The College of Winterhold had been a disappointment to her so far, not so much the building itself, but the mages in charge. First, there had been that bloody Thalmor Ancano, so-called advisor to the Arch-mage, whom they let parade around. At least, Master Wizard Mirabelle Ervine didn’t seem all that thrilled by the Thalmor’s presence any more than she did. Second, the senior mages treated their new apprentices as if they lacked all knowledge of magicka or were idiots or both. Solena had learned the Lesser Warding spell Tolfdir had asked her to help demonstrate to the other new students when she had been ten years old from the mage tutor her parents had hired for her when her high aptitude for magicka had shown itself. Finally, there had been the fact that Tolfdir had not seemed all that concerned that she was only a new apprentice, and he had sent her into a dangerous delve. Now, Urag gro-Shub, the College Librarian and Scholar, wanted to send her on a hunt after someone who had stolen one of their precious books!
Honestly, why had they not warded the book or kept a better watch over it if it was so important?
She sighed, saying that she would look into it when she could, but thankfully, for now, she was on leave from the College, and she was eager to meet back with her friend Maja.
Solena packed up her belongings from the room they had let her use as a new apprentice and changed into her older, warmer gear. Pulling the warm cloak Maja had given her upon their first meeting, she looked forward to reuniting with her friend, and hopefully, they would soon be on their way to Solitude by the road.
She lowered her head and tucked her Adept Hood closed around her fair, freckled cheeks and chin as she left the magical warmth of the College. Sol felt the cold, bolstering evening wind of Winterhold that made flurries dance a lively jig.
Her booted feet lightly crunched in the deep snow as she made her way to her meeting point with Maja, The Frozen Hearth. It was a far cry from The Bannered Mare or The Winking Skeever in Solitude. Still, at the moment, she preferred a warm, natural central hearth and ordinary, though somewhat surly people, over the company of the many mages of the College.
Honestly, why had they not warded the book or kept a better watch over it if it was so important?
She sighed, saying that she would look into it when she could, but thankfully, for now, she was on leave from the College, and she was eager to meet back with her friend Maja.
Solena packed up her belongings from the room they had let her use as a new apprentice and changed into her older, warmer gear. Pulling the warm cloak Maja had given her upon their first meeting, she looked forward to reuniting with her friend, and hopefully, they would soon be on their way to Solitude by the road.
She lowered her head and tucked her Adept Hood closed around her fair, freckled cheeks and chin as she left the magical warmth of the College. Sol felt the cold, bolstering evening wind of Winterhold that made flurries dance a lively jig.
Her booted feet lightly crunched in the deep snow as she made her way to her meeting point with Maja, The Frozen Hearth. It was a far cry from The Bannered Mare or The Winking Skeever in Solitude. Still, at the moment, she preferred a warm, natural central hearth and ordinary, though somewhat surly people, over the company of the many mages of the College.
Thankfully, The Frozen Hearth didn’t exactly live up to its namesake. The central open hearth gave off some warmth and dim illumination to the otherwise poorly lit inn. After delivering some sabre cat pelts and large fanged teeth to Birna, Majlenka had brought the rabbits she had caught to Dagur so he would have some decent meat to cook with. She knew few would risk some wrath by cooking up chickens, but she wondered how the blasted bird survived the bone-numbing cold here.
Maja had ordered two rabbit stews from Dugur, since she knew her friends would appreciate a hearty meal before they set out for the long ride to Solitude on their mounts. Though there wasn’t a proper stable here, Jarl Korir had to agree to have one of his guards look after their horses for a fee that the two women would pay. It had been a good thing neither she nor Solena had mentioned the young Breton mage's business with the College, considering the Jarl’s and most people’s view of it in Winterhold.
She sat with her back turned away from the table to keep her eyes on the door in order not to miss Solena when she entered. With a hard push that let in the blustering wind and some swirling snow, Maja spotted the slender-framed figure of the smaller Breton woman, covered head to toe, with as little skin exposed as possible.
Maja stood to wave her friend over to her table, further back to afford them some intimacy as they talked, but still be able to feel the warmth of the central fire. The taller Nord woman waited a few minutes until her friend warmed her hands and peeled off her gloves, then lowered a new leather and fur-trimmed hood.
Dugur soon brought them their rabbit stew, and Maya paid him an extra Septim, knowing that very few customers came unless they were from the poorer local population or those seeking to become a member of the College, such as Solena had.
“So did you find what you had hoped for?” Maja finally asked her when she was certain that at least the few human patrons of the inn were too far away to overhear them.
Maja had ordered two rabbit stews from Dugur, since she knew her friends would appreciate a hearty meal before they set out for the long ride to Solitude on their mounts. Though there wasn’t a proper stable here, Jarl Korir had to agree to have one of his guards look after their horses for a fee that the two women would pay. It had been a good thing neither she nor Solena had mentioned the young Breton mage's business with the College, considering the Jarl’s and most people’s view of it in Winterhold.
She sat with her back turned away from the table to keep her eyes on the door in order not to miss Solena when she entered. With a hard push that let in the blustering wind and some swirling snow, Maja spotted the slender-framed figure of the smaller Breton woman, covered head to toe, with as little skin exposed as possible.
Maja stood to wave her friend over to her table, further back to afford them some intimacy as they talked, but still be able to feel the warmth of the central fire. The taller Nord woman waited a few minutes until her friend warmed her hands and peeled off her gloves, then lowered a new leather and fur-trimmed hood.
Dugur soon brought them their rabbit stew, and Maya paid him an extra Septim, knowing that very few customers came unless they were from the poorer local population or those seeking to become a member of the College, such as Solena had.
“So did you find what you had hoped for?” Maja finally asked her when she was certain that at least the few human patrons of the inn were too far away to overhear them.
She had kept her hood on as she placed her thick leather and fur gloves on the table next to her plate of warm rabbit stew and shook her head. "No, not really, though practice never hurts.” She replied with a quick smile, though she didn't elaborate on what she had been practicing with the people of Winterhold around. She would tell Maja privately that it hadn’t only been spells, but also dodging or disarming dangerous traps in that delve that the mage instructor had sent her and the new acolytes to.
Solena knew she was the chattier of the two of them, but Maja seemed unusually quiet and pensive as well as pale.
Sol reached for her wooden spoon, but paused, and her dark red brows furrowed. "What about yerself?" She asked her tentatively. "Were you successful in your hunt?" She hoped Maja might open up as they ate, and the warmth seeped back into her body and bones.
She blew softly over the stew before she took a mouthful and savoured it before she swallowed. It wasn’t the best, but the meat was fresh and tender and, most important of all, warm.
Solena knew she was the chattier of the two of them, but Maja seemed unusually quiet and pensive as well as pale.
Sol reached for her wooden spoon, but paused, and her dark red brows furrowed. "What about yerself?" She asked her tentatively. "Were you successful in your hunt?" She hoped Maja might open up as they ate, and the warmth seeped back into her body and bones.
She blew softly over the stew before she took a mouthful and savoured it before she swallowed. It wasn’t the best, but the meat was fresh and tender and, most important of all, warm.
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