Dear eccentric patron,

First I would like to thank you for your continued patronage of Riverwood Trader and as you might have seen when you last visited, I have put that five hundred gold you invested with me last Morndas to good use. We now carry a much wider selection of junk... er... treasures, to offer to our customers and so far business has improved greatly. However there are somethings that I feel I need to inform you of seeing as now we are business partners, financially at least.

First and foremost now that our fortunes are linked, I think it is safe to say you do not have to keep selling me every piece of clutter you come across. While I am thrilled that you think so highly of my skills as a merchant, I can't help but question how you expect me to sell three hundred and thirty four cabbages before they begin to spoil. Same goes for that cart load of woven baskets you brought with you three days ago. Now I do not know how much experience you have selling merchandise but I can assure you the average citizen of Riverwood would not have a use or the coin needed to purchase most of the wares you bring me. It is very difficult to sell dragon bones to people who frankly don't believe they are what I say they are.

Which isn't to say that I don't greatly appreciate the effort, it saves quite a bit of gold when I do not have to order things from abroad or pay the cost of a caravan to get them here. It is just that since your last visit I can scarcely move in my own shop due to the magnitude of things cluttering it. And just yesterday I had to take two hours out of my business day in order to unbury my dear sister who had become trapped under a pile of goods. All because she was trying to locate a pair of calipers amid all the things you brought.

Secondly, I fear this surplus of goods has led to some very bold thieves targeting the shop. They've only hit twice so far but for the life of me I can't discern how they managed to rob me in broad daylight. And it grieves me to admit that both instances occurred on exactly the same days you came by to unload more merchandise. Which on that note, if you recall anything from those days please inform the guard. So far they have been most unhelpful in tracking down the culprits, always muttering that they have more important things to do than track down stolen sweetrolls. However, if someone of your stature were to demand they investigate I'm sure they'd be more enthusiastic about catching the thieves. After all, you are Thane and all that.

But that brings me to another matter I wanted to discuss. I am aware that you are a man of standing and are allowed some peculiar habits which I in no way wish to impose upon. But I really must insist you stop demanding that I wear a bucket on my head every time you visit. I'm not sure why you do this, nor what reason someone who is already wearing a full set of daedric armor could possibly have for further impeding my ability to see. But never the less it has to stop. I've had to remove no less than sixteen splinters from my personage since you first insisted on this bizarre custom, and furthermore it makes it very difficult to catch thieves. Also I feel very silly in front of my sister, and the last time you didn't even have the decency to inform me that you were leaving! I spent a full hour in the dark thinking I was having a conversation with you. And words can not describe my embarrassment when another customer came in and informed me that I was standing in an empty shop with a bucket on my head and talking to myself.

I am sorry if my words sound harsh but I simply will not suffer such humiliation again. With that said I hope you will be generous enough to cover the expense of some new security measures I've feel the shop needs if we are to discourage thieves. And also if you could send extra gold I would like to import some Falmer blood elixir from Riften. It is pricey stuff but my correspondence there assures me that we will earn our gold back tenfold as people seem very keen on the stuff due to its magical properties. I've also taken the liberty of ordering a bottle for you personally so that you might test the aforementioned properties out yourself. Given the state of the lady you had in tow with you last time… I would say you could use a bit of liquid aid in that area… but forgive me it's not my place to speak of such things.

Anyway, best of luck in your endeavors and I hope you will take my advice to heart the next time you contemplate dragging two hundred and seventy empty bottles all the way here on your companion's back.

Ever hopeful,

Lucan.