2920 , vol 05 - Second Seed A part of the twelve volume set titled " 2920 " . Content . 5 Second Seed , 2920The Imperial City , Cyrodiil " Your Imperial Majesty , " said the Potentate Versidue - Shaie , opening the door to his chamber with a smile . " I have not seen you lately . I thought perhaps you were . . . indisposed with the lovely Rijja . " " She ' s taking the baths at Mir Corrup , " the Emperor Reman III said miserably . " Please , come in . " " I ' ve reached the stage where I can only trust three people : you , my son the Prince , and Rijja , " said the Emperor petulantly . " My entire council is nothing but a pack of spies . " " What seems to be the matter , your imperial majesty ? " asked the Potentate Versidue - Shaie sympathetically , drawing closed the thick curtain in his chamber . Instantly all sound outside the room was extinguished , echoing footsteps in the marble halls and birds in the springtide gardens . " I ' ve discovered that a notorious poisoner , an Orma tribeswoman from Black Marsh called Catchica , was with the army at Caer Suvio while we were encamped there when my son was poisoned , before the Battle at Bodrum . I ' m sure she would have preferred to kill me , but the opportunity didn ' t present itself , " The Emperor fumed . " The Council suggests that we need evidence of her involvement before we prosecute . " " Of course they would , " said the Potentate thoughtfully . " Particularly if one or more of them was in on the plot . I have a thought , your imperial majesty . " " Yes ? " said Reman impatiently . " Out with it ! " " Tell the Council you ' re dropping the matter , and I will send out the Guard to track this Catchica down and follow her . We will see who her friends are , and perhaps get an idea of the scope of this plot on your imperial majesty ' s life . " " Yes , " said Reman with a satisfied frown . " That ' s a capital plan . We will track this scheme to whomever it leads to . " " Decidedly , your imperial majesty , " smiled the Potentate , parting the curtain so the Emperor could leave . In the hallway outside was Potentate Versidue - Shaie ' s son , Savirien - Chorak . The boy bowed to the Emperor before entering the Potentate ' s chamber . " Are you in trouble , father ? " whispered the Akaviri lad . " I heard the Emperor found out about whatshername , the poisoner . " " The great art of Speechcraft , my boy , " said Versidue - Shaie to his son . " Is to tell them what they want to hear in a way that gets them to do what you want them to do . I need you to get a letter to Catchica , and make certain that she understands that if she does not follow the instructions perfectly , she is risking her own life more than ours . " 13 Second Seed , 2920 Mir Corrup , Cyrodiil Rijja sank luxuriantly into the burbling hot spring , feeling her skin tingle like it was being rubbed by millions of little stones . The rock shelf over her head sheltered her from the misting rain , but let all the sunshine in , streaming in layers through the branches of the trees . It was an idyllic moment in an idyllic life , and when she was finished she knew that her beauty would be entirely restored . The only thing she needed was a drink of water . The bath itself , while wonderfully fragrant , tasted always of chalk . " Water ! " she cried to her servants . " Water , please ! " A gaunt woman with rags tied over her eyes ran to her side and dropped a goatskin of water . Rijja was about to laugh at the woman ' s prudery — she herself was not ashamed of her naked body — but then she noticed through a crease in the rags that the old woman had no eyes at all . She was like one of those Orma tribesmen Rijja had heard about , but never met . Born without eyes , they were masters of their other senses . The Lord of Mir Corrup hired very exotic servants , she thought to herself . In a moment , the woman was gone and forgotten . Rijja found it very hard to concentrate on anything but the sun and the water . She opened the cork , but the liquid within had a strange , metallic smell to it . Suddenly , she was aware that she was not alone . " Lady Rijja , " said the captain of the Imperial Guard . " You are , I see , acquainted with Catchica ? " " I ' ve never heard of her , " stammered Rijja before becoming indignant . " What are you doing here ? This body is not for your leering eyes . " " Never heard of her , when we saw her with you not a minute ago , " said the captain , picking up the goatskin and smelling it . " Brought you neivous ichor , did she ? To poison the Emperor with ? " " Captain , " said one of the guards , running up to him quickly . " We cannot find the Argonian . It is as if she disappeared into the woods . " " Yes , they ' re good at that , " said the captain . " No matter though . We ' ve got her contact at court . That should please his Imperial Majesty . Seize her . " As the guards pulled the writhing naked woman from the pool , she screamed , " I ' m innocent ! I don ' t know what this is all about , but I ' ve done nothing ! The Emperor will have your heads for this ! " " Yes , I imagine he will , " smiled the captain . " If he trusts you . " 21 Second Seed , 2920 Gideon , Black Marsh The Sow and Vulture tavern was the sort of out - of - the - way place that Zuuk favored for these sorts of interviews . Besides himself and his companion , there were only a couple of old seadogs in the shadowy room , and they were more unconscious from drink than aware . The grime of the unwashed floor was something you felt rather than saw . Copious dust hung in the air unmoving in the sparse rays of dying sunlight . " You have experience in heavy combat ? " asked Zuuk . " The reward is good for this assignment , but the risks are great as well . " " Certainly I have combat experience , " replied Miramor haughtily . " I was at the Battle of Bodrum just two months ago . If you do your part and get the Emperor to ride through Dosza Pass with a minimal escort on the day and the time we ' ve discussed , I ' ll do my part . Just be certain that he ' s not traveling in disguise . I ' m not going to slaughter every caravan that passes through in the hopes that it contains Emperor Reman . " Zuuk smiled , and Miramor looked at himself in the Kothringi ' s reflective face . He liked the way he looked : the consummate confident professional . " Agreed , " said Zuuk . " And then you shall have the rest of your gold . " Zuuk placed the large chest onto the table between them . He stood up . " Wait a few minutes before leaving , " said Zuuk . " I don ' t want you following me . Your employers wish to maintain their anonymity , if by chance you are caught and tortured . " " Fine by me , " said Miramor , ordering more grog . Zuuk rode his mount through the cramped labyrinthine streets of Gideon , and both he and his horse were happy to pass through the gates into the country . The main road to Castle Giovese was flooded as it was every year in springtide , but Zuuk knew a shorter way over the hills . Riding fast under trees drooping with moss and treacherous slime - coated rocks , he arrived at the castle gates in two hours ' time . He wasted no time in climbing to Tavia ' s cell at the top of the highest tower . " What did you think of him ? " asked the Empress . " He ' s a fool , " replied Zuuk . " But that ' s what we want for this sort of assignment . " 30 Second Seed , 2920 Thurzo Fortress , Cyrodiil Rijja screamed and screamed and screamed . Within her cell , her only audience was the giant gray stones , crusted with moss but still sturdy . The guards outside were deaf to her as they were deaf to all prisoners . The Emperor , miles away in the Imperial City , had likewise been deaf to her cries of innocence . She screamed knowing well that no one would likely hear her ever again . 31 Second Seed , 2920 Kavas Rim Pass , Cyrodiil It had been days , weeks since Turala had seen another human face , Cyrodiil or Dunmer . As she trod the road , she thought to herself how strange it was that such an uninhabited place as Cyrodiil had become the Imperial Province , seat of an Empire . Even the Bosmer in Valenwood must have more populated forests than this Heartland wood . She thought back . Was it a month ago , two , when she crossed the border from Morrowind into Cyrodiil ? It had been much colder then , but other than that , she had no sense of time . The guards had been brusque , but as she was carrying no weaponry , they elected to let her through . Since then , she had seen a few caravans , even shared a meal with some adventurers camping for the night , but met no one who would give her a ride to a town . Turala stripped off her shawl and dragged it behind her . For a moment , she thought she heard someone behind her and spun around . No one was there . Just a bird perched on a branch making a sound like laughter . She walked on , and then stopped . Something was happening . The child had been kicking in her belly for some time now , but this was a different kind of spasm . With a groan , she lurched over to the side of the path , collapsing into the grass . Her child was coming . She lay on her back and pushed , but she could barely see with her tears of pain and frustration . How had it come to this ? Giving birth in the wilderness , all by herself , to a child whose father was the Duke of Mournhold ? Her scream of rage and agony shook the birds from the trees The bird that had been laughing at her earlier flew down to the road . She blinked , and the bird was gone and in its place , a naked Elf man stood , not as dark as a Dunmer , but not as pale as the Altmer . She knew at once it was an Ayleid , a Wild Elf . Turala screamed , but the man held her down . After a few minutes of struggle , she felt a release , and then fainted away . When she awoke , it was to the sound of a baby crying . The child had been cleaned and was lying by her side . Turala picked up her baby girl , and for the first time that year , felt tears of happiness stream down her face . She whispered to the trees , " Thank you " and began walking with babe in her arms down the road to the west . The Year is continued in Mid Year