The Khajiit is still collapsed at the table when I bring our breakfast over from the fire. The potatoes, water and chicken bones are the freshest things I could find in the pantry beneath the stairs. Given the merchant's mood, I didn't want to further sour it by giving her curdled milk or hard cheese. The soup I was able to make has thin broth and the chunks of potatoes are too thick with a few pieces of their skin still attached. I don't bother remaking it since I know I used all of the chicken bones in my first attempt at making the stew. The woman silently spoons down her breakfast. I try rousing her into talking without any luck. It's only after she's finished her soup, gotten up to retrieve some bread from the pantry, and finished that when she feels the need to speak.

"Ten gold. We need ten gold. I'm sure there's paper and ink around here somewhere. I can't write worth a damned, but I'll tell you the words to write. Gods willing, my mother will believe it's me and not some bandit or slaver trying to ransom me.". My heart sinks at the woman's tone and posture. Her ears are drooping, her tail is limp, and she hasn't moved her head up from where she laid it on her arms after she was done eating. I rise to find her paper and ink when I hear her whisper.

"I'm sorry.". The woman's voice is so soft and her posture so pitiful it sends a stabbing pain through my chest just to look at her. I move to sit by her. The woman turns her body away from me and doesn't even spare me a glance. Thankfully, she doesn't fight when I wrap her in my arms. I'm on her side without an arm, so she's practically swallowed in my embrace.

"It's okay.". A shudder overcomes her. The woman doesn't cry for nearly as long or hard as she had before. That doesn't stop her eyes and nose from both dripping moisture when she turns her head to meet my gaze.

"I can't pay you. I can't even give you anything in the house to repay you for what you've done. I'm sorry. If you want to leave, then you're free to go. You can stay in the house once my parents send someone to take me home. I'll make sure they send a courier back with twice as much as I promised.". My chest further tightens as I realize the woman still thinks I'm tagging along with her because of gold.

"I don't care about the fucking gold.". Honestly, I don't. I needed an escape from Riften with a promising future. I'm in Whiterun: there are smiths aplenty who need people with strong backs to forge horseshoes and nails for them; bandits rule the east and north stretches from here with dozens of bounties on their heads and nothing more than fur and wool protecting their entrails from a blade; and, most importantly, there are merchants for everything possible I can sell my junk from adventuring to.

The idea of returning to being an adventurer and mercenary leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I swore off that life forever after I lost my father's blade. Still, if need be, I don't see why I can't go on one or two bandit killing sprees before settling down for good. Some cheap iron armor and a two-handed sword and I'll be set for a good bandit hunting. Even then, I might not need to if the smiths are in bad enough need.

They're all talented smiths and I'm sure they need someone who can make nails and hinges and horseshoes to make the common items everyone wants that an amazing smith doesn't want to waste time on. I try telling the Khajiit all that. She keeps shaking her head and insisting through some way or power she can get me gold. It takes about an hour of back and forth coupled with her crying a few more times and insisting I must hate her before I finally seem to get the idea across that I'm truly not with her because I think the payoff will be good once she's returned to her parents. When I finally get that in her head, she's more willing to listen to me and stop sobbing.

"If you don't want gold, then why are you still with me? I'm in Whiterun, so I'm safe as I'm like to get.". She looks downwards and her ears flatten against her skull.

"You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to.". Somehow, that hurts worse than her insinuating I'm staying with her purely because I want some gold for saving her life.

"Trust me when I say that if I didn't want to be here, then I'd be out that door and gone. I want to be here. I don't know about you, but I think you're really fun to be around in the five minutes I've been around you when we weren't running for our lives.". She snickers and I offer her a smile as I keep going.

"You saved my life and I saved yours, so we're even as far as that goes. Beyond that, I don't think I could leave you without knowing if your family is actually coming for you. As much as I fancy having nightmares of your mother and father crying at home because I didn't help you get home, I think I'm going to have to pass on them.". She rolls her eyes.

"They'll find me.".

"How do you know? If you're psychic I'm going to be upset you didn't warn me about a few things.". She sighs and I keep talking to try to get through to her that I truly want to stay and help her.

"You're a nice person and I like being around you. Trust me, it's not a bother to get to stay in a free bed with pleasant company. There's nothing back for me in Riften, so Whiterun is as good of a place as any to make my new home.". She falls silent and I allow her to stew in it as she's clearly mulling all I've said over in her head. Finally, after a long time, she speaks.

"Okay. Are you sure I'm not a bother?". I hug her even tighter.

"You're the furthest thing from a bother.". We spend a few more moments silently enjoying each other's company. It soon becomes clear to me by the woman leaning heavily into my touch and the calm, relaxed posture she takes on that she enjoys physical affection. The merchant even goes as far as to let out a low, soft purr from deep in her chest that I can barely feel rattling my bones. It's only after the woman pulls away that I turn our attention to more pressing issues.

"Is there anything you can barter for ten gold in the house?". She sighs and rises to go examine the pantry. I stay in my seat as her voice drifts from the back of the room.

"I can probably get ten gold for half a dozen potatoes. It should be enough to buy a bird back to Morrowind. A courier will be needed from there, but my parents will be charged for that. I'm sure they'll accept the cost once they read who it's from.". She comes out awkwardly cradling six potatoes.

I go to her and take them from her and awkwardly use my shirt as a makeshift basket by pulling the bottom away and letting the weight of the vegetables create a makeshift cloth bowl. The merchant nods in thanks before disappearing upstairs. I move towards the door and, by the time I get there, the Khajiit returns with a sheet of paper between her little and ring finger, an inkwell clasped between her thumb and forefinger, and a feather between her middle and ring finger.

The Khajiit looks at my shirt in an unspoken question and I nod. She places the items into the makeshift bowl. Finally, we're ready to go. The merchant opens the door for me and we step back out into Whiterun. It's still early enough that not that many people are out and about, but it's still late enough that the stands are open. Further in the merchant district, stands erupt on either side of the cobblestone leading up to the main area. The inn and an actual shop stand catty corner to one another across the district with smaller, less intimidating stands of all types and sizes taking up the spaces between them.

A small, unused well in the center of the shopping area serves as a point of reference. The inn is large and impressive with two floors, impressive woodworking, and even a carving of a horse's head on the door beneath it's name The Bannered Mare. The store across from it is too far away for me to make out the name, but I already know it isn't nearly as impressive. Age in the form of stains and chips along with the occasional missing chunk of wood warns of how the inside might look.

Unfortunately, the merchant doesn't direct me to either the inn or the actual shop. As she walks past the stands, she examines their wares before finally settling on a stand where a Dunmer man with a fiery mane around his head is selling meat and pelts. She walks up to the front of his stand and I go beside her to properly show him the potatoes. The man eyes the vegetables, then takes one in his hand after asking the merchant if he could.

"Fifteen gold for the lot.". The gold exchanges hands and the potatoes are handed over. It's only as we're walking away with the writing materials properly in hand that I question the Khajiit.

"Why him?". She begins heading to a different stand as she explains her reasoning.

"He was selling meats and pelts. The stand beside him was selling vegetables, fruits and grains. I'm sure they got their stands together to make it easier for locals to buy their dinners. Steaks and potatoes go perfectly together. If he could steal a few customers away from the stand beside him, then why wouldn't he? I'm sure she's not letting him buy up her stock and sell it at twice the price just because it's beside a juicy steak.".

"Makes sense. I love steak and potatoes.". The woman throws a smile over her shoulder as she stops beside the stand she was heading for.

"After this, I swear I'll try rustling up some rabbit or cow.". My stomach full of potatoes and water clenches at the mention of meat.

"I'll hold you to that.". Our conversation dies off as the Khajiit turns towards the stand. I cast a glance upwards to see where we've ended up now. The stand has a raven painted on it and, sure enough, behind the desk are cages upon cages of ravens and crows still asleep and dreaming.

On each cage, a sign with a destination and price hangs. Morrowind is, thankfully, exactly ten gold. The amount of birds in the Morrowind cage attest to how many birds they have in case one doesn't return. The merchant passes the gold over to the man in dark robes and an even darker turban. He takes it without looking.

"Would you care for ink and paper for a small fee?". She shakes her head and motions to me. I place the paper down and get the inkwell ready. The man nods with a smile before turning to prepare a bird. The merchant turns to me with a forced smile.

"Looks like it's time to get writing!".