Changes Part 1

(A little more than a year after the events depicted in "The True Stormfist or "We Need A New Job.")

Jorn was thankful that the tide was on the ebb, flowing and swirling around the pilings of the dock covering his sound as he quietly exited the doorway of the Daggerfall Overlook Inn.

Creeping up to the back of the tent in the darkness he could see Captain Farrell at the end of the dock, bored, bathed in the light of the lantern that he was slowly swinging back and forth. Though he couldn’t see the ship Farrell was signaling, Jorn knew what was happening out in the Iliac bay right now.

As the offshore breeze freshened the ship would have to tack back and forth fighting both the wind and the tide to move up the bay.

Putting her bow in to the wind and luffing her sails would give them the chance to put the launch over the side and load it. In the middle of the mouth of the bay, in the dead of night, it was very unlikely that anyone could see the operation and if they did it would appear as a ship having difficulties making its way up the channel and in to the safety of Evermore’s harbor.

The launch burned no lights as it rowed in for the dock using Captain Farrell’s lantern to navigate. It was all a very neat and tidy operations designed to avoid the taxes, tariffs and inspections of the Daggerfall and/or Evermore docks.

But there were about to be some changes.

Jorn stepped around the lavish tent letting his boots clomp loudly on the boards.

“Who is that??” Captain Farrell spat and spun around, holding up the lantern.

Jorn stopped, still concealed in the darkness.

“I said who is that? Threos is that you? You aren’t supposed to be down here!” Farrell hissed drawing his sword and walking up the dock.

Jorn stood there saying nothing as the lantern’s light revealed him.

“How did you get down here? Who are you?” Farrell stormed up to Jorn pointing his sword at him. “You are in big trouble.”

“It is you who are in trouble this night.” Jorn said.

“What was that? Can you, repeat it please?” Farrell looked at him in amazement turning his head as if to listen with one ear.

“You heard well enough.” Jorn replied.

“You are a damn fool. Do you know who I am?” Farrell asked.

“Oh, aye I know who you are Guard Captain Farrell. Corrupt captain of the South Guard of Daggerfall, Overlook County. Thief, murderer, ***.” Jorn replied.

Jorn had gone over his and Abazirr’s plan in his mind many, many times. But he still found it difficult to hold his gaze on Farrell’s eyes when he saw the figure crawling silently out of the water at the end of the dock behind the Captain.

Farrell poked Jorn in the chest with the tip of his sword and Jorn held his hands out wide taking a half step back. That was all the time Abazirr needed. The Khajiit took three more silent steps and in a flash the blade of woe hummed ominously at Captain Farrell’s neck from behind.

“What the....” Farrell froze.

Jorn casually took the sword and lantern from him.

“You just killed yourself.” Farrell said, raising his chin as Abazirr pressed the edge of the blade harder against his throat.

Jorn said nothing as he walked past them to the end of the dock and started swinging the lantern.

“What are you doing? Does Threos know you are on his property?” Farrell asked.

“Oh, this isn’t Threos’ place anymore.” Abazirr whispered in Farrell’s ear.

“That’s right. Threos doesn’t own the Overlook anymore. I do.” Jorn said.

“WE, do.” Abazirr replied.

“Oh, of course brother. Sorry. We own the Overlook Inn now.” Jorn replied.

“What are you idiots talking about?” The Captain asked.

“WE….bought up Threos’ gambling debts, Captain. He had paper out on him. The boys in Sentinel were tired of waiting around, thinking about chanting the sacrament on him. Thankfully my associate here found out and we were able to save his life by taking the Inn as payment.” Jorn said.

“You are dead. Do you hear me? Dead.” Farrell growled.

“Why don’t you keep your mouth shut, huh?” Abazirr hissed in the man’s ear, grinding the blade against his skin.

Captain Farrell swallowed hard, flinching at the blade at his throat and said no more.

Time passed and the three stood in silence, Jorn continuing to signal the boat as a light rain started swirling around the cove. Finally, the dark outline of the launch came in to view through the mist and Jorn sat the lantern down stepping behind it in to the darkness.

“What in Oblivion were you doing? We couldn’t see the lantern for a while!” A voiced said from the boat.

The launched bumped along the dock as the crew raised their oars and a man jumped out.

“We had to overload this damn thing to fill your order anyway and then you stop signaling? Damn lucky we didn’t flounder and drown out there. Is that what you want?” The man said tying of the bow line.

“You make a sound and I will bleed you right here.” Abazirr whispered in to the guard captain’s ear.

“Farrell?” The man turned looking up the dock and peering in to the darkness trying to see past the lantern’s light. “Start unloading boys.”

Men clambered out of the launch and began to off load bags, barrels and crates.

“Hold up a moment, lads.” Jorn said walking in to the light.

“Who are you?” The man asked, crates dropping, weapons pulling.

“I am the one telling you how things are going to be.” Jorn said.

Abazirr walked in to the light behind Jorn still holding Farrell at knife point.

“We are going to structure some changes on the Iliac boys.” Jorn said walking over to the metal grate bolted to the dock.

“What in Oblivion are you fools doing? Do you know who that is?” The man asked motioning to captain Farrell.

“The first big change is you have a new Captain of that ship out there. Boys, I want you to meet Abazirr, Captain Abazirr.” Jorn nodded to the Khajiit who gave a big, toothy smile waving to the men from behind Captain Farrell.

The men looked back and forth in shock.

“The next big thing is to tell you about the passing of guard Captain Farrell.” Jorn said with a mock tone of sadness, shaking his head and lifting the grate.
“No, no…no.” Farrell said, terror suddenly in his eyes.

The blade slid across Farrell’s neck in a flash. The man looked surprised and reached up for his throat just as a sheet of blood shot down his chest. With one motion Abaziir flung Farrell in to the tide pool below the grate.

Farrell lunged up out of the water, his face pale white in the light of the lantern. He treaded water for a moment and tried to shout only making a pathetic gurgling sound. Suddenly his eyes widened, and his mouth fell open as the first of the slaughterfish attacked from below. Now he tried to scream but nothing came out and was pulled under the red, foaming water.

Jorn let the grate crash back down to the dock.

“Now isn’t that ironic? How many people met the same fate at his hands, huh?” Jorn asked.

The men from the launch just stood there watching in horror as the water boiled before suddenly going calm again.

“Don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical.” Abazirr growled, cleaning his blade.

“The second big change is you boys are going to get a raise!" Jorn said a broad smile on his face.

The men’s heads turned back to look at Jorn in unison as Abazirr walked up beside him.

“You boys are on a half share with Blackheart’s captain out there, yes?” Jorn asked, already knowing the answer was a quarter share.

“Quarter share.” One of them said.

“A quarter share?” Jorn said looking at Abazirr in mock amazement.

“That’s terrible.” Abazirr replied shaking his head.

The men shot looks back and forth. The shock of what happened was starting to wear off and they were beginning to have some violent thoughts.

“Captain Abazirr wants those of you who sign on with us to get a full share for now on. Those that do not sign on get the drowning pool, right now.” Jorn said motioning to the water.

The violent thoughts left. Greedy thoughts started, and the men nodded their heads.

“Great! Glad to have you boys on board. Next big change we are going to make….no more of this random pillaging and burning innocent villages.” Jorn said.

“And no more slaving.” Abazirr said looking at Jorn.

“Oh, aye. No more slaving.” Jorn replied shaking his head.

“And the Skooma.” Abazirr said.

“Oh, aye, going to be some changes with the Skooma Trade too. So, you starting to get the point here boys? We are going to help, not hurt. You boys have a cause now.” Jorn said smiling and sitting down on one of the crates.

”What cause is that?” One of them asked.

“Good question.” Abazirr nodded.

“That is a good question. Why don’t we unload this stuff, row out to the ship and tell your old Captain about the changes and we will explain it to everyone.” Jorn said enthusiastically clapping his hands together once. "Then I have to get back and get dressed because tonight is the grand opening of the Crimson Rose Inn!"

(The Crimson Rose Inn is a role play guild on the North American PS4 server)