Ru's First Kill (NSFW SPOILERS)

“Stupid town, stupid Bhi and his stupid mace smashing stupid werewolf heads, stupid Afer and his stupid hypocritical lessons…” A young red headed Bosmeri lady thrashed through large leafy plants as she muttered to herself angrily. She sighed as her eyes laid upon the large Graht Oak tree that sat at the center of Elden Root. Her heart found its way into her throat as a pit sat in her stomach as she walked towards the tavern. For all I know he’s not even there, stop freaking yourself out, she thought to herself as her feet carried themselves over the threshold of the tavern. It was dark outside, but candles lit up the cozy tavern with a roaring fire blazing for warmth.

Her eyes scanned over the crowd, landing on a Cathay-Raht at the bar. His head was hanging low to his mug, but the familiar khaki-colored fur with brown tiger stripes gave him away instantly. The bosmer’s throat hitched as she was glued to her place - unable to run away nor move forward. Finally, after moments of standing still - a small burst of courage krept out of her mouth as she called out “Raska!”.

The Khajiit’s head whipped up to turn to her, his face moving from horror into a pleasant greeting smile as he focused on her and after a moment’s pause - waved his hand for her to come sit next to him. Her face burned red as she unglued herself from her place to sit next to the Khajiit, unsure of what to make of his initial reaction of her presence. “Rubesh! Does this one’s eyes betray him?” he spoke gruffly as he patted her shoulder. She winced slightly as his large hand grazed the two large stitched up cuts across her shoulder and back.

“Hello, Raska. It’s really been awhile, yeah?” Rubesh smiled at him as she studied his face. Her heart wrenched as she noted that Raska looked similar to Bhidul, a Cathay-Raht she had accepted into her heart back in Cormount, and tossed away in anger. Their fur colors and eyes were matching, but Raska lacked the scars Bhidul had as well as sporting a shorter cut mane. “How have you been?”

“This one has been…” Raska looked down at his mug and sighed. “This one has seen better days, friend.” He shook his head as if to ward away any thoughts. “How have you faired? What brings you here to Elden Root?”

“I thought I saw you during a small job that I was performing for the mercenary group I’ve been working fo-”

“Mercenary group?!” He barked out a laugh. “Little Ru working for a mercenary group? Are you pulling this one’s tail?” He poked at her arm teasingly as her face reddened deeper.

“I-yes! I am! We are a very respectable and hard working company an- stop poking me!” She laughed as she swatted at his hand, the lump in her throat loosening as the two slid easily back into familiarity. “Anyway, I thought I saw you and wanted… well I wanted to repay you.” She placed a heavy pouch onto the bar table and slid it over to him. “For everything you’ve done for me.”

Raska’s eyebrow quirked as he eyed the pouch, “Ah, you are too kind, but you did not have to… this one did what he did as a friend.” He smiled and slid the pouch back to Rubesh as she frowned.

“No, really. Please keep it, as repayment for leading me down a better path.” She forcefully scooted the pouch back at him and smiled. “Also, I was wondering if you have seen my family’s caravan?”

Raska’s face fell as he turned his head away. Rubesh frowned at the reaction and prodded his side. “Raska, what’s wrong?” He slowly turned his face back to her, a ghastly expression stared back at Rubesh as he shook his head slowly.

“This one...is so sorry..” He let out a long exhaled sigh. “Raska did not realize that you did not know….
Rubesh, your family...

They are all dead.”

“Fucking heat wave..” Rubesh muttered to herself as she peeled away sweaty hair from her cheeks. She crouched from a branch of a tree as she eyed the opening of a cave. Of the cave. Her head perked up as she noticed a few bodies leaving the cave, she looked up at the sky and nodded. “Meeting’s end.”

Rubesh quickly dropped from the tree and made her way into the cave opening, the opening of a drug smuggling gang. The same gang Rubesh had sold a year’s worth of time to, all in exchange for another drop. Memories bombarded Rubesh as her feet swiftly found their way down the familiar path, bypassing all traps that had been set. Idiots, she thought to herself, should at least switch it up.

The cave came to a large cavernous opening. A large circular ring had been dug in the center, the corners lined with crude cages each filled with large growling wolves. Each had the clear glint of hunger in their eyes as they paced inside their small cells. An Imperial donned in slick dark leathers stood in the middle of the ring, a parchment in hand, facing away from the opening.

Rubesh’s stomach knotted as she carefully raised her bow, nocking an arrow and pulling the string taut aiming straight for the Imperial’s head.

“Ah, my little Ruby has come back.” He chuckled as Rubesh froze in place. He turned to face her, a large crooked grin plastered on his face. He studied her for a moment and laughed at her shocked expression. “Don’t look so surprised, Ruby. Word travels fast when you loudly ask around for the Scourge plus, I smelled you a mile away,” he breathed in and grinned “Oak and...mountain flowers.”

Rubesh flicked her bow taut as Scourge took a step toward her. Wait for your enemy to take the first move. “Ruby…” He cooed condescendingly. “We both know that you won’t hurt me. You can’t. It’s not in your nature.” He frowned as Rubesh held her ground. “Listen, you little bitch, I know damn well you can’t let that arrow go. You couldn’t hurt a fly even if you wanted to, only thing you were good for was to spread your legs and ta-” Scourge and Rubesh gasped simultaneously as her arrow found itself through his stomach. He stared back up at her with a large grin as blood spat out of his mouth. “Well… all be damned… the fucking bitch grew a pair…”

Rubesh stalked towards him, fury raging in her mind and clouding her eyes red as she threw her bow down and grabbed for the mace sheathed onto her back, she grunted under the weight but pushed through to jump into the ring, kicking at Scourge’s knee to bring him down. She clenched her jaw as she hissed “Never underestimate your enemy.”

Scourge laughed out as he crumpled to the ground, the arrow still lodged in his stomach, his legs splayed out in front of him. “So… I take it…. You found out…. That your family is dead….” Rubesh brought her mace down hard onto his kneecap, giving off a satisfying crunch. He cried out in pain but continued to laugh through the pain. “They’ve been dead for ages, Ruby!” he coughed. “You’ve… only just… found out?”

Rubesh scowled as she straddled him to glare into his eyes. “Why?”

“You… left… debts…” he wheezed. She grabbed his shirt tight and shook him.

“When?” She growled.

“A… week… after you left….” he smiled. Rubesh’s face fell, realizing that her family had been dead for nearly four years, without her knowledge.

Anger creeped itself into her heart as her face screwed in disgust. “How did it feel? HOW DID IT FEEL?!” She shouted. “Did you enjoy it, Sibick? Did you love the feeling of squeezing the life out of two kids? Well?!” She shook him angrily as he laughed.

“I.. didn’t kill them…” A smirk found its way across his face as she shook her head.

“You’re lying, Raska-”

“Raska! Ha! So it was that… fucking cat that... outed me, eh?” he coughed. “I gave… the order… yes… but Raska… heh heh…. He was the one… to follow it through.”

Rubesh’s face paled as Scourge’s words sank in. “He.. he didn’t…”

“Of course he didn’t tell you…. Ha! That tricky… bastard…”

She stood and roughly shoved Scourge down onto his back. “No matter. You still ordered the contract, right?”

Scourge’s face fell as Rubesh turned to climb out of the ring. “You can’t… just leave… just end me… Ruby… we know each other… don’t you still feel for me? After all… I was the first to bruise your flower’s petal…” Rubesh whipped around to face him with a wicked grin.

“You’re right, Scourge. I want to see your end.” She hefted a lever down, releasing the hungry fighting wolves into the ring. They engulfed themselves over Scourge, tearing at his flesh and limbs as he screamed in agony. A lump formed in Rubesh’s stomach, a small muffled voice tried to scream in her head This is madness! But she forced herself to watch as the wolves tore him apart. She swallowed back the tears threatening to spill over. Not yet, I will not mourn them yet. It wasn’t until Scourge’s screams dampened into silence and the wolves happily gnawed away at their dinner - did Rubesh turn to leave the cave. Numbly walking out in a haze.

She had stolen one of the gang’s horses and rode into Elden Root, asking for the Cathay Raht - receiving the same answer. He had fled to Elsweyr.

She quickly tracked him down, spending almost a full day of running through Valenwood, she knew the terrain well, and was able to catch up to him quickly.

He had stopped for a rest, before crossing into Elsweyr. It was dark, the sound of night calling out as she crept up behind him sitting next to a small fire, dagger finding itself up against his neck as she grabbed at his mane, pulling him back to face her.

“Ru!” He gasped. “T-this one can explain. P-please!”

“Explain.” her dagger dug into his neck.

“He had to! It was an order, Ru! Please…”

“You killed them, Raska. You killed them, then lied to me. Right to my face.”

“Ru…” Raska swallowed against the dagger, “Th-this one is so...so sorry…. He was different back then… things were different…. Please.. Ru…”

She squeezed her eyes shut and angrily shoved him away from her, sheathing the dagger. “Go.” She hissed.

Raska hesitated and turned to face her. “Ru-”

“GO!” She shouted.

His ears lowered as he flinched away. “Ru… your family’s-”

“Don’t you dare talk about them.” She hissed through clenched teeth.

“Please… their stuff… your mother’s pendant and your father’s clothes..” He motioned to a knapsack. “Rindras and Ro-”

Rubesh halted him with a glare. “Just. Go.” He turned away and quickly stalked away while her hands twitched to reach for her bow.

A thought crossing her mind, I could kill him now...