{"id":2455,"date":"2023-04-27T09:42:02","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T15:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=2455"},"modified":"2023-05-09T11:54:30","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T17:54:30","slug":"chapter-1-prelude","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-3\/part-i-horizons\/chapter-1-prelude\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 1 – Prelude"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

It would have been difficult to say, given the tendency of mer to live a very long time, whether the black-clad Altmer entering the College of Winterhold was old, young, or something in between. What was clear, though, was that he was in a somber state of mind. He barely looked up at the pair of storm atronachs stationed at the entrance to the grounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see we\u2019ve installed atronachs rather than hire men or mer,\u201d the Altmer muttered, stepping past them into the enclosed, circular grounds of the College. \u201cHow very ostentatious.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up at the tallest of the College\u2019s towers and sighed. \u201cArch-Mage, of all things. And now I shall have to go all the way up that tower to see him.\u201d He shook his head and tsk\u2019d. \u201cI honestly don\u2019t know why I am doing this. There\u2019s nothing in it for me.\u201d A man in nondescript mage\u2019s robes but carrying a substantial mace crossed his path, peering at him with a scowl. One side of the mer\u2019s mouth rose in a smirk. His habit of speaking his thoughts aloud, as though she was still by his side, often unsettled others.<\/p>\n

The Altmer took his time with the long climb up. Once or twice he paused on a landing open to the main hall below, making surprised noises of approval. He stopped at the Arcanaeum and gasped as he stepped into the great round room lined from ceiling to floor with filled bookcases. A very old Orc searching through the stacks turned and peered at him, his brows drawn together in a scowl that was impressive even for an Orc.<\/p>\n

The Altmer nodded, and smiled agreeably. He\u2019d seen that expression several times since crossing Skyrim\u2019s border again for the first time in a great many years. People knew him – but it had been so long that they no longer knew why.<\/p>\n

And that was just as well, as far as he was concerned. He didn\u2019t intend to stay.<\/p>\n

From the landing outside the Arch-Mage\u2019s quarters he could see that the space within was far more richly appointed than it had been the last time he saw it, the white glow of a magelight spell suggesting that someone inside was reading. He knocked on the wooden door, open though it was; he had been raised well and didn\u2019t want to presume his welcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome,\u201d a genteel voice called.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, cousin,\u201d the Altmer said, stepping into the opulent quarters and turning to stand before the dark-skinned person seated at a small table against the wall. \u201cOr should I say, Arch-Mage? I suppose I should.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRumaril Jorus,\u201d the Arch-Mage said smoothly, not a hint of the surprise he must have been feeling showing in his expression. He waved toward a seat. \u201cHow long has it been?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA very long time,\u201d Rumaril said, smiling slightly as he seated himself. \u201cDecades, I would imagine, if not more. It\u2019s been that long since I left Skyrim and it was years before that when we last met, Kalaman. I wasn\u2019t in very good standing with most of the Jorus family at that time, so I do appreciate your welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman Jorus nodded and crossed his arms. \u201cDare I ask why you\u2019ve picked this moment to visit? Not that you\u2019re unwelcome, of course. It\u2019s good to see you again. It would, however, seem quite in character for you to have learned of my elevation to Arch-Mage and\u2026\u201d He stopped, clearly pondering his next words. \u201cLet\u2019s see. Two things come to mind. Either you\u2019ve finally decided to heed Uncle\u2019s advice and devote yourself to proper training of what I recall was a rather prodigious natural affinity to conjuration magic, or you\u2019ve squandered your wealth once again and correctly assumed that I have a great deal of it at my disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would have been difficult for a casual observer to imagine that these mer were related. Rumaril had the golden skin and ash-brown hair common to many Altmer, as well as impressively long ears, a straight, sharp, down-pointed noise, and a shorter and somewhat more rounded chin than many others of his race. Kalaman, by contrast, had skin the color of walnut wood with the rich patina of time, his chin startlingly long, sharp and narrow, his nose short and bowed like a hawk\u2019s beak and his ears much shorter than his cousin\u2019s. Even more striking than those features was his wavy, silver hair – a match in shade to his elegant robes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr,\u201d he continued without so much as a flicker of change crossing his expression, \u201cyou\u2019ve heard that some of the College\u2019s new apprentices are quite lovely and have come to – oh, how should I put it – leave your mark?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril frowned for just a moment. \u201cNow that smarts, cousin. Not that. Not for a very long time now.\u201d Then he resumed his cheerful grin. \u201cI am living the life of a wanderer these days. A bachelor. But far be it from me to take exception to anything the Arch-Mage has to say. One angers the most powerful mage in the College at his own peril.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman\u2019s smooth demeanor finally cracked. He snorted derisively, and one corner of his mouth rose just a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cHardly. Obviously, I have some talent. That\u2019s why I was a student here when the unfortunate events of twenty years ago happened – I needed a great deal more training. Not all of us come by it as naturally as you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rumaril grinned, a genuine expression this time. \u201cI thank you. I\u2019ll admit that I\u2019ve worked on improving those skills over time. They\u2019ve come in handy. But what \u201cevents\u201d happened here twenty years ago? We were long gone by then.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Kalaman\u2019s eyebrows rose. \u201cWe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril\u2019s grin vanished. \u201cYes. We. But you were saying?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman paused for a moment and then nodded. \u201cYes. You may have known the Dunmer who was Arch-Mage here for a very long time. Savos Aren.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril nodded. \u201cYes, that sounds familiar. I didn\u2019t spend much time here but I do believe I met him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was killed in an explosion, along with the Master-Wizard, when a Thalmor agent went a bit mad. The mage who dispatched the Thalmor was a Breton – Edwyn Wickham – a minor noble from High Rock, I\u2019ve heard, but more importantly a very<\/em> powerful mage who was named Arch-Mage to replace Aren.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril\u2019s brow furrowed. \u201cI can\u2019t say that I ever heard of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wasn\u2019t here long. I was a mere Scholar at that point so wasn\u2019t privy to all the details, but I\u2019ve heard it said that the man was actually a vampire and died to a fire spell on the upper walkway.\u201d He paused, looking thoughtful. \u201cThere was<\/em> a terrific noise that happened one day. I can only assume it was whatever killed him. At any rate, following Wickham\u2019s death Tolfdir took over as acting Arch-Mage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how did you come into the position, then? Tolfdir is so accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman smiled. \u201cYes, and also very old, and human. You\u2019ll have noticed that a great deal of construction and refurbishing happened since last you were here.\u201d He shrugged. \u201cI am not the strongest mage in the College. Even Urag the archivist is more powerful a mage than I. I would wager that you are, as well. What I am<\/em>, though, is an outstanding paper-pusher. An\u2026 organizer. A bureaucrat of the highest order. And that, cousin, is exactly what the College needed at the moment. I was put in charge of shepherding the rebuilding project and when Tolfdir decided he was no longer up to the task of being Arch-Mage, they elevated me. In all honesty I am well-suited for it and it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t help but notice that things have changed a great deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Kalaman said, rising from his chair. \u201cLet us take in the views from above. I have a rather pleasant, secluded patio above this space. It\u2019s very private.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s, then,\u201d Rumaril agreed. \u201cIt\u2019s a lovely day. And private will be good. I have information to share that a high-level bureaucrat might find useful.\u201d<\/p>\n

They made their way up the final flight of tower stairs onto the highest roof of the College, where Kalaman had indeed installed a lovely open-air living space, the central feature of which was a large, currently dormant, tree. A chimney vented here, leaving the area pleasantly warm. The Arch-Mage showed his cousin around, pointing down to the two towers that had been added to the campus in the past two decades. Then they sat beneath the tree and talked.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Kalaman said after some time, \u201cI sensed more than a little discomfort when you said \u2018we\u2019 were long gone before our unpleasantness here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril grimaced. \u201cYes. I had a\u2026 a partner. Isuniel. She was\u2026 I\u2019m not certain what she was to me, but I haven\u2019t been the same without her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman raised an elegant eyebrow. \u201cI\u2019ve never known you to be overly sentimental toward any particular woman, Rumaril. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril frowned. \u201cYes, it\u2019s easy to make fun of the playboy, isn\u2019t it? Well as I told you, I left that life behind.\u201d He leaned forward in his seat, giving Kalaman an intense stare. \u201cThe truth is, cousin, that it was the Dark Brotherhood that ended her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAssassins?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Rumaril said, pushing back against his chair again. \u201cAnd the worst of it was that we weren\u2019t expecting it at all. We thought we had destroyed them, she and I. When we left them I was convinced they were all dead. I was wrong.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t know what sort of divine intervention took place, but some of them lived, and they did not take kindly to one of their own having killed the others. It\u2019s against the Tenets, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman crossed his arms, perhaps unconsciously curling up into a defensive posture. \u201cI know they survived. Both rumors and reports of assassinations would have it so. But you\u2019re saying this Isuniel was one of them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumaril frowned. \u201cYes. And I\u2026\u201d He trailed off.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n

The golden Altmer nodded. \u201cAgainst my will. Isuniel gave me a choice between joining the organization and dying and I of course wished to continue my own existence. I was not pleased about what I was asked to do. Over time the two of us developed feelings of some sort for each other, and decided to break away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you don\u2019t simply break away from the Dark Brotherhood,\u201d the Arch-Mage murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. And Isuniel paid the price for that.\u201d Rumaril sighed. \u201cI\u2019ve been more or less a nomad since then, cousin. I never stay in one place for very long. I expect there is a price on my head as well, and always will be. And that,\u201d he said, rising from his chair and walking to the edge of the tower, \u201cis what brought me here. I\u2019ve travelled widely and been privy to a great many conversations I probably wasn\u2019t meant to overhear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman rose from his chair and moved to stand beside his cousin. \u201cAnd some one of those has to do with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot you specifically, no. But you as the figurehead of the College? Perhaps. It at least warranted my coming to warn you, as you and your colleagues may be called upon to help preserve Skyrim, sometime in the future. Perhaps not. But I wouldn\u2019t feel right if I didn\u2019t let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop being cryptic, Rumaril. If you have something to share, please share it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rumaril raised an arm and pointed west. \u201cThey\u2019ve had massive flooding west of the mountains lately. People are struggling. There\u2019s the usual unrest – various tribes squabbling amongst themselves – but there\u2019s something else going on, someone or something trying to take advantage of that unrest. I have my suspicions on what parties might be behind it all, but no proof.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Thalmor,\u201d Kalaman said sourly.<\/p>\n

\u201cPossibly, though I saw nothing to confirm that. But that\u2019s not the worst of it. There\u2019s something else brewing out there. I don\u2019t even know what it is, Kalaman, but it felt vaguely magical and very powerful. I don\u2019t mind telling you that it raised the hair on my neck and I\u2019m not one to be rattled easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalaman nodded, slowly. \u201cThat is true. Well, then. I thank you for the warning. I\u2019ll have to see what can be done to gather information.\u201d<\/p>\n

They talked for a bit longer. Then Rumaril Jorus excused himself, not wanting to stay and potentially draw unwarranted fire at the College. He looked down over the wall and cast a spell downward, then flashed a grin at Kalaman and leapt over the side. Kalaman sighed and peered over the edge, in time to see Rumaril cast the same spell from the upper walkway and disappear to some spot below.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kalaman shook his head and chuckled. \u201cDrop Zone. What a showoff.\u201d He stood for some time, gazing toward the direction Rumaril had pointed. Finally he nodded. \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s time for me to come out from behind the ledgers. I won\u2019t feel confident about how we should prepare for the future unless I see things for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brynjolf tucked the last of his clothing into one of the chests in the loft above him and dropped down onto a chair, groaning. It had been a long process, moving up here, but he felt as though he\u2019d made a good decision. This space hadn\u2019t been used for a very long while. What he vaguely remembered was that it had, at first, seemed almost sacrilegious of the Guild to put someone here in Gallus\u2019 old home after his death. They\u2019d arranged for someone to keep it more or less cobweb-free over the years, but it hadn\u2019t been Brynjolf\u2019s job and thus he\u2019d nearly forgotten the place existed. He\u2019d been wending his way out from the workplace in Riftweald Manor\u2019s basement one night several weeks earlier when he\u2019d paused, looked up, and had seen the locked gate that kept squatters out. He thought of it again not long after deciding to leave the family home behind.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cConvenient to the lab, and more importantly not<\/em> Honeyside or Riftvale,\u201d he murmured to himself as he reached into a pocket. \u201cFree of unhappy associations. And speaking of the lab, let\u2019s see how this batch turned out.\u201d<\/p>\n

He downed the contents of the small bottle and felt it hit him almost immediately. It had to be the exhaustion. He\u2019d not slept in some time, and then all those trips up and down stairs carrying loads of weapons and jewels and mementos had taken it out of him. He\u2019d left many things there in the safe room under their Riftvale home – things that had specific, now-painful associations – but there were other things, probably too many, that he\u2019d wanted to have nearby; his body was reminding him that he wasn\u2019t a young man any longer. His eyes began to close, but the skooma wouldn\u2019t let him sleep. It was just as well. He was enjoying it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBryn. Have we not discussed this? Hasn\u2019t everyone involved in the business warned you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf smiled at the sound of the familiar Imperial voice nagging him. This time it sounded almost as though it was coming from the chair opposite him. He knew it wasn\u2019t real, but it always lifted his spirits to be reminded of the presence that had been a part of him for so long now.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, lad, we have discussed it. But I earned it. And this batch is so good. Can\u2019t you tell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I can. And that\u2019s exactly why I\u2019m worried about you, loverboy. I remember what it was like. You remember what it was like, too. I know you do; you were always giving me a hard time about having a habit. This isn\u2019t good for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf found himself chuckling; whether or not it was in his sleep he couldn\u2019t tell, but it didn\u2019t matter. \u201cOh but there\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong, lad. It\u2019s very good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get smart with me, Brynjolf. I know exactly how good it is. You learned your lessons well, and between you and Coyle, you\u2019ve\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t talk about Coyle,\u201d Brynjolf snapped. \u201cI don\u2019t want to think about him. Or her.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a long pause.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNot talking about them won\u2019t change the fact that they\u2019re gone. Or that you let them go in order to protect her. You did a truly noble thing, Bryn. Practically heroic. I know it hurts but drowning your sorrows won\u2019t work now any more than it ever did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up!\u201d Brynjolf growled. \u201cThat\u2019s not what I\u2019m doing, and you know it!\u201d<\/p>\n

He was trying to pry his eyes open, but they wouldn\u2019t cooperate. He was too tired.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep telling yourself that, loverboy. Maybe you\u2019ll convince both of us someday. I don\u2019t believe it for a moment. You\u2019ve never been good at dealing with your emotions. You still aren\u2019t. But I promise you that what you\u2019re doing right now is only going to lead to catastrophe. I\u2019m an expert on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re not even real<\/em>, Andante,\u201d Brynjolf muttered. \u201cWhat a joke the gods have played on me, eh? My bad influence is now nagging me from beyond the grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other presence laughed. \u201cYou never put<\/em> me in a grave, loverboy. I won\u2019t be in one until you are as well. Now try to get us to bed for a few hours, won\u2019t you? This body of yours is exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf rose from the chair, groaning, and felt his way the few feet across the room to the large, empty bed, falling onto it gratefully. He wrestled his boots off and dropped them over the side, but was too near sleep to deal with the rest of his armor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, lad. We\u2019re in bed. Too bad I\u2019m too tired to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShhhh, Bryn. Quiet your mind. Sleep. I\u2019ll be with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few moments later, Brynjolf dropped gratefully into the abyss of unconsciousness.<\/p>\n

The next morning, he reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and into the hot bath that was one of this place\u2019s better features. He could easily have soaked for hours, as sore as he was, but he needed to get down to the marketplace to keep up appearances. It was getting harder to do so with every moon that passed overhead, but it was, in the end, profitable in a number of ways.<\/p>\n

He was eyeing the shoppers and getting ready to load the stall up with the large red flasks that were his stock in trade when a bright voice called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy!\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up and couldn\u2019t help but feel a swell of pride as Qaralana approached. She had new armor, black and gleaming, and was stunning in it. It was almost difficult for him to see her looking like a woman when it felt like just the blink of an eye ago that she\u2019d been making her noisy way into the world, giving him long nights without sleep and all the joy that went along with being a father. And that made him sad again. It was impossible to think about the infant without remembering the mother who had borne her. He did his best to smile, but the look in Qara\u2019s eyes as she neared him said that he had failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, lass,\u201d he said, simply knowing not what else he could say. It was only a matter of time before he was forced to tell her about Sayma\u2019s leaving. He was going to hurt her more than he\u2019d ever imagined doing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I hate this. I don\u2019t want to do this.<\/em><\/p>\n

He tried to stall for time. \u201cDid you and Harald get your errand done?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she said, frowning. \u201cWe had to go see Delphine, Daddy, to tell her that Paarthurnax is dead. That\u2019s where I got my new armor.\u201d She ran her hands down her sides and couldn\u2019t quite suppress a grin of excitement that was, in spite of her status as Dragonborn, still oftentimes the excitement of a child.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf felt as though his heart would break. I don\u2019t want to tell her. I don\u2019t want to do this.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty mad at Harald, though. You would have thought I was wearing an old sack or something. He said I looked like I belong with Dale Perdeti. Well maybe I do. What would Harald know about anything, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shor\u2019s bones, I\u2019d nearly forgotten. Gods, no. That\u2019s a thing that just can\u2019t happen.<\/em><\/p>\n

Qara looked up at him again and he felt her evaluating his appearance. He knew he looked worried and tired. He hoped she\u2019d overlook it.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, you look like death warmed over. You\u2019ve lost weight and you look like you haven\u2019t slept in weeks!\u201d<\/p>\n

Gods, is it really that bad?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI had a good rest just last night, lass. Don\u2019t forget that I\u2019m an old man. I\u2019m bound to look it sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara tsk\u2019d and shook her head. \u201cIt\u2019s not<\/em> that, Daddy. Don\u2019t patronize me. You don\u2019t look old, you look sick. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head, feeling more anxious by the moment and trying hard to call on his years of experience and practice to keep a calm demeanor. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong, lass\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She stomped her foot. \u201cAnd now<\/em> you\u2019re lying to me. I know you better than that, Daddy, and something is wrong. Very wrong. What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head, mutely. I know I was just imagining the voice last night but maybe there\u2019s something to it. Maybe I am sick. Maybe I\u2019m\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy. Pay attention when I\u2019m talking to you. Where\u2019s Mama? I haven\u2019t seen her in, well, forever. I went to the house and nobody was home. Not just that – it was\u2026 empty. No fires in the fireplaces. No fresh bread. No food-cooking smells. And none of your messes. Nobody was there, Daddy. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, my sweet child. I don\u2019t even know how to tell you.<\/em><\/p>\n

He shook his head, and cleared his throat, and opened his mouth to speak but no words would come. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat again. The look of rising panic on Qara\u2019s face made it imperative that he get this over with.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s gone, lass. Sayma – your mother – she\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara stared at him for a moment with a look of confusion. Then she frowned and shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean she\u2019s gone<\/em>? When will she be back?\u201d<\/p>\n

His throat tightened. When he tried to speak again, all he could manage was a whisper.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever, lass. She\u2019s\u2026 gone. That\u2019s all I can tell you. That\u2019s all there is to say. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And then he watched in abject misery as the daughter he loved so much realized that he wasn\u2019t jesting, that her mother truly was never coming back. As the meaning of his words sank in Qara\u2019s mouth dropped open and her eyes welled up, glistening with unshed tears.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d cry, too, but I don\u2019t think I have it in me anymore. There have been too many tears for too long. Her mother will come home, but it won\u2019t be the person she knows. It\u2019ll be Dag.<\/em><\/p>\n

He watched her for a moment, wanting to gather her up into a fatherly hug but not knowing whether she would even accept such a gesture. Then the most remarkable thing happened.<\/p>\n

Qara harrumphed. She folded her arms and looked up at him, defiantly. Her eyes narrowed, and flashed with anger; when she spoke, the words that came from her were hurled like knives being thrown and just as sharp.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had me going for a minute. But I know better. She\u2019s not dead. <\/em>If she were dead you\u2019d tell me, in those words. I\u2019d probably know anyway, even without the words to confirm it. But no, you are telling me just as much as there is to say safely without giving me the whole truth. I know you, Daddy. That\u2019s how you operate.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was about to tell her not to take that attitude with her father when she interrupted him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou<\/em> did this, didn\u2019t you? It\u2019s your fault she\u2019s gone! You fought, and griped, and were jealous and possessive until it drove her away! I know you did! The two of you were always, always fighting, just like Harald\u2019s mother and father!\u201d<\/p>\n

He felt his temper beginning to rise. There was just enough right about what she was saying to be embarrassing. They weren\u2019t<\/em> always fighting, though it might have seemed that way to a child. He couldn\u2019t very well tell her about the Brotherhood. Yet her refusal to see how very much it hurt to have the woman he\u2019d loved so much walk out of his life – again<\/em> – was just too much to take.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow wait just a minute, young lady,\u201d he began.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh don\u2019t give me that. Yes, I\u2019m young. Everyone reminds me of that all the damn time, Daddy. But they haven\u2019t fought four dragons on a mountaintop, have they? I may be young but I see a lot more than you think I see. And you drove her away, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

No. Well maybe. If the first time counts then yes, it was my fault because she was afraid of me. Gods damn it, and gods damn me. But I can\u2019t tell Qara this.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what to tell you, lass.\u201d<\/p>\n

She snorted. \u201cI\u2019ll bet you didn\u2019t even remember to get the message from Chip to Vilkas, did you?\u201d she snapped, catching him completely by surprise with the abrupt change of topic.<\/p>\n

This time he had an answer for her. \u201cYes I did, lass. He wasn\u2019t happy. He doesn\u2019t want to take over. He wants Chip to come back and talk to him face to face.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sneered at him. \u201cWell then that\u2019s all the more reason for you to come to Falskaar with me, Daddy. You know Chip won\u2019t listen to me any more than you do. He will listen to you, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf groaned internally. His son was older than Qara, and quieter, usually, but he had the family stubborn streak. At this point he\u2019s probably stronger than I am, too. I wouldn\u2019t doubt it at all.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t had a chance to think it over, lass,\u201d he said, knowing how ridiculous a statement that was.<\/p>\n

Qara practically snarled. \u201cWe talked about it just before I left, Daddy. It\u2019s not like you would have forgotten so soon. Unless you were too busy arguing with Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time Brynjolf\u2019s temper got the better of him. \u201cThat\u2019s enough! I haven\u2019t made up my mind yet, and that\u2019s all there is to it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Several of the passers-by turned to stare at him; he realized that he\u2019d raised his voice. That was something he tried never to do in public. His business there in the marketplace depended in part on his presentation as a confident, reasonable, persuasive man. Nobody would want to buy an admittedly dubious concoction from an angry person.<\/p>\n

Qara tsk\u2019d. \u201cI\u2019m going home then, Daddy. I\u2019m going to leave for Falskaar tomorrow, and since nobody seems to want to travel with me I\u2019ll go by myself. The ship is docked in Dawnstar.\u201d She turned and stomped off toward the north gate.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf watched her leave, wishing he could turn back time at least far enough to have this morning\u2019s encounter start over.<\/p>\n

Go to Falskaar? But if I do that I\u2019ll be leaving the business alone, and\u2026 <\/em><\/p>\n

He sighed. That was a pitiful attempt at an excuse. Zarashi handled the sales of product out of her den in the Ratway, and he and Coyle had made enough to supply her for months. And if she couldn\u2019t handle it, Delvin certainly could.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re just afraid of what you\u2019ll find there, aren\u2019t you?<\/em><\/p>\n

He jumped, looking around himself in confusion. He was used to his inner voice nagging him but this had sounded almost like the man himself had been right there beside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeeling a bit jumpy today, are we, Brynjolf?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf whirled to face the marketplace again, to find Dale Perdeti standing before him.<\/p>\n

It was him. That was the voice I heard, not his father. I\u2019m losing my mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou surprised me, lad. That\u2019s all. Now tell me, did you need something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps. I\u2019m looking for someone you know. Sayma Sendu. We have business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf had to fight to keep himself from gasping. It\u2019s him? He\u2019s the one who got the contract? Could our lives get any stranger? <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes you think I\u2019d give you any information? Or anyone else, for that matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dale smirked. \u201cGood point. Well, I think it\u2019s possible your delightful daughter Qara might. I\u2019ll leave you to it then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh no you don\u2019t.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWait. She\u2019s gone, lad,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cThe person you were looking for. She\u2019s just gone. You won\u2019t find her, ever.\u201d He couldn\u2019t keep the emotion completely out of his voice as he added, \u201cNeither will I.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dale turned back and stared at him for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and looking as though he was consulting an inner voice of his own. \u201cYou know,\u201d he said quietly after a few moments, \u201cI do believe you\u2019re telling me the truth. Thank the gods. I\u2019m glad, Brynjolf. I\u2019m really glad.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an odd thing for anyone to say, but Brynjolf understood its significance. He simply nodded at Dale and watched him walk away. He picked up one of his red flasks and began calling out his usual sales pitch, its cadences so well-worn into his being that he didn\u2019t even need to think about it as his mind went elsewhere. He won\u2019t ever find Sayma, because she\u2019s gone. And he won\u2019t take Qara, either, because she\u2019ll be gone.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The next morning, when Qaralana stepped out of her cabin, Brynjolf was waiting for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, lass. Take me to Falskaar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Home<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Home Previous \/ Next   It would have been difficult to say, given the tendency of mer to live a very long time, whether the black-clad Altmer entering the College of Winterhold was old, young, or something in between. What was clear, though, was that he was in a somber state of mind. He barely … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Chapter 1 – Prelude”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2451,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2455","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2455"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2495,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2455\/revisions\/2495"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}