The Nord and the Four-Eared Khajiit, About 20 years after Martin's death, as crimes are spreading, a No Options

[sford564]

Okay, I already posted this on fanfiction.net, but I've revised it a little now. Soooo... here it is. It starts out a little dark and gets lighter as it goes.


Chapter 1: Fulfilling a Promise

The Nord made his way through the forest toward the traveling entertainers’ carts. There were all sorts of low lives of every race in this little gathering. Some of the scum wanted to see the bear baiting or to bet on the pit fights. Others wanted to buy slaves. Others still came to have sex with or buy some of the kidnapped girls the travelers had with them.

Sure, slavery was illegal, but it didn’t matter as long as you didn’t get caught. After Emperor Martin’s sacrifice, everyone’s attention was focused on cleaning their world up again from the Oblivion scum and rebuilding it again. Then, when things began to settle down, the talk of the new emperor exploded into several skirmishes, until most citizens didn’t care who ruled, as long as the deaths stopped. Now that the new High Chancellor took over rule, things were peaceful again for the moment. Alas, though, with all the strife that had taken place, the High Chancellor didn’t have enough time or man power to take care of every problem across the land, which meant that slavers began to rise up here and there in various parts of the world.


The Nord shivered a little and pulled the cloak further over his head so that no one could see him as he rode up to the camp. He had promised the dying Khajiit that he’d find her daughter, but he never expected to find her in a place like this. Still, though, he didn’t have as hard a time finding her as he had expected. It seemed that the sight of the four-eared half breed Khajiit made a lot of stir in every town she was brought to.

As soon as he entered the camp, he was surrounded by a group of dangerous looking men. “I’m looking for a Khajiit half-breed. Four ears,” he informed them.

“We have nothing like that here,” one of the men told him, not liking the looks of the Nord.

“Ahhh, so you’re the one asking around, are you?” another asked.

“What do you want, stranger?”

“I want to buy her,” the Nord answered.

“She’s not for sale!”

“She will be,” the Nord assured, slipping off his horse next to them. The vagabonds backed away a little, as the Nord towered over most of them. “Take me to her,” he demanded. No one moved.

The Nord slipped off his hood, and everyone backed away even more, horrified. There was no real face on the Nord; instead, there were two black eyes and two ears in a mass of scarred and torn flesh. He looked inhuman enough to be one of the Oblivion spawns he had hunted many years ago.

“Now,” the Nord growled. The group instantly spilt away from him and one vagabond, too scared to disobey, made his way through camp – nearly running to get away from the Nord – to where the Four-eared Khajiit was locked.

There was a small group of laughing, jeering people in front of the cage. They didn’t even notice as the Nord walked behind them.

This post has been edited by sford564: Sep 5 2010, 07:12 AM

[sford564]

Chapter 16: Igor’s Inn


The Nord didn’t bother trying to hide his head from the people of Falkreath. Even if he wanted to, Mara had his cloak, so he could not.

The people of Falkreath were built very much like the Nord, though their hair was fair and their eyes were bright. No one seemed to notice or care that the Nord was there, and when they saw the Four-eared Khajiit with him, they only scoffed and shook their head knowingly.

“Why people no scared of Mara?” she asked.

“Because they’ve already accepted me. If they can get over the shock of something like my face, four ears is no big deal. Anyway, Igor probably already told everyone I was trying to find you.”

“They know Mara because of four ears?”

“Yes.”

The couple rode on to a little inn in the middle of Falkreath named, “Igor’s Inn.” It was around midday, so a lot of the townsfolk were in the inn. Most people were eating, but some were gambling in a corner, while another was singing boisterously, receiving many cheers. One man was dancing to the song, his legs flying high in the air in some sort of dance that Mara had never seen before.

No one seemed to even notice them at first, and Mara gazed in wonder at the sights, sounds and smells in front of her. “The Nords drink a lot,” the Nord whispered to her. “They love the cold, so will laugh if you say you hate it. Don’t mind them. They love to fight and don’t mean any harm by their loud noise and heavy drink.”

The Four-eared Khajiit nodded but continued to gaze at the thick men and women in front of her. They were all so tall and fair and thick. She felt so small and weak among them.

Clinging onto the Nord’s hand, she whispered, “What Nord do here?”

As if to answer her question, a man from behind the counter called out to them, “Svein! Svein Leifegil!”

Mara was momentarily confused, for she had completely forgotten what the Nord’s real name was. The man behind the counter, Igor, waved for them to come closer, so they did. Sitting on a counter stool and signaling Mara with his eyes to do the same, the Nord asked, “How is Jo Dar? When have you last seen her?”

“A simple ‘hello’ would be better!” Igor reprimanded. “And this is her?! You’ve found Jo Dar’s daughter? Well take your hood off, girl! Let me see your face.”

Looking up at the Nord to see if it was all right, Mara slipped her cloak off. Igor surveyed her up and down, and finally told the Nord, “She’s a little thing, isn’t she? Much smaller than her mother. What’s your name, child?”

“Mara.”

“Mara! Excellent. You’re just in time Mara. Your poor dear mother is still alive. Why, I just got back this very afternoon from seeing her, so you’re just in time. You two are leaving tonight, right? Or are you staying overnight?”

“We’re leaving,” the Nord told him. “How is she? Is she…in much pain?”

“Complete agony. The gods are keeping her alive till she sees her girl. There’s no way anyone else could live in so much pain. Especially as she’s a Khajiit and doesn’t have the strength of we Nords.”

As Igor spoke, he noticed that he was being observed: the Four-eared Khajiit tilted her head back and forth to examine him.

“Well?” He asked her at length, a twinkle in his eyes, “Am I handsome?”

“No.”

“Mara!”

Igor burst into laughter as Mara looked up at the Nord questioningly.

“What?” she asked him.

“That wasn’t very nice.”

“Nord tell Mara tell truth.”

“Ohhh-ho-ho,” Igor mockingly scolded. “Soooo, who does Mara find handsome? There’s some lucky Khajiit, right?”

Mara shivered at the thought. “Mara no like Khajiit.” Biting her lip, she asked, “Can Mara talk to other Nord without beating? Other Nord no make fun of Four Ears?”

“Your four ears?” Igor asked. “Why would I make fun of them? They’re kinda cute. I’ve never seen a woman with four ears before,” he winked at her flirtatiously. “So, there’s no Khajiit for you, eh?”

“Mara hate Khajiit.”

Igor gasped in exaggerated shock. “Argonian?”

“Scary.”

“Orc?” Mara cringed, so, laughing, he asked, “How about a Breton?”

“Breton handsome.”

“Do you have a husband or are you still single?”

“Mara no have husband. But soon.”

“Oh?”

“Mara marry Nord.”

The Nord blushed and cringed visibly, but Igor didn’t even notice. “Oh? What lucky Nord would that be? You’re not talking about old Igor are you?”

“What Igor?”

“I’m Igor!”

“Oh… No, Mara marry Nord.”

“I am a Nord.”

“No, Mara marry Nord.”

“Oh! Oh, you mean Svein.”

“Svein? Svein ugly. Mara like ‘Nord’.”

Glancing disapprovingly at the Nord, Igor told him, “I thought ‘Nord’ was supposed to find the pretty little Khajiit for her mother…”

Blushing greatly, the Nord told him, “The ‘Nord’ did find her for her mother. He has not and will not touch Mara.”

Igor looked him over suspiciously for a little while before continuing to flirt with Mara. Mara didn’t even realize what he was doing, but was half fearful that he would turn around and attack her and half overjoyed that someone else was also treating her nicely.

The Nord and Mara were given some soup, bread and wine, and as Mara slowly ate and drank hers, talking and laughing all the while, the Nord looked on at her and his friend.

How dare Igor be mad at him if he and Mara fell in love along the way? How could he flirt with her in front of his very face when he thinks that they are a couple? Doesn’t he see that she doesn’t understand what he’s doing? Doesn’t he see how naive and innocent she is? Until just a few days ago, most men only laughed at her and made fun of her. How confused was she going to be now? She shouldn’t think that men flirting with her was normal because though Igor was a harmless, nice flirt, there were many men who were not. There were many men who thought that if a woman accepted their attentions, they could do anything they wanted with the woman. Would she let them, not knowing what they were doing?

The Nord’s brow creased and the spoon in his hand began to take a different form as he continued thinking.

Igor, meanwhile, was laughing at the fact that Mara didn’t like snow.

“Mara get buried. Up to here,” she continued talking, as she showed him how high the snow came up to her. “Nord have to carry.”

“Svein carries you?”

“On back, so Mara no get cold. And on arm. Nord very strong. Mara can stand in hands.”

“I see…” Igor said, his voice laced with concern. “Does he carry you around a lot?”

“Only when Mara no walk in snow. Small snow is good. And then, Nord carry Mara while sleep. Must walk Nord says. Get to cold place soon. Walk all day and night to see mother Two Ears.”

“Ah…” Igor seemed a little relieved.

“No stay in villages either. Keep walking. But Nord buy Mara nice stuff in village.”

“Like?”

“Food. Mara love food.”

“How can you? You’re as skinny as a deer carcass the wolves have got at. You’re nothing but bones.”

Mara took this as a scolding, and muttered, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be! It’s not your fault. Doesn’t Svein feed you anything?”

“Nord feed Mara all time. Won’t eat unless Mara eat.”

“So what do you like to eat the most?”

“Fruits. Fruits sweet.”

“So you like sweet stuff, eh? Have you ever had any of Igor’s special pie?”

“Pie? What pie?”

“What’s pie? Oh-ho, Mara, where have you been living all your life?”

“Cage.”

“What?” he asked, caught off guard.

“She was kept by slavers,” the Nord told him quietly. “They called her ‘Four Ears’, and kept her in a cage as part of their traveling show.”

“Oh… Oh….” Igor muttered silently. Glancing up at the Nord he mouthed, “Must tell me later…” Then he smiled at Mara as if she had said nothing amiss and told her, “You, young miss, are going to get a rare treat indeed.”

He took away her empty plate and bowl and brought her a slice of pie. The Nord slipped a fork to her so that she knew how to eat it, and she was soon singing a chorus of “Ohhh,” “Ahhh” and “Mmmm”s. Igor gave her a couple other pieces, as she liked the first so much. It delighted him to see how much his food was appreciated.

After that Mara couldn’t help noticing a vase that he had bought from the Imperial City. As she took such a fancy to it, Igor told her to take it. Mara was jumping up and down for joy – literally.

The Nord, by this time fuming, though for what reason he did not quite know, asked Igor if he had a room for them. As Igor did, the Nord sent Mara up to sleep for an hour or two before they set off again.

While she slept the Nord told Igor of his travels, where Mara came from, the abuse she endured, and how he rescued her.