The Pink Haired Pirate: An Old Norse Saying

Rated: M for language, future mature themes, violence, gore

Warnings: Spoiler alert for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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Sakura visited the old lady first thing after breakfast time was over. After a rather copious meal, she has stopped by a spices and dried herbs cart to purchase a small bag of jasmine tea. The old lady was a tea drinker as well, so maybe she would like the gift. Maybe it will put Sakura in her good graces and she'll spill the beans. Not a bad idea at all.

Gently rapping her knuckles against the door, the lady unlocked and opened it just slightly, so Sakura could come through.

"Oh, I didn't expect to see you so soon, dear! Do you have other trinkets you'd want me to take care of?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not this time. But tea appreciators are rare on Tamriel - from what I have seen so far, so I thought you'd like to have this jasmine tea together."

The old woman let a smile stretch on the wrinkly features of her face. "Oh, I'd be delighted! Follow me."

Sakura handed her the brown, paper bag full of tiny, dried herbs, and started to prepare the hot water in the brass pot hanging above the fire. Judging by all the carpets in the room, you'd think they were a fire hazard, but no.

They silently prepared the tea, as Sakura was gestured to gather the cups and teapot from the top shelf, along with a small box of sugar. They soon sat back down at the table pushed far against the wall. The lady poured the tea.

Sakura took a sip, relishing in the aroma. It was a welcomed change from the typical lavender or frost mirriam tea options she had in Skyrim. Maybe she should bring quite some bags of tea with her, when the mission - and vacation, were over. "Ma'am, there's something I've been meaning to ask you..."

"What is it, my dear?" She sat down her cup.

"I got a tip from a khajiti thief... he told me to ask you about the Arena fights."

The old lady's eyes widened gradually, before nodding. "So you seek an audience with the Gray Fox, I assume."

There was no point in denying. "Yes, ma'am."

She sighed. "The Gray Fox is a controversial figure here in Cyrodiil. He's the Guildmaster of the bunch of wayward scoundrels in the sewers, yes, but he's also involved in the underground Arena fights. Once a year, underground fights shake off the meek from the batch of gladiators, to take part in the tournament."

"So an audience would mean..."

"Proving him you're worth his time. Put on a show, and he'll listen to what do you have to say."

'Most likely just snatch the cowl off his head and make a run for it but talking works too.'

"I see. But how do you even join the underground fights?"

The old lady took one last sip from her tea. "There is a trapdoor which leads to the sewers; not much farther from here in the Waterfront District. Took the first turn to the left and you will find yourself in the old lobby of the Imperial City Prisons. There is someone who handles all the potential recruits." She paused. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sakura nodded solemnly. "More than ever, ma'am."

The old lady touched her hand, gently. "Good luck, then."

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Marcurio was in his room, but he wasn't quite alone. Tora was sitting on his lap, stretching her sore back. He was reading a volume, absently petting the small, brown cat, careful not to undo the black ribbon.

"You know... this is so peaceful, nya. Are you sure you don't want to go kick ass or something?"

"Not now, Tora. You said that you're glad that Madam Shijimi is not hiring brats to chase you anymore." He turned a page, leaning his cheek against his fist.

Tora snorted. "Of course I am. But still... it was a good workout. Team Kakashi was better than Team Ebisu, I'll tell you that." She sighed, nostalgically. "I miss the little brats. Somehow."

"I can't let you run off on your own, yet. I have to find a way to break it to Sakura."

"Chihiro let you borrow her summoning scroll. You sighed the contract. You met her friends. Why would she be mad about it?"

"I had to steal her scroll. She really should know about it and it would be better if I told her on my own. How do I even break it to her, anyway?"

Tora shrugged, leaning her head against his palm. "Yeah, that's the spot. Look. You have your own secrets and she has her own. Remember her armor? When you put the scroll back. Something's going on and I think it would be mutually beneficial if we found out what."

Tora was right, in a way. It was dark, but he could recognize the familiar metal buckles of the Thieves Guild typical cuirass. Since Sakura has been a ninja... and a pirate... being a simple thief was kind of a downgrade. Yet there was something darker going on; he had that gut feeling. Which meant that Tora was right. Again, in a way.

"Fine. How do you want to investigate, then? Stalk her? I have my own shit to attend. Plus, I'd rather rest before leaving Cyrodiil. My vacation just started, you know?"

The cat snorted. "Look. Just keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. For any weird kinks that might catch your attention."

"She's weird by default."

"Weirder than usual then. Come on, it will be fun. Don't tell me you don't want a bit of action. And don't give me that relax bullshit again. Once you learn to thrive on the battlefield, it's very hard to break that routine."

Tora puffed in a cloud of white smoke when the door to his room opened. Sakura stepped in, putting down her flower basket on a chair.

She has picked up quite a few lavender flowers on the way back. There was a flower field just outside the main city gates. They could make a really good tea. Or potions.

"There went that sound again. The dispelling sound. You know, when a summoning or sealing happens." Sakura pointed it out, but all she saw was Marcurio reading innocently, sitting at his desk.

"You're hearing things, woman. What have you been up to?"

She snorted. "I thought I could dry out a few lavender flowers. They make a really good tea."

"Tea? Out of all those flowers?" He raised his gaze from the book and spotted the mountain of purple flowers piling up in her basket.

"Well... yes. They ... help me with my insomnia. Sometimes."

"Why don't you use them for potions, though? Out of all those flowers, you could make quite a few. You do know what are they good for... right?"

Seeing the puzzled look on her face, he sighed and headed right for his bookcase. "Right."

Sakura knew that most herbs were quite good to mix in potions, but that did not mean she knew their exact properties. "Alright, professor. What can we make out of them?"

Marcurio rolled his eyes. He uncovered a mound draped with a white cloth, to reveal an old alchemy table. He has covered it before he left, so it wouldn't get all dusty. He opened the cabinet above the table and reached for a few jars.

"Lavender flowers can be brewed in four different potions: they can absorb magical blasts so you will resist their effects better, they can fortify your stamina so you can last longer in a fight, they can sap away an opponent's mana reserves or they can make your Conjuration spells more potent." He began his lecture. Sakura moved closer, holding her basket.

"Let's try to make a potion then. Which one will it be?"

Sakura sat and thought for a moment. "The stamina fortifying potion?"

"Good choice." He nodded, approvingly. "Besides the lavender, you will also need garlic, and I recommend adding a few torchbugs to increase its potency."

Sakura nodded and grabbed a knife from the toolbox inside the cabinet. Marcurio dragged a chair and sat down, holding the book open.

"Clean and chop a whole garlic as tiny as possible." He instructed.

Sakura carefully cut apart the dry husks of the garlic and started chopping, piece by piece.

Upon a closer inspection of her face, Marcurio leaned in closer.

"Don't tell me you're crying."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's the garlic. How comes it's not affecting you?"

"Practice. But my old potions teacher always advised us to chill ingredients like these before chopping them. He flipped when a former classmate wasted an entire pound of frost salts."

Sakura deposited the chopped garlic in a wooden bowl. "What's next?"

"Clear the flowers from lavender flower stems... three of them should do." she did so, grabbing a handful of flowers and ran the blade of the knife along the green stems of the flowers.

"Collect everything in a mortar and pestle. Afterward, add two torchbug torax pieces and crush them together. The lavender flowers are easier to crush when they're dry, but it's not that much of a bother."

Sakura applied quite some force when using the pestle. It soon turned into a fine powder.

"Good now remember: grease and slime are a very good poisons base, but potions are created using a water base. The higher quality the water is, the better are the potions. Pour the garlic in the bubble above the fire, along with a cup of water." He said, reading the instructions.

The powder would then be mixed with just enough water to form a paste, and then left to boil in the recipient next to the garlic water. It took a while, and Marcurio had to find a clean, empty flask to put in the middle of the table.

The thin, glass neck started to ooze and drip a red liquid.

"I think we are done." Sakura sighed and sat her basket back on the chair.

Marcurio took a better look and nodded. "Yeah. Let it drip for a few minutes. The flask should be full soon enough. Of course, you can also ask for my mother's recipe for her Horker Stew. She uses lavender as seasoning."

That was new. "It seems that lavender has quite a bunch of utilities then. I will keep in mind to ask her."

Marcurio kept skimming through the book. "Do you know what's one of the hardest ingredients to find?"

Sakura gave him a look.

"What? I found a trivia section. Honestly now, do you know?"

She shook her head.

"Salmon roe. It can only be obtained during salmon's mating season, in fall, which means now and the next two months. The salmon jumping the waterfalls are ready to mate and are most likely to contain salmon roe. Alternatively, you can find them in the water."

"But what's so special about it?" Yes, the ingredient could be gathered only for a short while, and standing still on top of a waterfall was not an easy feat. Neither was catching fish mid-jumping.

"It's only the most potent ingredient for waterbreathing potions."

"That sounds like a useful potion if you're not me or an Argonian." For obvious reasons. "But wouldn't the population of salmon be endangered if their eggs were constantly harvested?"

Marcurio shrugged. "There are special salmon fisheries that prevent the salmon from extinction. But harvesting salmon roe is a controlled activity conducted by a small office of alchemists. Hence why it's rare to find salmon roe from any run-off-the-mill alchemists and vendors. But that's what it makes a really expensive ingredient too."

"I see. So most alchemists resort to using nordic barnacles for their waterbreathing potion stocks. Makes sense."

Sakura watched the flask fill up. It was soon ready to be corked and carried around.

"You know... I've been wondering if there's a way to create more potent potions that come in smaller bottles. I've seen flasks with really high-quality potions, but just by carrying those huge things around would slow you down in battle."

The idea intrigued Marcurio. He nudged her to go on.

"You know, you could seal the bottles away. But what if you have no physical time to do so? What if the bottle breaks while you're in a hurry? We have something called soldier pills. They taste horrible but can keep your energy levels up without food or sleep for quite a few days. What if the potion material could be synthesized in some sort of capsules?"

"You know... it's not a bad idea. It could be a tremendous help for the soldiers on the battlefields. Or even for us. You don't have time to lay down and have a healthy meal while dungeon dwelling."

"But how would that be possible to make?"

Marcurio shrugged. "I will look into it. Then you'll give me the formula for soldier pills. Maybe the water quantity can be reduced to the point the whole thing becomes a paste. But you'd have to ingest a very small amount; equivalent with a potion sip."

"True. You could damage your body if you consumed too much of a certain ingredient. A concentrated mass."

It could help in the tournament as well. Talos knew what kind of opponents she would be pitted against. It was... a scary thought. In a way.

"Have you practiced Oakflesh?"

Sakura nodded. "A bit... especially on the way to pick Alessia from work. Why?"

Marcurio put a hand under his chin. He left his spot for just a short while, going to grab the second tome Sakura has found.

"Because I think you might be ready to learn the upgrade. Stoneflesh."

Every time the tension of the battle would start growing, Marcurio always protected his skin with Stoneflesh, the first thing of all. It saved his ass many times in the past, including his time spent down in the catacombs in Hammerfell, and even during the battle with Richie the Lion.

"Oh."

"Yeah. 'Oh'. Using Stoneflesh drains your mana a little quicker. You need to concentrate a little harder to achieve that mana armor, to keep it longer and sturdier. Makes sense?"

"It does."

"Good. Now, the process is rather simple. You see, mages are not really wearing around heavy plates, chainmail, helmets and any kind of armor. Stoneflesh, and everything bellow and onwards, are spells that conjure a magic armor. It taps into your own mana reserves to shield yourself from all kinds of attacks. A regular steel armor wouldn't necessarily withstand a strong Destruction spell, but a mana armor could absorb most of it. It depends on its quality."

Sakura listened to the lecture, again. She made herself comfortable, on the bed, resting her back against the wall. Marcurio was sitting next to her, with the book opened. Sakura held on the right side of the book, reading closely together.

The spells have been around for far longer than Sakura has anticipated and a language could suffer severe modifications over the course of centuries. While she has read rather old tomes back in the wintery Outpost, they had a rather good adaptation. The spellbooks have not been updated to the modern language, mages fearing the spells would lose their strength from a misspelled incantation.

There was something special about the Sharingan eyes. Advanced versions could be used to easily decipher codes; a skill her brother must be using on a daily basis considering his current mission. Or at least... that's what he's been up to before she left. Maybe Sasuke decided to go home and visit. Maybe not. Maybe... Sakura could send a letter.

A sudden thought dawned on her. Perhaps the reason she could read and write the dragon language was her Sharingan. It could be a strong possibility. But then... why couldn't she decipher Gallus' encoded journal on her own as well? She recognized a few characters, but only because of the glossary at the end of 'Falmer: A Study'. The initial theory was dismissed. Back to square one.

"Sakura, are you listening?"

Sakura snapped out of her daze and nodded. "Yeah... you were at the Alteration theory paragraph... weren't you?"

No, he wasn't.

"That was three pages ago. Look, I know there's something bothering you. We can stop if you want to. But dwelling on the past," referring obviously to a dead language; "won't allow you to evolve and better yourself for the future."

And he kind of made sense. Sakura expected him to snap bonk her head, not go all gentle and philosophical. That was kind of uncharacteristic of him... but maybe she just didn't know him that well, yet.

"Let's continue. I promise I will pay full attention right now."

She seemed sincere enough for him to continue reading. He'd stop and make commentaries, explaining the different terminologies and inflections, making everything more clear for her. If they could go through a few more old books, she'd be able to study spells on her own in no time.

Unconsciously, her pink head leaned against his shoulder, but he didn't seem to mind. He just went on and on and Sakura listened. Her mind was absorbing information, and Sakura was kind of sad that she didn't share her head with Matatabi anymore. The old cat often caught on whatever she has missed from a lecture.

It didn't matter when. Mission details or Iruka's lessons, she has been there.

Something caught her attention, however. She smelled cat and it was not because of her. It was because of him. He smelled like cats, but in a way, a shinobi with a ninken partner would smell like a dog. There was something ... strange, going on. Maybe he didn't know what was happening, but if he did, she just hoped he would tell her on his own.

The lecture ended, eventually. Sakura's Stoneflesh was almost flawless, pumping the appropriate amount of mana into her arcane armor. Sadly, they couldn't test it out. Not here. And Sakura had no clearance for the dueling rooms at the Arcane University. She has been allowed a tour and that was everything she was going to receive.

"And that concludes your training. How efficient is that on the battlefield... I don't know. But when we go back we could jump in the nearest cave and test it out."

"Really? Caves? I thought you hated caves."

"I do. But it's not like you have a choice. You go where you're hired to go. I have yet to find an employer that would like to explore a nice tavern."

"Good luck finding one of those. Thieves usually explore taverns, though." That was kind of true. You were rarely sent in the bowels of a tomb to retrieve something. If anything, Sakura was a special case, with the whole Snow Veil Sanctum and Irkngthand fiasco.

But the average thief was sent to fish items out of pockets, steal certain objects, steal all kinds of objects reaching a certain value, or hell - whoever was in the mood for a bit of writing, they could make a few modifications in business lodgers, so their recent hits could be overseen by business owners.

Nobody would notice the missing packages of rice (for example), if said packages of rice were never supposed to be delivered, according to their business lodgers. It was pretty smart.

But all of these happened within the walls of a city. So theoretically... you could be exploring a nice tavern to take a better look at your target.

Something inside Marcurio snapped when he heard the word 'thief' come out of her mouth. He supposed it was the slip-up he needed.

"I assume you're speaking out of experience, aren't you?"

Her eyes widened. "What... what do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Sakura. I saw your uniform that night. In your room."

"Well, what were you doing in my room at night, then?"

He held his tongue for a moment.

"And why do you smell like cat? Why do you smell like Richie?" She took a step forward.

He snapped out. "I don't smell like anybody. You just hit your head."

"Cat summoners can smell very well the members of their glare. You're hiding something from me too, so don't you just go patronizing me." She poked his chest hard with her index finger.

He immediately grabbed her wrist in a tight grip. She gasped.

"Don't forget where are you living right now. If you give me one reason to think that you pose a threat to my family, I will end you. And I will not hesitate."

His words stung, that was an understatement. "Then why didn't you say anything until now?"

"I wanted to give you the benefit of doubt." He narrowed his eyes.

Sakura gulped and snatched her wrist away. She paced the room and grabbed her basket. She immediately dumped inside the scrolls and made her way towards the window.

"Where are you going?"

"Away."

"You have nowhere else to go."

Sakura opened the windows and took a step on the windowsill. "Maybe. But as a thief, I can tell you that your family is protected. No thief under the Gray Fox... or under our command... is able to touch the Motierres."

What did she mean by that, he didn't know. Nor could he ask her, because she jumped on the window and walked away.

His family was protected? Has his mother been paranoid all this time?

The truth was that Sakura only spotted the Shadowmark that morning. It was a diamond with two circles drawn over the left and right points.

Marcurio was kind of right. Where would she go? Maybe the fence would let her stay over for a little while. Maybe until the whole Cowl mission would be sorted out. Then go back to Skyrim and begin her grooming.

Still, her heart clenched. It was a weird feeling of pain she wanted to push in the back of her mind. It hurt.

The trip to the Waterfront District was somber, like a funerary march. No, she was exaggerating. But she didn't know what to expect. Sakura could rent an inn room, eventually.

Sakura knocked on the door, and the old lady was surprised to see the pink-haired woman on her doorstep for a second time that day. She was let inside, and Sakura meekly related what happened.

The old woman held her hand. "Oh dear... how could I refuse the Champion of Nocturnal a place to stay?"

"Champion of Nocturnal?"

"Of course! At least until you complete your divine duty. Normally... you would have divine guidance as well, but she was known to shroud everything in darkness, so only sharp minds could complete her tasks. It's not important for her to fulfill your mission, Sakura. For her, it's important to do it on your own. Otherwise, she could have possessed a human and take the cowl back on her own. Nocturnal needs to see that you wish to free your soul."

Sakura nodded numbly. Seeing her so down, the old woman prepared her another cup of tea. And another. And another.

"So... would you mind telling me what happened?"

Tea was poured gently in two cups. It has turned quite into a ritual between her and the old fence.

"Me and Marcurio fell out. He called me out for being a thief... I kind of understand him being worried and all... everyone becomes protective over their families when the need arises. But it still kind of hurt, you know? I would never do anything to put them in danger. Not after the kindness they showed me so far. If he knew I was a thief all his time... why would he take his time to teach me a spell and help me brew a potion? It makes no sense..." She stared down at her reflection in the teacup. "But I have my suspicions that he became a cat summoner. And to do that he had to take my summoning scroll without my permission. I just... expected him to tell me, eventually."

The old lady listened and smiled. "Oh love, the young lioness..."

Sakura looked over her cup, mortified. "What...?"

"Don't look at me like that, my dear. You two became friends, didn't you?"

"I guess we did... we trusted each other. Or at least, I thought we did."

"Focus on your mission, Sakura, and everything will be alright. You will see. Maybe he'll get back to his senses too. Meanwhile, you can stay with me. I can offer you the proper guidance and nobody will question you going out anymore. I think it's for the best... your soul is on the line here, not his and not theirs."

Sakura sketched a smile. "You're right... thank you, ma'am. For everything."

"Call me Lady Valentia."

Sakura nodded. "Thank you, Lady Valentia."

"For nothing."

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Sakura decided to leave the wooden shack at sundown. Under Lady Valentia's instructions, Sakura unsealed something rather special from one of her storage scrolls, to wear to the tournament. It was an outfit that consisted of a black pair of pants, a black, sleeveless turtleneck top, a tan-colored pair of overalls, and a painted porcelain mask.

Lady Valentia arranged a makeshift fluffy bed full of yarn blankets somewhere in the corner. It was not a bed, but not only it was warmer than a bedroll... it was much more comfortable too. In no way Sakura would make an old lady go bring in a bed or let her sleep on the floor. She enjoyed her blanket nest a lot. Right on top, sat the outfit. She picked the mask up and sighed.

Two holes were carved out. Several red lines were painted along the cheeks, especially, and had a protruding beak in the place of the nose. It was Shisui's old ANBU mask. The Crow, or Karasu. The role of the Crow was passed down on her shoulders shortly after the war and Kakashi-sensei's inauguration. Itachi-nii has been restored to his full status and Sakura has joined him and Sasuke to dispatch several remains of Otsutsuki chakra. They felt safer for the 'traitor' to have ANBU escorts on his redeeming mission. It was the first family activity they'd partake in after several years.

But Shisui-nii has been missing. He was dead. And the mask was passed down to her.

She was branded and installed as a full-fledged ANBU. When the mission was over... she left to meet up with her crew. But she took the uniform with her. Nobody else would be Karasu, nobody but her and her brother.

"It's a beautiful mask." Lady Valentia commented.

Sakura merely nodded. "It is... it was my brother's. Now I kind of inherited it. I thought it would make a good Arena disguise." She was left to change behind the dressing screen. The red swirly tattoo was visible on her shoulder. She replaced the typical sandals with her boots. They were much more comfortable.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but tear up a little behind her mask. With a few quick movements, her locks were up and pinned in a bun, on top of her head. They were covered with a piece of cloth that kept them in place. It kind of looked like Ino's hair, shortly after she chopped up her hair. They both did, during their battle, and both of them grew it back out. It was inevitable.

There has been a saying on how kunoichi wore their hair short to be more efficient and don't risk their hair getting in the way. But at the same time... a truly strong shinobi could be looking, however, they wanted to and still kick ass. Lady Tsunade had long hair. Kurenai-sensei had long hair. Deidara had long hair too - even if he was called a Rapunzel for more times than he could count on his fingers. Hashirama-sama had long hair too. Jiraiya-sensei had a wild mane of spiky hair too. The list could go on... and end with her own father.

Did appearances matter, anyways?

To complete her outfit, Lady Valentia opened a drawer and pulled out a small pendant. It was a Nightingale crest. "Keep this for luck, my dear. Walk with the shadows."

Sakura smiled beneath her mask as the pale, wrinkly hands tied the amulet around her neck. Her eyes landed immediately on the Aedric amulets on top of the end table. She always wore them simultaneously. Both were gifts. One from priestess Diniya and one from Vol. She tucked them both into an inner pocket of her overalls. She wanted to carry them both.

"Thank you, Lady Valentia." She bowed and left immediately.

The trapdoor was hidden rather well among the weeds. It led to a rather wobbly wooden ladder into what seemed to be the old lobby of the Imperial City Prisons. The cells were rundown and some were flooded from the crack in the walls, being in such close proximity with the sewers. Someone was already waiting for her.

The man was tall, corpulent, and his head was entirely covered by a black burlap mask. Behind the eyeholes you could see a pair of pitch-black eyes, watching you with unadulterated malice.

"So you wish to join the rest of the deadbeats in the Arena." The man circled her around, before roughly grabbing her chin. He looked left and right, and eventually, he let her go, as Sakura resisted the urge to punch the living daylights out of his face and blow away all of her chances to join the Arena.

"Yes. I do."

The man took a torch from the sconce next to him and motioned her to follow him. They walked deeper into the old ruined prison and stopped in front of a cell. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a keychain. He unlocked the door.

"You will stay here until you're called to fight. Don't wander and don't try to escape. You have one more chance to back out. If you don't, you will have to stay until the end. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." He locked the door as soon as Sakura stepped inside and left, leaving a torch on the opposite wall of the hallway the only source of light.

The cell was quite spacious but it lacked any kind of basic accommodations. No beds, no chairs, not even a pile of straws to rest your ass on. Several rusty chains hung from the ceiling. There were, on the wall next to her, several sequences of scratches. The same sequence of four vertical lines crossed by a single horizontal one was repeated four times. Three more lines were left untouched and unattended.

23 days.

Did the poor soul stay inside the prison for less than a month? Has he been sent to the block? Or did he escape? She didn't know.

But soon enough, she could hear footsteps walking closer and closer to the door of her cell. A tall figure clad in black Thieves Guild garb was standing in front of her, unlocking the door. The face was entirely covered by a gray burlap mask, and a set of blue characters ran down from the top of his head to the bridge of his nose.

It was the Gray Fox.

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A/N: Well, it took me less to update than last time... I think. Cliffhanger, yeah, I know, I'm evil. But it has reached over 5k words and stretching it too much might have been a bad idea. You know, I always forget what do I want to tell you guys when I start writing these author's notes. I remember them only after I publish the chapters. Fuck me, right?

Okay so let's break everything down for a bit. Marcurio and Sakura fell out for a bit. But I guess it's all for the best since his family won't stand in her way anymore. Making Marcurio react super chill about it would have been too weird. I felt it was the most natural outcome. But he didn't actually kick her out. Sakura left on her own accord.

I will be honest, the guy at the beginning of the arena is inspired by the slave trader in Swords and Sandals. Man, I loved that game. I got the paid version from AppStore and I eventually managed to beat the game. The PC browser version is harder because, on the phone, you can watch an ad to revive you. On the PC... well you can't. You try not to die, lmao.

'Young lioness, the love' is the bastardized translation (by me) of a neomodern poem title by Nichita Stănescu, a Romanian writer and poet. In this poem, the love is characterized by a young lioness. One of the verses is something like how a lioness jumped in his face and but it off, leaving it numb. I will be honest, I was never a fan of any authors or works we were forced to study in high school, but I thought it could be an appropriate metaphor. There's no love yet between these two... no, there's something else. I don't even know how to describe it. Maybe it's some sort of weird fondness that made them feel so betrayed while putting together the pieces.

He's fond of her.

She's fond of him.

There's no love yet... Lady Valentia is a senile old lady.

Now, if you remember from the old chapter, the fool Tobias said something about the 'Councilman being not that much of a family member.' Yet there's a Protected shadowmark on their house, instead of Loot, like normal merchant buildings or stalls. It means that they're protected from the Thieves for a totally different reason. I'm wondering if you could guys guess why.

Also, if you have noticed, Alessia was much more relieved to see that Sakura was the one to pick her up from work. The answer lies within the tavern if you wonder why. Again, I'm really curious if you guys have a good theory of why.

And, if you guys have played Oblivion, you might have noticed that the cell Sakura was placed in, was actually the cell the Hero of Kvatch resided in before Uriel Septim VII used it with his bodyguards to escape. It's an Oblivion easter egg.

Okay, that should be all... I guess. Read and review. ^^

Cheers!