FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hrothmund narrates:

She is snoring gently, laying on my arm, but I'm thirsty now and gently slide out. I can't see anything except a hint of red at the small metal stove, and head toward it, tending to two chores in one trip. I try to walk as quietly as I can, imagining lurid tales of daggers in the dark, but when I stir the coals and add some sticks, I see nothing odd in the room. I light a candle to slip out the door and downstairs into the kitchen. I don't see anyone else here- during the milder months they prefer to live in tents south of the old stone houses. I get a drink of cool water, and go outside to pee, quickly because it's a bit spooky in the deserted town. I start to hurry back up, worrying that she'll wake before I get there and be confused by my absence, when I hear a "Psst!" from the kitchen. Thinking some cousin decided to come sleep here, I turn around, but it's a small cat I don't recognize standing in the doorway. "Who are you!?" "Zinni Kho'jin is a Dagi, working in the mines." "I thought you miners were all camped elsewhere- what do you need?" "Can this one sleep here? It is too cold to go all the way back, this one is from the jungles." It was rather cool, compared to the daytime- Frostfall was nearly over and even a Nord could tell it was a bit crisp after midnight. I thought it odd she would happen by when I was awake, but my mind was slow and thought of no objections. "There's a room in the far corner on this floor, with a stove and plenty of furs and quilts. I'm not sure who might be there tonight, it is probably empty so you can go there." "Yes, thank you kind Nord, this one is honored. We all know about you and admire your dariit skill in avoiding the Thalmor." "Yeah well you're welcome, I have a girl to get back to." "Heh heh, smells like you had fun already... well, this one is tired and you are too, I can see..." I stumble off up stairs and slip back into bed, spooning Makari, falling asleep with the scent of her hair in my nose.

I wake up with Makari moving about getting dressed. It is hard to leave the warm bed, and as I stretch I remember the late visitor, and tell Makari about it. "It said it's name is Zinni Kho'jin." "What!? Kho'jin means 'apprentice sneak'!" "I thought it was just a name." "No, it's a title, used by southern clans. They are odd cats, not like us desert walkers. They do strange things down in the jungles, like run around naked in front of strangers." "Hmm, well, that one had clothes on at least. If she is still here we can ask." We throw on clothes and go down into the kitchen.

Zinni is sitting alone at the table, freshly scrubbed and drinking some water, so I say hello, and Makari is starting the fire- we had planned to relax today, so she is making actual warm food instead of dried rations. "So Zinni, hoping for food as well?" "I don't want to impose but if I am here... I have a coin or two if hospitality requires it." "Not so, we have enough. That gives us plenty of time to talk." A flash of emerald eyes- "Yes, I came here for that, but there was not time for it when I saw you... I had been waiting to see if any of your clan would be coming back so I could be invited in." "Sounds formal." "I simply require things best gotten by politeness." "Is that why you came looking for the only Nord around?" I thought it odd she would point that out, but she shrugs- "Actually... it is the clan mother I need." Makari scrambles some eggs and speaks sideways- "My mother is some miles away." "You are close enough for now." "What advice do you need a clan mother for?" Zinni plays with her cup, "Not advice, knowledge. It requires complete secrecy..." "I know many secrets." Zinni is a bit agitated, speaking carefully- "The Ring of Khajiiti was taken into retirement by a master thief who vanished near Dune, and it seems he came here seeking a path beyond the sands." Makari stops and turns. "It is not fantasy, my family was in the Renrijra Krin, and our leader sought out the ring in order to continue our reconquest of lands lost to Cyrodiil as it would be seen as a sign of divine favor. One of their members went into Cyrodiil as a spy, and rose high in the Thieves Guild before the Great War. In the fog of war, he took the ring for himself, and went rogue. It was thought that he was going to make himself rich, but instead... he wanted to investigate the Void Nights..." I'm a bit lost, and take over the food so Makari can focus. "The arcane astrolabe- no wonder mother was so familiar with it, and wanted copies made." I vaguely remember it- that gadget we found on our first quest down here- "What does it have to do with the moon?" "We can use it to transcend to the lunar planes- the astrolabe doesn't just show you where things are, it guides you to them- transmundal teleportation. The moon-sugar in your body resonates on the tonal frequency of the lunar body, which can be utilized to create a recall effect. There were moon colonies once- this is the emergency transport system." "Wait- what about the Void Nights- what happened to them then..." "We don't know, nobody has been back since then- the Thalmor suppressed things like this." "Has anyone been back?" "Not that I know of." "You want us to go into unknown territory with no idea of the conditions?" Zinni interrupts us- "I don't think a Nord could go, the whole moon is covered in moon sugar! You'd go mad just breathing the air." Makari motions for us to be quiet- "It is too soon, we would need to prepare, and Mother will know more- they are planning to move the entire village here in a few days, to move our herds to fresh pasture, so we have time to prepare properly." They turn to me- "Give us a few hours to talk about it, we both have things to do here and need to consider that first, then if we can go off for a few days we'll worry about how to actually do it." The little cat agrees- "This one is patient. I am working at the closest mine, not far away, so come see me when you are ready."

We eat, then Zinni goes off to work, and I discuss this with Makari at length and repetitively, considering motives and possibilities. "It's really odd to have someone randomly give us a quest like that." she says, writing notes in her journal. "I didn't think my fame was high enough... the Thalmor must know about me! Do you think they're just being sneaky and leaving me alone because I'm not a spy, and they want real spies to think it's easy to sneak in?" "Probably!" We finish the dishes and move around the house, she sweeps while I dust in high places. I clear my throat- "So uh what's with this travel to the moons thing? I heard stories of Imperials with giant moths and silly things like that... the legend of Tatterdemalion and all that." "Oh, about Emperor Reman? That's just some crazy Man story, not real like Khajiit. You've heard the story of how the Mane told the Khajiit to pile on each other, until they started to fall up to the moon." "And it ends with them staying there, which makes the whole thing suspicious." "Nonsense- if only half fell up, the other half stayed here." "It's certainly a better plan than messing about with magic ships, much more direct." Once we get the dusting and sweeping done, she sniffs the bedding around the house, deciding that it's clean enough for another day. Indoor chores done, and with the sun up enough to make the air mild, we go out to tend the garden and orchard.

At noontime we had talked enough to decide, and go to the mine, which is on the other side of the ridge to the east of Bath. The mine is full of broken barrels and scattered pick axes and chunks of rock, but big enough to walk upright. We find her down in a large room where they take their break, and interrogate her with as many options as we have available. "I'll be bad guard, you be good guard." I tell Makari, and she starts- "OK, I think we can get there easy enough, but how do you know we should start there?" "I've exhausted all my other leads- "How do we know you aren't working for the Thalmor?" I ask. "You don't... but if they wanted you in a dungeon you would be." "Do we need to go with you any farther than simply transporting you there?" Makari asks. "No, but I don't have anyone else to help me. The transportation part is required, the escort mission is optional." I'm down to my last question- "What's our cut of the take? You get the Ring of Khajiit, how much do we get?" "Ah, well, I don't know... if the place is deserted, certainly we can take all the loot we can carry. When we return... I do not have much myself, so we will have to be dariit." "What, you use the ring to rob some rich people and fence the loot to pay us?" I smile- "Sounds good to me." "I agree!" Makari is getting really excited now- "Think of how great an adventure it is- how many others can say they've done it!?" I'm not so happy- I don't get to go, and will be waiting here worrying while they are gone, but I don't want to complain, or get all Nord and bring up mundane details of planning, so I let her bounce along on the way home. I forget she's barely an adult, we've been too busy with grown up stuff lately to see her act like a kitten, so I ignore my doubts and enjoy her happiness while I can.