Fandom Coin and Honour

[Cybear]

The city was beautiful.

Not in the conventional way, but in the rustic way that Skyrim was oh so famed for. It held both elegance and dignity in its walls, and for that reason alone Najirr was fascinated by it.

Whiterun was truly a place to behold.

The khajiit had never been inside of the city of Whiterun, even after being in Skyrim for almost two years. The city wasn't too fond of the feline race, and as such it was difficult to gain entry into the city. It was only by chance that he'd run into a guard that was willing to open the gates for him at the sight of some gold. Maybe he ought to think of that as insulting, that he had to pay for entry into a place where a nord could walk freely into, but Najirr didn't let it get to him. He was too awe-struck to begin to even think about anything else.

In his wonder, his feet moved on their own, his mind lost to the clouds. Yes, after two years of only seeing the exterior this truly was worth-

"Watch where you're going cat!" Najirr didn't realize that he'd bumped into an angry looking nord until it was too late. The man was buff, and Najirr didn't like his odds if this man chose to take action in such an enclosed space. Instead the khajiit took a few steps away, shaking his head and raising his hands.

"Najirr is sorry, Najirr will be more careful from now on."

That seemed to pacify the man slightly, enough for the man to grunt and mutter under his breath before moving on.

What Najirr didn't see was the man patting down his sides, as if to check that his coin-purse was still present. Not that that kind of behaviour was too uncommon.

Despite his promise to be more careful Najirr's mind drifted back into the previous state of awe, though he made an unconscious effort to be more mindful of the people around him. True, he wasn't just here to sight-see, and yet the hold commanded that he do so. It was the architecture and vibe of the place that truly embodied why the khajiit loved Skyrim so much: it was not a fanciful place, instead, it was a place built by sheer practicality alone. It was the design of a warrior, not of a lord.

Moving towards the market-place Najirr saw a wooden sign on one of the buildings, The Bannered Mare it read. Yes, this was why Najirr had come here.

A few days ago Najirr had run into a man fleeing from a few bandits along the windy road in Riften hold. Najirr had made quick work of the bandits, seemingly impressing the man he'd saved. This man, Najirr would find out, was on business, "looking for something too damned important to lose". When Najirr had confessed that he himself was a mercenary for hire, the man told him that he was staying at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun hold, and that, should Najirr be interested, that the two should meet back up there.

Sure enough, hungry for both coin and honour, Najirr had come as asked of him.

Ignoring the few stares from nords working in the market-place, Najirr entered the tavern, his heart racing with anticipation. Upon entering, the khajiit located the man he'd saved at the back of the tavern sitting at one of the tables. However, it didn't seem that the man was alone, at the table with him was another human - while Najirr often had difficulty telling types of humans apart from one another, it was clear that this man was also not a nord.

Had someone else been hired by the stranger as well?

Curiosity clawing at him, Najirr made his way across the tavern and to the back tables. As there were no seats left, the khajiit opted to stand close to the table.

"Najirr is here, Najirr is sorry that he couldn't come sooner." He didn't mention the part where he'd been turned away from the city twice in the last couple of days.

His cat-eyes flicked towards the other man at the table, "who is this?" His voice, while carrying the scratchy accent of his people, was friendly.

 

[ThePerpetualShadow]

Felix sipped at his drink with an air of one lost in his thoughts. Indeed, he was barely aware of the world around him. This city held too many memories, both good and bad.

Whiterun was a good place to find work however, so that is why is often came back. Due to the central position of the city, it was used as a major trade centre by an army’s worth of merchants and craftsmen, who often needed to hire guards for their journey. The bandit population in the hold was one of the largest in Skyrim, topped only by the Rift, and the Reach.

His want for coin overcame his dislike of the place and thus it was how he spent much of his time.
This time, it had been caravan guard duties. He often was hired for these kind of jobs. The Imperial who’d hired him near the village of River’s Watch had handed over a generous 500 septims in exchange for the escort. They’d passed the voyage without much incident, save for a small group of thieves who’d tried to make off with several bolts of silk when the caravan had stopped for the night. They were quickly spotted by one of the sentries and the would-be robbers were chased off. Felix was honestly disappointed. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to bloody his blade.

Still, there were plenty of other opportunities out there. He’d rent a room for the night and see if Caius needed his help aga-
A shadow fell across his table. Felix raised his eyes without moving his head, a little miffed that his thoughts had been interrupted.

“Pardon the interruption, but I’m looking for some help, and I heard that you’re the man to ask for it” The source of the interruption spoke in a firm voice that lacked any trace of the fear Felix had come to expect with those he spoke too. He never understood why. Was it his cold blue eyes, or the massive sword on his back? Who knows.

The Redguard wore a simple tunic and leggings with a long dagger in his belt. He had short black hair and a well-trimmed beard, and a bright and friendly smile plastered on his face. Yet, his eyes glittered with intelligence and Felix knew better than to trust him.

“You heard right” He grunted. “Now, what do you want?”

“My, you’re up and to the point, aren’t you?” The Redguard spoke with a raised eyebrow. “May I?” He gestured to one of the two unoccupied seats, opposite Felix.
At the mercenary’s nod, the native of Hammerfell sat down with a groan of relief that came from one who had pushed his muscles to their limit.

“Long journey?” Felix asked, taking a swig of his ale.

“You could say that” The Redguard muttered. “Seems like I’ve been running around half of Tamriel lately, blast it all. I bet you’ve travelled a lot as well, give your choice of career”

“What’s this job you want me to take care of?” Felix asked, not wanting to waste time on pointless small talk any longer.

“Now, now, lets not be hasty” The Redguard chuckled. “I haven’t even introduced myself yet. The name is Hakim”

“Pleasures all mine” Felix said wryly. “Now, I’ll ask again, what do you want?”

“Well, I’ve been searching for something that was stolen from me recently by one of the local bandit clans. A family heirloom, so to speak. It takes the form of a statue of a woman holding a skull”

‘Some heirloom’ Felix thought as he took another sip of his ale before starting into his mug as he realised it was almost empty. ‘I’ll have to get a refill’

“I’ve spent a long time looking for the bastards and now I’ve finally found them. Only problem is…..” He trailed off, looking at something in the tavern.

Felix turned his head, his trained eyes quickly spotting a Khajiit approaching their table. He moved with the grace that all of the catmen possessed, slipping past drunken patrons and avoid flying ale. He came to a stop beside the table, his tail flicking to show signs of nervousness.

“Najiir is here, Najiir is sorry that he couldn’t come sooner” He directed this at Hakim, before turning to Felix. “Who is this?” He asked in a curious but friendly tone.

‘He looks like a kid. Don’t tell me…’ Felix’s eyes flicked over to Hakim who had just stood up with a big smile on his face.

“Najiir, my friend! A pleasure to see you once again, please sit down” Hakim reached out and pulled over another chair before ushering the Khajiit into it. “We were just about to discuss the details of the job!”

‘He wants me to work with this kid? Great, just what I need’ Felix sighed into his mug. Today was going to be a long day.