Sotek started rooting through various bits and pieces which lay scattered around the remains of the camp. He found the cooking pot and placed it in the centre of the ‘camp’ along with a few poles which were fortunately intact. The grill that they used to cook his fish on was nearby and that quickly found itself being added to the rapidly growing pile.
Quentarii looked up at him as she wiped the tears from her face.
“Wha… what are you doing?”
Sotek gently tossed three wooden bowls to the ground then boldly walked over to her.
“I remember the stories you told us when we came here! We had nothing but a stupid cart and a few leathers. We’re ok ma! You only had a few gold left when we arrived at Vos! And they didn’t like us...”
He pointed across the hills to the farming settlement as he spoke with a clarity which he had often found in his mother’s own words.
“They do now, and we’ve gold don’t we! How much is in that pouch maa?”
Quentarii’s eyes opened wide when she remembered the pouch that the captain had given to Sotek. She pulled it out of her robes and tipped out the contents on her lap. Quentarii knew the gold was a fair amount due to the pouches weight. She guessed there was well over 150 gold there but when she actually counted the coins she found that Sotek had over 200 septims.
“There’s two hundred and twenty gold here... Why in the whole of Tamriel did the captain give you that much?”
Sotek smiled back at her cheekily while he gave her a cuddle.
“We had a good haul”.
Quentarii scooped up the gold and placed it in the pouch and tried to hand it back to Sotek.
“It’s yours. I’ll not take that away from you. No, I’ll think of something don’t you worry”.
Sotek blatantly threw it back on her lap then pulled two of his sisters up on their feet.
“It’s ours. Let’s go shopping… I want an apple!”
Quentarii stood up and shook her arms to restore some life into them. She smiled back at him as she gathered her family together then led them towards Vos.
“Yes... today isn’t a day for pride, it’s a day for survival. Let’s go shopping. Sotek, Kut’ara, keep an eye out for any plants which we could sell. We are bound to come across something. Vele’nara, you take the lead”.
As they headed southwards towards Vos they did indeed find various plants which they managed to utilize for alchemy. Marshmerrow was one such plant and there was plenty of Saltrice along with Wickwheat that also grew in abundance.
When they were nearing Vos, a Nix-hound picked up their scent and decided to investigate. Quentarii smiled to herself and let lose a single fireball which shot out towards it. The hound disappeared in a ball of flames and collapsed on the ground. Vele’nara quickly finished it off with a single stab in its ribs with her iron dagger. Both she and Kut’ara then set about the task of harvesting the kill for Nix meat which their mother happily carried in her pack.
“That’s dinner sorted out”. Quentarii stated as she smiled reassuringly to the three girls. Sotek nodded his approval at his mother’s spirited attempts at cheering the girls on in their dark hour.
By the time they arrived at the outskirts of Vos, they had various samples of alchemy ingredients to sell as well as a few decent sized lumps of crab meat from a Mudcrab that they happened to chance across by the harbour. Quentarii ignored Tel Vos, the castle which sat upon the large hillside and looked over the settlement and even the harbour of Tel Mora which lay across the narrow stretch of sea. Instead, she made her way to Vos itself. It didn’t comprise of much as most of the traders were situated in Tel Vos’s Services Tower which was in the north west section of the castle. Quentarii always traded with the owner of Varo Tradehouse. It was housed in a giant wooden bulbous pod that had been hollowed out and the ‘steps’ or rather ramp was part of the giant woody tree like tentacle which lazily twisted upwards.
Burcanius Varo, the trader and publican warmly greeted Quentarii as soon as he had saw her. Even to this day he remembered when he first laid eyes on her and the scrawny litter that followed her around. Sotek wasn’t two weeks old when they were first introduced. Varo was the first one to offer Quentarii trade and was far more willing to arrange any form of credit.
“Quentarii? Whatever is the matter? You look awful. You do know it’s The New Life festival! Oh come now, you look like you’re about to burst into tears. Vele’whats your name? Get some drinks for your sisters and that toad of a brother, hahaha”. He tossed an apple over to Sotek then laid out a plate of sweet rolls for the girls to help themselves to before he took Quentarii to the side and sat her down.
Quentarii drew a heavy sigh and looked towards the three girls with a sense of dread regarding their future. Sotek delicately placed the apple stork on the counter and glanced up expectantly at Burcanius.
“Our camp was washed away”.
Quentarii picked the hatchling up and sat him on her lap.
“From the storm last night. But this little brave one who has a tendency to go wandering off, came through with hard work. We need supplies and I have little to trade for them at the moment. I hate to come to you like this… We have gold… Thanks to Sotek here”.
Burcanius rubbed Sotek on the head as best as he could due to Sotek’s bone spikes and nodded.
“There’s not much I can help you with barring food at the moment”. He pondered upon the problem as he glanced over his shoulder. He seemingly studied the racks containing various flasks of Greef and Flin. There were even expensive drinks such as Cyrodiilic brandy which would sell for 100 gold a bottle. “Leave it with me and I will see what I can come up with”.
As they sat at the table and talked, neither of them realised that someone was listening in on their conversation. Above them on the first floor captain Orag and his crew were celebrating New Life Festival in their typical tradition of drink and food. The captain leaned over the stairwell and listened intently to Quentarii’s tale. He looked back to his crew and nodded to himself.
“Lads… I think it’s time we hired a new crew member”
The Argonian smiled as he looked up from his plate of raw fish.
“Would that happen to be a certain young scamp cap’n?”
Orag grinned wildly and four of his tusks stuck out of the sides of his mouth.
“Aye!!”
By the time they arrived back at camp, the sun was directly overhead marking the middle of the day. Quentarii started a fire while Sotek took on the role as ‘gatherer’ and collected some fire wood. They had a few kwama eggs that Quentarii cooked along with the Nix-hound meat which she had from earlier.
Just as she was about to serve up the meal on a few wooden plates which they had managed to salvage, Kat’rini tugged on her arm and pointed towards the south.
“Who are they mum?”
Quentarii looked down at her briefly before she looked to see where she was pointing.
“Who are who dear? Oh my... Captain Orag? Of the Stone Hammer I believe?”
“Aye, we heard the storm hit you pretty hard but even I didn’t think it was as bad as this”. He dismissed his crew who were pulling a cart laden with old sails, rope and four barrels along with a mixture of various wares.
The crew gathered the poles which the cook was carrying and set about pitching up various tents using the leather Quentarii managed to salvage along with the sails while the captain briefly explained as to why they were there.
“We look after our own and besides that young scamp of yours saved my ship. If he hadn’t grabbed that rope, we would have hit the rocks. That would have been the end for us. There’s several wrecks out there below the water”.
Sotek’s ears perked up with interest as he glanced towards the east.
“Really? Where?”
Quentarii grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled in his reins before he went running off to try to find them.
“Oh no you don’t thank you. You stay away from there, you hear me”. Sotek sheepishly nodded then slipped away to mingle with the crew of the Stone Hammer.
Quentarii was joined by the cook and between them, they prepared various fish that were stored in one of the barrels. A second barrel contained fresh water which the girls swarmed around while a third contained grog for the crew and Quentarii. She was surprised when Sotek was given a cup and more so surprised when he sat with the older Argonian and drank it. He coughed a bit but once he drank somewhat slower he became accustomed to its taste.
Once the fish and extra food were served, they all sat around the camp fire to eat. Four tents had now been erected in a half moon and an old sail was draped over them all giving them a single ‘shell’. The cook presented Quentarii with a roll of leather as a gift which had various cooking knives while the captain gave each of Sotek's sisters a parcel containing a dress. They were obviously second hand but each girl accepted the presents with gratitude and gave him a hug which made him feel uncomfortable. The whole crew saw him blush and started sniggering at their ‘tough as old boots’ captain, especially when a tear formed in his eye.
Sotek was given a leather parcel from the older Argonian. When Sotek unwrapped it he found two one handed axes which had deep purple feathers. The same feathers which adorned the Argonians head.
When Sotek picked one up, he weighed it in his hands. Something seemed wrong to him but he couldn’t work out what it was.
“These are light! Why is that?” He asked with a confused expression on his face. “Is it because I’m smaller than you?” He thought that would be the case as the Argonian’s own axe which was in its scabbard seemed larger.
The Argonian laughed and shook his head as he rose to his feet.
“No, they aren’t for fighting with. They are throwing axes... Here pass me them”.
Sotek did as he was asked and gave them to the Argonian. He held both of them in his hands and turned towards an old tree. Moments later both axes flew out of his hands and embedded into the tree just a mere few inches away from each other. He walked over to them and tugged on each handle until the axes gave way.
“Their weight is set to throw, not hit with. You practice with them and bring them with you. I’ll teach you how to use them while we’re at sea. I warn you though... If they go overboard then you do as well until you find ‘em”.
Orag, the captain laughed as Sotek slowly turned towards him.
“At sea?”
The captain nodded as he beckoned Sotek over to him.
“Aye... You get your tail over to the docks in four days time. You hear me boy?”
Sotek smiled evilly as he glanced up at Orag.
“His name is Sotek”.
The cook smirked as she watched Sotek go toe to toe with captain Orag. She quietly nodded approval to the hatchlings mettle.
Orag however wasn’t so patient or amused. He angrily tapped himself in the chest as he fortified his title to the young upstart.
“You say ‘yes captain. Do you hear me... Sotek?”
Sotek glanced back at his mother and gave her a slight wink before he got up to his feet and walked towards Orag. He gave the Orc a salute then spoke in the best ‘pirate’ voice he could muster.
“Aye Cap’n. I be at the docks in four suns time”.
The Orc grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer. Sotek could smell his breath and his tusks seemed to grow the more Sotek watched. Orag’s tough deep voice seemed to shatter the very air as he spoke.
“Are you afraid of me boy? If not, then you will be!”
Sotek smiled and shook his head.
“Fear finishes the battle before it even starts so no, I am not afraid. Besides, I don’t follow those who I am afraid of... Captain...”
He was let go then a bottle of grog was thrust in his chest. Orag glanced over the camp fire to Quentarii and snorted.
“Welcome to the crew!!! You lippy little bastard”.
Vele’nara brazenly walked up to her brother and gave him a shove in his back.
“Sotek, you know that little voice people have that tells them to quit when they're ahead? You don't have one!!”
Sotek growled as he turned towards her.
“Hssss!”
Comments
Fixed x 4
Hope you enjoyed the story.
In line 6 of paragraph 48 you should add an apostrophe to Soteks.
In paragraph 67 you spelled Orag's as Orga's.
In paragraph 72 you made a little rookie mi... more