Blindness
by Deunan and Hawkings.
Bravil.
~~~*~~~
Nero knocked on the door and Noki opened it, shushing him.
"She's still asleep." Noki pointed behind her, "Come on in." Nero passed Noki and sat down at the table and Noki closely followed.
"You look good without your Legion armor on." Noki joked.
"Don't flirt with me Noki, I'm married."
"You mean owned right?" Nero laughed, "Yeah that."
"She sleeps like an angel, I swear that woman went to bed like that and never moved again." Noki poured him some tea.
"That's odd... and slightly funny." Noki giggled.
"I told her just about everything I could on Cyrodiil, like the towns, people, races, birthsigns, the Nine Divines, and even the Emperor and what the Empire was." Noki explained.
"How can someone not know that?" He asked.
"I don't know, my guess is that wherever she's from, she was overprotected."
"She was, she told me everything, it's a sad story, it really is." Nero sipped.
"What happened?"
"She said how she got here was by a man named Aidan, said this man raised her even though he wasn't her father, she was being sold to a man she's never met and Aidan wanted to 'correct a mistake', as she said it. So this man gave her all his money and sent her away and then turned back to keep the slavers off her trail." Nero said it quietly and Noki leaned in.
"Oh, slavery? That's illegal here, even if they find her, won't she be fine?"
"With a friend in the Legion? She'll be fine." Nero laughed.
"Is that it? She's a slave? She's too... I don't know, well kept? Clean? She seemed happy talking about anything and when I told her slavery in Morrowind was legal she acted as though she never heard of slavery and then after explaining it she look disgusted."
"She's a slave there, but here she's a civilian and I'm going to keep it that way, no one knows her in Cyrodiil and this could be good, I'll see if the law states anything about outside visitors that just so happen to be extremely rich."
Noki grinned. "For a guard of Cyrodiil you're not very law abiding!" She laughed.
"This is good tea."
"Glad you like it." Noki put the pot up.
All the while, Xochi was half awake.
She listened in since she's done this one little improper act ever since she was a child and she enjoyed it, sneaking around and evesdropping is her personality.
But she wished she had not heard this, Nero was kind for giving her protection and Noki was a great hostess, but thinking Aidan as a slaver? It must be impossible. He was kind, sweet, he was like the father she never had, she didn't want to believe him a slaver, just some lowly, worth-nothing slaver.
Xochi choked in tears as she braved to get up.
"Socks! Glad to see your up." Noki said, as if the conversation between Noki and Nero never happened.
"Good morning Noki, good morning Nero. Did I wake late?" She asked.
"No, I just got here a minute ago." Nero smiled.
Xochi stood and dropped the sheets and Noki laughed as Nero quickly turned away.
"I forgot, she said she only sleeps in the nude." Noki laughed so much she almost fell from her chair.
"Put some clothes on!" Nero told Xochi.
"I will. I want food though, I haven't eaten anything today or even yesterday."
"Oh dear, you must be starving." Noki sat her down and put a plate of grapes and berries in front of her.
"That's all I have." Noki whiped her hands on her dress.
"Please! Clothes!" Nero begged.
"She's hungry! See how nice of a man he is, he is even willing to wait until you're done eating in the nude for you to dress."
After Xochi ate Noki helped her put on the white suit Aidan gave her.
"Dressed!" Xochi said and Nero sighed. "Finally..." He stood up and put his cup up for Noki.
"Thank you for your hospitality Noki." Xochi hugged Noki.
"Don't mention it Socks!" She hugged back and Nero shook Noki's hand.
"Well then, I'll thank you."
"And you're welcome." Noki shook back after breaking the hug
"Come, we have to go now to make it by early this afternoon." Nero led Xochi out the house and to her horse which he picked up on the way to the Waterfront.
"Goodbye Noki!" Xochi waved as the two horses rode off.
"Bye Socks! Bye Nero!"
Xochi and Nero rode side by side through the bridges, to the south to reach Nero's home.
Nero saw that Xochi left in good spirits for another adventure, but she was also down, something bothered her ever since she woke up and it began to bother him that he didn't know what it was.
Both of them came to a fast trot.
Xochi rode high and mightly as one could say, she was brought up always to look happy and fine even if something was bothering her.
A slave? Xochi thought, I am a slave? How could that be? Aidan was a kind soul, Daggid was a brotherly figure and Raijin seemed happy enough.
Xochi was unaware that Nero stared at her, trying to figure the person that was in front of him out.
Everything she does, talks like and all.
He admired it, but was confused, in a daze they could say, he liked her personality and her manners, now those were a wonder to behold.
"What is it?" She asked finally.
"Xochi, are you okay? You're awfully quiet." He asked in return.
"I'm okay, thank you Nero."
"I mean, you don't look happy." Xochi looked back as him confused.
"I don't?"
"Well, not just not happy, I mean it like not as happy as you were yesterday, you know, you seem off slightly." He mumbled.
"You're right, I don't feel too good."
"Are you sick?"
"Nothing like that... I overheard you and Noki... Nero, am I a slave?" She asked.
"Oh, that. Well, all things considered, what you told me and all, the correct or at least closest word to discribe what you did and those men did... is slavery and you the slave."
Xochi looked down and sighed.
"I guess..."
Nero rolled his eyes, "Stupid... stupid, stupid... don't say things like that..." He quietly to himself.
"Hey, Xochi." He touched her arm.
"Don't worry about it, there's a lot of people here in Cyrodiil that traveled from places all over just to be free." He tried to comfort her.
"Yeah... But I thought I had something good."
"Who said it wasn't?" He asked.
"Slavery isn't good."
"Well maybe it is, in that situation it looks as if it benifited you and it's only enhanced who you are." He smirked.
Xochi looked up.
"Thanks Nero."
As time passed they kept quiet, Nero admired her and Xochi was just pleased to find a just man walking the streets at the right time.
In four hours they manged to get Bravil in sight.
"There's Bravil."
"In the distance?" She asked and he nodded. "Yep."
"Come on, let's really ride!" Xochi reared her horse and galloped off and Nero did his best to keep up.
"Crazy woman! I can't keep up!" He laughed as he watched the hind of the white horse leap over logs and gallop on the hills as if it was flat ground.
"Bravil ahead!" She called as the gates came into view.
She stopped on a dime and got waited for Nero.
"Good riding." He said.
"I practiced."
"I can tell."
He got off his horse and helped Xochi off her's, he took the horses to the stables and they entered Bravil.
"This city doesn't seem as... populated as the Imperial City."
"It isn't, people in Bravil lead simple lives. With the Lucky Old Lady statue in the center of the homes I think anybody would live happily."
"That's nice." Xochi smiled.
"Come on, this way."
Nero led Xochi through the streets and over a small bridge.
He pulled his key out and unlocked the door.
"This is home." He said.
"It's not much but... it's not much." He sighed looking around the old home.
"It's lovely Nero."
"Nero? Is that you?" His wife called from the other room.
"Yes dear." He called back.
"Oh! What a surprise to see you home so soon!" She said coming from the kitchen.
"My goodness, who's this?" She asked.
"This is Xochiquetzal, you wouldn't believe her story." He introduced.
"Good day ma'am." Xochi bowed.
"Good day, I'm Chenda, Chenda Luther." She whipped her hands clean from working in the kitchen.
"A pleasure to meet you Mrs. Luther."
"Chenda, this woman has traveled to Cyrodiil and has no gold, in any way, and she knows no one in Tamriel entirely, before last night she didn't even know what Tamriel was." He explained.
"And where did she stay last night?"
"Down at the Waterfront in the Imperial City, another woman name Noki, a Dunmer, gave her shelter as I finished my guard duties." He smiled, knowing his wife wanted to know everything.
"What's her story?" Chenda asked.
"Sit, it's a long one."