Dance of the ja-Kha'jay.
By Lakyan.
Authors Note: Sorry, dear readers, for taking so long. I couldn't decide if I should write a fluffy chapter or an action chapter. In the end, here is a fluff filled and rather pointless chapter. The next one will have more action, I promise.
Chapter 12 – A Romantic Interlude
Year 4E2 9th of Sun's Dusk. The Arcane University, Cyrodiil.
"And that will conclude today's lesson." Ocato addressed the young apprentices.
He sighed and gathered his papers, gazing at the small number of mages too young to be sent off to war.
"Master-Wizard, if I may have a word?" A young Breton man asked.
"Yes." Ocato told him, though he really wished the young man to go away.
"I've been doing some research, and I turned up this book in the Mystic Archives." The Breton held out a book.
"I see." Ocato said and read the title. He'd been meaning to track this book down for his lover, but had not had the time. "Thank you, you've saved me a lot of trouble."
"I didn't know you were looking for it Master-Wizard. I saw it and thought the Empress Regent might like to add to it." The Breton man said.
"I'll see that it gets to her. I'm sure she'd thank you…?" Ocato queried the man's name.
"Irvin." The young mage filled in.
"Well thank you Irvin. Do not be late for tomorrow's lesson." Ocato dismissed the mage, and walked around to the gardens. He plucked a few choice blooms, and made his way from the Arcane University.
Year 4E2 9th of Sun's Dusk. The Empress Regent's Chambers, Imperial Palace, Cyrodiil.
Ri'rassi had just put Ja-Kha'jay into bed. He'd had a busy day, getting dirty and muddy in the Arboretum. She'd brought him back to the palace, and bathed him, which he detested. After his bath and some dinner she'd put him in bed, and read him a story. Her son was asleep before she'd finished the first page.
Ri'rassi called for the servants to draw a bath, so she could have a nice soak and relax.
She climbed in, and scrubbed her soft fur, before laying back. She sighed deeply as fatigue took over, and she dozed in the serene warmth. After a period, she felt something brush her face. She opened her sleepy eyes and saw her lover standing there, dropping peony petals into the tub.
"Hey." She smiled.
Ocato sat down beside the tub, dipping his fingers in the warm water. "Hey." He replied simply, gazing at her.
"How were the students today?" Ri'rassi asked.
"They are well. They seem to be coping well with my rigorous training. Oh, and Irvin found that book for me." Ocato mentioned.
Ri'rassi turned to him. "Well I'll have to thank him then. I'll write a note later." She traced her damp fingers over Ocato's long elven ears.
"The young Prince get up to much today?" Ocato enquired.
Ri'rassi snorted a quick laugh. "Oh he had fun. I swear he attracts dirt like a lodestone."
Ocato chuckled.
"He's in bed now. Little guy asleep like a torch in water." Ri'rassi laid he head back against the tub's edge.
"Like his mother sometimes then." Ocato teased.
Ri'rassi flicked a little water at her lover. He ducked but not fast enough.
"Well, I'm wet now. Room in there for one more?" Ocato asked.
"Of course." The Khajiit lady moved over.
Ocato removed his robes and soon joined her, sliding gracefully into the warm water.
"This is so relaxing…" Ocato sighed deeply, placing an arm around Ri'rassi's furry shoulders.
"Mazoga tells me that they've taken up position outside Arenthia." Ri'rassi snuggled into Ocato's neck.
"No work tonight." The Altmer reprimanded her. "Tonight is for us." He stroked Ri'rassi's hair.
"Okay." She wrapped her tail around his hips.
He kissed her gently on the top of her sodden head. "Now, what other news is there?" Ocato asked, attempting to wrangle some information out of her.
"In non-work related news, I am with child." Ri'rassi admitted to her bare-skinned lover.
"There, that wasn't so hard now was it?" Ocato told her.
"You knew?" She whispered.
"Of course. Ra'jissan has been hinting at it for a couple of weeks. My guess is he knows from Ahnassi." Ocato said.
"And a woman always knows." Ri'rassi finished.
Ocato chuckled. "Well that's great news." He told her.
"I hope it's a girl. I already have a son. Now I'd like a daughter." Ri'rassi said happily.
"I hope so too." Ocato cuddled her close.
Year 4E2 9th of Sun's Dusk. The High Chancellor's Chambers, Imperial City, Cyrodiil.
Ahnassi finished feeding her daughter. She was beginning to come into her form, as dictated by the ja-kha'jay. Masser had been waxing, while Secunda had been waning on the night of Yari's birth, making her a Tojay-Raht. Ahnassi was extremely proud of her daughter, who was growing at an incredible rate. She was growing much faster that the Crown Prince had. Ahnassi couldn't believe that she herself had grown that fast.
Ra'jissan was a loving father, now that he wasn't rushing off to war all the time, lavishing love and care on his two favourite females, as he called them.
Ahnassi had frequently asked Ri'rassi to help with the child, and the two women became great friends. They took their children to the Arboretum and various other places in the Imperial City.
Ahnassi placed Yari in her crib, where she soon fell asleep. The Khajiit woman turned to her husband, who lay on his belly on the bed.
"I wonder if Ri'rassi has told Ocato yet." She asked.
"I don't know." Ra'jissan dismissed the question. He beckoned her over to the bed.
She sat, running the back of her hand over Ra'jissan's face.
Ra'jissan took her hand and pulled her down to his level.
"I love you Ahnassi." He said, kissing her.
"I love you too." She kissed him back.
Year 4E2 9th of Sun's Dusk. The Empress Regent's Chambers, Imperial Palace, Cyrodiil.
Ri'rassi dried her fur and changed into her red velvet outfit. She re-did her braids, after Ocato un-did them in the tub. Thinking of the High Elf, she smiled to herself. Said High Elf walked into the room, book in one hand, bouquet in the other. He was now dressed in a black and burgundy outfit, instead of his normal robes. He placed the book on the table and presented the flowers to his Khajiiti lover.
"I'd wondered where the peony petals had come from." Ri'rassi commented as Ocato deftly removed the offending stripped stalk.
"I don't think Julienne Fanis will mind too much…" Ocato winked, knowing the alchemist will complain about it the next day.
"Now, what are you all dressed up for?" Ri'rassi asked about Ocato's new attire.
"This." Ocato caught her hand and twirled her round.
"I see. Well then, shall we?" Ri'rassi asked.
Ocato lead the dance to the music he hummed, an old ball melody from his younger days.
Year 4E2 11th of Sun's Dusk. The ruined city of Dune, Elsweyr.
Modryn Oreyn watched Mazoga try to light the fire, with no success. He chuckled to himself after a particularly useless attempt.
"I'd like to see you try it!" Mazoga growled at the Dark Elf.
"Fine then, I will." Modryn tried, but could not get the tinder to spark.
"You see?" Mazoga snorted.
Modryn grunted in irritation.
"Cut it out you two." Raminus frowned, dumping more wood scavenged from Dune's ruined houses next to the still unlit fire.
"The damned wood is wet." Modryn Oreyn told the Arch-Mage.
Raminus flung a conjured fireball into the pile, which immediately caught alight.
"Looks dry enough to me." He said, skewering a piece of venison on a stick.
"I guess being a mage has it's uses." Mazoga commented.
Raminus inclined his head, agreeing with her. Modryn watched the two of them with interest. He'd suspected something between the Orc woman and the Arch-Mage, but he wasn't sure.
"I don't think I could go without my armour though." Mazoga patted her ebony breastplate.
"I thought Orcs were thick-skinned anyway." Modryn teased.
"A common misconception. Like Dunmer being prudes." Mazoga waved him off, snagging a piece of now well roasted meat off the stick.
Modryn snorted in amusement at that comment. Mazoga finished her chunk of meat and decided to withdraw to her tent, patting Raminus on the shoulder as she walked past.
The pat, with Mazoga's Orc strength, winded Raminus and caused him to nearly choke on his venison. Modryn chuckled at the sight.
"I guess there's some things magic can't prevent." He smiled as the Arch-Mage recovered his breath.
"Guess not…" Raminus replied, his voice raspy. "Anyway, we should get some rest. We march on Arenthia tomorrow." Raminus stood to leave.
He walked past Mazoga's tent on the way to his own. A green hand shot out and grabbed the Arch-Mage's robes. He was pulled inside the tent with an undignified squawk.
"No chance of that for you tonight, friend." Modryn raised his mead to the tent, before gulping it down and retreating to his own, singing softly to himself. "Oh, it's lovely to give your lady a kiss upon her nose. It's lovelier still to do the same not wearing any clothes…"