Author's note: Hello what a fine day it is to be alive. We're just going to pretend that I've been keeping to a regular publishing routine, and that my work hasn't been dropping in quality...
So I've finally settled in, and the craziness of moving has stopped! And that means I'll be able to get back to my regular schedule soon. In the meantime, I'm going to upload as often as possible, since I have a bunch of ideas stored up. Once again, I'm so sorry for the delay.

Reviews are much appreciated! I know people are seeing this so please, stop for a moment and give me some feedback. I'd like to improve as an author, and I don't have a beta, so compliments and criticism are always nice...

Disclaimer: Not mine

Káno is starting to believe that his favorite places to explore are Dwemer ruins. While the rest of Skyrim is lovely, he's been all over almost every inch of it, and can indeed confirm that more than half the land is snow, marsh, and impassable mountains. That's not a bad thing, not by any means, but a change of pace is nice every once in a while, and the Dwemer ruins are perfect for that. The echoing halls, the ruins of a long dead civilisation, and the architecture are enough to draw him in. The presence of the Falmer, and the need to restore the beautiful ruins to their former splendour are enough to keep him there.

The first time he encounters such a place is while traveling. He happened across Reachwind Eyrie, a place high in the mountains, abandoned all but for Dwemer objects. He had climbed the narrow tower, wary of any enemies that might make themselves known, but there had been none. Only the beautiful, twisting structure, and abandoned pieces of metal lying around. It was at that moment that the beauty of the ruins became apparent to him. And then he went to Markarth.

Markarth, built on the foundations of a Dwemer city, and in fact unconsciously living directly above the true city, was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. The stone climbed high into the mountains, houses were built with Dwemer architecture, and in the centre of it all, the Dwemer city upon which they lived. It was love at first site. Now, weeks later, he's finally exploring the true nature of what lies beneath Markarth, and he finds himself happier than ever. The twisting tunnels, while home to Falmer, still echo with life beyond the horrible creatures that now inhabit the city. Káno is searching for what remains of an expedition lost to the tunnels, and the search led to the city. Apparently, the people of Markarth have finally discovered the truth about what their city is built on, and like any good people with a hunger to know, they have begun excavating. This particular job is born out of his curiosity to know what lies beneath Markarth. After obtaining the key to the ruins, and killing an overly large spider that had been lurking there, he had continued to explore the ruins, eventually stumbling across something that warranted exploring. As a result, he finds himself sucked into the deep, dimly lit halls. The place is beautiful, and mostly intact. Of course, Falmer prowl the halls, but they aren't much of a problem. Until he and Faendal step into a room, and are immediately ambushed. The Falmer spring from the walls, and the shadows, setting upon them at once. He is almost immediately separated from the elf, and can only hope that Faendal can fare for himself as he battles what seems to be the leader. The group is large and vicious, deadly attacks hitting what seems to be every part of his armor. The leader is no pushover as well, and he finds himself hard pressed to keep up with the speed and power of the attacks. He pushes back, matching, and eventually overpowering the leader, then dispatching the rest of the group. Finally, he spins around, wild-eyed, only to find that the last of the Falmer lie dead on the ground. Faendal, however, is nowhere to be seen.

He searches for the elf for hours, running back over the same sections of hall multiple times, and venturing deeper in case he might have left. However, Káno is unable to find his friend. The elf has gone completely missing, and it's all he can do to keep from panicking. He stops at the foot of a staircase, and leans against the wall, energy completely gone. The low thrum of machinery fills the air, though quietly, and he sighs. As the nature of the situation sets in, Káno finally begins to truly worry. Before, the rushing about kept him busy. Now, in one place at last, he realizes that he is completely freaking out, and has no idea what to do. Faendal is such a constant presence, that he has no idea what to do about the fact that he has gone missing. As the realization hits, several things happen at once. The vents behind him suddenly turn on, expelling steam into the frosty underground air. As they do so, the light above him goes out, turning the fascinating ruins into an ominous prison. And something metallic collides with the side of his head.

When he wakes, he is lying on the ground. The floor is cold, and slightly wet, probably with the water that inevitably seeps into the ruins. His hands aren't bound, so whatever attacked him must have given him up for dead. In that case, it was most likely one of the dwemer guardians rather than a Falmer or human. The machines, as he has found out through trial and error, attack and cripple. Their goal is to detain or eliminate intruders, however, they do not come back to make sure their work is done.

After listening to the sounds around him, and ascertaining that there isn't anything in the proximity that's moving, Káno finally deems it safe enough to cast candlelight. He finds himself in the same room he was before, albeit in a slightly different spot. Instead of at the foot of the staircase, he is now at the top, lying next to a group of bodies. Several Falmer, and one mage. He scrambles over, and checks the pulse on the human, but finds nothing. The skin is cold, and he has obviously been dead for a while. And as Káno looks up, he notices something else. Faendal is lying a few feet away, on the ground. He still has a pulse, though slightly weak, and does stir when Káno shakes him. Finally, the elf's eyes open, and he looks about blearily. Before the poor elf can do anything else, however, Káno has Faendal by the hand, and they are out the door. In almost no time at all, they are standing outside the ruins, panting. Káno's face is flushed, and he quietly sits on the ground to regain his breath. Faendal continues to stand, breathing heavily, and they both remain like that for several minutes. Finally, Káno stands once more, looking his companion in the eye.

"What happened back there?"

Faendal shakes his head, and looks at the ground.

" I have no logical explanation for it. One minute I was on the ground, about to be killed by the Falmer. The next, you were shaking me awake."

Káno pauses and considers his statement for a minute. If he himself had been having trouble with the Falmer, then it was obvious that his friend would have been overwhelmed. In that case, why weren't they both dead? He sighs, pushing back hair from his face as Faendal speaks.

"We… should probably come back another time."

With a hearty nod, Káno turns and leads the way out of the dig site, and back into the open air of Markarth.

And while neither of them particularly care to look back, if they had, they would have seen the ghost of a long-dead adventurer turning back to the ruins from which he came.