Summary: Sometimes even the most beautiful things have to be seen to be believed.
Featured Character: Leara "Mareleth"; Erbane
~XXI.~
The sun blazed overhead, but still she continued on. Ahead of her, her cousin scrambled over the rocks and crags, for more deft at climbing than she could ever hope to be, as he led her up to a stony mound near Wayrest.
"Is it very far now, Erbane?" She asked for the umpteenth time since they'd left her aunt's house.
"Not too much, Lea," he threw the same reply he'd been using over his shoulder.
Mareleth huffed in agitation at his words, especially the "Lea" bit, but she went on in silence after him.
After climbing several more feet, the two young Altmer crested the mound. At the center of the hilltop was a low dwelling made of ancient stone shrouded in moss. Erbane took the elfling's hand and led her around the perimeter of the structure until they came to a dark hole that could only be the doorway. Mareleth frowned at the dark opening.
"Are we to go in through there?" She asked with some trepidation.
"Yes!" Erbane exclaimed, and before Mareleth could protest, her cousin dragged her through the hole and into the unknown darkness.
The inside of the stone structure wasn't as dark as it appeared to be through the opening. Once inside, Mareleth could see a small beam of sunshine coming in from the ceiling, casting light across the cobwebbed walls. Dust danced in the beam of light, disturbed by Erbane clamouring through the room to brush away the largest of the webs. Mareleth paid him little attention; instead she examined the walls of the room in curiosity. "These aren't as old as they look," she exclaimed, looking over the carvings of people and animals. "The style is Nedic but these are obviously-"
"Hush for like five seconds, Lea, and watch!" Erbane interrupted, startling her.
"What," she started, before suddenly the entire room seemed to be filled with light. It wasn't blinding, but it seemed to vanish every shadow, leaving the carvings on the walls in stark relief. The two Altmer looked at each other briefly, then curiosity overtook them and they began to look over the walls. It was only a few minutes before the solstice was to end that Mareleth happened to glance up and see the engraving of a dragon, quite unlike the Imperial sigil, in flight with the light coming in from his only visible eye. The elfling continued to stare at the dragon through the rest of the solstice.