Chapter 18

"We should get you to a healer," Nilsie said, trying her best to assist him. "And how in Oblivion did you do that? I thought you didn't know any magic."

Rioghnan smirked in spite of his aching body. "I don't," he replied in a low voice. He glanced over to see some of the youths struggling to their feet and tried to limp a bit more quickly.

A fluttering movement in a narrow gap between structures caught Rioghnan's attention. He felt a sense of trepidation as he turned to investigate, as his immediate thought, for some reason, was that the old mage had been the one who'd cast the spell that had turned the tide in his favor. His apprehension was quickly replaced with dejection, however, upon realizing that the familiar silhouette in the gap was that of his mother. She frantically signaled for the pair to follow her. Rioghnan felt sick at the thought that somehow she'd managed to be there to witness what had happened. He was certain that now he'd never be permitted out of her sight again.

"Come here!" She hissed, waving them over.

Dutifully, Rioghnan shuffled between the drab walls, closely tailed by Nilsie. Lilaena held her finger to her lips, ordering them to remain silent. They emerged into the adjoining alley, and Lilaena and Nilsie aided Rioghnan as he hobbled around to the entrance of their flat.

Once safely back inside, Lilaena helped Rioghnan into his bed. She then turned to Nilsie, who was hovering nervously off to one side. "If I patch up your eye a bit, do you feel you would be alright going to get your father for me, so that we can make a report about this?"

Nilsie bobbed her head with clear enthusiasm.

Lilaena found a clean strip of fabric and some ointment. She carefully washed and dressed the wound under Nilsie's eye. "Please tell your father that you and my son have been assaulted, and that we would like to file a report of the incident."

"Alright." Nilsie nodded again and cheerfully bid Rioghnan goodbye before flitting out the door.

A great sense of dread began to well up in Rioghnan's guts as his mother returned to his side. She sat on the edge of the bed, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Mum, I'm sorry; I don't know what happened. I didn't do anything…"

"Ri…"

"I've no idea why they came after us, Mum, and I don't know what it was that stopped them like that…" Tears began to sting his eyes, and he tried to will them away.

"Ri. I know." Lilaena placed her hand gently on his arm.

"Please, just give me a chance; I swear it'll never, ever happen again."

"Not with those children." Lilaena chuckled. "They're right terrified of you now."

"But I don't know how that even happened! I didn't do anything!"

"Ri, I know that. I did it. It was me who cast that spell. And if you're going to continue to go out on your own, I reckon I'll have to teach you a few as well."

Rioghnan was prepared to continue pleading his case. He was prepared to be angry, resentful, and to mourn his brief taste of freedom. He was not, however, prepared to hear his mother admitting to having used magic and even less prepared for her to infer she'd be training him to do the same. He stared at his mother, his mouth slightly agape, unable to formulate a coherent response.

"But first, let's get you healed," Lilaena continued. She closed her eyes and muttered something unintelligible to Rioghnan's ears, a warm glow appearing in the palms of both hands. Soon, the light from her hands had enveloped his body and he felt the ache of his injuries begin to drain away. "Let's wait until we meet with the guard before we clean you up," she said, once the healing spell had been completed. "There are a few things we need to be quite clear about, as well."

Rioghnan pulled himself up on his elbows.

"You are never to tell anyone that I know any spells, or that I have any magic ability whatsoever. I know you are chums with the little Dunmer girl..."

"Nilsie."

"Yes. Not even Nilsie. This is our secret and it is meant to keep us both safe. I am putting my trust in you now as I never have before. Please don't make me regret it."

Rioghnan shook his head. "I won't. I promise."

"As far as anyone else is concerned, it was you who unknowingly cast that encumbering spell. I will teach you that one, a few defensive spells, and some other useful tricks that you may need out in the world on your own. You must be very careful to only use these if you absolutely must. No showing off. These are not parlor tricks. Magic is wonderful, but it can be a dangerous thing to know, and I don't want to lose you over some silly trick you believe is harmless but others see as a threat. I have seen in you, since you were tiny, a talent for magic, and while it will hopefully make learning easier for you, it will also make you more likely to be noticed by dangerous sorts who could cause you great harm. Do you understand?"

Rioghnan nodded.

"There are some other things I want to discuss with you, but your friend should be back soon with her father, so let's wait until we get that business taken care of first." She smiled at her progeny, leaning down to kiss his blood-smudged forehead. "Don't forget to act like you are still injured. We must be sure these louts are punished for what they did to you."

Nilsie returned presently with her weary-looking father in tow, and Rioghnan remained in his bed, being sure to emit a few agonized whimpers and groans here and there, just as his mother had instructed. The two teenagers were asked to recount the details of the attack, and Nilsie listed off the names of the youths involved as her father took notes.

He sighed heavily at the mention of the young elves who had perpetrated the assault, running his fingers through his scruffy black goatee. "I told you they were scum," he admonished his daughter. He then turned to Lilaena. "This isn't the only crime these little s'wits have committed round here. We've caught them vandalizing the temple and rifling through other residents' storage containers on numerous occasions."

Rioghnan and Nilsie made eye contact, stifling guilty grins.

"This is the last straw, though. My daughter and your son are good children. They'll not be dragged into this sort of thing. I'll make sure the perpetrators are punished."

"Thank you, I do hope you're able to stop them from harming anyone else," Lilaena said.

Nilsie's father continued, "This won't please our young ones, but I reckon we may have to enact a temporary curfew in order to bring this whole situation under control. I'll have to speak to my captain and see what he thinks of the suggestion, but I do believe it will help to reign in the trouble, as it were."

After the report had been completed, and Nilsie and her father had gone, Lilaena Sat Rioghnan down for a bit more discussion about her thoughts on the morning's events. Much to his chagrin, she announced that she did not feel comfortable having him out on his own anymore until he had mastered at least a few defensive spells. However, she did tell him that she had no issue with Nilsie coming by to spend time with him in the interim, so long as she was also home.

"There is something else I need to discuss with you as well…" Lilaena seemed to brace herself a bit, clearing her throat. "You're still quite young, and I hope I don't simply make you uncomfortable telling you these things, but we really must talk about certain things regarding Nilsie, or any other young lady you might …find yourself associating with."

"Alright…" Rioghnan smirked a bit, wondering where this discussion was heading.

Lilaena hesitated for quite a while before continuing. "…As you know, I was born in Auridon. Your father was also an Altmer, of course, from the Summerset Isles. In our culture, it is considered rather important to only… associate romantically with …other High Elves. Do you understand what I'm talking about - or is this making no sense to you at all? She chuckled nervously.

"You …don't want me to marry Nilsie." Rioghnan replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes, that would be part of it. Marrying her, or doing any… other sort of …romantic things with her. Or with anyone else who isn't Altmer like us. It's just part of our culture. I feel badly that I had to take you so far away from the Summerset Isles. I hope that someday, we can travel there so that you might know a bit more about your heritage."

Rioghnan nodded slowly. Suddenly, he recalled something that made him feel rather guilty and without thinking, he blurted out, "Nilsie kissed me."

Much to his relief, Lilaena seemed patently unsurprised. "I presumed as much. Dunmer are rather loose with their morals when it comes to these sorts of things. It was simply a kiss, though - nothing more?"

The whole scenario rushed through Rioghnan's mind; the mock altercation, the moments where the two of them were kissing, the closeness of their faces and bodies; the intense and novel feelings it all brought on. He thought better of elaborating and simply said, "Yes."

"Well… what's done is done. Just don't get into any predicaments with her where it might happen again, alright?"

"Yes, alright." He willed his body and mind to stop recalling the events of that night, lest his mother notice somehow the effects it was having on him.