"Thank you. For saving me, I mean. I suppose that's obvious, though."

The dunmer priest's look of surprise melted into a smile. He shook his head and said, "No need to thank me, my son. How are you feeling now?"

Derkeethus, unsure of how to respond, bowed his head. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No."

With a nod, the dunmer gestured for him to sit. So he did. Darkwater Crossing wasn't a very big village. Not even that. A small mining camp. They didn't even have an inn for visitors to stay at. The priest had made a campfire for himself, with a stump of a tree serving as a chair. Derkeethus sat on the ground, cross-legged. The night was cold and he shifted closer to the fire.

"Have you had supper?"

"Yes."

"Is your body functioning properly? Nothing hurt?"

"No. I had a fever, or so Annekke tells me." He glanced up at the dunmer. "They say you went looking for me as soon as you heard."

The elf shrugged. "I heard someone had disappeared. I volunteered to help. It was Kharjo who found you, though. He's a khajiit. Sharp nose. He carried you back."

"I see." Derkeethus intertwined his fingers. "I owe you both my life."

"If you don't mind me asking, Derkeethus – that is your name, right?"

"Yeah."

"How did you, uh-"

"Get kidnapped while fishing?" he chuckled quietly. "I wasn't fishing, exactly."

"Then?"

Derkeethus didn't reply immediately. He remembered full well why he'd gone swimming all the way to falls. But sharing it… people might not understand.

"Please don't laugh," he said quietly. In response, the priest put his bowl down on the ground and placed a hand on his shoulder. Derkeethus saw him smiling.

"I'm a priest of Mara, son," he said. "I listen. I try to understand. No motivating factor is insignificant or unimportant if it spurred you into action. So, if you want to tell me, you can."

Derkeethus gaped wordlessly at the priest. No motivator was insignificant? That wasn't something he'd heard an awful lot. Something priests say, I suppose. He smiled at the thought.

"I was born here in Skyrim," he began. "I came here to work maybe… two years ago. Mining wasn't my first choice. I needed money, though. And this was my first job." He gazed into the fire. "I always told myself that I would save up the gold and leave. Pursue my dreams. I never did." Flipping his palms, Derkeethus chuckled. "I liked the security of having gold, I suppose."

The priest hummed to himself. "The people here like you. Especially the child."

"Hrefna. Yes. I take her fishing sometimes. Good kid." Derkeethus smiled to himself. "Yeah. They're all good people here. Made it hard to leave, I guess."

"Leave and do what?"

"I wanted to be an adventurer," Derkeethus admitted. It sounded stupid even to him. "Ever since I was little, it's what I wanted to do. Travel and explore. See new things. Just… have unforgettable experiences." He looked up at the priest. "You know?"

To his credit, the dunmer didn't laugh. He didn't say anything. He sat staring into the fire himself, stroking his beard. Derkeethus noticed that there was a faraway look in his eyes. His mind had taken him elsewhere, perhaps to a distant and unforgettable experience of his own. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.

"I do know," he said and Derkeethus leaned in. "I know very well. But it isn't a life for everybody. Are you certain it's what you want to do?"

"Yes."

"No hesitation, eh?"

Derkeethus shook his head. "I love this place. I do. I really, really do. But I don't want to be a miner for all my life. It's why I swam all the way to waterfall, and then into the ruins." He looked the dunmer in the eye. "I didn't go fishing. I went to explore. I went to have an adventure. It calls to me. The prospect of finding and learning something excites me so much that I don't know what to do with myself. Yes, I got taken by the Falmer, maybe I would've died if not for you two, but I would've died with no regrets." He lowered his gaze. "I can't say the same if I stay here."

Silence. The dunmer didn't speak, and neither did he. The crackling embers, the song of the grasshoppers and the flowing river took over for them.

A fool's dream. That's what it was. Derkeethus knew that no sane person would trade job security for a life of wandering. Everyone would say to not do it. And maybe they were right.

But what's the point of sitting on a pile of gold if I've got no use for it?

Sighing, Derkeethus closed his eyes. From the sound of clinking, he figured that the elf had returned to his meal. It was late. I should let him eat in peace. In the morning, he would thank the khajiit. After that… who knew what lay in store.

"Come with me, then."

Derkeethus was about to get up, but those words arrested his movement, as well as his attention. All too soon, he found himself staring at the smiling face of the priest again.

"What?"

"I am on my way to Dawnstar from Riften. The khajiit caravan has graciously decided to let me tag along. I only came to Darkwater Crossing because a young lady in Shor's Stone, whom I healed, asked me to deliver some letters to her parents here. I couldn't refuse." The priest put the bowl to his lips and drank down the soup. "My work in Dawnstar… I might require assistance. I don't know if I can pay you, but you might see something new."

"I…" What do I even say here? "You…"

"There might be some danger, though. Can you handle it?"

"Absolutely!" Derkeethus turned around to face the priest fully. "I've been doing physical work for a long time! I'm s-strong!" How often did opportunity come knocking like this? "Mining has made my arms strong! It makes it easy for me to handle bows!" A fool's dream though it may be, he would be a fool indeed if he let such a golden opportunity go. "I-I'm a decent archer! I practice every day for two hours after finishing at the mine! I can also defend myself with a knife!"

Bowing at the waist, Derkeethus squeezed his eyes shut. He hoped the priest wouldn't be able to see the teardrops on the ground, or pay much heed to his cracking voice.

"Thank you for showing faith in me!" he announced through his sniffling. "I'm quite useless, but I'm a hard worker! I'll try my b-best to not be a burden! I swear!"

He couldn't stop his tears. It wasn't a great first impression. He knew it. But he meant every word. Enthusiasm was all he had.

"Chin up, Derkeethus," came the priest's voice and he obeyed. There was still a smile on his face. "You're not useless. Just inexperienced. And that means you can only get better and better." He held out his hand. "I am Erandur. I'm your friend, Derkeethus. Don't bow."

Taking the outstretched hand in both of his, Derkeethus placed it against his forehead and closed his eyes again.

"My friend," he muttered, "I won't let you down." Then he took a deep breath and looked up, smiling. "To Oblivion and back, as they say."