An Elf Like No Other


Chapter 7 - Ending In Disappointment


Lydia sat near the hearth inside Ivarstead's inn, trying to ignore a local by the name of Bassianus. The ale they'd been served didn't quite have the impeding effect it did on her as it did this oaf. His pestering of her all afternoon was unceasing until he reached the point of inebriation that he'd dropped any semblance of coyness and propositioned her directly. "Come on, Housecarl." He hiccupped. "Let's hurry up and do it already so I can get back to my girlfriend."

A vein protruded from Lydia's brow. She was about to cleave the fool in two when she witnessed a leg brought up swiftly into the man's groin from behind. His expression was pained, silent horror, and he tipped over unmoving as the paralysis of his injury took effect.

Elewiese stepped over the idiot she'd kicked to get closer to the fire. Lydia was about to thank her when she noticed how heavily her Thane was shivering. She was thankful when her Housecarl retrieved a fur pelt to assist in her thawing, but was too cold to voice it. Although, they did share a laugh when Wilhelm discovered Bassianus on the floor and booted him from the inn for passing out drunk again.

Lydia rubbed Elewiese's arms, trying to warm her up as she regaled her with everything that'd happened in High Hrothgar. "Incredible." Lydia shook her head in marvel. "I never knew the practices of the Greybeards were so…complex."

Elewiese allowed one final shudder to pass through her form before the warmth finally settled into her bones. The elf nodded to Lydia in thanks who stepped away so she could spread their map out across a free table. "This is Ustengrav." She tapped a mark on her map some half way in between Morthal and Solitude. Lydia noted the way her Thane knit her brows. "We still need to head east to recover sap from the Eldergleam. Then I'd like to trek north to visit Windhelm and the college in Winterhold." Elewiese glanced between the map and her open journal spilling with quests and assignments. She sighed deeply and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes. "Dammit. I think Skyrim will be tougher than I thought."

Lydia furrowed her brows. "My Thane, you don't have perform every task asked of you. You could just focus on what's most important to you."

Elewiese was surprised. She thought Thane's were supposed to be noble paragons who lead by example, performing tasks for the less fortunate or those in need. And yet, here Lydia was telling her to be selfish. Well, even if Thanes were just hypocrites who rested on their laurels and past exploits, that wasn't her. "Sorry Lydia," Elewiese chuckled. "But I'm the Dragonborn and a completionist at heart. If someone needs my help, who am I to sit idly by?" The Nord saw what she began to realize was the wood elf's signature smirk. "Besides, where's your sense of adventure, my friend?"

Lydia's lips turned up just slightly after hearing her Thane profess her selfless, adventurous nature. She realized then that there was no one in all of Tamriel she'd rather have been assigned to as Housecarl. Elewiese wasn't the stoic, broad-shouldered titan that Lydia had prayed for, but she was a hero through and through. Lydia raised a fist to her chest in salute and bowed her head. "By your orders, my Tha-" She cut herself off and thought for a moment before smiling brightly. "Lady Elewiese."

The Lady herself smiled wide at Lydia's enthusiasm. "Thank you for that, Lydia." She held her Housecarl's hand and gave it a light squeeze before using her own to stifle a yawn. "Now, whaddya say we get some sleep? We've got a long road ahead of us." Elewiese glanced over to the bar that Wilhelm was idly wiping down. "Wilhelm, my man. Two rooms for the night please."

The Nord stopped his scrubbing of the countertop and looked the two women over with a guilty expression. "I'm terribly sorry M'Lady. A couple of Redguard bounty hunters are passing through town and rented all but one room."

Elewiese facepalmed and groaned, lamenting the Aurbis's inability to cut her a break. "Please my Thane, take the last room. I'll be fine out here." Lydia gestured about the main hall of the inn while forcing a smile.

Elewiese shook her head vehemently. "Don't be ridiculous, Lydia. You can ummm… I suppose we could…" Her ears stood rigid atop her head and a smile formed on her lips as Elewiese said the last word in a barely audible whisper. "Share?"

Lydia turned as pale as the snow on the mountain. "I…wouldn't want to impose, My Lady." She began digging her heels into the ground as Elewiese handed a stack of septims to the blushing barkeep.

"It's fine, Lydia. Let's just get some rest." The elf quickly straightened her robes before striding…no sauntering into the suite. Her Nord companion raised an eyebrow and tentatively stepped into the room as well, closing the door behind her. Lydia set the pack on the table and Elewiese sifted through it, finding her nightgown. Looking to a rosy-cheeked Lydia, Elewiese smirked and cleared her throat. "Do you mind?"

The Housecarl's eyes widened. She was nervous to turn her back to her Thane, seeing as the last time Lydia did so while Elewiese was scantily clad she'd been hit by several wayward bedroom items. She obeyed, however, and spun away, even going as far as to cover her eyes. Lydia's throat grew dry as she listened to the rustling of fabric and clinking of armor. "Okay…"

Lydia turned and stood motionless, staring openly at the thin, purple gown that hugged the elf's petite frame. Thin straps held the dress up on her shoulders, and the hem of it just barely reached halfway up her thigh. The back had a cut running up from the bottom that her bushy tail could peek through. When Elewiese shifted her weight onto one foot and placed a hand on her hip, Lydia could just barely make out the bottom of the smalls she had fit her into just days before. Had her legs always looked so soft?

Lydia hardly noticed Elewiese walk up to her until she closed her agape mouth with her delicately warm hand. The Nord found her Thane's gold and red eyes irresistible to look away from. At least not until she spoke. "Feel free to get comfy as well." The elf's grin was wide enough to show her enlarged upper and lower canines.

Lydia suddenly felt very nervous being around the elf, but stripped of her steel armor regardless. Elewiese laid waiting in the lone bed, writhing in the comfy furs and never taking her eyes off Lydia. The Nord worked her way down to just her leather pants and loose undershirt. After blowing out the majority of the candles in the room she looked back to the bed. Elewiese was biting her lip and looked like she was trying hard not to laugh.

Lydia swallowed hard before sighing and joining the elf in the bed. She tried to stay as far on the edge as she could without falling to the floor. The longer she lay there though, the more inviting the warmth of the elf that lay beside her. It was like being back in the main hall, next to the hearth. The fire-like heat grew as Elewiese leaned in to breath into the Nord's ear. "Goodnight, Lydia." The Housecarl looked over to her Thane, their noses almost touching, but didn't respond. She watched as Elewiese gazed up and down her face, smiling at what she saw. "Lydia…?" She asked knowingly, one last time.


Elewiese was just fitting her traveling kit over her steel plate chest-guard as Lydia finished strapping on her final piece of armor. The Nord's fingers had fumbled several times while donning her armor. Her thoughts were so scattered, Lydia was slightly startled when Elewiese lightly grabbed her hand. Their eyes met, and Thane put Housecarl at rest with just a smile. "Last night doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to, Lydia."

Lydia let the tension fall from her demeanor, and she smiled genuinely. She rubbed Elewiese's hand that she held with her thumb. "Thank you, my Thane."

Elewiese stood on her toes to peck Lydia on the cheek, then let go of her hand. "Good, now let's see about-"

"Let go of me!"

Lydia tensed, hearing the shout from the main hall, but what really concerned her was Elewiese's worried expression. "Shaudrey?!" The Thane rushed passed her Housecarl, throwing open the door and staring down the two bounty hunters in culturally Hammerfell clothes who were accosting a third Redguard, a lithe and pretty woman.

"What are you-" The man holding her by the wrist was distracted by Elewiese bursting into the room. Taking advantage of his carelessness, the woman twisted the bounty hunter's arm into a painful angle before slamming his head into the table. His companion lunged for her but was met with a blow to the throat from Elewiese. He staggered back, and before could recover, two blows to the knees dropped him to a bow where the elf swiftly brought her leg down to smash his head into the floor.

"Well done." Elewiese heard from the Redguard woman as she was dusting off her hands. Her hair was jet black, which nearly matched the hue of her dark brown eyes. She was fairly tall, even for a Redguard, and had skin the color of cocoa.

"And you." Elewiese laughed back. "Honestly though, Shaudrey, what are you doing here?"

Shaudrey put a hand on her hip. "I heard from my husband you were going off the reservation." Elewiese tried to argue but was cut off. "Nuh uh uh! I don't want to hear it Little Lady."

Elewiese groaned at hearing Shaudrey's longtime nickname for her. It was apt considering she towered over the elf by about a foot and a half. "I'm doing just fine in case you didn't notice." She gestured to the two Redguards still groaning on the ground. "Besides, I'm having fun with the level of difficulty Skyrim is presenting."

Shaudrey sighed deeply. "You know, most people try to make adventuring as easy as possible. Carrying the best equipment, traveling in numbers, etc. etc., all to ensure they don't die." Elewiese scoffed at the idea which the Redguard woman shook her head to. "That's why I brought you this." She brought out a small, wooden box with runes carved into the sides. The lid was bare save for a wax seal with the likeness of feminine hands holding a rosebud.

"That isn't…" Elewiese grabbed the box and cast the appropriate spell, causing the runes to glow a faint blue. She slid the lid off to reveal what appeared to be an incredibly ornate elven dagger. "Oh, it is. Shaudrey!" Elewiese huffed. "I wasn't expecting this for another week. Now adventuring will be too easy…" She frowned but was surprised when Shaudrey kicked one of the Redguards at her feet in anger.

"Dammit, Elewiese! Don't you know how worried we all get when you pull this 'I like a challenge' crap?" She grabbed the elf by the shoulders, forcing her to look the darker-skinned woman in the eyes. "It's a dangerous world. You have the tools to keep yourself safe. So please, for the sake of your friends- of your family! -use them." Shaudrey shook Elewiese with the last word.

A moment passed as the elf looked downcast. "I'm sorry." She said genuinely. Elewiese had no desire to cause the people who had done so much for her, who continued to do so much for her, such worry.

Shaudrey let out a breath it seemed she'd been holding in for a while now and pulled the girl into her embrace. "No, I'm sorry, baby." She gently stroked the girl's hair and ears, giggling when Elewiese began to purr. She pulled back and gestured over to Lydia with her eyes, still scratching Elewiese's ears. "Does she know?" Lydia had been standing back with a reserved demeanor, watching the two friends catch up.

The elf sighed in a pleased fashion at the attention her auricles were receiving. "Yes, she does. This is my Housecarl, Lydia."

Shaudrey dead stopped and backed up with her mouth agape. "Housecarl? You've been here a week and your already a Thane?!"

Elewiese held up her hands in innocence. "It wasn't like I planned it! However, it does play into the bigger picture of why I haven't returned to Cyrodil yet-" A stirring drew both of their attentions back to the two bounty hunters at their feet. Elewiese sighed in an irritated fashion. "Let's deal with these jackasses first."

Shaudrey nodded in agreement. "Hey!" She barked. The larger of the two jolted upright, growling, while his companion nursed the swelling bruise on his face. "What's your guys' problem?"

The first man gave a murderous look. "You bitch. It's a need to know issue and you don't need to know." Elewiese pulled the ornate elven dagger from the box. The brute noticed this and laughed. "And just what do you think you're gonna do with that little butter knife there?"

She and Shaudrey shared a knowing look before Elewiese squeezed the grip of the dagger. The base of the handle shot out and extended all the way to the floor with such force it cracked the stone surface. She adjusted her hold so that she was now holding her beloved spear by its center. Spinning quickly, she slapped the first Redguard with the flat side of the spear's blade. For all the man's bluster, he fell to the floor weakly, blood dripping from his mouth. Shaudrey snorted as Elewiese leveled her spear at the second bounty hunter's chest. "How about you? Feel like chatting?"

The smaller of the two Redguards was clearly smarter than his counterpart. "O-Of course!" He inched away from the point of the spear until his back hit the bar behind him. "What do you wanna know?"

Shaudrey crossed her arms. "What's the big idea grabbing a stranger like that?"

The man's only response was to look slightly guilty. His eyes widened in fear however when Elewiese began pressing on him again. "O-Okay, okay! We came to Skyrim tracking a fugitive from Hammerfell! We're offering a reward for any information on her capture."

Elewiese growled. "And you just assumed it was my friend?!" She reared back, ready to skewer the man.

He frantically waved his hands in front of himself. "W-Wait! The fugitive we're looking for has a scar on her face." The man gestured to Shaudrey. "She's off the hook!"

After a moment of tense silence, Elewiese turned her nose up at him before twirling the spear in her hand to collapse it back into what most would assume to be a normal elven dagger. "Get out of here," she growled. The man nodded quickly and scrambled to get up. He pulled his dazed companion up by his garbs. "And don't ever let me find you accosting anyone like again. Otherwise I won't be letting you off the hook!"

And then they were gone. Elewiese took the blade's sheath from the box and secured it to the belt of her robes, replacing the steel dagger. She also made a quick note in her journal of the fugitive the bounty hunters were searching for, just in case. A chuckle from Shaudrey caused her to look up. "Now, can we go home?" Elewiese put most of her weight on her back foot, the way she did when was holding her ground against an attack. Shaudrey noticed this and furrowed her brow. "I guess not."

Elewiese dragged a bench out from under one of the hall's tables and sat on it, patting the free space. "Shaudrey, come sit and listen to what I have to say." She complied.

The elf began her tale by describing the events that brought her to Skyrim. She did not divulge her acceptance of death as not to alarm Shaudrey; also, Lydia was listening in. She did describe the dragon, however, and how her curiosity led her to Whiterun. Elewiese detailed her encounter with Mirmulnir and the revelation of her Dragonborn nature, which was confirmed and reinforced by the knowledge the Greybeards bestowed upon her just yesterday.

Shaudrey was quiet a long while after Elewiese had finished. "Dragons." She finally muttered. "Rumors have been flooding south from up here in Skyrim about their return, but there's been no concrete evidence yet; no sightings." The woman rubbed her chin in thought. "It's all true then?"

Elewiese nodded. "It is. Now do you see why I'm expanding our apothecary network? We need to be ready." Shaudrey nodded in agreement to this. "I've already acquired Arcadia's Cauldron in Whiterun. Now I'm making the round trip across the province, gathering what information on the dragons I can in the meantime."

The Redguard and the Bosmer were running numbers in their heads when Lydia finally piped up. She'd meant to stay quiet and let her Thane's business stay her own, but the mention of Arcadia, a woman she knew quite well, peaked her curiosity. "Ummm, Thane?" Elewiese looked back to her. "You purchased Arcadia's store?"

"Not so much purchased as partnered." She elaborated.

"Why?"

Elewiese turned nervous as Shaudrey looked to her questioningly. "I thought you said she knew."

The elf sighed. "About me, but not about me me." Shaudrey merely facepalmed as Elewiese stood and approached her Housecarl. "Lydia, I'm…" She sighed. "How to explain this… I'm-"

"She's the Lady of the Elixirs." Elewiese's jaw dropped at Shaudrey's outright admittal of her identity.

"Shaudrey!"

"What? It's not that difficult to explain." She shrugged.

Lydia's eyes widened. Even a layman such as her recognized the nom de plume of such a distinguished alchemist, one who had made very prominent advances in apothecary medicine the past few years. "The Lady?" She asked. Elewiese nodded after a moment's hesitation. "Wow…okay… Why are your acquiring apothecaries in Skyrim?"

Elewiese looked to her incredulously. "Lydia, there are Dragons about." She stated simply.

Lydia mentally facepalmed. "Oh."

"Even if I find them fascinating, your people are in terrible danger, not to mention the rest of Tamriel. They're going to need all the help they can get."

As grateful as the Nord was about the kindness Elewiese was showing her homeland, a thought occurred. "Why can't you just transport medicine from the facilities you already have?"

"Because we don't perpetuate wars." Shaudrey interjected coldly.

Lydia looked to Elewiese for an explanation. "If I send my stock across the border, it's just going to get robbed by either the Legion or the Stormcloaks." Elewiese stood from the bench and began pacing back and forth in the hall. "We maintain a delicate balance operating within the Empire, but we remain on top in no small part to my business partner, Max."

Shaudrey laughed. "She's putting it lightly. My husband knows his way around Imperial law and trade better than the bedroom, and that's saying a lot." Shaudrey sighed in content while Elewiese made a gagging expression. "Through a series of patents and negotiations, we and the Empire both profit in various ways off our advances, the only stipulation being we don't sell to any military force of any province."

The Lady of the Elixirs nodded before repeating a sentiment she'd shared with Lydia once before, only now it made sense. "I won't let what's mine enflame conflicts."

Lydia nodded in understanding. A force with the backing of an alchemist as advanced as the Lady of the Elixirs would be unstoppable, and the body count of battles her mixtures played a part in would be staggering. As little as Lydia apparently knew about Elewiese, she knew she didn't like unnecessary death. "So you're partnering with local alchemists to get medicine into the hands of the people?" The elf nodded in confirmation.

Shaudrey stood as well now and rung her hands. "This is too big an undertaking for you to handle alone, Elewiese. You need agents in Skyrim to help facilitate all this. Not to mention, if you really are Dragonborn, we need to search for anything related to the dragons."

Elewiese's eyes widened. "Shaudrey, no!" She was about to argue but Elewiese cut her off. "Listen, the Thalmor were at Helgen. Something this mythic will have their full attention. I know them. They won't hesitate to interrogate and kill anyone they cross paths with searching for dragon lore."

Shaudrey didn't need a lot of convincing. The Thalmor's actions spoke for themselves. "Okay, okay. You're right."

Lydia few confused by this talk of Thalmor. "I don't understand. Are you at war with the Aldmeri Dominion?"

Before Elewiese could answer, Shaudrey intercepted the inquiry and doubled down. "I don't know, Elewiese. Are we?" Her tone was one that said it was a hot topic between the two of them.

Elewiese addressed Lydia first. "The Thalmor have made attempts on the lives of a few of my people while trying to steal our formulas and trade secrets." She looked calmly into Shaudrey's eyes. "But the mission of the Lady of the Elixirs is to provide medicine and knowledge to people, not to go to war."

Shaudrey scoffed but relented. "Fine. I suppose we'll need to find a supply route through the Jerall Mountains and start branching into Skyrim." She looked up with a doubtful expression. "Mercenaries?" She asked skeptically.

Elewiese shook her head. "They'd sell us out at a discount." The elf made a painful sounding sigh. "I really don't want to put any of our apprentices in danger, but their loyalty would ensure our safety…" Elewiese thought deeply on this.

Shaudrey looked over to Lydia with a gleam in her eyes. "Loyalty, eh? How about the Housecarl?" Lydia and Elewiese looked to one another surprised. "She's well trained, she knows the area, and Housecarls would never betray their Thanes."

The Lady thought this over while Lydia spoke up. "How do you know so much about Housecarls?"

Shaudrey shrugged. "Takutas from Hammerfell are very similar. They swear fealty to someone and protect them for the rest of their lives."

Lydia hummed, interested that there was a similar type of warrior as her. Her attention returned to Elewiese when she addressed her. "Lydia, I know how important your duty is to you, but this isn't an order. This is me asking for your help. If you say no, nothing will change. We can continue as we have been. However, if you say yes, you will be helping me to help your homeland." She met her green eyes with her red and gold ones. "So, will you help me?"

It seemed like a simple choice, but Lydia gave the decision a fair amount of thought. Assisting her Thane was now Lydia's goal in life, and she was a true Nord at heart, but would she be able to protect her Thane with this arrangement. She glanced at impressive new weapon on Elewiese's belt and the vials on her bandolier that seemed to give her divine power. Lydia decided that her Thane was fully capable of protecting herself. "My Thane, it would please me greatly to assist my homeland," Elewiese let out a sigh of relief that she could count on Lydia. "But I do worry for your safety."

The Lady of the Elixirs noted the similar look Lydia wore to the one Shaudrey had been wearing minutes ago. She sighed. "Shaudrey, how soon can you get my shield up here?"

The Redguard grinned wickedly. "Ten days, if I'm feeling fast enough."

"And tell Lydia here what danger I'll be in when I have all my gear."

Shaudrey smirked and clasped a confused Lydia on the shoulder. "Let me put it this way. If it wants to harm Elewiese when she's fully equipped, it won't be able to." Both Elewiese and Shaudrey laughed at this, but Lydia didn't seem as convinced.

"Hey," the Thane grabbed her Housecarl's hand and stood on her tippy toes to give her a kiss on the cheek. This time Lydia did blush as Shaudrey was present and gave them a knowing smile. "I'll be fine. Okay, Lydia?"

The Nord woman let out a steady breath before returning the smile. "Okay, Elewiese."

The three of them exited the tavern. Elewiese pulled out her map and went over the route she'd be traveling as well as any tasks she'd be performing. "In three days' time, I'd like to be in Winterhold. If the College there doesn't have any information on dragons, I'll just have to hope retrieving that horn as part of my induction into the Greybeards will loosen their lips."

Lydia hefted her pack beside Shaudrey who was tucking a letter for Max from Elewiese as well as the Arcadia's Cauldron contract into her satchel. "Okay, once we're finished showing Lydia here the ropes in Cyrodil, it'll be back to Skyrim for the both of us to meet up with you in Whiterun, ten days' time." She giggled when Elewiese reached up behind her and grabbed her neck, bringing her forehead down to meet with hers, a gesture of friendship from Hammerfell she'd shown her. "Stay safe Little Lady."

"You too." She let Shaudrey go and turned to Lydia. The Nord wasn't even ashamed to return the hug she received next. Elewiese watched the both of them cross the bridge south of Ivarstead and tried not to let the empty feeling in her chest overwhelm her. She took a deep breath and turned her gaze northward.


Elewiese traveled at a restless and fast pace. She swung east from Ivarstead to the Eldergleam Sanctuary. With the help of a frequenter to the shrine, a prayer to Kynareth produced a sapling that fell from the ancient tree, sparing it from any harm. Using Nettlebane, Elewiese retrieved enough sap from the divine gift to ensure the Gildergreen's revival. In addition, the sap had a strange effect on Nettlebane, infusing the blade with a strange form of nature magic Elewiese had never seen. It was strange enough to warrant an appraisal by an expert, but in any case, she moved on, sap stowed safely in her pack.

Next stop was Windhelm. What with it being the home city of the rebellion, Elewiese went under a great deal of scrutiny to gain entrance. An elf showing up in the middle the night with daggers, lock picks, and a pack full of valuables? The guards had already made up their minds as to her character. Luckily for her, the rebels were a lot more corruptible than the noble Stormcloak army was made out to be. A hefty bribe to the gate guard earned her entrance. "Stay out of trouble, elf." It wasn't five seconds after his accusatory comment that Elewiese managed to find some trouble. After rendering two Nord men who were harassing a Dunmer woman just inside the gates unconscious, she felt an eerie sense of déjà vu about what had happened with Shaudrey a mere day prior. Shrugging off the feeling and accepting the dark elf's thanks, Elewiese roamed about the city searching for the city's resident alchemist. In the course of her search, she came upon the scene of a grisly murder; what she soon learned was only the most recent. Appalled at the soldiers' disinterest in protecting the citizens of the city, Elewiese spent a day tracking the serial murderer, and with the help of the city's steward & the court wizard she managed to find the culprit. Calixto Corrium, who seemed an average enough fellow when Elewiese took his tour, clearly had deeply seated issues about his sister's death. His necromantic scheming was put to end, however, when Elewiese caught him in the act, about to take another life, and drove her knife through his heart.

The next morning, she visited the White Phial. The store's owner, Nurelion, and his apprentice, Quintus, had received Arcadia's letter and were eagerly awaiting her arrival. They didn't need much convincing to partner with the Lady of the Elixirs, but in stubborn Altmer fashion, Nurelion demanded something in return. He asked that Elewiese retrieve the legendary White Phial from a crypt to the west, as he was too old and frail to make the journey. Elewiese of course knew all about Curalmil. As ancient as his discoveries were, they still formed the cornerstones of modern alchemy. He was as much a pioneer as Elewiese, and obtaining his signature work, the White Phial, would please her greatly. She too accepted the terms of Nurelion's condition. Quintus was relieved his master would not be subject to any danger by delving into trap-filled dungeons and signed the Lady's contract alongside Nurelion. She promised that they'd hear from her and her partners soon, and set out from there. She performed a few more tasks around town, and a few called for her to be named a Thane of Windhelm, but Elewiese waved them off replying she had much to do. Furthermore, she doubted the high and mighty Ulfric Stormcloak would stoop to honoring someone else during his time of triumph, warring with the Empire.

Buying a horse in Windhelm proved a worthy investment. On her third day of travel, Elewiese passed the glorious statue of Azura and arrived in the pitiful hamlet of a town that was Winterhold. She paid homage to Jarl Korir who seemed equal parts displeased and unsurprised that she was here for the College. Elewiese asked if there was any assistance she could provide for Winterhold, to which he instructed her to recover an artifact that might garner interest from the other holds; the Helm of Winterhold. She agreed to find it, but Korir didn't seem to be holding his breath. Elewiese helped whomever she could in the hold and even purchased a familiar looking coral claw with the same design as that which opened a puzzle door in Bleak Falls Barrow, before ascending the steps to the College on the far end of town.

Elewiese popped her neck and downed one of her Magus Elixirs, expecting to be tested. She wasn't wrong. A high elf named Feralda barred her entry into the college questioning her motives. Elewiese explained that she sought membership and information the college might contain to help her quest of unraveling the secrets of Aurbis, the universe. Impressed both with her goals and obvious aura of magicka, Feralda agreed to let Elewiese inside. She met with Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard of the College, who inducted her and gave her a tour of the school grounds. Elewiese made the casual mention of being a representative of the Lady of the Elixirs and inquired if the College would be interested in partnering with the Lady. Mirabelle was surprised and stated the school ordinarily relied on itself for its alchemical needs. However, an offer from such an accomplished alchemist warranted the Archmage's opinion, so she would ask him when he was free. Making her way up to the Arcanaeum, Elewiese met with a disgruntled albeit passionate Orsimer named Urag gro-Shub who maintained the library. Showing respect to the college's impressive collection seemed to put her on his good side. She purchased materials on Nordic culture, archaic Nord burial practices, and of course dragons. Elewiese learned what she could of the Dragon War to supplement what Farengar in Whiterun had mentioned of it.

Oddly enough, the more Elewiese learned of the dragons, the angrier she got. Everything she read seemed to reference the cruelty of the dragons, but it was the mortal dragon priests who became corrupted and enslaved mankind. The dragons were only as guilty as the nature of mortals. They did not deserve the cruel eulogy described in these books any more than they did the assumed hostility at their return… … …right?

Elewiese sighed and pinched her eyes together. Why am I siding with the dragons? I'd like to think it's because I've been on the road too long and I'm not thinking clearly, but I doubt that's the case… Is it because I'm Dragonborn? The thought unsettled her. She didn't want to abandon her mortality, not if what was written in these books were true. Shaking her head and thanking Urag, Elewiese left the Arcanaeum and spent the night in her provided quarters. She departed from Winterhold in the morning.

It was a full day's ride to reach Morthal. Elewiese opted to head south, passing by the beautiful depiction of Azura once more before swinging directly east. She was accosted once or twice on the road but made quick work of any thieves or bandits. She cut through a mountain pass and across some marshy terrain as a shortcut, arriving in Morthal just in time to find a mob of worried villagers demanding answers from the town's steward. To Elewiese, it sounded as though they were uncertain of what exactly it was they were even afraid of. Over the past couple days, she'd noticed the rumors of the dragons' return circulating further and further in Skyrim, and beyond she imagined.

Despite the elf's desire to maintain a focus on her main quest, her damnable curious nature got the better of her. What started off as a simple inquiry of a burned out building in the middle of the village evolved into a full blown crusade to kill an ancient vampire whose coven was bent on subduing Morthal. Any other adventurer would have had their work cut out for them, taking on an entire pack of the undead, but Elewiese was more irritated than anything else. Movarth Piquine was completely befuddled when the Dragonborn muttered some nonsense about keeping a schedule before beheading him. Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone was very pleased when Elewiese returned with the vampire's head, and declared her a Thane of Morthal on the spot, not even asking the elf her opinion on the matter, much like Balgruuf had in Whiterun. Elewiese facepalmed at having found herself in the exact same predicament again but breathed a sigh of relief when Idgrod informed her Morthal had no Housecarls in waiting. The newly appointed Thane informed the Jarl of the urgency of her quest however, and the two agreed to come to an arrangement at a later date.

Elewiese was beat tired after leaving the Jarl's longhouse and spent the night at the Moorside Inn. Despite nearly murdering quite possibly the most annoying bard she'd ever met, it was a relatively restful night; no dreams. She spent the early morning introducing herself to Lami, the proprietor of Thaumaturgist's Hut, and the foremost expert in alchemy native to Skyrim. Nurelion in Windhelm may have had her beat in age and knowledge, but Lami had been teaching travelers and alchemists across the province for longer than Elewiese had been alive. This, added with Lami's shock at her being the Lady of the Elixirs, amused Elewiese greatly. The alchemist didn't take much convincing to join the Lady's growing network after hearing about the proposed sharing of unique and rare ingredients. The two masters of the trade shook hands, and Elewiese departed with yet another contract in hand.

The elf turned her eyes north after tucking the parchment into her kit, eager to reach her intended destination. Elewiese paid Jonna, the landlady of the inn, to keep her horse hitched & fed, and then she was off to Ustengrav.


"Yuck." Elewiese stated, wiping a mixture of slaughter fish and frostbite spider blood from the tip of her spear. The marshes were indeed as treacherous as Falion of Morthal mentioned. She used a corner of the robes belonging to a necromancer she'd just killed to clean her blade of the filth. Elewiese just walked into view and the Dunmer ordered his zombie, a bandit by the look of him, to attack her. She effortlessly disarmed the corpse and flung its war axe straight into the neck of the mage, severing his head completely. The zombie disintegrated into ash.

Elewiese glanced at the mage's body once more before descending the steps into the crypt. It seemed necromancers had taken up residency in the tomb of a Greybeard master. She ground her canines against her teeth and shook her tail defiantly. That would absolutely not do.

Elewiese flexed her muscles and still felt the strength of her Gladiator Elixir flowing through her veins. When she passed into the entry chamber of the crypt, she discovered two more necromancers staging mock battles with animated dead to practice their mediocre spells on. Elewiese rested her spear on her shoulder and put her fingers to her lips. A loud whistle echoed through the cavern and all eyes turned towards her. "Do you guys even know the meaning of the word 'disrespectful'?" The necromancers' only response was to growl menacingly and approach as they sent their undead forward. "I guess that's cause for a lesson then." Elewiese smirked and held her spear aloft.

What followed appeared to be a deranged yet skillful series of jabs, twirls, and flurries that resulted in two dead mages & several piles of ash. Elewiese was sifting through their pockets when her furry ears twitched, a commotion drawing her attention to a side passage. She rushed down some stairs and crouched when more enemies came into view. Two more mages were out of breath and wide eyed. Elewiese wondered what could have happened to scare two necromancers of all things when an ancient Nord battle axe cleaved into the chest of the first mage. His companion ran towards the elf that ducked into the shadows, only to be shot in the back, falling dead at her feet, an arrow piercing his torso. Elewiese caught a quick glance around the archway and sighed. Sure enough, draugr.

Stupid, stupid necromancers. Elewiese was unsure if the mages raised these undead and simply couldn't control them, or if they awoke because of a disturbance the mages caused. Probably a combination of both. Either way Elewiese now had one more obstacle in her way. Probably several, on second thought.

She stood and emerged from the shadows twirling her weapon. The hilt of the spear slammed into the floor with a thud, drawing the attention of the draugr. "If I asked you guys to just go back to sleep, would you?" Elewiese asked half-heartedly. They growled and spoke in an ancient tongue before advancing on her. She shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Elewiese was walking casually towards the undead group when a larger draugr stepped forward. While she was busy sizing him up, the corpse puffed up its chest and Shouted, "ZUN HAAL VIIK!"

The weapon flew from Elewiese's hand, off to her right. "What the-" A sword was thrust at her, but she managed to bat it away with her steel plate gauntlet. "Whoa! Okay guys, time out." The draugr continued to step closer. Elewiese's head stormed with a lightning fast mental conversation.

Okay so undead can Shout now? Makes sense, I guess. This is a Greybeard tomb. But I remember the draugr in Bleak Falls Barrow speaking the same language. Oh! It's the dragon language! I thought it sounded familiar. *smack, smack* Will you two shut up and focus on the problem at hand? Right, undead trying to kill me. What to do? Area paralysis? Not enough magicka without a Magus Elixir in my system. There's oil at my feet. Yeah, set myself on fire; fantastic idea. *smack* I just need to knock them off their feet. I just need-

Elewiese was brought out of her thoughts by literally facepalming herself. She planted her feet and inhaled deeply before Shouting back at the large draugr who disarmed her. "FUS RO!" Her Shout knocked the three smaller undead off their feet completely and stumbled the largest. When he looked up again the elf had retrieved her spear and leveled it at his throat. Elewiese ran him and two other draugr through completely, making for a nice undead shish-kebab. The last one did not last long after that.

Elewiese was waving the dust the undead had stirred up from her face when she remembered Master Arngeir's advice.

Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return…

She sighed, recalling the internal argument she'd been having. "I think too much." Elewiese said to no one in particular while sheathing her spear, now a dagger, in its holster.

Pushing a set of wooden doors open, Elewiese felt the strength in her arms weakening. She clucked her tongue pouted slightly, turning her attention to her bandolier. She hadn't restocked since Windhelm and was down to just two Rogue and two Magus Elixirs. Breaking in her spear meant using up all her Gladiators.

She tapped back and forth on a blue vial and green vial. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a skeever by the toe…" Once finished, she settled for the green vial, downing its contents and shivering as her sense were sent into overdrive.

Elewiese passed through a dining hall of sorts, sticking to the shadows and catching any wandering draugr by surprise, wanting to avoid direct confrontation. She passed into a large cavern and explored it extensively. At a far end of the room were stairs leading up to a perch. Reaching the top of the stairs, Elewiese felt her weight shift and immediately dove forward. Flames shot up from where she'd been standing a split second later.

The commotion drew a skeleton's attention and went over to investigate. Elewiese smirked as she erupted from her hiding spot behind some rubble and kicked the reanimated idiot onto the floor trap. Whatever magical force held the skeleton together could not withstand the intense heat and crumpled into a pile of bones. She was giggling and snorting at that for a full minute, even through a simple battle with yet another skeleton.

The perch ended with a dead end, but a glint in the wall caught Elewiese's keen eye. Through the rubble, she could spot a corpse clutching the handle of a chest. Must have been important to die next to it. There would be no getting through the rubble so she instead scanned her surroundings. A partially collapsed stone catwalk lead to a doorway that appeared to lead into the alcove. Glancing below, she spotted a bunch of benches facing towards a throne occupied by a skeleton. Raising an eyebrow, Elewiese kicked a pebble down onto its head, but it didn't move. Shrugging, she moved back in the direction she came from as it offered a spot to jump to the first pillar that suspended the catwalk. She leapt up onto the platform and rounded the pillar, eyeing the next jump. Way too far for a leap, unless…

Elewiese thought back to High Hrothgar and all she'd learned there. She looked down below, contemplating the nasty fall, before shrugging. "WULD!" Her body shot forward, and this time she was ready. She planted her feet firmly, skidding to a stop inches before she would've face planted into the pillar like before. Looking back, she smirked at the chasm she'd crossed, a feat mortals could perform.

Her elation was cut short by an arrow that embedded into the pillar, just next to her head. She twirled around, bewildered, to find the skeleton that had been sitting in the throne standing and aiming a bow at her. "Dude, not cool." She stated incredulously. She yanked the arrow free from the pillar and drew the wooden bow on her back. She returned the arrow to its sender, nailing the boney bastard right between its empty eyes.

Rounding the pillar, Elewiese once again used Whirlwind Sprint to cross the second distance. She followed the path until coming upon the long dead adventurer and his stash. She pilfered the chest of valuables; a sizable amount of gold and a modified lightweight orichalcum chest-guard. Elewiese closed the chest and winked to the fallen adventurer as thanks.

Backtracking through the passage, Elewiese slid down the angled walls and rolled into a landing. She took in the expanse of the cavern, notably the grove at the bottom, and spotted a familiar looking effigy. Her eyes went wide and she began eagerly jogging down the rocky edge that spiraled lower into the grove.

She glanced at the beautiful pond that mirrored the image of the tree and cavern ceiling above before approaching the Word Wall. Elewiese reached the center of the wall's curvature and knelt. Inhaling, she closed her eyes and listened to the voice in her blood that was becoming more and more familiar.

Noble Nords; remember these words of the hoar father: 'It is the duty of each man to live with courage and honor lest he fade, forgotten into darkness.'

Elewiese opened hers eyes to study the wall more closely. One word in particularly seemed to call out to her, repeating over and over in her mind. "Feim…" she muttered to herself, running a hand over the inscription. She had no inkling of its significance yet, but if the Greybeards spoke true, she would come to understand it with practice and contemplation.

Or if I absorb the soul of another dragon…, she thought sadly.

Picking herself up and hurrying back up the cliff side, Elewiese crossed the chasm on a narrow, naturally formed bridge. Yet another undead skeleton spotted her crossing the bridge and took aim with its bow. Elewiese saw it as well and shouted as it fired. "FUS RO!" The force of her voice splintered the arrow out of midair and slammed into the creature, scattering its bones across the upper parapets.

Elewiese was now free to study the next puzzle of this ancient Nordic tomb. Three stone tablets with etchings lay haphazardly before her with a clear pathed to a closed gate on the far wall. Make that three gates. Elewiese walked forward to study the inscription further, but it glowed red. She jumped back, placing a hand on Nettlebane, but all that happened was the first gate opened. A split second later, the glow the etchings produced died, and the gate slammed shut.

Elewiese raised an eyebrow and walked forward. Again, the first tablet glowed and the first gate opened. Continuing on, she discovered that the second and third tablets opened their corresponding gates as well. Giggling, she returned to the start. Elewiese then sprinted ahead past all three tablets and watched as the gates all rose. However, it quickly became clear she wouldn't make the distance, even at full speed, as the first gate was already falling.

Time seemed to slow as Elewiese's foot slammed down. The gate was already a third of the way closed, but she knew what she needed to do. "WULD!" The distance was closed in a split second, but to stay standing would mean banging her head into the gate. To avoid this, Elewiese threw her feet out in front of her and began skidding across the stone floor. She was quickly losing momentum but was already committed to the action. The gates began closing behind her.

Slam. Slam! She came to a stop. SLAM!…

…Elewiese's whole body was tensed, and she had both eyes held tightly closed. Cracking one, she discovered she was in fact still alive. The elf groaned at the close call, noting how the gate had fallen not an inch above her head. She quickly and worriedly reached up to feel if her ears had been severed but felt the furry auricles twitch in her hands, allowing her a sigh of relief. Picking herself up, she dusted off her tail and clothes before continuing down the passage.

The next room she came across disturbed her deeply. Recognizing the floor based traps for what they were, just like the ones before, Elewiese sighed deeply. "Seriously?" The entire floor was rigged to shoot flames. Luckily, this section of the tomb seemed to have encountered some underground tremors in the past. Collapsed columns and walls spilled debris throughout the room, providing areas that were safe to jump to and from. Being an acrobat of no small talent, and with a Rogue Elixir augmenting her agility, Elewiese traversed the room with relative ease. That is until she came across the giant spiders.

The back half of the room which was obscured by the debris was now visible and coated in webbing. Elewiese's leaping about unknowingly awoke a giant frostbite spider and two of its ilk, all whom descended from the ceiling. "Seriously?" She grumbled again. Elewiese was quick to unsheathe both her blades and sever the two front legs of one of the smaller spiders, stopping it short. She tried keeping the body of the wounded spider in between her and the other small one, but in its eagerness to eat her, it climbed right over its pal. Elewiese saw what it intended and ran at the wall just behind her. She scaled the wall as much as her momentum would allow before pushing off and somersaulting. She managed to extend her spear while turning and slammed the blade down, driving it not only through the head of the second spider, but the first as well.

The giant spider must've been the momma, because it charged Elewiese in an enraged fashion before she could work her spear free. Smirking, Elewiese abandoned her spear and decided to use its rage to her advantage. She began retreated back the way she came, still jumping from safe zone to safe zone. The frostbite spider was much less careful. Elewiese laughed as she reached the far end of the room and turned to admire the show. The giant spider shrieked and turned, forgetting all about the elf as it was engulfed in flames that shot from the floor. Elewiese's humor was cut short as she gagged at the smell of the roasting spider.

Soon it was dead, and Elewiese was free to leap past its still burning corpse. She collected her spear, retracting the handle so it was once again a dagger. Hacking her way through the cobwebs at the end of the room to reach the door resulted in a mouthful of the dusty silk for Elewiese. After sputtering for several moments, her gaze turned upward towards whatever cosmic deity was getting their kicks off with her. "Seriously?!" She yelled a final time.

She kicked her way through a wooden door to reveal a short passage leading to another iron gate. She yanked the chain next to it, ready to be done with this stupid quest, and this stupid dungeon, and all its stupid inhabitants.

Elewiese's irritation at this whole sordid adventure was momentarily put on hold. As she descended the stairs, several stone eagle statues emerged from the water. Their craftsmanship and that of the murals on the walls was beautiful, indicating this as the sanctum of the entire tomb. Sure enough, at the end of the path, a sarcophagus lay on a rise. Just as Arngeir had described, its sides were carved with intricate pictures and dragon script, and jutting from the lid was a hand holding…a note?

Elewiese stopped and tilted her head. She ran forward, completely ignoring the two slain draugr at the foot of the sarcophagus, and snatched up the note from where the horn was supposed to be. She read it quickly.

Dragonborn,

I'll bet you're wondering just where in the world that silly little horn could be. I need to speak to you. Urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I can give it to you, personally.

- A friend

Elewiese's hands dropped to her sides and she looked around pathetically. "You've gotta be freaking kidding me."


Lore Talk -

So full disclosure: there's no such thing as Takutas from Hammerfell (warriors similar to Skyrim Housecarls), at least insofar as we know in the lore to date. I just made them up. But come on. A mainly warrior based people within a class based society. I would be highly surprised if ES6 takes place around Hammerfell and we don't see something like a Housecarl, but since I'm the first to come out and say it, I claim to be the visionary! If you're curious I just used a play-on word of Japanese for 'protector', Purotekutā.

Secondly, you might be asking why our girl didn't swing North after Winterhold to visit Dawnstar as well. BECAUSE THIS GAME IS FREAKING HUGE GUYS. :'D If I took her to Dawnstar, she definitely would've ended up solving their nightmare problem and probably ended up with another Thaneship. I'm probably going to do another series that connects to this one but solely goes over Elewiese's choices in the daedric quests. Add to that separate short stories for the College and Companions questlines (not Brotherhood or Thieves Guild though [you'll see why]). It's just such a huge game guys, and I wanna stick to her being the Dragonborn and wanting to keep Skyrim safe from the dragons.

Anyways, thanks for giving it the time ladies and gentlemen, and keep on reading on! ;)