Nothings Free
The City of Four Points was a beautiful place, made to look more so by the desolate desert surrounding it. Its native name was "Rabahirim-Buamarri" or something to that effect, but all the traders that passed through it took to calling it Four Points due to the fact it lay on a four way intersection of major trade lanes, now most maps labeled the city Four Points rather than whatever it was before.
At the north gate a Dunmer, Bosmer, and partially clothed Nord were admitted in without hassle by a pair of Khajiit Guards. They were all taken in by the cities exotic beauty, once within the walls they were just a small part of the crowd. Traders, barbers, government officials, soldiers and highwaymen all lived within the high walls. Four Points was a trade city through and through, with innumerable inns and taverns, and open air markets at every other street corner. Most of the buildings were made of some kind of yellowish concrete with wood framework poking out; all of them had strange curving windows.
Ferdain asked a well clothed Imperial man where they could get a free drink, the man had scoffed and pointed them towards some cheaper houses, and after wondering for a while they found themselves in a slum. All the buildings there where made of mud-bricks and seemed to be leaning against each other. They spotted an old Khajiit walking past them with an empty jar and decided to follow him. Finally he led them to a large open area with a cube shaped stone structure with several posters on it saying in a dozen languages "Free Water". There was a large crowd around a stone basin filled with water, all filling their jugs and leaving, every time the water started to get so low that jars were scraping stone one of the 2 soldiers standing beside the stone would pull a lever on it, which raised a metal shutter on the side of the cube, water would then gush down a conduit to the stone basin.
After spending an entire day in the desert with not a drop to drink they all pounced on the basin like cats on mice. The Khajiit didn't seem familiar with lines so it was a push fest to the center. Elgard who was the largest and strongest (and in all honesty least concerned about stepping all over an old Khajiit at this point) reached the basin first, put his hands together so he could splash water all over his burnt face and shoulders, gulp it down…. Ah the ecstasy, but no, not so easily,
"Hey you!"
Elgard paused his hands trembling an inch above the water surface, he knew there had to be a catch "Who me?"
The guard snickered "Yea, You what do ya think your doin kid?"
"Getting a drink, it's free right?"
"Its free yea, but you can't just dive into it, imagine if we just let every naked Nord that waltzed in here roll around in the district water supply? You gotta buy a jar, go to the cuppers." the guard said pointing to a pair of urchins leaning against a nearby wall.
Elgard marched pouting over to the "Cuppers", as he reached them Novena was already there
"10 septims for a worn out tavern mug?" she cried incredulously
The cupper looked at her (obviously stolen) merchandise with motherly love,
"Rajigo will do this for you, 8 septims for any of Rajigo's cups."
Elgard approached "8 septims is still a lot to buy a broken mug."
"Rent, Rajigo gives the pretty lady mug, the dunmer gives it back after drinking" the urchin smiled revealing a row of needle sharp little teeth growing in.
"No thank you c'mon lets go" Ferdain said, coming out of nowhere and pulling them both away.
"We don't have any money anyway" Novena mumbled
"It doesn't matter, because I got a well off friend nearby" said Ferdain jovially
"Why didn't you mention him earlier?"
"Oh well we just met actually!"