Chapter 4: Reminiscing

Yoreu led me to a hooded man sitting cross-legged outside a house identical to almost all the other ones in the Raven Rock Centre. "Fethis my old friend! I've come to buy some wares for my new associate."

The Dark Elf man opened one eye and glared at me from under his faded-blue hood, "Seems the boy needs a larger bag. Helping you with your studies is he?"

"Yes, Fethis he is assisting me. But I can assure you, he won't accidentally blow a hole in the Bulwark." Yoreu laughed and accidentally swallowed some ash, leading to a coughing fit.

"By Azura give me fifty gold and I'll give you some masks to deal with this dreaded ash, free of charge." Fethis pulled a makeshift rag mask over his mouth as the ash began to blow harder as thunder rumbled and waves lapped at the Bulwark and docks.

"It's a whole week's earnings. But it's worth every septim." Yoreu handed the merchant a hide-bag of gold and took the large burlap sack, two masks, lots of rolls of papyrus, and plenty of odd trinkets and doo-dads. "I may have snuck a East Empire Pendant in there. But no promises." Yoreu winked and motioned for me to follow him back inside the pub.

"Now, take those book and this stuff and shove it all into the burlap sack. Then I want you to rest for today. We're gonna start training tomorrow." Yoreu handed me all the stuff he bought and ran back to serve coughing patrons who needed to clear their throats after a dusty day.

I sat on the edge of the stone bed and fiddled with the amulet I've always worn. I'd almost offered it as payment for a bottle of Sujama earlier, how lucky was I that the owner was a good man and didn't take it. Because it was a really stupid decision.

The amulet came to rest on the palm of my hand. It's jade structure and crimson twine had been with me since I was born. I struggled on the streets of Bruma as a penniless scamp and workes my way up to being a young man strong enough in combat to make the Blademaster sweat. All because of the kindness of a few good souls.

My amulet had always astounded Esbern. He always asked for another look and I'd oblige. One day he took a look then yelped in surprise. Then he ran off to fetch something and returned with a worn book. He explained in his raspy voice that it was a book that held all the known translated Akaviri words and records. After a few minutes of him glancing at my amulet and flipping madly through the book with his old hands, he exclaimed with delight, "I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS!!!"

Of course, everyone else but Shaman and myself thought the old man senile. So we weren't worried about prying eyes and ears.

"Explain Esbern. You seem excited." Shaman had just finished brewing yet another pot of Canis Root tea.

"Gods Elf. That's the tenth pot of tea you've drank today! Isn't Canis Root supposed to be poisonous?!" Esbern yelped in surprised.

"Oh to Oblivion with poison. I like the way it punches. What of it? You want me to drink your bland 'beer' and sugary 'mead'?" Shaman laughed and punched Esbern in the shoulder.

Esbwrn growled and rubbed his arm where the Dark Elf had socked him. "You Dark Elves have strange tastes. It's a wonder Gray here can stand the stuff." Esbern then cleared his throat and took. a seat at the edge of the table Shaman and I had chosen as our personal table. "Alright. So your amulet has the wierd nicks and notches in the bottom correct? And they had always been there, yes?"

"Right. I found out the hard way that it's impossible to chip or break." I shuddered as I remembered how deathy-close the goblin's dagger had gotten to ending my life.

"Good, good. That means it's ancient, no?" Esbern asked hopefully.

Shaman set down his glass after downing the entire cup in a matter of seconds, "Not necessarily. It could simply be a type of enchantment that fortified it after t was forged in a blacksmith. We don't know where it came from or how Gray here got his hands on it."

"The voice of reason makes a very strong point, as he always does." Esbern chuckled. "But what do you think of this?" He slid a book over to Shaman and told him to open it to page ninety.

"Azura's Star... It's an exact replica. Have you ever heard of this kind of rubbish?" Shaman laughed as he poured another cup of tea, by the gods this was his fifth cup in five minutes, and slid the book back to Esbern. "I believe in the kid's arm. That is more proof than any ancient snake-person prophecy."

Esbern sighed, "You are a short-sighted elf. At least you don't drink alcohol."

I finally spoke up, "That tea isn't much better! I mean I love the stuff, but to someone who's never had it before, it's like skooma." I stole some of Shaman's tea and downed it in one swift motion, warranting a challenge to duel.

"If you want to have Canis Root Tea, you pay with sweat and blood, Kid!" Shaman jumped on top of the table and swung his katana down at my head.

If it were Esbern or anyone else, they'd be venison in a heartbeat, but my reflexes had my katana above my head at the perfect moment. "Alright old man. I'll just beat you and take the whole pot!" I shouted as I jumped back into the center of the Hall.

"Dinner and a show! Go fetch eveyone and tell them they're at it again!" a Blade that usually helped guard the outer walls told the others eating to watch and sent for anyone who wasn't.

Shaman leaped into the air and landed a few paces in front on me with the grace of a Khajiit. Which got the applause of the Khajiit in the room.

"This time, I'll make you brew my tea every day for five years! But that's is you surrender now and beg for forgiveness!"

I could tell he was putting on a show, which is something both of us were experts at. "Oh woe is me! Oh wait that's not the line. Ah crap. AAGGGHHH!!" I lunged foward with a jab at Shaman's breast, only to be met with a parry and a kick to the gut.

"By Azura I think you've gotten worse. You should have seen that one coming from leagues away!" he boasted.

I laughed. "That's right. I should have." My body faded and reappeared behind him, slashing dowmward.

Shaman rolled out of the way and came back up with a slash, "Magic user! Cheater!"

I spun in mid-air and planted my foot directly onto his katana, pinning him to the floor. "All's fair in Love and Tea, Old Man!!" I laughed and triumphantly pointed my katana at his sharp nose.

The Dark Elf roared with anger and flipped me into the air with his increased strength. "If we're gonna play with magic, let's use more than parlour tricks, shall we?" He dashed upward and slashed at me five times with one movement.

The gasps of amazement as people saw Shaman's true skill left him cackling to himself, "Believe me, there is much more that that in store!" He slashed again at my face, whih I was barely able to dodge.

Even though it's a play fight, I recently noticed Shaman was actually fighting for real. It's just him playing it off as a joke. He tells me that he has to figth for real, because if he made one mistake, he'd be toast.

And he's not wrong. Because every attack he's thrown my way I've dodged, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Then he reared back to do a powerhouse of an attack. Which I've seen cleave deadroth in half with one attack.

But I knew it's weakness. When he swung, I slid to the side and whacked him on the head with the round pommel of my katana, effectively ending the duel.

"Ow you little!" Shaman rubbed the welt on his grayish-blue head.

"As per the rules of the duel," I grabbed his pot of Canis Root Tea, which was over three-quarters the way still full, "This is mine." I chugged the entire pot right there in the middle of the room, which had everyone else cheering.

I wiped my mouth and sighed, "Damn that was good. We should duel more often." I stretched out my hand toward Shaman, who was on his bottom on the floor.

He took my hand and I pulled him to his feet. "I'll get you back for that Kid." He punched me in the shoulder.

I yawned as I laid the amulet under my shoulder, where I've learned to keep it after people stole if from around my neck, as I laid back in the stone bed. 'A bit hard, but not uncomfortable. This'll do.' I thought as I slowly drifted off.