Chapter 10: Hope

Emelin...

The further we went, the more light the darkness swallowed. Moisture seeped through the cave walls, creating small pools of icy water beneath our feet. Cool air blew through the cracks and cleared the little warmth that remained. Every once in a while the cave emitted an almost pained moan. It was as if it was speaking to us, trying to convey some sort of message.

I caught the faint rustling of water. After turning another corner we found ourselves in another part of the cave that was shrouded in a light blue mist. A fast-flowing river ran across the ground and split off into three smaller streams. Tingling spears of ice so clear covered the majority of the ceiling and the rocks glistened with frost. I noticed a statue stood on a ledge above us. Traces of gold were apparent on the shoulders and crown where snow hadn't touched and glowed faintly in the light.

Serana stepped closer to the ledge. "It doesn't look very stable. Perhaps we could bring it down?"

I nodded. "Maybe."

"How do we plan on bringing it down at all?" Gelebor added.

The two glanced between each other and the ledge with thoughtful looks. I stared at it for a moment before a thought came to mind. "Fus, Roh Dah!"

The impact from the shout knocked the statue back with a high pitched creak. Some of the rubble beneath the ledge fell into the river but the ledge itself remained intact.

Serana sighed. "It doesn't look like it worked."

"Perhaps a different strategy is in order?" Gelebor advised.

A few seconds later a boulder fell from the ceiling and landed a few inches away from us. The ledge fiercely shook from side to side and a loud crack silenced the cave. The statue split in half on it's way down and each piece crashed into a snow mound below.

I smirked. "You were saying?"

He gave a sheepish grin. "Yes, well... shall we?"

Gelebor pressed his hand against the statue and carefully wiped some of the snow away from the head and crown. It was similar to the statue of Auri-El back in the Vale but the appearance and the position it was in were different. It was definitely a mer and judging by the ear shape it was either an Altmer or more likely a Snow Elf. The way it was shaped suggested that the hair of the elf ended around it's shoulders but it was hard to tell because most of the detail had worn away. It also carried some sort of spear in it's hand but because of the deterioration and that the statue had broke on it's way down, it was hard to tell.

I looked back at Gelebor who had pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "This cannot be."

"What is it?"

"It is a shrine... to the Snow Prince."

I stared at both him and the statue in disbelief. "The Snow Prince? But, why is there a shrine to him here?"

"Like other cultures we snow elves dedicated shrines and statues to him out of respect and honour. He was a great ruler, and an even greater warrior. Being a mer yourself you know of our longevity. Over his rein he won countless battles for our people and was worshipped because of such acts."

"Wasn't he in the battle of Moesring?"

"That is correct." He frowned. "After word got round to the Chantry that the last hope of our people had been defeated, I cannot tell you how many of my people's spirits were shattered because of his demise."

Serana crossed her arms and took a few steps back. "But why would the statue be here of all places? It doesn't make any sense."

"Well," I said, "the journal did lead us here."

Gelebor looked at the other end of the cave. "It could mean that there is some form of society through this cave. Perhaps the Snow Elves here too escaped the Nords and Dwemer. Either way, the statue says much."

"We don't know how long that statue has been here though. For all we know there might not be any of your people left."

Gelebor tried to keep the tone of his voice calm but the way he spoke through gritted teeth said otherwise. "I know that the statue is not as old as the relics in the Chantry. In fact the statue itself seems relatively new, compared to the one's I am aware of. There could be a number of reasons for it's state and that may or may not have anything to do with my race. Perhaps it was from the fall, or maybe the conditions of the cave itself? Either way, I do know that my people were here and I intend to find them!"

His eyes widened at his outburst. He coughed and turned so he wasn't facing us. "We should go. There is no point in staying here much longer."

I watched as he walked away from us and shook my head. "Really Serana?"

She shrugged with mock surprise. "I was just telling the truth. We don't know if any of his people are still around. All we have as evidence is the journal you found and there's no telling how old that thing is."

"You didn't have to say anything!"

"He knows what he's getting himself into. I just said what was on my mind. Why do you care anyway? It's not like it's your race we're looking for."

"I-" She was right. I wasn't looking for my people, but I was the one who found the journal and brought us on the quest. I wasn't going to give up when we had just started the journey. Besides, Gelebor was my friend and I wanted to help him. I couldn't abandon him now. "Let's just go before we lose him."

"If you say so."

I blinked several times as the outside light partially blinded my sight. I caught the sound of nearby birds and the familiar chill of the wind. It was good to be out of the cave and to be able to breathe the fresh mountain air. I never liked caves to begin with but it seemed that I couldn't go anywhere without ultimately ending up venturing through one.

Gelebor stood overlooking the mountain pass. The shadow of where the mountain parted seemed to be the only path we could take. He calmly turned the pages of his journal; the anger from the previous argument now a thing of the past. The sun was still high in the sky and we had a couple of hours before sunset.

"Here." Gelebor said, pointing ahead. "We must travel through the mountain pass. There is a valley not far from it but getting there should be relatively simple. There are also sketches in here that resemble stone emblems. The writing on the emblems weren't written but if we come across such things I may be able to translate them."

"We better get going then. I wouldn't want to travel at night, especially if another storm comes."

"I will keep a look out. If another storm does approach us we'll be aware of it."

I bit my lip. "How are you feeling?"

"I am well. Why do you ask?"

"It's just what Serana said. You know she didn't mean it."

He gave a soft chuckle. "You do not need to worry about me Emelin. I assure you that I am fine."

I looked up at his tired eyes and knew what was troubling him. "We'll find your people Gelebor."

"I..." he paused and looked away from me to the floor at his feet, "I know. It has been a long time since I have even came close to finding another one of my kind a part from my brother. As you know the Vale was isolated. After the Betrayed slaughtered the rest of my people, it was decades before I even came in contact with any other race."

"Then what's troubling you?"

"I'm afraid that what I will be met with will not be what I expect. I'm not sure I even want to know what I am going to find. If there are any more of my kind, there is no telling whether they would look as I do now, or if they have transformed into something worse than the Betrayed."

"Even if they aren't what you expect, isn't it better to know then to never find out?"

"Perhaps."

"You won't have to face this alone Gelebor."

He gave a small smile, further curved on one side of his mouth which made my heart beat faster and a faint warmth cross my cheeks. "And for that I am grateful."