A Hunter's Quarry(S'kvari)

[Rasheer]

The mountainous Rift was a beautiful place. The wild majesty of the region was mostly untouched. The mist peaked mountains and hills were lush and green. Ancient hard wood forests stretched unnervingly high along with short, squat evergreens and saplings. Other parts of the Rift were desolate, craggy places full of steam beds and tar pools where the ivory bones of mammoth carcasses lay. Elsewhere wild, rushing streams of clear blue water held a bountiful harvest of pink salmon as they splashed and leaped with the tide, pushing on to their migration path as dark furred cave bears tried to paw them up for a meal.

Yes... The air was cold here, and early mornings in the Rift held frosted ground that made a light *crunch* when you stepped on it. However, out of all the lands of Skyrim, Rasheer believed this particular region was his favorite. Yes, it wasn't as lush and temperate as the region around Solitude or as flat as the region around Whiterun, but this land was untamed and much easier to bear than the harsh northern hills where the natives were as cold as the land they lived in. The hunting here was great, and it was easy to get lost in yourself here so long as you avoided the madmen who claimed this land as theirs.

The powerful Cathay-Raht Khajiit was settled into his camp located on a tall, forested hill slightly off the beaten path. From where he was, he had a clear vantage point over the cliff of what came up this way while still maintaining cover. The Reach was full of danger, from predators like wolves and bears to more sentient threats like Forsworn and bandits. If a dragon came though, Rasheer mused idly, the camp wouldn't exactly give him much advantage.

Still dressed in his tight fitting leather armor, the khajiit gently stirred the venison stew he had on top of the low fire. He had killed the deer yesterday, already cleaned it and climbed a tree to salt and sun dry the rest of it to prevent bears from getting at it. He sold the spare pelt in Markarth, bought some spices and other supplies, and settled down in the mountains waiting.

He recently had a contract. Although he normally worked for the khajiit trade caravans, the reward for this particular job was enough for Rasheer's eye to catch. The only issue was that this particular contract held legal authority... Markarth's to be precise and by extension Imperial as well. The citizens had been complaining about people disappearing in the area for a while now, going out into the forests never to be seen again. Authorities believed it was either bandits or Forsworn, and they wanted them cleaned out of there. In order to gain support and strengthen their authority, the Imperial army offered to help... Except that the Imperial army of course couldn't send an actual group of guards to clean out some old fort or cave while they were fighting Stormcloaks. So mercenaries had to do, and Rasheer supposed he did do. He had been scouting the area out for a while now, and after concluding it wasn't some animal or even a dragon causing the disappearances, found an old nordic fort about a mile north nestled in a small valley. It was well hidden, but the waterways leading into it were no doubt a clever form of transport, and undoubtfully where the outlaws were huddled up in. Rasheer has seen dark shapes in the distance walking on the fort's decrepit stone walls occasionally, but was unable to tell if they were bandit, Forsworn, or something else entirely.

Truth was, Rasheer didn't have the authority to act on his own yet. Part of the contract stated that that he had to wait before an imperial soldier came with him to monitor and aid the clean out. After all, it wouldn't sit right with the common people if the Imperial army claimed they were going to help but left the job to a septim-hungry mercenary who could care less if the job succeeded or not so long as he got the coin.

So, the Cathay-Raht waited for several days until his "partner" showed up, scouting the land and establishing a camp. He had a few days to monitor the fort, but only from a distance, and really couldn't proceed until this soldier showed up.

Rasheer dipped a ladle into the iron pot, sampling the stew. It contained potatoes, cooked leeks, garlic, onions, spices, and of course venison. Rasheer even added a few crystals of sugar... Not moon sugar of course, but the real stuff, which Rasheer would sometimes sample all his meals with. It brought an interesting, invigorating flavor to the stew. It stayed in your belly and kept your insides warm from the cold... Especially on a starless night like tonight.

Rasheer's ears pricked forward when he heard heavy footsteps on the road. Quietly, the burly khajiit put the ladle down, grabbed his hunting bow, and stepped to the edge of the camp. His amber eyes peered through the foliage and caught a dark figure clad in imperial gear. He/she seemed uncertain at first, but steadily walked up the hill toward his location. There was no mistake about it. This was his partner for the clean out.

To be honest, Rasheer had been expecting the soldier any day now, just not during the night. He had disclosed his camping location though, and the male khajiit hurriedly put his camp in a more orderly condition, moving the bed rolls, stoking the fire, and getting his bowls out for the visitor. In the mean time, the Cathay-Raht khajiit waited until they entered the clearing.

[S'kvari]

Why do I always end up helping freaking sellswords...? A female Khajiit growled in her head as she headed to the point where she was suppose to have met the aforementioned sellsword three days ago. She was sorry about leaving him hanging either, she had things to do. Important Dovahkiin things. So, if he was still there, he was just going to have to deal with it.

Finally, she spotted the little camp, and a large, male Khajiit waiting there. Great. A flea-bitten male. Just my luck. She sighed and approached anyway. "I'm going to assume you are the Sellsword I was sent to help. My name is Legate S'Kvari. Remember it or don't. I don't care." She snorted. She was taller than most female Khajiit that appeared here in Skyrim, but she was still small, covered in lean, barely noticeable muscle. A steel battle axe rested on her back, proving that she was at least strong enough for a two handed weapon. Still, she didn't look like much compared to the large, heavily muscled Khajiit in front of her. However, she obviously didn't reach her rank with her attitude. "Now, as long as you don't be an idiot, I wont set you on fire. Now, what am I here for?"

[Rasheer]

Rasheer could hear the clanking of heavy steel armor even before his visitor showed herself. When she did however, he was surprised none the less. The burly khajiit was expecting a nord, an imperial, or even an elf to be in the legion uniform. He was NOT expecting a dark furred female Suthay-Raht to confidently stride into his camp and make her presence known... Which might have explained the look of loss on the normally stoic face of Rasheer.

Eventually, his mind started piecing things together as he hastily stood up to address her. Instantly, he caught on to her dialogue, and concluded she was not born in Elsweyr. She didn't have the accent, nor referred to herself in 3rd person. Her stance and her forwardness also screamed "nord"... Born in a cold land away from the warmth of the sands? That seemed to be the case.

When Rasheer stood up, his true height was revealed. Even with S'kvari's height, Rasheer was at least two heads taller than she was and quite a bit thicker. He was an impressive specimen, with rippling muscle tightly encased in leather armor. Strange that the smaller female was the one wearing the steel armor, but Rasheer preferred the light armor of his homeland, and S'kvari probably preferred her thick shell of steel.

When Rasheer spoke, he spoke in a deep, rasping voice thick with Ta'agra accent. His expression was largely monotone and to the point, and his amber eyes sized S'kvari up. She looked combat ready with her fierce expression and battle axe strapped to her back. Not the sneaky, conniving grin of most Suthay-Raht, but the fiery snarl of a warrior... The heart of a Senche Tiger in shrunken form. It contrasted with the measured calm of Rasheer with his leather armor and graceful duel blades strapped to his thigh.

Despite her rudeness, Rasheer liked her spirit.

"Well met S'kvari. This one is simply known as Rasheer. You must excuse his... Shock earlier. He was not expecting a sand sister to make her presence known. Or to be threatened with fire..." A pause. He was a little preturbed that the female khajiit didn't seem to know what she was getting into... Either she wasn't briefed like she was supposed to or she simply didn't care enough to learn. In either case, there were apparantly some things that they needed to go over.

"In either case S'kvari, our job is to clean out an old nordic watch tower. Your higher ups believe either bandits or Forsworn have claimed the place, and travelors and traveling merchants in the area have been going missing. Rasheer has been scouting the land in your absence, and has found what may be the tower about a mile north from here. Despite the short distance, its easily a several hour hike, and entering the base directly is a real problem. This one is willing to discuss a plan with you and illustrate the layout of the area but first..."

The burly khajiit took a bowl from his pack and filled it with the stew, handing it to S'kvari. "Eat. This one imagines the walk here took a while, and you may not have eaten before hand no? It would make sense to rest now and strike out tommorow. If you have questions, ask."

[S'kvari]

S'Kvari hisses as soon as he started talking. "Word of advice if you value your life, around me, don't refer to yourself in third person. It bothers me to know end. I would say ask the last guy that did that, except he's dead." The legate snorted, being rather straight forward.

Then her mind shifted to work, so she sat down taking off the Imperial Light Armor to reveal the common clothes beneath. "Now, considering we are in the Reach, I'm going to assume Forsworn, which are more of a challenge than bandits." She said taking the food and scarfing it down. The empty bowl was then placed neatly beside her and she continued. "Judging by your size, you aren't a sneaky type, so I won't use that like I usually do. I am a fairly good archer, but my battle-axe would be better in a tower. I don't know what your plan is, but my suggestion is to rush them at night, when they would least expect it. That and I need rest. Dragon hunting isn't easy. That is why I was three days later than I should have been."

[Rasheer]

Rasheer took a bite of his stew and swallowed it with some discomfort. The conversation was quickly turning sour... The nerve of this younger kit to address him based on his speech was slightly infuriating. Still, the older khajiit wanted to remain calm. After all, a lot of things could have led to this meeting. Rasheer may not have done anything to warrant it, it could have just been S'kvari's mood.

"Your request will be kept in mind." Rasheer stated simply, though there was a slight edge to it. Frankly, he didn't do anything to warrant such a verbal attack... And he wasn't going to retaliate just yet. He was better than that... Or at least he liked to think he was.

The male khajiit patiently listened to the female khajiit give her two septims of the situation as she ate her meal. Eventually Rasheer stated, "One would think it would be Forsworn yes... But Rasheer would not say anything until he was sure. The area is close to Markarth and secluded yes, but... Its hard to explain. The group, whom Rasheer has seen at a distance, live very quietly. Forsword typically advertise their appearance through gory land marks and send out regular raiding parties. No such thing could Rasheer find, and their patrol schedule is even stranger. Rasheer sees more activity at night than during the day where only a few guards are on patrol instead of the dozens at night. Regardless if they are Forsworn or not though, they are a problem and need to be eliminated."

Rasheer ignored her earlier advice, letting the female khajiit gather her wits before addressing his own speech pattern... Hopefully tolerating it.

The khajiit grabbed a stick and sketched out the layout of the fort's exterior and the land around it. "The fort is nestled in a small valley. The side from where we would normally approach involves crossing a wide ford with a powerful current. It would take effort to not get swept away, and they would almost instantly notice our approach by the time we near the fort. They would have our hides filled with enough arrows to start a new quiver, and their melee fighters would be on the other bank as we come in tired and possibly injured from the excursion. Even if we somehow survived that encounter, they would be on alert and that would make our job a lot more difficult."

A pause. "The valley itself is surrounded by tall cliffs and mountains. One in theory could scale down the side, but it appears to be a steep drop. Rasheer hasn't been able to get close enough to scout in worry that he would make his presence known too early. Besides, scaling the cliff would be both slow and dangerous, and although there is little chance they would notice us, if they did, we would be wide open prey."

"However... Rasheer has noticed something odd, and he has a theory. If you notice, the river comes FROM the direction of the fort before branching out throughout Skyrim. The river in other words starts from the mountains...Rasheer has been on the other side of these mountains. There is no water there. The river is coming from an underground source, and there are the caves in the region. Its a long shot, but perhaps we could find a back entrance. Alternatively, we can travel up the river, then swim down and enter on the side of the fort. They will see us, but we will be on the bank and ready to fight at the same time they will."

In addressing her final comment, Rasheer chuckled. "Rasheer is Cathay-Raht, while you are Suthay-Raht. He can understand the stereotype. But Rasheer is a hunter, and can move silently. No assasin of course, but he can pluck down a few foolish foes before closing the distance when neccessary. And yes, your axe would be good with you up front... We will just have to be careful to not get into TOO close of quarters where a two handed weapon like that becomes a problem... And it is an honor to meet you dragon slayer. Rasheer has heard rumors about your actions, and applauds them."

[S'kvari]

The smaller Khajiit bit back a his and instead looked to the fire to vent her frustration. "FRO!" She called. The frosty attack easily put out the fire and froze everything directly in front of her for quite some distance. For just the first word, the distance and power was matched only by two others. She was one of the three chosen. The trio of Dovahkiin fated to fight Alduin. The best of the best with the Thu'um. "You are lucky I am in a good mood. That could have been you." She said calmly, trying, and failing, to eliminate the edge in her voice.

"I was hoping maybe to not inform you of my Dovahkiin status." She started, bringing a basic Flames spell to her hand and re-lighting the fire. "However, your... speech bothered me and I am not known for my control. I will ask again, perhaps a bit politer this time. Please, not to talk like a typical Khajiit around me. As I said, I have a short fuse and I'm not know to control my anger. I apologize if it came across as snappy last time. Obviously, my rank is not due to my attitude."

"I say we scale the mountain. Slow yes, but at night, there would be plenty of place to hide. Also, we would have a height advantage. Pick a few fools off on our way down. Our job will be a lot easier. That, and know that you know I am Dovahkiin, that will more than likely change things a bit. Make it even easier."

[Rasheer]

The Cathay-Raht in a surprising bout of speed and agility, Rasheer was already a few yards away from the icy breath attack by the time it reached the fire. To say the burly khajiit was surprised would have been an understatement. The unwarranted aggression and the nature of the attack had but him on edge, and the male khajiit was breathing quickly, the pupils of his eyes in perfect slits, his ears back, and his teeth bared.

"You are lucky I am in a good mood. That could have been you."

"ARE YOU ON SKOOMA RIGHT NOW!? OR ARE YOU JUST NATURALLY INSANE!?" Rasheer spat back, both hands resting on the hilt of his duel blades. The clearing was dark now thanks to fire's impromptu leave, and a chill was starting to settle in the air.

The male khajiit was visibly upset, and he looked both appalled and downright furious. Any sense of politeness or patience was gone, and the Cathay-Raht looked to be on the edge of battle... Or just furiously talking down the female khajiit.

"Rasheer isn't the one with the problem here. It's you ja'khajiit! And he will not stand for this! Rasheer doesn't care if you are a nordic hero or the emperor himself! Your lack of self-control and your intolerant bigotry of your kin's own heritage is way out of line! You will NOT act that way to Rasheer EVER again, or you can report to your higher ups about your personal issues and Rasheer finds a new job."

The tone of the male khajiit then became dangerously calm... With a deep, rumbling voice that was both angry and quiet, and held a eerie conviction behind the words. "Don't underestimate this one S'kvari... You don't know the sands that Rasheer walked, or how soaked with blood they were. Rasheer prefers to keep out of the way now, but he doesn't forgive those who continue crossing him."

OOC: Well... Is S'kvari usually talked down to? We may have a problem on our hands soon.

[S'kvari]

The soldier stood up facing him with a serious look in her eye. "I already apologized for my out burst and I am trying to make amends here. Your heritage is no fault of mine and mine no fault of yours. It is what makes us who we are. However, what you took as intolerance was simply me trying to save your furry ass a fight. I warned you that I get irritated easy and am not know for my control. You are a Khajiit of the sands. I understand your speech, but having been raised by Imperials, it bothers me. It isn't my fault I was raised the way I was, or that I am how I am. I was going to tell you after we finished our plans that I would attempt to handle it as a thank you for not treating me as most Khajiit do. However, you reaction is making me think twice."

The small black Khajiit spoke calmly, slowly, and low. Her eyes blazed with a fierce, angry fire, but it was obvious that she was trying to fight it. She was trying, something she didn't normally do. "I do not underestimate you sellsword, believe it. The moment I saw you I knew you had stories to tell. But it would be wise to not underestimate me. I can do things to you that the Divines themselves never thought possible, and with just my voice. Don't talk down to me again, and I will do my best to restrain myself."

It took a moment, but the female Khajiit calmed down and sighed. Her stance changing from a forward, angry one to a saddened, distant one. "I appreciate you calling me out on it though, as angry as I may have gotten. You are only the second. The Greybeards were the first. They told me that as one of the chosen three, if I don't learn to be a little calmer, Skyrim is as good as doomed. Even with the other two. Perhaps being around a sellsword that isn't afraid to fight me will do me good. For that, I must thank you."