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Everybody loves healing potions.

She knew she loved healing potions for the simple fact that they could get rid of hangovers with minimal pain. Of course this particular healing potion was made with some sort of secret ingredient that only the innkeeper of Wawnet Inn knew of. The elf was sensationally good at wines and over the years had developed something tart and smooth that could ease her over-indulgences. She didn't recognize the bed and the room was too small and circular and for her too be in a inn's room or a house

"You should be glad the new Guard Captain has a crush on you or you'd be sleeping in a jail cell." Tar- Meena replied from her seat by the room's table. "Luckily you'll be able to change into some clothes he brought up for you, Champion."

The Argonian threw a dress at her and climbed down the trap to the floor below so that she could dress in peace. It was a familiar dress, blue and silver, that dipped a little in front and left her shoulders bare. Cyrodiilic fashion was pleasant, easy to move around in and easy to keep cool and warm in. She pulled her hair up into a bun that resembled a funnel cake but it worked for her. It kept her hair out of her face when killing goblins and ogres and spriggans. Matching blue shoes completed her outfit and she hustled out of the room to catch up with the Mage if she had decided to leave her.

Luckily Tar-Meena had not left her but shoved a plate in her hand with grapes and venison on it. "Eat first, you lost everything in your stomach by the Bloated Float last night."

Atia couldn't remember anything past the the ship's gangplank. "Gross, thank you."

Tar-Meena tsked at her. "And have the possibility of the young man whom you saved see you in your drunken state with bile staining your clothes? Not a chance."

Atia popped a few grapes in her mouth and felt the sweet/tart juiciness slid down, stinging as it passed over the roughed lining of her throat. "So I wasn't dreaming it when you said he wanted to see me."

"No, Traven thought it would do him some good to see that you aren't a sobbing mess." she thrust a mug of tea in her hands as she took away her plate. "Now drink, you're breath is horrendous."

It was a strong, minty tea that soothed her throat and stomach as it freshened her breath. The trap door leading to the floor below them flipped open and a couple of the guards came through. They saw her, neater than they had seen her last night, and they bowed to her.

"Good day, Champion." a redguard guard greeted. "We are glad to see you up and about. You had us worried."

"Thank you, gentlemen." she replied with a closed mouth smile and finished off the tea. "Give my regards to your Captain for letting me stay in his quarters."

"Of course, ma'am."

Tar-Meena saw the unsure glances the men were giving them. Two Guardsmen must have just gotten off duty and were looking forward to sleeping and doing manly stuff. She smiled down at her charge. "We should be off and let these good men have their quarters."

Atia nodded with a wider smile. "You are right. Lets be off."

Tar-Meena groaned. "Let us be quick so we won't get filth from the city into my Archives."

The watchtowers were not made for women in dresses and climbing down ladders was hard in a dress. Atia was sure that a guard would open the entrance and a stray breeze would lift her skirt. Hitting the ground floor Atia scurried out the door and into the Waterfront. The quick immersion into the bright light of the sun from the cool dimness of the tower made her groan and shut her eyes. Tar-Meena chuckled behind her and guided her charge with a hand in the small of her back up the stone bridge to the path that surrounded the Imperial City.

Slowly Atia's eyes adjusted to the sunlight and she let her eyes take in the sight of the White Gold Tower standing proudly in the middle of the capital. They walked silently over to the bridge that would take them to the Arcane University. The hooded Battlemage on guard greeted them politely as they walked down the steps. A few of the apprentices were milling about and they stared at them as they walked until Tar-Meena glared fireballs at them until they looked away.

Since Atia was not a member of the Mages Guild she could not enter the University proper but she could enter the Arch-Mage's Tower. Raminus Polus, lackey of the Arch-Mage, was in the lobby. He frowned at her when she entered, noting her lack of color and slightly disheveled appearance.

"Good, your here." he replied with a small smile. He pulled out a potion bottle and handed it to her. "You do not look well, drink this and head on to the Mages' Quarters. He should be up by now though still a little weak."

Atia swiped the potion from his grasp and chugged it down without a word. The swift feel of fog lifting from her body and a spark of something in her body made her smile as she handed back the bottle. "Now that was some Alchemy! Which way is he?"

Raminus pointed to the door to the left. "Third door in from the left, one of the apprentices will show you to his room. Please, he's been through a lot, be nice to him."

Atia gave him a reassuring smile and slapped him on the shoulder. "No problem."

She skipped out of the door to the left and followed her path down into the main campus. Off to her left was the lecture forum where the resident scholars taught their apprentices. The mages ignored her as she made her way across the lawn and into the Mages' Quarters. It was dim and cool but charged with a potent undercurrent of magika. A pretty little dumner apprentice came up to her.

"Are you looking for someone?"

Atia grinned. "Yes, the man that was brought in here-"

"This way, Hero," the apprentice interrupted and started up the stairs.

The girl called her... Hero. Was everyone going to call her Hero? She hoped not.

The room where the man was off the main sleeping room. The apprentice knocked on the door and was answered by a muffled: "Come in."

Atia shooed the apprentice away and slowly opened the door part ways and slipped in. The man was sitting at a desk with a sheet of paper and a thin book. He looked up from what he was doing to see a woman in a blue and silver dress, and outfit he had never seen yet.

"You are Atia." he replied scooting the chair away from the desk. "The Champion of Cyrodiil."

Atia felt herself blush and shrugged. "Um... I guess I am." she took a step farther into the room. "You know my name but I do not know yours."

"My name is Alistair." he replied.

"How are you feeling?" she asked trying to keep the enemy of awkward silence, and the reminder that he should have been Martin, out of the room.

"I'll say one thing about your mages: they can brew a healing potion." Alistair smiled and then he frowned. "I'm being a bad host. Where did that other chair go?"

He looked around to find the other chair he thought he saw so that she could sit down. Atia noticed his casting gaze and saw the chair before he did. She slid it over to sit across from him, making sure her dress didn't bunch or strain. She tilted her head and tried to see what he was looking at.

"You're written word is different then my world's so Traven lent me some texts that could help me."

"Ah."

"Look, if you're here to question me then you Arch-Mage beat you to it."

Atia shook her head and held up a hand. "I'm not here to question to you."

"Oh," Alistair slumped in his seat. "Well...I-I'm sorry. I'm just still in shock about all of this. Everything was supposed to be the end when the Archdemon died. I'm supposed to be dead. Instead I'm in a world where I can't read the books and mages roam free. I haven't seen a templar and you believe in not just one god but nine. This place is strange and I don't know anyone. I don't even know if I can go back to my world."

"Would you want to go back?" she asked. "Maybe you were sent here for a reason?"

Alistair jumped to his feet and glared down at her."I am a Grey Warden! My duty is to fight darkspawn until I..."

Atia did not flinch as he snarled down at her, she had faced worse than the man in front of her. She knew what he was going to say and sympathized with him. From the moment she stepped into the first oblivion gate in Kvatch she had planned to be the one to die in this ordeal. Everything she did could potentially kill her. This man had known his duty, had died for his duty and now he was given a second chance. He was realizing it now.

"Die?" she asked quietly. The air left him in a whoosh and he slumped back into his chair. She reached out and grabbed his larger hands in hers and felt the callouses from years of fighting.

"Yes.... I did die though, didn't I?" He didn't reject her touch but merely let his body slump over and shake. "What am I going to do? I have nothing here."

"Nothing that you've found." she replied. "Yet. You have entire world, new and untouched by anyone you have ever known. So many things to discover and enjoy, new people to meet and befriend."

She slid off her seat to be level with his head. Her left hand tucked itself under his chin and lifted his head up enough so that she could see the grief and sadness. Seeing the emotions of what she was feeling on his face made her heart twist and coil in her chest.

"Give yourself some time to get adjusted. Walk the Imperial City get to know the people, there are many more races of men and mer to learn about. We might surprise you." she stood and thought that he would let go of her hands but he held onto her hand. "I should let you get back to your studies."

Alistair looked back at the sheets of paper and books and sighed. "No, you don't have to go." he thought for a minute. "You could help me, I'm not the brightest person. Please?"

The pleading, puppy dog eyes he gave her made her smile. This man was not a scholar like Martin and for once she didn't have anywhere else to be. Suddenly the urge to be away from the man grew smaller. "Oh you're a charmer, aren't you?" she chuckled and pulled her chair closer to the desk. " Alright, I'll help."

The man was not the brightest.

He was eager, sure, but after a few hours showing him how to write animal names made her want to slam his head into the desk. Dibella bless him he was trying but she needed a snifter of brandy and a piece of cake or she might give in to her irritation. Alistair groaned at his failings and threw his hands up in surrender.

"I give up," he snapped and pushed his chair away from the desk.

The chair's legs scraping the stone floor made Atia grimace and she sighed. "We need a break."

She tidied up the desk and slid the sheafs of paper into a neat pile and stood. Her back protested to her movements and she arched her back to stretch it out. She wasn't use to sitting at a desk for hours since getting out of prison. She threw the door open and let the fresh air of the main room and chattering of apprentices.

"What is the weather like outside?" she asked the nearest apprentice.

The Altmer looked down at her. "Sunny though the sun will set in a couple of hours."

Atia shot a beaming smile over at Alistair and a politer one to the high elf. "Thank you."

A growling sound issued from Alistair's stomach and he blushed at Atia's answering smirk. "Sorry."

"Hungry?" she asked. "Do you feel up to walking?"

"Yes, I think so." Alistair stood and looked down at his attire. He wore leather pants with tan linens and brown boots. It wasn't fancy like her dress but not many people cared about such things. "Do I look suitable to go out?"

Atia flicked her gaze up and down his body and nodded. "Come on. Lets get you out and about and put something in that stomach of yours."

He followed down and out of the building and onto the campus grounds he held his curiosity in check. There were no signs of Templars or the chantry around the mages. They were allowed to walk around freely discussing subjects such as Conjuration and Destruction. Atia kept close to her charge and tried to remember what it was like to see the Arcane University for the first time. They climbed the stairs to the promenade surrounding the Arch-Mage's tower.

Alistair stare up at the Arch-Mage's tower and then past it to the Imperial Palace that overlooked the entire island the city stood on. It was taller than the Circle Tower and brilliant shades of yellow and white.

"What's the tower?" he asked.

Atia glanced up at the tower in question. "That is the Imperial Palace or White Gold Tower. On a clear day you can see it from the mountains that border the north and east of this Province."

"It's certainly big enough." he replied. "You think the Emperor was trying to compensate for something?"

Atia chuckled and shook her head. "The Imperial Palace is older than the Empire." she gently pushed him to keep walking. "That is a history lesson in and of itself and best left to scholars to tell you."

The newcomer was not excited by the thought of being lectured by a bookish scholar. "Oh goody."

The battlemage at the front gates bowed to her as they left the grounds and crossed the bridge to the Arboretum inside the city walls. The expanse of park was green and blooming and only a few citizens were walking among the statues of the Divines and the trees that shaded them. Alistair frowned up at the statues.

"So these are your Divines?" he asked gesturing to the statue of Akatosh and his human and dragon head. "How many of them are dragons?"

"Two. Akatosh and Lorhkan." she replied. "Well we don't really worship Lorhkan."

"Why not? Is he evil?"

"No, his body makes up Nirn, our physical world and the two moons, Masser and Secunda. He upset the status quo of the divine plane and thus became the earth that which walk on. He tricked the gods into making us." She shrugged and kept walking. "The man in the middle of the Arboretum is Tiber Septim who became Talos. He ushered in the Third Era which we are in now and the current Empire."

"So Martin Septim was his descendant?"

The smile left Atia's face. "Yes, he was the last of the Septim line."

"He was a bastard, like me." Alistair looked down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything. Me and my big mouth."

"Don't apologize, Alistair." she sighed. "I think he knew what was going to happen to him. The Septim line had a knack for knowing when they are going to die and plan accordingly."

She bit her lip and they kept walking through the garden and turned towards the center of the city where the Imperial palace stood. On a lower level of the inner circle stood the graves and crypts of the families that made the capital their home. Alistair kept his head tilted to gawk at the tower making the citizens that walked along the base to stare at him.

Gently she guided him off the main circle and started towards the gate opposite from the Universities. The sky was growing darker and the torches lining the walls and buildings were being lit by the Guard.

Alistair smiled down at her. "Your capital is certainly cleaner than Denerim. No dirty roads or filth on the streets."

Atia nodded and smirked. "Most of the major cities in this province have paved streets and since we're on an island it is easier to have a sewer system."

They took a right and the connecting street and headed into the small square to their left. There were a couple of statues, long dead emperors, and they stepped inside a small, dingy tavern that was tucked into the corner. For being tucked away it was busy with beings that he had just learned about today and some he had not seen before. There was hideous looking creature with a large head and green skin. His teeth protruded from his bottom lips like a beast and he tried not to stare.

A green skinned elf in raggedy clothing greeted them as they entered. "Put on the Feed Bag! I'm Delos Fandas. We got food and drink, and lots of it." he came over and gave Atia a hug. "You are most certainly welcome here, Grand Champion!"

Atia couldn't outright fight the hug that the Dunmer thrust upon her but she didn't encourage it. She hoped Alistair didn't pick up on the 'Grand Champion' business.

He turned to Alistair. "And you sir, welcome! Welcome! I shall bring out my specialty and a bottle of Tamika's just go find herself a seat."

The Dunmer hurried off to get two plates of his 'specialty' leaving Atia and Alistair to wind their way through the tables to one that was far off into the corner. A few of the patrons followed their progress but otherwise left them alone.

"Grand Champion, huh?" Alistair teased as they took their seats. His eyes gleamed with humor and he smiled.

Atia felt her face flush. "It-It's nothing exciting and I'd rather not talk about it."

"Why not? It's sounds very interesting." Alistair nudged her arm with his elbow. "Maybe I should ask one of these nice patrons?"

"Maybe you don't want to be bludgeoned by a wine bottle, hmm?" she threatened with an innocent smile. "There is plenty of time for you to know everything there is about me. Forcing it might hurt your pretty head."

Alistair laughed. "So I do get to learn everything about you and you think I have a pretty head!"

Dolas thankfully saved her from answering with two bowls of fluffy white potatoes with carrots, veal and bread along with two goblets of deep red wine. Everything about the Feed Bag was slightly ragged but hardy, the people, the food. Atia had eaten in many places in Cyrodiil and most of the places tried to make you feel like you were in someone's home or some fancy residence. For the last few months Atia ate around a camp fire with venison or boar meat. A couple of times she had taken to eating rat meat but only when she was starving.

She and Alistair ate in silence, Alistair's attention drawn to their surroundings while she kept to herself, wondering, thinking. Time slowed for them both and for a few moments they were two people eating in a tavern, drinking rich, full wine. Off in the corner of the room, Atia noticed something move, like something was wrapped in a blanket of their surroundings and wiggled about under it. She didn't stop eating but nor let her eyes stay to the spot of her attention. The shifting stopped and she wondered who was spying on who.

"What are you staring at?" Alistair asked, setting his chin on his palm and smirking at her.

"Nothing." she replied quickly and looked down at his empty bowel. "Still hungry?"

"Huh?" Alistair looked down at where she was looking at and shook his head. "No that was quite filling. So what now?"

"What do you mean 'What now'? You're going back to the Arcane University."she replied with a smirk.

The young man gave her a sad puppy dog face that made her suppress a a grin. "But then I'll be around all those mages." he whined.

"Ooh, poor baby." she simpered.

"Please, can we stay out? Please?"

His begging was adorable, she had never seen anyone over the age of ten beg like Alistair was doing now. His bottom lip quivered and his eyes glimmered with feigned sadness. Martin had never pulled anything like this since she had known him. He was stoic, smart, solid and for a minute Alistair's face was replaced by his. She never saw much of Martin, always off doing quests for him and the Blades. She only saw him reading in the Temple's great hall. Nothing more than the ex-fugitive that was their errand girl. She felt the anger well up in her chest, ready to burst from her throat in front of people she didn't even know. Abruptly she stood almost knocking over her goblet in the process.

"No, you are going back to the University." she replied thickly. "Now."

She reached into her coin purse and pulled out a fist full of gold and deposited them on the table. Roughly she grabbed a hold of Alistair's arm and pulled him up from his chair. None of the other patrons dared to notice their hero man handle the newcomer. Atia dragged a shocked Alistair out of the Feed Bag and through the Market District. They entered the Arena District before Alistair managed to pry her extremely strong grip off of him. There might be a bruise there in the morning but she didn't care and her treatment shocked him.

"I don't deserve that." he replied sharply. "But don't treat me like a child."

Atia stopped abruptly and spun around to stare up at him. Her eyes were wide with shock at his tone and then she blinked. The shock went away and she shook her head to clear it of the expression. For a moment she stared up at him, wondering what to do and in the end her brow furrowed in disappointment.

"You're right," she replied. "I'm sorry for treating you like that. You don't deserve it. I-I've just had a bad couple of days."

Alistair knew what she was talking about and without thinking about it pulled her into an embrace. Her arms wrapped around his torso and her cheek pressed against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat under his shirt and it was comforting, warm. The two folded into each other, Alistair slouching over to let his cheek rest on her head. They stood in the middle of the walkway of the Arena District until an

Imperial Guard came by with a torch in hand. The man cleared his throat loudly making Atia jump out of Alistair's grasp.

"Yes, um, well lets get you back to the University before Traven has a conniption fit." she replied quickly and with a spin on her heel started off in the direction of the Arcane University with Alistair right on her heels.