Dar'Elaraya came back out of the mine with new archery and sneaking tactics, along with a few less steel arrows and six fresh bottles of frostbite posion. She also realize this was an ebony mine, which makes it very valuable to the habitants of Shor's Stone. And, best of all, unscathed. She saw Filnjar at the fire with the other miners and greeted him with good news.

"The spiders are cleared out of your mine, Filnjar."

"Gone?" he said in disbelief. Or the want to believe something that was too good to be true. "Every last one of them? Why, that's incredible." Filnjar looked at his fellow miners. "Finally, we can reopen the mine and put Shor's Stone back on the map!" Turning to Dar'Elaraya with a smile, he handed her the coin he had promised. "Here, please accept this gift as a token of our gratitude."

When she took the coin, Dar'Elaraya was surprised. She estimated the weight of her own coin purse to that of the one she just received. It weighed more than hers. She stared at Filnjar in shock. "How much coin...?"

"Is it?" he finished. "The better part of five hundred septims, friend. You gave us our lives back when the guards didn't."

"Thank you, Filnjar," she managed. The blacksmith smiled again, then headed inside. It was nearing midnight, afterall. For the night, Dar'Elaraya slept next to the cooking fire the miners had been sitting around.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

In the morning, Dar'Elaraya left early. She only slept for about six hours, and was on the road again. Though, instead of heading westward to Treva's Watch, she decided to find Darkwater Crossing and deliver the satchel. She figured that after the courier job she's agreed to, she could come back around by following the river to Treva's Watch and clear everything out, go back to Shor's Stone, and back to Riften. Or to skip that entirely, head toward Riverwood and drop in with Ralof, and head to Whiterun. So many choices... but I'll go to Darkwater Crossing for now. I'll figure out what I'll do after later.

Following the path, Dar'Elaraya came upon a watchtower. It had a small sign above the entryway, but she was appalled by the obvious skirmish that happened to notice. Two Rift guards' bodies lay on the ground, dry blood soaked into the soil. Nonetheless, she quickly looted the bodies, taking the Rift guard armor from one, just in case she ever needed a disguise. She also got new steel arrows from both bodies.

Tentatively entering the Shor's Stone watchtower, she saw blood on the stairway and weapons on the ground. Under a bench was a note, presumably sent by Riften's soldiers. It read,

Akar,
We've word of a band of Legion soldiers advancing your position. Reinforcements are on the way. Talos guard you.

After reading the note, she placed it on the table. She didn't want to stay, but she thought that there could be supplies to scavange. As Dar'Elaraya walked up the stairs, checking bags and sacks, she saw more blood. At the very top, there were two more dead Rift guards. She grabbed the steel arrows and gold they had, leaving them with their armor and weapons. There was a confiscation chest next to one of the bodies, and she carefully stayed away from the blood as much as possible while still being able to pick the lock.

It wasn't an overly complex lock, one of the easiest there could be, and it was opened in one quick second. More coin and steel arrows were inside.

When she exited the watchtower, the dawn sky was a deep blue-purple with the aurora borealis dancing in the sky. It was beautiful, and lead the Khajiit away from the dreadful scene at the watchtower.

As she walked, she picked the flora of the area to use in potions. Dar'Elaraya wanted to be able to poison her enemies with paralysis potions, so they don't bother her and she doesn't have to kill them. What Brynjolf had said went along with her own morals, "Keep you blade clean. We can't turn a profit by killing," he had said. Plus, Aringoth was to stay alive if possible.

A wolf jumped out at Dar'Elaraya, who was lost in thought, and bit onto her Thieves Guild leather bracers. With her right sword hand unable to draw her sword, she quickly reached behind her with her left hand and grabbed the steel dagger she had in a makeshift sheathe on the knapsack. With one quick stab, the dagger pierced the wolf's throat and its grip on her sword arm slackened. It fell off, dead, and she skinned it, once more taking the pelt as she did the day before.

Further still down the cobblestone path, Dar'Elaraya found steps leading westward. She followed them up, hearing the voices of people in that direction. A beaten path wound it's way toward the voices.

The Khajiit smelled something familiar, and a few seconds later two wolves bounded into her. She caught one with her destruction magic before it even reached her, but the other one jumped up to try to bring her down. With a fierce hiss and a quick maneuvering of her sword, she stabbed the wolf sideways through it's side. It fell down, in pain, before the Khajiit finished the job and skinned it. She accidentially cut open a part of one of the wolves' muscles, but she didn't pay it any mind. "This one wishes the wolves would leave her alone." As she moved to stand, something glinted on one of the wolves' sides. Something purple, in it's stomach. Hesitantly, she reached inside it and grabbed the amethyst, bringing it out. She hissed with distaste. "At least this place should have water. It is called Darkwater Crossing, afterall."

When she reached the end of the path, there was a cave. She could still hear faint voices, but this was not what she had been looking for. Turning around and heading back for the cobble path, she watched carefully for signs of sentient life.

She didn't find much before she ran into two more wolves, one of which had swallowed a garnet, and three vampire hunters. They passed her without a word. Two more wolves after that had attacked her, and, interestingly enough, a thief from the Guild bumped into her.

"Alright. Hand over your valuables or I'll gut you like a fish," the Dunmer said, her dagger in hand.

"Hold on," Dar'Elaraya said as the Dumner thief moved toward her. "Don't you recognize Khajiit? I'm new and on the Goldenglow job. Remember, yes?"

The Dunmer woman halted her advance. "That's right," she said, slowly. "I've seen you around the Flagon. Good luck out there!"

"And to yourself."

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

Dar'Elaraya made it to Darkwater Crossing alive. She ran into more wolves and another detour.

When she reached the village, it did indeed have water. Not that it was much use to the Khajiit, having taken wrong turns and the rain that started on the way. Another thing, when she reached the village, there were armed thugs there, waiting for someone. When they saw her, they charged her with their heavy two-handed weapons, landing heavy hits on her hastily grabbed hide shield. Wolves also joined the fray as she fled into the tundra and found the Atronarch Stone, forcing her to take health potions and poisoning her blade with frostbite poison. When she killed them, she found a contract on the leader.

Here is the agreed upon amount. I expect you to faithfully carry out my request to teach a lesson to the thief Dar'Elaraya of Torval. You need not kill her, but I have no qualms about it if you deem it necessary.
--Bran-Shei

Placing the note in her journal, along side the bounty she had chosen to take up, she walked over to the fire that a few hide tents were surrounding. She sat down, wondering how she would know who Sylgia's father was. Everything hurts. I can't blame Bran-Shei, but...

A miner woman who was sitting around the fire looked at her. "That was quite the skirmish. Are you alright?"

Dar'Elaraya nodded. "This one will live. I have other ventures to go on, though..."

The woman smiled. "You know, I used to be an adventurer in my day. Though I ended up settling down here, and getting married." She glanced off into the sky. "I was the one who originally found Darkwater Crossing. A few days ago, I scouted around, for old times sake. Watched a brigand go back to his camp." She looked back at Dar'Elaraya. "My husband's being a sad stick, won't let me go alone. Up for a bit of hunting?"

The Khajiit shrugged. "This one could use a little more to do."

"This brings back memories. Come back and I'll teach you a few things. Name's Annekke."

"Dar'Elaraya. Do you know where to find one, er... Verner? I have word from his daughter."

"Oh, yes." Annekke glanced over at then mine in the clearing. "He's currently in there." Returning her gaze to the Khajiit, she asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You took quite a beating. You might have rockjoint or something. Might want to find a place to heal yourself, or someone who can help you."

"I promise, Annekke, this one is fine. I assure you, but she thanks you for your concerns." She headed for the mine, and upon entry, she noticed it didn't smell as "fresh" as the one in Shore's Stone. It smelled musty, exactly how she imagined mines smelling. Walking further into the mine, she saw a man who looked like Sylgia. "Are you Verner?"

The man turned from his mining. "I am. Who are you?"

"I am Dar'Elaraya, here as courier for Sylgia. This satchel is for you and your wife." Digging out the satchel, she handed it to Verner.

"It's a shame our daughter couldn't make the journey herself, but at least she still thinks of us. If you wouldn't mind taking this back to her for us, I'd appreciate it. Also, if you're looking for work, bring me any corundum you find and I'll pay for it."

The Khajiit mined a good bit of corundum, also finding small gems in the ore as well. When she mined herself tired, she returned to Verner. "I have corundum for you."

"Twenty septims apiece, I'll buy all you mined." Two hundred-forty gold was her reward. This one is gaining coin quicker as a laborer and bounty hunting than with my bard and fur trader jobs.

"Thank you, Verner." She nodded her thanks and left the mine. Pulling out her map, she checked the place Annekke had marked for her, about the bandits. She had called it Lost Knife Hideout. But first, I have to heal. That means maybe making my way to Whiterun and getting what I want done there, or heading all the way back to Riften. Many choices this one has, indeed.

❦ ✎ ☠ ✎ ❦
What do you guys think Dar'Elaraya will do? This was written on the same day as the last one was finished, but I know that right now it's January 3, 2016. This was finished and written November 22, 2015. Man, life is going so fast! D: where is time going? (Six hours spent playing Skyrim= worth it)

Now for a bit of current side notes, I almost forgot to upload this today. Glad I didn't, and hope you guys had a good New Year!