Member
AlteredTundra
Spoopy ScaryBreaking Curfew
By Greenie and Morty
with a guest appearance of Sevari
7th of Midyear, near sunset, The Three Crowns Hotel
Meg was restless as she sat in her room, staring at her boots that were busy hitting the floor with their heels. She had been wanting to chat with Daro'Vasora since the night before. Nothing in particular, but she she did wish to thank the khajiit for the impromptu party which while it had lasted had been fun, and despite the breakdown she had afterwards, she had to admit that in itself was a good thing.
But... where was she? She had spent the whole day in the Hotel after the day before's grueling adventure, sleeping and eating and generally just relaxing until the morning. When she'd headed to Sora's room earlier in the morning to catch her there, she'd found only an empty bed that hadn't been slept in. No matter who she spoke to as the day continued onward, they all had the same response, that they had not seen the female khajiit. Or they would simply not answer the Nord woman, leaving her rather annoyed and unsatisfied.
Sunset was very near and Meg's brooding had turned into worry bordering anxiety. Daro'Vasora wouldn't just disappear for more than a day without saying anything, would she? She didn't know what it was, but she could feel a foreboding feeling clutching at her from the inside. Something was wrong.
"I gotta find her." Meg jumped to her feet as soon as she made that decision. Turning to the chest at the end of her bed, she opened it and pulled out her old bow and arrows. Once they were secure, she grabbed her belt and buckled up before sliding her sword into its scabbard. Perhaps she had grown more brazen and confident since she'd been sent on Salosoix's mission, but that had been for money, and this was for her friend. This was far more important than any amount of septim.
As she stepped out of the room though, a niggling thought stopped her in her steps. An' just where're you gonna go? What're you gonna do? Who're you gonna talk to? Annoying words and yet they were all legitimate ones. What if something happened to her out there? Then there would be two missing persons with no one the more knowledgeable. She needed help.
He'll tell me not to, she told herself as she walked to the room she was sure Jaraleet was in. But... There was no one else she could really ask for help right now, and whether the others found it strange or not, she trusted the argonian. Taking a deep breath, she rapped on the door and waited.
Luckily for Meg, after his back to back missions with Gregor and Latro on the fifth, Jaraleet had decided to take it easy the last two days, giving himself time to recuperate his energies and to make sure that his wounds from the fight in the docks would be fully healed. As such, when Meg came looking for him, the Argonian was present on his room instead of in the inn’s gym as would have been normally the case “Coming.” Was the Argonian’s simple reply when he heard the knock on the door, rising from his bed and heading to the entrance.
He was surprised when he found the Nord woman standing in front of the room’s threshold, a feeling which quickly gave way to a nagging sense of suspicion when he noticed the look of anxiety plastered on her face and, more importantly, that she was armed for combat. “Inside. Now.” The Argonian said, unable to hide the sense of unease that had taken root in his mind. If it had been Gregor, or even Latro, he would have been calm, but he had never expected that Meg would seek him out armed. His unease lay not in a fear that the Nord woman would attack him but more in the belief that, whatever it was that had worried Meg enough to make her decide to take up her weapons had also led her to talk to him.
Once she was inside of the room, Jaraleet closed the door behind Meg and then closed the curtains placed above the balcony. “There, now we should have some privacy.” The Argonian said as he turned to look at Meg. “What's the matter Meg?” He asked her, forcing himself to keep the irrational unease that plagued him under control.
“Uhm…” The was a slight sense of awkwardness but the Nord woman pushed it to the back of her mind. “ Sorry t'bother ya… I jus’ didn’ know who else could help me out… an’ I didn' feel right headin’ out without sayin’ somethin’ first.” She paused and cleared her throat, feeling slightly parched, but she continued onward. “Daro'Vasora… she's missin’. I've been lookin’ for her all day an'- she's just not here. No one's seen her, or they’re just not sayin’ somethin’. Her hand clutched at her amulet. “Somethin’s happened, somethin’ bad, I can just feel it. An’ I need t'find her “
As Meg explained herself, things clicked into place easily enough. Why she had sought him out and why she had come armed to his room, it all seemed so simple now that the Argonian inwardly chided himself for how he had reacted. “First of all, sorry for how I acted at first. I was...surprised to find you in front of my door, and armed to boot.” He apologized, shaking his head slightly and letting out a sigh as he thought what to say next.
He hadn’t noticed Daro’Vasora’s disappearance, another thing to chide himself about, something which was worrying but not pressing enough to spur the Argonian to action, but he doubted that Meg would appreciate that particular thought if he voiced it. “And you intend to go out into Gilane’s streets I take it, no?” He said, eyeing the getup with which Meg intended to head out into the streets. The first thought that jumped to his mind was the fact that the Nord woman didn’t have a cloak with which to hide her identity, the second one being that she had chosen to carry her bow along with her blade.
“Too cumbersome.” He stated plainly, not waiting for an answer to his previous question. “Your bow won’t be of much use if you intend to sneak past the patrols.” The Argonian clarified, shaking his head. “It would be best if you brought your sword only.” He said as he began making his way to where he stored his gear. “You should also try and find a cloak, something with which to hide your face.” The assassin added as he began taking out his gear.
“But…” Meg stopped herself, slightly embarrassed but also a little worried. She hadn’t taken her bow with her on her sword acquisition mission the other day and she would have had a hard time escaping if she hadn’t laid her hands on the one in the chest. What if something similar happened while she went on her person hunt? Then again, what was the point in asking for Jaraleet’s help if she wasn’t even going to listen to what he was going to say. She was first and foremost a tomb raider while he, if Gregor was correct, was an assassin and probably knew how to sneak around people even better than she did.
“Be righ’ back,” she muttered as she headed out of the room. It wasn’t long before she returned, sans bow but with a cloak. She’d had it since her Skyrim days- once it had been green but at the moment it was more of a brownish grey. The hood pulled down far enough that it nearly covered the entire top half of her face. “How’s this then?”
By the time Meg had returned, Jaraleet was equipped as best he could with what little information he had. He had decided to forego wearing armor proper, with the exception of his vambraces which he hid under a long sleeved shirt, and had only worn the scabbard for his sword along with the black cloak that he had worn during his mission for the Poncy Man.
When Meg asked him about her current equipment he took a second to inspect her figure. The cloak would be useful, albeit it’d have been best if she had a black one but he supposed there would be no time to fetch one. “Hmmm, your scabbard.” He said once he noticed how she worn it. “Move it a bit so you can hide it under your cloak, it will make it more difficult to draw your sword, unless you are used to it that is, but that way you’ll be able to hide it behind your cloak.” He explained to her. “If things go well we shouldn’t have need of our weapons any way.”
Meg blinked and looked down at her scabbard. "Er... right." Feeling slightly like a child back in Riften, being taught the basics, she managed to keep her expression from looking too embarrassed as she shifted the sword on her belt so that it was now completely covered by her cloak.
Taking a breath, she looked up. "Alright', I think I'm ready." She was quiet a moment before continuing. "I don' rightly know where I'mma look for her."
Jaraleet smiled at Meg and chuckled softly. “I have an idea that might get us a lead.” The Argonian said as he began making his way towards the door. “Not very exciting but, well, I think our best shot lays in eavesdropping on some of the patrolmen. If Daro’Vasora really has been kidnapped by the Dwemer, there is a chance that some of the soldiers might have heard something, even if it’s only gossip.”
Maybe it wasn't much, but it was a start, something that Meg had needed and didn't have. She nodded in agreement before following after the argonian, focusing to keep her thoughts clear so she wouldn't end up making any blunders.
It was an easy enough task for the duo to sneak out the the hotel as silently as shadows, and soon enough they were on the streets. Unlike just an hour earlier when the roads had been bustling with life, it was now as silence as a graveyard. Meg was reminded of the night she and the others had snuck into the garrison. Sora had been there that night as well. Her forehead creased at the thought, but she pushed that to the back of her mind for the time being.
“Is something on your mind Meg?” The Argonian asked, having noticed the brief look of concern that had passed through her mind. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. It’d be better to voice your thoughts now than later on when the risk will be greater.” Jaraleet said, keeping his eyes peeled for any patrolmen that they might follow for any clues that’d lead them to their Khajiit leader.
Meg quickly shook her head. "No, I was jus' rememberin' the las' time I came out..." Her voice trailed. "Sorry, nothin' important." This was exactly the opposite of being focused. What was wrong with her tonight? If she really wanted to find out where Sora was, then she had to clear her mind, otherwise she'd end up ruining things for herself, or worse Jaraleet, who'd she'd ended up roping in.
"I'm fine," she promised under her breath, and fell silent just in time it would seem- the sound of a pair of footsteps could be heard.
Jaraleet frowned, but decided not to press the topic. He knew that, whatever it was that was on Meg’s mind was upsetting her and that put him in turn on edge and made him upset. He couldn’t explain it, but he didn’t like to see her in such a state. Still, he pushed those thoughts, those feelings, to the depths of his mind and called upon all that he had earned during his training as a Haj-Eix to remain focused on the task at hand.
Letting out a soft sigh, he let himself focus instead on the sound of the upcoming footsteps. It didn’t took long for the voice of the Dwemer patrolmen to reach their hiding spots, the soldiers making no efforts to be discreet.
“Did you hear what happened? Seems like we’ll finally be moving against those rats.” One of the soldiers commented.
“Hmmm, I’ve heard a bit, but not much. Something about capturing one of those damn terrorists, no?”
It took all of Meg’s willpower not to reach back for an arrow that wasn't on her back. Even though she knew they needed to hear what the patrolmen had to say, the instinct was there that simply ending their life would make things easier. But it wasn't just that. Maybe it was silly, maybe it was naivety, but she didn't know how to block her feelings. Being called rats and terrorist-
She looked up at Jaraleet, wordlessly wondering if he was thinking the same thing. Were they talking about Daro'Vasora? She looked back in the direction of the soldiers, mentally yelling at them to say something more.
“Yeah, one of them was captured. A Khajiit I think but I don’t know much beyond that, I’ve only just heard a few things here and there, like that they paraded her through the city’s streets yesterday.. You could probably ask around a bit more once we are back at the guardpost.” The first soldier said.
The second Dwemer merely nodded in silent acknowledgement and continued walking with his fellow mer. Soon enough, both guards were out of sight and hearing range from Meg and Jaraleet.
“Well, it would seem that if we want to obtain more information we’ll have to sneak into a guard post. Come, let’s follow them” The Argonian said calmly. “With any luck, they will lead us straight where we need to go.”
Meg slowly unclenched her fists as she nodded, still seething from what she had just heard. She'd actually not even noticed that her hands had curled into fists until she felt her nails bite into her palms. Letting out a slow breath, she nodded. He was so calm. How was he so calm? Meg could feel envy rise in her, only to be countered by guilt at feeling that way. It was probably another part of his past that he kept hidden from her and everyone else.
"A'righ'," she agreed as she straightened herself. Her mouth twitched a little as started forward. Maybe she was stupid coming out here like this. Maybe Gregor had been right after all- Stop, just stop. She could do this. She had dealt with bandits, draugrs, even falmer in the Jerell mountains. She'd gotten the sword for Salosoix.
She wasn't going to fail her friends now.
There was a small shift in her being as she took another breath, feeling a little calmer. "D'you know which guardpost they're talkin' 'bout?" she whispered to the argonian. "I've only seen the one's 'round the market."
“No, but it’s probably a good bet that they are heading there.” The Argonian replied, falling silent for a moment in thought. “Even if they are not headed to that particular guard post, there’s a good chance that we might find some information that could point us in the right direction.” He said.
“Meg,” He said, approaching the Nord woman and placing his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you can do this.” He said, having noticed the slight change in her demeanor. “I know it’s probably not the same as what you did in the past but you can do this.” He continued on, squeezing her shoulder slightly. “And if we run into any trouble whatsoever, I’ll be here to help you.” Jaraleet finished, smiling at Meg reassuringly. “Now, show me the way to this guard post in the market. I’m afraid I haven’t been to Gilane’s market previously.”
Surprised but appreciative of the gesture, Meg nodded and managed a smile back in the argonian's direction. "Thanks," she replied. It certainly helped her confidence that he believed she could do this as well. She knew he would help her; she just didn't wish to be a liability. "Gotcha. It ain' too far... I made a map of the place, had help from a street rat I foun' a few days ago." A bit of warmth could be heard in her voice at the thought of Zahir. "Hm... you should meet him maybe. Bet he'd like ya. Pro'ly could learn how t'sneak better from you too..."
She quieted down, concentrating on the mental image in her mind; she hadn't brought her actual map along for fear of noise. Thankfully her memory of the route turned out to be quite on track, and it wasn't long before she had lead them to the dusty streets of the market, the shops and stalls empty and seeming almost a ghost town now that no one was out.
"Over there," she whispered, pointing in the direction of the nearest guardpost. Light could be seen escaping from it, showing there was at least one guard around.
Jaraleet smiled at Meg, glad to see that he had managed to cheer her up. “Hmmm, maybe you can introduce me once we are done with this.” He said, chuckling softly before nodding when she quieted down and doing the same. He followed her through the winding streets, glad that Meg knew her way around the city. Jaraleet himself hadn’t left the Three Crowns too much, especially after the failed attempt at capturing Nblec for the Poncy Man believing it too big of a risk for him to take a stroll through the city streets after that had happened, and as such he didn’t knew his way around Gilane all that well.
“Good job Meg.” He said when she pointed him in the direction of the guardpost, his eyes instinctively drawn to the light that escaped from the building. “Now comes the tricky part. First we need to assess the number of potential hostiles within the building, second we need to find an appropriate entrance for us to sneak in. Ideally something that wouldn’t cause any alarm whatsoever or draw someone’s attention.” The Argonian said confidently, his eyes now scanning the building for any potential entry points.
“Come, let us move a bit closer. See if we can pinpoint how many guards there are by the number of voices.” The assassin said before he began making his way to the guardpost, sticking to the shadows and making sure that his footsteps wouldn’t cause any sound.
Licking her now dry lips, Meg gave Jaraleet a small nod before she followed after the argonian, her own steps lithe and soundless. Now that she was feeling more confident and there was a sort of plan underway, her breathing had evened out, as did the beating of her heart. She crept forward, listening intently, her eyes narrowing as she looked up, remembering the lookout she had to shoot on her first mission in Gilane. And as expected, she could see one up there. She nudged Jaraleet slightly and nodded in an upward direction before looking closer to the ground.
Up ahead she could hear the muffled sound of talk coming from the guardpost, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly how many there were without heading closer. She could however catch sight of one entrance due to light from within trickling onto the street. For a moment there was a disruption to that light, a shadow passing before it that was obviously not her or Jaraleet.
"Two so far," she whispered, confident the argonian had seen the same shadow. "Might be an entrance on the other side."
Jaraleet nodded to Meg’s words, moving his eyes to the lookout. “Normally I’d say it’d be safer to get rid of the lookout.” He whispered to Meg, turning to look at her. “But, as things stand, it’d be best to avoid any action that could further stir the Dwemer. Let’s try and see if we can find a blind spot and check the other side of the building.” The assassin said, shaking his head slightly. “It’d be ideal if we could get into the building and find some documents or, failing that, eavesdrop on a conversation.” The Argonian mused, trying to think of the best way to approach the situation.
"Think I know how," Meg replied after a moment of silence. It was hard to remember everything exactly, but from the time she had spent wandering with Zahir, she felt confident enough. "This way." She gave a slight tug to his arm before turning around and silently heading back in the direction they had come from. However she hadn't walked much further before she stopped and turned into a side pathway that was, for the most part, simply created due to the influx of shops. She stepped lightly, trying not to brush against the walls.
When she finally reached another small intersection, she paused, looking back to see if Jaraleet was following her. From here on if they turned once more, she was fairly certain that path would lead the two to the other side of the guard post.
Jaraleet nodded when Meg said that she knew how to get closer to the building without being detected, waiting in silence for her to continue. He opened his mouth to speak when she told him to follow her but whatever he was going to say was forgotten when he felt Meg giving his arm a slight tug, causing him to let out a soft chuckle and to smile at the Nord woman before he began following her.
He caught up to Meg shortly after she had stopped at the intersection to wait for him, motioning with his head to let her know that it was ok to continue forward. It took them only a few more moments to reach the other side of the guard post through the path that Meg had chosen and, from the looks of it, it seemed like the lookout wouldn’t be able to spot them if they approached from there. “Excellent Meg, that was great.” The Argonian whispered to her, giving her shoulder a light squeeze and smiling at her.
Meg had a hard time not beaming up at the argonian. She felt accomplished, and any doubt that was still lingering fell away to dust. "Thanks," she whispered under her breath before looking back at the guard post. Now that they were closer, it was possible to distinguish three separate voices coming from within. Two of them were male, the third was a female.
At least five then, she thought to herself. There could have been more who were silent, but she wasn't sure about that. Not too far ahead of them, as she had suspected, was another entrance, one that seemed to have seen more use throughout the years. Looking to Jaraleet, she raised her eyebrows, silently wondering if they should risk it and enter.
Jaraleet smiled once more in lieu of a spoken answer when Meg gave him her thanks before turning his attention back to the guardpost. It quickly became apparent to the Argonian that, at best, it’d be a challenging endeavor to infiltrate the building without being detected by the soldiers inside. And yet, they had no other option if they wanted to locate Daro’Vasora. If they spent any more time trying to gather info from gossiping guards on patrol a myriad of things could happen that’d render any possibility of locating the Khajiit woman into a hopeless endeavor.
Letting out a sigh he turned back to look at Meg, not surprised to find her staring at him, eyebrows raised, with an expression of doubt. He nodded in her direction, mouthing a silent ‘we have no other choice’ instead of speaking. There were too many variables they couldn’t account for to risk talking now, even in whispers.
Once he was sure that Meg had understood him, Jaraleet began making his way towards the guard post. Making sure to stick to the shadows and stepping carefully so as to not cause any sounds that could alert the guards inside.
Meg was quick to follow the argonian, and soon enough they had reached the back door. Casting a glance about and not seeing anyone nearby, Meg took hold of the door handle and carefully tested it to see if it was locked. Surprisingly it wasn't, though perhaps that was simply due to the guards here being on patrol and the curfew having made then lax. As she pushed the door open, there was a slight squeaking sound from the old hinges; she froze in mid action and waited, listening for any sound of movement from the other side of the door. While the talking inside continued though, she couldn't actually hear any other sound.
Somewhat emboldened, she opened the door further, peeking inside. Aside from a desk and a few chairs, there seemed to be nothing unusual. There were certainly no people here, but Meg could see there was a door in the far wall that probably led into another room or a hallway. Carefully letting herself inside, she quickly moved to the side to make room for her partner in crime.
When Meg moved to the side to make room for him, Jaraleet quickly followed into the building. He stopped for a second, waiting for any sound from the guards that might indicate that they had noticed when he had entered. Another second passed and when the only sound that he heard was that of the soldier’s idle chatter, Jaraleet let out a silent sigh before nodding in Meg’s direction.
Pointing at the door in the far wall, Jaraleet quietly made his way to the door that led further into the building. He opened the door and, much like he had done when he had entered after Meg, the Haj-Eix paused for a second to verify that the Dwemer in the building were none the wiser to their presence in the guardpost. Reassured of the guard’s continued ignorance, Jaraleet took a moment to scan the area where he was. He stood in a long hallway, with multiple doors through it’s length that probably led to the different rooms, with the corresponding amenities, that the guards would need for their job, along with the many doors, nestled about halfway through the hallway, was a flight of stairs that led to a second floor.
Moving slightly away from the door to give Meg enough room for her to enter, Jaraleet waited for the Nord woman to join him before pointing at the stairs. “Chances are that there’s an office for whoever is in charge here in there. If we get lucky, we might find a document or two that can point us in the right direction.” The Argonian mouthed silently, hoping that Meg would be able to understand him.
Meg wasn't an expert at reading lips per say, but spending two months around argonians had its perks, and along with her own common sense, she could figure out what he was telling her. Whatever information they needed to seek was most probably up those stairs. Her eyes narrowed as she thought it over.
"Someone'll need t'keep watch," she mouthed back, more than certain the argonian would be able to understand her. "I'mma see what I can fin'." She figured if worse came to worse and someone had to take care of a guard, Jaraleet would do it much more efficiently than her. She wasn't exactly silent when using her sword; stealth killing was what she used her bow for.
With that said Meg started up the stairs, carefully placing her feet as she made her way up so that barely a sound could be heard. Once again, even though she knew there probably weren't any, her eyes darted about for traps that she was used to encountering in crypts and ruins. As she reached the landing, she paused before another door. Reaching out for the handle, she tried to open it but found it was locked.
Turning around, she looked over at Jaraleet. "I'mma have t'pick it open," she mouthed.
Jaraleet nodded silently in agreement when Meg mouthed that someone would need to stay behind to watch for any guards that might suddenly come and, if necessary, to dispose them before they could alarm the others. As Meg started going up the stairs, Jaraleet moved to one of the corners at the end of the hallway so that, should any of the guards enter, they wouldn’t be able to notice him immediately, unless more than one guard passed through the hallway at the same time, but which would allow him to easily keep an eye on Meg.
He silently cursed when Meg told him that she’d need to pick open the door. Pausing for a second, he moved to where she was and nodded his head in agreement. “It’d be best if we were both here in case someone hears what you are doing to the door.” The Argonian mouthed and then turned his back to Meg so that he could face the hallway in case someone decided to go to the second floor.
Good idea. Just like with the previous time her group had to break in someplace, it was best to be cautious. Last time they'd had more than a couple of people- this time it was much different. Confident that Jaraleet had her back, Meg pulled her lockpick kit from its pouch and carefully went about the task of unlocking the door. She was much more focused than her time in the wagon with the chest, and though it took approximately the same time for the lock to click open, she hadn't wasted any picks. Allowing herself a brief smile, she put her tools away and placed a hand on the handle, carefully opening the door.
It was rather dark, the only light coming from the moon through a window by the far wall. Meg let a breath of relief- there was no one in there. It seemed like an office of sorts, once again much like the one Daro'Vasora had broken into. There was one large desk, a few chairs and some bookshelves that seemed more empty than in use. Meg turned around to give Jaraleet a nod. "I'm goin' in," she mouthed before turning around and carefully stepping into the room.
She left the bookshelves and made her way straight to the desk, figuring that would be where any sort of information would be stored. She tried the drawers, half expecting them to be locked, but it seemed this time she was lucky and they slid open easily. Meg pulled out a couple of dossiers and laid them on the desk, opening the thinner one and looking inside. There were a few sheets of paper including one letter. Unable to read it in the dim light, the Nord headed closer to the window, squinting as she made out the words. She wasn’t the most lettered person around, but even she could recognize Daro’Vasora’s name among the words scribbled on the paper.
Feeling something akin to trepidation, she carefully returned the two dossiers save the letter to the drawer. Once the were placed exactly as she remembered them, Meg returned to the landing, closing the door behind her.
“This,” she breathed, holding the letter out for the argonian.
“Good, come, let us get out of here. We can read the letter once we are outside and not at risk of being found by the guards.” The Argonian whispered as he took the letter from Meg. He led the way as they sneaked out of the guardpost, using the same route they had used to enter in the first place. Once they were outside, he continued walking away from the building until they could no longer hear any chatter from the soldiers inside.
“Alright, now let’s see what we’ve got here.” He said, folding open the letter. He took a few seconds to read its content, letting out a sigh when he was done. “Sithis damn it all, they are holding Daro’Vasora in the Governor’s Palace.” Jaraleet said as he turned to look at Meg.
“The…” Meg didn’t continued speaking as she tried to process the words. The governor had taken Daro’Vasora? But why? It was only a moment more of thinking before her eyes widened and she looked to Jaraleet. “‘Course. They think she’s the one who killed ‘im, Nblec.” Her eyes darkened as she frowned, and her words sounded rather bitter as they came out. “Whoever’s the culprit, they sure made things shitty for others.” She could feel anger rising within her once more; closing her eyes, she forced herself to breathe slowly in order to calm down.
“We need t’get her outta there,” she finally added. She seemed a little less angered now, but there was a dangerous look in her eyes.
“It is a very real possibility, the Governor would need a scapegoat for Nblec’s death to show that they have the matter under control.” Jaraleet said, keeping his tone neutral. He had noticed the way Meg’s eyes had darkened and the bitter tone in her voice. He’d need to be careful to ensure that she wouldn't make a mistake and get herself hurt, a feeling that only intensified when she said that they needed to get Daro’Vasora out of the palace.
“Meg.” He said quietly as he moved closed to her, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. “I know that Daro’Vasora is a friend to you, and I know how much you treasure your friends.” The Argonian began carefully, trying to not say anything that could enrage the Nord woman even further. “And you are right, we need to get her out of there….but there’s nothing we can do just with the two of us.” He said softly to her, shaking his head slightly.
“We’ll go to the palace and scout the area, ok?” Jaraleet said softly, looking at Meg directly in the eyes. “Once we do that, we’ll return to the Three Crowns so we can plan a course of action with the others.”
Meg returned his gaze with her own. She was silent but she nodded in agreement. Yes she was angry, but she was no fool, she knew very well that just the two of them alone would not be able to do anything. A little information went a long way and whatever they learned of the governor's palace she assumed would be useful.
"Let's go then," she muttered under her breath, finally letting her thoughts be heard. "The faster the others know, the better. Sora doesn' deserve t'be locked up wherever she is." There was no way she could remove the crease from her forehead, but the bitterness in her eyes was finally replaced by compliance. "I'mma follow you."
“Good, good.” Jaraleet said, smiling at Meg. He thought about saying something more but decided against it; he could tell that Meg was seething with frustration, it’d be best to not say anything that could, potentially, upset her further. “Come, you know Gilane’s streets better than me so you lead the way.” The Argonian said, following the Nord’s woman lead once she began making her way through the streets.
It took a few minutes but, eventually, they were staring directly at the palace from which Governor Rourken ruled Gilane from. It didn’t took Jaraleet long to ascertain that, with how little their group was, any sort of attack to the palace would be a suicide. No, if they had any hope of rescuing Daro’Vasora, they’d have to take a more subtle approach to their rescue. He turned to look at Meg, motioning with his head towards the direction they had come from. “Come, let’s go.” He said quietly.
"Are you sure?" she replied softly, her eyes still wandering over the palace. It seemed like such a waste of time to not even try to get a little closer and perhaps weed out a few points of entries they could remember for the rest of the group. Coming all the way here and leaving with nothing to show for all their efforts wasn't sitting well with the Nord woman. "I migh' be able t'see a li'l more if I sneak up ahead..." Her voice trailed as she eyed the palace as well as the shadows she could blend in.
"Maybe tha' way," she muttered under her breath, taking a few cautious steps forward.
“Meg, don’t be a…” The Argonian hissed, but it was too late already. The few steps forward that the Nord woman had taken had already gotten her spotted by one of the attentive lookouts that guarded the palace. Panic settled in his chest as he noticed the guard aiming at Meg with their rifle and, before he even realized what he was doing, Jaraleet was bolting in Meg’s direction, not caring if the other guards heard him.
Two things happened in short order afterwards. Jaraleet reached Meg and tackled her to the ground and, but a second afterwards, the sharp crack of a rifle’s discharge echoed throughout the night and, along with it, Jaraleet felt pain blossom in his body.
The wind was knocked out of her as she was tackled to the ground, and by the time Meg felt as if she could breathe again, she could felt wetness dripping on her, hot and sticky... blood. Eyes widening she tried to push herself to a seated position but found herself being unable to.
And that was when she realized it was the argonian blocking her... bleeding on her. A sharp breath escaped Meg as she scrambled back, hands shaking. "J-Jaraleet- you're-" Her breath rate was increasing by the second. "You're- you're- you're hurt!" Panic was settling in as she crawled back to the argonian. "Oh gods no, not again- We- we gotta get you outta here." She couldn't even tell what had hit him, especially with hardly any light source.
“You...you’re safe. Good, good.” Jaraleet said weakly, trying to stand up again as he willed his mind to ignore the pain. He knew that it was for naught, even if he could get himself to not focus on the pain the wound would still kill him if he didn’t get some sort of medical attention soon. “We….we don’t have much time. We need to leave now, if they bring in any more of their rifles to bear in on us...I’m afraid that we’ll be done for.” He said, finally getting his body to stand up.
It proved to be a futile effort as, not a second after he had managed that, he fell onto his knees. “Help...help me get away.” He said, shaking his head slightly. If Meg were anyone else, he’d have told them to leave him behind but he knew the Nord woman….saying something like that would be something that she’d merely ignore.
Shit, shit, shit, shit! Meg scrambled to her feet, barely able to contain her emotions as she hurried to help the argonian stay on his feet. All your fault, all your damn fault. She wanted to cry but held back her tears, knowing they would only make matters worse; she had already created the worst possible situation because of her stubbornness- anything more and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. There was nothing she could do about the clenching in her stomach though, nor the ever growing lump in her throat.
"I gotchu," she muttered between gritted teeth once she had had his arm over her shoulder and her own around him. She could still feel the blood seeping from him- Divines, please don' let him die- and it only forced her to quicken her pace. Talos, Mara, anyone, please, please don' let 'em find us... Her legs moved faster than her thoughts, or at least it seemed that way to her, though she had no choice but to pause after a few minutes, needing to catch her breath.
The alarms went up within seconds and soon the walls were swarming with guards. Magelights went up and soon the entirety of the plaza around the Governor’s Palace was bright as day. Sevari watched it all happen impassively. If it were up to him, he would have left them both to die in whatever idiotic endeavor they were trying at, but at this point the guards catching up to them and taking them into custody would do more harm than good. He breathed in and then out, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.
He stepped out from behind an alleyway entrance, Dwemer carbine held loose in one hand at his side and the thumb of his other hooked in his belt. He looked the Nord up and down with Jaraleet bleeding himself all over her. “Get the fuck over here.” He said, “Follow.”
It was a wordless affair, Sevari taking them through the streets quickly through the alleyways. Finally, they were at the slums bordering the dock district and standing in front of a dingy shack of a house. Sevari went to work at the locks as quickly as he could, throwing the door open and taking Jaraleet away from the Nord girl with no amount of gentleness.
Sevari laid Jaraleet out in the table, leaving to retrieve some supplies to try at Jaraleet’s wounds. Once he returned, he immediately set to work, cleaning the area around Jaraleet’s wound after some amount of trying to feel exactly where it was through all the blood. It had to have been somewhat bad given the amount. “Your breathing is fine, I take it. You’re not dead yet.” Sevari frowned, “Lung wounds are a death sentence. Luckily for you, your friend only got you shot in the stomach.”
He shot an annoyed glance Meg’s way before he turned back to his work, grabbing up a long blade, the bullet was no doubt still in there with the lack of a huge exit wound. “What’s your name.” Sevari asked without turning to the Nord girl, “If you’re going to force my hand into taking gutshot Argonians into my hideout, I’d at least like to know the person who gave me the privilege.”
"Meg... Megana Corvus." The Nord's voice betrayed copious amounts of uncertainty and shame. She had no idea who this person was and whether she should have followed him, but he hadn't looked anything like a dwemer, or any familiar race for that matter. Did he perhaps know them or their group? Maybe he was one of the Poncy Man's men? In any case, it made quite a bit more sense to take her chances and follow the man than get caught by the dwemer guards.
Somewhat hesitant, she edged a little closer to the table so that she could she see her friend. Her face fell even further when she caught glimpse of all the blood. He's righ'... I got him shot... Casting a glance in the stranger's direction, unsure of whether she'd receive an answer but still needing to know, she spoke up once more.
"Why... why did you help us? Who’re you?"
“A friend.” Sevari said, sighing just before he slowly inserted the blade into the wound. To the Argonian’s credit, he barely flinched. Luckily enough, the bullet hadn’t penetrated too far as he felt something hard at the end of the long, flat-tipped tool. “If you want a good chance of dying old, keep it at that.”
Sevari began to twist and pry, working the metal bullet from the wound. He heard Jaraleet hiss silently and a small smile crept upon Sevari’s lips. So there was some ability to feel pain in there. After a few moments of working, the bullet came free, rolling off of Jaraleet’s side and then plopping heavily on the table. Immediately, the wound began to drool blood. Sevari moved quickly, sprinkling fire salts and some other black, granular powder onto the wound. He grasped up the metal tool again and a flame sparked to life on his fingertip until the needle was red and glowing with heat. At the same moment he touched it to the wound, the fire salts began sizzling and popping. “There, it’s cauterized.” He handed Jaraleet the gauze to wrap around himself, “Your turn.”
He leaned on the table after turning around, crossing his arms and looking from Jaraleet to Megana. “To what foolish endeavor do I owe the pleasure?”
“Reconnaissance.” The Argonian replied as he moved to a sitting position and began wrapping the gauze around himself. “As I’m sure you are already aware, one of our group was captured, Daro’Vasora, the current leader of our little band as it stands.” He explained to Sevari, shaking his head slightly.
“We learned that she was being held in the Governor’s Palace so we decided to scout it out, try and find any entry points. And, well, I’m sure you already know what happened next.”
“Oh, don’t I.” He looked Jaraleet up and down and then to Meg, who he simply shook his head at. He walked to the door and grabbed up his carbine, walking back to the fireplace and plopping down in the seat next to it. “If you were anybody else, Argonian, I’d have let you bleed out in the streets and your little girl here to the same fate. Tell me why I shouldn’t just end it for you both and be on my way.”
“I spoke to her, you know? Her and Latro in the Governor’s Palace. That fucking Reachman prick forced me into this predicament. They both strike me as people who wouldn’t take kindly to two of their stupid friends getting caught and then tortured for information about their other friends.” Sevari frowned at Jaraleet, nodding to Meg, “You might have a high pain threshold, Jaraleet, but do you think she does? Latro and Daro’Vasora were put into my custody. It makes them safe, you two fucking fools.”
Meg had remained quiet for the most part, but her anger rose when she heard the last bit of what this man had to say. "An' how in Talos' name were we bloody s'posed t'know they were safe, huh?" She glared at him, forgetting her meekness and grief for the moment. "All we fuckin' knew was that she was missin'! We didn' even know Latro was caught too! What kinda person would just stay inside an' not do somethin'?!" The Nord paused to catch her breath before continuing. “Who even are you?” She looked to Jaraleet, green eyes rather piercing. “Have you met him before?”
Jaraleet remained silent as Sevari spoke, knowing full well the truth of his words. The particular image of Meg, captured by the Dwemer and subjected to torture sent a chill down his spine and further dissuaded him from talking. However, as Meg added her piece to the conversation, the Argonian was snapped out of his silence. “As much as I can agree with the points raised by you both.” He began speaking, careful to pick his words to try and not get either Sevari or Meg any more worked up than they already were. “I have to side with Meg on this particular bit. We didn’t even knew that Latro was captured, and if you had told us something, which I’m sure with your abilities would have been all too easy for you, nothing of this would have happened.” The Argonian assassin continued.
“And, yes, I’ve met him before once Meg.” Jaraleet replied to Meg, letting out a sigh. “Sevari here...much like us, he is stuck in the little political game that is being waged in Hammerfell currently. Unfortunately for him, he was forced into the Dwemer’s service but I can assure you that he holds no love for them.” The Haj-Eix said, shaking his head slightly. “Isn’t that right Sevari? Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation now, would we?”
Sevari looked to Meg then Jaraleet and back again. His eyes were anything but calm, betraying a contempt for the situation at hand and the people before him. He didn’t have a problem with them, truth be told, but they were dangerously close to mucking up everything he had worked at the past month. The past twenty years, even. To Jaraleet’s question about his loyalties, he simply shook his head once. “No.”
He sighed, “I can assure you that I am doing everything with what little power I have in this to make sure I don’t tangled in my own web I’ve weaved and that Latro’s companions don’t meet an end he wouldn’t like.” He nodded to Meg, “We’re in agreement that me, being his only friend where he and his girl is now, having to wrangle you like children is very not conducive to keeping all of us at arm’s length from each other. As it should be, as it’s the safest for both me and all of you.”
“Latro and Jaraleet are my ties to your little party of wrenches in the cogs. I don’t need anymore than that.” Sevari frowned at Jaraleet, “I was going to find you and tell you of the news, but I guess you’re getting too rusty, assassin. Did your mentor never tell you the greatest weapon is patience?”
Jaraleet let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly. “You are right.” He replied to Sevari’s comment. There was no point in contradicting the Ohmes-Raht when his words carried the truth. “But there’s no point in dwelling on that right now.” The Argonian continued after a moment of silence. “Mistakes were made, that is true, but what matters now is that we move forward and try to recuperate, or compensate depending on the case, from them.” He said, shaking his head slightly.
"We should pro'ly go now, if yer able to." Meg sounded rather expressionless as she spoke, looking at the argonian for only the smallest moment before averting her eyes. She hated this, feeling small and ignorant in a place where so much seemed to be happening. There was really nothing more left in her mind to do than head back out and get Jaraleet healed.
“I think it’s best you do.” Sevari said, still leaning on the table and making no move to walk them out. The room basked in the ambient glow of the fireplace lent his face a foreboding piece of shadow, “Jaraleet. Latro may be gone, but I still have work that needs doing that I can not carry out on my own. When the time comes, answer. Alone.”
Jaraleet stared directly at Sevari’s eyes, unafraid, before nodding. “I will.” The Haj-Eix said, standing up from where he had been sitting albeit not without letting a slight grunt of pain as he moved. “Come, let's leave Meg.”
Meg nodded and made her way over to Jaraleet. Despite her glum mood that almost seemed to radiate off of her, she wasn't about to be useless. "Lean on me," she muttered to Jaraleet. She hardly thought he'd be able to move as easily without some sort of help. Once she was sure he was right and ready to leave, she started for the, pausing at the exit only for a second to utter a "Thanks for your help." It grated her to say those words, but he had helped them tremendously.
And with that, she lead Jaraleet out into the night once more.