The next morning had us on our way with a few friendly words from the locals, before they all trooped back into their mine.

"Wanna join me for a small adventure?" I asked Serana with a smile, "I've been promised that it will be worth our while."

Surprise flitted across Serana's face and she tilted her head at me inquisitively, "Um, sure."

"Follow me," I encouraged, leading her in the direction Sondas had indicated.

The Dark Elf had been right; the entrance wasn't much to look at. It was basically a hole in the earth, bracketed by stone that formed a triangular entrance. Other than some wooden planks set in the packed soil to help with footing on rainy days, it didn't look like it was meant to be impressive at first glance.

Serana gave the hole a dubious stare. "I'm okay with the dark, but I've spent more than my share of time in caves already."

I turned to her and held out my hand with an inviting smile. "I can understand, but I think you're going to like this place," I reassured her, hoping to Stendarr that what Sondas had said was true.

She glanced at my extended hand, then away, her face going a little more pale. Then she took a deep breath and let it out, "If you're going inside, I'm right behind you."

I let my hand drop and nodded, tamping down on the small trickle of disappointment at her fear. I reminded myself firmly that her father had done something to her, and that her trust could only be given when and if she felt she could do so.

Inside, a narrow tunnel twisted its way down before suddenly opening up to a spacious underground grove. A path, definitely made by human hands, wound its way around a low rock outcropping topped by trees. The smell of clean water and healthy vegetation spilled over us in a humid wave as sunlight poured inside through holes in the ceiling.

Serana gave a soft gasp of wonder and I stepped back to let her take the lead. I knew immediately that I had made a good choice in trusting the miner's advice to come here. My companion marveled at the golden shafts of sunlight, and the trees that had taken root in this sheltered pocket of wilderness.

We rounded a corner and found ourselves at a small rope bridge. The path continued past the tumbling waters of a waist-high waterfall. Serana stopped on the small bridge, leaned against the ropes that served as handrails, and closed her eyes. She took several long, slow breaths, her expression positively enraptured.

"Welcome to Eldergleam Sanctuary, my friends." We both looked up to see a Nord woman in a simple blue dress, "Wonderful place, isn't it? Of course, this is just a small glimpse of the beauty that Kynareth has to offer. Pilgrims come from all over to commune with nature and feel Kynerath's presence. Eldergleam herself is a big draw for visitors."

"Eldergleam?" Serana kept her voice curious and polite within her hood.

"Oh yes. The Eldergleam is the tree you see farther back. It is sacred to the goddess Kynerath. Though no one has been able to get close to her for as long as I can remember." She nodded to the far end of the cave, which was partially obscured. Mists swirled up from the many small waterfalls, filling the grove with the sounds of falling water and chattering streams. I could barely make out a magnificent tree with silver bark and adorned with delicate pink flowers. A system of massive roots had taken over a large part of the land back there. "As you can see, Eldergleam's roots are large and stretch far, blocking any path to her trunk."

I caught a flash of an expression darting across Serana's face, but it was too quick and too obscured by her hood to identify it. She thanked the pilgrim woman warmly for the information and moved on, so I didn't press.

We wandered along the path until the Eldergleam's roots blocked our progress. Then we turned off the path and explored along the small streams that fed the abundant plant life. Butterflies and fuzzy bees flitted among the multitude of flowers. Orange and blue dragonflies zoomed back and forth over still pools.

I watched the tension ease from her stance as we settled down on a dry area near one of the streams. I would have to remember her aversion to caves on future side trips. It did make sense, considering where she had been left for four millennia. That said, I would also keep my eyes open for other beautiful, natural places.

"Thank you, Lasirah," Serana's voice broke into my musings. "This little trip was definitely worth the discomfort of coming through that tunnel."

Warmth spilled through me at her relaxed expression and contentment. "You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to find somewhere we could take a break."

I gave her feet, currently bare and trailing in the stream, a look of mild consternation. Nords, I knew, tended to fare quite comfortably in the cold. Her vampire kin were immune to cold and the effects of ice. But as a desert-dwelling Redguard, watching her stick her feet in icy meltwater gave me the shivers.

Serana dug into our rations, using a knife to build something with a loaf of bread and some of the meat. Distracted, I watched her build a concoction of sliced bread, bracketing thinly sliced beef, lettuce leaves, and cheese.

Catching my puzzled but curious stare, Serana shyly offered it to me. "A bit of something I used to eat back before… well you know…" she cleared her throat. "It's called a sandwich; something that the wealthy people of my time would eat as something light while socializing for hours at parties."

It was a strange idea; Redguard etiquette demanded that meat be eaten in bites, or straight off the bone, though liberal in spices. Nord etiquette was essentially the same, though with almost no seasonings to be had. Still, I wasn't going to refuse her offer, especially not with that hesitant look of hope on her face.

I managed to tease a genuine laugh out of her as I tried it, and immediately had a mishap.

She had to instruct me on how to restrain the sandwich. Biting one end and having everything fall out the opposite side was common enough to develop a technique for eating it. I had to admit though; it was the best damn thing I had ever tasted once I got the hang of it. Hearing her laugh, and seeing a genuine smile on her face made the whole experience better.

Once we rinsed our hands off in the stream and sat back to digest, Serana's expression turned thoughtful. "That woman... the one who greeted us," Serana seemed to be musing out loud. "She said that no one had been able to get to the Eldergleam in years."

"Something on your mind?" I nudged her when she fell quiet again.

"I wonder if it's as impossible to get to as they think."

"Hmm… why do I get the feeling that we're going to do some climbing?" I smirked.

Serana paused, looking uncertain, "Um, well, if you think we need to get moving…"

I chuckled and waved a hand to dispel what was clearly a spate of second-guessing of herself. "I invited you here for a small adventure, based on a recommendation by a local. If you are returning the favor, I'm happy to accept."

Her hesitation melted away, replaced by relief and a growing eagerness. "Come on!" She hopped to her feet, "Even if we can't make it, the fun is in trying."

"Divines, I hope Kynarath agrees," I murmured to myself wryly as I gathered up our packs and joined her on the trek to the tree.

The roots were thicker than a man's torso and stretched across the path to form a rather complicated barrier as they wove over and under themselves.

"Ah ha!" Serana crowed. Before I could ask the obvious question, she planted her palms on a root and with a small hop, pulled herself on top of the thick wooden barrier. Once she had her balance she turned and extended a hand with a small mischievous smile.

I took her hand, and she pulled me onto the first root with little effort. It was a solid column of wood beneath me, and didn't sag, wiggle, or groan to show any protest to the weight of two people standing on it.

"Come on, I bet we can pull this off," Serana grinned like a child and repeated the move to hoist herself onto a higher root. Then down to a lower one. Like staggered, interwoven stairs, we clambered our way beyond the huge roots and soon found our feet back on solid ground at the base of the tree.

A large hole in the ceiling above us bathed the stone hill in a broad beam of sunlight. Serana drew her hood farther over her face to protect her skin, and adjusted her clothes to make sure she was covered. Then she began to explore the small area with fascination.

Up close, the tree was even more beautiful; the bark was silvery white with a crackled pattern like old paint. The pink flowers completely eclipsed the small green leaves nestled beneath the spreading petals. Blue and yellow flowers grew on the open patch of earth beneath the tree's branches and lichen spread across bare rock. There was a feeling of peace, growth, and life, this close to the tree.

Serana paused for a long moment, childish enthusiasm replaced by quiet reverence. She slowly approached the trunk, as though trying not to spook a wild animal. Reaching out, she pressed her gloved palm flat to the rough bark, then closed her eyes and rested her forehead against it.

Far be it for me to disrupt someone quietly communing with Kynerath's beauty. I stood a polite distance back and gazed upward at the flowers and gently swaying branches. You wouldn't think that a breeze would make its way into an underground cove, but as the pilgrim had said, this place was sacred to the Goddess of Air. Kynerath was known to have her Divine fingers in all-natural places, so a soft, sweet breeze flowing through a sheltered grove wasn't out of the ordinary.

A petal shook itself loose in the breeze and fluttered down to tap me on the face. I grinned and removed it, "Har har, Tava," I called, using the Redguard name for her. "Are you trying to say something? Hmm? With utmost respect Lady, I think two is plenty when it comes to immortal beings breathing down my neck."

As if to punctuate a teasing response, a light breeze capered around me. Leaves danced in a circle around my feet before swirling their way up my body and finally fountaining outward in all directions once they reached the top of my head.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little, "I know, we're pretty close to you here, so it's not like we can avoid catching your attention. Still, I think I would prefer to stick to my two. That being said; I won't lie, ma'am. This place is… well it's really beautiful. I can always appreciate your work."

A breeze, so delicate that it barely teased the ends of my hair, flowed past my face, carrying the sweet scent of the Eldergleam's flowers.

I glanced down to see that Serana had turned and was watching me, a little wide-eyed. "You… you hear Her?" she asked softly.

"Not in words, no... but I can guess her mood. We are the first people in a while to have the nerve to make our way up to this spot."

My companion stiffened, her face flushing as she turned back to the tree, "I… please forgive me Kynerath. In my excitement, I didn't think about the possibility that I'd be disrespecting your sacred tree's space."

Another breeze danced around us, this time focusing on Serana. There was a soft noise from above, and a single, flawless, pink flower broke free of the branch it had been blooming on. It spiraled down and landed with perfect aim against Serana's chest, over her heart. Her hands flew up automatically to catch it before it tumbled down, and she gazed at the small gift she now cradled in her hands with an expression of surprise and tremulous hope.

"I don't think she's offended," I translated. "Kynerath tends to be pretty direct when it comes to Her displeasure. Since we're not fighting off a dozen angry spriggans, I'd say we're doing fine."

The tree spirits were just another hazard that travelers faced, particularly alchemists. They tended to stray into glades where the spriggans made their homes, to gather ingredients. The spriggans would usually make their displeasure violently known. I had no doubt that this glade would be protected by several powerful spriggans if Kynerath were to be upset.

A shy smile crossed her features and Serana breathed in the delicate scent of the flower before weaving its slender stem into the tiny braid that wound around the right side of her head.

I nodded and gave her a thumbs-up to show my approval. "Well, we made it up here. What do you say we appreciate the view before heading back down?" I gestured to the cove that now stretched out below us.

"I… yes. I would love to." Serana and I found ourselves a patch of rock at the edge of the Eldergleam's shelf and sat down, side by side, to take in the cave.

Water cascaded out of holes in the stone and into the cove to form streams and smaller waterfalls, giving everything access. Sun spilled from the ceiling in shafts of golden light. Insects fluttered, zoomed, or buzzed from plant to plant, or over water. The whole scene was dotted with little clouds of mist to give everything a slightly dreamy feel.

We would have to get moving soon, but I felt like this moment was important, and not just because Serana had received a small gift from Kynerath. We were still pretty new to knowing one another, but I suspected that quiet moments like this were few and far between for her.

With a small sigh, I leaned back, propping myself up on my hands and looking over the underground cove. As I did, I felt my right hand come to rest against something warm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serana startle, and look down.

Ah, that would be her hand next to mine then. Gods, she's like a shy deer. The slightest touch has her spooked. I kept my expression relaxed and my face forward. The next move was Serana's.

In my peripheral vision, I watched as she raised her gaze, searching my expression for some sort of… malice? Inappropriate intent? When I continued to focus on the view, she relaxed again, and kept her hand where it was.

Incredible. She's a predator; one of the most deadly beings to walk on two legs. She can fight and kill humans, beasts, and anything in between... and simple human contact is terrifying to her. But I think she likes me. She's giving a few signs of it, anyway. Blade of Ruptga… we're going to need to talk.