Chapter 26

Once an Armiger, Always an Armiger

XxXxXx

4E 201, 31st Last Seed – Blacklight, Morrowind

Nevano climbed up the side of the building, sharp eyes picking out every viable handhold in the wall. He sent up a quick thanks to Azura that the building was old and weathered, giving him enough handholds to have a fairly easy path up the building. As he climbed up he hoped that his and Veleth's worry was for nothing and Jorun was simply working late or someone had left a lantern on or something but he knew he was grasping at straws. Veleth's gut had proven itself to be just as accurate as his father's and if he smelled trouble, Nevano could count on there being trouble. Also Jorun hated working past midnight, always had. He could be woken up after midnight and be fine but working up to and past that magic hour? That would spawn a certain breed of crankiness that even Nevano wanted to avoid. It had only gotten worse with age. That there were signs he was here past midnight was not a good sign. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, Nevano knew that something was wrong.

He was one floor below his target window when the first whispers of raised voices reached his ears. He leaned back as far as he could without falling off, frowning as he tried to get a better angle to hear with. He couldn't fully make out the words but they were definitely coming from Jorun's office. The voice wasn't Jorun's though. Jorun didn't yell often. He was one of those people who could make an impression without having to raise the volume of his voice. On the rare occasions he did yell, every living being within earshot instantly started acting right whether they were already or not.

Nevano scrambled up the last few feet, worry lending him a burst of speed and strength the last few rough inches. He could hear the voice clearly now. The accent wasn't that of a Dunmer; it didn't have that roughened edge. It was definitely the fine haughty tone of an Altmer, which meant Thalmor. He contemplated busting through the window but held himself back. He needed to give Veleth time to get up there and maybe diffuse the situation without bloodshed. Not that he had a problem killing a Thalmor but he figured that maybe he should try to hold off on baptizing his return to Blacklight in blood.

A low rumble like distant thunder replied when the shrieking finally calmed down as Nevano finally anchored himself in a spot to wait for Veleth to open the window. That had to be Jorun. His voice wasn't raised at all but Nevano could clearly hear the irritation as if it was spoken in his ear. He couldn't blame Jorun in the slightest and was rather surprised that the offending fetcher doing all the screaming hadn't gotten a sword shoved through his throat yet. He dared to climb up a bit closer, trying to hear what they were saying.

"WHO are YOU?!" Nevano froze, holding his breath. He knew that the Thalmor had to be addressing Veleth. His palms began to sweat. Oh Azura, Boethia and Mephala help them. If there was a moment that Veleth needed to miraculously come up with a convincing lie it was NOW.

"I'm just here to apply for the watch position." Nevano felt a tic develop in his left eye. Applying for watch position. THAT was the lie the kid went with? He could instantly poke a dozen holes in that lie and unless that Thalmor was a complete idiot, which Nevano knew their luck dictated he wouldn't be, he would see right through that as well. That did it, he was writing out lines for Veleth from now on.

"This late at night?" Nevano winced. That was the biggest hole and the Thalmor went right for it like a shark.

"Night watch position." Nevano let the breath he had been holding out with a rush. That was…a weak save, but a save nonetheless.

"As I was saying, before you rudely interrupted me…I had an application appointment but you never shut up long enough for me to get you the hell out of my office so I can get some actual work done." NOW Nevano could breath easier. Jorun had effectively distracted the Thalmor off the blatant lie and sent him off on another tirade.

The window right above his head finally opened. Veleth stayed by the window, away from the screaming, pacing Thalmor. He couldn't see Jorun though. He stayed hidden, curious as to whether or not the Thalmor was going to leave anytime soon or not. For some reason Jorun hadn't killed this mer yet so there had to be reason why. For now he would trust Jorun's reasoning for not doing so…until something gave him a good reason to act otherwise.

"Wait…" The Thalmor got right up in Veleth's face. Nevano had to smirk a bit at the look on the Bull's face. He looked as if he was having an internal conflict over whether to slug the Thalmor in the face or simply head butt him. "I know who you are. You are Jorun's brat. But you…you are supposed to be in Solstheim. What are you doing here? …You know something about the Nerevarine, don't you? He was in Solstheim and now he's here isn't he?! Tell me! TELL ME!"

That was the something Nevano had been waiting for. This Thalmor was digging into things he didn't need to be sniffing around with and getting more than a little rabid about it. This was no longer an annoyance, this was dangerous and he needed to be removed as quickly as possible. Without really thinking about it, Nevano hoisted himself through the window and grabbed the Thalmor by the back of the belt. Before it could register in the other mer's mind what was happening, Nevano pulled as hard as he could. The window shattered as the Thalmor went forcibly through and Nevano was showered with glass and splinters of wood. He watched the Thalmor bounce off the side of the building once and land in the darkened alleyway with a satisfying, and rather wet sounding, thud. A black shadow slowly spread from the still body. Nevano felt a grim satisfaction seeing that.

"I'm going to have a real hard time convincing that fetcher's brother that the wind did it."

Nevano hoisted himself back up through the window. "Bull, we are definitely working on your espionage. That was BAD."

"I…I don't believe it. Nevano…" Nevano swallowed hard when he saw the shocked, but pleased, look on Jorun's face. He had thought that seeing his old friend again would be…easier. Instead the joy he felt at seeing Jorun again was shot through with guilt of his extended absence and the shock at how much Jorun had changed over the years. He had almost forgotten that while he no longer aged, the rest of the world did. He still looked the same but Jorun was older…far older. Still he could see that age had done nothing to diminish him, he was still the same tall commanding presence he always had been. His son might be a bull, but Jorun was a block of granite. It was nice to see some things hadn't changed.

"Jorun, it's been…far too long." He ran his hand through his mane of hair, giving him a sheepish smile.

"I always knew you'd come back. One way or another." Jorun smiled warmly at him. Nevano bit the corner of his lip in an attempt to keep his wildly fluctuating emotions under control. Jorun just…accepted him. As always.

"Damn, Jorun, why can't you just be mad at me?" Nevano asked.

"Because you just threw one of the biggest pains in my ass out the window." Jorun grinned broadly. "Granted it creates a whole new set of problems but I've been contemplating ways to kill Ocanlil without making it seem too terribly obvious for weeks now. If that's your way of apologizing for being gone for so long, I will happily accept."

Nevano smiled.

"Just don't expect Drelasa to be so forgiving. And Modyn, your mother is incensed you didn't say hello to her on your last trip here. As thrilled as I am to see the both of you, I'm not saving you from her." Jorun laughed at the identical look of horror on both mer's faces.

XxXxXx

Drelasa Veleth, another near and dear friend that Nevano loved with his whole heart and would happily give his life to protect. Like her husband Jorun, she had simply accepted Nevano for who he was, not caring what the public opinion about him was. She had been there for him for all those years, from fussing over him after he had limped back from Red Mountain finally to allowing him to convince her to uproot her entire life and move to Blacklight before Red Mountain erupted. Nevano remember just how happy she had been when he had come to visit and she had settled her newborn son in his arms. He had been so thrilled for his two closest friends, especially he knew they had tried for decades for a child.

However, there was another side to Drelasa, the side that both amused and terrified her entire family. Opposite to Jorun, who rarely raised his voice or got riled up over much, Drelasa had a temper that could be ignited with frightening ease. Nevano had set her off and ended up running from her more times than he cared to admit to. She always forgave him, eventually, but she certainly knew how to keep her household, Nevano included, in line. Usually though, she was always in a great mood when Nevano first saw her and he generally wore her nerves down from there. But now he was more than a little nervous and the prospect of the situation being played out in reverse. His mind raced, trying to figure out the best way to play this and come out with all his body parts still attached. He could tell by the stiff set of his jaw and shoulders that Veleth was having the exact same thought as well. He might have inherited his mother's temper but it didn't stand a chance against the source.

As soon as they walked in the door there was a small figurative explosion. Drelasa had obviously been up waiting for her husband to get home, her worry and annoyance building with every hour he didn't show. When the door finally opened she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Aye, my dear, I know." Jorun said calmly, not bothered in the slightest. "It's alright now. Say hello to our son before you scare him off completely."

Nevano smirked as Drelasa launched into Veleth, who had a horrified look on his face, and started up a tirade, alternating between fussing over him and boxing him in the ears for not saying a word the last time he had been in Blacklight. Veleth tried to get a few words in edgewise but every time he was completely overwhelmed by his mother's furious outburst. Finally Drelasa pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, ignoring his squawk of protest. Nevano snickered at the younger mer's discomfort.

"You quit smirking." Veleth growled at Nevano as he struggled to free himself from his mother's grip.

Drelasa abruptly let go of her son and spun around to face Nevano…and froze. Nevano noticed with a jolt that, like Jorun, Drelasa too had aged. Grey streaked her hair and lines marred her face but, also like Jorun, it seemed age had done nothing more than affect her physically. Still it was just another painful reminder that Nevano just wasn't like the rest of this world, that eventually he would be completely alone unless something finally killed him.

Drelasa's eyes went watery and Nevano realized his heart was pounding and his palms were starting to sweat. It was harder to face her than it was facing Jorun. He had no idea just what Drelasa was going to do and in all honesty, he would not blame her in the slightest for whatever she might decide to do.

His internal monologue was cut off suddenly as the strength of Drelasa's fierce hug forced the air clean from his lungs. His arms were pinned to his sides so he couldn't return the embrace but he realized that that was done on purpose. She was hugging him…but she had trapped him at the same time.

"You FETCHER!" She screamed in his ear, making him cringe. "You son of a bitch! You haven't visited, you haven't written, we didn't know if you were dead or alive and THEN we heard about Chorrol and I was so worried but did you send word? NO! You disappeared and no one knew where you had gone! NO ONE! We tried to track you but it was like you had vanished off the face of this planet! When Jorun told me about Truefire and Hopesflame I cried because I thought that you were lying dead and forgotten somewhere and I couldn't even bring your body back for a proper burial! What is wrong with you and Modyn that you can't send word? Didn't you realize how WORRIED we've been? At least we knew where Modyn was this whole time even if he can't seem to remember to say hello to his poor mother. We can't search for you too much without bringing unwelcome attention to you and then you REALLY could be in trouble!"

Nevano glared over Drelasa's shoulder as she continued ranting in his ear. "Now YOU quit your smirking, Bull."

"Both of you are a mess." Drelasa finally released Nevano and shoved him to stand next to Veleth, scrutinizing them both with a critical eye. "When was the last time either of you had a decent meal? Modyn, WHERE did you get that SCAR over your ear? Nevano…you have a cut on your face and it's still BLEEDING!"

"It's not that bad. Just a flying piece of glass from when I gave a Thalmor a lesson in humility." Nevano shrugged then yelped with a warm glowing ball of energy hummed in his face. He felt his skin knitting itself together and had to resist the urge to scratch at it.

"Don't move." Drelasa ordered.

"Shouldn't you say that BEFORE you shove a glowing, itching ball in my face?" Nevano groused.

"Nevano…"

"Yes, ma'am. I understand, ma'am. No moving." Only two people in this world had ever had the power to make him behave just by saying his name like that. One was the short-tempered Fighters Guild champion and the other was this woman.

"Good." The glow faded and Nevano finally gave in and rubbed at the new skin. "Don't scratch at it, you'll undo all I just fixed."

"You've gotten pretty good with the restoration magic…"

"I had no choice!" Drelasa glared at every male in the room, making each of them flinch in turn. Even Nevano had the grace to feel a little ashamed of himself. She definitely was in a mood and he couldn't blame her. The three of them seemed to be able to do that fairly easily. "Every time one of you three walk through my door there's SOMETHING that's bleeding or needs to be re-attached or some bone that's broken to bits…"

Before Drelasa could build up to another impressive rant Nevano heard a thud, the scrambling of claws on the hard floor and caught a flash of something dark brown and massive before it launched itself at him. He had no time to pull a weapon to defend himself as he was slammed hard onto the floor. He caught sight of massive teeth and realized they were coming at his face and…

He was being licked. Not just licked, he was being water boarded by hot, sticky slobber via a tongue he swore was as broad as his face and unnaturally long. He sputtered and struggled, shoving at the dark mass above him but a massive paw slapped one hand to the ground and his other hand simply sank into a fold of furry loose skin.

"What is THAT?" He heard Veleth asked.

"That…is your mother's dog." Jorun sighed.

"A dog…"

"This is not a dog!" Nevano gasped as he extracted himself from the under the massive animal. "THIS is a cross between a old wrinkly guar and the wrong end of a donkey."

The dog sat down after working out what to do with the long tail, which kept wagging happily. Every time the tail hit the chair next to it, the chair was moved a few inches. The dog was absolutely massive. They were both sitting flat on the floor and the dog was taller than he was. Nevano swore he had seen children riding ponies smaller than this dog. It was dark brown shot through with tan and grey streaks along its neck, back and sides. Its heavily wrinkled face looked as if it was melting. The only way Nevano knew where to find its mouth was by following the strings of slobber and long tongue to where the gaping cavern was huffing out clouds of foul smelling breath.

Jorun sighed and shook his head. "I came home one day and she was tying a bow around this squirming little thing that, at that particular point, fit in her lap. By then it was too late to say anything. Then it started growing. Now you can practically ride the thing."

"She is not a thing." Drelasa protested, rubbing the dog's tiny ears. "Her name is Lady."

Nevano swiftly bit his tongue as hard as he could to stop himself from bursting out laughing. He tried to keep the incredulous grin from stretching across his face but it instead turned into some sort of grimace. He hoped Drelasa wouldn't notice because he knew it would make her mad but he couldn't help himself. Unfortunately for him, Drelasa missed nothing.

"Don't you dare laugh, Nevano." Drelasa narrowed her eyes at him. Nevano felt his stomach muscles clenched spasmodically as he fought to keep a laugh down.

"Oh, you are on your own." Veleth held his hands up and took a step away. Nevano slapped a hand over his mouth and mouth as a strangled snort slipped out, trying, and failing, to pass it off as a sneeze. He bit his tongue so hard he could taste blood. As long as he could hold himself right here, he might be able to keep it under control until he calmed down. Then Jorun smirked and Nevano knew right then and there he was going to be sunk.

"I don't think it's fully sunk in yet. Nevano, her name is LA-DY. Lady of Wrinkles. She farts like a joker though…"

That did it. Nevano couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing, so loud and hard that tears sprang up in his eyes and his ribs began to ache. Jorun and Veleth both ducked their heads as the contagious laughter threatened to take over them as well.

As it turned out Drelasa had learned a few destruction school spells over the years in addition to her mastery of restoration. Nevano could safely say that was the only time in his life, and probably would remain the only time in his life, that he had ever laughed while being electrocuted.

XxXxXx

4E 201, 1st Hearthfire

Nevano and Lady sat across from each other, staring at each other face to face. Nevano narrowed his eyes at her. Lady thumped her tail happily, panting heavily.

"Ok, here's how it's going to go." Nevano said. "You don't jump on me and I will find a way to feed you a chicken a day."

Lady woofed, a deep reverberating noise that made Nevano wonder if she had dragon in her blood.

"A cow? It'll be like the giants in Skyrim. I'll put sacrificial paint on it and everything."

Another woof and the massive beast lumbered over to try to lick Nevano in the face. While he fended her off he could hear Jorun in the other room asking Veleth to take a letter somewhere. Every time he tried to listen in a bit more he got a tongue to the ear. Finally he managed to shove the insistent dog off him. Curious, Nevano got up and went into the other room, rubbing at his ear to get the dog slobber off.

Nevano raised an eyebrow when he saw Jorun waiting for him, a well-worn chessboard laid out on the table, all ready to play. He knew how to play and considered himself a fairly decent player but in all the decades he had known him, he had never once beaten Jorun. The man was an excellent player, trapping Nevano's pieces so subtly that he once lost in four moves without even realizing it. Despite knowing he was going to lose and probably embarrassingly so, he also knew that this was a silent invitation from Jorun to talk. So he sat down behind the line of white pieces and contemplated the board for a moment before making the first move.

"Pawn E2 to E4. So, Jorun, what became of the Buoyant Armigers?" Nevano went straight to the point he'd been dying to ask for a long time. He'd ask about the letter later. "No one has any idea what happened to them. They just…dropped off the face of the map. But we all know that things don't just up and disappear. Unless you're a dwemer that is…"

"What makes you think there are any left? Pawn E7 to E5."

"I'm talking to one right now. Once an Armiger, always an Armiger. Knight G1 to F3." Nevano smirked. "They didn't disappear anymore than I did. You are very good at hiding everyone else's tracks and convincing everyone you're an old nut who knows nothing."

"Stop blowing my cover." Jorun chuckled. "Knight B8 to C6"

"Sorry, my old friend, but I've recently discovered that you are a very convincing liar. I always knew you were good, but this latest ruse? I'm highly impressed. I thought for a moment there I had lost my mind and HAD gone to Akavir without realizing it. I had no idea that you were the one behind it. HOW I didn't hear that stupid rumor for all this time I'm not real sure. Still I'm willing to bet that if someone had tried to trace the source of that rumor it would land them somewhere in Elsweyr. Why couldn't you teach your kid that handy little skill? Oh, Bishop F1 to B5. Quit matching my moves."

"It used to be easier to fool you, kid. Knight F8 to E7." Jorun smiled. "And Modyn has no patience for 'sneaky stuff'. I've tried. He was so easy to lie to when he was younger that it took the fun out of it. He catches on now usually, but it just annoys him. You always caught on…eventually. It depended on your mood."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You often let your emotions get the better of you, Nevano."

"N'chow! Well! Ok, so…Pawn C2 to C3." Nevano coughed, the tips of his ears heating up. "Back to the subject at hand, now that you thoroughly distracted me. What news on the Armigers?"

Jorun finally laughed. "Alright, alright. I had my amusement watching you fish for it. You are right, the Buoyant Armigers are still around. After Vivec disappeared and the Tribunal Temple lost its power, the Armigers had no one to answer to anymore. The Grand Marshal gathered together all the officers to reevaluate the function of the Armigers. After a little while of debating…"

"Meaning several weeks of heated arguments that nearly came to bloodshed?"

"Yes, that." Jorun sighed. "Anyway, despite the fighting they could agree on one thing; the Armigers had fought valiantly against the daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. I remember that fight. I thought I had seen it all when we faced those waves of ash vampires after you killed Dagoth Ur but that seemed like child's play in comparison to the daedra that just came pouring at us. I've never seen monsters like that before and I hope to never see the like again. Faith in the Tribunal had been wavering at that point since you turned our world upside down but after fighting off those demons and then Vivec just…disappeared? The whole nation felt abandoned and that's putting it mildly. Many of us in the ranks came to the realization that we could only rely upon ourselves to protect our home and family. That sentiment carried itself up through the Armiger ranks and was what was kicking around in the Grand Marshall's mind. It wasn't easy to change since we had devoted ourselves so wholeheartedly to Vivec but the decision was reached that instead of disbanding, the Armigers would continue to protect the people of Morrowind…but in a different capacity. They withdrew from the public face entirely, becoming as covert and secretive as the Dark Brotherhood. They no longer answered to the Temple, Tribunal, Reclamations or otherwise. They became a completely independent organization that has devoted themselves to more "clandestine" work, stealing information, scouting, infiltration and the like. Pawn D7 to D6."

"That I would not have guessed…the Buoyant Armigers turned into a extensive network of spies. Impressive. Pawn D2 to D4."

"As I said; spying, scouting, assassinations, infiltration." Jorun said, tapping his fingers on the board. "In the beginning it was difficult as they worked out how to best operate without becoming associated with the Morag Tong, the Thieves Guild or even the Dark Brotherhood. They didn't want to be murder for hire, legal or otherwise, and they certainly didn't want to be considered lowly cutpurses, and Azura forbid they get mistaken for the empire's Blades, so it took a while for them to settle into their niche but over the past few centuries they've come into their own and earned quite a bit of respect. They've even been able to steal secrets from the Thalmor without getting caught. Bishop C8 to D7."

"So THAT'S how you know so much!" Nevano jumped up, his chair clattering to the ground behind him. Jorun slapped a hand to the table to keep the chess pieces from bouncing off the board. "You…I should have known! I knew that gut was good but not THAT good!"

"As you said: once an Armiger, always an Armiger."

Nevano began to pace, his hands tapping his upper arms as his mind raced frantically. "This…suddenly isn't just a conspiracy between two guard captains and the councilor of a far-flung outpost, is it? This whole thing against the Thalmor…it really is turning to war isn't it?"

"Well, it DID start out as a pipe dream but never lifted off further than just grumbling amongst ourselves. Then Truefire and Hopesflame ended up in Thalmor hands and were being held for ransom; the legendary swords of Nerevar and Almalexia would be returned to Dunmer hands in return for our complete submission to Thalmor law. Suddenly there was a little bit of alarm in everyone's mind, that maybe we should give a bit more thought to our rebellious grumblings." Jorun gave him a sharp look suddenly. "Then SOMEONE not only stole the swords back but DECLARED WAR against the Thalmor after trashing the embassy in Skyrim. Someone who matched the description of the person who slaughtered an entire Thalmor unit in Chorrol back during the Great War. The Thalmor have been frothing at the mouth since, making my life difficult. Know something about that?"

"I might have a thing or two to add to your account of things." Nevano said blandly. "I can't take credit for trashing the whole embassy though. That would be a kid called Gunjar. Oh and the King hiding behind the rook thing. Forgot what that's called."

"Once again Nevano, you came crashing right into the middle of things without realizing it. Knight E7 to G6. And it's called Castling."

"Whatever. So did your son." Nevano righted his chair and settled back down. "Knight F3 to G5."

"That is what concerns me the most." Jorun frowned. "There's nothing I can do to stop it or get him out of it. I highly doubt he would let me at this point. Pawn H7 to H6."

"Jorun, I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't come back to help with this conspiracy. Morvayn told me about it and started trying to pester me into coming here not long after I got to Solstheim and I wanted nothing to do with it. Your son was the only reason I came back." Nevano narrowed his eyes, studying the board. "Knight G5 to F7. Good-bye pawn. Oh, and check. Veleth told me all what happened to him and how he got to Raven Rock and I think I got a Veleth premonition. I knew what was going to happen and I couldn't let your bull of a son do this alone. Sneaky stuff would tear him apart in a matter of seconds. As to what happened in Skyrim…I lost Truefire and Hopesflame purely by accident and I didn't care who or what I pissed off to get them back. When I declared war on the Thalmor, as everyone called it, I wasn't thinking about actually declaring war on them. I said it just to get a rise out of them. I was thinking about getting my swords back, the only things I had to…care for since Chorrol. I was happy to go on my way, losing myself in whatever gutter I found myself in and just kill whatever Thalmor crossed my path without really thinking about what the hell they were doing in the rest of the world. But…"

"But?"

"Azura intervened. And Nerevar. And the Dragonborn, of all people. They wouldn't leave me to fade into total obscurity in peace. I was forced to face everything I was running from…and then I met a mer getting his arse beat on the beach by some freak of nature monsters and it turns out he was my closest friend's SON. I could HEAR Azura laughing! And Mephala! Nerevar hasn't stopped smirking since that day. I tried to turn away from it but they wouldn't leave me alone. They pushed and pushed until I thought I was going to go insane. Then the Bull told me his story and that was when I knew. What is with you Veleths that always seem to convince me to do things I really don't want to do?"

"It's a family trait." Jorun smiled. Nevano felt the knot of tension he hadn't even realized he had unravel in his stomach. Jorun had not only made sense of the jumble of words that poured from his mouth, but also understood the meaning behind it. He didn't judge on it, he didn't berate Nevano over it. He simply accepted it, just like he always did. The knot finally settled into a comfortable warm ball, allowing Nevano to finally relax. "But…thank you. You being with him puts my mind at ease. Doesn't make this endeavor any less dangerous but you two compliment each other so well that I think your chances of survival greatly improved. King E8 to F7."

"See, now we're on mushy stuff and you know I do that about as well as your kid does sneaky stuff." Nevano said, doing his best to keep the waver out of his voice. "But you're welcome. I remember when he was still smaller than me and, well…Uncle Nevano won't let the kids go running off to an underground war alone. Now, before I say anything else incredibly heartfelt and highly embarrassing, can we please get to the planning part? Knight B5 to C4. Check again."

"Yes." Jorun smiled warmly. "I already have a bit of an idea of where we should probably start. There's a reason I sent Modyn on that errand. Once I get confirmation on it, we can get started and maybe build from there. King F7 to E7."

"Going to tell me or do I get to be surprised? Queen D1 to H5."

"I'm going to surprise you. I know you love surprises. Queen D8 to E8" Jorun leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Oh, and Nevano?"

"Yes?"

"No wandering around the city alone this time."

"Why does everyone keep SAYING that?!" Nevano groused. "Queen H5 to G5

"Because you are the embodiment of trouble. Not even Azura's protection and Nerevar's soul in you has done much to curb that." Jorun gave him a flat look. "Remember the last time I let you wander around alone? That bar STILL won't allow drinking competitions after the brawl you started."

"It wasn't a brawl, it was a simple disagreement between two inebriated persons over payments owed." Nevano said huffily. "Said drunk didn't want to hand over the debt he incurred so I simply encouraged him along. That I chose to encourage him by smashing a clay mug over his head was not considered too outrageous considering the circumstances. That his equally inebriated friends decided to start smashing their own drinking containers on everyone else's heads was not my fault. It also wasn't my fault that a mage got startled enough to cough up a fireball, which landed on spilled booze and set the place on fire. I have to ask though, how long did it take for them to rebuild that place?"

"Almost a year. Lot of fighting over that one."

"Then my job there was complete."

"Trouble. You are TROUBLE, Nevano." Jorun laughed.

"Yes but because no one was seriously injured in that fire…it was so worth it."

"Yes, well, we both know you aren't going to listen so do me a favor." Jorun continued once he saw Nevano's ear twitch his direction. "No more lighting any bars on fire, intentional or otherwise. The soldiers off this rotation just might riot if you somehow destroy their favorite bar. Ah, pawn H6 to G5. I'll take that queen."

"May I ask which bars those might be…?" Nevano asked as casually as he could. "Knight C1 to G5."

"Right outside the military district, directly east of the market road. Like you've ever forgotten where a tavern is." Jorun snorted. "Huh, a stalemate."

"Against you, I'll consider it as finally meeting you on equal ground rather than both of us losing."

"Ah Nevano, you've always been on equal ground with me."

"Dammit, stop it with the mushy stuff!"

Jorun laughed as he reset the board. "Along with not setting bars on fire, also do me the favor of at least waiting for the furor over that fetcher you killed to die down a little AND hide those eyes of yours. Just keep your identity secret for now."

"I know the routine." Nevano agreed. "Besides, why ruin the surprise? I want to see the looks on everyone's faces personally."

"Oh, you will surprise them alright. Of that I am sure." Jorun agreed, and then motioned to the chessboard. "Again?"

"I'm going to regret this but alright."

A few hours later, Nevano was cursing as he resoundingly lost game after game.

XxXxXx

4E 201, 4th Hearthfire

Jorun was right, Nevano wasn't going to listen and stay inside. He had been plagued by a rather nagging suspicion that he couldn't shake no matter how many times he tried to tell himself that he was being as paranoid as his friends. Sitting around and behaving wasn't going to do anything but make him even more jittery. He did give it a few days before he set out though that was more because he didn't want Drelasa to tear him a new one and less because he was letting the Thalmor calm down. Jorun had been right about that; they had been as thick as sewer rats in the streets the past few nights but finally had lessened to a tolerable degree. He did keep his promise though; he stayed out of sight and wore his lenses, even though it rendered him nearly blind in the dark.

As he wandered more towards the heart of the city, towards the bars that Jorun had helpfully listed for him, he allowed his mind to wander towards his quarry: Dalin R'is. He had no idea why he was so suspicious of the man. Maybe it was because he was so…bitter against the world. Maybe it was because he had had higher expectations for him. Or maybe it was because simply didn't like the younger mer. Or, Nevano mused darkly, a combination of all three. Either way he wanted to find R'is and get to know him better…from a safe distance. He was hoping that if he got the chance to see the mer in a more "natural setting", so to speak, and not tense and upset it would put his suspicions to rest and he wouldn't have to worry so much about Veleth.

"I'm getting too old to worry about these damn kids so much…" Nevano muttered under his breath. Yet he knew he couldn't help himself. He would always care about his friends' kids. When Gunjar finally had kids, he knew perfectly well what would happen; a drooling, smelly baby would be thrust at him and his battle-scarred heart would melt into a puddle and he would happily coo and babble in an embarrassing fashion until the babe would smile and burble right back while the parents smirked. It happened with Veleth and it would happen with Gunjar's future kids. Even after the kids grew up into bull-headed bastards that talked him into playing the hero again…he still couldn't help himself. Uncle Nevano would still look after them.

He got lucky. The first bar he walked into, his sharp ears picked out the voice he had committed to memory from that first night. He kept his hood pulled down low and settled himself at a table where he was relatively secluded but could see the younger mer sitting with a group of other young soldiers who were drinking watered down drinks. Nevano snorted. Young mer who didn't know how to hold their alcohol. He ordered the strongest sujamma the tavern had and settled in to watch and listen.

"Did you hear what that one man from Zyr said?" One of the youngest looking in the group was saying excitedly. "He said he saw some sort of monster come out of the woods and slither into the sea."

"Probably a dreugh." R'is said dismissivly. Nevano rolled his eyes. So the mer was just a naturally jaded mer. It didn't quite fit in what Veleth had told him about this man. What had happened to make him this way?

"You are an absolute kill joy tonight, R'is." Another soldier accused.

"We all know that dreugh live on land then they slither off into the sea and turn into an annoying octopus." R'is said.

"Oh come on." The first soldier said. "Can't you for once imagine that it's some new monster that we haven't seen before?"

"Sure I can. Just not one that we've already seen before."

"What is with you tonight?"

"Nothing, nothing." R'is downed his drink. "Too much to deal with from commanding officers and not drunk enough yet."

The train of conversation went along in that same vein for hours before the small group of drunk soldiers, R'is included, finally got up and staggered out. Nevano sighed and shoved his barely touched third drink away. R'is had never deviated from the topics that every soldier, warrior, fighter, adventurer the world over complained about. He didn't even tell a slightly amusing story. He was, in short, a boring jaded mer. He briefly entertained the idea of following R'is but didn't really see the point. The kid was drunk and would be lucky if he made it back wherever he was staying before passing out. Besides he didn't seem to be any sort of threat. He had never once mentioned Veleth to anyone else though the opportunity had come up several times. Either he didn't care or respected his old friend enough to keep that information on the down low. Either way, Veleth was safe from this mer. Mission somewhat accomplished. Nevano sighed. He should have trusted Veleth's gut. Instead he had allowed his own distrust get the better of him. Certainly this had been a waste of his night. Not necessarily a waste of sujamma though. He picked his cup back up again and swirled it around. The drinks weren't half bad. Maybe he should get another before heading back.

In the end he decided against it. He still had to find his way back and the last thing he wanted to do was navigate this confusing city at night while slightly buzzed. He hadn't refamiliarized himself with Blacklight yet and he did not need to get lost while following his usual protocol for heading back to wherever he was staying. So he slipped back out into the night and began his elaborate journey home, turning down just about every street and corner in order to confuse and throw off anyone who might have it in his or her mind to follow him.

He slipped back in the house about an hour before sunrise and came face-to-face with a pair of brown eyes partially hidden by a cowl of wrinkles. A hot, damp, putrid cloud puffed in his face and a dull thumping of a wagging tail greeting him. He froze, holding his breath partially because he couldn't stand the smell of Lady's breath and partially because he didn't want to break whatever spell was keeping the massive pile of wrinkles from jumping on him. His eyes widened as the thumping slowly stopped and Lady's head tilted to the side, her tongue disappearing back into the cavernous mouth.

"No. Nononono, Lady, no." Nevano whispered desperately as the strangely tiny ears pricked at the sound of his voice. "You stay down. Down. No…no DOWN!" Lady ignored him entirely and leaped up, paws hitting Nevano squarely in the chest and knocking him flat on his back. Nevano gasped for air to replace was knocked from his lungs and gagged as he accidentally inhaled slobber from the happy tongue that incessantly bathed his face. "You slobbery, wrinkly, too-big n'wah! Get off! Bad dog!"

"You deserve that."

Nevano jerked and looked up to see Veleth watching him. "Do you ever actually sleep?"

"When my gut isn't tell me that someone is out doing something stupid I can usually get a solid six hours or so." He said, crossing his arms.

"I refuse to apologize and it wasn't stupid. I had to find something to drink." It wasn't fully a lie. He HAD gotten something to drink after all. Still, as Jorun said, it was depressingly easy to lie to the younger mer. "Morrowind is the only place in this world that knows how to make a halfway decent drink. Wait, I take that back…Geldis finally managed to find the perfect drink that knocked me out. Still, had to reestablish a watering hole here. Wasn't disappointed."

"You realize you have a problem right?" Veleth said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"As long as my liver keeps working, it's not a problem." Nevano grunted as he shoved at Lady. "Can you please pull this stupid dog off me?"

"You know what? I think I like you right there." Veleth smirked, a look so reminiscent of Jorun that Nevano felt his stomach turn to ice. "I think I'm starting to get a little fond of this dog. We'll at least always know where you are. I'm going back to bed for a few hours."

"No you don't, you FETCHER!"

"Good night, Nevano. Or rather, good morning." Veleth gave him a little wave as he left.

Nevano cussed him out in every language he could think of as he was left alone, pinned to the floor by an over-sized, over-zealous hound that was perfectly happy to remain cuddled on his chest. Suddenly he wished he had had that last drink.

XxXxXx

4E 201, 6th Hearthfire

"My apologies for this taking longer than I thought." Jorun said a few days later as he motioned for both Nevano and his son to sit down. Nevano noted with interest that all the windows and doors were closed, shuttered and locked. "It took longer than expected to get a reply and it wasn't the one I was expecting."

"So, are you our spymaster?" Nevano asked, only half kidding.

"Spymaster? No. I don't orchestrate. I organize." Jorun said. "In between patrol routes and minor civil matters, I keep track of information."

"Is that your job with the Armigers?"

Jorun gave him a slightly pained look that clearly told him that while he wanted to tell Nevano, he simply couldn't.

Nevano quickly waved him off. "If you can't answer, don't worry about it. You got the information; I don't need to know how you got it. Just…don't have little scouts following me everywhere. I don't want to pop their egos by picking them out of the shadows every time."

"Fair enough." Jorun said. "Now, this is going to be difficult, not to mention incredibly dangerous, but I think I know where we can start."

"Hasn't this already started?" Nevano asked, slightly distracted as Lady came into the room, tail of doom wagging as she padded over to them.

"Yes and no." Jorun said. "It has started in the sense that all the complaining and plotting from the councilors is finally coming to fruition but also, no, it hasn't because no one is yet willing to get their hands dirty."

"Except us." Nevano said flatly. His hand twitched when he felt hot breath on his fingers.

"Except us." Jorun said with a sigh. "Though that really shouldn't be a surprise to you."

"No, it's not." Nevano said, crossing his arms over his chest so he wouldn't have to feel Lady panting on him. "Not sure why I thought otherwise. So, let me get this straight…there's…a plan, sort of. But all the players are sitting on their hands, holding their breath, waiting to see if someone else is going to move first? Again, unsurprised but so very disappointed."

"Well, to be fair, there was always that one person missing."

"The scapegoat."

"No. The hero." Jorun sighed. "Nevano, think about it. Three gods, GODS, couldn't accomplish what you, a little, scrawny, unwilling runt, accomplished on Red Mountain. An army of Blades couldn't accomplish what a petite girl and a clueless priest managed to accomplish in Cyrodiil. The entirety of Skyrim, past and present, couldn't accomplish what your friend Gunjar did. All these events, carried out by ONE person. Zurin Arctus; "Each even is preceded by prophecy. But without the hero, there is no event." I don't know what prophecy talks about THIS and I know you hate prophecies but in every story there's always been that one person who tips the scales. It didn't HAVE to be you, but you told me yourself, you were led here. Scapegoats are thrown in front of the lion to be eaten alive, not given the opportunity to destroy a faction they've hated for a few decades."

"Quit using my own words against me. You're as bad as Nerevar and Azura." Nevano groused. "It's just trickier this time, Jorun."

"I know. Which is why I'm glad you're here. We need to work fast."

"How is it trickier?" Veleth spoke up. He had been silent thus far, listening with such an intensity that Nevano was surprised he hadn't popped a blood vessel yet. This was all still very new to him; very different than bluntly following orders he was given. In fact, this was only the second time he had ever dealt with such a covert quest and Nevano could see he was determined for it to go differently than last time. He was determined to learn and Nevano was happy enough to teach him.

"Because this is not a good against evil battle." Nevano swiftly held up a finger to stop Veleth from speaking further. "Let me explain. Dagoth Ur, Mythic Dawn, Mehrunes Dagon, Alduin, Miraak, all the way down to that nut job apprentice I killed back in Solstheim. They all had one thing in common and that was indiscriminate slaughter of anyone who stood in their way, innocent or foe. Every single one of those it was easy to see the lines of division between inherently good and inherently evil. Now, take what Tiber Septim did. He essentially took over all of Tamriel and unified it through years of conflict and war. Which side would you have stood on then? Each province was fighting for its independence but was swallowed up one at a time. Now, no one bats an eye at it or cares what others thought of him back then because look at the outcome. Tamriel was unified and at peace under the empire. Tiber Septim is considered a hero. Hell, he was made a DIVINE. Now we come to today, the Thalmor are doing EXACTLY what Tiber Septim did. The lines of division are blurred. It is not so black and white."

"How can it not be black and white?"

"Because there are many choices here. On one side we have the Thalmor, the Altmer who are basically reenacting Tiber Septim's march across Tamriel in…what, late second era? Some people believe that, despite all the conflict now, they can bring about another era of peace that hasn't been seen in centuries. To them, the Thalmor will be worth it in the long run. On another side we have the rotting remains of the Empire, which the people have known their whole lives. Sure its run by the Thalmor but they don't care. They're scared and the empire has always taken care of them so they will continue to rely upon it. Then, in the final corner, we have us, the rebels. We are unproven and represent chaos, change and conflict, things that people normally avoid like the plague. Now here's the real confusing part; none of these sides are wrong."

"Excuse me, what?" Veleth blinked.

"None of the three factions that are running around here are inherently evil. I can vilify the Thalmor and the empire all day long BUT they can do the exact same thing about me and they have and they will." Nevano was actually surprised he hadn't seen wanted posters up yet. "Everyone who is a part of those factions fully believes they are right and there is nothing we can do to change their minds. Well…the Mythic Dawn thought they were right too but no one is summoning daedra in this case…"

"So you're telling me it's going to be a civil war like in Skyrim."

"No." Jorun jumped in. "Because right now all three opinions are like a low buzz with the majority of the populace sitting in the middle wondering which way to go. It's building in intensity but no one side is louder than the other. In order to be anything that can stand up to the Thalmor, we have to be a unified nation. We have to be a bigger presence, something to make our side more attractive to everyone, to convince them that change is nothing to be frightened of."

"Exactly what do you propose?"

Nevano grinned even as he toed the massive dog to stop poking him with her cold, wet nose. "I see where you're going with this Jorun and I must say I'm impressed. You aren't looking for one or two people to do everything…you are looking to build an entire army, an entire independent province."

"That's the end goal, yes." Jorun gave a grim smile. "As for one or two people doing it all, well, you'll be involved the entire way so don't think you're off the hook. This won't be easy, not by a long shot, and there's a lot of work ahead of us and precious little time."

"I've been known to make long shots." Nevano said. "So, what's first on your list?"

"Military first. Hard to sleep at night when there's nothing keeping the wolf at bay. Provide security and you start to inspire trust." Jorun said. "Now, the Redoran Militia will happily support us in this endeavor. I happen to know that all the generals hate having the Thalmor around and that High General Theron has been itching to take a shot at driving them out. They are just waiting for the order from the councilors but that's another step that we aren't on now. Buoyant Armigers are a given. However, we haven't heard from the Ordinators in a long time."

"Where are they? I didn't see any around town." Nevano had enough of Lady constantly poking at him under the table. He hauled her out, forced her to sit and rested his feet on her head. She wagged her tail happily, nearly knocking Nevano's chair over in the process, but was happy enough to sit still.

"They cling to Mournhold. They've been busily rebuilding the city." Jorun said. "The Redoran soldiers stay in Safepoint Adrusa, just north of the city, while the Ordinators stay in Mournhold itself. There's some tension between the two as the Ordinators are being incredibly stubborn about letting go of the past but for the most part they work together in keeping things safe there. Modyn, which general is in charge at Adrusa again?"

"General Garil. The Safepoint was named after his wife."

"Ah, yes, that's right." Jorun nodded. "Now, the whole reason why I waited a few days to even bring all this up."

"And here comes bad news…" Nevano did not like the look on Jorun's face at all.

"Well, it's not good news." Jorun conceded. "Now, I've been scratching my head over HOW to convince the Ordinators to agree to work with us because there's no way they will agree if we simply go up and say please. But this recent report says that something is going on in Mournhold but they haven't quite figured out what."

"Haven't figured out what?"

"That's right. That's all the report says. Garil has no idea what's going on. The Ordinators have holed up in the city and refuse to let anyone in. There has been sounds of fighting coming from Mournhold but no one can say just WHAT is going on in there. Even the scouts can't figure out what's going on."

"Lemme guess; that's our job?" Nevano sighed.

"Yup." Jorun smiled. "If you can find a way to help the Ordinators out, I'm fairly certain you can convince them help us in return. Think of it as finally putting the Ordinators in your debt, Nevano."

"Oh, I like the sound of that." Nevano grinned at Veleth. "To Mournhold then?"

"To Mournhold."

XxXxXx

A/N: Ok, I'm really excited to be headed into Mournhold and finally reveal just WHAT I have planned for this part (seriously, I am) but remember that little emergency that turned out to be nothing? Yeah, right, there's no such luck in my family. It came back with a roaring vengeance and blew up. Badly. Very badly. I've been alternating between numbing my mind completely to get through school work, crying silently while watching TLC (or ID Discovery) re-runs, and bolstering myself up with a combination of witty one-liners, liquid inspiration and Internet memes. Just…bear with me as I get my family and myself through this. I will keep writing because typing out Nevano's quirky little attitude is the only thing keeping me from falling completely off the deep end but I can only handle like a paragraph at a time before my brain cracks in half. It's the little things in life you find that keep you going and Nevano just happens to be one. On a lighter note, I finally got to play Drelasa how I've had her in my head all along. Someone has to be able to keep two Veleths and Nevano in line, right?

P.S. - I have to admit to a mistake on my part. In the last chapter Nevano said he had never been to Blacklight before. That is WRONG. In my haste in giving a description to the city streets, I had forgotten that I have alluded to Nevano being in Blacklight several times in the past (then blatantly blasted that in this chapter). I meant to say he hadn't been to Blacklight in such a long time that he had forgotten what it looked like. This just proves my mind has been all over the place lately… My apologies.

Random bonus fact: developers admitted that the insane number of cliff racers in the Morrowind game was a mistake. Why do I think they officially said it was a mistake while at the time they were laughing evilly while high-fiving each other for giving every player a facial tic over having to kill a cliff racer every .48598 seconds?