Seperate
He concentrated hard. Sweat dripping down his face and into his eyes, the salt burning and making him wince, but he could not break his focus.
Not yet, when he was so close.
He felt a slight chill in his fingertips, the ends turning purple and beginning to quiver despite it being a mild Spring day. A slight wind blew, ripping along the meandering river and cruising quickly past the lodgings of he and his companions.
It was very, very close now.
He inhaled deeply and held his breath, feeling the small crystals of ice form along his fingertips, his will entered into the equation, pushing the ice forward to manifest as a long and sharp protrusion.
It shot from his palm with a tearing noise, striking a rock on the opposite shore and shattering into hundreds of crystalline pieces that caught the sunlight reflecting off of the water.
Crass smiled.
"About time." His mentor Theodore ambled up behind him, smiling. "I thought it was never actually going to happen you know."
Crass scoffed and rubbed his still numb hand against his pants, "Well, old man, you should have more faith in me." They both laughed and listened to the sounds of the gently lapping stream in the woodlands surrounding Falkreath.
It had been three months since they had escaped the collapsing ruins in Lake Illinata. Fadril, the strange Dunmer woman they had been employed by was still their third companion, providing her skills as a huntress and thief to Ted's magic and Crass' sword arm.
Together, the three of them were gaining a reputation as top spell-swords, able to solve the most difficult of problems and issues which may arise.
Crass was slipping on his over-shirt once again when the pattering sound of hooves on the dirt road reached his ears. He smiled and headed towards the road, Ted behind him, smiling knowingly.
"You know, you should simply tell her how you feel Crass." He winked.
Crass looked at him, grunted, and turned away.
"I could tell her if that would…" He was interrupted by a fierce glare from Crass, and then they both broke out laughing.
"In time wizard, in time." He stretched, craning his neck to see who may have been approaching down the road.
The lithe form of Fadril crested the hill, atop Ted's chestnut mare and her hood thrown back behind her head so the sun could reach her skin. She broke into a smile and urged the horse forward upon seeing her friends, seemingly eager.
She reached them and jumped down. "Hello boys." She smiled. Ted did a slight bow and Crass smiled. "I think I have a job for us," she continued, "A good one at that. But it will require something of a trip."
"Oh?" Ted questioned, "do tell."
She smiled mischievously and gestured to some nearby rocks next to the stream, "Sit."
Crass loped over and lay on the grass feeling the Earth beneath him and the sun on his face. Ted sat nearby and placed his hat on the ground, while Fadril sat with her back to the stream and listened to the gently gurgling motion of the river echo behind her.
"We need to go to Windhelm." She paused.
Crass grimaced and looked away, "Well, this went poorly very quickly."
Fadril turned and cast a sharp glance his way, "How did this go poorly?"
Crass shook his head and opened his mouth to speak but Ted interjected, "He is formerly of the Imperial Legion. Even though Windhelm has been liberated there is a risk of Stormcloak interference."
Crass laughed aloud, "That is a polite way of putting it. What he means," he gestured towards Ted, "is that the odds are high that I will be killed upon sight."
Fadril leaned back on the rock, sighing as the sun fell on her shoulders. "Alright then, I guess we won't take the job."
The three companions sat in silence, the meandering river next to them gurgling softly. "What was the job exactly Fadril?" Ted finally asked, leaning forward.
"Apparently there is some new cult trying to duplicate what happened during the Oblivion Crisis." Ted grimaced, "So opening portals to Oblivion and allowing ancient gods to come strolling through Tamriel, yes?"
Fadril nodded.
"Well," Crass smirked, "that would certainly not be a good thing."
After a pause Crass spoke once more, "Is this a legitimate threat?"
Fadril bit her lower lip and thought for a moment, "Yes, I believe it is, as do the people I have spoken to."
Ted was the next to pipe in, "For now, we will prepare for a brief exploratory trip to Windhelm," he looked to Crass, "you are going to stay here to avoid raising any suspicion."
Ted pointed towards Fadril, "You are going to come with me."
Crass nodded, albeit sadly, "That is probably the right way of handling this, isn't it?"
They sat in silence once more.
Ted spoke once more, "We leave in the morning, and tonight we prep and do any research we may need to. Crass, I have a task for you while we are out adventuring. Follow me." He stood quickly and began walking back to the small house.
Fadril looked over curiously, stood and brushed what little dirt had collected on her leggings, and then walked back to the horse to unload possible supplies. Crass and Ted entered the warm cabin, lit up a small lantern and the room lit up, shadows casting themselves over the wall in splayed patterns.
Crass pulled back the roughly made wooden chair, sat with a sigh and nodded towards Ted.
"What do you need me to do?" He leaned forward and smiled.
Ted grunted and shook his head, "I think this whole 'Oblivion' thing is overrated and likely not happening, but there is something to all rumors, you know?" He grinned sheepishly.
"Oh?" Crass leaned back.
"Yes, I have heard some sighting of some scamps." He grimaced, "I know they are tiny and inconsequential, but they are not normally around Tamriel…"
Crass frowned and scooted forward slightly in his chair, he made a 'keep talking' gesture impatiently.
"I need you to go to Winterhold and talk to the mages there, see if they can shed some light on this." Ted grimaced, "I sincerely hope this is nothing more than a goose chase."
Crass grunted and leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him. "And if it isn't?"
Ted laughed, "We are going to be very busy then."
The next morning dawned cool and comfortable. Birdsong filtered through the morning air and Crass awoke slowly, savoring the warm sunlight streaming through the nearby window and feeling the gentle motion of the world begin another day.
He could hear loud whispers outside, likely Ted and Fadril preparing for their overland journey. Crass smiled. I'll get to be by myself now.
It was the first time he would really get to represent himself as a spell sword on an individual excursion since he had been given the title. It was both exciting, and mildly terrifying. He did not doubt his own ability to handle problems, but being considered the type of individual that can solve a myriad of issues with a simple spell is not always the easiest thing in the world. Crass frowned to himself in the dim light of the cabin, the pine-laden air waking his senses.
He stood and stretched, feeling the rough floor on his bare feet. The door creaked open, fresh air blowing in through the small gap and Ted walked in, with Fadril close behind.
"Crass, we are leaving now." He smiled kindly. "Be safe, as we will be somewhat far away from each other."
"Of course old man," Crass smiled, "I am the image of caution."
Fadril walked forward and smiled at Crass, "I'm sorry you cannot go with us." She stopped and held eye contact with him. The silence lasted for around 10 seconds until Ted cleared his throat. "Well, off we go then." He smiled and patted Crass on his bare shoulder before leaving. Fadril slowly stepped away and waved.
Crass sighed under his breath and shook his head slowly. "What am I going to do about that girl?"
He listened to the wooded country surrounding the cabin awaken, birdsong, the rushing stream and the cool mountain breeze playing through the pines combining into a pleasant, dim cacophony.
Minutes later Crass had a tunic on and was sitting on his front step, inhaling the air and struggling to fit his feet into the worn leather boots he preferred to wear on long journeys.
This journey in particular, Crass quickly realized, was going to be one that required lots of supplies and ample travel time.
He could hear the gentle trampling of undergrowth from a rabbit in a nearby bush, and the distant yipping of a fox. Of course, traveling to Winterhold would mean leaving his comfortable wooded surroundings of Falkreath and venture into the cold winds and desolate landscapes of the North. It was not necessarily a horrible thought, but he liked being in one place for extended periods of time.
He sighed, stood quickly, and brushed the dirt from his pants and shirt. He reached back into the warm confines of the cabin and grabbed his cloak. Doing his best to try and maintain a degree of control and not worry about what may very well lie on the road ahead.
Since Ted and Fadril commandeered the horse, Crass would be on foot for the long, long journey. He traveled North, or as North as can be while trying to skirt a massive mountain. The small town of Riverwood lay a few miles down the road. His first stop for the night and a comfortable place to grab a meal and a warm bed, he was in high spirits with a bright sun and gentle wind following him on his journey.
Riverwood was a calm, and in all honesty, dreary town. The local lumbermill hummed in the background as the local blacksmith diligently worked his forge and children wrestled in the nearby years of a work looking abode. The local inn was much like any other establishment through Skyrim, high steeped windows and a large central fire roaring already in late-afternoon.
Crass grabbed a chair, the wood rough and splintered, ordered a mead and bread with stew and waited for his food to arrive.
His next steps were already foremost in his mind. After en evening in Riverwood he would go to Whiterun and re-supply his various medical tinctures (the learning thereof courtesy of Ted) and maybe get a little present for the wizard and Fadril.
Fadril. She, he thought to himself, is a tricky one.
He sighed aloud, his breath echoing a bit louder in the empty inn than he would have preferred. The tender brought him over his food and drink and Crass tucked in, eager to go to his rented room and sleep.
Whiterun would lead up through the Pale to Dawnstar, and finally east along the coast to Winterhold. Crass frowned to himself. It would be a cold, likely miserable journey, not to mention the various threats that he may very well encounter on his trip.
He finished his meal, threw his change on the table as an added tip for the barkeep and clomped over to his room door, pushing it open to expose a well-lit room, with a chest and thin bed. The desk contained a small book for some night-time reading and eventually Crass, after hanging his cloak and kicking off his boots, slumped into the chair nearby and grabbed the book.
"Daedra in Tamriel: A Study". Crass laughed, "Well, this is quite a coincidence, isn't it?"
He shook his head and began actively reading, the flame in the lantern slowly burning down further and further into the metal well of the lantern.
Crass dozed and awoke, dozed and awoke until finally setting the book aside and drifting off to sleep.