Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Destiny's Humor

Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape of form own Skyrim, its characters, or its creation. Nor am I affiliated with Bethesda Studios. I merely write my fantasies and original characters within the story it has provided.

He was running in through a grassy plain. His heart was racing. Wingbeats threatened to shatter his eardrums. A terrifying scream seemed to shatter the very sky. He was scared, which was odd, since he had killed many dragons before with perfect ease. So what made this time so different? He turned to shout at the creature, but his words were lost to his ears.

"Iiss Slen Nus!" The dragon cried to him. Its Voice could be heard from any and everywhere, its echo progressively getting louder and louder as it rolled off the mountains nearby in a thunderous wave.

"Wuld!" Wind wrapped around him in a lover's embrace, granting him the speed of a thrashing hurricane as he dashed forward. His feet didn't even need to touch the ground. There was a crash behind him as the air collided back into itself after he Shouted. The dragon screamed in anger that his Voice had missed its intended target. He stopped to look back at the dragon. He was a good half-mile from where he had been previously. It flew to and around its prey, a tall Khajiit of jaguar skin. He pulled out his battle axe and arched his back with a large intake of breath, his stance becoming that of defense so he would not lose his balance. A woman called out to him from behind. It was familiar, but it was not Lydia, that much was for certain. An arrow shrieked through the air and embedded itself into the dragon's eye. The dragon faltered with an enraged screech as it came crashing down to the earth. "Gaan Nah Haas!" He screamed, his feet breaking the ground beneath them to form small craters from the outburst of energy he had released. The dragon shook its head to rid itself of the agonizing nuisance. When the visible orb of energy came crashing its way to it, it roared in surprise. The Thu'um hit it head on and tendrils of blue, red, and green instantly snaked their way to the Khajiit. He closed his eyes, soaking the energy into his body. When he opened them again, there was a fearless fire burning in them. The Khajiit charged and jumped with his newfound energy, scaling a good twenty heads in the air. His battle axe swung down over his head as he neared his foe. Time seemed to slow down at this point. The Khajiit yelled out his warcry. The dragon spread its clawed wings and gave one last weak cry.

"Dovahkiin!"

It was the scent that hit him first. The lingering scent of home cooking. Do'raji wiggled his nose to widen his nostrils. No, it wasn't his crazy imagination. Then it was the pain in his chest and sides. It hurt, but it was nothing he wasn't already used to. It was the weight on his chest and hands on his arm that confused him. He opened his eyes slowly, a heavy breath leaving his body as he did. A thatch roof...? He blinked. This was not at all Breezehome. A pine thrush sang merrily outside. An ear swiveled in its direction. Was he in a hut in the wilderness? He leaned his head up to look around and what he saw made his eyes widen. There she was, sound asleep and half sitting next to him half lying on his sternum. 'No, I must still be asleep...' He thought to himself. Do'raji carefully slipped his arm down to around her shoulders as he sat up. The movement caused her to adjust her position with a stubborn groan. She pulled her arms under her body and nuzzled her head further into his bosom. She took a deep and satisfied breath, exhaling in a loud purr. Do'raji nearly wept at the simple sight of his wife sleeping in his arms. For how many years had he dreamed of waking up like this once more? But how could he be sure this was real? "Dar'chaj..." He whispered. No response. Only a flick of her ear, her gold bands clinking noisily. "Dar'chaj," he spoke a little louder.

"Nhm..." She grumbled and sleepily opened her eyes. She must have noticed that she was now sitting upright for she quickly pulled away to look at the momentary offender. Those goregeous pale eyes he loved so dearly grew wide and misty. "Do'raji... You're awake..." She placed a trembling hand on his cheek. "Ahnaro." Her voice was heavy with joy and the refusal to cry as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. They touched foreheads. "Ahtok," Do'raji whispered back as he gently cradled her waist. Dar'chaj closed her eyes and began to tremble. "No, don't cry, my sweet. Don't cry. It's alright. I'm here, I'm here..." He whispered to her and he pulled her against him as she began to silently sob. "It's alright..." Do'raji rubbed her back as she tightened her hold on him. As though she were afraid that if she let go, he'd disappear. "It's you. S'rendarr's mercy, she has missed you!"

"Momma...?" A quiet voice caught his ears and he looked over to see a little Khajiit child awaken from her slumber. She looked over to where her mother was and it hit him like a Dragon Shout. She was like a breath of fresh air; an image that mixed his and his wife's bodies with his mesmerizing pattern shimmering brightly in the rising sun. The child gave a small gasp and leaped out of bed. "Ahnurr!" She cried out, her arms outstretched for her father. "Sari!" He gave a sound that was half laughter, half sobbing as he leaned over with an arm and scooped her up into his embrace. "Oh, my sweet girls. How I've missed you both!" He cried.

For a good time, the three sat there in a tight family hug. They had been reunited for the first time in five long, hard years. Dar'chaj was the first to break the hug to wipe away her tears with the heels of her wrists. "Do'raji... How did you manage to survive?"

"Then or now?" Do'raji chuckled as he pulled Masari into his lap. "Goodness, my little kitten's practically all grown up." Masari giggled and snuggled into his arms.

"Well, both times! How in the world did you manage to narrowly escape death not once, but now twice! This one is grateful to the gods, but she is stumped!" Dar'chaj inquired.

"Hmm... Oh right! Well, when the bandits attacked us near Bruma, I took an arrow in the shoulder, which threw me off the cliff. After that, I don't quite remember because apparently I landed on my head when I fell. I do remember feeling wet, but that's about it." Do'raji scratched his cheek as he scrunched his face in thought. He really did not remember that much about the events that took place during his black out. "When I woke up, I was in a carriage that was headed to Cheydinhal. According the driver, I was just wandering around aimlessly and decided that I needed help when he saw the large gash in my skull. Said that he would've taken me to Colovjan Highlands, but the Argonians and the Khajiit were quite literally at each other's throats that week. Probably was a good thing he didn't take me there." Do'raji chuckled. "I arrived in Cheydinhal and was taken to a healer there who patched me up. I asked for a quick route into Skyrim and they pointed me towards a road in the mountains. That's when things got really hairy..." He growled and shuddered at some memory.

"What? What happened, ahnaro?" Dar'chaj placed a hand on his arm in comfort. He smiled meekly at her. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ulfric Stormcloak and a company of his warriors were at Dark Water Crossing when I arrived. The Imperialists ambushed them. It normally would not have been that much of an issue if there weren't Thalmor. I was captured under the assumption that I 'was an accomplice of the rebel Stormcloaks and betrayer of the Aldmeri Dominion's trust.'"

"Tch! You're as much a betrayer of their trust as they are to their lust for power," Dar'chaj bristled.

"Exactly what I thought! Although I wasn't given the chance to say anything, since I was given a blow to the head. Again. I woke up two days later near Helgen..." Do'raji trailed off. His arms tensed and he dug his claws into his skin to keep from crushing Masari. "That's when the dragon attacked, wasn't it?" His mate asked softly and flattened her ears when he merely nodded. She thankfully didn't press more about what had happened during then and shot Masari a look when she opened her mouth to ask. "I escaped with one of the more sympathetic Empire soldiers. As much as that dragon would've killed us without a second thought, I would not be here if it didn't attack. We made it to Riverwood for a moment's respite before I was asked to go to the Jarl of Whiterun to send some guards to the village in case the dragon ever attacked them.

"I went, excepting to be able to gain free passage into the city. I was stopped at the gates with drawn swords and complete suspicion. It took nearly an hour for me to convince them to let me into the city, but I was escorted straight to Dragonskeep, the Jarl's stronghold. Jarl Balgruuf was fair, he listened to what I had to say with intent. He thanked me for coming straight to him and allowed me free access to the city in exchange for going to an old ruin and getting a stone tablet for his mage. I did as he asked when another dragon attacked near Whiterun. We managed to kill it, but..." Do'raji's ears tilted slightly as he breathed heavily. Dar'chaj raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"I absorbed the dragon's soul..."

He did not need to say any more than that. Dar'chaj was smart. You ask her what two plus two was and she'd give you four different answers, all of them plausible. Her mouth opened slightly in shock. Do'raji closed his eyes to keep from seeing the resentment in hers. Not at him, he knew that. But at what it meant.

"You cannot be!" Dar'chaj stood. He opened his eyes to gaze at her. Her fur was standing on end with her ears flat against her skull, her face contorted in misery. With a sigh, he set down Masari and stood.

"Ahtok..." He whispered.

"No! This one refuses!" She hissed in fear, her pale eyes wide. Do'raji could not help but sigh at the irony of it. He accepted his fate with open arms, determined to bring honor to his kin and family, while his wife feared for his life. He pulled her into his arms. "She just got you back!" Dar'chaj cried as she struggled against his hold. How odd this was, that the person who felt like a skeever in a cage was the person who wasn't fated to this hell. "She just got you back..." She stopped straining against him and let him hold her close while she wept. Do'raji hated doing this to her. This was not the first time that this happened. When he told her he was planning on taking them all to Skyrim to get away from the Aldmeri Dominion, they fought. It ended up just like this, where she cried in his shoulder while he tried to soothe her. At least this time the kitten didn't have to listen to flung pots and loud insults. "Breathe, Dar'chaj. It's not the end of the world," he whispered to her. "I can protect you this time. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"She believes you, but it is not to her that you must promise..." Dar'chaj whimpered as she pulled away, head bowed with a hand over her eyes as her other arm cradled her rib cage. The Khajiit turned to look at his little one. She was staring at her parents, eyes wide and scared but confused. It was as though all she knew was that she was afraid, but she hadn't even a clue as to why. Do'raji looked around for his armor and found it. He went over to it. Kneeling down, he rummaged through its various pockets. "Sari," he called for her. The little kitten came over to him uncertainly. "Tell me, what do you know of the Dragonborn?"

"Sven sings 'The Dragonborn Comes' over at the Sleeping Giant Inn. I asked him about it at one point and he told me that a Dragonborn is someone who can slay dragons with ease," Masari admitted. In other words, hardly anything.

"What if I told you that I was the Dragonborn?"

"Then I would brag about it to everyone I saw!" Masari's expression seemed to brighten. "Are you?"

Do'raji gave a chuff as he took her tiny hands into his and placed something round into them. He gave a little sigh as he racked his brain for the words to tell her. "I promise to you, ahziss ja'khajiit, that I will stay by your side. I know that I have not been here, and for that I am sorry. Had I had known..." He blinked as he exhaled. Now he was getting off track. "Well, I'd have been here sooner. But now that I am, I will never leave you again. The both of you, for that matter. For I am the Dragonborn. Of all the people who need me, my family needs me the most. These," he pulled away his hands to reveal two ivory bangles, each in the shape of a dragon curling around and biting its own tail. The symbol of forever. "These I carved from the horns of the first dragon I slew. I want you to have them. It would give me such pride." Do'raji watched as a myriad of emotions flitted across her features as she looked at the intricate accessories. Finally, she glanced up with a wide smile and hugged her father. "Thank you, Papa! They're pretty! I-" Her face fell, however, when she remembered the current bangles in her hair. "I don't know which ones I should wear... Momma made me these as well..." She mused, tugging at the wooden rings in her braids.

"Wear the ones that your father gave you, Masari. It would be a shame not to display them for all to see," Dar'chaj stepped forward and knelt down next to them, gingerly taking the ivory bands. "Heh, she is jealous! Your father gave you such beautiful pieces of art," she smiled and pulled out the etched wood from Masari's hair. Taking the long tied off ends, she wrapped them twice around the middle of the dragons and took a string of twine to wrap around the golden locks and some of the ivory to keep them from falling out. "There you go." Masari smiled and hugged the both of them. "Thank you! What about Momma's present?"

"This one doesn't-"

"I have a present for your mother as well." He interjected and received a surprised look from her. "I know what you're going to say, Dar'chaj. And yes, I do need to give you something. It's the least I could do after all that I've put you through. So no arguing," he chuckled as he shot her down quickly. Dar'chaj opened her mouth and then shut it with a grumble, accepting her defeat. Do'raji went back to his armor and took out the furs from it. Standing, he showed his gift to his wife. She slowly stood, amazed out how beautiful it was. "This is my boon from one of the Dro-M'athra, Hircine. He had called me to one of his Wild Hunts and granted me this as my prize. Savior's Hide, he called it. I remembered how much you enjoyed Wild Hunts and the feel of furs, so I had been saving this for you." The boon was of brown, luxurious fur that felt too silky to have been from some wild animal. Across where the abdomen would be was a metal band of a wolf's head. Lining the inside was a chain link tunic. Adorning the shoulders and collarbone was a collar of various large fangs and feathers. Dar'chaj hesitantly took the boon and ran a hand over the fur. "Will he be angry if you give it to this one?"

"Ahtok, you are me as much as I am you. We are one of the same coin, only with different faces. Whatever boon I am granted, extends to you," Do'raji smiled confidently to her. "I am certain that it will need to be adjusted to fit you, but...do you want it?"

"Oh, you should know her answer! She thanks you so much!" She purred and nuzzled his cheek. Do'raji purred as well and hugged her, returning the nuzzle affectionately. "Ewwww," Masari commented. "Stop kissing! It's gross!" The both of them rested their foreheads together as they laughed. "Alright, that's enough for one day," Do'raji pulled away.

"Let her see how much this needs to be adjusted before we do anything." She drew the Savior's Hide close to her and turned to walk out.

"Also, what happened to my budi?"

"Uh...she had to rip it apart to help clean the blood from your wounds..." Dar'chaj chuckled nervously.

"Eh, I guess that's okay... A shame though, I liked it," Do'raji pouted.

"Dar'chaj will make you another one when she comes across the materials. She promises."

Do'raji waved her off as though it wasn't that big of a deal. She ducked outside and he pulled off his bandages. Masari sat there and watched him. "Your cuts are better!" She gaped. It was true, his wounds were all fresh pink scars lining down his sides. "You're right! I guess having you around helped with that," he smiled at his daughter who giggled. He pulled on his steel armor with minor difficulty. It wasn't putting it on as much as it was the metal rubbing against his freshly healed wounds. Outside, he could hear a hammer pounding metal. Well that was new! When did she start to do metalwork? Masari jumped to her feet and followed him as he walked outside. "Hey, that other horse is still here. Why is it here?" She commented, pointing at the gelding. "Who, Mijah? He's my horse."

"Yeah, but there was this lady named Lydia who came and brought you to us! Said something about Thanes and Carls. It was confusing," Masari said with an ear twitch. Ah. That would explain how he got here in the first place. "She was someone who followed me around, making sure that I stayed out of trouble."

"So like a friend?"

"Sort of? At any rates, she doesn't like horses, so she usually walks. She's in Whiterun by now, don't worry," he shrugged. "Speaking of Whiterun..." He looked over at Dar'chaj who was now wearing his gift. Do'raji had to swallow a growl of content at the sight. The furred armor fit her body perfectly after she trimmed the iron casing for her short waist, caressing each curve while still allowing her room to move around. The collar of fangs and feathers curled around her neck and draped elegantly behind her. It hung to her knees, but there were slits in the sides to keep her legs from being restricted. She noticed Do'raji staring at her and smiled as she turned to him. "I see you like it! It looks lovely on you," he coughed.

"She likes the feel of it. She thanks you."

"Uh..." Do'raji shuffled his feet and coughed into a closed fist. Dar'chaj chuckled and brushed by him with a lingering palm. He had to close his eyes. 'Gods, she will be the death of me!' He thought pleasantly with a sigh. "Dar'chaj, I was wondering if the two of you would like to live with me in Whiterun? We won't be there very often, but it is still a place to put our roots down. As a family."

"She doesn't see why not. This one is tired of not being able to hear the hustle and bustle of other lives. Do not get her wrong, she loves the forest, but..." She sighed. "Well, she misses being reminded of Riverhold, even if the sands here are cold to her feet and the air bitter to her fur. Masari? What do you think?"

"Hmm?" Masari looked up from staring at the gifts her father gave her, completely oblivious to the conversation that was being held. Do'raji chuckled. "Would you like to live with me in Whiterun? There are others around your age whom you'll be able to play with." Masari smiled and nodded vigorously. "Then it's settled. When can we leave?" He turned to Dar'chaj, who had already strapped on leather bracers and fur boots and was getting her old bow and quiver. She grabbed his battle axe, Va Dar as he called it, and managed to hoist it up to him. "As soon as we can pack up our things. Masari, help her with packing. You too, ahnaro."

It did not take long for them to pack up their home. Do'raji was very surprised. He had expected Dar'chaj to have more things. But everything that seemed excessive she had been saving up to sell. Other than that, they had barely a thing. The family outfitted the horses with saddle bags and knapsacks, with Mijah being the one to carry the sellable items. Perhaps a couple of hours, three tops, and they were done. Masari wanted to ride on Khi'ræn, so she sat with her mother. And on the road they went. They were quiet for the most part until Dar'chaj spoke up.

"You know, you still haven't told this one about your recent venture to Riddle'thar's domain."

Do'raji grumbled at his horse, who was busy trying to eat the mountain flowers along the path. "Mijah! Damn horse, will you stop eating for once?!" He growled as he spurred the beast. Mijah whinnied and began to rear back, but Do'raji pulled down on the reins to pull the gelding's nose into his chest. He promptly slammed his hooves back down. An irritated nicker came from the horse. "Now maybe you'll listen..." The Khajiit grumbled before steering the horse back over to his family. "Now, what did you say?"

"She asked how you survived your last encounter with death." She chuckled.

"Right, this last time. Well, if Lydia was the one who brought me to you, she would've mentioned something about being ambushed by some Falmer?"

"Yes? Was there something more to it?"

"Much more," he sighed, pulling out an apple from his bag and chomping into it's thick skin. "Typically, Falmer hunt in pairs or groups of three. And they stick to the roads where they know travelers will be."

"You encountered more...no wonder you had so many wounds," Dar'chaj clicked her teeth. "How many?"

"A good nine or ten. Maybe more." He could hear her take a sharp intake of breath. Falmer were ugly creatures who stuck to caves and underground caverns. Supposedly they were once Mer; Snow Elves being their species name. Do'raji could not see how they were the once beautiful Snow Mer. Other than their ears, that is. "Maybe it was just a surprisingly large hunting party?" Dar'chaj blinked.

He shook his head. "There were females. But they weren't hunting or gathering. All of them were in battle gear. And I had killed off what I think were a couple of Falmer scouts not too long before I encountered that group."

"Falmer...scouts? How is such a thing possible? They are blind, are they not?"

"They are which is why I am really confused."

"You and this one both... How do you know that they were scouts?"

"This really bad feeling in my gut. There was no way to tell visually or by anything on their corpses, but I can't shake this feeling that I have..."

"Surely you are not suggesting that they might be preparing for an invasion? That would be...improbable..." Dar'chaj trailed off and quickly ushered her horse into a fast trot. "We must hurry then."

Do'raji spurred his horse again for them to rush forward. He could not afford for things to mess up. Not now. Not when his family was most certainly at stake. He needed them at a place he knew for a fact that they would be safe. Especially since he had a dream. A vision really. Do'raji noticed that as time passed, the more and more he killed dragons...the more vivid his dreams became. At first, they were just dreams of Alduin and how he was going to kill it. But now... Now when he dreamed, he was actually peering into the future to the battle that would insue. They never told him when they would take place, only that it would happen. Sometimes exactly the way he dreamed it and others only partially. He would have to see how this next time would go. Do'raji looked towards his two girls and saw two tiny hands wrapped tightly around her mother, those little paws clenching into the furs of Dar'chaj's armor. Masari was scared. The sight began to rile him up. He stayed watchful for anything to happen.

It was past midday by now. The horses were starting to tire. They dismounted and lead them to a nearby stream. A couple of mubcrabs tried to scare them off, but Dar'chaj made short work of them. Do'raji sat on a rock and chuckled as he watched Masari cautiously shuffle close to the mudcrabs and poke them with a stick. "I never liked these things; they smell funny."

"They make for a good snack though," Dar'chaj smiled as she pulled out a dagger and cut off the legs.

"You're going to eat them like that?!" Masari gasped with disgust. Her mother shrugged and placed most of them in the sack that kept all their meats, her teeth sunk into the hide of the last leg. "Momma, ew! No, don't eat-agh!" She hid her face in her hands as Dar'chaj crunched the hard exoskeleton of the leg with her jaws and spat out the bits of shell before breaking it in half and sucking out the meat. Do'raji could not help but laugh at the scene. "Alright you two, enough of the drama," he chuckled. "We might want to get going if we expect to get to Whiterun before dusk."

"But we can see it just fine as it is!" Masari argued.

"It's still a long ways off, little kitten. Just because we can see it doesn't mean that it is close. You can see the mountains, but do you think that you'll be able to walk over a few steps and touch them?" He pointed out.

"Well, no..." She trailed off.

"Then she will hear no more arguing from you, iiliten. Jebnurr is right, we must be off. Come." Dar'chaj beckoned and quickly mounted Khi'ræn, who snorted and pawed at the ground. Do'raji picked up the grumbling kitten and handed her to her mother. He got up on Mijah and clicked his tongue, signaling for him to canter. "Ehkoh, Khi'ræn," Dar'chaj spoke.

Perhaps another hour of riding took them to outside of the gates of Whiterun. There, they found a small group of Khajiit that were setting up their tents. "Ah! Ri'saad, my friend!" Do'raji laughed as he hopped off his horse and approached the elderly Khajiit with an extended hand.

"Dovahkiin! Khajiit is glad to see you well and unharmed," Ri'saad turned and clasped Do'raji's forearm with a firm, welcoming grip and patted his other shoulder. Do'raji mimicked the action. "We see you bring company. May I inquire whom?"

"Ahnak va Dar'chaj, Dro-Khajiit," Dar'chaj replied as she dismounted and approached with her head bowed in a respectful manner.

"Nukoh, ja'khajiit." Ri'saad gave her a wise smile, but his voice was full of surprise. Ri'saad looked no different from other "cats" to any human or mer, but to others of his kind they knew just by looking at his face and seeing his eyes that he knew and seen many secrets. "I am pleased to hear another pur va Ta'agra'iss."

"This one does not wish to let go what little she has left of home, be it family or her spoken words."

"Ah, the thief and the warrior. What a sight." Ri'saad chuckled. "Khajiit gives welcome to you and your kitten, if this one shall assume correctly. A pleasure at last. Do'raji has spoken highly of you whenever he gets a chance."

"So she has heard. It is her honor to accept your warm welcome in this land of bitter cold. But she has heard of your many wares. Might she be allowed to spend a few of your moments in trade?" Dar'chaj gave a cautious smile.

"But of course! Come, see what this one has to offer," Ri'saad swept his arm towards his tent. Grabbing a few enchanted armors and weapons she had stored from Mijah's saddle bags, she followed. Do'raji went back to Masari and scratched Khi'ræn's neck in a calming manner. Masari giggled when Khi'ræn stretched her neck and lifted her lips to show her teeth. "She's funny!"

"She likes it, must've found her itchy spot. Didn't I, pretty girl?" Do'raji smirked as Khi'ræn lifted and dropped her head, as though she were nodding yes. "Where's Momma?" Masari blinked as she tried to look around the mare's large head. "Your mother is currently trading with the Khajiit here for a few extra coins."

"There are other Khajiit?!" She asked with excitement in her eyes.

"There are. I would ask if you'd like to go meet them, but we need to starting into the city here in just a minute. Sorry, kitten," Do'raji apologized as he pulled Masari off Khi'ræn and set her down on the ground. "Go to your mother. I'll put the horses up."

"Aww...yes Papa." Masari's ears and tail slumped as she expressed disappointment. He didn't blame her, he would be excited to meet other Khajiit as well. She skipped over to the tent that Dar'chaj was in. Do'raji detached the few sacks from Khi'ræn's saddle and slung them over his shoulder, tucking the straps into his armor so they would stay in place. "Come on now, let's put you in the stable," he coaxed the mare into following him. She shook her mane and followed him with an indifferent snort. Mijah noticed that he was leading the mare away. The gelding nickered as he watched. "You come too, you mule of a horse," he growled and grabbed his reins after relieving him of his haul. "Skulvar! You have room for two?"

The Nord stable master grunted and set down his mug of ale. "I s'pose so. How long?"

"You should know by now not to ask that," Do'raji rolled his eyes.

"Tch, fine." Skulvar took the reins of both horses and proceeded to lead them away, not without grumbling "damn cat" under his breath. Do'raji growled softly. If the Nord wasn't essential, he'd have taken care of him a long time ago. Then again he wasn't that type of person. Good thing Dar'chaj wasn't the one dealing with him... He shuddered as he contemplated what her reaction would've been. Nothing pleasant came to mind. She was...not one to take racism very well. As in, not at all. He went back over to Ri'saad's tent and stood at the entrance, just as Dar'chaj had bought a small pouch of Moon Sugar, a phial of Skooma, and a lovely dress for Masari of sunset orange and violet hemmed with white lace. "Here you go, little one."

"Thank you, ahfado..." Masari trailed off, looking at a doll that was made with camel hair. The doll was shaped into that of a Senche, a quadpedal Khajiit that was known to carry their kin into battle. Ri'saad noticed her staring at it and gently handed it to her. "Here, little one. Take it."

"Ah- really?" Masari gaped in surprise.

"The only thing I ask in return is that you grow up to be just as strong as the brother it takes after." Masari took the doll with the most careful of hands, as though she was holding a glass rose. She held the it close with a giddy smile. "Dro-Khajiit, Masari ohtoh!"

"Yes, thank you for your kindness," Dar'chaj bowed her head.

"Of course. May your bed be warm and your food sweet," Ri'saad called after the three of them. Do'raji smiled and wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulder. "Now, let's go see if they'll cooperate."

"Do they typically give you a hard time?" She blinked.

"Not really, but you're new. We'll have to see when we get there,"Do'raji shrugged. They rounded the bend and crossed the bridge to find that the gates were already opened for them. Dar'chaj looked fairly surprised. "Enjoy your stay in Whiterun, Khajiit," one of the guards said as they passed by, not even giving them a second glance.

"Guess we're good!" Do'raji chuckled. The gates closed behind them and Dar'chaj looked around, her ears twitching nervously. Masari, however, was practically bouncing with new found energy. The city was vibrant with color. Lavender grew plentiful along the cobblestone paths. The grass was green and healthy. A loud hum of many people in the trader's square resonated around and over the houses. Do'raji noticed that his mate was getting rather skittish and nuzzled her cheek. "It's alright, ahtok. No one here will suddenly run up to you and instantly pin you as a thief. You'd be surprised at how open minded the people here are, even the Nords."

"How can she be certain of your words?" Dar'chaj whispered softly.

"I will show you tomorrow. But first things first, let's get settled down. Because I don't know about you, but I'd like to get out of this armor for the night. My back's killing me," he grunted as he shifted the luggage into a better position.

"Then we shall do just that. For she doesn't know about you, but she cannot wait to sleep in a proper home again."

Author's Notes: Second chapter is now up :D Like the chapter before, I would not mind any form of help from you guys if you can. Not much to say at the moment. ^^ See you next chapter!

Ta'agra'iss words and meanings

Ahnaro – my husband

Ahtok – my wife

Ahnurr – my father

Ahziss ja'khajiit – my kitten (possessive connotation)

Dro-M'athra – Dremora (specifically the Daedric Princes)

Budi – A leather shirt made of camel hide, it is typically worn by workers. Is also considered casual wear.

Va Dar – corruption of "var dar", which literally means "to take away one's sugar(life)." In this case, "va dar" means "death" or "stolen sugar".

Iiliten – girl

Jebnurr – roughly means "your father".

Ehkoh – chase; to give chase

"Ahnak va Dar'chaj, Dro-Khajiit." – "My name is Dar'chaj, elder Khajiit."

"Nukoh, ja'khajiit." – "[Be] at peace/ease, younger Khajiit."

"…pur va Ta'agra'iss." – "…speak/converse The Words of the People."

Ahfado – my mother

Dro-Khajiit, Masari ohtoh! – "Masari owes [a] debt [to] elder Khajiit!"

Khajiit Lore notes

S'rendarr: The Khajiiti god of mercy and duty.

Senche: A subspecies of Khajiit that are nicknamed "feline battle steeds." Quadpedal but able to stand on their hind legs, Senche stand at the size of a full grown male Altmer at the whithers when on all fours. They willfully allow other Khajiit to ride on their backs into battle. Not much is known about their appearance outside of Elswyre, but are rumored to look just like "big cats" i.e. tigers, lions, saber cats.