X - Mashti Kaushibael

“Do you need anything, sera?” Fen shook her head, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her. She felt a hand rub her shoulder consolingly. “He’ll be all right, dear. He’s inhaled a lot of ash, but he should be fine once he wakes up.” The Healer walked away to another part of the infirmary and Fen lifted her eyes to the bed in front of her where Julan lay, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling gently. She couldn’t shake the image of him wild-eyed on Red Mountain, shoving her away from him.

TES V Announced!

I am sure you have seen this already, but in case you have not: TES V: Skyrim.

New chapter next Saturday :)

IX - Red Mountain

“Let’s see,” Caius said, stumbling over to his lockbox holding Huleeya’s notes and Progress of Truth. “I have your report, and I’ll make copies of these. Give me time to read and digest all this.” He fished in his lockbox and came out with a few drakes, which he tossed across the room to Fen. “In the meantime, I’m promoting you to Journeyman. You’re doing good work. Come back tomorrow and I’ll have new orders for you. Sound good?” Fen nodded and he shooed her out. She started across the river through the darkening twilight towards the Eight Plates, where she had left Julan to go turn in her report.

VIII - Vivec

I apologise for the lateness of this week's chapter. Also please be aware that much of Julan's dialogue was written by Kateri for Julan's mod.

Edwinna reluctantly let Julan sleep in one of the empty rooms in the guildhall that night. He was still asleep the next morning, so Fen went to the Ald Skar Inn alone for breakfast. She had just sat down with her book when she heard a familiar voice.

VII - Julan

Fen spent the following days doing chores for Skink-in-Tree’s-Shade, an Argonian that took up residence in the Mages’ Guild in Sadrith Mora. Edwinna had run out of jobs for her to do shortly after she had delivered the notes to Cosades and had sent her along to the guildhall there. Fen found that she missed going into the Dwemer ruins Edwinna sent her to, but Skink was much kinder than the other stewards she had encountered so far, and put her in no rush for any of the tasks he set her to.

VI - The Nerevarine Cult

“Good work, Fen,” Caius said, taking the notes from her and glancing them over. “Now, these cover the Sixth House admirably, but don’t touch much on the Nerevarine cult.” He folded up the notes and tripped over a boot on his way to store them in his lockbox. “I want you to go talk to this Sharn gra-Muzgob Hasphat mentions. She’s in your guild, you might know her. Get some information about the Nerevarine cult, then come back here. She’ll probably have you do some ridiculous task as well, but just do it.” He dismissed her promptly, and Fen detoured into the Eight Plates for a brief dinner, then over the Mages’ Guild to talk to Sharn gra-Muzgob, as it was only just evening. She had never actually spoken to Sharn, a heavyset Orcish woman with a sullen face and a head of dark braids that looked like snakes, for she always either looked very angry or very busy. Now Fen approached her cautiously where the woman was examining a shelf of potions, looking irritated.

V - Arkngthand

Fenara spent the following weeks traveling to various Dwemer ruins under the instruction of Edwinna Elbert, fetching various artifacts and rare books and plans for her. Her days fell into a pattern, and Fenara found herself growing comfortable with entering the ruins. It was odd, for they were all dark and eerily silent save for the occasional clicking spider, but Fenara found that she felt oddly at home inside them, and she often dwelled as long as she could in the ruins, trying to make sense of the script along the walls and admiring the intricacy of the artifacts she found there.