Author's note:
As usual, I thank all my readers, followers and favoriters for their support. The special mentions of the day go to Guest and KSausage for their nice reviews. That carriage driver was quite hateful and in this chapter we'll find out more about him. Also, a huge thank you to KSausage for pointing out my lore-related mistakes. I definitely have some troubles with that kind of things, so it's great to get some help from my readers.
Just like Guest, I was really looking forward to the next chapter of this story; as a consequence, here I am with the second instalment of the week (I was very excited about it and I just couldn't wait to post it).
Since Agda isn't a warrior and the College quest line is full of battles, I thought it would be good for her to meet up with an old friend who could help her improve her fighting skills. Also, this instalment describes the first week Agda spent at the College.
Enjoy!
19th of Last Seed 202, 4E
Agda spent her first evening in Winterhold at the College. She had dinner with Brelyna and Onmund, thus discovering more about their sweet personalities and the soft looks they exchanged once in a while - although they'd been in Winterhold for less than a week, the two young mages already looked very fond of each other.
During dinner Agda also had the chance to learn more about her teachers. Tolfdir was a funny old man who loved talking to his students, whereas Mirabelle Ervine was kind and protective; Enthir seemed disgusted by the simple sight of his new pupils, whereas Arniel Gane spent the whole evening reading and trying to eat his soup with a fork. Ancano, on the other hand, didn't show up at all.
When Agda discovered that the Thalmor's room was on the same floor as hers, she promised herself she would forsake sleep in order to spy on him. Nonetheless, after a few minutes in her soft bed the girl was already snoring as loud as a cave bear.
After her first day in Winterhold, Agda was completely, utterly exhausted.
When Agda woke up, she felt a weird weight on her legs. Tooo sleepy to open her eyes, she wondered why she was experiencing that unpleasant feeling.
Had her cat jumped on her bed during the night?
Nope, that furry monster had remained in Wayrest.
Had Delphine left a heavy barrel of beer at her feet so that Agda would be forced to find a place for it in the inn?
Nope, Delphine was in Sky Haven Temple, whereas Agda wasn't in Riverwood anymore.
Was Steinarius sleeping with his legs (and, apparently, his cuirass and his shield and his greatsword too) on hers?
Nope, the man was in some weird place beginning with S- and ending with -heim. Also, he had dumped her more than two months earlier.
But what was going on then?
Whimpering, Agda rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them. When she found herself face-to-face with a short Breton woman, the girl couldn't stifle a scream.
"Hush, my dear, hush! Am I really that ugly?"
Before Agda could overcome her surprise, the weird woman grabbed her by the elbow and spoke again.
"Oh, it's been so long since I last had a pupil! The name's Colette Marette and I'm the Master trainer of Restoration here at the College. You must be Agda, right?"
Despite her confusion, the girl nodded. Behind Colette she could see the Hall of Attainment clad in darkness and Onmund tossing and turning in his bed. No doubt he'd been awoken by her scream.
"What time is it?"
"Time to learn, my dear pupil!", Colette said with an enthusiastic smile. "It's good for your health to wake up at dawn every day".
Agda would have begged to differ, but she was forced to shut up when Colette handed her some new robes.
"Restoration clothes", she explained. "I bought them yesterday evening from Birna. When I found out about you, I was incredibly pleased!"
Agda had no idea who Birna was, but she knew how expensive Restoration robes were. As a consequence, she was astonished by Colette's gift.
"Don't worry girl, it's just a little present to my best and only student", the Breton said. "Come on now, we'll need to eat if we want you to learn something!"
When Agda reached the dining area of the hall, she was tempted to grab a sweetroll and eat it. Luckily enough, she held back when she realized the way Colette was looking at her.
"We have to be perfectly fit if we want to take care of others", the Breton said with a slight tone of reproach.
Stifling the urge to sigh, Agda grabbed a sad-looking apple and took a bite. She hated fruit, but she was ready to go miles to impress her teacher.
Colette kept on behaving like crazy for the rest of the morning. She had Agda parade through the whole College while she was busy screaming at her colleagues that she finally had a pupil too, "and who is the loser now, Sergius? Uh? Who doesn't have any pupil this year? Not Colette Marence, my dear, not me!"
By midday Agda had already understood the reason why Colette was considered a weirdo by most of her colleagues. Luckily enough, at that point the Breton took her to a cozy lounge in the Hall of Attainment and finally got down to business.
"You said that you good with alchemy", the Breton said as she looked Agda with an unusual piercing gaze. "That always comes in handy for healers like us. Tell me, have you ever used Restoration magic on someone?"
Agda nodded. She told Colette about Hilde's problems, about the time Alvor had hurt himself with a hammer, about Ralof's injury in a fight; she told her about Erik's burnings, about Adaeze's concussion, about the time she healed a hunter who'd come down with Ataxia. At last, Agda recalled the many times she'd nursed Steinarius back to health: she remembered healing his twisted ankle in Alvor's house, taking care of his tiredness after he'd escaped the Thalmor embassy, preparing him weak sleeping draughts when he'd remained in Riverwood around New Life Festival. Then the girl recalled the way Steinarius had been poisoned by that vampire, the way she'd helped him with his laboured breathing and frantic heartbeat, the way she'd caressed his hair when he'd started mumbling and screaming in his sleep. Agda also remembered the way she'd tried to mend the Imperial's broken heart, but she didn't tell Colette about that – after all, that had been her biggest failure, and not only as far as her healing skills went.
Although Agda tried to keep a detached tone throughout her narration, Colette seemed to notice that she had a sweet spot for the man she'd nursed back to health so many times. Also, the Breton realized that Agda was a very promising student. As a consequence, she swore to herself that she would help her become one of the best healers the College of Winterhold had ever produced.
Over the following days Agda fell into a comfortable routine: she would spend her mornings with Colette, then she would listen to the lectures in the main hall. After that, Agda would retire in the library or practice some spells with Brelyna and Onmund. At last, during the evenings she'd enjoy dinner while reading a good book.
Over that short amount of time, Agda learned many things about her fellow students and her teachers. J'zargo for example wasn't keen on making new friends and often spent most of the day in the courtyard of the College, where he would hide behind trees and try his self-made spells. Whenever Agda asked him about his discoveries, the Khajit would reply in a very unpleasant tone. Quite unlike J'zargo, Onmund was friendly and nice to everyone. Nonetheless, the boy clearly felt unease at the thought of forsaking the traditions of his family in order to become a mage. Brelyna had no similar problems, but her shyness tended to make her look awkward. Also, the Dunmer's experiments often proved to be risky and unsuccessful.
As far as the other residents of the College were concerned, Agda soon learned that they all had very different personalities: Mirabelle was sweet, Faralda was always ready to help, Colette hated everyone who didn't share her love for Restoration; Enthir was arrogant, Tolfdir was absent-minded, Drevis could be adorably weird; Arniel was always working on his projects, Urag was grumpy but helpful, Phinis was as shady as every other Necromancer; last but not least, Nirya didn't miss any opportunity to criticize Faralda or Mirabelle or the Arch-mage. As far as the latter was concerned, Agda soon realized that Savos Aren spent a lot of time in his office, where Ancano would visit him very often. Due to that fact, during her first week at the College the young Nord didn't manage to find out anything about the two of them.
Soon enough, Agda was asked to choose her main fields of interest as a student. As well as dealing with Restoration and learning as much as she could about alchemy, the girl decided to acquire some skills in Enchantment - after all, if she wanted to become a good healer, she needed to learn how weapons could be deadly altered through magic.
Sergius Turrianus was a harsh and stern teacher, and at first he didn't hide his discontent at being forced to deal with a girl who couldn't even swing a sword. Nonetheless, Agda soon proved to be a very dedicated and meticolous pupil with a special sense for detecting the enchantments weapons sported. Deep inside, Sergius was glad to have such a good apprentice under his wings.
At the end of her first week in Winterhold, Agda had a very pleasant surprise: in order to help the new apprentices blend in, Mirabelle had organized a special party at the local inn. When she discovered about it, the girl sighed in relief: after a very tough couple of days, she was more than willing to relax for a few hours.
The evening at the Frozen Hearth went by smoothly. The inn was little but cozy, not unlike the Sleeping Giant. As she absent-mindedly drank some brandy, Agda couldn't help but think of her friends back in Riverwood.
Towards midnight, when all the mages were about to leave, a group of guards entered the building. Two of them were tall Nord men with very long beards and threatening scars, whereas the third was completely different. As Agda recognized Adaeze's dark skin, her lean built and her raven-black hair, she couldn't believe her eyes - and when the Redguard saw her best friend, she couldn't believe it either.
The girls soon found themselves talking without breaks, giggling at each other, laughing stupidly when they said the same things at the same time.
After saying goodbye to their colleagues and sitting down at a little table in the most hidden corner of the inn, the two friends could finally express their surprise at their unexpected meeting.
"I know you'd left your job in Riften, but I didn't expect you to become a townsguard here!", Agda said.
"Well, I hadn't expected my favorite innkeeper to turn up at the College either", Adaeze chuckled in reply. "I know you are proficient with magic, but this is a huge surprise!"
In an attempt to provide Adaeze with a believable reason for her presence in Winterhold, Agda shrugged.
"I'd grown tired of living in Riverwood. I was looking for new thrills and for a better job, so I decided to join the College and become a healer. By the way, what are you doing here? In your last letter you mentioned a job as a huscarl in Markarth!"
Adaeze sighed.
"I told you a few lies, Agda", she admitted with a sheepish smile. "Actually, I had a lot of bad adventures in Markarth. I even risked to end up in Cidhna Mine".
Confronted with Agda's shocked expression, Adaeze proceeded to tell her the truth about the previous months of her life.
"You remember when I mentioned working for an organization in Riften, don't you?"
Agda nodded.
"And you remember when I told you that said organization paid me really well, right?"
Agda nodded again.
"And have you ever had any doubt about that organization?"
When Agda shook her head, Adaeze sighed. The girl's naivete was really astonishing – either that, or Agda couldn't think ill or her friends.
"I was a member of the Thieves Guild, Agda", Adaeze revealed her. "That's why I could make so much money in such a short amount of time".
The mage blinked in confusion for a few seconds.
"But... But why would a girl like you join the Guild?", Agda asked when she finally overcame her surprise. The Nord sounded both shocked and confused. "You're a good warrior, you could make a living out of that!"
Adaeze sighed. There were parts of her past that were very shady, and despite her faith in the whole honesty is the best policy thing, the Redguard decided to keep them hidden from Agda. She wasn't ready to tell her about her past as a thief in Bravil - actually, Adaeze thought she would never be ready to reveal that to anyone. Nonetheless, the girl believed that Agda deserved to learn the full truth about the previous year of her life.
"When you first met me, I'd just tried to cross the border between Cyrodiil and Skyrim ", the Redguard said while looking her friend in the eyes. "I was a thief back then too, and I was running away from the guards of Bruma. I chose that life after my parents died".
Agda frowned. She already knew about the tragic destiny of Adaeze's parents - when their only daughter was only ten, the two unlucky Redguards had been murdered by the Thalmor.
"But why would you look for the Guild even in Skyrim?", Agda asked Adaeze. "You could have stayed in Riverwood, get yourself an honest life, find a…"
"Find a fine man like Hadvar", the Redguard chuckled. "I'm sorry, Agda. I know you thought me to be better than that. Actually, I went to Riften because I have a Redguard friend there. I wanted her to find me a decent job, but I quickly realized that thieving was the only thing I'm good at. Old habits die hard, I suppose".
Agda realized that there was a lot Adaeze wasn't telling her, but decided not to press on the matter - after all, the poor Redguard already looked very embarrassed.
"A thief turned guard", Agda chuckled in an attempt to raise Adaeze's spirit. "That's a story to tell. But why did you actually give up your former job? Did you want a honest life or was there something else?"
"I left just because the Thieves Guild is having a lot of bad luck", Adaeze explained. "As a consequence, their leaders come up with very stupid ideas. They even created a fake network of carriage drivers in order to increase their entries, but it isn't really working".
At the mention of those fake carriage drivers, Agda frowned.
"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the guy I hired in Dawnstar the other day…"
"Vipir? If he's a carriage driver, I am a mushroom. Have you paid him a lot of money?"
When Agda nodded, Adaeze sighed.
"I'm sorry dear, I wished I could have warned you. The second in command of the Guild decided to have some of us work as carriage drivers after we accidentally got hold of a decent horse. Sadly enough, that project isn't paying off at all - actually, when I first rode to Markarth with our stolen horse and our little carriage, I almost ended up in jail. That's why I decided to leave the Guild: I wasn't going to put up with their ridiculous plans anymore".
"But why exactly did you choose to become a guard?", Agda asked in confusion. "And in Winterhold, of all places!"
Adaeze slightly blushed.
"You remember Hadvar, don't you?"
Agda huffed. Of course she remembered Hadvar.
"Well, he was stationed in the Rift for most of last year", Adaeze explained. "After our argument on New Life Festival, I reached his camp and begged him to forgive me. I know I shouldn't have slept with Sven, but I was so drunk! Also, that night Hadvar was stroking a pillar and believing it was me, so he wasn't doing much better".
Agda had to admit that Adaeze had a point.
"Sadly enough, that stubborn stinky baboon didn't even want to see me, let alone talk to me", the Redguard snorted. "When I reached his camp for the fourth time in ten days, his captain told me that he was gone. Therefore, after I left the Guild, I decided to join the Stormcloaks and take revenge on that psycho".
Agda deadpanned.
"You did what?"
Adaeze blushed.
"Listen, I wasn't thinking rationally, ok? I just wanted to take revenge on the stinky baboon. By the way, I didn't pass the admittance test. I almost froze to death while trying to reach the island where I was supposed to prove my value or do some stupid Nordic thing like that, so I backed down here in Winterhold. The Jarl was looking for new guards, so I applied for the job".
Agda blinked in astonishment.
"In few words, you joined the Winterhold guards because your project of becoming a Stormcloak and killing Hadvar failed", she repeated.
"I wasn't planning to kill him!", Adaeze protested. When someone said it out loud, her plan for revenge sounded even more stupid tan it actually was. "More like mutilate him, or maim him permanently, but I never meant to kill him! I was a thief, not a member of the Dark Brotherhood!"
Agda burst into laughter at her friend's shocked expression. In an attempt to change topic, Adaeze suddenly remembered about Steinarius.
"Apropos, how are things between you and Crepusculus?", the Redguard said while blinking an eye. "It's been a while since you last sent me a letter, and it's been even longer since you last mentioned him".
When Agda stopped laughing and gave her an eloquent look, Adaeze banged her fist on the table.
"Come on, Agda of Anvil: let's get to Windhelm, join the Stormcloaks and go maim our loved ones. That's the perk of having your best friend falling for a man of the Legion too!"
Agda laughed, but there was no happiness in that sound – just bitterness and a huge amount of sadness.
"We were together, Adaeze. Steinarius and I, I mean".
Adaeze's hazel eyes became huge with surprise.
"Together? Like… Together together?", she asked with a very explicit gesture.
"Together together", Agda confirmed.
Confronted with her sad look, Adaeze frowned.
"Oh girl, I would have never told that Steinarius was such a bad lover! You look distraught! Did he have problems down south?"
"He didn't have problems down south", Agda snorted. "Actually, his problems were all up north. I'm afraid the boy is about to get mad". There was a brief pause, then Agda spoke again. "He wished my brother to die, then he dumped me".
Adaeze was shocked by those words. As she draped her arms around Agda and allowed her to cry on her shoulder, the Redguard realized that, all in all, Steinarius Crepusculus deserved to be maimed much more than her adorable stinky baboon did.
On the following morning, as Agda walked up the stairs to have breakfast in the Hall of Attainment, she felt as though she was moving around in her sleep.
After a heavy night of drinking and cursing and insulting Steinarius together with Adaeze, the girl had no idea how she'd managed to find her way back to the College. Also, her head felt dizzy because of the tears she'd shed over the Imperial - right when Agda thought she'd got over him, her memory had taken the chance to remind her that nope, there was no way she could forget about the first man she'd ever really loved.
Agda' sleepiness continued for the rest of the day. Sergius got mad at her when she accidentally used a major soul gel rather than a minor one, whereas Colette told her off in an unusually harsh way. Nonetheless, the first lesson with Tolfdir was enough for the girl to shake off her tiredness. While Agda was fighting hard to stay awake, the man namely said something that deeply affected her.
"I'll be waiting for you in Saarthal in two days", the old mage smiled at the end of his lecture. "See you there!"
Agda deadpanned. Saarthal was the very stuff legends were made of – also, it was the kind of stuff young mages who couldn't even swing a sword feared with all their heart and mind and soul.
"What does it mean that Tolfdir will be waiting for us in Saarthal?", the girl asked J'zargo. If there was one person who knew what was going on, that was the zealant Khajit.
"Haven't you heard what the wise old wizard said?", J'zargo asked in disbelief. "This one is going to Saarthal to help along with the excavations. Oh, and J'zargo's colleagues are coming too".
When she heard those words, Agda felt on the brink of fainting. With the fastest speed her brain could muster at that moment, the girl realized a few things.
Firstly, she couldn't act ill in order to avoid Saarthal – after all, Colette would notice that in less than a heartbeat.
Secondly, if she was to survive Saarthal, she needed to go to the library and ask what kind of creatures dwelled in there. Also, she probably needed to pray to the Nine Divines - actually, including some prayers to the Divinities of Mer looked like a very good idea too.
Thirdly, if the Gods weren't going to help her, Agda needed a sword, or whatever else could cut through an enemy's body in case her magicka ran out. Sadly enough, the girl also needed to learn how to swing said sword - and all in two days time.
As soon as she realized that, Agda grabbed her cloak and put off her lessons for that afternoon.
She needed Adaeze – and for once, the two girls would be training with weapons rather than drinking themselves to Oblivion.