Botanical Interest

12th of Heartfire, 4E 202

A year. It had been a year since Harry had started travelling with Katla and Rashall. A year of adventure and hard work. A year of fun and fear and deep dungeons. A year ago they left Sky Haven Temple. Together Harry and Rashall had travelled around parts of Skyrim looking for Word Walls. It has been quite a lot of fun despite their rough start.

Rashall had come to respect Harry even though the boy still didn't like attacking or killing humans. His skill against all other foes they faced was top-notch for someone so young. That was why Rashall no longer minded travelling with Harry. He didn't even mind having only Harry for company. It was actually quite nice. Flattering even. Harry complimented him quite often which was nice.

Back at Lakeview Manor Katla was just walking up the last hill.

The sun stood high in the sky. Its golden rays warmed the ground. The grass was yellowing slowly and cold rain fell at times reminding people of the approaching winter.

An eagle flew through the sky overhead. He was scanning the ground for food.

Katla breathed in deeply. She was happy to be home again. She could see their little manor house from where she stood on a small hill overlooking the lake. She had been very busy the past months. Politics was not her favourite pastime, but it was a necessary evil that came with the power she had now been granted. She was doing her best to make their people happy. She started walking up towards the house slowly. 'It's good being home,' she thought happily as she placed a hand on one of the corner beams of the house. She walked by the animal pen and smiled at Gertie. "Hey girl how are you doing," she asked.

The cow looked up at her uninterested. "I guessed Harry and Rashall are back then?" she said softly. "You wouldn't be this calm otherwise." She walked up to the front door and placed her hand on one of the handles. The door was locked. 'So they aren't here. Interesting,' she thought disappointedly. It had been almost two weeks since Rashall came by Whiterun to pick Harry up. She had missed them. Though, she could understand why Harry had wanted to get out. 'Hopefully, they'll be back soon,' she thought as she pulled her key for the house out of her bag so she could open the door. When the door swung open she could see Rashall's backpack lying on top of his bed so he couldn't be that far away. He and Harry could be in Shriekwind Bastion or on Ancient's Ascent. Either way, chances were that they would be back before the end of the day. She walked through the house and dropped her backpack in the study. She really felt like a bath and the weather was nice so she didn't mind just going down to the lake. Katla headed up to her room to get some clothes before heading down to the lake.

The sun was still shining brightly. It warmed her skin as she walked through the trees down the hill. She pulled her clothes off at the shore and looked out over the glistening lake. She took a deep breath and stepped into the water. She waded out slowly so her body would adapt at least a little bit to the cold before she cast herself forward. The initial shock almost took her breath away. She swam around for a while to get used to it. It would seem that city life was taking its toll on her. She wasn't quite as sturdy as usual. Determined to combat that she stayed in the water for a while before she made it back to shore. She picked up a bottle of soap once there so she could clean off. She started untying her plait slowly. 'I should cut this,' she thought calmly as she let her hair fall free around her. It reached halfway down her bum something she didn't think was that practical. Slowly and methodically she cleaned herself before washing off the soap. She wasn't in a hurry. She dried up and pulled on a dress for once. Normally she didn't like wearing dresses, but that was mostly because the skirt just got in the way all the time. She wasn't going to do anything strenuous anytime soon so for now she didn't mind.

She stepped into a pair of boots and walked back up to the house. It had stood empty for a while and was in obvious need of cleaning. With nothing else to do, that is what Katla would be up to for the upcoming hour or so until the front door opened and hurried footsteps made their way through the house. "I'm up here!" she called down. Turned towards the stairs in case this wasn't someone she knew.

"Katla," Harry said with a smile as he made it up the stairs. He walked up to her and hugged her.

"How have things been going?" Katla asked. She looked him over. Nothing seemed out of place.

Harry shrugged. "We went to Shriekwind Bastion yesterday," he said. "It was filled with Vampires." He rubbed his left arm.

"You got bit?" Katla asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I did," Harry said with a nod. "But, Rashall cleaned the wound, and I don't feel any different today so he thinks I'm fine. We're keeping an eye on it though," he said.

Katla sighed. It was bound to happen at some point. At least Rashall knew exactly what to do. It was good that Harry had gotten bit when Rashall was nearby rather than herself. She didn't always carry a cure. She let go of Harry. "Well, you can either help clean or carry water. You and Rashall need a bath," she said.

"He's already on it," Harry said. "So what do you want me to do?"

"How about you help me sweep," Katla said as she handed him a broom.

Harry sighed heavily but he got to work. Cleaning Lakeview Manor was never as gruelling as cleaning number four Privet Drive had been. Probably because it was much more rewarding.

"I set a stew to simmer earlier. It should be really good now," Katla said after a while.

"Just let me take that bath first," Harry said. "I bet Rashall is soaking already."

"Lazy cat," Katla muttered.

Later that evening Harry sat by his desk working on the translation of the latest dragon word wall when Katla walked in. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Harry told her as he placed his quill in the inkstand. He held the book out and Katla took it. There was a section of dragon letters and then beneath that is said written out in Aldmeri script:

Qethsegol vahrukiv key

Sarvirra zok krin raan

alun wah fonaar odus frod

ahrk ofan ok sil fah ok drog

On the next page, there was a translation into Tamrielic:

Stone commemorate horse

Sarvirra most courageous animal

ever to charge snowy field

and give his soul for his lord

And under that she read:

This stone commemorates the horse

Sarvirra, the most courageous animal

ever to charge over snowy battlefields

and give his soul for his Lord

"You are very thorough," Katla commented. "The College will be very interested in getting their hands on a way to translate the old texts."

Harry shrugged. "I'm just doing it for me, really," he said.

Katla chuckled. "There is certainly nothing wrong with that," she said. "I hope you don't mind if I read through it."

"Of course not," Harry said.

"So the dual translations. Why are you doing that?" Katla asked.

"Because one is a direct translation and the other is more my interpretation of what they meant," Harry said. "So the first one teaches us what the word means. The second gives better context."

Katla smiled and gave him the book back. She ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. I can tell that you will do well at the College one day," she said.

Harry nodded. He guessed so. For him, it was more a case of pride. Only Katla and himself could do this. Other people didn't know Dragon-tongue and the Greybeards would never leave High Hrothgar. Sure a scholar could note every wall down and then bring the texts to the Greybeards, but well, he had seen how pure scholars did when dungeon delving. He was glad he hadn't just ended up at the College.

Harry yawned. Maybe it was time for bed.

14th of Heartfire, 4E 202

Harry placed his hand against the outside of the alchemist tower of Lakeview Manor. It had now been a year since he first stepped foot in the house.

Katla had left again that morning. She needed to overlook Helgen and then she had to travel back to Whiterun. So once again Harry and Rashall were alone. Thinking of Rashall… where was he? Harry had taken care of the animals that morning and then he had cleaned off in the lake. He hadn't seen Rashall since breakfast.

He walked into the house and looked around. He listened. The potions that Rashall had given him for his birthday worked wonders. He could hear a pin drop two rooms over now, but Rashall was still tricky to hear considering his immense ability to sneak. "Rashall!" he called out. It would be easier than looking through the entire house.

"Greenhouse," Rashall called back.

Harry smiled and walked over to the greenhouse. He opened the door and peeked inside. Rashall was standing to his elbows in dirt. He was replanting a bunch of flowers.

"Those are mountain flowers right?" Harry said as he walked over.

"They are yes," Rashall said. "I use them for healing potions."

Harry nodded. He looked around the room. "Would you like some help?" he asked.

Rashall chuckled. "If yar offerin," he said. "Who am I to say no."

Harry smiled and got to work. He had missed working with flowers. It was rather fun actually. While they worked Rashall taught him about the different properties of each plant.

"This is Nightshade," Rashall said as he motioned to a rather beautiful bright purple flower. "It's a very poisonous plant. Somethin ya should keep in mind since it grows all over Skyrim."

"Doesn't this one grow in Solitude?" Harry asked. The flower looked familiar. He could swear he had seen it when they were there.

"It does and it's a miracle that not more children die from consuming it," Rashall said. "They're idiots. They should move those plants out of the city." He shook his head. "If you ever need to pick nightshade use gloves. They will protect you, but you should still wash your hands afterwards. The sap they leak is more dangerous than the flower," he said.

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh, okay. I'll remember that," he said. "Are there other plants I should look out for?"

"Well, ya shouldn eat imp stool or deathbells though neither are as dangerous to handle as nightshade. Still, I would clean my hands after handlin em," Rashall said. "And don eat hangin moss it ain't good for yar magicka."

Harry nodded. It wasn't like he was planning on chewing on random plants just for the fun of it. "So Katla mentioned that you use different parts of a plant for different potions. Is there anything in particular that you would like me to keep an eye out for?" he asked.

To say Harry was unprepared for the lecture that followed that seemingly innocent question was an understatement. Rashall taught him about every single plant in the entire greenhouse with an excited air about him that was so contagious that they continued for days.