2
Now following Orlas quest, her feet swiftly climbed to the third highest building of Markarth, Vlindrel Hall. Her heartbeat galloped ahead and left her breathless on the stairs. She gave herself a moment to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. Gods, she hated speaking to new people. Especially Nords. There was not a mind under the sun that set its opinions in unbudging stones faster than that of a Nord. A Nord was bearable when he respected you, but it was hard to win a Nords respect, no matter what Orla said. Breathe. She pushed open the door to her home.
A chair snarled over the stone floor and a tall Nord rose to greet her. When she had reached the livingroom he kneeled and bowed his head, such that his hair fell to hide his face. It had the colour of sunlight and straw.
"It is an honour to serve you, my Thane. They call me Argis and I swear to defend you and what is yours with my life."
"The honour is mine. Rise." Shezerade was surprised at the calmness of her voice compared to her heart that beat like a bird, furiously trying to escape the cage of her ribs. She could feel his gaze on her face, like fingers combing through her grey fur. The Nords didn't like Khajiits. And she hated having to prove people wrong. She enjoyed living behind the masks of first impressions that others handed to her. But she could forget that here. This was not a fleeting meeting with a lord, meet here, gone the next hour.
Argis rose and now it was her turn to inspect him. He was a head taller than her, but that was nothing new, everyone was taller than her. A trait for which she had thanked the Gods many times. He had hair of gold and eyes of amber to suit it. Well, one eye. His left eye was white like the moons and she could see the light rise where the blind iris mimicked the movements of his good eye. He was strong and muscular, his body trained by the heavy armor he wore.
"They call this one Shezerade. Argis will suit her well. Now, let the Khajiit give you a new armour, as a welcoming gift. She has one around here." She bade him to follow her and dragged the ebony armor out of her closet. She herself was too weak to wear heavy armor and it was totally against her whole style of fighting, but she loved the fine markings on the smooth gray metal, so she had kept the armor anyway. Argis' eyes widened as his gaze fell upon the prescious piece of metal that was to serve his protection. Carefully he took it into his hands, as if it were a young bird, not an armor. "Shezerade also has weapons for you and she can give you a good shield." Argis bowed.
"I thank you, my Thane." Shezerade tried a smile.
"Do not thank her yet. You are strong and well trained with ax and sword, you will make her life a great deal easier. And for that she needs you alive." Argis crudely copied her smile, unsure what to make of her comment, but followed anyway into the encantment room, where she kept the weapons she didn't use, but was too emotionally attached to sell, as well as those she simply found pretty. She pulled out an ebonyshield out of somewhere and after some digging also found a fitting waraxe. Together they carried the stuff into his room, where they dropped it onto his bed. "Shezerade will ask you to join her on a ride to Solitude tomorrow. She has a horse for you."
"Your wish is my commany, my Thane."
"Then the rest of the day is Argis'. Shezerade will ride at sunrise, meet her down at Slavius' farm."
"As you command, Thane." Shezerade nodded and retreated into the enchantment room, her heart racing. She closed the door behind her and fell onto the stone bench, her knees weak. It would be a horrible ride. But at least he would be useful. Shezerade was a deadly snake that burried itself in the sand, her enemies dead before they even suspected her presence, but she didn't stand a chance in close combat. She was an artist with brushed of bow and arrow, poison and traps, but she was as good with swords as a fish could dance up a mountain. Argis would be a blessing. He could cause distractions and enable her the flight to a save post.
When her knees would allow it, she pressed her ear onto the door. She could easily pick up on his heavy steps in the hallway, the door that opened and let shards of the clutter from the market drift into the room before it closed. She let out the breath she had held without knowing it and shoved open the doors. She hated closed doors, they hindered her hearing, the sense her life dependet on. She stood still for a moment and listened for the world. There was the whispers of the fire in the kitchen and that of the oven in the livingroom. They both mixed with the soft song of the world outside that boomed through the closed heavy metal doors. She went to her own rooms and pulled her only dress out of the closet. She had just given herself the rest of the day free, she might as well drop the armor. She changed with haste, always one ear pointed at the door in case Argis came back. She gently layed her bow and her quiver with arrows onto the matrace. She took her armor of carefully, watching out for any signs of it wearing down, but found none. She also layed off the sword she could not used and the small shield she didn't know why she carried. Lastly she exchanged the enchanted amulett for a necklacke of rubies that would go well with the dress.
The rest of the morning she spent cleaning up the house. She tried to prevent chaos from taking hold by carrying all the things she had brought from her adventures only to never use them again to the market. She had to go up and down several times and when the sun had reached its peak her body asked for a break, panting and exhausted. The sun burned on her fur and she flead into the cool halls of her home. She sat in the dining room and ate a good half dozen Sweetrolls, a cooked rabbitleg, drowining it with a bottle of thinned wine. The wine wasn't very good, but it was half water so she kept a clear head. She hoped Argis wouldn't be too drunk to ride tomorrow.
After her late breakfeast she dared to step outside once more and headed for the main gates of Markarth. She bowed her head to the two men that stood at the stables and followed the streets that hugged the feet of the mountains. She passed the bridge to Kolskeggr Mine to the Salvius Farm. She greeted Vidgis and was careful not to step on any crops. She had made a deal with the Salvius family: she could keep her horses on the unused land behind the farm and Vidgis and Rogatus could use one of the horses for their farmwork.
She was greeted by five different heads looking her way. She caressed them all and found treats for each and every one. After greeting Cinnamon, Griselda and Helena, she went over to Winnie and brushed her neck and mane gently with her claws.
"You will carry heavily tomorrow, sweet one." Winnie pushed her heavy head against Shezerades chest and the Khajiit smiled at the horses carelessness. She took Connamons saddle and switched it with Winnies old furr saddle. She did not want Argis to thinkg she was giving him the things she did not want anymore. She patted Winnies neck, more to calm her own nerves than those of ther horse and walked back up to Markath. She stepped through the city gate and let her gaze glide over the familiar sight of the market place. Nothing special. And now? She still had a few hours before she would allow herself to retreat into her room to go to bed, but she had nothing to do, nothing that wouldn't wait until tomorrow. She walked over the bridge to the Silverblood Inn. She knew Argis would be there, but that was all the better. She would have to deal with him anyway, and she had always preferred to know what she was getting into.