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Disclaimer: There are a few depictions of drug use in this set so if that is a trigger for you please do not view this scene.

Thana made it to Riften, used oral sex to bribe a guard instead of paying the "visitor tax" and saved her coin for lodging. This proved unnecessary as a succession of encouters with the Riften underworld looking for sources of skooma only led her into more trouble. After Sapphire pimped her out to her business associates before sending her to Maul and he demanded a blowjob for information on Sarthis, he and his henchman kept her prisoner in their warehouse. When not using her for a drug tester to make sure their skooma batches were good (which she didn't mind) they used her for sexual relief (which she did have more of an issue with, mostly because they never asked). She was there for over a week before some of the guards recalled seeing her enter the city and walking the streets (and not being as discrete with her sexual encounters or requests for drugs as she thought). After not seeing her, or seeing much of the drug dealers they had been unable to catch, they run a surprise raid on the warehouse and finally managed to catch the dealers in the act. Resisting arrest, Sarthis and his henchmen ultimately fell to the guards' blades and Thana was "freed" though still without a source for skooma. The city guard, corrupt and eager to make the most of the situation, declared that she owed them for her rescue and demanded that she go with them to clear out the rest of the drug gang (the location of which was learned from a note Sarthis left in his office, c'mon, you know how the quest goes). A small squad, plus Thana, headed for Cragslane Cavern where Thana approached the sentry, and the guard, and the bartender inside acting as Sarthis' sex toy sent to placate them while he made a deal with the miners in Shor's Stone. "He'll be along shortly" she was to say, "and while you're waiting, I can keep you from being bored." After the sentry, and certainly after the guard fell with arrows expertly shot while she was in the act with them, Thana realized that at least the guards were good shots and felt better about her chances of both success and surviving. Hopefully she would be able to swipe some skooma at the end this. Join the group heading to Cragslane Cavern or see how Thana got in this predicament.

One day while looking for work, Thana got her break. She overheard one townswoman complaining to another that poor Nurelion was too sick to make his potions fast enough to keep up with his work. When the second said that he might have to hire a second assistant Thana headed for the White Phial. She said a prayer to Zenithar before entering the shop in thanks for the alchemy experience she already had and hope for more with a stable job here. A short interview proved she could identify the local flora and got her a job of field harvester. Nurelion and his assistant Quintus also let her sleep downstairs. She almost felt at home sleeping in storerooms now. Her days were spent in the fields and prairies outside Windhelm, foraging for the plants, mushrooms and bark the men needed for their potions. Quintus had a few ideas he wanted to research as well and after she returned for the day he would tell her what else he needed. Some nights he wanted her essence, or cream, or secretions. He never seemed to use the same word. Other nights his emissions were needed. She started to think he just wanted sex. When he claimed he wanted to test the effects of saliva on the potions, she said they could just fuck. Instead he got a larger vial for her to use, claiming his mouth fouled the experiment. Eventually she gave up and stopped asking, riding the vials for her own pleasure, not caring if he watched. He did play "pay for your supper" with her some nights, feeding her creme before the soup. Some nights she danced for the men if the weather was bad or business was slow. Other nights, if Quintus did not need too many "samples collected" they would share his bed before falling asleep. Whether due to his constant "sampling" or natural abilities, Quintus was one of the best lovers she had and usually rode her to completion twice before he finished. Some nights he was able to finish two or three times and often driving her to six. One day Thana traveled a little farther than usual along the road to Kynesgrove. She did not go this way often because a bear was sometimes sighted along the river. She had never seen the bear but knew there were some thick patches of herbs the shop would soon need. She met soldiers on the way and when told who she was and what she was doing told her they had killed the bear two days ago and she should be safe to harvest the herbs. While not happy to see her, she surmised they knew her employer was one that made healing potions and other elixirs for the army. Herbs she picked today might keep them alive next month and they let her proceed with less taunting and harassment than usual. Basket full and sun still high enough, Thana walked toward the rundown shack she could see on the river edge of the field. When she reached the dilapidated ruin of boards she realized that this was probably where the bear spent a lot of its time. She looked through the trash and destroyed belongings of whomever the bear displaced and found a still solid trunk. She managed to pick the lock with a rusty knife and fork and found the contents still whole and mostly untouched by the weather. A couple sets of clothing she thought would fit her and other odds and ends she could sell she took. At the bottom of the chest she found a small leather bag. Opening it, she found coins. Enough coins, she thought, for extra food and passage on the carriage to Riften. She could finally get out of this frozen north and, with luck, find some of the blessed skooma her body craved. After a change of clothes, she headed back to the city. Entering the shop, she gave her harvest, and good news, to Quintus. She gave a few of the coins to Nurelion with her best wishes and thanked him for the chance to live and work in his shop. Quintus she repaid another way. .. and for most of the night. ------ So, we're going to meet Serana, the supposed hero of this story, in two more chapters. I had some of this in mind when I first wrote the poll about a weak or slave type sidekick. The "getting stronger" part will also happen but after things are going in earnest. You can comment without an account, so feel free if you're reading anonymously.

"Another day, another septim" crossed Thana's mind as she got up that morning. The favorite saying of her argonian friend Stands-in-Shallows did little to ease the pain of skooma withdrawal. She had been hoping some of the sailors would try stashing another bottle in the Inn like they had a few months ago but since she swiped it they probably found a new spot. At least she and Stands were able to get a little relief from the bottle while it lasted. Some days she forgot just how long she had been here in Windhelm. The other Dunmer had jobs and homes... poorly paying and ramshackle perhaps, but she was little more than a beggar. When life is as bad as it was for her, any distraction or cause for forgetfulness were clung to like a warm blanket. Shaking herself and stretching, she left the stairway storage area and entered the main area of the Cornerclub. Waving tiredly to Ambarys, the club owner, landlord of her sleeping corner and sometime pimp, she headed out to find out what work might be available that day. Late in the afternoon but finding very little to do, Thana headed back to the cornerclub. Without any extra money she knew she was going to be working that night and wanted to warm up a little first. Handing what coins she was able to earn to Ambarys, she took the food he gave her and headed for an unused corner to eat. The half stale bread and souring wine were neither filling nor healthy but at least it was more than she could buy at the market stalls. As the crowd started coming in she made her way over to her usual area and started to dance. Soon the chairs would be taken by people wanting a closer look, or a touch in exchange for a coin. While she didn't mind dancing too much, Thana knew tonight was going to be a long night. Some of the men were drinking more than their usual and that meant they had coin. When they had coin, and after they had drink, they usually wanted her. She hoped one might even have a little skooma, or even just some moon sugar from one of the cat caravans she could have instead of the gold. It was an open secret that someone could get a lot farther with her for something sweet and illegal. Soon enough, two of the men gave Ambarys an extra handful of coins and he signaled to her. Two men usually were not so bad, though she preferred one at a time. These two were rougher than usual, grabbing her hair and slapping her ass. Eventually they finished and she waited for them to head down the stairs before descending for either another dance and fondle or a return trip. Three men at a time was the worst. Sometimes they would take turns or egg on the man with her while they watched but these three saw no need to wait and all took her at the same time, and roughly. Pounding into her with little finesse and no rhythm she was crushed by the guy on top and nearly choked by the one filling her mouth. One last group, out celebrating something, wanted to take her upstairs. Fortunately the whole group did not want her services. One of their number pushed to the ground and the others sat her on him. Encouraging the pair, they suggested several things she, or he, were supposed to do while they stood around and watched. After their friend got into the act they all undressed and had her provide what attention to them she could while taking care of their friend underneath her. Eventually the crowd left and Ambarys sent the rest out. Thana helped clean up some of the mugs and plates from the tables before staggering back to her bedroll under the stairs. Another day, another septim. Maybe tomorrow would be two. In which another day brings more than just another septim --- The first several chapters of this story will be darker than my last. Telethana is pretty much your "in the bottle" tragic figure at this point, so much so that she doesn't even have a bottle to be in. Hooked on skooma and stuck in a town that hates her and her kind, she has few options. Things get better, then bumpy, then they'll seem worse, until the sun rises in glory.