.

ACRUS

Recovery

Student dormitory

"Feeling better?"

Acrus could only utter a croaking "Urrrgh..."

"Well, at least you're talking again."

"If... you can call it talking," Acrus said in a hoarse voice. His chest felt like a giant had stomped on it, along with his mammoth. What in Oblivion had happened to him?

Oh, right. The ruins under Saarthal. He'd retrieved an amulet from there, but he hadn't really understood what it did or what it was about. They'd fought a draugr down there, and the damn walking corpse had propelled him across the cave, smack into the wall. He'd felt his ribs crack, that hedge wizard Brelyna had cast a shoddy excuse for a healing spell, and then they'd started to drag him outside. The pain had been so extreme he'd simply fainted, and from there, apparently, lapsed into sleep.

"Tolfdir cast a somniferous spell on you when they brought you back, in case you're wondering how you got here. He figured it'd make the journey less painful for you."

The voice was female, but not one he'd heard before. He tried to open his eyes, but the light stung so hard he closed them again.

"Hold on," the voice said, then he heard the sound of footsteps and a curtain being drawn. "That should help."

Acrus tried again, and this time the light was much less painful. The woman sitting next to his bed was middle-aged, with her brown hair worn back, the sides tied in two braids. There were two deep lines going from her nostrils to the sides of her mouth, giving her a perpetually annoyed look. Her voice and demeanour didn't match her appearance, so far.

"Ah yes, you probably haven't heard of me yet. Collette Marence," she introduced herself. "Master Restorer here at the College."

Erp, a lecturer. Better make sure he stayed in her good graces. "Thank you for your care, Master Restorer."

"That's... alright," the woman said, slightly awkwardly. "I cast some simple spells for now, but you should be up and about in a few hours. Can't guarantee the pain will be gone, though."

"No, I... figured I wouldn't be so lucky."

She chuckled. "Oh, by the way, this is your dormitory. You'll be sharing this room with Brelyna. It's not customary to have students of mixed gender in a room, but..." the corners of her mouth went down, "we expect you both to behave."

"We'll be good," Acrus merely said. Better with the cantrip-casting drow than with the slimy Khajiit or the dull Nord. She wasn't exactly searing hot, but in case he needed some recreation, it was better to share a room with her than the others. "So, any news on that amulet I brought back from Saarthal?" He sat up, propping himself up on his elbows, despite the pain.

The master healer winced. "You shouldn't move too much. And Tolfdir will be in soon, ready to tell you what needs to be done now. I told him not to tire you out too much, so I hope he won't talk our ear off."

"He's... prone to do that, isn't he?" Whoops, he shouldn't have said that.

But the mage laughed, again contradicting her stern and stodgy appearance. "Yes, Tolfdir has so much knowledge to share, he'd talk all day if we let him, Aedra bless him." Seemed this one wasn't so bad. "Anyway, he's right outside, so I won't keep you both waiting."

The woman rose and opened the door. "Not too long, Tolfdir."

The old man all but ignored her and rushed inside, a giddy look on his face. "My boy, you've found some amazing things."

"Yeah. Like broken ribs."

"Oh pish," Tolfdir dismissed him. "Master Restorer Marence will make sure you're up and about in no time. How then, this amulet, and this orb", the man went on, putting the two objects in Acrus' lap, "we don't know what they are yet, but you should bring them to the Archmage."

Whoa, he was going to meet the Archmage? Giggity. "Me?" he asked, trying to appear as humble as he could. "I'm just an Apprentice, I – "

"Oh wash," Tolfdir dismissed again, still excited from the finds. "The amulet clearly reacts to you, and the orb, well, you were the one who identified it as a power source, so you should be the one to bring it to the Archmage. Can you walk?"

"I... might be able to." He tried to sit up again, but the pain made him lie back. "Or not."

"The prospect of being introduced to the Archmage should give you strength, lad," the Alterer said with a cheeky grin. "But very well, we'll give it some time. Collette will make sure you feel better soon. Have some rest, her healing spells keep working for a while after they're cast, so you'll feel better after an hour or two."

With that, the man grinned again, and held up a just-you-wait finger at Acrus. Then he silently rushed back outside.

So he was going to meet the Archmage. Oh, that would make the other students green with envy. They'd think twice about laughing at him. Snivelling dabblers.

As Acrus thought those thoughts of sweet and just recognition, he fell asleep.