To Dust

by fortunesque

After a two-hundred year prison sentence in Akavir, a living legend returns to Tamriel only to find it in chaos. Haunted by the memories of her proud people and her past cruelty, will she be able to remember her forgotten skills in time to stop Alduin from destroying the world? (Contains Morrowind and Oblivion tie-ins)

49. Chapter 48

A/n: dONt mEsS wItH mE eSBeRn

I felt like I owed the spotlight to a few characters here.

Also I had to cut a bunch of stuff again. This chapter started growing like English Ivy and was starting to transition to kudzu. And you never go full kudzu.

My concentration is completely shot idk. I just can't brain lately. I did rearead the fic again again and realize I have a few small things to fix here and there but lord knows when I'll get the energy to do that.

(Also I think I'm going to change Heartfire to beginning on the 27th of Last Seed as it is in game and write in the almost certain possibility of the year 3E434 existing RIP me I have to change my outline and my first few chapters but like this is probably better innit)

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What about you? Are you going to change the world? Or just be carried by the flow? -Hasphat Antabolis

---

That didn't go according to plan at all. In fact, it went the exact opposite of what she intended.

Delphine sighed and stared out at the town below. They must have missed something with Mehra, but she couldn't begin to guess what that was.

"She wears a damned dragon as her armor, for Gods' sake," Delphine huffed. "You'd think she'd be fine with killing Paarthurnax. What's one more? Especially the one who's got a long list of crimes attached to his name."

Esbern nodded. "I don't get it, either. And she was so angry – frighteningly so. I understand being young and full of fire, of course. But I don't think this is the kind of thing that someone would just take some time and cool off from."

"Well, I'm angry, too," Delphine grumbled. "You'd think that after everything we've been through together, that she'd listen. She knows everything! Our hideout, our names, our associations –"

"She won't go that far."

Delphine sighed again. "You sure?"

"I'm not sure of anything anymore," he admitted. "But what I am sure of is that when things are hopeless, that we need to keep going."

She glanced over at one of the markers that told the story of the Greybeards' study of the Voice. Were the Greybeards teaching her a bunch of these words? Was this why she wouldn't give Paarthurnax up?

Damned mages. This was not the time to take risks for the sake of power.

"I agree, Esbern," she said. "We'll figure this out. She has the tools to defeat Alduin. But there's no telling what Paarthurnax will do. If he's working with Alduin again, we're in big trouble."

Esbern shook his head. "Not sure about that one. Too may variables – all unknown."

That was one hell of an understatement.

They descended the mountain as quickly as they reasonably could. Though the meeting was likely to drag on for some time, and Mehra and her group would likely stay longer, neither of them wanted to take the chance of seeing her again so soon.

Delphine saw enough in her life to know what a murderer looked like. The change in Mehra was frightening. She had no doubt that she'd do it if she felt like it.

"Where did such a nice girl learn to be so nasty like that?" Esbern mumbled.

Delphine stared down at the river running along the edge of the mountain and shrugged.

"Prison, maybe?" she guessed. "The Companions wouldn't talk like that, and Winterhold wouldn't either. Whatever happened to her before Helgen must have done it."

He nodded. "I feel as if we didn't get to know her very well. She didn't talk about herself much."

They finished descending the mountain, crossed the bridge together, and passed into the village. People watched them intently, but nobody approached. Good; they looked like nobodies.

After all that work they put into getting Mehra to this point, she supposed that they really were nobodies – to the town, to the meeting, the Empire, and to Mehra herself.

Delphine sighed. "Did she mention why she was in Helgen at all? I cannot find any record of her. The day before the attack, the Imperials set up an ambush and captured anyone who fell into their trap – not just the Stormcloaks."

"No," he said. "But, if she was transported there as a prisoner, that could explain what she said about having a soft spot for reformed criminals. If she was, then perhaps, she felt she had something in common with Paarthurnax. Perhaps, he conned her."

Esbern had uncanny insight into things. Delphine hoped that he was wrong.

"That's the folly of the young," she sighed. "Too trusting. We can only hope that she catches Paarthurnax before he betrays her."

Esbern nodded. "I hope so, too. She is a kind girl. I regret not telling her more about what the dragons did. Still, given what she's seen her people endure, in particular in Windhelm, I know it would be difficult for her to judge all of the dragons just based off of stories. I do not agree with it, but perhaps, I can understand why. By Talos, she was so angry."

They approached the fence on the far end of the village where they hitched their horses for the morning. As they walked, she couldn't help but notice the strange dun horse that Mehra's friend – lover – whatever – owned inside the fence.

The horse stared at them.

"She's making all sorts of strange connections," Delphine mused. "There was something off with that Erich guy – more than just the creepy ruins he directed us to."

Esbern turned to glance back at the road that led toward the ruin and shuddered. "I had nightmares last night. Places like that can have memories etched into the very earth. Mystics and those sensitive to energy may have visions of those memories."

"Anything useful?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not too much. It used to be a farm of some kind. There was a little, red-haired boy who lived there with his family – a boy named Erich. I saw a few glimpses of his life there. It was unpleasant. He left as soon as he became an adult."

Delphine nodded slowly. She didn't envy his gift.

"I think it's the same Erich," Esbern said. "He looks very similar to that family. And given how overgrown the homestead is, and how the man we met has a hair color you'd see on someone very old, I think that Mehra may have befriended a fairly competent necromancer."

"She's way too trusting," Delphine scowled. "Someone's going to stab her in the back. We've got to figure out something."

She couldn't help but notice Erich's horse staring at them as they approached, his ears pinned back against his skull. Delphine didn't want to get anywhere near that beast. Frowning, she unhitched her horse and led him away from the fence. She'd rather put his bridle on in the street than risk her horse getting bitten.

"Easy, fella," Esbern said. "We'll give you some space."

They directed their horses to the edge of the road, far out of striking range. Still, the horse stared at them as if he'd kill them if they made a wrong move.

Esbern shook his head. "Your master will be back soon. He's perfectly safe, up there. You, uh, have nice shoes, sir."

Delphine rolled her eyes. What an ornery horse. Talking nice wasn't going to do a thing.

"Shoes look like they're made of Dwemer metal," he mumbled.

"Wealthy man's horse," she said. "Not atypical for a wizard. Maybe you're onto something with this guy."

They quickly exchanged their halters for bridles, mounted up, and headed back up the road. There was an old deer path to the north that worked well as a riding trail. The shortcut would save them even more time against Whiterun's slower carriage.

Soon, Ivarstead disappeared behind them, but the Throat of the World and the dark monastery built into its side loomed over their shoulders. So much good work became undone in but a few minutes of conversation. Still, Delphine wanted to fix this. She wanted to force it to be right.

She wasn't sure if she could fix it, but she'd do her damnedest to try. They just had to think of something. If they could prove to Mehra that Paarthurnax wasn't trustworthy, or provide her with useful information on anything pertaining to Whiterun's safety, then perhaps, they could get in her good graces once again.

Hm. Maybe she was on to something with that. Mehra cared a lot for Whiterun. There had to be something they could dig up. Information was, after all, Delphine's specialty.

Information pertaining to the war could help. It was painfully obvious to everyone that Ulfric planned to attack Whiterun eventually, but his exact plans were a mystery. Delphine was certain she could figure it out and present the information to Mehra as a peace offering. She'd have to get in touch with her contacts and go from there.

Some time later, Esbern turned and gave her an odd look.

"Delphine, did that horse have cloven hooves? Or am I really losing my sight?" he asked.

Horse?

Oh. That horse. He was still on that.

"I didn't really look," she shrugged. "Wouldn't make much sense, regardless. Probably an ebony inlay in the center for decoration."

She saw enough of moody horses to know not to stare or care too much. The horse was probably saved from unfortunate circumstances and only trusted the person who trained him. It was common enough. He likely spoiled that horse.

Esbern shook his head. "Delphine, something is odd about the Dragonborn and her friend. I can't shake the feeling."

She sighed. "You really think so?"

"I feel it very strongly."

Delphine turned back to stare at the mountain behind them. The negotiations would take a while, given how much the two sides hated each other. The Whiterun delegation in particular had a large enough group that their travel would be slower.

When Esbern knew something, he was almost always correct.

"Let's take a look at that new wizard's tower in Whiterun," she said. "The rumor mill said that it belongs to the Thane of Whiterun, and I don't see Hrongar having one of those."

"Quickly, yes," he agreed. "In the city and out before they return. She mentioned 'her tower', so surely it must be hers. And Telvanni connections – well, they can mean trouble, at times."

Delphine sighed and shook her head. "She really played herself as a good girl. Guess we never really knew."

"Oh, come now," Esbern scoffed. "We know she is. I think she may have fallen in with a bad crowd. Let's hope the Companions can straighten her out."

"I hope you're right, Esbern."

He nodded. "I hope so too. The last thing we need is another one like the Nerevarine. I've been reading through old Jauffre's journals. Was very lucky to have saved them."

"That bad?" she asked. "I know they said she was Telvanni."

"She got the Emperor's attention by slashing peoples' throats across Daggerfall."

Delphine swore. Heroes came in all types, she supposed, but that was a bit much.

"Alright, I don't see her doing that," she said.

Esbern nodded. "Me neither. I think she has simply been led astray."

Delphine agreed with that assessment.

They traveled up the old deer path that led across a river and through the woods around the base of the Throat of the World. After an uncomfortable few days on the road, the sight of the bandit fort that she passed through with Mehra on her way to Kynesgrove greeted her.

Mehra was so scrawny and out of shape those many months ago. Still, she fought impressively, as if she had previous experience in clearing out places of bandits.

Esbern peered at the ruins ahead, cast a quick detection spell, and shrugged.

"Empty," he said. "Odd, given how unsafe everything is, these days."

Delphine nodded and urged her horse onward. "Mehra cleared it out with me on our way to Kynesgrove to see Alduin resurrect one of the dragons. She did most of the work."

"So, she was always good at her job," he mused. "The three of us made good work of Sky Haven. Er – she did the most of it, though."

"That she did. She's a born hero, regardless of her unfortunate decision."

They continued down the road and eventually passed one of the province's many sigil stones. Thankfully, it seemed as if the cultists who typically frequented sites similar to this were nowhere to be seen. They'd have to be utter fools to use it in broad daylight, however; a glance to the horizon revealed Whiterun close by.

Delphine shook her head at the sight of the enormous brown and tan mushroom growing inside the city wall. She thought the rumors were an exaggeration. It was quite literally a mushroom with windows. And while she knew that the mushrooms in Morrowind rivaled the trees of Valenwood, she truly had no idea until she saw one.

Esbern motioned toward the city. "Can you imagine how the Telvanni cities look?" He awed. "They're almost entirely made of mushrooms just like that. Of course, the Red Year ruined a lot of them, but they say the Council Chambers and Tel Naga survived well enough. They're covered in old scars."

Delphine never saw something like it before in her life. It made her regret not traveling to Morrowind. Maybe, when all this was over, it would be a safe place to get lost. The Thalmor would come for them soon enough.

"It looks too absurd to be real," she admitted. "Is it really hers?"

Esbern shrugged. "Her cape and some of the other things she wears seem to be traditional Morrowind fashion, including that ring she has."

"A ring?"

"Fashionable there ever since the Nerevarine saved the continent," he said. "Kind of like those whale bone pendants people wear here in honor of Tsun."

Delphine nodded. That made sense to her.

"She doesn't have mannerisms from there, nor an accent," she said. "I wonder if she's just trying to get in touch with her culture."

"Perhaps so. It is very different there from the rest of the continent."

They continued down the road toward the city. As they crossed the bridge over the White river, Delphine peered around. Citizens with buckets in hand descended the hill toward a cluster of guards stationed next to the river. Rows of stacked, overturned buckets lined the bank of the river, waiting to be filled.

Soaking the city by whatever means necessary was as solid a plan as any. Jarl Balgruuf must have felt confident about the peace council if he gave orders to start preparing the city.

Maybe they could hide and wait to see if Mehra captured the dragon. If she failed, then perhaps she'd let them help her come up with another plan. Delphine would brave her wrath if it meant they could get this done.

They continued toward the city and quickly stabled their horses before trudging up the hill that led to Whiterun's front gate. After standing in line for a few minutes, Delphine greeted the guard at the front gate.

He paused and lifted the face plate on his helm.

"Ah! You're here to talk to Farengar again?" he asked.

Delphine nodded. "Yes."

Thank goodness someone recognized her. Finally, something went right.

"Go on in," the guard said. "You helped his dragon research along a lot, apparently. Whiterun will make history, just as Bruma did. And the Dragonborn will be our champion once again."

Delphine couldn't help but smile. "That she will. Thank you."

How bitter that they parted on such bad terms. Sighing, she linked arms with Esbern and led him up the bustling street. As they made their way together through Whiterun, she peered up at the giant mushroom far above them.

She wished she did more to get to know Mehra, but they were always all so busy. Delphine thought that they'd have time later. Other than the Companions and Winterhold, she didn't really know who else was in Mehra's life and influenced her.

The further away she was from High Hrothgar and Mehra, the more Delphine found herself wondering who the Dragonborn really was. This tower was very abnormal for someone who was a pauper off the street not too long ago.

Whoever designed this tower blended both Telvanni and Nord styles together. Heavy, Nord-style windows dotted the tower's trunk, and the only visible entrance was a wood and stone Nord-style breezeway lined with similar winter-ready windows. She supposed that was wise, given how heavy the winters were in the province compared to the tropical swamps of Vvardenfell.

They approached the tower's front entrance – an old house – and parted ways there with a promise to meet back at the front after taking a look around. Delphine circled around the base of the tower, stepping over gnarled roots that dug deep into the ground. Thankfully, they were far from the only ones looking at it; dozens of others peered at it in awe.

"Don't cut at it, you fool!"

Delphine jumped at the sound of a guard shouting behind her. She turned just in time to see a guard slap a man on the back of the head.

"Not a lick of sense in you!" the guard hissed. "What if everyone did that? Hm? You just walk up to people's houses with a whittling knife and carve up their siding? Get lost, fool!"

She turned back around and shuffled away. Idiots like that made her job of snooping far easier.

After a few minutes of wandering around the outside of the tower, she realized that perhaps, there wasn't much to see here. It was exactly as described: an enormous mushroom growing out of a deep trench in the middle of the city.

Delphine glanced over to see Esbern peering over the edge of the crater and swore under her breath as she saw a guard approaching him. She slowly backed away. If Esbern got arrested somehow, she'd get him out from her reputation with Farengar.

"Careful, citizen," the guard said. "Deep pit, down there, and a maze of roots."

"Looks like it," Esbern agreed.

The guard sighed and stared down at the pit. "We ought to wall it up somehow for safety. Maybe put a cellar in under there."

"Would be good for alchemy ingredients," Esbern said. "Ha! A literal root cellar."

He chuckled. "Right you are. You should have seen the soul gems that giant man brought. Well-something."

"Welkynd?" Esbern asked.

"Yes, well-kinned," he said. "At least I think. Something about a well. Bright near-white and as long as my thigh. I swear on my life."

Esbern crossed his arms and peered down at the deep trench in the ground. "Varla stones are the only white ones I can think of."

"Nah, it was definitely that well-kinned thing," the guard said. "Sounded odd to me. Was shaped like eh – like a blade with four sides, of some type. Hard to see a shape through that light it gave off."

Delphine never heard of a stone of that description before. And while she knew the Telvanni had all sorts of secrets, a special stone like that seemed a bit odd to her. They would have had to have imported it and it would have taken a very long time to get there, given the size the guard described.

Esbern slowly backed away from the pit and shrugged. "The mysteries of magic, eh?"

"Aye," the guard said. "By the way, if you're looking for a good meal and a pint, you and your friend there check out the Bannered Mare up the street."

She sighed as the guard motioned over toward her. Well, she thought they were being inconspicuous. Then again, she imagined they'd station some of the best guards outside the Thane's tower.

Delphine waited for Esbern to approach her and they made their way back toward the street. On their way, Esbern cast a quick glance back to the underside of the tower.

"Can't fence it off," he mumbled. "There's a hatch in the middle for levitation."

She pursed her lips. "That spell is illegal."

"You think the Telvanni care?" he grumbled.

No, they definitely didn't. Still, the spell wasn't something that just anyone could cast. It required a fairly competent wizard.

"The 'giant man' must be that Erich guy," Delphine said.

"Mhm."

This whole thing was getting stranger with each passing second.

Delphine and Esbern made their way around to the front of the tower and stopped at the front door to the house that connected to it. Stepping forward, Delphine peered at a set of gouges in the door frame. There was an old mark mutilated with newer cuts, and above it, a carved design that looked to be about the same age as the gouges covering the old one.

"Thieves Guild shadowmark," Esbern mumbled. "Danger."

Delphine snorted. That was an understatement.

"And the old one?" she asked.

Esbern shook his head and stepped back. "Can't read it. They must not have wanted mistakes."

She peered at the door in front of her and pursed her lips. How odd that they connected the tower to such a common-looking home that matched all the others on the street. There was no way Mehra would be home yet, if this was even her home to begin with. Did she dare knock?

The door flew open and Delphine nearly stumbled backward.

A scowling wizard stood in the doorway. He was the tallest Dunmer she'd seen in her life – at least as tall as Esbern. He wore fine robes in a shimmering shade of brown, detailed with what appeared to be Telvanni mushroom tendril designs in golden thread. Around his neck was an orange-brown stole fringed with yellow. With the expensive enchanted clothes he wore, she was surprised to find he wasn't wearing so much as an amulet. Perhaps, this was casual for a Telvanni wizard.

Whoever he was, he wasn't what Delphine expected.

Esbern stared at the man as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Explain," the wizard barked.

Delphine blinked. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize this was your tower."

"It is not," the wizard scoffed. "But I know a pair of snoops when I see them."

She was tough and saw her share of all sorts of people, but this man was somewhat intimidating. It wasn't his unusual height nor his expensive robes. It wasn't even the immense magical power she felt from his aura – though it was impressive. There was something in this man's gaze that made her feel as if he peered into her very mind.

He was, however, a wizard, and she knew enough about them to know that they were almost always self-important. That was the only way she could think to get information out of him.

"We were looking for the Dragonborn," she said.

He gave her a bored look. "So am I. Goodbye."

The door swung shut and Delphine stuck her foot in its path. The indignant squawk from the other end was well worth the potential threat of injury.

Esbern swore. "I – I'm sorry, sometimes she persists at –"

"Her name's Mehra," Delphine said. "We know her. We're old acquaintances."

The door flung open again and Esbern nearly tumbled backward in terror. Delphine wasn't much of a mage. Perhaps, Esbern sensed something off of this guy that she didn't.

The wizard's expression quickly turned from murderous to amused. "Old acquaintances, hm? From House Telvanni? What's her family name, then?"

Oh, she was finally getting somewhere. It was all about the ego with these types.

"She never told us," Delphine admitted.

Wizards loved it when they knew something that average people didn't know. She'd let him blabber all the information he was willing to give to her.

Sure enough, the wizard smirked. "Well, I shall have you know: you speak to Master Wizard Neloth, Councilor of House Telvanni, and founder of great Sadrith Mora. This is the tower – blessed by immense powers unseen – of Master-Wizard Mehra Dreloth, grown by our own hands and our shared excellence. I am here of my own goodwill toward my fellow Master. If you truly knew her, then you would know all of this."

Esbern turned white.

"We do, though," Delphine said. "We know her."

Master Neloth smiled and narrowed his eyes. "Whatever you want, the answer is 'no'."

The door slammed closed and the latch turned. Through the door, she heard a loud, short bark of a laugh, followed by an exclamation in a language she never heard before.

Delphine nodded slowly at the closed door. "Well, that sure happened."

She turned to see Esbern staring in shock. Shaking her head, she linked arms with him and pulled him away from the door.

"You alright?" she asked.

Esbern visibly shook himself. "You dodged death a number of times just now. In fact, we both did. I – we need to get out of the city right now and far away from wherever that delegation is coming from."

Delphine led him away from the tower and into the crowded streets of Whiterun. She spared a glance back at the tower – amazing the Jarl allowed it – and shrugged.

"Did I get good info?" she asked.

Esbern nodded mutely.

Delphine motioned toward a nearby tavern. "We should probably –"

"Get out while we still can?" he interjected. "Yes."

She nodded. "Alright. Let's get you home so you can rest."

"Yes, I'd like that."

They continued their charade as they made their way out of the city, though she found it odd that Esbern kept his attention on the city gate in front of them rather than the potential spies stalking them. Even as they stepped out of the city, Esbern stayed alert to the roads that led south.

Whatever he saw must have spooked him terribly, but Delphine saw nobody following them. She couldn't think that the wizard they encountered – Neloth – could have cast fear without her knowing. Spells always had a light of some kind.

It wasn't until they were far outside of Whiterun near the ruins of Fort Greymoor that Esbern finally turned to glance back at the empty road behind them and sighed.

"Delphine, you got the information of the century," he said. "I've studied our history for decades, and made sure to read the most about our prominent members. Mehra is ours."

Delphine sighed. "Not anymore, it would seem."

"No," Esbern sighed. "She's not just anybody."

"A Telvanni Master, even," Delphine said. "You think they sent her to Winterhold to spy somehow?"

He shook his head. "Mehra is a common name – statistically insignificant. Even within House Telvanni, I'm sure there could be hundreds of women with that name. It's the family name, 'Dreloth' that is significant."

"Prominent?"

"No," Esbern said. "They're all dead. Been that way for centuries. There's only one associated with House Telvanni."

Delphine stared off into the distance. She had no clue where he was going with this.

"You can spare me the buildup, Esbern," she said.

Esbern shook his head. "Master Mehra Dreloth. Nerevar reborn."

"What? You can't be serious!"

"We are very lucky to be alive," he murmured. "I don't know why she has reappeared centuries later – perhaps saved by the Gods to deal with Alduin. I suppose we have our answer on Paarthurnax. If she repented of being a serial killer – among other things – then surely she couldn't judge him for the same."

Delphine turned to look behind her at the empty road. Though Whiterun wasn't much more than a dot on the horizon, they were far too close for comfort if what Esbern said was true.

"I'm glad I started re-reading Jauffre's journals," Esbern grumbled. "The family name tied it all together, though I was taken aback at the sight of Neloth. I saw him in my vision. He would have known her from the Third Era."

She nodded. "So, he's been helping her."

"Undoubtedly."

"Well, I'm less worried about Alduin, now," she sighed. "And maybe less worried about Paarthurnax. I still say he can't be trusted, but that's out of our hands now, with a rogue agent."

"Two rogue agents, possibly."

Her heart sank. "What do you mean?"

Were the others alive? Everyone scattered. Esbern was the only one she heard from. Surely, he wouldn't leave her.

"This is going to sound far-fetched," he said. "But, what if the man with her – Erich – is also someone important?"

She shrugged. "Also a common name, but I suppose we've been dead wrong."

"The Champion of Cyrodiil was named Erich Heartfire."

Delphine slumped and sighed. "Don't mess with me, Esbern."

"He was from a farm in the Skyrim countryside."

"Don't mess with me, Esbern."

"The dreams I had at those very old ruins were of a lad named Erich."

"Don't mess with me, Esbern."

"The man we met looks like that shadowy assassin I saw in my vision."

"Don't mess with me, Esbern."

Esbern sighed. "Why would she bring a non-court person to such an important meeting if they weren't important themselves? A commoner in old fashioned clothes?"

"Esbern," she said, "that sounds like a leap the size of here to Akavir. But –"

"But I should keep reading those journals to see what I can come up with?" he asked.

"Exactly."

As they continued down the road toward their hideout, Delphine couldn't help but wonder if they truly were safe with Mehra – the murderous Nerevarine – knowing where they hid. If she didn't know that Mehra would be busy for quite some time, perhaps forever if she got stuck in Sovngarde, she was tempted to pack up and find a new location. After all, Mehra said they were lucky that she was into giving second chances, these days.

Did they use up their second chance by snooping around her tower? Did it really count? They didn't hurt anyone while they were there. The only thing they did was bother the wizard staying at her tower, and it was only for a minute.

"What do you know about Neloth?" Delphine asked.

Esbern shook his head. "Nothing. But I presume if what he said about himself is true, then he would be a bit of a legend within the magic community."

Delphine nodded. She supposed they could look into it somewhere in Markarth.

In the meantime, they had to figure out how to get Mehra on their side again. One of history's most legendary heroes was back, and she stood to make history once more.

She thought back to when she met Mehra, and each time they met after.

Delphine sighed. "She was so reluctant. I remember her saying she wanted a quiet life. And I was too busy making plans to pay attention to the fact that she seemed so tired all the time."

"You have high expectations," Esbern said. "You keep them so high – especially for yourself. You might be the Grandmaster, but just some advice from an old man: take your time and don't beat yourself up over things you can't change."

"You're right," she replied. "But I'll be damned if I give up."

Esbern nodded. "We'll figure this out together."

As they rode off toward Sky Haven Temple, Delphine thought about how their luck seemed to range from extreme misfortune to near miraculous.

For better or worse, all of it centered around Mehra.

She couldn't help but shake her head at the absurdity of the thought that she was far more afraid of her rogue agent than the end of the world.

Alduin's days were numbered. Delphine just hoped that the Blades weren't as well.

---

Neloth was acting strangely. He asked her dozens of questions about the meeting and made sure that she knew that nothing – absolutely nothing at all – happened while she was gone. He was very obviously hiding something. Perhaps, it was to her benefit.

She supposed that if he soultrapped or melted someone while she was away, she'd find out soon enough. He wasn't about to tell her what happened any time soon.

That wasn't her only concern, however. She didn't even know where Erich was. As soon as the meeting was over, he mumbled a goodbye and rode off on his horse to the south. Perhaps, that was for the better; he acted strangely the morning of the meeting and the entire time they climbed down the mountain. She worried about him, of course. She hoped that he ended up going home to take care of himself.

Those two things were concern enough that she felt doubly justified in hiding her plans. With the pretense that they needed to discuss how they'd work out some of the logistics of the household, Mehra took Lydia aside into the master suite. In all honesty, she wanted to make sure someone responsible knew about the Oculory and what to do with it. And while she likely could trust Neloth with the knowledge of its existence and location, she couldn't trust him to not use it. She definitely couldn't trust him to destroy it to prevent it from falling into the hands of Aldmeri Dominion.

With Neloth safely in the other room poring over a pile of notes, Mehra motioned for Lydia to close the door.

As soon as they were in private, Lydia shook her head.

"This isn't about your estate," she said.

Mehra nodded. "Correct. I lied again."

Lydia sighed. "About what?"

Mehra glanced at the closed door behind them. She felt awful hiding something from the man she was seeing, but she also had a right to not share absolutely everything, either. And even if he wasn't hiding something from her – and he was – she still wouldn't share this with him.

"I didn't destroy that Oculory that transcribes Elder Scrolls," she said. "It didn't occur to me at the time to actually melt it with a fireball, so I guess that's going on my to-do list. If I don't get out of Sovngarde, could you send a message to someone to destroy it on my behalf?"

"Yes, absolutely," Lydia said. "That abomination shouldn't exist."

Mehra nodded. Sighing, she pointed in the direction of the door.

"You know damn well he'd use it just to see what it did," she whispered. "That's what Wizards do."

Lydia winced, but said nothing. Mehra wondered just how much she read about House Telvanni.

"Anyway," Mehra said. "Master Aren, the Archmage of Winterhold, has a keen interest in ensuring safe magical practices, so I imagine he would personally do the deed and leave no trace."

"Alright," Lydia replied. "How would one get there?"

"Either Alftand, Raldbthar, Irkngthand. or Mzinchaleft," she said. "They all connect to Fal'Zhardum Din, where the Oculory is."

Lydia pursed her lips and nodded. "I understood less than half of the words you just said."

"Oh, I probably just pronounced that like an old person!" she laughed. "I guess I'll have to show you on a map. The Oculory is in – well, the scholars call it Blackreach, I guess."

Mehra walked over to her nearby pack, opened it, and rummaged through it to withdraw her map. Unfolding it, she walked over to the nearby bed and laid it over the top. Together, they peered at the map.

"So," Mehra said, "here's the thing: the Dwemer didn't want visitors without having advanced warning. They have a big, lever-activated dumbwaiter that runs off of steam that will take you straight down to Blackreach. The thing is that you can only access it from inside the cage."

Lydia frowned. "So it basically works as only an exit."

Mehra nodded. "Exactly. But it's not like there are Dwemer all around it, guarding it. Someone with powerful enough telekinesis could pull the lever to open the gate without any trouble, then take the way down."

"Perfect," Lydia said. "That makes it much easier."

Truthfully, Mehra wished she'd known about it in the first place. She wouldn't have had to have traveled for so long underground. Sighing, she pointed to the ruins south of Saarthal.

"That was where I entered," she said. "Alftand. The person who sent me on the errand gave me the best information he had. Of course, I remember a better way to get there in retrospect. The way I exited the ruins is the best way."

She placed her finger on the rough location of the Great Lift at Mzinchaleft.

"Right there. It's hidden a little bit, but if you're facing the ruins straight-on, then it'll be to the left. It's just south of the main buildings. I'm sure there's an old road around there."

Lydia cringed.

"Yeah," Mehra mumbled. "It's a rough area. Giant camps, ruins and crypts of all kinds, and the closest city is Dawnstar far up to the north. It's icy and the rock the area is made of crumbles under your feet."

She shook her head. Typical Dwemer.

"Why would anyone build a city in a place like that?" Lydia asked.

Mehra sighed and stared down at the map. "To keep outsiders on the outside where they belong. They did similarly in Morrowind, but not as extreme as we see with Blackreach. It's so inaccessible that apparently, it has been considered a rumor by many scholars."

"That explains it," she said. "Were they really that awful to people like the stories say?"

Mehra closed her eyes. She remembered them every time she trudged through their ruins. They were friends. They were enemies. They made incredible things. They were defiant of the Gods. They did wickedness and called it cleverness.

Eventually, Mehra nodded. "For every good thing they did, they seemed to do at least three awful things."

"I'll contact Archmage Aren if you don't return," Lydia said. "I know the relative area that you pointed out, so I can help escort him."

"Thank you. That thing cannot exist."

Mehra leaned over, grabbed her map, folded it, and put it back into her pack. She turned to the nearby storage closet. She supposed she'd put her bag away, since she wouldn't need to use it for a day or so. She walked over and opened the door to toss her bag in.

Mehra shrieked, drew her dagger, and narrowly missed slitting Erich's throat.

"Damn it, Erich!"

Erich chuckled. "Foreplay already?"

Mehra scowled and lowered the dagger from his throat.

"That's not a damn entrance," she hissed.

Erich pouted and stepped out of the closet. "Any door is an entrance."

Lydia stared on in bewilderment as Erich turned to her with a smile.

"Hi, Lydia!"

"How did you get in here?" she frowned.

Erich shrugged.

"No," Lydia insisted. "I need to know. If there's a weakness in this tower that people can exploit, it's vital that I know."

Mehra crossed her arms and glared at him. So much for being inconspicuous.

"A recall spell," she grumbled. "Set to my damn closet."

Erich nodded slowly. "That. Yes. Recall. Yes."

"Can anyone do this?" Lydia asked.

Mehra shook her head. "No, they have to be at the location first to set a waypoint."

"He's never entered this tower," she said.

Erich winced. "I divined it."

"Can anyone divine it?" Lydia asked. "Listen, if you did something considered improper by mage standards, that's fine. I just need to know if it's possible for anyone else to just pop out of the closet like that. She sleeps right over there."

Lydia pointed to the bed a few paces away from the closet.

Erich shook his head. "No. I did something that nobody should be able to do. It's a very special kind of magic that only my kind can cast."

Mehra fought the urge to throw something. That was even worse.

"Powerful wizards," she drawled. "Very few of that type around, these days."

"Any rivals?" Lydia asked.

"No," Mehra said. "Thankfully not. Anyone who could cast something like that knows I'm Azura's chosen and wouldn't mess with me."

Lydia nodded. "Good to know. I don't want to be nosy, but at the same time, I absolutely have to do my job. If it's daedric arts or something, that's not my business."

Mehra finally tossed her pack inside the closet and closed the door. Shaking her head, she walked over to the bedroom door with Lydia and Erich in tow. Mehra opened the door and stepped out into the living quarters to see Neloth exactly as she left him.

"I'm sure you heard all that," she grumbled.

Neloth shrugged but didn't look up from the notes. "If you scold the help, that's none of my business. But it does surprise me nonetheless."

"No, Lydia wouldn't jump out and scare me," Mehra frowned. "It was this guy here."

She glared over at Erich. At least he looked sheepish.

Erich looked at Neloth and raised his eyebrows. "Oh. I should have knocked first."

"Probably," Mehra sighed.

Neloth finally looked up from the notes as Erich stepped out of the doorway into the living quarters.

"He decided to enter the tower through the closet," Mehra said. "I nearly slit his throat. I might be a wizard and whatever else, but I was still born a street rat. I'm way too jumpy with people sneaking up on me."

Neloth nodded, placed a sheet of notes in the book in front of him, and closed it.

"I will make sure to remember that," he said.

She sincerely hoped he did. Neloth wasn't a slouch, but Mehra knew without a doubt that she was quicker.

"I just came to stop in," Erich said. "I don't want to miss tomorrow for anything."

Shaking her head, Mehra motioned to the tower around them. "We should show you around. You haven't seen the tower. This is the private area. Bedroom's back there, as you already saw."

There wasn't much around the room, save a few orange rugs and a single tapestry at the far wall. Under the tapestry was a plain, dark brown table with seating for two. To the left of the table was the hearth – one of a few throughout the tower that would hopefully keep it warm during the harsh winter.

An alcove draped in tied-back curtains stood a few paces away from the left side of table. Inside the alcove was a small room with a few barren shelves. A cluster of floor pillows in orange, gold, saffron, rust, and brown lay in the center of the room, and at the far end stood a thick-paned window draped in thick, green velvet curtains.

Erich noticed it right away. He pointed to the alcove and the cluster of pillows within.

"That looks really nice," he said.

Mehra nodded. "It's my favorite place in the whole tower," she admitted.

It was Neloth's idea. Mehra never had such a luxury before; she never stayed put in Tel Uvirith enough to make a reading room.

She had no idea how to decorate anything, so Mehra opted to take inspiration from the colors of the Great Forest of Cyrodiil during autumn. The glow of Aetherius setting below the horizon beamed in through the window of the little reading room, and she regretted that she couldn't spend some time there, if only for a few minutes.

"Anyway," she said, "there's the storage over there. Well, the enchanting and weapon things."

Mehra motioned toward a small side room to the right of them. It wasn't too much bigger than Neloth's staff enchanting area, but she didn't have a lot of things to keep track of. Still, Neloth insisted upon spoiling her with an order of a brand new ebony enchanter. Compact shelves with stacked soul gems and assorted racks of weapons lined the walls of the room. In the center of the back wall, Azura's Star hung in a place of honor above the enchanter, just within reach.

Mehra wanted to put a shrine to Azura within the enchanting room eventually, and to put Azura's Star on top of the altar as a sacred object. If Keening weren't so dangerous to have just lying out, she'd put it on the altar as well, as a token of her devotion. She supposed she could attempt offer it at Hogithum, just to see if Azura wanted it. She'd have to figure that one out later without the presence of Sheogorath nearby.

Mehra walked across the room to a set of double doors next to the reading alcove. She grasped the door handles – levers, as Neloth suggested; best for arms full of books – and pushed the doors open.

"Not a very impressive library, yet," Mehra admitted. "But it will get there eventually."

They stepped into the largely empty room. Mostly barren shelves lined the walls, and in the center were a pair of long tables with chairs tucked neatly under. Saffron colored carpets lined the aisles between the tables and rows of shelves.

The fading sunset poured in through the windowed double doors on the far end of the library. On the rare occasion that she was actually home, she enjoyed sitting under the awning near the doors to the balcony and looking out at the city.

And if it rained, it was all the better. She just needed to fill the empty shelves to turn it into a proper library.

There were a few books, of course, but they were mostly basics and religious books. Empty folios waited on the shelf closest to the table. She hoped that in time, she'd get transcriptions of Neloth's notes, and write some of her own. Perhaps, Eorlund would agree to a joint study on dragon materials. It could become a breakthrough in both smithing and enchanting.

They exited the library, and Neloth motioned toward a final set of double doors across the main room.

"There's a fair amount more to this tower," Neloth said. "Though I am not an architect, I do believe this one was quite an achievement."

Erich looked around and nodded. "I like what I've seen so far. Very private for a home in the middle of the city."

Neloth ushered them to the double doors. They were the same, plain, solid wood as the other doors throughout the interior; Mehra didn't want intricate carvings or hand-painted details. Perhaps, some day she might, but when they were putting the tower together, her priority was making sure things got finished sooner rather than later for the sake of privacy.

They opened the doors and stepped out to a terraced indoor landing with a window across the space in front of them. A small tunnel a dozen or so paces wide led downward. Neloth motioned toward the small levitation portal in front of them.

"Thanks to your generous contribution," he said, "we were able to use the grand soul gems to create two portals for levitation. This one goes to the main floor of the tower. Should you desire a schematic, I am willing to provide one."

Neloth was a little too formal, but Mehra figured he wanted to leave a good impression, given who he was talking to.

Still, Erich was Erich to her.

"Tel Naga had this," Neloth explained. "I figured that in a busy city such as this, a few layers between the private quarters, main quarters, and entrance were warranted. Tel Mithryn is set up for my needs – none of which include entertaining. An extra floor wasn't necessary."

Technically, Neloth's library was a third floor, but she understood what he meant. Mehra motioned for Lydia to take the portal first, then followed close behind. As Lydia exited the awning that housed the portal chamber, Mehra glanced up to watch Neloth levitate downward.

Erich peered down, shrugged, and jumped off the balcony, skipping the portal altogether and landing in a second. Swearing, Mehra winced and turned away.

At least he waited until Lydia's back was turned before doing something that abnormal.

They walked in through the open awning in front of them. The room in front of them was large, consisting of two rectangular tables with eight chairs tucked underneath. A large tapestry of saffron and orange hung behind the heads of the tables, flanked by Whiterun's standard. A coordinating set of runners lined where guests would walk to the table. Off to the right of the alcove's exit was a smaller, circular dark brown table with a round, brown rug underneath. This one comfortably seated four, but she supposed she could bring the chairs from the top floor down if she had a party. The idea of a party at her tower, however, seemed odd to her.

The tables were bare of linens, and the shelves hung against the walls were likewise empty. Mehra didn't have time to pick out too many decorations, and figured the rugs and tapestries were enough for now. To her credit, she at least had a cupboard filled with napkins, glazed earthenware, and steel cutlery.

She refused to purchase silverware. It wouldn't do with potential werewolf guests. Maybe it was overboard to do such a thing, but it seemed tacky nonetheless to provide any of the Circle with anything silver to use.

On the other side of the room was one of her other favorite places in the tower. It was an alcove in a similar size as the reading room above, its floor lined with large, smooth stones. Shelves lined the walls from the middle to the ceiling, each crammed full of plants. Underneath the shelves sat thick, deep planters made of stone masonry. A large, thick-paned box window lined the majority of the back of the room, and within were small pots filled with herbs.

As they approached the room, the scent of damp earth and plants grew stronger. Mehra breathed deeply and glanced around at the variety of plants. She didn't know what most of the things were called, aside from the alchemical ingredients.

They were lovely and she needed to know what each one was.

Mehra motioned toward the room full of plants. "You've done the most with these, Lydia. I want to learn more about them when you get the chance."

"I'd love to share them," Lydia said. "I'm glad they're alright after our trip. Proventius watered them while we were gone. I'll admit that I've gotten attached."

Erich shuffled over to a nearby shelf and glanced a stack of papers on top of it. "Attached enough to write detailed instructions for each plant?" he chuckled.

Lydia nodded. "Yes. I know what they like. Or at least, I hope I do."

He thumbed through the papers, shrugged, and put them down.

"Looks accurate to me," he said.

"Oh!" Lydia said. "You do this? Beyond alchemy, that is."

Erich peered at the room with a smile. "Yeah. After my parents were gone, though. My father insisted that I become a farmer just like him and I never wanted to give him so much a whiff of an idea that I might like plants a little."

"Do you think we've got everything we need?" Lydia asked.

He turned to the shelf on which the care guides sat. There was a watering can, a pair of ceramic misting bottles, and various herbal extracts to deter pests.

Erich nodded. "Looks like it."

"I don't know the plants," Mehra said. "But I do know brewing. I think we'll make a good pair, Lydia."

She smiled. "I think so, too. And I'm glad we have this near the hearth enough that we can heat it."

While Lydia turned her back to motion toward the hearth, Erich reached up into his allegedly temporary storage pocket. Snickering, he withdrew a small, potted plant with a stalk clustered in purple, iris-like flowers with golden centers and discretely placed it among the many plants out of Lydia's view.

Neloth watched intently, but said nothing. There wasn't any reason to spoil the surprise.

"Have you thought of growing canis root?" Neloth asked.

Lydia turned back from the hearth and shrugged. "Not really, no. It's a rather large bush for indoors. But, is it something you use often?"

"I like the tea," he admitted. "It is difficult to acquire on Solstheim."

Erich perked up immediately. "Oh, that grows all over the Rift. I should plant some over my father's grave."

Mehra didn't like where this was going. Lydia turned to give him a sad look.

"That's so sweet," she said. "Did he like it as well?"

Erich snickered. "No. If I can't soultrap him, I suppose drinking tea that was fed by his ashes is good enough. Anyway! Onward!"

He motioned toward the two remaining rooms to the tower. Lydia looked shocked for a moment before shrugging and following.

Mehra sighed. If anything, she was grateful to find that nobody else seemed all that disturbed by what Erich said. And knowing what Erich's father did to him, she didn't feel bothered, either. Whether his statement was a joke or not, however, remained to be seen.

She shrugged and pointed toward the rooms to the side.

"Those are guest rooms," Mehra said. "Like the rest of the tower, they're furnished but not decorated with too much."

There wasn't much to the rooms, but she made sure that each had a large bed, a decently sized dresser, and a changing screen. She insisted on a nightstand on each side of the bed, along with a lantern. Tapestries and rugs in coordinating colors to the rest of the tower decorated each room. Though Mehra didn't plan on guests, she couldn't necessarily rule it out. The last thing she wanted was an unwelcoming home; she furnished the rooms with similar quality items as her own.

Mehra peered at the vacant side of the tower near the levitation portal and pursed her lips.

"Neloth, is it possible to grow outward while keeping it part of the main tower?" she asked.

He eyed the area she had in mind and shrugged. "Just grow another root upward, and yes. It would take another soul gem."

Mehra had a few of those. She had an idea for an expansion already.

As they turned and made their way across the room toward the levitation portal, Erich turned to Neloth.

"I can get a specially enchanted bag full of that tea," he explained. "It'll never run out. Ever."

Neloth nodded slowly. "What would you like in exchange?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thought it would be something nice. It's no effort at all."

He looked stunned for a moment before remembering himself.

"Well, if it's a gift," Neloth said, "then it would be rather impolite to refuse. You have my thanks."

Mehra nearly tripped as they stopped in front of the portal. Neloth didn't thank anyone. Then again, remembering basic manners around Sheogorath was probably wise, even if she considered everything else.

They made their way down the main levitation portal toward the foyer. After crossing through the breezeway and into the house below, Mehra glanced around.

Lydia did a few things with the place, but kept it mostly as it was. As they made their way down the stairs and into the main area of the house, Mehra concluded that she had to do something different.

She turned to Lydia and nodded. "I want you to move to the middle tower."

"Oh! That's too much," Lydia said. "Up there? With the plants?"

She couldn't hide her smile.

"Absolutely," Mehra said. "Aside from the fact that you're taking care of all of them, it's too much to have your home become a glorified foyer. From a practical stance, it would also make sense to have more people around to arrange ways I can take care of the Hold."

Mehra's newfound conscience couldn't ignore people in need, and once Alduin was taken care of, there were sure to be rogue dragons, bandits, and an assortment of other problems that they'd need someone with skills to handle.

If she succeeded and came back from Sovngarde, Mehra realized that she'd probably have to employ a group of guards, the same as all the other Masters did. She didn't like the idea of keeping people out that much, but she also knew that she'd have much more work to do in the future. Middlemen were important.

Lydia was a Housecarl. She was not a steward nor a manager. It was about time that Mehra treated her appropriately.

Neloth nodded. "So, that's the expansion?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "We can talk about the details this evening, perhaps."

Lydia opened her mouth to protest, but Mehra cut her off.

"You will let me give you a nicer place," she insisted. "And you will like it, dammit. While I'm up in Sovngarde, go ahead and pick whichever guest room you want to live in until we grow the expansion."

Lydia chuckled. "Yes, my Thane. By the way, Aela said she wanted to talk to you about something. She didn't say what it was about, but said it would be quick."

Hopefully there wasn't any trouble. She couldn't run any errands until she returned from Sovngarde – if she returned from Sovngarde.

Mehra nodded. "Of course. I'll go now, if you all don't mind. Perhaps, take a look at the outside while I'm gone?"

"Certainly," Neloth said. "That is an important part of the process, and you can still see into the trench."

Erich made his way over to the front door, opened it, and motioned for them to go ahead, the same as he always would have.

Mehra paused after stepping outside and glanced around at the bustling city and the sunset around them. She had so much to be thankful for – from the tower behind her, the city and sky in front of her, and the people surrounding her.

Mehra realized that in this moment, she was likely the happiest she'd ever been in her life.

It made her miss Aryon. She wished she could share this moment with him, as well. Neloth would likely grouch at her about it, but if she returned, she planned to immediately–

The door to the house behind them flew open and closed again. Confused, Mehra turned to see Erich huff, open the door, and close it once again. Shaking his head, he did it once more. It was clicking shut the way it was supposed to, so she wasn't really sure what was wrong.

"Erich, is it broken?" She asked.

He repeatedly attempted to close the door and furrowed his brow. "None of these feel right. I've got to get it right."

"The door is latching every time, though," she said.

"But it's still wrong."

"What's going to happen if you don't get it right?" Mehra asked.

Erich frantically shut the door again. "I don't know, but it feels wrong."

"What if Lydia does it?" she asked.

Lydia nodded in agreement and stepped forward.

Erich sucked in a breath. "But then I'm still getting it wrong."

Neloth nodded slowly and waited alongside them for Erich to finish.

"Is this a superstition, Erich?" Lydia asked.

"Maybe?" Erich winced and shut the door again, then stared at it. He reached toward the doorknob five more times before dropping his hand to his side.

"I don't suppose you could apply logic to the situation," Neloth mused.

"No," Erich sighed. "It doesn't listen to that."

Neloth nodded. "I didn't think so. One cannot make themselves not think their own thoughts."

"Oh, you get me," he sighed. "Someone gets me."

Mehra pursed her lips. This was not the man she remembered and she had the overwhelming urge to do something – anything – to get him to feel better.

"Neloth," she said. "Would you mind closing the door? You technically have thousands of years of – door closing."

Lydia gently grabbed Erich's arm and motioned toward the street. "I was wondering: how different does it look here to you?"

"Oh, uh. It's about how I remember it," he replied, "but a little different, yeah. It changed way less than Ivarstead."

With Erich distracted, Neloth took the opportunity to open and close the door.

"It is thoroughly closed," he declared. "In fact, how about this? This spell is becoming a lost art. Maybe, it's for the better, with the kids these days."

Erich turned back toward the door. Neloth's hands glowed with purple light as he motioned toward the door. The light transferred from his hands to the handle and lock. In the next second, the lock clicked as it activated.

People stopped in the middle of the street to stare in awe. Mehra supposed that perhaps, some of them never saw someone cast a spell. She was certain that none of them saw a lock spell before. Neloth was correct; it was a dying art.

Erich sighed. "That was nice, yes. I think it looked right. A locking spell. That's so nice."

"How about looking at the outside while we go up to talk to Aela, hm?" Lydia suggested. She linked arms with him and pulled him the side of the tower.

Erich chuckled and stepped forward. "Go on. I'm interested to learn more about this."

Satisfied that everything was alright, Mehra turned toward the street with Lydia behind her.

The crowd parted for them as they walked through the city. Though that was normal, Mehra couldn't help but notice that people kept giving her odd looks. Perhaps it was from the fact that she wasn't wearing her armor. Still, people almost seemed wary. Perhaps, people found out about how she permanently cleared Helgen of bandits. Maybe, they wondered what her intentions were in regards to the war. Her intentions were to keep Whiterun safe. Whether that meant bandits, opposing armies, or dragons, it didn't really matter.

As they walked up the stairs to the Cloud District, Lydia turned to Mehra.

"I'll stay back here," she said "It sounded like it was a private matter, so I'm not going to put myself in the middle just because I'm close to her."

"Understood."

That was somewhat concerning. She hoped there weren't more Silver Hand or similar types around. Mehra would do anything to keep that from happening again. She felt bad that she hadn't checked on them in some time.

She trudged up the stairs and wound her way around the side of the building to peer into the training yard. Ria stood at the target range, practicing archery as Aela perched in a chair behind her. On the far end of the courtyard, Njada and Athis practiced with sword and shield. Though she couldn't see him from where she stood, Eorlund's hammer hitting metal rang out over the courtyard. He was apparently as busy as ever.

Aela looked up and sighed in relief. "You came."

"Of course I did," Mehra said. "I might have things to do, but you are always a priority."

Ria, Athis, and Njada left for the inside of the building at the sight of her. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good.

Aela gave her a sad smile and motioned toward the side yard. Concerned, Mehra followed her.

"What's this I hear about a dragon trap?" Aela asked.

Mehra sighed. "It's all we've got. I'm going to challenge one of Alduin's allies and we're going to catch him in the trap at Dragonsreach."

Aela frowned, crossed her arms, and shook her head. "You're actually serious about it?"

"Extremely serious," she said. "It's happening tomorrow just as we planned. The Empire and Stormcloaks will stay out of the way."

"Did you learn nothing from what happened with the Silver Hand?" Aela pressed.

Mehra sucked in a breath and nodded. "Yeah. I learned that if you're going to do something, you've got to hit hard and fast. Alduin is in Sovngarde devouring souls. If we don't do something quickly, he'll gain power. The dead up there will cease to exist, including Kodlak."

"Kodlak would gladly do that to make sure the city never came to harm," Aela replied. "As would all the souls in Sovngarde."

Mehra nodded. "I'm sure they would, but they've already paid that price once. I agree that it's not ideal. I don't like it. I don't see any other options, however. If he gets too powerful, I won't be able to stop him."

Aela looked heartbroken. "You have to believe in yourself. The lesser of two evils is still evil, Sister."

"I know," Mehra sighed. "I know. And if I look bad for it, I'll bear that burden."

"I can't talk you out of it, can I?" she sighed. "The city is terrified. I can smell the fear in the streets."

Her heart stopped.

They were scared.

Mehra hoped they had more faith in the plan. She hoped they'd trust her.

But these were just people. They weren't warriors. They ran taverns, sold produce, ran shops, cleaned, grew crops, had children, raised animals, created things. The only time that many of them saw death was from a family member or from a letter from the battlefield notifying them of the passing of a loved one. The closest they got to it was the horror stories from Helgen. And to some of them – many more than she realized – she was bringing Helgen's destruction into the heart of the city.

Of course they were scared! They were scared and she was a fool for thinking this was fine. And she talked Jarl Balgruuf into it when he was already cornered over the war.

Mehra stared down at the ground as her eyes blurred with tears. Even when she didn't want to, she terrorized people all the same. Maybe Neloth was on to something, with his home out in the middle of nowhere.

Aela drew her into her arms and sniffled as she fought to hide her tears.

"You're my sister," she said. "I care about you. But I love this city. And I know you do, as well. I hate that it came to this."

Mehra did, too, but she couldn't convince Aela that this was the right way. She returned Aela's embrace then stepped back.

"I won't let anything bad happen," she said. "I promise."

This was the only thing she could think of. She couldn't get to Sovngarde through regular means. And selfishly, she wouldn't have wanted to do that, regardless.

Aela shook her head. "I know your intentions are honest, but I fear that you are only one person. And Neloth, too, is only one person. There are thousands here."

Mehra deflated and nodded.

"The curfew traps them in their homes," Aela explained. "Whether they're trapped in a burning building, or running across the burning streets out into the burning highlands, there's no difference. I'm begging you; if that dragon so much as lights anything on fire, you kill it."

She nodded again. "I – yes."

Mehra couldn't promise that, but she did anyway. Even when people knew her secrets, she lied to them nonetheless.

Aela drew her in for another embrace. "Be safe, Sister. And be wise."

"I'll do my best."

With that, she stepped back, said her goodbyes, and turned back toward the city. A knot settled into the pit of her stomach. The fact that her plan frightened the city so much made her feel sick. Mehra hung her head in shame as she made her way back out to the stairs. She trudged down them, her feet heavy. She looked up to see Lydia standing beneath the Gildergreen.

Mehra wasn't sure where to begin with all of this. She didn't want to put Lydia in the middle.

As Lydia looked up at her in concern, she knew she'd have to come up with something to say. Mehra crossed the bridge to the base of the Gildergreen and Lydia met her underneath the tree.

"What's going on?" Lydia asked.

Mehra sighed to glance back at Jorrvaskr. Aela was nowhere to be seen, the same as the rest of the Companions. She figured she ought to tell Lydia while they were somewhat alone.

"She doesn't like the plan at all," Mehra murmured. "And she says the city is terrified. I got so excited about chasing Alduin that I –"

Didn't think of how the defenseless people of Whiterun felt about it. She was a terrible Thane.

"You said it was the only way," Lydia said. "Is that not true?"

Mehra shrugged and motioned to the road. Together, they made their way back toward the tower.

"I think it is," she said. "We're running out of time, regardless."

Lydia nodded. "I trust you. It must be the only way. You wouldn't do this if you weren't certain."

Mehra wasn't so sure about that, now. She wasn't sure about anything other than Alduin's location.

Sure enough, people stared at them as they walked through the streets. Many gave her a wary glance and stepped aside.

As they arrived at the tower, Lydia pulled her to the side out of the view of others.

"I believe in you with all my heart," she said. "Aela is just looking out for the city, and for your reputation. But you've already saved this city from a dragon before. You will certainly succeed."

Mehra nodded. "I'll do my best. Thank you."

She didn't have the heart to point out the obvious differences to Lydia. The dragon that attacked months ago went for the watchtower first, and didn't come near the city. He was also one of the weaker dragons she fought.

Mehra planned to summon one of Alduin's closest allies to the heart of the city. Odahviing would be leagues more powerful. He was very likely angry about the death of his kin.

"Sounds like you need a drink," Lydia said.

Mehra shook her head. "I'll be fine. I've had people think worse of me before."

She needed a completely clear head tomorrow, and she wasn't one to try to drink away her troubles. A drink couldn't make her forget Aela's words, regardless.

They made their way to the back of the tower, where the roots of the mushroom burrowed deep into the trench below. Erich and Neloth stood at the edge of the trench, pointing at the roots and talking. As Mehra drew closer, she made out some of the words they were saying:

Words she had no business knowing, given the time she was born. They were words that Erich shouldn't have known at all.

The conversation quickly switched from Ancient Dunmeris to common as Mehra stopped in front of them.

"Erich," she said, "we were planning to have dinner together tonight. You're welcome to join us."

He smiled. "Sure! I like the tower, by the way. I'm going to grow one, somewhere."

Lydia looked around in a panic and motioned up toward the tavern on the hill behind them. "I'll go tell them right away to make –"

"Nah," Erich said. "I'm fine."

"You're sure?" she asked. "I'd give you my plate before I let anyone go hungry."

Erich nodded and motioned toward the front entrance of the tower. "Well, the good news is I'm not hungry."

"Alright," Lydia said. "If you do end up wanting something, let me know. I can figure something out."

Erich thanked her, and they turned to make their way back around to the front of the tower. Mehra had her doubts that Lydia would be able to get anything extra at the last minute. The city was preparing for curfew, and even if they weren't, Mehra wasn't really popular at the moment.

They stopped in front of Breezehome. Lydia told them to go ahead while she picked up the food from the Bannered Mare. As she made her way inside with Neloth and Erich, Mehra came to a bitter realization:

She was part of the Companions, but she also wasn't, in her own way. They were together, tonight, drinking and toasting to people long gone whom Mehra never knew. She stayed away for the night in order to get an early start. If anything, it was nice for them to spend time together before the potential destruction of the city.

It wouldn't happen with Erich around, of course, but she and Neloth were the only two mortals aware of that fact. Mehra supposed that to anyone else, her plan could sound desperate, arrogant, or foolish – perhaps all three.

Neloth unlocked the front door with magic, opened it, and ushered them into the home before closing the door behind them. As they made their way up the stairs and into the breezeway that led to the tower, Erich glanced over his shoulder at her.

"You're doing that thing you do again," he said.

To her right, Neloth nodded. "Agreed."

Erich opened the door to the tower and held it open for them.

"I have a legitimate reason to be overthinking," Mehra grumbled.

"That is the price one pays, I suppose," Neloth said.

She sighed and nodded. At times, Mehra wished she could go back to not caring. Still, the amount of joy it brought her was worth any of the problems she encountered.

Knowing she couldn't do anything more, Mehra resolved to enjoy what could be her last night on the mortal plane in the company of those who knew exactly who she was from the start of her dragon-slaying adventure – who supported her while pushing her to do better.

As if sensing her thoughts – and maybe he did – Erich pointed to the portal and turned to her with a wry grin.

"How about I race you to the top again, like old times?" he said. "I won't cheat."

Mehra snickered. "I can levitate way faster, now."

"And I've got two fully functioning legs and a soft surface to climb."

Oh, this would be good.

Erich walked over to the side of the portal and Mehra prepared to cast.

"I'll um," he mumbled, "I'll repair any damage. The poor mushroom doesn't deserve what my boots are about to do to it."

"You going to race, too?" Mehra asked, giving Neloth a nod.

He shook his head. "I don't want to get in the middle."

"Will you go to the top and see who wins, then?" she asked.

Neloth cringed. "Sure."

He cast levitate and made his way upward. When Neloth reached the top, he called down.

Mehra turned to Erich and smirked. This was exactly the distraction she needed.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yep!" Erich backed away from the wall he wanted to climb.

Mehra prepared to cast. "Want to give a countdown? On go?"

Erich nodded. "Three –"

"Two."

"Six."

Mehra frowned. "Ass."

"I'll take twenty," he snickered. "One."

"Go!"

Mehra cast the quickest levitate spell she could muster and drifted upward. Other than positioning herself to land as optimally as possible, she figured there was nothing else that could be done.

Neloth peered down from above, cringed, and backed away from the ledge. Curious, Mehra glanced over to Erich.

He grabbed and leaped his way up the wall, his hobnailed boots scratching deep grooves into the soft mushroom beneath his feet. Still, neither one of them had an advantage.

As the top of the levitation portal grew closer, Mehra realized that she needed to do something drastic to counter Erich's planned leap over the railing lining the ledge to the portal. Pursing her lips, Mehra waited for the right time to enact her brilliant plan. She drifted upward until she was slightly above the railing.

"Wuld!"

Her shins smacked into the railing and she tumbled through the air. In the next second, her levitation spell died, sending her face-first onto the floor. Groaning, she flopped over onto her back and closed her eyes.

Ow.

Erich cackled off to the side. "Was – oh my – was it worth it?"

She opened her eyes, stared up at the ceiling, and groaned again. If she were wearing her armor, it wouldn't have hurt so much.

"Neloth," she grumbled, "please tell me I won."

There was a long pause interrupted by Erich laughing again.

"It was a tie," Neloth said.

Mehra huffed. "A tie? Again?"

Erich snickered and made his way over to her. Kneeling down, he gently grabbed her shins where she certainly bruised them and healed her without any effort. The surprising part was that he was capable of healing her with a spell. He healed himself occasionally, of course, but it was almost always unintentional.

As always, his climbing was magically augmented. There was no way a normal person could scramble up the side of a wall that quickly and safely.

The best guess she had when she met him was that his stubborn nature subconsciously called upon the magicka inside him for aid at various times. Magicka itself was fickle; whether it had sentience or if it acted simply as a lodestone remained to be seen. Some could learn to use magic, while some others could not. Others seemed to have an abundance of it. Perhaps, magicka used these people because it wished to be used. It gathered around stubborn gifted, and especially smart ones.

Magicka protected Erich from harm, but it also harmed him in return every time he cast a destruction spell. With Erich, it lived as a parasite.

Now that she read the Oghma Infinium, she was almost certain that her hunch was correct.

Erich stood and held his hand out for her. After helping her up, he made his way over to the railing surrounding the portal. Glancing down, he winced and shook his head while mumbling about fixing it before Lydia showed up.

Mehra shuffled over to the ledge and peered down. His hobnail boots plus the magical force he put into his climbing made it look like a Khajiit clawed up the wall.

Neloth stared on and pursed his lips. Something was clearly on his mind, but he stayed silent. As Erich conjured his staff, Neloth crossed his arms.

"So," he said, "that was a – unique – way of casting."

Mehra snorted. "You should have seen the first time I saw him cast a shock spell."

Erich laughed, lowered the staff into the pit below, and tapped on the wounded section of the tower. Slowly, the mushroom wall grew back into place until it appeared as if nothing ever happened.

"She cursed me up and down for that one," he admitted. "You don't have to mince words; my casting is bad and wrong and dangerous."

Neloth nodded. "Alright. It is among the worst technique I've ever witnessed."

"Yep!" Erich laughed. "I forget who told me, but someone once compared me to those Summerset eels that shock their prey to paralyze it. Incidentally, they also shock themselves."

He tossed the staff to the side and it disappeared in the air, just as the tower door opened and closed down below. Chuckling, Erich pulled a pipe out of nowhere, lit it, and took a drag from it.

"I'm equally as slimy as the eel, too," he murmured.

Mehra sighed and shook her head. "No; probably double."

"Hah!" he laughed. "Thanks, asshole."

She laughed as Lydia ascended the portal. "Hey, we're all a little scummy. Except Lydia. She's squeaky clean."

Lydia landed at the top of the portal with tied bundles of food in her arms. Quickly, Erich grabbed two of the makeshift bags and helped bring them over to the table.

"I don't know what you were talking about," Lydia said, "but I am most assuredly far from perfect."

"You're surrounded by mages right now," Mehra chuckled.

Neloth followed them across the tower toward the table. "Perfection is relative to whomever perceives it."

"And that means we're fabulous," Erich snickered.

Lydia placed her bundle on the table and sighed. "It's a good thing you are. The tavern seemed really tense. Well, at least the ones who weren't drinking like the world was about to end."

Erich sat in one of the chairs, shrugged, and took another puff on his pipe.

"Can't blame them," he said. "Of course, this won't be a problem at all tomorrow. But they don't know it. I'm sure they're going to end up very impressed."

Mehra sighed. She hoped so.

"I think so, too," Lydia said. "You know what you're doing."

They sat and prepared plates of food while Erich leaned back in his chair and smoked – whatever it was. She didn't really want to know.

The food from the Bannered Mare was delicious as always. Mehra hoped she returned from Sovngarde so she could enjoy things without creeping anxiety lurking in the back of her mind.

"So, to summarize the plan," Erich said. "You call the dragon. We capture the dragon. How does the dragon get to where he needs to be?"

Mehra swallowed her bite of food and stared down at her plate. She wasn't completely certain, to be honest. Half of the time she hoped for the best, but that wouldn't do in this situation.

Erich nodded slowly. "Alright. Well, what do you have so far?"

"I know the shout that makes them drop from the sky," she offered.

"Good," he said. "Have you inspected the trap?"

Mehra shook her head. "They tested it while we were at the meeting. There wasn't much time. It works, though."

"We ought to view the mechanism in the morning," Neloth said. "I'm not a mechanical expert, but my late Master was. At any rate, I was surrounded by enough contraptions to know them better than the average person."

Lydia took a sip of her ale. "You can see most of the trap on the porch. It's essentially a large yoke on pulleys. It should theoretically fall into place."

"Convenient," Neloth said. "Is it open to the air and visible?"

"No," she said. "It's hidden under the awning. It's a very tall awning, and very deep. Dragon-sized, actually."

Mehra took another forkful of her food, then set her fork down and drummed her fingers on the table. Would he crawl into that awning, though? Wouldn't it be suspicious?

"Let's be perfectly clear, here," Neloth said. "Do we believe this dragon knows about the trap? You've mentioned that they can be dim-witted at times."

She shook her head. "The friendly dragon I know is extremely intelligent. This was his plan to begin with. He says the one we plan to trap is of few words, and has no patience for boasting and idleness. The opposite of Alduin, as he says."

"Perhaps he would acquiesce to an interview of sorts, regardless," Neloth mused. "Intelligent matters may be refreshing."

Mehra shrugged. "He may be insulted by my cowardly plan. I don't really know. Erich, you've been silent for a while. Thoughts?"

"The question of whether they know about the trap is of utmost importance," he said. "That could change a lot."

Erich put more of – something – into his pipe and lit it with a flicker of flame on the tip of his finger. After taking a few short puffs to get it started, he held the pipe out to Neloth who quickly shook his head. Erich chuckled at his refusal and continued to smoke.

"We don't really know," Mehra admitted. "If they do, it's through second-hand knowledge from whichever dragons were lucky to be killed after Numinex's capture without having their souls taken. That number may be potentially small, but it's unknown."

Neloth nodded. "Then let's work with the worst possible scenario: what if he does know of this trap? Would this creature dare to approach it?"

"They've got a ridiculous code of honor," Erich said. "Worse than Nords – no offense, Lydia, but we know it's true. That dragon will absolutely come to Whiterun when he hears her shout his name."

"Agreed, yeah," Mehra sighed. "And if he's sharp like our friendly dragon, then he will not believe it to be flattery."

"How does that forbidden shout work, by the way?" Lydia asked.

"It makes them mortal," she said. "Alduin dropped straight out of the sky when it hit him. It was like a bird getting hit with an arrow. Theoretically, I guess comprehending mortality makes them falter in a bad way."

Lydia nodded. "Perhaps, back up closer to the door. That could force him to land, then you pin him down with that shout and the trap."

"Sounds like that's what we'll have to do," Mehra said. "There isn't a good way for him to escape without flying, so he will have to fight after he crashes onto the porch. Then, he will have to crawl forward to try to bite me, as I can block his fire easily. It will be his only option."

Lydia raised her glass. "A toast to the plan, then. Let's get that dragon."

They clinked glasses, and as Mehra took a sip of her ale, she realized that Erich used his pipe to toast. Close enough, she supposed.

Now that the plan was decided, Mehra felt as ready as she'd ever be. It wasn't much of a plan to begin with, but given the layout of the porch and the trap above it, there was only one option.

They continued talking into the evening, illuminated by the contrasting glow of both lantern and spell. Once they finished discussing the tower expansion, they sat around the table and talked about times long gone.

Erich shared stories of people he met during his travels, though apparent gaps in his memories made it somewhat difficult. Still, he didn't seem to leave anything big out in his stories, as far as Mehra could tell. There were a few odd interjections here and there – something about a town with two of each person – but Lydia and Neloth overlooked this without questioning him.

Mehra told a few newer stories – ones about being released from prison and recovering in the Tsaesci palace – that made her feel grateful for both her freedom and the help she was given immediately after. Eventually, she yawned and stretched in her chair. Summer days were long in Skyrim; it felt so late, despite the fact that the sun barely set.

"I should probably get to bed," Mehra said. "I've got to be in top shape for tomorrow."

Lydia nodded. "I agree. I'll see you at dawn."

She stood, put her fist against her heart, and bowed.

"Also," Lydia added, "I appreciated our visit this evening. It was an incredible honor to hear about the past from people who experienced it firsthand."

Erich sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's nice to share, if I can remember things."

"I'm sure you did very well," she replied. "Goodnight. I will see you all in the morning."

Lydia left and headed toward the portal. As soon as the tower door closed down below, Neloth gave Mehra a nod.

"I will go up to the private quarters," he said. "I'll see you whenever you come up. Lord Sheogorath, I shall see you in the morning. This should be interesting, if anything."

Erich chuckled. "Oh, definitely. See you tomorrow."

Neloth stood, made his way over to the portal, and levitated up to the top of the tower. The door above echoed down into the foyer below as it closed behind him.

Mehra glanced toward the empty portal to the side and back to Erich. She didn't really know what to do, given that she never had this sort of arrangement before. As if sensing her unease, Erich leaned over and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll be back sometime," he said. "You don't see Neloth as much, and I can come around anytime I want so long as you have that fork. The travel to and from Solstheim means you have more constraints."

"What are you planning on doing?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Well, you know."

"Erich."

"Probably sit under my tree."

"Erich."

He sighed and shook his head. "Go enjoy your night with Neloth. Seriously. I'm not going to do anything."

Erich leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. Mehra found herself trusting him, despite the fact that she knew she shouldn't. One day, she supposed it'd catch up with her, but tonight probably wasn't that night.

Probably.

If anything else, she could trust that he'd want her to spend time with Neloth unhindered. And if he found a way to misbehave, that would hinder whatever plans they had for the evening.

"See you tomorrow, then," she said.

"Have a good night."

Erich stepped back, cast a spell, and disappeared in a flash of light.

Well, that was that, she supposed. Mehra turned toward the portal and made her way up to Neloth to spend the rest of the night together.

Strangely – almost ominously – she awoke the next morning without having had a single dream.