User blog:Leea/The Tale of Voronwe, Chapter 71

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4th Era 171, 7th of Second Seed, Pyandonea
"And you're sure of this?" Orthendar asked, standing before him.

The young Elf scowled. "Like I could really lie to you. You'd read my mind and see that I'd lied. Of course I'm telling the truth."

The ghost smiled crookedly. "True. Lying to me would be utterly fruitless."

The scowl remained on his face. "Yeah...which is why everyone tells the truth. Anyway, like I told you, Orghum is looking for two rare ingredients. And also like I told you, I don't know what he intends to do with them. I'm a member of the Sea Vipers, not a mage."

"Also true," Orthendar replied. He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Briarhearts. From my time in the Vipers, I recall that they only come from Skyrim...and are quite dangerous to collect."

"Why? You'd get pricked by thorns on the plant?" the young Viper asked sarcastically.

Orthendar removed his hand from his face. "No," he said matter-of-factly. "The alchemical ingredient is hard to get because it has no properties when on the plant. It only gains effects after it has been harvested and used in a ritual to replace the heart of a man. Briarhearts are powerfull undead fighters or spellcasters, so getting them from their bodies is a very tough prospect."

The young man's face fell. "Oh."

"And what was the other ingredient he was looking for?"

"It was...Mammoth tusk power, I believe." the young Elf responded.

"Also generally hard to obtain...and also only located in Skyrim."

"Why?"

"Because Mammoth tusks are legendary for their strength. No one but the Giants that tame and herd the beasts know how to grind the tusks into powder. Getting one's hands on the alchemical ingredient requires infiltration into a Giant camp...and Giants don't take kindly to gawkers, trespassers, people 'passing through' and they don't take prisoners. Intruders that ignore warnings get the club - which is as long as you are tall - in the face."

The younger Elf scowled again. "How do you know all of this?"

"Because," Orthendar began, crossing his arms over his chest, "I had been in the Vipers ever since I had been able to use a weapon. I was a member for 19 years, and was also a voracious reader. You should spend more time at the library, then perhaps you'd know more about the cargo you 'obtain' from other ships."

"We sell them for money," the young Elf scoffed, glaring. "Why would I want to waste time reading about what I'm going to sell? Most of what we plunder is practically sold by the time we get it off the ships."

"Because," the ghost repeated, "Then you'd know if the item you're dealing with is inherently dangerous or not. Do you know about Fire Salts?" he tested.

"All I know is that they reside in a heavy, ceramic container on the ships and that they keep my food warm out on the water. The ingredient is also quite valuable. That's all I care to know." the young man replied irritably.

Orthendar scowled. "Then you should care to know that the mineral dropped from a height will explode in your face. Quite literaly, I might add. Drop a crate of the salts in the warehouse and the entire building could be incinerated...yourself included."

There was a tense pause as the young Maormer stared at the deceased former Sea Viper.

"If the stuff is so damn dangerous, why keep it around?" he finally asked, frowning.

"Because it is efficient. Not much else has the potency or evenly produced heat of Fire Salts." Orthendar explained, his arms still across his chest.

There was another pause as the Sea Viper digested this information as his eyes darted around the area where the ghost was standing. His cocky attitude seemed to bleed from him the longer the halt in the conversation went on. At length, he finally said quietly, "Do you wish to be notified when we find the Mammoth tusk powder?"

"Of course," Orthendar replied, uncrossing his arms.

The young man nodded solemnly before turning to leave the secluded meeting spot.

"Oh, before you leave," the ghost called out behind him.

The living Sea Elf stopped and turned his head around, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked, seemingly now more humble.

"How many Briarhearts did Orghum obtain from the Vipers?"

"Just one. We were also asked to procure any more we might come across, to fill up the ingredient vault." came his response, still looking over his shoulder.

"And how many tusk powders did he put in an order for?"

"I wasn't there for that part of the conversation. By that time, I had gone to get the Briarheart. You'd have to ask around with the other members."

Orthendar nodded. "Thank you."

The Sea Viper nodded before resuming his walk back ot the Vipers' headquarters.