Liliah Willowmist Ch. 02

PLEASE NOTE: This story contains settings, races and other scenery elements created by BETHESDA and the brilliant artist and writers in their employ. They retain all rights to the ELDER SCROLLS universe they created, I am but a humble story weaver.

Chapter 2

Liliah looked at the floor keeping her expression blank as Lady Korinne Hlaalu sent yet another barbed comment her way, needling at her in an attempt to make her change her mind, but Liliah was adamant on her stance.

"I don't know why you must continue to be so obstinate in the matter," Korinne huffed "It isn't anything all that different from your normal duties in my service, and I have even offered to share the coin with you...I do not see why you insist on being so gods damned stubborn."

To this, Liliah said nothing, glancing up to shoot her mistress a sulky look, remaining silently rebellious as she knelt on the floor beside Korinne's desk at the front of the bath and pleasures house. Korinne scowled down at the little bosmeri handmaiden and gave an exasperated sigh, going back to her ledger, scratching figures angrily with her quill, the tip making a sharp tink on the pewter inkwell each time she dipped into the ink.

It had been three weeks since her night with Zan in the room at the Eight Plates. Three weeks since she had awakened with the sunrise to the magical glow of her collar, just in time to see a portal open and her mistress step thru it grinning like the Alfiq that swallowed the nixad to collect her. Korinne had greeted them with a chipper good mornings and proceeded to make the weight of Lili's collar nearly unbearable.

"From the look of the two of you, it looks as though you made FULL use of your reward sir Khajiit, I hope her lack of experience was not an imposition to your enjoyment of her."

Liliah remembered how Zan's eyes had narrowed and she had felt his powerful body tense next to her as he has said sharply.

"Indeed...this one would hear the number and speak of coin." As he had spoken, Liliah had felt his arm tighten around her in equal measures of possessiveness and protection. "What would it cost to buy her from you?"

Korinne lifted an eyebrow with an amused and appreciative look at Liliah "Well isn't this a surprise twist? The little minx has you quite smitten, doesn't she? Unfortunately for you sir Khajiit, the handmaiden has been with me since I was a small child, and I am afraid she isn't for sale," she had smiled then, a cunning and shrewd smile that had made Lili's skin crawl, " However if you should like to...come visit? I'm sure we can arrange something." She had said with a calculating look. Lili had seen the fur on the back of Zan's neck stand on end and was momentarily frightened of what the powerful Cathay-raht might be capable of if provoked. Attempting to diffuse the situation a bit and separate the two before one ended up dead and the other imprisoned, she rose from the bed, retrieving her clothing and quickly dressing, after she finished, she moved to stand next to Korinne, who wrapped her arm around the little Bosmer in an affectionate embrace, then grabbing her chin and tilting her face up, turning it side to side, examining her quickly, then saying "You seem to have fared alright, I confess I was a little concerned about his size, Were you well treated? Did you enjoy yourself?" Liliah had looked up at her mistress, offering her a slight smile and nodding quickly that she had been well handled, stealing a look back at Zan. Her smile slipped slightly when she saw the pained expression on his face, her own eyes mirroring the unvoiced feeling of loss. Korinne gave the Khajiit another of her mercenary smiles, winking at him as she had opened the portal "Perhaps we shall see you again sir Khajiit"

That was the last time she had seen him. That was three weeks ago...Three weeks, four days, and six hours since Zan had offered to buy her freedom, even going so far as to ask a price, only to have her mistress declare her 'Not for sale.' To make matters worse, ever since that morning, Korinne had become convinced there was money to be made having Liliah tend high paying customers in the bath and pleasure house, and it had become a daily fight and contest of wills between the two. For the moment, Liliah had the upper hand as a result of an incident that occurred with a dark elf whom had paid for a bath, but spent most of his time trying trying to pin the wily wood elf down and take what he wanted, managing only to fetch himself a savage bite mark for his insistence and aggression. Lili smirked at the memory, remembering how the Dunmer had required a healer's attention to seal the wound she had inflicted. She had feared, even as she bit the man, that the punishment for assaulting one of the bath house's customers would be severe, but surprisingly, when Korinne had dragged her on her chain before her father demanding she be flogged for disobedience, instead Korinne had been scolded for being so crass as to attempt to treat her handmaiden as one of her prostitute Khajiit in the pleasure houses, then suggesting that perhaps she lose the services of her handmaiden for a week to remind her that the Bosmer was not some common slaved beast to be mistreated in such a fashion. After that at least, Korinne had turned from forceful on the subject to a tactic of trying to slowly wear her down with constant comments and criticism.

So she sat, on her chain at her mistress' feet, refusing to service the customers that walked into the bath house, and refusing to further argue the point with Korinne. Her punishment thus far, since Korinne had been forbidden from beating her, was instead forcing Liliah to sit beside her in the front area of the bathhouse where clients could see her, show an interest and Korinne could take opportunity to shame her for both attacking a client and also for the gold they could both be making. Lili heard the bell on the front door jangle, announcing yet another customer and internally groaned. Please let this one prefer Khajiit and not notice me sitting here...

****

Corellion looked up at the sign of the bath house, painted in shades of green and gold and smiled, thinking to himself:

Gods, finally! Signs of true civilization, i think i would prefer no bath to bathing in unheated river water like some lowborn peasant.

He tried to look in through the frosted windows, glancing once more at the exterior of the somewhat drab and shabby structure, chuffing haughtily and muttering softly "Well it's certainly no Alinor bath house, but i suppose it will have to do.."

Corellion had been traveling for days, the opening of the borders of Summerset drawing far more tourists to the High Elf's homeland than he had ever hoped to see in his lifetime, and leading him to venture to the mainland in an effort to see what had changed from documented works he had found in the library, till now, some several hundred of years later. From everything he had seen so far, Corellion had been unimpressed with what the mainland had to offer, and he found many areas plagued by bickering,battles, and crime, while yet others seemed to have lost nearly all of their culture due to enslavement by one of the other races. Much as it pained him to admit it, Corellion was starting to see why some his more overzealous peers had fought so hard to keep outsiders from traveling to the island of Summerset, keeping it isolated for centuries. All the same, despite his disdain for what he had seen of the mainland, he knew there was still value in it and much to be learned by seeing it first hand, and it was still better to see in its natural surroundings than it was to see it invading the pristine white alabaster stone streets of Alinor.

Besides... scholars and professors alike would be interested in reading his work once he returned to Summerset, though if he was honest with himself, he was already an Altmer of affluence and high standing, with a seat on several management councils and the ear of every influential politician in town. He was respected and known nearly everywhere in Summerset, his personal memoirs and journals on topics ranging from medical alchemy to magical transference featured in several of the more prestigious Colleges located on the island. He didn't need this research to further his career or increase his standing, he simply found the home he had known all of his life suddenly quite crowded and decided to see for the sake of curiosity how the rest of Tamriel lived.

He had taken a route almost directly North East since he had set out, passing first through Auridon where he immediately noticed a decline in the state of repair on the buildings, reminding him he was no longer in Summerset. Mostly his journey so far had consisted of few interactions with others, aside from a select few individuals he had conducted interviews with in an effort to get the general tone of current events in Tamriel, and the occasional polite conversation with strangers whom had approached in taverns along the way when he stopped for food and lodging. Most of their mundane and brainless prattling had been to comment on his impressive height while he attempted to abstain from rolling his eyes.

Other than the men, mer, and beast folk he had spoken with for purposes of research, most of his journey had been spent thus far riding along poorly protected roads that wound confusingly through dense forests and murky swamps. He'd been ambushed by bandits on a narrow footpath on his way through the Valenwood, and had greatly surprised his attackers by turning the whole of the immediate area into a swirling vortex of flames with a few words and a wave of his hand, sending the would-be thieves scurrying back into the dense undergrowth with shrieks of pain and strings of some of the foulest language Corellion had ever heard.

Finally making his way out of the forest and back to a populated area, he then caught not one, but two pickpockets trying to loot his purse within less than a half hour of one another, catching both by the collar and planting his leather booted foot firmly across their backside for their audacity in trying to rob him in the first place. The journey had been...eventful in ways he had not foreseen. The event he found coming to mind most frequently had happened just after he had passed thru Malabal Tor and was heading through the area the locals had called Reaper's March. The warring that was going on just to the other side of the border in Cyrodil had left its scars and marks on the landscape, and Corellion had remembered wanting to start the journey around the war zone at first light so he could hopefully be safely across before the sun set again. As luck would have it, he came across an inn near the border, built next to a waterfall. As he walked through the heavy gate, he noticed the crumbling and damaged stone work, but had to admit, despite its run down appearance, the place was quaint, and almost welcoming, a peaceful feeling settling over him as he watched the water cascade over the rocks into the clear pool below for several minutes, letting the scent of sun warmed flowers fill his nose as he breathed deeply of the arid savanna air.

Drawn by another scent, one of something cooked that smelled delicious, Corellion had gone left, following his nose across the small footbridge and into the outbuilding on the other side of the waterfall from the inn itself, ducking slightly thru the door-less entryway and looking around. Behind the bar, a Bosmer girl with short straight black hair was busily preparing carrots and peeled potatoes, dicing them with impressive speed and precision and adding them to a kettle that was hanging over the fire. She noticed him as she turned around, flashing a friendly smile as she met his gaze with a pair of rather unusual pale blue eyes that somehow reminded Corellion of the full moons.

She wiped her hands on her apron as she stepped up to the bar across from him, a towel appearing out of nowhere to polish the already pristine wooden surface that gleamed warmly in the fading sunlight streaming in through the opened glassless window behind him. After a couple of swipes she gestured to the empty seat across from her, inviting him to sit and greeting him cheerfully,

"Good ev'ning, an' welcome to teh Serenity Falls Inn, wot kin i getcha, dear?" she asked, tilting her head suddenly and holding up a finger "No..lemme guess, bet i got just teh thing fo' ye... jus' had this d'livered yesterday by a resourceful friend o'mine, come clear from Summerset" She smiled at him passing over a fine glass bottle with ornate silver work around the neck for inspection, and he couldn't help but chuckle and nod in agreement.

"I confess madame, you have pegged my tastes precisely, and also credit to your resourceful friend, I know the vintner that produces this wine, and it is one of the best in Alinor." He said, handing the bottle back to her. She drew the cork from the bottle, filling a goblet and setting it on the bar as he tried to peek behind the bar to see what was making the mouth watering smell that had drawn him in. The barkeep nodded in the direction of the kettles over the multiple bricked cook fires, telling him

"Have ev'rythin' from meatless dishes t' green pact compliant ones. D'pendin' on wot yer in teh mood for..."then she smirked a bit and popped an eyebrow up at him "An' if ye got a sweet tooth, even have a variety o' desserts t'at may pique yer int'rest."

Corellion was starving. The last town had been hours ago, and the food there, if it could even be called that, had gone farther towards giving him indigestion that satisfying his appetite.

"I think a large slice of that roast that lured me in here" he said with a chuckle "And all the sides and trimmings to go with it" Setting his traveling bag on the floor, he lowered himself into the seat near where she had set down the goblet of wine, taking a sip and rolling it over his tongue, closing his eyes with a smile. The Bosmer barkeep returned quickly with a large plate, layered with three thick slices of what appeared to be venison, the outer edges of the slices crusted with herbs and peppercorns and seared to perfection, the juices from the meat still oozing out slowly as she sat the plate before him, quickly following with two other dishes, one loaded with roasted onions and carrots arranged appealingly on a bed of steamed greens and the other filled with small red potatoes that were served with butter and herbs. Corellion had smiled delightedly at the food inhaling deeply then giving her an appreciative smile."You brilliant and beautiful mer, I could embrace you right now, I do not believe I have seen so fine a meal since I left home."

The barkeep laughed merrily pulling a small flask from the top of her thigh high boot and taking a drink before returning it and saying" I get that more of'en than ye may think" she then crossed her arms over her chest tilting her head in a bold sort of expression, "Fraid I have t'insist we share names afore ye go gittin' fresh with me though, tall mer,"

Corellion looked up with a horrified expression, worried he may have given her the wrong impression and then saw the look on her face as she grinned at him teasingly, and realized she was merely having a gentle go at him and he chuckled softly with mild embarrassment.

"Very well!" He said bowing his head and flourishing his fork between bites "I am Corellion Larethlorian of Alinor"

She smiled, giving a respectful nod of her head "Raven Swiftwing, head chef an' owner o' this 'ere 'stablishment, a pleasure t' meet ye Corellion."

Corellion grinned taking another bite of the perfectly prepared roast, the meat separating easily under his fork "I assure you Lady Raven, the pleasure is entirely mine." He tore into the remaining slice of the roast, finishing it before moving onto the vegetable and potatoes, taking small drinks of the wine in between. Raven moved off a slight way, washing carrots and potatoes in a basin, then dishes from previous customers in a different basin while he ate. As the last of the golden daylight faded, she retrieved a burning twig from the cook fire, using it to light lanterns along the bar, coming back just as he finished his meal, clearing his empty dishes and refilling his goblet.

Setting the wine bottle aside, she propped her elbows lightly on the bar, the short mer barely even leaning over to do so. Steeping her fingers and resting her chin on them, she tilted her head in an appealing sort of way giving Corellion an odd look that for just a moment reminded him of a wolf stalking a rabbit, then asked in her heavy accent,

"So...Corellion of Alinor...I'm sure ye hear et all the time, but i must ask..Are all Altmers of Summerset tall as you? Or are you a head 'bove teh rest even at home?"

Corellion looked up at her, examining her expression to find her grinning at him with that mildly taunting smile again mixed with pure curiosity and chuckled lightly.

"No, i must confess, even most of my peers find themselves looking up to me, physically and socially for that matter, I am more the exception than the rule." he said with a rather arrogantly holding his head higher in a gesture of haughtiness Raven thought he was likely not even aware of. She raised an eyebrow, giving him a mildly impressed look, then following up by asking in a matter-of-fact tone "Ah, a scholar then?"

Corellion looked more than a little surprised by her knowledge of Summerset politics giving her an impressed look of his own "You know of our culture...indeed madame, there is more to you than what would appear..."

Raven chuckled at that then said "T'anks....i think. And ye would be surprised wot one wit' good hearing can learn once the spirits start flowin' freely. Most o'wot i know of Altmers come from the time I spent in teh Dominion, fightin' en the war thought.... Gotta ask...wot brings ye 'ere? Yer a long way from home tall mer."

Corellion smirked at her calling him tall mer, looking over at the scrawny barkeep and trying to imagine her in full metal plate, attempting to wield a great sword with her spindly arms, and grinned at the mental image in spite of himself.

"The opening of the Summerset Isle borders resulted in a great swell of tourism, and i find i did not care for the extra traffic," he shrugged a little taking another sip of his wine and rolling it over his tongue before swallowing, then adding "And i figure no time like the present to collect information and update the books we have on the subject of other races and cultures on the Tamriel mainland"

Raven giggled at this "Yeah, they are a little out of date..few hun'red years? Wot 'bout yer wife, She cannae been too thrilled 'bout ye leaving to go roving teh mainland."

Corellion smiled sadly, looking into his goblet and swirling the liquid up the sides, shaking his head slightly "I never married, there was always some reason or other, I was busy with my research, the timing was wrong or the match was unacceptable for political reasons...it just never worked out." he shrugged and took another sip of the wine. He glanced up as he heard Raven giggling at him in her somewhat teasing tone "Land sake tall mer, ye talk as though yer ancient and all chance has gone, and from teh looks of ye, ye ain' any older than I am...Yer fair to look at so wot's really stoppin' ye? Dint fancy any o'teh ladies wot offered?"

Corellion gave Raven and an annoyed scowl, mildly outraged by her boldness and inquiries into his personal life in such a casual tone, by had to admit she had identified something he had not even been aware of till he thought about it and found himself confessing rather openly in reply,

"No...i suppose not. Altmer Kin Ladies can be...a tedious lot. They thrive on high drama and theatrics and parties and displays of affluence. A tiresome bunch of perpetual ladder climbers only interested in marriage for the sole purpose of gaining the status that goes with marrying someone of equal or higher standing. Truth told I have had any number of proposals and suggested engagements, even as recently as this year, fortunately something always seems to come up." he said with a chuckle, finishing his wine, and the bottle appearing again to refill his goblet.