I'm going to try to get a couple more chapters out before school starts on Monday.. I know I'll have one more done at least.

I'm afraid not much really happens this chapter, but it must be written and read to lead up to the next chapter, which will end Part II.

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be worried about forgetting the disclaimer if I owned Oblivion.

So, a drunken Argonian and a fisherman are in a boat…

Let's not finish that thought.

For one thing, he was sober at this point, and another, I can't really be called a fisherman. Why? Because people are sexist.

Anyway, Hauls-Ropes-Faster managed to find a small boat (I didn't want to know how) and had woke me up before the sun rose that morning by banging on my door in order to drag me out half-dressed to the dinghy, nets thrown over my shoulder and new pack tied around my waist.

Yes, it's more important to have fishing gear ready than matching and well-fitted clothing. Are you new here?

So we set out, a considerable amount of food packed as proof that we would be spending the day out, though I had already eaten some of the grapes on the way out. Apparently Hauls-Ropes-Faster had wanted to investigate as well, and decided that he'd just make a trip out of it while I prayed to any god listening that the fishing would be good.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was indeed worth visiting, but not for the fishing. In fact, I really didn't catch any more than I would have on a good day on the docks.

We had been out for a little while when Hauls-Ropes-Faster had decided to go diving instead of helping me with my nets. It was unnecessary help, really, but he was good at it.

He disappeared into the water for several minutes, and I didn't really think much of it. He returned with some alchemical ingredients the first time he surfaced, and he did so only because his hands were full.

The second time was where it got interesting.

He surfaced with something cradled to his chest, not protectively in any way but not wanting it to fall. When he walked onto the shore he limped slightly, but didn't seem to be in any other pain.

I rushed over, "What happened?"

He blinked, still adjusting to the light, "I found something down there; a skeleton."

"A human skeleton?" was my first response, but it seemed a little silly. Of course it was human! My luck wouldn't let it be anything else. I'm surprised the guy's ghost hadn't already come out and tossed me in the water.

"Yeah, and he had some fancy piece of armor. I tried to grab it, but my ankle got caught on some plants and I missed it." He held out the thing in his hand, "I only got a bone."

I looked at the bone, a mixture of horror and fascination on my face, "And thank you for showing it to me." I responded sarcastically.

"I'm going back down to get it."

I wasn't overly interested in this particular thing, "Alright, just try not to get stuck again. I can't dive in after you."

Two casts of my net passed before the dockhand surfaced again, this time wearing a helmet that was a brighter green than the grass in spring. I chuckled lightly at the reflective surface, but the Argonian didn't find any part of it funny.

"This is made of glass!"

"Don't drop it."

Clearly, I was uneducated in the value of armor, "No, not that kind! This is the hardest material you can find outside of Oblivion itself! Well, unless you want to be weighed down all the time."

"Fascinating, but I'll only be interested if it helps with night fishing."

Have you ever been in one of those situations where you feel like you're in one of those advertisements salesmen put on to get you to buy things?

"Here, look…" he set it on my head.

Suddenly the Argonian glowed a bright pink, which I knew from potions to be from life detection. The world around me was a blue tint, but I could still identify everything. It was as though the sun didn't have to shine at all; this thing let me see without light.

"I've heard of this before, from an old rumor. This is the helmet Fin Gleam, I think." he supplied as I looked around, mesmerized.

"Fin Gleam, eh? It's nice…" I remarked.

"And I think I know its last enchantment…"

With that, I was picked up and tossed out into the water. A scream had barely left my lips when I hit the surface. I can swim, but I was startled considerably and started to sink. I couldn't seem to tell which way was up, which way was down, and my breath was…

Still very much there. I opened my eyes and let myself breath, learning the last enchantment of this remarkable thing.

I surfaced and dragged myself onto land, looking and feeling like a wet rat.

"So I was right!"

"Considering I'm not dead." I spat at him.

"Well, it doesn't really help me. I don't work nights and can breathe underwater." he sighed, looking at the bright helmet.

I took it off, "So are you just going to sell it or what?"

He smiled a bit, "I'd have to travel half way across Cyrodiil to get a decent price from a decent person."

"It could make a nice decoration."

"Or I could do the obvious thing and let you have it."

I chuckled, "You're giving me a one-of-a-kind helmet that I could only use for night fishing instead of adding it to your retirement fund?" He gave me a pointed look, "Or beer money, whichever you prefer."

"Nah, this way you owe me something too. And it may be something I could actually use."

"Let me guess, drinks on my tab until I move out or you die from alcohol poisoning?" I said with a smirk.

"That sounds fine to me!"

I sighed heavily, knowing I'd have to do the right thing, "If you're serious, I will pay you back at some point. I don't know how much this thing is worth, but I'll find some way…"

He held out a scaly, wet hand, which I took in my own calloused one.

"Deal."

I rather enjoyed having that helmet, really.

It allowed me to miss out on the hottest part of the day in favor of fishing long into the night. I wasn't quite nocturnal, considering I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to inspect the rest of the city in daylight.

I didn't frequent any places, mostly spending time wandering the area and people watching. I went to a few taverns, memorizing locals' names and bits of idle gossip. I learned that it wasn't strange for people to only go by a first name, forgoing the formalities of stating their surname. It came in handy, and I was known to the town as Margot the Fisherman instead of Marguerite Louise. I carried Fin Gleam with me sometimes, though normally in a pack.

One such time, it was late in the evening, and I was returning from walking in the gardens in one part of the city. I went ahead and put Fin Gleam on since no one was out. It made me feel a bit safer both with the armor and the enchantments.

As I passed Benarius Manor, I noticed someone walking up to the door.

"Are you the one who bought this place?" I asked when I noticed him fiddling with the door. He wore a dark black cloak, and carried an interesting dagger.

"Yes, I'm hoping to fix it up a bit." he responded, and I could clearly see he was a Dunmer.

"They say it's haunted, you know." I mentioned, looking at the window.

It was then that I noticed a light shade of pink dusting it, as though something inside were…alive. But that wasn't possible, because Fin Gleam couldn't detect ghosts.

Could it?

"Sir, I think that that rumor might be right." I responded to the odd look he gave me.

I could make out his smile through the pink clouding his features, but not what it was trying to say.

"I think so too. In that case, it was a bit overpriced."

After that I never saw anything move in the house again. Any noises and smells faded completely, as well.

I did see the man every once and a while, usually around the blacksmith.

I can't really say if he's still around, because after I returned to Anvil, months had passed and I'd forgotten his face.

But you don't know anything about that yet, and I'm dreading telling you that part of the story with every word.

…do I have to?