Swamp Towns and More Wet Fur

The Council Club was close to the stairs leading up to where the silt-bug driver stands and waits for foolish people who want to sit inside bugs. Kiseena was watched carefully as Kiseena went down to the tavern level. The man behind the bar directed Kiseena to Sovor Trandel, one of the better-dressed servants this one had seen. He was not as critical or distrusting of outsiders as the other dark elves of the room seemed to be. Much booze and much monetary persuasion was done, but eventually the inebriated Sovor gave Kiseena the key requested by Habasi.

Although Sugar-Lips Habasi was less thrilled about receiving the key as she was receiving the diamond, the reward in-pocket was greater. Five hundred gold for a simple key and a few hours among dunmer giving Kiseena dirty looks. A bargain no matter the context. Also, this one now proudly holds the rank of Footpad. Kiseena is unsure about what the rank words mean or what they entitle, but it feels nice all the same.

Another task was given to this one. A friend of Habasi's by the name of Ra'Zhid in the town of Hla Oad has stolen dwarven artifacts from the guild of thieves. If the khajiit in question will not return the items, Kiseena is to find them and take them back through standard sneaky tactics. Hla Oad would prove to be quite a trip south from Balmora. Although Caius was likely waiting to hear from Kiseena again, he had told this one to cultivate an identity. How better to do so than to undertake a large job for the guild of thieves?

The way would be tricky. No roads lead directly from Balmora to Hla Oad. Asking around, an argonian by the name of Hul mentioned that the easiest course would be to head straight south along the Odai River that passes through Balmora until a correct road may be found. If Kiseena reaches the shore, then Kiseena has gone too far.

Kiseena collected her chitin armor and weapons that had been hidden before visiting the Council Club earlier in the day. Kiseena then bid the large town of Balmora farewell and set off along the river Odai. Thunder began to rumble in the distance as Kiseena happened across a kwama egg mine that resting miners called Shulk. The group of them were talking of something called the "Nerevarine prophecy" when Kiseena arrived. As the storm got closer, the group of them returned to the safety of the mine. Kiseena was not so lucky, and so the sound of rain bouncing off the metal of the new fur hat came quickly.

The storm almost seemed to let up while Kiseena was fighting a pair of scrib. As Kiseena continued south, the grass gave way to more ashen hills, and the thunder returned much more loudly. Mother would have said that the sky "opened up" then, with rain pouring down at such a volume that it became hard to see. At the shape of a wooden bridge, Kiseena turned west and thankfully left the ash and Odai behind to return to a pathway and words on blessed signs. It then became easy for Kiseena to find the town of Hla Oad, where this one sat on a bench beneath the awning of a hut and listened to the rain as words were written.