Chapter 13
The stairway was illuminated as the door to his flat swung open. Lilaena peered out and called his name.
"I'm right here, Mum," he replied, already halfway up.
"What on Nirn were you doing down there?" Lilaena demanded, her voice creaky with sleep.
"I heard a noise," Rioghnan replied. "I went to see what it was."
"In the middle of the night? Ri, that was dangerous. It could've been anything out there. Robbers, assassins, a rabid nix hound…"
Rioghnan stifled a laugh. "Here, in Balmora? Come on, Mum."
"You never know."
"I do know. It was - nothing. You worry too much. Not everything in Tamriel is out to hurt us, you know. Nobody cares that much about us."
What he said made perfect sense, but it wasn't the crux of Lilaena's paranoia. She never suspected that everyone was out to cause them harm. She just worried someone might be homicidal, and that that someone would happen to choose her child, and she'd be left to suffer and die alone, having lost both of her precious mer. "I know the chances are slim that something might happen to you. But if it did, I would never forgive myself. I can't lose you, Ri. You're all I have."
"I can't stay with you forever, Mum. What about my life? Don't I get to have one?"
"Of course you do. When you're old enough. You're only fourteen – nobody should be out on their own in the world at your age." She pulled him in and held him close, smoothing his long, white hair down with one hand.
Rioghnan sighed out of frustration and defeat. Part of him was compelled to wrench away from her and run out the door but then he couldn't stand the idea of upsetting her; it made him feel guilty. They'd had similar conversations over and over. He'd make a play for a tiny bit of freedom and she would immediately put a stop to it, insisting he just wasn't old enough yet, or it wasn't the right time. "I wish my father was alive. I want to find him and bring him back to life, so you can have him to torture instead of me," he grumbled.
Lilaena giggled in spite of herself. "You're funny. That sounds like something he'd have said."
"See? He agrees with me. Mum, he agrees. 'Let the boy have some freedom'." Rioghnan joked wryly, dropping his voice in an attempt to sound like an older elf.
That night, and all the next day, Rioghnan found that all he could think of was Nilsie. He was terribly excited about the prospect of sneaking out and getting to talk to her again. The odd thing about it was that he actually found her a bit irksome, but somehow this did not serve to dampen his excitement over seeing her again.
The evening seemed to drag on endlessly as he waited for his mother to go to bed. He wasn't sure whether he should wait and see if Nilsie would arrive to throw more pebbles at his window, or just slip away and try to find her. The minutes ticked by as he lay in bed, staring out the window, hoping his mother wouldn't awaken and stop him if he tried to leave.
After lying there for what seemed like an extremely long time, he finally couldn't take the suspense anymore and stealthily pulled his boots on to creep downstairs and have a look around. There was no sign of Nilsie. He ventured into the alley, ears tuned for anything that might sound like her, or like his mother charging after him in a rage. He could make out the noises of neighboring families in their homes, and a few voices here and there in the distance, talking, shouting, laughing. He had never been outside of his flat without his mother close by - especially at night. And now here he was, in his pajamas no less, wandering down the alley. He felt a mixture of exhilaration and apprehension. The cold nighttime air bit through the thin fabric of his nightclothes, and he wished he'd thought to grab a cloak, but he figured that returning for one now would raise the chances of awakening his mother. He knew that if she discovered he'd slipped out again, she'd be furious and race downstairs to find him, so he stuck to the shadows. At any rate, he thought he could have a few moments' freedom before she caught him and disciplined him. This way, he supposed, at least the adventure would be worth the ensuing punishment.
He was understandably feeling a bit paranoid, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone suddenly clutched his arm. Much to his elation, he whipped around, heart still hammering madly, and saw Nilsie beaming up at him. "Hello, Rhee-uh-nun!" She greeted him, mockingly drawing out the syllables in his name with a feisty gleam in her burgundy-colored eyes. "Ya sneaked out, ya naughty boy!"
Rioghnan grinned roguishly.
"We're going to have a bit of fun tonight," Nilsie declared, grabbing both of his hands and jogging backward, effectively pulling him down the road, away from his flat. He looked down at their hands together. Hers were tiny and dark compared to his. A strange, electric feeling shot through him.
"Where're we going?" Rioghnan finally inquired, his mind conjuring up images of her swarthy little friends crouching round the next shadowy corner to accost him. He really wanted to trust her, and in any case, he wasn't about to call it off and run home, even if it did mean he'd receive a proper kicking from the other Dunmer kids tonight. Whatever it took to get him accepted, he was prepared for it. No more of this 'Mummy's baby' nonsense.
"You'll see," she replied slyly. She continued through the town, Rioghnan in tow. He began to hear music in the distance, a deep, rhythmic drumbeat echoing down the alley. Nilsie pulled him toward the source of the sound – the local Cornerclub, a popular place where adult commoners frequently gathered for music, dancing, and drinks.
"Uh… they're not going to let us in here," Rioghnan informed her, knowing quite well they'd take one look at the two of them and immediately send them packing for being underage.
"We're not going in…" An impish grin curled the corners of her mouth. She hopped onto the railing of the stone stairway that led from the town's upper level to the middle with great grace and agility. "We're going on top of it!" Grabbing onto the molding that adorned the upper portion of the building with her fingertips, Nilsie pulled herself up and onto the roof. Rioghnan followed suit, struggling a bit more than she had, but finally dragging his lanky frame over the edge. She motioned for him to follow and darted toward the front of the building, where the music was loudest. They sat down with their backs against the wall that surrounded the roof, giggling with satisfaction and mischievousness.
"This is nice!" Rioghnan exclaimed. The music from inside was loud enough that he had to yell a little to be heard. "Do you think they'll suss us out?"
"They haven't yet," Nilsie replied. "I do this all the time. So, ya like it or what?"
"I like it, aye," he confirmed.
Nilsie reached into one of the pockets on her old, green skirt and pulled out a bit of scrib jerky. "Want some?" She waved it about as if to try to entice her companion.
"Sure," Rioghnan shrugged.
"Then come and get it." She retorted, then bit down on the piece of dried meat so that only a small piece stuck out of her mouth. She leaned forward, as if to offer it to him.