An Unlikely Alliance Ch. 01

He smiled and for once, Dhaerys truly believed in the smile of a Khajiit trader - and not because she wanted to necessarily. She knew that he could sell those stones for a good bit more where he was from. But they weren't there. They were here and from what she'd seen so far, she was prepared to trust this trader more than she was prepared to trust the traders here. She dared not think of what Lucan might have offered for these. They were much too dull to cut butter.

"If you find some of what I see in the armor that you wear under the fur, I can give you good prices for that as well. If it ever happens, please think of old Ri'Saad."

"This one has heard things," Dhaerys began in a half-whispered tone, "things concerning dragons. Have you heard anything like that in your travels?"

He scowled a little for a moment, "I have not seen one yet, but it is almost all that the people here speak of, often enough. They worry more than we Khajiit need to, I think. We do not have homes as they do. All that we have can be moved in moments if one of the beasts appears."

He stood looking at her for a moment after the transaction was done, "Of course your plans are your own, my friend. But will you be staying nearby for a time?"

Dhaerys shrugged, "I truly cannot stay, but as I walked here, I was thinking that Whiterun must lie at or near the center of the whole province. It might be a good place to live for a time, I cannot say yet."

"I have a thing which needs doing and I am prepared to pay not far off another thousand if you think that you would like to attempt it."

She chuckled, "Who must I kill, Ri'Saad?"

"It is not that sort of thing," the trader said with a nodding grin, "Come, sit with me and I will share some of our soup and bread while I tell you."

The male guard stood not far off, looking outward, but listening a little. He motioned to his partner and she placed herself in a position to cover his absence while he walked around the doorway and up to a smallish-looking female.

"Did you finish cutting the wood?" he asked and she nodded, pointing at the large stack of firewood a little distance off.

"Good," he nodded, "Get your gear. I think the master will be calling you soon. I cannot say why."

She nodded and wanted the ask about it, but she knew both the guard and the master well enough and so she grabbed her pack - which was always ready - and walked to the back of Ri'Saad's tent.

She heard the quiet voices and began to listen. Finding that they were being too quiet for her to hear much, she lifted the rear of the tent slowly and crept inside. There were always goods piled or stacked not far inside of the back wall and she was confident that they wouldn't notice her entry.

"Will you do it?" Ri'Saad asked and after a moment, Dhaerys nodded, "I'll need some of the bonus to keep us fed in the beginning, I think."

He nodded, turning his head to the side a little for a moment, "Then perhaps I can add a little more. See how it goes for a day or so and come to tell me of your decision. I will be here then for about a day. Come back again in two weeks for I will be here once again by that time. Tell me then how you have made up your mind."

Dhaerys nodded and said that she would.

With that, Ri'Saad stepped toward the back of the tent and with one motion, he lifted a small tarpaulin just enough to reach quickly and take hold of something.

There was an undignified squawk and he hauled the smaller one out almost pulling her to her feet. As such, she stood not far above five feet.

"This is Khali," he said, "my nosy sister-daughter. I love her but she is more trouble than her worth to me most often. I give her tasks to keep her busy and she cries to me that I am being cruel. Yet if I say nothing and she thinks that I do not look, she finishes her tasks faster than anyone else and is gone into the night. Always she returns early in the morning and thinks that I do not know."

Dhaerys looked, trying not to laugh. "She looks to be Dagi - but a little large."

He nodded, "Larger than she appears, since now she is trying to play the poor, young mistreated niece for the visitor. She is large for her kind. In truth, she is a Dagi-raht and large for them as well."

Khajiit come in different types, ranging in size between quadrupeds not much larger than common cats to monsters which could be ridden into battle. Most of the types were born and stayed in their homeland of Elseweyr, never leaving it. Only the bipedal Cathays went abroad to join or run the trading caravans - if they weren't just out on their own as sellswords, assassin, or thieves. Those were the ones that everyone knew and mistrusted, just assuming that they were all thieving cutthroats. In many cases, the assumption was not far off the truth. Still, the rest resented being thought of in that way.

It was most definitely out of the ordinary to see a Dagi-raht here in Skyrim.

"But ... "Dhaerys said, "she stands on two legs. I have never seen a Dagi who can."

He nodded, "Khali is the youngest of my sister's children and is the only Dagi-raht in the family .

She is the result of an ... indiscretion. You know of our kind. You know that the size and strength of our people comes from not only the parents, but most often the phases of the moons at the moment of birth.

If a pair is thinking of having little ones, it is not so hard to plan a little. One cannot predict the exact moment of birth, but a little counting on one's fingers can point to whether it would be wise to mate for the purpose of having children at certain times of the year depending on your wishes.

So it was that a Dagi-raht was born to a pair of Cathays who were not married. It caused my brother-in-law to leave Elseweyr over it. This one is grown now and I take her with me so that she might learn a little of the world. Her body is such as it is, but her mind is most often pure Cathay. That means that she causes much of her own misfortune with her mischief."

He smiled, "She has learned from the first to walk on two legs and not four, though she can if it suits her - such as when she wishes to slip into my tent, thinking that I cannot feel the new air as it comes in where there is no door."

Khali, who was listening nodded, a little proud of the ability.

"She does not like to get her front paws dirty with work. Dirt from merely walking is out of the question to her most times," Ri'Saad smiled again.

He turned to his niece, "Get your belongings packed. We are leaving."

"Already done, Uncle, "Khali nodded crisply, "Where do we go?"

Ri'Saad chuckled, "WE are going to the coast. I am low on supplies and have valuable goods to trade there. We will buy more supplies and wares and then journey back here first.

YOU are staying here."

"Here?" Khali asked, plainly astounded, "What am I to do here?"

"I give you into the service of this one," her uncle smiled a little wickedly, as though he was pleased that he was to be rid of her soon just for a change of pace.

"I have shown you all that there is to be learned as a lazy caravan follower. You can trade well, but you do not have the desire to. You can sneak and fight, but you need to learn when to be still and only watch.

This one is our new friend and she is of high worth to me. Try to learn from her how to live here. Assist her as you can and do what you need to protect her from bad merchants who would cheat her for she is new to this land.

If you leave her when she needs you most, then I will know it when I see you again and Khali, if it happens, then you have no kind uncle any longer."

He pointed as politely as possible, "The white markings on her lovely face above and around her eyes were given because they were earned. She is a warrior and her people do not give any honors lightly. She comes from a land far from here and her reasons for coming here are her own, so keep your tongue still about her if others ask.

Most of all, Khali ... do nothing to shame your family.

If you try to steal from her, she has my permission to kill you, for she is not one of the ones around here. I value her only for being here. Remember this."

As the rest of the Khajiit set about packing to be on their way, Khali said goodbye a little sadly, shouldered her pack and looked up at her new mistress sullenly, "This one has a name?"

"I am Dhaerys," the other one smiled, "I do not think that I needed to hear the description of you - as much as I was told. I am sorry if you were embarrassed by it."

Khali's eyes softened and her ears relaxed. Dhaerys was quite taken with how - different - Khali was to look at, and very lovely too in her way.

She had an odd combination of expressions to her. She could look disinterested, and yet also ready to act instantly at the same time. She looked to be a little nervous at being taken out of what she considered to be her element - and yet in the same moment, she had something of a rather excited air about her. Dhaerys was stunned over the vaguely sultry look that she saw in her new companion and was trying to guess what it was about.

There were what looked like slightly humanish features in that face, though it was clear that they stemmed from a feline source. What she could see of her skin was that at minimum, there was light fur over her cheeks and her nose was darker, along with her brows. Khali's hair was long and dark and hard to determine in terms of it's exact color. All that could be said was that it hung far down her back in a long ponytail. The eyes were most definitely catlike, though they had an intriguing look to them somehow. The rest of her - what could be seen, anyway - was pure feline overlaid again - onto some humanish features.

Her fur was dark grayish-brown (or was it brownish-gray?). Her overall build was lithe and very catlike - and yet as she bent to cinch one boot a little tighter, Dhaerys saw the swell of her hips, even clothed as she was and that tail as it twitched just a little while it meandered to and fro.

Dhaerys smiled to herself. She could see how someone like this could drive the average male to madness with desire, if he wasn't too stuck up that they weren't the same kind.

Dhaerys could have sat down on a boulder next to the road and listened to her all day, if she could have figured out a way to get her to speak more, since so far, she'd been largely silent.

"We need to hurry a little now, Khali," she said, "I am to see someone to give him a message."

With that, Dhaerys began to trot up the road toward the gates. She couldn't see them, but she understood how buildings which were designed to be defended were constructed. Without seeing it all, she was already confident that the road would lead up to the gates, passing enclosed galleries where archers could be placed to shoot down intruders. As it happened, she was correct.

"There will be trouble," Khali said as she trotted along, "The guards will not let me into the city."

Dhaerys looked over, "Why? Are you known to them?"

Khali shrugged, looking ahead, "A little perhaps. It depends on which ones have duty at the gates today. But I am Khajiit.

They will not let any Khajiit into the city."

"Then we tell them that you are my servant and we will see how far that tale takes us," Dhaerys smiled.

"Why not?" Khali nodded, "It is the truth."

Dhaerys shook her head, "No it is not.

If you do not wish to come with me Khali, then go back. Run to catch up with your uncle and tell him that I will give back his bonus as soon as I see him again. He knows that I will keep my word."

Khali looked confused, "Then what am I - if not a servant to you?"

The woman shrugged with a little smile, "Perhaps you should think of yourself as my learner instead."

With that, Dhaerys almost laughed to see the way that the tips of Khali's ears rose up.

Cathay, which are the predominantly - even almost exclusively seen type of Khajiit in Skyrim, tend to have a tendency toward having little pointed tufts of fur at the ends of their ears. Dagi tend not to have this feature, having 'regular' cat's ears most often. Dhaerys didn't know if the small but visible tufts on Khali's ears pointed to a familial trait or indicated that there was Cathay in her - even though she was not one - as Ri'Saad seemed to indicate.

But the admittance of a Khajiit was of little consequence that day it seemed when a guard stepped forward even before they were very near the gates.

"Halt!" He said forcefully, "City's closed with the dragons about."

His look became a little dismissive, "Official business only."

"I am here to see the Jarl," Dhaerys stated, "It is official."

"Sure it is," the guard smirked.

Dhaerys looked him right in the eyes, "I'm here to see the Jarl!

I've run all the way from Riverwood to give him a message. Do you know Gerdur there? The woman who runs the sawmill? She sent me."

The man looked even less concerned, "You'll need to do better than - "

Dhaerys screamed right into his face, "RIVERWOOD CALLS for AID, you FOOL! Now LET me IN! If the dragon tears that place a new asshole it will be your head for keeping me out! I NEED TO SEE THE JARL!"

"Don't be such an ass, Heimrick," the other guard said. Turning to Dhaerys, he said, "That's different. Go on in. Jarl Balgruuf is in the keep at the top of the hill, Dragonsreach. Just mind yourself. We'll be watching you."

"And this one stays out here," Heimrick said with a little grin, "The city's off-limits to cats. You don't need that one to say what you need to."

Khali began to back away, but Dhaerys put her hand onto her shoulder and pulled her along as she hissed quietly in the Khajiit tongue, "Don't back down, Khali. Pretend that you don't understand!"

To the pair of guards, she said, "This is my servant. You don't know much at all about the cat people, do you? There are different kinds. She is not the kind that you can't trust. I trust her with my life.

More importantly, she doesn't understand the common tongue, not a word. She is lost without me. If the Jarl doesn't want her here, let him tell me himself. Once he hears what I have to say, I doubt that he'll care much.

And anyway, I'd imagine that he had a little learning as a boy and can tell one kind of Khajiit from another."

"She does look different," the other man said to Heimrick, "Can't say as I've seen one like that before."

"You're wasting time," Dhaerys said, "Keep us out if you wish. I'll hire a courier to deliver the message that I can't get past a couple of guards with news of a dragon attack."

"Has a dragon attacked Riverwood?" the dumber one asked and Dhaerys shook her head.

"No, but one attacked Helgen and Gerdur is nervous since Riverwood is not far away to a flying dragon.

And before you ask, if the news hasn't gotten here already, there WAS a dragon at Helgen - back when there WAS a place called Helgen. It's a smoking ruin now, with bodies lying everywhere while the crows feed. I know that because I was there. Do you want to see everyone here like that, as food for the crows?

Do you wish to see this beautiful city in flames? It is an ugly sight, trust me.

Now in the name of the Nine, let us in!"

"How did you manage to get away?" Heimrick asked suspiciously.

"I'm not the type to run around screaming my head off," Dhaerys snarled, "I used my wits and crept away. It wasn't hard; there were lots and lots of big strong men screaming like girls and it kept the irritated beast busy just killing them to shut them up."

She pointed toward the gates, "Now ..."

They were trotting up the long hill toward the marketplace and Khali was smiling, "You are very persuasive, honored one. I almost believe you myself. But you said that you trust me with your life."

Dhaerys looked over, "In Khajiit only, Khali. And do not assume that I am the only one here who understands. It is unlikely that there is anyone else, but it is possible.

Your learning begins now. You can gain all sorts of things by standing around looking bored because it is clear that you do not understand.

And I do trust you with my life - as you must trust me with your own. If we hold that in our hearts, we can do anything - even if we run away from a fight. Like anything else, there is a moment when that is best done. Whether we run away or advance, we do it together and we will live longer."

She slowed to ask a fruit seller how to get to the keep. Khali told her that she knew the way and armed with that information, they trotted on up the many steps, changing direction several times and running up more stairs.

"How is it that you know the way through these streets, exactly?" Dhaerys asked with a little smile.

"I have been inside the walls before," Khali said as though it was nothing. "Guards cannot see in the dark as I can. They cannot climb as I can. And they never, ever look up."

"So, you were just exploring forbidden territory?" The Akaviri woman asked in a light tone.

"Yes," Khali replied, "All forbidden. The town, the people ...

"

She sighed heavily, more to herself, by the sound of it, "The men.

I like to look and I like to take what I see back to my bed. It helps me to sleep ... after.

I - I never do anything, Dhaerys. I only ... I only wish that I could. But my uncle would have any man who wanted me that way killed very quietly. It is our way. I only seek a little fun."

As she finished her remark, she looked aside to Dhaerys to see how it might be received.

Dhaerys laughed a little. "Good girl," she smiled.

Then she laughed again to see Khali's jaw almost fall open.

Dhaerys shrugged, "I like men too.

Forgive me, it can be difficult for one who is not Khajiit to determine the age of another. You are of age, yes?"

Khali nodded, "That is why it is already good to be away with you from Uncle's caravan.

He loves me and carries sadness in his heart that I have never known the love of a father, so he has tried to take that place for me as he could, whenever he could until I was old enough to travel with him. But Uncle thinks that I am still just out of my kittenhood - as I always will be to his eyes. I am in my twenty-second year."

"I am not much older at twenty-five, just turned," Dhaerys smiled, "So my Khali should get to thinking that she is grown and gone. My travels will take us from one end of this province to the other, probably several times before we are done - if we live. I am certain that there will be time for ... well, you know what I mean, I am sure."

"Oh yes," the Khajiit grinned, "I am glad to hear that, Dhaerys!"

Finally, they reached the great wooden doors and walked in, headed toward where the Jarl had to be.

"Did we really need to run up all of those stairs?" Khali asked.

"We are out of breath now, aren't we?" Dhaerys replied in Khajiiti, "That is not because we ran up the stairs. It is obviously because we ran all the way from Riverwood to anyone who gives our reason to be here any thought."

Khali nodded, "But what if they - "

"It makes no difference," Dhaerys said, "The attack happened yesterday and the dragon did not go to Riverwood by the time that I left early this morning. I don't know why not. I don't know what he was doing at Helgen. I only know that if he had NOT come when he did, I would be dead now.

Dragons are not stupid beasts. They have their own reasons for the things that they do and when they do them."

She looked over, "And you do not understand what these people are saying, do you?"

Khali nodded, getting the reminder just as a female elf in armor walked up to them and drew her sword, wanting to know who they were and why there were there.

Dhaerys only needed to mention the dragon attack at Helgen and she was instantly granted her audience with the Jarl. Whenever anyone looked at Khali while Dhaerys was explaining, they saw only someone who looked a little different as she stood and looked around, clearly ignorant of what was being said. She began with her name, only the given one.