Liliah Willowmist Ch. 06

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.

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While Liliah was curling up beside Corellion and drifting off to sleep, Jo'Zan-Virr was two towns back up the road in the direction of Balmora and calling it an evening also, shooting a mild look of annoyance at his new travelling companion, and wishing she would go somewhere, anywhere else. He sighed, forcing himself to show patience, and admitting the only reason he had any problem with her was simply because she wasn't Liliah.

His timing had been off, and he had returned to Balmora with the intention of buying the handmaid's freedom almost a week after Corellion and Lili had already departed. He remembered marching straight to the Hlaalu mansion with great zeal and determination, only to be met at the gate by guards whom had informed him that Korinne would not be at home until later in the day after the bath house had closed. When they had asked if he wished to leave a message, he instead inquired as to the location of the bath house. He gave the mer a tip for the information, and had gone straight there, feeling even more determined and adamant about seeing things turn to his favor.

The moment he walked through the door of the bath house, spotting Korinne but not Lili, his heart sank and his stomach knotted, the look on Korinne's face doing little to ease his apprehension. He had scanned the interior briefly, then scowled at the Dunmeri woman demanding, "Where is Liliah?"

Korinne snorted softly, scowling back at him, "Oh, hadn't you heard? She grew tired of waiting for you to return and sought her freedom through other means Sir Khajiit, you are too late." She gave him a narrow eyed look, and made a dismissive gesture with her quill as though attempting to shoo him away, muttering shortly "Unless you are here to buy services, I ask that you see yourself out, I have work to do."

Zan narrowed his feline eyes at Korinne, his ears flattening back as he felt the fur on the back of his neck stand on end in agitation. He growled softly, stepping closer to the counter menacingly, placing his large furry paws on the counter as he leaned in closer, his voice low, "What do you mean she has sought her freedom through other means. What have you done with her?" Korinne looked at his furry hands on her counter as though a spider had just walked up and sat down, looking back up at Zan with a look of annoyance, rolling her eyes slightly,"You say this as though I had any say in the matter and in fact made no attempt to convince her not to leave. I didn't see you here whispering sweet nothings to her convincing her not to run off with Lord snobby Altmer," She sneered, giving him a contemptuous look, "Perhaps if you had returned and tended the lusty little beast instead of leaving her here to pine and mope, things may have turned out differently."

Zan dropped his head, realizing with shame that it had already been more than a month since their encounter. He had not even thought to quill a letter or note to leave for her, something to remind her he was still intending to return, and that his words had not been empty. He sighed heavily, his temper fading and he shook his head slightly, explaining, "This one did not realize...He was working, earning gold drakes, so that Khajiit might return with enough to purchase her freedom..."

Korinne gave a humorless chuckle shaking her head, "Well, it's worth roughly naught, but had you returned and she had agreed to go with you, I would have allowed it. As it is, I'm sure she is well on her way to Summerset. Her new employer thinks to teach her academics and train her in magic use, and marry her off to a wealthy suitor...Quite the little fairy tale."

Zan peered at the Dunmer suspiciously, wondering why she was telling him all of this. She looked thinner than when he had seen her last and as though she'd had little sleep recently. Standing up straighter, he'd asked her the only question that was burning in his mind "How long ago, how far ahead are they?"

Korinne smiled at him, a sympathetic sort of smile, telling him, "Six days ago. You should likely know though, she has her eyes on a new prize and will not be easily distracted...go after her if you like, but you may be better served cutting your losses and finding a nice Khajiit girl to settle down and raise a family with,"She steepled her fingers on the desk resting her chin on them and looking utterly disinterested. Zan gave a derisive snort, replying cuttingly "And you have been able to so easily replace her yourself yes?" Korinne shot him an annoyed scowl, snapping, "What is it that you want from me? She is not here, and I have told you what I know about where she has gone. Aside from that, if you are not interested in company other than hers, I can't help you." She gave him an impatient look, then smiled suddenly, giving Zan a cunning look. "It does seem rather unfortunate that you should have gone to all this trouble to simply leave here empty handed, perhaps we could yet prove of some value to one another?"

Zan glared at the Dunmer, lifting a brow expectantly, "This one is listening.."

Korinne gave a shrewd little grin, rising to her feet suddenly, and bowing her head slightly, "Wait here.." she said, and Zan had watched her go to the far back room off the bath house, speaking in soft tones to coax out the girl in the room, putting an arm around her shoulders to steer her towards the counter. She was entirely white from head to toe, with longer than normal fur on her tail, and black markings around her large sky-blue eyes. She peeked up at him shyly, her ears flattened back, and her tail twitching nervously as she stood there quietly, waiting.

Korinne sat back down at her desk, looking at Zan's reaction as he looked at the Khajiit girl, leaning back in her chair and nodding at the girl as she said "She hasn't been here long, and nobody has been able to even figure out her name, all she does since she has come her is cry incessantly. She is still pure and untouched, but I seem to recall you are able to handle that without much problem, and she's truly no use to me here. An impulse purchase i suppose, she is undeniably lovely, but entirely despondent. Perhaps if she would rather go with you than stay here...we could negotiate a fair price," Korinne flashed him one of her sharp cunning smiles, waiting for him to speak as he looked again at the Khajiit girl. As Korinne had spoken of sending her with Zan, the girl had given the Mer a look of surprise, her mouth falling open, then she had looked up at Zan with an almost pleading look.

Zan glared at Korinne "What sort of game do you play Dunmer?"

Korinne shrugged slightly as though it made little difference to her either way, "No game, and entirely up to you."

"And...if this one refuses?"

"Then she will be resold to another buyer, and her fate is uncertain."

Zan pondered her words looking back at the Khajiit girl. She was still giving him a rather pleading look, but some of the hope had faded, and her gaze dropped to the floor with a look of dismay.

Looking at her now, he still wasn't sure exactly what he had been thinking or planning, but he had paid 150 gold drakes for the girl and had her collar removed, and she had followed him out as he left the bath house. After having her stalk his heels like a white shadow for several minutes he finally turned, asking her "Why is it that you follow this one? You are free, go where you wish." The girl had shrugged slightly, stating, "Already going where she wishes." she ran a few steps, closing the distance to walk beside him and peering up at him with a crafty sort of look.

Zan snorted softly, looking down at her odd white face and piercing blue eyes, "So you speak after all. What is your name iiliten."

She smiled coyly giving an extra swish of her tail and looking back to see if he was watching "This one is no more a girl than you are a boy...Khajiit in her last household called her Daro'Athra or just Athra. You are...Cathay-Raht...rare moons, very large."

Zan narrowed his eyes scowling slightly, "They called you...Ghost? Probably the white fur. This one is Jo'Zan-virr. And do not be foolish enough to attempt to rob Zan, he should be quite displeased, and tracks those that flee justice for work."

She held up her pink clawed hands giving him a mock pout like she was offended by the suggestion, tilting her head in an appealing sort of way, "This one has no interest in robbing Jo'Zan-virr...You saved this one, removed her from that bath house," She wrinkled her nose in disdain, crossing her arms and holding her head up almost haughtily, "Athra was the personal servant of a little lord of house Telvanni. He grew tired of this ones other skills and eventually demanded Athra open her legs to him. She refuse, and next thing Athra knows, she is sold to pleasure house. Expected to bathe and service any who enter with coin...is...degrading. So Athra cries, customers don't like a girl who cries."

Zan snorted softly looking down at her, "So if you are not trying to rob this one, what is it you want of Zan."

Athra smiled craftily at him, looping her arm through his, "Allow this one to travel with you, share lodging, and food, and Athra will serve," she gave a slight nod of her head and a rather provocative smile. Zan looked down at her frowning slightly and snorted "Save breath and spare Zan the seduction routine. This one already has eyes for another, and may likely be traveling clear to Summerset to find her. This one is not the one you seek iiliten." He pulled her hand off his arm, releasing it as she let go, her ears drooping slightly as she stopped in the road giving him a crestfallen look and demanding, "If you did not want Athra, why pay coin? What is this one supposed to do now? She has no coin, no family, no friends, and purchaser has no interest..." her eyes dropped to the road then up one side of the road and down the other and she started sobbing. Zan cringed as she started crying, giving an irritated sigh as passersby turned to look at the huge Khajiit and the much smaller sobbing female, cursing silently and trying to calm her.

"Shh..shh...be silent and cease that noise...Zan is not uninterested. This one will take you to Rawl'kha, there you can make a new start, or travel South to Elsweyr. Many Khajiit there. Zan will take Athra to Rawl'kha." he held up his hands, leaning down to try and see her face, and as suddenly as the sobbing had started, it ended and she looked up giving him a brilliant smile,

"You will not be displeased." she sang in a chipper tone, almost skipping ahead while Zan stared at her with open mouthed dismay. She stopped a few feet ahead, turning to ask, "Coming?"

He scowled at her, realizing he had just gotten played, and feeling like he had likely spent a hundred and fifty gold drakes to cause himself a great deal of trouble. As they settled into a room hours later, he was certain of it. She had talked almost constantly asking him hundreds of questions about him, his life, his mother, his work, Liliah and the history of Balmora. After she had tired of his short one and two word answers, she had switched to chattering about the differences between where she had been and Balmora, and then compared both to the town they had just arrived at. His head was aching mildly by the time he had checked them into the room, and now finally as they entered the room she had fallen silent.

Zan sent a silent prayer of thanks for the sudden quiet, shedding his gear and laying down on the far side of the bed with his back towards the middle. After a couple of moments, he heard her hesitantly ask "You wish nothing of this one?"

Zan sighed heavily, stating "This one wishes only quiet and sleep. Athra should sleep also, we leave at sunrise."

He then heard her ask "Athra may sleep on the bed with you?" to which he raised a hand in a permissive gesture "Whatever will ensure your silence."

He tensed slightly when he felt her climb onto the bed and lay down close, spooning him from behind with one arm wrapped around him. Frowning down at her arm as she wrapped it around his waist, he rolled his eyes and laid his head back down on the pillow with a snort, deciding she was definitely more trouble than she was worth, and it was likely easier to just give her as she wanted than it was to argue about it. All the same, he intended to waste no time getting to Rawl'kha.

A week later, he felt sure he was closing on his quarry, and that he had managed to recover some of the six day lead Liliah and the Altmer had on them. By mid-day on the second day, Zan had snapped at Athra about the constant chattering, and she had for the most part stopped talking entirely, other than to nervously explain that she talked too much when she was nervous. Zan had chided himself for being sharp with her.

Each night when they had stopped for the evening, she had asked him the same question, "Do you wish anything of Athra?" and Zan had shaken his head, and given the girl her share of the evening's meal, and they had eaten in silence, Zan drifting off each night with this odd white furred stranger sleeping in bed behind him. After a week of traveling in silence, Zan had dropped back a little on the road as they were walking and looked at her apologetically and told her gently,

"This one is sorry he snapped at you for talking, Zan has no wish to travel all the way to Rawl'kha in silence. Perhaps we could start over?"

Athra has looked up at him in surprise as he held back to speak to her, scowling at him slightly as he spoke but seeming satisfied by his apology. She tilted her head, peering at him curiously, "You must care for her very much to go through the trouble, Athra hears you call to her in your dreams. This one knows she is not Liliah, this can not be helped. But perhaps if you take the chance offered, share your pain, you may find you miss her less." Zan looked down and the blue eyed Khajiit with her white patternless fur, still wearing the skimpy harem outfit she was wearing when he paid for her freedom and felt a twinge of guilt for the apathetic way he had been treating her.

Clearing his throat softly he said in his low rumbling voice, "You are right, and were she standing here currently, she would not want this one to treat you poorly simply because he missed her, and was disappointed."

Athra probed gently, "She must be pretty special to be worth such troubles...Tell Athra about her?"

Zan smiled as Liliah came to his mind, telling her, "She is a Bosmer unlike any other. Soft of shape, fair of features. A handmaiden, with a Dumeri accent and the manners and bearing of a lady...but, humble, not haughty. This one was tended by her for an evening, a favor from her Mistress for rescuing an heirloom from a would be thief..." His voice trailed off, before he continued almost guiltily, compelled by the rapt blue feline eyes on him, waiting for the good parts, "Zan took her innocence that night but left a part of himself behind, promised to return, free her from her mistress, your Mistress Korinne." Athra looked at him tilting her head slightly, asking him, "And Zan thinks after he purchase the Bosmer's freedom, she spends rest of Zan's life continuing to tend him like a hand servant?"

Zan scowled at Athra, snorting indignantly, "What would you know of such things?" Athra made a sort of sneering expression scowling back, "Only that while she is just beginning to show signs of aging, you would perish from old age, and she would have not even Ma'Khajiit for solace. Seems a lonely fate, and a sadness, to live one's life and never have children."

Zan glowered, walking for several minutes in brooding silence. He had to admit, she had a valid point, even if he had the suspicion she was only pointing things out from some twisted feeling of jealousy she had towards Liliah. He finally asked her, "Why does Athra even care? These events result in her freedom, ensure a trip to Rawl'kha, new life and free passage. What is Zan to you aside from means to ends?"

Athra snorted, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a contemptuous look, "Athra is not sure. Zan has foul temperament, broods too much, smiles too little, makes this one feel unappreciated and ignored. Athra thought you handsome, would make fine father for strong sons and daughters, but has changed her mind. No time for sulky love sick cub, glad when we reach Rawl'kha."

The next week had passed nearly as silently as the first, and she had stopped asking if he wanted her to do anything, and instead completely ignored him. She spent her time each night after they stopped, sitting with her back to him, carefully grooming her fur with a brush she had demanded he buy her under threat of another teary scene.

She also had stopped curling close as they slept, sleeping still in the same bed on nights they stayed in an inn, but refusing to touch him in any way. Zan was certain he had preferred the incessant chattering over the oppressive silence, and hated to admit it, but he missed having her cuddle up with him as they slept also. He climbed into the bed as usual laying down with a weary sigh, and after a few moments he felt her weight join him from the other side of the bed as she carefully avoided contact.

Zan rolled over hesitantly, looking at her for several moments and then scooting closer, wrapping his arm around her slender form and drawing her to him. He felt her tense as he drew her near, heard her ask softly, "What do you wish of Athra?"

Zan nuzzled her ear softly, whispering in his deep rumble, "Relax little Ghost, this one wishes only closeness, and rest." She rolled to face him looking into his eyes with her sky blue ones, smiling slightly then curling into his chest, slipping an arm around him and threading one of her legs between his, and tangling her toes and fingers lightly in his fur. He swallowed, feeling a bit guilty that the act had brought only Liliah to mind, and he leaned down running his tongue lightly over the soft white mane of the girl curled to his chest, closing his eyes.

*****

Back in Balmora Korinne was also feeling guilty about Liliah, but for other reasons. She had spent the last couple of weeks trying various methods to fill the void, including trying several Khajiit as potential replacements for her handmaiden, but they had done nothing but cause Korinne to feel Liliah's absence more keenly. Even dinner parties had lost their fun and appeal. Vonion no longer paid any attention to any other lady in attendance, but she had to admit, he was one of the few people whose presence brought her any measure of relief or distraction since Liliah had gone.

Korinne had to admit to herself she was surprised that Vonion was giving her his undivided attention, and while it was unexpected, it actually pleased her more than she was willing to admit. It pleased her but at the same time had caused her more than a little guilt when she realized that not only had Vonion truly cared for Liliah, but likely the only reason he had fucked his way through so many nobles was because of what she had said to him the first time he had asked about her lovely handmaiden.

She had laughed and said he was nobody and came from nothing, and couldn't possibly think Liliah would reduce her lifestyle that far to go from being handmaiden to wife. With a catty comment she had made more that 6 years ago, she had started him on an upward climb with the only real power he had to work with. Her father's words on her treatment of others, the impact of that treatment, and the consequence of that impact resonated in a way that twisted her misery with guilt, and then true understanding that she had created her own suffering.