Spellsword

A Strange Sound

For the rest of the journey to Winterhold, Teldryn continued to express to me his dislike of our destination.

"...And I can see this 'impenetrable' pile of rubble... from leagues away. We'll be balancing atop a thin tower of rock above the Sea of Ghosts for all to see... might as well paint a target on my chest... "

"If they are able to see us, then we will surely be able to see them" I reasoned, a pace or two ahead of my unenthusiastic friend.  Reaching the north, the snow had become deep - and slowed us somewhat. "I need to speak to the archmage... I have an idea of how to locate this Arthurn... but I will need his help. It gives us a chance to get a real night's rest too..."  

"I say we keep moving," Teldryn grunted, as if to himself.

"And I say we rest", I said rather more firmly than I had meant to. After healing Ondolemar's wound, I had found it difficult to sleep. The forests had once been such an inviting, homely place to me. And yet now, if I was being honest... I was craving the familiar warmth of a bed, hearth and hot meal at the college. I sighed, regretting my tone. "How is your scar coming along?"

Teldryn seemed to understand my diffusing of our ongoing disagreement. 

"It's tight with all this walking," he said - more softly now but still laced in his usual attitude. "I imagine it will look well enough, but it won't be any where I can impress any one with, at least not without looking a bit odd." 

Letting a deep breath out through my nose, pushing on up a bit of an incline, I shook my head. 

"I'm not just doing this just for you, you know."

"Healing my wounds?" he teased.

"Returning to the College", I said simply, "When I left all those months ago... they had expected my return within a week... perhaps two, it was not a complicated errand. But... I have seemingly brought with me a complication." The last part was ironically accurate, if perhaps vague to Teldryn's understanding. I took a deep, cold breath that I felt travel uncomfortably into my chest, and released it in a visible puff of air, unsure how to continue with what I had begun to explain.

Teldryn came to a stop, putting his hands on his knees and reaching for his waterskin.

"You have, have you? All right, I am with you. We go back and clean up your dirty work, before heading onward to slaughter mine. You hired me to protect you - after all - and that's about as much responsibility as I need." He took what I can only describe as a sarcastic swig of his water, before offering it to me with a suddenly gentle smile. "And do not ever give me a false name again, at least without discussing it with me first. There must be some limits to my employment."

The subject of his words did not soothe me, but his attitude gave me an unnecessary confidence. And, it was just precisely when I needed it - for shortly after we reached the highest incline of the cliff path, and the horizon of the sea suddenly spread itself out before us... and upon it's edge - The somewhat shuddering silhouette of the College of Winterhold. 

I came to a stop, "There it is". 

"That smouldering ruin?"

I creased my brow, and took a second glance at the silhouette - which most certainly was not on fire. 

"It's hardly smouldering, Teldryn."

"Fine" he grunted, standing beside me trying a smile, "Crumbling ruin."

Behind us, there was a lurching, distant growl of wind... A strangely hollow sound that we had heard, though more faintly, earlier on in our journey. This time we both glanced at each other, having shrugged it off as a storm the first time.  It was unmistakably unnatural - and fatigued as we were - we decided to press on, and quickly.