The Path Less Traveled, Part 9
Part 10 to follow later today.
"I said my father and I spoke back and forth using letter written in the dragon's language. We did this so that if our letters were ever intercepted by the Morag Tong's enemies, they couldn't be deciphered. We sent letters to and from each other via a courier as well, as my father didn't want to risk me being caught with the Tong."
"What did you talk about in your letters?" Breylin asked me.
I looked up from my sword now. The day had worn late already, and overhead the moons hung in the sky. Laying beside me in a trough of cold water was my sword, the blade forged from dragon bones and the handle from ebony. "We spoke about his dealings with the Tong," I replied. I looked at the dark elf before continuing, "And the possibility of me joining them some day."
"Did your father ever give you any training?" she asked.
"None," I shook my head, "But I quickly told him I didn't want anything to do with his band of criminals and misfits, lest I end up like him or mother."
"And yet you ended up with a gang of bandits a few months later," said Breylin.
"True I did," I nodded now, giving the elf a small smile. "But I didn't plan on that happening when I left Solstheim. While I was still there, I worked on a farm for a dark elf, harvested his crops each season, weighing them, taking them into the settlement, Raven Rock, to sell them off. It was a nice life, but at the same time I had a craving for something for."
"It was dull?" she asked.
"Dull," I repeated. Then I smiled, and glanced at the trough where my new sword was, "That's a good word to use for it. Yes, It was dull work, and fairly repetitive. I suppose it lacked the thrill that being a bandit provided to say the least."
"What did you and your father talk about though?" Breylin asked.
"The Tong mostly," I held up a gloved hand, "How they operated, what my fathers current plans were at the time. He often spoke of finding my mother and getting her clean, then taking both of us, and himself, away to Skyrim. 'Up north Fathhar, I promise we'll have a good life!' he'd tell me," I paused, then spit out a laugh. "That bastard never tried to get my mother or I off of Solstheim, but by the gods did he have a good heart."
"Do you ever feel bad for leaving?" asked Breylin.
I looked at my newly-forged sword for a moment, but then replied, "Sometimes. Most of the time I thought of the Tong, and how my mother was more than likely sitting outside of some skooma dealers shack, counting out all the coin she could scrap up to buy her next bottle."
"Your father will surely be glad to see you," said Breylin.
"Hm," I gave a grunt, and stood up from the forge that Breylin and I sat by. A trough of cold water was set up to cool my sword, and I walked to the trough now, and poked a finger in. Through the cold water I touched my sword, which was now cold. I took hold of it and drew it from the water. It shimmered in the cloud-covered sunlight, and I flicked the water droplets away. I held up the blade, examining the line of ebony that ran down the length of the blade and made up the handle. The dragon bones were polished to a light color almost like sand, and the blade was lightweight. The pommel of the handle was a small ring, and I rested the flat of the blade on my shoulder, and turned to Breylin.
* * *
I set about creating a set of armor for myself, and then forged a set of bracers to be worn over my gloves, and a set of plates that would fit over my boots. I fashioned a sheath for my sword out of leather, and slung it over my back. Sliding the sword into the sheath, I adjusted it before tugging at my gloves. I had shaped the bracers and metals pieces for my boots, and had set them into the trough to cool, along with the chest and back plate. They would likely be ready the next morning, so as I ran a hand through my hair I followed Breylin from the forge and back through the camp.
"Now that you've rested," said the elf, "I'm sure you'd like to visit your father."
"It would be smart I suppose," I replied. "After all he sent me a letter, and I feel obligated to see him. It would also be wise to pay respects to my mother."
"Then we'll leave the next morning, once your ready," said Breylin. "And while we organize a ship to take us there," the elf reached into her belt and withdrew a small letter now, "You should read this."
"What is it?" I asked. I took the letter and unfolded the paper.
"A request from a contact of ours on Solstheim," she replied. "We have a working of spies across Solstheim, and your father and Tong are sort of mixed into that working. The Tong and the Wolves of Darkness aren't exactly allies, but at the same time we aren't enemies either."
"So everyone is on mutual ground then?" I glanced up from the page.
"Exactly," Breylin nodded.
I nodded and looked back at the paper. I read it all the way through, then asked Breylin, "So this is my first contract?"
"More or less," she nodded again.
"Seems simple enough," I said. "A father who's being stifled from his gold by a greedy merchant," I read the letter a second time, then said, "And the merchant lives in Dawnstar."
"A half days ride from here, if you leave at sunrise," said Breylin.
"Sounds good to me," I said. I folded up the letter and tucked it into a pouch on my belt. "Any idea what this'll pay?"
"I couldn't guess," said Breylin with a small smile, "But wealth comes in all shapes and sizes, don't forget that."
"Right," I nodded.
"What is your plan now?" asked the dark elf.
"This contract, for starters," was my reply.
"We have horses near the back of the camp, to the right side," said Breylin.
"Horses," I nodded, but was quiet for a moment. Overhead, I heard the shriek of a hawk, and looked up. I saw the bird, circling overhead, high in the sky, but not that high.
"Fathhar?" Breylin noticed my pause, and I looked away from the hawk and back at the dark elf.
"Sorry," I said, "Heard that hawk call, and it got me thinking."
"Thinking about what?" she asked.
"Well," I paused, then said, "When I was a young boy, there were a group of... breeders I suppose you could call them, that lived on Solstheim. But they weren't normal animal breeders you see. They were magical breeders. Could breed, hatch, and raise things like beast wolves, trolls, mutant dogs, even basilisks."
"A basa... what?" Breylin looked at me now.
"A basilisk," I said with a small smile, "There are a few ways you can breed them, depending on what kind you want. You can hatch a toad egg underneath a chicken for a kind of snake-like basilisk. Another form is breed by hatching a slaughterfish egg under a hawk," gestured to the sky now, "A there are a few more ways to do it. Some fly and some don't, and some are fast while others might have a more protective hiding."
"Do those breeders still live on Solstheim?" Breylin asked.
"I would assume so," I nodded, "The beasts and creatures they breed were very exotic, although expensive, and many children took them home as pets, and some soldiers would use them as company on the battlefield."
"Then it seems you'll have something to look forward to when we visit Solstheim."
"We?" I glanced at the elf now. We had walked the length of the Sea and were moving back into the camp.
"We," Breylin nodded. "I'll accompany you to Solstheim. Not as a guide of course, seeing as you were born there. Instead I'll act as your shadow, just to observe the events that transpire between you and your father."
"Because the Tong and the Wolves have mutual interests?" I replied with a small smile.
"Yes," Breylin returned the smile with one of her own, "In addition to being one of the Wolves mages, I also act as a record keeper. I and a few other members write down what happens in our camp and clan, preserving it for the next generation."
"Right," I nodded. I paused though, then said, "Do you think it would be possible to recover any of my things from when I was first imprisoned?"
Breylin looked at me. But then she bit her lip, and made a "hmm," sound. "Maybe," she said. "What would you want back?"
"My journal," I replied, "I could start a new one with no trouble, but that one has all of my early years written in it, as well as the time I spent on Solstheim, and with the White River gang," I paused again, then said, "I suppose I'd want it back for keepsakes rather than anything else."
Breylin put a hand to my arm now, and when I looked at her, gave me a smile. "I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," I put my hand over hers.
* * *
As the night continued into night, Breylin and I retired to the tent we shared near the middle of the camp. There we undressed and laid in the bed together, where we made love. It was slow and passionate, and the elf moaned and breathed into my ear as I rocked my hips against hers.
I neared my climax and she cried out my name, gripping my shoulders with her hands. I felt my seed leave my length and shoot into Breylin, and I moaned, my hands pressing on either side of the bed. I moaned again as a second wave left my body, and then laid on the bed. Breylin rolled over and laid beside me, resting a hand on my chest.
We laid in silence for a few moments, then Breylin sat up on her elbow, looking at me. "Fathhar," she said my name quietly.
I looked at the elf, reaching out to touch her arm, and meet her eyes. But as I looked into her eyes, I could tell something was troubling her. "What is it?" I sat up now.
Breylin bit her lip, then looked away. Her hair fell in her face, and now I sat up more, putting a hand to her chin. I turned her face back to mine, and the dark elf tucked her hair behind her ear. She meet my eyes, then said,
"I..." again she paused, then finally said, "I love you."
I starred at Breylin, her deep red eyes starring into my own brighter eyes. But then I leaned forward and put my lips to hers. Her hand found my face as we kissed, and when we pulled away I said,
"I love you as well."