The tower Serana and Torina stayed in when arriving to the Vale was considerably colder than the hall Gelebor was working in. Built to house the priests and priestesses of Auri-El, the bedrooms appeared to once be sparse but comfortable. It suited Torina just fine. There was enough room and storage for her to settle the few items she kept with her at all times.
Magelights and candles lined the walls on her walk to grab her cloak. In the light she could see the reflection of ice frosting the walls. During the daylight hours the stone was able to warm enough for that water to start dripping but once the sun fell behind the mountains it froze again. It reminded her of the broken state of the chest far below the citadel. She hoped Gelebor's efforts on repairing the building weren't in vain.
Neither Secunda or Masser were risen by the time she climbed the steps to her room. She relied completely on the light from her hands as she called a flame spell to her fingertips. Holding the spell there without truly releasing it kept the feeling in her fingers. Her Dunmer blood rebelled against the cold and ice surrounding her, but she'd lived through - and in - worse, so she bit her lip before complaining again.
A soft pair of gloves, heavier robes, and an outer cloak later, she made her way back to Gelebor's workroom.
"There is water melting and freezing along the walls between this space and the living quarters," she said to announce her presence. "Will that harm the stone?"
Gelebor's face pinched in thought. "Very possible, and I'd rather not risk it. Perhaps I can resolve that conundrum first thing in the morning, once the ice has melted again."
Lifting the hood of her cloak, Torina said, "I'll help how I can."
"Where are you off to?" Gelebor asked.
Torina paused and turned to him on her way back out of the citadel. Her skin still crawled with anxiety and too much energy because of how many health potions she'd had that day. She needed an outlet. But she was loathe to admit that in so many words to Gelebor.
"There's a cave nearby I'd like to search," she said dismissively. It wasn't a lie, exactly. "Serana and I found it on our first visit. There's a chest I wasn't able to open earlier in the fissure, I'd like to try again."
"If I can't dissuade you from leaving the safety of the citadel at night, at least allow me to join you."
Her temper flared but she pushed it away. The last thing she wanted to do was make the coming weeks miserable for either of them with a few unkind words. Instead of biting words she used her hyped up energy to tease him.
"You'd better keep up with me, then."
Gelebor's light eyebrows flew up towards his hairline at her comment. Spotting her challenge and rising to it with pleasure, he grabbed the charcoal colored cloak off his chair, and a small satchel from the table.
"Lead on, Torina."
Darkness in the valley brought an eerie combination of peace and tension to the air. On the one hand, pale moonlight started to rise the longer they were outside and most of the creatures in the Vale were asleep and at rest, trying to stay warm in the steadily dropping temperature. On the other, Torina and Gelebor both knew they had a disadvantage if they encountered any Betrayed. The elves knew this Vale better than them, and their blindness only enhanced their hearing and senses of smell.
The two walked to the chantry on the balcony together. Clouded images of different points in the Vale shimmered behind the magical barriers.
"Which wayshrine?" Gelebor asked.
Torina looked through the barriers and started for one without speaking. A glance above the archway showed learning etched into the rock in the ancient Falmer language.
Gelebor pinched his lips and followed. This would be the first trip he made into the Vale proper, but he wouldn't advise Torina of that fact. He feared she would make too much ceremony out of it. His nerves at how badly damaged the rest of the Vale would be were troublesome enough. All his time since the death of his brother had been spent between his old hiding place in Darkfall and repairing the citadel.
A wash of damp cold air caressed them the moment they stepped through. The air was buffeted around by the waterfalls in this part of the Vale. With the higher walls around them, the sharp wind they felt on the balcony was mostly blocked, though the temperature still was enough to freeze the inside of their noses almost immediately.
The ghostly form of Prelate Celegriath greeted them warmly before returning to watching the path for new initiates that weren't coming. The sight forced Gelebor to swallow thickly.
Torina noticed her companion's discomfort no matter how he tried to hide it. She could guess the reason.
"You should have told me," she whispered. Her voice wasn't accusatory, but the words were sharp. An emotionally compromised Gelebor could be a liability. "Do you need to return to the citadel?"
Gelebor took his eyes from the undead form of his friend and regarded her with a steady look. "I'm with you until you return."
Meeting his gaze, Torina stuck her fists to her hips and looked up at his face, partially covered by his cloak. Her hair fluttered into her face beneath her own hood and she brushed it away with a gloved hand. The two of them blended well into the shadowy snow and trees of this part of the Vale. Gelebor's dark colored cloak covered his pale skin and her stormy blue one matched the color of the icy river nearby. The ghost of the Prelate glanced at them curiously as they lingered near his wayshrine, but otherwise the only movement was the hem of their cloaks in the slight wind.
"Stubborn elf," she said under her breath.
"Likewise," Gelebor quipped back, following her lead and moving slowly along the path from the wayshrine.
For over an hour the two traveled in silence. Not a hint of sunlight remained in the sky above, all the pinks and oranges replaced by the brilliant blanket of stars in the sky.
She paused as they neared a crack in the stone and ice that was too small to truly be called a cave. The fissure was hidden behind a copse of evergreen trees. Silently she pointed to the new direction. With a glance over her shoulder she saw Gelebor several paces behind her, and while he spent most of his time peering in wonder around him, he saw her motion and followed.
Once inside, she lowered her hood. She shook her head a little to dislodge the bits of ice forming on the ends of her hair. Gelebor was close behind but kept his hood raised. One of his hands lifted to his mouth to place a single finger over it.
Torina was instantly crouched and on alert at his signal. She wanted to ask what was going on but kept her mouth sealed.
Since they sat several steps inside of a fissure, the ambient sounds of water and wind were muffled just enough she could make out other noises. Her muscles buzzed with tension and eyes widened in surprise. Several sets of footsteps crunched in the snow outside of the fissure.
Gelebor, crouched like her, moved towards the wall and reached over to pull her with him. As close as he was, he leaned even closer to whisper in her ear.
"Betrayed. I think they tracked us from the river."
She shivered from his warm breath on her cold ear and from what he said. Keeping his hood up was a smart move since the paleness of his skin and hair would be harder to blend into the dark of their hiding place than his cloak. He faced her instead of out.
"I'd rather not engage them," Torina muttered, her red eyes straining to see out through the tree branches to spot even a glimpse of their pursuers. "And I doubt they tracked us - there are patrols all through this valley, we were just unlucky enough to cross their path."
Gelebor didn't reply right away. He kept still next to her in the cramped space and hid his face as best he could. A look crossed his face, smoothing some of the worry away, and he settled down against the icy wall as slowly and carefully as he could.
He rested his head back against the wall. "Then we shall wait until they pass."
Using her light grip on his arm, he pulled her down closer next to him, that way his larger body could block hers. She resisted a bit and stayed up on one knee facing out. So, the pair settled in to wait until they could no longer hear the Betrayed outside, however long that may take.