Author's Note:
My dear readers, here I am with a new chapter for you all. I was really excited about it, so I couldn't wait to post it - hence the unusual Friday night post.
Before I begin, I thank all of you for your support. As for Valtieri's reviews, I'm glad you pointed out Agda's neutrality in chapter 68. Some people believe I'm an Imperial supporter, but the funny thing is that in my playthroughs I always end up siding with Ulfric - and I'm afraid that sometimes this habit of mine shows in my writing. As for your comment about magic vs brute strength, I agree with you: the Companions seem to dislike mages, just like many other people in Skyrim; yet, Nords aren't that picky when it comes to using enchanted weapons or potions. A bit contradictory, isn't it?
As for chapter 69, I have to say that I adore Season Unending too; yet, like Valtieri pointed out, I found it weird to have the Thalmor just sit back and relax when the Blades make their grand entrance - and the same goes for the Greybeards. It was actually difficult to explain those dynamics in this fic and I hope I did a decent job at it.
I also thank ShipperofTrashyShps for their lovely review about the previous instalment. Agda is brave, sure, but this time she's put herself into a huge trouble - and the Thalmor, like Elspeth guessed, are going to play a big role in the future of the story. Hopefully the parts regarding them won't sand too far-fetched.
Speaking of Elspeth, I thank you for your remark about January being a busy month for everyone. I actually had a lot of time for writing in December and posted many things in the following month - maybe I should have planned my schedule more carefully ahah. The important thing, however, is that you're still willing to keep up with this story!
Last but not least, a huge thank you to MeanE: your reviews crack me up every time! Don't worry though: I'll try and make sure you won't use the tissues and stop banging your head against the wall!
This new chapter is a very important one as it helps Agda understand many things about her nightmares, her love life and her job.
Enjoy and let me know what you think of it!
14th of Last Seed, 4E 203
"I cannot do it".
Exasperated by the fear in Steinarius' voice, Agda rolled her eyes and gave him a baffled look.
"Stein, you can't be serious!", she cried. Taken aback by her display of irritation, some people in the marketplace turned to look at her. "You just need to get inside the Bannered Mare and have a polite talk with the leader of the Companions. What's so difficult about it? Kodlak has already agreed to meet you, I don't see what could go wrong!"
Confronted with Agda's harsh tone, Steinarius shook his head. No matter how much that girl loved him - there were things from his past that she seemed unable to understand.
"I don't see why you can't come with me", he muttered, one of the reasons for his hesitation finally soaking through his usually calm façade. "You will take care of the safety of Whiterun together with the Companions, so I believe you should..."
"Stein, this is not only about the safety of Whiterun", Agda broke the Imperial off. "It is also about your past - especially about your past. And I don't want to be there when Kodlak asks you what happened to you after Vigdis' accident".
Steinarius lowered his gaze and, fearing she might have been too hard on him, Agda was quick to lay a hand on his cheek.
"Stein, I..."
"Okay, I've got that", the man stopped her with a sigh. "Just don't get angry at me if I end up Shouting one of my former colleagues out of the inn".
Agda made to tell Steinarius that she was sure he could keep his anger in check, but the Imperial had already left her in order to venture into the Bannered Mare.
As she looked at her man, the mage sighed. She still hadn't told him about the danger looming over his life, but she had done her best to keep him safe: she'd ordered Lydia to keep Steinarius under control when she wasn't around, she'd asked the stablemaster to accompany him whenever he wanted to take a ride in the wilds, she'd even paid some city guards in order to receive information about the strangers who visited Whiterun. Steinarius believed that those measures had been taken by Jarl Balgruuf, not by Agda - and the mage did everything she could to make him think he was right. Actually, even the meeting with Kodlak was an excuse to keep Steinarius safe: while the Imperial was busy with the leader of the Companions, Agda had organized a secret encounter with Farkas and Vilkas in order to ask them to protect her man while she was away.
As she walked towards Jorrvaskr, the mage sighed. She knew she'd been neglecting her role as the Archmage of Winterhold and she knew that she'd been a fool at ignoring the worrying letters Faralda had sent her over the previous weeks. Now that magic anomalies were troubling the outskirts of her city, however, the young Nord had no choice but to leave the comforts of Whiterun to face that threat. Steinarius had volunteered to go with her, but Agda had been quick to stop him: she felt better knowing that he was in Breezehome, surrounded and protected by people she trusted; also, she wanted him to imprison Odahviing as soon as possible, so that that the whole dragon madness could be over before long.
Lost in those thoughts, Agda finally reached the back entrance to Jorrvaskr. Farkas and Vilkas were there, waiting for her in a corner of the training yard.
"I'd never expected to meet you again", the smaller of the twins told her as a greeting. "And I'd never expected you to be the Archmage of Winterhold and new companion of Steinarius Crepusculus".
Confronted with the cold gaze of that lethal warrior, Agda had to fight hard to keep her composure.
"When I met you in that inn in Dawnstar, I was just a simple mage", she explained. "By the way, I'm glad you know about my titles, because they're the reason why I'm here. If Steinarius is to imprison a dragon in this city, the College and the Companions will need to cooperate in order to keep the population safe; also, I would like you to keep an eye on my man while I'm not around".
"We're not nannies, woman", Vilkas said, his eyes turning slightly golden. Beside him, Farkas nodded.
"I know", Agda was quick to correct herself. "But I also know that you are the best warriors of the land and that you were once friends to my man. This is why I would be very glad if you helped him with his task as the Last Dragonborn. Right now Steinarius is talking to Kodlak, so I'm asking you something your leader already knows about. You just need to help the Dragonborn protect Whiterun; also, I'm asking you to help me protect him. If something should happen to him, all of us would be doomed".
Surprised by those words, Vilkas frowned.
"It sounds as though you were sure something will happen to him".
"Blame it on my paranoia", the girl managed to reply. Vilkas was too observant for his own sake. "I know how it feels to be harmed when you least expect it and I'm sure many people would do everything to hurt my man, especially now that the peace treaty of High Hrotghar has made everyone unhappy with his choices".
It was true: after the meeting between the Legion and the Stormcloaks, many soldiers had protested against the decisions taken by Tullius and Ulfric - and to gain the forgiveness of their men, the two leaders had been quick to blame Steinarius for everything they had agreed to on that occasion.
There was a long moment of silence during which the twins seemed to think about Agda's words. Eventually, they spoke at the same time.
"I don't think we should help you", the shorter of them said.
"We will help you", the other replied.
Vilkas gave Farkas a crossed look, but the bulkier twin simply shrugged.
"The girl is right", he calmly explained. "Steinarius is the only one who can save the world from its end. And then, keeping an eye on that goofball shouldn't be too difficult".
Vilkas made to reply, but his brother was quick to stop him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Vilkas, Steinar once was our best friend", he reminded him. "By asking Kodlak to meet him, he's telling us that he's finally left the past behind; maybe we should do the same and welcome him back in our pack. After all, it was also our fault if his family was destroyed in the blink of an eye".
Agda remained silent as the twins exchanged a long, meaningful look. Eventually, both of them nodded at the same time.
"You have our word", Farkas said while turning towards Agda and smiling at her. "We will keep an eye on your man, Agda. Thank you for turning to us".
"Thank you for accepting to help me", the mage replied.
Vilkas left the courtyard without bidding her goodbye, Farkas instead lingered there for another moment and smiled.
"Vilkas and Steinarius have always been proud and stubborn, but I think they will go back to being best friends as soon as they meet again", he revealed Agda. "Speaking of best friends, I would be very glad if you could say hello to Adaeze, if you see her. She really is a sweet woman".
Surprised by that request, Agda had to stifle a grimace, as she didn't know how to explain Farkas that Adaeze now had another man. One thing, however, she knew: now that Steinarius was in safe hands, she had no other reasons to delay her departure for the North.
Winterhold was even colder and shabbier than Agda remembered it.
On her way to the city, the young Archmage felt the long claws of guilt and uneasiness tug at her soul. She knew that over the previous weeks she had neglected her tasks, she knew she had abandoned her colleagues without even providing them with an explanation, she knew she had valued her and Steinarius' happiness to be more important than the people of Winterhold's - but only when she got off her horse did Agda fully realize the full extent of her mistakes.
The first thing the girl noticed was that the roads of the city were full of gruff warriors who seemed tired and angry. Many of them wore blue armors - blue armors just like the ones of the Stormcloaks. Confronted with that unusual sight, Agda looked around in the hope to find an explanation for it. When she saw Birna and Herius coming her way, the mage couldn't believe her luck: she had finally found someone who could inform as to the most recents events that had taken place in her city.
"Archmage, you're back!", the leader of the local guards smiled.
Herius was a mid-aged Imperial with a broad, sincere face and a mane of dark hair. When Agda acknowledged the way he hastily let go of Birna's hand upon noticing her, she told herself that she had missed a hundred of things while she was away - and luckily enough, not all of them were bad.
"I am back indeed, Herius", Agda tried to reply while hiding her worries behind a smile. "Although I must admit that I wasn't expecting Winterhold to become a Stormcloak's camp in just a couple of weeks".
"Actually, you were gone for much longer than that", the man said. Herius was a kind and diplomatic man, but he was never afraid to speak his mind. "However, the most important political changes have taken place right after you left. Jarl Korir took advantage of your absence to increase the power of the Stormcloaks in his Hold -and Ulfric has thanked him by stationing some of his men inside the city walls. They don't get on well with you mages and they're having troubles keeping the magic anomalies around the city at bay. I suppose this is why they look so grumpy - and I suppose that those magical anomalies are the reason why you came back, Archmage. Anyway, the Stormcloaks are now in charge of defending the city. Korir has even given me and my men a 'temporary leave': he told me that, as long as the rebels are here, he doesn't need us anymore".
Surprised by that discovery, Agda blinked in confusion.
"Faralda didn't tell me anything about the Stormcloaks replacing the local guards".
"Well, let's say that the College hasn't been the same since you left", Herius grimaced. "Your colleagues have stopped producing magical weapons for us guards and they've stopped supplying Birna with enchanted items for her shop. As well as neglecting their duties to the city, I'm pretty sure they also forgot to send you detailled reports of their activities".
When Birna confirmed that fact with a nod, Agda deadpanned.
"That's impossible!", she cried out in dismay. "I've been gone for a while, sure, but I never gave my men permission to stop helping the inhab..."
"Archmage, if you will, I'd be glad to give you some advice coming from my military career", Herius rapidly broke Agda off. "First, when you leave your men alone for a while, be sure to have someone keep an eye on them. Second, try to keep yourself up-to-date with what happens in your city. Third, ask different people to write you letters, so that you can see the same fact from different perspectives. Last but not least, remember that coldness and sterness aren't the right foundations for a solid building. If people fear you, they will follow you until they're presented with a better alternative; if they actually trust you and esteem you, however, they will follow you until the end".
Taken aback by those remarks, Agda thought about the way she'd always behaved after becoming the Archmage of Winterhold. 'Agda the Cold', the people of Winterhold had been calling her ever since then - and they called her like that because they thought her moody and stern and cold and detached.
People respected me because they feared me, the girl realized with a shiver - and as she did, she understood that she needed to change the opinion people had of her.
The mages of the College welcomed Agda with a mixture of fear and anger and anxiety. Sergius greeted her with a skeptical "you finally honor us with your presence", whereas Drevys cast an invisibility spell in order to avoid possible questions about the progress of the researches Agda had tasked him with before leaving for Blackreach. Urag acknowledged her return with a snort, Tolfdir hadn't even noticed she had left, Brelyna and Onmund ran behind a tree to hide the way one of the Dunmer's forbidden experiments had caused both of their noses to become violet. The only one who seemed sincerely happy to see Agda was Colette, who gave her a long hug in front of every other mage of the College. Faralda, instead, was strangely cold and detached.
"Won't you tell me why you're so angry?", Agda asked her when they were finally alone.
The girl regretted that decision in less than a heartbeat: the Elf began telling her about the problems with Korir, about the daily arguments with the Stormcloaks, about a dragon that had taken roaming around Winterhold at least twice a week - and when she was finally done complaining, Faralda gave the Archmage an angry warning.
"If you don't clean the mess your absence has caused, I will resign from my job!"
Agda made to reply, but Faralda cast a spell and disappeared from her sight.
Sighing, the young Archmage had to admit her colleagues were right. She had ignored her duties for too long - now it was time to go back to work and put a remedy to her neglicence.
Yawning, Agda laid her head on the small wooden table and wearily rubbed her eyes. It was well past midnight and the young Nord was analyzing one of the reports Onmund had written about the experiments he had carried out over the previous weeks. Reading the documents produced by each mage of the College was a long and boring job, but Agda needed to do it in order to reassess her position in the school.
Her first days back in Winterhold had been incredibly irritating, the mage thought with a scoff. Agda had hoped to kill the magic anomalies roaming around the city immediately after her return, but none of her colleagues had volunteered to help her. Angered by the laziness of her men, Agda had turned to Herius. The man had unfortunately been unable to aid her - and since the safety of Winterhold was now in the hands of the Stormcloak, the Archmage had been forced to discuss the matter with Jarl Korir and the local spokeman of the rebels. The ruler of the city had spent the whole meeting insulting Agda and her colleagues, so that at the end of the day the girl had let off steam by killing each and everyone of the magical anomalies by herself.
After fulfilling that task, part of Agda's mind was set on returning to Whiterun; another, more rational part, however, forced the girl to remain in Winterhold for at least another week. During those few days the College seemed to retrieve the productivity Agda had originally brought about: Sergius and Enthir sold a lot of goods to Birna, Drevys carried on with his research, Faralda grew slightly more forgiving, Colette resumed her healing courses for the people of Winterhold. At first the inhabitants of the city were skeptical about that renewed activity inside the College walls, but then they slowly got used to it again. Nonetheless, they found it hard to recognize the once broody master of their magical school. Agda was still cold and detached with the people she didn't trust, sure, but with everyone else she had resumed part of her original chattiness. Many villagers were surprised by that fact, but it took them just one look at the star-shaped jewel Agda always carried around her neck to understand the reason behind that change - confronted with the flames of passion, Agda the Cold had finally melted in the warm arms of the Dragonborn.
With a sigh full of nostalgia, Agda looked at the necklace she'd just placed on her desk. The silver jewel shone like a diamond in the dimly-lit room and reminded her of the beautiful starry nights of the tundra. As she thought about them, the mage realized that she missed Whiterun, that she missed Breezehome, that she missed being a commoner with no other worries than what to cook for lunch; but most of all, Agda sighed, she missed her man and his smiles.
Keen on making her way across the long report written by Onmund, the young mage forced herself to forget about Steinarius and focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done: she was tired and cold and sleepy and wanted nothing more than to lay down and fall asleep in her man's arms.
There was a loud noice and Agda jolted upright all of a sudden. She'd thought of sleeping with Steinarius so hard that she'd actually fallen asleep at her desk, she immediately realized; also, the girl noticed that cold gusts of wind were seemingly coming from the floor above her. As she understood what that meant, the mage panicked: either she had left the door to the roof of the College open, or someone had taken advantage of her tiredness in order to sneak inside the building.
Before Agda could leave her seat and make sure she was alone, a blurry form moved amidst the shadows - and a moment later, a cold blade was pressed unforgivingly against the mage's neck.
"If you scream, you're a dead woman", a female voice commanded.
Hissing in discomfort, Agda thought about casting a teletransportation spell. Unfortunately, the intruder was very cunning: as soon as the mage came up with that idea, the newcomer tied her hands together and pressed a vial against her lips. As she gulped its content, Agda recognized the sickening taste of the potions people used to prevent their enemies from using magic - and without magic and with her hands tied, there wasn't much she could do to escape her attacker.
As she tried to guess the identity of that mysterious woman, Agda felt her blood turn into ice. There was something familiar in her thick Nord accent, in her tall and slender figure clad in black leather armor, in her talent at moving swiftly amidst the shadows - but most of all, there was something familiar in the glass sword strapped at her waist.
"You're the same person I met shortly before being tortured by Ancano", Agda said, the memories of that weird night finally coming back to her. "The one who told me to give that sword to Enthir".
Much to Agda's surprise, the woman didn't seem angry at being recognized - quite on the contrary, she removed the dagger from the mage's neck and let out a loud laughter.
"You are really weird, Agda of Anvil: after all I did for you, you only remember me because of that night in the courtyard".
Frowning, Agda tried to understand what the stranger was talking about. The mage even thought about using the power of the Serpent Stone to paralyze her enemy and interrogate her, but changed her mind as soon as she remembered about making a vow to the Mage Stone less than a month earlier, during a short trip to Riverwood together with Steinarius. As she thought about that day, however, Agda felt no regret: there was something fascinating about the intruder - something that made her unable to think of that mysterious woman as a threat.
"I also remember that a Thalmor stole the sword you gave me", she said in reply to her remark. "That bastard took it away from me when I ventured into the Midden. Since you are now wielding it, I would like to know how you retrieved it".
The stranger chuckled, then she leant against a wall. She had a light limp and wore a face mask that hid her traits from sight.
"After you killed Ancano, the College was a true mess. In those days it wasn't difficult for me to sneak into his office and take what was rightfully mine; also, during that short trip I came across a highly valuable journal where that bastard had written a lot of things about the Thalmor plans to conquer the world. That's why I turned to Delphine - and that's why I turned up here tonight".
Surprised by the mention of her former employer, Agda frowned.
"Why do you know Delphine?", she asked. "And most of all, who are you?"
There was a long moment of silence during which the stranger gave Agda a confused look. Her black eyes conveyed a sudden uneasiness, whereas her lips were closed in a thin line.
"What do you mean, who am I?"
"I mean what I've just said", Agda promptly replied. "I have no idea as to your identity".
For a moment the intruder seemed completely at loss for words.
"So the rumours are true", she whispered at last, shock well evident in her voice. "You don't remember anything from that night".
As a cold shiver ran down her spine, Agda frowned in fear and confusion. She had no idea what the stranger was talking about.
"What night? And why do you know so much about me? And what do you want from me?"
Sighing, the intruder gripped the bridge of her nose and shook her head in disbelief. Things were going to be much more complicated than she expected.
"Agda, people say that you don't remember how you got to Dawnstar after being tortured by Ancano. Is it true?"
Confused by that question, Agda frowned.
"I don't know what you're..."
"Just answer my question", the stranger hastily broke her off. "Is it true?"
Her frow burrowed in confusion, Agda carefully nodded.
"I remember venturing in the Midden and being tortured by Ancano, just like I remember waking up in Dawnstar days later", she explained. "Yet, I have no memories regarding the journey from Winterhold to Nightcaller Temple".
Much to Agda's dismay, the stranger looked completely shocked by that revelation.
"What have I done", she whispered.
The intruder seemed to struggle against regret for a long while; then, at last, she sighed and decided to help Agda retrieve the memories connected to the longest night of her life.
"Agda, listen to me carefully now", the woman said after eventually making up her mind. "Even if you don't remember it, I am the one who saved you from Ancano and carried you to Dawnstar. Now, if you will, I will explain you what happened during the most terrible hours of your life".
Shocked by that revelation, Agda frowned in confusion - and when the stranger began talking about that horrible night, she couldn't help but listen as the missing pieces of her memory finally found their rightful place in her mind.
When the stranger stopped speaking, Agda was left speechless for a very long time. The woman had talked about her job as a thief, about her attempts to keep the mage alive after Ancano dumped her in the cold waters of the Sea of Ghosts, about their desperate run to Nightcaller Temple. Now, however, Agda needed her to answer the question that had been tormenting her for months.
"I don't remember anything from that night", she whispered. "Do you know why?"
Sighing heavily, the mysterious thief sat down on a chair. Agda was still tied and unable to cast spells, therefore the stranger was sure she was no threat.
"I still haven't told you my name, Agda - but when I do, I'm sure that everything will become clearer".
As soon as the thief spoke, Agda felt as though her heart had just stopped beating. The black eyes, the limp, the strange attraction that woman seemed to feel towards her... Everything suddenly became evident and Agda felt as though the truth was taking the air away from her lungs.
"You must be Vigdis", she said at last, her voice feeble from shock and surprise. "The same Vigdis Steinarius wanted to marry! All this time, you've always been alive! And all this time, you've always..."
"Agda, we have already faced this discussion once", the thief broke the mage off. When Vigdis didn't deny her identity, Agda felt even more shocked and surprised. "I know that you don't remember it, but I don't have time to repeat everything I already told you before leading you to Dawnstar. I loved Steinarius, I dumped him, I now have a different man in my life - I don't see what else needs to be said".
Despite the thief's words, Agda was still shocked by her revelation. The mysterious person who had saved her from certain death was the very same person who still influenced her reòationship with Steinarius - and as she thought about that fact, the mage couldn't help but think of the turns her life would have taken if Vigdis had entered Nightcaller Temple while Steinarius was there.
"That night in Dawnstar..."
"I perfectly know who was in Dawnstar that night", Vigdis hastily broke the mage off. "And this is why I decided to erase your memory".
Shock. Confusion. Disbelief. Anger.
That was all Agda felt as soon as those words left the thief's lips.
"It's your fault if I don't remember anything", she whispered, rage mounting within her as she spoke each and every word. "It's your fault if I woke up surrounded by strangers, in a place I didn't know, covered in wounds whose origins I didn't remember, fearing I had lost my mind and..."
"It's my fault, it definitely is", Vigdis said. She could see the confusion and the pain in Agda's eyes, but she didn't allow them to influence her behavior towards that young mage. "My fault and Hermaeus Mora's".
Once again, Agda deadpanned. Before she could ask anything else, Vigdis sighed and began speaking. As she did, the thief took off the mask she was wearing. A cascade of dark, auburn hair immediately framed her pale face, whereas black, broody eyes bored into Agda's confused expression. The mage had to admit that the thief was very beautiful. Also, now that she could observe every detail of her face, she immediately recognized the strong warrior from Steinarius' descriptions.
"Agda, the night I saved you I was acting out of curiosity", Vigdis began. "I had decided to give you my sword just because I wanted to get to know you; yet, after realizing that the College was home to a Thalmor, I decided to stick around and check what that foul man was doing. Luckily enough, I happened to be near the College when Ancano dumped your consciousless body in the Sea of Ghosts - and luckily enough, I managed to get you out of the water and take you to a nearby lighthouse. Ancano hadn't killed you because he wanted you to suffer a slow and miserable death, but I was determined to save you.
"Sadly enough, when I got to the lighthouse I discovered that the local inhabitants had been slaughtered by Falmer. I waited until your conditions got slightly better, but we couldn't remain there long, as the enemies had already smelled our scents. For this reason I had to turn into a werewolf and take you somewhere else.
"Erandur has always been good towards me and my colleagues, so he looked like the most obvious choice. When I got to Dawnstar, however, I deadpanned: Steinarius' scent was all over the place - and since I didn't want him to meet me or to find out about me, I dropped you on the steps of Nightcaller Temple and ran away".
"But why erase my memory?", Agda asked, hurt and disappointment well evident in her voice.
"Agda, back then I wasn't thinking rationally", Vigdis sighed. "You were about to die in my arms, I was failing at my task to protect you, I was afraid Ancano had noticed something and had already started looking for you - and when I got to Nightcaller Temple and discovered that Steinarius was there, I panicked. I didn't want to meet him because I didn't feel ready to face him after all I did to him; also, you were drifting in and out of consciousness, so I couldn't simply ask you to keep my secret. This is why, in order to protect myself, I gave you a potion to erase your memory. Actually, back then it didn't look like a horrible decision: quite on the contary, I thought it was merciful of me to prevent you from remembering all the things Ancano did to you".
"Quite on the contrary, I think it wasn't merciful of you at all", Agda harshly replied.
Confronted with that remark, Vigdis scoffed.
"It's too late to complain about the past, Agda. Also, I didn't mean my potion to have a lasting effect: I had planned for it to fade about a couple of weeks later, so that you could retrieve your memories without problems. Sadly, you accelerated things by drinking a very strong potion in Nightcaller Temple; also, Hermaeus Mora decided to lure you into his tentacles by preventing you from retrieving part of your memories. That Daedra has wanted you to become his servant ever since Steinarius left for Solstheim - and he won't give up on you as long as you don't sell your soul to him".
Frowning, Agda remembered the terrible nightmares she'd been having ever since joining the College of Winterhold - nightmares where a black globe of tentacles would talk to her, where Steinarius was hurt while fighting in a foreign land, where a languid voice invited her to become a slave. After she was tortured by Ancano, the globe of tentacles had also begun mentioning her missing memories - and as she remembered about it, Agda understood that Vigdis was telling her the truth. It was Hermaeus Mora's fault if she still hadn't retrieved her memories - Vigdis had simply meant for her mental blackout to be temporary.
"How can I be sure you're telling me the truth?", the mage asked Vigdis.
The thief simply shrugged.
"You may consider me a heartless bitch, Agda, but I do care about you. This is why I paid a visit to Septimus Signus and tried to get in touch with Hermaeus Mora. I offered my soul to him, but that bastard didn't accept it: he said he only wanted you and Steinarius and that I already belonged to Hircine".
When Vigdis scoffed, Agda fell silent once again. The revelations from that night were turning her life upside down: Steinarius' former fiancée was alive and had been the one to save her from Ancano, a Daedra was after her soul and had prevented her from retrieving her memory because of that; last but not least, Vigdis seemingly knew Delphine. It was definitely a lot to take in in just one night.
"Delphine once told me that she had a mysterious helper keep an eye on me during my whole time at the College", the mage eventually whispered. She felt confused and surprised by all those revelations. "She was talking about you, wasn't she?"
"Delphine can be quite the liar, Agda", Vigdis commented with a grimace. "I wasn't working for her when I saved you, but I made her acquaintance shortly afterwards. That's when I told her about that night in Dawnstar - and that's when I gave her Ancano's journal".
Agda frowned. All the discoveries from that night had caused her to forget about that journal altogether.
"What was so important about that journal?", she asked.
Vigdis was quick to reply.
"Ancano was completely crazy, Agda. In his journal he wrote quite a lot of things about an Altmer Dragonborn and his desire to kill Steinarius so that his people could take the glory of defeating Alduin for themselves. I found those thoughts rather creepy - and when Ancano wrote that Elenwen agreed with him, I decided to get in touch with the Blades.
"For years the Thieves Guild was a shelter to Esbern, a former Blade and enemy to the Thalmor. Also, one of my colleagues is a good friend of Delphine. I tracked her down thanks to him and, when I gave her Ancano's journal, we decided to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy to find out more about his fanatical dreams. It took me a lot of time, but I eventually managed to steal some important documents regarding Ancano's crazy plans and Elenwen's opinions about them. Unfortunately, that witch thinks her colleague was right and is determined to follow his ideas".
"Delphine already told me about that", Agda pointed out. "Why would she send you here to warn me once again?"
"Delphine didn't send me, Agda", Vigdis underlined. "I came here myself after noticing the way Steinarius happily spends his days in Whiterun. You didn't tell him anything about your meeting with Delphine, did you?"
When the mage didn't reply, Vigdis sighed.
"Just like I imagined", she said while fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Her voice had suddenly become cold and detahced. "Listen, Agda: after what you did to Elenwen in High Hrotghar, I ventured into the Thalmor Embassy once again. She's downright pissed at you and she thinks it's time she took her rage out on your man. Steinarius' life is in danger, girl - and I'd be very glad if you got back to Whiterun and tried to protect him. After all, as you yourself said more than once, the destiny of the world depends on his survival. I would warn him myself, believe me, but I don't want to cause problems between the two of you - not now that you've finally found happiness again".
Agda was surprised by Vigdis' worry. Also, she was angered by the thief's belief that she wasn't doing enough to protect her man from his enemies.
"Steinarius is under strict surveillance, Vigdis", she replied, her brown eyes full of determination. "He has a very protective Huskarl and I told the guards of Whiterun to keep an eye on him too. Also the Companions will look after him".
"Of course they will", Vigdis scoffed. "They will look after him just like they did with me when I was pregnant".
Agda made to reply, but fell silent when she noticed the hurt on Vigdis' beautiful face. The thief suddenly looked frail and vulnerable.
"Agda, I'm not saying you're not trying hard enough to defend Steinarius", she said, her tone surprisingly soft. "I just think that you should have warned him about the danger. Even though you refused her help, Delphine has asked the Blades to keep an eye on Steinarius; yet, your man could notice their presence around Whiterun and decide to run away without telling anyone. I think he deserves to know, Agda - and this is why I would like you to leave for Whiterun as soon as possible and to keep your man safe from the Thalmor. I am begging you, Agda - and I'm not usually one to beg".
As Vigdis stopped talking, Agda looked into her black eyes. Inside them she could see a genuine worry, a deep fear, a sea of regrets for all the mistakes she'd made in her life. Almost as though she'd read her mind, the thief stepped towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"I know how it feels to live within the shadows of regret - and believe me when I say that, should anything happen to Steinarius, you will never be able to resume your normal life. I'm not asking much, Agda: you just need to keep him safe. If you really love him, it shouldn't be too difficult".
And with those words, Vigdis vanished into the shadows and disappeared once again from Agda's life.
After Vigdis' visit, Agda remained still for what felt like years. That ghost from Steinarius' past had come to haunt her with all her revelations and now the mage thought it impossible to go on with her daily routine. How could she explain her fears to Steinarius without mentioning her meeting with Delphine and Vigdis' role at discovering the Thalmor plans? How could see retrieve her inner peace now that she knew that a Daedra was after her soul? But most of all, how could she be happy with Steinarius, all while knowing that his former fiancée was still alive?
Tormented by those thoughts, Agda remained awake until sunrise. At that point, the mage finally laid out a plan. First of all, she decided to visit Septimus Signus and ask Hermaeus Mora to give her back her memories, so that she could check whether Vigdis had told her the truth. Second, she would go back to the College and write a letter to Steinarius in order to explain him the danger looming over his life. Last but not least, she would spend the rest of the day in Winterhold and leave for Whiterun at sunset.
Vigdis was right: if she loved Steinarius, she needed to do everything she could to keep him safe.