A/N - Hello all! Thanks for being so patient with me on getting the next chapter up. We're going to stay in the present a little while longer. I feel like the bulk of this one is mostly filler, but I'm happy with it and it helps prepare for more details later. Also, some of you will be familiar with Tala's next quests, and yes I am aware that there is a time span between them that happens in-game, but for the sake of the story they're going to flow together to further the plotline.
Another thanks to everyone still reading, reviewing, and enjoying the story!
...
The last two weeks of her time indoors went by much quicker, thanks to the lessons from Sinderion. He had been right when he said he wasn't great at teaching; when it came to explaining a complicated recipe, he would talk in circles or use very complicated terms to explain what he was doing. But Tala was good at listening to him as he rambled, and was better at watching him and following his example. Luckily she already understood the basics of powdering herbs and measuring ounces, how to create infusions, and recognized that different herbs needed different times to percolate in order to achieve a desired effect. All he was teaching her was how and when to use poisonous herbs in various brews, as well as teach her another level of medicinal uses for everyday ingredients to create better potions. While Tala was eager to be on her feet doing the grinding and mixing for any potion he instructed her to learn, Sinderion made sure that any of her tasks were done while sitting down or in bed where she could be relaxed and comfortable. He may have been absentminded from time to time, but he didn't forget that Tala was on light bed rest for a reason.
The books he had loaned came as a great benefit to Tala, as they helped fill in some of the gaps that were lost in translation between Master and Student. She read all three of them just as intently as she did her other books until she could remember every word on its pages, and then reviewed her notes from the in-hand lessons until those were just as ingrained her mind. After all, she had nothing else better to do. In two weeks, she learned how to make more powerful health potions and a couple of elixirs that can hinder various attributes, all by using simple ingredients. They weren't as perfect as she wanted them to be, but because Sinderion had been pleased with her progress, Tala still felt proud of her work.
By the time the four weeks were finally over, she felt more like herself than she had in months. Rather than run out the door the second her days were up, Tala decided she wasn't as eager to leave the house as she was before and gave herself another week of quiet rest just to reflect on her alchemy lessons. She also took that extra time to make more of her calming elixir after Sinderion left her with the recipe. At the end of the fifth week- late in the morning on a Morndas- she returned to the Chapel of Julianos and checked in with Sister Marie. The healer gave her another physical exam followed by health questions to check on her progress before she gave Tala the 'okay' to be removed from bed rest and go on about her normal life for now. It was music to Tala's ears. Now she could make that journey up north... and she wasted no time in returning home and packing her bags to prepare for departure.
"I should come with you on your journey, milady." Eyja persisted as she watched Tala gather up items. "Given your fragile state, I could look after you."
Tala turned to look at her housekeeper and slowly blinked. That's really adorable that she thinks I'm fragile and I need taking care of out on the road, the Breton ironically thought. Rather than insult her aloud, Tala started by letting her down easy with a simple question. "Can you fight?"
"Um... no, I cannot."
"Then you are much better off to stay here and look after Rosethorn Hall."
"But what about you? You shouldn't be fighting either."
Tala shrugged. "No, I shouldn't. But I am perfectly capable of fighting if I run into any danger. Most of the time, people and animals leave me alone so long as I'm on horseback. And if I run across any foes, I can always use destruction magic, or conjure something do the fighting for me while I escape. Now on the other hand, if two women are traveling slowly together, with one of them unable to defend herself, that makes the risk of us getting held up by bandits or highwaymen much more likely and the ability to escape less probable. And I don't want to see you get kidnapped... or worse."
Eyja opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself. She then scrunched her face in frustration and said, "I suppose you have a point. I just don't want to see you get hurt, or have something happen to your baby after you just spent the last several weeks resting."
Tala smiled warmly and put a gentle hand on the side of Eyja's arm. "I know. I don't want anything to happen to me or the baby either. I will be careful. I'll stick to the main roads, and I'll rest at inns in between to stay safe. I'm thinking I will also stop to rest in Chorrol and restock on my supplies while I'm at it before I continue on to Bruma. I will be fine, trust me."
Eyja eventually closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh. "Alright. I trust you, lady Tala. I'll return to my duties and let you finish packing."
After that brief discussion, Eyja left Tala's chambers, leaving her alone to finish preparing.
The idea was to be ready by the end of the day, and leave by daybreak tomorrow. She made sure she had plenty of food, health potions, tools for repairing weapons and armor if needed be, and of course... she made sure her armor itself was out and ready to be equipped. She also made sure she packed the last of her Calming scrolls and her freshly made elixirs so that her nightmares wouldn't plague her while she was away. After everything was complete, she headed downstairs to spend the rest of the day in Eyja's company before heading off to bed early to get a good night's sleep.
It was nice to be getting restful sleep again. Granted, it took for an elixir or a spell to calm her mind to the point where she couldn't even dream, but Tala was content to trade 'reoccurring nightmare' for 'no dreams at all'. She was successful in getting yet another night of sound sleep before waking up just before the sunrise and leisurely taking her time in getting out of bed, grabbing a quick bite to eat in the kitchen, and then returning to her room to get ready to leave.
One of the first things she did was get into her Glass armor; she hadn't worn it since her return from Leyawiin, and she needed to make sure it could still fit, now that she had put on some... extra weight. She was relieved to find that she could slip easily into every piece and still feel comfortable in it. While her baby belly was slowly getting bigger, it didn't impact her ability to fit into the cuirass, nor did she feel like she didn't have room to move or breathe in it... at least for now. She knew the day would come where she would no longer feel snug in the armor, but that day wasn't here yet. And the sooner she got this taken care of before that day did come, the better.
Her sword of choice for this trip was her Akaviri katana, given to her by Jauffre upon initiation into the Blades. She had brought it home with her after the events of the Oblivion Crisis, and it occasionally rested on her hip whenever she traveled. Normally, carrying the sword was no big deal and it didn't bring up thoughts of the past, but this morning, it did. In staring at her outfit in the mirror, her eyes slowly slid to the sword on her side and her stomach started to churn. She really messed up with the Blades, and she was terrified that every last one of them would be angry with her for walking out. Now that she wasn't so determined to run away and forget her memories, she felt terrible for her actions. She just only hoped that they'd take her back. She also hoped Jauffre wouldn't condemn her for her actions, as punishment for her criticism towards him at the Elder Council meeting. She knew Jauffre could be forgiving, but he could also be strict and callous when people pushed him far enough. But she wouldn't know how he felt about her until she tries to enter Cloud Ruler Temple. And that sense of unknowing was what terrified her.
She then walked away from the mirror and grabbed her bags lying up against the desk and slung them over her shoulder. Before she left the chambers, she went to the display case and opened it up. Reaching under the cuirass of the Dragon armor and grabbing the little coinpurse hidden inside, she then tucked it safely in a side pouch and closed the glass door. As much as she wanted to leave them here where it was safe, she needed to take these items with her. There were other things that Jauffre needed to know about besides the baby, and she couldn't show them to him unless she brought them with her for him to see with his own eyes.
Now that she was fully packed and ready to go, Tala left her chambers and went down the stairs. At the bottom, Eyja was awake, waiting there to give her mistress a wrapped cloth containing fresh food to start the journey right. They both gave warm parting words and blessings, and then Tala left the house to head to the stables. Once there, she grabbed her painted horse from the paddock and spent a few minutes brushing her down before she applied the horse's tack, tied her bags to the saddle, and mounted up. She spent the first mile down the road keeping the horse at a slow walk until she felt comfortable in the saddle, and then proceeded to ask for a canter. Once in full gallop, she made her way up the Gold Road; her ideal goal was to ride for as long as she could stand.
The farthest she could ride before she and the horse were tired was the Wawnet Inn, to which she decided to rest for the night at her little shack she owned just across the bridge. With her traveling companion boarded at the Chestnut Handy Stables, Tala took her bags and walked down the stone road; rather than walk through the gate, she cut corners and strolled around the walls to head to the Waterfront. She got recognized by almost every person she passed, with her usual admirers coming up to her to express their gratitude for her heroic efforts the day the City was destroyed. She would put on her fake smile and politely let them shake her hand and sing their praises the whole time. When she reached her little cabin, she made a point to keep the door locked to avoid any unwanted guests and removed her armor.
Thanks to the elixir, Tala spent another night free of any dreams and woke up feeling well-rested. There weren't a whole lot of people out and about shortly before sunrise, so Tala took her opportunity to sneak through and return to the stables to grab her horse and ride uneventfully back onto the road, with Chorrol being her next place to make a stop.
As she rode up the path heading to the next major city, Tala ended up coming across a familiar fork in the road- the left would take her to Chorrol, and the right would take her to Weynon Priory. In that moment, it occurred to her that perhaps Jauffre could be residing there, living out his days as a priest again instead of residing with the Blades. It was where she found him the first time they met, so it would make sense if he were back there, now that the Blades no longer had an emperor to serve.
In that sense of curiosity, Tala put pressure on the reins and guided the horse to the right and headed up the road to Weynon Priory, hoping maybe her assumption was correct so she wouldn't have to travel so far for this tricky quest.
"I'm sorry, but Master Jauffre isn't here." Eronor stated. "He returned for a little while after the Oblivion Crisis, but then he left about two weeks later and hasn't been back since."
That was not what Tala had hoped to hear. From the sound of the timeline Eronor told her, Jauffre left the priory for the Elder Council meeting and then possibly returned back to Cloud Ruler. So whether she liked it or not, she was making the trek up north. Guess coming to Weynon Priory was a wasted effort.
As she silently thought about her next course of action, the stable-hand looked around her and asked, "Is that Lily? Sure looks like her, I recognize her markings."
Tala turned to look at the horse and blinked. "Lily, huh? When Brother Piner said I could have her, I wasn't told what her name was."
"Yes, her name is Lily. Prior Maborel gave her that name when she was but a foal. She looks to be in good health. He would be pleased to see that you are taking good care of her."
Tala gave the tobiano mare a gentle pet and sadly smiled. "The stables have been taking good care of her, that's for sure. She's been a good steed during my travels. Perhaps before I head to Chorrol, I shall pay my respects to Prior Maborel to let him know that she's in good hands."
"I'm sure he'd appreciate that." The Dunmer then picked up the bucket of water he had been carrying prior to Tala's arrival. "Well, we both have better things to do than stand here all day exchanging idle gossip. I apologize again for not being of any help. Good day to you now. "
Tala watched him walk back to the stables before she did as promised; she found the small graveyard where they buried Prior Maborel and said her respects for a brief moment before mounting back up on the horse and heading back on the road to Chorrol.
Well, maybe coming to Weynon Priory wasn't a complete waste of effort.
It was nightfall when Tala arrived into Chorrol. She contemplated sleeping at either one of the guilds, but decided maybe that would attract too much attention and decided to spend the ten pieces of gold for a bed at The Grey Mare. When she walked through the door, the people turned to look at her for only a few seconds before turning back to their mugs or plates. Emfrid the innkeeper didn't even recognize her or give her a fuss; she just collected Tala's gold and instructed the traveling stranger in armor on where her quarters were upstairs. Once in her room, Tala quickly got out of her armor so she could relax. The minute she was in nothing but the tunic and leather pants that kept the armor from chafing, she slumped onto the edge of the bed and breathed a sigh. She was close to her destination... and with that thought, her nerves increased. Whether she liked it or not, there was nothing else to think about.
What are they going to say? How angry are they going to be? What did they think of my decisions? How will they react when they hear the news?
She then decided to push those thoughts aside. Tonight was not the night to think about any of that. She just needed sleep so she could continue on the path to Bruma in the morning. She got up and grabbed her little bag with her precious valuables and tucked them under her pillow before grabbing a scroll and activating its magic. She could feel the serenity wash over her in an instant and just like that, she curled up under the covers and went to sleep, but not before putting her hand under the pillow to hold on to the coinpurse. If there was anything she'll be thinking of tonight, it was going to be that, and not her nightmares or worries.
In the morning, she packed up everything and headed downstairs to have a fresh, hot meal before she took off. She also made sure she was in her Glass attire when she checked out; so long as her indigo hair stayed tucked up in her helmet and she appeared as if she were a nobody, then everyone wouldn't know that she was the Champion of Cyrodiil. And, more importantly, if anyone knew who she was and noticed that she was pregnant, she would get even more unwanted attention. It was easier to remain anonymous so she could eat her meal in peace and head out of town fast.
She chose to take her plate to the back of the room where a single chair and small table perfectly suited her need for solitude. The meal of boar steak with grilled leeks was perfect to keep up her strength; she wished she could pair it with a nice wine, but a pitcher of water had to do.
Things were quiet as the odd person came and went throughout the inn. And thankfully, no one undesirable approached her and pestered her. Tala decided to take a brief moment afterwards to finish the pitcher of water and catch up on her writing in her journal, thinking that she had time while no one was interrupting her. And that's when she heard footsteps approach her table. She just assumed it had been Emfrid to see if she needed anything else, so she didn't let it bother her.
"I am not needing a refill on my water, thank you." Tala said, her eyes remaining on her journal.
"Say... I think I know you."
The voice was not Emfrid's... or even female. Tala remained very still for a moment, trying not to look up at whoever it was. She didn't want to see if she could jog this person's memory and have the whole inn hear that the Champion was in town.
"I don't think so." Tala said very low. "I'm just a traveler passing through."
"You sure?" The voice said. Tala heard him slur the last word, so she knew he was drunk. "Cause I could've sworn you looked familiar."
"I get that a lot. I assure you though, we have never met."
There was silence for a moment before the stranger dully commented, "Huh. My mis... mistake."
Suddenly his voice struck a chord in her memory and now it was Tala's turn to have a sense of familiarity. She decided to turn her head up to look at the drunkard in front of her to see who it was. Staring at her was a Breton with short, combed-back blonde hair with hazel eyes, fair complexion, and wearing a blue-green outfit. He had a bottle of brandy in one hand and a dull look on his boyish face. Initially she had another name in mind when she saw him, but she then remembered that the person she was thinking of didn't drink. Then she knew exactly who this was.
"Reynald?" Tala astonishingly blurted out. "That is your name, right?"
He blinked wide, but his face remained slack. "Yes...? We've met before, haven't we? I don't... owe you money... do I?"
Before she could reply, she heard the same voice suddenly respond, but it didn't come from the person in front of her. "By Mara's grace... is that... who I think it is?"
Reynald turned to the side so Tala could see his twin brother, whom used to wear the same outfit, but now was wearing a blue-collared tunic and tan linen pants, probably so people could distinguish the two. His ponytail was slightly shorter, but still stayed tight behind his neck, and his face was very sober... and very elated to see her. Though, quite frankly, she was just as happy to see an old friend.
"Guilbert!" Tala exclaimed with a smile as stood from her seat to greet him.
She was originally planning to approach him to shake his hand, but Guilbert had quickly approached her and greeted her with an embrace. "I'd never thought I would ever see you again!" He joyfully said. Because of the density of the armor, she really couldn't feel the pressure of his hug, nor did she realized that in hugging him back, some of the tooling within the glass rubbed and pinched in various places, so he quickly pulled away and patted the armor a little nervously. "Forgive me. I am just delighted to see you here. Because of you, we were able to find each other again. I still feel I owe you a great deal of gratitude for making it happen."
Tala's smile shifted to a more humble expression and she nervously scratched under her jaw. "It was no big deal, considering I owed you for finding me and saving my life."
"Ah, so this is the one you told me about." Reynald commented. "Glad to have formally met you. This calls for a celebration. Let us drink to your good health and generosity!"
Both Tala and Guilbert let out a chuckle. "I think you've had plenty to drink since last night." Guilbert commented. He then looked back at Tala and added, "Will you join us for some food and drink?"
Tala sheepishly hunched up her shoulders with a guilty, close-lipped grin and replied, "I already ate before you arrived. I was actually planning on departing shortly. I'm traveling up north to Bruma for some business."
Guilbert's smile faltered and the gleeful expression in his eyes quickly turned to pleading. "Please, I insist. If not a meal, at least one round of drinks? It has been so long since we've seen each other. We have lots to catch up on."
She wanted to tell him that she couldn't, but that small part of her that was dreading the encounter with the Blades told her that there was no harm in catching up with an old acquaintance for an hour or two. "I... suppose I can stay for a little while longer."
"Excellent!" Reynald blurted out. "A bottle of your best wine and three glasses!"
"Uh! Just make that two, please!" Tala interposed. When the brothers just stared at her, she nervously commented, "I'm not drinking wine right now."
"Some Cyrodiilic Brandy, then!" Reynald responded.
"No. If I drink anything, its water or tea for me, please."
While Reynald just stared at her rather perplexed, Guilbert didn't bat her a single curious eye. "I think I would take a cup of tea myself." He calmly said. "They make a very nice Blackberry infusion here. I think you would like it."
Tala's smile returned and she let out a sigh of relief through her nose. "That sounds great."
Reynald frowned slightly before sighing. "I suppose tea sounds fine."
As he left to head over to the front counter and order the drinks, Tala grabbed her things from her table-for-one and joined Guilbert at the round table for better seating. "So Guilbert, tell me more about you. How has your life been?"
"Like I said, much better now thanks to you." He replied as he took his seat at the table. "Reynald and I have gotten close, and I am living here in Chorrol at his place. I discovered what became of him and my mother after we were separated from the ogre attack. It turns out our mother had passed shortly after managing to escape. Reynald was found wandering in the woods by traveling merchants, and raised in the local priory just outside of Chorrol. He's been living here ever since. I still have days where I can't believe my father never found him here, nor can I believe that we are together again after thinking he's been dead for all these years."
"That really is amazing." Tala commented. "Do you know if the ogres are still there?"
"No. And that's something Reynald and I have discussed a few times. While we are grateful to have each other, we want more... we want our home back. Weatherleah was our family's home for generations. It would be nice to reclaim our heritage and settle back there to continue the family legacy. Since no one's lived there for many years, it may be quite overgrown by now... but we do not know if the ogres still inhabit the homestead. We would like to go back, but it would a death sentence if the ogres are still there. We are not fighters. We can handle the occasional stray wolf or wild boar, but not ogres."
"Perhaps our friend here could help?" Reynald interjected as he approached the table with their cups and a kettle full of freshly brewed blackberry tea.
Guilbert went from glancing at his brother to back at Tala with a hopeful look on his face. "Do you think you could help? You appear to have more skill than either of us. Would you go to Weatherleah... and see if it's still inhabited by ogres?"
Tala sat there wide-eyed and uneasy. "I... uh... as much as I would like to help... I can't."
Both brothers frowned. The sight broke her heart, but she just couldn't. Fighting off a nest of ogres was definitely not on the list of things she should be doing right now with the baby, but she couldn't tell them that.
"So you are not a fighter either?" Reynald asked. "I thought Guilbert told me you were a member of the Blades."
Tala winced at hearing him say that aloud. She didn't need the attention drawn to her right now. She looked around the room to make sure no one else was listening; luckily, there wasn't any other guests and Emfrid had gone down to the cellar.
"Yes, I am a member of the Blades." She whispered. "Please keep that between us right now. I don't need people recognizing me at the moment."
"My apologizes." Guilbert quickly piped up. Nevermind the fact that he wasn't the one that said anything. "I did not mean to ask something dangerous of you. I just wondered if maybe you'd be willing to help."
"It's not that I am unwilling to help. I actually do want to help. I... just... shouldn't be doing anything risky right now. I've been instructed not to go cave dwelling or bandit raiding, so I'm pretty sure 'ogre slaying' falls under that list as well."
"I see..." Guilbert quietly responded.
Tala looked down at the table and felt depressed for having to reject their plea. "I'm sorry that I cannot be of any help to you both."
"Do not apologize." Guilbert contentedly replied. "I appreciate your willingness to help us once again. Perhaps when you are feeling well again, you could help us then. Now, enough about us. Tell us more about you. Where has life taken you since we last met?"
Tala decided to slowly tell them about her experiences with the Blades and talked about what it was like dealing with Oblivion Gates and daedra. That was the only thing she decided to talk about for now, so long as the room stayed quiet. And it was enough for them; the Jemane brothers had stared in awe at her tales, and were astounded at the things she had seen. After a while, the conversation jumped back and forth from memoirs to enjoyable chatter and hearty jokes. It had been awhile since she genuinely laughed and had a good time with someone other than Eyja. She needed the smiles; it was a well-needed distraction from her overwhelming fears.
While the three of them paid no mind to anyone else coming and going from the inn, they had no clue that a Dunmer had strolled in and watched them from the corner of the room for an abnormally long time. He just stood there, listening to their casual conversations and watching them drink the tea until the pot ran empty. Eventually, he quietly turned and left the inn, with the three Bretons being none the wiser.