Lunch and class afterwards went by like a blur. After his and Danielle's last private conversation, Onmund did a lot of reflecting. As much as it pained him, he knew that he was going to have to get used to the new reality that was set before him. Danielle was no longer just a student, but she was now part of the College leadership. And she was charged with all of the responsibilities of being in a leadership position, which meant that her time was going to be precious and in great demand. No longer could he just walk up to her and have a little chat, much less get in some quality one-on-one time with her. She was now going to have to treat everyone equally, and that included Onmund. Anything beyond that would end up being frowned upon and would probably get both of them into trouble. Then, there was the issue of his feelings for her. If the prospect of acting on them seemed foreboding and difficult before, it was now outright impossible and forbidden, given her new station. Nothing reeks of favoritism and scandal more than a romantic relationship between a student and a faculty member, he knew. He was just going to have to forget about the whole thing. But he knew it was going to be easier said than done.
At the end of class, Tolfdir gave instructions for Danielle to take all of the Apprentices out on a field trip tomorrow. He knew that it was going to be difficult to have her around and not be able to be himself around her, but with Brelyna and J'zargo there he had no choice but to be on his best behavior.
At 7AM the next morning, Onmund, Brelyna, and J'zargo met in the Hall of Elements and waited for their Arch-Mage. Onmund saw that J'zargo was also wearing his new Apprentice robes. Finally, Danielle walked in, and when Onmund saw her, his jaw dropped to the floor. She was wearing the Arch-Mage's Robes, and she looked stunning. The robes were mostly dark blue, which offset her bronze skin perfectly, and had all these intricate details on it which set it apart from regular College robes. It had another layer on top which resembled a shawl and it draped her small shoulders and hung all the way down to her waist. Frayed, white fur lined the outer edges of it. Finally, the hood was also a dark blue and framed her face and neck beautifully, and a large sapphire adorned the crown of it. Onmund thought that she resembled a goddess.
"Danielle, you look amazing in those robes!" Brelyna remarked.
Danielle smiled shyly and replied, "Thank you."
"Are they as comfortable as J'zargo believes them to be?" J'zargo asked.
"They're all right," she answered. "The hood feels sort of tight." She stole a brief glance at Onmund, who averted his eyes, feeling a little embarrassed that he had nothing to contribute. He finally blurted, "So, uh, liking your room?"
"Yes," she replied. "I have everything I need- an Alchemy lab, an Enchanter, and plenty of books."
With a pang, Onmund thought wistfully, But you don't have us. You don't feel like you need that?
"So where are we going?" J'zargo asked. "Somewhere warm, I hope."
Danielle chuckled and said, "We are going to Folgunthur. It is a Nordic ruin south of Solitude. I have been asked to look into the so-called 'Forbidden Legend' of Gauldur, who was Arch-Mage here in the First Era. He was mysteriously murdered and no one knows what happened, but he had three sons who had disappeared shortly after he was murdered. No one knows what happened to the three sons until recently. One of them, Jyrik Gauldurson, we found on our last field trip down in Saarthal. The magical seal placed on his body was broken and that was how he was resurrected and came after us."
"That Draugr was a son of Gauldur?" Brelyna questioned.
"He was sealed there for a reason," Onmund piped up, knowing the legend well. "The legend theorizes that he and his three brothers may have been the ones responsible for killing their father. The other brother is in Folgunthur, right?"
"Yes," Danielle replied.
"And the third?" J'zargo asked.
"Well, no one knows," she answered. "But Jyrik had in his possession a Writ of Sealing and a fragment of an amulet. This amulet." She reached under her hood and pulled out a small amulet and showed it to them. Its chain was made of twine, and it was adorned with animal teeth and a gold pendant. As the group passed it around, she continued, "It is said to have been made by Gauldur, himself."
"What did the Writ of Sealing say?" Onmund asked.
"It was a decree to bind him in his resting place forever," she answered. "The writ also accused him of being a 'murderer and betrayer.'"
"Interesting," he mused. "I'll bet my theory is right, then. He was sealed because he murdered Gauldur!"
Brelyna looked back and forth between Onmund and Danielle and commented, "You guys know so much about the history behind this legend. But if you don't mind, why don't we get going and we can talk about it some more?"
Danielle gave Onmund a sheepish glance and then looked at Brelyna and said, "Okay, that's a good idea. Let's go."
The four mages went out of the training hall and set off on their journey towards Folgunthur. As Onmund told everyone what he knew about the legend, he had begun to forget that Danielle was the Arch-Mage. In his eyes, she was just like the rest of them, albeit wearing the Arch-Mage's Robes and bearing the title. His spirits were lifted a little as he talked with her about the legend, as J'zargo had no interest in it whatsoever and Brelyna didn't know anything about it. But he had to constantly remind himself that he wasn't alone with her, and that she was here to lead them as a group.
They neared the ruin as night fell, but instead of going straight west through the marshlands that led to the ruin itself, they ventured south of it towards the town of Morthal, where they would be staying for the night. As they entered the town, one of the guards, carrying a torch, went up to them and demanded, "What business do College mages have in Morthal?"
"We are just here to stay the night," Danielle answered. "Is there an inn?"
"Moorside Inn is just around the corner there," he replied, pointing.
"Thank you," she answered and the three Apprentices followed her.
As they went into the building, J'zargo quipped, "Everyone here acts so distrustful of mages."
"Nords don't trust magic or those that use it," Onmund explained.
"Must've been difficult for you growing up," Brelyna surmised.
He nodded. "Yes it was." He gave Danielle a knowing look as they all removed their hoods. As they looked all around them, it appeared as if the Moorside Inn was deserted.
"Uh…hello," a voice greeted. It was the Redguard innkeeper from behind her counter. "Lookin' for a room?"
"A couple, actually," Danielle piped up, going up to her. "Do you have two rooms available?"
"Look around," she replied. "Room is all we got! You mages from the College?"
"Yes," Danielle answered.
"I hear there was a disaster there," she commented. "Killed a few people, including someone from the Thalmor."
"Uh, yes. But everything is back to normal now."
"Well, that's good to hear."
That was all the innkeeper inquired about the College for the time being as she prepared hot tomato soup for the four mages. Onmund and J'zargo sat at one table while Danielle and Brelyna sat at another and they all slurped up their soups in silence.
When they had finished, the innkeeper returned and gathered up their empty bowls. Danielle said to her, "We're ready to take those rooms now."
"Sure thing," the innkeeper replied. "They're yours for a day."
As everyone began getting up from their tables, suddenly the innkeeper asked, "Have you guys ever heard of a fellow named Falion bein' mentioned at the College?"
"Falion?" Danielle questioned. "No. Who is he?"
"He's the only resident wizard here in Morthal," she answered. "He used to be a faculty member there." She then paused for a beat before adding, "He's my brother."
"Oh! So your brother's a mage."
"Yeah, but he gets treated real bad around here. No one in this town trusts mages. Thought I'd let ya know in case someone gives you a hard time while you're here. Just don't…get involved with any of the town's affairs."
"Why don't they trust mages?" J'zargo asked.
"Oh, you know. Mostly ignorance. They believe that everything about magic is evil. Just too many bad happenings here in town."
"What sorts of bad happenings?" Danielle questioned.
"Mysterious deaths. Just recently, a woman and her child died in a house fire. The husband, Hroggar, was rumored to have started it himself. It also doesn't help that he's moved in with another woman the very next day."
"Ooh," Danielle responded woefully.
"Anyway, you're not stickin' around for very long, right? I'll show you to your rooms. Right this way."
After Onmund and J'zargo were shown their rooms, they closed their door and got ready for bed. Onmund couldn't help but feel uneasy that night, especially after hearing the tragic story of Hroggar and his family and about mages not being trusted in this town. Somehow I had forgotten all about the hostile outside world as I was spending most of my days cooped up within the cozy confines of the College, he ruminated. Somehow this makes me feel all the more vulnerable as a Nord mage.
The next morning, Onmund was up before J'zargo and washed his face before waking the Khajiit up.
"Not now, J'zeem!" J'zargo mumbled sharply as his snoring came to an abrupt stop after Onmund gave him a few firm taps on the arm.
Onmund chuckled. "Wake up, cat! You're dreaming!"
J'zargo opened his eyes and looked up at the Nord hovering over him and blinked. "J'zargo had a dream that he was back home," he sighed and slowly began to sit up.
"I have them a lot, too," Onmund agreed. "But we'd better get going to Folgunthur. I think the ladies are up, too. I can hear their voices in the main hall."
The two men got quickly dressed and went out into the hall.
"Hey, you're finally up!" Brelyna exclaimed. She was sitting with Danielle in front of the fire pit, and they were both drinking tea.
"J'zargo is ready to get going," the Khajiit declared. He then pointed to Onmund standing next to him and added, "This one slept like a rock and needed J'zargo to wake him up."
"You liar!" Onmund cried, and the two women laughed.
"Something tells me it was J'zargo who needed the waking," Danielle teased.
J'zargo responded by baring his teeth in annoyance and this time, it was Onmund's turn to laugh, glad that she had come to his defense.
"Well, anyway, he's right," she continued, putting her cup down. "We'd better get going to Folgunthur."
Everyone quickly got their things ready and they headed out. It was very early in the morning so it was still dark out. The four mages left Morthal and headed northward to the marshlands.
As they waded through the darkness in the soft, squishy mud, guided by Danielle's torch, Onmund had to keep himself from gagging from the strong odor that seemed to be hanging heavily in the area. It reminded him of raw sewage. Danielle and Brelyna held their hoods over their noses as they carefully waded their way through the marsh.
Suddenly, they heard a rustle in the underbrush. They all stopped in their tracks and listened. "What was that?" Brelyna whispered.
"I don't know," Danielle replied.
Everyone got their spells ready and their eyes darted around them.
"What do you see, J'zargo?" Onmund asked his buddy. "You're able to see better than all of us."
"J'zargo sees nothing but lots of trees and brush," he replied. He then turned around a couple of times, surveying the land around him and suddenly he went, "Aha!" He then shot out a Lightning Bolt into the darkness and declared, "Got you!"
"What was it?" Brelyna questioned.
"Spider," he answered. "But it's dead now."
"Good job!" Danielle complimented.
Just then, there was the sound of howling nearby. The four mages exchanged frightened glances as Onmund whispered, "Wolves."
"Raargh!" J'zargo yelled and frantically shot a couple of Lightning Bolts at random into the darkness. "Where are they? Where are they?"
"J'zargo, stop that!" Onmund rasped. "You're going to attract unnecessary attention!"
They heard rustling sounds in the underbrush, and it got louder and louder. Before they could even prepare themselves, wolves came upon them. Onmund was knocked down to the ground by one who had pounced on him and he frantically fought it off, trying to keep it away from his neck. Suddenly, the wolf gave a loud squeal and fell limp. He looked up and saw Danielle looking down at him, holding a dagger. She offered him her hand and helped him up. "Thanks," he said with relief.
J'zargo and Brelyna had gotten up, as well, having been saved by Danielle who was the only person who wasn't attacked by the wolves.
"Wow. That happened so fast!" Brelyna remarked. "Danielle's a life-saver!"
"J'zargo had the wolf in a death grip," J'zargo stated. "He could have killed him, himself."
"Well, I'm thankful she helped us!" Onmund said.
"Where did you learn how to kill wolves?" Brelyna asked the Arch-Mage. "In Daggerfall?"
"No," Danielle replied. "Here in Skyrim."
"Who taught you?" she asked.
"One of my mentors," she answered.
Onmund's ears pricked at the mention of her mentor, whom he was sure was Marcurio even though she didn't say his name.
"Oh. What a valuable skill!" Brelyna commented. "I wish my mentor had taught me something like that."
Not wanting to hear this subject any longer, Onmund cleared his throat loudly and said, "We should get moving."
"Yes, let's go," Danielle agreed.
With that, the four mages continued on through the marsh. Thankfully, they didn't encounter anymore wolves or spiders. However, as they neared the location of Folgunthur, they came upon a campsite.
"What's this?" Brelyna piped up.
"Be careful," Onmund warned. "Could be bandits."
They slowly approached the circle of tents- three of them total, around a campfire in the middle. The campfire was out, and appeared to have been out for a very long time for there weren't any smoldering embers or even a remnant of smoke.
"There's no one here," Danielle proclaimed.
J'zargo's eyes darted around the trees. "J'zargo does not see anyone hiding out there, either."
Just then, something caught Onmund's eye as he peered into one of the tents. It was a small leather-bound journal. He picked it up and opened it. His eyes widened as he read the first few sentences on the first page. "Hey, guys!" he announced. "I think I've found something here!"
Danielle, Brelyna, and J'zargo hurried over to him as he held up the journal. "Looks like whoever was here was also looking into the forbidden legend."
"What does it say?" Brelyna asked.
Onmund scanned through the entries quickly but didn't really find anything of great importance. From what he could gather, the author of the journal, along with some group of adventurers were looking for an amulet fragment, and he guessed that it was another piece of the amulet just like the one that Danielle had found on Jyrik's body. The last written entry was written two days prior, and it was evident that the author and his party had gone down into the ruin and had yet to return.
After explaining this to his friends, J'zargo remarked, "Something smells fishy to Khajiit. These people have not returned for two days. Otherwise, we would have found them sleeping here."
"Maybe they ran into trouble in the ruin," Onmund surmised.
"Then J'zargo will get them out of trouble!" the Khajiit declared.
"I don't know…" Onmund began uncertainly. "The dangers of these ruins aren't anything to laugh at."
"I haven't been in one since Saarthal," Brelyna said. "And we made it out of that one all right."
"That one wasn't as bad…" Danielle commented.
"Oh, that's right," Brelyna suddenly said, folding her arms and looking at her and Onmund. "You two have been around in a lot of places. J'zargo and I haven't. Didn't Tolfdir say that we should all get as much field training as possible?"
Onmund felt guilty as she said this, and he knew that she had a point. All those times when he and Danielle ventured out alone to Fellglow Keep, Mzulft, and Labyrinthian, there really was no reason why they couldn't have had taken the other two Apprentices along with them. They were just so caught up in the events revolving around the Eye of Magnus that it didn't seem much of an issue to them back then, but now in retrospect, Onmund did feel like he was definitely treated with favoritism by Danielle.
Danielle seemed to look uncomfortable, as well, and she finally said evenly, "Yes. We all need a chance to work on our skills. And…maybe J'zargo is onto something. We should take it upon ourselves to look into the welfare of these people who have gone down into the ruin." He then looked up at Onmund and asked, "Remember how happy Orthorn was when we had rescued him?"
Onmund nodded slowly, remembering the Novice mage whom they had found and freed in Fellglow Keep. They never found out what had become of him, though. But nonetheless, he couldn't refuse the suggestion that they might be able to save the adventurers who had gone down into Folgunthur. Not with a clear conscience, anyway. "Yes. Let's go down there and see if we can't find those guys."
Brelyna smiled and said, "We should be just fine. We've got strength in numbers!"
The four mages eventually found the entrance to the ruin, and they all went inside.
Wow, that is so funny when characters end up spawning in a rock or wall! It reminds me of a time when Onmund ended up being shoved INTO the wall by a swinging pendulum rather than being, say, cut in two? Fortunately, I was able to move him with console commands but that was pretty disconcerting! Thank you so much for your comments- about them having breakfast together, you will just have to find out! I will say, though, that Onmund is going to have a really hard time getting face-time with Danielle now that she's bogged down with all of the Arch-Mage duties.