Chapter XV
Magoza, Hides and Snouts were all hiding in a rather large woodland of giant mushrooms and trees, all ranging from around five feet, to thirty feet tall. They could easily see the road from their position, but they themselves were quite well concealed.
Today was the day the Karo's were going to be moved, and she had to be ready. She would succeed in rescuing them, even if it meant her own life. They were good people, who tried so hard to hold on to their farm. To be snatched away from their home as they had been, filled her with anger.
Both Hides and Snouts had a bow. Hides would soon be moving off to climb the large tree, that lay at the other side of the road, so he could get a better angle, while Snouts hid by the thick stalk of a twelve-foot tall mushroom. There was no doubt in Magoza's mind that she was finally getting to see where Hides got the his name from.
Her heart was thumping hard in her chest, as she practised her spells, allowing flames and ice to erupt in her hand and fizzle out. While she was confident in her ability to use magic, she wasn't confident in how well she would perform when the time came to actually using it offensively. She knew she had to free her friends, but held no illusions regarding her actual skills. She would have to be on top form, if they had any chance of succeeding.
She looked across at Hides as he reached the top of the tree. From what he had told her, he was the only one here with any real combat skill, and that was only with a bow. They had no clue as to how many slavers there would be, and no clue as to their abilities or training. Hides had told her that he merely gathered the Dunmer slaves, and that he had never actually transported them within Argonian borders.
Magoza looked to the north. The road was quiet now, but it wouldn't stay that way. When the time came she would be ready.
She pulled the crossbow off her back and aimed down the sights. The first strike or two, she would deal using the odd contraption. Then she would use her Divines given gift of magic to finish off them off. At least that was the plan.
They had made a grave mistake taking the Karo family, and she would make sure the slavers knew that fact before they died.
Darovin was awoken violently with a kick to the gut. As he heard his wife cry out, his first instinct was too rush over to her and defend her, but his memory caught up with him, and he remembered the most terrible situation they found themselves in.
He knew little would come of fighting their captives, at least right now. He would have to strike at just the right moment, and hope his family followed his lead with as much fierce determination as he felt. He also knew that once the shackles were back on their wrists, as opposed to just on their ankles, that all hope was truly lost. If they were going to make a move, it would have to be before then.
Today was the day they were being moved southwards, that much he knew. As to where they were being moved to, he had absolutely no idea whatsoever. All he did know, was that it was deeper into Argonian territory.
They were pulled out of the cage that they had called home since they had been brought here, and the Argonians held up their wrist shackles in triumph, waiting to put them on.
Darovin as usual, was to be the first one to be put into the irons. As the Argonian, one of four, stepped forward with the wrist cuffs in hands, Darovin lunged forward, his hands outstretched. The Argonian was prepared for the attack, instantly raising his defences. Luckily for the Dunmer, he hadn't anticipated the type of attack. Darovin grabbed the Argonian's jaw and ripped it open with as much force as he could, not caring that a few of the slaver's teeth cut deep into his fingers.
As the others rushed in to pull the Dunmer off, Llandri and Brendarr rushed in, knocking them away, defending the husband and father.
With a satisfying pop, Darovin felt the Argonian's neck snap, and allowed him to fall to the floor before turning to the three others. As he moved forward he heard a shout from down the narrow hallway. "Make an example!" the voice cried.
Before he knew what was happening, Darovin felt sharp, cold steel slip through his back, in-between his ribs. He felt the agony as his pierced heart beat, ripping itself apart on the blade that now sat, sticking out his chest.
He collapsed to his knees, his head feeling light, his limbs feeling numb. He looked up to see his wife and son staring at him in horror, the other Argonian's restraining them from behind.
Darovin tried to reach around, to grab the handle of the dagger that had impaled his heart, through his back. He had no idea who it had been that had stabbed him. All he knew was the pain and the blood.
His vision began to blur, and he found himself laying on his side on the wet, blood washed crimson floor. He saw feet by his face. He looked up, but couldn't make out who it was. His vision was too blurred, his eyes simply refused to focus.
"You followed the pattern they all do," A voice said. Distant, yet close. "We sold two slaves, not three. An example was to be expected. I was thinking that it would be the boy who tried something, but you will do fine."
The Dunmer coughed up blood and wheezed. "Don't give in to them," he said to his wife and son. "I love you."
His vision began to fade. The last thing he ever heard was his wife scream his name.
"Darovin!" Llandri screamed at the top of her lungs.
A large Argonian was gripping her around the waist, pinning her arms by her side. She was stopped from getting to her husband, stopped from being at his side as his life slipped away. But her husband ceased breathing, and his eyes glazed over. The mark that he was gone.
"You bastards!" she yelled, spitting at Talen, who stood with her husband at his feet.
He turned to her, a look of triumph on his lizard face. "Do you want me to take your son's life away?" he asked her.
Her eyes grew wide. "No," she said in terror. "Please, don't!"
"Then except your fate," he told her.
Llandri looked over at her son. His eyes were closed tightly and his body trembled. She looked down at her husband's form and felt her throat open.
Moments later she was on her hands and knees, vomiting onto the floor. The contents of her stomach, mixing in with the mass puddle of blood, that still seeped from her dead husband's wound. Her whole body trembled. Her husband was dead, and the true realisation of their predicament sunk in with such a force that it shook her to her bones.
"Put them in their shackles," Talen said. "And prepare them for the journey."
Llandri felt herself being hoisted up onto her feet and the iron cuffs placed firmly onto her wrists. A hand gripped her face. She looked forward to see Talen looking at her, his hand clutching her jaw. "Your journey will be on foot," he told her. "Do not expect any rescue. Your kind have no real power to stop us." He let her go . "Prepare them, then get that mess cleaned up!"
Two other Argonian's entered the room and spoke to them. But Llandri didn't hear them. Her husband was dead, and they were to spend the rest of their lives as slaves.
Nothing mattered any longer. There was no hope for them, their lives were over.
"This is that Orc's fault," she heard Brendarr mutter under his breath, tears running from his eyes. "I'll rip out her heart!"
She looked over to him, but didn't respond. What was there to say? What could be said?
The two of them were herded into a small room where they were force-fed. Not ten minutes later, they were out on the road heading south. Their lives as slaves was sealed
They were in their home, and Tam didn't like it. She sat leant up against the wall, while Rasha the Khajiit assassin, and Faldan the Bosmer traitor sat at the table. Rontag was sat on a chair opposite them, and Valerie stood by his side.
Tam hated Faldan. Before he had come, she had been living a stable and happy life, even if it was as an ore miner. He had come along and destroyed all that. He had informed the Thalmor of her presence there, and now he had the blood of every one of those that had been killed in Minestead, on his hands.
The Khajiit, Rasha she was unsure of. The Ohmes-Raht's motivations were suspect. Why had she befriended Faldan? Why had she warned her that the Thalmor knew she was in Winterhold? Whatever the reasons, she didn't trust them. She had been warned before, back at the ruins of Cloud Ruler Temple that the Thalmor were looking for her, by her old friend Albus. That had turned out to be a trap.
For now she tolerated their presence, even if she didn't really like it. For some reason, Rontag was foolishly putting a lot of faith into that dream he'd had. A dream that had occurred while he was recovering from a severe poison. While the actual source of the dream wasn't clear, it was compelling. Somewhere out there Magoza could still be alive, even if the chances of it being true were very remote.
Valerie believed it to be in Jehanna, but there was no evidence for that. The only reason to believe that any of the dream was true, was the presence of the traitor and the would-be assassin.
Tam forced herself to stop dwelling on the inconsistencies, and focus on what was being said.
"-and you grew up in Cyrodiil?" Rontag asked Rasha, continuing on with a conversation, that Tam had missed the most of.
"Yes, I did," the Khajiit replied. "So what?"
"You live through the war?"
"Yes. I was mainly contracted with taking care of the growing bandit problem, while the main focus of the Legion was on the Dominion. I took care of bandit leaders, usually while they slept."
"Don't they have fighters guild for that?" Rontag asked her.
"Yes, but the bandits grew quite bold during the war. There simply wasn't enough Legion patrols to keep the roads safe, and a lot of Fighters Guild members joined the Legion to fight the Dominion."
"So you dealt with bandits all by yourself?" Valerie asked, her tone suggesting that she didn't believe her.
"Not quite. I was working with the Fighters Guild in a way, though not directly employed by them. I went in, took out the leader, and if there was chance, misplaced their weaponry. Then the Fighters Guild, the few of them that there were, struck soon afterwards, while they were in disarray."
"And they never caught you sneaking in?" Rontag asked.
"I don't get caught on a job," she told them.
"What about in Windhelm?" Faldan asked. "You were put in jail by the guards."
"I was sleeping," Rasha explained. "So it doesn't count."
"Why go against your contract with the Thalmor?" Valerie asked, taking the conversation a different direction.
"Because it was wrong," Rasha replied.
"That's troll shit and you know it!" Tam snapped. "What's the real reason!?"
Faldan jumped in fright, while Rontag and Valerie looked over at her, shocked at her sudden outburst.
Rasha glared. "For someone who I've actively decided not to murder in their sleep, you seem quite ungrateful."
"I don't trust you," Tam told her. "You'll have to prove yourself to me."
"I don't take contracts that break my oath."
"Oath?" Tam questioned. "Assassins with oaths that include not killing!?"
"I'm a bounty hunter," Rasha corrected.
Tam shrugged. "Okay then, what is you oath?"
"To not kill those who I deem innocent of misdeed."
"Why didn't you kill Faldan then?" Tam questioned. "He killed everyone in Minestead!" she spat.
"He was only a pawn."
"He was-" Tam trailed off. "You know what, I don't want to talk about that," she said to them. "I want to get the reasoning behind your actions, Khajiit."
"You want to know the reasons why I am as I am?" Rasha asked.
"I want to know why an assassin-"
"Bounty hunter!" Rasha exclaimed. "Why do I always have to make the distinction to people!?"
"Bounty hunter then," Tam conceded. "Why would a bounty hunter turn down a contract? And from the Thalmor of all people? And based on their feelings!? It's a stupid thing to do. The Thalmor don't forget, and while they might not actively hunt you, you might now be a bonus on a future contract."
"I told you. I turned it down because it was wrong," the Khajiit told her.
Tam clenched her jaw. She would be heading off soon and Rontag wanted to take the Khajiit and the Bosmer with him and his wife to Jehanna. But the Thalmor wanted Faldan dead and that meant that neither Valerie or Rontag would be safe. There was absolutely no way she was going to allow these two to put her friends in possible danger.
"When I leave, you two are coming with me!" Tam said to Faldan and Rasha.
"What?" Faldan asked in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Rontag asked.
"The Thalmor want them," Tam said. "You will be in danger with them."
"But my dream."
"I don't give a damn about your dream!" Tam shouted at him. "If Magoza is in Jehanna, like Valerie wishes to believe, then do you want the Thalmor following you?" she asked. "Putting Magoza's life at risk?"
Rontag shrugged. "All I know is that my dream said Magoza was still alive, and that we must go to Jehanna."
Valerie placed her hand on her husband's shoulder. "She's right, we deserve a fresh start away from anyone that will bring us danger."
"But why must I go with her?" Faldan asked, making sure he didn't look at Tam as he said it.
"Because if you think for a moment that you're going with my two friends, then you are mistaken," Tam told him straight. "You have a large target on you. I may hate your guts, but we're tainted."
"Tam is right," Rasha said. "We shouldn't put others in danger."
The Altmer looked at the Khajiit. "Not too late you know."
"For what?" Rasha asked.
"To kill me and Faldan. You'd get your coin and be free."
"Who says they would reward me for my services?" Rasha asked her. "Who's to say that they wouldn't simply kill me also?"
Tam hadn't thought of that. Things were beginning to make a little more sense regarding her actions. It was true that if they killed the Khajiit, then not only would they seal yet another gap in their leaky boat of conspiracy and lies, but they also wouldn't have to pay her.
"I'm not going anywhere with her!" Faldan said frightfully.
Tam glared at him. She wanted so much to be just grab his head and crush his skull. While she knew that she wasn't strong enough for that, she also knew that it would do no good. They had used him, and then sought to remove him. He was nothing now, but a frightened little mer.
For the first time, she realised how pitiful he was, how broken. He sat there only as a mere shell of what he had been back when she known him in Minestead. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown just by being in her presence. She scared him to death, and in some small way, that was good enough consolation for her.
Slowly Tam walked over to him. He cowered in his chair, while the other three in the room tensed up, half expecting the Altmer to remove his head.
Instead Tam held out her hand to him. "Taemwyn Orthar," she told the frightened Bosmer. "While not a fresh start, I am offering you my hand in tolerance."
Faldan stared at her hand, unsure what to do.
"Take it," Rasha whispered to him. "Don't let this pass you by."
Slowly he raised his hand and grasped hers. Tam clenched her teeth hard, just to stop herself from squeezing his hand until it shattered. After a brief moment she let go turning to Valerie and Rontag, while Faldan rubbed his squashed hand.
"I don't trust those dreams of yours," she said to them. "Make sure you go to Solitude and find Meratur before you head off to Jehanna. He used to live there, so he probably knows a lot of folk. And if there's any chance that his daughter is alive, then he'll want in on it."
Valerie smiled. "Never even thought of that," she revealed with embarrassment. "And come to think of it, I believe Magoza used to live in a Stronghold near there. Maybe that's where she went?"
Tam held back her tongue. The chances of Magoza even being alive were slim, let alone her being back in High Rock. Perhaps Rontag had been right after-all. Maybe Valerie couldn't let go.
"When're you setting off?" Rontag asked.
Tam looked at Rasha and Faldan. "Whenever those two are ready."
"Two days," Rasha said.
"Two days," Tam agreed.
The road was quiet. Nothing had come along in hours, and Magoza was beginning to think that they weren't coming at all. Her worst fear was that they had already gone, that they had somehow missed them.
That fear didn't stay for long, as a group of six armed and armoured Argonian's came over the horizon, walking down the road with some Dunmer in tow.
From this distance she couldn't quite tell if it was the Karo's, nor could she see if there were three of them. But as they moved closer, it became clear who it was, and even more clear that Darovin wasn't with them.
Her mind began to race. Where was he? Was he back at the old manor house near Narsis? Had he been made a personal slave and separated from his family? If so, then they'd have to figure out how to rescue him later. Right now they had a job to do, and the young Orsimer knew that the six Argonian guards could easily be stronger, and better than the three of them. She knew they could easily be killed and that the Karo's may spend the rest of their lives as slaves in a foreign land.
Without further thought, she had the ebony crossbow in hand and was aiming along its sights, down at the approaching slavers.
Suddenly, one of the Argonian guards fell to the dirt with an arrow in the side of his head, alerting the other Argonians immediately. Magoza quickly released a crossbow bolt, and watched it miss her target completely.
Without another thought, she holstered the crossbow, lest she hit Llandri or Brendarr by mistake, and jumped out from where she was hiding, letting firebolts fly, striking the tallest Argonian in the face. He cried out, as they all turned their attention onto her. Two more arrows flew out, striking two more of the Argonians, one from Hides, the other from Snouts.
The Argonian who was clearly in charge, shouted something at the others in a strange, hissed language. They split up, as yet more arrows flew out from the cover of the vegetation.
"I'll kill you!" Magoza screamed at him.
The large Argonian came at her with a jagged sword. She fired bolts of fire at him, as she backed up slowly. Suddenly, the leader found himself on the floor, as Llandri who was bound in wrist chains, threw herself into his back.
Magoza quickly grabbed the crossbow off of her back and placed a bolt into the runner, pulling back the lever, priming it to fire. She pointed it down at the Argonian's head and pulled the trigger.
The bolt buried itself into the side of his face with a sickening crack. His skull splintering under the tremendous force. His body twitched, then went limp.
The young Orc turned as Llandri cried out. She came face to face with another slaver, but he collapsed to the floor with an arrow buried in the back of his head.
She looked over to see Snouts heading back towards the city. She then looked over at Llandri and Brendarr as they stared at her.
"You saved us?" Brendarr asked her in disbelief.
"Of course I did," she said back, her body beginning to shake. "Why wouldn't I?"
"But I thought-" Brendar began
Llandri cut him off as she jumped in front of her son, her finger pointing, her eyes wide. "Watch out!" the Dunmer said as she glared over towards the trees. Magoza looked around to see Hides walking over to them.
"That's Hides," she told the two. "He helped me find you."
Llandri regarded him suspiciously.
Magoza shouted over to him, her body still trembling from the aftermath of combat. "Where's Snouts going?" she asked him.
"His work here is done," Hides replied. "He's going home."
Magoza looked back at the two. "We need to get these wrist cuffs off."
Hides knelt over the largest of the dead Argonians, and began to search him. "This one probably has the key on him."
Magoza turned to Llandri and Brendarr. "Where's Darovin?" They both looked away, breaking eye contact.
"Got the key," Hides told them.
He stood up and passed it to Magoza. She moved over to Llandri and opened her wrist and ankle cuffs, before doing the same for Brendarr.
"We need to go get Darovin," Magoza told them. "We can't leave him-"
"No point," Llandri interrupted, fighting back the tears that threatened to burst from her eyes.
"What do you mean?" the Orc asked, once again feeling her heart start thumping in her chest in fear.
"He's dead," the Dunmer widow said, her voice cracking with emotional strain.
Magoza stared at Llandri in shock. She could barely believe what she had just been told.
Hides grabbed one of the corpses. "We need to hide these," he said. "We don't want people discovering that you've escaped too quickly."
Nobody else moved. Brendarr and Llandri stared vacantly at the dirt, while Magoza simply stood there with her mouth agape. Darovin was dead. He had been such a kind and gently man, who didn't deserve death. But it had found him, at the hands of those that sought to enslave him.
Hides mumbled under his breath, as he dragged the largest corpse behind the trees. He returned quickly. "We need to hide these bodies!" he told them, in a louder, more urgent tone.
Magoza looked at him confused. "What?" she asked, having not heard him.
"The bodies!" he hissed. "We need to hide them!"
Llandri agreed. "Yes, we should hide them," she said stoically, her emotions spent. "Brendarr help us get these bodies into the tree line."
They all gripped a corpse each and dragged it off the road. All except Magoza, who struggled with the one body she picked. Eventually though, all the bodies were hidden out of direct sight.
"We need to get moving," Hides told them. "We head west, then north into Dark-Elf controlled Morrowind."
He lead the way. The two Dunmer, and the Orsimer followed in mournful silence.
Updated 08/04/2014
