It was very late by the time Vash returned to Winterhold. He was becoming tired of returning home with more and more deaths on his conscience. As he dismounted from the carriage and passed by the tavern, its door was flung open, briefly revealing a slice of warmth, and Muzgu rushed out into the snow to meet him.

'Where in the hells have you been?' she said. 'And why the fuck didn't you keep an eye on Yanakh?'

Vash took a step back. He had, of course, completely forgotten. 'She's an adult, she can look out for herself,' he said. 'I'm sure she's fine.'

Muzgu came closer, jabbing a finger at Vash's chest. 'I didn't ask on a motherfucking whim,' she said. Her eyes were bloodshot and she gestured in quick jerking movements. 'I asked because she drinks when she gets depressed, and she gets depressed when she drinks, and there's no better place in Skyrim for some drunk sad idiot to go fooling around the edge of a fucking cliff.'

Vash held up his hands. 'Alright,' he said. 'I'm sorry. We'll look for her.'

'What do you think I've been doing? I can't find her anywhere in this gods-forsaken backhole.'

'We'll ask Tolfdir,' said Vash. He started hurrying towards the College. His oversight, his lack of thinking, had cost him and others and great deal, but he was damned if he was going to let it cost Yanakh anything. She'd stuck with him even when he thought he was beyond help.

'What? What the fuck for?' asked Muzgu, catching up.

'Because he casts the best detect life spells I've ever seen.'

Although the hour was late, many residents of the College kept unconventional hours, and Vash was reasonably sure he would find Tolfdir up and about. Indeed, they discovered him in the Hall of the Elements with Falin, a young Bosmer student, practicing circles of restoration. Vash had seen Falin do this sort of spell before with great success, and under perilous circumstances, but these were not times to reminisce. There never seemed to be times to reminisce. He explained the situation, and Tolfdir agreed to help, rolling up his sleeves.

'Do you need something of hers?' asked Muzgu, pacing back and forth in the hall.

'I am not a bloodhound,' said Tolfdir. 'This a delicate magical operation, honed through years of study and practice.'

'Did those years of study teach you how to do it without all this talking beforehand?'

'I'm sorry, Tolfdir,' said Vash. 'It is a matter of some urgency.'

'Of course, Archmage,' said Tolfdir. He drew in the magic towards himself, then cast the spell in a huge net. Expanded to cover a vast area, and modified so that the others present could also perceive it, Tolfdir's detect life spell was immense, yet losing none of its detail for being so large. Vash had seen it before, but he still felt in awe of the old mage's mastery. They could see every figure in the College, in Winterhold town, as a blue humanoid wisp, perceivable through every barrier of stone or wood or snow.

'I think I can see Kureeth,' said Falin, speaking of her husband, who worked out at Whistling Mine. 'Tolfdir, this is incredible.'

'But it is as much logic as magic, to find someone specific,' said Tolfdir. Together they went through the halls where the mages slept, ruling out those in their rooms. Further afield were the residents of Winterhold, some still awake in the tavern, the guards in their barracks, even Birna asleep above her store.

'I can't work out where she is,' said Vash, peering harder at the blue wisps, wishing them to form into some clear and meaningful shape. It seemed too much, to be able to see everyone in their private places like this, even if it was only a vague echo. Once again Vash thought about how easy it would be to abuse his power. Barely a thought. The College could rule Skyrim, if it chose to. The fact that it had no interest in doing so did nothing to assuage the rest of the province's concerns.

'It seems we ought to have her now,' said Tolfdir. 'Perhaps she has passed beyond my reach.'

'I've found her,' said Muzgu. She was looking straight up. A single wisp was visible there, far above them, on what Vash knew was the highest point of the College, the roof above his quarters. He knew from experience that it was a very cold and lonely place, where the wind blew much fiercer than it did at ground level.

'Shit,' he said, and ran for the door. 'Muzgu, take the stairs.'

'Where are you going?' she yelled after him, for Vash was headed outside.

'Shortcut,' he said. Once outside, Vash cast a levitation spell on himself and shot up through the cold air. The wind grew harsher as he rose and he had to slow a little, steady himself against being slammed into the side of the tower. But it was only seconds before he was at the top, making a skidding landing on the thin layer of ice, there atop the College. Yanakh was there, leaning on the edge, staring north out over the Sea of Ghosts.

'I'm a fool,' she said, as Vash came slowly closer.

'Today I went to talk calmly to the man who killed my oldest friend and ended up setting him on fire,' said Vash. 'So we're all fools here.'

'But I should have known,' said Yanakh. She shook her head and leaned back away from the edge. Vash breathed a little easier, but still held a telekinesis spell ready in one hand. 'Shouldn't have started drinking. I know how it makes me feel. This place… you're doing good work here, even if you do mess up with the orcs sometimes.'

There was no way Vash could argue with that, even if he'd felt it appropriate to do so. The burned remnants of Largashbur lived fresh in his mind.

'Muzgu cut me off before,' Yanakh went on, 'because she's a friend, but do you remember me mentioning Balthasar?'

'Yes,' said Vash. It came back to him, the talk they'd had when the three of them had first set out together. 'The bloodkin who founded your stronghold, with you and your brother.'

'We were… I've never known a man like him. Like he was the only thing in the world that was sharp and clear while everything else was blurry.'

Vash hazarded a guess. 'He died.'

'Yes. Loving people doesn't make them immortal. That's why I left, why I became an agent of Malacath, why I was willing to come all the way out here.' She gestured at the huge expanse of sea and sky. 'Skyrim seems far from everything else. Winterhold even more so.'

'People like that about it.'

'And these people are content,' said Yanakh. 'Have you seen Falin with her husband? It's like they're speaking their own language. The bartender and his wife too.' She paused and smiled. 'And Muzgu, if you ask her about her daggers.'

As if summoned, a heavily breathing Muzgu burst through the trapdoor onto the roof.

'Even you and Borgakh,' added Yanakh.

'Me and—but her and I, we didn't…'

'What are you, some kinda monk?' said Muzgu. 'You should have. You seen that orc's arms? She only likes dick, more's the pity.'

Yanakh smiled again. 'You've met Muzgu, so I don't need to apologise for her.'

'Come on,' said Muzgu. 'Let's get inside. I'm wearing my teeth down with all this chattering they're doing.'

Yanakh headed for the trapdoor. 'It does sober you up, though, doesn't it?' she said as she descended.

Muzgu held back for a moment, grabbing Vash's arm. 'What did you say to her?'

'Not much. I mostly just let her talk.'

Muzgu grunted. 'Alright. Maybe you're not as stupid as I thought.'