CHAPTER 2.
Whitetip and her new friends headed towards the Silt Strider port. She had found some clothes in some bags and crates in the caves. "You are very brave to take on those bandits." Banalz said proudly. "She's the bravest little lizard folk I ever met." Barnar added. "They were bandits...outlaws they didn't deserve all that gold much less owning people. My father Longjaw wouldn't stand for slavery and neither can I. If I'm able to rise to a position of power I will do what I can to end all slavery on Tamriel. Many Imperials feel the way I do. In the mean time I must find Caius Cosades in Balmora." Whitetip explained. "That's a nice dream to have no slavery but the dunmer and altmer will never stand for it. You said you were a slave and then a prisoner. What do you remember of Argonia?" Banalz asked. "Very little I was captured when I was very young my dad was killed in the fight and my mother soon after died on the way to prison. I do remember my village was in a beautiful Mangrove swamp our houses were made out of old mangrove trees that had died the village temple was in the oldest tree in the swamp which had a cave under it. Our dead were intered in the deepest part of the cave. That's all I really remember. Nice I get settled here I'd like to build a house in the swamps of the Bitter Cost region." Whitetip explained.
"I've never seen an argonian with feathers before do you have a hard time swimming?" Barrdago asked. "I don't know why I have feathers some people in prison said it's because I'm a Chosen One and meant for a great destiny beyond a life in chains. Others saw me as a freak or as a menace to their ways. Eventually I was kept isolated by the Imperials for my own protection. As for swimming actually they keep me warm in the water and the water runs right off of them and they never get wet. I do have to preen them a lot though. An Imperial scholar said only 1 argonian in 1,000 will be occasionally born with feathers. He told me our ancestors had feathers long ago before the mammalian people's ancestors evolved when reptiles of all sorts ruled all of Tamriel." She explained.
The little band came up to the Silt Strider a dunmer woman was Mahout. "Ah yes it's you. We were told to allow you to travel for a lower fare than normal. The others have to pay the regular fare though." The Dunmer woman explained. The 3 newly freed slaves had no money only the clothes they'd gotten from the crates in the cave. "Here this should cover them all." Whitetip said handing the Dunmer woman enough gold for her new friends. "All right everyone whose going to Balmora please board now. We'll leave in five minutes." The Dunmer said. The four got in the passanger section and the Mahout climbed on and the giant insect lumbered away from the port. They were on their way to Balmora and Whitetip had an even greater journey ahead of her that she didn't even know about. She wondered what would they do with her friends if they found they were slaves. She wouldn't let them be taken from her as her family had been before. "Don't worry about us Whitetip I hear Balmora's pretty good to people like us. We'll fit right in." Okaw said as if reading her mind. "I hope you're right." She said. The two looked at each other for a few minutes then looked away. Barrdago noticed this. "Banalz I think love is in the air." The tiger Khajitt smirked to Banalz. "Their not the only ones Barrdago." Banalz reminded him. Barrdago and Banalz had fallen in love with one another while in bondage. Okaw was Banalz's nest brother older by 2 years. He was the only family she had her father Hides-His-foot and her mother had been sold to separate slavers long ago.
The travelers rode off not knowing the adventures that awaited them and their new bond would be put to the ultimate test.