I'm going to include Ta'agra in here. It's the Khajiit language. On another site, I have a journal /dictionary with the Khajiit words filled in. There aren't many, but there are enough to make simple sentences, but since the Khajiit language is highly unfinished, I will substitute many words. Let me know if you would like me to put in a link (Copy+Paste) to it. Thank you!
Oh, and thank you to every one for reading!
"Jaji ihji var dar jajo artenurr," I whispered to myself as I slyly watched Bernadette in the Silver-Blood Inn. I was drinking a tankard of ale when the woman walked in, completely unaware of my presence. As if she'd be needing to know I was watching her, anyways. She was a pretty girl. She has blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and was averaging lightly-tanned skin. She wore typical garb for a housewife, but Nazir noted to me that she was a widow. I couldn't help but think that it had to hurt, but soon she would be out of her misery, aye?
A throat cleared next to me as the seat was pulled out. I looked up to find Nazir. He took the stool next to me and said, "What did you say?"
We were the only two at the bar. The bartender was off serving a mercenary and the other patrons were mesmerized by the bard. He was singing some song about the Dragonborn. "The Dragon Born Comes,", I think it was called.
With nobody in hearing range, I looked to him and whispered, "I will kill you tonight."
"Ah." He said, "You were speaking in Ta'agra, aye?"
I nodded. "Indeed. You know some Ta'agra?"
"Not off hand, nay. I just assumed because you were a Khajiit." He shrugged his shoulders and cast a glance around the room.
"What if I speak other languages?" I felt awkward making conversation with Nazir. We made small chit-chat, aye, but that was only when we were alone. If a guard heard what we talked about and threw us in jail, I'd be in more trouble than I could swallow. He warned me not to get him caught in my problems, so if I did, he'd be infuriated, I'd guess.
"Speak any other languages?" He sipped his own ale as his eyes held a controversial gaze.
"Aye." I nodded, "I speak a little of Daedric, but they are who I worship, so you could have guessed that one, too, right?"
A chuckle from his way and another nod, "Aye." There was a small halt in our chatter.
My tail swayed from left to right behind me and I pondered on how I would kill Bernadette later on. I had a bow and arrows, but when I grabbed them, I hadn't thought about getting up close and personal in the kill. I was thinking of keeping my distance, as in a hunt or whatnot. The only weapons I had were my dagger and my claws, but the claws would make too obvious of an attack. I could sneak into her house and slice her throat with the dagger or I could stab through her heart from behind... so many choices, but not enough time to decide. I could make it quick and simple and smother her with a pillow... assuming she had one in her house if she were asleep, but with a kill like that she could wake and scream which could draw much attention. Attention and suspicions are what I needed to avoid.
"Are you nervous, friend?"
My head jerked to the side, "Friend?"
"Aye. That's what I called you? Shall I not?"
I shook my head, "I can't control what you call me by, but you're not to be nice to me, right?"
He chuckled, "I'm not to be nice to you in the sanctuary, my sister. But here, on jobs, I'm to help you."
"You mean you're here to protect me, aye?"
He nodded, "Aye, that's what I meant. But only from that Thieves' Guild man."
I nodded, "So, what you're telling me is that outside of the sanctuary, you'll be as kind as, say, butter to me?"
He pondered on my statement a while, swaying his head back and forth as the Redguard thought about it. He sipped from his tankard and slammed it down a little harder onto the counter than necessary, a little ale covering the desk around his hands now. He seemed not to mind
as he said, "You could say it like that."
Later that night, I found myself outside of a tall house that was perched on a little rocky cliff, an overlook of Markarth below. Nazir was behind me, patiently waiting as I knelt before the grand, bronze door. We'd just trekked up a few sets of steps to get where we were, and while it didn't damage my stamina much, I found my hands to be a little shaky. I was breathing fine, but I found myself continuously looking back and forth for guards. Nazir said he'd keep watch, but I was shaking, practically out of my armor! My first murder, for Sheggorath's sake and I was going to struggle on the lockpick before I even got to the actual killing!
"Need some help?" Nazir whispered as he laid a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and shook my head, my hands finally grinding in to gear as the door cocked open. I waited for a response from on the inside. A 'Who's there?' or a shriek or something, but nothing came.
"Will you wait outside or follow me in?" I asked, standing up from my kneeling position with a final glance around. No guards yet, thank Azurah.
"I'll stand watch out here."
I nodded and pushed open the door. It squeaked a little, so I only opened it enough for me to slip my body in.
I found myself inside of a full-rock house, but that was expected, wasn't it? The house was built into the rock, anyways... To my surprise, the house was mostly empty. There wasn't even a rug on the floor or a single painting on the walls. The furniture looked to have been moved out and all that was left was a wooden table in the middle of the room with a bunch of papers scrawled over it. I pondered over to the table to catch a glance at the papers. I was curious and I couldn't help it. But as I looked over the papers, I saw some odd things that I think explained why a Nordic man wanted her gone... One paper looked like it was a letter that had yet to be sent out.
Dear Avon,
They're on to me, I know it. Medric must know that I plan to rat him out. Even as he is my ex-husband, and I promised not to tell about his Skooma dealings, what he does is just too dangerous and I know if he gets caught he'll pull me into the situation and as soon as he can. Because of this, I'm moving to Solitude. When the guards come knocking at his door he'll know it was me - then I fear I'll have the Brotherhood on my back! I can't have that, so I'm erasing all signs of me here and making my getaway. I'll make a point to visit you along my way to Solitude, but I can't promise I'll be there anytime soon after you get this letter. Anyways, wish the best for me and hope that Medric isn't on to me. Farewell for now, sister. Be safe.
Bernadette.
If I needed to kill Bernadette to keep this Medric man safe, I figured I should take the note as well, and I slipped a few more into my pockets that had anything to do with Medric. I nodded to myself when I figured I was done and unsheathed my dagger. I could hear a soft snoring coming from behind a door off to the side of the room. In such an empty house, what could be in the other room? I would find out one way or another. I crept over the stony floors and found the bronze door was slightly ajar. She couldn't even push the door shut for her own safety? I mean, the door had a lock on it...
I tapped the door slightly and I jumped back when it swung open, a cool breeze rushing past the door, my dagger raised to swipe down on whatever was there. Then I realized I tapped it harder than I thought and the door was weak anyways. There was a small window on one side of the wall that gave me a small view to look at a rushing waterfall, but nothing more than that.
The woman was sleeping on nothing but a thin, black, scraggly blanket; something she could wrap up quick and move on out in a swift second if she needed to. She was laying on her back, her blonde hair out of the ponytail it was in earlier, eyes closed snugly, and she seemed at peace. Her hair was longer than it seemed as she laid there, flowing down over the sheer-white pillow. I felt almost guilty that I had to be the one to ruin it, but then again when somebody betrays another, their death is on their own hands.
I found myself kneeling next to the woman as my dagger fell into place against the her neck. It would be quick and she would bleed out fast, but as soon as the cold metal touched her skin, her eyes snapped open and she made a move to throw the blankets off of her body. She made the mistake by herself, however. She pushed her body up and her neck was sliced by the dagger. Blood immediately starting to gush out of the wound. Her eyes shot open and a small whimper came out, but then her head fell back onto the pillow. Her eyes were still open in shock and then I felt utterly... pleased. I felt pleased. My heart was beating faster and a smile was tugging at my lips, but why? It wasn't the first time I killed someone... no, it was because I did my job.
I slid the blade across her throat, a small squelch coming from it and then I stood up. The blood continued to gush out of her neck and I felt repulsed, but it was a feeling I'd felt before when I killed in my past. I staggered back from the body as the crimson smell filled the air. Slowly, but eventually.
I could have sworn she was reaching for something, so as my nose twitched, I stepped forward and pulled the blanket off. There was a small dagger by her clothed thigh. It was hard to tell where it came from as the light was dim, but from first look it appeared elvish, but maybe it was made from the Orcs? I picked it up and decided I would carry it along with me for a while, then I turned my attention to the room.
It was bare like the first room, except there was nothing in here. So I left the body and made my way back to the front door where Nazir was left. No words were spoken until we were safely outside of the Markarth gates.
"Did you find anything important while you were in there?" Nazir and I made our way swiftly back to the Sanctuary near Falkreath. It would take us a few days but we needed to get back fast.
"Aye, I did." I shoved my hand into my pockets and withdrew the folded and crinkled papers, pushing them Nazir's way. "All of 'em state something about a Medric and a Skooma business. Apparently she was going to rat him out and move to Solitude. One letter addresses a woman named Avon and she confessed that she felt Medric would call the Brotherhood on her."
"She was right about one thing. So, how'd you kill her? I didn't even hear a scream."
"Bernadette var darith Bernadette." Technically speaking, it translates to 'She killed herself.'
"Huh?" Nazir gave me a confused look, so I started to explain what had happened. I was sheepish when I admitted it. I thought he would scorn me, but to my surprise, he laughed instead.
"Really? That's a first I've heard of that, but you still got the contract done so congratulations."
We reached the Sanctuary and as soon as we stepped in, I turned to say thanks to Nazir but he shook his head and walked away from me. He strode out of sight with long steps. Aye, so now he was back to ignoring me, huh? Fair enough, he had warned me.
I walked down the cave entrance and Astrid greeted me. I gave her the papers, the quick run-through of the job and she patted me on the shoulder.
"Good job," she said. "You can go and rest for a while now after you put the weapons back."
"Thanks." I stashed the weapons away in the room and walked down the hall where I found Veezara and Arnbjorn in the first room. There was also Festus Rex, but they cared not for me so I started to make my way to my room. On my way, I felt somebody grab my wrist and spin me around to face them. I came face-to-face with Omazirr.
"Aye?" I was confused.
"If you aren't busy tonight, I'd like for you to meet me in my room."
"For what?" I asked. He looked very tough in his black and red armor. It was enchanting to see how buff he was, the Khajiit showing his brutality in his stance. His shoulders were squared off, his muscles showing, and his tail dominant behind him.
"I want a lesson tonight, Footpad."
"Oh..." I nodded slowly, "I'll meet you there, then."
"Good." He let go of my wrist and walked past me, marching off to wherever. Such a mysterious man... I was tempted to follow him but I forced myself to restrain. Wherever he was headed, it wasn't my business. I had my own plans to work on, anyways.
Back in my room, I sat down on my cot and eventually snuggled under the green blankets. I folded my arm under the pillow and my head rested atop. What was I thinking about? Oh-so many things.
Riften.
Omazirr.
Riften.
Khajiit pantheon lessons.
Riften.
Bounty.
Bernadette.
Medric.
Riften.
Riften.
Who was going with me to Riften.
Oh, and Riften.
Did I mention Riften?
Who was going to go with me? Would they help me get in and out unnoticed? And what if somebody from the Thieves' Guild caught me and tried to kill me? What then? What would be worse, though? Guards or Guild? Guards or Guild... Maybe both could be equally as bad. I didn't want to go with Gabriella or that vampire girl, Babette. Nazir probably wouldn't help me, so I didn't want him either. Arnbjorn didn't seem that welcoming to me, so he was out. That left me with Festus Rex, Omazirr or Veezara.
My chances didn't look good and I wasn't prepared to die.
Perhaps before I leave, I can ask the others for some tips, I thought to myself. Surely one of them would help me in some way. Just a small tip, right? A small tip.
Later, there was a rapping on my door. I was jerked awake by it, unaware that I'd even fallen asleep.
I wiped a small strand of saliva off of my lips and found my pillow a little wet. I shivered, slightly in disgust as I wiped at my mouth again.
"What?" I called softly as I turned to the door.
It pushed open and - Omazirr!
He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his brow raised in a questioning gaze.
"Were you going to come over or not?"
"Damn it," I mumbled and looked down at my blanket. "I'm sorry. I fell asleep." I threw the blanket off of me and pulled my legs out from under the rest of it that didn't uncover me. I went to stand and stumbled forward a few steps, but by throwing my arms out slightly, I regained my balance.
"It's fine. But are you coming or going back to sleep?"
I yawned and slammed my hand over my mouth instinctively. I closed my eyes with the yawn and shook my head, "No, no I'm coming."
Through sleepy eyes, I followed him back to his room, padding softly behind him.
"What time is it?"
He shrugged his shoulders and pushed open the door to his room, "Past midnight. Take a seat on my bed with me." He sat down on his bed at one corner, near the foot of it, and I took a seat at the top near the pillow.
I curled my legs under me and rested my tail, curved around my legs. No wonder I passed out - I was so tired, I couldn't help it.
I found Omazirr staring at me as I shifted my position; from the lotus position, I switched to fetal. It wasn't a tense fetal position, though, it was relaxed, with my arms lightly strung around my legs.
"Where do we start?" Omazirr was straight down-to-business when he figured I was comfortable and situated.
"Well," I said. "Where can we start? You are obviously a Khajiit, but do you know Ta'agra?"
His eyes wandered around as he was thinking about something, "Partially."
My head tilted to the side, "Can you elaborate?"
"I know a few words. Why?"
I sighed. "If I'm going to be teaching you about the Khajiit pantheon, what good is it if I can't speak in Ta'agra, too?"
"Teach me a little of that then." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
"Okay... altogether, this leaves me little room to start with, but alright... let's start with Sheggorath. What do you know about him?"
His head slowly turned to the side, "Sheggorath? Do you mean Sheogorath?" The tip of his tail, which was strewn off to the side of his leg, was gently tapping on the bed.
"Aye." I nodded, "But in the Khajiit pantheon, his name is Sheggorath. What do you know about him?"
Omazirr shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest once more like he'd done before, "I only know that he's crazy and lives in the Shivering Isles. Something about a world split in half?"
I stared at Omazirr for a minute and found myself thinking, "Jaji va thjis." This one is foolish.