Ra'Virr's shop was in the plaza near the cities southern gate. The clouds from earlier in the day had gathered together and were now pouring rain by the barrel. I rushed to the small building marked by a swinging wooden sign and ducked in the door. Ra'Virr sat on a comfortable padded armchair in a corner. The square shop was clean and well ordered. Weapons hung on racks on the walls and barrels and crates were stacked in rows leaving aisles for shoppers to browse.

The Khajiit himself was a bright orange without any other colors or patterns in his fur. The fur grew thicker around his jaw, giving me the impression of a lion's mane. He greeted me, snatching a pipe from his lips. "Greetings friend. Feel free to look around and let Ra'Virr know if you see anything you like."

I tested the air with a sniff and Identified the scent of tobacco, but not a hint of skooma. "Greetings to you too Ra'Virr. I'm afraid I'm not in the market to buy anything. I'm looking for a, uh…" I glanced at the room, both to make sure we were alone and to give him a clue as to my intentions. "I'm looking for a partner on a small business venture."

"Mmm." Ra'Virr stood up purring. "Wait just a moment." He went to the door and locked it. He then turned to me. "Ra'Virr is interested in business ventures. What does this one have in mind?"

I reached in my bag and pulled out the two bottles of skooma I'd stolen from the Argonian on my trip with Ajira. "These for a start," I tossed the vials to him and he caught them, giving them a quick examination before returning his curious gaze to me. "I also have a lead on some assorted Dwemer artifacts."

Ra'Virr smiled, showing his sharp rows of teeth. "Yes, Ra'Virr is interested in this deal. Ra'Virr has friends who can trade Dwemer items on their network. If you can get these items to Ra'Virr's shop without being seen, Ra'Virr can pay you well."

"I'll come up with a plan and we'll be in touch."

Ra'Virr counted out a bag of coins and handed them to me before unlocking the door. "This is for the skooma. Now walk away like you were just browsing."

I tucked the coin pouch into my bag so I wouldn't draw attention and stepped out into the rain. I needed a way to get crates full of illegal artifacts into a store in the center of the cities market. I scanned the area, oblivious to the rain. The only other people outside were guards. Even now, it would be impossible to sneak crates into the city without drawing attention.

That left one option; magic. I knew there were spells that could teleport you from one place to another, but they were difficult to learn. Some mages could inscribe a spell on a scroll and store the magic needed in the scroll itself, but this was not a cheap option. I wiped the rain from my forehead and headed toward the guilds. I considered looking into potions. It was possible that a potion could be mixed for teleportation, but prices could vary greatly depending on the cost of the ingredients. The only logical step was to go ask Ajira.

I entered the mages guild dripping wet and closed the door against a gust of wind. A short Wood elf woman in a yellow silk robe looked up from her study materials to scowl at me in displeasure. Her face looked pinched together as if she'd eaten something sour. "If you track mud through the guildhall, you'll be cleaning it up before you leave."

I glanced down at the bottoms of my boots. They were wet, but thanks to the cobbled streets, they were clean. I walked past the unpleasant woman and searched the basement for Ajira. I found her snoozing in one of the bunks and gently shook her by the shoulder.

"Ajira, cat nap's over."

"Bah," she replied reluctantly. "As if Ajira has never heard that one before. What does Han-lu want that cannot wait?"

"A money making opportunity," I replied. "A potentially big one."

Ajira's ears perked up and she sat up in bed. "Is it legal?"

I grinned. "Your part is. I need teleportation potions."

"Hmm," she scratched her chin with a single claw. "That can be tricky. Where do you need to teleport to?"

"A certain shop in town."

"You are going to need a custom potion then. You see, the Tribunal Temple makes potions that can teleport you to their nearest temple and the Imperial cult does the same. Their potions don't cost much. What you need is a mark potion and a recall potion. The mark potion lets you set a destination of your choosing and the recall will take you back to that point." She went to her small desk and flipped through the pages of a thick volume. "Of course, you could hire a spell maker to enchant some scrolls. It would be faster."

I suffered her curious gaze in contemplation before shaking my head. "I'd prefer to work with you for obvious reasons. How soon can you get me one mark and three recall potions?"

"Ajira must acquire the ingredients. They can be bought. Check with me in two days." She stood and packed a few things into a satchel before hurrying out of the guild. I followed, hoping to avoid Ranis Athrys. I didn't feel like taking on more work at the moment. I spotted her talking to another Dark elf near the exit, so I followed close on Ajira's heels, but walked casually enough to avoid attention.

I closed the door behind me just to find Eyedis Fire-Eye arguing heatedly with Balyn Omavel outside the fighters guild.

"If you have the nerve to think that I haven't been prepared for this party, you're poorly mistaken," Balyn stated. "I've never had an issue finding an escort and to think I could change my plans at this late hour. I have a reputation to maintain." Eyedis looked like she was about to argue. I tried to avoid them by staying on Ajira's heels, which was making the cat nervous.

"If you must have someone, I suggest you find that other N'wah lacky you hired. There he is now."

I stopped walking, gritting my teeth and waved at them. Balyn excused himself, leaving me with Eyedis. "Um, hello guildmaster."

"Han-lu," she greeted with a nod, then made as if to speak, but stopped, seemingly unsure what to say.

I hesitated, expecting Eyedis to continue, but realised she needed prodding. "Was there something you needed?"

"Yes," she started slowly. "You know I've been meeting with House Hlaalu officials." I nodded. I hadn't seen much of her for a few days. "I've been invited to a party at the manor of a very rich noble. I want to make a good impression and I was hoping to find a dark elf escort. You know, to put the nobles at ease."

I cringed. There was a plethora of reasons I didn't want to go. First was my blood loss from the Dwemer ruin, although I may as well have been recovered from that at this point. Second was anxiety about going to a party, considering how my last one had gone. Third was my fear of women. Eyedis was asking me to be her escort. While not quite the same as a date, I'd almost certainly have to dance and make merry. There were sure to be other young women there. Unlike most of the ones I'd met in social circumstances, they were all eligible dark elves like me. That was perhaps the most frightening part of all. However, I couldn't tell Eyedis any of these reasons.

She stole my chance to make an excuse by explaining further. "I'm on the verge of a long term contract with Orvas Dren. If you'll come with me tonight and make a good impression, I'll give you the pick of the best assignments."

Now I had to bite my lip in consideration. All I needed was enough money to pay a smuggler. Would the Dwemer artifacts put me over the number? I couldn't be sure. If not, it would be a good idea to plan for the future. Thinking of the Khajiit merchant I was dealing with, I assumed I'd be getting considerably less than the merchandise was actually worth.

"What's the celebration about?" I asked in hopes of postponing my answer.

"The 27th of Last Seed is on its way. The Dren's have apparently finished their harvest early, so they're having their celebration early."

"Slave labor surely makes the workload light," I joked.

Eyedis groaned. "Han-lu. I don't much approve of slavery either, but we're stuck in Vvardenfell and we need work. If we want to survive, we have to make nice, regardless of our personal feelings. Bringing up slavery is not a good way to make friends here."

I couldn't deny that. Part of me sympathized with her plight, being in the same boat myself. However part of me wanted to laugh after considering the fact that I was thriving better than the guild itself. "Alright. What do I need to do?"

The red haired warrior beamed. "Thanks Han-lu. You'll need to go to the clothier down the street and get something presentable. Put it on the guilds tab. Meet me at the guildhall by four o'clock."

"Yes ma'am."