Dance of the ja-Kha'jay.
By Lakyan.
Authors Note: I have taken some liberties with the story. I have no idea what the Imperial Palace looks like other than the Elder Council chambers. I haven't the heart to pick Ocato's pocket.
Chapter 7 – An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth.
Jauffre was woken by the speaking stone given to him by Raminus Polus. He slowly got out his bedroll, joints aching with the early stages of arthritis. Of course he wasn't going to let his men know about that. He reached for the stone, laying on a table next to a book on Khajiit battle tactics. Ri'rassi's face swirled on the stone. The High Chancellor stood behind her.
"Yes Empress Regent?" Jauffre asked, sleep still evident in his voice.
"I'm afraid I bear some bad news. Leyawiin has been capture by Nhad-Hatta. The Count and Countess made it out alive, and are on their way to the Imperial City." Ri'rassi told him.
"By the Nine!" Jauffre swore. "What do you want me to do?"
"The War Council has decided for you and your men to attack the city of Riverhold on the northern border of Elsweyr. Get some of the Legions from Sphinxmoth to garrison in Fort Redman."
"An Eye for an Eye. A tooth for a tooth?" Jauffre asked.
"Exactly." Ri'rassi said.
"I'll get right on it, Empress Regent."
Ri'rassi put the stone down on the table. "I am so tired." She yawned loudly.
"I'm not surprised. It's three in the morning." Ocato sighed.
"First Ja-Kha'jay, then Leyawiin and a Council meeting. Does being Empress Regent always have such unpredictable hours?" Ri'rassi flumped onto her bed.
"Not usually. However during the Oblivion Crisis I was known to be up at all hours of the night trying to sort things out." Ocato yawned sitting next to her.
"Joy." Ri'rassi said dryly, fatigue lacing her voice.
Ocato smiled warmly.
"So tired…" Ri'rassi whispered as sleep took hold.
Ocato watched her sleeping form. He stood, gently scooped her into his arms, and gently pulled back the cover on the bed. He laid her down and pulled the covers up to her chin. He ran his fingers lightly over the soft fur covering her muzzle, smiling when her whiskers twitched. Still smiling, Ocato took himself over to the sofa and was asleep in minutes.
Hoards-Too-Much, an Argonian gardener in the service of Lord M'kall, was awakened from his sleep by a steady drumming sound. He didn't rouse his wife, Likes-Her-Wine, as she would likely have a killer headache. He went outside, breathing deeply of the early morning fog. The sound was louder outside, and coming from the northwest. He walked over to the brick ledge near his house. He gazed down the valley road which led into Riverhold. He could see dark figures in the fog, and the sound echoed louder. He realized what the sound was, and ran as fast as he could. He dashed from the ledge, up the hill a bit more, and into Riverhold Manor.
"Lord M'kall! Lord M'kall!" He cried out as he dashed past dozens of barrels chock full of saltrice. He continued shouting as he dashed upstairs.
He burst into Lord M'kall's room, where he shook his master awake.
"What is it?" The sleepy Khajiit asked.
"The Empire! They are attacking!" Hoards-Too-Much told him hastily.
"By Alkosh!" Lord M'kall yelped.
"What do we do?" The Argonian asked.
"Get everyone into the Chapel of Khenarthi! I shall meet them myself." M'kall told his gardener.
Hoards-Too-Much sprinted from the room. M'kall retrieved his sword from his cabinet.
He marched out of his house, noting Hoards-Too-Much running around knocking on peoples doors. M'kall trod across the sodden cobblestones, wet from the rain the night before. He made his way to the entrance to his town, where the paved road gave way to stairs. He could hear the clanking mail of an approaching army. M'kall gave a shrill whistle, signaling the city guard to get ready for combat.
Slowly the army appeared through the fog. They were led by an old man, dressed in Akaviri armour. The old man signaled for his army to stop. He approached the lone figure standing on the road.
"Hail Friend!" Jauffre called.
"Hail Friend. What brings you to my gates armed so? And in such numbers?" M'kall called back.
"We come to claim this city for Empress Regent Ri'rassi." Jauffre told him.
"Claim this City? Oh-ho! Hear that men? They have come to claim the city." M'kall laughed.
"Laugh at the Empress Regent's Legions would you?" Jauffre hissed.
"Yes, I would. This attack is unprovoked. So far as I'm aware, the Mane has not harmed you in any way." M'kall growled back.
"On the contrary, he has." Jauffre said.
"Really?" M'kall asked sarcastically.
"Hours ago he captured the city of Leyawiin. We come here in retribution." Jauffre said.
"Pah! If he took it only a few hours ago, how can you know of it now?" M'kall hissed.
"That is not for you to know. Now, will this end peacefully, or must this end in violence?"
"I think you should clear off now before my guards fill your hides with arrows." M'kall threatened.
"No." Jauffre said, drawing his katana.
"Alright then lads, give them a volley." M'kall announced.
Arrows rained down on Jauffre's men, who warded most off with their raised shields. The archers used the volley to pinpoint the positions of the Riverhold Lord's men. They fired back with chilling accuracy. Several bodies fell from the ledges behind M'kall, who'd drawn his own sword.
"Anyone left?" M'kall asked.
Several more arrows fired into Jauffre's men in reply. Fireballs flew, and the last on M'kall's men dropped from the ledges.
"Enough of this." Jauffre said, and swung his sword up to strike M'kall.
The Lord dodged, and swung his own blade. The two clashed in battle, fairly evenly matched. They were watched by men from both sides, each cheering their man on. In the end M'kall's Khajiit speed and agility were no match for Jauffre's experience, and soon Jauffre had M'kall lying on the stairs, panting, Jauffre's sword at his throat.
"I recognize when I am defeated, Master Blade." M'kall conceded.
"I though you'd see things my way." Jauffre, removed his blade, and helped M'kall up.
"Your men have killed mine, and you have defeated me in one on one. For the safety of the people in my town, I see no other choice but to turn the city over to you. However, your men will not camp inside the city." M'kall said.
"I understand your concern for your citizens. You made the right choice." Jauffre offered his hand.
M'kall shook it.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I must address my people to get them to understand the situation." M'kall sheathed his sword, and turned around.
Jauffre turned around.
"Alright men, we got through this with only minor injuries. From what I can tell from the maps there are two flatter areas flanking the main city. We shall split in half and make camps there. Under no circumstances are you to threaten any of the citizens." Jauffre told them. And so they got underway.
Ri'rassi stirred awake, the sun shone in from the window, and the embers in the fireplace glowed dimly. She yawned, realizing she was in her bed, and not on top of it like she remembered.
'Ocato must have moved me.' She thought, glancing at the still sleeping Altmer on the sofa.
She got up, and started feeding Ja-Kha'jay. Her speaking stone flashed yellow, Jauffre's face washing over the surface.
"Yes Jauffre." Ri'rassi asked.
"We have taken Riverhold. We had only minor wounds, thought the Lord M'kall lost his entire guard. We are camped flanking the city. We await orders." Jauffre explained.
"That was quick." Ri'rassi commented.
"Lord M'kall decided to hand the city over to us when his guards were killed. He did not wish for his citizens to be harmed."
"A wise man." Ri'rassi said.
"Yes, a true nobleman. Anyway, once you have consulted the War Council, let me know my next orders, Empress Regent."
"Very Well, Grandmaster." Ri'rassi broke contact.
She kept feeding Ja-Kha'jay until he was finished, and put him on her bed. He rolled over and squirmed about, raising himself his hands. He couldn't instinctively extend his claws for better grip, as he had human fingernails.
"You're going to be crawling all about soon aren't you?" She told him.
Ja-Kha'jay turned his head in her direction, smiling broadly. Ri'rassi smiled at her son, and then she rolled him over and blew a raspberry on his tummy. Ja-Kha'jay laughed happily.
"Glad to see you two so happy." Ocato smiled, now awake. He sat on the other side of the bed, blinking in the sunlight.
"We're allowed to enjoy ourselves, aren't we Ja-Kha'jay?" Ri'rassi said, from her place beside the squirming infant.
"Ba!" He grunted in affirmation, as if he understood his mother.
The two adults smiled warmly at him.
"Especially so, now that Jauffre and his men have taken Riverhold." Ri'rassi told Ocato, her arms folded beneath her in a cat-like fashion.
"That's great news. When did he report this?" Ocato asked.
"Not long ago. I wanted to finish feeding Ja-Kha'jay, but then we started having some fun. Sorry for not telling you sooner." Ri'rassi apologised.
"It's okay." Ocato said.
"I suppose we should update the Council." Ri'rassi replied.
"I'll call a meeting for this afternoon." Ocato said.
He got up and left.
"Just you and I now bud," Ri'rassi started tickling her son.
A light knock echoed through the room.
"Come in!" Ri'rassi called still tickling her giggling son.
Ahnassi came in.
"Hey Ahnassi. Have you heard from Ra'jissan?" Ri'rassi asked, knowing they talked to each other every night via the speaking stones.
"He is well. He is making lots of friends among the legions. He likes stirring Raminus Polus and Burz gro-Kash into arguments over whether the mages or fighters guild is better." Ahnassi chuckled.
"You miss him don't you?" Ri'rassi asked.
"Yes." Ahnassi said, approaching the bed and sitting down.
"So what bring you here?" Ri'rassi asked.
"Ahnassi wanted to wait until the High Chancellor left. Ahnassi thinks she may be with child." Ahnassi said, eyes dropping to the floor.
"Ahnassi that's wonderful news! I can be an Auntie!" Ri'rassi smiled broadly.
The two women gossiped about such womanly things.
"What do you mean the Empire has taken Riverhold!" The Mane roared at the Dagi messenger. The only reason he didn't throw something at the small Khajiit was because he had nothing to throw.
"They took it a matter of hours after you took Leyawiin, claiming retribution." The Dagi winced in fear.
"Grrr." The Mane growled deeply. "Alright men, pack up camp! I want Bravil by tomorrow morning!" The Mane shouted from atop his palanquin.
"But Your Holiness, it is a days march to Bravil!" squeaked the Dagi.
"Then I suggest you get moving!" The Mane barked, rage evident.
"Yes your Holiness!" The Dagi ran off.
"Your Holiness?" Another messenger, a Suthay-Raht this time.
"What is it?" The Mane roared at being disturbed so soon.
"I travelled from Dune as fast as I could." The Suthay-Raht said, pointing to and exhausted Senche which lay panting not far away.
"Well?" The Mane growled impatiently.
"Dune has been invaded by the Bosmer!" The Suthay-Raht told him.
The Mane snatched a helmet off the head of one of his palanquin bearers and threw it at the newcomer, hitting him square in the gut, a testament to his exhaustion.
"Raarrgh!" The Mane roared a true roar. "Forget Bravil! Those Bosmer jekosiit will pay!"
Another Authors note: The layout and inhabitant of the Elsweyr city of Riverhold are based upon the mod I am creating for the game. If I ever get the thing finished, you can see Riverhold in all its glory.