The chief, Burguk, offered Rohah room to sleep in a longhouse with other orcs, but she declined. While it sounded like a fascinating experience, she wanted her own space for some time. So instead, she slept in a guest room the orcs had built, meant specifically for travellers.
And sleep she did - Rohah was out cold well into the day. The repeated drain on her magicka must have tired her. She woke when Norvosh came in, apparently curious how she was doing.
"It's nearly noon, Rohah," Norvosh said while she rubbed sleep from her eyes.
"Aren't you supposed to be recovering?" Rohah asked, yawning.
"I'm all fixed," Norvosh said, patting his sternum. "Sort of. I have scars. But I'm not injured any more." His tone was a bit wistful, as if he was doing his best to be grateful, but wished for more. Rohah couldn't blame that. Last she'd seen those burns, they were… intense, to say the least. Any scarring would be enormous.
"So you feel fine now?" Rohah checked.
"Yep," Norvosh said. "I'm here to see if you're ready to go back to Winterhold today. There are a couple things we need to do first."
"Such as?"
"Selling the loot from Valthume," Norvosh said, grinning. "Some stuff we'll donate, because, well, this is our stronghold. But anything valuable means coin for us. It'll be a smooth journey back."
"Wow - yeah," Rohah said. The idea of them getting money was taking root in her. Her thoughts drifted to the College of Winterhold. "How much do you think we'll get?"
Norvosh shrugged. "A few thousand. We'll need to spend some of that on supplies, though."
A few thousand. Rohah could barely keep her excitement from spilling out. With that much, she could afford tuition for the College. She'd never given much thought to it, because it seemed so far-off to her, so impossible... but with that kind of money...
"We'll have to decide how to split it, of course," Norvosh continued.
"What do you think about joining the College?" Rohah said, entirely off-topic. The orc frowned.
"You mean, of Winterhold? I've never thought of it."
"But it's the best educational institution Skyrim has," Rohah said, determined to wring an answer out of him.
Norvosh sighed and allowed himself to slide down along the wall, coming to a rest on the ground across from Rohah. "I've tried magic before. I don't think it's my thing - too volatile. Are you planning on applying?"
"Yes," Rohah said, almost nervous how certain she was. "I didn't have the money to, before. Or, more accurately, my parents didn't have the money."
"Then what we do is simple," Norvosh said.
"It is?"
Norvosh ticked off his fingers for each action as he spoke until all five digits were up. "We sell the loot. Buy supplies. You enroll. Sell the horses. Then we split whatever's left fifty-fifty."
"Well," Rohah said, taken aback, but smiling. "Yes, that sounds perfect!"
As it turned out, Norvosh had something to do first, and he insisted Rohah come with him. They stood before Burguk the chief, who welcomed them into the longhouse warmly. When Norvosh said they would have to be going within the day, Burguk promised them one last meal before they had to hit the road and sustain themselves with dry foods.
"There's one more thing," Norvosh said to Burguk. "The ruins I explored with Rohah - the ones I talked about last night - are called Valthume. They're the same Nordic ruins just a day's journey from here - you know the one. We cleared it entirely of draugr." Burguk's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "We took some things from it, but we only had two horses. There's plenty of goods left over, and it will be a while before looters notice the draugr are missing."
"Thank you for telling me," Burguk said, grinning. "I can send some of my warriors today."
Norvosh nodded. "Consider it a gift for the tribe. I hope I'll see you again someday."
Burguk got up and hugged Norvosh while Rohah stood awkwardly to the side. When they broke apart, Burguk glanced the Imperial's way.
"You helped heal Norvosh after he got hurt there, right? You have my tribe's gratitude." Rohah accepted an outstretched hand to shake.
They left the longhouse. Norvosh wanted to start selling their gear, and warned Rohah it would likely be a boring affair, but she wanted to come.
It was boring, but not excessively so. They brought sacks of their items to various orcs, each of whom worked different professions and had differing amounts of interest in their loot. Each and every item was haggled upon. Norvosh called on Rohah to make judgement calls on some of their enchanted trinkets, and several artifacts she was able to price, but beyond that, she wasn't much help.
They gave away some of the less valuable things. Nordic weapons and armor in particular, no one seemed to want, so Norvosh handed them to the blacksmith, telling her she was free to melt them down, or display them, or whatever a smith uses run-down weapons for, anyway. Rohah wasn't too thrilled about ancient tools being destroyed, but what else were they going to do with them?
The magical items were their most valuable finds. The mages of the stronghold were keen on getting their hands on the old Nordic enchantments. They were curious what kind of magic might have been worked on them. Beyond whatever information those enchantments could offer, the material of the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, torques, rings, amulets, and other kinds of accessories were valuable by themselves. Rubies, garnets, gems of all colors, sizes, and shapes - plus more common metals, like silver, gold, and moonstone.
Once they finished replenishing their depleted supplies, the sun began to dip down. Norvosh hid their sacks of coin underneath the rest of their equipment, stuffing it cleverly so they wouldn't clink. Would-be robbers might avoid them if they didn't look wealthy enough, Norvosh explained. He did, however, allow them to carry enough for any future 'tolls'.
In total, they had over ten thousand septims. It was too heavy for their horses to carry, so Rohah paid a small fee to one of the stronghold mages in exchange for an alteration spell that made the gold lighter.
Their journey to Winterhold went largely unimpeded. They avoided several groups of horsemen along the way, fearful of being robbed again. Their supplies were never as low as before; they had plenty of money to purchase extras at rest stops, towns, and cities.
Despite their wealth, Rohah wanted to control their spending. The College tuition was expensive - if she remembered correctly, eight thousand septims. She hoped Norvosh would be alright with the use of the money. It was surprising that the orc had agreed at all to her enrolling using the majority of their haul. He must have known how much it would cost.
It began to rain while they rode past the Shrine of Azura. Rohah pulled her cloak tighter around herself and threw the goddess a filthy look. The journey back was actually faster, despite the weather. They didn't have to stop long to buy supplies at rest points. Two days were shaved off their time.
Norvosh seemed more comfortable with Rohah while they travelled. He opened up more, relating stories of home, of his work, of his travels. Rohah learned Norvosh had worked for many different people as a mercenary. Many were just travellers, looking to reach their destination without a fuss. Some enlisted Norvosh's assistance in killing things - whether it was a feral wild animal threatening livestock, a company of bandits extorting innocents, clearing a skooma den of its addicts, or even destroying a coven of vampires.
"Vampires?" Rohah said in disbelief, interrupting the orc as he listed the jobs he'd done over the years.
"Yep," Norvosh said. "Vampires. I was handed a solid silver warhammer enchanted to burn enemies and told to join a group of Dawnguard for some extra muscle."
"Did anyone get bitten?"
"No. The Dawnguard are good at what they do. It was a surprise attack. We took out most of them in their sleep. Had a little trouble with the leader of the little group, though. She had all sorts of weird vampire magic - don't look at me like that, how am I supposed to know what spells she used?"
Rohah snorted. "At least describe them?"
"Lots of red," Norvosh said helpfully.
"Probably some kind of life drain spell, then."
"Apparently it didn't work," Norvosh said, pointing a thumb at himself, a very much alive orc.
She also learned Norvosh's childhood friend, Ghorbash, had joined the Imperial Legion years ago. No wonder he missed him so much. Every so often, his name would crop up in conversation, and Rohah would feel a twinge of pity for her friend.
In comparison to Norvosh's tales, Rohah's seemed uneventful. She talked about the city library she'd frequented, her family, the White-Gold tower and its compendium of Elder Scrolls that famously went missing, the various shops she liked to visit, the bay, but most of all, her studies. Rohah had taken an interest in magic from a young age, and had begged her parents for a tutor. Her parents, apprehensive of the danger magic posed to a young child, had only allowed her to study Restoration and Illusion, which they deemed the safest of the schools.
"No, no - I didn't mind at all," Rohah said, when Norvosh had expressed disappointment that her training had been restricted. "My mother was a Priest of Arkay, mind you, she had a very good understanding of magic and what it was capable of. I can't resent her for trying to keep me safe."
On a calm day, they arrived in Winterhold. Not much had changed in the two months they had been away from the chilly town. They immediately sold their horses back, adding a small pile of gold to their impressive hoard. The stable master looked genuinely surprised they'd made good on their word to return with the horses.
"I want to apply today, as soon as possible," Rohah told Norvosh as she slid a few coins to the innkeeper for lodging. "Term will have already started by now, so I might need to play catch-up." The innkeeper pointed at two rooms they would be staying in.
They both moved to find empty seats, passing by a robed Nord and Redguard who were chatting happily. They sat down to eat a meal. After a minute or two, Norvosh set his fork down and frowned, the clattering of the utensil causing Rohah to look up.
"Rohah, I've been thinking, and I want to see my family again," Norvosh said. "Now that I've got the money to stay a while… I think I just want to go home and relax for some time. Take my mind off this mercenary business."
"What - you're leaving?" Rohah said, pausing mid-bite. "When?"
"Soon," Norvosh said. "Not immediately, but… I suppose once you're accepted into the College. You won't need my help anymore, you know."
Rohah felt hollow, and did not know what to say for a moment. Her appetite was gone. She'd known Norvosh for only two months, but it had felt like the beginning of a good friendship, and now he would be leaving.
She must have looked rather put out, because Norvosh smiled and said, "I'll write to you if I can. It won't be goodbye forever."
"I can work with that," Rohah said, relieved. "Thanks for putting up with me for all this time."
"No problem."
After eating, Rohah left the inn and headed for the College. The imposing structure loomed over the small town, balanced precariously on an outcropping of rock, looking as though one good gust of wind would send it toppling into the Sea of Ghosts. As she crossed the bridge, she could make out several dark smudges she assumed were the students. The stone under her feet was crumbling, and she could not help but bite the inside of her cheeks until she was safely on the other side. It was likely magically reinforced, but that knowledge would do nothing to assuage her fear. She approached the closest group of students - an Argonian and two Nords.
"Excuse me," Rohah said, glancing between the three of them, and feeling a bit awkward with their stares on her. "I'm looking to apply to the College. Who do I ask about that?"
One of the Nords answered. "You'll want to see Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard. Do you want me to show you where she is?"
"Yeah, that'd be great," Rohah said, grateful. The Nord stood, and Rohah followed her, appraising her College robes. The uniform looked warm and comfortable, and suddenly Rohah's own stained and travel-dirtied clothing felt inadequate.
"My name is Rohah, by the way," she said while they took a turn into one of the castle's entrances.
"I'm Stilde," the Nord said, opening the door for her courteously. The heated air inside the College hit her, and for the next few seconds while the cold left her, the only thought in her mind was of how much she loved magic.
"What do you plan on studying?" Stilde asked, her voice echoing in the stairwell while they travelled up the floors.
"Restoration, I think," Rohah said. "I've got a bit of skill in Illusion too, but less interest."
"Lucky," Stilde said gloomily, pushing open a door to a hall. "I haven't got any talent with those sorts of magics… yesterday I was supposed to be calming a baby frostbite spider, and it bit me. Our Alchemy teacher had to get me an antidote, I was swelling so bad. Guess I'm allergic. Well, here you are." She had reached a door, and pushed it open without preamble.
A Breton woman, this one older than Stilde - perhaps in her forties - was reading a book inside. Without looking up, she said, "Come in, come in," placed a bookmark at her spot, and shut the book. Stilde left, her footsteps loud in the quiet building. Mirabelle turned her head up expectantly.
Rohah entered nervously, glancing around the room. It was certainly an office. Shelves lined the walls, packed with neatly arranged notes, novel-length tomes, and dusty spellbooks. Upside down, Rohah could read the title of the book Mirabelle had been reading: Night of Tears. Covering her desk were sheets of parchment, spread out neatly in front of her. Behind Mirabelle, and illuminating the room, was an arched window that provided an excellent view of the whole grounds.
"Hello," Rohah said. "I'd like to apply to the College."
Mirabelle nodded, pulling out a drawer and leafing through sheafs of paper. "Full name?" she asked, all business.
"Rohah Catraso." She also spelled out her first name, knowing it was bound to cause confusion otherwise.
The Master Wizard spoke as she wrote on a small note. "The year began three weeks ago. Assuming you are alright with that - "
" - I am - "
" - you will be able to proceed as normal. Tuition is eight thousand septims for a full year." Mirabelle slid a lengthy paper to Rohah. Already penned on the parchment was a contract spelling out the conditions of her enrollment. "Please read this over, and if you are decided, fill out the form."
It was silent for a few minutes while Rohah read. She pulled out a chair, scraping it against the floor, and sat heavily. There was nothing dodgy in the contract, so she signed, formally agreeing to fork over nearly her entire fortune from Valthume - not without regret.
She handed it back to Mirabelle, who tucked it into a drawer and stood. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your quarters." Rohah let her pass, then trailed after the Master Wizard.
"Normally you would get your schedule along with everyone else at the start of the year," Mirabelle said as they walked, "but as you are beginning later, I would ask you to meet with me tomorrow to sort that out. Do you know what you're interested in studying?"
"Restoration for sure," Rohah said. Mirabelle's eyebrows twitched nearly imperceptibly, perhaps in surprise. They were outside, back in the cold, crossing the grounds to reach another section of the castle-like College.
"You needn't worry too much about your field of study. The College - " she was interrupted by a loud BANG. Rohah jumped and looked over her shoulder - a Dunmer was sitting stretched-out on the ground, covered in soot and looking quite shocked. His Nord friend was laughing, though, and the Dunmer joined in after being helped to his feet. He noticed her staring at him, and waved, sending ash cascading onto his friend. Rohah struggled against a giggle.
Mirabelle continued as if nothing had occurred. " - the College is flexible. Our professors will be more than happy to accommodate you." They entered into a circular room that seemed to spiral upward endlessly. In the center was what looked like a large stone fire pit, but instead of flames, a beautiful blue mist seemed to breathe out of the stonework. It felt - no, looked - oddly alive.
"Your room is number thirty-two, on the fourth floor. You'll find your College robes in the wardrobe," Mirabelle said. "Again, find me in my office tomorrow in the morning for your schedule."
"Thank you," Rohah said, and began to climb the steps. So far, everyone here had been rather nice to her. She liked Stilde especially.
The light from the middle of the room rose along with Rohah as she ascended. She paused on the fourth floor to take a better look at it. Its glow tinted the entire area a gentle blue. Rohah passed a hand through the mist, careful to not lean too much lest she fall over fifty feet, and found it did not feel like anything at all. Her hand disturbed it as if it were physical, however, and she amused herself for a minute by swirling the energies around in the air before they lifted out of sight.
In room thirty-two, she found clean College robes and changed into them. Rohah took a seat at the desk, dipping a quill into ink and scratching out a letter. A torch brightened the room enough for her to write, but she believed it was magical in nature, because the lighting was suspiciously uniform.
Rohah finished her letter and gave it a quick read-through.
Dear mom and dad,
I wrote to you as soon as I could. I'm in Skyrim, and I'm okay. When I got here, I hired a mercenary like you asked - his name is Norvosh, he's an orc and quite nice, plus he's helped me out of more than one jam. I never got a chance to study the Stone of Barenziah, but I think I'll be abandoning that pet project anyway.
Long story short, we went on a bit of an adventure in a Nordic tomb. We earned a load of gold, and I've used it to enroll in the College of Winterhold for just one year. I don't intend to settle down, but I think some extra training and more time abroad will really help me.
I'll be home sooner than you know, and I can tell you everything in person. I love you both. Say hello to Stooge for me.
-Ro
She smiled at the last line. Stooge was their tabby cat, who routinely caused trouble, whether by strategically placing dead mice in the house, sending neat stacks of papers flying off tables, and last but not least - yowling in the middle of the night as if in pain, sending Rohah leaping out of bed, only for her to find out Stooge had simply been lonely.
She'd spared them several details she knew would only make them worry, such as the fact the Nordic tomb mentioned had held a Dragon-Priest-slash-lich, or that a literal dragon had scared her out of her wits twice.
Rohah folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket, then left her room, quietly coming down the steps. When she reached the ground floor, she stopped dead.
A snowy-white cat was watching her from the foot of the door. Its eyes were a light gold. The cat was staring at her, straight in the eyes, and Rohah felt an irrational fear freezing her in place. She felt certain the creature had a calculating intelligence behind those slitted eyes, far more than what was natural. Overwhelming instinct told her a wrong move would be disastrous. Rohah did not dare to breathe, and nor did she look away.
After a moment of silence that seemed to last an eternity, where human and animal locked eye contact, the cat shifted its gaze and trotted up the steps, tail twitching. The spell was broken, and Rohah blinked at its retreating back. It was just a cat now… just a dumb cat.
The cat was probably just like her Stooge back home. Cheered by this thought, Rohah stepped out of the College. As much as the logical part of her brain insisted everything was fine, she kept glancing back uneasily, certain the cat's pale yellow eyes would be on the edge of her vision.
It took several hours for Rohah to track down a courier willing to take her letter all the way to Cyrodiil. Even then, she had to pay a large sum of gold to convince him, and the man warned her it could be a month or more until they got it. She had to send it, though, or else her parents would have eventually gone looking for her themselves.
Author's note: So Rohah is finally applying to the College! This marks the end of my pre-written content, so all subsequent chapters will be entirely new. Thanks for reading! It means a lot to me. :)
