"My sister speaks very highly of you, child." Jarl Idgrod said to Narissa after allowing Nari to read the letter that Argi had written to her sister the Jarl. "And she is not alone in that respect. Her offer is generous, and quite genuine. She has her faults, which you will discover yourself if you accept her offer; but she is honest and fair. I urge you to consider this carefully. And should you wish to write a letter, to be delivered discreetly, to anyone in Dragon's Bridge, or anywhere else, to seek their advice or inform them of your plans for the future, I can arrange for its delivery. Never fear that its contents will be intercepted."
"I do not know what to say, Jarl." Nari replied. "I am quite overcome."
"Do not rush your words, or your reply." the Jarl answered. "There is no need for haste."
It took several days before the shock Narissa received from discovering the summoning stones and platform receded sufficiently for her to venture any distance from the building that was her home and her place of employment. It took almost a week longer than that before she felt comfortable venturing out either of the city gates and, though Nari was not aware of it, the sudden change in her demeanor did not go unnoticed, not by Narissa's customers, and not by her friend and employer. But Lami was not one to pry, and when her question "Are you well?" received in reply a simple (and unconvincing) "Yes, just a bit tired." she did not pursue the topic. Nari's behavior had not quite returned to normal when the Jarl's sister wrote to offer Narissa a position in her household which was located in Heljarchen, a position that offered much in the way of comfort and coin; and it was this event that loosened Lami's tongue.
"Something recent has upset you greatly. Your nightmares have returned in full force and voice." Lami said after she and Nari were alone, the Jarl having left her sister's letter in Narissa's hands. "I will not ask you what happened. You would have told me already if you had intended to. But you have not been comfortable in Morthal since then. This letter arriving hard upon that event smacks of Divine intervention. One of the Gods believes that it is time for you to make a change, even if that change will cost me future earnings."
"I will not deny that I was greatly upset recently, and that my mind was overcome by the urge to flee." Narissa answered, her gaze directed at her hands where they were folded in her lap. Meeko, who seemed most aware that something was amiss and, recognizing a soul in turmoil, resorted to the only remedy at hand as he walked up to the two women before sitting next to Nari and placing his head in her lap.
"I had thought that I had gained some distance from the image of my family lying dead." she continued, as her hand stroked Meeko's head, and her tears fell. "But in a heartbeat it was as if I was transported back in time, Garreth's mangled body laying before me, his head... And, while I feel that I have recovered somewhat, my urge towards flight, even though I do not know from what I am fleeing, persists."
Both women were silent for a short time.
"You are the first friend I have made in Morthal." Nari said to Lami. "I am fortunate to know you. You gave me a home, and a place, when I had neither. I will never be able to thank you adequately."
"Then I believe we are of one mind." Lami said as she placed her hand on Nari's arm.
Narissa availed herself of the Jarl's offer to send a letter; two letter in fact, one to Argi Farseer informing Argi of Nari's acceptance of the offer, and one to Horgeir informing him of her decision. It was not a farewell letter that she wrote to him, though it was tantamount to one - Heljarchen was midway between Morthal and Windhelm, at the southern edge of the Pale, about as far from Dawnstar as it was possible to be and still reside in the hold for which that city served as the capitol. She would receive no more visits from the man who had saved her life and found her a place, the place which now served as her stepping off point to whatever destiny and the Divines had in store for her.
She expected no reply from Horgeir, but she was surprised by the speed of the reply she received from Argi Farseer; a reply containing specific details:
A member of my staff named Andore, accompanied by six city guards from Windhelm, will travel to Fort Dunstad and await your arrival on the 17th of Rain's Hand. The fort is currently in the keeping of Stormcloak soldiers, and is the midpoint between Morthal and Heljarchen. I often lodge there when traveling to visit my sister and, since Windhelm is much closer than Dawnstar, I make use of my frequent visits to Windhelm, and my friendship with Ulfric, whose Father I knew quite well, and borrow some of his city guards. I have written to my sister and she will make similar arrangements for your journey to the fort from Morthal.
It was, therefore, a cloudy sky and a rainy morning that found Narissa and Meeko in the back of a covered wagon, both seated upon Nari's canvas encased mattress, her other possessions arranged neatly around her and tied in place.
Meeko took advantage of that trait that seemed universal throughout his species and was soon fast asleep, the motion and bouncing of the wagon having no discernible affect on said trait. Narissa's mind was far too active to allow her the same luxury. Too active, at least, at the beginning of the journey as her mind replayed her recent life while she watched, almost as if she were a spectator observing a drama performed on stage.
Refuge I can provide, but only for a short time. Your destiny lies elsewhere.
Merid's words echoed in Narissa's memory.
What did you see when you viewed my destiny? Narissa asked the memory of the beautiful woman who had spoken those words. Did you see a series of refuges, all of which were only for a short time? Will I ever look upon the beginning of a year and its end from the same vantage?
Merid, understandably, did not answer.
Narissa could not decide if the rocking and bouncing became better or worse when, just past midday, the wagon and escort left the main road just after passing Stonehills and turned east, hugging the base of the hills that were the source of ore for the many mines that dotted the landscape in this region. The steep incline of the hillside, always to their right, made any possibly bandit attack from that side impossible, and the voices of the men escorting her and her possessions seemed to reflect an easing of tension. Narissa's view of the landscape was limited to what she could see out of the back of the wagon, and the weather was still not conducive to sightseeing; not for any two legged occupants of the wagon. Meeko was quite happy at intervals to bound out of the wagon only to bound back in some time later, the slow motion of the cart offering no impediment whatsoever to his reentry, his regular excursions quickly providing a meaning to the cryptic words of the stable master as he offered Nari a pair of hard used towels just before their departure.
Trust me miss, he had said with one eye on the creature with oversized paws, you will need them.
Need them she did, both of them, alternately, as she dried wet fur and muddy paws before allowing the happy and smiling owner of those things to resume his place on the mattress, the cart motion or his natural tendency, working in combination with the soft mattress, lulling him to sleep; a sleep free of nightmares. Narissa envied him.