New chapter people! Be happy and send me reviews!! I love to see those rare little e-mails in my inbox. ^.^

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Kharjo turned to face his victim but stopped short. He lowered his sword as he watched, stunned, as the other khajiit fell to her knees in the sand. Blood dripped from a wound in her side and a gash in her upper arm. Kharjo immediately knew that this person wasn't a threat.

Kharjo slowly lowered his sword to the ground and approached her carefully. Silver watched him with mistrust in her eyes. She was coughing, holding herself up with her shaking arms as she choked up blood. Blood pooled beneath her and she looked like a white and red devil...or maybe an angel?

Kharjo was within a foot of her when she lashed out at him. Her silver short sword flashed...and crashed ineffectually against his armor. The force of the sword bouncing off his armor sent her falling backwards into the sand. Her sword flew from her hand and splashed into the water behind her. Kharjo was pushed back with the force of her attack but kept his footing.

Silver lay on her back glaring up at him. Her sharp teeth were bared in distrust and she was growling like a feral beast.

"Who nears this one?" she snarled in a wheezy voice, made rough from pain.

"This one greets the hunter," Kharjo responded in a practiced age-old greeting.

She laid her ears back but said nothing. Kharjo eased himself down into the sand beside her. When she didn't try to attack him again, he judged it was safe. He wanted to say something but didn't know quite know what. She was watching him intently, her hostility still clearly evident.

Kharjo shrugged and looked off into the distance as he tried to gather his thoughts. He could see the suns reflection in Nibben Bay and watched the water distort the image. After a while his visitor became suspicious.

"What do you want from me?" she hissed.

Again Kharjo shrugged and abandoned Khajiit Cyrodiilic. "You were trespassing. I figured I should let you know."

Silver laid her ears back but her frown relaxed. "Thank you," she mumbled. "I should be going then before the owner gets here."

"The owner is here." he scoffed.

"Where?" she asked giving him a sly look.

Kharjo's lips parted in a debonair smile. "Right here."

"And would the owner care to help a lady in distress?" she purred, batting her eyelashes. It had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone that had been able to carry on a good play fight.

"And where would this lady be?" Kharjo asked teasingly.

Silver feigned offense and perked her ears again. "Why! Very far from here."

"Then I shall go to her," he chuckled. "Enough of that." he rumbled. "Now what can this humble highway man do for you?"

"I need some help," she confessed.

"I can see that," Kharjo replied, all play and fun forgotten. "What happened to you?"

Silver turned her head away, conveying that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Ah. No matter," Kharjo shrugged. "It matters not. What does matter is what we are going to do with you. And I think the best thing would be to get you fixed up."

Silver nodded her head and made a feeble attempt to get up. Before she could fall, however, he had scooped her up in his arms and was carrying her as though she was no heavier than a feather.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

A lively fire was set to burning as Kharjo sat back down next to Silver. Her wounds were patched up with clean bandages. Kharjo had found a new shirt for her and while it was quite large on her gaunt frame, she was once again comfortable.

The ham sizzled in the flames, popping as fat cooked and giving off a tantalizing scent. Silver's mouth was watering as she watched it. Kharjo noticed her hungry look at grabbed a slice of it out of the fire with his bare claws. He handed her the chunk and settle back down to sit while she munched it down.

When she was finished he turned to look at her. "So where are you from?" he inquired.

"Morrowind," she replied. "I was a slave there."

Kharjo felt hot indignation at the thought of the Khajiit slaves that had suffered in Morrowind over the years. "My father was a slave."

Silver nodded her sympathy but didn't speak further on the subject.

When their meal was finished and the flames started to die down, Kharjo sat up and brushed off his tunic. He dragged out an old tent made of sack cloth and pitched it. He rolled a bedroll into it and sat back on his haunches to look at it before looking at her.

"You can sleep here tonight." Kharjo explained. "I have some work that I need to do tonight. I'll be back in the morning." and with that he got up and walked away.

Silver watched his retreating back and wondered about him. She wanted to follow him but could already feel sleep starting to claim her. She crawled to the tent and laid down, not even bothering to turn down the blankets.

---- ----- ----- ----- -----

"Where is my money?"

"I'll have it soon. I swear."

"You had better. Or I'll make sure that you won't live long enough to come begging around here with your tail between your legs like you did last time. I'm not making another exception for you again."

"You won't have to. By this time next month both of us will be satisfied."

"You had better be telling the truth. Or I'll have your head."