The architecture was typical imperial style, though rough, as if the mason and carpenter weren’t skilled, or the material second rate. Rough unfinished beams and poor trim marked the walls and doorways in the small office, that smelled too much of tallow and not enough of cleanliness. She was surprised. Most of the people she knew at home were scrupulous about cleanliness. She thought that was typical in the Empire. Guess she was wrong.
The man who sat at her desk was different. Clean, even to the point of being prissy, his gray hair neatly trimmed, though fading at the brow, his clothes, though plain, were obviously well kept and neatly pressed. He played with his moustache a little as he spoke, a style she hadn’t seen in years in the imperial city. Things were definitely out of date here.
“Welcome home, Dunmer. I have to admit this came as a surprise. We rarely get any transports here from the imperial city.” A snort from the guard stationed at one of the doors produced a sigh from Socucius. “all Right. We never get transports from Cyrodiil. Especially prisoners for release. Those usually go to Ebonheart. But, orders are orders. And We rarely refuse ones that come as high as this. Please, have a seat.”
She did so. Might as well play along, right? It actually sounded like she was going to get out. It was hard to sit still, but she accomplished it.
Socucius smiled a little. “Eager, eh? I can understand that. But there are a few formalities we have to undergo before you can go any further.”
She glanced up at the guard, the only other person in the room. Another bored Imperial, but this one had some life in him, though it was focused in the wrong places. She shifted, trying to cover up what she could decently cover, and it didn’t do much. He smiled an oily smile as he met her gaze. Disgusting. She focused on Socucius as he spoke again.
“Well need to fill out some paperwork. Typical bureaucratic jargon, this. I have most of the information , I just need to ask you a few questions.”
And he droned on. Height, weight, age…simple stuff. She began to grow bored. He finished, nodding as if her answers were fine stuff. “ Excellent. Now that that’s out of the way, tell me, who actually requested this transfer?”
She glanced up. The guard, who had recently been enjoying his visual exploration of her body, glanced over to Socucius furtively, and then away.
Hmm, not a typical question.
“Why? Don’t you know? Shouldn’t it be on all that paperwork or something?”
“Well, of course. The Order comes with the Emperors signature, obviously. It would have to in order to push a many buttons as it has over here. But I truly doubt it was the emperors hand that started it all. Tell me, did you hear any names mentioned? Captain Grecius, Korim…”
She hesitated. It was becoming clear that this was more than a typical release. She didn’t know how much information she should actually give out.
“It’s up to you, of course, but considering how much influence I have as to the details of your release, It might benefit you to stay on my good side. That, and the information hardly affects you. I assume you want to simply get on with your life, Correct?”
He was right on that. The guard wasn’t being much help, finding far more interest in the pottery on the shelves now than in her exposed flesh. She nodded slowly, sighing, playing the part.
“Well, the name of the captain does sound familiar, though I was pretty drugged up at the time.”
He nodded, as if understanding something she wasn’t aware of. “Hmm, surprising, but not unexpected. Anything else?”
She shook her head. “the guards went a little overboard on whatever they shot me up with. I’m surprised I could remember the captains name.”
“I’m not surprised. It’s amazing those oafs could even spell their own names. Probably can’t. Oh, well, it’s more than I expected. Now,” He ruffled through some papers, “this says, here, that you’re from…Kamaar?”
“It’s a small village north of Corinth.”
“Mmm. And your parents were Bretons.” It was a question, but it sounded more like a statement.
She shrugged. “Mother was Breton, father was Imperial.” She never really liked talking about it too much.
“Interesting combination for a Dunmer. Tell me, what was your fathers name?”
“Coromyr. Coromyr Portinos.”
“Mm. Interesting.” He tried to act indifferent, but she had seen the spark of recognition gleam in his eyes for a moment before he stifled it. Did He know her father?
“Well, here’s your paperwork. If anything else comes to mind, you’ll know where to find me.” He seemed bored then, disinterested. “through that door, take your first right, throught that second door, and past the yard. You will Find Captain Sellus Gravius in the guardhouse beyond the door."
"Oh yes, and don’t’ try to go anywhere else. We do have a keen eye on you right now. Wouldn’t want to be stuck back in that jail cell, now would we?” With that, he turned his attention to the mounds of paperwork on the desk, muttering something about a slime-infested swamp of a place and being cursed by the gods for being stuck there. She stood up and glanced over to the guard, who acted as if he noticed her for the first time, and motioned towards the door next to him. “On down the hall, the captain is waiting for you.”
She felt his gaze as she stepped through the doorway. She shook her head. She would have to find some better clothing. The air was not too cool, being the middle of spring, and the humidity in the air helped, so she wasn't cold, but she didn’t feel like fending off two thirds of the male population from here to wherever. The hallway was as stuffy as the office, with threadbare tapestries and rugs down its length. An open doorway off to her right beckoned, while the hallway continued down a short stair to end abruptly with a door to the right. She ignored the stair, turned into the open doorway into a small room.
A large bookcase and plank table dominated the room, while a few baskets were off in the corner. Her nose caught the slight smell of food, and it made her mouth water. She glanced over to the table, where there was a small meal prepped by someone who obviously had better things to do at the time, and had left. Fine with her. The food, though strange looking, was the first she had seen in days, and it was all she could do to keep her stomach from shouting at her. A quick glance to see if anyone was coming, and she wolfed it down, some strange creamy stew seeming to consist of fishy stuff, with chucks of vegetables that tasted like potatoes and greens, but had the consistency of celery. Odd, but palatable, and it shut her stomach up. She glanced over to the baskets as she picked the finishing touches from between her teeth. Clothes, maybe?
She briefly wondered if anyone was going to care, but changed her mind. They weren’t going to miss a few articles, and besides, she was going to be as far away from this place as possible very soon.
Nope. Nothing in the baskets but dried grains, and some odd foodstuffs. The bookshelf provided nothing as well, some pottery, some silver, and a few books. The door perhaps? Worth a look.
The door at the end of the hall produced a small storage room. Rifling through the sacks and baskets provided a few items, a pair of pants that were too large, and a long shirt that could almost double as a cloak. She sighed as she stared down at the almost ludicrous coverings. Oh well, better than the tatters she had before. A length of Cloth cinched well around her waist, tying everything together. She kept a few of the more valuable looking items in a sack, which she threw over her shoulder.
On her way out she grabbed a few other items, almost on instinct, in the dining room. The silver should bring a good price, and she could use the coins. It all went into a burlap sack she found in the storage room. The one door in the dining area led outside to a small rear yard, with a few trees, some small shrubs, and a door leading into another small guardhouse, presumably where the captain was awaiting. The fence around the enclosure was barely high enough to keep anything out or in. Still, given her height, it was hard to see above it without a jump. One of the trees stretched branches out over the fence, and in one of these branches she wedged her bag. Good enough for now, and she though she could reach it from the other side.
Okay, onward to the honorable captain, her gracious benefactor. She paused outside the door, to collect herself. This was a very odd situation she found herself in, and many of her reflexive habits, though coming into use in the situation, were clumsy and uncoordinated. She felt like she was stumbling through the whole thing, almost like a puppet with strings she couldn't see. She didn’t like the feeling, and the itch to run was almost unbearable. Just a little more, girl, and you should be out of here.
A glint of light caught her eye, as she was just about to reach for the door. It came from an old water barrel next to the step she was on. She looked closer. The barrel was about half full.
No rain? From the dampness of the turf and surrounding vegetation, probably not. Most likely a small leak. Down near the bottom, something glinted in the calm light of the cloudy day. She reached down, ignoring the bite of the cold water, and felt a metallic object at the bottom.
A ring? Odd, but not one to turn down the opportunity, she grabbed it. She was about to pocket it, but stayed her hand. There was something different about the ring. It felt…odd, almost warm. Her memory kicked in then, of the times her mother had rammed her studies down her throat. She focused on the ring, felt its warm glow seep slowly into her fingers, then her hand. Magic. And a good one, at that. She wondered to what extent, but didn’t want to take the time. If the Captain was waiting…
She slid it into a pocket, and entered the room. It was similar to the ones before it, though less stuffy. Bookcases lined the room, full of assorted books, pottery, and an occasional picture. A desk was centered in the room, neatly arranged with a large lamp on top, along with various books, papers, and other such items. Seated at the desk was another imperial. He didn’t seem surprised to see her, only distracted with what he was reading.
“Oh, please excuse me, I was just finishing some paperwork.’ He stood, straightening his tabard, “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Captain Sellus, as you probably already know.”
He was actually handsome for an imperial, which said a lot. That, and he had an air of command about him, which she had not seen in any of these imperial guards so far. He was clean like Socucius, but not prissy, just neat and ordered. His moustache was trimmed close, and a spot of a beard was on the chin. He was in imperial steel, his tabard like the others, outdated but much cleaner and brighter.
“But my name and station are irrelevant at this point. Suffice to say that I am in charge of this ragtag outpost.”
“Thank you, captain. I do say that is the warmest welcome I have seen so far.”
He nodded. “I am not surprised. And don’t get used to it, by the way. There are far too few here in Morrowind that carry respect, especially to those who are mainland born. But that is neither here nor there. Let’s get to the point. You are here on order of the emperor himself. And while this may not mean much to you at this point, recognize that it is through his hand that you are not currently rotting in a jail cell for the rest of your life.”
He glanced down to the paperwork at his desk. “I’m sure the desire to get on and move forward is quite strong right now, but I assure you that won’t happen immediately.” He glanced up, noting her expression. “Don’t misunderstand me, you are indeed going to be free to pursue whatever you wish once outside these walls. But the Emperor freed you, and this freedom comes at a price, though simple it would seem.”
Why am I not surprised?
She was expecting it, but it still felt like a blow. She did it again, getting away with herself. Why did she expect that she could just walk away? Oh, well, if it meant her freedom…
“So what do I need to do?”
“I have a package for you, and some instructions. There is a town north of here called Balmora. A man lives there, by the name of Caius Cosades. You are to meet with him, deliver the package, and follow his instructions.”
“So that’s it then, eh? I’m to be some stooges’ harlot? You call this freedom?”
Cornelius looked at her with a slight note of distaste. “Understand this, Dunmer. Why the Emperor would have the grace to free one who has committed such a grievous crime is beyond me, much less why he would give you such great responsibility. You are free, but now an agent of the Emperor. And the Emperor does not hold to prostitution. To what extent you are needed by our supreme commander, it is not mine to know. I am an officer, and I follow orders. As you do now, as well. Here is the package.” A small pamphlet was given to her, closed and sealed with the kings’ insignia in wax. Another parchment followed, this one with directions.
“The directions are simple. Go to Balmora, find Caius Cosades. He is under the emperors direction as well as I, though I do not know the extent of his station.”
“And do you have any idea where I could find him in this…Balmora?”
“No. But there is a corner club there, in town. I believe it’s called the South Wall. It’s there in your instructions. The owner, a man named…just a moment… Bacola Closcius, apparently is familiar with Caius and should be able to direct you from there. Good luck. Oh, and here. I’m sure you will need this. Not just to get some better attire,” He smiled a little at that, “ But also for supplies. There are a few ways to get to Balmora, and none of them are extremely quick. Although I would recommend the silt strider port. Gatheros is a pretty good strider pilot, and his prices are fair. Oh, sorry, forgot this is your first time. Head north out of town and look to your right for the big insect, can’t miss it.”
I guess not. Sounded weird, but this was all new to her. She shook the small bag he had given her, and as she had suspected, it jingled. More than she had expected. The first Good news she had in awhile.
“Captain, may I ask a question?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Do you have any idea why I am here?” the distress must have leaked through a little, for his face softened somewhat, and she could see he was a man that was used to smiling more often than frowning. An appreciable quality.
“I wish I knew, so I could at least alleviate some of your frustration. But be at peace, I have rarely been given directions that did not, eventually, make sense. Our Emperor is a wise and discerning man, and I believe there is merit in what he is doing here.”
Yssendra nodded. Not much, but he seemed like a good man.
“So did you enjoy my soup?” His question caught her, and she actually blushed. He laughed then, and she liked it. Too bad he was an Imperial.
“Sorry, I just…I was hungry.”
“Don’t worry, I know. They never feed you on those horrible ships. Don’t worry; just be on your guard out there. It’s not a nice place.
She smiled at him, and wondered if she had made a friend here in this alien place. Oh, well, no reason to banter. She nodded and turned toward the door. “thank you Captain. I’ll be careful.”
“Your welcome. Good luck, and welcome home.”
Was he being sarcastic? She mentally shrugged as she stepped out the opposing door into the daylight. This was it, the beginning of her new life.
After she left, the Captain paused, sighing heavily. He glanced over to his desk, where the paperwork whispered to him like a bad dream, dry and sterile and emotionless, beast of the political. He passed his hand over his face as he thought, and wondered, was she really guilty? He always thought of himself as someone who could read people, and she did not seem the type. Oh well, it matters not now. He shook his head as he glanced over the orders he had received, the part she did not see nor need to know.
A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. “enter.” Ganciele peeked his head through the door “Ser, you had asked for me?”
“Yes. Please tell Socucius to pack his things and come talk to me. Time for him to go.”
“Uh...sir?”
“and who else was in that room with Socucius and the prisoner?”
“I was, sir, and well…Marcus escorted her in. Why?”
Puppets and puppeteers. “How long has it been since you’ve seen the mainland, Ganciele?”
“About a year and a half, Sir.”
“Good. This will be good news for all three of you. Hurry, now.”
“Yes, sir!” the guard hurried off. Cornelius frowned. This was too much. He shook his head. It was one thing to mislead his men, but to what fate…he did not know. And it was not his to know. He glanced out the window that overlooked the small back yard, and the trees that always brought him peace. It wasn’t working this time. But he still tried.
Puppets and puppeteers. It just disturbed him not knowing which one was which.
It was a clear night, breeze was good, sail was full. Another few hours and they would be ashore, back at home. mood was good and the sailors were talking.
“Yeah, Strange one, that.”
“Aye, but beautiful. Something about those dunmer, the eyes and skin…”
“demons, I say. Glad to be rid of them both. But your right, the woman was cute.”
“Dangerous, that. Could spell you in a second, did you see her look?”
the three didn’t notice the silent shape that seemed to flow onto the deck, passing from shadow to shadow. It was mirrored by a few others, pieces of night that took shape as they drew closer to the unsuspecting sailors.
“Yeah, It’s too bad she was under guard. It would’ve been fun too. ya know…”
“Don’t even go there. She’d hex ya as quick as look at ya, and furthermore…eeck!” the voices were silenced in the night, eerie sounds replacing them, like the tearing of canvas, the wet sounds of something dropping to the deck, the thud of bodies.
“Quiet! Don’t let the bodies drop so hard.” Whispers, as quiet as the night air that carried them.
“Its this mission, it’s just…”
“I know. But stay focused. We do the job, we get paid.”
“Yes. But to their own..”
“shh, there’s still three left downstairs.”
“Aye. The passengers. Were on it.”
A sole racer flew through the night, its haunting cry drifting across the stillness, then silence, and a ship floated alone in the dark waters.
