@SubRosa: I always struggle with past tense / present tense when it ends with -d. Thanks for catching that. I thought exasperated indicated a positive disbelief, Y'know? Eyes wide spread, breathless, that kinda of thing. I changed it into breathed. Seen you use that on more than once occassion. Maybe exuberantly is more appropriate?

I sense the editor’s quill has been pressed into service in this chapter. The whole thing reads smoother, fresher. Maybe it’s just a sense of nostalgia in this reader, returning to a time when Zerina still acted like the ‘damsel in distress’. As always, you are able to show two people falling in love that captivates and entrances. I fell into this from the first word and let it carry me like the gentle currents of the Odai River.

This installment was just chock-full of ‘Ralesian’ insight:







Just great!

Exuberant is a good word choice. It means full of energy, excited.

Dictionary.com is an excellent resource for both checking spelling and definitions in English. I use it so much I have it as one of my search engines.

To be honest, it amazes me how well you write in English, considering it is not your native language.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 6 2010, 10:42 PM

I always had a feel for foreign languages. Besides that, I had English on school from when I was 13 so it isn't really a surprise I'm quite capable of writing in English.

@Destri: I made some minor changes that shouldn't have made a big impact. Some inconsistancies I overlooked (like usage of spells and shields) and some spelling. (like the first 'l' I missed several times in Hlaalo/Hlaalu) Glad it's amusing enough to warrant a second read-through. Thank you!


Chapter 10: Vivec

Day 118

Before going to bed, Zerina and I discussed the mission to Vivec the following day. Going alone and leaving Zerina for days in a row didn’t appeal to me at all. In fact; the thought alone almost made me feel queasy to my stomach. We decided to walk to Vivec rather than taking a Stiltstrider or a guild guide. That way, I could teach her some basic combat skills and meanwhile show her the lush, green Ascadian Isles region. And then there was the bonus of being able to spend lots of time together – something we both really appreciated..

Zerina only knew Vvardenfell as a desolate ashen wasteland. She was delighted to see the green hills roll on one after the other and huge pastures with Guar grazing.
Since we had hugely overslept the first morning, we made camp not long after we passed Seyda Neen. We dropped in briefly for some supplies with Arrille and an additional sleeping bag. Arrille insisted that we stayed for coffee. Fargoth couldn’t keep his eyes away from Zerina.

After having pitched the tent, we got to sorting out some dinner. Zerina insisted to go hunting. Briefly I instructed her on the use of a bow but to my surprise, she was almost as capable with a bow as I was. She couldn’t pull full tension on my long-bow but a light Chitin short-bow I had brought along as well was perfectly suitable for her frail frame. She was far more able fending for herself than I would have given her credit for.
Smiling, I let her go hunting while I made a cooking hole in the earth.
With not having much else to do, I let my mind wander back over the last few weeks and wondered if Zerina had maybe feigned her hysteria when we went swimming several days ago. I realised there was still so much I didn’t know about her.

Imagine my surprise when she returned to camp without a prey.
‘I couldn’t carry it, I need your help,’ she excused herself. ‘It’s just over that ridge,’ and pointed south. A small walk later, a fully grown adult Alit with a single arrow through its throat was awaiting our attention. I grabbed its legs, tied a rope around it and dragged the creature back to camp where we skinned it, cut it up in pieces and cooked it. Throughout the gruesome job, Zerina didn’t flinch once. In my admiration and adoration of her I ignored a crucial point: she had been taking care of such things together with her mother long before I even knew her. I was getting more and more certain her hysteria had indeed been an act.

Over dinner I decided to ask her about it. Smiling innocently, she replied:’I was naked. Besides, how else was I going to get your attention away from that book?’
I blinked, not knowing what to say and burst out in laughter. ‘Women,’ I sighed, bringing a mischievous smile to Zerina’s face.
That night, the second sleeping bag proved unnecessary, we shared one, it was rather cramped. But then again, we didn’t sleep. Much.

Day 119

Making up for the lost time from the day before, we got up early and had a simple breakfast. In hindsight, we might as well have slept in because we didn’t get very far that day anyway. Being mid-summer, a blistering sun high in the sky, accompanied us so we stopped several times a day for a brief swim in the clear blue rivers as well as in small to medium sized lakes we came across and cuddled often in the soft, tall grass. Our love was a roaring fire I was more than willing to burn myself on – it still is.

Several days later, by the end of the day, we reached the shores of the huge lake Vivec was built in. Cantons stretched as far as the eye could see. I had thought Balmora was big but Vivec truly dwarfed it. Guards were patrolling the various levels of all the cantons. Just the sheer amount of guards alone gave me an impression on how mindboggling many people would be living there. I couldn’t wait to enter Vivec. Zerina’s eyes were shining mirrors of my own eager anticipation.

Grinning like an idiot, I took Zerina’s hand. Together we walked across the bridge leading to what was known as the Foreign Quarter. Zerina looked at me with , what I had got to know as her mischievous smile and joked I should remain here with the other outlanders while she would explore the city. I reprimanded her by giving her a playful slap on her behind and chased her when she ran off laughing.

We realised soon that we would need to prepare for a several-day mission so we needed a place to spend the night. We were informed there were three taverns throughout the city that provided rooms to weary travellers. In the Foreign Quarter was the “Black Shalk Cornerclub”, actually just around the corner, an Ordinator – a holy guard - enlightened us.
Then; there was the “Lizard’s Head” in the Telvanni canton and last; “The Flowers of Gold” inn, located in the Redoran canton.
I had business with a certain Argonian in the “Black Shalk” but since it was already quite late, we decided to get ourselves installed into an inn first. A gondola took us to the Redoran canton with a small touristical de-tour and after some inquiring, we soon arrived at “The Flowers of Gold” inn. I was glad we had chosen this inn rather than the ropey club in the Foreign Quarter.

The room we rented wasn’t cheap but it was worth every gold Drake. The bed was hardly smaller than the one we had at home, the matrass soft and the sheets were spotless.

We booked the room for four nights, I was sure we would find ways to amuse ourselves in case I was going to be done sooner with my mission than anticipated. Zerina had already noticed there were lots of shops selling jewelry and clothing that were only available in the holy city of the living God – Vivec.
At least; she wouldn’t get bored while I looked up my contacts. Something I wasn’t really looking forward to.

Day 123

For a change, Zerina was already up and gone when I woke up. A note, carrying her scent, on the pillow said that she had gone shopping and that she hoped I could make it for dinner.
The first one I was was going to look up was the Argonian. Relying on the intel I had gotten from Caius, I headed straight for the “Black Shalk”.
The moment I walked into the club I could see Huleeya was in what you might call a tight spot. Three angry Dunmer were looking at him with the unmistakeble fire of pure hatred burning in their eyes. Throughout my travels I had encountered several cases of unfounded hatred towards the beast-races but none as severe as with these guys. If looks could kill, Huleeya would have been a smouldering pile of ash at their feet.

‘Blending in is part of being a succesful spy,’ Caius had told me. ‘Act as though you belong where you are, better yet; believe that you do.’ What better way to blend in at a bar, than by ordering a drink? Who said you can’t mix pleasure with business?
After having ordered a drink, I discretely asked him about it and whether or not he needed help, he shook his head and said they were hardly more than pests but annoying pests none-the-less. He was confident that they couldn’t hurt him. Rather; it was the exact opposite. The Argonian was afraid they would attack if he would turn his back and leave the inn, forcing him into hurting them. If I’d join him to his friend’s bookstore, the chance of the three of them attacking the two of us would be negligible. Surely, they wouldn’t be that stupid, especially with you wearing that?' he said while winking and briefly redirected his gaze on Wretched. His perception and reason were undeniably sound. The way he moved told me his self-confidence wasn’t misplaced at all; he moved with the grace of an experienced martial-artist. Not a muscle or limb flexed more or less than absolutely necessary.

The walk to Jobasha’s rare bookstore was short and un-eventful. The bookstore was across the hallway on the other side of the Foreign Quarter Lower Waistworks. Huleeya was grateful for my assistence and taught me all he knew all about Ashlanders and the Nerevarine Cult. When he was finished, he gave me his notes, summarizing what he had just discussed, to hand over to Caius.
As a side-note, he advised me talk to Jobasha, he might have some books about the same subject for sale I might find interesting.
A good shop-keeper knows exactly what he has for sale. Jobasha was an outstanding shop-keeper.

Jobasha first said he had no idea what I was talking about, mentioning Huleeya had told me he might have useful books about the Nerevarine Cult in his shop's inventory helped a lot. After a lot of persuasion and assurance I wasn't a Temple Agent (It was sort of the truth, I was only a Layman), finally he sold me an illegal book called “The progress of truth”.
When I briefly flipped some pages and read some short passages, I could see why the Temple wasn't happy with its existance.
Two worrying words were ominously prominent:"Dissident Priests" I wondered what it meant.
‘It’s officially been banned by the Temple so don’t go waving it around or tell anyone who sold it to you, alright?’
Huleeya warned me that if anything happened to Jobasha, he'd take it out on me.
I believed him.

Next on my list was the priestess Mehra Milo in the Halls of Wisdom. The Khajiit was going to be last. I knew from experience – from playing hide and seek when I was still a kid – that if a Khajiit doesn’t want to be found, you would have a hard, if not impossible, task finding her.
Since I was a member of the Temple I didn’t need to make up some false pretence for being there and entered the Halls of Wisdom inconspiciously by late afternoon.
So far, the mission itself was easy; it was getting to the right location that was the time-consuming part. I had wandered for hours through the various cantons and lost my way several times, so entering the Halls of Wisdom was a big relief; finally I had reached my destination. Now all that was left was finding the right priestess among all the others.

Secrecy wasn’t really asked for. As I mentioned earlier, I had every reason for being where I was. Several people hadn’t a clue where I could find Mehra.
It took six or seven inquiries with various people before I finally learned that she would most likely be in the library, which was down the hall on the righthand-side.
I was just about to give up asking and just barge into all the rooms out of frustration.
Following the precise directions I had received, it was a matter of mere minutes until I had found the library where only one priestess among many priests was present.

This time, I took my role as an Imperial Spy more serious. Directly asking her about legends and obscurities that were highly frowned upon and regarded with disdain by the Tribunal Temple seemed rather unwise. In stead, I engaged a discussion with her by asking about the pilgrimage I still hadn’t fulfilled – that was the thing I had forgotten; the pilgrimage to the shrines in and around Gnisis, I suddenly realised. Gladly she told me all about them. Where to find the shrines and what to donate. All this information could also be found in the “The Pilgrim’s path.” I faked a cough to hide I almost burst out in laughter because of the irony in that.

I've been enjoying the last few chapters of Rale's story. The meeting with Zerina, the anxiety he felt when he went back to ask her to go with him, the growing relationship between the two of them, has been a very enjoyable interlude.

In this last chapter, this phrase is quoted for truth:

My own Siberian Forest cat is very skilled in invisibility and sneak as well!

I agree with Hauty, the story takes on a whole new life when Zerina gracefully emerges on the scene! She brings a whole side of Rales out we would never have seen otherwise! Great Write !!!!!!

A nice chapter that shows us the deepening relationship between Rales and Zerina. My kind of stuff.

This is definitely most female:
Besides, how else was I going to get your attention away from that book?’


This was my experience with Vivec as well:
I had wandered for hours through the various cantons and lost my way several times
It does not help they all look the same from outside.


nits:
the matrass soft and the sheets were spotless
that is mattress.

I could see why the Temple wasn't happy with its existance
This is one that often gets me too. it is existence.

I love it, Rales!

I have already told you how much I enjoyed Vivec Informants when I went through Morrowind. Reliving it with Rales and Zerina is almost as much fun as playing it myself. As usual, you make me want to pull the Morrowind out of the cabinet and fire it up again. I can’t think of a better compliment than that.


I love this line.

Awww... shucks.... Thanks everyone!

While she told me about the shrines, I slipped her a clue Caius had sent me. Her voice changed from slightly pedantic to a whisper and told me to follow her to a more secluded area where we could talk freely. Nodding, I followed her lead to the back of the library, between several bookcases.
Frantically - I don’t think she had much sense of discretion - she looked around to check if no-one had followed us and told me all she knew about the Sixth House cult. From what I understood, this cult worshipped the unmourned, lost House Dagoth and its evil leader; Dagoth Ur in the Red Mountain at the heart of Vvardenfell.

Like Huleeya, she handed me a summary of everything we had just discussed and advised me to read the book called:”Progress of Truth.” Good thing I had already bought it with Jobasha.
‘Thank you, I’ll go see about that shrine,’ I said, slightly louder than normal speaking volume. Much to her credit, she picked up on it and wished me good luck with my pilgrimage.

Longing to get back to Zerina and our rented suite, I took a gondola to the Redoran canton and tipped the gondolier to make haste. Halfway I got annoyed with the slow pace and shoved the gondolier aside, stating I’d row myself. The poor guy almost fell into the canal. All in all, the day had been a good day; I had visited two out of three of my informants in a single day. If I’d be able to locate Addhirannir – the Khajiit informant - just as quick the next day, I’d manage to finish my mission in two days rather than three, leaving one day for Zerina and me to have some fun. The thought alone brought an ear-to-ear smile to my face. I even managed to get back in time to have dinner together.

***

Passing by a vendor on my way back to “The Flowers of Gold”, I couldn’t resist buying Zerina a present. A truly gorgeous silver necklace with a highly detailed pendant and a flawless ruby in the center, matching the colour of her hair, caught my eye. The seller tried to convince me it was an antiquity, almost as old as the Tribunal. I had my own thoughts about that but didn’t insult him by arguing. It probably would’ve only raised the price - it was expensive enough as it was. A delicate, black mahogany box with gold lining around the edges came with the necklace. Cautiously, he placed the necklace on the red silk cushion in the small box. I could swear the box alone was worth half the value of the necklace. I couldn’t wait to see Zerina’s face when she would open the giftwrap and the box inside, after dinner.

With the gift hidden in my sleeve, I entered the suite only to find Zerina wasn’t there. Some personal belongings, she’d never leave behind for long, were evidence she had been back to the room, if only briefly. I hid the present among my other belongings, hoping she wouldn’t find it and spoil the surprise for herself.

‘Have you seen Zerina?’ I asked Sorosi Radobar, the proprietor of the tavern.
‘Who? Oooh, you mean the kind lady that was with you yesterday? She’s downstairs, taking a bath.’
‘A what? Ah, never mind, thanks.’
‘Would you like a towel?’ Gladly I took the incredibly soft towel she handed me, bought a bottle of wine and headed downstairs. Apparantly, they had a room especially for bathing. Something I had never seen before.

Of course, the door was locked.
‘Is that you, Rales?’ Zerina asked after I knocked.
‘Yeah, open the door will you?’
Several moments later, Zerina opened the door with a towel wrapped around her upper body. Her wet hair, heavy with the weight of the water, reached all the way to her waist. I gasped with the sight.
To keep the heat inside the room, I hastily took off my boots, stepped carefully inside the room so I wouldn’t slip on the wet tiles and locked the door behind me.

Zerina had already got back inside the gigantic bathtub - it could easily be used by five people at the same time.
‘Be a dear and channel some heat through those pipes,’ she asked me and pointed at pipes that ran underneath the bath.
The cleverness of the heating installation looked familiar. ‘Its designer must have taken a good look at some of the constructs inside Dwemer ruins,’ I mused.
I focused my will and channeled a firespell through the pipes. I made sure not to overdo it so the water wouldn’t get blistering hot all of a sudden.
A satisfied ‘Aah…’ confirmed I had got it just right.
After I had undressed, I filled two glasses and joined Zerina in the bathtub.
‘What took you so long?’ Zerina jested.
I scoffed and stuck out my tongue. She laughed, peddled over and nested herself in my arms.

***

My muscles relaxed and little pains that ached me, evaporated in the steaming water and underneath Zerina’s soft, yet firm hands.
The bath was such a delight, I immediately made up my mind to have one constructed in our house as well, although not as big as this one. The water was lightly scented - I think it was lavender - but thankfully not too femine. We soaked in the calming bath, enjoying each other’s company until our skin was wrinkled and the bottle of wine was empty.

Back in our room, still dripping and wrapped in a moist towel, Zerina insisted I donned my best clothes for the night; she had planned a dinner in a nice tavern she had come across while shopping.
‘Do you think you’re gonna need that?’ she asked with a smile when I strapped Wretched - my sword - around my waist.
‘Good habits die hard,’ I retorted and unbuckled the scabbard. When she turned around, facing the life-size mirror to do her hair, I slipped the gift into my left sleeve.

I had no idea where Zerina had bought my new robe, a dark green one with gold thread stitched in intricate patterns, but somehow she managed to find a better looking one every single time.
Not to mention the absolutely divine dress she was wearing that night; it almost seemed alive as the dark purple silk swirled around her legs when she moved. She appeared to be floating rather than walking.
I resisted getting down on my knees and thanking the gods for the happiness they had bestowed upon me.

The chique tavern Zerina had seen was in the Redoran Plaza, the level above the Waistworks, where “The Flowers of Gold” was located.
I was glad it was in the area, I had wandered through Vivec more than enough that day.
Half an hour later, we were seated at a table for two and each ordered a glass of expensive, imported wine. I never really acquired a taste for the local beverages, I retained my taste for Cyrodyliic wine and brandy.
The service was terrific. As soon as either of us emptied our glass, a waiter would be standing ready to re-fill it - if so desired.

We both ordered the same, a crabcocktail as an appetiser and roasted Netchmeat with fresh vegetables on the side as the main-course. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the cocktail was a lot more tasteful than what I called a “Rales Special”, which basically was a Mudcrab I cast a fireball - just big enough to kill it – at it so it was cooked while still in its shell. The first time had been an accident, I had meant to roast - proverbally speaking - a cursed flying rat behind it but my aim had been off so I hit the crab instead. Since I was starving, I still ate it even though I thought it had been burned to a crisp. I had been wrong; it turned out to be delicious. Even better than raw.

The Netch meat was very different from what I expected. To be quite frank, I would have chosen a different main course because floating Jelly Fish doesn’t sound tasteful at all, but Zerina insisted I’d try it. The texture was similar to beef but it tasted sweeter, almost like venison. The dish came with a sauce that reminded me of the sauce that is usually served with game but slightly more bitter. When I inquired about the sauce, I learned it was made from Gomberries and sweetened with a dash of Moon-Sugar. The cook sure knew what he was doing.

During coffee after dinner, I took the gift from my sleeve. When she opened the box her eyes were positively beaming and asked me where I had gotten it from. I made some vague remark about having taken it off the dead. With her toes she kicked me underneath the table while acting insulted. Some other customers looked at us in dismay when I suddenly let out an honest laugh in reaction to her act. The purple dress looked like it was made to be worn together with the necklace; a match made in heaven. Of course she persuaded me into telling the truth eventually. Her persuasion methods - involving plenty of kisses - had been worth the kick a thousand-fold.

The walk back to the suite took twice as long as it took to get to the restaurant. After our dinner, we had ordered a second bottle of wine- and a third.
Zerina fell on the bed face-first and slept almost instantly. I gently undressed her, taking care not to wake her up or to ruin her dress in the process, and tucked her in. With a semi-amused grin seeing her passed out like that I snuck into bed next to her. I remember thinking she was in for a rough night just before I dozed off into an alcohol-induced haze of blurryness.

Halfway the night, my final thought proved prophecy. I woke up to familiar noises coming from the privvy. Knowing exactly how miserable she must have felt, I only poured her a big cup of lukewarm water, put it on her bed-side table and left her alone. I stayed awake to comfort her once she’d return. I was no stranger to the symptoms and knew all too well what one usually wanted most after just having spewed one’s guts out; a drink of water and warmth. But mostly sleep.
Pale as a sheet, she slumped back into the bedroom shivering, with a look on her face that had an accusing ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ written all over it.
Once back in bed she was glad to crawl snug-close to me to benefit from my body-heat and, luckily for her, slept through the rest of the night undisturbed.

My hat's off to you.

I don't know how you can do it - write such sweet romance without it being smarmy. Just enough classic Rales tongue-in-cheek to keep it from being too treacly.

Loved the little scene where he kicked the gondolier out of the boat for being too slow.

Enjoyed the interest he showed in the bath's plumbing.

Licked my lips at the description of the wonderful dinner.

Stifled a chuckle at Zerina's suffering after too much imbibing.

Wonderfully done!

This one was on my favorites list when I first read it, and it still is! Really well done Remko!

Pictures Rales shoving the gondolier aside and rowing himself... That is so Ralesian!

A very sweet romantic interlude. It makes my estrogen tingle. With good touches of detail, from heating the pipes, to the dinner of jellyfish, to Zerina's drinking too much. All around nicely done!

Thanks for the support my friends!! I promise I will make an effort reading yours and properly comment on it. As you know, this is just a re-cap from the other forum with some minor editing. Quite frankly, I haven't written anything recently but I just finished reading Minque's story and now know where it should be heading.

Expect a new chapter somewhere end of next week.

Day 124

As was to be expected, the next morning Zerina didn’t feel her regular self. While I prepared my expedition to find an elusive Khajiit, she mumbled something about taking a bath and remaining there throughout the entire day. The day before I had already learned that even though the city looked beautiful from afar, there were filthy parts underneath - much like pretty flowers that grow best on manure. Underneath my armour I wore the oldest pair of trousers and shirt I had brought so the green robe wouldn’t be reduced to a dirty rag.

Caius already informed me she would most likely be in the St. Olms canton so that narrowed down my search drastically. Especially if she would really be still there.
From the Redoran canton I took a gondola to the Temple, my feet still hurt from the day before. Zerina would be pleased I left my good robe in the suite; rain was pouring down in bucketloads. Within seconds after having gotten into the little vessel, I was soaked to my skin. From the Temple area I had to walk a little distance to the St. Olms Canton.
Looking back I had better could have gone walking, it would have been quicker. The bright side was that I got to see the splendour of Vivec’s palace and the High Fane. The pearls of the city.

From a book I once read, I knew Saint Olms the Just to be the one to have conceived and articulated the principles of testing, ordeal and and repentence. Two of those principles reflected my state of mind during my visit to the canton. I repented being put through the ordeal of the Saint Olms canton. It was far dirtier than any other part of the city I had been. Probably because the Hlaalu that mainly lived there were too cheap to maintain it.

Hours in a row I meandered through the decrepit canton, looking for traces of the Khajiit when I came across an apothecary. Thinking that maybe I could concoct something against Zerina’s inevitable headache and nausea I bought some basic apparatuses - I hadn’t brought my own - and some ingedients for making a very special healing spell. Throughout my experiments I had learned by adding a very tiny part of an ingredient usually not used for that specific effect, the potion’s effect would increase exponentially. Of course under the risk of creating a highly potent poison that would kill you instantly. Experience had taught me to recognise the colour and to be most wary of important details - like temperature - to brew it on to create something different altogether.

When I started putting ingredients together in the little workshop in his establishment, Vaval Selas almost interrupted by warning me about what I was doing but soon realised he wasn’t talking to a novice but to a master. Intrigued, he grabbed a seat and watched me closely mashing, grinding, mixing and regulating temperatures.
With the heat of the boiling concoction and the heightened concentration that was absolutely vital with the brewing of the potentially lethal potion, I was bathing in sweat. I almost made the mistake of letting my mind wander off to the warm bath Zerina would now probably be in.
About two hours later, I was finally satisfied with the colour, viscosity and smell of the potion and thanked Vaval for the usage of his workshop. I had no space to take the tools I had bought with me so I left them behind. Vaval asked me if I could return some day to teach him what he just witnessed, the tools would be right here waiting for me. I didn’t promise him anything but kept the possibility open.

The concentration had cleared up the fog from my mind of last night’s debauchery. Determined I put myself back on the task of finding Addhirannir. I found lots of things in the canton; a wandering Skooma addict I gave some coins, lots and lots of rats and even a secret Daedric shrine to Mehrunes Dagon. I drew Wretched and almost found myself heading to the innards of the shrine to wipe out the evil Daedric Prince worshippers when I realised I had a different mission - one that could no longer wait. Besides, who was I to decide the worshippers were evil and needed to die?

Working my way up in the canton, inquiring with everyone I came across, I ran into an Imperial who seemed very out of place. How much out of place he was became apparent when he informed me of his profession: taxman. No wonder he was looking lost and had a hint of desperation in his eyes. An Imperial and a taxman. In Vicec. I held no personal grudge to him but it was obvious he was being massively ignored and looked at with contempt by the locals.

‘Have you seen Addhirannir?’ he asked me. So I wasn’t the only one looking for her. Something I found rather inconvenient so I made up a story that I had seen her the day before, heading ashore. Probably to Ebonheart..
‘I was heading for mainland anyway, I’ll look for her there,’ Duvianus said.
I wished him good luck but damn well knew that even if the Khajiit had indeed left for mainland he was never going to find her. Ever. I hoped she was still somewhere in Vivec or I’d have a serious problem.

***

It took me several hours before I found a substantial clue. Once I had worked my way up to the Plaza and still hadn’t found any trace, I started over outside.
Several tiny, what looked like former storages to me, rooms only accessible from the outside of the canton, were turned into small single-room homes so the poorest of the poorest had a roof over their head as well. In one of those pauper homes I encountered a Khajiit who was actually a friend of Addhirannir.
He wasn’t keen on informing me where he had befriended her or what their exact relationship was but after some persuasion - the gold kind - he finally let slip I could find her in the Underworks, beneath the Redoran Waistworks. In a generous mood - and most relieved I might add - I gave him some more coins and wished him a good day.

Scouring every nook and cranny of the shadowy, dimly lit Underworks I finally found my mark behind a pillar. No wonder I had missed her the first time.
‘You are Addhirannir,’ I assume?’
Apprehensively she looked over my shoulder. ‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘The Census and Excise officer has left for the mainland.’
‘In that case; yes, this one’s name is Addhirannir,’ she purred. ‘What can she do for you?’
‘Well,’ I started and continued with explaining the reason for me looking for her and why and how I had got rid of the taxman.
She in her turn, told me she knew very little of the Sixth House itself but had heard rumours about smuggling operations for them but that it was all very hush-hush.

In her opinion, that was the really strange thing about the whole situation. She said smugglers usually bragged about large scale operations but about this one no-one had. Almost as though they were afraid. Afraid of what she couldn’t say.
As soon as she finished I immediately realised this was the kind of thing Caius would find interesting. Tired and dirty, but succesful, I headed back to the Redoran canton.

Suspiciously Zerina sniffed the fluid after having swirled it around in the vial and uncorking it. ‘I’m not sure I can stomach this, Rales,’ she commented whille wrinkling her nose.
‘Trust me, it’ll do you good.’
She looked me into my eyes intensely to check if there was a sparkle of amusement about her state, shrugged and gulped down the content. ‘Tastes just as it reeks,’ she said with a disgusted look on her, still quite pale, face. I grinned and said that’s how you know it’ll work. She feigned an angry look but I could tell the potion had taken effect. Slowly, the colour was returning to her face, her eyes lost the watery look and her usual smile brightened up her face - and my day.

After Zerina already had gone to bed, I was still wide awake, overthinking today’s mission and about how experienced Zerina had seemed with the concoction I had given her. The way she had held the vial and had swirled the fluid around made it clear she had done that before. Had she spoken the truth about “the simple potion” she had given me when I was recovering? I wished I had been more clearheaded when I had drank it so I could’ve recognised the effect and the ingredients. The two questions that haunted me throughout the night were simple: Should I just ask her or wait until she’d tell me herself? The second questions was: Why would she hide the truth from me?

When I first read this chapter I kept thinking, "What is Zerina up to?" - I had to keep going back to that line where you said, "And we still are" to realize she wasn't up to any mischief, ROFL !!!!!

Once more I liked your description of alchemy. You gave it much more depth than just "mix these and drink". I had this picture in my head of Rales as this mad scientist, like Dr. Frankenstein working in his lab.

I grinned and said that’s how you know it’ll work.
quoted for truth!

nits:
Looking back I had better could have gone walking, it would have been quicker.
The beginning of this is disjointed. I think you meant:
Looking back, it would have been quicker to just walk.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 10 2010, 12:40 AM

Rales is a master alchemist now, eh? His description of the craft certainly shows his facility and passion for it, but it seems a bit early for him to be a master already, doesn’t it? It almost seems like a slap in the face to those who have spent years unsuccessfully trying to attain a level of skill that Rales has achieved in just a few months. Of course, it might just be that ‘Rales self-confidence’ that we have all come to know asserting itself. He might be overestimating his own abilities. If that is the case, I hope you take the opportunity to show that to us (Rales’ near-death experience from mixing a poison instead of a potion still stands as one of my favorite parts of the early chapters). Hubris is always entertaining, ask the Greeks.

Great stuff, seems I haven't commented here for a while but I've been reading and enjoying Reles's development.

I enjoyed his disgust at the St Olm's canton.

the next morning Zerina didn’t feel her regular self - I can imagine not

Well done Remko. Zerina is such a treat and I am so glad to see her join Rales.