Winds of the Ashfall: An Elder Scrolls Tale

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 4

Loredas the 27th of Last Seed 4E71 Morning

It was still fairly early as Alaron Suvaris rose that morning. He couldn't quite tell whether the sun had fully risen, but it seemed a little brighter in that rented room than on the previous day. After making use of the chamber pot, he ambled to over the single window of the room to take a look outside through the sooty glass.

Though it was not raining at that moment, it seemed that the sky remained overcast for as far as he could see. Given that the window only permitted an obstructed view of the southerly direction, that didn't tell him much about the northern skies, where those storms had been coming from.

He soon decided to treat the morning as though it would be providing fair weather with more of that on the way. With that notion in mind, he dressed in his ebony armour. Since he wouldn't be going far just yet, he left his helmet and gauntlets in the lockable chest. He wouldn't be needing his weapons out on the streets either. He only had to ensure that he had some coin on hand, then he collected those previously read books and he was on his way.

Though he was just beginning to feel that he might like to start the day with something to eat, he wasn't planning to worry about that just yet. However, just as he reached the lower level of the inn, he observed that a fresh delivery had arrived from a local bakery. A vaguely familiar aroma managed to overwhelm other less pleasant odours of the tavern.

The younger lass was attending the service counter that morning. Both of her parents had been managing the tavern the previous evening. Since he couldn't clearly recall whether her name was 'Llouna' or 'Llirona', he chose to avoid unintended insult. "Good morning to you."

"Ju'rohn." The Dunmer girl returned a casually respectful nod. Though his greeting was offered in the Imperial tongue, she responded with the Dunmeri greeting, 'welcome'.

"What is that pleasantry upon the air?" Suvaris indicated the freshly delivered baskets sitting upon the counter.

The Dunmer lass seemed to guess what had most likely caught his attention. She shifted to the basket with the green tinged buns. "This wot you mean? You fancy marshmerrow muffins? They're straight from the bakers."

Suvaris couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed the sweet taste of marshmerrow in anything, though he did recall that it could be almost sickly sweet in excess. He soon realised that he'd been silently contemplating the muffins for a prolonged moment.

Noting the expectant expression of the younger Dunmer, with a subtle nod, Suvaris softly cleared his throat. "Perhaps just one. No more than that, I should think."

The lass behind the counter shrugged and advised him of the cost. After coin was exchanged for muffin, Suvaris offered polite thanks and turned about to head for the street.

Outside the inn, Suvaris could see that though the skies remained dull and overcast, the cloud cover did seem high and less likely to deliver further rain. The dark storm clouds appeared to have completely disappeared from the northern skies over the Sea of Ghosts. Each of those signs seemed promising.

As he headed off along the street, he took small bites from his marshmerrow muffin, savouring the sweet flavour. Out on the street winding from the lower docks to the main marketplace, he noticed a few people already out and about, moving along in either direction. It seemed that he wasn't the only one believing that the weather had finally turned for the better.

Given that he'd hardly seen much of the city since his arrival, Suvaris held but a passing familiarity with the place. Though more than six decades had passed since he'd last seen anything of Blacklight, it did seem hardly changed much from his faded recollection.

Casting an eye along the street, he casually noted the transition of architectural styling. Down by the docks, the structures appeared more utilitarian. Though many of those buildings displayed just a little of the old Velothian characteristic, most of the stone and timber construction appeared more influenced by contemporary Imperial and Nordic architecture.

Even the Baan Malur Oad Inn seemed like it had originally been built by outlanders, then only later somewhat altered and adjusted to suit Dunmeri sensibilities. In that manner, the past influence of Tiber Septim's Cyrodilic Empire remained visibly evident, even if the empire of the Mede Dynasty seemed to have little active influence in the present.

It was fair to note the contrast even in the common names of things. Of course, the historical Dunmeri name for Blacklight was Baan Malur. However, the directly translated Imperial name had become more commonly used over the centuries since Tiber Septim negotiated treaty with the Tribunal, rendering Morrowind as part of his empire.

Though the name of that inn swayed more to Dunmeri tradition, from structural appearances alone, it was quite likely that it had been in the hands of Imperials at some time in the past. In the common tongue, the literal translation of that name was 'Blacklight Port Inn'.

Looking toward the main marketplace of Blacklight, the style of structure began to shift to a mix that favoured more typical Dunmeri design. Though it hardly favoured one distinct style over another and there was even still some sign of Imperial influence here and there.

Looking even further beyond that merchant district toward one of the residential parts of the city, another fashion dominated more heavily. Many of the homes along the rising slopes followed the predominant Redoran style of construction.

From the outside, those structures resembled rows of giant shells or the chitinous carapaces of enormous insects. Of course unlike the certain types of molded armour commonly worn by the Redoran Guard, those buildings were not actually constructed from chitinous materials. It was more the case that the hardened mud-brick and other materials were shaped and finished to resemble something that looked more organic.

From the outside, the visible portions of those Redoran styled homes hardly seemed very large. As he knew well enough, those upper shell shaped sections were only a small part of those buildings. Some of those structures were only large enough to serve as entryways. Some were a little larger than that. In each case, more of the structure lay below ground. Some homes would only have one level beneath the upper part. Some extended down to two or three levels.

Of course the imposing Rootspire of Blacklight where the Grand Council met stood out as something quite different from much of the architecture about it. As did the Temple of Azura with the tall statue set atop a raised dais.

That served to remind him how that small Temple of the Divines near the edge of town looked rather unimpressive by comparison. That modest timber structure appeared quite humble in contrast to the Great Chapel of Arkay back in Cheydinhal.

Still, that hardly seemed so surprising at all. In Morrowind, worship of the Divines was more of something to be tolerated than embraced. Just as treaty ensured that the Dunmer retained the freedom of their own practices of worship, they were required to accommodate Imperial practices where they existed, or at the least, do nothing to restrict worship of the Nine Divines.

Suvaris finished off the last of his muffin as he walked into the centre of the marketplace and approached the bookstore. From the outside, that building looked much like one of those Redoran styled homes. One of the larger ones. If not for the prominent signage in both Dunmeris and Imperial, he might not have even recognised it as a place of business when he passed it by a few days earlier.

As it happened, he'd nearly arrived too early in the morning. The owner of the bookstore was only just opening up for the day. The dark hued Dunmer with the fading and thinning mane of silvery hair seemed slightly annoyed for just a moment. He then quickly adjusted his expression at the notion of a possibly wealthy customer coming to his store.

Rather than just making the assumption, Suvaris politely inquired whether the store was yet opened for business that day.

After pushing the door fully open, in a somewhat forced display of respect, the older Dunmer inclined his head. "Ju'rohn sera. Please, come into my store."

With a bow of his head, Suvaris returned a similar Dunmeri greeting and stepped inside. Just inside the store, he paused to look about. He immediately noted that it did seem a little larger on the inside than he expected. The entire space was packed with shelving. It seemed that the store occupied only that upper level of the structure. He expected that the older Dunmer's home was located down below. In any case, it seemed that he could certainly expect to find something of interest in that well stocked store.

Before turning about to properly make acquaintance, Suvaris reminded himself of something he'd only just noticed properly since his time at the Baan Malur Oad Inn.

Aside from his interactions with those individuals he'd helped along the roads, his previous dealings with others had been fairly direct. At each location he'd passed through, he'd generally mentioned only his name and his travelling destination. Even in those cases, he'd picked up on a thinly veiled measure of disdain, perhaps either in response to his faded accent, his expensive attire, or something else in his manner. He also suspected that mentioning having come from Cheydinhal could have also been part of it. His affiliation with the Fighters Guild carried a little more currency, but it also indicated that he probably wasn't living in Morrowind. Though none had passed direct comment or insult, it still seemed that he was viewed as an outlander of sorts.

As respectfully as possible, Suvaris introduced himself and again spoke with the elderly owner of the bookstore. The older Dunmer agreed to purchase those books that he was hoping to offload, but only as an offset against the cost of other purchase. Responding to some of Suvaris' queries, the other Dunmer directed him to certain specific areas of shelving.

After a good look about, Suvaris eventually selected three books that he thought might be of fair interest. As promised, the cost of the three books he was buying had been balanced against the value of those he was selling to the shopkeep. In that manner, he paid somewhat less than the full cost of the three books, though still more than the price of two.

After exchanging curt pleasantries, Suvaris was on his way.

Out on the street once again, Suvaris briefly cast an eye about the main marketplace of the city. He casually noted that nearly every face in view belonged to a fellow Dunmer. He spotted only two that were not. One was a heavy-set bearded man headed down toward the docks, who might have been a Nord or an Imperial. The other was a woman of Breton appearance at a vegetable stand out the front of a store.

He thought that it seemed a notable contrast to what he'd grown accustomed to back in Cyrodiil. Though his own people had come to make up a significant proportion of the populace of Cheydinhal, most of the other races of Tamriel were still well represented.

Though Colovians and Nibenese might have dominated the Imperial City at the heart of Cyrodiil, an even broader mix was evident in that place. There was certainly no shortage of Nords or Bretons. Dark skinned Redguard humans also made up some numbers. There were more than a few Altmer, Bosmer and Dunmer in that cosmopolitan city. Even though Orcs, Argonians and certain types of Khajiit were far fewer in number, they were still regularly seen about that city.

Before the Oblivion Crisis and those other calamities that followed afterward, he recalled that there used to be a far broader mix of races within the larger cities of Morrowind. It seemed that the greatly reduced Imperial interest in the broken Dunmer homeland had contributed to a marked change in that circumstance.

He imagined that there were certain Dunmer who truly embraced the withdrawal of outlanders from their lands. However, he also expected that few could have been quite so sanguine over the terrible series of events that served to finally bring that about.

He'd been mulling over those thoughts as he headed back the way he came, intent upon visiting the trade warehouses to make certain inquiries before deciding his travel plans.

"Sera. Sera… Suvaris." A male voice called out from up the street behind him.

Turning about to look, he recognised the face of the younger Atheron lad. He momentarily adjusted that thought with a shake of his head. Though he was perhaps not even twenty-five, he was hardly a lad. Still, that was how he'd been thinking of Atheron since first meeting him. Even since before turning ninety-nine, Suvaris had often found himself thinking of any male of such youth as a 'lad'.

"Atheron." Suvaris inclined his head in acknowledgment.

The younger Dunmer paused just a moment to catch his breath. "I'm a bit surprised to see you 'bout, but I'm glad to get another chance to be thanking you."

Suvaris tried to maintain a passive expression. "No further thanks are necessary. I'm glad to have provided assistance. I do trust that your wife is well?"

Atheron nodded. "Yeah, she's good. We even found a place we can afford to stay. I'm just headed down for the docks. I got work. Ships need loadin' up to head out today."

"That's good. I'm quite glad to hear."

Atheron looked down toward the docks anxiously then turned back to Suvaris. "I can't be late, but I just wanted to… I meant wot I said before. I talked it over with the missus. We're ever so grateful for all your help. We'll be naming one of our young'ns after you. Alaron for a boy, or maybe Suvaris for a girl."

Suvaris frowned slightly. "That's not at all necessary."

Atheron nodded agreeably, but only to be polite. "We know that, but it's how we feel."

"I should not prevent you from arriving for your work. I have no wish to place your position in doubt."

Atheron returned a respectful bow of his head and then turned and quickly dashed off toward the lower docks.

Suvaris remained in place on the street for a few moments longer, watching the younger Dunmer go on his way. He waited until Atheron was well down the street before he finally continued along the thoroughfare in the same direction.

Since he'd had plenty of time to think upon the matter, he already held a tentative travel plan in mind. It was obvious enough to him that there was little to no chance of finding a horse to replace the one he'd lost. He'd also rejected the notion of acquiring a guar for the same purpose. Though those creatures were sturdy, even those bred to serve as mounts were rather slow. After a relatively short distance at a canter or even shorter if sprinting, they tended to tire and return to plodding. He'd decided that travelling on foot would be far less trouble.

He was headed for the trade warehouses down near the docks, not far from where he'd started his day. He was hoping to make contact with caravan traders headed in the same direction he was travelling. He assumed it was still easy enough to offer guard services in exchange for travelling alongside. The logic of that was simple enough. He didn't really require the company, but travelling with merchants would simplify certain matters and reduce the likelihood of a repeat of the kind of circumstances that previously delayed his journey.

Suvaris found the trade warehouse easily enough, but what he found inside was not exactly what he'd been expecting. The place seemed awash with chaos and disorder. He'd grown accustomed to the more orderly agency of the Imperial Trading Company offices back in Cyrodiil. If that particular operation was at all under the direction for the East Empire Trading Company, he observed no indication of it.

After a few missteps, he found someone who seemed to be in charge of some part of the activities. That broad shouldered Dunmer seemed no older than Suvaris, but his demeanour appeared more like that of someone ready for retirement. That dark and swarthy individual sported one of those moderately full dark beards that only a few Dunmer managed to grow.

It took another few interrupted moments to get his purpose across to that other Dunmer. The warehouse worker distractedly advised that some traders had already departed earlier that morning and that one caravan was leaving any moment and not waiting around for anyone. He made a point of saying that it wasn't really up to him anyway, but he'd direct Suvaris to some individuals who might be interested in what he was after.

After bouncing about from one person to the next, he eventually connected with an interested merchant who was actually bound for Mournhold. He was a Dunmer by the name of Rurvyn, just a few years younger than Suvaris. Apparently, that trader generally travelled only with just his brother and his nephew.

As anticipated, the merchant was not willing to pay for an expensive guard. Even so, he was willing enough to permit Suvaris to travel along as an unofficial guard in exchange for travelling with the caravan.

Of course that arrangement suited Suvaris well enough. It was pretty well just what he was hoping for. After brief discussion, they agreed to meet by the southern exit from the city at dawn the next morning.

Emerging onto the streets again, Suvaris took brief note of the skies. Though pale cloud cover continued to obscure the sun, it did look to him like it might well be relatively clear by the next morning. The day was already beginning to grow far warmer than those past few days had been. Even though there was no indication of it right at that moment, he suspected that warmer winds from the south were on the way.

Suvaris knew well enough that the combination of volcanic mountains and the prevailing winds from northern Argonia generally served to keep most of Morrowind relatively warm. Unlike Skyrim, even in winter, snowfall was almost unheard of anywhere below the peaks of the Velothi Mountains separating those two lands.

Resigning himself to passing just one more evening in Blacklight, Suvaris had only one more thing to attend before returning to the inn. He headed back up the street to the marketplace; briefly visiting some stores to replenish his travelling supplies. Since he didn't require much, it hadn't taken him all that long.

Upon returning to the Baan Malur Oad Inn, Suvaris made arrangement to pay for just one more night, advising that he'd be gone before the next sunrise. Since it was already near to midday by that time, he suddenly realised that he was feeling just a little peckish. With a slight measure of reluctance, he decided to purchase another marshmerrow muffin and a locally brewed mazte to wash it down.

Since the tavern area of the inn was relatively quite at that time, he decided to take a seat at a table to eat and drink. The only other two patrons around kept to themselves, not interested in bothering him or each other.

After a brief visit to the downstairs bathroom, Suvaris headed back up to his rented room with his books and supplies.

~O~