Dance of the ja-Kha'jay.
By Lakyan.
Chapter 16 – The Eye of the Storm
Year 4E3 27th of Mid Year. Torval, Elsweyr.
Ri'rassi loosed the guy cables on her tent. The sun bleached canvas structure collapsed in on itself, and Ocato was encased in a cloth shroud. Ri'rassi chuckled and pulled the canvas off, rolling it into a tight parcel. All around them the army was packing up camp and preparing for the long march home. Packaged tents were being loaded onto the guar, who groaned at the new task. Men, mer and beastfolk ran around in seemingly pointless circles.
"So what's the plan? Are we going to cross the desert this time?" Raminus asked, carrying his tent in one hand, very obviously using a feather spell.
Ri'rassi glanced at the makeshift crib nearby, where her daughter slept, despite the noisy camp. "No. We will head for Leyawiin and head up the Niben." She answered.
Raminus nodded and vanished with his tent.
"Fair enough." Ocato said, binding the tent poles with leather straps.
"I just don't know if J'Urn wants to stay or come with us." Ri'rassi told the mer.
"Why don't you ask him?" Ocato motioned to the Senche, who stood on the edge of the camp, head low and ears laid back. His tail drooped low, signalling distress.
Ri'rassi took her sleeping child and walked over to the great cat, leaving Ocato to finish with the tent.
"I haven't officially introduced you two yet. Ailura, this is Uncle J'Urn. He is mother's friend. J'Urn, this is Ailura." Ri'rassi held the infant up.
J'Urn gently nudged the infant with his nose, and then licked the baby's sparsely furred head. He grunted approval.
"Now, what's up lad?" Ri'rassi asked.
J'Urn sat up straighter, and pushed his muzzle out, denying his distress.
"Ah, come now clan mate, I saw you a minute ago. Something's wrong." Ri'rassi prodded his shoulder.
J'Urn turned his massive head to the Mane's palace, and huffed gently. He then twisted his head north, and made the same sound.
"I see. Well it's up to you. The ride home wouldn't be the same without you friend." Ri'rassi patted the Senche on his shoulder, and wandered back to Ocato.
The Altmer had finished packing the poles, and was loading them onto a guar. He fastened the straps and turned to Ri'rassi, who handed their daughter to him. Ri'rassi smiled at him, and turned to pick up the crib, and was batted to the ground by a massive paw. J'urn stood over her and licked the side of her face, rough tongue brushing her fur at odd angles.
"J'Urn?" She asked in surprise.
Ocato laughed as Ri'rassi pushed the large cat off her and stood up. J'Urn rubbed his head against hers, and she returned the gesture.
"Alright then, you're coming with us then." Ri'rassi said.
J'Urn nodded comically, and huffed in affirmation.
Not too far away Raminus Polus was wondering what his friend wanted. S'Rin was pacing around him, letting out a low whuffing sound.
"I don't understand friend." Raminus told him.
S'rin walked over to Raminus's belongings and lifted them up. He dropped them into Raminus' arms, and knelt down. A passing Senche-Raht who'd watched the entire debacle picked the Arch –Mage up by his waist and placed him gently on S'rin's back.
"You want to come with me?" Raminus asked.
S'rin huffed and nodded, pacing towards Mazoga who watched in amusement.
"I have no idea where you'd sleep, the Arcane University doesn't cater for such unusual people." Raminus slapped the Senche's shoulders playfully.
S'Rin shrugged his shoulders comically, eliciting a light giggle from Mazoga.
"Well, alright then." Raminus rubbed the cat's shoulders affectionately.
Year 4E3 7th of Hearthfire. Ra'jissan's Chambers, Imperial Palace, Cyrodiil.
The maid bustled into the room, ready to do the mornings cleaning. She dusted the tables, and swept the ashes from the hearth. She approached a large pile of washing, and knelt down to pick it up.
"Boo!" Ja-Kha'jay shouted, leaping out of the pile, clothes flying everywhere.
The maid staggered back, heart beating quickly in fright.
"Oh, you scared me your Highness!" She clasped a hand over her chest, exaggerating her fright.
Ja-Kha'jay giggled, as did Yari, who emerged from the clothes pile beside him. Their peals of laughter echoed in the room. The maid could not help but join in. The two dashed from the room, long tails trailing behind them. They dashed down the hallway, and out through the doors, past Baurus and Caroline. They dashed down the stairs and made their way to Ra'jissan's office.
The Khajiit man sat at the desk, looking with an annoyed expression at the large amount of paperwork piled up. In came the two young children, Yari giggling, even though she could not yet talk, and Ja-Kha'jay talking a mile a minute about something unintelligible.
"What can I do for you two?" He asked the two, his mood instantly improving at the huge grins the two wore.
"We scareded the maid!" Ja-Kha'jay laughed.
"Oh really, I bet that was fun." Ra'jissan said, a grin creeping up his Khajiiti cheeks.
"Show us some magic Uncle!" Ja-Kha'jay demanded.
"Alright then," Ra'jissan sat back in his chair. He placed a hand out, palm up, and conjured a fireball, which danced a bit.
"Oooohh!" Yari and Ja-Kha'jay said in unison.
"Another!" the Crown Prince asked.
Ra'jissan placed hand on top of his paperwork and froze it in a block of ice. This made him grin, and the two children giggle some more.
"Chancellor Ra'jissan?" came a light tap on the door.
"Yes?" Ra'jissan answered, spying a palace guard outside the door.
"The Empress Regent has returned to the city. She will be here in a few minutes." The guard told him.
"Very well." Ra'jissan dismissed the man, and looked at the two children.
Ja-Kha'jay looked like he was about to fall over himself in joy, and Yari stared blankly at her cousin.
"Come on then kids, lets go see them." Ra'jissan took their hands and led then out of the palace.
At the far end of the Green Emperor Way, the city gates opened and in came Ri'rassi and Ocato, atop J'Urn. Ri'rassi spied her son, and jumped down off J'Urn's back. Ocato, carefully dismounted, cradling his daughter.
"Ja-Kha'jay!" Ri'rassi called, dashing toward her son.
"Mummy!" The young half-Khajiit squealed when she scooped him into her arms and cuddled him close.
"You've got so big!" She whispered to him, overjoyed to see her son after months apart.
"Daddy!" Ja-Kha'jay squealed as Ocato approached, reaching out for a hug from Ri'rassi's arms.
"Hold on, lad." Ocato said.
"Ja-Kha'jay, meet Ailura, your new sister." Ri'rassi held her son close enough to see the tiny infant.
"Hello." He said, staring at baby.
Ailura waved balled fists through the air, and batted Ja-Kha'jay over the nose. He recoiled, and jerked in Ri'rassi's arms. She let her son down. Ocato passed Ailura to her, and scooped up Ja-Kha'jay. The boy gave him an affectionate hug.
"You should see what Uncle did to his papers!" He told Ocato.
"What?" Ocato raised an eyebrow at the Khajiit man standing nearby.
"Let's just say they won't be filled out for a while." Ra'jissan said sheepishly, balancing his daughter on his hip.
Ocato laughed softly, he knew how Ra'jissan felt, having had the role for many years. He'd done the same thing on more than one occasion. He'd even done worse, completely incinerating a pile after a particularly hard day. Of course no one had found out about that.
"Come, you must be tired and hungry." Ra'jissan ushered them into the palace.
His sister and her Altmer mate followed obligingly.