An Elf Like No Other
To my fondest Lads and Gents: I will remind you that I will be posting these chapters in batches most likely, purely for the continuity of the story. So if it's been a minute on your favorite story, more are coming (arguably more than you were hoping for).
Chapter 2 - Lady of the Elixirs
Elewiese adjusted the iron breastplate over the novice robes she'd salvaged from the dead mage in the cell at Helgen. She wore the same leather boots and vambraces from the fort as well. Having secured the satchel at her waist and lifting her hood, she stood from the bed and descended the stairs.
The bard, Mikael was nursing the black eye Elewiese had given him last night for being such a lecherous creep to the sweet market woman, Carlotta. He averted his gaze when he saw the elf, making her smirk. She approached Hulda and tipped the innkeep an extra gold coin for services rendered. She smiled and thanked Elewiese who exited the Bannered Mare, stretching in the morning sunshine.
Hadvar's uncle Alvor and Ralof's sister Gerdur, while loathing to even sit down with each other, agreed that the security of Riverwood was at stake with a dragon flying about. They both begged her to make for Whiterun to inform the hold's jarl of the imminent threat in exchange for their hospitality. While out hunting earlier, Elewiese had already decided that she wanted to know more about the dragon that had appeared. More specifically, she wanted to know why it had the effect it did on her, and seemingly her alone. However, she wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. She lacked immediate finances and an inkling of who would know anything about the dragons. This quest was as good an opportunity as any to find assistance.
After making her way to the exterior of Whiterun and impressing a local 'Companion' by jumping on the back of a wayward giant attacking a homestead, Elewiese managed to talk her way into the city and into the jarls keep. Jarl Balgruuf seemed an honorable man to her, and listened to what she had to say. Recognizing the danger, he sent additional guards to Riverwood, then asked for her assistance with his court wizard. That's where things got interesting.
It seemed that the court wizard, Farengar, was attempting to discern the pattern of apparent dragon sightings using information from an ancient Dragonstone that detailed dragon burial sites across Skyrim. Elewiese didn't care much for his attitude, as most of her interactions with mages went, but she seemed to grow on him when he realized she wasn't merely a brute mercenary the jarl was hiring. She was actually interested in his inquiry of draconology, and made keenly astute observations of his notes. Elewiese informed both the jarl and the mage that she would make for Bleak Falls Barrow in the morning. Jarl Balgruuf recommended staying in the city's finest inn, the Bannered Mare.
And so, after a restful night at the inn, there Elewiese stood. The city's marketplace was already buzzing with traders and shoppers. One shop in particular had caught her interest last night, but she decided to wait until morning to approach the owner. She moved towards the shop, pushing her way through the wooden doors and smiled at the sight before her. The familiar scene of ingredients and potions lining shelves made her sigh in relief. You might say being in an apothecary shop was like being in her element. Other wood elves couldn't stay away from the forest. Elewiese couldn't stay away from alchemy.
"Good morning!" A woman behind the counter greeted her. Imperial, judging by her slender build and Cyrodilic accent. "New faces are common enough in Whiterun. I'm Arcadia. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance."
Elewiese smiled at the woman and approached the counter. "Thank you, that is very kind." She set her satchel on the counter and began appraising the ingredients she'd accumulated. Arcadia was impressed, both by the variety and organization she saw in the satchel's collection. "Do you have any Canis Root and Blisterwort?"
The shopkeep smiled. "Indeed we do. Always nice to run into another alchemist. A stamina poison would help against the local wildlife. You're smart."
Elewiese raised an eyebrow, before realizing what she's asked for. "Ah, no they are ingredients for separate potions, not a poison."
"Oh?" Arcadia was intrigued now.
Elewiese paid for the ingredients and nodded towards the alchemy table on the far side of the room. "You mind?"
"Not at all. Please do clean up after yourself though."
Elewiese moved towards the table and reached into her pocket. She placed her mother's ring on her finger. At her skill level, it served no purpose other than a sort of sentimentality, but Elewiese always wore it regardless. "So, are you a healer?" She asked making idle conversation with the human.
Arcadia laughed. "Of a sort. Nothing as formal as Restoration training, but if I had a septim for every case of Rockjoint or Witbane I've cured within these walls…"
The elf continued working, creating several mixtures at lightning speed. "You're from Cyrodil."
Arcadia nodded. "Imperial citizen and damn proud of it."
"Ever think of returning home?"
The shopkeep turned indignant. "Why? Because of the Stormcloaks? Ulfric can rot in Oblivion for all I care. This place is my home. I've lived here for twenty years. Twenty!"
Elewiese looked over. "It was not my intention to offend, only to make conversation."
Arcadia looked apologetic. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my patriotic nature get to me. I apologize."
Elewiese corked a draught with a glowing red liquid, then sterilized the work station to begin creating the next mixture. "I only meant to ask if you'd heard of the Lady of the Elixirs."
Arcadia's eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together. "Are you kidding? I don't think anyone could rightly call themselves an alchemist and not know of the Lady. I've never had the pleasure of meeting her, if that's what you meant."
"Mmm…" Elewiese smiled and continued working until she was finished. Arcadia had not been paying attention to what the elf had been mixing but noted the four new bottles she held. Three of the four mixtures glowed blue, green, and red respectively. She brought her last concoction, one a flat golden yellow color, over to the counter where Arcadia leaned in, interested.
"And what have we here?"
"First, I'd like to purchase one more thing…maybe…"
Arcadia held up a hand sternly. "All sales are final." Elewiese said nothing, her mouth twitching in humor, and pointed to a potion with a familiar emblem on the top shelf. "Ah, you have a good eye. That's a Lady of the Elixirs exclusive. She's made many of her advancements in alchemy public knowledge, but she's kept a few to herself. Many have tried cracking their code, to no avail." It took every last septim Elewiese had, and some tricky bartering of looted items, but Arcadia agreed on the exchange. The bottle was ornately sculpted red glass with a ribbon tied around it. Holding it together was a wax seal with the likeness of feminine hands cupping a rosebud.
Once the potion was hers, Elewiese reached into her satchel and brought out a sterile eyedropper. With Arcadia watching, she took a drop of the potion she'd purchased and deposited it on the counter. "Hey! What do you think you're-" The elf held up a hand and asked her to watch. Elewiese then filled a second dropper with the last mixture she'd made at the alchemy station and placed it on the drop of the potion on the counter. A sizzle was heard, and a small blue light burst before disappearing.
Arcadia drew closer, stunned. "A neutral reaction? But only the Lady of the Elixirs knows how to make- Only she could possibly…" Her eyes grew wide as realization dawned on her. "Kynareth preserve us." She gazed into the hazel eyes of the elf who merely smiled at her. She rounded the counter and took her hands into her own and shook vigorously. "My Lady! It is my utmost honor to have you in my shop!"
Elewiese giggled slightly. "Please, the honor is mine. I'm happy to hear I've accumulated such an influence, even all the way here to Skyrim."
Arcadia was still shaking her hands. "It's only natural!" The Imperial placed a hand on her head, feeling feint. "By the gods! The Lady of the Elixirs!" Elewiese allowed her a moment to collect herself. "Well, is there anything else I can do for you my Lady? I trust you wouldn't reveal your identity to me without a reason."
"You are correct, Arcadia. I have something of an entrepreneurial proposition for you." The elf ventured. Arcadia nodded emphatically. "As I will be staying in Skyrim for the foreseeable future, I believe it would be wise to extend my network of apothecaries. I plan on visiting alchemists all over the province in an effort to connect you all to eachothers' stock and knowledge. I will then network you with the apothecaries I partner with in Cyrodil. Understand?"
Arcadia was intrigued. "And what would this partnership entail?"
"I will invest in you & your shops and teach you how to make the majority of my publicly known concoctions. I will also fill specific orders you ask of me while in town. In exchange, I will ask you to stock & hold specific ingredients for my personal use and make minimal returns only on mixtures I make & the mixtures I teach you to make." Elewiese finished and took a deep breath.
The Imperial was stunned. The deal was very clearly weighted in Arcadia's favor. "I-I don't know…this is all so much." She startled slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Elewiese smiled kindly which seemed to ease the alchemist. "I have business outside the city but am returning late this afternoon. Will you have an answer by then?"
Arcadia nodded. "Yes, I should." That was more than enough time to be honest, but the human let the elf go without another word, pondering the possibilities to herself.
Elewiese was confident that Arcadia would come around, and that gave her hope for the other alchemists around Skyrim. Having brewed her three most secretive elixirs, and therefore once again making her quite possibly the most powerful mortal on Nirn, the elf confidently strolled out of the city and up the road back towards Riverwood. Once she'd passed the Honningbrew Meadery, she glanced East at the fork in the road. Elewiese recalled a guard in Whiterun mentioning the group of bandits that were held up in a cave not too far away and decided she could wipe them out after retrieving the Dragonstone.
She shivered violently while hiking up the mountain. "Dammit." Elewiese muttered to herself. Skyrim was beautiful, but as someone who grew up in the tropical heat of Valenwood's rain forests, the region's blistering cold was unbearable. She balled her fists in the long sleeves of her robes and groaned as her iron breastplate grew cold against the frigid wind.
It didn't take long for her reach the entrance to Bleak Falls Barrow. From the shadows at a distance, she could make out shapes wearing brigand armor and carrying bloody tools. It seemed bandits had taken up residency in the ruins.
Elewiese subconsciously glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before she realized this and shook her head. It wasn't as though she were embarrassed about what she was, just careful. The cold wind bit at her pointed ears as she flipped her hood down. She cupped her hands over them and began dragging her ears upward. Her breathing becoming heavier, the mist forming in front of her face, as she called upon the beast that dwelled within her. After a few moments, Elewiese dropped her hands and shook her head.
Her ears were now wider and set on top of her head. They were furry too, sporting the same auburn red hair as the rest of her head, except on the inside where it turned white. She could now hear the clanking footsteps of the bandits' cheap metal armor, even from here some hundred meters away. As she began noticing the individual features of every snowflake that fell around her, she knew her eyes must have changed as well, going from their normal light brown irises to a hazel gold with blood red pupils. Her tongue grazed against her elongated upper and lower canines. Her half-transformation was complete.
Elewiese sighed and sniffed the air causing her stomach to growl lightly. Her hunt after Helgen nearly a day ago could hardly be called successful. One measly rabbit was barely enough to hold over her hunger. Usually she could manage without her appetite even bothering her, but using her gift from Hircine in this capacity left her with a case of the munchies.
You see, Elewiese was a werefox. Not only that, but one granted her lycanthropy from Hircine himself; a sign of respect after she'd killed a Thalmor hit-squad sent to assassinate her while she was still operating in Valenwood. The 'alpha' status, as Hircine called it, offered her more control over her transformations, making this her preferred form. It wasn't all that bizarre looking; she'd even go as far as to say it made her look cuter. Most folks couldn't tell the difference between a Bosmer and the Ohmes-Raht Khajiit that occupied Eastern Elsweyr, what with their wood elf complexion and signature tail and ears. She would claim to be one of these natives of Elsweyr, when she was inevitably careless and got caught with her tail between her legs.
Speaking of which, Elewiese shifted, feeling a mass above her rump. Huffing, she quickly used her dagger to cut a small hole in the back of her robes for her red, bushy tail to fit through. With her change said and done, she scanned the bandits once more with her heightened senses. They didn't seem all that tough, but better safe the sorry. She reached into her satchel and withdrew the first of her three mixtures, one that glowed a magnificent azure color.
She downed it and wiped her lips clean with her forearm. The reaction was instantaneous. Elewiese had, for lack of a better word, exploded the first time she'd tested her Magus Potion, but was experienced and braced for it this time. The magicka in her veins tingled and the air around her crackled. She held out her hand, and gout of blue flame erupted from her, melting the snow beneath her down to the rocky earth. She closed her fist and the flames dispersed.
She heard the bandits react to her little display of magic with her keen ears but was largely indifferent to them. Elewiese was worried the cold climate of Skyrim might've effected the potency of the ingredients she'd gathered for her potions, but that was clearly a worry of the past. As the first bandit marauder started rushing towards her, war-hammer in hand, she began swirling her hands through the air around her, gathering magicka for her next spell. Her body became lighter, lifting her up onto her tippy toes, then not touching the ground at all. Lightning arced off her body, her skin emanating an aura of cold and blue fire dancing along her finger tips. The marauder had stopped in his tracks, terrified.
Elewiese laughed looking at him. "Alright," she sighed. "Let's get this over with."
Elewiese was thoroughly enjoying using magic in Skyrim. The predominately warrior culture of the Nordic homeland left its outlaws utterly baffled when encountering magic of such an epic magnitude as hers. Every encounter Elewiese had while moving through Bleak Falls Barrow was largely the same. She would reduce two or three bandits to ash before the rest ran away in terror. The elf did not particularly enjoy taking life and let them flee. Any who opposed her however were eradicated.
She also found the architecture and structure of the Nordic ruins fascinating. The traps and logic puzzles interested her to the point she found them enjoyable. Elewiese was very knowledgeable about history, but decided she might want to learn more about the ancients of Skyrim, especially when she began running into undead.
While traversing the ruins, she'd overheard groups of the bandits talking about some puzzle involving a golden claw. After slaying a frighteningly large spider and freeing him from a web, Elewiese had paralyzed an outlaw she'd run into who claimed to know how the claw worked. The fool had tried to make a break for it before she zapped him with the spell, his joints locking in place. She looted him of the claw, his journal and his gold before leaving him to the spiderlings watching from a distance. Elewiese read about the function of the claw as the coward's screams echoed through the halls.
The screams of the bandit seemed to stir the true guardians of the crypt: undead. Elewiese was quickly outnumbered by these mummified draugr. She sighed, still levitating, before descending to the ground. Her aura of electricity/frost/fire dissipated as the undead closed in on her. She merely threw out both her hands, creating two doorways to Oblivion. As if they were waiting for it, two daedric armored individuals stepped out of the purple light and eyed the elf. "Hans, Franz. It's been a while." Elewiese winked at her two Dremora underlings who merely rolled their eyes and drew their great-swords. The brittle draugr were no match for the Daedric killing machines.
Elewiese continued on through the ruins, ignoring the crypts inhabitants for the most part. She let Hans and Franz clear the way, occasionally repelling the undead with her holy restorative magic. She eventually came upon a great, stone door with sets of rings to turn forming different combinations. Just as the bandit's journal suggested, Elewiese examined the golden claw for the correct combination and spun the rings to match before inserting the claw. The mechanisms within the door clicked & groaned and began descending into the floor. A gust of stale wind blew past her, the cavern ahead adjusting to the change in airflow.
Elewiese followed the ruined path, noting how the terrain changed to be more ceremonial and ornamental. The Dragonstone was close. She glanced back at her giant companions. "Thanks for the help guys." As always, they said nothing as she waved her hand at them, a purple portal engulfing them and sending them back to Oblivion.
Elewiese ascended the stone stairs, keeping her furry ears perked for any source of noise. She saw some sort of altar and a table lined with a few broken bottles next to a sarcophagus. She thought she heard whispering behind her and turned, flames dancing between her fingers in case of danger. All she saw was a strange curved wall with an odd form of writing carved into it. She'd never seen the script before.
No…she had…or at least, she thought she had. Elewiese tilted her head and approached the wall, too preoccupied studying the script to realize the whispering she heard was getting louder.
She had reached the wall and placed a hand over the carvings. There were clearly voices speaking over each other now, but when Elewiese glanced around she saw no one. Her tail swiped back and forth nervously. One voice spoke deeply, like the gravelly voice of the dragon that sacked Helgen, in a strangely nostalgic language she couldn't seem to remember. The other voice, strangely enough, sounded exactly like her own, but as though it were in some sort of trance.
*Here lies the guardian, keeper of the Dragonstone, and a force of unending rage and darkness.*
The voices grew louder and louder, as though trying to speak over each other, which only resulted in Elewiese's head hurting. It got so bad she fell to her knees and her vision blurred. The world darkened except for the word in the center of the wall. Light seemed to flow from the carving next to her hand and directly into her eyes. The voices' volume boomed in climax before disappearing altogether. Her vision cleared and Elewiese was left shaken. She hardly heard the stone lid slide off the sarcophagus behind her.
The blood in her veins felt hot and her head was pounding. Elewiese had no idea what just happened, but she was certain of one inexplicable, irrefutable truth. "Fus…Force…" Her fingers traced the carving that still slightly glowed in front of her. She had no idea how she knew what the carving meant or how it was even correctly pronounced, but she did. Some form of ancient Nord magic, maybe?
A shadow cast over her, and Elewiese quickly leapt to the side. A sword slammed into the ground where she'd previously been sitting. The elf narrowed her gold and red eyes at the particularly large draugr who'd just attacked her. She quickly somersaulted backwards and cast a spell on the ground. The draugr overlord mindlessly pursued her and stepped on the rune. A pillar of blue flame erupted from the floor for several seconds. When it disappeared, nothing was left but a pile of ash, and in its center lay a stone tablet. Elewiese knelt and picked up the Dragonstone, shaking it free of soot and eyeing its precise carvings.
Taking one last shuddering look at the word wall, she continued on to the ruin's exit. Elewiese snaked her way through a cave system that connected to the Nordic ruins and came out on a cliff side, sun still high in the sky.
She felt a numbness setting in across her body, signifying the Magus Potion was finally wearing off. Sure enough when she held out her hand, orange and red flames sputtered out weakly.
Elewiese was unsure why, but her three signature potions had only one real flaw: they all only lasted exactly one hour. Nothing she did seemed to change the effect of this. Imbibing higher quantities, adjusting the ingredient ratios; nothing worked. She supposed it was the world's way of limiting such powerful magic. And she could always just pop another potion right after it went out. It wasn't as though the ingredients were hard to come by either, they were fairly commonplace actually.
When all was said and done, it didn't really matter how unstoppable the potions made her. She was still no match for sheer scope and size of her enemy. Elewiese sighed at how easily her insignificance could sneak up on her and began scaling her way down the cliff side.
It was maybe early afternoon when she arrived back Riverwood. She pushed her way into the shop owned by the Valerius twins and presented the claw to very surprised and pleased Lucan. She also informed Camilla of how Faendel and Sven were both idiotic enough to ask her to frame each other in Camilla's eyes. After being granted a very generous stack of septims, Elewiese was on her way towards Whiterun again.
She followed the river until she came upon that same fork in the road she had hours earlier. Elewiese again looked to the east, towards the supposed bandit hideout. With her adventurous and 'Why not?' nature getting the better of her, she smiled and set off to clear another nest of evildoers, a glowing red potion in her hand.