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When they were close to the beach, Ra'Jirra hopped off the CATv3 and helped Geeus haul the craft out of sight into some high dune cattails. Then they let Geeus rest for some time before they walked over the dune behind it. The camp was visible just as they topped the dune and they ducked low into the tall grass there, watching the movement of the people in the camp.

"Do you think you would recognize her?" Ra'Jirra asked Geeus.

"Unless we see a female argonian dressed in nothing but ropes, Ra'Jirra, I wouldn't," Geeus said, trying not to embarrass her by pointing out the ridiculousness of the question.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," she said, then spotted something. "There. An altmer. See him?"

"I do. But I don't know what good watching from here will do."

"If we wait long enough, possibly their ship will come. But you're right. I think you should circle back and go into the jungle, then come out from there."

"Do you want me to enlist with them?"

Dar'Amon spoke up then. "I've got an idea. Tell them you'll consider it, but not till after you've talked with her. That'll give you an excuse for that long walk on the beach."

"Good plan. Sound good Geeus?"

"As good as anything I had in mind. You wait here. It will take me awhile to get through the jungle."

"We'll be watching. Should anything happen, just signal with a wave. I've got a pretty fair equalizer at my hip. Don't take any chances. You're not paid for dangerous work."

"You're telling me!"

Geeus backed down from the dune and left in the direction of the jungle. A few minutes later they saw him emerge near the camp and begin talking with some other argonians. He was taken farther into the camp and entered a tent where the altmer had entered previously.

"I don't like it, Dar," Ra'Jirra said after he'd been inside for quite some time. "He couldn't signal from in there."

"Relax, Raj. He's not a rookie. I don't see any weapons on anyone down there. It doesn't look dangerous to me."

"I hope you're right."

An hour had passed and Ra'Jirra was getting restless when two argonians left the tent and she was relieved to see that Geeus was one of them. The two talked briefly and then Geeus left the way he had come. She watched closely, but no one had followed him.

He came up behind them as the sun began to set and they backed down to talk quietly, sitting in the sand.

"She's not there, but she had been. She's gone to the island."

"Any problems?"

"No, not at all. They had quite a few questions to ask me to see if I was qualified. I don't think they're interested in me though. Sorry, I guess I'm not cut out to be a sailor. They would not send for her to come back and talk to me. But I think I convinced them that I'm just an old boyfriend who wanted to talk to her."

"Good. But I guess we'll have to remain here overnight. The CAT isn't going to have enough power to reach the island till the morning I expect. Any wildlife we need to be worried about?"

"Not on the beach. Mosquitoes don't bother me, and I assume they're not a problem for khajiits."

"Only if I'm naked. Well, no fires or anything that would call attention to us either. I suggest we just hang out near here, but let's take turns watching the camp. Maybe something interesting will happen."

The other two agreed and Dar'Amon took the first shift, while Ra'Jirra and Geeus made a very rough camp deep in the dune weeds.

An hour later, they heard Dar's voice whisper. "Two of them left the camp and are walking up the beach towards us!"

"You think they know we're here?"

"I don't think so. Looks like they're just out for a nighttime stroll."

"Okay. Let's just be quiet. Hopefully they won't notice us."

They heard the two talking in Jel in hushed tones, but Ra'Jirra couldn't make out what they were saying. She looked at Geeus in the moonlight, but he shrugged. Dar'Amon had gone back to watching the camp.

The two passed by while they watched, crouched low and then she saw them take their clothes off and enter the ocean - one male, one female - and then she knew what they were up to. Ra'Jirra estimated the moonlit skinny-dip in the ocean must have taken an hour before they had gone silent. Then the unmistakable rhythmic slapping left no doubt what they were up to. Ra'Jirra looked at Geeus who covered his ears and she stifled a giggle.

Then finally silence returned, followed by a few splashes in the ocean and some wind-borne whispers and they came running back.

After they were well past, Geeus whispered, "she says they're going to be late. Apparently something is happening at the camp shortly."

"Let's go see," she said, and quietly crept back to where Dar'Amon waited.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing. A couple of lovers," Ra'Jirra explained. "But they said something about being late. Sounds like something's going to happen at the camp."

They turned back to look at the camp. Indeed, a line of argonians had formed loosely near the beach.

"Look!" Dar'Amon whispered.

"What? I don't see anything," Geeus asked.

"No," Dar'Amon said, pointing towards the ocean beyond with his head. "Out to sea. Do you see it? A light!"

"I see it now. Hard to make out with the campfire. A ship?"

"Damn weird ship if it is. Notice how it flickers with the waves. It's underwater!"

"What the hell?" Ra'Jirra said, squinting to try and make out what was causing the light.

"They're taking off their clothes," Geeus said.

Sure enough, every one of the argonians in the line were disrobing and stuffing their clothes into some sort of bag that the strapped around themselves. Then they began filing into the ocean one by one. When they were done, a few argonians stepped out of the water and into the camp where the ones that had stayed behind handed them towels.

"Different argonians. None of those that went in had the head-feathers that one does," Geeus noted.

"Some sort of underwater shuttle to the island?"

"Maybe," Dar'Amon said. "I want to see what that light does..."

Some 10 minutes later the light began to fade, then disappeared.

"Not just a shuttle," Dar'Amon said. "Did you notice the light veered off to the left before it faded? Whatever caused the light turned. No one would bother with that if it was just a shuttle. They'd just leave the orientation the same and go backwards. Whatever it was, it is navigable."

Ra'Jirra's eyes grew wide. "An underwater ship!"

"That's what I think," Dar'Amon agreed.

"And it's destroying the Hammerfell and Imperial ships when they pass near," she went on to conjecture.

Dar'Amon nodded in the moonlight and Ra'Jirra looked up at Geeus.

"Geeus, I don't think you can help us here any more. Can you work your way back to the city on your own?"

"I can. But I doubt you can do much good on your own. They must have a hundred argonians working for them, and who knows how many altmer with their magic."

"We can do what we can do. But you don't want to be involved in this. We've got to destroy that ship," she said resolutely.

"You will kill argonians," he said. It wasn't a question, just a fact.

"Undoubtedly," she said.

"Kill as few as possible. Remember, this is just a job to them. I have an idea. No promises, but I think I can raise a little army of my own. If I can, I'll be back with help as soon as possible. Two days."

"If you really think so, we could sure use the help," Dar'Amon suggested.

"I think so. We don't much like foreigners on our soil, as you know. That the altmer have taken the island is one thing, but when I explain what they're using it for, the argonians will be ready to fight back. They do not want to become embroiled in an international incident. So far we've remained 'out of sight - out of mind' to the politics of other races. This would bring focus on Argonia that we do not want. Yes, we will fight for this. But Ra'Jirra, we will not look kindly on murdered argonians either. Please limit the bloodshed if you can. "

"I can't promise, Geeus. My orders are clear. But I'll do the best I can."

At that, Geeus stood up and the other two followed him back to the CATv3. He pulled on his backpack.

"Good luck Geeus," Ra'Jirra said before he left, and he shook her hand.

"Sorry Geeus," she said. "We khajiits are much more tactile than that," and she hugged him strongly, which he returned after a moment.

"No hugs here, big guy," said Dar'Amon. "But you have my best wishes."

"And you mine, little cat," Geeus said, bending down to pet Dar'Amon's head, which the cat accepted with good grace. Then the argonian turned and started to jog down the beach towards the jungle.

"Going into the Black Marsh jungles at night," Ra'Jirra thought aloud. "Probably pretty good odds he just dies by snake bite."

"Well, this is their native land," Dar'Amon said, watching the dark figure recede into the darker blackness of the jungle. I assume he knows what he's doing."

"I hope so too. Well, I guess there's not much need to watch the camp anymore. As long as we stay out of sight of the beach, we should be good. But it's getting cooler and that sea breeze isn't helping."

"Aw, are you going to put your regular clothes back on? I _really _like that bikini!"

"It's wet. Now turn around," Ra'Jirra commanded.

"Damn. I really screwed up when I told you that during your bath, didn't I?" he said, obediently doing as she said while she changed.

"You could say you let the cat out of the bag."

"Oooooo. Really?" Dar'Amon complained. "Did you have to go there?"

"All done," she said as she closed the last button and set her bikini on the CATv3 to dry overnight.

She lay down beside the machine in the tall grass, and Dar'Amon snuggled up to her belly.

"Got any ideas how we're going to destroy an underwater ship guarded by a hundred argonians, and who knows how many altmer wielding magic?" he asked.

She stroked the cat. "Not a clue. But you're the smart one. I'm sure you'll think of something overnight."

"I'm already thinking of something," he complained. "Though it's not a plan for fighting. Damn Alfiq body anyway."

"Now now, that won't help you get to sleep," she said and wrapped her other arm around him.

She felt his paws start to kneed her fur, and she began to sing a lullaby, quiet and low over the sound of the wind blowing over the tops of the tall grass above their heads. She looked at the stars overhead and Dar'Amon followed her lead.

"Every day could be your last," she said. "Appreciate life while you have it because one day it will be your last."

"Well that's a comforting thought," Dar'Amon said, craning his neck up to look at her. "What great philosopher said that?"

She looked back down at him. "My mother," she said, and began the quiet tune again.

"I'm not a baby," he said, though she noticed his voice had a bit of a sleepy quality to it.

"Hush," she said with a smile. "Sleep now. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."