Opportunities

Two: Dirty Business

It was true that the Imperial City was still more or less in chaos. That made it easier to slip away initially, but it also meant that I had to keep my head down on the road, because word was getting out, and anyone who thought I might be from there wanted to hear everything I knew about Dagon and the Dragon, which was nearly nothing. I hadn’t been in the Temple District when it happened, so I only had the same rumors to go by as anyone else.

On the other hand, to ask me they had to come close enough for me to pick their pockets, so I had plenty of traveling money, plus some still left over when I got to Leyawiin.

Agata was polite as always, but I knew she wasn’t thrilled to see me. When I asked her if my mother was there, she also went uncharacteristically awkward.

“You don’t know? She left a month ago. She said she was going to Valenwood. She also said she sent a letter to you and Maurius telling you about it. I suppose this means she didn’t.” I shook my head, and she sighed. “I’m sorry. The woman couldn’t find her head in - no, no, I don’t mean it.”

“Yes, you do. And you’re right.” I crossed my arms and braced myself. “Did she bother to say why she wanted to go to Valenwood?”

“Oh, I have no idea. You know how she is. By the way, since I assume she didn’t tell you this either, Kalthar’s gone too. Not with her.” She snorted.

Well, that was something, at least. I’d never liked Kalthar. “Can I stay anyway, Agata? I won’t make any trouble this time. I need a place for a while.”

She frowned. “You’re not technically - well, but you’re family, in a way. I don’t suppose Dagail will mind. If you don’t make any trouble. Seriously, Luminara, please.”

“I know. I’m trying to keep a low profile anyway. And I know I’m asking for a favor, and I’m not going to blow it.” I didn’t add that I’d spent years exploring what the mages of Leyawiin had in their possession, and none of it was worth more to me than the free room and board and the little good will that was left there. They’d been more present to me in some ways than my mother had been, when I lived at the Guild.

I dropped what little I had with me upstairs and made my way to the larder to get something to eat, and I ran into Alves. She had been my favorite as a girl, because she’d been nice to me. Besides that I’d always found Dunmer innately interesting, and she was even more so because she was, strangely, blond.

We chatted idly for a few minutes. Kalthar was gone because he’d been found out for stealing that amulet Dagail always wore. I didn’t think that was anything to expel a man from the Guild for - in fact it seemed to me like the most interesting thing he’d ever done - but apparently there was some other problem attending that. Dagail had been really out of sorts over it, but she was back to normal now, and very friendly with the new Arch-Mage.

“Since you’re here,” Alves said abruptly, dropping her voice a little, “do you think you could do me a little favor?”

“Sure.” As I said, I’d always liked Alves. She’d even taught me my first illusion spell, which anyone else could have told her was in defiance of common sense.

“Could you go and just look in on Rosentia Gallenus? She hasn’t been coming around for our normal get-togethers lately, and I’m worried something strange is going on. But she doesn’t like me to go over there. Appearances, you know.”

Yes, I knew. I’d always wondered why they were friends. Since I remembered where the house was, I went straight over and let myself in.

The place stank. It smelled like goat musk and feces and just a hint of brimstone. I fled upstairs to where the stench was weaker, to look for Rosentia. She wasn’t on this floor, so I helped myself to one or two little things she wouldn’t be likely to miss right away. Then I went back downstairs, and this time, I noticed the hissing noise.

She was in a back room, surrounded by scamps, the source of the smell. They all turned to look at me with insipid, blank stares, and did nothing else except hiss and stink.

Rosentia looked at her wit’s end. “Alves sent me,” I said, and she came alive.

“Oh, thank the Nine. You’ve got to help me get rid of these things.”

“I don’t know any conjuration.”

“Wouldn’t make any difference if you did,” she snapped. “It’s the damned staff, you see.” She brandished the walking stick she was holding: the closer scamps ducked. “I collect oddities, and I thought a daedric staff would be fabulous, especially at the price I paid for it. Well! I made the mistake of reading the inscription, you see. And here they are. I can’t send them away, and I can’t even seem to bring myself to put the blasted staff down. And I can’t go out of the house and be seen with these nasty creatures. Go and ask Alves what to do! She’ll know!”

I went back to the Guild and reported to Alves, who was chagrined. “Azura’s eyes - she bought the Staff of Everscamp.” She shook her head. “A toy of Sheogorath’s. She won’t be able to put it down, but she can give it to you, and then you can take it down to Darkfathom Cave. There’s an altar there you can leave it on. That should work.” When I raised my eyebrows at should, she added apologetically, “I’m sure she’ll pay you something nice for your trouble. I’ll make sure.”

Cash would be especially nice, I thought, given my situation. But I was always open to other options. I went back and took the staff from Rosentia.

The smell was even better from the center of the ring of scamps, and I also found myself feeling oddly sluggish. As I walked out of the house it felt like walking through deep water.

Had I told Agata I was trying to keep a low profile? So much for that. Everyone I passed turned to stare as I made my sluggish way toward the northeast gate at the opposite end of town. The scamps hissed and capered and ogled back at the passersby, but followed me obediently. A few people actually recognized me, which is what one gets for being distinctive-looking, and I waved gamely at them.

“Hello! Yes, it has been a while, hasn’t it? Oh, these? They’re just scamps. You have to walk them, you know. It’s like dogs.” And so on.

At least it was a nice day to go out walking, and the countryside around Leyawiin is pretty enough. The only issue once we were clear of people was that there were more scamps down in the cave, and they were not as domesticated as the ones accompanying me. And mine wouldn’t fight for me, either, unless they got hit directly. They just stood there like idiots while I practiced the bits of swordplay I happened to know.

Down at the bottom of the cave was a statue of a dapper gentleman I assume must have been Sheogorath. Apparently the god of madness liked to dress well. The compulsion to keep the staff faded, and I put it down at the statue’s feet. The scamps settled in around it, looking up at the image admiringly.

All good. On the way out, I picked my way into a couple of chests I’d noticed lying around and got some money that way. I had debts to pay, and every little bit helped.

Rosentia was relieved to be rid of the scamps and the staff, although she was still dismayed at the smell lingering in the house, as I would have been. She gave me a magic ring she said would make me a better fighter: I hoped I wouldn’t need it, but I thought I’d keep it anyway. I also helped myself to a few other little things on the way out - things made of metal, things that wouldn’t hold on to the stench.

The problem was going to be selling them. It was hard to find fences who would work with someone outside the Thieves’ Guild. I’d known someone in Leyawiin, but I’d been gone for years, and I was concerned that he might be gone.

He wasn’t. Weebam-Na was still in the same little house he’d always had, and he’d moved his girlfriend in with him. She answered the door.

“It’s Luminara, isn’t it? You’ve been gone for ages. Come right in. Just don’t say anything about the rats.”

“Rats!” he yelled from the other end of the room. “They’re all over town! That idiot must have turned them all loose when they drove him out of town. He really thought people were going to eat them. Sautéed rat and mud crab with asparagus!”

I smiled. “What, that doesn’t sound good to you? I’ve seen you eat worse.”

He finally realized who I was and crossed to meet me. “You’ve been scarce, Luminara.”

“I thought I told you I was moving to the Imperial City. I’m just visiting. But I have some things for you, if you’re interested.”

Everything I gave him was worth two hundred septims all together. Eighteen hundred to go. Oh, no, wrong - still two thousand, because I promised Othrelos interest. This was going to take a while.

Another knock came at the door, and Weebam-Na quickly stashed his purchases before waving Bejeen permission to answer. This time, it was a courier from the Castle, asking Weebam-Na to come with him.

“What?” Weebam-Na snarled, in a little too defensive a tone. “I haven’t done anything. You haven’t brought any guards.”

“No, it’s nothing like that. We’re trying to get rid of a loiterer, and she’s asking for you. We’d like you to come and persuade her to leave. Name’s Mazoga.”

“Hmm. I’ve never heard of her.” He looked over at me. “Odd. Do you want to come along?”

I shrugged assent and followed Weebam-Na and the courier. When I’d lived here, I used to go out with Weebam-Na now and again when he needed to deal with new people. A lot of folk who didn’t think well of Argonians had a better first response to a cute little Breton girl, although sometimes it was the other way around.

This one was going to prefer Weebam-Na, though. Mazoga was a burly Orc woman, and she was standing in the entryway of the Castle in armor. She didn’t have a helmet, so we could see the stubborn set of her green snout.

“I’m Sir Mazoga,” she said, “the Knight.”

Weebam-Na and I glanced at each other without saying anything. Skeptical.

“Are you Weebam-Na?” she asked.

“Ah. Yes. I hear you were asking for me. We haven’t met, have we?”

“No. I need you to take me to Fisherman’s Rock.”

Weebam-Na looked at me again, and then back to her. “Any particular reason?”

“That’s none of your business. Just take me to Fisherman’s Rock.”

“I’d really rather not. But I’ll tell you how to get there. It’s up the road on the left, about half way between Blankenmarsh and the Drunken Dragon Inn.”

“I need you to take me there.”

Weebam-Na was about to protest again when I interrupted. “Oh, I’ll take her. I’ve got nothing else to do.” I looked back to her. “We can go in the morning. My name’s Luminara.”

“You know the way?” I nodded my head, and she nodded back. “Good. In the morning, then. You can call me Sir Mazoga.”

“Uh-huh.” We walked away from her, bemused.

She was there bright and early the next morning, but no more willing to tell me what her business was than the day before. That was fine, but the walk was kind of boring for the lack of conversation. She barely opened her toothy mouth to me until we were nearly there.

“I need to talk to Mogens Wind-Shifter,” she said. “No head-bashing until I’m done.”

I should have expected that the word “head-bashing” would be invoked sooner or later, since she was an Orc. Happily I’d brought my little sword, so I could get myself out of any trouble she was about to get me into.

Mogens was a fairly attractive Nord, so it was really too bad that Mazoga was there to kill him. He was a bandit, and he’d murdered her friend for reporting him. I decided not to get in Mazoga’s way even though Mogens was pretty, because, maybe ironically, I didn’t really approve of bandits. I didn’t like the overt violence of waylaying people on the road.

But like many bandits, Mogens had a gang, and simply standing aside didn’t stay an option for long. I had to fight two of them myself. Happily, Mazoga wasn’t bad with a longsword, so she did the rest.

She thanked me for helping her, and said that in her friend’s memory, she was going to go on being a knight and “righting wrongs” in Leyawiin. It was kind of sad - obviously they’d been very close. Since I wasn’t on any noble quest myself, I felt more comfortable searching the bodies, but they weren’t carrying anything very interesting.

We camped there and walked back the next morning. She was more talkative now, and a good sort, if not very bright. Like most Orcs in Tamriel she’d had kind of a rough childhood, and we bonded on that. She thought we should be knights together, which was awkward. I told her it was because I didn’t want the kind of attention that would get me, which was true enough. I said she should take the credit for dealing with the bandits and be the knight, and I’d just help her out when I was in town.

There was a letter waiting for me back at the Guild hall.

Lum -

I will be at the West Weald Inn in Skingrad on the 7th. Meet me there. O.

Why in Skingrad if things were cleared up? They must not be. Cursed Fathis. What else did he want? Oh, well, never mind that, I knew perfectly well what else he wanted. He liked pretty young things of various race and gender. He kept them until he was bored and then sold them. Just because slavery was banned in Tamriel and, recently, even in Morrowind didn’t mean it wasn’t still lurking in dark corners.

But Othrelos would have paid him by now, and Fathis shouldn’t be as fixated on me in particular as all that. Surely I wasn’t that interesting.

I had time for a few more little scores in Leyawiin, but all together they were only worth another hundred or so. I wasn’t impressed with my own progress.

Up in Skingrad I wore a skirt, because the West Weald was a nice inn and I didn’t want to stick out too badly. Othrelos stood up for a moment as I came to his table, and sat again after I was in my chair. He looked happy enough to see me, but not quite comfortable.

I pulled out the pouch with his money. “I’ve got three hundred for you so far.”

He looked at it for a moment as if he wasn’t going to take it, but then he did, looking down. “Okay, Lum. But I want you to do something for me.” He looked intently at me and took my hand. “Fathis is going to Chorrol on business for a few days. While he’s gone, I want you to go up to the Imperial City and join the Thieves’ Guild under Armand Christophe. If you’re Armand’s, Fathis won’t touch you.”

“He can’t anyway, can he? I thought you paid him.”

“Yeah.” He looked down at my hand and squeezed it. “I’m… I’m not going to be around as much for a little while. I have to go away on some errands. And I don’t trust him. I want to be sure.” He met my eyes again, looking distressed. “You’ll do that for me, won’t you, Lum? You’ll be able to get the money faster that way, too. You’ll have better fences.”

I’d always meant to do it eventually. “If it means that much to you, yes.”

He sighed in relief. “Good. Armand meets new recruits in the Waterfront, behind Dareloth’s house. I told him you might be coming.” I nodded. “I’ll try to keep coming here on the seventh of each month, if you would like to meet me.”

“You’re going away for that long? What are you doing?”

He shook his head. “Best you don’t know.” He put on a weak smile. “Come up to my room and kiss me goodbye?”

What in the world had he gotten himself into?

I followed him up to the room. As soon as the door was closed he started unbraiding my hair, gazing over my face as if he was trying to memorize me.

“O, tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing,” he breathed, and pulled me into his kiss. His tongue found mine, and he traced his hands over my breasts, then brought them up underneath my shirt. He pinched my nipples without having to be asked, and that drove all the questions right out of my head. I pulled off his shirt, and then mine, and he started to nibble at the sweet spot where my neck met my shoulder. He backed toward the bed, pulling me after him. He slid my skirt down over my hips, then pulled his pants off as I lay down on the bed.

He came to me from the side, kissed me, then straddled my face. I took him into my mouth as he stroked my thigh to persuade me to open my legs for him, not that I needed to be convinced. He pried me open with his fingers and started licking, and I twitched instantly. He’d always had a talent for that. I sucked him deeper as he circled my clit with his tongue. Then he worked his fingers into me, and I gasped and rocked my hips toward him, trying to control the movement so as not to force him to stop. Likewise he was instinctively thrusting into my throat but forcing himself to pause every so often. He didn’t want to come before me.

When he knew I was close he withdrew from my mouth and focused all of his attention between my legs, sucking and licking at the same time until my whole body spasmed, I clenched my teeth against screaming - the reason he always withdrew at this point - and smacked his ass to make him stop. He took one discreet bite at the inside of my thigh before he turned around to lick at each of my breasts on his way toward my face.

He kissed my neck and then my mouth, and I could still smell and taste myself on him. I reached down to pull his hips toward me, and he entered me quickly, going this time at my pace, hard and deep and fast. I grinned and clenched my fingers into his flesh, urging him on. He twined his fingers into my hair and watched me with bright red eyes.

“Lum, I -” But then he sighed and bit into my neck, and I groaned. We came together and both stopped moving abruptly as the pleasant shock went through us. He stroked his cheek against mine and then kissed it before falling onto the bed beside me, one arm still draped over my waist.

We lay there for a few minutes before he spoke. “It’s late,” he muttered. “Stay until morning.”

I’d never spent the night before. As I turned to look at him, he added, a little more coherently, “If you haven’t paid for a room, I mean.”

I thought for a few seconds, then settled in against him. “No, I haven’t. Thank you.”

He smiled and curled in toward me, closing his eyes.