35: Deliverance

Reeh-jah is safely on his way to Black Marsh. Im-Kilaya at the Argonian mission in Ebonheart assures me that the Argonians have a way to get the runaway off of the island despite the embargo. I'm sure it will involve a sustained swim, but Reeh-jah has proven to be more than capable in that regard. Naturally.

We took our leave of Tel Fyr at first light. Although Divayth Fyr has told me on at least three occasions that he considers tempting thieves to be a hobby and that he doesn't take it personally when they succeed I thought it would be wise to put some distance between myself and the ancient wizard before he notices the closet I looted in his own chambers last night. He had boasted so much about the enchantments upon the hide breastplate that he had secreted there that I really couldn't resist.

I spent most of the day under the effects of a spell that provided me sufficient buoyancy to swim with my armor and weapons. I am certain I presented a strange sight to the slaughterfish and other denizens of the coastal waters. Reeh-jah looked much more in his element. The sinuous lizard body with its broad powerful tail is obviously made for swimming. Even with my spells I was hard pressed to keep up. Of course he had no desire to leave me behind. In fact he was clearly reluctant to follow our course at all.

I can't say I blame him. I don't know who it would have gone worse for had we been caught swimming into the Telvanni capital. As an escaped slave the best Reeh-jah could hope for was a return to his masters in Tel Aruhn. More likely he would be put to death. For me there was nothing else to expect but a swift demise. Needless to say we approached Sadrith Mora with extreme caution.

We emerged on the dock at Wolverine Hall. The guards on the battlements watched us crawl out of the water with interest...and with drawn bows. We waited patiently for the inevitable questioning. As soon as I could I requested that the guards get Skink-in-trees-shade from the guild hall to vouch for me. I didn't bother trying to tell them that I was the Archmage of Vvardenfell, the highest ranking member of the Imperial guild. In my wet and bedraggled state it would have been pretty unbelievable.

Skink arrived in short order and got us straightened out. Even being the steward of the local guild hall did not incline him to make any claims as to my official standing. He merely told the guards that the ragged adventurer and his Argonian slave had indeed been on a mission for him and requested that we be given access to the keep. The guards huffed a bit about the hospitality papers that the Telvanni require of visitors in Sadrith Mora, but they agreed to let Skink take responsibility for us after he promised to have his guild guide teleport us out as soon as we had made our report.

I suggested to Skink that we go to his private chambers rather than the Guild Hall. I did not want it widely known in the guild that I was assisting an escaped slave. I have no doubts about anyone's loyalties, but slavery is a very sore issue between the Dunmer and the Empire. Although it is outlawed throughout the Empire the Dunmer received an exemption in the peace treaty that brought their ancestral kingdom in as the imperial province of Morrowind. Slavery being allowed by local law puts the Imperial Legions in the unfamiliar position of maintaining 'justice' by capturing runaways such as Reeh-jah and punishing criminals who assist them such as myself. The legion's demonstrable and obviously intentional lack of success in these pursuits is a constant thorn in the side of the Dunmer, a thorn that is being regularly twisted by the more rebellious factions such as the Camonna Tong.

Skink offered one of his specially made robes to Reeh-jah and we passed him off as a visiting mage. The robe had the necessary modifications to accommodate his tail, and the voluminous sleeves hid the slave bracers that we had not had an opportunity to remove. We entered the guild hall quickly and had the guild guide transport us to Vivec City.

I introduced Reeh-jah brusquely and led the way out of the hall in Vivec City with no stops, pausing just long enough to let Malven know that I would be returning directly after seeing my guest to his destination. I was deliberately vague about where that destination was. I find myself appreciating my father's golden rule; the fewer facts left in your wake the better.

I delivered Reeh-jah safely into the reptilian hands of his kinsmen at the Argonian mission and returned to the guild hall to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening plowing through the accumulated paperwork that my absence generated. Even with my council prioritizing it for me there is a lot of paperwork to being the Archmage. Small wonder that Trebonius was so out of touch with events, since he had no inclination to delegate even meager authority.

I will sleep well.