Winds of Change
Even from afar, Felwinter could see scorch marks that lined the entrance to Raven Rock. Between him and the town were Ash Spawn, lumbering towards the gates. They were few but they were moving with purpose again. Another problem for another time.
"Thane?!" Argis called over the pounding of hooves. Felwinter looked back at his housecarls. They waited on his word but their weapons were already drawn; there was no need to say anything else.
Felwinter did anyway, just for the thrill. Zazikel appeared in his hand. "Run them down!" He roared, spurring Arvak to ride even harder. He struck the closest across the neck, severing its arm at the shoulder, leaving Lydia to strike off its head.
Veleth had seen their approach from the top of the wall and had ordered the gate open. Felwinter slid off Arvak, Veleth helping him come to a stop as the horse returned to the Cairn. "Felwinter-"
"No time. Send a few guards to take out the rest," he pointed to the Ash Spawn that remained. He could see the rest of the Redoran guard gathering, so he spoke to them all. "The rest of you, line up at the center of town!" He started towards the Earth Stone, taking note of how much further its influence had spread again. Almost past the central well, far past Severin Manor. Past the smithy. Glover wasn't there. His hard walk became a run. Lydia helped the Captain organize his men at the very edge of the Stone's influence while Argis led the guard in finishing the rest of the undead outside their gates.
"Weapons sheathed!" He heard Lydia shout. "Shields on the ground. We need hands free!"
"You heard her!" Veleth followed, "Do as you're told! I want all hands empty!"
Felwinter stopped before the Stone, the ancient carved effigy looming high above his head. Sand shifted with the footsteps around him. Muttering voices droned into the air like the buzzing of carrion flies. He closed his mind to it all. To the putrid magic wafting off the Earth Stone. To the palpable tension from the last of Raven Rock's people behind him. He took a deep breath to steady his heart. He took another.
"Su'um Ahrk Morah," thundered gently the old dragon.
"Breath and Focus," intoned the hooded old man.
Felwinter opened eyes he did not know had been closed. Then, he Shouted. "GOL."
Golden light splashed against the stone face, the force of it shaking the ground beneath his feet. Before the echo had even begun to fade, he could hear Lydia ordering the Redoran guard to advance; move in and begin getting as many people away from the Earth Stone as they could. People who had gone stock still, tools hanging in midair or dropped from hands, eyes wide and unblinking as the Earth Stone's hold on them withered and loosened.
Felwinter didn't look back to see if the guard had overcome their fear and obeyed, though he heard the running footsteps of some. He wove his way through the stunned townsfolk, drawing barrier sigils around the Stone. Too rushed to have any significant effect but with luck, they would slow what was coming next. Redoran guards were on top of those who had just been freed, shaking them from their various stupors and even yanking them off their feet, anything to get them from the Earth Stone while they had the chance. Felwinter had barely managed to place the last sigil when the black murky pond at the base seemed to sink in on itself.
A long, sinewy arm broke the surface of the and the guardian Daedra began to pull itself out of the pond. The sight of it was enough to rattle everyone nearby, including those who were still lost in a daze. Felwinter reached out to grab one young man by the arm. With a heave, he threw him out of the radius before casting the final part of the spell. The lunging, webbed hand was stopped just inches from his head, a shimmering wall of light repelling the limb with the force with which it had been struck. Felwinter barked orders at the Redoran guards, especially at those stunned by the sight of the Daedra. "Forget the monster. Get these people to safety! Now!" The Daedra slammed against the barrier and Felwinter couldn't help but wince. He shook it off quickly, lifting an old Dunmer woman into his arms and carrying her as far as he could down the hill. Searching for someone who could take her, a hand on his shoulder stole his attention. Glover came around him and took the woman from his arms, offering nothing but a determined, if not rattled look and a sharp nod of the head. Felwinter had no time to dwell when the barrier was struck again, harder this time. He turned to see the light of it flickering and between him and it was Argis. He was running, a young woman's arm in his grip. Felwinter only had time to let loose a curse.
The Daedra reared back and fell forward. The barrier shattered and fell. The ice magic Felwinter had managed to infuse into the last rune released a burst of frigid cold. It slowed the Daedra but not enough. Not enough for Argis to get clear. Not enough for Felwinter to reach them, even if he was already running.
"FUS ROH DAH." The wave of force flew over the heads of Argis and the woman. It caught the Daedra in the upper chest, sent it stumbling backwards until it was teetering on the edge of the cliff that overlooked the beach below. Felwinter ran harder, Lydia on his heels while Argis simply hefted the woman up and ran with her on his shoulder. Upon righting itself and noticing them, the monster lashed out with tentacles from both its massive arms. Timing it the best he could, Felwinter called on the Beast within just enough to make use of its strength and reflexes. He caught the tentacle and held it in place, knowing within moments that he would not be able to keep this up for long.
Lydia sunk Chillrend into the restrained appendage before Felwinter could begin to figure out what to do next. The shock and pain of it, the magic coursing through the blade caused the Daedra to shriek. It began to thrash in Felwinter's grip, one he could feel slipping even quicker now.
Too quickly. Lydia ripped out her sword and at the same time, the Daedra was able to wrench the tentacle free with one final pull. It swung that same injured tentacle around and caught Lydia across the chest. The breath could be heard leaving her lungs as she was lifted clean off her feet, Chillrend spiraling into the brush. Argis had returned just in time, dropping his own weapon and holding his arms out to break the worst of her fall. The Daedra was already running for the both of them, closing in before they could even begin to get back on their feet.
"WULD NAH KEST." Felwinter's body propelled across the field, throwing waves of sand and dust into the air. Zazikel was thrust hilt-deep into the back of the monster's leg, the force of it hard enough to break through bone; swordpoint pushing through the front of its knee. The Daedra stumbled and tripped over its gushing limb. Felwinter pulled out a length of rope he had taken from a longer piece holding the constructs together and with a running jump, he landed on its back and wrapped it around the Daedra's throat. With all his strength, he yanked back, forcing the Daedra to reel with him. Felwinter struggled to find purchase on its slick back, forcing him to use nothing but the strength of his arms to keep hold as the monster tried to buck him off. Even down a leg, its strength was so much greater than his. He was painfully aware of the strain on the joints between his lower and upper arms, between his upper arms and his shoulders, between his shoulders and his back even. As if with one great thrash, the Daedra could break him apart piece by piece.
Suddenly, its body bucked beneath him again, this time folding inwards. From there, its movements seemed to slow to the point of stillness. Ignoring the pain, Felwinter managed to look over the monster's shoulder. Beneath it, he found Veleth, his sword buried in its stomach.
Silence fell over them. Felwinter could feel the Daedra's body faltering beneath him, hear its raspy breaths beginning to slow. Veleth's hard face was slick with black blood, his arms trembling with effort and anger as he held the sword there. Felwinter's grip on the rope began to slacken.
When he felt the shoulder to his right begin to flex again, he realized his mistake. Faster than they could respond, the Daedra's left hand swatted Veleth away, his sword tearing from its belly in a spray of gore. And before Felwinter could react to even that, he felt long fingers wrap around his torso. Now, with its right hand, the Daedra grabbed at him, pulled him bodily over its head.
A Shout flew from Felwinter's lips before he could be dashed against the ground; one that cracked through the air like thunder and struck the Daedra with the force of a hurricane. It went flying back up the hill, the wound in its gut tearing even further open.
Felwinter hit the ground and rolled back onto his feet, ignoring the pain ripping through the rest of his body now. He swiped blood from an open wound along his forehead that was gushing into his eye but not solely to clean it. He focused on the power in the blood, his own life force staining his armored hand and blinding his eye and drew on it, focusing it into one open palm until it began to glow a sharp violet.
He reared back and with as much strength as he could muster, he threw the bolt of lightning, straight and piercing as a spear. It plunged into the Daedra's open belly and burst out its back, an explosion of black blood and steaming burnt viscera coating the grass behind it. The Daedra's body fell back and hit the ground, seizing, convulsing across it for a few seconds more before finally going dead still, its long tongue lolling out across the ground.
The adrenaline wore off much more quickly than he would have liked. Every pain, every concern he had came rushing back all at once. Felwinter tried to turn and felt himself stumble, coming down to his knee to keep from tipping over and cracking his head against the sharp rocks. Still, he forced himself to call out, "Argis? Lydia? Veleth?" His voice was rough, throat desperate for water. Those were his orders after a hard fight. If he couldn't see them, he'd call their names and they would say something, anything to let him know that they were alive. If it came in the form of curses or groans, that was just fine too.
Crunching sand was what got his attention. Before he could turn his stiff neck, he felt two sets of hands move under his arms and help him to his feet. Despite everything, he chuckled slightly. "In hindsight, hitting every stone on the island in one day wasn't the best idea."
"You have had worse ones, Thane," Lydia reminded him as she helped him down the hill, though she was limping herself.
"Better ones too," Argis grumbled from his other side. Felwinter could feel something slick and warm where his arm was over his neck. He didn't need to look to know he was bleeding. He let them help him along a few more steps before he had them stop. His eyes had turned upward, turned to the large crowd that was gathering at the town center. The Stone's captives, their friends, their families, they all just stood there, shock and awe painted across every face. Some guards had pulled off their helmets, letting them fall to the ground. Some people were holding onto loved ones, arms trembling but grips solid. So rigid did the people of Raven Rock stand, it wasn't a surprise when someone emerged from the front. First Councilor Morvayn looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept in years within the few days Felwinter had been gone.
He did what no other dared to do and approached. With one hesitant but strong step in front of the other, he climbed the hill. Towards the dead Daedra, towards the Earth Stone, towards Felwinter. Felwinter removed his arms from Lydia and Argis' hold, ensuring he could stand on his own two feet. Morvayn walked past him, albeit, only by a few steps. Black smoke drifted from the killing blow on the Daedra. When the wind picked up, the smell of rotting meat wafted into nearly every nose.
"It'll disappear soon." Morvayn turned when Felwinter spoke. Felwinter's bloodied mouth twisted into a small grin. "You don't have to worry about cleaning up."
Morvayn huffed something akin to a laugh through his nose. A hand came up to rub his bearded mouth. He started back down the hill, this time, towards Felwinter. Felwinter straightened himself out, offering his arm.
Morvayn grabbed hold of it and dragged him in, using surprising strength to pull Felwinter into a deep embrace.
"Thank you." Morvayn took him by the shoulders and held him back, looking into his eyes. "I thought…for a moment, I nearly…" His jaw was tight. He let loose a shaking sigh. "Doesn't matter. Thank you, Felwinter Drakon, brave warriors all," he said, looking at his housecarls. "I will never forget this."
Felwinter opened his mouth to speak but could not find any words that he felt needed saying. So he closed it and offered nothing more than a genuine smile.
The crowd that had gathered never completely dispersed after the battle. While many ducked into their homes to speak in private with those they thought lost to them, they would return, some bearing drinks and an overwhelming desire to celebrate. The presence of drinks led to food, which led to more drinks and so on. A parasite had been ripped from the body of their people and within hours, they were regaining their strength, their life. That night, Raven Rock celebrated and Felwinter had the honor of seeing what the place looked like at its best; a far cry from the sight that had greeted him when he first stepped onto their docks.
The honor was not always a pleasure. Felwinter had to crawl his way through the people, unable to pass a single one without being offered profuse amounts of gratitude; most often in the forms of hails and vigorous handshakes, tearful hugs and gifts he felt obliged to turn down. It warmed him to see the people of this town happy and somewhat safe again but he could not deny he was tired. Every little part of him ached and the expenditure of magicka left him light-headed.
Still, he remained a part of the festivities, though separate from the rest. After obtaining a drink of his own and a meal, both insistently free of charge, he retreated to the second floor of Raven Rock's inn. It was open to the outside and looked over the rest of the town. Per the owner's wishes, it had been closed for the night, but in Felwinter's case, he felt charitable. So Felwinter nursed the meal while taking in the processions below. Lydia had received nearly a hundred septims worth of food within an hour and Argis was with the Redoran guard, having his mug filled and refilled every time it went empty. An East Empire saleswoman even broke out a casket of aged Nordic mead for the both of them, for it was that woman's daughter Argis had risked himself to carry to safety.
They had been at his side as he traversed the island, cleansing each stone before returning to Raven Rock. He knew he was running them ragged; he was running himself ragged as well but not a single complaint had fallen from their lips the entire time. He would have stopped if they asked and he believed they knew it to be true but they never did ask. They saw the suffering of the Skaal, of Raven Rock. They wanted to see the people freed as much as he did; the good people they were, Lydia and Argis. Jordis and Gregor as well. So tonight, he wanted them to eat and drink as much as they wanted to. After, he wanted them to sleep as much as they needed; with company, even, if that was how they felt. It was rest more than earned. But for himself, however…
"It is not necessary that you go by yourself." Breezehome was asleep and Moth's voice was hushed. Felwinter heard him just fine.
Felwinter paused to drink from a bowl of something savory. "They've earned their rest."
"As have you."
He scoffed. "Don't need to tell me. But…I feel I should do this now."
"Why now?"
"While things are quiet," Felwinter murmured, slouching in his seat. His eyes flicked over to the Earth Stone, dark and imposing in the distance. Closer to the town, he saw the familiar shaved head of another Breton, breaking away from the crowd and quietly retreating into his home at the smithy. "May not get another chance after the Moot."
"All this for an old man you barely know," Moth grunted. "You're growing soft."
"Is that a fat joke?"
"I don't make jokes." Moth's gruff tone was undermined by the smile Felwinter could hear beneath it. He could hear it fade just as well. "Watch yourself, Felwinter," Moth told him, "Understand?"
"Love you too, big man." The connection ended and Felwinter felt the pendant grow cold against his chest. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, lamenting how much strength even that took. He made a mental note to check their supply of stamina potions before he set out once again.
—
Felwinter hissed out a curse when the sunlight hit his eyes; it was barely over the horizon. The pain in his back, his head and every other part of his body was enough that he considered postponing his plans for another day. He pushed on anyway, out further into the dawn.
Yesterday, he had never seen the town so alive and today, he had never seen it so much the opposite; quiet and at genuine peace. Even the guards were permitted a break; he took note of only a few roaming the streets. Amused, he wondered if they only felt so relaxed because he was here. Diverting from his original destination, he walked the other way, towards the town gates. He could see they were closed from afar and once he got near enough, he could see no Ash Spawn in the distance. Genuine peace, indeed.
Felwinter turned away from the gate, reminded again of what he needed to do now and all he needed to do after. This was a victory but the war was still ahead. He needed to get back to Skyrim, talk to the Greybeards, be part of the Moot, ensure the coronation goes off without a hitch. It was a long time coming but no one could ever say he didn't keep his promises. Except for those whose promises he did not keep. He started for the closed and condemned Raven Rock mine.
He didn't make it far. The door to a modest-sized home just off to his right was pulled open. Not entirely but just enough for a tall man to be shoved halfway through. His head remained inside, speaking to someone else in hurried whispers before that head was shoved out by a delicate hand and the door was sealed in his face. Disheveled, Veleth stumbled back from the door, hiking his pants, fastening his belt and grinning like a fool.
As soon as he turned, his eyes landed on Felwinter, standing barely ten feet away, making it clear he had seen the entire procession. The smile dropped while at the same time, one crawled its way up Felwinter's face. Veleth put a finger up and growled, "Not one word."
Felwinter nodded slightly. "As you say." Veleth's eyes narrowed but he fell in step beside him. After a few seconds, Felwinter took the chance to elbow him in the ribs. "You fucking stallion, you."
Veleth groaned. When Felwinter pulled out his flask and raised it in a toast, he groaned louder. "To reminding our partners why they bother to keep us around."
Veleth glowered at him as he took a pull and held it out. But then, he snorted and accepted. "Aye, I'll drink to that." He did so and gave it back. "What's got you awake so early?"
"Heading into the mines. Old man asked me to."
"Crescius?" Veleth groaned, "Damn it. Felwinter-"
Felwinter put his hand up. "I'm going." His tone was light but left no room for argument.
"Fine but it doesn't have to be right now, does it? Especially after yesterday." Despite his protests, he still accompanied Felwinter to the edge of the town. The mine stood atop a small hill, its entrance sealed by an old wooden door.
"Might not get another chance," Felwinter said, "I'm only telling you so you can tell the others when they ask."
Veleth gaped. "You're going alone?"
"Yes and no, if that makes sense."
"It doesn't." Veleth cringed as Felwinter kicked the door in, old wood shattering with ease. "Your people, they seem like the loyal types."
"They are. I'm fully aware Lydia will tear into me after this." Felwinter conjured a wisp of light and let it hang over his shoulder. Then, he crossed the threshold.
"You're sure about this?"
"Bit late, isn't it?"
Veleth sighed. "Good luck, then, friend."
"Don't need it."
"Well, have it anyway."
Static in the air was the only warning he received. He ducked behind an old stone effigy just as a blast of lightning shot through the air. The bolt struck the wall before him, showering him in smoking pieces of rock blasted off by the impact. The Dragon Priest screamed in fury. Felwinter could feel it preparing another one.
Of the many things he had expected to find haunting the mine, a Dragon Priest had not been among them. He had killed all the others in Skyrim and neither Storn nor Hermaeus Mora had ever made mention of them. A blast of magic was thrown at him again and he could feel the stone pillar he was using as cover shake from the impact.
This one wasn't like those he had fought before. It was stronger, clearly, but there was more thought to its attacks. It favored lightning over all other elements and knew to use the groundwater pooled around their feet to its advantage, restricting where Felwinter could move.
Another lightning strike. The top half of the effigy cracked and fell; there was no more time to think. Felwinter slammed his hand to the ground and called forth two Flame Atronachs. Untethered to the ground, they'd be able to move more freely than he could. He set them on the Priest. Their fire would do little but distract but that was what Felwinter needed. He decided against using his dwindling reserves to heal himself. He was no stranger to fighting through pain.
When the sound of the Priest moving away to chase an Atronach reached his ears, Felwinter broke from his cover. From his palms, he let loose a gout of flames towards the largest pooling of water he could find, creating a thick cloud of steam. He saw one of his summons get blown to pieces just before everything was lost in the mist. Felwinter silently commanded the remaining Atronach to fall back into the cloud, to hide from the Priest.
Its assault ceased and its movements slowed. The revenant's head slowly turned back and forth, glowing eyes searching the steam, snapping towards the intermittent sounds of footsteps and the splashing of water.
After a few moments of stillness, the next splash of water had it charging forward with blinding speed, gnarled hand extended and a blade of concentrated lightning magic projecting from its fingers. It crossed the expanse within moments, mist flying apart in its wake. That blade pierced something solid and sank deep.
Felwinter twisted from around his Atronach's dying body and drove Dawnbreaker into the Dragon Priest's chest. Its head fell, burning eyes coming to him. The magic in the sword stunned the undead creature but not for long. It released a shockwave from its body, one that sent Felwinter flying. He kept his grip on the sword, rolling to his feet, feeling the stone ground scraping the back of his head. He twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding a spear of lightning from taking him dead center in the face and using that momentum, Felwinter threw Dawnbreaker as hard as he could. The blade whistled as it spiraled through the air, burying itself right in the center of the creature's shoulder.
Felwinter reached out again, used his mind to grab hold of the blade and call it back as he had done countless times before. His arm flexed, his arm ached and Felwinter felt a strange feeling develop in the pit of his stomach. Concern about his powers going awry, distrust at this new sensation but overriding it all was this desire to clamp down and pull with all his might, regardless of the consequences.
So he did.
In one instant, the Dragon Priest was across the burial room. Within the next, it stood right before him, Dawnbreaker's hilt grasped in his hand. Felwinter shook the haze from his mind, took the sword in both hands and with all his strength, brought it down, cutting from shoulder to waist.
Both pieces of the Priest dissolved to dust before either could hit the ground. Only the mask it wore remained, a gruesome thing that appeared to be carved out of old bleached bone. Not caring for the water or the dust, Felwinter dropped to sit on the ground beside the mask, all the strength finally leaving his body. He sent his armor away and looked at his right arm, at the Daedric tattoos inscribed into the dark skin. They were still shimmering and his muscles were still tight but it soon returned to normal. "What the fuck…" He muttered to himself, trying to shake the discomfort from his arm.
After a few minutes, he used Dawnbreaker to help himself back to his feet. He brought the mask with him. He turned it, and found letters inscribed on the back. "Zahkriisos", which he instinctively translated to "Sword-Blood". He turned it back around to study its features. Unlike the rounded masks of Skyrim's Priests, these had pointed corners sticking out from all over its head except for the very bottom. At the bottom was what looked like a long beard; a beard designed out of tentacles. He cursed, exhausted all over again. He tucked the thing away and turned back towards where he had come in.
A wall of solid stone met his eyes. Felwinter blinked once, twice but what he saw before him never faded. Instead, it changed. The blank wall of stone had developed familiar artistic carvings, those at its base most recognizable. After the second blink, a pillar had appeared between him and the Word Wall.
Atop the pillar sat a Black Book.
Felwinter stumbled back before he caught himself. "Mora?!" He shouted into the air, "What is the meaning of this?" No response. He gestured to the open tomb that once held the Priest. "The Dragon Priest? Who was he?"
Nothing. The Prince saw fit to answer his shouting with silence. Grumbling, Felwinter limped over to the Black Book. "So what, I guess this is for me then?"He reached out, possessing half a mind to toss it into the nearest pool of water and find a different way out.
It disappeared from beneath his fingers as soon as they grazed the leather covering. A sensation went through his mind, like a passing scent. One filled with warning, slight amusement and most of all, knowledge that the Book would be available to him should he call on it, just like the first.
The way out had returned and Felwinter didn't have the strength in him to question it. Before he knew it, they had dragged him back to the mine's entrance, streams of sunlight breaking through gaps in the old wood. He pressed his palm against the door to push it open only to have it suddenly ripped away from beneath him.
He met Lydia's eyes, which widened at the sight of him. When shock faded and Felwinter found his voice again, he forced a weak chuckle, his hands coming up placatingly. "Lydia. You, uh, sleep well?"
Her eyes narrowed, her lips curled. Never so much did Felwinter miss facing a Dragon Priest.
While Argis went to fetch a healer, Lydia helped him to the first Councilor's home, as he had things to say that they needed to hear. She had things to say as well and she hadn't even gotten through a third of them before they reached their destination. Argis returned quickly, the Captain and Second Councilor in tow. While the healer worked, Felwinter told them why the mine had been condemned and a few of the things that he found there. The healer moved quickly, wrapping new wounds and old ones worsened by the recent exertions. It wasn't until he left, with Felwinter's gratitude and Morvayn's coin for his services, did he start to speak about the Dragon Priest, Zahkriisos, the Word Wall and the Black Book.
"These books permit you to communicate with Hermaus Mora, yes?" Arano asked.
"Not by choice." Felwinter sat up to breathe better.
"And it just appeared?"
"Just appeared. Mora didn't have anything to say, which was surprising."
"And the Word Wall, Thane?" Argis sat down beside him, "What did you learn?"
Felwinter opened his mouth but stopped. "I…don't remember," he admitted, "I don't even remember reading it but it's there, in the back of my mind. Somehow. I just can't seem to call it forward." He rubbed his beard, "What I do know is that it's related to the Shout I used to cleanse the Stones."
Morvayn, Arano and Veleth all perked up at that. "There are more words?" Morvayn asked.
It was Lydia who replied, from her place against the back wall. "Each Shout requires three words to be learned and mastered to reach its full potential. This is unexpected but not very surprising."
"One of the first Shouts I learned, Unrelenting Force, follows the same scheme," Felwinter explained, "One word could stagger you. Two words could knock you over and three words usually sends people into the air."
"So the Shout you used was only one word, which means it was at its weakest." Councilor Arano began to pace before the hearth, "What does this mean for the Stones?"
"I don't-"
"Could this freedom we've finally obtained for our people be temporary?" His pacing began to increase in speed.
"Any victory in this situation is temporary until Miraak is dead," Morvayn interjected, keeping his eyes on Felwinter. To him, he asked, "Do you need to speak to Storn again?"
"About this Shout?" He shook his head. "No. I need to get back to Skyrim. Speak to the Greybeards. Though, not just yet." Felwinter gestured for Argis to hand him his pack, from which he produced the mask. He held it out to Morvayn though it was Veleth who took it first. "Zahkriisos. Have you ever heard the name mentioned in any part of Solstheim's history? Any of you?" Soft denials came as the mask was passed between the three of them.
"If I might interject…" A voice pulled all six pairs of eyes towards the stairs, set into the wall on the far side of the house. Standing there was someone Felwinter had never seen before. A Dunmer woman with even blue skin, dark hair, cool red eyes and a deep scar tracing down her left cheek.
Morvayn stood as she came down the rest of the stairway. Felwinter pulled on a shirt as quickly as his injuries would allow and stood as well. He didn't need to know her name; her bearing and the scar on her face, too visible to be old, told him what he needed to know. He put a hand to his stomach and bowed his head. She returned the gesture with a nod and a slight smile.
"Friends, my wife, Dileni." Morvayn reached out, took her hand and guided her to take his seat. Veleth saluted with his fist to his chest and Arano lowered his head in respect.
"Forgive my intrusion," she said, smoothing out her clothing.
"This is your home, my lady. There's nothing to forgive." Felwinter lowered back into his chair.
She smiled again. "First, while our Councilors and Captain have expressed their gratitude, I would personally like to give you mine. You have truly gone above and beyond not just for my home but for my family." She reached up to gently take her husband's hand, which rested on her shoulder. "So I would like to offer this; I have not heard the name you speak but if they have had a presence of any significance on this island, one of our greater libraries may know more. In Ald Chimeris, perhaps."
"Ald Chimeris?" Felwinter asked, the name familiar.
"Our name for Blacklight," Arano explained. He began pacing again. "The Stones have lost their power, or much of it, at least. It could be safe to send correspondence. We could contact the capitol. I could pen a letter to my wife."
"I have friends and colleagues there," Dileni added, "I can ask them for information as well."
"As soon as you both can," Morvayn said, "Do we have any more immediate options?"
"Just one." Felwinter stood again, "I think it's time I paid a certain wizard a visit."
"Neloth?" Dileni nodded. "Yes. He has also studied this island's history, especially in regards to the strange magics present here."
Morvayn exhaled through his nose. "When can you depart, Felwinter?"
"To-?" Felwinter stopped. He twisted to look back at his housecarls, both of whom were now openly glaring at him. He turned back, slightly cowed. "Day after tomorrow."
"Until then?"
He reached into his pack again, fishing for something. "Heal up. Maybe let Crescius and the town hear the good news." He pulled out something small, slender and black and held it to Veleth.
Veleth needed only one look. "Ebony. From the mine?"
Felwinter stood. "I hope you have miners. They've got a lot of work ahead of them."