35: Aboard the Grytewake again

I truly feel like a pirate. I am writing tonight in the master's cabin of a fine deep water vessel, bound at my command for distant Tel Vos. A vessel long since scrubbed clean of the blood shed by her former crew when she was taken by force. Taken by me.

Months have passed since I delivered the Grytewake to Wadarkhu, the Khajiit smuggler of Gnaar Mok. In all that time I had not seen him, or the former slave Rabinna, or the cargo of ebony the Cammona Tong had sold to the Nords who bled out on these decks. But there is honor among theives, and I was greeted like long lost family.

"Arvil Bren!" Rabinna shouted as I walked into the Dreugh-gigger's rest. She threw her paws around me and her tail wrapped around my leg. I noted a proprietary gleam in Wadarkhu's eye as I disengaged myself and shook his hand. Unsurprisingly his arm slipped around Rabinna's trim waist as she stepped back. She is certainly not the cowed and matted slave that she was when I first met her.

"I hope your travels have been on warm sands my good friend Arvil Bren," he said.

"Mostly," I said. "And you my good friend? No problems with the Cammona Tong I trust."

He almost purred. "They have kept a very low profile. There is a Rumor that the Dark Brotherhood wiped them out, and another that it was the Redorans. No proof of either one, despite all efforts by house Hlaalu to get to the bottom of it."

"I assume you have been a good citizen and filled the void. Hla Oad is well supplied?"

"Very well supplied, very well indeed. The Grytewake has much greater range than my coaster, and routinely brings goods to the Bitter Coast from all the major cities of Vvardenfell. Of course, with the embargo we do not travel to the mainland," he added blandly.

"Of course not," I agreed with a wink. "Why, that would be smuggling." We could not keep it up, and dissolved into laughter.

"More seriously," he began when we had settled a bit and taken seats at the table, "I have yet to find a buyer who can handle so much ebony. It's still buried." I grinned. I truly am a pirate, buried treasure and all. "If you are in need I could give you cash for some of it I suppose."

"I am in need Wadarkhu, but not in need of cash, or ebony. In fact, if there is any sort of memorable event that I missed you could have the ebony as a gift to mark the occassion."

He looked shyly towards Rabinna, who was animatedly moving about the Rest chatting with members of Wadarkhu's crew. "You have given me Grytewake, and given Rabinna her freedom...I could not take your ebony, even as a gift."

"Come on Wadarkhu! You saved my life once as well, and without you what was I going to do with that ship, or a cargo of ebony? Haul it overland in my pack? I do need a favor though, a favor that you are ideally suited to provide."

And so I came to have a ship at my disposal. I couldn't talk Wadarkhu into accepting the ebony as a gift, but it will serve admirably as illicit trade goods to make the voyage profitable for the crew, and Wadarkhu is comfotable that with me aboard there should be little trouble with pirates. Other pirates, I should say. We will reach the docks of Vos early tomorrow.