off with them. A giant dragon came out of nowhere and grabbed Ysolda. I don't know how that was even possible."

"That sounds like Ysolda, alright." I groaned.

M'aiq walked up, his ears perked. "Ksaan? They took Ksaan? And Ruby?" He growled. "M'aiq will kill them all." He started fumbling with a ring that he kept on his hand. "He might even unleash his Sen'la'gar."

The wood elf girl pointed to the river. "Then yesterday…there was a lot of screaming and a lot of dead slavers were found at the docks. And then…they found this one slaver in the river…the river. His head had been cut off and thrown in the river with the body, only the body didn't drift too far. They still can't find the head." She shivered as she recalled the thought. "I don't really want to go in the river while that head is still in there…but…if I let something like that keep me from having fun…I don't think I could live like that." She looked up at me, squinting. "Why do you want to know about what happened here?"

Well, might as well tell them. "I'm High Queen Lydia Stonearm. My daughter, Ruby, was kidnapped by some slavers and I'm looking for her. Everything I knew led me here, and now you've told me exactly what I needed to know. My best friend rescued my daughter and then suffered because of it. And now…I'm guessing their not here anymore. Any idea what happened to them?"

The kids shook their heads. The wood elf girl pointed to the house. "They returned here for a couple hours after the slavers were found dead. But, what happened after that…they went to the docks. Maybe they took a ship somewhere?"

I found myself nodding. "Safest way back to Skyrim." I nodded my thanks to her before looking at Ahmbra. "I'm guessing you feel like staying with me until I get you to Ysolda?"

She nodded. "Yes, please." She replied softly. "That room looked so scary."

I resisted the urge to tell her it would be her room probably. I'm sure Ysolda and Ralof would clean up their house…or move to a new one, but that didn't seem like the right option. I'd clean it up if it were my own house.

Lisa ran up to me, her breath a little short. "I went to the warehouse. I found some blood on some pillows in the corner of the room. It looks like someone had been covered in blood. It tasted like Redguard. And somewhere else I found a yellow pillow covered in what smelled like cat urine. I didn't find any bodies, though."

I nodded to her, ignoring the fact that she tasted the blood on the pillows. "Thanks. According to these kids, Ruby lived here for a couple days. It appears that her slaver, Ranjier found her and tried to take her back. Pantu intervened, which led to Ruby and Ksaan running away to the warehouse. A day later, they were ambushed in the docks while on their way to a ship to run away, and I'm guessing they beat the slavers and escaped. So…Ysolda has my daughter…that makes me happier than I could imagine, and they're on a ship. I don't think I need to worry about this anymore, unless Ranjier is still alive. However, I'm guessing Ruby is still with Pantu and Ksaan, as well as Ralof and Ysolda. They can keep her safe well enough." I nodded back to Jasmine. "Let's go back to Hammerfell and kick the Dominion out of your country."

She nodded her thanks. "If you don't mind, I'll suggest our first target."

"Which is?"

"Your friends are attacking Stros M'kai and Sentinel if my scouts are correct. So, we should focus our effort on the main supply line between those two capitals: a highroad between the two towns goes through the town of Taneth, as well as a port used to transport goods to Stros M'kai. We take that town and hold it down; we'll be able to cut most of the supplies of the Dominion in half, if not more." Jasmine said as she pulled up a map. She showed me where it was on the map. It was fairly nearby. We could be there by the rise of the sun the next day.

I nodded to her. "That's where we go next then. Knowing that my daughter is safe is enough for me right now. Let's go back to kicking the crap out of the Dominion."

That drew a smile from her. "Back to the hot tub carriage?"

I nodded. "Yup. Back to the hot tub carriage."

Cearbhail:

Can't wait until the next chapter. I'm sure no one really noticed but an entire day has passed since last chapter. Remember how it ended? Asger grabbed a sword and told the Dominion servants that he would be fighting them next. What happened for that whole day? Well...you're about to find out. Yeah...and it kinda preludes to what happens in Changing Fates as well, because the vial of dragonblood has to come from someone, right? Oh...shit. I should not have said that...