Teresa of the Faint Smile, Adventures of a Stringy Bosmer Options

[Destri Melarg]

The word Temple conjured images in my mind that were far different from the grotto in Teresa’s dreams. To discover that the two are one and the same was at once surprising, satisfying, and uplifting. Even as low as she feels with the death of Attius, Morcant’s wisdom is able to illuminate the life of another. Teresa is fortunate to have found a mentor with such a generous spirit.

The entire conversation about Daedra was great. And this:

“Your Middle Self – your waking mind – may not have been thinking about it,” the Witch explained. “But your Lower Self – your dreaming mind – definitely was. That is what calls out to the spirits. It is not in logic and reason that our divinity lives, but in our feelings and intuition. That is why they come to us in dreams and visions.”

Is simply beautiful.

One small nit:

Anything was in improvement over the other night, she thought.

There was a small typo here.

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: I was glad to finally get back to the grotto. One of the things this chapter is meant to do (aside from show us Morcant's pain) is to answer some of the questions out there about Teresa's spirituality.


D.Foxy: Let's hope not! She would like to keep both of her eyes as well! OTOH, a pair of Ravens who fly around spying for her would be nice. Not to mention the wolves.


Acadian: I thought you would pick up on the Azura reference, given her recent participation in the BF! She seems to be one of the most popular Daedra out there among players. My guess is because of how highly she figures in Morrowind (the game).

I had not really thought of Raven as a traveling companion, but you are exactly right, that is what he is. Not quite a paladin on Teresa's shoulder, but certainly a welcome presence!


hazmick: Teresa doesn't want any more nightshade tea, that is for sure! More on the way for the Argonians though.


treydog: After everything with the Mythic Dawn, I wanted to use this chapter to at least briefly touch base on the subject of not all Daedra being evil, although I am sure most Cyrodiilians are like Teresa now, and have a hard time believing that. Azura is always a great example for a non-evil one, as her quest in the game is one of the most 'good' ones (along with Meridia's). Besides, as I mentioned to Acadian, many ES players seem to have a fondness of her.


Destri Melarg: In many ways I am using my own personal experience as a guide for writing Teresa's spiritual development. Just like her, I have learned to follow my intuition and just do what feels natural. Then often later I am reading or talking to someone, and suddenly I realize the significance of what I was previously doing.


Next: Now that Teresa has found her Astral Temple, she suggests that she and Morcant take a little vacation...


* * *

Chapter 16.5 - The Temple


The next day the pair were working in the garden once more, when Teresa found her eyes traveling to the line of mountains rising to the north. Even though it was the height of summer, their tall peaks remained graced with crowns of snow. How high must they be? she wondered, how far might one see, when standing atop one?

"Have you ever been to the mountains?" Teresa asked the older wood elf, who knelt in the dirt beside her. "They are so beautiful."

"Oh yes, when I was younger, I used to climb them. I still have all my gear." Morcant wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her forearm. Then she pointed to the peak rising directly to the north. "See that one there? That is Mount Taygetus. It is named after Taygete, one of the Aedra who sacrificed herself to create our world. She is the Queen of the Deer, and lives on today as the does that roam the forest."

The Witch's hand then moved to point out the next peak, just to the east of the first. "That is Mount Carnonus. It is named for her husband - Cernon - who became the King of the Stags. In Valenwood they are still invoked during the Rites of Spring to insure the fertility of the land. Many of the men there carry charms made of horn in the hopes that some of Cernon's… potency… will rub off on them."

Teresa nearly giggled as she wondered what those charms might be shaped like. Her thoughts drifted to the naked legionary in the tower where she had visited Volsinius after the Oblivion Crisis had ended. That Redguard had certainly thought of himself as the Stag King!

"Let's go climb one," Teresa insisted, staring up at the snowy peaks that lined the horizon.

"What?" Morcant sputtered. "You don't just walk up to the peak of a mountain. There are sheer cliffs, slopes of ice, and need I forget to mention that it is cold as winter's heart up there? Why on Nirn would you want to do that?"

"A change of scenery would do us both some good," Teresa rose to her feet and extending one hand down to the other woman. "Besides, it's there, what other reason do we need?"

* * *

As much as Morcant dissented, she did indeed allow Teresa to a drag her from the cottage and into the mountains. The young wood elf had the distinct impression that the Witch really did want to go. She could not imagine trying to make Morcant do anything she was against. In the very least, Teresa saw clearly that so long as she kept the other woman thinking about something other than Attius, her mood clearly improved. But if given too much time on her own, she slipped back into dark brooding.

Thankfully, the forest cooperated with Teresa. They were joined by Tsume soon after leaving the cottage. The scarred wolf was in good spirits, and quite happily ran circles around the two elves, only to occasionally stop and leap upon one or the other in a demand for attention. Even Morcant could not help but to sometimes smile at his antics.

However, Teresa could not stop her frown when the wolf would race off into the trees, only to return long minutes later with a rabbit or squirrel in his mouth. She knew that he was a predator, and that it was natural for him to hunt other animals, yet she could not help but to imagine how his meals must have felt in the last, desperate moments of their lives. Probably no different than Attius had when he fell, she imagined. Or herself during those final, dire moments upstairs in Jensine's shop.

The wolf did not remain with them forever though. After several days he simply turned and went back in the other direction. Morcant did not seem to be surprised at all. "He's like that," she explained. "As I said before, Tsume comes and goes as he pleases."

The forest began to thin as they strode ever higher, and now many wide meadows dotted the landscape. Moose, elk, and rams became more and more noticeable. They even spotted a sleek lioness accompanied by a pair of cubs. The latter they gave a wide berth to avoid provoking the matron. The last thing they wanted was for her to think that they were threatening her young ones.

Then the ground began to slope precipitously, and Teresa realized the climb had really begun. Upward and upward they went, beyond the line of the trees, and into a world of steep grey rock and small, twisted brush. The only signs of life here were rugged bighorn sheep, soaring eagles, and yet another mountain lion they found basking among the rocks.

Yet Teresa had little time to admire the wildlife. What had been a simple stroll now became a difficult - and when once she found herself almost slipping along a nearly sheer cliff - dangerous ascent. Thankfully the entire way was not like that, and it smoothed out into a less steep incline afterward.

Then snow replaced bare rock, and the two elves were drinking potions made from sacred lotus seeds Teresa that had found on the shores of Lake Trasimene. Without them to resist the cold, they would have surely froze in the windswept world they had entered. Out came the slender, curved picks the Witch had insisted they bring, along with spikes that tied around their boots, and rope to bind them together. Then they pushed their way up the icy slopes once more.

When they eventually reached the summit of Mount Taygetus the young wood elf found that it had been worth every ache in her weary muscles. She found herself amidst a line of snow-capped peaks that ran from west to east, and she marveled at being able to see them from above, rather than below. To the north rose a line of mountains even higher, and far more forbidding, than those she stood amongst. They were so high that they simply vanished into the clouds, their peaks invisible and unknowable.

"That is Skyrim," Morcant said breathlessly, following the younger wood elf's gaze. "They don't call it the roof of the world for nothing."

Skyrim, Teresa thought to herself, she had never seen another province before. She had heard stories of far off places like it, Morrowind, High Rock and the rest of the Empire all of her life. Yet they had always seemed impossibly far away. Like they were other worlds. Now here was another world, so close it almost felt as if she could reach out and touch it.

But Teresa turned back the way they had come, and marveled once again at her own world. Below her stretched the Nibenay Basin, going on for what seemed like a hundred miles. Deep forests of green, serpentine rivers, and silvery lakes covered the landscape as far as her lofty eye could see. She could imagine nothing more beautiful, nothing more like paradise, ever existing than the carpet of Cyrodiil spread out below her.

"Thank you Taygete," she found herself whispering, "for giving us this."

Turning to Morcant, the forester saw that the other wood elf was just as caught up in the majestic view as she was. Biting her lip, she slid one arm around the older woman's waist and held her close. She was gratified when the Witch did not pull away, as she feared she might, but instead leaned in close and laid her head against Teresa's own.

"I am glad you talked me into coming," the older woman sighed. "I had almost forgotten how wonderful it is up here, how beautiful the world can be."

With that Teresa smiled. She could not have hoped for more.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 23 2010, 02:57 AM

[D.Foxy]

Indeed. I felt the same way when I first went up into the Swiss alps...just breathing the air up there made you glad to be alive!

[hazmick]

A beautiful chapter Rosa! The bond between Morcant and Teresa continues to grow ever stronger. Tsume's antics made me smile, as did the fact that Tereasa didn't get attacked by every animal she came across.

I also commend you on your descriptions of the mountain climb, it didn't feel tedious and your use of resist frost potions was great.

[treydog]

"Besides, it's there, what other reason do we need?"

Teresa (Mallory) speaks!

"I am glad you talked me into coming," the older woman sighed. "I had almost forgotten how wonderful it is up here, how beautiful the world can be."

With that Teresa smiled. She could not have hoped for more.

This entire episode was lovely and lyrical, as you always are when describing nature. And it is a joy to see Teresa becoming a "wise-woman" in her own right, as she heals her mentor. It is also a wonderful description of why we need, from time to time, to go the mountains or rivers.

“...and that it natural for him to hunt other animals,”

Editorial eye items:

Apparently, Tsume ingested a “was” from between "it" and "natural" with his meal.

“…and when once she found herself nearly slipping along a nearly sheer cliff –“

The nearness of the “nearly’s” bothers me here. Suggested- "and when she once almost slipped crossing a nearly sheer cliff-"

This post has been edited by treydog: Sep 22 2010, 09:04 PM

[haute ecole rider]

The back road between Bruma and Cheydinhal (that goes by Azura's shrine) is my favorite way to travel between the two cities because it takes you up the mountains, and from there it is just a short way to the roof of the world. The view from there often is some of the best in the game (the Valus Mountains south of Cheydinhal have their own charm). You have captured the wonder I feel standing on top of a Jerall peak looking out over Cyrodiil. Well done!

[Destri Melarg]

Taygete? Wasn’t she the one nymph who got away? I bet Zeus is still mad over that one.

The description of the ascent was excellent. And the description of the mountains of Skyrim gives an almost mythic feel to the region. It is easy to see why sight of them would take Teresa’s breath away.

I really enjoyed the reversed roles that the two women played in this chapter. Now it is Teresa playing the mentor role to help mend Morcant’s troubled heart.

The last thing they wanted was for her to think was that they were threatening her young ones.

I think I found the 'was' that treydog was talking about

[Acadian]

With that Teresa smiled. She could not have hoped for more.

Oh, I'm with you, Teresa. This was beautiful!

I love Teresa's appreciation for nature and wildlife, and the subtle ways she respects it.

As soon as you said potions made with sacred lotus seeds, I thought resist cold, then a few words later, you gently rewarded my memory. Nice touch.

I quite like Morcant - I have since you first introduced her. I am so pleased she and Teresa are growing closer and learning from each other.

Just a wonderful day! Oddly, I know how hard Teresa and Morcant worked to get up there, but I found it very relaxing.

[SubRosa]

D.Foxy: Thank you arctic fox, that was exactly the kind of feeling I was hoping to create.


hazmick: Thank you haz. One of the reasons I started writing fan fic was so my characters would not be attacked by every living animal on the planet!


treydog: Thanks Three Dog. I could not resist quoting Mallory and his three most famous words in climbing! As ever thanks for reining in Tsume's ravenous appetite.


haute ecole rider: I always try to take that same path, circling around north of Gnoll mountain, going up its eastern side, then coming down and passing Sedor. It is one of my favorite walks in Oblivion.


Destri Melarg: I think whether Taygete got away depends on which version of the tale. She either escaped from Zeus because Artemis turned her into a deer, or she was raped and Artemis turned her into a deer. Either way, she turned into a deer, which is why I used her name.

I am glad you are not the only one to note the reversal of roles between Teresa and Morcant in some of this chapter. It is one of the things I worked on trying to convey, as Teresa is doing her best to step up and be a good friend.

As always, thanks for finding where that wolf put my word.


Acadian: Yep, you called it on the Lotus Seeds. I actually got my idea for the use of the potions from Buffy's use of a frost enchantment to make a portable refrigerator. I thought the reverse would be perfect. Besides, this way no one has to wear that ugly fur armor!

You will have an answer to your question (and Destri's from a while back) about summoning this segment.


Next: Teresa and Morcant have climbed Mount Taygetus, next they make their way back down, and make a discovery along the way.

* * *

Chapter 16.6 - The Temple

After a brief meal of bread, olive oil, and cheese they made their descent. As amazing as the view was, neither wanted to remain on the peak when night closed in. The way down the ice and rock was even more difficult than the ascent, and Teresa's weary muscles protested every step. Yet while looking down to find a foothold, a curious sight came to her eyes, and she had to look again to be sure she was not imagining it.

Far below and to the west, at the edge of the treeline, a small plateau jutted from the mountainside. Nestled into the very slope of the rock was an outcropping of white stone. Not rough and natural, but with very even, straight lines. It was a building, of a type she had seen many times before: Ayleid.

"What's that over there?" Teresa asked, risking freeing one hand to point out the mysterious site.

"I don't know," Morcant's voice floated down from above. "I never went over there."

"Why don't we go have a look?" Teresa said, and began to inch in that direction as she moved down the slope once more. "There might be something interesting."

The forester thought she heard the older woman mutter something about curiosity and a cat, but she could not tell in the wind that gusted around the rocks. Yet the Witch did follow as Teresa slowly but surely made her way down the mountain to the ruin.

It was full dark by the time they reached the treeline, and as much as Teresa imagined what wonders the site might hold, even she did not have the energy to continue on. Instead she ungracefully plopped herself down against the trunk of a fir tree and groaned.

"Mountain climbing is hard work!" Teresa found herself exclaiming. She heard Morcant laugh as the older woman sat beside her. After a light dinner of more bread, olive oil, and water, she found herself dozing off into a deep sleep filled with dreams of soaring eagles and deer with great, spreading antlers.

The two of them slept late, and the sun was well over the eastern horizon as they put it to their backs and set out through the forest once more. It was past noon when they came to a narrow path through the pines and firs. Following it to the west, it brought them to the small plateau Teresa had seen from above. Jutting from the side of the mountain, a sheer cliff face dropped off to the west and south. Yet the ground sloped more gently in the direction of the path, which now turned from simple hard-packed dirt to a jumble of broken white stones.

Seeming to grow directly from the face of the mountain before them was a squat, white building. It was not very large, only the size of Morcant's cottage. Its face bore no windows or other decorations, but was cut by a single entryway of the usual Ayleid style: a pair of double doors bearing semicircular handles where they met, forming a complete circle midway up the entrance.

She heard the whoosh of magic, and turned to see the yellow disc of a Shield spell fall about Morcant's form. "Just being careful," the older wood elf explained. "You never know what might lurk in a place like this."

Teresa nodded, and took the time to string her bow. By the time she had finished, she heard another hiss of magic, and this time a towering grizzly bear took form behind a falling disc of blue energy. The mighty animal sniffed the air, and after only a momentary glance at Teresa, he sat down upon his hind legs, just as an elf or human would. The wood elf had to stifle a smile at the sight.

"Sorry, no fish for you," Morcant said to the massive animal as she reached out to stroke its brown fur. "Hopefully nothing at all."

"Is that a real bear?" Teresa found herself asking as she stared at the grizzly. "I mean, did you pluck one out of a forest somewhere and bring it here?"

"Oh no, summoning does not work that way," the Witch explained. "At least not nature summoning. It is the very idea of the animal that you summon, its symbol, that is a part of all our Lower Selves. Think of it as a spirit guide given flesh, if only for a half-hour or so."

"So if he dies, he's not really dead then?" Teresa asked, and felt a flood of relief when the Witch nodded.

"He can't die," Morcant explained as she rubbed the fur underneath the great beast's chin. "No spirit can. He is as eternal as the sky. His flesh might be rent, and the spell broken, but he lives on in us forever."

"Can you teach me to summon a bear?" The forester edged closer to the mighty predator, who still paid her no heed. "Your scroll came in really handy in the city. It saved my life in fact, and a lot of other people's. I have been meaning to thank you for that by the way."

The Witch merely laughed. "Summon a bear?" she chuckled, then nodded her chin at the weapon clutched in Teresa's hand. "Tell me, how long have you been using that bow?"

"About ten years," Teresa answered, already knowing where the Witch's question was leading.

"And how long did it take you become good with it," she asked. "I mean really, really good, so that you could hit a moving target at range?"

"Years," Teresa answered honestly. "Many years."

"Magic is no different, my young seeker," Morcant's voice was quiet and patient, and Teresa wondered how many times the older woman had said the same thing to other young hopefuls such as herself. Probably more than she could remember, Teresa imagined. "It requires the same level of discipline and commitment. Only through years of constant effort will your skills evolve to the point where you can call up animals as powerful as our friend here."

"Do not feel bad." Now the Witch stepped away from the bear and took one of Teresa's hands. Pulling her back to the grizzly, she laid the young elf's fingers into the thick fur along the back of the massive animal. Teresa's found her hand moving almost of its own accord, stroking the soft, brown hairs of the grizzly. "You have an entire lifetime to learn. Just keep doing what you are, one little step at a time, and you will get there someday. When you are ready, your spirit guide will show you how."

Teresa barely heard the other woman's words, so entranced was she by the great beast in front of her. Its powerful musk filled her nostrils, and the solid bulk of its muscles rippled under her fingers. She could not imagine trying this with a wild bear, not even with her Bosmer power to control animals.

Yet she had thought the same about wolves, and the first one she had met after leaving the prison sewer had proved her wrong. So why not? she wondered. She was a wood elf after all. So long as she respected them, the animals of the forest were her friends rather than her enemies.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 24 2010, 05:37 PM

[haute ecole rider]

Loved this chapter - from the mountain climb to the descent toward the mysterious Ayleid ruin, to the summons of the great bear.

The forester thought she heard the older woman mutter something about curiosity and a cat,

Ain't that the truth!

The mighty animal sniffed the air, and after only a momentary glance at Teresa, he sat down upon his hind legs, just as an elf or human would. The wood elf had to stifle a smile at the sight.

And so did I!

Just one teeny nit, more a quibble really. Bear fur isn't really all that soft - it's coarse and oily, more like a husky's coat (minus the downy undercoat). Think German Shepherd on a much greater scale and I think you have it. It's up to you whether or not you want to change it in your story. The idea of such a terrifying, grand beast having touchable-soft fur is appealing in its own way.

[Acadian]

Another beautiful day!

"I don't know," Morcant's voice floated down from above. "I never went over there."

I enviously point out how much I like this speech tag.

Curiosity killed the cat. Very clever, and so typical of your wonderful dry humor that emerges naturally from the situation.

I quite loved how you handled Teresa's very natural questions about the nature of summons - at least nature ones. Buffy and I have pondered the same questions. Simply a beautiful and compelling explanation. I was also pleased (sorry, Teresa) that Morcant pointed out that grizzly bears are not for beginners, and why. That said, I hope Teresa soon learns to summon furry helpers - and that she progresses quickly from rats to at least wolves. I agree with Moracant, that things like bears and cave lions can wait.

Your portrayal of Teresa and Morcant continues to be a joy to read. Morcant clearly is the older and wiser elf and I am delighted to see Teresa so receptive to that and eager to learn. Yet, I am also pleased to see Teresa teaching a few things to the lovely older witch.

Again, despite the bitter cold and aching muscles, I again find myself relaxed and at peace in the mountains. Away with the elves, as it were.

[treydog]

The way down the ice and rock was even more difficult than the ascent,...

True, as anyone who has impetuously free-climbed a rock face has discovered!

Seems Teresa is attracted not only by water, but by white marble ruins!

And you force me to quote a large block of text, for its wisdom, its beauty, and its power:

"Oh no, summoning does not work that way," the Witch explained. "At least not nature summoning. It is the very idea of the animal that you summon, its symbol, that is a part of all our Lower Selves. Think of it as a spirit guide given flesh, if only for a half-hour or so."

"So if he dies, he's not really dead then?" Teresa asked, and felt a flood of relief when the Witch nodded.

"He can't die," Morcant explained as she rubbed the fur underneath the great beast's chin. "No spirit can. He is as eternal as the sky. His flesh might be rent, and the spell broken, but he lives on in us forever."

I hope this expedition will bring some measure of healing for Morcant- I know reading about it has brought peace and pleasant thoughts to me.

[Destri Melarg]

So if summoning a grizzly takes years, does that mean that Teresa will start with a chipmunk or something? I can just see her, ten years from now, standing on the banks of Lake Trasimene with the Ebon Moon bearing down on her yelling: “Fly, my monkeys, fly!”

Great chapter, ‘Rosa. The roles have shifted back to the norm I see. The way magic works in the TF (especially nature magic) is so much better than what is presented in the game. Who wouldn’t want to be able to summon a grizzly for a half-hour’s worth of protection? Being an elf, Teresa certainly has the years to spare to learn all that she needs to know. That is, as long as she can refrain from checking out every abandoned ruin that crosses her path!

[hazmick]

Morcant is awesome, shield spells and bear summoning? I thought she was just an old alchemist!

I loved the bear, I could imagine it's huge, hulking form standing with the tiny Bosmer. Will Teresa be learning any summoning skills in the future? I hope so.

More of this Ayleid ruin please, it sounds exciting!

[SubRosa]

h.e.r. Thank you. Whenever I see a bear sit like that, plopped down on his butt with back straight up like a human, it always makes me smile. I did not know that about bear fur. I have never touched a live bear, but the bear-skin rugs I have touched have all been very soft. Is that softening a byproduct of the tanning process then?


Acadian: Thank you. I had to wrack my brain on figuring out the summoning mechanics, because I realized that if you did call a real animal to you, Teresa would never want to do it. If it got hurt, or worse killed, because she summoned it, she would not be able to live with herself. Also, if magic were able to reach out and teleport an animal to you, it would also be able to do the same to a person. Then we would have people summoning one another all the time, which would really screw up how the world works imho.


treydog: Indeed, Teresa is drawn to those Ayleid ruins for some reason. We will eventually learn why at a much later date.


Destri Melarg: Teresa will not be starting with a chipmunk. Actually the critter should be rather obvious. Just think about what small animals she has the strongest relationship with. It will be a while before she starts doing that however, she had other lessons to learn first, and skills to hone.


hazmick: Morcant is indeed a lot of fun to write. Being an accomplished magician is why the nearby goblin tribe learned to leave her alone! Not to mention why bandits like those formerly of Vilverin trade with her rather than attack her. Besides, she created a summon grizzly scroll for Teresa, so she would have had to be able to summon one to do that.


Next: The final segment of this chapter. Teresa and Morcant have descended from Mount Taygetus, and found a mysterious Ayleid ruin. Next, Teresa deepens her spiritual bonds with Nirn as she prepares to explore its depths.


* * *

Chapter 16.7 - The Temple

But she had not come here to pet bears, she found herself thinking. There was an Ayleid ruin to explore. Turning from the magnificent animal, she drew an arrow from the bag at her hip and set it to her bowstave. Stepping closer to the ruin, she saw no signs of habitation. No campfires, no footprints, no cast-offs. If anything was living inside, it did not venture out very often.

"I wonder what it was?" Teresa thought aloud as she stepped up to the door, Morcant in tow. "I mean, was it a fortress? or a tavern? some hunter's house? I wish there was some way to tell."

"Why don't you ask?" the Witch suggested, her tone completely serious. When Teresa gave her a befuddled stare, the older wood elf gestured at the ruin before them. "Ask the spirits of this place, let them show you what it once was."

"How do I do that?" the younger elf wondered, but as the Witch began to speak, she cut her off. "No, I know. In my temple, right?"

"Indeed." Morcant smiled and gestured for Teresa to sit. "Go ahead, I will keep watch out here."

Setting down her weapon, Teresa found a reasonably comfortable spot beside the Ayleid building. Putting her back to the wall, she sat down and dug her fingers into the dirt beneath her. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax, and began the Tree of Life exercise. As before, she could feel the energy of Nirn coursing up through her body, cleansing her, and finally flowing back to the ground beneath her feet. She was no longer a separate entity, but rather a part of the world, just as the soil and rivers were.

In time she visualized the forest spreading out around her, and the great World Tree stretching up before her. She ran into its gnarled roots without hesitation, and plunged headlong into the darkness that shrouded them.

Then she was back in her grotto. This time Raven did not come to her, as he had so often before. Looking around the shadows of the walls, she called out to the spirits of the ruin, to the mountain itself. Not with words, but with feelings. Reaching out into the darkness, she found the shadows rippling under the fingertips. As they stilled, images formed before her eyes.

She saw the mountain, as if she were an eagle soaring high above. As she spiraled downward, a wide road of white stone came to her eyes, winding its way through the forest that blanketed the base of the rise. Following it, she came to the plateau. Not the tiny thing that she and Morcant currently stood upon, but rather a wide shelf that ran for nearly half a mile, rimmed with evergreens.

Within she found not a single building, but rather an entire complex of structures great and small, all of the same white stone she knew so well from the Ayleids. Many were painted in bright murals depicting deer and flowers, and some were decorated with vines of bronze and leaves of gold. Pale-skinned elves clustered around the open meadow at the center of the settlement. There a great pole rose from the ground, like the mast of one of the great, ocean-going vessels that docked at the Waterfront of the Imperial City. Elves danced around it in a circle. In their hands they grasped strings that led to the top of the pole, trailing brightly colored streamers along their lengths. They sang and laughed as the danced, slowly wrapping the pole with their brilliant cords.

When they were finished, and the pole was completely covered in a riot of color, a man and woman stepped forth. The man wore a cloak of deerskin, and his head was covered in antlers, so that he appeared to be half-beast, half-man. The woman wore a gown of green and brown, and her long hair was bedecked with flowers of all kinds, as if she was the forest itself. The pair held hands as they walked among the celebrants, singing something whose words the wood elf could not understand. Yet the meaning of the song was clear in her heart. It was a celebration of life itself.

After making a complete circuit of the pole, they stopped at a stone altar. There they each drank from a wide cup of glowing meteoric glass. From this they poured small drops into a row of other, smaller cups that appeared to be filled with wine. These were in turn passed among the gathered elves. After all had drunk, the man turned to the woman, and she wrapped her arms around him. His lips found hers, and the pair fell to the ground in one another's arms. Most of the celebrants did likewise, and Teresa could feel the same ardor begin to flow hot through her veins just from watching…

* * *

"Sedor!" Teresa gasped as her eyes flew open. Morcant loomed above her, and the small plateau was as quiet and empty as before. The summoned bear had vanished, and the sun had slipped far from its zenith above.

"This was Sedor," she went on, realizing that she was not only out of breath, but flushed. "It was a temple of Taygete and Cernon. They had fertility rites here every Spring. You should have seen it! It was big, so much bigger than this. But it was abandoned thousands of years ago, and then most of the plateau was washed away by wind and rain, taking all but this building down the cliff."

"I know," the Witch said with that little, all-knowing smile of hers.

"You knew!" Teresa exclaimed. The other elf offered her a hand to help her up, and Teresa took it and sprang to her feet. "Then why didn't you say so?"

"Some journeys we must take on our own, or their value is lost." The Witch said serenely. Her expression was one of pride however. She fairly beamed with it. "You have done well young one, very well. You have an open heart, it brings you close to the spirits. That is what this place was all about, nurturing the bond between the physical and the spirit. It is too bad the Ayleids turned away from their love of Nirn for darker pursuits…"

"Is there anything you don't know?" the forester said with a shake of her head.

"Plenty," the Witch sighed, her eyes glancing away into the trees. "The more you learn about the world, the more you discover how much you don't understand."

She was thinking of Attius again, Teresa realized, and suppressed the urge to sigh herself. But perhaps it was for the best after all, she thought. It was not like the Witch would ever forget him, or was going to be able to go on with her life as if nothing had ever happened at all. She remembered what Morcant had said about her nightmares after Vilverin, that they were the mind's way cleansing itself. Perhaps grief was the same way, and it was only by enduring it that it could ever be washed away? Teresa hoped she would never have to find out.

Before she began brooding herself, Teresa shoved the stone doors open, allowing the dank, musty air within to flow over her. She knew that it had only been a storehouse when the temple was still in use. But there was still no telling what might have moved in during the last few months.

As it turned out, nothing had. At least not recently. She was not surprised, this far from settlements and roads, there would be no reason for bandits to inhabit it. Nor would animals have been able to open its doors to make dens there, let alone close them again behind them. As far as necromancers, or conjurers like those in Belda, who could fathom their motivations at all?

So with no loot to speak of, Teresa and Morcant emerged from the depths of Nirn shortly thereafter, with nothing but more dust on their clothes to show for their exploration. It was all just as well, Teresa thought, with the memory of what the mountain had shown her still so clear in her head, she probably would not have been able to focus very well in a fight anyway.

So from there they trekked back through the forest in the direction of Morcant's cottage. Tsume joined them after a few days, and escorted them the rest of the way. Teresa was glad for his company, as once again Morcant had sunk into her sullen brooding. Although the wolf tried to lighten her spirits, even he could do little to alleviate her dark mood.

The day after their return, Teresa found the Witch filling her pack with food and other supplies once more. Only this time she left the ice-picks and crampons behind. Instead she was taking much more food, and the forester even noted a heavy purse clinking with what could only be coins go into the bag.

"Going somewhere?" she asked.

"Yes," the Witch responded, her face a dull, blank mask. "You were right, I need a change of scenery. Someplace where I do not see… him, everywhere."

"You're going to see your mother then, in Anvil," Teresa guessed.

"Yes," Morcant nodded. "Your intuition serves you well. One day you will be quite a Witch I think, if that is where you choose to take your life."

Teresa put her arms around the other woman and held her close. Silently praying to Mara, she hoped that Morcant would find the peace she so desperately needed with her mother. As for herself, she could not wait to return to Simplicia and tell her about everything she had done and seen. But perhaps first she would venture south of the Blue Road, and see what lay in those hills she had spied out during her last trip…


Note: Since Morcant seems to be a popular character, would people like to see a chapter devoted just to her in Anvil? (as I have done a few other Vols-only chapters?)

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 30 2020, 02:33 AM

[haute ecole rider]

Absolutely, I would love to see Morcant in Anvil!

This was a wonderful chapter, and I loved how you brought an Ayleid ruin to life. By your description, I had suspected Sedor, and was happy to see my guess was correct.

Those places are both creepy and beautiful and awesome and downright scary all at once.

And we see that Morcant is still struggling with grief. As a writer who has written more than one character with the same problem, I love how you have captured the ebb and flow of mourning and the perfectly natural reaction to leave the place of so many memories that are yet painful to bear.

Will Morcant be giving this lovely cottage by Lake Trasimere to Teresa? It would make a wonderful base for her alchemical collection and her metaphysical journey.

I am torn between that part of Tamriel and the coastline around Anvil as the most beautiful places to spend time. You have only increased the conflict in my heart!

[hazmick]

I love it! eresa is getting quite good at this 'inner temple' stuff and Morcant makes me smile. The vision of Sedor in the past was brilliant--a group of Ayleid elves, drunk on life (and wine) who end up having some group love.

A chapter about Morcant's holiday in Anvil sounds awesome, I look forward to hearing more!!

[Acadian]

A leftover from the previous story regarding how summoning wild creatures works in TF - I chuckled as you explained your logic. Partly because it makes perfect sense, and partly because I was quite convinced that was exactly your intent. Just as Buffy would never soul trap a deer if she thought she was imprisoning its spirit, Teresa would never summon an animal if she thought it would die in her service. That is such a natural part of Teresa's makeup. I could almost see the little Teresa and SubRosa wheels turning to craft that wonderful bit of TF lore. Wonderful!

*

Another beautiful episode.

You continue to spoil us with interaction between Teresa and Morcant. Yes, she is a popular character, for good reason. Your own knowledge of witchcraft seems to bring these two elves right off the page. Spending an episode with Morcant, perhaps in Anvil, would be lovely!

I admire how Teresa allows herself to be used as a vessel to draw out the best in others - not just Morcant, but a long list of TF NPCs. It is something we strive for also. Must be another wood elf thing.

Your description of the elves and their 'maypole' festivities was great fun. Hmm . . .

Pale-skinned elves clustered around the open meadow at the center of the settlement.

Being well aware that this description fits Teresa perfectly and her interest in things Ayleid, do I detect some foreshadowing here?

[Destri Melarg]

At first I thought that I had ventured into some alternate version of Tamriel. I am so glad that you clarified that the Ayleids you were depicting were from an earlier age. They certainly do not jibe with the description found in The Adabal-a:

Men were given over to the lifting of stones, and the draining of the fields, and the upkeep of Temple and road; or to become art-tortures for strange pleasures, as in the wailing wheels of Vindasel and the gut-gardens of Sercen; and flesh-sculpture, which was everywhere among the slaves of the Ayleids in those days; or, worse, the realms of the Fire-King Hadhuul, where the begetting of drugs drawn from the admixture of daedrons into living hosts let one inhale new visions of torment, and children were set aflame for nighttime tiger sport.

Not exactly dancing around the maypole, eh?

Perhaps grief was the same way, and it was only by enduring it that it could ever be washed away? Teresa hoped she would never have to find out.

This is another example of how much Teresa has grown in her understanding of the nature of things. I wonder what this young forester would say if given the chance to speak with that scared girl wandering half-blind through the sewers under the Imperial City dungeon. And, unfortunately, I detect a bit of foreshadowing in that cryptic second sentence.

As for Morcant's adventures in Anvil: Yes, please!

[treydog]

You add a great deal of depth, not just to your characters, but to their world- which has become a character in its own right. This was a thoughtful, enjoyable episode- a pleasant interlude in which Teresa develops her skills.

As to Morcant in Anvil- absolutely.