Waking, Arathorn sat up, stretching his arms with a yawn as the scene focused within his tired eyes. It was late, well into the early more as far as he could gather. The guards paced about the town with their torches and just then something caught his eyes. A short man… a bosmer, crouched about as he snuck about, heading for a stump in a small marsh pool.
"Hmm…" Arathorn rubbed his chin, standing as he leapt off the landing, grabbing the edge to swing himself into a branch of the nearby tree, climbing down. Once on solid ground, he snuck towards the bosmer, watching him. Once the woodelf was gone, Arathorn grinned, sneaking up to the tree as he reached in; wrapping his fingers around a pouch, he took it out before dashing off into the cover of night. Hiding along the northern edges of town, he crocuhed by a flat top rock as he emptied the contents of the bag. To his appeasement, he smiled, finding a ring, emerald and about three-hundred septims. Quickly, he scooped them into the bag, tieing it to his rope belt as he heard a twig snap. Just then, he felt a sudden electric pain as he fell forward, all going dark.
Hours had passed unknown to him. Waking up, Arathorn's vison blured as he felt a stinging on the back of his head on the right from where the club had struck him. Laying down on cold, moist stone, he listened to the droplets of water off stalagmites and murmers from within the cave. Soon came to him an feline purr of a voice. "Its awake..." His vision focusing, Arathorn found himself under the watch of three Khajiit, two
females, one male... a fourth watching the gate while several Argonians slept in the back of the cell. Slowly standing, he stumbled a bit as one of the females grabbed his arm in aid.
"Carrreful... the masterrr's took quite a wailing on yourrr head... I am Ayisha..." The feline purred softly, moving his arm over the back of her neck to help him stand as the male watching them walked over to his bedroll. Arathorn smiled, leaning against the bipedal cat, her fur was nice and warm compared to the floor he was just on. Waiting a moment, he attempted to stand.
"Wh-where am I?" He asked, stumbling once as he regained balance.
"Addamasartus..." Said the male at the door, Ri'Jirr. "They catch us off just off the boats that drop us in Seyda Neen... enslave us. You are the first of men captured" With an almost regal gleam in his green eyes, the cat looked to Arathorn."
"Well I've been given a new chance at life... and its not going to start as a slave" Gathering himself, he looked to the rickety gate. Running quickly, he swung his fist hard with a warcry, striking the plank alongside the lock. Hearing the wood splinter, he felt his knuckles tear, warm red bloodseeping against the wood. Stepping back, he held his hand against his chest, his hair falling over his face as he lowered his gaze, focusing out of the pain. Ayisha looked over him in concern as she tore a scrap off the hem of her skirt, using it to bandage his fist.
"Therrre's nothing we can do now...once the bracerrr on, all hope lost... we can prrray only be taken by masterrrs who will treat well." She said with a sigh, hearing a set of heavy leather boots and a pair of shoes walking up the plank stairs, near. Soon came Tanisie Verethi, a dunmer woman with long red locks tied back, dressed in netch leathers; with her came Cyrus Hawker, a dark-skinned, wiry-haired redguard dressed in fine cloths, carrying a silver longsword at his side.
"This way sir... we have a fine selection of slaves." Tanisie said, leading him for the gate. seeing the split in the wood, she glared. "Which one of you s'wits did this?! hmm? Who tried to get out?!" She demanded, drawing an iron dagger and keys."
"That would be me..." Rising as he saw opportunity, Arathorn charged the gate, stopping suddenly as he shifted the energy into his rising foot before kicking forward at the crack. Instantly, the gate burst open with a loud splintering crack. Once the gate was open, he turned his attention to the smuggler, grabbing the wrist of her blade hand, the other grabbing her throat as he smashed her back over onto a crate. Shooting his gaze to the redguard as he choked the smuggler, he noticed the man did not draw his weapon. Rather he folded his arms across his chest, watching with a cold smirk. Just then, he felt a cold pain in his side, feeling his body tense from the paralyzing dart thrown from the stairs by a male dunmer. Tanisie able to sleep free now, fell to the floor, choking for air.
"I apologize, sir... we will have him put down immidiately" Melar said, walking towards them.
"No..." Cyrus sneered, "... I will take him... seems to be what I need. If I am to reopen the mines at the Starstone Outpost, I will need someone to exterminate the creatures within. Nasty eightlegged beasts. I will take the breton... and her..." He smirked, pointing into the gate at Ayisha. Reaching into his coat, he took out a pouch of gold, tossing it to Melar. With a grin, Melar nodded, taking out a scroll of pappers, filling them out before passing them to the redguard.
"They're yours, my lord..."
Within a day's time, Arathorn found himself in the back of a guar-driven wagon along a bumpy dirt road, laying his head in the lap of the Khajiit who ran her claws through his hair as he rested. The sun shining above, the Outpost appeared ahead on the horizon when Cyrus looked back. "Wake him up..." He ordered as Ayisha shook him alittle.
"Masterrr needs you..." She purred into his ear with a nuzzle. Openning his eyes slowly, Arathorn looked to him before closing his eyes again.
"What is it?" He snapped
"First, it will be a respectful tone... secondly... if you clear these mines... I will free you and give you a job in the mines with a fair pay..."
"What about her?"
"You can use her as bait down there..." Cyrus laughed as Ayisha shivered, looking to him fearfully.
"No! I want her freedom with mine..." Arathorn narrowed his eyes as he sat up.
"Heh... you're in no position to negotiate, slave..."
"Think so? Seems that without me, you have no mine with those things in there." Cyrus narrowed his eyes at Arathorn's truthful point.
"Clear it, you're free, work and buy her off me..." Cyrus snapped. Arathorn nodded, laying back down as Ayisha stroked his hair, sending him slowly into a soft sleep.