Author's note:
As usual, I deeply thank all my readers, favoriters and followers for their amazing support! Also, a great thank you goes to MeanE, KSausage, BAddogs and Elspeth for their lovely reviews. I'm glad that you liked the twist I added in the previous chapter and I hope my work will manage to be up to your expectations. In the next few instalments Agda is going to become much more indipendent and have some great adventures, thus showing everyone that her marriage with Didier was not a good idea. As for Steinarius, I will probably write a little chapter about his adventures in Solstheim - for the moment, however, it's Agda's time to shine ;)
This instalment shows us our girl's arrival in Winterhold. It is a bit slow, but I promise that the next few chapters will be much more interesting.
Enjoy!
12th of Last Seed, 4E 202
As Agda eventually reached Winterhold, she snorted for a series of reasons. Firstly, the girl had forgotten how cold her homeland could be at that time of the year. Secondly, until that moment she had never noticed how uncomfortable carriage drives were. Thirdly, her new town was far smaller and creepier than Agda had predicted. Last but not least, the girl hadn't realized how much Nords hated magic until she reached the seat of the College for the first time.
"That makes 75 septims, girl".
When the carriage driver asked for his pay, Agda couldn't help but frown.
"I thought we'd agreed on 50 septims", she said as the horse slowly stopped to a halt.
"Well, I've changed my mind about that", the driver shrugged. "You slept for the whole journey, therefore you didn't notice how many dangers we had to ride past".
"Yes, but you carried me for just one day", Agda replied. "It's quite a short journey from Dawnstar to Winterhold".
"I'm sorry girl, but I've just introduced a new fee for mages who need to get to the College", the driver shrugged. "I'm afraid I forgot to mention that".
Agda deadpanned.
"What does it mean that you forgot to mention that? It was your mistake, not mine!"
"Well, you hadn't told me that you were a mage".
Agda blinked in confusion.
"You seriously want me to charge with an additional fee just because I'm about to join the College?"
The man nodded.
"Yes, that was the idea".
Confronted with that situation, Agda rolled her eyes. She should have known better than hiring that desperate-looking man who was standing at the gates of Dawnstar; yet, the eagerness to reach the College had got the upper hand on her usual caution. That gruff Nord probably wasn't a professional driver either, Agda realized as she noticed that his carriage was much smaller than the usual ones. Moreover, the man was wearing a weird leather cuirass and had strange scars on his cheeks. On the previous evening, the darkness surrounding Dawnstar had prevented Agda from noticing those details - and sadly for her, now it was too late to complain.
"Listen, I see no reason why you should charge me with additional septims just because I'm a mage", the girl protested again. "Also, 75 septims for such a short ride is a true theft".
"A theft, you say? Well, let me see about that".
As soon as he said those words, the carriage driver grinned mischievously. A second later, he started screaming in a surprisingly high-pitched voice.
"Guards, help me! Guaaaards! Over here! I need help with a customer who…"
"Shut up, for Mara's sake!", Agda shushed him, outraged and horrified at the same time. She still hadn't set foot on Winterhold soil, but she was already risking to end up in jail.
Before the guard decided to help the man who was desperately screaming from the top of his lungs, Agda shoved a purse of coins in his hands.
"Take your septims and leave, you psycho!", she hissed.
The man grinned, then threw Agda's heavy knapsack on the snowy ground of the city.
"If you ever need a carriage driver again, ask for me!", he said as soon as the girl hopped off his carriage. "I love young and sweet mages with lots of money!"
Fighting the urge to send a Flame Atronach after that maniac, Agda pretended she hadn't heard him. As she was busy securing her heavy knapsack to her back, a man dressed in very dirty clothes looked at her and snorted.
"Not only are we forced to co-live with those Elven lunatics", he grunted. "Now we also have to deal with Nords who have no guts for becoming warriors".
Agda frowned. She was wearing a heavy cloak that was long enough to cover her blue mage robes, but her lack of weapons and muscles had probably given her away as a future apprentice of the College. With a sigh, the girl wrapped a heavy scarf around her neck and put on her hood.
"You'll probably freeze to death during your very first night in Winterhold", the man said when he noticed how cold Agda looked. "That's only good, by the way. I bet you also support those Imperial morons, don't you?"
Sighing, Agda let those words fall on deaf ears.
If the friendly welcoming she'd just received meant anything, her stay in Winterhold was going to be much more complicated than she'd predicted.
Agda had always loved magic – she adored the way magicka rushed through her body when she summoned it, the way it made her fingertips tingle with arcane energy, the way her whole body seemed to float in a sea of light every time she used a spell.
Agda perfectly remembered the day she discovered her natural talent for magic. Everything had begun fifteen years earlier, when the girl had accidentally cast a spell on Bucky, her sister's little bunny. That white soft creature had seemed to be suffering from the summer heat of Anvil, therefore Agda had taken it upon herself to give him some relief. If she focused hard enough, the girl could still hear Liara's terrified screams after she discovered that Bucky had been magically enclosed in an ice cube.
Luckily enough, Liara's pet had survived the accident and lived to become the fattest rabbit of Tamriel. Agda, on the other hand, had become a sort of prodigy to her whole family – after all, in over 400 years of history, the Seafarers had never had a mage amidst their ranks.
Leifur had been scared by the way her eldest daughter seemed to effortlessly create flames, ice spears and electricity - he was a Nord from Dawnstar, and as such he feared everything that was connected with magic. Born in Morthal and raised in Solitude, his wife Kareti had a much more open approach to magic; as a consequence, she soon contacted a mage in order to teach Agda some spells. Sadly enough, that old Bosmer had always seemed more fascinated by Kareti's presence than by the child' skills – and when he weirdly asked her out on a date, the woman decided that she was done with mages and Elves and with her daughter's passion for magic.
Over the following years, Agda received a very good education that allowed her to become a very good trader. Nonetheless, the girl never forgot her talent for magic, which she fueled by reading books and practicing spells every time she could. In particular, the young Nord grew to be very fascinated by Restoration and by the way some alchemists could brew potions strong enough to save human lives.
Despite her love for magic and her growing passion for alchemy, Agda never really entertained the thought of becoming a mage – at least, she didn't entertain it until Delphine came along. Many people in Riverwood had stated that Agda would make a perfect healer, but the Breton had been the first one to push the girl past her limits, forcing her to realize that magic wasn't just a passion – it was also the only activity Agda loved to the point that dreaming of a career in that field actually made her dizzy with happiness.
I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with the other students, the girl had muttered before accepting her part in Delphine's plan.
Confronted with Agda's worried expression, the Breton had surprisingly chuckled.
Agda, the College is desperate for apprentices, she'd pointed out. Also, the admittance test is ridiculously easy.
Agda had felt better after that discovery, but now that she was in Winterhold she began feeling nervous again. She was about to face the long path leading to the mastery of every magic discipline - either that, or she was going to become the first person in recent history who didn't pass the admittance test of the College of Winterhold.
Despite her worries, as Agda walked towards the College she couldn't avoid focusing on the landscape around her.
Even if it was summer, a few snowflakes were falling on her head, thus letting the girl understand that the bad reputation of Winterhold was well deserved, at least as far as being "the coldest and darkest and snowiest place of all Skyrim" went. As she took in the few destroyed houses near the entrance to the College, Agda also realized that the rumors regarding the Great Collapse were probably true: once a florid city, Winterhold was now transformed into the ghost of its former glory, just like the many empty buildings and the drunkard singing an obscene song from the top of his lungs testified. When Agda remembered that she was about to spend the following months of her life in that desolate place, her forced marriage with Didier suddenly stopped looking that bad.
Luckily enough, the girl forgot those silly thoughts as soon as she reached her destination.
Despite her poor orientation skills, Agda managed to find the College without asking anyone for help - after all, it was quite difficult to miss that huge structure built on the top of a freestanding spire of rock.
As she noticed the way the bridge leading to the building was suspended in the air against all rules of gravity and logic, Agda suddenly forgot her worries. Sure, walking through that narrow passage was going to be very scary, but everything around it had the appealing smell of magic and power and knowledge.
For the first time in her life, Agda felt the desire to plant root in a place and never leave it again.
The first person Agda met as soon as her feet came in contact with the old stones of the College was an Altmer. The girl smiled at the irony: after all, she'd come to Winterhold because Delphine wanted her to spy on a member of the Thalmor.
Faralda was a woman of undefined age, with reddish hair and an air of superiority around her. As soon as she saw the young Nord who was approaching the entrance to the College, she walked towards her and stopped her with a gesture.
"I wish to become a mage", Agda said when questioned about the reasons of her presence in Winterhold.
"Do you want to use the power of ice and fire to destroy any who oppose you or do you wish to bend the will of those around you?"
Agda blinked in confusion. Don't mind me, I'm just here to spy on the newest advisor to the Archmage, she thought. The leader of a long forgotten Order of dragonhunters asked me to do it, so I took the chance to learn a spell or two along the way.
Only then did Agda realize what kind of troubles she'd walked in when she'd accepted to partake in Delphine's plan.
"Err, none of the two I suppose", she answered after what probably looked like an endless amount of time. By now Faralda probably thought her to be mad. "I'd like to become a healer".
The High Elf chuckled at that, causing Agda to wonder what kind of funny thing she'd said without realizing it.
"Colette will be happy to have a pupil after all this time", the Altmer giggled. "Nonetheless, girl, you first need to prove me your skills. Let's start with something simple. Can you cast a firebolt?"
Agda frowned. Of course she could cast a firebolt.
The girl's facial expression was probably very ambiguous, as Faralda mistook it for embarrassment and immediately proceeded to reassure her.
"Oh dear, sometimes I forget I'm dealing with you Nords!", the Altmer said. "Any other spell will be just fine, dear. If you want, I can teach you something myself. I'm a Destruction trainer".
Stifling the urge to roll her eyes, Agda realized that Faralda was just trying to be nice - after all, social awkwardness was one of the biggest qualities of mages and wizards worldwide. With a sigh, the girl proceeded to summon a Flame Atronach, so that the Altmer could finally understand that she was dealing with a decent mage.
Faralda looked really impressed by the way Agda had effortlessly managed to evoke that creature. Smiling, she allowed the young Nord to cross the bridge leading to the College. As she followed that tall woman, Agda noticed the blue rays of light formed by the weird rounded structures along the passage.
"They're our focal points", Faralda explained her.
Agda was amazed by the discovery, just like she was amazed by the sight of the College courtyard.
The huge statue of Shalidor stood in its center, whereas the grey walls of the building circled the area. The little gate leading to the yard opened as soon as Faralda and the girl approached it.
As she looked around that cozy place, Agda took in many little details: the wonderful windows of the fortress-like building, the tall trees around the statue of Shalidor, the way the stone cloak of the effigy seemed to float in the wind. At last the girl noticed two people talking in front of a very big door.
"That's Mirabelle Ervine", Faralda said while pointing Agda in the direction of a small Breton woman. "She's the Master Wizard of the College and will tell you everything you need to know about our institution. Oh, and welcome in Winterhold, girl".
Agda thanked Faralda with a smile, then walked up to Mirabelle. As she did, the girl froze in her steps - the Breton was namely talking to the man Agda was supposed to spy during her time in Winterhold.
Ancano, the member of the Thalmor who had raised Delphine's worries in the first place, was as slender and tall as any other man from his land. He had beautiful chiseled traits and was probably considered handsome by many people. Nonetheless, Agda couldn't suppress a shiver when she saw him - apparently, she still hadn't forgotten the way the Thalmor had tried to kill her after torturing her at length.
As Agda stopped in the courtyard, she heard Mirabelle Ervine say some poisonous words to Ancano.
"You may be used to the Empire bowing to your every whim, but I'm afraid you'll find the Thalmor receive no such treatment here", the little woman warned the Altmer. "You are a guest of the College, here at the pleasure of the Arch-Mage. I hope you appreciate the opportunity".
Upon hearing those words, Agda's heart swelled with relief. She already liked Mirabelle: from her attitude it looked as though Ancano was going to have a very difficult time prying into the business of the College.
After replying to Mirabelle's words with a false smile, the Thalmor turned his back to the Breton. As Agda accidentally crossed eyes with him, she felt a weird tingle on the back of her neck: everything inside her body was screaming at her to get away from that dangerous man.
When the Altmer noticed the Nord girl who was standing a few feet away from him, his lips curled in a smile. At that moment he looked like a bird of prey ready to feast on a defenseless rabbit. As she thought of Bucky, Agda couldn't help but shiver.
"Another new Apprentice, I see", Ancano said with a mellifluous tone. Unlike Agda, the man seemed quite pleased to meet her. "Are you of the sort that believe you're here to change the world? Or are you only in it for yourself?"
Before Agda could get past the confusion caused by that question, Ancano spoke again.
"I assure you that I shall be watching all of you very closely", he said with a very unsettling grin.
And here we were, thinking that Ancano could be shy about revealing his true goals at the College, Agda thought with a snort.
As the young apprentice watched the tall Altmer leave the courtyard, she was approached by Mirabelle Ervine. The Breton was smaller than her and looked younger than Agda had first thought.
"Another new student!", the Breton said with a tired but affectionate smile. "Welcome to the College, girl".
Agda thanked Mirabelle for her welcoming, then said that Faralda had suggested she talked to her. Upon hearing those words, the Breton's face lit up. A moment later, she offered to take the girl on a brief tour of the College.
"We'll take a little stroll around here, then you'll be able to meet your colleagues", she kindly told Agda. "I'm surprised at how many students there are lately".
Agda felt both nervous and excited at the mention of her future colleagues. She hoped she could make friends with them, but she also feared that their skills would be much better than hers.
Smiling, Mirabelle started telling Agda about the history of the College. First of all the Breton showed her new pupil the Hall of the Elements, the huge room where most of the lectures took place; Mirabelle also allowed Agda a sneak peek into the Arcanaeum, the library of the College. When she saw the thousands of books stored in there, the young Nord let her jaw drop open – to her, that huge place was Sovngarde incarnated.
Chuckling at her pupil's enthusiasm, Mirabelle showed Agda the way to the Arch-Mage's quarters, then she led her to the Hall of Attainment, a two stored circular structure with many little bedrooms lined up along the walls.
"Unfortunately we've had to implement more stringent entry procedures, due to some problems with the local Nords", Mirabelle sighed as she approached the door to the hall.
Agda was taken aback by that revelation.
"A man criticized me for being a mage", she confessed to Mirabelle. "Are all the people in Winterhold like that?"
"I don't like generalizations, Agda", Mirabelle said with a kind, mother-like tone. "Yet, I'm afraid that people like Ranmir are the rule here in Winterhold. Don't worry, however: here at the College you'll be perfectly safe".
"Does the Altmer you were talking to have something to do with this?", Agda asked after gathering all her courage. "With the local people disliking us, I mean".
Mirabelle sighed.
"The Nords have criticized us for many years now, but Ancano's presence in Winterhold has suceeded in the difficult task of increasing their hatred towards us. The city is currently under the jurisdiction of the Stormcloaks, and Ulfric has never been fond of the Thalmor".
Before Agda could ask more questions about Ancano's role at the College, Mirabelle showed her a little room next to the entrance door of the hall.
"This is where you'll be staying, Agda", she announced. "Also, here are some new robes. You're not required to wear them, but you may find them more to your liking than your current clothes".
Agda was pleasantly surprised when Mirabelle handed her Novice Robes of Destruction. Sure, she would have preferred clothes related to Restoration, but Destruction was probably the most popular school of magic amidst the new students.
"You'll find out about that later", Mirabelle said when Agda asked her for information about the Restoration lessons. "Now just rest. You'll soon meet your colleagues, then you'll start with the first lessons tomorrow. I wish you a pleasant stay, Agda. Also, let me know if you encounter any problem. I live right here, on the second floor".
The young Nord thanked Mirabelle for her kindness, then explored the hall where she'd be living for the few following months. The place was empty, therefore Agda was free to move around as she wished. The girl examined the focal point in the middle of the ground floor, the different cubicles around it, the moth-eaten banners of the College. When she found the courage to reach the second floor, Agda noticed a cozy dining area, a lounge and a some barrells full of wine and food. That place was already growing on her.
As Agda tried to put on her new robes, however, she soon realized the biggest downside of the College dorm: since the cubicles had no doors, privacy and modesty were probably going to become a luxury. Also, the girl would probably need to learn some spells to scare potential intruders away from her room.
After making sure that no one was around, Agda quickly changed into her new clothes. As soon as she tied the last lace to her trousers, the door to the Hall burst open, allowing three people to make their appearance.
"You are new, yes?"
When Agda turned her head, she was greeted by a Khajit looking right in her direction.
"This one is J'zargo", he said with what sounded like a low purr. "Have you mastered the Expert level destruction spells yet?"
Agda blinked at the unexpected questions.
"What?"
The Kahjit huffed.
"This is disappointing. J'zargo hoped there might be one who could keep pace with his accomplishments".
Before Agda could process those words, the Khajit disappeared from her sight.
"Don't worry about J'zargo", one of the other newcomers said. He was a tall boy with unmistakable Nordic traits. "He's a bit competitive".
"So I've noticed", Agda chuckled. "By the way, it's good to see another Nord".
The boy smiled and for a second he and Agda giggled stupidly at each other - it was nice to know that she wasn't the only Nord student at the College.
"I feared I'd be the only one too", the boy chuckled as though he'd just read Agda's mind. "The name's Onmund, by the way. Oh, and this is Brelyna".
Only then did Agda noticed the shy-looking Dunmer behind Onmund. Agda knew about the many Grey Elves who moved to Winterhold after the Eruption of the Red Mountain, so she wondered whether Brelyna was a refugee too.
"Before you even ask, yes I have an ancestry steeped in magic, and no I don't want to talk about it", the Dunmer unexpectedly snapped. "Yes, I know Winterhold used to be full of my kind, and no I don't care that they're all gone now."
Blinking, Agda wondered why all the other students seemed able to read her mind.
"Err, sorry", she stuttered when confronted with Brelyna's harsh manners. "I didn't mean to pry. Actually, I'd never dream of asking you such personal questions on our very first meeting".
Brelyna seemed to relax upon hearing those words. Agda was sure she could see the Dunmer blush under her dark skin.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to assume", the Dark Elf said. "I'm Brelyna Maryon, of House Telvanni. First of my family to leave Morrowind in a long time. Now I'm here to study Conjuration".
Agda nodded, surprised by what she'd already learned about the new apprentices of the College - she wanted to work as a healer, J'zargo was a competitive student who dreamed of enhancing his destruction skills, Brelyna was keen on becoming a sorceress, Onmund looked like a friendly puppy ready to do anything just to gain people's affection.
Agda had no idea what Ancano was up to, or why the members of the College smirked every time she mentioned her love for Restoration. Nonetheless, one thing she knew: there was no way she would get bored in Winterhold.