4E 201, 13 Evening Star
Breaking camp shortly after sunrise, the two travellers headed north, skirting around the foothills of the Throat of the World before heading west. Shortly after passing the hillock that Lydia said was topped by the Ritual Stone, Ako couldn't help but stop and grimace. His face twisted in distaste; he sniffed a few times to confirm the foul smell drifting along the gentle northeaster.
His housecarl stopped next to him, hand on her sword but not drawing it yet. "My Thane?"
He pointed in the direction of the smell. "I smell a troll lair. The wind is fairly consistent, and we're uphill from it, so it could be quite far away from the road. But the smell is strong, so I don't know." Turning to her, he asked, "Do you know of likely lairing spots in that direction?"
Lydia frowned as she answered. "That is probably Greywinter Watch, my Thane. It's a cave that is often infested with trolls, about an hour's walk from here. The Whiterun Guard or the Companions clear it out every few months, but the last clear happened only six weeks ago. That's much quicker than usual for trolls to move back in."
"Hmm… that's a bit far for us to take a detour. We need to make it to Whiterun tonight, and it is still far to go." Ako started walking again, Lydia following dutifully. "We'll leave a message for the Guard or the Companions, presumably there is something like a common notice board or the like in Whiterun?"
The Nord nodded. "Yes, my Thane, we often get merchants informing us of similar incidents."
"Excellent. Please write a suitable note and leave it on the board when we get to Whiterun then. We will probably have to sneak across the wall, and you'll have to be disguised when you post it. I don't want anyone except the Jarl and Irileth to know that I, the Arch-Mage, am or was in Whiterun at the moment."
Lydia looked scandalised when he suggested they should sneak over the wall, much as he expected. She was placated by his explanation, though some confusion was clear.
Ako couldn't help a grin. "Politics. From the Aldmeric words poly-, meaning many, and ticks, meaning bloodsucking insects. A greater evil there is not in Aetherius or Oblivion." He was pleased to see his housecarl smile at his poor joke.
"But seriously, we want to avoid spies as much as possible. There will come a point where I will be publicly known as the Dragonborn, but the longer I can put that off, the longer it will take before I get assassins after me for that reason. Some will still target me as Arch-Mage opposed to Thalmor interests, but that's been that way for a decade at least."
This time his housecarl clearly understood, even though he could see her twitch with the instinct to avoid subterfuge. Nords were the best if you had to deal with their leaders. How he wished the other races were as easy to deal with in regard to politics and espionage… If only everyone had the political sensibilities (or lack thereof) of the Nords and the magical culture of the elves. That would make his job as Arch-Mage an absolute dream, able to focus on teaching and research alone.
Alas, it wasn't, and he wasn't capable of changing it. An arrogant voice from a small part of his consciousness whispered "Yet", but he shoved it down. Even if he could somehow manage it, it was immoral, sufficiently so that he would not do it even if he could. Pragmatic though he was, he still had some lines that he was unwilling to cross.
One of those lines was regarding free will and self-determination. He was quite happy to use mind magics when it was necessary, but not when his life wasn't on the line. Ako found it annoying that he (probably) inflicted a geas on Irileth and the other survivors.
Having spent most of the trip from High Hrothgar thinking on the topic, he had to admit that the annoyance stemmed more from the unintentional, out of control nature of this geas than the geas itself. If he could inflict it deliberately, he would have left it in place until his identity became public knowledge.
It remained extremely tempting to leave it in place, and the Khajiit seriously considered heading straight to Winterhold. In the end, however, he swore to release it as soon as possible. He knew he was powerful – had been for many years, and this latest development only added to his power.
If he were to forsake his oaths, where would it end? How long would he last before falling into a nihilistic malaise, doing as he pleased with no regard to others? Better not chance it – he would keep his word, as he had tried to do ever since he became Arch-Mage.
He'd been thinking about possible solutions as they travelled and meditating where he could, and he was fairly confident that he had a workable option. While it was wholly untested, it could work, meaning that he had to stop in Whiterun to keep his promise.
The morning passed by without any incidents and they crossed the White River an hour after noon. They were likely to reach Whiterun shortly after sunset, just as dusk gave way to night. The many fields surrounding the city were deserted despite decent weather. Scattered clouds broke up the sun's path as it headed westward while the gentle wind had a few icy teeth to it, a pleasant winter's day.
The desolation continued until they drew near the city stables and gate, where there were a few traders still. They would probably spend the worst of the winter near the city rather than daring to travel elsewhere. It did mean that he and Lydia would have to sneak over the wall as he expected, since there were just too many people to slip by undetected.
He approached the wall as the last orange glows disappeared from the clouds, the last remnants of the sun gone and an icy cold starting to seep into his bones. While there were some guards patrolling the wall, they were few and far between. No surprise given how quickly it got cold when night fell.
After confirming with Lydia that this was the closest point of the wall to Breezehome, Ako set his pack and staff down and scrambled up the wall. He turned around and bent down to grab the luggage that Lydia was passing up, taking care to be silent. Once the bags and weapons were on the wall, he helped Lydia to climb up as well.
Quickly and quietly, they headed deeper into the city, heading for Breezehome standing silent and dark. Ako mused on the different philosophies in defending a city while they walked. Whiterun's walls were old, thick, and not very tall. This, in addition to being somewhat dilapidated, made it easy for a small group to climb up and over, but only because there were no defenders on top to kick them down. Larger groups would likely have more trouble.
Windhelm, in comparison, also had old and thick walls, but much taller. It also had the additional benefit of being surrounded by water on two sides and mountains on the other, an excellent defensive position. He would have to use a lot of magicka to sneak into Windhelm undetected, and it would be much easier to just go through the front gate rather than over.
He was shaken from his musings as they arrived at Breezehome. He was pleasantly surprised that they had not encountered anyone on the streets, and quickly entered to make sure it remained that way.
"Well, back in Whiterun," he spoke softly. Looking over to Lydia, he asked, "Where's the bed? I've not been in this house before."
His housecarl looked momentarily surprised before she showed the master bedroom to him, dropping off her pack on what he presumed to be her room as they went past. Seeing his bed made him yawn widely. While he was perfectly capable of living in a tent and sleeping roll for months on end, it was just nice to have a warm bed every now and then.
He turned back to Lydia. "Thank you, Lydia, I appreciate it. Have a good night, we'll talk in the morning to sort out the day's plans."
Receiving a "Good night, my Thane," in return, he closed the door and dropped his bag in the chest at the foot of the bed. Snuggling under the spreads, he fell asleep almost immediately.
4E 201, 14 Evening Star
Ako got up after a long night's rest and a lazy morning. He found Lydia sitting near one of the small windows of the house, taking advantage of the pale sun it let through.
"Morning Lydia," he greeted, receiving a good morning in return. They made small talk while Ako dug out the last of their travel rations for breakfast. Once they started eating and had some food, the Khajiit spoke again.
"Right, we have a number of tasks to complete today before we hopefully leave for Winterhold tomorrow. I have to talk to the Jarl, and unfortunately don't know how long that'll take, so you'll have to take care of the others," he said apologetically.
Lydia interrupted. "Of course, my Thane."
Ako couldn't help a wry grin. "Heh. Well, firstly, please post a notice about the trolls at Greywinter Watch. Secondly, please restock our travel rations – we've just used the last of it. Make sure to get around a week's worth of food – we should reach Winterhold in five days, but any extra will be handy. Lastly, do you have a proper, thick winter cloak?"
Lydia shook her head.
"Well, please get one then – even if you're a Nord, you'll need one for a winter in the Pale or in Winterhold. Let me get you some money – five hundred septims should be enough for the food and a good cloak."
The housecarl made to protest. "But! My Thane, I can't accept-"
Ako didn't bother to look up from where he was counting out coins as he talked over her objections. "You can and will accept that much money. After all, it is my responsibility and duty to make sure you are geared with the necessary equipment to serve me, yes?" He smiled as he heard her subside, unable to argue against his logic.
There were certainly angles she could attack to undermine his argument, such as classifying a cloak as personal wear rather than equipment. But Lydia didn't have the mind for such technicalities, it just wasn't in her nature. That could change in future, or it could stay the same. It remained to be seen exactly what skills his housecarl would need.
As he counted out a tenth stack of fifty septims, he looked up at Lydia with a fond smile. He collected all five hundred coins together in a small bag and handed it over to her. "Also, I'm rich. I make very good money as Arch-Mage and a Master Enchanter. So don't worry about the money – get yourself a high-quality cloak, bear fur or something similar."
Lydia accepted the money with a resigned yet stubborn expression on her face.
"One more thing. To stay anonymous, I want to cast a glamour on you when we leave. This is just a small illusion to make you look like someone else while you do the shopping and trip to the notice board. It should last until well after lunch, so as long as you're back by then, no one should notice. I can't say when I'll be back, it depends on the Jarl's availability, so get lunch and dinner for us as well."
The Khajiit headed back to the master bedroom to get his boots and cloak, making sure to grab the two notebooks that had relevant notes and comments about the geas and how to potentially free someone from it. Heading back downstairs, he found Lydia also ready to leave.
He cast the glamour on her, bleaching her dark brown hair to a dirty blonde and having her apparent age move up by a few years. Her teal eyes were fairly distinctive, but he could do nothing about that. He also tagged a small spell to discourage attention on her.
"Can you feel the magic sitting on you?" he asked her.
She looked surprised before concentrating. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and nodded. "Yes, my Thane. It feels kind of like your magicka, but twisted and wispy, like mist."
"Excellent!" That was great news, he did not expect her to pick it up this quickly. "It's easier for you to sense because it is on you directly, but others can sense it as well. The twist is because the magicka now has a purpose, it isn't just raw flavoured magicka any longer. Different types of spells feel differently, so you now know how a general illusion feels.
"If you move your own magicka out, you can 'wash' away mine, thereby disrupting the spell. It might take a lot of magicka, because I am strong and skilled, but it is doable. This also means that any half decent magic user will be able to sense it and know you're doing something to conceal yourself. But it should be more than sufficient to fool the general population of Whiterun."
Lydia nodded in understanding. "Thank you, my Thane." She appeared deep in thought as she left the house. Ako cast the same attention-diverting spell on himself before he left as well, heading towards the Cloud District with a single notebook tucked under his arm.
Ako snuck into Dragonsreach following a group of guards through the main door, trusting in his attention-diverting spell to keep him unbothered. The city was largely empty, but anyone who did go out was bundled up in thick cloaks and hoods, including Ako. Inside, a large fire was roaring in the centre of the hall, though the Khajiit didn't see anyone other than the servants and guards at the moment.
Making sure to look as if he belonged, he made his way to Farengar's study. As hoped, the court mage was awake and alone, sitting off to the left of the room at one of the long tables. A number of books were scattered about him while the Nord was writing on a roll of paper. As the Arch-Mage approached, he was somewhat surprised to see Farengar looking at Dovahzul writing, apparently attempting to translate a manuscript. Looking at the translation for a few more moments, Ako spoke.
"It isn't 'fair Nord king castle', it's 'Nord King's castle'."
Farengar started, having not heard the Khajiit approach. "Don't do tha - Arch-Mage?" The attempted rebuke fell flat once he realised who had spoken, and Ako couldn't help a cheeky grin.
"That is me, yes, and as I was saying, this translation is wrong." He underlined the sentence in question with a finger.
"Ahrolsedovah. Bronjunro gevild, voth pogaas lom ahrk vasaar. Hofkiin do Jorrvaskr, mindokin mund do Zeymahzin. The Hill of the Dragon, the Jarl's holding, with plentiful water and pastures. Home of Jorrvaskr, the renowned hall of the Companions. Dovahzul tends to use context for semantic connotations, much more so than the Aldmeri languages, and you can see some of that in modern Nordic." Even though he whispered the Dovahzul sections, the quills and other assorted items spread across the table rattled and shook.
Farengar digested this information for a few moments before making a note and speaking up. "So ro indicates possessive, then? I thought it meant balance?"
"On its own, 'ro' does usually mean balance, with context determining the conjugation that you need to apply when translating from Dovahzul. When used as a suffix, it indicates possession, unless the word ends on 'r', in which case the possessive suffix is '-dro'. So 'Bronjun' – directly translated as 'Nord king', but semantically it would be 'Jarl' – becomes 'Bronjunro' to say 'Jarl's'." Ako knew he had a tendency to lecture, but when he talked about a topic that both interested him and he considered himself knowledgeable in, it was nearly impossible to resist.
"Dovahzul doesn't have the tense forms that the Aldmeri languages do, probably because dragons don't experience time anywhere near like mortals do, so you don't have to be on the lookout for those. But it does have forms for compound words, and we actually have three, no four examples in this sentence.
"First, compound words can be two concepts joined together, same as in Aldmeri. For example, Zeymahzin, which is zeymah – brother, and zin – honour. So that reads as brother-in-honour, or translated as companion. If it was written zinzeymah, then it would read as honoured or honourable brother.
"We then have three examples showcasing different forms of 'of' as a conjunction. First, a compound word with the infix '-se-', Ahrolsedovah. Literally, 'Hill of Dragon', but more properly translated as 'The Hill of the Dragon'. Articles are discarded in compound words and are rarely used anywhere else. Then there are possessives as covered before.
"The third example might be more common than the others, but it is definitely more confusing as well to translate given the many, many meanings that 'do' has. 'Hofkiin do Jorrvaskr', home of Jorrvaskr, is straightforward in this case. But 'do' can also mean 'from', 'about', 'consisting of', and a few more. This also makes clear that it wasn't a dragon who wrote this, since they would never deign to write a foreign word, Jorrvaskr, in Dovahzul script."
The Arch-Mage concluded his impromptu lecture and was pleased to see Farengar writing rapidly in a notebook. He looked at the rest of the translations the court mage had done. "Well, it looks reasonably good otherwise. Say, what did you use as sources for your translations?" the Khajiit asked.
"The only relevant books I could find were these two." Farengar grabbed two books from the pile next to him and handed them over. "The rest is educated guesses and using cognates from Nordic."
Checking the titles, Ako found they were books he knew from his own perusal of Shalidor's Library. "Huh. If this is all you had to go on, then I am very impressed. Very good work." Ako smirked as the Nord unconsciously sat up straighter at the praise, almost preening.
"If you want, I can make you a short wordlist from my own studies into the language? Well, if I have time, that is. I need to talk to the Jarl and Irileth today, the sooner the better. If I have to wait or there is time afterwards, I'll write some of the more common words and their translations down."
"Thank you, Arch-Mage, that would be appreciated."
"Great. Anyway, as I mentioned, I need to talk to the Jarl and Irileth, and I'm trying to keep my presence in Whiterun quiet. Could you please serve as an intermediary to arrange a personal meeting? I don't care where it is held, but the fewer people know I'm here, the better."
The court mage nodded. "Certainly. The Jarl should be free for most of the day, it is Sundas after all."
"Thank you Farengar, much appreciated."
The Nord soon left the room in search of the Jarl and his housecarl. Ako found a chair and started writing a short wordlist for Dovahzul. He also made a note for himself to send another college mage to Whiterun, a senior apprentice most likely. Both to put the final touches on the apprentice's research abilities, but also as another capable caster should it be needed.
He mused on the possibilities as he wrote. 'Maybe J'zargo? His personality isn't really suited… but Brelyna is well versed in research already. Something to keep in mind when I'm back in Winterhold.'
Farengar came back and informed the Khajiit that the Jarl would meet him directly after lunch, in an hour or so. That would be just enough time to complete the short dictionary he'd been working on. It also left enough time should things with Irileth take longer than expected. He didn't think it would take all that long, but it was good to have the buffer.
Shortly after lunch concluded, Irileth entered the study and beckoned Ako to follow with a scowl. It seemed that she didn't like him any more than she did when they last met, only… nineteen days before. The Arch-Mage once again found himself surprised at just how much had happened in the last three weeks.
Shaking off his musings, he followed the housecarl deeper into the castle. Maybe her disposition would improve if he managed to free her from the geas? Though he had to admit it seemed unlikely, no matter how successful he might be, the scowl certainly gave the impression of a permanent feature, a Dwemer automaton set in perpetual frown.
Irileth showed him into a well-appointed study where the Jarl was waiting, and she closed the door behind her once they were all in the room.
Ako inclined his head slightly in deference as he greeted the Jarl. "Jarl Balgruuf, thank you for seeing me on such short notice. Would you consent to me sealing the room? What I have to say covers very sensitive topics."
The leader nodded magnanimously. "Go ahead, but Irileth stays."
"Of course, she is central to most of the talk."
While the Arch-Mage was casting the sealing spells – one to prevent sounds from leaving the room, one to blind any peepers, and one to forbid scrying the room's interior – Irileth followed him like a hawk, clearly distrustful of the Khajiit.
As he finished casting, the Jarl spoke. "Please, have a seat. I must admit, I am curious what brings you here so soon, I thought you would still be at High Hrothgar. Did they not teach you?"
Ako chuckled lightly as he answered. "Oh, they did teach me, but I progressed faster than any of us expected, and now they have little left to teach that I can't learn on my own. And that learning can be done just as well at High Hrothgar as anywhere else. Since I have numerous responsibilities to the College waiting for me in Winterhold, we agreed it was best for me to leave and return some time in the spring."
"Ah, of course. Forgive me, but no tale ever tells of the paperwork the prophesied hero must take care of."
The Khajiit couldn't help the laughter rumbling up from his belly at the Jarl's dry comment. "No offence taken. Indeed, the tales focus on the more glamorous aspects of the hero's life. Getting back to the topic at hand, it has been nearly three weeks since the battle at the Western Watchtower. Have there been any more sightings or incidents of dragons that you know of?"
"No, nothing that I'm aware of." The Jarl looked over at his housecarl standing near the door. "Irileth?"
"No my lord, there have been no reports of such."
Ako hummed lightly. "Hmm, that is… well, unhelpful, but also good for Whiterun. Something to keep in mind once I can get information from other holds about their dragon incidents."
He took a deep breath and sighed explosively before he went on. "Now, on to the real reason I'm in Whiterun rather than going straight to Winterhold. It has also been nineteen days since the geas on Irileth was discovered and presumably placed. I have found a way that might be able to free her from it. It is untested, but I think it will work if you are willing to try it."
The Jarl leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtfully at Ako. "I see. Why do you say the geas was presumably placed on that day? How could it have been any other day?"
"Oh, I'm almost completely certain that it was placed that day and that I was somehow responsible for it, it makes more sense than any other option. But I have been completely unable to replicate it or figure out how it could have been placed, so I can't say with complete certainty that I was responsible for it. Though to be honest, that is so unlikely as to be semantics rather than an actual difference."
Jarl Balgruuf slowly nodded.
The Khajiit went on. "With your permission," he looked at both the Jarl and Irileth, "I would like to do a few quick tests to see if things have changed at all since it was last in action before I attempt to free her. If my method fails, then this additional information will be of great value in finding a cure that actually works."
The Dunmer scowled deeper and stomped closer. With resigned anger, she muttered, "Fine! Let's get this over with."
"Irileth?" The Jarl looked over at his housecarl and they seemed to have a silent conversation before Balgruuf nodded and stepped back. "Very well. What tests do you need to do, Arch-Mage?"
"Nothing invasive or damaging, I just want to get more detail on how the curse works if possible. So I just want to ask a few questions, and then I'll attempt to free her – any extra information will help. First off, do you know what we're talking about when we talk about the geas you are under?"
Irileth looked mulish, but answered. "No, but Jarl Balgruuf says it is there, I trust he won't lie to me."
"Huh." Ako was genuinely surprised by the answer and made a few notes in his notebook, that was very useful to know – a geas that hid itself that completely from the victim was all but unknown. "Second question, and please pay careful attention if you can. The more you can tell me the easier it'll be to remove it." He waited for the Dunmer to nod before continuing. "Who is the dragonborn?"
The Arch-Mage carefully watched and sighed resignedly when he saw her eyes glaze slightly, just as it did when the geas first manifested. Even her response was nearly identical to what it was then. "A big Nord that left the battle with the Arch-Mage is the Dragonborn."
Making a quick note, Ako hummed slightly. "Okay, thank you. Did you notice anything unusual when you answered the question?"
Irileth looked confused before her expression shifted into irritation. "No? Why would there be anything unusual? You asked a question and I answered it."
Ako replied with an "Of course," and busied himself in his notebook for a few moments, curious to see that she recovered much quicker when asked another question than when she was just left to recover on her own.
Finished with his notes, he spoke to Irileth again. "One last question, if you would." The Khajiit looked over at the Jarl and asked, "Jarl Balgruuf, to see if the interrogator makes a difference, could you please ask Irileth the second question again? It will be very useful to know."
The Nord nodded and turned to his housecarl. "Irileth, who is the Dragonborn?" As Ako expected, the Dunmer's eyes glazed over and the rote answer was supplied. "A big Nord that left the battle with the Arch-Mage is the Dragonborn."
"Right, that is all I need to know. I could do a lot more tests, but they would take a few days at least and are unlikely to provide any additional information." Making a final note, the Arch-Mage tried to convey his earnestness as best he could.
"If you are both willing, I will try to remove the geas from you, Irileth. Be warned that it is entirely untested and as such might only partially succeed, fail completely, or have unexpected side effects. With that said, do you want me to try and break the geas?"
Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth locked gazes once more before the Dunmer nodded resolutely and stepped forward.
Ako bowed his head respectfully. "Very well. I will do my best." He closed his eyes and concentrated deeply, thinking on the words as he Spoke to reality.
He preached Stin – the wind under his wings, not a care in the world but those he alone chose. Going hin and yonder dictated solely by his whims, unfettered by the expectations or demands of others, pursuing anything that caught his fancy, abandoning it in a single breath when his interest waned. He taught Hah to be free, free to chart its own course on the sea of life, free from others' Words even if heard unknowingly, the very act of existing being freedom. Free to serve, free to lead, free to coast, free to strive, free to slack, free to improve, free to decide.
Ako stumbled back, panting heavily. He opened his eyes and looked up to see Irileth staggering into a chair. He fought to scrape together enough air to speak. "So… Irileth… who is… the Dragonborn?" He took deep breaths to get his panting under control, eagerly awaiting her answer.
The housecarl raised her head and looked at him, plainly disoriented. She answered regardless. "You are, of course. Why…?" She trailed off into muttering, but the Khajiit could clearly hear her nonetheless. "Why would I say it was a big Nord? That is obviously untrue…"
Not bothering to restrain the triumphant grin on his face or in his voice, he turned to the Jarl. "Jarl Balgruuf, if you would…" Ako blinked owlishly as he trailed off into silence at the sight of a pale and sweating Jarl, gripping the sides of his chair hard enough to make it creak while staring intensely at the Arch-Mage.
The Nord slowly relaxed and shuddered as he unclenched his hands. Taking a deep breath, he sat up and looked at Irileth. "Irileth," he began in a hoarse voice, coughing to clear it. Continuing more normally, he tried again. "Irileth, who is the Dragonborn?"
The Dunmer was clearly confused by the question. "My Jarl…? As I just said, the Arch-Mage is the Dragonborn."
Jarl Balgruuf sagged in relief. "Thank the Nine that was worth it," he muttered.
Ako was less restrained and let out a humming "Pruzah!" He noticed the Jarl flinch and reined in his exuberance. Letting the golden light of healing magic fill his hands, he asked the Jarl, "If I may, Jarl Balgruuf, do you require medical assistance? What happened to you?"
The Jarl scoffed, though there wasn't any real venom in his reply. "You didn't even realise, did you… No, though I will need a strong drink once we're done here. When you started… whatever this was, the air grew heavy and it felt like the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for you. And when you took ever longer, the air grew heavier, pinning me in my chair, trapped by your power. A whispered thunderclap signalled the end of this, finally releasing me. I have never felt the like and hope to the gods I never will again."
The Arch-Mage knew his jaw was hanging open in astonishment, but couldn't bring himself to care while he made hurried notes in his notebook. "How… utterly fascinating…" Closing the notebook, he looked at the Jarl. "I would apologise, but I have no idea what happened… maybe that is a result of exposing a mortal to the Thu'um? Something to test for me. Moving on, I believe I successfully and wholly freed Irileth from the geas."
He looked over at the housecarl. "I would appreciate it if you could keep record of any oddities or side-effects you might encounter as a result of this endeavour. If all goes well, I will return in the spring to free the guards that were with you that day, give potential effects a chance to manifest, unlikely though it may be."
The Jarl nodded slowly. "Sensible. If that is all…?" He waited for the Khajiit to nod before continuing. "Then I will ask you to excuse me, I need to go find that drink…"
Ako chuckled lightly at the Jarl's words, and more so at Irileth who jumped up immediately only to stagger, still not recovered from the effects of the geas being removed. He cast a Courage spell at her, which steadied her steps and helped her clear some of the confusion.
"Thank you, Jarl Balgruuf, for your forbearance in this matter and allowing me a chance at remediation. You know where to contact me should you feel the need to, and I will pass on relevant information I come across. Should things go to plan, I will see you again in First Seed or thereabouts."
The Khajiit collected his notebooks and tore down the magical sealing on the room. Hopefully that would've been enough to prevent anyone outside from knowing what happened inside the room, but he would have to test if the sealing spells he knew did anything about the Thu'um. Yet another experiment to keep him busy once he was back in Winterhold and probably not enough time, though he relished the process of gathering knowledge.
Giving Irileth and the Jarl a respectful nod each before recasting his attention diverting spell, he left the room and made his way out of Dragonsreach. The sun was dipping low in the southwest, meaning there was probably another hour and a half before sunset.
With nothing else to do, he made his way back to Breezehome, mind carefully going over everything that happened in the keep and analysing the new information he had.
Lydia had finished her errands by the time Ako arrived back at Breezehome, and he hummed appreciatively as he looked over the food she had bought. The apples and pears were fresher than he would've expected this deep in winter, especially since Whiterun did not have any magical greenhouses or similar like the College had.
Satisfied that they had all they needed for the journey to Winterhold, he refilled his pack and set it by the door, ready for an early departure. He turned to Lydia who was sitting at the rather rickety table near the firepit.
"Thank you for getting the supplies, it should be more than enough for our trip. We'll be leaving early tomorrow, I want to be over the wall before dawn."
The Khajiit chuckled lightly at the dissatisfied look on his housecarl.
"Needs must, unfortunately. I shall see you in the morning – I will be meditating for a bit and then an early night for tomorrow's early start. If you're bored, don't forget to practice moving your magicka around your body. The better you get with that, the sooner we can start you on the combat applications of P.H.E.W., which I assure you is worth the tedious effort. Good night."
AN: Many thanks to AshesToDusts for providing his beta services despite being in the middle of fairly important exams. Hopefully everyone's New Year resolutions are still intact and the year has started off well.
Had a spat of some illness that sapped energy, along with 8 to 10 hours a day without power (yay!). We've upgraded to 'only' 6 hours a day without power, but yes, that is fairly debilitating to productivity, and I still need to complete my work between it all, cook food, wash clothes... luckily it is summer, so sun stays up fairly late. Also used to power outages, so can cope with living in the dark/cooking on an open fire for some time if needed.
But on to the important part of this author's note, talk about the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, feel free to post questions in reviews or pop over to SV for longer discussions with others on it as well. This chapter gives some further insight to Ako's approach to dealing with politics (ignore it when you can, stack the deck and milk it for all it's worth otherwise), and one of the bits of the story I'm most proud of, some insight into the Thu'um and what Ako's mindset is regarding Shouts.
This particular Shout of Ako's own creation is fairly esoteric, with the first two words being Stin - Free/Freedom, and Hah - Mind/Thought. As shown here, it frees a target from mind control. What exactly that means, he's not entirely certain. There's certainly a plothook there, though I'm not sure if I'll flick up a loop to catch said hook. It is the plan, but I have very little control of this story. xD Ako also doesn't know the third word, or how that might actually be used. I don't know either, so if anyone has suggestions, feel free to let me know. :D
Chapter 14 has been proofread and edited, will post it probably at the weekend or early next week when power allows. Arc 2 still requires a lot of work before I'm willing to post its first part, and given the issues discussed above, I'm not sure how long that will take. But hopefully things will calm down soonish and I'll have more time for this.