Author's note: Hi everyone sorry this chapter took so long I have been wanting to write for ages, but fanfiction won't give me a career (yet, apparently, algebra will?) so, I'm afraid exams came first. To make matters worse my laptop got a stupid virus and didn't work for the first 5 weeks of my holiday, rude. Anyway this chapter may have poor spelling and grammar as I think I'm using the wrong program to write it on but I will fix that too, I promise. sorry and enjoy

Battle mage

Chapter 6- The returning guilt

She sits in the colleges ice cold courtyard, a 'borrowed' book in her lap, watching the snowflakes make their advance on the world below, so close and yet not a single one of them barely scraped her. All the other milk drinking mages where sat in the hall hiding from the onslaught of frozen rain. She could leave in at the end of the year with it being the end of her basic training and she was so very eager to leave, or she could stay for a further few years for advanced training in a subject matter of her choice.

The restless girl, however, couldn't stand the cage of the college. Totally lost in the interesting theory of battle cry like spells, zofie neglects to notice the courier trudging through the snow to deliver her a small comfort of home. Another letter from a steadfast friend; Aela. Taking it eagerly the lonely mage fiddled for a while to open it. The constant sea of letters over the years seemed to have been the only thing keeping the girl sane, but over the years the companions had dragged her childhood friend away from her desk and into the high ranks of the companions. So as the sea dried up to a few puddles of water Zofie found herself more and more interested in the restricted books in the library. Her eyes skimmed over the ink on the parchment.

Zof,

hope you haven't frozen yet. I am aware you are a nord but still you should think of wearing an extra cloak. so how many times have you been caught pinching books from the library now by that, how did you put it? green old grump? You really should be more careful. Listen the parchment isn't endless so I'll say it. When are you coming home? We all miss you. I miss you. I need you to come home there are matters we need to discuss. Things that I need to ask you about, what I mean to say is..

The mages smile falls, her book slips to the floor and she goes stiff. How? How could her best and only friend do this to her? She had no right to. It totally changed their relationship. No matter how much she justified it in her letter, it was a stupid idea. in fact, she had met frost trolls with more brains than that of her oldest friend. Shocked and angry she stared at the bottom of the letter

I am sorry that you had to read this instead of hearing it in my own words but I can do nothing about that. Come home soon old friend we can talk more then. Wishing you a safe return,

Aela

That's it? that's all she had to say? Blood boiling at the failure of a letter, Zofie didn't realize that she had cast several frost spikes at the statue in the courtyard, breaking off a small chunk of the stone. Cursing under her breath at the knowledge that that would definitely land her extra lesson time. It was then, like a torchbug in the transition from light to dark that a splendid idea come to mind. She didn't have to face the problem until she got home. so why not delay her homecoming slightly. Picking up the book and securing it safely in her knapsack, she reluctantly stood and walked towards the hall.

Inside no one noticed zofie as she stepped silently into the hall. Standing at the side and observing the world around her she notices the new archmage, a dark elf woman, better than that stuttering mess in her own class. Kari, was that her name?, The mage in the shadows pondered. Whatever her name was Zofie was going to be seeing a lot more of her because what better way to avoid the problem than to take on the extra classes? So for the first time she shook off her dislike of the college and her liking of her home, whilst walking out into the light ready to show her true potential.

The hall goes silent and turns to look at her expecting her to just walk past instead of sit down and take some food. No one especially the orc expected her to hand him back his book adding "it was very interesting indeed."

Her eyes then open not to the cold of the crumbling stone fortress but to the inviting warmth of the companions hall. Dragging herself from the bed she notices that she is the last one out of bed and the instant wave of panic rushes over her. She scrambles out of the room wandering up the stairs the memory of her dream fading with each step she takes. Today she started her training; Kodlak had told her to see a man called Vilkas. Time for Zofie to start blending in.