The only reason I joined was because that haughty bitch Feralda said I couldn't pass through the gate unless I could use magic. As a general rule, anything Vallaska was told she couldn't do just made her itch to prove whoever said she couldn't wrong. Be it from her adventurous nature or from plain spitefulness she had soon found herself being passed a newly purchased Spell Tome and ordered to cast it on a curious eye embalm carved into the stone floor. Another general rule was that Vallaska didn't much bother with magic- she found it draining and time consuming, much preferring her ebony bow to anything else. It wasn't a common trait among wood elves to actually take an interest in the arcane arts. But, just to prove the smug High Elf wrong, she had done as she was told and ended up...here.
I should have gotten out of Winterhold while I still had the chance. I should have left after proving Feralda wrong. I should have just murdered that guy and went straight back to the sanctuary like I was ordered. Stupid fucking Psijics. Her expression sour, she turned another corner and squinted into the darkness. Now, which way had she come? The exit had to be around here somewhere. She had the key now. Vallaska cursed softly under her breath and shuffled a few more paces forward, her Dark Brotherhood armor making no noise in the half darkness. Ever since the Psijics had first shown up and warned her of the dangers to come, she had had a bad feeling that her luck was going to turn sour. By now of course Vallaska was used to getting into all kinds of trouble, but she had never been mixed up with fanciful mages before, or huge glowing objects that made men and mer lust for arcane power. Nor had she ever met elves that could appear and disappear at will. She took a few more steps into the gloom and began to make out the faint outline of the door that led to fresh air and freedom. Gods help me, if I ever see another one of those psijic mages i'll-
Blinded by a sudden flash of bright white light, Vallaska let out a shriek and bent over, small hands shielding her eyes from the glare. She had spent almost half a day in near darkness and the intensity of the glow was agonizing. New pain flared up in her side, the wound reopened by her quick lunge, warmth spreading as wet blood soaked through her armour. It was more than she could bare and Vallaska let out a small whimper as the light began to recede, leaving the poor elf to wonder if she was blind as darkness enveloped around her once more. After a few moments she let one of her hands drop, clutching at her rib-cage and wearily glanced upwards. A new, softer glow had taken up around the figure of a man much taller than herself. She at once recognized the garish yellow and red robes of the psijic monks and cursed her luck once more, doing her best to straighten enough to talk to the high elf in front of her.
He looked at her almost as warily as she was looking at him, like he expected her to attack him at any moment. Vallaska supposed that he wasn't much used to dealing with others outside of his order and her feral appearance was perhaps accentuated by the shadows around her and dim glow cast upon half her face. When he finally spoke it was with no concern or sympathy towards her ragged state but with a calm that suggested he knew far more than he was letting on.
"You have done well thus far, but trying times are ahead. It is imperative that you return to your college at once. You will be called on to take swift action. Rise to the challenge, and discover what you are capable of. You are on the right path, and you will prevail." He regarded her for a few more moments before the glow around him began to flicker and dim. Vallaska could tell he was about to disappear again and felt an abrupt surge of anger. Who did these high and mighty psijics think they were, giving her orders while she was bent double bleeding for them? If they were so powerful why didn't they do something about this mess? It wasn't hers to clean up and once again she had found herself knee deep in skeever shit. It wasn't fair and it wasn't going to wash with her.
Perhaps that monk wasn't as wary of her as he should of been.
Quick as a flash, a ragged gasp escaping Vallaska's lips as she straightened up, she cast a frost spell at his feet, pouring all her anger and all her magicka into that one blast. The psijic stuck fast to the cracked stone floor and she felt a smug flicker of satisfaction as his eyes widened in shock. Not pausing once, Vallaska drew her bow and knocked a poison tipped arrow into place, pointing it straight at the mage's forehead at point blank range. "No." she hissed, her voice rasping from being on her own for so long and a smug grin on her face. "You're not going anywhere. Not till I finally get some answers."
The psijic narrowed his eyes at her and flames began to flare at his finger tips, ready to melt the ice that was restraining him. Vallaska thrust the bow forward right between his eyes and held it there, grin gone and sour expression returned. "Don't even think about it. I'm sick of doing your dirty work. I'm at least owed some answers. Is it really too much to ask for?"
He sighed infinitesimally and gazed at her with an almost sad expression. "I can't. My order is forbidden to interfere with the lives of others. We're not permitted-"
"You can cut the bullshit right now. You either give me some answers or i'll walk away and you can clean this whole thing up yourselves. I don't work for you or your...order." She sneered, cutting him off. Her side throbbed and she sucked in a sharp breath, both hands now aching to clutch her side. The bow and arrow wobbled slightly. She was going to pass out if she wasn't treated soon. She'd never make it back to Winterhold in this state. Maybe she could rest here for a while. Sleep. The darkness was so warm...
The psijic frowned and crossed his arms. "You know where you need to go. You know what you need to retreive. What more is there? We're not permitted to interfere with the lives of mortals. It must be you. You will prevail." He reiterated. Vallaska felt her strength sapping and her arms turn to mush. It was all she could to keep the bow in place but after a few moments her arms gave out and she let out a groan, stumbling forwards. The psijic began to move, more light glowing at his finger tips, but Vallaska pulled out her matching ebony dagger and shakily held it at his throat. She knew she'd be no use at a fight in this state, she just hoped he didn't. "Don't...move." she gasped out, leaning against the wall for support. But to her surprise, it wasn't flames at the tip of the monk's fingers but a healing spell. He quickly pressed his fingers lightly to her wound and Vallaska felt her cut closing and her mind clearing. She drew back, eyes narrowing, wondering if it was a trick.
"You really must be more careful. Skyrim would suffer greatly if you were to perish now, so close to the end of your quest." He muttered in his haughty high elvish accent.
She straightened up. "Your sympathy is overwhelming. Don't forget that I would not be injured at all if you had not sent me on this bloody fools errand to the deepest, darkest gods forsaken places in search of rumours."
He frowned again and opened his mouth to reply, but Vallaska was quicker. "But you're right. I do need to be more careful. What I really need is someone here to watch my back to protect me. Someone with good knowledge of this wild goose chase i've been sent on against my will." She stared at him, waiting for him to catch on. He gazed blankly at her for a few moments before his eyes widened once again and he started to shake his head. "No. Absolutely not."
"But why not?" She whined, pouting slightly.
"I'm forbidden from...I can't...this is not my journey."
"It's not mine either unless you agree to help me. I'll go straight to the nearest inn and have a nice drink and a good supper."
"This is ludicrous. We did not intend to involve ourselves thus far-"
"Hey, I don't want to be here either."
"You cannot force me to against my will."
"Why not? That's what you're doing to me now."
He let out his breath and narrowed his eyes, leaning away from her. She raised her bow once again and pointed it at him. "Come with me or i'll kill you?" she offered sweetly.
"No. I'm not-"
"Permitted to interfere blah blah blah. You're coming whether you like it or not. I will kill you. Then go straight to the nearest inn and have a nice drink and a good supper. Be done with all this crap."
He glared at her in silence, evidently thinking. Of a way to get out of this deal i've forced him into I suppose. She thought to herself as she waited, bow ready and raised. After a few more moments of uncomfortable silence she spoke up once again.
"Ok, here's the deal. You come with me and watch my back while I go after whatever bit of crap you send me to get next. In return I complete your stupid little quest, save Skyrim and ask no unnecessary questions. Sound fair?"
The psijic continued to glare at her. Vallaska fought the urge to sigh. She was much too tired for this, she needed to rest and get a decent meal into her and polish her bow. Maybe practice more of those frost spells they seemed to come in handy once in a while. She was just beginning to consider letting the monk go and just dragging her feel along home and getting on with things when he muttered "Fine.", crossed his arms and looked incredibly sullen. "If you think it will help."
She flashed him a brilliant smile and withdrew her arrow. "I do. And just in case you're thinking of disappearing again, you do that and I swear by the nine divines and every daedric lord out there I will not lift another finger to help your order."
He gave her another glare but said nothing more than "Unfreeze me."
Vallaska happily did as she was told, relieved that she was now travelling with another companion. It would be so much easier and less strained knowing someone was there to watch her back. Especially in dwarven ruins. She shivered as the overwhelming desire to get out of this dank dark ruin crashed over her and leave the tapping of automated feet on stone and startling hiss of unnatural steam contraptions far behind. "What's your name, monk?"
He sighed and lifted his feet from the quickly melting ice that pinned him to the spot. "Quaranir." Vallaska regarded him warily and wondered if the sulky sighing would be a regular thing.
"Well then, Quaranir. The exits that way."