Chapter Eleven
Over our bowls of stew, Jurgis introduced me to the others in the room. Most of them were Khajiit who were part of the Mages' Guild. The other rebellion soldiers who were there with Jurgis, Frelene, and Malpenix were two Breton brothers named Verick and Gerard, and a Nord named Ormvard. They explained to me that we would first be traveling further south to Orcrest to gather reinforcements and then we will be traveling back to Cyrodiil. I was amazed to find out that the White-Gold rebels had routed themselves deeply into the Imperial and Thalmor ranks. Gerard even hinted that they had a Count in league with them.
The next morning, I followed Jurgis's instructions and met him outside the town limits. Accompanying him was Frelene, Malpenix, Verick, Ormvard, and one of the Khajiit mages named Jo'Basha. They informed me that Gerard would be staying behind to keep guard over the Mages' Guild. I had hoped that Malpenix would be taking that post, but unfortunately he was at the wooden sign to greet me with a smug look on his rugged face.
At the sign, we took the path that went right. Before the group even had a chance to fully wake up, we came across a traveling merchant on his elephant. I marveled at the sight of it; there were no animals that large in Cyrodiil. We walked in silence for a while; Jo'Basha and Ormvard were on either side of me, Malpenix was behind me – I could feel his harsh eyes on me as I walked – and Jurgis, Frelene and Verick took the lead.
As the grass began to become sparse, I became lost in the soft hum of conversation around me until we stopped for lunch at another fork in the road. The group settles down around a fallen tree and pulls out some food. I situate myself towards the end of the log and lean against my bulging pack. Much to my surprise, Malpenix chooses a seat on the ground next to me and gives me a weak smile to which I return with a glare.
"Jurgis said I should apologize for my behavior yesterday," he said to me, but kept his eyes on the food he was pulling out of his pack.
"Do you always do as Jurgis tells you?" I replied snidely.
"Yes, but that's not the point. I should apologize. Most of my family was killed by your kind – damn High Elves. They were there during the sack of the Imperial City. Jurgis told me your father fought in the Great War…against the Thalmor?"
"Yes, Malpenix, he did. He was a Wood Elf. My mother was a High Elf, though I never knew her," I said as softly as I could manage. I gave him one personal detail in return for his, hoping the conversation could be finished.
"Mal."
"Pardon?"
"I go by Mal. Only Jurgis calls me Malpenix, and he only does so when he's angry with me," he gave me a smile that looked odd on his bearded face. "Save me the humiliation, then, and please call me Mal."
I couldn't help it: I smiled at him. "Only if you call me Emi rather than Emerald."
"It's a deal," he smiled again and then took a bite of his cheese wedge. I glanced up to see Frelene grinning at me.
After we finished our foods, we continued south along the road. Jo'Basha informed us as we entered the Tordon woods. Around me I saw trees thicker and with larger leaves than the ones I was accustomed to in Cyriodiil. Soon, the grass began to give way to sand and I begin to feel a rise in temperature. We stop for water breaks more often as we begin to sweat, especially the men who, with the exception of Verick, had on heavy armor. The sun begins to fall when I see my first cactus. When I ran my finger over one, Frelene had to help me remove a large needle and Mal laughed at me the entire time.
Jurgis announced that we were almost to our beds for the night when buildings came into sight ahead of us. With new inspiration in our steps, we quickly make it to the large, square inn. We enter through a wide archway that opened into a courtyard. I was startled to see two elephants inside, who were being watched by a Khajiit guard.
A light colored, female Khajiit snarled a grin at us as we walked up to the counter. "Kaasha welcomes you to the King's Walk. What can this one do for you?"
Our Khajiit companion placed a coin purse onto the sandstone slab and said, "Jo'Basha would like to rent three rooms for the night."
As the Khajiit haggled the price, I looked over to Frelene and whispered, "Only three rooms? There's seven of us."
With a straight face, she whispered back, "No one ever said that being a part of a rebellion would allow for traveling in luxury."
Once the price was settled, Jo'Basha nodded to Jargis and Jargis motioned for everyone to follow him up the stairs. He directs Jo'Basha and Verick into the first room, then Ormvard, Mal, and me to the second one, leaving the third for himself and Frelene. I walked into the tiny, dirty room and looked at the battered furniture and single straw bed.
Ormvard gave me a firm pat on the back at I looked up at him. The Nord's green eyes met mine as he said, "Don't worry, Emi, we'll give you the bed."
"I can sleep just fine on the floor," I assured him. I expected to be camping on the side of the road, so I was happy just to have a roof over my head.
Mal came up and messed up Ormvard's long brown hair with a laugh. "Listen to the little elf trying to get us to treat her like one of the guys. I guess that leaves the bed to me!"
"I won't give it up that easily!" Ormvard laughed.
I left the two men to jovially bicker as I rolled my bedding out onto the floor. I bundled up my cloak and used it as a pillow. I tucked myself under the covers and leaned against the wall. The two men were still joking as they took off their armor. Finally, Mal claimed his dominance over the bed and Ormvard threw his bedroll onto the floor next to me. For the first time in days, I fell asleep with a lighter heart and the feeling of security.
At some point before sunrise, I wake up suddenly with a start. Sweat is beading up on my forehead and I look around the dark room. I let out a small squeak of shock when Ormvard inhales a loud snore. My exhale ends with a laugh and I lay my hand over my chest in attempts to still my beating heart.
That's when the door is kicked in.