The Ebony Mine

[Teinaava]

The Ebony Mine in Caldera. Slaves toil here under the harsh care of the guards.

[Teinaava]

Teinaava swung away with his pick-ax, working diligently. As they slaved one of his close friends, another Argonian named Ochaiva, leaned over to him, whispering to him. Teinaava grinned, his friend had whispered an old joke about Khajit to him. Of course he had heard the joke before, Ochaiva himself had told the joke at least a thousand times. He wasn't sure why he still laughed, maybe it was the misery of his general life, maybe it was his hatred of the Khajit he worked with. A dozen or so Khajit slaves worked the mines, and not the fearsome Jaguar Men everyone talked about, the small, jumpy, sneaky kind.

[Orisis]

"Darned slaves," the dunmeri guard muttered under his breath,"We didn't buy them to talk on duty."

Cracking a whip, his threw a dangerous glance at the pair.

[[ Typing in-class, at school. Which is why it's short.]]

[Teinaava]

Teinaava turned back to his work, gnashing his teeth. These Dunmer guards drove them harshly, acting as if they were but machines, only worrying about efficiency. Teinaava would have loved to do something about it, but they kept the manacles so tight he could barely swing his pick-ax, much less start a fight with the guards.

[Orisis]

"These picks could probably break these chains if we try hard enough," He-who-sleeps-in-afternoon-sun muttered. He had never adopted an imperial name,"We'd outnumberthem."

He was constantly suggesting ideas like that, and they didn't nearly sound so far-fetched as they seemed to some of the slaves.

[Teinaava]

Teinaava grimaced. He didn't want to take the time to argue with He-who-sleeps-in-the-afternoon-sun. The plan was technically viable, but there where to many flaws, too many risks to make it worthwhile. They did outnumber the guards, but they had no weapons, and none other than Teinaava and Ochaiva were in the shape to fight much of anything.

[Orisis]

"These slaves," the same Dunmer guard hissed, just loudly enough for them to hear," If it wasn't for the fact that they run this mine, I would have each one of them flogged, and then killed."
"You did hear that," He-who-sleeps-in-afternoon-sun spoke softly," They seek to work us to death!"

[Teinaava]

Teinaava continued to ignore HWSITANS. He was always worrying about these things, being beaten, being worked to death. Most of the slaves greeted the events of their everyday lives with a silent, albeit miserable acceptance. Most of them just worked, waiting for slavery to be abolished, or to meet their death from malnourishment, which ever came first.

[Orisis]

The guard, however, did anything but ignore He-who-sleeps-in-afternoon-sun. His ears pricked at the sound of the Argonian's voice, and instantly, his hand shot to his belt - to a whip made out of guarhide.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, n'wah," the guard spoke in a dangerous tone as he brought the whip down on HWSIAS," I am still allowed to kill anyone who speaks dissent. And you," he glared at Teinaava, and then at a Khajiit, "He was talking to either or both of you. I will be keeping an eye on both of you very closely from now on."

At that, he unchained He-who-sleeps-in-afternoon-sun, and dragged him roughly out, and bound the slave's hand in a rough coil of rope, before dragging the Argonian on the ground, holding him by the tail.

[Teinaava]

Teinaava grimaced. HWSIAS was in trouble with the guards most of the time, but the beatings were severe, and the got longer and longer as he continued to get himself in trouble, Teinaava was worried that this time the guards would actually beat the poor lizard to death. Something had to be done.

[Orisis]

"These masters does treat Kil'mer harshly," the Kajiht next to Teinaava sighed,"There is no escape from here."

[Teinaava]

The fur-licker was wrong, Teinaava thought. There had to be a way out of here, the word going around was that King Helseth was on the verge of abolishing slavery, but Teinaava doubted that that would be enough. He didn't believe these Dunmer would let petty legality get in the way of their ancient traditions.

[Teinaava]

Teinaava watched as the guards continued down the long mine shaft dragging HWSIAS all the way. Teinaava looked around and, in a moment of epiphany realized that the two guards who had left were the only ones on duty. He turned to Ochaiva and nudged him with his elbow, his brother turned and saw Teinaava's intent in his eyes. Ochaiva presented his arms, with the chains that bound him laying flat across a flat topped stone. Teinaava raised his pickaxe, and with all the strength he could muster, he struck the binding chains.

[Teinaava]

The ancient chains could not withstand the force of the pick-ax, and shattered, firing shards of metal into the air. Vibrations traveled along the handle of the pick-ax, the ancient wood groaned and splintered under the vicious force of the attack. With Ochaiva's chains broken, Teinaava extended his arms, and Ochaiva lifted his pick-ax. Ochaiva struck hard, and the chains groaned, but did not give way. Ochaiva grimaced, and struck again, this time the chains snapped.

[Teinaava]

Although the chain's were snapped, the greatest challenge was still ahead of him, he and Ochaiva both raised their arms into the air, and, in unison the cast a powerful chameleon spell upon themselves. The spell was powerful, but they were not invisible, but the cave was lighted poorly, and in the dim light they were nearly invisible. The crept silently away, as the next shift of guards began to traverse the narrow shaft leading to the mining chamber.