Archive of Our Own ^beta

Ignorance is Bliss

Solitude...

She rather liked Solitude.

It was big, like Windhelm and Markarth, thus plenty of places and people to steal from; plenty of requests that people needed of her towards her attention too, though those requests varied in what was asked of her. However, it was never anything that she couldn't accomplish easily enough thanks to her skills.

As she walked along the streets with the evening sun beginning to descend and hide behind the buildings and protective stone walls, the young Khajiit casted her light lavender eyes along the residents of the city with an almost fleeting, studying gaze. Of course, they were completely unaware of her gaze from under her hood and really, none of them thought strangely of her. Sure a few guards were still a bit wary of her due to her race, but other than that, everyone was none the wiser of her. This was because in all the holds, the Jarls had made her a Thane due to all the help she'd given them.

This...made things easier to do her main work since hardly anyone at all were even the slightest bit suspicious of her.

Smiling faintly as she thought this while a faint, chilling breeze blew along the cape of her Nightingale armor behind her and against her flicking tail, the young Khajiit known as N'jeku stepped into The Winking Skeever and allowed for the doors to close shut behind her. At her entrance, none there lifted their heads to see who'd arrived, but she gave a slight nod of 'hello' to the owner of the bar/inn before walking over to an ever familiar corner of the room. Staring at the solitary occupant of the corner as he sipped on a mug of Argonian Ale, N'jeku chuckled softly before lifting a clawed hand and tapped the table that had a sparse amount of food.

That had gotten his attention as he shifted his piercing golden eyes up from his ale and halted onto the lithe figure before him. Casually bringing the mug away from his muzzle, he set it down onto the table with a light thump before casting her a fanged smirk. "Ah, if it isn't my favorite fellow thief and partner. Here to do some business or is this simply a personal visit?" His eyes glinted slightly with mischief as he teased the younger Khajiit and when he spied the faint blush against her white fur and black striped markings, he allowed himself to chuckle softly in amusement. Gulum-Ei always did love to tease the nineteen-year-old woman before him. Ever since the mess with Karliah and then the betrayal of Mercer Frey, he had come to greatly enjoy his partnership with the guild again and, even more so, with N'jeku.

He was quite fond of her.

It was simply too bad that she almost off limits. She had a beauty about herself that he could truly appreciate despite him being an Argonian and she, a Khajiit. Sure their two races didn't normally get along, but it was as if that 'rule' had no place around N'jeku. She got along with any race - man, mer, and beast - and they, in turn, felt drawn to her unique nature. Where most Khajiit had similar personalities of high intelligence and being seen as liars and borderline barbarians along with being known for dealing in Skooma, both in selling and taking it themselves, N'jeku was a mirade of things; sassy, kind, short-tempered, stubborn, easily startled, curious, innocent, and silly...

As he thought of this, he snapped out of it and brought his attention back onto the younger beast before him. "Ah, apologies there, N'jeku. I fell deep into thought for a moment. What is it you had need of me this afternoon; something for me to fence for you?"

Smiling a bit at her friend and favorite fencer's question, she nodded her head twice in an eager and firm motion; her leopard printed tail flicking back and forth in a happy manner. "Yes. This one has need of your services as always, Galum-Jei." Of course she would use his real name despite being out in public where anyone could've heard, but she knew it didn't bother him. For one, she was the only one allowed to do so and whenever she did, she always practically purred with either joy or contentment when she said his name. This was because ever since the end of Mercer Frey, Gulum-Ei had become one of her closest and dearest friends within the Thieves Guild and her go-to fencer that she preferred over any of the others they had acquired thanks, largely, to her assistance in the rebuilding of their once proud Guild.

Thinking it was best to stop keeping her friend in suspense, she dug into her side pack and pulled out a silver necklace with three flawless sapphires within it and it was even enchanted with a Fortify Magicka. It was quite a beautiful find and she knew that she'd get a pretty gold for it. Their relationship gave an unspoken agreement that they'd always do good by each other.

"My, my. Now that is a lovely piece you've got there, N'jeku." Leaning forward now to get a closer look, he raised up a clawed hand and cradled the jewelry within his palm as he studied it carefully. "I'll offer you 3500 gold pieces. Will that suffice?" Shifting his amber gaze back up at the lithe figure before him, he spied her own light lavender eyes widening slightly in surprise before brightening to the point of gleaming with a sense of giddy thrill. He knew that she was satisfied with that offer and, feeling satisfied as well, Gulum-Ei leaned back within his chair once again and fished out a coin purse to place in the amount they had agreed upon. Handing the coin filled pouch to her, he grabbed the necklace with his free hand before casting her another smile. "Always a pleasure, my pretty landstrider friend."

Upon seeing the blush form against the soft, thin fur on her cheeks, the dark blue-black scaled Argonian decided to take a chance because only Nocturnal knows he'll regret it in the end if he doesn't. However, just as he was about to part his lips and finally speak to his dear friend on a more personal matter, he quickly found himself clamping shut at the sight before him now.

Gulum-Ei had heard the door to the Winking Skeever creak open, but he had merely thought it was one of the usual customers or even another traveler passing through. Instead, standing there before him and towering directly behind N'jeku with an arm wrapping loosely around her neck and shoulders was another Argonian. However, this one was very different. It wasn't the deep emerald scales, the light green eyes, or the jutted back, long sharp horns. No, it was the armor that he adorned; the mark of the Dark Brotherhood. This Argonian was a Shadowscale; the Shadowscale as Gulum-Ei knew the male to be the last of his kind to his knowledge. '...That must mean that this is Veezara...But what is he doing draped over N'jeku like he is?!'

"Kitten, you took too long. I got tired of waiting and came looking for you...I was wondering what could've possibly held you up..." Shifting his piercing gaze down onto the other Argonian, the assassin narrowed his eyes into mere slits as he hissed faintly under his breath. "...Perhaps it was a good thing that I did too. I should've known that your fencer was an Argonian; you seem to have a knack in attracting my kind, Kitten."

"Ah, 'Zara. This is Gulum-Ei. He was the very first fencer this one acquired and came to know. He is one of N'jeku's closest and dearest friends." Beaming slightly up at the Argonian that was around Gulum-Ei's age, though possibly a tad bit younger, the young Khajiit was completely unaware of the tension between the two that had suddenly manifested within their gazes nor their shared attraction towards her. "Anyways, N'jeku's done here so she will be heading back to Katla's Farm to fetch Frost. This one will see you again soon, Galum-Jei." Slipping on saying his real name in front of Veezara, the oblivious Khajiit slipped out from under the emerald Argonian's arm and promptly left the Winking Skeever with a cheerful flick of her tail.

Once she had left, Veezara brought his gaze back onto Gulum-Ei and narrowed them piercingly once again as he slightly bared his fangs in a low hiss. "You may be N'jeku's friend and a fellow member of the Thieves Guild that she's in, but that's the only thing keeping you alive right now. Keep your claws platonic, thief; that Khajiit belongs to me." With that warning spat out, the Shadowscale turned around and silently slipped out of the building, himself, to catch up with N'jeku.

The moment he heard the doors close shut, Gulum-Ei relaxed back within his chair as the tension left his body all at once. Tilting his head back in a slight groan, he slowly opened his eyes as he gazed up at the ceiling above him. '...So she somehow attracted the attention of even a Shadowscale...N'jeku didn't have his scent on her yet so that means she's not truly his and she even seemed completely unaware of his attraction towards her...As much as I would love to have her as an eventual mate, perhaps it'd be best to not try anything and simply keep as her friend for the time being. It would certainly keep me alive, at least...'

Yeah, that was the safest route to take. After all, he wasn't much of a fighter and Veezara would kill him in an instant. In the meantime, he would simply be satisfied with being seen as one of the Khajiit's closest friends and once he found out if she eventually rejected the Shadowscale or not, then he'd make his own move if it turned out that she does reject him. Till then,...he'd contently stay alive this way.

End.