Recovery is coming along nicely enough, I suppose. The gash in my stomach and the puncture in my shoulder still hurt quite a bit, but Dominion healers say I'll live.
Would that I could say the opposite for the priest who did this to me.
The word is that he and his four fugitive companions managed to seize control of a ship, and fled Alinor. No doubt they're on their way back to Skyrim. The Dominion has begun scouring the seas for the missing ship, but so far, there has been no trace of it. With luck, it sunk and took those five escapees with it.
I don't hold hope that such is the case, however. It would be nice, of course, but I don't think the gods would be so generous... after all, they allowed those five to escape in the first place.
What divine plan could this all be part of, if any? Why would the gods allow such a travesty to occur? Is there some greater threat hidden away in Tamriel, which that priest and his four companions are a vital part in overthrowing? Or are the gods forsaking the Dominion, giving man the chance to overthrow us?
I hope the answer is neither, to be honest. Yet I know, without a doubt, that one of those is, in fact, the answer.
My only hope for revenge is that Thellias is able to put those five down before they can incite hysteria in Skyrim - and perhaps all of Tamriel. We may not see eye-to-eye any longer, but he remains a good mer. I miss him.
Perhaps he'll tell Vernanye the truth soon. I would tell her myself, but she's in Skyrim and I'm in the infirmary back in Alinor.
-Vindicator Anasteria
With a pounce, the kitten finally snagged the leaf with its paws!
It settled down in the middle of the stony path and began to nip at the leaf playfully. Maybe the wind would manage to steal it away from the kitten, and keep the game going?
A growl caught the kitten's attention, and caused its head to swivel. It didn't sound friendly, but it did sound close. For a moment, the kitten simply sat there, still as a stone.
Crunch. The sound of something with weight crunching into the snow snapped the kitten's attention to the source, to its left and a fair distance behind it.
Once again, the kitten was perfectly still. Perhaps if it stayed still enough, the big wolf glaring at it, fangs bared, would leave it be?
"...ain't expecting it, of course, but still, it'd be nice," Mia was saying.
Once again, Adalla recognized she was being talked at, and not to. Part of her wondered if Mia just loved the sound of her own voice sometimes. She didn't have the courage to ask such a potentially offensive question, though.
"So anyway, I were thinkin'... if ya need iron and corundum t'make steel, why's ya need just corundum fer some steel pieces? It ain't never made sense t'me. Maybe the College has answers t'that, too. Maybe they got answers t'everything, like the meanin' of life, or some such."
Adalla chuckled quietly, and for the first time, she offered comment. "I'm sure they have a lot of answers, but I doubt they have the answers to every little thing we'd like to know."
She could almost hear Mia shrug. "Eh, even so..."
They walked the road north to Winterhold in silence for a time. The late morning sun warmed them somewhat, though they could see dark clouds hanging over Winterhold itself.
"So why's it ya wear the same armor all the time?" Mia asked after a while.
"I could ask the same of you," Adalla responded, gesturing to the sleeveless leather armor the woman had worn ever since the elf had first met her.
"'Cause I take care of it, and as such, it takes care of me," Mia said defensively. "Ya, on the other hand... ya got yerself stabbed in the side, and yer wearin' elven armor, what's supposed t'offer better protection than me leather armor."
Adalla had no response to that.
"Ya got some emotional attachment t'that armor, or somethin'?"
She shook her head. "No, I just... it's... familiar. That's all. Though I will admit, I've been considering something else... but I don't know what. Lighter armor will always be my preference, but glass armor is really the only thing that offers better protection."
Mia was silent for a while. "Sometimes, ya gotta sacrifice 'protection' fer 'comfort'," she finally said. "I've come inta plenty of elven and glass armor pieces throughout me travels, but I ain't worn any of 'em. They ain't comfortable, like this leather armor. If yer comfortable movin' around in yer armor, then ya got a wider range of movement, flexibility, so on and so forth. Sometimes, the freedom t'dodge an attack is more valuable than how much damage yer armor can prevent."
"I use a shield to block attacks," Adalla reminded Mia.
"Aye, so do I. Even then, ya can't rely on that all the time. All it takes is one stupid feint, and ya may suddenly be watchin' a warhammer swinging at yer kneecaps - when ya thought it'd be goin' fer yer head. Which goes back t'that whole 'freedom of movement' thing. If yer wearin' armor that weighs ya down, feels uncomfortable t'move in, ya ain't gonna dodge that knee-breakin' attack as fast as ya would wearin' somethin' lighter, but more comfortable."
"Are you suggesting I wear leather?" Adalla asked.
"No," Mia said, shaking her head. "I'm suggestin' ya find somethin' what's comfortable for ya. Somethin' that ain't gonna break apart the moment a dagger grazes it."
Adalla's expression was contemplative now. She knew Mia had several points, and was just worried about her well-being... and she had to admit, she had been thinking of replacing the elven armor anyway. She just didn't know with what.
"What's this, then?" Mia reached for her bow. "Natural selection at its finest? Poor thing must be terrified..."
"Huh?" Adalla looked ahead...
And spotted a wolf that looked like it was ready to lunge at a defenseless saber kitten. Wait... isn't that...?
Mia loosed an arrow, catching the wolf in the front left leg. The canine yelped in pain, collapsing in the snow. It let out a few pained growls, but was silenced for good when Mia fired a second arrow, this one piercing its neck.
Adalla ran forward without any hesitation.
"Oy! Be careful, aye? We ain't sure if that one were a lone wolf, or were part of-"
"It's Elenwen's saber kitten!" Adalla interrupted. "I'm trying to keep it safe!"
The same thought was on both of their minds now.
Why is Elenwen's saber kitten this far from Winterhold? Where is Elenwen?
Vernanye appreciated just how close Morthal was to Solitude, and by extension, the Embassy.
She had a feeling she'd appreciate it more if she couldn't feel the biting cold of Skyrim!
Her cure for vampirism had been administered hours ago, and she was trudging through the swamps of Morthal, determined to reach Solitude, and the Embassy, as quickly as possible.
She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting from the ritual. Perhaps some dark candles and a live sacrifice? No, that fell into the realm of daedric worship... she certainly hadn't been expecting to black out, hearing Falion call out to... someone. He referenced the realms of Oblivion, or so she thought; her head had been swimming the whole time. When she came to, he had simply said the ritual had been complete.
She'd known it was, of course; she'd awoken shivering. She hadn't awoken shivering since she'd been bitten and turned.
She would miss the overall immunity to the cold of Skyrim, but she much preferred feeling alive again.
As she reached the edge of the swamp, the truth of her situation hit her hard and fast.
She was looking at a swim now. Solitude was so close... yet that water was so daunting. Vernanye bit her lower lip; she'd never been good at swimming, and was dreading the thought of trying to swim across.
Still... she was this close already... turning back would set her back quite a bit.
She'd sent the rest of the guards on ahead of her, saying she 'had a final matter to tend to before leaving Whiterun'. It hadn't been a complete lie - she did have to communicate with Kodlak Whitemane and let him know he, and the Companions, were in charge of Whiterun - but she didn't want anyone asking why they were stopping in Morthal, and why she was visiting the wizard of Morthal. Now, though, she missed the company the guards would have provided.
More than that, she missed the thought that one or more of them would save her from drowning, if she wasn't able to swim all the way across.
She hesitated a moment longer, weighed the pros of swimming against the cons. Surely it wasn't as bad as she was thinking it to be...? Just one stroke after the other, and before she knew it, she'd be in Haafingar Hold. At the same time, though, she had her energy to think about...
She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Her formerly vampiric blood kept her restless at night, and she had started to get tired as dawn approached. While she wasn't as tired anymore, it didn't change the fact that her body needed sleep.
She eyed the span between the edge of the swamp and the far edge across the water. Again, she weighed the pros and cons.
"I can do this," she murmured to herself. Before she could allow herself a chance to reconsider, she dove into the water.
Ice. It felt like she was freezing from the inside out now. She broke the water's surface with a gasp and a shudder, and instantly regretted the decision to dive in. She turned back toward the swampland she'd just left behind, thought about heading back that way... and noticed that, as she moved, her body warmed just a little.
Just keep moving, she thought to herself. Just keep moving, and you'll be fine, Vernanye. This is just another swim on the beaches of Alinor, just... colder. You can do this. With the self-assurance, she began to swim across the water.
Each stroke did warm her body... each kick did propel her further... but she soon found the icy chill of the water was sapping her strength and stamina. Each stroke became harder... each breath came shorter.
And then there was the faint sting of pain in her rapidly numbing leg.
She risked a glance back to find a small pool of crimson forming atop the water. Her eyes widened; had she been bitten by something?
She barely felt something brush against her other leg, and managed to catch a glimpse of the thing.
Slaughterfish...! she thought to herself, suddenly horrified. She couldn't fight back in the water, but the slaughterfish could literally bite off bits and pieces of her at a time.
She began to swim frantically, desperate to reach the other shore now. With each desperate move, however, she found herself tiring that much faster. Soon, she could barely muster the stamina to lift her arms. She couldn't feel her legs anymore.
Worse, her consciousness was starting to fade. She suspected she was more likely to lose consciousness before she reached the shore...
Damn it all... was the last thought she had before everything went black.
Irileth wasn't entirely sure what to make of the fact that there was a... normal Whiterun guard patrolling the roads outside of Whiterun once more. "Did something happen?" she wondered aloud.
Runael offered a shrug in response, eyes upon the same guard.
The guard in question noticed that both elves were looking at him, and shifted a little in uncertainty. After a moment, though, he seemed to recognize Irileth, for he said, "Housecarl...!"
"Guardsman, what is going on? I'm glad to see an actual guard, of course, but what of the Thalmor-"
"They left," he said with a shrug. "The Regent put the Companions in charge of Whiterun, and left the city with her little gang."
The eyes of both mer widened a bit at the news, though for varying reasons.
"She's gone?" Runael murmured.
"She put the Companions in charge?" Irileth echoed.
He nodded at their reactions. "Aye. About damn time they left, if you ask me. They were bad for the city, I have no questions about that." He turned to face the city's walls a bit. "If you wanted to enter, you're welcome to just walk through the front gate, Housecarl. The Companions weren't too keen on ruling Whiterun, but they say they'll do their best for the time being."
"Why haven't they put Jarl Balgruuf back in charge?" she asked, sounding worried.
He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, Housecarl. Anyway, I should get back to my rounds. You could probably ask Kodlak; he was the one officially appointed by the Regent." With a respectful salute, he returned to his patrol.
Irileth and Runael exchanged looks. "Well, we don't need to sneak in," Irileth said, sounding relieved. Her expression was still one of concern, though. "Perhaps we can get answers to more than this matter of the lich, and a lot easier."
Runael bit her lower lip. "...I don't like this..." she murmured quietly. "Why did she leave...?"
"Who cares?" Irileth said stiffly. "She's gone, that's all I care about."
The high elf looked at the dark elf with a stern look. "I'm guessing you don't have family of your own," was all she offered.
Irileth had no response to that.
"If she was ordered to leave, that's one thing... but if she took matters into her own hands, she could be facing treason... and not just her, but every last guard she took with her..." Runael sighed wearily. "And odds are, she didn't tell the Companions why she was leaving..."
"How can you be so sure?"
Runael gave a faint grin. "She's my sister. I know how she can be."
Irileth, despite her opinion of the sisters, gave a soft chuckle.
The Arch-Mage looked thoughtful for a moment, then realization seemed to dawn on her. "The Embassy... that first night at the Nightgate Inn, Elenwen told me the Embassy had been attacked... maybe Vernanye was recalled to the Embassy because they were short-handed...?"
Irileth was confused for a moment, but eventually decided that 'Vernanye' was the name of Runael's sister. "Attacked by who?"
"Elenwen said that E had attacked the Embassy to get her out of there. Well... not him personally, but he sent a force of Khajiit to do the job, led by Najati."
Irileth shook her head, and began walking toward Whiterun itself. "They should have just burned it to the ground," she muttered. "It would have saved all of us a lot of grief and irritation..."
Runael sighed softly. "True enough..." she murmured quietly.
Mia scratched the sleeping saber kitten behind the ear while Adalla scurried about Winterhold.
They'd taken in the saber kitten on the road to the former city, and had decided to stay the evening at the inn. Mia was in no real rush to learn more about what it was to be Dragonborn, though she wouldn't admit that to Adalla. She'd said that it was getting late, and there was no guarantee they'd get into the College in the first place.
While Mia was content to relax in the inn, Adalla was keeping busy, trying to determine what had happened to Elenwen. As far as the woman could surmise, Elenwen had simply... disappeared from Winterhold. A couple of the guards seemed to allude that they knew more, but refused to speak of it.
The door opened, and Adalla stepped inside, arms wrapped tightly around herself. "S-s-s-so c-c-cold out there..." she stammered, teeth chattering very lightly.
"And there's the reason I said we stay here the night," Mia chuckled. She glanced down at the saber kitten, which had woken when Adalla entered, and smiled softly as the tiny feline leapt from her lap toward Adalla. Mia knew now that the saber kitten felt an attachment to Adalla, and had apparently felt one toward Elenwen; perhaps it was attached to high elves?
Adalla scooped the saber kitten up in her arms and nuzzled it affectionately. "It's okay," she cooed. "We'll find her, I promise."
"I'm startin' t'think it don't want her in particular," Mia mused. "Seems comfy enough with ya." A thought occurred to Mia then, and she stood slowly. "Innkeep, I got a question fer ya." She strode toward the counter, and rested crossed arms upon it. "Ya know what kinda kitten that be, aye?"
"Yes, a saber kitten. The elf that came with it said as much, and did her best to keep it from trying to bite everyone else."
Mia glanced over her shoulder at the kitten, then back at the innkeeper. "And ya don't find it odd that she, who tried t'keep it from hurtin' others, just decides t'up and vanish?"
"I..." He faltered at these words. "...It is odd, I will admit, but that other elf that arrived... clad in ebony, looked like he was getting up there in years... she seemed intent on avoiding him. She left the inn not long after he arrived, and he left shortly thereafter. Haven't seen either of them since, in the inn or otherwise."
"And the fact that she left the saber kitten behind means..." Adalla's voice trailed, and she walked slowly to join Mia at the counter. "Was there anything else you can tell me about the male elf who walked in?"
"He ordered a round for everyone in the inn, though she didn't drink hers. He was rather kind to everyone here; was odd, for a high elf." His eyes widened. "N-no offense, ma'am."
Adalla shook her head. "None taken."
Mia furrowed her brow in thought, a frown adorning her expression. "Hrm... it don't make sense... he comes, she leaves, he leaves, and they ain't been back... but she got the saber kitten t'look after..." Her eyes narrowed a little. "I'm thinkin' he were with the Thalmor, and caught Elenwen."
The innkeeper's eyes widened. "W-wait, the First Ambassador was-"
"Formerly," Adalla corrected. "From what I gathered recently... things have changed."
He stared at Adalla. "...You're Thalmor."
"Formerly," she said once more. "I no longer have... attachments or loyalties, as they were. Come to think of it... I don't think I ever really did, excluding one friend."
He rubbed his temples with an exasperated sigh. "First the new Arch-Mage, then the former First Ambassador... then two elves of unknown rank in the Thalmor... why is it you elves have such an interest in Winterhold...?"
Adalla and Mia exchanged glances. "Runael came on a mission," she began, "and decided to swear her loyalties to the College. Elenwen came here to visit Runael. The male... I can only guess he was here to try and find Elenwen. As for me? I'm just here with my best friend, helping her learn more about something she wants to learn more about."
"It's not a priority," Mia mumbled.
"And to remind you, I'm former Thalmor," Adalla added, apparently ignoring Mia's comment.
"I said 'elves', not Thalmor," he responded with a grumble. He shook his head. "Forget it. Anyway, no, I haven't seen either of them since, and it was somewhat odd that they both disappeared at roughly the same time."
"Lover on the side?" Mia offered.
Adalla rolled her eyes at the suggestion. "I doubt it. She's always been devoted to... well, her partner."
The innkeeper looked hesitant, but eventually continued. "He did ask me to deliver this," he said, reaching under the counter and pulling out a letter, folded neatly in half. "To the Arch-Mage of the College."
Adalla reached out. "May I?"
He withdrew it with a shake of his head. "I'm not in the habit of-"
Several coins hit the counter, and both his and her eyes were drawn to Mia, who had her coin purse out, open, and was fishing around in the purse for more. "How's about we pay ya? Surely it ain't so confidential, if he left it in yer hands?"
"I..." His eyes looked at the coins Mia was pulling out; she noted there was a glint of greed in his gaze. "Fair enough." He handed the letter to Mia, who took it and handed it to Adalla.
The mer opened it, and read it aloud.
'Runael,
It has come to my attention that you are on leave here in the College, and have been for far longer than is absolutely necessary. Such is the short-coming of Elenwen, I suppose.
I have new orders for you. You are hereby ordered to return to the Embassy, where you will receive new orders from the new First Ambassador, Saarie. Though I am uncertain as to the nature of the orders, you may either be pursuing the wanted criminal from Alinor, En'zhar, or pursuing the former First Ambassador Elenwen, who has defected from the Dominion.
Failure to comply in a timely fashion will result in severe punishment.
For the Dominion!
-Vindicator Thellias'
The letter fell from Adalla's fingers onto the countertop. Her eyes went wide from what Mia presumed to be shock. "Thellias..." she whispered.
"Ya know him?"
Adalla gave a very slow nod, her expression now horrified. "He taught me how to fight, back in Alinor... I never knew he became..." Her gaze shifted down to the letter. "...He doesn't know Runael defected. He knows Elenwen did. She disappeared at roughly the same time as..." She closed her eyes. "...I think I know where Elenwen's going."
"This Thellias captured her, and is draggin' her back t'the Embassy," Mia finished, her own expression grim. "And if she talks too much, ya and Runael might be found out, too..."
She hadn't been expecting to awaken at all. She was still somewhat damp, so that suggested it hadn't been long since she'd likely been pulled out of the water. She was warm, at any rate, lying next to a fire. Her leg was throbbing painfully, but she noticed that it was bandaged rather tightly.
Had it not been for the fact that her wrists were bound behind her back, she would have considered herself rescued.
"You're awake." The voice was familiar, and only served to confuse her. She looked around, and spotted the mer to whom the voice belonged.
"Thellias," Vernanye murmured. "Did you save...?"
"I pulled you out of the water, yes," he said, his tone rather sharp. It was obvious something was eating away at him, and Vernanye knew it had something to do with her.
"...Why am I tied up?" she asked, trying to wriggle her wrists free of her bonds.
"I'll get to that." He rested his elbows on his knees, and propped his chin upon one hand; his other hand held his ebony helm. "When we last spoke, you mentioned that when you last saw Runael, she was well."
Vernanye was not liking the direction this conversation was already taking. "I did, and she was."
"When did you last see her?"
The question made her hesitate.
Her hesitation seemed to be answer enough for him, because he slowly rose to his feet. "I dared hope against hope that I was wrong, but my intuition is keen as ever..." he growled. "You knew."
"Knew what-"
"Don't you play stupid with me, Vernanye!" he roared furiously. "You know what I'm talking about!" He gestured to another mer nearby, whose face was not only tear-stained, but frustratingly familiar. "She told me!"
Vernanye glared at Elenwen, then closed her eyes and shook her head. "...I knew," she whispered.
The whisper was so soft, it should not have reached his ears... but he seemed to hear it all the same. He sat down once more, glaring at Vernanye. "You withheld crucial information from me," he growled angrily.
"I'd been under the impression Elenwen was on top of trying to reverse the matter," she responded. "She took one of my guards, Adalla, and sent her after-"
"Adalla," he repeated. "As in the same Adalla whom I taught years ago, before I was made a Vindicator? The same Adalla who displayed such promise with a mace and shield?"
"Could be," Vernanye replied; this was news to her. "Anyway, Elenwen sent Adalla after Runael. The two are best friends, after all, so if anyone had a reasonable chance of being the 'voice of reason'..."
Thellias shot Elenwen another glare, which caused her to shrink back. "So Adalla knows about Runael's defection, too."
"I'm assuming that's rhetorical," Vernanye mused.
It was the wrong thing and tone to take. Thellias' expression contorted to a sneer. "Think this is funny, do you?" he snapped. "Elenwen could very well be facing execution for her own defection, not to mention trying to hide the defection of Runael - who could also be executed for such. You also withheld that information from me, Vernanye. You could be facing years in prison for this. Trust me, this is not a laughing matter for you."
She saw no reason to withhold her reason any longer. "Runael is family," she snapped. "I know the Dominion demands loyalty to the Dominion first, and to family second, but dammit, I'm not going to sell out my sister just because she-"
"Your mother never told you, did she?" Thellias interrupted, crossing his arms over his ebony-clad chest. "About your father?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"If family means so much to you, it means everything." His eyes narrowed - and she noticed there was a trace of betrayal in his glare. "Anasteria and I never married, so we never saw a reason to say anything... at least, not until recently."
Vernanye's eyes widened. "You're... kidding."
"Unlike you, I do not make jokes of such serious matters," he growled. "I am absolutely serious, Vernanye. Which means you'd have betrayed family either way."
She was absolutely dumbfounded by the sudden revelation. "Y-you can't use... I never knew until just this moment that I was your daughter!" she protested, sounding quite angry.
Olfrid Battle-Born,
You are hereby released from unjust custody, as is your family. I apologize on behalf of my predecessor for your, as well as your family's, treatment at her hands, and wish to inform you that I, and the rest of the Companions, will do all we can to help the Battle-Born family recover fully.
I regret to inform you that we cannot account for your son, Idolaf Battle-Born; he was not with the rest of your family, and they say that they have no idea what the Regent did with him. We offer our aid as Companions in locating your son.
-Kodlak Whitemane
A.N. - Is it odd that I saved this chapter as Chapter 15 while I was writing it, but it's Chapter 16 here? The thing is, I had plans to make the first chapter the Prologue, and that's how it's saved on my computer. It does occasionally lead to some confusion here and there, and I'd change it... if I could be bothered. ^^; The thing is, I'm usually pretty good at figuring it out. As long as I don't have another chapter ready to go, or the next chapter (because 17's being written right now) that's roughly the same size, I'm not so easily confused. (And that concludes the brief look into my confusing methods of operation behind the keyboard. :P )
So yes, that Thellias/Vernanye reveal just happened. What does that mean for Runael? Well... that's another matter altogether. I will admit, I'd toyed with the notion of leaving it be, or making it happen, but I figured 'why not? they're close enough to be like family anyway'. It would explain why he's so... good to Vernanye, too.
Stuff's going in the Thalmor's favor here. I won't spoil anything else, but there's more 'good for the Thalmor' happening next chapter, too. Which, of course, should mean 'not good' for the rest of the characters. :P You'll all see what I have in store.
Not a whole lot to say here, so I'll cut this Author's Note short.
-Spiritslayer