Warriors and Thieves: Chapter Four

  • Warriors and Thieves

    Chapter Four
    Talk, Talk, Talk

    Gromph woke with a jolt from a sleep he’d never meant to have. He was surprised to find himself in a soft skin-bed. I don’t remember getting here, he thought as he looked around the small room.

    “A good sleep?”

    Gromph jumped with surprise at the unexpected voice, instantly regretting it as a shock of pain shot through his left flank. He sat up to inspect the wound, surprised to find it neatly bandaged.

    “I think so” He said at the person who had spoken to him; a small khajiit woman, her fur light brown with a zigzag pattern of darker brown. She was sitting on a small chair, a book in one hand and an empty tankard in the other.

    “Well that is nice to know”, she said with a lopsided smile, “you have been gone a very long time”.

    Gromph grunted at that, “How long?” he asked.

    “Ahhh this one does not know exactly”, she giggled, although to Gromph it sounded more like a hiccupy purr, “A khajiit must have dozed off herself sometime during the night”.

    She got up from her chair, laying down the book and drink on the small wooden table besides her, “But where is this one's manners? My name is Farideh”, she bowed elegantly, “What is your name my friend?”.

    “I’m Gromph” said Gromph.

    “A pleasure indeed”.

    “How did I get here?” Asked Gromph looking around the room with a questioning look.

    The khajiit tilted her head slightly to the left, “I got some of the miners to lift you”, she giggled again, “They weren't very happy about it… they fear you”.

    Gromph grunted with amusement at that, “Most men do”, he said with a faded smile, but not you… I wonder why.

    “Maybe it’s because of all the scars?” Asked the khajiit with a smile of her own.

    Once more Gromph grunted, “Heh probably”, he glanced at the bandage around his waist, “Seems like I’ve gotten one more for the collection”.    

     

    The conversation continued for a while. Gromph asked about what had happened the night before and Farideh answered as best she could. Gromph discovered that the khajiit had been the one to clean his wound, bandage it and gotten him out of his armor and into the bed. He was thankful, despite himself; dying of wounds after combat and dying in the heat of battle are two very different things after all.        

    “Then I am in your debt, Farideh”, said Gromph after hearing the story.

    She fell silent, then spoke after considering, “A khajiit knows this”, said Farideh, her face suddenly becoming very serious, “This one will not lie to you Gromph; a khajiit saved your life for a reason”.

    He had expected as much, he could sense that the khajiit wanted more than simply payment for her services. This one is slippery, he thought, I better be careful around her - but despite that he found himself liking the khajiit, and Gromph very rarely found himself liking anything at all.

    She has backbone, no fear of me and I can tell she has seen more than her fair share of violence…

    Gromph frowned, “Tell me then”.

    The Khajiit leaned closer to him, “Listen, Gromph, Farideh does not wish to use you. This one merely wants to strike a deal - a deal that would benefit us both, yes?”

    “Mmmh, what do you have in mind?”.

    Farideh drew away again, sitting down in the wooden chair once more. “You have not told, but a khajiit can tell that you, orc, seek to please Malacath in the last way an orc ever does, yes?”

    “What you say is true”, answered Gromph.

    “Well, you see, this one might be able to give you what you seek…”

    Gromph laughed, “Do you wish to fight me khajiit?”.

    She smiled slyly, “Nooo, don’t be foolish, this one has no wish of dying”.

    “Then how would you have me die an honorable death?”, he asked.

    “Farideh has…”, she paused, considering which words to use, “...has had an unfortunate acquaintance with some very dangerous people - people that want this one dead, sooner rather than later”.

    “And you wish my protection?” Asked Gromph with a grunt.

    Farideh nodded slowly, “A khajiit thinks you might find… honor”.

    All his life Gromph had fought for noone but himself, and now this khajiit woman wanted him to fight for her? He didn’t like it. But he was growing old, and during the last few hours of conversation he had felt the first spark of friendship between them. Gromph found that strangest of all; never in all his years had he expected to find friends amongst the honorless.

    But here I am, he thought grimly.

    “I am in no fighting condition”, he said tapping the bandage with his massive hand.

    “Farideh can fix that...if you accept, that is”.

    Gromph sighed, he was tired of fighting for himself… maybe it was time to lay aside the foolish thoughts of a young orc and start thinking like an old one.

    “I accept”.

    The khajiit blinked, then slumped down in her seat with a low sigh, “Farideh was not expecting you to accept”, she muttered, “This one is truly thankful”.

    She got up and left the room, leaving Gromph in the bed more confused than he had been when he woke up “what the hell was that about?” he asked himself.

     

    He soon found out as Farideh came back with a glass flask containing some sort of crimson substance. It looked like blood.

    She gave him the flask, “Drink” she said.

    “What is this?”

    “A potion, it is not dangerous. Drink”

    Gromph drunk it, then spat, “Mammoth’s arse!”, he shouted, “tastes worse than a giants armpit!”. Farideh threw her head back with laughter, she was crying with it, “What did you expect? Have you never tasted a healing potion before?”

    “Gods no! It’s fouler than draugr’s breath”, he spat again.

    Farideh was still hulking laughed, “Yeeess-”, she said, trying to get the words out without laughing, “But take of the bandage and have a look”.

    He did, “By Malacath… Farideh you are a genious”

    She smiled a big wolf smile, “I know”.

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Comments

8 Comments
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  January 26, 2016
    Good set-up: I wonder what happena next!
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  January 19, 2016

    I can tell they'll make a great pair, or at least an entertaining one. Caught a few typos:
    Farideh [, who] was still hulking [,] laughed, “Yeeess-”,
    without laughing, “But take of [off] the bandage and have a look”.
  • LokaCola
    LokaCola   ·  January 15, 2016
    Oh, so that's how healing potions tastes like... That does put the whole chugging down potions in a bit different perspective. Loved his reaction nonetheless.

    An Orc and a Khajiit, that is indeed an interesting pairing that isn't very usual. ...  more
  • BlueDremora
    BlueDremora   ·  January 11, 2016
    Thanks guys! I've got most of the boring stuff over with, from now on the story will accelerate in both drama and action xD
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  January 10, 2016
    @ Lissete, what about a Orc male with a Redguard Female? Cause Jake is friends with Kiara in my tale.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  January 10, 2016
    I am liking the pairing of a Khajiit with an Orc. It shouldn't work, but then yes, it does, and quite well. 
  • Lyall
    Lyall   ·  January 10, 2016
    This is good, his reaction to the healing potion was funny. By the way, you put "noone" in the sentence: "All his life Gromph had fought for noone but himself." It's supposed to be no one, with a space.
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  January 10, 2016
    Good piece man, glad the Old Orc is still kickin'