IX

Life at the Golden Cane Farm could be summed up in one word... quiet.

Since they had arrived at the farm a week earlier, absolutely nothing had happened and Alberic was even getting bored. He and the other mercenaries spent their days and nights patrolling the domain. But despite this apparent sense of security, Captain Flavia insisted that they be extremely vigilant and train regularly. Gunnar often had the opportunity to give the young Breton a hard time. These training sessions quickly became real events for the workers who always looked forward to them. They would drop their tools and stop working to attend. Apart from appreciating the martial performance of the two fighters, the khajiits took advantage of the time to place bets.

Alberic had just finished a particularly intense session with the Nord and, as usual, the odds had not been in his favour. He had then retreated to the mercenary quarters to wash up and remove the dust from his clothes. He winced in pain as he touched his cheek, just below his left eye, where Gunnar had hit him with a nasty punch. It wouldn't be long before he had a bruise, he thought as he splashed water on his face. The young Breton was shirtless and running a damp old sponge over his aching body to wash off the sweat and embedded sand when a familiar annoying voice startled him.

- "So Alberrric? Has the great Nord broken your teeth again?"

Princess Shazira stood on the threshold of the annex and smiled mischievously at him. She often came to visit him, almost every day in fact, to talk and walk around a bit. And as usual, two of Captain Tasarr'Do's guards accompanied her to keep an eye on her.

- "Shazi!" The young mercenary hurriedly pulled on his shirt. "You could warn, though. Or at least knock on the door."

- "Oh come on..." She rolled her eyes as she approached. "It's not the first time I've seen you shirtless. And then..." The princess leaned into his ear to whisper. "You've seen me with even less clothing on my back. So, I'd say we're not even yet."

Alberic grumbled. Shazira kept reminding him of this little episode of the trip when she wanted to get his attention. Anxious not to incur the wrath of his superior, the young Breton complied with the princess' demands. In spite of this, he was beginning to enjoy her company.

- "What do you want today?" he asked as he finished buttoning his shirt.

The young khajiit's smile widened and she pulled a book from under her clothes before handing it to the mercenary. The leather cover was battered and the corners slightly corroded, showing frequent use. There were golden letters and arabesques engraved on it.

- "Khunzar'Ri and the Senche King," she announced proudly.

* * * * *

Flavia coughed slightly to attract attention.

Lady Toziri's study was bustling with activity in the late morning. Half a dozen scribes sat on cushions writing, their quills frantically scratching parchments. They were keeping the plantation accounts, recording the amount of moon sugar harvested, checking the expenditure on supplies and food and the wages of the workers. The owner of the estate, lying on her desk as usual, dictated her orders and instructions. Councillor Sahkar was also present and kept a suspicious eye on the mercenary captain.

Lady Toziri paused in her work to stare at her.

- "Is there something you wish, Captain Flavia?"

- "I would like to speak with you and Councilor Sahkar on a matter of great importance."

- "I see... and what is it?"

Flavia did not answer, merely staring at the scribes present. The alfiq sighed before nodding.

- "Very well..." She raised her voice to address the employees in the study. "That will do for this morning, gentlemen. You may leave for lunch. Come back in an hour."

The khajiits were quick to put down their quills and leave their work undone. The prospect of a hot meal and an hour's break quickly made them leave the room. Soon only Lady Toziri, Councillor Sahkar and Captain Flavia were left in the room.

- "I am listening, Captain," the alfiq said once the doors were closed. "Now that we are alone."

- "I know your time is valuable, so I'll get right to the point." Flavia approached the desk, straight as usual. "We have been hired by Lord Razirr'Ri to provide protection for his daughter."

- "And so?"

- "From whom or what exactly are we protecting her?"

There was a long silence as the counselor and Lady Toziri exchanged a look.

- "You know this as well as we do, Captain," Sahkar finally said, "Princess Shazira was the target of an assassin in the capital."

- "I know that very well, Councillor Sahkar. I was there," she continued in a neutral tone. "But who hired the assassin?"

- "Why do you care?" The old khajiit frowned.

- "The more we know, the better prepared we'll be if the princess' life is threatened again. "

- "Your professionalism is a credit to you, Captain," Lady Toziri interjected. "My brother has many enemies and rivals and we do not know, at this time, who might have ordered this assassination attempt. "

- "You have no idea?" insisted Flavia. "Any suspicions about a particular person?"

- "You ask a lot of questions for a mercenary... would you be an Imperial legate as well?[1]" The counselor's tone was full of sullenness and distrust. "Even if you are, this is an internal matter for the kingdom of Elsweyr. The empire has no say in the matter."

- "I insist."

- "That's enough." Sahkar seemed to want to end the conversation. "You and your mercenaries have been hired by my khan to protect Princess Shazira and nothing else. And certainly not to ask questions."

There was another silence and Flavia looked at the two khajiits in turn. If she was disappointed or annoyed by their silence, she did not show it. She kept a straight and proud face. After a brief moment, the captain nodded.

- "As you wish."

She greeted politely before turning to leave the room. She then leaved the mansion to the courtyard where Gunnar was waiting for her. The Nord was leaning against the door and stood up as she approached.

- "So?" he asked.

- "They won't tell us anything. "

- "Bloody cats." He cleared his throat in an inelegant gesture. "And Captain Tasarr 'Do?"

- "I'm sure he'll say the same thing."

- "You think they don't know who might be after the little kitten?"

Flavia shook her head, looking thoughtful.

- "I think mostly they don't tell us everything and you know what that means." She patted the tall Nord on the shoulder. "We stay alert and we don't let anything get by us, understand?"

- "You're the boss, Flavia." Gunnar nodded.

The captain was more reassured than ever by the presence of her oldest brother in arms. His experience and skills would be invaluable if things got out of hand. She raised an eyebrow, however, as she scanned the large courtyard with her eyes.

- "Where's the kid?"

* * * * *

- "And so the Senche king learned the hard way that a humble thief is worth a mighty king. "

Sitting on one of the beds in the annex, the Khajiit princess concluded her story before closing the book.

- "So how did you find this story?" she asked with a smile.

- "Like all the others..." replied Alberic, sitting on the bed opposite. "Completely crazy..."

Since they had arrived at the Golden Cane Farm, Shazira had come regularly to make some reading for the young mercenary. She read him the stories of Khunzar'Ri, but also those of the angry alfiq[2]. And although the young khajiit showed great enthusiasm in her reading, Alberic still found it difficult to appreciate the extravagant nature of these stories. They were, however, a pleasant distraction for the young Breton, who listened attentively.

- "You say that every time," Shazira sighed.

- "But it's true," the boy defended himself. "Why would a king agree to let himself be climbed on his back and ridden like a mere horse?"

- "Because Khunzar'Ri is smarter than the Senche King." She returned him with a cheerful smile.

- "I mostly have a feeling he's a big liar."

- "Yes, too." She laughed softly. "A great liar, a great thief and an excellent poet. A perfect hero, right?"

Where Alberic came from, the heroes were very different. In Highrock, the ballads and songs were mostly about noble knights with impeccable honour and great feats of arms. They fought terrifying monsters and rescued damsels in distress. In comparison, the Khajiit heroes seemed to be their perfect antithesis. Thieves and liars, they only went on adventures for personal and selfish gain. Alberic finally nodded, however, so as not to offend the princess.

- "How long have you been able to read?" he asked, as much out of curiosity as to change the subject.

- "Since I was a kitten... about ten years."

- "Really?"

Alberic was impressed. Back home, being able to read and write was often the privilege of the nobles and the rich. He would never have believed that someone as young as Shazira could read so well.

- "Do you still want to learn?" she asked, smiling.

- "Yes, but... I don't know if I can do it."

- "Of course you can. If I could do it, then I don't see why you couldn't."

Her voice was encouraging and full of kindness and the young Breton finally gave a shy smile. The princess put the book down and stretched out on the bed. She had been sitting cross-legged for an hour now and all she wanted to do was stretch her legs. And to walk a bit.

- "Let's go out for a while," she offered. "I feel like going for a walk in the fields."

- "I'm not sure that's a good idea. You're not allowed outside the villa grounds and besides... I don't think they'll agree."

With a nod, he pointed to the two Khajiit guards who were still standing near the entrance. They had been standing by the whole time of the reading and seemed to be deeply bored, talking amongst themselves between yawns.

Shazira, however, was not about to change her mind.

- "I won't be alone since you'll be there to watch me... that's your job after all, isn't it?"

- "That doesn't mean they’ll agree on that."

- "Oh yeah?" She smiled wryly. "Do you have any wine here?"

- "There are a few bottles in the storeroom... why?"

She placed a finger on her lips to command his silence while giving him a knowing wink. She got up from the bed to enter the storeroom at the back of the annex and returned a few moments later with a bottle and two cups in her hands. With some difficulty, she managed to open the bottle to fill the two glasses halfway. Alberic accepted the cup she handed him, although he was confused by Shazira's little manoeuvre. She took one as well and placed the bottle on a dresser next to the two guards. The princess finally returned to sit on the bed opposite the young Breton and reopened her storybook.

- "And now, Khunzar'Ri and the Twelve Ogres," she said cheerfully and began to read.

It was another of those whimsical stories the princess enjoyed so much. Alberic couldn't help noticing, however, that she was less focused on her reading, casting furtive glances at the two guards watching her.

After a few minutes, they nonchalantly grabbed the unattended bottle of wine and began to drink it in turn. A few minutes later, they were laughing and joking with each other. It wasn't long before one of them pulled some carved bone dice from his pocket and the two guards were soon playing a game of Hangman of the Two Moons[3] ... then a second ... and a third. Soon, with the help of alcohol, small amounts of money began to flow around the dice. Shazira continued to read in a voice that grew weaker and weaker as the guards vigilance dissipated. Only when she was sure that the guards were no longer paying any attention to her did she stop talking. She closed her book and stood up discreetly, beckoning Alberic to follow her.

The young mercenary hesitated for a moment before following her lead after picking up his sword. They slipped into the storeroom without a sound. There they left the mercenary quarters through a small back door into the inner courtyard of the estate. Most of the workers were still in the fields, so there was no one there.

The princess smiled at Alberic, apparently very proud of her little trick.

- "And there we are. How about we go stretch our legs now?"

* * * * *

The water shimmered in the bright sunlight and the terraced crops looked like large, glittering mirrors. With their feet in the water, the Khajiit farmers harvested the precious moon sugar cane. They wielded sickles and machetes to cut the stalks as close to the water as possible before gathering them into bundles. Long-necked herons fished in the wide cultivation ponds, their slender beaks reaching for the dragon toads and dragonflies that swarmed in the water.

The landscape reminded Alberic of his life in Highrock, when he worked in the fields with his parents. He found this hint of nostalgia oddly soothing as he walked along one of the large terraces. Shazira was right next to him, her paws in the water and clearly unconcerned about the mud that was collecting on the bottom of her dress. She was playing scare birds and trying to catch, without much success, the dragon toads that were leaping into the water. The more he looked at her, the more the young breton felt like he was watching a child playing splash.

- "I don't think we should stray too far from the villa," he said as he scanned his surroundings.

The young khajiit straightened up to smile at him.

- "Oh come on, Alberrric. We're still very close to the farm. We're safe here."

The young mercenary would have insisted, but part of him agreed with the princess. The view of the surroundings was unobstructed and nothing seemed ready to disturb this moment of tranquility. Whether here or at home, life in the countryside was always so quiet and boring.

- "What were you doing at the market?" she asked him suddenly.

- "What?"

- "The day we met. What were you doing in the Rimmen baazar?"

- "Oh... I don't remember very well. I think I was looking for a souvenir to buy. "

- "A souvenir?"

- "A trinket. Something to remind me of my first trip so far from home."

- "A trinket? Like a necklace or a piece of jewellery?"

- "Something like that. Something I wouldn't find anywhere else but Elsweyr."

- "Oh... maybe something like this?"

Shazira slipped a hand into her robes to pull out the pendant that hung around her neck. It was round and shining in the sunlight, its surface engraved to evoke a lion's head whose mane formed both a sun and a crescent moon.

- "What is it?" asked Alberic curiously.

- "A moon amulet. Almost all Khajiit parents give one to their children. It reminds us of the importance of the moons to our people. "

- "It's pretty," he admitted. "It would be a nice souvenir to take back home."

- "I'll help you pick one out, if you like," she offered, putting the jewel back in its place before winking at him knowingly. "I wouldn't want you to get ripped off by a dishonest seller."

- "Why not... isn't it too hard to live here?"

- "What do you mean?"

- "Well, moving from the city to the countryside overnight. I suspect you were better off in Rimmen. This place must be pretty boring to you.

- "Are you kidding? I love it here!" She laughed. "It's my first time out of the capital and I'm discovering so much. "

- "Really?" Alberic was surprised. "You must have had a good life in the palace, with nice clothes and delicious food served every day. "

- "Yeah, that's true but... I was too bored. I was not allowed to go out without an escort and they would not let me do anything. Here I feel like I'm really free."

Alberic remembered what the princess had told him around the campfire during their shared evening with the Baandari merchants. If what she said was true, then he could understand her enthusiasm for wading in the water like a simple peasant girl.

They continued to walk through the terraces of moon sugar cane, enjoying the fresh air and the sun. On the way they passed several farmers who paid no attention to them, too busy picking the harvest. They also found Master Imril in his long mage robes rolled up to his knees. The Altmer mage was busy collecting plants and samples of moon sugar. He turned his head in their direction and Alberic expected him to order them back to the villa, but he did not, simply returning to his work.

- "And you, Alberric?", Shazira resumed. "Why did you leave Highrrrock?"

- "Because I was bored. I already told you that. "

- "You were bored? I would love to discover your country. All those new landscapes, new flavours and exotic customs..."

She was dreamy just talking about it. After a moment of silence and some hesitation, the young Breton spoke again.

- "I left because of my family."

- "Your family?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you a fugitive or something?"

- "Nothing like that... my parents are just farmers. Poor farmers with too many mouths to feed. When I got old enough, I left the farm to relieve my parents."

- "And you became a mercenary?"

- "Yes." He nodded and continued. "When I've earned enough money, I'll go back home to help them."

- "So you worked on a farm? This place must be familiar to you then. She waved her arm at the crops. "You must find it all very boring..."

- "Not really."

- "How so?" The young khajiit raised an eyebrow.

- "I'm housed, well-fed, the pay promises to be good, I'm getting pummeled once a day by Gunnar..." He smiled at Shazira. "And I have an unbearable furball to keeps me company and reads me stories."

At these words, the princess burst out laughing. With her paws still in the water, mud on her dresses and the wind on her fur, Shazira was more radiant and joyful than ever.

- "So, do you like it here? In Elsweyr?" she asked.

- "It's a... strange country."

- "Strange?"

- "I don't know... it's a nice country but everyone here seems to be a liar or a thief."

- "Such is our way of being and living." She smiled as she said these words. "What is yours is yours. But what is yours can also be mine."

- "What?"

- "It's an old Khajiit saying. You should never take what you have for granted and be ready to discover new paths. A khajiit does not steal from you, he helps you share your wealth."

- "Ah..." Alberic took the time to ponder these words before stating. "That mostly sounds like a thief's excuse to me."

- "Yes, too." She laughed again.

They walked a little way off the path to some pools where the moon sugar cane had not yet been harvested. The long stalks waved gently in the wind and gave off a sweet flowery smell.

- "Don't you like khajiits?" asked Shazira.

- "What makes you say that?"

- "I don't know... besides me, I never see you talking to other khajiits. Or maybe it's because you tried to pull my whiskers at the beginning of the trip."

- "I've always been told to beware of the cat-people," the young mercenary admitted. "They're all said to be liars, thieves and slackers."

- "That's kind of true."

If Shazira felt insulted, she did not show it. She stopped walking for a moment to try to catch a dragon toad again, letting Alberic take a few more steps.

- "Also, it's not always easy to recognise khajiits. Look at me, I mistook your aunt for a fat cat with ridiculous clothes on. In Rimmen, I even saw khajiits that looked like huge tigers.

- "Of course, they are senche and senche-Raht[4], like the senche king I read you the story."

- "Aaah... so that was it," he said as he finally understood the meaning of this far-fetched tale. "Like this one you mean?"

He pointed to a huge beast a few meters ahead of them. It looked like a lion with a large mane and was lying on the edge of the pool. Its flanks were slowly rising with a calm breathing and the big cat seemed to be sleeping, paying no attention to the two teenagers.

- "Good morning," called Alberic. "Nice weather for a nap!"

The lion suddenly straightened up to stare at the young mercenary, a look of surprise on his face. It suddenly snarled menacingly in his direction.

- "Woh... you're in a bad mood when you wake up apparently."

The lion stood up on his paws and approached with slow steps, the muscles of his body tense.

- "Are the senches always so grumpy?" the boy asked, turning to Shazira.

The princess had finally managed to catch the dragon toad that was struggling between her hands. There was no joy on the young khajiit's face, however, as she stared at the lion. She looked petrified and panicked.

- "This... this is not a khajiit..." she managed to articulate before screaming in terror. "It's a lion! Alberrric, behind you!"

The young breton turned around just in time to see the animal leap at him, its mouth wide open and lined with menacing fangs. Moved by his survival instinct and surprise, he took a step backwards and this reflex saved his life. His feet slipped on a rock immersed in the pool and he fell backwards as the lion passed over him. The two opponents fell back to the ground in great splashes of fresh water.

Alberic immediately stood up, his warrior instincts kicking in as he drew his sword to face the lion. But the beast was much faster than he thought, and it leapt once more before he had time to get to guard. The lion's huge mass struck him full force and he fell back into the water. The pool was not very deep but the weight of the animal on his belly prevented the boy from keeping his head above water. The wild animal plunged its mouth to reach his throat but the water seemed to disorient him. The young mercenary swung his sword with both hands, holding it by the blade, and the lion's jaws closed violently on the steel. The beast's savage instinct prompted it to bite down harder on the prey it held between its fangs, and this diverted its attention from Alberic's throat. Unfortunately, Alberic still couldn't lift his head out of the water and he was running out of air as he struggled.

A few feet away, Princess Shazira watched the struggle in horror. At first she was paralysed by fear but soon came to her senses. She began to scream and call for help as she continued to squeeze the unfortunate dragon toad in her hands. She hoped that some farmers would hear her and help the poor Alberic. It was Imril the mage who first arrived on the scene and opened wide horrified eyes as he saw the young mercenary struggling to death with the animal.

- "You're a mage, aren't you? Do something!" the young khajiit screamed in hysterics.

- "I... I can't... I can't..." The altmer looked panicked and couldn't look away from the scene.

- "Cast a spell! Anything, by Alkosh!"

The high elf mage raised trembling hands and began to stammer incomprehensible incantations. Shazira expected him to cast a spell at any moment... but nothing came. There was no ice spike or blinding blizzard. There was nothing.

Alberic was still crushed by the lion's mass that kept him submerged under water. The struggle had been going on for some time and he could feel his strength slowly draining away. His vision was blurring and darkening as he found it harder and harder to keep the lion's jaw at bay. If he did nothing, he would lose consciousness for lack of oxygen. He would then be an easy prey for the beast.

Suddenly, the pressure on his body became less before suddenly disappearing. The fang-filled mouth dropped its sword and finally disappeared from his field of vision. The young breton sat up abruptly, lifting his head out of the water and taking a deep breath of air. The next moment he felt a presence at his side and thought the lion was coming back for more. It was only Princess Shazira who was holding him up and looking at him with concern.

- "Alberrric, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Catching his breath, he failed to answer and merely nodded to reassure the young khajiit. He did have a few scratches and his armor was torn in some spots, but he had no serious injuries. What had happened? Where was the lion? Had he fled? He frantically turned his head to try to find an answer to these questions before meeting the incredulous gaze of Imril who was still stunned. Had he saved him?

Finally, he noticed the lion's inert body not far from him. The water beneath its body was beginning to turn red as blood gushed from a large wound in its back. Beside the dead animal, a tall, armoured khajiit wiped the blood off his sword. Alberic turned his head in his direction and immediately recognized Captain Tasarr'Do, who was looking at him with a cold, stern gaze.

- "Young man... Princess Shazira..." he began in a harsh voice. "I believe we are going to have a little talk."

* * * * *

The cave was dark and damp. It went deep underground to form a vast network of natural tunnels carved by time and rock erosion. The air was heavy and musty. This would be a perfect place, thought the high priest Jaro.

His brothers and sisters in the cult were already beginning to move into the many tunnels and caves to search them from top to bottom, as it was not uncommon for such remote places in the wilderness to be used as hideouts for wild animals or bandits. Once they were sure that the place was deserted, they could transfer and install the shrine to their dark master.

The followers had travelled day and night through Anequina, disguised as simple merchants so as not to attract attention. They were so close to their goal now, and their blind fanaticism was depriving them of rest. Jaro felt great pride at such a display of fervour... but also fear. They had wasted precious time tracking down the moon-eyed princess and the journey had taken them ten days. Their master might become impatient if they lost any more time and the thought made him shudder. He hadn't dared to invoke him since the last time, fearing he would have to endure his wrath again.

The next time he spoke to the daedra, he would make him a magnificent offering. This would undoubtedly appease his anger and allow the high priest to gain his dark favor at the same time. All he had to do was get his hands on the gift.

- "We have finished inspecting the tunnels," said Dronos, returning to report. "There's not a soul in sight."

- "Good. Have the brothers set up the shrine. I want them finished by sundown. "

- "It shall be done as you command, High Priest." The dunmer bowed his head respectfully. "And our prey? When shall we act?"

Jaro squinted as he smiled, his lips revealing his khajiit fangs. But despite his apparent confidence, he was shaking slightly under his robes.

- "As soon as possible..." he murmured. "Tomorrow night."

Notes:

[1] The kingdom of Elsweyr was annexed by the Cyrodil Empire in the third era and became a province of the empire. Despite this, the Khajiits retained a certain freedom and independence in their internal politics and were able to retain their kingship and institutions.

[2] Khajiit folk tales featuring a temperamental alfiq. Although these stories have no morals, they are much appreciated for their humour.

[3] Popular dice game among the Khajiits.

[4] A subspecies of khajiit. Senche and senche-Raht are tiger or lion-like. They are massive, walk on four legs and are sometimes used as mounts by other khajiits. Outsiders often mistake them for wild animals, which often leads to accidents.