Chapter 10

Falinir and Loac boarded the coach, while the driver strapped their leather luggage satchels onto the roof. The sun was barely rising in the early morning hour, and they were already on their way to Skywatch for the treaty signing. Loac's heart filled with excitement as they passed outside Alinor's city walls, and the road slowly changed from cobblestone to dirt. The straight dirt road made it's way past pastures and farms. Loac turned to face Falinir, who was sitting across from her.

"This is my first time outside of Alinor", said Loac with a giddy smile.

"Oh, you'll love Skywatch. I've been there twice myself. The city draws a lot of vacationers, so you'll see all sorts of people there. It's filled with inns and restaurants all along the beaches. Near Canato's castle, there's an incredible restaurant you simply must try," said Falinir, "I'd like to take you there sometime during our stay."

"I'd love to," said Loac.

She looked out the window at the passing countryside. There were rolling green hills dotted with herds of sheep. They passed through a small wooded forest, and Loac saw a wild timber wolf running freely through the foliage. After an hour of travel they eventually reached the ferry that would take them to the smaller of the two main islands of Summerset Isle. The coach stood still upon the creaking wooden dock as the large ferry slowly approached from the sea. When the ferry boat finally docked, two Altmer sailors lowered a long wooden boarding platform. The coach went up the steep loading ramp, causing Loac to suddenly fall out of her seat and land on top of Falinir. Her tall height caused her chest to be pressed hard against his face. Only when the coach pulled onto the even ground of the ship thirty seconds later, was Loac able to pull back. She saw that Falinir was laughing.

"It wasn't funny", she said. Her cheeks were blushing red with embarrassment.

"I'm just laughing because for a moment there I thought I was going to be smothered to death by your... your..." Falinir was unable to finish his sentence because he was laughing so hard, "I'm sorry. I know it's not proper to joke about such things."

Falinir began to feel embarrassed about his impolite joke, then to his surprise, Loac started laughing too. They laughed about it together as the ferry pulled away from the dock and began heading towards Skywatch. Loac listened to the sea birds and the creaking of the wooden boat. The way the ferry moved smoothly up and down the ocean waves, made the coach roll forward and back. It was fun at first, but after awhile it made her feel somewhat nauseous. When she caught sight of the dock of Skywatch she smiled gleefully. Skywatch really was beautiful.

The coach disembarked from the ferry and entered the town. All of the stone houses around them were painted different colors, and the whole town was much more lively than Alinor. Loac was amazed at how many different people were walking along the streets. There were Altmer of course, several Dunmer, some humans, and she gasped as she saw an Argonian for the first time. The Altmer in Skywatch didn't seem to mind the presence of other races at all.

"I wonder if some of the Altmer in Skywatch ever get into interracial relationships with the travelers that come here," said Loac inquisitively.

"Ah, well it probably happens occasionally, but they'd get exiled for it. It's illegal in all of Summerset Isle, even in places where there are a lot of foreigners," said Falinir.

The coach suddenly pulled to a stop in front of a large inn. The carved sign above the door read "The Seadragon Lodge". The driver of the coach opened the door for them, and carried the luggage up to their rooms. Their rooms were right next to eachother. Loac and Falinir unpacked their luggage satchels in their seperate rooms and met again in the hallway.

"There's a note in my room with the schedule for the treaty signing," said Falinir, "We don't have to be there until this afternoon. It's not even noon yet, so why don't we go enjoy the beach?"

They walked along the white sand on the beach, and looked out at the sparkling clear blue ocean. The water was so clear, Loac could see pink coral and colorful fish swimming around. Several Dunmer children were playing and splashing in the water, while adults relaxed in the sunshine along the beach. It's no wonder why this was the most popular beach in all of Tamriel. The sun felt warm on her face, and there was a slight breeze blowing through her hair. Despite Loac's enjoyment of her new surroundings, at the back of her mind she was still upset about Henantil. She decided to wait to tell Falinir about it until after they got back to Alinor, so that he could at least enjoy their vacation in Skywatch without any troubles on his mind.

"Time sure flies by in a place like this. It's already passing noon. We should walk over to the castle now for the treaty signing," said Falinir.

"This treaty signing we're going to, it's to get everyone to work together in stopping the pirates, right?" asked Loac.

"Quite the opposite I'm afraid," said Falinir, "Did you see the news article about the little skirmish that happened in Skywatch while you were recovering from your arrow wound?"

"No, I didn't," said Loac.

Falinir replied, "Well a ship full of pirates attacked a small fishing village in Valenwood. They ransacked the village and burned it to the ground. They even killed children. The few surviving villagers ran to the nearby Valenwood town of Greenheart and convinced the town guard and soldiers to help them hunt down and kill the pirates who had attacked them. So, the whole lot of them got on a large ship, and it wasn't long before they spotted the pirates who had attacked the village. The pirates could see the angry mob outnumbered them, and they fled west. Those cowardly pirates finally docked at Skywatch and ran, but the Bosmer soldiers followed them. It ended with a massive bloody battle between the two, right on this very beach. All the vacationers and local Altmer here ran for their lives or looked on in horror at the battle. The soldiers from Greenheart eventually won and all of the pirates were slain, but suffice it to say the people of Skywatch were not pleased. When a boat full of armed soldiers from another province storms upon their beach it could be considered an act of war. I think they were terrified with the thought that Valenwood had suddenly declared war on Summerset Isle, before they realized the soldiers were only attacking pirates. The soldiers from Greenheart had good intentions, but storming upon a Summerset Isle beach like that was foolish. Now High Wizard Canato wants to write this treaty to make it clear that sea borders cannot be crossed by foreign soldiers even if they are pursuing pirates. Technically that is already the law, but this treaty is just a show to make sure everyone will behave. In the end, it's the pirates who will win."

"Can't you oppose the treaty then?" asked Loac.

"No, I won't be the main person representing Valenwood there. The Chieftain of Greenheart will personally be there to sign the treaty, and he supports it fully. It's a gesture to apologize for the actions of his guardsmen. He already wrote me a letter regarding it over a week ago and I have to follow his orders. He's been in correspondance with High Wizard Canato ever since the incident, and they both decided on forming this treaty as a way of reconciling what happened. Even if the representative from Cyrodill refuses to sign it, which I doubt, it will still become a treaty between Summerset Isle and Valenwood. I'll follow my orders from the Chieftain and sign it, then we can enjoy the rest of our time here," said Falinir.

Loac nodded in acceptance, and they stepped up the walkway to High Wizard Canato's castle.