Author's Note:
Ladies and gentlemen, here's the newest chapter from my story. Like MeanE pointed out, in the last instalment I really laid down the fluff - and I will continue to do so in this update. Stein will namely keep on his sweet behavior with Agda - and to Elspeth's joy, that will help the girl feel better. Moreover, like Valtieri correctly underlined, in this chapter we will slowly abandon the College questline and thread into new, (hopefully) exciting waters.
As usual, I thank all my readers and reviewers for their help and their support - and to answer kaibaeskyrim's question, I formally inform you that the updates for this story are very likely to be published in the weekend (on Sundays or Saturdays). This chapter, however, comes at a rather weird moment because of a rather simple reason: I'm off for two weeks of holiday and I fear I may not have enough time to update this story. Don't worry, though: I'll soon be back with the rest of Agda and Stein's adventures - and I can assure you that the next chapter will be rather interesting, as it will feature a NPC that has always fascinated me to no end. While waiting for that, however, here's the last product of my imagination: enjoy and have a lovely weekend!
As she laid her head on Steinarius' chest, Agda closed her eyes and sighed in content. When the Imperial tightened his grip on her and laid a gentle kiss on the top of her head, however, the young mage had to stifle an annoyed snort. There were dozens of people in the inn and Agda was trying hard to pass unnoticed; yet, Steinarius' ministrations were very likely to draw the attention of the whole population of Winterhold - and in her current situation, Agda didn't need to add the rumours of a romance with the Dragonborn to her already impressive list of worries.
Even after the Archmage whimpered in annoyance, Steinarius kept on gently stroking her back. Willing to put an end to that situation, Agda raised her head from his chest and made to pull away from him. Yet, when Steinarius gave her a worried look, the woman realized that she couldn't bring herself to abandon the warmth of his arms.
"Agds, what's wrong?", the man whispered, apprehension and sweetness and concern well present in his voice. "Are you tired?"
Sighing in defeat, Agda shook her head and buried her face in the crook of the Imperial' neck.
"I'm alright", she lied. "I just wanted to change position".
Steinarius visibly relaxed as he heard these words: he smiled, then he started stroking Agda's back once again. When the girl opened her eyes and realized that a few mages were observing her, however, she sighed for the umpteenth time.
Steinarius' suspicions were correct: she was tired, completely and utterly tired - tired of being at the center of attention, tired of dealing with her tasks, tired of his worries about her; but most of all, Agda was tired of pretending she was fine.
Ever since the young mage had regained consciousness, her fellow mages had been quick to lay thousands of responsibilities on her frail shoulders. Faralda and Colette often enquired about her health, sure, but they never managed to see past the show Agda put on every day in order to hide her sufferance from them. Everyone in Winterhold believed her to be fine, but she wasn't - and the only one who suspected something was Steinarius.
Agda was amazed by the change the Dragonborn had gone through over the previous few days: the troubled man she'd fallen in love with was now showing a new, softer side, a side he'd probably buried after Vigdis abandoned him. Steinarius was incredibly sweet and always tried to make Agda laugh with his jokes, with his compliments, even with his behavior - and the way he was goofily dancing with her right then was the best proof of it. Moreover, the usually tactless Imperial had often tried to bring the young mage to talk to him about Ancano, about her scars, about her job, even about her nightmares. Yet, although she appreciated his efforts, Agda had the feeling that she couldn't utterly trust Steinarius. A mighty warrior and lethal soldier, in her opinion the Dragonborn couldn't understand what she'd been through; also, he'd already hurt her on many occasions - and in Agda's opinion, his efforts in cheering her up couldn't change the worst sides of his personality; on top of that, Steinarius was soon meant to leave Winterhold in order to try and defeat the Nordic God of Destruction - and after everything she'd experienced, Agda knew better than getting entangled with a man who was likely to die in few weeks time. That's why, when he asked her for the upmteenth time whether she was fine, the Archmage simply nodded and let Steinarius believe that his sweetness was enough to make her forget her past.
After all, if they were part soon, the girl wanted her friend to leave Winterhold without worries.
When Agda told him that she was fine, Steinarius fondly smiled. The man was feeling as light as a feather: he was warm and safe, the tavern was full of people who considered him a hero, Agda was resting in his arms. Unfortunately for the Dragonborn, that moment of unexpected bliss wasn't meant to last.
When the door to the inn burst open, everyone turned their heads. Upon seeing two strangers enter the hall, nobody spoke. Yet, when one of the newcomers shed her hood to reveal a mane of shiny black hair and a pair of beautiful hazel eyes, all the guards of Winterhold burst into a loud applause.
"Adaeze, I knew you were alive!", Herius, their leader, screamed from the top of his lungs. The Imperial was visibly drunk and seemed keen on expressing his joy at meeting his colleague. "We missed you so much!"
Adaeze smiled, but Steinarius could see that she was still recovering from her injury: her face was namely paler than usual, whereas her movements were slow and careful.
The Redguard greeted her colleagues, then she cast a glance across the room. When her eyes found Agda's, the two women remained still for a moment; then, the young mage abandoned Steinarius' embrace and enveloped her best friend in a tight hug. Despite the pain in her abdomen, Adaeze didn't protest.
"Be careful, you two", the man who had walked inside the inn together with the beautiful Redguard chuckled. "You'll end up hurting each other".
As that bearded Nord spoke, Agda freed Adaeze from her hug and pulled a rather shocked expression.
She'd just recognized that gruff soldier.
"HADVAR?", the mage asked, disbelief well evident in her voice.
The man chuckled, then he nodded.
"At your service, Agda", he solemnly stated, a hint of playfulness in his brown eyes. "And of course, I'm at the service of my former captain too", Hadvar added as soon as he noticed Steinarius.
Before the young soldier and the Dragonborn could shake hands, Adaeze surprised them by enveloping them in a tight hug.
"My favourite boys from the Legion!", the Redguard sighed in content. "Without you, I would have already died twice! Here, let me thank you both at the same time!"
As they remembered the way they'd rescued Adaeze in Helgen, Steinarius and Hadvar exchanged a quick glance. Luckily for them, Agda was quick to ask the innkeeper for a private room, thus causing Adaeze to release the men from her hug and to follow the young mage to the other side of the tavern.
Once the four friends took seat in that comfortable retreat, Agda was quick to enquire about Adaeze's latest adventures. The young mage hadn't seen the Redguard in a while and was absolutely delighted by her presence in Winterhold.
Prompted by Agda's questions, Adaeze was quick to recount her recent fight against death. She asked the innkeeper for a tankard of ale, whereas the mage ordered the usual bottle of brandy. Beside the two women, Hadvar and Steinarius were both curious to find out more about the events that had taken place since their last meeting.
"I was consciousless for a whole week after that thief stabbed me", Adaeze said after the innkeeper finally brought her ale. "Luckily enough, Hadvar never left my bedside for the whole time. Moreover, one evening he disobeyed his orders and took me to see a priest of Mara - and by doing so, he saved my life. Had it not been for him..."
When Adaeze trailed off, her eyes were briefly shadowed by fear and worry. Upon noticing her distress, Hadvar was quick to lay a hand on her arm and give it a gentle squeeze - and the Redguard replied by casting him an adoring glance. While observing that scene, both Agda and Steinarius noticed the loving look in Hadvar's brown eyes, the tenderness with which he was squeezing Adaeze's arm, the way the two warriors seemed to revel in each other's company. Nor the Dragonborn nor the Archmage knew what to make of that.
"Are you two...", Steinarius began while pointing at Hadvar and Adaeze. The warriors looked tired because of the long journey to Winterhold, but they also seemed overjoyed because of their proximity to each other.
"Hadvar is my rescuer and my guide", Adaeze replied before Steinarius could end his question. "And I wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the whole wide world".
The soldier blushed at that, a fact that caused Agda and Steinarius to frown. Was Adaeze taking advantage of the man' sweetness or was she actually serious about her relationship with him?
Before either of them could pose that delicate question, Adaeze swayed their attention by asking them what happened to Ancano.
"I hope he died a horrible death!", the Redguard stated. "Steinarius told me what he did to you, Agda", she added while giving the young mage a long, meaningful look. "That bastard is the foulest creature ever".
Hadvar sternly nodded, whereas Agda lowered her gaze. Steinarius, on the other hand, inwardly cursed: right when Agda seemed to be doing better, there came Adaeze with her curiosity - and to make things even worse, the Redguard soon asked her friend to show her her new scars.
"Come on, it's not the first time I see some old gashes!", Adaeze encouraged a rather shy Agda. "And then, I'm sure they won't be worse than the ones good old Dirge has all over his body".
Hadvar asked who Dirge was, whereas Steinarius focused his attention on Agda. Somehow, he had the feeling that her evening was about to take a turn for the worst.
"You don't have to do this".
When Steinarius spoke, Adaeze frowned. For the previous fifteen minutes she, the Imperial and Hadvar had been showing each other their brand new scars. In particular, Adaeze had already asked everyone to take a good look at the deep gash in her stomach, whereas Steinarius had briefly unbuttoned his shirt in order to display the way Ancano had barely missed his heart with his dagger. Hadvar had replied by showing everyone a cut that had almost torn his arm away from his body, while Agda hadn't said anything at all for the whole time. Now, however, it was her turn to show her new scars.
"Don't be silly, Steinarius", Adaeze commented when confronted with the man' worry for Agda. "I don't see why she shouldn't allow us to see her scars. Our girl knows that she's among friends and she also knows there's nothing to fear!"
Agda shouldn't show you her scars because she still hasn't got used to them, the Dragonborn made to reply. Also, she thinks they make her look ugly. Oh, and don't forget that you, Adaeze, can be rather blunt at the least appropriate moment - and right now my girl needs someone calm and sweet and soothing, not someone who will tell her how horrible she looks now that her face has been disfigured.
By the time Steinarius managed to force those thoughts into a coherent sentence, however, it was already too late: with a sigh, Agda had washed away the ointment that hid her scars from sight - and when she turned to look Hadvar and Adaeze in the eyes, Steinarius could clearly see how much the Archmage feared their reaction.
Confronted with the ugly scars on Agda's face, the two warriors were silent for a long moment. Surprisingly enough, it was Hadvar who broke the silence: the soldier produced a low hiss, then he frowned.
"That bastard...", was all he managed to utter.
The young Nord had never seen anything like that: the skin along Agda' scars was red and raw, whereas beneath them it was bluish and bruised. The cuts covered all of the mage's face and traced complex patterns across her chin, her nose, her forehead, even her lips. Two particularly ugly gashes began at the corner of her mouth, ran throughout her cheeks and joined together in the middle of her forehead - and in that way, it was almost impossible to look Agda in the eyes without paying attention to that horrible scar.
Even after Hadvar broke the silence, Adaeze seemed unable to speak. The Redguard had covered her mouth with her hands and looked shocked and sad and mortified because of her friend's injuries.
"My God, Agds... I've never seen such nasty scars!", she squeaked when she finally found her voice. Steinarius was slightly relieved by those words: after all, he'd feared the Redguard to say much worse. Unfortunately, when Adaeze spoke next, the Imperial realized he'd rejoiced too early. "Your scars, they're... they're awful, Agdy! How... how will you manage to have a normal life with such a badly disfigured face?"
Adaeze's question was followed by a moment of tense silence. Steinarius felt his eyes slowly become golden and was very surprised when Agda produced a tiny smile.
"I wonder about that too", the girl admitted. "My mum still doesn't know about my scars, otherwishe she'd have a nervous breakdown - with such a badly disfigured face, finding a suitable husband for her already weird daughter will become even more complicated".
There was another moment of silence during which Adaeze seemed to believe that Agda was kidding. When the mage raised her eyes to the ceiling as if to force her tears to retreat into the back of her eyes, however, the Redguard realized the mistake she'd just made.
"Agda, I'm so, so sorry!", she cried out. "I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay", Agda broke her friend off. Her watery eyes contrasted with her smile. "After all, it's good to see that there is someone who still talks straight to my scarred face. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
When Agda hastily went for the door, Adaeze tried to grab her by the elbow. Hadvar, however, was quick to stop her.
Unlike the woman, Steinarius didn't try to block Agda: he allowed her to leave the inn, then he abandoned the tavern and started looking for her. Unfortunately, it wasn't an easy task: every person inside the tavern had seen the Archmage storm out of the "Frozen Hearth" with tears streaming down her face - and before he could finally reach her, the Dragonborn was forced to tell everyone the reason for her distress. In that way, the wall of lies the young Nord had carefully built around her crumbled to the ground in less than a heartbeat.
It took Steinarius a few minutes to finally locate Agda. The mage had cast many spells to hide her traces, but magic couldn't deceit a werewolf - and when the Dragonborn heard a frantic heartbeat coming from one of the abandoned houses of Winterhold, he immediately realized he'd found Agda' shelter.
Steinarius approached the small building, then he made to enter. Unsurprisingly, his friend had locked the front door with a spell.
"Agds, let me in", the Imperial kindly said. The mage didn't reply, a fact that caused him to let out an exasperated sigh. "Cutey pie, I'm alone", he added. "Adaeze and her babbling mouth are at the inn. By the way, she's very sorry for being so mean to you".
Steinarius patiently waited for a response, but Agda seemed determined to ignore him. Sighing again, the Dragonborn wearily laid his head against the wooden wall of the dismissed house.
"Agds, you know that I could shout open this door in no time", he reminded the young mage. "Yet, I'm really in no mood to receive an angry letter from the Greybeards. Please, cutey pie: don't make this worse than it already is".
For a long moment Steinarius believed that Agda was still ignoring him. As a consequence, when the door to the dismissed house slowly creaked open, the man almost couldn't believe his eyes.
Walking on his tiptoes, the Dragonborn slowly entered the building, which was actually nothing more than a ruin: it had no roof and no windows, therefore the snow and the cold wind of Skyrim could blow through it without any problem. Sitting on the ground of what had probably been the main hall of the house, Agda was warming her hands with the help of a little fire.
"You've come here to pity me, haven't you?"
When Agda spoke, Steinarius was surprised by her depressed tone, by her sadness, by the way she couldn't bring herself to look at him. The man slowly sat down beside her, then he shook his head.
"No, Agds: I've come here because I want you to feel better".
"Really?", the mage scoffed. "And why would I feel better with you around rather than on my own?"
"You've already tried facing the aftermath of Ancano's death on your own", Steinarius replied. He wanted to speak his mind about Agda's difficult situation, therefore he went straight to the point. "Unfortunately, that didn't get you far. That's why I'm here: because I think that ou could use someone like me". When Agda made to object, the Dragonborn stopped her with a gesture. "Agds, I'm not going to tell you what you need to do to feel better", he gently explained her. "I'm not going to tell you that, because I honestly have no idea as to what you should do to forget Ancano and your problems. Nonetheless, I want to stay by you and help you, Agds: if you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to insult, or someone to talk to, just know I'm here".
When Agda shook her head, Steinarius was surprisingly relieved - judging from her blank expression from earlier, he actually hadn't expected the girl to pay him any attention.
"You have no idea what I'm going through, Steinarius, you really don't", the young mage whispered. "And that's why you cannot help me. No one can".
"If you tell me, I may be able to guess how you're feeling", the Imperial replied. "I'm not saying I will understand what you've been through: I'm just saying that, if you told me how you feel, then it'd be easier for me to realize what's going on and provide with the support you need".
When Agda shook her head again, Steinarius had to stifle a curse: in that moment he hated himself for his poor speech skills.
"I want to help you, Agds, I really do", he repeated, his desire to aid the poor girl well evident in his voice. "Just tell me how. I know quite a lot about pain and..."
"You know nothing about pain, Stein", the young mage broke him off with a humorless chuckle. "You have some scars, sure, but to you they are just glorious memories of old battles and victories. My scars, on the other hand, will always remind me of my sufferance and my humiliation. You don't know what Ancano did to me and you don't know how it feels to be tied to a table in a damp room that smells of death, with blood dripping down your spine and the hands of your torturer on your..."
When Agda trailed off and bit her lip in order to block the tears, Steinarius carefully laid a hand on her arm. Frida had informed him of the way Ancano had raped the poor girl, but the young mage had always avoided that topic.
"Every time I look myself in the mirror, I feel his hands on my body once again", Agda whispered once she regained her calm. She was shivering and her eyes were once again full of tears. "I feel his dagger cutting through my skin and my flesh, then I feel his whip leaving angry marks all over my spine and my chest and my stomach - and once I'm done feeling that, I relive the way he used me. Also, when I'm done feeling sorry for myself, I also feel sorry for Ranmir, Mirabelle and all the other people Ancano killed. Had I not played the brave little woman and ventured in the Midden on my own..."
When Agda felt a lump in her throat, she immediately stopped talking. Before she could realize it, heavy tears were streaming down her cheeks and violent sobs were wracking her shoulders.
"I can't do it, Stein", she said between the tears. "I can't forget about this and..."
When the girl trailed off again, the Dragonborn couldn't resist anymore: he took her in his arms, then he began stroking her back and kissing her cheeks. Steinarius allowed Agda to soak his chest with her tears, to grip his shirt with her hands, to say incoherent sentences against his neck, all while fighting the urge to shush her - that sweet girl had finally opened up to him and there was no way he would stop her from revealing him all of her pain.
"It's over, Agda, it's over", the Imperial gently whispered in her ears. "You're safe now and..."
"I'm not safe", the mage immediately replied. "I may be safe from pain when I'm awake, sure, but when I'm sleeping..."
When the girl sighed, Steinarius hugged her even tighter.
"Of all people, you should know that I'm an expert when it comes to nightmares", he told her with a cautious smile.
Agda hesitated for a brief second, then she finally told Steinarius about her bad dreams. Now that the man had broken through her walls, she seemed able to stop talking.
"Ever since I woke up in Dawnstar after being tortured, I have the same nightmare over and over again", the mage explained. "I'm in a remote place and I feel as though I'm looking for something. When I find it, a black globe of lights appears in front of me and orders me to surrender. It has a slow and seductive voice and it tells me that it's the only creature in Nirn who can give me what I desire. Sometimes... sometimes the globe mentions your name too. Also, on a few occasions you were with me in my nightmare and the creature said it already owns you".
As soon as he heard those words, Steinarius realized that he already knew what Agda was talking about.
"Agda, those nightmares... Are you sure that they began after you were tortured? Because I often have them too - and they began when I first reached Solstheim".
The young mage seemed confused by that revelation. Spurred by Steinarius' words, Agda slowly remembered many of the weird dreams she had after first joining the College - dreams of a strange creature that would swear to enslave her and the Dragonborn, that would laugh when confronted with their sufferance, that would hurt the man whenever it could.
Steinarius needed just one second to realize what the answer to his question was.
"Agds, the globe of light you see in your nightmares is actually a Daedra", he sternly explained the girl. "It's Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Lord of Knowledge. I met him while in Solstheim - and in order to kill Miraak, I had to become his Champion. That's why it says it already owns me".
Agda seemed completely shocked by the news: she opened her mouth to speak, then she seemingly changed her mind. When she tried to pull away from him, however, Steinarius kindly stopped her.
"Agds, I'm not going to hurt you", he reassured the girl. "Hermaeus Mora may have my soul, but he has no power over my actions".
Agda frowned at those words.
"Your soul? How... But then... if something should happen to you..."
"Imperials don't go to Sovngarde anyway", Steinarius told her with a sad smile. "I guess that when my time comes, the choice will be between Apocrypha and the Hunting Grounds".
"But how..."
With a sigh, Steinarius started recounting some of his adventures in Solstheim. He'd never had the chance to talk about them to anyone and he soon realized that he enjoyed reliving some of the experiences he'd had on the weird island. Unfortunately, the frequent mentions of Miraak and Hermaeus Mora soon caused Agda's face to be fixed into a permanent frown.
"Hermaeus Mora is also the Lord of Memory", the mage said after Steinarius explained her how he'd dispatched the First Dragonborn at the end of a heated fight. Only then did the man realize that she hadn't actually paid a lot of attention to the rest of his tales. "I think that's why I keep dreaming of him: ever since I woke up in Dawnstar, I've been obsessed by the way my memory was erased. Not even Vaermina's Torpor could help me understand what happened after Ancano dumped me in the ocean and that is something really weird".
Steinarius didn't say anything when Agda stopped talking. He'd often thought about her missing memories too, but he wasn't worried by them at all.
"Agds, if I must tell you the truth, I think nothing happened after Ancano dumped you in the ocean", he confessed to the young girl. "Someone probably found your body and brought you to Erandur, that's it. After all, two or three hours aren't enough to change one's life".
"Sometimes it takes just one second to change one's life", Agda sternly replied. Her deep fornw showed that she didn't agree at all with Steinarius' words. "Think of all the people who go hunting and mistakenly shoot an arrow at their partners: in those cases, a minute changes their lives once and for all".
Confronted with that objection, Steinarius had to admit that Agda was right.
"I didn't express my thoughts well", he said after telling the young mage that he agreed with her. "A minute can be very important, sure, but I believe nothing important happened after you were dumped in the ocean by Ancano. You were doing too bad for anything to happen, Agds".
"But then why did someone erase my memory?", the mage asked. Steinarius didn't miss the slight despair in her voice.
"Maybe they were criminals and they didn't want you to remember their faces", the Imperial answered with a shrug. "Maybe they feared you would accuse them of hurting you - or maybe it was Ancano who erased your memory".
When Agda furrowed her brow, Steinarius realized that he hadn't convinced her. Yet, the Imperial was keen on changing topic of conversation.
"Agds, stop worrying about that night", he gently suggested her. "Ancano is dead, you are alive: you're the winner and you don't need anything from anyone - not from me, not from Jarl Korir and all those who harass you, certainly not from Hermaeus Mora. You're an amazing woman and you shouldn't allow a pointy-eared bastard to destroy your life, or your happiness, or your confidence".
As he stopped talking, Steinarius carefully looked Agda in the eyes. The woman listened to him with great attention, then she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Stein", she whispered. "I mean it. Damn, I wish we'd had this talk sooner".
Steinarius chuckled at that, then he proceeded to leave a kiss on Agda's cheek.
"No need to thank me, cutey pie: you cheer me up when I'm down, I do the same for you. Deal?"
When the girl nodded, Steinarius couldn't stifle a satisfied smile. They remained in the dismissed house for the rest of the evening and the Dragonborn was simply overjoyed by the interest Agda showed for his adventures in Solstheim.
"You should see Neloth's village, Agds", he told the girl after describing her one of the many weird aspects of that exotic island. "That weirdo lives in a mushroom! And then there are the rieklings: little nasty things that I first mistook for pets. Netches, on the other hand, look rather threatening but are actually harmless. You should definitely visit that place if you get the chance: it's amazing".
When Agda smiled at his enthusiasm, Steinarius felt a wave of relief wash over him: thanks to his tales, the girl had finally forgotten her worries.
"You probably found a new lover in Solstheim, didn't you? A handsome man like you..."
The Dragonborn was taken aback by that question - and he was even more surprised by the mischievous light in Agda's eyes.
"Not really, Agds", he said. The Imperial was sure that his face had just become as red as a tomato. "I mean, Teldryn Sero probably had a thing on me, but while in Solstheim I could only think of Miraak and Hermaeus Mora. I didn't have the time to look for a new woman - and even if presented with the chance, I wouldn't have slept with anyone anyway. Back then we'd just broken up, so I was still thinking about that".
Agda nodded, then she produced a mysterious, distant smile.
"I know", she told the Dragonborn. "And I also know that you probably blamed for being a whiner and causing you to lose your temper".
Taken aback by that accusation, Steinarius frowned.
"Agds, I don't..."
Confronted with the man's terrified expression, the young mage let out a tiny laughter.
"I was kidding", she told him. A moment later, Agda buried her face in Steinarius' chest and hugged him tight. "Thank you for everything, Stein: I really mean it".
A moment later, when the girl kissed him lightly on the cheek, the Dragonborn couldn't resist anymore: he cupped her cheeks in his hands, then he proceeded to pepper her face with caresses and kisses - he kissed her forehead, her temples, her nose, her chin, even her jaw. When he reached her lips, however, Steinarius stopped: he lingered above them for a while, thus allowing his breath to tickle Agda's skin and permitting the young mage to decide whether to kiss him or not. The girl sighed in content and closed her eyes, but she didn't cover the distance that separated her from Steinarius - and when she pulled away from their hug, the Dragonborn let her without protests.
As an Imperial, he was used to showing his feelings through physical contact - and if Agda wasn't ready to reciprocate them, it wasn't a problem. After all, for the Dragonborn the most important thing was to know that she was happy and safe and serene.
It was well past midnight when the two friends walked back to the College. Agda had long stopped crying and was wrapped in Steinarius' warm cloak. The Dragonborn kept a hand on her back and was quietly telling her about the most impressive Shouts he'd learned in Solstheim. When they eventually reached the main hall of the school, however, the two friends had to stop.
"Looks like we've reached our destination", Agda said at that moment. She'd recently regained possession of the Archmage Offices, so that Steinarius now slept in the Hall of Elements with the teachers and the students.
"So it seems", the Imperial confirmed.
There was a moment of silence during which Steinarius carefully eyed Agda. The girl looked much better than she had over the few previous weeks, but the Imperial didn't want to leave her alone: had it depended on him, he would have gladly spent the night by her side so that she could rest in his arms and forget once and for all about her problems. The Archmage of Winterhold, however, was much tougher than she seemed.
"I think I'll go to bed then", she announced with a tired yawn. "It's been a long evening".
As he nodded, Steinarius still hoped the girl would ask him to join her. A moment later, however, his hopes were brutally crushed.
"I'll see you in the morning, then", Agda said with a tiny smile.
Steinarius wished the girl good night despite his disappointment. He made to retreat into his room, but he was taken aback when the mage unexpectedly hugged him.
"Thank you", she repeated for the thousandth time in just one evening.
Steinarius smiled, then he freed himself from her embrace.
"If you need me, I'll be in the next room", he told her.
When Agda nodded and headed for her room, Steinarius watched her leave and sighed. His lil' innkeeper had become a strong woman who didn't need his help anymore - and deep in his heart, the Dragonborn was sure that the young mage would soon defeat all the scary ghosts from her past and finally retrieve the cheerfulness, the sweetness and the happiness he'd learned to love over the previous year.