Author's Note

Only twenty chapters left to go until the end of the second book! I am so excited to share them all with you, starting with what's coming in the next few chapters I can't wait to post ;) I hope you're all looking forward to it all too, and that you'll stick around for the third book.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy :)

Chapter CXXX – The Price of Knowledge

The rest of the evening at the cornerclub proved to be unexpectedly tame.

Or maybe that was only because Bishop and Aeyrin weren't drinking that time. Most of the Dunmer were certainly enjoying themselves, but the two of them left somewhat early to get a good rest at the Candlehearth.

The dawn came all too soon and they left the comforts of the inn to head straight to Winterhold right away. There was no more reason for them to dawdle in Windhelm.

Their plan was clear. They would arrive in Winterhold by the afternoon and spend another night at the inn – it was better that way – getting stuck on the ice fields in the north as the sun came down wasn't exactly pleasant, not even for Bishop who was almost impervious to cold. And that was saying something. The best time to head out for the hermit's cave was around noon, which they would do the next day.

Their journey got a little delayed by a very aggressive snow bear that gave them some unexpected trouble. Handling animals and bandits on their usual travels took significantly more time now when Bishop couldn't dispose of the dangers from afar, but they had to make do. One thing was for certain though. They would not go Scroll hunting into Blackreach until Bishop was fully healed – there was no way they were risking that. They knew all too well how dangerous Dwemer cities were and they didn't even want to imagine how much worse the crossroads between all of them, even deeper beneath the earth, would be.

They arrived in Winterhold a few hours before dusk and they headed straight for the inn. This would likely be their first visit there without stopping by the College, but there was really no reason for them to go there. And after everything that happened, they didn't really feel like sticking around to see the long-term aftermath. Hopefully the mages had learnt their lesson and the College was recovering safely now.

The Frozen Hearth was nice and warm, as usual. It had always been a welcome sanctuary from the cold outside, especially in winter. It was bustling with people that night and there was a general atmosphere of merriment. A lot of people seemed to be giggling and whispering about something covertly by their tables – it was almost like those gossiping nobles in Solitude. But the two of them hardly needed to, or wanted to, be concerned about that.

They took some much needed time to thaw out in the bath. Well, Aeyrin was thawing out, Bishop was just enjoying his time in the warm bath there with her. Then they headed back to the common room to get some dinner and warm themselves up a bit more with a tankard of mead.

But their pleasant evening was soon interrupted by a visitor. The second the door to the inn opened and Enthir walked in, he headed towards their table with a grin on his face.

"Hi there," he smirked. "Good to see you again."

"Hey, Enthir," Aeyrin smiled politely at him while Bishop only nodded in greeting. They hadn't seen him since Karliah died. Hopefully this wouldn't turn unpleasant. They could only hope that someone had already informed him and that he wouldn't be asking them about why she went silent.

"How are things at the College?" Aeyrin quickly asked to bring the conversation to a neutral topic right away.

"Fine, I guess," he shrugged. "Arch-Mage Faralda is whipping everyone into shape. Wants to make sure we don't dawdle with advancing our research. So many publication demands," he groaned in exasperation. "But I don't wanna talk about that shit here. I come here to unwind and do business."

They both nodded at him. Understandable. They just hoped that 'advancing research' didn't mean 'looking for more dangerous artifacts'. It did beg the question of why he stopped by to say hello though. Did he have some interesting trinkets to offer them? Or was this still going to be about Karliah?

"Anyway, I'm glad to see you two here together again," he smirked once more.

What did that mean? He saw them together last time. They had been apart before – when Bishop collaborated with him on the book heist, but that was ages ago and they'd been here since.

"What are you talking about?" Bishop raised his brow at the man. He sounded as if he was referring to something, but Bishop had no idea what.

"Uhm…" Enthir gave a pondering look to Aeyrin for what felt like a while, but she only stared back in confusion. Why was he looking at her like that? "Nothing. Nothing. I guess I… misremembered something. Been so scattered with all that research shit," he chuckled a little nervously and threw an apologetic look at Aeyrin again. What did that mean?

She just shrugged at him. She still didn't get what he was blabbering about.

"Well… in any case… you might be interested in the fact that I didn't get beaten up lately," he snickered again.

What?

"Uhm… good for you?" Bishop gave him another baffled stare. Was that something to brag about? Did he get beat up a lot or something?

"Y-yeah. Good for me," he nodded. He looked just as caught off guard as they felt for some reason. "Anyway… uhm… I'm gonna… go get a table and wait for customers, I guess."

"Have fun," Aeyrin gave him a slight smile. He was acting so strangely. But he didn't prolong the confusing exchange any longer and turned on his heel, heading towards the bar.

"That was weird," Bishop scowled. "What's up with him?"

"I have no idea," Aeyrin only shrugged in response. She couldn't understand what he was talking about either, but hopefully it didn't matter. She was much more interested in going back to their food.

This was their night to unwind as well after all before the clandestine meeting in the ice fields.

…

Aeyrin kind of wished that she had left this all up to Bishop alone.

He was the only one who had crossed the ice fields before to find that hermit. He said he remembered where that cave was, he said that he had been looking for it for hours before but now it would be much faster. That was comforting before, but now, she couldn't even imagine this taking longer. This being even worse.

She was freezing. It wasn't really surprising that she was freezing, but this was something else. They didn't wear their armors, because that would have been just insane. If she would fall into the icy water, she would never be able to get out with all that metal on her. And it wasn't just the armors. They left their packs back at the inn as well. It was the same predicament, really. That, however, meant that they had to be extra careful on the way with only their knives for weapons. And it also meant that Aeyrin had left behind most of the things that tended to keep her warm.

The ice fields were a nightmare.

It wasn't so hard to balance themselves on them and progress further, but the fear of falling into the water was a big hindrance. At least their boots were well suited for crossing ice, but it was still precarious.

They took their time, despite the freezing wind slashing against them all the time. It was definitely the better alternative to feeling it soaking wet should either of them fall. But after an excruciating hour, they finally reached a cave.

"T-t-this is it? P-p-please t-t-tell me t-t-this is it," Aeyrin's teeth chattered in the freezing cold when they stopped by a crevice in an iceberg. She kept running her hands quickly over her arms in an attempt to warm herself up, but it wasn't very effective.¨

"Yeah. This is it. I'm… pretty sure," Bishop narrowed his eyes at the iceberg. There weren't many caves around and he remembered this one. It was familiar, despite most icebergs looking the same. Yeah. This should be it.

Aeyrin only threw him a deadpan look. It wasn't very encouraging, but they wouldn't find out for certain until they actually went inside.

Bishop double-checked the small sack fastened to his belt – it had the filled device inside and the light from the soul gem permeated a little through the burlap, but he still felt like checking it, just in case.

"Come on, let's get inside," he nodded at Aeyrin when he was sure that the device was there intact. "Let's see if all this shit was actually good for something."

They moved inside the crevice promptly and once they were out of the cold air, a pleasant warmth greeted them. It wasn't exactly warm but it was miles better.

But it wasn't the only thing filling the cavern. The sound of a man's constant mumbling echoed through the icy chamber, bouncing off the frozen walls. It was definitely the right place. The hermit was still there, talking to himself. It begged the question of how he survived here alone all this time, but maybe he hunted horkers or fished. He definitely had plenty of water around at least.

They walked across the small pathway leading down into the hermit's hideout, equipped with only a simple bedroll and some basic furniture. The man didn't even notice them the entire time, and Aeyrin used the silence to peer at the icy wall curiously. She could definitely see the familiar glints of Dwemer metal beneath it. It was kind of fascinating to see a piece of their architecture buried here in the middle of nowhere.

Bishop finally cleared his throat to get the man's attention. The hermit looked right at them as he fell silent, but for a moment, it seemed like he didn't actually see them. It was disturbing.

"People?" he murmured mostly to himself after what felt like a long time.

"Yeah. People," Bishop snorted. "You remember me?"

"Did he… send you? More clues? More riddles? Does he have tasks for me?" the man started to throw questions at Bishop. None of them made any sense. He seemed even more out of it than before.

After Jules died and Elisie kicked him out, Bishop used to think that he would spend his old age somewhere in a remote area, completely alone, away from people. Now he was really glad that it wasn't the plan anymore. This was so fucking disturbing.

"We have the device. You remember? 'A few lives'," Bishop scowled at the man as he unfastened the string that held the sack together again and reached in to pull out the Dwemer contraption. Hopefully this would jog the man's memory.

"The… the device. It's full. You did it?!" the old man gasped in astonishment as he stared at the shining soul gem. Good. At least he remembered now. "So it is time. I will finally see. The Heart. At last."

Aeyrin only gave Bishop a disturbed look. He had mentioned these insane ramblings before – how the man was looking for some 'heart' inside the Dwemer vault. She really didn't know what to think of it. It was unsettling. Either he was completely insane and there would be nothing of use inside or he knew exactly what he was talking about and there would be something really bad in there. But this was their path now. There was no turning back.

"Yeah. Sure. Heart. Whatever. We just want the key to Blackreach," Bishop grumbled. This better yield some fucking results. He had almost forgotten how frustrating it was to talk to this man.

"Yes, yes, the key. You can have the key," the man only waved his hand dismissively.

He didn't waste any more time before he turned towards the icy wall and his hands lit up with flames. The fire started to spew right at the wall and the ice began to melt, uncovering the strange Dwemer wall. It didn't take long at all, despite how thick the ice was. He must have been quite the powerful mage. Which only made it more concerning for some reason. Hopefully the 'heart' inside the vault wouldn't be something like the Eye of Magnus.

The ice was finally gone from the majority of the wall and the hermit didn't say another word. He looked surprisingly somber as he took the device from Bishop's hands and approached the metal.

There was an eerie quiet in the cavern. The man brought the device to the wall and inserted one of the needles in a small slot, then the next one, and the next. The slot looked like it would fit a finger and the man said before that he was trying to supplement Dwemer blood – maybe there was something inside that would cut a Dwemer when they reached in, taking their blood. And not the hermit was pouring his 'mixture' there to recreate it.

The sounds of bolts clicking and shifting permeated through the room when all the vials were empty after being inserted into the wall. The gem did nothing. It still shone just as brightly, but it was probably not going to get depleted. The wall was supposed to open for a Dwemer after all – it was probably not designed to suck their soul out in the process.

The hermit waited with bated breath as some of the parts of the wall began shifting and rearranging. It was a strange sight to behold – it looked nothing like the mechanisms they were familiar with from their dungeon delving.

At last, the wall shifted enough to open entirely. There was a small chamber inside, all encompassed in metal. It didn't look like a room at all, more like an inside of some giant metal box. The old man rushed inside and they were right at his heel, but there was nothing in there safe for a small lectern with a thick tome upon it.

Upon closer inspection, there were other objects there on the lectern. A small cube with no discernable features, except for the metal, and a similar small orb.

The key. They recognized it instantly. While the hermit approached the tome, still suspiciously silent, Bishop moved towards it as well and he quickly snatched the orb. He was not waiting any longer. This was what they were here for. What was that cube though?

"What is that little box for?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, take it, take it," the man answered, though he probably didn't even hear his question. Well, no matter. Maybe it was part of that key as well. Bishop didn't need to be told twice. He snatched the cube as well and he hid both objects back into the sack.

So… where was this 'heart'? Was it the book? If so, that was much more harmless than they had feared.

"No Heart… no Heart…" the man muttered. Well, that was an answer. It was probably for the best. "But… a gift? From him? More clues. More riddles. Knowledge." His shaky hands gripped the large tome. It looked odd. Like the cover was sewn from… skins. And there was a strange symbol of an eye on the front. What was that book?

The old madman examined the lectern itself for a while. It looked a little strange. It was made from Dwemer metal, but the usual engravings weren't present on it anywhere. Instead, there were strange vines engraved on the bottom, reaching upwards. Something so smooth and round was not usual for Dwemer design.

After a while of pondering, the man seemed to decide on his next course of action. He had still been holding the device in one of his hands and now, he smashed it, soul-gem first, against the lectern in determination. A little whiff of black appeared in the air, but it dissipated quickly. He released the souls. That was somewhat comforting, if soul-trapping really worked as they had assumed. But why did he do that? He looked strange as he waited, waited for something to happen. The device clattered onto the metal floor next and grabbed the large tome with both hands, gripping it firmly.

"I will pay any price!" the hermit suddenly called out, as if he was talking to someone. Or maybe to the heavens. Who knew with him? He was acting really strange. Maybe the lack of his anticipated 'Heart' had driven him completely mad.

"Any price… for knowledge," he whispered almost reverently.

Well, it was a book. He would likely gain some knowledge from it.

The old man took a deep shuddering breath, as if he was bracing himself for something, before he finally nodded, likely at himself. The next second, he opened the book at last.

His reaction was a sudden gasp. Aeyrin and Bishop almost jumped at the spot. What was that book? What did it say that was so surprising?

But a second later, something even more unexpected happened.

Suddenly, there was a loud ripping sound and something black sprang from the book's pages at great speed. It looked like… a tentacle? A very familiar one. It actually looked like the vines, or more likely tentacles, depicted on the lectern.

Nobody even had the time to react to it. The black tentacle shot right at the hermit and with one fluid motion, it pierced him through his chest.

"KNOWLEDGE IS THE PRICE."

A booming voice echoed through the chamber. It almost sounded like it was the hermit's voice, but the only thing escaping his lips was an outpour of blood.

It only took a second. A brief second of shock before the instinct kicked in. Bishop and Aeyrin didn't even need to share a look, they didn't even need to ponder on what to do. Both of them turned on their heels in record speed and they ran, without stopping, without looking back.

There was no more sound in the cavern but their panting breaths as they quickly made their way up the pathway and through the crevice again. They didn't even look back for a second.

They didn't even stop for a second. Not until they were standing outside again on the ice, trying to catch their breaths.

"What the fuck…" Bishop panted heavily. It wasn't a long run but the insane panic and the speed they took up really left them breathless. "What the fuck… just happened? What… what was that?"

That was unbelievable. That book just… killed him. A fucking book killed him! What the fuck was going on?!

"I… I don't… I don't know," Aeyrin was also still trying to catch her breath as she threw a wary glance at the crevice in the iceberg. None of this made any sense. What was that horrible tentacle thing? And how did it even get in the book?

Bishop's gaze rested on the crevice as well. They had no idea what that was, how the hermit just spoke, despite gurgling on his own blood, or how a book could kill a person. Whatever it was though, they were not going to linger to find out.

"Let's go. Far… far from here," he panted. He still didn't feel safe, not even outside. They needed to get back to Winterhold right away. He felt like he wouldn't be able to relax until then. And maybe after a stiff drink. Despite their recent bender, he really felt like having one just then.

"Yeah… yeah," Aeyrin nodded hurriedly. This was one mystery she really didn't want to investigate.

She felt like the way back across the ice field would be much quicker now.

Anything to get away from that cave.

…

Bishop and Aeyrin stayed mostly silent for the rest of their journey back.

It kind of felt like they still hadn't processed what they had just witnessed in that cave. They still couldn't wrap their heads around it.

The rest of their day was spent in strange, silent contemplation, though neither of them were even thinking about anything. It felt like their minds were blank, completely obliterated by the scene replaying in their heads – the strange book, the tentacle. It was all kinds of disturbing.

It took the entire rest of the day for them to push it out of their minds at least a little and they only started to mull over their own situation the next morning.

They needed to focus on their own task. If nothing else, they had the key to Blackreach now, but it wasn't the only thing they brought back from that place.

"What do you think it is?" Aeyrin asked, as they both lay on the bed in their rented room, studying the two objects they had brought back. Bishop was currently turning the small cube in his hale hand with palpable curiosity.

"You're asking me? I just hope there's no creepy tentacles inside," Bishop scoffed.

Aeyrin involuntarily shivered at the mention, but she quickly started to talk to push that image out of her mind. "It might be part of the key."

"True. Calcelmo said it's just the ball thing. But… he doesn't know for sure either," Bishop shrugged.

"Well, I have an idea," Aeyrin took the cube from him and studied it a bit herself. "We still need to wait for you to heal properly anyway. I think we should go to the College. We could ask Arniel about this thing. Maybe he would be more forthcoming. And if not, we can see if we can find something in the library. And… we could go see Colette too. Maybe she could help out with your healing a little?"

Bishop nodded thoughtfully. It was a good idea. They needed to know what this box was and if they would need it for Blackreach. And he certainly wouldn't complain if the Master of restoration actually had a way to speed up his healing. He was getting so fucking sick of his arm being useless.

"Alright. Let's get some food and head over there," he smiled a bit. Apparently not even this visit would go without them going in there, but it was probably their best course of action now.

Hopefully Arniel Gane wouldn't be his usual informative self and he would have something actually useful for them.

…

This time, they didn't get greeted by the Master of destruction herself by the bridge. Or… the Arch-Mage now. There was a Dunmer woman waiting there in surprising robes. They were the same as all the College mages wore, but unlike the colorful usual ones, these were all in black and dark violet color with silver accents. She looked a bit more sinister than all the other mages.

She was uncomfortably silent, but she didn't seem to question their presence there, or doubt the fact that they were allowed in. Aeyrin did ask her about the robes when they were crossing the bridge, but the woman only answered that they signified her as an expert on 'special conjuration disciplines'. That likely meant necromancy. The outfit did fit that.

It wasn't very encouraging about Faralda's new 'safer' leadership, but maybe they weren't giving her enough credit. Necromancy wasn't probably all bad when it wasn't some insane mage raising an undead army.

But they were certainly not interested in getting tangled up in the College's issues again. They've had their share.

The two of them only greeted a few of the mages they encountered and told them what they were visiting for – to see Arniel. Eventually, they were directed to his study in the Hall of Countenance. His study looked much like the rest of them – filled with books and parchments. Although Gane's chamber did have something the others didn't – there were Dwemer contraptions and metals everywhere and it smelled strongly of oil.

The Dwemer expert – or rather the expert on the Dwemer – was currently tinkering with some strange objects. There was a metal cog fastened to the stone wall of his study, filled with odd glowing shards of glass or something. There were clearly some missing there, but it still looked impressive, even if they had no idea what it was for. The man himself kept rearranging the shards inside the cog and writing something down at the same time.

"Master Gane?" Aeyrin interrupted his concentration quietly while she knocked on the open door to his study at the same time. Who knew how long he could be at it?

"Not a Master yet," he shook his head resolutely as he finished scribbling some thoughts. The way he kept correcting people about every little word was starting to get a bit annoying. They knew he wasn't one of the College 'Masters' but what did it matter?

"R-right… could we talk for a bit?" she huffed with subdued annoyance. They hadn't even started and he was already being dismissive.

"You're not here to try and sell me more of your junk, are you? Or to try to ineffectively tempt me again with things that belong in the past," he scoffed.

"We just have a fucking question," Bishop growled at him in frustration. This guy had apparently already pegged them as 'too enthusiastic' about ancient Dwemer secrets when he himself considered them useless. His own research on their disappearance was obviously so much more important than the artifacts they had left behind. But he was still knowledgeable enough to give them a hint, hopefully.

Arniel finally stopped fiddling with his glowing shards and turned towards them. He didn't even look annoyed, he just sounded like it when he talked. "What is it then?"

Bishop promptly started to rummage in his pack until he found the strange cube. The second he pulled it out, Arniel gave him a deadpan look.

"We're not selling it, we just wanna know what it is," Bishop sighed. They might sell it, once they were sure it wasn't part of the key. But certainly not to Gane. Whatever it was, Calcelmo would appreciate it.

"It looks like a puzzle cube. It's a toy," Arniel shrugged, unimpressed. "The Dwemer used to pass time by trying to re-assemble them in various… oh… hold on." As he looked at the cube for the second time, his brows creased. He grabbed it from Bishop's hand and studied it a bit more, tilting it from side to side. "Actually, I was mistaken. This is a lexicon."

"What's a lexicon?" Aeyrin peered at the cube curiously. Though even the puzzle cube sounded interesting.

"They are like… books, I suppose. Or perhaps journals would be a more fitting comparison," Gane explained. "The Dwemer had devices to 'inscribe' the lexicons. With stories, memories, findings, anything, really. There are devices in the depths of the cities that are capable of inscribing them. Though nobody alive now knows what determines what's inscribed in it – whether it will be some lost knowledge, an inconsequential tale or some ranting of a madman."

"So it's useless when it's empty?" Aeyrin deflated a bit. Calcelmo would still surely like it for his museum, but he would have been so thrilled if it actually held some information. Even Arniel might not scoff at that.

"They're useless even when they are inscribed," the mage indeed scoffed, regardless of Aeyrin's presumptions. "Nobody can 'read' them. It's possible that another device is needed for it. Or perhaps the Dwemer had some magical techniques to achieve that. But we know nothing of them. As always, without the Dwemer around to show us, their artifacts are beyond our comprehension."

That was discouraging. But Aeyrin was still convinced that Calcelmo would be ecstatic. And that he would pay handsomely for this. He would pay even more if it actually was inscribed, even if he couldn't read it. Maybe he would figure out a way in the end. He had nothing but dedication for his research.

"So we can inscribe this inside any Dwemer city?" she asked hopefully. They might be able to do that on their way to Blackreach. They were planning on using Raldbthar for their access, since they had previously cleared the place and they knew that there was a presumably working entrance. Maybe they could just inscribe it there.

"Not exactly. You see the symbols on the sides?" Arniel presented the lexicon to them, twisting it from side to side. It looked pretty common – symbols like these were all over Dwemer ruins. It was just a design prevalent in their architecture and culture, wasn't it?

"They are unique to each city. A lexicon can only be inscribed in the machine that was made to inscribe it. The different cities had their own lexicons and inscribed them. Some believe that they used them to exchange sensitive tactical information between bases, some that it was to ensure that each city retains its own knowledge and culture that can always be returned to them. Regardless, you cannot just inscribe this anywhere you like."

Well, that was probably that. They wouldn't be so lucky to have this one belong to Raldbthar.

"Do you know what city this belongs to?" Bishop raised his brow at the man. He would surely know the different symbols by now, right?

"No. I was never too concerned with the different cultures and customs. They are of no use to me. They will not help me find the Dwemer. But there are plenty of books on Dwarven culture in the Arcanaeum, I'm sure you'll be able to find some of these symbols in them and make the connection, if you want to waste your time on that. Nobody will be able to read the information anyway," Gane scoffed.

Bishop and Aeyrin only shared a knowing look. Whatever Arniel thought, they knew that Calcelmo would pay well for this. And having his favor was never a bad thing, especially after how he had stood up for them the last time they were in Markarth. There was no harm in spending some time with a few books to see if luck would strike and they would be able to do this in Raldbthar.

"If you think they're so useless, why do you know so much about them?" Bishop smirked at the man. He had to dedicate some time to at least learn of these. Why would he, if he knew he wouldn't be able to use it?

"At one desperate moment in my research, I thought my way out would be to search for lexicons and learn how to read them. But fortunately, that fool's endeavor was abandoned quickly when another lead presented itself to me," Arniel nodded proudly. "Keep the trinket. I'm sure the simpleton in Markarth will piss himself over it, whether it's useless to him or not," he scoffed.

He was right about that, though it was certainly not a bad thing.

They could definitely spend some time at the library to make that happen.

But first, they needed to find Colette to see if she could speed up Bishop's recovery.

…

Their meeting with Colette went rather well. She was practically jumping at the chance to utilize her skills.

It wasn't an outright miracle cure, but she was confident that she could help even more than the priest's tactics did. She suggested that the two of them should stay for two more days and that Bishop would undergo some magical treatments under her care several times a day. Then, there would be more time needed for him to heal entirely with the help of the spell that Aeyrin had learnt.

She claimed that it would not take more than three days then though, five to be extra sure, and she even said that Bishop should dispose of the sling after her treatments were finished. He was still forbidden from using his bow and straining the arm too much, but it was definitely a welcome change.

They stayed at the College for those three days in total. Their time was spent with Colette, but also with the other mages, catching up on what had been going on. It sounded like things at the College were going well, peaceful even. Everyone seemed to be recovering from the ordeal.

Almost everyone. Bishop and Aeyrin had never seen Brelyna throughout their stay, despite them sleeping in the same building as she was. The other mages were saying that she keeps to herself mostly and spends most of her time in the College basements – where the urns of the departed were being kept. It was heartbreaking, but they were probably the last people she wanted to see anyway. It wasn't a good idea to be prying into her life just then.

A big part of their days was also spent at the library, buried in various books about the Dwemer.

Sometimes they found pictures in them with familiar symbols, but none of them matched those on the lexicon.

They had almost given up. Calcelmo would surely like the lexicon even without the inscription.

But then, they finally found something.

"Look! Here!" Aeyrin yelped in excitement when she saw it. She practically slammed the book onto the ground, opened on the page that caught her attention. That earned her a scowl from the Orc watching over his beloved books and she quickly gave him an apologetic smile.

They were sitting on the library floor again, surrounded by books. Bishop looked bored out of his mind already and it'd only been an hour or two today, but now, his face finally brightened.

There was a drawing of a pillar in the book and it had the exact symbol on it as the lexicon had – it looked a little like some sort of trident in a circle and a square around it.

"Shit. That's it!" Bishop's voice carried a palpable tone of relief. It had been a lot of time spent with books. He was kinda fed up. They had to stay here for at least today anyway for Colette's treatment, but that didn't make this any less boring. They didn't even have any dirty books in this library. He checked. Just to take his mind off the Dwemer shit for a while. It was all boring magic and history books.

"Does it say where the pillar's from?" he asked eagerly.

Aeyrin flipped a few pages back, equally curious for answers.

"Hang on, it was here somewhere…" she mumbled, before she spotted the page she vaguely remembered. All the writing was starting to blur together. Half the time she didn't even know what she had been reading. "There. Alftand."

"'Alftand'? Are you serious?" Bishop got instantly hopeful. "That fucking hermit told me that the entrance is in Alftand."

Aeyrin nodded in contemplation. True. Bishop had mentioned that ages ago. Back then, they thought that Alftand might be their only access into the crossroads below the earth. They could go through the ruins and get that lexicon inscribed at the same time.

But there was still one problem.

"We would have to clear another ruin," Bishop sighed as the same issue dawned on him. "We would be lucky if we managed that. We would go through all our supplies again. And then we would either have to go back or go directly to Blackreach." That was a lot just to make Calcelmo happy and some extra drakes. A lot of unnecessary risk. Especially since Raldbthar was just there, with its moving escape platform and everything, just waiting for them to use it.

"Yeah… I… I guess it's not worth it," Aeyrin sighed. "Alftand might be even more dangerous than Raldbthar was." Not to mention the doubtless dangers of Blackreach itself.

"Alftand is empty," a gruff voice suddenly tore their attention away. The Orc was sitting by his desk, easily within earshot, sorting through some books. He must have heard their entire conversation. Not that they minded much. Their interest in Blackreach was hardly a secret. At least as long as nobody knew why they were going there. Plundering its treasures was a believable excuse. And part of the plan in any case.

"What?" Bishop and Aeyrin asked almost in unison.

"It's been our primary source of Dwemer research for a decade," the Orc explained. "The College began exploring the ruins almost ten years ago. They made it all the way to the end after about a dozen expeditions. The elevators close off the outside access – they don't let you go down, just up, as far as we know. But you can go through the city and then come back using it."

"Really?" Aeyrin gaped at him in surprise. They knew that the College had explored a lot of places around Winterhold. It was mostly the reason why the two of them didn't tend to adventure in that area – most of it was picked clean already. She never thought the mages would venture into the Dwemer ruins as well, but it made sense. "So there's no danger there?"

"The defenses should be disabled," the Orc shrugged. "There might be the stray Falmer here and there, you never know with those buggers. Nobody made an excursion there in more than two years."

That much was true for Raldbthar too – the Falmer could have many subtle cracks in the walls they got inside through. And the two of them certainly didn't disable any defenses there. Alftand might be even safer if this was all true.

The Orc started to concentrate on his books again when Aeyrin and Bishop just mulled over his words silently. After a while, the two of them shared an intrigued look.

Everything seemed to have just fallen into place perfectly.

"So… Alftand?" Bishop smirked at Aeyrin. He had been a little worried about coming back to Raldbthar anyway. There were so many Falmer there before. It was a little concerning to be going through an entirely unknown city, but it did sound a little safer than their previous plan.

"Sounds good," Aeyrin grinned back at him.

It looked like they had a solid plan.

Hopefully Bishop's full recovery would go well.

They were one step closer to the Scroll once again.