Summary: Venturing off the path doesn't always necessarily mean you're lost.

Featured Character: Jolinar

~XLIX.~

Jolinar trusted Serana. One would almost say that she trusted the vampire more than she did anyone else she knew, even the Dragonborn. But even loyalty and trust between friends could be strained when one preformed a partial soul trap on the other like it was no big deal.

Serana had asked the question as easily as one might ask "do you want cream in your tea?" or something else equally benign. It was so out of the blue and unceremonious that Jolinar barely had time to respond with a whispered "trap my soul…?" before Serana began her ritual.

With a part of her soul missing, she felt rather dazed and confused as she trailed through the eerie Soul Cairn after Serana and Leara Ormand. It would figure that the one with the soul of a dragon could persevere where a regular mortal fell behind. Jolinar's walk grew slower and slower, bringing her further behind her two companions, before she at last came to a complete halt with only the wailing winds and distant ghosts for company.

The Dunmer blinked sluggishly, feeling drained and spent. Her eyes drifted shut and she felt herself teeter forward…

Only to be caught by the body of an animal. Jolinar opened her eyes to find a specter like horse had come to stand in front of her, lending the support of his neck to her. "You're too kind," she mumbled, not protesting as the horse began to lead her away from the path.

They went along slowly for some time, the horse stopping every now and then so Jolinar could catch her breath, before coming to a halt before a strange looking pavilion. In the center of the ruin was a pedestal, and atop of that, Jolinar realized, was a horse skull that looked very similar to that of her ghostly escort.

The horse butted her gently with his head and Jolinar staggered toward the pedestal and slowly lifted up the smoking blue equine skull. Behind her, the horse neighed, and she was struck instantly with his name. Arvak.