Rise of House Sigeweald Book One (Skyrim Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty: And all the World is Football-Shaped

For over ten years, Elspeth had kept the secret of her identity with little discomfort. Xeri had established the story so seamlessly in Bruma that even keeping it from Andil was easy. Arriving in Skyrim had brought weight to the lie but not until that moment had it felt even remotely unbearable. Onmund wasn't making small talk; he was genuinely curious about where she came from. And his face betrayed a kind and trustworthy man, one to whom Elspeth want to reveal all her secrets. Not only that, she believed that Onmund would have loved Frostcraig Village—with the atronach guardians around the perimeter and dremora guarding the entrances to various rooms in the Spire. When she was a little girl, there were mages everywhere and they all loved teaching her spells and enchantments.

One day, when it was not quite so dangerous, she would tell him the truth. But for now she took a deep breath and began her story—and for the first time, the truth pounded in the back of her mind as if begging to be released. "My parents were refugees who fled Cyrodill for the camps in Morrowind at the end of the war." If by refugees you mean exiled champions and by camps you mean an unincorporated village property in the Jerall moutains that has been in my family since the Oblivion Crisis. "I lost my parents when I was ten and that's when Runa and Xeri, two other refugees, brought me to Bruma to study and train." My father died and my mother let his housecarl take me to Bruma to prepare me to fulfill some bizarre vision (the likes of which she never could or never would explain) that she had the night I was born." "Xeri was my mentor—she trained me to fight. She descends from a long line of wise women and warriors from Morrowind." That's actually true. "She pushed me very hard and was sort of...." Elspeth paused for a moment.

"Strict?"

"Well, I was going to say insane, but that works." Elspeth grinned, feeling relieved to be moving to the truthful parts of the story. "Runa is a Nord and Lydia's aunt. If not for me she might have returned to Skyrim, but she stayed because she was terrified of what would happen if she'd left me to be raised by Xeri alone. She was the nurturing one." She drank some more mead. "I guess Lydia is my family now." She ate a few more bites of her food and then asked, "Was it strange at first? To be with all these elves and mages?"

"Oh my gods, yes." Onmund shook his head. "In my family you get up with the sun and go down with the sun. I could not believe the hours that mages kept. At first I thought it was an elven thing—but then I would see Tolfdir wandering the halls in the middle of the night. And when he has favor to ask of me, it's usually around 3AM."

"Really?" Elspeth laughed. "What do you say to him?"

"For Tolfdir? I can't say no to him; he helped me adjust and has taught me a lot." Onmund sat back and grinned. "Brelyna and J'zargo and I were all in the same cohort. And we were so eager and so very green when we arrived. We must have driven him crazy. But he endured us with patience. Even J'zargo. I think Tolfdir is the only instructor who hasn't thrown him out of seminar at least once."

"What are the other instructors like here?"

"Very smart, very talented. Not all of them are great at teaching. Collette is probably the best teacher we have and no one takes her seriously."

"Because she teaches restoration?"

"I think that's part of it, but I think it's also her," explained Onmund. "I think if Phinis or Faralda taught restoration, they would get a bit more respect, which is unfortunate."

"What about Enthir? I keep hearing about him as the guy who can get things. But I don't really understand what he does."

"No," said Onmund. "That's about all he does." Onmund's face darkened and he looked down.