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She took another drop of the Skooma, and soon everything was right again. Her body was back under control and she helped Honest John pack up their stuff.

"We'll follow the path, but not too close. The Legionnaires know me."

"Sounds good to me. How far are you going?" Ra'Jirra asked as they got underway.

"Most of the way, but I turn off before we get there."

They left the woods behind and were walking now in the wild but beautiful grasses of Cyrodiil. She saw the path, but it was far to her right as they headed westward.

"You really should get off that stuff, Ra'Jirra," he said sometime later. "It's not good for you. It's not good for anyone."

She shrugged. "Keeps the nightmares away though."

"Just starts new nightmares, I find," he replied, but didn't bring the subject up again.

The continued for miles, stopping to eat once.

"You ever kill anyone Honest John?" she asked him as they sat, their backs to the path behind a boulder.

"Yeah," he said bluntly. "A few. Had to, of course."

"How do you deal with it?"

He sighed, but didn't turn to face her. "Same as you I suppose. The first is the hardest though. I guess after that it's just habit. You or them, you know? I don't like to though. I've never liked it. Your first?"

She nodded, "Yes. My first."

"It's a hard thing. Did you know him well?"

"Her. And no. Just... circumstances. She was a fool, and it was her or me."

"I see. Well, if she was a fool then the right person lived."

"Did they?" Rajirra thought as she eyed the vial again. She decided against it. It was too easy.

The afternoon sun was lowering when finally Honest John and her parted ways. They had returned to the main road after a Legionnaire had passed.

"So, you got family that way?" Rajirra asked as she looked down the side trail he was going to take.

"No. In fact, I'm not even going that way. But you don't need to know more than that. And 'John' isn't my real name either."

She laughed, and hugged him - hugged him even though he had stolen all her most valuable posessions and had gotten her hooked on Skooma. He returned the hug. "Be careful, Doll, and good luck to you. Mind what I said about the Skooma. It has a sweet taste, but the aftertaste is nothing but bitter."

She nodded and bade him farewell, and continued on alone again.

Suddenly she felt a wash of fatigue over her, and she started looking for someplace to nap. Someplace a lot closer to the road this time though. She found a spot out of sight but only a few yards off the road and curled up to take a nap in the afternoon sun. It's warmth on her face lulled her off to sleep.

"RA'JIRRA" it said again, grinning that evil grin.

"No! I didn't mean to kill you!"

"Do you know how much I screamed, Ra'Jirra? They found my hands still wrapped to the door handle. Fused to it. They had to peel my skin off of it, Ra'Jirra."

Another image came into view. Bones wrapped around a door handle that wouldn't budge. The flesh still attached but the skin peeled away. It was still alive. It was tugging on the door handle.

"Let... Me... OUUUUUT!!!!" it screamed, and her eyes followed the desperate, dead thing's arms and back, up peeling shoulders, to a screaming skull.

"Please die," she whispered, and it turned to her. Looked directly at her with it's eyeless face. "LET ME OUUUUUT!"

She awoke shivering and screaming. She looked up but no one was there. The sun hand set a little farther, but she must not have been sleeping long. Trembling hands drew out her vial and she put another drop to her tongue.

Relief washed over her. She forgot the skull, but she no longer felt sleepy. Instead she fairly skipped down the road. There was more in the vial than the old man thought anyway. She'd be good for a week at this rate! Maybe she might have yet another. She felt... good. So she took another drop and she felt GREAT!

When the three young brigands accosted her, almost within sight of the Anvil city gates, she greeted them happily.

"Want to rob me? Sorry guys, I don't have anything left. Honest John took my stuff!"

"Honest John eh? You ever heard of Honest John, Paulie?" said the biggest of them to another.

"Nope. Never heard of him, cat. Come on, off with the backpack. Let's see what you've got in there."

Of course, there was practically nothing. They took the 20 gold of course. And her Skooma.

"Oh HO! What's THIS?" said one of them as he opened the vial and sniffed the contents.

"Liquid Skooma. Nice! Hey, wanna party Cat?"

"YES! PARTY!" she laughed, and they led her off into some woods well off the road.

They finished the rest of the Skooma and 'partied' all night with the khajiit. Fortunately for her, they gave her more of the powerful drug, so in the morning she didn't remember much of what had happened.

But she awoke naked and alone, with absolutely nothing. Her body hurt and her mouth tasted foul. She didn't need to guess what had happened. Between the state of her body and the snippets of memory that remained of the previous night, she knew all she wanted to know. She wished she could get some water though. And wash off the smell.

She limped back to the road as dawn arrived. Walking was painful, but she had no choice now. She was hailed before she got to the gate by an armed guard, who looked less than happy to see her.

"Damn, what happened to you, cat? You look like you've had a run-in with a troll!"

"I... There were three of them..."

"Uh huh," he said. "Looks it."

"Can I go in?" she asked him.

"A fucking naked Skooma addict? Are you kidding me? The captain would have my head if he knew I let you in. Sorry cat, ain't gonna happen. Here, wait a sec..."

She stood shivering while he went through the gate. It wasn't the cold though. Nor even the effects of her night of 'partying'. She was hungry again, and she didn't have any left.

Presently, the guard returned and tossed her something. She caught it and looked at it, unrolling it. It was little more than rags, but it would cover her. She put it over her head. Now, she realized, she looked the part. The shivering probably helped as well. Skooma addict.

She couldn't believe what she was about to say to this guard. But there was no one else to ask.

"You... wouldn't have any..."

He laughed. "Get the fuck off, cat. Look, you can't come in, but if you follow the wall around to the docks, there's whorehouses there. You can probably get what you need there or around the docks. For a price. Lots of horny sailors down there. Some might even be desperate enough. But you'd best take a bath in the water first. Saltwater's gotta smell better than you do right now!"

She nodded, and began the long walk around the city walls towards the ocean. It was a long, long walk.

Of course, any city known for it's sea port can't be truly walled. But the docks were kept separate from the city proper, and thus the laws of the city didn't necessarily apply around the port. Skooma trade, slavery and worse were common. Prostitution was practically mild by comparison. By the time she got there, the place was alive with activity. But she did heed the guard's advice and bathed in the water. The taste of the salty water as she gargled it was nasty, but it was better than nothing. She climbed back out of the water, dripping and still limping. But she smelled better. Now she smelled of saltwater and dead fish. But it was better.

She put the rags back on while still wet. It clung to her. At some other time, perhaps, it might have looked erotic. But now she was simply pathetic. And the shiver was back. She really needed some Skooma.

It wasn't hard to spot the whorehouse. She fit right in. The elf-woman that ran the place looked like she was expecting her.

"Wait there," she said as Ra'Jirra approached up the stairs where the large elf sat on a patio overlooking the docks.

A green orc came down and frisked her, way too thoroughly, before she was allowed to come closer.

"Looking for a job?" the woman asked.

Ra'Jirra nodded.

She groaned, got out of her chair and walked over to the still-wet khajiit. "Open your eyes," she said, and Ra'Jirra complied.

"Skooma. Figures," said the Madam. "It's always the Skooma with you cats. Open your mouth."

Again, Ra'Jirra did as she was told.

"Nice teeth! How long you been on the stuff?"

"Since... a few days ago," she answered honestly.

"Jeeze. You're hooked bad. Jiles, get some liquid Skooma for the girl."

The orc hurried off inside.

"Bend over," she commanded, and once again Ra'Jirra complied. The woman had said the magic words. Salvation was coming!

"Holy shit! Cat, what happened to you?"

Ra'Jirra laughed, maybe a little madly. "Long night partying with the boys," she said. "Out in the woods along the road."

"We don't call that partying around here, girl."

The orc returned with a vial very much similar to the one she had.

"Fuck that, Jiles, this girl needs to lay down. Come on cat, let's get you a bed. What's your name?"

"Ra... I mean... Call me Doll," she answered, but her eyes didn't stray from the vial.

"Oh, go on. One drop. Then it's off to bed with you."

She took the vial greedily, but didn't overdo it. One blessed drop touched her tongue and she handed it back to the orc. She'd pay for that, she knew. But she needed it. Suddenly her head cleared up. But with the renewed clarity came renewed pain. The Madam actually helped her into the house.

The bed they laid her down on was immaculate. She almost felt she was violating the place by laying down on it, but the sheets were cool and dry. She'd taken off the rag and it felt very, very good. She looked at the Madam. "This is going to cost me, isn't it?"

The elf's face looked sincere. "Of course. but we'll work it out. You're in good shape, Doll. A day or two from now and you'll be my best cat. But we've got to get you back in shape first. No, you won't be sleeping in my bed after that. But till then, enjoy the hospitality of the Curved Port.

"And the Skooma?"

"I doubt I'm the first to tell you, you should quit the stuff. But if you did, you wouldn't be here. So I can't very well deny you that. But..."

"I'll pay for it," Ra'Jirra finished for her.

"You know how it works. Been a whore before?"

Ra'Jirra nodded again.

"Good. Then you know what's expected of you. %40. I get the rest. Deal? You can walk out now and the rest is on the house. My girls work for me willingly. You can get a higher percentage at the cheap whorehouse on the other side of the docks, but the overall is a lot less. We get the captains, they get the sailors."

"Deal," said the khajiit.