The next few weeks passed quickly with lectures and lessons and practice. The students went to Saarthal a couple more times, but encountered no more draugrs. It seemed like all the students were looking for some sort of asylum at the college while nurturing their natural inclination and talents for magic.
As a dark elf, Brelyna felt familial pressure to become a stellar mage. She excelled at Conjuration. What she lacked in confidence she made up for in hours of studying. Elara actually enjoyed listening to Brelyna talk about theories of magicka and her deep knowledge of Daedra more than the professors of the College.
J’zargo appeared to be a fairly serious mage who wanted to avoid the politics of the mages schools in Cyrodiil. Elara guessed that the cold weather was a trial for the Khajiit, but his discipline and aloof demeanor did not belie any inner conflict at being in Skyrim. Onmund was the only one who could pull out the real J’zargo underneath his layers of seriousness and self-mockery, especially after a few bottles of sweet mead.
Onmund could actually put anyone at ease, even Colette, the insecure and paranoid instructor of the College’s Restoration School. He was a talented mage with seemingly inexhaustible stores of magicka, practicing for hours in the Hall of Elements.
Elara felt a bit like an imposter, as she was only biding time until she honed enough magic skills to better defend herself in Skyrim. She was grateful for the sword techniques Amren taught her in Whiterun, but she needed more to tackle the dangers lurking throughout Skyrim. So much for my Nordic inheritance, she thought. Odd to have to come to the land of legendary warriors in order to become a better mage.
She knew in her heart that this refuge could not last, and she felt guilty that she was reluctant to leave the warm environment of the College to resume her search for her father in the vast wilderness of Skyrim.
Brelyna, eager to excel at the college asked to try some “safe” spells on Elara. After being turned green and subsequently into several animals, the dark elf apologized to Elara, but thanked her for being a good friend and trusting her. The whole experiment was watched with much amusement and decidedly unhelpful commentary by Onmund and J’zargo, which continued into dinner.
“You know, J’zargo, I was beginning to miss the verdure of southern Skyrim, but Brelyna was so kind to bring a little of that green indoors,” Onmund grinned.
“Ah, yes, and J’zargo was feeling thirsty for a bit of milk, and thought a cow had come into the Hall of Attainment to grant my wish,” J’zargo bared his teeth, a feline smile.
“Brelyna,” Elara began, barely suppressing a grin, “I do not know how much more I can take of this. What about you?”
Brelyna, a serious student who was amiably enduring the teasing, looked at Elara, a bit alarmed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Elara looked down at the chunk of bread in her hand. And she reared her arm back and threw it at Onmund’s forehead. His stunned look made Elara giggle and then a smile spread across his face.
“I think this means war, J’zargo. Let’s see your Khajiiti moves, old friend!”
Elara dodged a hunk of bread, only to get splattered in the head with applesauce. She twirled a grilled leek over her head, which wound itself around J’zargo’s ear. Crumbled eider cheese found its way down the back of Elara’s robe, and in retaliation, a boiled cream tart dripped off the top of Onmund’s hood. A strange rumbling and hissing noise surprised the group initially, but after realizing that the sound was a Khajiit belly laughing, then everyone joined in. Brelyna finally overcame her reserve and piled a scoop of baked potato on her spoon to catapult it at the tall Nord. He ducked, only to have Ancano receive a splash of potatoes in the face.
“What in the name of Zenithar is going on here?” he bellowed.
Elara quickly grabbed the spoon from the frightened Brelyna while Ancano surveyed J’zargo’s matted fur. “It was my fault,” she said and waved the spoon at Ancano.
“You are coming with me to see the Arch Mage immediately. The rest of you are to clean up this, this mess,” he commanded disdainfully.
Elara walked slowly behind Ancano and smiled when she heard Onmund whisper, “Brelyna that was the best shot all night.”
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Elara was not surprised to find her friends waiting for her in her room when she returned from the Arch-Mages Quarters. In fact, as soon as they heard the door open, all three of them poked their heads out of the doorway to make sure it was her.
“Thank you for taking the heat. My family would never forgive me if I was expelled. When do you have to leave?” Brelyna asked despondently.
“Tomorrow, at first light,” Elara replied. “The Arch-Mage is sending me to Dawnstar to investigate reports of all the nightmares that the town has been experiencing. Ancano seemed satisfied, as I imagine he expects I will not make it back. “
“So you were not dismissed?” J’zargo asked.
“It sounds like you are being sent on an adventure instead,” Onmund’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “I should have taken the spoon from Brelyna.”
“No, you do not want Ancano dogging your every move,” Elara sighed. She shooed them from her room. “But as I was leaving, I heard the Arch-Mage ask Ancano if he had baked potatoes for dinner.”
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