Authors Note: I FINALLY got the chance to finish this chapter over the long weekend. I'm really hoping to be able to update more regularly in the future.
Chapter 7
The sun had not yet completely risen as Katlyn and Frost set out from the gates of Riften. A thin layer of mist was still in the air and all was quiet except for the chirping of the morning birds. About a half mile away from the city Katlyn tugged the reigns and directed her steed off of the road. At first the horse resisted leaving the road but after an encouraging nudge from Katlyn's knees he stepped off the path and into the trees.
"I know you'd rather stay on the road boy, but the road isn't safe for us right now. Well, the roads of Skyrim are never truly what I'd call safe, but you know what I mean." Frost nickered in response.
After so many solo trips across Skyim, Katlyn had developed the habit of conversing with Frost as a way to stave off the loneliness the road could bring. To her great amusement, Frost had taken to filling in conversational gaps with noises of his own. It was a bizarre personality quirk on the part of the horse but it made Katlyn love him all the more.
"The 'hiding in plain sight' part of the plan only starts after we get to Winterhold. I know traveling off the path will take twice as long but we're trying to avoid the Dark Brotherhood here. We can't be too careful." Frost made a low noise and bobbed his head up and down several times. Katlyn burst out laughing. At times she swore the warhorse understood everything she said.
"Well I'm glad you agree!" She grinned broadly, "I'm so glad I talked Louis into letting me keep you, boy." She reached forward and scratched his mane.
By the time the sun had started to set Katlyn and Frost had made it out of The Rift and were skirting around the hot springs in the center of Eastmarch. The distance they had traveled would have taken about three or four hours on the roads but journey had taken them most of day. The uneven terrain of The Rift made for very slow going. On more than one occasion they had come head on to a shear ravine and had to backtrack and find another way round. Katlyn was practically starving when they happened upon an unfamiliar cave.
"What do you think, boy? Good place to stop off for the night?" Katlyn dismounted and nocked an arrow in her bow. "Just need to make sure we're alone first." She crouched and headed towards the cave.
The cave was small, dry, and surprisingly empty. The few skeevers skittering around the cave floor sprouted arrows from their sides and died before they were even aware of the cave's visitors. Once she was sure the cave was clear Katlyn led Frost inside. Then the two of them ate the food she had packed and settled down for the night. For a cave it was a surprisingly cozy place. Just before the setting sun banished all light from the cave Katlyn drew a small lantern out of her pack and lit the candle filling the cave with a warm light.
"At this rate it looks like it's going to take us another two days at least to get to Winterhold. And I've got learn at least something before then." Katlyn remarked to Frost pulling a spell tomb from her pack. Settling down on her bedroll with the tomb she propped herself up on her forearms and began to read.
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Two days later it was already dark and snowing heavily as Katlyn arrived in the small town of Winterhold. The wind tore at her cloak and blew freezing air into her eyes. It was all she could to do make out the light from the few lampposts lining the street. There was no point in heading for the college at this late of an hour. Instead she ducked inside the local inn, The Frozen Hearth, to stay the night. She had stayed there once before with Brynjolf the time they were looking for someone who could translate Gallus' journal from Falmer text into the Common Tongue. She felt pretty confidence the innkeeper wouldn't recognize her beneath mask and hood since the last time the Dragonborn had been to Winterhold she'd only been wearing her old guild leathers. Katlyn paid the innkeeper for a room, a hot meal, a hot bath, and struck an arrangement with him to provide board for Frost while she was at the college. Her thievish nature hated parting with that much gold, but she knew it was necessary. A little later with her belly full and the dust of the road washed away Katlyn tried to practice her magic one last time before bed.
During the journey Katlyn had managed to learn a few spells. Practicing a few minutes at a time whenever she had stopped to eat, rest, or relieve herself. She hadn't had much time to decide which spell tombs would be the most useful. That night Katlyn only had a few minutes to get in and out of Wylandriah's chambers before the Jarl's guards completed their hourly patrol through the halls so she had just grabbed several books off the shelf at random.
The spell Candlelight came the quickest which gave had given her a false hope that the other spells would be just as easy. Her optimism was quickly squandered when she moved on to destruction magic. Flames was very difficult for her to control and only actually managed to conjure real fire about forty percent of the times she tried. She had tried Muffle but honestly couldn't tell if it did anything since she was so stealthy anyway. Figuring it was a waste of time she moved on to Healing. She felt like she grasped the theory behind the spell well enough but knew it would only truly work if she were injured and Katlyn didn't trust her magical abilities enough to purposefully injure herself while traveling just to see if her spell worked. If the spell didn't work the smell of her blood would attract wolves and other creatures; that was one problem Katlyn really didn't want to deal with. She just hoped what she had learned would be enough to gain her admittance to the college. But there was no point in worrying about it now, she told herself. She was exhausted and knew she would need a good night's sleep before the next day.
In the morning Katlyn changed into her stolen tunic and pants. It felt very strange to wear no armor of any kind. It was too light and caused her to felt vulnerable and exposed. But Katlyn knew wearing her beloved Nightingale armor was out of the question. Sighing to herself, Katlyn pulled out her brush and took her hair out of its braid. Her stomach felt heavy and nervous like how she used to feel before important jobs when she'd first joined the guild nearly a year ago. The entire plan was riding on her ability to pass as a mage and she would face her first test within the hour.
She wished she had half of Brynjolf's charm and charisma. The man could practically talk himself out of anything when he wanted. Thinking of Brynjolf caused a sudden ache inside Katlyn. Her hand went to his amulet around her neck and she ran her fingers over the surface exploring its unique shape. She missed all of them already. 'Come on Katlyn, you can't mope around here all day. You've got stuff to do.' She shook her head and gathered up the rest of her supplies. Her armor, swords, bow and quiver were all sitting on the bed in a pile Katlyn wasn't quite sure what do to with. She couldn't wear them and they wouldn't fit in her pack. Then she remembered a collection of empty barrels and large sacks she'd seen last night in the corner of a storage area. "I bet it could fit it all in one of those sacks." She mused to herself snatching one as the innkeeper was looked the other way.
After a few tries and several repositionings, the armor set and weapons fit into the sack. Katlyn slung the large sack over her shoulder and nearly stumbled. "By the Nine this is heavy! It does not feel that heavy when I wear it!" Katlyn exclaimed to herself. Straightening up, she slipped out of her room, gave a nod and a half wave to the Innkeeper as she passed through the common area, and headed out the door into the snowy streets of Winterhold. It was still snowing but not nearly as hard as it had been when she arrived the night before. For the first time she could clearly see the college a short way off and the sight of it rising against the sky took her breath away.
"There it is, Frost. The College of Winterhold!" she said awe in her voice. Then she remembered Frost was stabled with the innkeeper's personal horse and felt a bit stupid. "Guess I really am on my own from here." She muttered as she set off towards the bridge.
An Altmer woman in blue college robes stood blocking the path to the college. She raised her hand in a warning stopping Katlyn in her tracks.
"Cross the bridge at your own peril. The way is dangerous and the gate will not open, you shall not gain entry." The woman said in a stern voice. Katlyn's brow furrowed slightly but she quickly put her hands on her hips and adopted a cocky stance channeling Brynjolf's charisma as best she could.
"May I enter the college?" she asked with a smile.
"Perhaps but what is it you expected to find within?" The woman gave her an analytical gaze as it trying to size her up.
"Oh" Katlyn said waving a hand nonchalantly, "I just wanted to see what it looked like inside." The woman's face broke into a smile and she laughed surprising Katlyn slightly.
"Ha! Humor if often in short supply here." The Altmer smiled amused then her expression became serious again, "But I sense perhaps you're after more than just that. It seems the college has what you seek, but the question now is what can you offer the college? Not just anyone is allowed inside. Those wishing to enter must show some degree of skill with magic. A small test if you will."
'And now we come to it' Katlyn thought to herself. 'Hmm, I bet Bryn could probably talk her out of the test altogether. What the hell? It's worth a shot.' She fixed the elf with her most seductive smile and leaned in close to her ear.
"What's your name?" she asked coyly.
"Faralda," The mage answered slowly.
"Faralda, I think we both know I'll succeed here." Katlyn smirked, "how about we just forget about the text and move on?" The woman seemed to consider this for a moment then stepped back, nodded, and smiled at Katlyn.
"I think you'll make a superb addition to the college. Welcome apprentice. I'll lead you across the bridge once you're inside you'll want to speak with Mirabelle Ervine our master wizard. Please follow me."
Katlyn could not believe her luck as the Altmer woman turned and headed up the stone bridge. "I cannot believe that worked! If only Brynjolf could have seen it." She smirked as a triumphant feeling swelled in her chest. The first test had been passed, but she knew it would only be harder from here on out. Lost in her thoughts, Katlyn nearly ran into Faralda when the elf paused before a round stone fixture that resembled a well. The mage summoned a ball of light into her hand and sent the energy towards the well. Blue light swirled up from the well and into the sky. Katlyn watched the magical energy with widened eyes then realized the mage woman was leaving her behind and hurried to catch up. She didn't know what kind of magic the wells contained but it was beautiful none the less. The Altmer woman repeated the spell at another well and continued up the bridge towards the college gaits.
Part of the bridge had fallen away and for the first time Katlyn realized just how high up they were. Usually heights didn't bother her but that drop was dizzying. 'What on earth could have caused that?" she wondered looking over the side. The drop was thousands of feet easily and she wondered if anyone had ever fallen from its heights. Her stomach lurched and she tried not to think about it too much as she traversed the narrow part of the bridge and headed towards the gait. A final blast of blue magic opened the gait to the college and without a word the woman turned and left Katlyn alone as she returned to her post as the gatekeeper of the bridge.
Katlyn stepped through the gates into a large circular courtyard of sorts. There was another magical well in the center and just past it was an enormous statue of a mage in billowing robes with its arms outstretched. It was an impressive sight. Briefly Katlyn wondered if it was a statue of the college's leader or some legendary mage she had never heard of. She made a mental note to ask somebody. Along the outside of the courtyard were covered walkways with doors leading to the various towers.
Suddenly realizing she must look pretty silly just standing in the middle of the courtyard gaping she lowered her gaze and began scanning for someone who might could tell her where to find this Mirabelle person. She spotted a Breton woman with dark hair walking away from an Altmere man in Thamor robes with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Excuse me?" Katlyn asked a little timidly. The woman stopped and faced Katlyn her expression softening somewhat.
"welcome to the college. What can I do for you?" the Breton asked
"I'm looking for someone called Mirabelle. I was told to go and see her." Katlyn said as the woman looked her over.
"Another new student. . . I'm surprised at how many of you there are lately. Firstly, I am Mirabelle. And secondly you'll need these." Mirabelle handed Katlyn a bundle of blue mage robes. As Katlyn ran her hands over the soft fabric, she could almost feel the enchantments placed upon the robes. "While you're not required to wear them, you may find them more to your liking than your . . .current clothes." Mirabelle commented with just a hint of disdain. Looking down at the rough spun, travel worn clothing she had stolen, Katlyn felt heat rise in her cheeks. "She wouldn't act so smug if she saw me in my usual gear," Katlyn thought a little bitterly to herself.
"I'll give you a brief tour then I'll get you to your first class." Mirabelle continued, "Are you ready to begin?"
"Sure, I'd like to have a look around," Katlyn said with a nonchalant shrug.
"Wonderful. Please follow me and don't wander off. The College of Winterhold has been a fixture in Skyrim for thousands of years. The prominent feature here is the Hall of the Elements if primary location for our lectures, practice sessions and general meetings." She said gesturing towards a huge set of doors. "The Arcanum is located above the hall and the arch mages' quarters above that. While technically in charge of the College, the Arch-Mage's responsibilities often keep him occupied. Thus, I run the day to day operations." Katlyn nodded without saying anything once again feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the enormity of the college and its scenery.
"Now if you'll please follow me I'll show you the living quarters. Unfortunately, we've had to implement more stringent entry procedures due to some problems with the local Nords." That caught Katlyn's attention. She knew the heart of Ulfric Stormcloak's rebellion seeped from Windhelm which wasn't too far from Winterhold. But she didn't think the unrest had spread this far north.
"From the Stormcloaks you mean? Has the war come this far north?" Katlyn asked her curiously. If she could help it Katlyn really didn't want to get involved in the conflict. She already had the weight of defeating Alduin on her shoulders and supporting the Thieves Guild, she didn't need a war to fight too.
"Oh no, we don't anticipate any real violence but it never hurts to be prepared. Why? What's your interest in the war? I hope you don't plan on bringing it here." Mirabelle asked looking at Katlyn suspiciously giving her the distinct impression she didn't fully trust Nords.
"No interest whatsoever. I may be a Nord but I want no part in Ulfric's rebellion against the Empire. Personally I don't see any reason why all the races can't live peacefully together." Katlyn told her seriously. This seemed to reassure Mirabelle slightly as her expression softened. She nodded and paused as they came to a different set of doors.
"Our newest members are housed here in the Hall of Attainment. I'll ask that you please keep your voice down as others may be working on research or delicate experiments." Katlyn nodded as Mirabelle led her through the doors.
"Now I'll show you to your quarters. You'll be sharing space with your fellow apprentices, who you'll meet shortly." Mirabelle led Katlyn into a large circular tower with individual bedrooms off the center space. Katlyn furrowed her brows as she noted that none of the personal quarters had doors. It reminded her of the Thieves Guild cistern and how everyone shared one sleeping space. 'What is it with guilds in Skyrim and having no privacy?' Katlyn wondered 'At least the inner circle of the Companions got their own bedrooms.'
"The floor above this one houses more students, and the floor above that are the bathing chambers. You can also wash your clothes and linens there as well." Mirabelle gestured to the first room on the right. "This is where you'll be staying. This bed and desk are yours. Please try to be considerate of others." Katlyn walked into the small room and sat her pack and the sack containing her weapons and armor on the floor next to the bed. 'You have to be considerate here, everyone can likely hear and see everything you're doing,' she thought to herself, 'I wonder if they have any problems with theft with everyone in such close quarters like this.'
"I'll give you a moment to unpack and change into your new attire if you wish. Initially you'll be learning from Tolfdir, one our most esteemed wizards. He is likely already addressing the new Apprentices. Once you've changed into your college robes return to the Hall of Elements. Go on in and if you have and problems let one of our senior members know."
"I will. Thank you," Katlyn nodded as Mirabelle retreated from the Hall of Attainment. She checked again to make sure no one else was in the immediate area before changing into the robes. The mage robes felt soft and comfortable but also kept her very warm in the cold stone chamber. 'Well, at least it's better than that other stuff,' she thought stuffing the stolen tunic and pants into the trunk at the foot of her bed. It was a small thing but Katlyn also was especially fond of the face that the robes came with a tan hood. She liked the feeling wearing hoods and partially shielding her face somehow made her feel more comfortable in the unfamiliar clothes. Then she checked once again that there were no other students in the hallway. Satisfied that she was unseen, Katlyn opened the large sack and quickly stuffed her Nighingale armor, her bow and quiver, The Nightingale Blade, and Dawnbreaker all into the wardrobe. Katlyn frowned discovering that the wardrobe did not have a lock and decided she would have to install one herself. Her armor and weapons were something she was not going to take a chance on getting taken. She also didn't want the other mages stumbling upon the weapons and asking her questions about why a Novice mage had such things.
As she was leaving her room to head to the Hall of the Elements as Mirabelle instructed Katlyn caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The fresh-faced, young Nord mage staring back at her was almost a complete stranger. Katlyn tugged the hood a little farther down over her face and a satisfied smirk crossed her lips as she headed off towards what would be her first class.
Authors Note:
A few little things about this chapter, Frost's habit of making noise when Katlyn talks, comes directly from my cat Cleo. I talk to her all the time and whenever I pause between sentences she will always meow. It's super cute.
A nod to the game mechanics: supposedly (I haven't actually tried it) if you have the Amulet of Articulation equipped, you can bypass the admissions test by using persuasion.
As you may have noticed I'm keeping a lot of the in game interactions and dialogue but changing bits here and there as needed. The College of Winterhold is also going to be a bit more fleshed out in the story. I'm adding a few spaces like a dining hall and bathing rooms to both serve a practical purpose and give it a more home-y feel, kinda like Hogwarts.