A Jester and His Boy

6.) "The Kindly Stranger"

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone of the Elder Scroll series. I did not create Skyrim, though if I did, Cicero would be a second Dragonborn.

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I awoke again in Papa's arms. He was walking back and forth quietly muttering to himself.

"Hmmm, we can't walk and leave Mother. Oh... What to do? Cicero thinks and thinks but is unable to think up a plan!! Poor Dovah-what will become of him? How to convince Loreius? Oh how, how, HOW to convince Loreius?!"

I saw something on the road.

"Papa?" I interjected.

He didn't know I had awoken. "Oh? Oh yes, little Dovah? Are you hungry?"

"No, no, but, uhm..."

I couldn't see it. It was moving and coming toward us.

"Yes?"

I pointed toward the thing and said, "There's something coming toward us."

He turned and looked. "Why, that's a man."

"Really? It-it doesn't look like one."

"Well, no. It's an ARGONIAN man."

Argonians were a race of lizard-men from The Black Marsh, southeast of Skyrim, our land.

Papa placed me on the cart where I couldn't be seen and stood near it. My head peeked over the seat of the cart and saw that the man kept getting closer, and Papa had his back to him.

Eventually, the man got close enough and glanced at the cart. He didn't see me, but I looked at him. His scales were a teal and he had the typical and small Argonian horns on his head. His eyes were yellow, almost like mine, however mine looked more gold than yellow if you actually compared. His armor was large, heavy, and yellow.

"Problem?" he asked Papa in a snake-like voice.

"AAAHH!!!" Papa responded. "Bother and befuddle!! Stuck here! Stuuuck!! My family! My son and poor mother: unmoving. At rest, but too still!"

"So, your problem is...?"

"Poor Cicero is stuck! Can't you SEE? I was transporting my dear, sweet son and mother. Well, not Mother. Her corpse! She's quite dead." He laughed. "I'm taking Mother to a new home. A new crypt, but... AAAGH!! Wagon wheel!! That DAMNEDEST WAGON WHEEL!!! It broke!! Can't you SEE?!"

"Alright sir," he replied. "Is there some way I can help?"

I had climbed down from the wagon and was trying to walk to Papa. I wanted him to hold me again. I couldn't help myself. The Argonian noticed me and pointed to me. "Uh, your son?"

Cicero quickly turned and caught me just as I was about to fall.

"No, no silly boy! Why are you up?"

"I-" I started. "I wanted..."

Instead of going on, I simply raised my arms. He smiled and lifted me onto his hip.

"Oh! Oh yes! Yes, the kindly stranger can CERTAINLY help!"

The man kept examining me, then turned back to Papa. "Yes? How so?"

"Go to the farm! The Loreius Farm! Just over there off the road. Talk to Loreius. He has tools! He can help me. But he won't! He refuses! Convince Loreius to fix my wheel! Do that, and poor Cicero will reward you. With coin! Gleamy, shiny coin!

"Alright. I'll be back."

"Oooh thank you!!

He turned and walked up the hill. Papa placed me on the cart and gave me more vegetables and we sat. We never said anything, but nothing needed to be said. He undid the wrappings on my ankle and examined it. It was still an open wound and started to turn a funny yellowish color. "Tsk tsk tsk..."

The Argonian returned after a period.

"I talked to Loreius. He's agreed to fix your wheel."

There was a pause as Papa looked at him, dumbfounded.

"You...you did? He has?!"

"Yes. He just needs to get the tools and come down here."

"Oh stranger! You have made Cicero so happy!! So jubilant and ecstatic!! But more! Even more! My mother and son thank you!" Then Papa started to dance.

All through the dance, the Argonian kept his eyes on my ankle.

"Uuhm," was all I could say and I covered it up.

"No no, let me see it," he said.

He came towards me and examined it.

Papa did the same. "Cicero has no doubts that it is infected..."

"Yes," the Argonian replied. "Does it hurt?" he asked me.

"Yes."

"Hm."

He lifted a hand, and covered it in a warm yellow light.

"Sit still please," was all he said.

Papa watched him with careful eyes.

He placed his hand on my ankle and I felt warm. He pulled his hand away, and my wound was completely gone! The color was back to normal, there was no wound or scarring and it didn't hurt! I was shocked!

"Ooooohh!! You're a mage?!" Papa said.

"Something like that."

"Ooooohh!! In any case, thank you, THANK YOU!!"

Then Papa practically jumped on the man and gave him a tight hug. The man looked so confused, it was funny, so I laughed. Then Papa laughed, and the man just chuckled and tried to push Papa off.

"Listen, I need to be places, so-"

"Oh yes!" Papa interjected. "Here! Here! For your troubles! Shiny, clinky gold!! A few coins for a kind deed!"

Papa handed him a sack of gold.

"Oh, no, I-"

"Oh-ho-ho-ho YES!! I insist!! And thank you! Thank you again!!" Papa bowed low to him.

The Argonian looked down at the sack.

"Hmmm, well, alright."

He smiled and pat my head.

"Be good, now," he said.

"Thank you sir," I said.

He smiled in response and continued on his way.

"Oh yes, goodbye! Goodbye!" Papa said. When he was out of sight Papa continued "What a NICE Argonian!! Mother knows Cicero would never want to do a contract with HIS name on it..."

'Contract?' I thought. But before I could ask, Papa interjected.

"Oh my! I never even got his name! Oh, drat. Oh well. Perhaps one day we'll-"

He glanced up the hill.

"Ooooohh!!!! LOOK!! It's Mister Loreius!!!"

"Yes, yes," he said coming down. "It's 'Mister Loreius...'"

It took him about a half hour to fix our wheel, and Papa was so happy.

"Ooooohh, thank you Mister Loreius, THANK YOU!! But not only Cicero thanks you, but Mother and my son thank you!!"

Papa paid him, and then started dancing. Loreius gave him a funny look, shook his head and headed back to his farm.

Papa giddily skipped to me. "Look Dovah!! Kindly Loreius has fixed our wheel!! Onward to Whiterun!! Come now! Come now!!"

I smiled and raised my arms like a baby while he placed his hands under my arms to lift me onto his hip. I lowered my head into the nape of his neck and closed my eyes.