chapter seven

Chapter Seven

 

 

 

 

      Cenred lurched, like he was going to leap to his feet but checked himself, not wanting the others to see his excitement about reuniting with his old apprentice.

“Looks like Charcley’s here” He said coolly, slowly standing from the wooden chair.

“How can you tell?” Karliah inquired, “the windows are too rain splattered to see anything” and indeed they were, the three little windows gave no evidence of what was happening outside except for the onslaught of wind, rain, and the occasional stick or leaf.

The little hut seemed unusually crowded, Karliah, Karina, Volt, Cenred and Ulfric sat at a wooden table near the stairway, while Nihco sat with his back to the fire place which contained a cozy flame and was continuously scooting away from Karina’s cat, which seemed to be obsessed with him.

Ullr-Karina’s mage guard- was perched on the stairway above them, and Haymitch- her warrior guard- stood casually but alert by the door. Also by the door were cloaks, weapons, and satchels dropped in a pile by the Black Fox members. It seemed to be a bad habit that ran through the corps, Karina had noted earlier.

“That thump, a few moments ago, it’s how Charcley always got onto the deck” Cenred said, “She skips the stairs and takes on big clumsy leap, landing on both feet”

Cenred walked over to the door and swung it open just as Charcley raised a fist to knock on it. She looked thoroughly soaked, wet clumps of blonde hair fell out of her deep black Cowell that covered her face. Mercer, who was also soaked, stood awkwardly a few steps behind her.

Grinning bigger than she ever had, Charcley raped her knuckles on Cenred’s forehead.

“Hello to you too, Charcley” Cenred said, and then suddenly found himself being strangled by dripping-wet former-apprentice.

Finally relinquishing him from the hug, Charcley motioned to Mercer, “This is Mercer”

“Hullo Mercer,” Karliah said squeezing beside Cenred in the doorway, “I’m Karliah”

“Karliah!!!” Charcley squeaked, and hugged her too.

“You two come inside before you get sick and kill us all” Cenred said with his special brand of mock-hospitality.

Cenred and Karliah stepped back to let the two inside, Charcley immediately dumped her cloak, sabre and short-bow in the pile. Mercer glanced around the hut, Volt and Nihco waved, Ulfric grinned, Karina didn’t spare him a glance. Mercer recognized her as the princess and his first reaction was RUN FOR IT! But he held himself still.

“So where’d you find this one?” Ulfric asked after Charcley introduced him.

“Burning my house down” Charcley said.

“I’m almost tempted to ask you to explain that” Cenred said.

“Well, Cenred might not care, but I want to know” Nihco said.

“He was a bandit, one of the ones I was sent to end, the Bloodied gold, the last one in fact” Charcley said. Mercer starred at the floor.

“His parents were the bandit leaders, the ShadowSheaths, and I overheard a conversation he was having with them in the fort, he said the only way to take down their fort was by fire, so I burnt it down. Mercer was the only one that survived because he refused to go on the next raid, so he was locked in the dungeon, which was in a stone cave.” Charcley looked at Mercer, who was still starring at the floor.

“He followed me back to my hut and burnt it down while I was out hunting. When I came back he was just sitting there, by the rubble. After getting over my initial shock I recognized who he was and I said ‘if you wanted to kill me, you should have burnt it down while I was in there’ and he looked at me saying ‘I didn’t want to kill you”

Everyone was staring at Mercer as Charcley told the story.

“You should have killed her” Cenred said, much to Charcley’s amusement.

“He’s always like that” she said to Mercer.

“Oh, you Black Foxes’ stories just get more and more unbelievable. I’m tired, induct the kid tomorrow.” Karina declared and stomped upstairs.

“My rooms second on the right, you can sleep there” Karliah called to her.

Everyone let out an involuntary sigh of relief when they heard a door open and close.

“That girl” Ullr stated, it was the first time they had heard him speak.

“You could say that again” Ulfric agreed.