A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I got grounded, then I had to move to a new house, and I've been really busy with school. But now I'm back in action, and I PROMISE I will try as best I can to update every week or so. Promise, okay? Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. Anyway, enjoy!
"Hmmm…so your sister…Sarila, was it? Her leg appears to be fractured. The skin is broken, that's for certain, and her leg is a bit misshapen." The Argonian doctor, Sa'etha, informed Ysgrig. "By the Gods…will she be alright?" Ysgrig inquired, concerned for his sister's safety. "She'll be fine, do not worry," she reassured, and Ysgrig sighed with relief. "I will give her a potion to help ease the pain, and I'll patch the skin up as best I can. Other than that, we'll have to keep an eye on her leg and see how it repairs." Sa'etha explained, walking over to her shelf and sorting through potions. "Hmm…magicka, stamina, shock resist-ah! Here we are, healing!" She exclaimed, holding up a large, reddish bottle with a golden rim and a beige label.
Sa'etha approached Sarila, who sat patiently on a wooden chair. "Here, drink this slowly. It should help to stop the pain." Sa'etha handed Sarila the concoction and walked over to an oaken bookcase and began to search for a healing tome. Sarila obeyed, and slowly drank the healing potion, its thick and bitter mixture sliding down her throat. Sa'etha returned a moment later with a dirty, goldenrod spell tome with the restoration symbol on its leather cover, clean linen wraps, and several small pins. "Alright, this will only take a moment, but you must remain perfectly still. I shall wrap the linen tightly over your leg wound, and I shall pin it to stay there while I cast a healing spell upon you." Sa'etha calmly explained. "Don't worry, sis. Sa'etha knows very well what she's doing. She's studied under a very talented Imperial healer, Metian Septianos." Ysgrig reassured his sister.
Sarila smiled at Ysgrig, which was returned. She was overjoyed at the rediscovery of her long-lost brother. Sarila slightly winced in pain when Sa'etha began to wrap the linen tightly over her injury. Sa'etha skillfully and carefully placed a pin through the fabric to pin it together, being especially wary to not stab Sarila with the pin. When her work was finished, she opened to a page in her restoration tome. She closed her eyes tightly and quietly uttered some rushed words. In less than a second, a beacon of golden light was shining in her claws. Sa'etha inhaled deeply and pointed a scaly finger at Sarila's leg, commanding the golden rays to dance freely into the wound. Sarila gasped when she felt her skin coming together again, feeling the constant warm wetness of blood slow its flowing, and eventually stop altogether. She could see the warm smiles in Sa'etha's eyes, clearly pleased with the result.
Sa'etha carefully removed the pins in the linen one by one, and she easily removed the wrap. Sarila's leg was as good as new. "Before you get up, you might want to have something to put weight on." Sa'etha suggested, her yellow eyes darting around the room. They came to rest on a large staff. "Ah, the staff of flames. I do not use this staff, perhaps you would like it to help you walk?" Sa'etha asked, picking up the magnificently crafted wooden staff. She suddenly looked confused, and examined the staff again. "It appears to still have magic. You may use it for not only walking, but in combat as well. Very useful!" Sa'etha nodded with a smile, handing Sarila the staff. "By the Gods, thank you, thank you, and thank you once more! I cannot thank you enough for this, Sa'etha." Sarila cordially shook the Argonian's scaled hand. "It is no trouble. Any sister of Ysgrig is a sister of mine." Sa'etha replied. "Come on, sis. I'm sure the others would like to meet you." Ysgrig told his sister, waving goodbye to Sa'etha as the two exited the room.
"Mattha, come here please!" Ysgrig called as he entered the main hall, startling the Dunmer woman who was currently reading on the couch. She leapt up off the old couch and placed her book on the nearby end table. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir! I just got so caught up in "The Cake and the Diamond" that I completely forgot to sort the harvest." She profusely apologized. Ysgrig laughed heartily. "Mattha, dear, that was Caehir's job, and it's been done. You are not in any trouble, it's just there's someone I'd like you to meet." Ysgrig replied, grinning. He gestured to Sarila. "Oh yes, I saw her enter the Home with Caehir, Qattindra, and Reea'th earlier." She recognized. "This is my sister, Sarila." Ysgrig happily introduced. The Dunmer, Mattha, smiled, but her eyes widened immediately. "Sister?! Your sister is alive?! That's great news, Ysgrig!" Mattha cheered. "My, my! It certainly is an honor to meet you, Miss Sarila! I am Mattha Mavothan, but please, call me Mattha." She politely curtsied. "Ysgrig has told us all so much about you when you were kids. He always thought the world of you." Mattha warmly smiled.
"I certainly have. The moment I realized who the woman that entered my office was, I figured I'd had too much wine." Ysgrig joked, ruffling Sarila's golden hair. Ysgrig turned to face Mattha again. "Have you seen Chalvia and Omir?" He asked the Dunmer. Mattha ran a hand through her long, black hair. "Last I checked, Chalvia headed off to the kitchen to prepare tonight's meal. As for Omir, he's most likely to be smithing some sort of new weapon, as always." The young Dunmer rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Mattha." Ysgrig gave a curt nod. He began to walk to the kitchen but stopped in his tracks. "Ah…before I forget, did you remember to replace the books back in the order they were before you read them?" Ysgrig asked. "Oh…about that…" Mattha sheepishly trailed off, looking at the ground. She looked up and smiled naughtily. "I'm only fooling, of course I have. They should be nice and orderly." She reassured. Ysgrig and Sarila chuckled and headed over to the kitchen, which was in the next hall.
The two siblings were greeted by loud clanking of metal, and a very frantic Chalvia, who was swiftly multitasking. One moment she was stoking flames of the fire, and the next, she was tossing ingredients into an enormous soup pot. Without even looking up, she had acknowledged Ysgrig and Sarila's presence. "Ysgrig, could you please bring me my carrots? They're up in the middle shelf." The Redguard woman requested, grabbing a knife and chopping onions quickly but cautiously. Ysgrig rushed over to the shelf that had several small sacks. He ruffled through a medium-sized sack on the middle shelf and pulled out five carrots. "Would five carrots be a sufficient amount for…whatever it is you're preparing?" Ysgrig asked, needing confirmation. "Yes, yes, that's fine! Thank you, Ysgrig." Chalvia replied, pouring half a cup of diced onions into her soup pot of many ingredients. Ysgrig nodded and hurried over, placing the carrots before the busy Redguard chef. Chalvia took a glance at her book, "Uncommon Taste," and began to slice and dice the carrots. She swiftly slid her silver knife across the table, sweeping the bits of carrots into the soup pot.
Chalvia grabbed a gleaming, brownish-golden jar filled with an unknown liquid. Sarila read the label and recognized it to be Sujamma, an alcoholic beverage from Morrowind. Chalvia uncorked the jar and poured in the entire amount of contents. She quickly added Glow dust to neutralize the effects of Sujamma, and rushed to her ingredient barrel. Chalvia returned a moment later and dumped in a cup of Fire salts, and a cup of Frost salts. She took the pot and placed it over the fire. Sarila watched in awe as the Redguard stirred in an incredible speed. The soup pot emitted steam, indicating a flaming hot temperature, and Chalvia removed the pot. She took her wooden ladle and poured soup into the wooden bowls she had placed. Once all the bowls had been filled and the soup pot was empty, she placed the ladle on the table and sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "All finished!" She proudly declared. "Ysgrig, please take your friend to the feast table for our meal, and we shall all get to know her there. I will only take a moment, don't worry." Chalvia instructed, grabbing a white rag and dipping it into water. She began to clean the pots, pans, and anything she had gotten dirty as Ysgrig and Sarila retreated to the dinner table.
Ysgrig took the chair at the end of the long, wooden table. "Come sit by me, Sarila." Ysgrig smiled warmly and patted the chair closest to his. Sarila gladly accepted his invitation and pulled her chair out to sit down. Caehir sat in the chair next to her. "Glad to see your leg is better. I told you we could help you out." Caehir gladly stated. "And for this I thank you." Sarila gratefully thanked, earning a smile and nod from the Bosmer. Qattindra sat across from Caehir and gave Sarila a polite nod of acknowledgement before turning to Reea'th, who sat next to her. Mattha arrived and sat across from Reea'th and next to Caehir, holding a book titled "Chance's Folly." Mattha opened her book and her red eyes began to follow along with the words on each page, unaware that Caehir was peering over her shoulder, also sneaking a peek at the book. The last to arrive was Omir. He wore a blacksmith's apron with a hammer tucked carefully into his tool belt. He wore gloves with soot and coal stained permanently into them. Sarila was especially surprised to find that he was a Khajiit, as most blacksmiths were Orcs. Omir and Mattha immediately made eye contact and glared at each other before Omir sat next to Reea'th.
Reea'th looked up in confusion. "Where is my sister?" He asked, his eyes shooting from place to place. "Sa'etha turned in early. She was up all night last night making potions." Mattha informed Reea'th, who nodded understandingly. Everyone turned their head when they heard the creaking cry of the wooden door. Chalvia walked inside pushing a small wagon. "Sorry I'm later than expected, it took a while to clean up the kitchen." Chalvia sheepishly apologized, but soon smiled as she placed a bowl of soup in front of each person. Sarila's mouth watered when the warm, inviting steam of the soup lovingly clouded her face, the meal's scent awakening her. She took her wooden spoon and dipped it into the soup, bringing it to her mouth and quietly slurping it up. Her violet eyes widened. "G-Gods above! This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted! What is this?!" She gasped in awe. Everyone else, surprised by Sarila's reaction, took their soup spoons and tasted their soup as well, all having nearly the exact same reaction as the Nord woman. "This is incredible!" Caehir complimented. "It's a gift fit for the Divines themselves!" Mattha added. "By the Hist, this is truly remarkable!" Reea'th praised.
Chalvia smiled as her friends showered her with undying praise. "My friends…it is the Potage le Magnifique. I have followed the ever-popular recipe created by the Gourmet, and I added several ingredients to make my own version." Chalvia explained, watching as everyone savored their soup. "I added Sujamma, Glow dust, Fire Salts, and Frost salts. I added Glow dust to neutralize the effects of the Sujamma, I added the Sujamma to give a bit of sweetness, and the Fire and Frost salts to give it a little extra kick." She continued. "This is one of the most incredible meals you've ever served, Chalvia. You've really outdone yourself this time!" Ysgrig exclaimed. Chalvia slightly blushed at the praise she received. "Thank you, everyone. I greatly appreciate your support." She genuinely thanked.
Moments later, Chalvia sat down at the table across from Sarila and began to enjoy her own dish. "You know Chalvia, this really reminds me of the time we first met all those years ago." Ysgrig commented, smiling at his best friend. "So…how did you meet Chalvia?" Sarila inquired, tilting her head curiously. Ysgrig swallowed the spoonful of soup he had just slurped up and smiled fondly. "Well, it's a bit of a long story, but I'll gladly tell you." He began.
"Find that little brat!" A Thalmor agent furiously roared off in the distance. Ysgrig breathed heavily and frantically searched for a hiding place in the woods as the torchlights grew brighter and brighter, indicating the approach of the Thalmor. Ysgrig realized that he was next to an enormous tree. He stepped back, ran forward and did a flip in the air, latching onto a sturdy branch. He pulled himself up and began to climb up to higher branches until he perched himself on the largest one he could find, the leaves brushing his skin. He was about to call out for Sarila when he heard a female's scream. "S-sis?" He meekly whispered, tears forming once more. "Sis!" He called desperately. "Sis! Sarila! SARILA!" He wailed, tears flooding his eyes and dripping down his face. He suddenly heard footsteps and the lights grew brighter.
Ysgrig remained as silent as he could possibly be when the Thalmor passed through the woodlands he was in. He hid amongst the leaves to ensure that he would not be found. Only when the footsteps were no longer heard and the lights no longer shined did he move from his tree. He hopped from treetop to treetop until he found where he had last seen Sarila and their rescuers. He did not find his sister, but a splotch of blood near a severed arm and a dead Thalmor who was missing his right arm. There was another elf with an enormous hole in his head, his blood and brains on the ground. Ysgrig shuddered in disgust and fear and ran to look for his sister again. He saw a large cloud of blood on the ground in the distance and rushed over. There on the ground in a puddle of his own blood was the man who had risked his life to save Ysgrig; Terdel. Ysgrig was overcome with fear as he approached Terdel's unmoving body. He looked into his dark brown eyes, still open, but lifeless. "C-can you get up?" Ysgrig nervously requested with sadness. He was answered with silence and the blowing of a cold gust of wind. Ysgrig hung his head in sadness and continued through the wilderness, all alone.
Eleven days later, Ysgrig was searching for food. The sun was setting when he came across a rabbit and killed it with his beloved toy sword. He sighed at the memory of being given the sword for New Life. Ysgrig carefully skinned the rabbit and bit into the raw meat. He wistfully yearned to be back in his childhood home, to be served cooked meat and his mother's special Juniper and Jazbay glazed boiled Creme Treats. He finished his very small meal and walked across a hill when he noticed a small wooden shack up ahead. Curiously, he slowly approached it. "Hello? Anyone home?" He called out, drawing his sword. Ysgrig turned around when he heard quiet footsteps. "Hello, can you-" He yelled out in surprise when a wolf tackled him down the hill. The two rolled down the hill and the wolf landed on top of Ysgrig. Ysgrig grasped his sword and deflected the wolf's attempts to bite him by smacking his teeth with the hilt of his sword in a panic.
Suddenly, Ysgrig heard a loud, feminine battle cry. When he looked towards the hill, he saw a Redguard girl in a black leather robe dashing towards him. She jumped into the air and tackled the wolf. She began to thrust her sword into the struggling wolf's abdomen. Ysgrig regained his footing and joined her in killing the snarling beast until his growls ceased. The girl got off the wolf. "You okay?" She asked Ysgrig. "I think so. Are you?" He replied. "Yeah. That wolf was pretty tough, though." She mused. "I'm Chalvia." She introduced herself, putting her hand out for a handshake. "My name's Ysgrig." Ysgrig took her hand and shook it. "Where's your family, Chalvia?" Ysgrig inquired curiously. "Oh, they died last year. I'm not too bothered by it, they weren't very nice. How about you?" "Mine died eleven days ago, I think." Ysgrig sadly answered, hanging his head. "Aww, I'm sorry to hear that, Ysgrig. If you want, you can come stay with me in my shack." Chalvia kindly offered. "That's very nice of you, Chalvia. Thank you." Ysgrig smiled for the first time in over a week.
Chalvia led Ysgrig back to her shack, which was the shack he had approached moments before the wolf attacked him. It was fairly nice for a shack, having a working door and a window covered by glass. There were two small beds inside, along with a barrel, a cooking pot, a shelf, and a small table with a lantern in the middle and a chair on each side. "Would you like something to eat?" Chalvia asked, walking over to the barrel. "If you don't mind, I am a bit hungry." Chalvia nodded at his response and opened the barrel. She removed an apple, a cabbage, and a bowl of salt. Ysgrig observed Chalvia as she started a fire beneath the cooking pot, boiled a base broth, and tossed all three ingredients into the pot. She slowly stirred as the gentle flame tenderly boiled the meal, and took two bowls off the shelf. She used a wooden ladle to pour the contents of the cooking pot into each bowl. She placed a bowl in front of Ysgrig, who had sat in a wooden chair at the table, and she placed a bowl in front of the seat she had chosen, which was across from Ysgrig. Ysgrig looked at the contents in his bowl. "What is it?" He asked, picking up his spoon. He dipped his spoon into the stew and brought it to his lips. His tongue was immediately stimulated by the delicious food. "No, wait! I know exactly what it is! It's delicious!" He praised in surprise as he lapped up the stew.
Chalvia laughed as her new friend devoured his meal. "It's Apple Cabbage Stew. It's nice to see someone enjoys my cooking. Ever since I found this shack, I've been practicing my cooking skills. I want to be a cook one day." She replied, smiling. "You'd be a really good cook. I want to be a soldier when I grow up." Ysgrig informed her. "I think you'd be a nice soldier. You'll probably be really strong when you grow up." Chalvia replied, polishing off her soup. She took the bowls and wiped them clean, placing them neatly back on the shelf. "I'm going to sleep. You can have the bed on that side if you want it." Chalvia offered, getting up and lying on her small bed. "Thank you, Chalvia. You're a really nice friend." Ysgrig smiled happily. "I like you, Ysgrig. You seem like a really interesting person to be friends with." Chalvia yawned, closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Chalvia." Ysgrig whispered, lying on his bed. "Goodnight, Ysgrig." Ysgrig smiled when he heard his new friend's voice, for he knew now that he would survive. If this wonderful girl had survived for this long on her own, he would too. And hopefully now, he'd have a lifelong friend.