Chapter 5

Lilaena had no idea where she would go. She just knew she had to leave the Psijic Order and disappear before Galerion and the healer arrived. She had never felt such panic in all her life. Every creak of the ancient building that held the student quarters terrified her because it might have been the two of them heading up the stairs. Every thump from another room sounded to her like it was coming from her door.

When she felt she had packed as many necessary items as she could fit into the knapsack and a smaller pouch she had, she had to make the harrowing journey out of her room and down the hall to the stairs. Her heart hammered and she still felt nauseous. She prayed to the gods to let her escape undetected by any high ranking members of the Order.

She made it to the stairwell and was racing down the winding staircase when she encountered another student, who tried to stop her and talk. She pushed past the young woman, ignoring her words, and fled through the great hall and out the front doors. It was almost midday and the bright sunlight hurt her eyes after having spent days holed up in her dark quarters. She sprinted like mad, ignoring the pain in her chest and the terrible exhaustion, across the grounds, as fast as her feet would carry her, and didn't stop until she had cleared the campus entirely. The panic, the physical exertion – she was so sick when she finally stopped running. She didn't know how long she'd been slumped against a tall old maple tree when she became aware of footsteps drawing nearer.

A Dunmer woman had seen her and came over to have a look. At first, Lilaena was too sick to even acknowledge the woman, and she was immediately afraid the stranger was somehow involved with the Psijic Order.

"Are you alright, sera?" She inquired softly, an expression of concern on her dark features.

"Do I look like I'm alright?" Lilaena retorted facetiously, wondering if she should try to flee before the Dunmer got any closer.

"Well, no, you don't. That's why I was asking." She replied patiently. The woman was older; her black hair streaked with grey, and she had a kind, grandmotherly look about her.

Lilaena didn't know much about Dunmer. She had met a few in her lifetime and knew they were the grey-skinned "Dark Elves" who originated from the northern province of Morrowind. They tended to be a bit unfriendly and clannish and didn't much care for foreigners, whom they referred to as "outlanders" or the more derogatory "n'wah", and generally tried to avoid.

"I'm sure I will be okay. I'm just feeling a little sick right now." Lilaena explained, trying to seem as calm as possible so as not to arouse any suspicion.

The Dunmer woman knelt down beside Lilaena and began rummaging around in a leather satchel. "Hmmm… I have some potions that might help…"

"Oh no, potions won't help. I've tried, and I just… they didn't do much. But thank you. I appreciate the offer." Lilaena smiled sweetly, hoping the woman would just leave.

"Well, you know, there's no single potion can cure all manner of sickness. We'd have to find the proper mixture for your particular ailment."

Lilaena couldn't help but be fearful that this woman wasn't just an innocent old lady looking to help out of the goodness of her heart. Her presence seemed much too coincidental. Lilaena, as politely as possible, refused her assistance and hauled herself to her feet once again.

She trudged along aimlessly for what seemed like ages, not knowing where to go or what to do once she got there, and she was constantly terrified that at any moment, agents of the Order would arrive to do gods-knew-what to her. Suddenly, an idea dawned on her. She had heard rumors of a female mage in Dusk who provided what was known as "guide services". She was a sorcerer that, for a price, could transport someone to various locations, wherein another "guide" would then receive them. To Lilaena, this sounded like the best option for quickly disappearing. She knew she had to find passage to the Summerset Isle and then head south to reach Dusk. She quickly made her way to the small main dock, where she waited for the next ferry. All the while, her heart would pound every time someone came close. She told herself to be calm. As far as she knew, the only person who might possibly suspect anything was Galerion, and even then, she had no reason to think he believed she was anything more than hung over. After what seemed to be an eternity, the ferry appeared on the horizon. Lilaena paid the small fee for passage, keeping the conversation with the boat's pilot to a bare minimum.

She felt much better if she kept her mind off the possibility of being hunted by the Order and instead focused on the scenery, or imagined various possibilities concerning this little secret of hers that was currently causing her so much grief. Apparently the strange khajit dream had actually meant something. Only it wasn't a tiny cat that people would likely shame her for carrying around; it was something a bit different than that. Quite possibly with the same hair and eye color as the cat, though, and hopefully those adorable and highly impressive ears. She smiled at the thought in spite of her circumstances.

After disembarking, she followed the main road until she came to a fork with a signpost directing her off to the left to reach Dusk. The sight was thrilling after her long and traumatic day. She very nearly skipped off down the path. She arrived in the early evening and found that most of the shops had closed for the day. Asking a trader who was in the process of sweeping his front steps led her to the local inn and tavern, where she paid the small fee to reserve a room for the night. She didn't have much gold, but she knew that if she ran out, her jewelry would buy her a few necessities. Hopefully it would be enough to pay the guide at least. And after that, who knew…