A/N: Listen to the accompanying song by Tri Yann here
“Get in loser we’re getting Shakshuka.” Baurus says to me, coming to an abrupt halt outside fort Farragut, with a small cart like carriage attached to a horse. “I’m never one to turn down a good Shakshuka…but where would we get it around here?” Climbing down from the cart Baurus explains that it won’t be anywhere nearby, in fact it won’t even be in Cyrodiil. Jauffre and Baurus have some business in Daggerfall and the surrounding bay area, and since Issy is tagging along they thought to ask me as well. I haven’t been back to Daggerfall in at least three years, probably longer, though there’s a chance I can still navigate the docks I spent most of my young childhood running around on- before Vicente found me. I agree to the invitation and invite Baurus in, or more accurately down, while I quickly pack. “If you and Jauffre have to go off somewhere…who’s watching Martin?” I question Baurus as I wander around picking up things to be packed “I’m not the only blade, you know. There’s other guards, he’ll be safe for a few days. Why is there a contract I should know about?” In reply I scoff, as much as I didn’t overly like emperor Uriel there’s been nothing so far Martins done wrong to warrent s hit on him. Besides, I doubt most people even know he exists. “Alright, all packed. Ready?” Baurus nods and climbs up the ladder first, once we’re both topside I lock the trap door that leads to my little flat and we set off. Next stop: Isabelle and Jauffre in the imperial city, and then Daggerfall.
As we ride, Baurus rambles about his own adventures in his homeland before he began to be trained by the blades. Sentinel always seemed like an interesting place, and Baurus only cements that idea with his stories. It seems that rather than riding we’ll be traveling by sea, something Baurus seems to have mixed feelings about. Apparently some years ago there was a blade who was shipwrecked on their way to Daggerfall, a journey that led to the warp in the west, and Highrock and Hammerfell, and the city state of the orcs as we know them today. However that nervousness seems to be overridden by the redguards natural affinity for adventure and seafaring, it comes as naturally to them as magic does to Bretons. “Do you still speak Breton, Lucien?” Baurus asks me at one point during our ride, to which I respond “Yes, of course I do!” in Breton, of course. Ironically people tend to mistake Vicente for a Breton and me an imperial from time to time, in reality it’s the other way around. I must give Vicente credit really, as not only has he put up with me for so long, but also took an active role in making sure my culture of origin was preserved in my upbringing. A 300 year old imperial vampire taking on the care of a Breton child found wandering on the docks, that’s a story you don’t hear everyday.
By dusk we reach the city and unload the bag or two we’d each taken with us before crossing the bridge into the city and making our way to the harbor. On a bench occupied with their own conversation sit Jauffre and Issy, seemingly all ready to go. Baurus interrupts them by clearing his throat and both look up “To actual good food and maybe some spying?” Jauffre rolls his eyes but gets up and Issy follows, grabbing the bag next to her “I can see you were able to recruit our favorite member of the dark brotherhood, Baurus.” Jauffre motions to me before waving the two of us off toward the boat we’re to take. “The blades and the dark brotherhood might not exactly get along but deep down he likes you, if he didn’t you probably wouldn’t be alive right now.” Baurus whispers to me as we walk side by side. I glance back at Jauffre who continues talking with Issy, and she’s the reason I got here in the first place. It pays to have friends in high places, I suppose.
By the time the ship leaves the harbor it’s late and each of us retreat to our respective rooms. Jauffre being…Jauffre, got his own room, Issy as well for her own privacy, leaving Baurus and I to room together. Neither of us mind, despite our differences in occupation we have a surprisingly good friendship…which may or may not be partly built on our shared pastime of exploring the sewers under the imperial city. Our room is one of the few that has a window or two and I sit on my bed gazing out of it, up at the stars and their reflections in the water, humming a song that had popped into my head, an old Breton sea song.
Tri martolod yaouank... la la la...
Tri martolod yaouank i vonet da veajiñ bis
E vonet da veajiñ, gê!
E vonet da veajiñ bis
Baurus recognizes the tune and softly sings along about the tale of three sailors who come upon new lands as he reads through reports on his own bed on the other side of the small room. We go on that way, mindlessly humming and singing, doing our respective tasks and daydreaming until the song ends. By now the hour is late, and while I usually have a difficult time sleeping, the gentle up and down motion of the ship sends me to sleep in no time. When I awake we’ve made significant progress and should be in the harbor in no more than a day or two.
Paperwork and books take up an awful lot of time when you’ve got nothing else to do, and that’s precisely what Baurus and I do in between conversations until we arrive. Ah, Daggerfall, a city one never truly forgets. The sea breeze is a pleasant change from the forests of Cyrodiil, as is the food. It’s nice to look around and see people who look like you, on the smaller side with hair ranging from a golden color to black like Issy or a brownish shade like my own, who are not quite as tan as our imperial cousins, and know how to make even a plain black robe look good.
Jauffre leads us into the city itself until we come to a small inn of sorts, the innkeeper seems to recognize the grandmaster and leads us upstairs before taking their leave. “An old friend” Jauffre says with a smile, regarding the innkeeper. We’re then shuffled into a larger common room and the plan for the trip is explained further. Baurus and I are to take a small side trip to Hammerfell, to see how they’re doing regarding the oblivion crisis and if any assistance is needed. Baurus it seems also has a secondary mission that will involve some spying, which I can potentially come in handy for if things take a sour turn. Jauffre has business primarily with whoever it is that’s currently in charge of the kingdom of Daggerfall, and Issy will be doing her own recognisance throughout the city…along with visiting her parents. With plans explained we split up and get to work, and yet I still can’t get that song out of my head, humming it to myself as Baurus and I take a walk to go find that Shakshuka he’d mentioned, and maybe some Kig Ha-Farz while we’re at it.
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