Sun rays were finding their way through the dense green foliage of the pine forest right in Scrag's eyes as he was lying on his back in a carriage, slightly rocking along a paved road to Falkreath. He tried to shift but an excruciating pain made him to instantly regret that decision. His face felt like it was barely holding together and he knew for certain that at least three of his ribs were broken. With vision blurred from the pain Scrag left out a scream which came out only as a low heavy moan. Suddenly the sun was blocked by a strange face that resembled the very beast that attacked him only with smaller fangs.
“Your spells had worked, Zarrina” was the last thing he heard before falling back to the warm embrace of unconsciousness…
* * *
The next time Scrag regained consciousness it was late evening of the next day. He felt much better;moving still caused pain but not as much and he shifted his position to sitting.
“Feeling better?” a low voice with strange accent sounded from beside him.
Turning to his right Scrag saw the owner of the face that scared him earlier - a young Khajiit girl with light-colored fur and yellow irises.
“Yes, thank you” he muttered shifting a bit farther.
“What's your name?” young girl was quite persistent and didn't seem to be affected by his attitude at the very least.
“Scrag”
“Its nice to meet you Scrag! My name's Chiran. You are so lucky! If it weren't for us…”
“Chiran, Ji’har was calling for you” a female figure approached them.
“Yes, Ahdani” was the response and young girl hurried to the campfire burning nearby.
“So, you're Scrag, yes?” Ahdani sat near him.
Scrag studied her for a moment – this Khajiit woman was old enough to have a grown-up daughter but one would have never guessed it from her looks and fit figure. Her dark fur almost disappeared in the dusk shadows leaving visible only her sky-colored eyes. Light from the campfire reflected in the gold rings she had in her ears.
“Yes, and you're Ahdani?”
“Ah, so you know how to pay attention? Good… Yes, my name is Ahdani and I'm the leader of this caravan. We saved you from the saber cat. What were you doing out there, unarmed and with nothing but these rags on your back?”
The pictures of the carnage at Greenspring Hollow and his desperate escape from the saber cat stood before Scrag's eyes and a wave of nausea washed over him.
“Please, I don't want to talk about that” he spoke with a low voice. Then, remembering Drelas and the punishment he'd receive on return, he continued “I don't have any place to return to. Not anymore. If you'll let me, I'd love to stay with your caravan, Ahdani.”
“And what can you possibly offer us in return?” inquired Ahdani, assessing the unnaturally skinny Orc before her.
“I can help with making potions – I know properties of many ingredients. Mostly the ones from Whiterun plains but I know some others as well…”
“Mother, he is still too weak and needs rest” a dark-furred Khajiit girl came out of shadow behind Ahdani and graciously approached them. The light from campfire danced on her big white eyes with pupils enlarged to better see in the growing darkness. She wore green robes which accentuated her slim figure and didn't constrain her movements at the same time.
“Ah, Zarrina. You're making progress girl – I didn't hear you.”
“This Khajiit can always disappear whenever she wants to, mother” Zarrina spoke softly, with a slight smile. Then her expression changed “I was serious though. He needs to rest.”
“All right, all right, I'm leaving…” she turned to Scrag “You can stay with us, just remember – my word is law around here. End up causing trouble and you'll regret it dearly.”
“Thank you, Ahdani!” he spoke relieved “You won't regret it.”
“We'll see…” Ahdani muttered already on her way back to the campfire.
Zarrina took her place near Scrag and put her hands on his chest gently urging him to lie down. When his head hit the rolled leather of a bedroll he realized how tired he really was. The eyelids closed by themselves and he almost instantly fell asleep under the faint ringing sound of healing spells casted by Khajiit healer…
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