Story of a Breton Farm Girl from Cyrodiil, Prologue, part 4

• Posted by Eviltrain June 11, 2012 - 947 views

  Tarerane watched her student, Nephili, walk out of the house on her errands. She turned aside and began to pace the floor, stopped herself and then chose to sit down on the stairs which she had just descended. Breathing in the air, she let out a long sigh, closed her eyes and wondered, What a fortunate misfortune I have found. It seems the Nine Divines have a sense of irony.

  Once, she had been a teacher and the head of the Chorrol branch of the Mage's Guild. Peculiarly gifted of mind, even among her kind, Tarerane had journeyed from Summerset Isle in the spring of the 4th Era 165, some three years prior to the ascension of Titus Mede the 2nd. Upon arriving in the Imperial City, she had joined the Mages Guild to gain access to the Arcane University and the famed Mystic Archives within.

  She had hoped to advance her research on creating a stronger bond between mage and mana during their formative years. Because her research threatened to trample on centuries of tradition, it gained an odd reputation over the years and many of her colleagues and students reacted with little enthusiasm to her efforts. Some even saw her work as a threat to the Mage's Guild and ancient wisdom. In trying to find a place for her research, Tarerane had requested the Arch-mage allow her control over all aspects of the apprenticeship of some of the incoming students, to essentially isolate them and elliminate all of the standard teaching methodologies in favor of her own. Though the Arch-mage was receptive to her efforts, the inner magic council had ultimately denied her request.

  Soon after, the Aldmeri Dominion had declared war against the Empire, creating the greatest strife Tamriel had seen since the Oblivion Crisis. Many of her students left their studies to help defend the Empire against the aggressors. Tarerane continued to further refine her theories, but the wartime conditions and the subsequent forced retirement in the aftermath had left her with little opportunity to continue her work, until now.

  Like herself, the Breton Girl was exceptionally gifted for her kind. The lesson she had been taught as a child by the Old Man was a teaching exercise for novice students, a way to quiet one's own mind in preparation for learning their first spells. It was also the first of three steps needed to properly cast the Calm Spell. The following year, when the Old Man returned to Cropsford, Nephili demonstrated how much she could accomplish with this simple exercise. In doing so, she had inadvertently demonstrated a proof validating the Old Crone's research.

  When the Old Man had brought Nephili to her doorstep, it was as if the Divines had chosen to answer her long forgotten letter by presenting her with a student receptive to the task. Their time together should have been a closely guarded delight for the old woman. Instead, a kind of narrow curriculum had to be devised which focused on quiet, unobtrusive mental exercises followed by a broad reading of Tamrielic history and magical lore. After sufficient evaluation, and not without concern, just one spell had been taught, a flame spell. The student had devoured her lessons asking many questions along the way, accepting the Old Crone's curriculum with the ease of one who was ignorant of dogma. The joy in having such a student made the inherent irony of finding her in retirement, so very cruel.

  And now, she would not be able to see her student progress any further. The Aldmeri had come. They and their Thalmor masters were ruthless in stamping out any hint of insurrection and they did so, as they always claimed, in the name of peace and conciliation. The Officiates arrival in Bruma was therefore, not a coincidence.

  The Old Crone combed over her memories and the plan she had hatched for a moment longer before standing up. I have run out of time and I know what must be done. The Officiate is likely still waiting for the Count given his visit was unannounced, time enough to send word to a former student.

  With a fur now about her shoulders, Tarerane made her way to the back door and out into her small garden that faced the massive outer walls of the city. She would need to circle around to the rear entrance of the guards barracks and from there, into the keep.

  There was still a chance, that the ruse surrounding the Breton Girl's presence in her home could still hold, but it was more likely that it would not. Perhaps it would have been wiser to have acted with less caution and allowed the official channels inside the keep to report the change. But then again, their hope at secreting her presence and allaying the Thalmor's prodigious paranoia had always been improbable from the start.

  There was nothing to be done now except to continue the weaving of this thread before it unraveled completely.

  *     *     *     *

  Nephili had returned from her errands to find the Old Crone weeding her garden. She had just relayed the Khajiit's message to her when a pounding on the front door startled her out of her day.

  "Open up! This is the Guard-Captain. We have business here!"

  She looked straight away at her teacher who had just come back in the house. The Old Crone turned to her student and saw her unspoken fears. With a look of annoyance and then something more thoughtful she spoke to her student. "It seems our Guard-Captain desires entry. Why don't you open the way for him dear?" Nephili walked over to the entry and allowed passage for Guard-Captain Jorundhr Kuld-Horn.

  Guard-Captain Jorundhr entered the premises and stopped to look about while another guard stood outside. Satisfied by what he saw, he turned his attention to the Altmer Mage and spoke. "I've been ordered by the Count to escort the both of you to the Keep. Please come with me."

  Nephili looked upon the intrusion with great anxiety, her fears slowly growing. The Old Crone momentarily closed her eyes then stood to face the big Nord. "Captain, would you please step outside for a moment? I wish to speak with Nephili; we will be with you shortly."

  Jorundhr looked at the Altmer woman and nodded once. "For a moment then."

  Watching the Nord step outside, the Altmer turned to her student and spoke quickly. "Our time grows short. I fear the Thalmor have come to visit in order to call our little bluff but do not fear child; the events to come within the castle will amount to nothing. Practice your breathing exercises, and once you have regained your calm, I would have you stand behind me and act in the manner we have practiced together in public these past months."

  Nephili looked upon her teacher as alarm and surprise danced nervously on her face. She nodded to her teacher.

  "Good. See my face and know that it is Altmer. You have had chance to study it. The one who will question us will not be so dissimilar to me; you will be fine. Once the questions are over, we will come back to this house and afterwards, we will discuss your future. Spend your time inside the keep thinking about what you will make for dinner tonight. Now come with me."

  The two women gathered their furs and followed after the Guard-Captain. Locking the entrance behind them, the group of four headed to the keep and to their waiting audience.

  *     *     *     *

  "A wizard is never late"