Chapter Two: I Would Never

"Dit went crazy? Can't believe I missed that tea."

"Giselle, that's not what I said." I sighed, still exhausted from lack of sleep.

After I ran back last night, I all but collapsed into my cot upon seeing it. I was currently with Giselle in the bathroom, which was essentially just a bucket, some barrels of water, and dividers for added privacy. The guild had a deal with some Baandari, who'd bring us water from Sentinel each day in exchange for some gold and a few alchemical tonics brewed up by Ollie. Giselle and I were washing up and brushing our teeth as she hounded me for information about the night before. I myself was still processing what had happened to me as I was walking back, and I wasn't so sure if I should tell Giselle about it yet.

"Did you see lover boy, dear Enmon?" Giselle fluttered her eyes and put her hand on her forehead while tilting her head back.

"What are we, twelve?" I said, splashing her with water and making her squeal. "Knock it off."

Giselle grinned at me, water dripping down her face as we walked out of the bathroom. "Thanks for that, I can already tell today's gonna burn a hole through these robes. Next expedition, I'm going to Summerset. The eternal Spring thing they have going on sounds pretty good."

"Ha, the weather might be nice, but I'd rather deal with the heat than the High Elves."

Giselle chortled. "Fair point."

We sat down in the morning sun as the other students and mages milled about, eating and talking about the day ahead.

"Has the overseer arrived yet?" I asked, narrowing my eyes as I looked around.

Giselle scrunched her face up and shielded her eyes from the sun. "I don't think so. Odd. I hope nothing's happened to them." She dropped her hand and faced me again. "Anyway! Tell me about last night. Something happened, I know it did, so don't even try to deny it."

"Oh, stop."

"Seriously, I know when something's not right with you. How long have we known each other?"

I smiled and looked into my lap. "Since we were five."

Giselle grinned as she chorused what I said. "Exactly. Thirteen years! So, what's cooking?"

I snorted, knowing I was never going to get away with not telling her. "Fine. But don't go gossiping with the other mages about this, got it?"

"I'd never!"

"Good." I stared at her, not completely believing her. "Something strange happened last night while I was walking back, and—"

"Alone?"

"What?" I moaned, annoyed about getting interrupted already.

Giselle flattened her robe against her long legs as she crossed them. "You walked alone, right? You disobeyed Margerie's rule, so she probably jinxed you."

"Not everything's a joke, Giselle," I complained as she laughed.

"I'm sorry, you're right," said Giselle, nodding as she looked around the camp.

"You seem distracted. Should I continue?"

"Please."

As I got my notebook out of my pack and started flicking to the page I needed, Margerie clapped her hands to get the group's attention.

Giselle tossed her hair and looked at Margerie, making me groan and close my notebook again.

"Good morning, students," began Margerie, smiling at everyone as she gazed around the camp. "We've received word from Sentinel, and the overseer, Miss Morham, will be arriving with the Baandari in a few hours. There's lots to do, so let's get busy." She looked down at a clipboard and began calling out names.

I started daydreaming, gazing around the camp. The only mercenaries I'd seen this morning were Giran and Tanyin, the only female. Although not particularly tall, she was well-built and muscular with short dark hair and bright blue eyes. She wasn't what I'd call pretty, but she was certainly striking.

"Okay, thanks guys," said Margerie, lowering the clipboard and folding her hand over it. "The rest of you aren't in any groups, but I do have tasks for you to do."

I looked at those of us left. Giselle sat next to me, and Xandier lazily reclined on a blanket nearby with an Imperial named Valentinus.

"Giselle, Xandier, you are to go and see Ollie in the ruins. I believe Giran also has some errands that need running. Your job is to assist them with anything they need. As for Charlotte and Valentinus, please follow me."

Valentinus and I followed Margerie across the camp and down a path that led away from the excavation site.

"Where are we going?" I asked Margerie, confused.

"You'll see."

I pulled my lips closed as we walked out into the desert, turning my head to stare back at the ruins. I was disappointed that Giselle and I got separated, but more so jealous that she had a better chance of seeing Enmon than I. Valentinus still looked half-asleep as he walked next to me, and I just knew that whatever we were doing, I'd be the one doing most of the work. After a few minutes, we came across a cliff face, and within it, a hidden cave. Sand was falling from between some rocks, and I immediately suspected quicksand.

"What is this place?" I took a few nervous steps back from the sand.

Margerie laughed, her eyes sparkling. "A secret I've managed to keep. I'm due to head back to Sentinel later today, so I thought I'd pass it on."

"So… we're not here to do work?" I asked excitedly.

"Nope, not at all! But I'd suspect you'd want to at least take notes on what I'm about to show you."

We went through the cave opening, which was little more than a crevice in the wall, and walked into a natural cavern. I gasped as I looked around in wonder at the walls and ceiling, which shone with a bioluminescent glow that reflected on the numerous pools around us.

"What is this place?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper as I tried to take it all in.

Margerie looked at me, crossing her arms as she smiled. "Thought you'd enjoy it. It's quite something, huh? My theory is that it's actually connected to the ruins. Ollie might eventually get to it, but even so."

"Why haven't you told the others?" I narrowed my eyes at her and blinked a few times.

"I think some things are best kept a secret, don't you? They may find it but if they don't, there's no harm done. You see that river there?"

I looked over to where she was pointing. "That's a river?"

"Sure is." She walked over to the river, kneeling down. "I believe that the Nedes who lived here used hydrodynamics and steam to help power their city."

I knelt next to the water's edge as well, hovering my arm above the water. "Wow," I whispered. "It's so deep… how far do you think it goes?"

"Hard to say," replied Margerie, straining her voice as she stood up. "Studying caves is… an amazing but incredibly niche area, one which I'm in no way familiar with. This water here, I'd theorize, has been brought through from a freshwater source via an aqueduct."

"We can drink it?"

"I'd say so."

I glanced at Valentinus, who was sitting by the entrance inspecting his nails, and walked along the river. "We don't even need to pay the Baandari to bring us water with all this. Why not just tell the others?"

"Well," began Margerie, exhaling sharply through her nose. "I did happen upon this place by myself, didn't really see the harm in keeping it quiet. Not only that but seeing the water here would make Ollie go mad. He's already convinced that this place has the Dwemer written all over it. And having the Baandari come out this way every day is a boon in more ways than one."

"Hmm, yeah, you have a point."

I watched the water as it flowed through a crevice into a deeper part of the cave, taking my notebook from my bag to take notes and draw sketches.

Margerie walked over to me as she stared at Valentinus, who sounded like he was trying to convince himself to move to the other side of the entrance. "Is he… okay?"

"He's not the brightest," I said slowly as I sketched the river in careful detail under the blue glow of the bioluminescent light.

After about an hour, we began to head back.

"So, you want me to keep that place a secret?" I asked Margerie.

She shrugged. "I mean, you can if you want, but I trust your judgment. If you like, feel free to tell somebody about it."

"Thanks," I said, smiling at the ground.

"What about?" Margerie pointed behind her at Valentinus. "I brought him along because he seemed like a bit of a loner."

"He is. His mother is one of the higher-ups at Arcane University, so that's why he's with us. No one really knows what he's about because he never talks to any of us."

"Why was he sitting with Xandier then?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Still, I don't think he'll say anything."

When we got back it was around lunchtime, and Margerie gave me some rations to deliver to Giran.

"Some of those mercenaries I've never seen surface, so make sure they're eating!" yelled Falisse, a homely older Breton woman who was both a healer and the cook. She pointed a ladle at me and grinned as I nodded at her.

I walked past the area where I collapsed the night before and shuddered, but stopped walking when something caught my eye. I carefully stepped beyond the wall and peered behind the barrel rack, gasping when I saw a pool of dried blood.

"You okay, lass?" asked Giran.

I spun around, my heart racing as I pointed at the blood. "There! Last night, I—"

"Ah, yeah, don't worry about that. I sent one of the lads after you last night after I'd heard you set out on your own. Well, he mostly volunteered as soon as I brought it up… It's just as well he did because he killed an opportunistic bandit who'd been stalking the camp. You're lucky you weren't hurt."

"Oh, who did you se—"

"Ah, am I right in guessing these rations are from Falisse?"

"Yes, but—"

Giran folded his hands together. "Thanks, lass. Just bring them to Ollie in the tomb. I'll have to pay Falisse a visit, that woman goes above and beyond. Sorry, I have to go."

I sighed as I watched Giran walk off and continued on my way to the ruins. As I entered the mural room, I was shocked to see Giselle talking to none other than Enmon. He was leaning on a stone table toward Giselle, smiling widely as he talked to her. I'd never seen him smile before, and what a magnificent smile it was. I felt a pang of jealousy toward Giselle, who was the one to give it to him, and I immediately started walking over to them without thinking. As soon as Enmon saw me coming, his expression turned serious.

"Anyway, I have to go," he said before promptly walking away.

"Okay, bye," sang Giselle, rolling her eyes and leaning back.

I stood next to Giselle, putting the rations on the table and watching Enmon as he left the room. "What were you talking to him about?"

"Oh, well, hello to you too, madam."

"Giselle, I'm serious. I'm your best friend, you know how I feel about him and you've got him smiling like that. Were you flirting with him?"

Giselle scoffed. "As if. Come on, why is that the first thing you assume?"

"I dunno Giselle, you tell me. You've been acting kinda weird lately."

She turned to me and gave me an offended look, her mouth open and eyes narrowed. "I've been acting weird? Well, excuse me. If you must know, we were talking about the Saturalia Festival in Alcaire a few years back. We both happened to attend it, and the king got a little too drunk and decided to ride a deer through the city wearing nothing but his undergarments. Anyway, I was sitting here organizing Ollie's notes, and Enmon was sent to offer me some water. He asked about you, I asked him if he'd ever been to High Rock, and we traded some stories. That's it."

I looked behind Giselle and saw some carefully stacked notes and a delicate clay cup filled with water. "He... really? Sorry," I said bashfully, astonished and kind of excited that Enmon asked about me.

Giselle, with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes and fluttered her eyelashes at me. "Okay."

"I really am!" I sat next to her, throwing my hands in my lap. "Things have just been… I don't know, odd for me lately. It seems like I can never say or do the right thing."

"Fair enough."

"You're mad. What can I do?"

Giselle pushed her lips out and flicked her eyes to the side. "Maybe for you to not automatically think that I'd cut your lunch. Dessert's fair game though, give me half of yours tonight and we're good."

"Really?"

Giselle pulled a face and fluttered her eyes again.

I smiled at her and poked her arm. "So, what color undergarments was the king wearing?"

"Red," replied Giselle, failing to stop herself from smiling. "It was very festive of him."

I delivered the rations to Ollie, who was making quite a bit of progress on the excavation.

"Oh, brilliant, thank you. Falisse outdoes herself constantly. I'll have to ask her for her pork chop recipe, it's positively delightful."

"You're welcome, Falisse also told me to make sure the mercenaries are eating and resting," I said, smiling at him and turning my head to look at Enmon. I waved at him, and he gave me a dark look in response before moving away.

My heart fell as I tried to excuse myself, but Ollie called me back.

"Oh, wait dear, please. Charlotte, is it?"

"Yes?"

"Here," he said as he pulled out some sort of talisman from my pack. "I thought I'd bring your attention to this before you found it and freaked out. I put it in your pack as you passed me in the tunnels just before, figuring you'd need it."

I frowned as I looked at it, not even realizing that I'd passed him in the tunnels. "Thank you, but… why? What is it?" I asked.

"A gift," he said simply. "For your lovely self. Keep it close."

I shook my head, bewildered. "Wait, what do you—"

"Gotta get back to it, sorry," he said before grabbing some tools and heading back into the tunnel.

I stood by myself in the middle of the tomb and sighed.

Looking around, I became curious about the golden door. I padded over to it, standing before it and admiring its grandeur.

"Wow," I breathed, taking out my notebook.

I began to sketch it, trying my best to capture the complex patterns and precise detail as I went. I groaned at the notebook, disappointed I didn't have enough space, and turned the page. I looked up a bit higher at some very beautiful art of what I believed were the Celestials dancing with a breathtaking depiction of Kynareth. I leaned forward to get a better look, and I was so close that the condensation from my breath fogged up the golden surface of the door. Before I knew it, I reached out without thinking to touch it.

"Woah, woah. Hold up there, Miss," came the voice of Abal, who stood in the doorway. "You can't touch that yet. It hasn't been studied properly, who knows what might happen if it's not disenchanted."

I looked over my shoulder and stepped away from the door. "Oh, I'm… I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Yeah, that's not her strong suit." Enmon sat in the far corner of the room against the wall, his hands hanging between his knees.

"Enmon? Why in Leki's name didn't you stop her? That door could've killed her!"

Enmon shrugged in response. "It'd be no great loss to the world."

Abal shook his head. "Enmon, you're far from the nicest person around here, I know that. But there's no need to be nasty to the poor girl… what's changed from last night? You said you couldn't wait to talk to her."

What?

Enmon gave me a derisive smile before averting his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about, I want nothing to do with her."

Close to tears, I stamped my foot and gathered my quills before running out of the room, pushing past Abal who tried to stop me. I heard him yell at Enmon angrily as I fled the scene.

"Oh," said Giselle as I almost ran into her. "I was just coming to get you, it's… wait, what's wrong?"

I began to sob as she hugged me. "It's, it's… gods, Giselle, what is it about me that's so unlikeable?"

"Shh, shh, it's all right. Come on, the overseer's here and dinner is about to be served. You can tell me what happened once we get back to camp."

"Well, I never ! That guy's a joke, oh, just wait until I have a word with him. I'll sort him out for you, don't you worry Charlotte!" Giselle huffed with her arms crossed, anger making her face flush.

I laughed at her response as we sat at a wooden table back at camp. "Honestly, don't bother. I don't want to start any issues between us and the mercenaries."

"You might not want to, but I'm more than fine with it. What do you even see in Enmon anyway? Sure he's hot in an obnoxious kind of way, but I think Abal doesn't look much worse. And at least he's kind-hearted and responsible."

I nodded slowly. "That's true. You should've heard him cuss Enmon out for how he spoke to me, it was great."

Giselle sucked on her spoon, pulling it out of her mouth and pointing it at me as she gazed at me through her eyelashes. "See?"

Margerie cleared her throat and got everyone's attention as she stood at the center of the camp. "Okay, everyone! Thank you all so much for your hard work today, really good going. I'll be leaving soon, but before I go, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Morham. She's the overseer of this excavation, a mighty fine scholar, as well as my colleague and one of my closest friends."

"Thank you for that introduction, Margerie. Always doing your best to make others look good," said a slender older Breton woman as she laughed and joined Margerie in the center of the camp. "I apologize for my late arrival. We had some transit issues with our ship in Wayrest, which kind of threw a spanner in the works for us. But I'm here now! I'm very excited to get things underway with you."

"I'm sure the students are more than ready to begin, you have a great bunch here. So," Margerie said as she turned back to us, locking eyes with me. "I leave you in good hands. Be sure to make the most of your time here, and please, be kind to one another. I hope that I get the pleasure of working with any one of you again in the future."

"I'll be back," I said to Giselle as I got up.

Giselle looked up at me in surprise. "Okay," she said.

I followed Margerie as she went back to her tent, running to catch up to her.

"Oh, hello Charlotte," said Margerie, her eyebrows raised. "Always good to see you, but you should get back. I don't want you to miss anything."

I nodded. "I know, I just have to ask you something."

"Sure. What is it?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the talisman Ollie gave to me. "Do you… do you have any idea what this is?"

Margerie frowned as I held it out to her. "Charlotte… are you familiar with Daedra worship?"

"With what ?" I asked, widening my eyes.

Margerie waved her hand at me before resting it over her mouth. "No, I'm not accusing you, don't worry. But this sort of periapt, if it's real, that is, is used as a powerful ward to guard against Daedric energy. Where did you find it?"

I inhaled sharply through my nose, suddenly unsure of what to tell her. If I said I'd found it in the ruins, she'd likely confiscate it so it could be studied.

"Ollie gave it to me," I finally responded.

"Did he?" she asked, tapping under her nose with her forefinger as she rested her thumb beneath her chin. "He's an odd one, that Ollie. He either thinks you need protecting from the Daedra, or that you'd like it as a gift because it's pretty. Knowing him, it's most likely the latter."

"Oh," I said with a laugh, relaxing.

Margerie nodded and took me by the shoulder to guide me back toward the camp. "You better get back. Just… try not to get too distracted, yeah? Anyway, it's been a pleasure meeting you."

"Thank you. You too, Margerie."

As I walked back to the dining area to join the others, I thought about what Margerie said, and what had happened to me the other night. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about Mephala… but she did promise to help with Enmon. I stopped walking as I realized what had happened, deciding to make a quick detour to visit my tent and put the talisman safely away in my bag. If I ever wanted a Daedric Prince to meddle in my life, this was a perfectly good time.