4E 195 Mid Year
Hardly two weeks had passed between the time Alastaros submitted his accident report and the time when the Synod arrived in Anvil. Alastaros left a few days early to meet them in town, leaving the trio of apprentices and manual laborers to their own devices as long as they stayed out of Garlas Malatar. Valleri was not the least bit happy.
Most of her time was spent looking over maps. They were all the unfinished drafts Alastaros was working on when Valleri ruined the expedition. Lexius and Vilkas had extra measurements and notes to fill in some of the details that weren't included in the initial scan. It was now Valleri's job to fill all of that in. Most of the time, she had to make an entirely new map to keep the original intact.
Days drug on forever.
Every once in a while, Lexius would come over to tell Valleri a dumb joke or a story. She would barely glance up to her friend while he said the punchline and stare back at him through narrowed eyes. His jokes were always horrible. Rostam was an angel for laughing along with him.
Vilkas, on the other hand, was distant. Ever since the incident, he made a point of acting standoffish. The Imperial woman would catch glimpses of him moving around the camp and wonder why he hadn't said two words to her since then.
She knew he was watching her back, always regarding her with suspicion. The dumb Nord was expecting her to go off like an explosion. As though at any moment, whatever reaction she triggered in the depths of Garlas Malatar would continue to completion. Apart from the missing memories, Valleri didn't feel any different than usual. Her wrist felt cramped, but Valleri chalked that up to working with her hands too much. But still... She could tell Vilkas that over and over again, but she knew he would listen. There was no use in talking to a brick wall.
On the second night following Alastaros' departure, Valleri looked up from her work to see a posse of Synod mages rounding the corner into camp. She stared at them through narrowed eyes. Lexius noticed them too. He stood close to her, speaking in hushed tones, "How many squares are there?"
"About five."
"Five too many. I don't see the old elf anywhere."
"I'm not surprised. They probably want to have the ruins to themselves."
Valleri quickly shut her mouth when the mages came within earshot. A scruffy looking Breton man led them, flanked on either side by his much taller compatriots. His eyes scanned the two apprentices on the other side of the table.
The Breton finally addressed Lexius, "You must be… Vilkas-"
"Not even close!" the Redguard laughed nervously. Valleri elbowed him in the side, hoping he wouldn't say anything stupid.
Shaking his head, the Breton continued, "And you're Valleri. Where's the third one? Alasataros said there was a third one."
Valleri and Lexius exchanged a confused glance. Valleri shook her head after a second, letting Lexius know she had less of an idea than he did. Lexius sighed. Obviously he didn't know either.
"Well?"
"Went for a hike," Lexius blurted after another few seconds. "Look, I assume you're here to kick us out?"
"For lack of a better term, yes. But we need to do a check with you before you leave. Shouldn't take too much time." Valleri sighed as she tried not to make eye contact with the Breton mage. After a few seconds, she decided that she'd have to be content enough to stare at the map in front of her. The Breton mage folded his arms and addressed his aide, "Ulrich, go follow the Redguard down to the site of the accident. I'll talk to the girl."
"You'll be fine, right?" Lexius asked, giving Valleri's shoulder a pat.
"I'll be fine."
The Imperial watched her friend walk off with one of the aides. The Breton mage shook his head while Valleri looked with equal disinterest. "Let's get this over with," he said. He flipped through a notepad, jotting down some preliminary information. "Your full name is Valleri Hayn, currently in apprenticeship with Alastaros Alastarim?"
"Yes…"
"You entered the ruin and descended down without any supervision or equipment?"
"Yes…"
"You came into contact with an orb and were connected to it?
"Yes…"
"Describe exactly what you felt or heard when connected."
Valleri narrowed her eyes with frustration. "You read the accident report right?"
"I did," the Breton droned on. "It was… interesting. However, it is Synod protocol to interview every involved party. Just answer the questions."
"Look, if you read the report, you'd know that I don't remember anything from the incident."
They stared at each other for a second. All the while, Valleri just wanted to walk away more and more. The Breton pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't care that you don't remember. As a member of the Synod, you are obviously aware that we have to secure all sites after a breach."
"Fine," Valleri groaned.
"Have you felt any physical, mental, or magical effects associated with your connection to the orb?"
With a grin, Valleri spoke excitedly, "Oh, absolutely! I hear voices at all times of the day and in the corners of my vision, I see ghosts. They tell me to go to the Arcane University and cause as much havoc as I can." She ended her spiel with a wide, smug grin.
The Breton stared pointedly at her, unamused. "Now isn't the time for jokes. Answer seriously."
"No, none at all."
"Are you sure?"
"Read the damn report! And if anything does happen, I'm sure that Alastaros will let you and your team know."
"Fine. I'll assume this as much as you're going to tell me. As soon as the other apprentice comes back with my aide, you can leave."
"And what about Vilkas? Don't you want to question him as well?"
"It won't be necessary at the moment considering he isn't directly associated with the Archaeological Company or the Synod."
Valleri arched an eyebrow, "So… we're free to leave then?"
"Yes. Alastaros has given us permission to use the camp gear until your return so you don't have to cart it back to Anvil."
"Convenient," Valleri muttered to herself. She rolled the map up and placed it near her belongings. She half expected to find Vilkas in the tent, napping with his back to her. Instead all she found was an empty tent. Then it dawned on her that she hadn't seen him all day. Even when he wasn't talking to her, Vilkas still stuck around.
She scanned the tent for his things. His pack was still there. Her eyes landed on the sheathed sword her father gave him. It laid on the floor next to the cot. Whenever he left the camp, Vilkas made a habit of taking the sword with him. Valleri figured it was more for show than anything, especially since there was hardly anything dangerous in the area. She took the sword and exited the tent with a sigh.
"Valleri!"
Perking up, the Imperial caught sight of Lexius and one of the aides emerging out of the ruins. He was waving at her with a look of exasperation. He gave the aide a hard slap on the back before rushing off to meet Valleri. His eyes widened at the sight of the sword Valleri carried loosely in her hand. "Where are you off too?"
"We just got booted."
"No kidding? I guess that's not too much of a surprise."
Lexius' eyes drifted back to the sword. "I'm going to go find Vilkas. I'd like to leave as soon as I find him. It'll be midnight by the time we get back to town."
"Right…" Lexius gave her a salute before going about his waved back as she headed up for the copse of trees and hills behind the camp. The moment she left the camp, regret settled into her stomach. Valleri had no real idea where the idiot could be.
Valleri's intuition told her to go north. It was better than nothing. The landscape around her turned rockier and thick tree roots broke through the ground. Her pace slowed lest she tripped. The moonlight shone down in shafts through the canopy, barely enough to see by. Without thinking Valleri summoned her light and held it above her head.
Then she heard cracking.
Valleri paused.
The cracking didn't stop. The harder she listened, the more she heard. Wet tearing overshadowed the cracking soon enough. Valleri's heart raced and blood pounded in her ears. Her feet planted themselves in the ground.
Straining her eyes, Valleri caught sight of someone in the distance. They were hunched over while whatever they were holding fell to the ground in front of them with a wet slap. Their hands went to their face.
Gulping, it took all of Valleri's will power to move forwards. In a minute, she was close enough to see the thing's back to her. Any clothes they were wearing were gone and long black mats of fur ran up and down their back and arms. They were… shaking.
"Vilkas?"
The shaking worsened as the Nord, if that's who they actually were, turned to face her. Valleri's heart leapt when she came face to face with bright golden eyes staring back at her. That wasn't… right. Weren't Vilkas' eyes supposed to be grey? She glanced down at his feet so she wouldn't have to continue looking at his face. The Imperial's stomach churned when she saw the dead remnants of a hare, broken and bloody. Valleri looked back up in an instant. Her grip on the sword tightened.
Then Valleri realized she didn't care and gulped. If that thing really was Vilkas, then at least she didn't have to walk around in the woods anymore.
Valleri's voice shook uncontrollably, "Vilkas, if you're anywhere in there, I came to tell you that it's time to head back to Anvil." Her eyes scanned the person -Valleri still felt uncomfortable calling whatever this was a person- up and down and grimaced. Valleri undid her cloak pin and tossed the garment onto the ground next to the dead hare. "Put that on before coming into the camp. Don't even bother worrying about getting blood on it either."
The beast glanced between her and the cloak for a few seconds. Valleri's blood went cold every time he looked at her. It was time to go. Valleri stepped backwards, bringing her light back to her.
A low rumbling voice came from the darkness, "Thank you."
The words echoed, instilling panic in Valleri's chest. Valleri turned around and fled, heart pounding and icy blood coursed through her. She held the sword close to her chest.
The Synod mages were all sleeping by the time she got back. Valleri sat down on a stool straight as an arrow facing the way she came. The sahking refused to stop. Valleri watched the woods in front of her for Vilkas. Whoever, whatever, she found had to have been Vilkas, right? They didn't attack her. In fact, they thanked her for the cloak. Any old monster wouldn't have done that. Right?
Lexius came out of one of the tents, barely eyed and croaky, "Valleri? Where's Vilkas?"
The Imperial didn't turn to face him. Her eyes were still glued to the tree line. "He's going to be a while. I'll come wake you when we're ready."
Scowling, Lexius mumbled something and disappeared. Valleri hardly noticed. The only thing she could focus on was the woods in front of her. It wasn't long though until Valleri's eyelids grew heavy. She took a deep breath in. A few moments of sleep wouldn't hurt. She would wake up in a few minutes, she reassured herself.
…
A figure emerged from a copse of trees, wearing only a cloak just barely long enough to cover his knees. Sticky maroon blood covered the hems and a large patch on the chest. The person who gave him the cloak told him not to worry about the stains. He was still worried.
When the transformation was over, the figure did at least have the decency to get the blood off of his arms and face. It was the least he could do. Watching the blood dissipate in the stream he found made him sick. Mostly, he was sick of himself. He hated that this kept happening.
He paused at the top of a hill just before the camp he'd called home for only a few weeks. Just on the camp's perimeter, he saw a person sleeping on a stool. A sword, with a ruby carved in the pommel, was held loosely in their hands. Slowly, he approached, and when he was close enough, he brushed some hair out of her face. At least her face was peaceful and her sleep was fitless. She'd had a hard time with things lately. It was the least she deserved.
For a moment, his mind fixated on the terrified glint in her eyes when she last saw him. The look in her eyes made him cower. He hadn't meant to scare her. But how could he not when he looked like that. The figure hoped that she'd forget. Perhaps she would and things could go back to normal.
Satisfied he wouldn't wake her, the figure left the sleeping lady on the stool and went back to the tent he shared with their friend. Quickly he dressed in a clean pair of clothes. He almost felt human now. Their friend stirred from sleep, surprised to find the figure there. At least he didn't ask questions.
It wasn't long till they were ready to leave. The figure let their friend go ahead of him. Gently he took the sleeping lady and placed her on his back. Then he started the trek back. A pit in his stomach grew deeper and deeper the closer he got to town.
The sleeping lady stirred, one eye barely cracking open.
"Vilkas?"
"Mmmm?"
"You did get my cloak after all."
…
The two apprentices slept later into the morning than usual. No one found this surprising considering what time they got back into town. As for the other one…
Valleri didn't really want to wake up. But after the crashing and yelling downstairs, it was hard to get herself back to sleep. She rose from her bed, rubbing the back of her neck. It was the first time she didn't have a headache after waking up. Perhaps she was wrong and she did have some sort of side effects associated with Garlas Malatar. Valleri pushed the thought out of her mind. That was the last thing she wanted to think about. In the corner of her eye, she saw her father's sword leaning precariously next to a bookshelf. She grimaced.
Tentatively, Valleri made her way downstairs. Marco was sweeping up dirt and ceramic pieces from the floor. He glanced up at her with a cringe, "Hey, don't step this way."
"What happened?"
"Nothing serious. But don't tell mom I killed her feverfew." Valleri arched an eyebrow. "Please," Marco begged.
"Then don't tell mom I was possessed by a strange orb."
"What?"
"Exactly! Now we both have plausible deniability." Valleri rushed down the last few steps and past her brother. She busted the guest room door open. The room was empty much to her disappointment. The young woman narrowed her eyes for a second then turned back to find some shoes.
Valleri all but ran to the Alastarim manor. Ignoring Skeeva's greetings, Valleri ran upstairs to the extra bunk room she used. That too was empty. Alastaros must have heard the commotion. The old Altmer poked his head into the room.
"Valleri? Whatever are you in a rush for?"
Sighing, Valleri took another glance around the room. "Nothing." She looked to Alastaros over her shoulder, "Actually, have you seen Vilkas yet today?"
"No. I assumed he was still staying with your family."
"Right. Where's Lex?"
"Sleeping. Is there something you need, Valleri?"
"No," she exclaimed loudly, "I'm fine!" She pushed past Alstaros, leaving her boss more confused than before. She didn't bother to stay quiet as she went into Lexius' room. He groaned as she opened the curtains, letting light into the room. "Lexius!"
"No, Valleri. No," he droned, flipping the blanket over his head. Valleri gave him a light shove. Lexius took the hint and sat up in bed. "Make it quick."
"When we came into town, did you see where Vilkas went?"
"Back to your place. After that I went to bed. It's not my job to keep track of him."
Valleri said nothing more and left the door open as she went back to the street. Lexius yelled behind her. The sun shone in her eyes while she sat on the manor steps, thinking about what transpired the night before. None of it seemed all too real. But it happened, right? Valleri sighed. She was hoping to have Vilkas confirm it. Or deny what happened. Either way, she wanted answers.
Valleri felt a breeze across the back of her neck. Glancing up, she couldn't see any wind out. No, the weather was too hot, too nice for one single breeze.
"Valleri… Your name is… Valleri."
The Imperial woman's eyes went wide. She looked around for whoever was speaking to her. The voice, foggy and two toned, sounded too close. As though someone was whispering in her ear. She gulped and her mouth went dry.
"Yes?"
"You'll do just fine… I think. Soon, we'll meet in person. I really... want to see who you are."
The voice faded and Valleri felt a weight drop from her shoulders. She checked her forehead for any sign of a fever. Much to her relief, she was fine. Just fine. Or maybe not? She normally only saw things off in the distance. This was the first time she'd heard something.
It left her feeling cold and alone and trapped.
Now wasn't the time for existential questions. Standing up, Valleri made her way to the chapel across the street. Even though Alastaros didn't want her to work, Anya certainly did. Printing would take her mind off of things. Maybe buy the end of the day, she'd forget all about the voice.
…
Vilkas certainly didn't expect to see Marisol out here.
He'd been laying in the grass for most of the morning. His thoughts had been preoccupied by the events of the previous night. Everything was still a bit blurry. The only two things he could remember was Valleri leaving her cloak for him and then walking into the camp later that night. Taking a deep breath in, the Nord scrunched his eyes closed to keep the sun out.
"Vilkas? What in the world are you doing?"
Eyes snapping open, he saw the Bosmeri woman looking down at him with a look of familiar exasperation. "Marisol?"
"I know you're some sort of wild man, but this is taking it too far." Her words made his chest tighten up. She must have noticed, expression softening, "You don't look so well. How are you feeling?"
Vilkas grimaced again. "Frankly, awful."
"Are you sick?"
He stared back at her with a scowl. He didn't want to answer that question. "Sort of. No, I think I'm just exhausted," he said finally.
Marisol kneeled next to him, "Well, if you're not going to tell me, then it's not worth asking." She narrowed her eyes and hummed. "Hey, your eyes look weird. They're brown. I thought they were blue."
Again Vilkas felt himself panic again. He put his hand over his eyes, grimacing all the while. "It's just the light," he stammered. Vilkas hated that his eyes took so long to go back to normal. He hated that Marisol noticed. He breathed out sharply, making sure not to move his arm.
"I know for a fact it's not. Well?"
"I swear on my ancestors it is."
"Another thing I will no longer comment on then." Marisol finally sat down and got comfortable. It didn;t seem as though she was leaving any time soon.
Vilkas moved his arm to see Marisol watching the waves crash along the coast below them. Her expression was wistful. Something about her made him feel peaceful. "Hey, Marisol?"
"Yes?"
"How long have you known Valleri?"
The wistful expression on the woman's face soured. "A few years, why?"
"Longer than me," Vilkas muttered half to himself. He glanced back to Marisol, "Has she been acting odd recently?"
"Psh, she's always been odd. That's no different than usual."
"Good to know, I guess." He noticed the smile returning to Marisol's face then looked back up to the sky. It was still blue and cloudless. The breeze was nice too. Honestly, staying out here in the hills was better than any rest he could have gotten in town.
Vilkas rested his arm on his eyes again. This time Marisol spoke, "I think I'm supposed to meet up with the Head Priestess in a few minutes."
"You should probably get going then."
Marisol tilted her head as she thought. Finally she hummed, "We'll reschedule for another day. This is a better way to spend an afternoon I think. What about you?"
Vilkas said nothing. After a moment of companionable silence, he reached out and met Marisol's hand. Thoughtlessly, he grabbed onto her hand lightly. He didn't look but a smile came to his face when Marisol squeezed back.
Yes, he thought. This was much better than staying in town.
…
Uriel was tired of standing. He'd been helping the patrols all day and wasn't able to sit down after such a long day. He stared at the Count with an emotionless expression. It took more energy than he had to keep a straight face. The old guard captain hated this part of his job.
Count Jaras Umbranox looked up from the missive in his hands. The man looked exactly like his relatives. His sandy blonde hair, tall aquiline nose, and dark brown eyes made him the spitting image of both Ulia and the late Count. To some extent, even with her green eyes and freckles, Valleri looked like him as well. The Count had to have noticed the similarities between him and his niece the few times they'd seen each other.
"Hayn?"
"Yes, my Lord?"
"When did this report come in exactly?"
"I sent in for your review three days ago, my Lord."
The Count hummed with discontent, shooting his steward a look of disappointment. The steward shrank back against the wall. "And you are positive the galleons were Aldmeri, Hayn?"
Uriel wanted to scream at the Count. The man had the report right in his hand. It said everything! Somehow he was able to keep his cool. "Absolutely certain. They were moored off the island for two days before moving on."
"Where did they go?"
"My men watched them sail north."
The Count clicked his tongue disapprovingly and set the report back onto his desk. "Perhaps they're heading to Hammerfell."
"It's best not speculate."
"I've hardly any time to deal with this.," the Count groaned. "Especially with the Elder Council breathing down my throat about proclaiming an heir."
Uriel had heard this story over and over. The Count had been married at least three times, but the countesses never lasted long. And even then, the Count refused to name anyone other than a direct member of the Umbranox Family to take the title. It would be a mess when he finally died. And Uriel would laugh when it eventually happened.
But for now, Uriel stifled a sigh. He didn't need to give the Count any further ammunition to chastise him. The old guard captain was tired. He wanted to see his wife again.
"I'll send out a team in the next few days to scout the island for suspicious activity."
"Bring a mage with you. I don't believe your men would be smart enough to check for magical traps."
The Aldmeri Dominion had more than just mages and wizards and sorcerers. But now wasn't the time to voice that. The constant beratement of the city guard was more grating though. Uriel put the thought in the back of his mind. Now. Wasn't. The. Time.
"Yes, my Lord."
"Head the team yourself if you must. This cannot go wrong. The Council will tighten their grip on the city if we cannot deal with this ourselves."
That was a point the two men agreed on. There were already enough Legionnaires in Anvil, and while they weren't actively looking for traitors, it did make Uriel uncomfortable. The Count just found them annoying. His family had lost the city already and that apparently did wonders to his already bruised ego.
"Yes, my Lord. It will be done. Is there anything else you need from me tonight?"
The Count glanced about the room, mulling the question over. It was already starting to get dark. By now, the dinner that Ulia made for the family was probably eaten up by the now three young people living in his home. Uriel felt the grimace on his face deepen. The Count stood up with a huff. "No. That shall be all, Hayn. You are dismissed."
"Yes, my Lord."
Uriel was about to walk out of the room when he heard Count Umbranox behind him. "And give your wife my regards."
Chills ran up and down the guard captain's spine. There was no possibility he was going to utter those words to Ulia. Not tonight at least. Not until whatever was happening with the Aldemri galleon was over.
"I'll make sure of it, my Lord."