Blindness

A collaborative effort by authors Deunan and Hawkings.

Secrets

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Xochi wandered through the woods, as if watching for someone she snuck across the open grass and hid behind a tree, she was breathing heavily, almost tired she looked behind the tree she was hiding behind.

However, nothing was in sight. The grass swayed and the trees rustled, but nothing out of the ordinary.

What Xochi wasn't watching was a stalker in the branches of the tree she was hiding behind.
The athletic feline crouched down and lept from the branches coming face to face with Xochi who screamed in shock.

"Got ya' again!" S'rah said sighing.
"Oooh... One day S'rah! One day!" Xochi replied.
"Yeah, when you don't give away yourself the minute you move!"
"I can't help that I stick out amongst green, brown and... just about every other color..." Xochi walked toward her horse.
S'rah followed closely. "Yeah, well try wearing my shrouded armor, it helps. Enchanted wear always helps."

"You have another pair? I thought your mysterious boss-man only had one for his one employee?" Xochi looked at S'rah as S'rah stumbled for words.
"Well... I just managed to get a hold on another one... I mean, if you don't want it... I guess I can throw it out..." She hummed.
"No, I want it. Believe me, sticking out like a sore thumb isn't the easiest thing when people are hunting you. It just leads me to believe your boss has more then one employee which would mean you were lying about this private contractor being a lost civilian just in need of protection and instead is a lucrative business man who prefers silence, and why may that be I wonder?" Xochi tapped her lips before jumping on her horse.
"Hey! Hush now! I can't have you blundering about my secret, I do work, private work, I get paid well I don't ask questions, end of story. Don't go murmuring about now, people don't like private contractors around here. I hope you of all people can respect that!" S'rah emphasized quietly.

"Fine fine... Now, we're supposed to go meet this friend of yours right? You say he's okay right?" Xochi asked.
"Her name is Kyakitash and she's my sister, so be good. She's not at all like me." S'rah laughed with a nervous sense.
"Why? What's wrong with her?" Xochi looked at S'rah who rode along side her.

"She's tough, I'm quiet. We're opposites when it comes to our preferred work." S'rah said.
"Tough? Tough and protective maybe? Why?" Xochi asked, curious as ever.

S'rah sighed. "You have wonderful intuition Xochi." She quickly turned to a grin.

"We were born in Morrowind, when I was young I loved playing in the woods. Well one day I was out and there was camp, fire was still lit and me so young I didn't think anything of it." S'rah trailed off.
"So these campers found you?"
"Yes and no, they were slavers doing what slavers do. Stealing people away from their homes, selling them as slaves never to be seen by their families again. I didn't know. How could I have? Anyways, I wandered into the camp to explore as I so love doing and they came back, a new slave unconscious on their horse, I could only stare in fear."
"So what happened?" She asked again.
S'rah smiled. "I thought, as a cub now, I was going to fight my way out. That those big bad men couldn't take me. So I growled and took the stance of a usually very angry Khajiit and attempted to scare them, but they laughed it off a tried to grab me, I could dodge their large clumsy hands but every time I tried to run, there was another man, blocking my freedom."
Taking a break Xochi was anxious to hear more.
"Anyways, my sister wasn't always this protective, or this mean, but that night she jumped between me and those men, holding a short sword, she became the sister I know today. Kyakta swung at them until they realized she's much tougher then me and would take hits rather then run. She couldn't beat them, but she could make then retreat with a few of our Father's tricks." S'rah laughed.

"Using the firewood that was lit she made a line and using hot ashes she made a path way out. I insisted that the other person on the horse be saved, and instead of fighting the men she put the hod log on the horses hind and galloped away until we disappeared into the night and those men couldn't follow us, they were a bit too busy making sure their camp didn't all burn up in flames."

"So your sister's pretty tough huh?" Xochi smiled. "Oh yeah, real tough. I prefer the quiet approach to dangerous situations while she runs up with a worn down, enchanted, dwarven axe in her hands ready to smash things." S'rah laughed.

"When do we meet her?"
"In the Imperial City. I sent my messenger hawk to give directions, either she's at Noki's now or is on her way."
"Well then, let's get on with it." Xochi reared her horse then took off with S'rah riding a short ways behind her.

As they rode people stared at the white woman and the feline laughing loudly.

Guards watched this display with confusion... then began laughing as well while they passed by.

In side the Imperial City, S'rah's sister stood, her imposing figure could intimidate anyone, including a Nord or even and Orc.

She wore a huntsmans outfit, complete with her own arsenal of weapons.
"You are late." She said, arms crossed. "Yeah, sorry, got side tracked." S'rah smiled.

"This hunter is pleased to see you again sister." Kyakitash hugged S'rah, and S'rah back.
"Likewise Kyakta." S'rah pulled back grinning her sharp fangs.
"Who is this prey?" Kyakitash looked behind S'rah to the white woman. "Exotic." She blinked and opened her eyes wider.
"This is Xochiquetzal, she's a Leocadian and a great friend." Xochi shook Kyakitash's hand, which was strong and made Xochi's entire arm feel heavy.

"This Hunter is pleasured to meet you prey." Kyakitash said, turning to Noki who stood behind her the entire time.
"Xochi!" She exclaimed. "Noki!" Xochi and Noki ran up to each other and hugged as tightly as they could.

"I'm so happy to see you again. I knew you returned in good health, I was just so worried, I feel so guilty not stopping those men that day." Noki, in all her kind heart, smiled sheepishly.
"It's not your fault, they would have killed you if you had tried to fight back, I'm just glad they didn't hurt you." Xochi smiled, hugging Noki again before breaking it up.

"Come on, dinner's this way." S'rah grinned and led them into a diner.

Everyone, but Kyakta ate heartily, laughing and joking until the left.

They all, but Kyakta, enjoyed fully their adventuring. With laughing and stories, they managed to keep themselves entertained until the very end of the day.

Kyakta was a tougher kind of person, just like S'rah said. She didn't laugh, she didn't smile, she paid little to no attention that Xochi was a different race that doesn't exist in Tamriel.
It's as if she wasn't there at all.

Xochi noticed strangely that Kyakta ignored the conversations, including the ones about Kyakta herself.
It was strange and completely confusing to Xochi.

S'rah told her that Kyakta was tough, but not quiet like this, it almost scared Xochi.

Xochi kept spacing in and out of conversations, ones directed at her and ones that weren't, which began to confuse both S'rah and Noki, but decided that what was ailing Xochi was best not to bring out in public.

As they laughed and played and said goodbye to Noki, Xochi was contemplating if she was going to ask Kyakta herself.
It was obvious that there was something that S'rah wasn't telling Xochi that caused Kyakta to act like this.

Something bothered her, as if Kyakta expected at any moment someone would jump out and attack them, trying to slay her sister according to the way Kyakta watched S'rah.

"Kyakitash?" Xochi asked, riding in a high trot next to Kyakta's Clydestale, which dwarfed Xochi's and S'rah's horse.
"Hm?" She replied, not turning her attention from the road.
"Does something ail you?" Xochi asked, S'rah about choked on air.
"Ail this hunter?" Kyakta returned the question. "Why would a prey ask that?" Kyakta shot her a quick glance, which scared Xochi.
"Well, to be honest. You act out of the normal. You seem to be very distant and from what it sounds like you have been away from your own sister for a long time. Anyone would rejoice, yet you seem as if you have to protect her from something." Xochi explained.
"Your friend sister, has great intuition." Kyakta let out a hmpf.

"I noticed..." S'rah rubbed her neck.

"Something does ail you then?" Xochi asked. "Hmm... yes, something ails this Hunter, it is secret and it is the only reason this Hunter see this Hunter's sister and prey today. This Hunter may need help with this task, it is a heavy burden to carry and all this Hunter can ask of you is that she may have a place to rest once she tires out." Kyakta answered.
"Oh Kyakta, you know you have a place at my home any time." S'rah smiled.
"This is known this to be, sister. However, this Hunter must warn her sister and her prey, it is a very dangerous thing, that which this Hunter places herself into." S'rah shook her head with a sighed. "No matter how dangerous Kyakta, you have a place at my home. Even after your... sentence." S'rah said.

"Sentence?" Xochi asked. "Yes, this Hunter was sentenced to prison and it is yet another reason why she is here with sister and prey now, explaning this." She answered.
"Ah..." Xochi raised her brows, Kyakta sounded dangerous...

"What happened?" She asked, knowing her curiosity is more then likely best kept quiet.
Kyakta growled. "This prey asks too much of this Hunter, why?" She asked S'rah.
"She is merely curious Kyakta! She's not one of them." S'rah calmed her sister.

"Them?" S'rah flinched as Xochi's curiosity got the best of her. "Please. I will explain later, alright Xochi? It's very personal." S'rah held Xochi's shoulder.
"I'm sorry if my questions made you uncomfortable Kyakitash." Xochi blushed.
"Worry not prey, this Hunter is only paranoid, superstitious as her sister says." Kyakitash nodded to Xochi's direction.

Xochi couldn't shake it, why was Kyakitash in prison? Did she commit a crime or was she at the wrong place at the wrong time? If she did commit a crime, how big? Stealing? Murder? Trespassing?

She closed her eyes and shook her head. S'rah said she'd explain later, it's best just to put it out of her mind.