B.M.R. Year 0 Exodus Chapter 05

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    Aruzzel cast an inquisitive eye at Quentarii. She looked exhausted, mentally and physically. The three Argonian girls weren’t bearing overly well either. They all spent too long on boats and were now paying the price for it. They needed to run, to hunt. Hot food was a long time coming and a decent size meal to boot.

     

    Leaving them where they rest, he lent his hand on Quentarii’s shoulder.

    “Stay here… I won’t be long”.

     

    Quentarii nodded. She was too tired to talk as the sleep she had managed to get was too few hours from what she needed. Leaving them all to rest where they sat by the dockside, Aruzzel made his way along the main path to Sadrith Mora.

     

    His initial thoughts of the town were summed up in two words, ‘Bloody hell’. He was greeted by two staircases either side of a large circular door. The stairs joined at the top, forming a balcony which effectively became the door’s roof. A smaller door on the platform had three banners displayed above it, marking it out to be an Inn.

     

    Ignoring the steps, he pushed against the large circular door which to his surprise opened by ‘turning’ in the centre, allowing people to pass either side of it as they entered or exited the town.

     

    Once he walked through it, he stopped and glanced behind him, fascinated by the door which seemed to slowly close of its own accord. To the side was a doorway to the ground section of the Inn. Leaving the prospect of drink behind him, he headed further into the town.

     

    If he expected Sadrith Mora to open itself to him then he was mistaken. He found himself facing two small dwellings, which were yet again nothing more than hollowed wooden pods. The pathway split into two and headed off to his right and left. The right hand path seemed to lead towards the castle which at least to him seemed uninviting and after what Nireli had told him, he put his back to it and walked off in the opposite direction.

     

    He casually strolled past a few houses and made his way over the brow of a small ‘hill’. Further along the pathway, in a considerable sized dip, he noticed two stall holders selling their wares. Or at least one of them was. The blacksmith was poking his forge, overturning coals as he heated up the makings of what looked to be a sword. He was a tall thin man with an almost white complexion and two pointed ears.

     

    Aruzzel looked over the weapon rack which housed several weapons. There was one which caught his eye; a steel crossbow seemed to beckon him to it like a moth to a flame. Feeling the few coins in his pocket, he was forced to walk away from it. Forced being the operative word when the Bosmer waved him off.

     

    He looked at his own clothes which were ragged and torn giving him the attire of a peasant. The Bosmer woman at the second stall stared across at him with an equal look of disgust. As he walked past her stall, she too waved him away with the back of her hand, shooing him off like he was a fly hovering over her food.

     

    Sighing sadly to himself, he shuffled along the pathway to the left. He soon passed through a large wooden circle which had formed by two thick branches joining together. Even here he could smell the sea. The salt was in the air and the smell of the water. Between him and the harbour was a crest of a hill so he bound up it with new found energy having remembered the others were depending on him. Looking across the harbour he could see Quentarii sitting on the walkway with her feet hanging off the edge. The three girls were huddled together, probably eating the last of their food.

     

    Large wooden toadstools filled the hillside along with boulders and rocks. Gradually the landscape’s grey rocky terrain changed to lush grassland. Scant pockets of plants grew in small clumps but as he made his way to the north west, the plants themselves started to grow in abundance. Maybe the land wasn’t so barren after all.

     

    He heard a strange shrilling squeak and looked in the direction of a group of rocks. An arthropod, approximately three feet in length, came scuttling out from the cover of some plants into the sunlight then came to a stop. It was coated in four silvery grey shells which formed along its back and had a large oblong head adorned with numerous spikes down its side. Its tail thumped on the ground several times then it moved at speed towards him.

     

    Aruzzel backed away and drew his dagger in case he needed it but the creature stopped a second time then bit at a clump of grass. Its small teeth made short work of the leaves as it ate. Every so often it would stop and look around before squealing or tapping its tail. He walked up to it and prodded it with his finger.

     

    An ear piercing screech forced him to back away and cringe. He watched in fascination as the Scrib ran off, disappearing in the nearby undergrowth. He sat down on the grass and listened to the soft tapping of the arthropod’s tail for a few moments before setting himself back to his self-designated task.

     

    Moving North-West, he made his over the crest of the hillside and saw one of the islands which lay between Sadrith Mora and Tel Aruhn. The stretch of water here was barely a hundred yards across and easily swimmable. His idea was simple, swim across to the islands in a group until they hit the mainland which rested in the distance, past Tel Aruhn.

     

    The thought of no more boats hastened his feet as he ran back to tell Quentarii his idea. The market stall holders looked on at the commotion of the Argonian running through their town.

     

    Upon seeing him, Quentarii rose wearily to her feet and approached him. Her tone was one of annoyance and anger, mainly due to the stress she was feeling.

    “Where have you been? The boats left… We’re stuck here with little money and no food. Oh Aruzzel… you fool”.

     

    Aruzzel rested her head on his shoulder and gently rubbed her shoulder blade. Her tired eyes closed when she felt his lips kiss her on the cheek.

    “We don’t need no boat, come with me, I’ve an idea and you’ll like it. Come on you lot! On your feet, we’ll rest soon enough”.

     

    He started pushing the cart towards the town while Quentarii carried Sotek in her arms and trudged along beside him. Kut’ara started falling behind along with Kat’rini while Vele’nara tried her best to egg them on.

    “Come on. Keep up, we’re being left behind”.

     

    Quentarii glanced back over her shoulder at the three girls and tugged on Aruzzel’s arm. He stopped with a chuckle and walked back to them. Kat’rini felt his hands hold her by her sides and she was lifted up then sat upon the cart. Kut’ara quickly followed her and was sat beside her sister on top of the furs and Quentarii’s belongings.

     

    Vele’nara watched, hoping Aruzzel would place her on the cart along with her sisters but he left her standing there by herself. She felt left out as he took hold of the handles of the cart.

     

    Before he started moving, he cast a quick wink at Quentarii then called out behind him.

    “Hey, Vele’nara… You got ten seconds to climb on!! Ten… eight… three…”

     

    A patter of running feet was quickly followed by a playful cry as she ran towards him.

    “No… count fair, cheater!”

     

    She grabbed hold of the side of the cart and quickly pulled herself up while her other sisters grabbed hold of her to help. Aruzzel then took Sotek and sat him on Vele’nara’s lap so Quentarii could rest her arms.

     

    With a jovial shout, Aruzzel led them through the doorway into the town.

    “Away we go!”

     

    When they passed the market, both Quentarii and Aruzzel heard several of the stall holder’s conversations on the subject of the Argonians in their town and most of what they could make out wasn’t in favour of them being there. Self-doubt started flooding Quentarii but instead of floundering, she whispered a blessing to her lord, praying he wouldn’t lead her astray or abandon her.

    “Oh Hircine, Lord and Master, light our path with the moon’s grace so we may partake in the hunt”.

     

    Leaving the town behind them, Aruzzel pushed the cart up the low brow of the hillside to where he first encountered the Scrib. Upon seeing the lush vegetation, Quentarii sat where she was and rubbed the palm of her hand through the grass.

    “Oh it feels so good to have grass beneath my feet”. She pulled off her shoes and left them behind and walked around moving her clawed toes, digging them into the earth.

     

    The three girls climbed off the cart and sat Sotek on a fur then started chasing one another, enjoying the freedom of the open air. Over the course of the next few minutes six shoes were left in the grassland while the girls played.

     

    Quentarii, who was currently sat beside Sotek on the fur, pulled herself up and moved towards Aruzzel. She gazed across the landscape and inquisitively asked him about his idea.

    “So… what is this plan of yours?”

     

    Aruzzel smiled back and beckoned her to follow him.

    “Come and see for yourself…” He led up the hillside and pointed to the islands that were dotted along the sea towards the mainland. “My idea is simplicity in itself. We island hop from one to another. They aren’t far apart and if we keep the girls between us, the fish won’t be a problem. Basically, we swim”.

     

    Quentarii surprised Aruzzel by her reaction. Instead of feeling exited or even remotely happy, she buried her face in her hands before screaming at him.

    “You’re an idiot! We can’t bloody well swim! How the hell are we supposed to cross the water? It’s fifteen feet deep at least. Oh you flaming...... Of all the stupid ideas you have”.

     

    He felt confused and bewildered as he glanced down the hillside.

    “What? Why can’t we swim. You hold Sotek by the hand and I’ll keep an eye out for fish…”

     

    Quentarii turned around and headed back to the girls while she screamed at him.

    “And how the hell do we get the cart across?”

     

    Aruzzel’s shoulder’s sunk as he muttered to himself.

    “Cart? Oh crap!! Wait!! The market, maybe we can ermm…”

     

    She turned back around and glared at him while she held out her hand. In it she held the few remnants of gold they had left.

    “I had just enough to get us to Vos, we’ve no spare money. So what do we buy that will help? And pray tell me this one, what do I buy it with?”

     

    Aruzzel chuckled and stuck his hand in his pocket. To her surprise he pulled out four pearls and lovingly wrapped her fingers around them.

    “At Tel Branora I saw the clams in the water. The fish I just happened to chance upon. Sell them…”

     

    Over the last few weeks Quentarii didn’t have much of a cause to smile, she hadn’t felt like it. A big grin marked her seal of approval and she kissed him on the lips.

    “Thank you… I’m sorry for losing my temper. I’m going to the market. There’s an Alchemist there. I have an idea… one that will work. Look after the girls and Sotek, I won’t be long”.

     

    As she headed back to the market, the three girls, along with Aruzzel, waved her off. The moment she was out of sight, Vele’nara walked in front of Aruzzel and whispered to him.

     

    He couldn’t hear what she had said so he bent down to her. He was suddenly pushed backwards and tripped over the other girls who were knelt down behind him. He hit the ground with a thud and promptly disappeared as the three Argonian sisters all jumped on top of him playfully, under a rallying cry.

    “Bundle!”

     

    While Aruzzel was ‘fighting for his life’ or rather his shoes which the girls were franticly trying to take off while he was franticly trying to keep them on, Quentarii headed through the large wooden hoop which marked the edge of the town’s borders.

     

    Just ahead, the Bosmer stallholders all watched her closely as she passed their stalls. They never greeted her, instead they scrutinised her every move. The Bosmer woman who had a few alchemy ingredients on her stall looked on coldly when Quentarii stopped at the table and studied her.

     

    She was wearing a rich silky purple dress and a sky blue underlay. Long red hair flowed down her back but her face seemed cold. However Quentarii wasn’t interested in her looks. It was her wares.

     

    She peered over her stall and picked up a Mortar and Pestle. Basic tools for any budding alchemist. Looking at the quality of the Pestle, she concluded it was a journeyman’s, a lesser quality than the set Quentarii had but there were poorer ones out there two. The Bosmer woman snatched it back away from her and set it on the table where it belonged.

    “That is expensive. It’s a superb quality. Try the Inn for handouts, I have nothing to give you beggar!”

     

    Quentarii was initially taken aback from the hostility, nevertheless she was far from being sent away with her tail between her legs. Instead, she produced the four pearls and placed them in the Mortar on the table.

    “It’s a basic one… a journeyman’s I believe. I have nothing to give you either, but I certainly have these for sale. At the right price...”

     

    The Bosmer picked one up and held it close to her eye to examine the quality. It’s smooth silky surface gleamed in the light and she knew it was an excellent example of morrowind’s pearls. Glancing back at the Argonian once more, the Bosmer struggled to see how she would attain such fine pearls, unless…

    “I don’t buy stolen goods”.

     

    She threw it back at Quentarii however she was more agile than she seemed. Her hand shot out and grabbed it when it collided with her chest. The pearl rolled around in her palm for a few moments then there was a loud ‘chink’ when she dropped it back in the Mortar.

    “I wasn’t caught stealing them so I didn’t. The other Argonian you saw with the cart and my children... He swam in Tel Branora’s harbour for these”.

     

    The Bosmer woman wearily smiled and picked up a second pearl. The quality was the same and she knew they were worth a few gold coins. She was also aware the Argonian knew as well. She slowly nodded her approval. ‘Time to haggle, I think’.

    “I’ll give you one hundred and ninety-one septims for the four”.

     

    Quentarii scoffed at her over the proposal.

    “That’s ridiculous. They are easily worth a hundred each. Two hundred and fifty septims”.

     

    The stall holder’s mouth fell open while the Bosmer at the forge started sniggering over her puny efforts at robbing the Argonian.

    “That’s out of the question entirely, two hundred Septims. Not a gold more!”

     

    Quentarii huffed angrily until a collection of vials caught her eye. An idea occurred to her, one which would make things easier. She pondered upon it while sorting through the various potions. A loud cry of joy marked the fact she had been successful. Once again the haggling started but this time she was far more willing to come to a deal.

    “How much are these? I’m after four of them”.

     

    The Bosmer waved her towards the end of the stall so she could see what sparked so much interest. The vials weren’t of a great quality and she wanted rid of the riffraff so she dropped the price by a few septims.

    “They should be thirty but you can have them for twenty-five gold each”.

     

    Quentarii swirled one of the mixtures around in the vial and shook her head at the offer. She wanted to trade but she was no fool and certainly wasn’t prepared to be played. After pulling out the stopper, she sniffed the liquid and easily recognised the ingredients.

    “Twenty-five septims? Scales and Violet Coprinus? Violet Coprinus is, I believe, one Septim each, and scales are hardly worth two… These potions aren’t twenty-five septims are they? Closer to fifteen I think, hmm?”

     

    She placed them on the table in a neat line and rubbed her chin in thought.

    “I want two hundred septims and these potions for the four pearls. It works out at a total of two hundred and sixty I believe”.

     

    “One hundred and fifty with the potions... my final offer”

     

    Quentarii laughed and placed the potions in her pack. She wanted a bit more but the pearls were easy to come by, if one could swim and breathe under water.

    “We have an accord... it means deal, by the way...”

     

    She gratefully took the gold and headed back to her family whistling as she went while the Bosmer woman sat on a crate and fumed at being showed up. The other Bosmer laughed as Quentarii walked past his furnace.

    “Good day?”

     

    She smiled back at him and nodded.

    “Yes, it’s turning out to be a very good day indeed”.

     

    By the time Quentarii returned to the grassland, Aruzzel was laying face down in the grass with the three girls on his back. Kut’ara and Kat’rini both held his hands, preventing him from fighting them off.

     

    Quentarii smirked as she walked past and joined in by tapping his leg with her foot. Sotek was stretched out on his back and his tail was tangled around his leg, almost knotting itself. The top of the fur he was wrapped in was all soggy and had a few holes in it where he had been chewing the fur.

     

    Once she made a loin cloth out of some linen wrap, she secured it around Sotek then sat him on the grass so she could sort out a dry fur for him. When it came to picking him up again, she saw that he had moved slightly and was now lying on his belly. She lifted him up but she found it harder than what she expected. She tugged him a bit more and small, tiny ripping sounds came from his mouth.

     

    Quentarii turned him around in worry but ended up creasing up with laughter. Sotek’s eyes were wide open and his tail swayed about happily. However, in his mouth was a clump of half chewed grass. She tried to open his mouth but he refused to let go and hissed behind clenched teeth.

     

    Having no other option, Quentarii wrapped him up snug in a fur, grass and all. Her next job was to rescue Aruzzel who started yelling at her to get the girls off him. She pulled the girls off his back one by one. As she placed each girl on the grass, they stood there at attention, knowing playtime was over. The group of Argonians set off down the hillside where the sea waited for them. Small waves splashed against the rocks, beckoning them all to enter the water.

     

    Vele’nara felt confused as she looked around the shoreline. She expected to see another small craft which would take them on the next stage of their journey but all she could see was water and an island a hundred yards across the sea.

    “There’s no boat. How are we going to cross?”

     

    Quentarii knelt down beside her and held Vele’nara’s hand against her chest. Her voice was low and yet it carried the heavy tone of a worried parent.

    “Vele’nara, Kat’rini, Kut’ara... you all listen to me and listen well. You stay together and follow Aruzzel. He will clear the way. You’re swimming across. It shouldn’t take more than twenty seconds for you three to swim across to the other side”.

     

    Vele’nara’s eyes switched to the cart. She felt confused and somewhat frightened due to her mother’s tone.

    “What about you? The cart? How will you get Sotek across?”

     

    Quentarii chuckled and stood up. She leaned over the girl and kissed the top of her head before sending her on her way.

    “You let me worry about the cart and Little-Foot. Go on, it’s getting dark”.

     

    Aruzzel slipped into the water and sank beneath the surface then started scouting out the seabed for any signs of hostile fish. He swam through the seaweed and plant life then darted between three groups of rocks. After several minutes of searching the area, he swam back to the surface.

     

    Quentarii called out to him inquisitively when she saw him emerge from the water.

    “How’s it look?”

     

    He glanced about just to satisfy himself and confidently answered her.

    “Looks clear”.

     

    Vele’nara stepped forwards into the water. A slaughterfish was laying in a shallow dip, reacted to her presence and shot towards her. Aruzzel dived below the surface of the water and swam towards it. His dagger slashed out as he turned, slicing the fish along its side. Taking hold of it in his hand, he tossed it to the shoreline at Quentarii’s feet. She picked up the dead fish and held it aloft as she criticised Aruzzel.

     “You said it was clear!”

     

    Aruzzel hissed back at her defensively.

    “I ssaid it ‘looked’ clear”.

     

    Quentarii gazed across the water. The surface was once again still except the occasional splash of small waves hitting the rocks.

    “Well, how does it look now?”

     

    Aruzzel sank below the water and turned in a circle so he could check in all directions. He rose up once more and replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

    “Looks clear”.

     

    Apprehensively, Quentarii nodded to Vele’nara who drew her own knife and proceeded to follow Aruzzel in the water. Her two sisters followed behind her, each of them with a dagger in their hands.

     

    Once the three girls were in the water, Quentarii pulled out a stopper of one of the vials she purchased from the trader in Sadrith Mora and drank it. The fish scales overpowered the violet Coprinus and it tasted salty but fish wasn’t a flavour she minded. Pushing the cart towards the water’s edge, the three girls gasped in surprise and delight when Quentarii started walking along the surface with Sotek sitting on top of the cart. She chuckled as she watched the girls gawp at her while she strolled over them.

    “Water walking... I hope four will be enough!”


     

Comments

22 Comments   |   Meli and 1 other like this.
  • Karver the Lorc
    Karver the Lorc   ·  July 17, 2018
    Hehehe. Pitch Black jokes. Still one of my most favourite movies for some reason. And Aruzzel seems to have completely no sense of time. Which is interesting, cause didn't the Novels bring up something along the lines of Argonians experiencing time differ...  more
  • Meli
    Meli   ·  July 14, 2018
    "It looks clear" are you channelling some Riddick here Sotek lol :D
    • Sotek
      Sotek
      Meli
      Meli
      Meli
      "It looks clear" are you channelling some Riddick here Sotek lol :D
        ·  July 14, 2018
      Maybe... :D  That scene always makes me laugh. It's the dry way he deliver's it. 
      :)
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  April 20, 2016
    Del-Boy, yes that fits him rather well. He has the odd schemes which he never thinks through but he has a good heart.
    So glad you got to read these Idesto.
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  April 20, 2016
    I like Aruzzel's developing character: he seems like a bit of a chancer, almost a Del-Boy. Is that fair? As has already been said, I enjoyed the haggling scene. 
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  February 7, 2016
    Consider it fixed Exuro.
    Glad you liked the haggle section. I know I enjoyed putting that together.
    Aruzzel's a sod isn't he... Now you know where Sotek gets it from.
     
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  February 7, 2016
    Haha, "it looks clear"
    I liked the haggling scene. Morrowind always shows the Bosmer as snotty little buggers with Napoleon complexes.
    Bundle!
    Found another one:
    olders selling their wares. Or at least one of them were [was]. The b...  more
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  February 7, 2016
    Don't worry about it Sotek. Besides, like I said before it helps me notice advanced writing styles better.
  • Lyall
    Lyall   ·  February 6, 2016
    I figured
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  February 6, 2016
    Hahaha yep
  • Lyall
    Lyall   ·  February 6, 2016
    Is that on purpose? It better be...