An Elf Like No Other


Chapter 12 - Of Mothers and Their Daughters


After departing Kynesgrove, leaving Delphine in the care of the good people there, Elewiese and Lydia returned to Ivarstead, and subsequently High Hrothgar, to return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller to the Greybeards. The elf offered for her companion to join her inside, but Lydia refused, not wanting to upset the monks who had already explained why she wasn't allowed inside. Elewiese pouted and complained but understood her reasoning. Instead, she promised she wouldn't take long, and that they'd be hiking down the down the mountain soon.

Arngeir and the other Greybeards seemed extremely pleased seeing Elewiese return. They all gathered in the main hall and greeted her with kind, welcoming smiles. She was equally happy to see the masters again and embraced each and every one of them. "So," Arngeir began once she'd finished greeting them all. "You've retrieved the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Well done. You have now passed all the trials. It is time for us to recognize you fully as Dragonborn." They all gathered around her in the place she was taught about Shouts and the dragons. "You are ready to learn the final word of Unrelenting Force, Dah, which means 'Push'." Elewiese took a deep breath and nodded. Master Wulfgar stepped forward and whispered the word, carving it into the stones at her feet. The Dragonborn looked over the word, feeling a tingle run through her veins as she heard it in her blood. "With all three words together, this Shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely. Master Wulfgar…" Arngeir gestured for him to continue, and Wulfgar granted Elewiese his understanding of the Word of Power.

Elewiese frowned, the ticklish feeling of his knowledge making her remember Hevnojot and Mirmulnir. "Now what?" She asked when he was finished.

Arngeir approached Elewiese in the center of all of them. "You have completed your training, Dragonborn. It is time you were fully initiated into the Greybeards. To do so, we must Speak to you." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "This will be no easy task. Stand between us, and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. But you are ready." Elewiese felt a shiver run down her spine in nervousness, but took another deep breath and nodded.

Arngeir returned to his position, and the four masters began. At first Elewiese nearly fell over. Her vision turned blurry and her sense of balance was completely lost to the four booming Voices slamming into her from all directions. She steeled her resolve and concentrated though. She reminded herself that they were not verbally debating with her as were the dragons she had faced. They were merely acknowledging her, addressing her. She let their Voices pass through her, and felt them vibrate along with her own Thu'um. It was a pleasant feeling, one she would have liked to experience with a fellow dragon, though there was no telling if that opportunity would ever arise.

She realized sadly that it was easier to understand the dovahzul after having absorbed Hevnojot's soul. The though made her guilty but she understood what they said for the most part. "Long has the Strundu'ul languished, with no worthy klov to sit nau. By our Thu'um, we ofan it now to you, Dovahkiin, in the name do Kaan, in the name do Shor, and the name do Atmorasewuth. We name you Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok."

When they'd finished, Elewiese still had her eyes closed. "Dovahkiin?" She heard Arngeir call. She opened her eyes and gazed to him, smiling. Arngeir openly smiled back and bowed, as did the other Greybeards. "You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you."

Elewiese could not contain her excitement and leapt to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Master Borri, despite his years of concentration and meditation, could not help the low chuckle that emanated from his throat. The monastery shuddered from his Voice and the other monks looked to him chidingly. He gave an apologetic look before Arngeir dismissed the rest of the Greybeards.

"So," Elewiese began, still hanging off of Arngeir's shoulder. "I'm a Greybeard now. Any chance we can change the sexist name?"

Arngeir rubbed his beard humorously but ignored her inquiry. "As I said, High Hrothgar is open to you. Should you have any questions, I will answer to the best of my ability."

"Actually I do." Elewiese grinned and the master nodded. "What was that introduction ceremony all about, anyway? Were you Shouting at me?"

Arngeir nodded. "We spoke the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance. The same words were used to greet the young Talos, when he came to High Hrothgar, before he became the Emperor Tiber Septim."

The elf's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, okay. I managed to catch most of it, except for the last phrase. What did you say?"

It was Arngeir's turn to be surprised. "You understood it?"

Elewiese frowned. She felt she had to confess it to someone, even if it was just to lighten the strain on her heart. "I killed another dragon. Hevnojot, in Kynesgrove, just yesterday." A tear slipped from her eye without her even realizing. "He didn't give me any other choice. I tried to chase him off, but he just…" She let out a shuddering breath.

Arngeir frowned. "You have such a kind and pure soul, Dovahkiin. It will not make your destiny any easier." They weren't really words of comfort, but Elewiese was just happy someone could sympathize with her. Most people would scold her for taking the death of a dragon so personally. Most would celebrate yet another dragonslaying. She was not most people. "As for your question, the last phrase we spoke said simply: You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."

Elewiese laughed with a sniffle. "I never thought I'd earn a title like that."

Arngeir chuckled dryly. "Few can ever truly ever predict anything from their destiny."

"Like Alduin," The Dragonborn dried her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "There was another dragon in Kynesgrove that I'd met before. Ironically, the first time we'd met, he saved my life, although I'm sure it was completely accidental. I certainly wasn't expecting to see him again-" Elewiese looked up but was shocked to see Arngeir's pale expression. "Master? What's the matter?"

"A-Alduin?" He asked.

Elewiese nodded, confused. "One of the dragons I encountered in Kynesgrove. He's resurrecting the others, I think. He might also be their leader." She scrutinized the Greybeard's expression. "Do you know him?"

It took a moment for him to answer, but Arngeir shook his head. "No,I don't." Elewiese could tell he was lying. "The Greybeards do not involve themselves in the affairs of outsiders, not even the dragons. Our Voice is used only in the reverence of the divines." She opened her mouth to inquire further, but Arngeir cut her off, a response that was becoming irritably familiar. "On that note, I have a worry to express with you, Dovahkiin."

Elewiese sighed and but her tongue to keep from using harsh words on him. "And what might that be, master?"

Arngeir recognized her irritation but continued. "I worry what will happen should your knowledge outpace your vocabulary. It is likely that before your journey is done you will face more of your dovah siblings."

A somber nod was all Elewiese could manage at that depressing thought. "What would you suggest?"

"I can teach you a meditative technique that will assist in the contemplation of the Words you already know as well as help you to locate more Words of Power."

Elewiese tried not to let her excitement show through her upset demeanor. "I can find more Words in Skyrim?" He nodded. "Where?"

Arngeir shook his head. "I am uncertain Dragonborn, but you will discover them everywhere. In ruins, in the wild, on the slopes of the mountains. The Dragon Cult spread far and wide across Skyrim. You will be able to feel the whispers of the Word Walls they revered and constructed."

Elewiese giggled despite herself and bowed. It would be useful to learn more Shouts. No doubt the history the Word Walls he spoke of contained more insight into the dragons, as well. "I am ready to learn, Master."

The process was very simple and Elewiese picked it up quickly. After meditating she found her inner Voice to be much clearer and more confident. Already she could hear the slightest of sounds emanating from hidden places below the summit of the mountain. Elewiese vowed to herself and Arngeir to make an effort at discovering any Words she came near, if only in the interest of of calming the storm that was her growing Thu'um.

Elewiese wanted to inquire further about Alduin and what the Greybeards happened to know about the dragons, but Arngeir shrugged off her every attempt. She was frustrated with the outcome but she wasn't ready shake the elderly Nords down just yet. At least not until she exhausted every other option, and certainly not when they had just welcomed her into their order. Elewiese wished each and every one of the masters a fond goodbye and returned to Ivarstead with Lydia by nightfall.

Elewiese traded an enchanted iron helm she'd found on her travels to pay for a couple of rooms at the Vilemyr Inn at the base of the mountain. Lydia blushed, remembering the night she'd shared with Elewiese there. Neither of them had spoken about that night since which she was grateful for, but she was also a little wistful about it too.

Elewiese saw Lydia's expression and smiled knowingly before informing her Housecarl to go ahead and get some sleep. Lydia furrowed her brow. "Where are you going?"

"To grab a bite to eat." Came her simple response. Lydia merely shrugged and settled into her room for the night. She paid no attention to her Thane's tail that swished excitedly behind her, or her twitching hands & ears, or the way she ran her tongue across her canines. Elewiese quietly left the Vilemyr Inn, intent on finding something a little more lively to sate her appetite. It had been a couple days since she'd last hunted; before she'd left Whiterun at least. Elewiese traveled south, out of Ivarstead, before getting off the road. To anyone else, it might move looked like Elewiese walked behind a rock, and a monstrous creature walked out on the other side. The two were one in the same however, and Elewiese stretched languidly in her full werefox form, the light from the full moons illuminating her supple, muscular body and coarse, auburn mane. She took her time, spending maybe half an hour to find her meal, hunting as an animal would; tracking by sound, smell, and footprints while on all fours. She eventually came upon a large stag and pounced on it, snapping its neck quickly to ensure it knew no pain nor fear in its final moments. Elewiese hummed as warm blood and flesh filled her maw and stained her snout. The act of feeding from a fresh kill always dulled her senses with and opiate effect, so it wasn't until a twig snapped and torchlight flooded the area she was in that Elewiese opened her eyes. Two men armored not unlike how she normally was, with steel armor over novice robes, were on opposite sides of her. Each held a torch in one hand, and a mace in the other. The werefox wiped her snout with the back of her paw. "Good evening." She spoke clearly.

"I-It talked!" The younger of the two men exclaimed, his hands shaking.

"Quiet, boy! And knock off that shaking! A true Vigilant knows no fear." The older more grizzled Nord shouted to his companion, all the while glaring at Elewiese.

She busied herself by cleaning her teeth with a claw while listening to them. "Can I help you with something?"

The older fellow smirked. "You can hold still. We, the Vigilants of Stendar, have vowed to destroy all Daedric influence in this world. Be it demons, undead-"

"Oh! You're holy knights. That's cool, I guess." Elewiese interrupted. "Welp! I haven't seen any demons or undead, so I'll just be going-"

"Or werebeasts." He finished with a scowl.

Elewiese waited, her tail swing back and forth, but it stopped when she realized what he meant. "Oh. You're going to try and kill me?" The older knight twirled his mace and approached. "I mean, are you sure about this?" The man did not slow down. "Fiiiiiine…" Elewiese groaned.

Once in range, the man engaged. He first swung low, giving Elewiese the opportunity to leap over him, putting both knights in her field of view. The man who attacked twirled around and engaged her again. He was skilled, no doubt about it, but he couldn't hold a candle to her speed. Elewiese began strafing around and somersaulting over his attacks, and generally just having fun with him. The man growled as she laughed. The younger of the two knights tried skirting around them, looking for an opening, but Elewiese ensured she repositioned herself every time so that he would not be able to join the fray. "Damn you!" The man she was sparring with regained her attention. "Hold still!" On a particularly sloppy swing, Elewiese instinctually grabbed the mace out of the man's hand as it passed and twisted it out of his grip, tossing it off into the dark woods.

The man's expression grew shocked. "Calm down, knight. I'm not going to kill you. There'd be no point." Elewiese called his attention back to her face. "The world actually needs people like you protecting it, so in the name of your patron god Stendar, I will show you mercy." The knight scowled, offended, and was about to say something when she interrupted him again. "I am gonna knock you out though." He realized what she'd said too late, as Elewiese slammed a fist into his head making his eyes roll back and his body slump to the ground. She laughed again.

"Halt!" Elewiese had momentarily forgotten about the other knight. "Harm him no further!" He had his mace raised threateningly. His face was cute in a young way, softer than most of his older Nord kin.

Elewiese sprawled out her hands. "I just said I wasn't going to kill him. Don't worry, I won't kill you either." She crossed her arms and looked at him pensively. "Can you say the same?"

The boy turned flustered. "Th-The mission of the Vigilants is to root out all evil!"

"And…?" Elewiese waited but the young knight said nothing else. Shaking his head, he raised his mace high and swung down. Elewiese dodged the attack effortlessly. He tried the same move again, ending in the same result. Elewiese sighed, embarrassed for the lad. "No, no, no. Come here." In the blink of an eye, she was behind him. He stiffened as she took hold of his hands. "Maces will do good damage, but they are very slow. Most of the opponents you will be facing have natural advantages of speed and strength, so you'll want to make the most of your swings." She gestured with his arm holding the mace, swinging horizontally instead of vertically as he'd been doing. "Swipe in the widest arc possible, but keep your balance. Try it." She stepped away to let him practice on her. It took a moment for the boy to get over the shock that he was still alive, then he attacked as she had demonstrated. "Good, but do it faster. Let the momentum carry through your swing." He tried again, swinging the mace in a full circle and actually coming close to grazing her. "Whoa! Nice job!" She laughed.

The knight relaxed, but still seemed wary of Elewiese. "So…I guess you're one of the 'good ones' than?"

The werefox giggled again. "I don't know about that. I've never met another 'good one'. You want my advice?" The boy nodded. "Take after your friend there and attack on sight. It's not difficult controlling myself, but then again I was given a handicap. There are few enough beasts that are as lucky as me, so better safe than sorry." He had a confused expression but Elewiese just waved here hand dismissively. "In any case, this was fun, but I really should turn in for the night. But first…" She grinned her still bloody teeth and the boy gulped.

"You're not gonna knock me out too, are you? What if we're attacked by wolves while both of us are unconscious?!" In an instant she was in his face. He gazed into her terrifying and beautiful eyes, the red irises pulsating in time with his fast heartbeat.

"No, no. I have something else in mind for you." The knight made no move as she took in his scent, her black nose twitching across the skin of his cheek. He winced as her whiskers passed over his face ticklishly. He was awfully handsome this close up. She made sure to keep his full attention on her face as her hands worked deftly. Elewiese opened her maw and dragged her thin tongue up the side of his face, leaving a smear of blood from the deer she'd devoured minutes earlier. The Vigilant's eyes went wide.

And then she pulled away, walking off into the night. It took a moment for him to collect himself. "W-Wait! That was it?" Her only response was to look over her shoulder and continue walking, swaying her hips in a sauntering fashion. Odd to see from a werecreature, the knight thought. He breathed a sigh of relief that whatever had just happened was now over. He took a step forward to assess the condition of his mentor, but he tripped. Shaking the stun off, he rolled over and looked down to find his pants down at his ankles. She had pantsed him! He looked up as he thought he heard the distant feminine cackle, but he saw nothing but trees in the torchlight.

Lydia awoke the next morning feeling quite constricted. She realized why when she looked down to see Elewiese in her bed, clutching her shirt and nuzzling her chest. Naturally, she blushed, but once Lydia got over her surprise, she found comfort in running her hand through her Thane's hair and over her ears. Elewiese began purring, but eventually woke up. The elf stretched the length of the single bed and scooted up slightly. She opened her eyes, coming face to face with Lydia. She smiled. "Ummm, Elewiese?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you have blood on your mouth?" Elewiese yawned and had to think for a moment, sleep still inebriating her ability to think clearly. "Deer…" She managed leaning in to Lydia's neck.

Lydia sniffed her scalp. Elewiese smelled of the forest. "So when you said you were grabbing a bite, you ended up going out to eat last night?" Her only response was to hum a chuckle and brush her nose against the Nord's Adam's apple. Lydia laughed lightly too. She was surprised how okay she was with her Thane transforming into a werecreature at night and devouring animals. Lydia crawled out of bed, despite Elewiese's complaints, and grabbed a wet cloth from the wash basin in her room. She washed the blood from around the elf's mouth, waking her up in the process. Lydia silently hoped Wilhelm hadn't seen her come back in last night.

The two women were up and about eventually. They ate a nice breakfast at the bar, sharing merriment and stories with the innkeeper, who made no mention he had seen a blood-mouthed Elewiese the night prior, much to Lydia's relief. Then, they were back on the road, heading north to swing around the Throat of the World and back to Whiterun.


The journey was about as uneventful as they came, something Elewiese was grateful for as she sought to take it easy for a day or two. Any wildlife that blocked their path, the elf let her companion deal with, although she may have tossed a fireball or two to avoid seeming lax. When they eventually did stroll through the gates, Elewiese had one hand cradling her neck and one hand stifling a yawn, despite the fact that it was barely past noon. Several of the citizens of Whiterun approached and greeted Elewiese when they saw her. In truth, there was hardly a soul in the city that she had not helped, both in big ways and in small. One resident in particular, whom she'd quite literally saved, sat writing with ink and parchment in Breezehome, but eagerly jumped up and ran to the door when it opened, despite the reprisal her new teacher threatened. Lucia leapt into Elewiese's arms, the elf spinning the young girl around and giggling in turn. "Oh! My Lucia, I missed you so much!" She said over the girl's shoulder in their embrace.

The young girl began tearing up. "M-Me too…" Everything, from the scent of Elewiese's hair, to the softness of her skin as the woman's cheek rubbed against her own, was just as Lucia remembered. Even the ever present mispronunciation of her name made her happy to hear again. Elewiese set the girl down and pulled back to look at her. Lucia tried to wipe away her tears, remembering what her tutor that still sat on the bench in the back of the room had said about crying in front people. "I'm sorry."

Elewiese caught the girl's hand with her own and continued wiping the tears away herself while smiling warmly. "You don't have to apologize, Lucia. What kind of world would it be if we couldn't cry when we needed to? If you ever feel the need, let the tears come, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Not even mean old ladies who you're supposed to listen to." Lucia laughed along with Elewiese at that, and the two looked back at the high elf who now stood from the table in the back.

"Honestly," The Altmer chided the Bosmer woman who'd just arrived. "To think I dragged myself up to this frozen wasteland for you."

Elewiese managed to get her laugh under control and curtsied for the woman. "Madame Truska, I'm happy to see you accepted my invitation on such short notice." The woman was tall, as most high elves were. Her skin was a golden lemony yellow color and was free of blemishes. Her white hair and lines across her features showed her age, but didn't take away from her natural beauty.

The madame bowed in return and waved a hand uncaringly. "The staff of the school is perfectly capable of handling my absence for a few weeks. Besides, I do miss the in depth tutoring as opposed to the generalized classroom." Truska smiled fondly with a distant look in her eye. Elewiese merely hugged Lucia to her chest, waiting for the wizened elf to return to the present. "No matter. I suspect we might be returning sooner than expected. Miss Lucia here is very well endowed, intellectually."

Lucia blushed as Elewiese smiled at her proudly. "I suspected as much." Then she realized what the matron has said. "Wait, who is 'we'?"

Madame Truska opened her mouth to speak, but someone else beat her to the punch as he descended the steps into the main room of Breezehome. "Surely you didn't think I would ask such a refined and lovely woman to make the harsh journey all by her lonesome," Elewiese looked up to the man, starting at his pristine buckled shoes and moving up along his lithe but athletic calves that were outlined in the black leather pants that clung to his legs. A steel cutlass was strapped to his waist, though she knew his skill with the blade was near nonexistent. His white ruffled button down shirt was tucked into his waist line, though the top several buttons were undone, leaving a fair portion of his chest exposed. With his face cleanly shaven and his sandy blonde hair in its normal feathered style, Maximus Scario smiled wide and winked his warm green eyes at the Bosmer's shocked expression. "My Lady." The imperial bowed low, reaching the foot of the stairs.

"Max!" Elewiese exclaimed, lunging forward to clasp her partner and longtime friend's arm. "What in Oblivion are you doing here?" She laughed and pulled him into an embrace.

Maximus pat her head in between the ears. "I heard from my love that you girls were having the most wonderful time up here, and I thought I'd see if my services were needed. As it turns out, they were."

Elewiese was about to inquire as to Shaudrey's whereabouts, but that last part caught her attention. "Oh, no," She sighed. "What have you done now?"

Maximus smirked. "Nothing nefarious, I assure you. As you can see, I took the liberty of making this place more livable." Elewiese glanced around noting the superior and higher quality furniture that now decorated her Whiterun home, as opposed to a few days prior. "I also moved our newest young scholar into the back room, and furnished it to fit a princess." He winked to Lucia.

Lucia's blush persisted as she bowed. "Thank you again, Mr. Scario."

Elewiese was about to raise a particular protest, but Maximus already knew and held up a calming hand. "You needn't say anything, My Lady, I merely reallocated the alchemy table to just outside your room upstairs. And yes, I kept it organized, just the way you like." The young elf smirked insipidly, disappointed she missed the chance to complain about something. As usual though, Maximus had taken care of everything.

"I see. Well done Mister Scario." The master merchant made a long drawn out bow while sweeping and twirling his hands. "I assume Shaudrey stayed behind to man the fort, so to speak?"

Maximus crossed his arms and chortled in amusement. "Indeed, and my love was none too happy about it. However, it wouldn't do to have all of us away from the operation at the same time." Elewiese nodded in approval. "She also said something about calling off a bet?"

Elewiese openly laughed and shook her head. "You can tell her I said 'nuh-uh'."

The Imperial sighed wearily. "I see. I don't suppose she'll be happy about that either." Straightening, Maximus seemed to notice the Housecarl standing behind Elewiese for the first time. "Ah! Miss Lydia," He made the same exaggerated bow again. "An honor to see you again. I trust you're keeping our Lady and yourself in good health."

Lydia nodded and smirked, having been reminded of the man's personality. His natural exuberance was second only to Elewiese's. The Bosmer herself punched the man in his arm. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"So I see." Maximus winced as he rubbed his arm and took a seat in one of the chairs near the fire pit. "Now, I'm sure you haven't been telling me everything in your letters. Why don't we sit down and discuss…things." He gave her an expectant look, and Elewiese sighed, rolling her eyes like a child.

"Lucia." Madame Truska called from the table in the back. "Come sit back down. These problems aren't going to finish themselves."

The girl looked up to Elewiese with a worried expression. The elf leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere tonight." That earned her a small smile and nod from Lucia. She then went to rejoin her tutor and continue her lesson. Elewiese sat wearily in the chair next to her business partner and nodded to Lydia who asked if she should prepare them a late lunch. "I'm impressed you managed to convince her to come up herself."

Maximus snickered and snuck a glance at the aged Altmer. "Well, I imagine running a public school in the capitol for the less fortunate isn't exactly the way she wanted to spend her twilight years. And we were both pleasantly surprised to hear you'd taken in such a remarkable child. In any case, I don't think she'll be losing any sleep over it. Besides, I think you've finally rubbed off on her." He winked to Elewiese.

"Hardly." Madame Truska interjected without even looking over, and went on to correct a mistake Lucia had made. She continued tutoring the girl albeit now with the corners of her mouth raised. Elewiese was happy Truska had chosen to come up herself. As the woman who had taught her nearly all the higher education she knew, Elewiese was quite fond of her. The Bosmer's accident six years ago in Valenwood may have done something to severely boost her intelligence, but she still needed to learn. Elewiese had met Madame Truska once as she passed through Valenwood and again a few years later when she moved into Cyrodil. From what she understood and what little the high elf had told her, she had been convinced to leave the Summerset Isles for political antagonization. 'Kindly exiled' she had called it. Seeing the Altmer sitting at the table, doing for Lucia what she had for Elewiese, stoked a warm and happy feeling in the Bosmer's stomach.

"Enough about them. Lucia's in good hands." Maximus grabbed Elewiese's attention once more, and she nodded in agreement. "Tell me what's transpired since your last letter."

Maximus leaned forward in his seat, lacing his fingers and knitting his brow, deep in thought. Elewiese wordlessly handed her plate to Lydia, but wore a grateful expression for the wonderful meal she'd made. The only sound in the room was the fire crackling and Lucia's quill scratching away at the parchment she wrote on. Finally, Maximus spoke. "I don't like it. We always knew 'D-Day' would come." He sighed. "I just never expected it would be ourselves to shoot the arrow into our knee."

Lydia looked back from the washbasin. "D-Day?"

"Discovery Day." He elaborated. "The day when the Thalmor learn Elewiese's identity."

"What's the big deal?" Lydia asked, but even as she spoke, she was growing more and more nervous. "It's not like they'll just magically put two & two together and come to the conclusion that she's the Lady of the Elixirs. Besides, she's going to use an alias."

"They'll know her face. That'll be enough." Maximus gazed directly at Elewiese, but she kept her focus on the fire. It gave her something to look at to avoid his layered expression. "Once they positively identify her as the Dragonborn, they'll retrace her steps. Even a dullard could point out how every apothecary she visits in Skyrim partners with us. They might not peg her as the Lady herself, but she will be that much more valuable to them."

"I can handle myself." Elewiese stated adamantly.

Madame Truska snorted in dry humor from the edge of the bench. "Of course you can, girl, that's not what we're talking about. You've already proven you can handle them head on, so they won't be trying that again." She was of course referring to the Thalmor spy she'd caught among her apprentices a couple months prior.

Every potential apprentice was given a test at the conclusion of their screening process. They were given a sealed package of confidential materials and were instructed to deliver it directly to either Shaudrey or Max. Elewiese would be waiting on the road just outside the capitol. She was disappointed when the Altmer boy came across her path. She'd had high hopes for him. Needless to say, his loyalty to the Aldmeri Dominion was stronger, and he would not back down. She was forced to kill him.

"No," Truska continued. "They'll come at you sideways. It's how they think." The high elf sighed in disdain at what her countrymen had become.

Elewiese understood immediately what she was on about. "Our ladies and gentlemen in waiting." She said aloud.

Max nodded. "Our chief alchemists, our apprentices, the beneficiaries, even our couriers like my love and Miss Lydia here. They can strike anywhere at any time, and we won't be able to stop them all."

Elewiese leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, crunching numbers and running scenarios in her head. "Will the Empire support us, if their citizens are attacked?"

"Hard to tell." He shrugged. For an Imperial, Max had a fairly pessimistic look when it came to the governing body of the Empire. "We could incentivize them by cutting off our support initiatives. The school has been drawing in less-"

Madame Truska stood with a furious expression on her face. "That will absolutely not do. I didn't agree to come onboard as your institute's head scribe just to have it all shut down as some sort of political gambit. If I was interested in being used in such an appalling way, I would've never left the Summerset Isles!"

Maximus stood too now. "Well, what else can we do? This isn't a game where pieces are traded, madame. Lives are at stake!"

Lydia jumped in as well. "We need a solution that puts our people in the least amount of danger."

"The solution would be to steer clear of the Thalmor!" The Altmer emphasized.

The argument grew more and more heated with all three of them trying to speak over one another. With every increase in volume, Elewiese's head throbbed. Eventually, she'd had it. "ENOUGH!" Elewiese shot up and bared her teeth, her eyes smoldering and dark. The plates in the cupboard rattled and the ground seemed to quiver. It was then that she realized, she'd unconsciously let some of her Thu'um into her voice. She looked up to see everyone cupping their ears with wide eyes, even dear Lucia. Elewiese sighed and plopped back into her seat. She concentrated on her breath and focus to regain control of her Voice. "Just…Enough…" She said normally.

Elewiese had her head hung low but looked up when she felt a small hand playing with her ears. Lucia gotten up from her seat and was now smiling in front of her while petting her head. Her eyes were filled with worry, however. Worry for Elewiese. The Bosmer let out a the breath she'd been holding and giggled along with the girl as she pulled her into her lap. The three voices who had been arguing calmed, seeing the duo. Elewiese tickled Lucia's neck and let her nuzzle her hand. After a few minutes, she spoke again. "This is how it has always been." She states looking to Lydia. "We've never had a plan for D-Day. It always devolved into manic arguments and wounded pride." She smiled as the girl in arms pinched her nose. Elewiese took Lucia's hand and rubbed her cheek against it.

The Lady looked to her business partner and close friend. "Maximus. Will you follow me?"

The Imperial was silent for a few moment before regaining his charismatic mercantile grin. From the moment he stumbled across the Bosmer girl running a ramshackle stall without a permit in the marketplace of the capitol four years ago, he had a gut feeling then that she would be the one to lead him to prominence. That feeling had never wavered once in all the time he'd known her. He stood to give her one of his historically exaggerated bows. "To glory, riches, and if need be a Thalmor interrogation cell." They both laughed at that, and Elewiese nodded.

She then looked to the prideful and stoic matron on the bench whose arms were crossed. "Madame Truska, will you trust me as I have trusted you?"

The old elf felt a jolt of energy run through her tired body. In her several centuries as a teacher, she'd tutored nobles, royals, even kings as they grew up, but no student of hers ever had the spark of potential that she'd seen in Elewiese. The girl's intelligence and quick-wittedness was second only to her kindhearted nature. She'd proven herself time and time again, and Madame Truska had never been prouder of one of her pupils. "I… Yes, My Lady, I will."

Elewiese sighed in relief. "Good. Then here's the plan. Moving agents back and forth after the Aldmeri Dominion identifies me will be virtually impossible without endangering them, so we won't."

Maximus grew wide eyed. "But, My Lady, our regular shipments-"

"Will continue as normal." She reassured him. Elewiese was all too aware that temples and clinics in Cyrodil regularly depended on the medicine they provided. "But all centers of production will need to hunker down, at least until we gauge how much this riles up the Thalmor."

"But what of Skyrim, my Thane?" Lydia asked.

"This is all hypothetical until I actually blow my cover. The party is in one month sans a couple days. We will use the time before hand to finalize a network between the holds of Skyrim, and between Skyrim and Cyrodil." Lydia smiled, happy that Elewiese was keeping her promise to help Lydia's homeland. The elf looked to her partner. "Max, I'll need help with that."

The Imperial grinned, cracked his knuckles, and reached over to the end table that had his travel bag on it. He withdrew his ledger from the bag and opened it, the pages filled with a mishmash of encoded and ineligible symbols and phrases. Only one person could make sense of Max's system, and that was Max himself. "Alrighty then…" He flipped through a few pages and made some notes in the margins. "We can check, Whiterun, Eastmarch, and Hjaalmarch off the list. Winterhold should be fine with the mages there. We should prioritize making contact with alchemists in Falkreath, Haafingar, the Pale, and the Reach. Ah, wait… Where was…? Here!" He handed a slip of paper Elewiese detailing directions to a farm northwest of Riften. "I managed to track down that apprentice you wanted."

"Avrusa Sarethi?! Student of the legendary alchemist Sinderion?!"

"Uhhh…" Maximus scratched the back of his head and looked to Lydia. The Nord merely shrugged. "Yeah."

Elewiese squealed in delight and hugged Lucia tightly. The girl smiled in her arms, confused by what caused the elf such joy. When the Bosmer realized no one was sharing her excitement, she settled but only slightly. "Oh come on guys, Sinderion! The Altmer alchemist who unlocked the mysteries of the nirnroot? Author of The Nirnroot Missive?" Nothing. Elewiese pouted. "You guys are no fun." Madame Truska chuckled to herself.

Max cleared his throat. "Well if that's the case, his student might be willing to supply us with some rare ingredients. I would definitely make her one of your stops."

Elewiese nodded and scribbled into her journal. "Okay, my work is cut out for me. What about you Max?"

He laughed challengingly. "Setting up the route between the holds of Skyrim is all well and good, but you're going to need access to our stock eventually. I'll work on setting up routes between here and back home, other than the Jerall Mountain Pass of course; shipped along the Golden Coast perhaps. We'll probably lose more money than we make in the end, but if it saves lives, it was money well spent."

Lydia raised a brow. "You're not like any merchant I've ever met before."

The Imperial laughed and was about to make a joke when Elewiese pulled him back to business. "Only include ingredients in the shipments. No potions whatsoever. I don't need this supply chain getting shut down over paranoia."

"Right, right. Wouldn't want the Imperials to think we're helping the Stormcloaks, or vice versa." Max finished making note of it in his ledger but winced. "Fundamentally I agree, but are you sure? We'd have to rely on the alchemists here. If they can't learn what you have to teach them-"

"Don't underestimate our intellect Imperial." Lydia huffed, and Max put his hands up in surrender. Elewiese met her Housecarl's eye and smiled when she did the same. "If the Nords are going to survive this crisis in time, we'll do it as we always have: on our own feet."

"Very good, very good…" Elewiese stifled a laugh at how whenever Maximus was preoccupied, he tended to repeat phrases twice over. The Imperial made a few last notes in his ledger before returning it to his bag. He leaned over to peer from one of Breezehome's many narrow windows to the darkening sky. "Well I think that's enough shop talk for one day."

The girl in Elewiese yawned wide, forcing subsequent yawns out of Lydia and Elewiese. Maximus laughed at their expense and at Lydia who gave him the stink eye in return. Elewiese tickled Lucia in retaliation, making her squeal and giggle. "Alright, time for bed." The elf decided. The Altmer stood from the bench in the kitchen area, eyeing Lucia's work with a smile that only Elewiese noticed. "Madame Truska, do you require-"

"Already have it covered, my Lady. The madame and I are staying at the Bannered Mare Inn." Maximus hefted his travel bag onto his shoulder. "Hulda has been quite lovely and very generous to us."

Elewiese got a devious look on her face. "Lovely, eh? I'll be sure to let Shaudrey know how much you…admire your hostess."

"Please do." Maximus laughed, calling her bluff. "Boy, does she get feisty when she thinks there's another woman involved." He leaned in close to her. "It's like she's claiming me as hers. Shaudrey does stuff to me that makes it so I would never leave her for another woman-"

Elewiese openly gagged. "Can I just die now from disgust?"

Maximus wiped a humorous tear from the corner of his eye. "In any case, I've financed our stay for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, here." He reached into his bag and placed a hefty coin purse into her arms. "It's not like you could afford it right now anyway."

Elewiese pouted. "I could too!"

He gave her an incredulous look. Max was all too familiar with Elewiese's inability to handle money. "Really? How much are you carrying right now?"

The Bosmer was keenly aware of the two coins that had been clinking around in her coin purse ever since Riverwood. "A-A lot if you consider the amount of treasure me and Lydia have collected!"

Madame Truska hummed humorously as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door. "I don't." Maximus stated. The Altmer matron stood at the home's threshold and looked to him expectantly. "Ah, so sorry my dear, but would you mind giving me a moment alone with our Lady?"

Madame Truska realized something was up, but decide not to stick her nose in it. She wasn't about to miss an opportunity to have fun with the man though. "Well, that's quite audacious. Forcing an old woman to shuffle out into the cold all by her lonesome. I never pegged you for the uncivilized type, Lord Scario." The matron let Elewiese kiss her hand, as she had been doing for years, before opening the door.

"Yes, yes. A thousand apologies!" He managed to get out before the door slammed closed. He shared a knowing look with Elewiese before turning somber again.

Elewiese had her hands on Lucia's shoulders and turned her to meet her eye. "Sweetheart, why don't you take Lydia and the both of you can get ready for bed?"

Lucia nodded and grabbed Lydia by the hand, earning a small smile from the older Nord. The two went to the wash basin that sat back near the table. Elewiese gave Maximus a questioning look. "So…" He began. "Dragonborn?"

Ah. Now she understood why they were alone. With anyone else she might've kept her usual emotionless, stony expression. It was just Maximus though. Eleweise's lip quivered and her eyes spoke volumes of sadness and fear. A tear had almost fallen from her eye when he pulled her into his chest so she could silently sob. "Hey, shhhhhh… It's okay." It took her about a minute to regain her control. She pulled away from the embrace with a tired and defeated expression. "So it's true? What your mother said?"

What her mother had said. It would have been laughable if it wasn't Elewiese. "Yes. The Greybeards confirmed Aka-…He is my father." It was hard to get that last part out.

Maximus obviously had mixed emotions about. If he didn't know Elewiese, he probably would've been down on his knees, not meeting her eye, and asking her what he and Shaudrey should name their firstborn child, when they got around to it at least. But he did know Elewiese. And about her mom. And about her childhood. "I'm sorry." He said.

He stroked her ears the way he knew she liked, but Elewiese couldn't even appreciate that with all the thoughts flying through her head. What should she do tomorrow? What did she feel about the dragons? What hold would she head for first? What was her mother doing right now? No answers, only questions. "I'll check in with you, first thing tomorrow. Okay?" Max forced her to look at him.

She nodded with fatigue in her eyes, but she managed enough strength to stand on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek; her way of letting him know he was the brother she'd never had. He ruffled her auburn hair and stepped out into the night.


Elewiese tossed and turned in her new bed. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was new; in fact, Maximus had outdone himself. She felt like she was lying on a cloud of silk and warmth. No, it was the uncertainty of tomorrow and the future in general weighing heavily on her mind that kept her awake.

She took to repeatedly lifting her arms and letting them fall to her sides. Elewiese wasn't sure how long she'd been at it, but after blowing a stray hair out of her face, she noticed someone standing in the doorway. Elewiese propped herself up onto her elbows and saw Lucia standing with a book in her hands. "Lucia? What are you doing up so late?" She spoke softly as to not wake Lydia down the hall. Although, come to think of it, they could probably Shout in the Thu'um and the Housecarl still wouldn't wake.

The young girl bit her lip and dug her bare foot into the wood floor. She wore the same white nightgown Elewiese had given her that first night. Elewiese wore a yellow nightgown similar to the other she'd worn. "I…wanted to see you more…before you left again…"

The elf tilted her head, smiling sadly. She scooted over to make room on the bed and made a come hither gesture. Lucia smiled and jumped into the sheets with her. Elewiese lit a candle with fire she produced from the tip of her finger, making the girl giggle. "I like magic. I wish I could learn it." Lucia said cupping the light of the candle with her hand.

Elewiese was surprised but glad. "Good. Too many people are afraid of magic, and the world suffers for it." Lucia didn't quite understand what she meant but she was mesmerized as Elewiese held out her hand and in it all sorts of colors and shapes appeared in disappeared. "Shall I teach you this too?" Lucia looked to her with bright eyes and nodded emphatically. Elewiese stifled a laugh. "Speaking of which, how are you getting along with madame Truska?"

"I like her," She stated truthfully, before turning nervous. "But…she can be kinda mean."

Elewiese chuckled quietly in agreement. "She has a way of scolding you and making you like her for it. She's an excellent tutor however; the greatest I've ever come across."

Lucia nodded. She was hugging the book she'd brought close to her chest. The black binding was damaged but she handled it gently, as she'd been warned to do. "What's this?" Elewiese tapped the book and wiggled her eyebrows. "Homework."

"Madame Truska said I should practice reading and writing on my own, whenever I can."

Elewiese hummed. "It makes me happy to see you're trying." She turned the book over. "What are we reading tonight?"

"The Book of the…Dragonborn…"

"…" Elewiese said nothing but unconsciously glared at the leather-bound pages.

Lucia gulped nervously, seeing her face. "I'm sorry…"

Elewiese was shocked a moment before shaking her head, regaining control over her expressions. "What? No, no! I should be the one who is sorry. You don't ever have to apologize to me, Lucia, okay?" She nodded slowly, but remained nervous. "I only-… I-It's just that…" Elewiese sighed deeply, unsure of what to say.

Luckily, Lucia knew how to drive her forward. She placed her hand over Elewiese's on the book. "You are Dragonborn?"

The least she could do was answer the girl's questions, and in doing so so, she might better understand it herself. Her expression soured again some, but this time she snuggled closer to Lucia, letting her know it was okay. "Yes, I am."

A bit of childish wanderlust sparkled in the girl's eyes, giving Elewiese maybe the first hint of satisfaction with her heritage that she'd ever felt. "Wow! Did you know that Saint Alessia was Dragonborn? And Tiber Septim too!"

Elewiese merely smiled, glad that Lucia's studies were progressing so splendidly. She opened the book, knowing its contents from cover to cover, and found the passage she was looking for. A finger accompanied the words she read to assist in Lucia's following along. "Those blessed by Akatosh with 'the dragon blood' became known more simply as Dragonborn." The elf let out another heavy breath and closed the book. "What the book doesn't tell you is those who are the first in a line of Dragonborn…are sired by Akatosh himself."

Again, Lucia looked ready to burst with excitement. Elewiese's demeanor, however, sobered her response. "Akatosh is your father?" She nodded somberly. The girl's brow furrowed in confusion. "You don't like that?"

Elewiese let out yet another shaky sigh and her eyes grew moist. "No sweetheart, I don't." Lucia merely waited and Elewiese tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Before I was even born, I'd lost my mother. Some bad people did some very bad things to her, and it broke her in the head. Akatosh came to her and helped her escape the bad people, but her mind was still lost. I was born after that." She looked down when she heard sniffling from Lucia.

Tears fell openly from the girl's eyes. Elewiese knew it would be a sensitive topic for Lucia to hear, but she also wanted the girl to know she wasn't alone when it came to loss. "But he got her away from the bad people, right? Didn't he saved her?"

Elewiese made a halfhearted attempt to wipe her own tears away. "Rescued her? Yes. Saved her? No." The elf shook her head angrily. "I'll never understand why he didn't fix her mind. He's a divine; a god. Wasn't he capable?" She laid back and stared at the ceiling, or rather past it. "I hate Akatosh with all my heart. Only him. Even the group responsible for what happened to my mother are just misguided souls. But I'll never forgive Him for what He failed to do for my mother. Not ever…" Elewiese covered her face as she sobbed, feeling like she was losing her mind. "Sometimes I wish he had just let her die and that I'd never been born."

Lucia was quiet for a while before responding in barely a whisper. "How could you say that?" Elewiese uncovered her face to see the girl sitting upright and glaring at her. "Don't you know what you mean to me?" Her lip trembled in sadness and anger. "Without you I'd be nothing. Without you I'd be captured by bandits and sold as a slave. Without you I'd be dead, gripping my stomach from starvation." A fresh bout of tears fell from Elewiese's eyes at the thought. "You mean everything to me, so you can't say stuff like that…"

The older woman was quiet a moment before leaning up to wrap her arms around the girl's waist and pulled her down to lay on top of her. Lucia was calmed as she listened to Elewiese's steady, reassuring heartbeat. "You're right. I'm sorry, my sweet. You'll never hear such words from me again."

"Good," Lucia said, gripping the sides of the elf's nightgown. "Because I can't lose another one."

Elewiese grew confused. "Another what?"

"…Mother…"

And then it hit her. With the force of a dragon landing on her, Elewiese felt a buzz across her entire body, not unlike the euphoria of absorbing a dragon's soul. She had felt so lost for so long. Over the years leading up to her alchemical accident, through battling the Aldmeri Dominion from the shadows and becoming a werefox, to even discovering herself as Dragonborn, she had never found a solid place to plant her feet. Elewiese just drifted from place to place with no particular goal aside from righting wrongs and doing what she could to help. Becoming the Lady of the Elixirs had given her the first sense of purpose she'd ever felt in her life, but even that was impersonal. The mission of the Lady was to help others, not herself. She'd never once known what it meant to cherish and be cherished by something. That is until she met Lucia.

What began as just another act of charity, the lost girl whom she took in had not just taken up residency in her home, but in her heart as well. It had snuck up on Elewiese; the unmistakable and irrefutable feeling of love that she now held for the girl breathing slower and slower in her arms. Elewiese cried harder than she had all night, but not from sadness. Rather, the revelation of her true feelings for Lucia filled her with such happiness, the excess spilled from her eyes.

Elewiese cradled the head of the now sleeping Lucia and whispered softly. "I love you, my daughter."


Holy crap! That took forever. :'D Sorry about the dropping only two chapters again guys, but here's the bonus chapter I guess you would call it, albeit a week late. I just started writing and couldn't find a good place stop in the middle. I do plan on keeping to my schedule, dropping batches of chapters on the 9th, 29th, 19th, 9th, 29th, etc. don't ask me how that got started; it just did.

Lore Notes -

I…got nothing. I think? Idk, it's easy to gloss over stuff when I really get to writing. Literally, one time I accidentally substituted Thedas for Tamriel *facepalms*, so really if you guys have any questions or want to point out lore discrepancies for me in the reviews, I would love to hear from you guys and would be happy to make a note of it in the next chapter. Anyway, just keep it in mind. I'm out, loyal readers. Peace!