Chapter 19 A Bit of Background.
"To service, honor, and justice." Merthisan lifted his tankard of exotic beer in the crowded room of the Eight Plates pub. Eiryn clinked her own cup of wine against his, Caius' wineglass followed, but Saber remained aloof and distaining of the toast. He pointedly leaned back in his chair to kick feet up on an empty chair beside him and sip his beer instead.
"I would rather drink to something more tangible." He said, bowing his head slightly towards Eiryn. "Such as a beautiful woman, or to riches."
Master Kendari raised an eyebrow, and then shook his head. "You haven't changed a whit." He murmured. "I had hoped you'd learn the error of your ways in your time in prison."
Saber chuckled at this. It was an old argument, one that never seemed to never tire between the two of them. "Still trying to save me from myself, eh Merth?" He grinned. Whatever Merthisan could say of the 'error' of his ways, Saber's philosophy had kept him alive all these years, to which he had no intention of changing now. He could never imagine himself following 'duty' as the old master had, and as for justice, well…Saber had firsthand experience at the hands of Imperial guards now and then to see the true error of Merth's philosophy. Despite Merth's insistence upon honor and duty, Saber felt he did just fine on his own.
Caius had remained quiet up to now, and finally felt it prudent to ask, "How did the two of you meet?" Eiryn's interest was also piqued.
At first, Saber seemed reluctant to speak about the matter, but Kendari was more than happy to share the story, perhaps a bit to embarrass Saber while doing so. "He stole a sword from me."
Eiryn burst into laughter, while Caius simply covered his mouth to hide the smile behind it. Eiryn remembered the Dunmer mention of his acquiring the blade from his old master, but had failed to mention anything at all about he'd stolen it from him! Saber directed a surprised look in her direction, as if curious to why she felt this was so funny.
"I was a thief after all." He shrugged.
Merthisan took another swig of his beer. "The little whelp thought he could come into my training school and steal whatever he wanted." Wrinkles formed around his eyes as he tried with effort to not smile.
Saber rolled eyes, trying hard to hide his smirk. "Like it was even a challenge-"
The swordsman grunted a laugh, cutting him off. "So I find this elf boy creeping into one of my training room where I keep upon the high walls some of the best swords in my arsenal. He managed to pole-vault himself on one of the weapon frames and took that-" A finger jabbed towards the wire wrapped hilt poking from behind the Dunmer in his sheath. "I told him, on no uncertain terms, he was to drop the weapon-"
Saber mimicked by poking his finger back at his old mentor. "Don't forget to tell them how you had to practically beat me senseless."
Eiryn felt the elf had hoped to mar the old swordmaster's reputation , but Merthisan only snickered, shared by the amused audience he now had. "I never met such a stubborn boy. He refused to yield. I told him to drop the sword, and surrender, but he tried to run for it. After a few blows with the flat of my blade, I finally had to hit him with the pommel of my sword to get him to remain still. I won't go into details-"
"That would be a first." Saber muttered under his breath.
"But suffice to say, that is how we met." Merthisan finished, disregarding the snide comment. With a dramatic lift of his mug, he raised his drink to toast the thief before him, and Saber did the same.
"But he still has the sword." Eiryn pointed out. There was surely more to the story than just that?
The swordmaster squinted a smile at her. "I think that's a story for Saber to tell."
"Nothing really to tell." Saber added too quickly, confirming that most of the story was something he'd prefer not to share in mixed company. "I tried to give it back later, but by then I had freed myself of a rather cruel master and Merth offered to train me. I earned the sword then." His mentor nodded in accord.
"And you were formally trained by Master Kendari?" Caius still sounded doubtful. His gaze kept flickering back and forth between the contradictory men before him. The 'cruel master' could only be Nekros. Did master Kendari know this?
The swordmaster waved hands to catch his attention. "Not exactly what you'd consider 'formally trained'. You see he was a thief, and for some reason, wanted to remain so-" Clearly Merthisan had no idea why he'd want to. "I couldn't very well accept him into my training school in any official capacity. I gave him lessons, but if you were to see Saber fight, you'd see a unique style. Not mine entirely."
"I learned from various places." Saber shrugged, "Enough to get by."
Eiryn chewed her bottom lip in thought, considering what the elf must've been like as a youth. It was too hard to imagine as anything but how he was now, a swaggering, albeit reluctant, hero. There was still something very boyish about his manner, his playful nature and his humor, so very unlike Dunmer she knew. Nonetheless, he could also prove a formidable foe as well. She'd seen that when he killed the Dreamer that had attacked her. There was no regret to killing the man, not even hesitation to slitting his throat. "And you've been friends ever since."
"Oh Saber has his faults-" Merthisan told her, ignoring the rude noise the elf made as well as the dramatic roll of his eyes, "And believe me, we've had our arguments. But he's done some good things in his life, and has a good heart, if you look hard enough."
"Enough Merth. Stop, before you ruin my reputation here in the lands of Morrowind." The Dunmer smirked. That drew out a light chuckle from Caius.
Saber had, up to this point had not even used the honorific 'master' when speaking to the swordsman. That seemed odd, but then again, Saber didn't seem the type to hold much respect for titles. Only now, Eiryn realized how little about him she knew him.
The evening wore on with casual conservation, consisting of light talk of adventures, and everyone explaining the wonders of the Morrowind to Master Kendari. He was a well traveled man, but had never ventured as far as the providence of Vvardenfell. The wildlife and customs of the Dunmer Houses intrigued him as Saber shared stories of his adventures upon arriving to the wild shores of the Bitter Coast region. He'd earned quite a bit of gold by ransacking smuggler caves the first few months, then shifted to earning coin by odd quests and jobs he'd find along the way. Caius added a few tales of life as a Blade in his younger days, and Eiryn was content to simply sit back and listen while sipping her wine.
As the hour grew late, Merth finally had to admit the foreign beers of Morrowind were too much for him, and decided to return to the Council Club where he rented a room. Caius knew he had a long trip ahead of him the next morning, so he also opted to leave for the night. This left Eiryn to have Saber all to herself, and nag him with questions she wasn't comfortable asking in front of the others.
"So why didn't you formally train with Master Kendari?" She inquired, moving closer to finally get a chance to snuggle against him. The familiar scent of the guarskin leather he wore filled her senses, mixed with the sweetness of Matze on his breath.
He let her sit on his lap, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. A smile warmed his face, while lips teased her throat. "The city guard at the time knew a dark elf had something to do with Nekros' death. I didn't want to get Merth into trouble." He murmured, nuzzling against her throat. "Besides…the thought of having to live by someone's else rules was distasteful, even that of Master Kendari."
"And what of this news Merthisan brought you?" She persisted, feeling his body immediately tense against her. "He said someone was after you."
He drew back, looking guarded. "I told you, false alarm."
"Liar."
Saber leaned back in the chair to appraise her, to see how far she was going to continue pressing him for details. "Now why would you think I was lying?"
"Because Master Kendari was adamant of the danger you are in, and you're as tense as a bow string. " She ran a hand down the front of the leather cuirass he was still wearing and even under the guarskin hide, she could still feel the muscle flinch. "Who is after you?"
The Dunmer clasped her hand, and subsequently kissed her palm. The gentle caress sent shivers up her spine. "Trust me…its nothing."
He doesn't want to talk about it, she thought. And why? Was it because it's more serious than I can realize, or is he trying to protect me? Perhaps in the morning he'd feel more talkative. For now, she let the matter go and leaned over to kiss him full on the mouth, enjoying the receptiveness and nudge to retire for the evening.
"I missed you…" He whispered.
Eiryn couldn't reply due to the kiss he planted upon her lips, but then, she didn't have to. He knew she missed him as well, and soon they slipped into her cramped room she rented at the Eight Plates. A single cot barely fit the two of them, but they managed. Illuminated the windowless room, a single candle cast fireglow against the pale adobe walls.
Later as they lay entwined, Eiryn rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the light touch of trailing fingers along the middle of her back where Saber kept her close against him. She draped a leg over his, wrapped an arm across his chest and enjoyed listening to his account of the lost time.
He recounted in more detail the trip to the Sixth Shrine base, the arduous maze of caverns, the confrontation with Dagoth Gares. To this, Eiryn propped her head up on a bent elbow. "And he called you by the name of Lord Nerevar?"
Saber shrugged, looking up the ceiling in contemplation. "I don't know what to think about that. I think the Sixth House somehow knows the Emperor's plans and perhaps called me that to mock me." He glanced at her curiously. "You realize there have been other false Incarnates? In fact, I've heard there's one even now telling everyone who has ears that he will drive out the foreign dogs from Morrowind."
"Really?"
He nodded looking grim. ""Last I heard, he was in Suran and the Temple was very nervous about this. Word from some sources say they might have him killed. The other Incarnate was a young girl who grew up among the Ashlander tribes." He shrugged with a sigh. He wanted someone else to be the Nerevarine, anyone else but him. "She disappeared however. Some think she's been killed, possibly even by the Temple."
Eiryn bit her bottom lip in thought, remembering the words of the wisewoman Nibani. She seemed to imply that anyone could walk the path of the Nerevarine, but only one would come to culmination. Would Saber face the same fate as the others? "So tomorrow, will you go to Vivec to find this Mehres Milo?" She changed the subject.
Saber responded with a quick nod and snuggled against her in the narrow bed. "I suppose you'll want to come with me?"
Why did it sound like he didn't want her to go? Eiryn tensed. "A stilt strider could take you directly to the city of Vivec. You hardly need a scout for that, now do you?" Her tone came out a bit more sullen than she wanted, but if he didn't want her along, she'd not press the issue any more.
Shifting to lie sideways, propping his head on a bent elbow, Saber scrutinized her face and reaction. A long finger trailed along her jawline, tickling sensitive skin and focusing on the gentle curve of her mouth. "If you want to go, just say so."
"If you want me to go, just say so." She replied, looking at him directly, daring him to ask her.
His eyes blinked slowly, the pupils an orange-red in the dim light of the room. "Of course I want you to go." He murmured, leaning over to kiss her gently on the corner of her mouth. "Its just that finding someone in that warren of a city isn't going to be fun, let alone exciting."
"A challenge though." Eiryn told him, "I'm good at finding people in cities. Maybe you ought to check out local brothels." It was a quipped remark of when they met in Suran in the Earthly Delights.
He snickered softly, rolling closer to rest his head along her shoulder. "Then I guess you'll have to come with me. Though I doubt Mehres would be anywhere near a brothel."
"What's she like?"
Saber measured her tone for jealousy and wasn't certain if she was or not. "She's Dunmer." His words were as if that her race was enough to describe what type of woman she was. Eiryn knew it meant Mehres was most likely reserved and aloof like much of the Dark Elves of Morrowind. This led her thought elsewhere.
"Why are you so different?" Eiryn asked, touching his face to admire the plane of his jaw, the playful twitch of his mouth.
The arched brows shot up. "Different?"
"You know you're different than other Dark Elves. Why is that?" She asked. "Most are dour, humorless beings. Why are you so different?"
He thought a moment on her question, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "I wasn't raised by Dark Elves." He offered. "But I don't think I'm that unusual. Here in Morrowind, my kinsmen seem to relish their dark heritage. I admit that Dunmer tend to be rather serious for the most part, but not all of them."
"If you weren't raised by dark elves, then who raised you?" She asked him. Almost immediately, she regretted the question as she remembered Nekros had been the one who raised him. Briefly, she considered what it must have been like. Clearly, he didn't wish to speak of such matter, but tried to explain an answer to her.
"I'm not sure the term 'raised' is what would define my upbringing." He said slowly, not looking at her. Eiryn could see the memories pass over his face as he remembered his childhood. "After Nekros was gone, I suppose Merth became something of a father figure to me, but there were others on the streets of the Imperial City that became my friends." Now he did look at her, forcing a smile on his face. "But I think it was my friend Lyra who taught me to be civilized and I suppose that is where I get my humor."
Oddly enough, Eiryn felt no jealousy to this unknown woman who knew Saber before her. Oh, perhaps a tad since this woman knew him longer, had shared years of their lives together. Eiryn had to remind herself, he'd had plenty of women, probably too many she'd care to even know about. This woman, however, held a special place in his heart.
"Do you still love her?" The question might have sounded like it was spawned out of jealousy, but Eiryn wasn't so sure. She wanted to meet Lyra one day, to ask her about the mysteries of Saber.
"Not like you think I do." He smirked, brushing her hair back from her face. Fingers tucked the hair behind her ear, then trailed down her cheek as he spoke. "She was family to me in many ways, a close friend in others. I will tell you she was also my first, but our relationship had no oaths or bindings outside of friendship. We're still friends."
On impulse, Eiryn moved closer and kissed him on the mouth, feeling desire swell within. He deepened the kiss, encircling arms around her and soon they were both lost in each other's embrace.
Late under the cover of night, a wood elf skittered like a rat down a darkened ally of Balmora. A furtive glance over his shoulder checked to see if anyone followed. His dark eyes shifted nervously to any movement that might be in the shadows, but as yet, found nothing. Lank hair fell across his face as he quickly brushed the curtain aside.
"Why hadn't I found a wife and moved to the mainland by now?" He chided himself for getting mixed up with all this. "I'm too old to be doing this-"
"Have you found him?" A voice rasped next to his ear. The elf jumped, backpedaling furiously as he gasped in terror from the larger shadow looming over him now. It seemed to appear from the very darkness surrounding them. All darkness, without any face the elf could see in the recesses of the cloak. An odd laugh echoed in the alleyway, low and menacing. "What's wrong, Fargoth? I didn't scare you did I?"
Fargoth's eyes bulged as his mouth worked, releasing a pathetic squeak of fear. The figure shifted closer, causing the Bosmer to cringe in terror.
"Well? Did you find him?" The voice unnerved the elf, sounding as if spoken over glass. "I'm not known for my patience…"
"Not….not yet." Fargoth stammered, clutching hands against his chest. He huddled against a wall, not wanting to know anything more of this man than he already did. "He's here, I followed him to Balmora. I'm sure to find him soon. I just need a little more time."
The shadow shifted ever so closer. "More time?" It hissed. "I've waited too long already. And you know not to engage him. You must tell me if you find him. I will deal with him directly."
Fargoth swallowed back fear and bile. "Yes, of course. I will do as you say."
The shadow gurgled a low chuckle. "See to it that you do, Fargoth."
The shadow slipped back into the darkness and disappeared. The elf blinked his eyes several times, not sure if the man was a master of stealth or simply dissolved into the darkness. Something about him didn't seem human, despite his size and shape of being a man. Fargoth had even seen an ungloved hand bearing a peculiar dragon tattoo upon the palm. Strange, the mark didn't appear as anything the Bosmer recognized of Morrowind factions.