Authors' Note: I'm a little bit disappointed that I haven't gotten any reviews for this story yet. Anything you've got to say would be helpful. I'd actually really appreciate any tips/critique you can give me. Tell me what needs to be improved. Tell me what you like about the story. Tell me that you hated it, and leave me a reason why. Anything would be helpful.
I'd also like to point out that I have NOT finished the Main Quest for Oblivion, but I do know that some part of the Imperial City gets smothered to pieces. I don't know what part it is, so we're just going to say that they have built it back by now. It's been two years. I hope that's long enough.
Also note that I have added an Orphanage to the Imperial City. There is NOT one in the game. It's important to my plot that there be one, and so there is one. Comprende? There is also no book store in Anvil.
The two of them had silently agreed to not speak to one another. As Aedenrel led Aaron and Shadowmere out the City Gates, she passed the stables, and had an idea. She told Shadowmere to "Stay," and expected Aaron to do the same. He did, and she walked towards the stables with a heavy heart. The sign was swinging wildly in the wind, but she didn't need to read it to know the stables' name; The Horse Whisperer Stables. She swung the door open, and smiled pleasantly at the Redguard woman who owned the horses.
"Aedenrel, I haven't seen you around here in a while. Are you looking to buy a horse? We have a couple of really nice white stallions for sale here, just 4,000 gold each."
"It's nice to see you're always ready to make a deal, Clesa. Actually, I am in the market for a new horse, but I'll bet you already knew that. Word travels quickly around Anvil." Aedenrel smiled, and counted out four thousand gold, which she passed to the Redguard woman. Then, she took the new bridle from her, and walked back out the door. Aedenrel saddled the horse, and led it towards Aaron, handing him the reigns. "This one is yours, Aaron. He should keep up with Shadowmere. If you want, I'll tie a line between the two of us, so you don't get lost." Aaron took the reigns grudgingly, and frowning. Aedenrel made no move to lessen Shadowmere's load, he heard her climb onto her own mare, and he managed to do the same without falling over.
"Okay, now what?" He nearly caught the rope she tossed him, but it fell through his fingers. Aedenrel swung off of her horse to tie it around Aarons' new steed, and then set off. After an initial rocky road, they settled into a quiet sort of rhythm. Their silence lasted for a good many miles, and Aaron found they were following the Road this time. He kept his mind especially clear from thoughts and memories, instead listening to the world around him. Birds chirping, the clip-clop of horses' hooves, the wind shuffling the leaves of trees. The peace and tranquility of it made him smile. He tried to imagine what this world looked like, the world he hadn't seen for nearly two years. He had lost his sight just as the Oblivion Crisis had ended, and he missed the old days, when he could see the world around him. Darkness. That was what he saw now. Nothing more, nothing less. Only in his dreams and in his prayers did he see again. But that wasn't enough for him.
Aedenrel, meanwhile, was keeping an eye out on the road in front of them. So far, they hadn't run into any trouble, and she hoped it remained that way. She knew better to assume so, though, as they had to pass at least three bandit camps on the road to the Imperial City. They also had to go past Kvatch, which was something she was dreading greatly. The people had begun to rebuild, but she could never face the city again. She would never go into or near Kvatch again. Something in her memory prevented it. Something full of fire and the smell of death, and a gaping, searing, fiery Gate to Oblivion. She hated Oblivion more than anything else in the world. And yet...
And yet sometimes she found herself wishing she could see an Oblivion Gate once more. To face the dangers again. To feel the adrenaline rush that happened when she felt a Sigil Stone burning into her palm. The power that it contained. Now, she had an entire chest at home full of the things, the useless ones that did things like disintegrate armor. Things that Aedenrel had no use for.
Aedenrel couldn't face Kvatch though, even with the countless number of requests she'd gotten to visit. Swerving slightly to the right to avoid colliding with an Imperial Horseman, she felt the rope between herself and Aaron go taut, and she glanced back at him to make sure he was okay. He seemed to be. Actually, it looked to her like he was lost again. A smile flickered on her face.
A day and a half later, they arrived at the bridge of the Imperial City. Aaron and Aedenrel had trained on the way there, once in the morning and once at night. Aaron was getting better, but Aedenrel was still killing him at it. If he ever got into a fight by himself, he hoped that it was one against low-level adventurers. Blind ones. With no weapons. Or armor.
Now, Aaron crossed the gigantic bridge on foot, behind Aedenrel, Shadowmere and his own white stallion. He couldn't think of a name for it, so he called it nothing. With a wooden sword strapped to his waist, he listened to the world around him. Horses hooves, waves on the lake, the opening and closing of gates, a rumble from an Inn, and horses whinnying at the Stable ahead, the sounds reached his ears. He was smiling, though he wasn't in a good mood. He really wanted to be back at Frostspire Crag, the place he now called home. But Aedenrel had made up some new sort of business. Aaron didn't want to play along, but knew he couldn't make it home alone. He needed her.
"Aedenrel, what are we doing here, exactly?" Aaron suddenly found he was looking for a fight, an argument of any kind to make him feel better about not being home.
"I told you I have business," she snapped at him. She jerked left towards the stables, and handed off the horses to the attendant without another thought. Then, she and Aaron each shouldered a pack full of the possessions they had acquired from the bookshop. She took the sleeve of his shirt and led him through the gates, not pausing to speak to anyone. Aedenrel enjoyed visiting the Imperial City on occasion, but she usually avoided it for the same reason she avoided other cities she disliked; because she couldn't find anything in them. Though she'd grown up in the Imperial City, she had a very limited view of it, the circular structure always managed to confuse her. She made her way swiftly down the curving street, tugging Aaron a bit harder than what was needed.
"I'm tired of being dragged around all the time," he snapped at her, yanking his sleeve back from her. She rounded on him, and he imagined she was scowling. He expected an argument again, but she took a deep breath and bit her tongue. Aedenrel said nothing as she grabbed his sleeve again, and continued to drag him along.
"We'll go home after this." She told him, and they made their way to the Talos Plaza. Aede had a heavy heart as they approached the place. The Imperial City held memories that she would rather have forgotten. Actually, she thought bitterly, nearly every city held some memory she wanted to get away from. That's why she made her visits to the cities scarce, and made sure she spent no more than a day in each city. She had become rather recluse in her ways, she realized, since the Oblivion Crisis. Before, she couldn't get enough action. Now, she was lucky if a day went by that she wasn't killing someone or something who wanted "revenge."
Her heart skipped a beat as the two of them approached the step to the Imperial City Orphanage. Her stomach was in knots. She wanted to turn around and leave, but knew that she could never face this place again if she didn't do it now. Briefly, she wondered if she ought to go for a drink afterwards at the Arcane University. But dealing with Mage Apprentices and snippety Scholars always put her in a bad mood. She could recite from memory the speech the Scholars gave when they were annoyed and she needed to speak to them.
"What?...Yes, I'm sure you have something terribly important to say..." She sighed, long and loud, as she heaved the door open with much more force than necessary. Aedenrel turned to Aaron then, and made like a tour guide. "This is the Imperial City Orphanage. It was built in the Second Era, though the official date is unknown. Like many of the other establishments in the Imperial City, it was made by the Aelids. Some say this place has not always been a home to the homeless. Others say it has. There is a large conflict between those two groups." Aedenrel led him into the lobby, by far the most astonishing room of all the Orphanage. There were a few orphans standing around, and one was scrubbing the floor vigorously. A smile crossed Aedenrel's lips as she thought about the number of times she had endured the same punishment. It had always been her fault, she mused, but she had always called it unfair.
"What are we doing in the Imperial City Orphanage?" Aaron snapped, obviously angry. He was scowling, and she thought that if she didn't know him so well, she might think him dangerous when angered. But she did know him better than that, and he was just upset because they weren't doing what he wanted. If he could see, she mentally lamented, she would bat her sapphire eyes at him, and get her way. It had always worked on him. She smiled at the thought.
"We're donating a few things that we can live without," Aedenrel supplied, and took his sleeve. Though she was carrying the heavier of the two packs, she could see that his pack was pushing the weight limit he could carry. They walked up the stairs carefully, to avoid knocking down the smaller orphans who were playing a game there. She knew the game, she had played it in her youth. They started at the bottom of the stairs, with a handful of wooden letters used for playing the game. If someone made a word before you did, they got to go up a stair, and play with a different set of letters. The first person to the top of the stairs won, but it was more about seeing whether or not you could get the other children to believe that the word you made was actually a word.
"THEN can we go home," Aaron whined. Aedenrel nodded, and then realized he hadn't seen it.
"Yes, then we can go home," Aedenrel answered. Of course she wouldn't get the chance to have a drink in the private quarters of the Arcane University. Aaron was with her. And he was as demanding as a newborn baby.
"To the left," Aedenrel told him as they reached the top step. He turned left, and so did she. All the way at the end of the hall was the Headmistress' quarters, her office and her living space. In her time spent there, Aedenrel had only had to visit the Headmistress a few times. She had always dreaded it, and she found herself dreading it now. "Come on, I don't want to be here all day," Aedenrel snapped, and dragged Aaron along beside her, at a nearly-running pace. They reached the door winded, but it didn't stop Aedenrel. She knocked on the door three times, quickly, and waited.
"Come in, come in," the Headmistress' voice came through the wood slightly muffled, but still understandable. Aedenrel swung the door open and led Aaron in after her. The Headmistress was just as she had remembered her. An old Altmer woman, with golden skin comparable to sunrises, and a kind face that showed many more wrinkles than it deserved. Still, the woman had the same crystal-grey eyes, the ones Aedenrel had always believed could see right through lies and into your thoughts. Sure, the Headmistress didn't seem threatening, but Aedenrel had been on her bad side more than once, when she didn't seem so kindly and old, when she seemed more like a raging bear. "Aedenrel, dear, you didn't mention you were making a visit!"
Damn, thought Aedenrel, that blew my cover completely. "Well, I recently acquired some items I thought the Orphanage might be able to use. Aaron," she turned to him, and took the pack from his back, "please go wait in the hallway while we discuss this." He did as he was asked, she noted, and made sure the door was shut behind him.
"Now Aedenrel, where did you discover such a fine specimen of slave worker? I didn't think slavery was even allowed in Cyrodill. Did you find a Black Market, willing to sell such things?" There was a glint of malice in the old woman's eyes.
"No, it's not like that, Headmistress. Aaron is and old friend of mine, who happens to be traveling with me. He's blind though, and needs my constant supervision. He's no slave." Even though he does exactly what I want, usually without question.
"The way you dismissed him," the Altmer woman put slowly, "made one think he was." Oh, she was choosing her words carefully, and making it painfully clear to Aedenrel that this visit had to be very, very short.
"I apologize for any misleadings. But to get to business," Aedenrel placed herself leisurely in the arm-chair facing the Headmistress' desk, "I have some things I'd like to donate to the Orphanage. There are exactly twenty-five shirts here, with the equivalent number of pants, shoes, and dresses. That should be enough to outfit nearly every child in this place."
The Altmer woman looked at her for a moment, as if sizing her up. After a long, long pause, she spoke again. "...and?"
"There are also a large number of books that you should be able to use. Aaron and I went though them ourselves, and there is nothing that would be inappropriate for children to be learning from."
Another pause. There might have been a smile on the Headmistress' face, but it was gone before Aedenrel could have been sure. "...and?"
"Aaron and I have brought as much silverware as we could carry," Aedenrel placed the boxes on the desk then, and a smile was surely on the face of the other woman then. "Along with a donation of twenty thousand gold."
TWENTY THOUSAND. "Twenty thousand," the Headmistress repeated, obviously stunned. But she saw in Aedenrel's eyes that there was something more. Something the Imperial-WoodElf woman was leaving out. "Aedenrel Lex, what are you leaving out? What do you get out of this deal?"
"Oh," Aedenrel smiled then, and put on what she hoped was a diplomatic face. She hoped the Headmistress couldn't tell that she was nervous. "Our usual agreement, Headmistress. Although I doubt you knew it was me." Pausing there for dramatic effect, Aedenrel waited until the Headmistress pried for more information. Another minute passed, and the frown on the Altmer woman's face increased. Aedenrel resisted the urge to smile. She had this game of wits in the bag.
"Aedenrel, I'm quite sure I've never had any dealings with you. This is the first time you've walked into my door for four years. Now tell me, little Wood Elf, what do you think you're playing at?"
Aedenrel hid a scowl behind an expressionless face, and then she broke into a smile. Without another thought, and almost instantly, she had cast a quick Illusion spell, and transformed into a figure that the Headmistress knew well. Her face showed recognition, and shock. A smile played on Aedenrel's lips again, as she let the Headmistress put two and two together.
Aedenrel had studied the Magic of Illusion for many, many years. It was her favorite school, closely followed by Destruction and Conjuration. But Illusion gave her the power to manipulate the way she appeared to the world. In a way, it was like wearing the Cowl of the Grey Fox without actually needing to. Not that she would ever do such a thing, as she didn't own it. Her father had worked all of his life to destroy the thing, and she didn't intend upon using it. But if she could find it, it would make a lovely addition to her collection of artifacts and magical curiosities.
Where Aedenrel was usually an average sized Imperial-Wood Elf half-breed, she now stood as a tall and lithe Dark Elf man. Her face, usually pointy and well defined, with high cheekbones and startlingly clear blue eyes had been transformed into the green-skinned and strong-structured handsome face of a man who pretended to be Dray'n Hllalu. Aedenrel had even managed to perfect the art of clothes-changing, which she used to make Dray'n appear in the elegant dress of a noble-man. As Aedenrel smiled, so did Dray'n, and then the Headmistress smiled back.
"Extremely clever, Aedenrel. I never suspected Dray'n." The Headmistress sighed a long sigh, and the smile faded from her face. "Of course, I should have seen this... You always were good at Illusions." The Altmer woman shook her head, as if to clear a nasty thought as Aedenrel changed back into herself. "Now, what exactly is Dray'n interested in this time?" The Altmer's face clearly said that she had always thought of Dray'n as a pervert and womanizer.
"I'm interested in adopting a few Orphans, like usual." Aedenrel propped her feet over the arms of the chair, and gave the Headmistress a serious look. "The house I recently... accidentally acquired is suitable for two people. And as you know, I'll make sure I adopt the ones that have little to no chance of being adopted otherwise. If you'd prefer, I'll even pretend to be Dray'n."
"Aedenrel, all these years, you've been posing as this Hllalu man. What did you do with the children you've adopted? Did you sacrifice them to Daedra gods, or just kill them on your... adventures." The Altmer woman nearly spat the last word, and Aedenrel ground her teeth in an attempt to calm herself.
"For the record, I have supplied each of my Orphans with houses, careers and training. Each and every one of them is still alive today. I take care of them. Which is less than what I can say for you. I want two Orphans for this new house. You'll file the paperwork like I pay you to, or did you forget about that? Dray'n Hllalu pays for all of the Orphans expenses. I'm going now, to pick the two I think have the most potential. Don't think you can degrade me now," Aedenrel snapped as the Altmer woman stood up, looking furious. Spinning on her heels, Aedenrel stormed out of the room, and closed the door behind her loudly. She looked around for Aaron, but found him missing. Again. Damn, he was getting good at that.
Aaron was frowning as he stepped into the hall after being dismissed by Aedenrel and the Headmistress woman. He crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall in the hallway, and tried not to listen to their conversation. Which, in truth, wasn't that hard, because he wasn't interested. Aedenrel had already been exposed in her lie. The Headmistress obviously had no idea that Aedenrel was coming. So why did she insist on this stupid act?
"Excuse me, sir? Did you come in with Aedenrel?" There was a voice below his ear, which wasn't unusual, because he stood taller than almost everyone else he'd ever met. He turned his head a little, and thought about ignoring the person, or lying, and saying he didn't come with her. He'd learned in Anvil that anyone close to Aedenrel was protective of her, and therefore wary of him. He really didn't feel like being interrogated again.
"Hmf." Aaron replied. It wasn't a yes, and it wasn't a no. Maybe this person would go away, and he wouldn't have to deal with them.
"I said excuse me, sir... Did you come in with Aedenrel?" They thought he was deaf along with blind. That was wonderful.
"Yes, I did. And if it's all the same to you, I'd like to sit here and be angsty. Okay?"
"Well yes, sir, I just thought that you might like to meet with some of the Orphans here. Aedenrel really likes them. And..." the voice dropped low, and Aaron listened carefully to make sure he caught every word. "We think you might be interested in gathering information on her children."
Children. Plural. As in more than one. More than one daughter or son. DAMN. "I'll come," he murmured, and the child took his hand and led him down the hallway. It was a sensation he was beginning to get used to, having to follow Aedenrel around like a dog. But when it was someone else, he found himself slightly discomforted. He knew Aedenrel would never lead him into danger. He didn't know that of the child that was leading him down a hallway in an Orphanage. Aaron heard a door open, and then close behind them. The child, at least that's what he assumed the person leading him was, showed him to a chair, and he sat down.
"We assume you're Aaron Glistel. Now, Brayon has sent us some information on you, and though he has been a good source of information, sometimes he's rather... biased. Aedenrel has talked about an old friend named Aaron while she was here, while she lived here." They paused as if waiting for that information to sink in.
"Lived here." Aaron repeated, and frowned.
"Indeed. Aedenrel called this place her home for a few years, until the Oblivion Crisis began. She turned eighteen then, and the Orphanage had to let her go. After that, she visits once in a while, and finds home for some of us."
"Finds homes for some of you. Making them her children." Aaron had to make sure that he spoke slowly, to make sure that he was putting two and two together to make four, and not five. Of course, of course, he admonished himself, of course, of course, how could I be so stupid?!
"Oh, he is a smart one!" The voice sounded like it belonged to a little Wood Elf. A girl one, who liked to giggle. She reminded him of Aedenrel. But this time, Aaron refused to be carried away in a memory.
"How many has she adopted," Aaron asked, smiling. Obviously, he had been mislead. And he wondered why Aedenrel hadn't told him before. Then again, he assumed that there were quite a few things that she wasn't exactly offering up to him. Things that she either thought to "protect" him from, or that just weren't any of his business anyways.
"Well, we're not sure we have an accurate count..." One of them began. Aaron stared in that general direction, and another series of gigles ensued.
"A lot. Aedenrel buys houses in each City, and then takes some orphans to live there. She gets them food, everything they need. Even pays for their training and tuition at the Arcane University. We'd say... there are around twenty of them."
"Twenty." Aaron repeated, astounded. "Twenty." Before the Oblivion Crisis she had been here, in the Imperial city, and he hadn't known. What had happened between them, that she-
"Yes. Twenty. I can count to twenty," said one. He assumed it was an Imperial boy. "Wanna hear? One, two, three, four, six-"
"You skipped five," said another. Giggling all around him, but Aaron hardly seemed to notice. He was lost in thought, in his own visions of Aedenrel as an orphan, abandoned and lonely. In the Imperial City. Without him.
" 'Scuse me, Mister Aaron, but we should be going now. Aedenrel will be done with Miss Freend soon." A small child, one he assumed was no taller than his knee, led him stooping down the hallway, back towards the door he'd been kicked out of.
"Thanks," Aaron managed, and as the child scurried down the hall, Aaron found himself nervous. A moment later the door swung open, but he could tell by the footsteps that it wasn't Aedenrel.
"Aaron was it? Aedenrel is looking for you in the lobby. She had a feeling some of the children helped you wander off. I'll help you there," the Headmistress led him to the stairs, then down them, in silence. Aedenrel was waiting there, tapping her foot. He imagined her with a scowl on her face, clouding her eyes.
"WHERE have you been!" She didn't want an answer, she wanted to yell. He was going to let her, because he wanted to yell when all of this was over, and he was going to wait it out. "Every time I tell you to go somewhere, you end up missing. Do you wander off all by yourself, or do you just let people lead you all over the place? You could get in trouble, following people around. Are you even going to say anything?"
"No. Go on. Yell. I don't care." The Gods knew that Aaron had listened to his fair share of yelling in the past. When his father came home drunk, Aaron had listened to him complain and yell and scream. Everything was always Aaron's fault. So he let her yell. He blocked everything out. Waited for the moment when she would stop talking, so he could begin.
"Aaron..." Her tone softened. Her foot stopped tapping. She took a deep breath, and a look around, and then she held her hand out for him. He knew it was there, and he took it. The two of them walked out of the Imperial City Orphanage together, and Aedenrel sighed again. "I didn't mean... Gods Aaron, please say something."
"Why didn't you tell me?" He spoke with a low tone as he took his hand from hers, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He promised himself he wouldn't get angry.
"Tell you what?" Aedenrel tried to keep the memories from flooding at her, and she was ready to not say anything at all. She didn't feel like exposing herself to him. There were some secrets she wanted to keep to herself, close to her heart. Secrets she hadn't come to terms with; she supposed they were the equivalent of Aaron's blindness. But she knew that this was uncovered. There was no use trying to hide it.
"The Orphanage. Moving to Anvil. The Oblivion Crisis. Why Aedenrel? You can write. I can read! You should have written." He frowned at her. He was waiting for answers. And he was trying to keep his temper in check. "I want answers."
"Aaron, I..." Aedenrel sat down on a bench, and took a deep breath. "It's really a long story. Can't we just let it go-"
"No. Not this time." Aaron frowned. "I need to know why you didn't ask for my help, Aedenrel. Why didn't you write to me?"
Aedenrel saw that there was no way she was getting out of this without revealing some of her past, but she made a promise to herself that she wouldn't let him drop the subject of his blindness when she was done.
"I'll tell you," Aedenrel decided, and took a deep breath. "But I'm only going to tell this story once."
"I'm listening," Aaron murmured.
"I was young, hardly thirteen when this all began. But you already knew that. When I was younger, the City paid for my schooling because my father, Lex, worked for the City. I went to the same Academy you did, and that's where we met. Our lives were good for a couple of years, until I turned seven. My father had always been a Grey Fox fanatic, but that year he decided he was going to put a watch on the Waterfront District. He was called a fanatic, and the Thieves Guild, the one that "doesn't exist" got him into trouble. They fished out his informant, and took him down. Called him insane.'
"The thing with the Waterfront made him angry. Extremely angry. Angry enough to do stupid things, which eventually got him into trouble, which was exactly what the Thieves Guild wanted. As the people began to view him as more and more insane, the Emperor, because this was before the Oblivion Crisis, decided he wasn't worth the disgrace he was causing the Guard.'
" 'Someone,' namely the Thieves Guild, got him re-assigned to Anvil. He would be Captain of the Guard there. I've no doubt in my mind that the Emperor funded that move. But my father accepted his re-assignment, and we moved to Anvil. I would have told you, Aaron, but I couldn't. By the time I got home from school that day, everything we owned had been packed. My mother was there, and I haven't seen her since that day. She had come to say good-bye. Lex and I took a carriage to Anvil.'
"We had a house there, a tiny little cottage that I was left alone in most of the time. There's no school in Anvil, either. So every day I wandered around and did what I wanted. Until I decided to study with Carahil at the Mages' Guild. She began to teach me everything she knew about magic, and I worked hard to master everything she threw at me. A year went by, and then another. I finally perfected my Illusion skill. I could be anyone I wanted to be. Carahil thought it was funny. I figured I could use it when I needed to.'
"I grew attached to Carahil. I began to think of her as a friend and mother-figure. My father was coming home less and less, so I stayed at the Mages Guild. One day I woke up, and I knew something was wrong. Carahil went with me to the Castle, where the Countess was holding her Open Session. There was my father, standing next to her, and a man in a grey mask. I knew who it was. And I knew I was going to dread what happened next.'
"The man in the grey mask gave a touching speech as he produced a ring, which the Countess nearly leapt at. "This was my husband's ring," she said sadly. Then she added, "however did you get it?" And then the man explained everything, how he had become the Grey Fox to seek power, and how Noctournal's Mask had cursed him in the process. Some adventurer had come to his aid, and delivered the things he needed to undo the curse. Then, he took his mask off, and the Countess gasped.'
"Oh, is that really you," she cried, and hugged him. The Grey Fox was no longer the Grey Fox. He was the Count of Anvil, disguised all along as "A Stranger." He had been unable to tell her his real name. That was when my father lunged at him. All his life he'd been told that the Grey Fox didn't exist, that he was a myth, a fairy tale that someone had made up to keep him busy. All his life people had called him insane, they had ridiculed him. So he murdered the Count right there, on the steps to the throne of Anvil. The Countess screamed and ran. My father just stood there.'
"They imprisoned him right before my eyes, and the Countess took the Cowl, and stowed it away. Then she looked at me, and smiled sadly. Like she'd known that was going to happen all along. She walked quietly towards me, and spoke in a low, soothing tone.'
" 'You're his daughter, aren't you? Aedenrel Lex? I'm sorry you had to see all of that.' But Carahil stood beside me, and she rested a hand on my shoulder. 'Do you know where your mother is?' I told her no, I didn't, and she sighed a great big sigh. 'Then I have no choice than to send you to the Orphanage. Carahil will arrange this for you.' She turned then, and left me with Carahil. I wanted to cry then, but I refused to.'
"Carahil led me back to the Mages Guild, and helped me pack my things. Then she rode with me in the carriage to the Imperial City. Carahil assured me that everything was going to be okay. She told me she would fund my education again, and see to it that I got to study magic at the Arcane University. When we met the Headmistress, I was taken to my room, and the two of them spoke. I'll never know what went on in there, but Carahil left in a huff. She didn't even say good-bye to me.'
"I was fifteen and a half then. I could read, and I could write, but I was so upset about everything that had happened to me that I didn't even think about asking for your help. In my first year in Anvil, I learned that if I studied hard and didn't give myself time to think about it, I could keep you from my thoughts. I studied hard in the Orphanages' school. I even practiced my Illusion skills. I got myself into trouble, but I loved it. At least somebody cared when I was in trouble.'
"When I was "good" I could wander around the city. Eventually, Carahil did arrange for me to study at the Arcane University. Raminus tutored me, and when I turned eighteen, the Headmistress summoned me to her. She had that frown on her face, the one where you know you're in trouble. She sat me down, and she said, just as plain as day, "Aedenrel, We have to let you go. You're too old to live in the Orphanage. You should go see Jauffre at Weynen Priory. I'll arrange for your ride and escort there. I hope you'll take all that you've learned with you." '
"And then two orphans delivered my things, the few books I'd acquired and the clothes I owned, and I walked out into the City as a free woman. Eventually, I saved money, and made a promise to myself that I was going to help out other orphans under the reign of the Headmistress. I purchased my first house in the Imperial City, got it furnished, and used my Illusion skills to transform into... Well, a man I named Dray'n Hllalu. He met with the Headmistress, and adopted one of the girls Aedenrel had known as a young child. The Headmistress suspected nothing.'
"Under the presumption of Dray'n Hllalu, I purchased houses and adopted many of my old friends from the Orphanage. I paid for their schooling, I hired tutors for their skills, and I gave them armor and equipment. Every single one of them is alive and doing well. Once a month, all of them come and visit me at Frostcrag Spire for a reunion. We eat and chat, summon Daedra in a contest, cast spells for fun, and have random knowledge tournaments. There's even a fighting-skills show off.'
Aedenrel paused, and took a deep breath to calm the tears that threatened to spill over. She grounded herself, and waited for him to say something. Anything. He said nothing, and a silence surrounded them. "I couldn't write you because I forgot to. Besides, what did you expect me to write? "Dear Aaron, Hi, it's Aedenrel. I just thought I'd let you know that I moved to Anvil with my dad because he's an insane Grey Fox fanatic. Oh, and then I moved to an orphanage when he got imprisoned for life for killing the Count who wasn't really he Count because he was the Grey Fox. I hope you can help me out! Love, Aede!"
"Aede, stop," Aaron put an arm around her shoulders, and smiled. "If I had known, I would have done anything to help you. Because that's what friends do. I never stopped thinking about you, Aedenrel. I never forgot about you."
"I tried to forget about you," she murmured. She didn't add that it hadn't worked. Or that she hadn't lost the feelings she'd had for him in the beginning of their adventures together. "Remember the time," she began, smiling, "you and I decided to go and visit that Aelid ruin, Fanascal? You didn't want to go, but-"
"But you won me over with the promise of treasure. The two of us didn't make it out of the City Gates before one of the guards stopped us. They gave us that look, and hauled us back inside. We got one of those speeches that started off, "You know, there's no one to protect you outside the City Gates-"
Aedenrel giggled, and found she was feeling better. There wasn't going to be a better time to tell him... "Aaron, I..."
He stopped then, and tilted his head to one side in curiosity. "Yes...?" Is she going to say what I think she's going to say?
"I gave your horse to the two orphans we adopted. They're riding it back to Anvil as we speak."
"Damn," he muttered, and then plastered a large grin on his face. "Can we go home now?"
"No," Aedenrel decided. "We're going to have a civilized drink at the Arcane University. And you owe me a story. How'd you end up blind?"
"A different story, perhaps," Aaron smiled at her, and the two of them walked together towards the University. "How about we have a few drinks first, and then a story?"
"Agreed," Aedenrel hid the anger in her voice as they walked. She could share her life story, but he still wouldn't tell her why he couldn't see. She would find out one way or another, she decided, whether it was her prying it out of him, or figuring it out herself with a bit of work with her connections. "I'll buy them."
"You'd better," Aaron remarked, "because I haven't got any money."