#big-head

Dust frowned, stepping aside as a guard swept past her, sword drawn. She gave a weary scoff. Surely such brutal tactics were unnecessary for petty thieves. An Argonian skitted by her and the guard changed direction. She watched in quiet amusement as the poor thing ran, leaving a trail of silverware in his wake.

… Silverware. She frowned and knelt, picking a piece up. All one form of it, in fact. Forks.

It was only then that she recognized him.

"Big-Head?" She whispered, eyes widening before she began a race after the fleeing Argonian, guards now well on his tail. “Big-Head! Wait!” The guards glanced back, a shriek erupting from the beast as he was at last tackled to the ground by one of them.

"Wait! There’s no need to hurt him!" She stood over the pair as Big-Head was pinned down, muttering and whimpering.

The guard standing beside his ally raised a skeptical brow, grunting. "Y’know the lizard?"

"Yes. And I am fully willing to pay any reparations necessary to have him be released." She bit back a growl, pulling out her coin purse as Big-Head was tugged to his feet. 

"Fine. You pay us, then you’d better make damn sure your scaly friend stays outside the city." Coin was exchanged - a little more than was proper, in Dust’s opinion, but she was in no mood to bargain. It was only when they were outside the city gates, the Argonian clinging to her arm, did she speak.

"Big-Head… what are you doing here?”

"The Fork!" He shrieked, tail flicking on the grass, eyes darting about anxiously. "Big-Head seeks his Fork! It has run from him, yes, away with the spoon and over the moons…"

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “… Again?”

"The prickling of their fleshy skin made him think it hid in the Castle walls," Big-Head added. He grinned at his own cleverness, for a moment, before his face faltered. "It was not. Singing far, far away. Poor Big-Head. No fork. All alone in cold, cold land."

"But…" She managed to restrain a weary sigh, linking an arm around one of the Argonian’s. "I see. Big-Head, dear, have you ever considered moving on to spoons?” A look of horror and she chuckled, patting one of his scaled hands. “I jest, dear. Now, I’ll be blunt - I haven’t the faintest clue where your fork is. But it isn’t safe for you to be wandering Skyrim stealing cutlery from these Nords who’d happily make a pair of boots of you. You will come and stay with me, for a time, until we locate the Fork. Fair?”

Big-Head nodded enthusiastically, then caught her in a sudden hug. “Songs of rescue, for Big-head and his Fork! There shall be triumph and parades when the Fork returns to him! Bringing presents, singing songs of returning, too! Forks for all!”