Buffy - Book 4, Drodda the Icewitch Options

[Lopov]

Though I have enjoyed the current book from the very beginning, thanks to the last few chapters an "enjoyment" of the book took reached an even higher level. Great work, Acadian!

The scene with Willow spreading her arms as much as she can, was really cute.

There are a lot of mysteries concerning Drodda. If the clan of witchhunters hasn't been seen in a year, they're probably either dead either they somehow serve their new mistress - maybe even unwillingly or with a force.

Let the search begin, I'm waiting eagerly for the next episode.

[Acadian]

Previously- With some creative trial and error, Buffy was able to translate the tracking knowledge Willow had gleaned from Dreanna’s lock of hair to her map. Ciceri informed that the location indicated was Direfrost Keep – ironically the home of a clan of witch hunters. As it was late in the day, Mirri suggested they stay at the guild, spend the next day provisioning, and depart the day after that.

*

Renee- Thanks for pointing out Ciceri’s response to Buffy’s comment about necromancy for a couple reasons. First, as you say, not everyone agrees with Buffy and, secondly, to show that Buffy can be a bit scatterbrained and it took Ciceri’s mild admonishment/redirection to focus her back on the search for Drodda.

Grits- I give your character Abiene full credit for planting the idea with Buffy that a cautious and discrete study of some elements of necromancy is a reasonable and responsible course of action for a healer.

ghastley- I hadn’t thought of Willow being able to track down food sources! Of course communicating with the nixad is, as we’ve seen, sometimes a challenge. I can imagine Willow leading her hungry party to a fat dragonfly for dinner instead of a warm loaf of bread.

SubRosa- Thanks for endorsing our map work and that it prompted the visuals I had hoped for. I put a lot of thought into balancing how Willow’s tracking would work when it comes to longer distances. I wanted it to be more involved than simply having a magical mark appear on the map, but not so detailed as to get into azimuths, magnetic declination or even having to introduce compasses.

Rider- I hope I did justice to your warning regarding Vanus of being careful about meeting your heroes! Thanks for endorsing our portrayal of Drodda. Buffy and Mirri will have to take her down, but it will bring them no satisfaction to do so.

Kane- Winterhold would indeed be a good area for Drodda to lair. Most of Skyrim is in ESO but not (yet) the northeast (with Winterhold). As things are now, Eastmarch is the coldest province, with much of it perpetually snow covered. Direfrost Keep and Drodda are indeed in the south of Eastmarch and provide the inspiration for Buffy’s destination.

Lopov- I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed Buffy’s time in Windhelm so far, and the development we’ve tried to provide for Hreinhilde, Ciceri and Willow!

* * *

Episode 34

After dinner, Mirri and I were upstairs in the room we shared, discussing our plans and getting ready for bed when we heard a soft knock.

Opening the door revealed Hreinhilde holding a heavy-looking white garment in her arms. “Guildmagister Ciceri said you’re leaving for Direfrost Keep day after the morrow.”

“Yes,” Mirri replied. “Thanks to your help, we think that’s where Dreanna is.”

Hreinhilde nodded. “It’ll be a very cold journey and the Guildmagister told me that when Buffy returned from only a short outing to Fort Amol, she was nearly frozen. I thought this might help.” She held out the garment.

“Why thank you, Hreinhilde!” I said as I stepped forward and took what I could now see was a heavy white robe.

“When we go out for field work,” the young Nord explained, “each of us has a winter guild robe to wear. I was but twelve when I joined the guild and they made this for me. I’ve had to replace it with a larger one since then of course. I think this might fit you though.”

“That’s terribly thoughtful of you, Hreinhilde,” I said as I held the robe up against myself, “and, indeed, it looks like it might fit.”

“Try it on,” said Mirri.

“Yes,” encouraged Hreinhilde.

I was soon out of my normal guild robe and into this winter white one. It was fine wool – not scratchy at all – and trimmed with what Hreinhilde said was elk skin that was a pale buttery color, as were the gloves. The end of each sleeve and front of the hood were trimmed with the fur of a snow bear. “It’s beautiful and I feel snug as a torchbug in amber!”

“I’m so glad you like it,” said Hreinhilde, “and it fits you perfectly!”

I twirled once to show it off, then began taking it off. “It’s actually too warm for in here but I think it’ll be perfect for our trip. Thank you so much, Hreinhilde!”

“You’re very welcome, Buffy. The robe is enchanted to help keep you warm as well.” She then looked at Mirri. “I-I’m sorry I don’t have anything that would help keep you warm in your armor.”

Mirri smiled and placed a hand on the young Nord’s shoulder. “That’s fine, Hreinhilde. The cloth doublet I normally wear underneath dispels my body heat, but I have another one for expeditions like this that preserves body heat. I also seem to be more resistant to the cold than Buffy.”

She smiled. “Well, I’ll let you two get some sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, Hreinhilde,” said Mirri as our visitor turned to leave.

“Thanks again,” I added.

Once Mirri and I were alone again, she said, “Buffy, how about we arm wrestle for the bottom bunk?”

“I’ll avoid the embarrassment and take the top, partner. I prefer it anyway.”

She shook her head and teased, “Tree elf.”

“You don’t snore, do you?” I countered. “I’ve got acorns and my aim is deadly.”

Once we were settled into our beds, I said into the darkness, “Hreinhilde is quite attuned to the needs of others. I think she’ll make a fine healer.”

“I really think that robe she gave you will help for where we’re going,” replied Mirri.

“I’m afraid it will make sneaking more difficult,” I lamented.

“Buffy, chattering teeth and shivering make sneaking a lot harder than wearing a fetching robe!”

“Point taken,” I replied sheepishly.

*

When approached the following morning, the guild’s alchemist suggested some potions of resist frost. He said they would last just over an hour and mitigate quite a bit of the cold, whether from natural or magical causes. I exchanged some gold for a dozen. When I inquired about normal healing potions, Mirri teased, “Does my healer need help healing?”

“Can you heal me if I become too injured to heal myself?” I retorted.

She stared at me. “Oh. Well. . . let’s get several.”

When I opened my mage pouch to stow the potions, Willow took exception, tut-tutting as she intervened to take the potions – one by one – and store them away herself.

“Oh very well,” I sighed. “Since you live in there, you can organize things as you see fit. You’ll likely do a better job of it than I anyway.”

Mirri chuckled as she slowly shook her head. “Go get your winter robe on, Princess. The rest of our shopping is in town.”

Our first stop out in the cold Windhelm morning was a food market for some flatbread, dried figs, jerky and tea.

Next it was Oaken Hull’s Emporium – a large general goods shoppe. “Buffy, we’re not sure how long we’ll be gone and can’t fight well if tired. I think we should be prepared to sleep in the cold.”

“Good idea, Mirri. Let’s get a pair of wolf pelts to curl up in.” As she selected a couple, I asked. “Will one waterskin each be enough?”

“I think so,” she replied. “There’ll be plenty of snow we can melt to refill them as needed.”

I raised one hand and called a small flame to my fingertips. “I can help with that. Oh, and let’s get a metal teapot and pair of cups. That will give us something to melt snow in and perhaps even make tea.”

Finally, at Mirri’s suggestion, we grabbed a length of rope.

With our new purchases in my storage trunk, we stepped back outside. My winter robe was doing a fine job blocking the chill.

Mirri then led us to the city’s outlaw refuge where she surrendered quite a bit of her gold for an enchanted thief bag of holding – similar to my mage pouch. She explained, “I’m jealous of your magical pouch. Besides, I grow tired of either having to ask you to carry so much of our gear or summoning Gray just to access his saddlebags.” She fitted it around her waist and, with Willow’s help, we transferred half our potions and a waterskin into it.

Our last stop was one of the city’s clothiers, where Mirri purchased a woolen headband that would protect her ears from the cold without restricting her vision.

That evening, and back in my normal guild robe, we joined Ciceri and her mages at the guildhall for a dinner of roasted boar, potatoes and carrots with sauteed greens. As this was the land of Nords, I even sipped sparingly from a mug of mead under threat of being called a milk drinker. Ignoring much of the tempting food before us, Willow enjoyed a fat beetle she had apparently captured somewhere, probably in the pantry.

As the heavy meal yielded to a lighter fare of breads, cheeses and fruits, we moved to cushions arrayed around the central firepit. Ciceri produced a polished stone about the size of her fist. “For the benefit of our guests, whoever holds the speaking stone is expected to regale us briefly with a song or story. Since it is presently in my hand, I’ll begin.” The Guildmagister then gave us a rousing tale about Ysgramor and the 500 Companions. She then passed the stone to Mirri and said with a wink, “Your turn, Dunmer.”

Mirri frowned initially but rendered a quite credible account of the short story, ‘Almalexia and the Mudcrab’. She then quickly passed the stone back to Ciceri.

Ciceri, said, “You’re next, Hreinhilde,” as the stone passed through several hands to reach the young Nord.

“M-me?” Hreinhilde shifted her gaze to the floor. When she began to speak, her voice was soft as she haltingly began the story of Olaf and the Dragon. I was pleased to see I was not alone in offering a quiet murmur of encouragement. Before long, her words became steady and she was looking around the room at us as she spoke. She ended up doing a fine job but wasted no time passing the stone back toward her Guildmagister.

“Well done, Hreinhilde!” praised Ciceri as the stone made its way back to her. I quite realized that her intent had been to help boost the young mage’s self-confidence. From everything I’d seen during our time with this guild, I believed the mages of Windhelm were well-served by Ciceri’s stewardship. “Here you go, Buffy.” The stone found its way to me.

I took a deep breath. “We’ve heard several wonderful tales this evening, but I would like to offer a song.” With that, I set the stone beside me, conjured my lute and, after a bit of tentative strumming, sang a cheerful tune about the mythical land of Tír Na Nóg.

“You have quite the voice, partner,” said Mirri. I saw several nods of agreement as I passed the stone back toward Ciceri.

The evening continued in similar fashion until everyone had entertained us. Finally, Ciceri put the stone away and the mages began yawning and straggling upstairs to their sleeping rooms. Mirri and I were not far behind.

*

Screenshot: Buffy's winter robe

[Kane]

I always enjoy the prep time before the quest! I love the bit about Willow decorating her "apartment"... makes sense she'd like things a certain way in her cozy home. And I'm not surprised Mirri would be envious of Buffy's magical bag - I just installed a magic chest mod in Skyrim for that same convenience!

[Renee]

You're welcome.

Ooh, a heavy white robe. And it's Mirri's twelve-year robe, sweet. That's so sisterly. "Snug as a torch bug!"

Exactly, the tree elf's going for the top bunk.

"Fetching robe!"

How much does one of those potions cost? Just because they last an entire hour, are they pricey? Even if they are, surely they're gonna be worth the cost.

Yes, healers need potions. For backup, if mana gets too low.

"Since you live in there" -- I laughed!

Speaking stone = Talking stick. I get it. Is this the song Buffy sang? Tír Na Nóg.

Thanks for the screenshot. That robe indeed looks really cozy.


This post has been edited by Renee: Apr 9 2025, 04:31 PM

[SubRosa]

That was very kind and thoughtful of Hreinhilde to offer up her winter robe (though I kind of wonder if a bikini or speedo might be a Nord's idea of winter clothing, given their frost resistance ). Of course it was was her robe from when she was 12!

A torchbug in amber does sound very snug! What a delightful turn of phrase.

A tree elf would gravitate to the high bunk...

Mirri is right, now that I see a picture of it, that is a fetching robe.

I love Willow rearranging the contents of Buffy's pouch!

All that great food and Mirri eats a bug! Typical Dunmer. Next she will want to make armor out of it, or live in its shell...

We wrap it up with some nice entertainment and team building. This is something I think of when I am writing Blood Raven. She is from a time before Netflix, before TV at all, or movies, or radio. People had to make their own entertainment for themselves, so learned to sing, and dance, and play musical instruments, and the like. She learned to do so at Mrs. Gibson's School For Proper Young Girls.

[Grits]

Buffy looks lovely and warm in her winter robe! How sweet that it is a gift from young Hreinhilde.

She shook her head and teased, “Tree elf.”

“You don’t snore, do you?” I countered. “I’ve got acorns and my aim is deadly.”

The banter between these partners makes me smile.

I absolutely loved the day of shopping and evening of fellowship in Windhelm. I can picture Willow joining the mages at dinner with her plump pantry beetle. I think I’ll make the Windhelm MG dinner menu this weekend, it sounds so delicious!

(The first time through this episode, my tired eyes read Mirri’s horse’s name as “Gary,” which made me do a double-take. When I read it again because I enjoyed it so much and pretty much would happily live there, I saw “Gary” again. It is of course Gray, but now Jerric is naming his team’s gray horse Gary. D’oh!)

I am so tickled that Willow has appointed herself the team’s supply officer. What a delightful episode!

[macole]

A nice day of controlled shopping. The white winter robe is nice but the bag-of-holding takes the prize.

[Renee]

All that great food and Mirri eats a bug! Typical Dunmer.

Whoa, Mirri ate the bug? I thought it was Willow. Okay yeah, Willow ate a fat beetle, yicch!

[ghastley]

I think Buffy's robe will make sneaking easier. The fur trim will muffle the sound of the hem brushing against anything. Like an owl's teathers help it stay silent.

The real question is can Willow sneak?

[haute ecole rider]

Hreinhilde giving Buffy her twelve year old winter robe made me smile - so many similarities!

Acorns, huh? Good for ammunition and for emergency rations (can grind them down to make flour for bannocks or steep for tea). Lightweight and still have a bit of a sting on impact. Perfect for our tree elf!

Speaking of tree elves, yeah, top bunk is right.

Healing potions is always wise - never leave home without 'em!

Now how will they get to Direfrost Keep? I wonder . . .

[Lopov]

An important trait of wool is indeed that it's not scratchy else makes it impossible to be worn.

Elk skin and wolf pelts plus antifreeze - the girls are good to go.

Mirri continues on to be sarcastic but she must have really enjoyed Buffy's singing, she even called her a partner instead of a princess.

[Acadian]

Previously- Hreinhilde gave Buffy a winter guild robe that she had outgrown. The following day, Mirri and Buffy went shopping for the provisions and equipment they would need for their expedition to Direfrost Keep. The day ended with a cozy guild dinner where the mages (and Mirri) regaled each other with story and song.

*

Kane- Thank you! As we’ll see, everything they purchased preparing for their journey will come in handy at some point.

Renee- Yes, Ciceri’s ‘speaking stone’ was inspired by a ‘speaking staff’ in one of Jane Auel’s ‘Earth’s Children’ books. You got it on the song! Actually a modified version. Don’t know about cold resist potions’ cost since I 'imagineered' the ones Buffy bought. Most ESO potions of that nature last for less than a minute (silly).

SubRosa- Thanks for the ‘torchbug in amber’ compliment; I borrowed the phrase from in game. Mirri does like the word 'fetching’; one of her lines in game when you find something pricey is ‘That should fetch a fair fetching price!’ Willow appointing herself the keeper of Buffy’s magic pouch seemed to just naturally fall into place. Yes, imagine folks sitting around entertaining each other with no electronics!

Grits- Thanks on the robe. It serves a dual purpose to highlight Hreinhilde’s thoughtful/nurturing nature as well as provide something Buffy will really need for what’s ahead. Building the relationship between Buffy and Mirri has been a pleasure to write as they gradually become close and trusting friends.

macole- Thank you! I’ve loved the bag of holding idea since Baldur’s Gate and it’s been mandatory ever since, through Oblivion, Skyrim and ESO.

ghastley- I think Mirri’s right – not freezing is worth whatever degradation to stealth that robe might inflict. I think we’ll see that Willow will let Mirri and Buffy lead the way. Besides, she’s even a smaller target than Buffy.

Rider- Thank you! I was delighted when I read that Lilisfina also scored her current outfit from a Nord who had outgrown it. In Buffy’s case, the required size even drove the ages and timeline of when Hreinhilde and Dreanna joined the guild. As a Cloud Dancer, Buffy’s mystified why anyone would prefer the bottom bunk.

Lopov- Mirri can be prone to a bit of sarcasm. I think she uses it to mask that she’s not as gruff as she appears, for she clearly gets embarrassed when some of her softer feelings leak out. Unlike our Bosmer who, of course, wears her emotions on her sleeve.

* * *

Episode 35

After a hearty breakfast of leftover boar and bread, along with hot tea for me and wine for Mirri, we said our farewells to the guild.

Once outside, I pulled my hood up against the cold morning. We then crunched our way through the snow to the city’s wayshrine where Mirri grabbed my gloved hand in one of hers, placed her other hand on the wayshrine and we were gone.

A moment later we arrived at another wayshrine. After a brief time to recover from the teleportation magic, I attuned myself to this new wayshrine. Mirri pointed, “We’ll take the road just this side of that logging camp over there and ride south.”

After summoning the horses, we joined the road – a slightly overgrown trail really – that Mirri had indicated. Though we could see our breath, the sunny morning was calm, and the winter robe kept me comfortable.

“I have a question for you, mage,” said Mirri.

“What might that be?” I replied.

“They call our quarry Drodda the Icewitch. What’s the difference between a witch and a mage?”

“Well,” I began, “both are spellcasters, of course. Mages recognize local governments enough to abide by reasonable laws and customs. Witches, on the other hand, generally express disdain for any ruling authority or organization and use their spellcasting purely in pursuit of their own goals – good or ill. Because witches recognize no rules beyond their own, they’re often considered outlaws by local authorities and feared by the populace.”

Mirri was quiet for a moment. “That explains a lot.”

Willow fluttered off into the trees. When she returned, she alighted upon the pommel of Superian’s saddle facing me. The glowing juice from a torchbug on her mandibles and hands, along with the dead dragonfly impaled on one of her knee horns made it clear she had been on a bug hunt. I imagined one of her tactics was to grasp her prey and drive it down onto one of those sharp knee horns. After I declined her offer to share, she proceeded to eat her kill.

“I guess it takes a lot of food to keep those wings going almost all the time,” I remarked as I fished a dried fig from my pouch. She accepted it, turning it over curiously several times in her hands and eventually tearing off a few bites. Presently, she flew off again into the nearby trees.

“She seems a voracious little hunter,” commented Mirri.

When she returned to perch on Superian’s pommel again, I winced to see part of the plush brown - studded with royal blue and edged in ochre – wing of a mourning cloak butterfly protruding from her mouth along with brown wing dust on her arms. I knew that mourning cloaks were uniquely suited to withstand the cold but, apparently, not a hungry nixad. “Willow,” I said, “I propose an accord.”

She tilted her head and looked at me.

“Butterflies are. . . precious to me. I would ask that you not eat them. If you agree, I’ll happily share any food I have and ensure you never go hungry. What say you?”

She tilted her head the other way, then quietly stared at me with large emerald eyes for a moment. Finally, she slowly nodded.

“Thank, you, Willow,” I replied.

Riding beside me, Mirri was staring with a raised eyebrow.

“One of my two totems is a butterfly,” I offered.

She frowned. “What’s a totem?”

“The answer’s not a short one, Mirri.”

She glanced up at the sun, still in the midmorning sky. “It’s a long ride. We have time.”

“Very well,” I replied. “It has to do with making baby wood elves.”

“Stop pulling my ears,” she scoffed. “I know you’re small, but I shouldn’t think you could mate with a butterfly.”

“No, silly. . . where do I begin?” After a moment I continued, “As I’m sure you know, elves share much in common when it comes to breeding. We all experience a brief period of fertility twice a year and, despite being receptive to breeding for centuries, conception is difficult for us, and we’re lucky if we produce more than two baby elves during our long lives.”

“Yes,” agreed Mirri. “I think I recall a book about Berenziah, phrasing it rather well: ‘Elven children are slow to come, and most demanding of their welcome.’ That doesn’t apply to my mother, of course.”

“Your mother?” I asked.

Mirri chuckled. “Father claims she’s part rabbit, for I am one of no less than five children.”

“Five?!? That’s astonishing, Mirri! How lucky she is.” My raised voice apparently encouraged Willow into the air again and she flew along beside us.

“So, Buffy, you still haven’t told me what a totem is.”

“Oh yes. Well, despite the many reproductive characteristics that we elves share, there’s one important difference unique to wood elves. Our totem is the spirit of a forest creature that closely aligns with our nature. To successfully conceive, our mate’s totem must defeat ours in a spiritual battle which occurs during coupling.”

“I see,” she replied. “But how does a wood elf conceive if her mate is not a Bosmer?”

“The same as my mother did, for I was sired by a Breton. When a non-Bosmer becomes intimate with a wood elven woman, a totem will seek him out, meld with his spirit and stay as long as he remains with his Bosmer mate.”

Mirri remarked, “I should think most totems would be capable of defeating your butterfly, yes?”

“And you’d be right. . . except I have two totems, and the totem of anyone I mate with must defeat both for me to have any chance of conceiving.”

“Is having two totems common?”

I shook my head. “I’ve spoken to more than one Bosmeri shaman. None of them have ever heard of anyone else with more than one totem.”

“So. . . what’s your other totem, Buffy?”

I winced. “It’s an ice dragon.”

She scratched her head. “That’s not a forest creature, is it?”

“No, Mirri, and I cannot even imagine what totem a man might have that could defeat it.”

“But, Buffy, that means you’ll likely never. . . .” She reached across the short distance between our horses and grasped my hand as our eyes met. “I’m so sorry.”

I blinked back a tear that threatened. “Th-thank you, Mirri. Perhaps it’s just as well. The life of a paladin is hardly conducive to finding a mate. Or raising children.”

“I’m sorry, Buffy, for prattling on about my big family.”

“Don’t be,” I admonished. “I wish the best for you and hope someday, you’re as lucky as your mother.”

“Thank you. . . although my lifestyle’s not so conducive to that either.”

I returned both hands to Superian’s reins. “So that’s a very long answer to why I talk to butterflies and even dance through meadows with them sometimes.”

We rode in companionable silence for a time.

“Buffy?”

“Yes, partner?”

“You said one of your totems is an ice dragon.”

I nodded.

“You’ve also told me your quest is to stop Drodda from siphoning magic from the corpse of Kynareth’s ice dragon.”

I looked at her. “And you don’t believe in coincidences.”

“I don’t wish to pry. . . .”

“Mirri, your suspicions are correct. I carry within me the spirit of Kynareth’s dragon. Her name is Wind Phantom Ice – Ven Sah Liz in the tongue of her kind. I call her Phantom and don’t understand exactly how, but I am certain her spirit is also that of my powerful second totem.”

Mirri was quiet for quite some time before finally saying, “Buffy, though I’m still getting to know you, I can see the butterfly in you, for you are small and whimsical. But I can also see the dragon. You’re fiercely steadfast to those you care about, and I fully believe you when you say you’ll never abandon an ally. Despite being fragile as a butterfly, I’ve seen you display the courage of a dragon.”

I gave her a crooked smile. “That gets me into trouble often enough. Besides, my courage pales next to you as you charge headlong into our foes, meeting steel with steel.”

We stopped briefly by a fast-moving stream to water the horses, stretch our legs, refill our skins and share some of our dried provisions. Soon we were back on the road.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Apr 17 2025, 06:08 PM

[Lopov]

So Buffy's father was a Breton. A detail that I've probably already read at some point but which feels fresh after reading it again. In fact I'm grateful for occasional insights into Buffy's past that are nicely intertwined within the story, so they don't disrupt the flow at all.

Mirri just learned something about totems. Looks like she's been around with Buffy for enough time to be able to see both totems in her.

[SubRosa]

Some warm vittles then on to the road.

I never liked horses in the ES games, because of the way they follow you around. When I went into a dungeon I always worried that it would wander off, or get killed by a monster I did not see. But I do love being able to just summon one up to ride, and then just as easily un-summoning it afterward. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey had that feature. I created a summon ghost horse spell for Skyrim just for that. I might try the same for Oblivion, though that means replacing another summoning spell, given that you cannot create new magical effects in that game.

Some good world-building thanks to Mirri asking what the difference between a witch and a mage is.

Willow must be part Dunmer, given how she likes eating bugs...

Butterflies everywhere will all thank Buffy for her act of restraining Willow.

And a recap of Buffy's totems Butterfy and Dragon alike, and how the latter most likely has a direct bearing upon current events.

[haute ecole rider]

That little scene with Willow the bug hunter reminded me of how ESO Mirri hates it when you collect most bugs (though wasps and fetcher flies are fair game) - her rapport actually goes down when you kill a torch bug or butterfly. I couldn't help but smile throughout that part!

Mmmm, I have a somewhat different view of Witch vs Mage, but that's not part of your story. Still, it's nice to read such things as they help expand on things that happen in the story.

Oooh, Mirri's closer to the truth than she thinks when she asked about Buffy's second totem and didn't seem surprised to learn it's an ICE DRAGON.

While I miss seeing my horses from the ground in ESO, I have to admit that the ability to call them up and dispel them via mount/unmounting is damned convenient. Especially when you get assaulted or ambushed.

[Grits]

“Stop pulling my ears,” she scoffed. “I know you’re small, but I shouldn’t think you could mate with a butterfly.”

*spits tea*

There’s so much to love in this episode. Of course I had to look up the mourning cloak butterfly and thus have a vivid mental picture of Willow with her mouth full. Oops. Happy to learn that will be the last butterfly she hunts!

“But, Buffy, that means you’ll likely never. . . .” She reached across the short distance between our horses and grasped my hand as our eyes met. “I’m so sorry.”

I blinked back a tear that threatened. “Th-thank you, Mirri. Perhaps it’s just as well. The life of a paladin is hardly conducive to finding a mate. Or raising children.”

This is my favorite Buffy and Mirri moment so far. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and true.

I love that Mirri can see both the butterfly and the dragon in Buffy.

Also now I really want a bacon sandwich. I blame the leftover boar and bread!

[Kane]

Buffy losing her mate in the third era must have really done a number on her. I'll have to dive back into your older works, Acadian.

[Renee]

Potions in general last a short while in Elder Scrolls games. Really gotta be efficient when using them in the world, if we want to get our money's worth.

Difference between a witch and a mage. Glad Mirri asked; I'd also like to know how your elf answers.

Because it depends which reality we're talking about. Here on Earth, mage is a general magic-using term, comprising sorcerers, shamans, wizards, magicians, and yes, witches, along with a dozen other types of magic-using persons. Really, wizard, mage, and magic-user are interchangeable.

Outside of Disney/Hollywood, "witch" often has a negative connotation here on Earth. Most Twenty-first Century folks in civilized society don't know about Wicca, or the fact witches can also do good things, such as healing, assuming somebody in modern times believes witchcraft works at all. But Tamriel's going to have a different set of descriptions. Which Buffy's about to explain... now.

Wow. Her explanation seems to indicate mages = lawful, and witches = chaotic or neutral, did I get that right?

Yicch, another bug gets eaten! 🐞
Yeah, don't eat the butterflies! How about some tasty ... nectar?

Totem explanation is fascinating. Hmm, so having an ice dragon totem could have some reason why she's been chosen to confront the Ice Witch, I'm guessing. Nice. Mirri's drawn the same conclusion.


This post has been edited by Renee: Apr 17 2025, 05:16 PM

[Acadian]

Previously- Buffy and Mirri began their journey to Direfrost Keep. During the long ride from the closest wayshrine, Buffy learned that Willow was a prolific bug hunter. When the nixad returned with part of a butterfly wing in her mouth, Buffy made a pact with her to no longer eat butterflies in exchange for sharing Buffy’s food. That led to Buffy explaining to Mirri about totems and that one of Buffy’s was a butterfly. When Buffy revealed her second totem to be an ice dragon, Mirri correctly surmised a connection to Buffy’s quest to stop Drodda from draining the spirit of Kynareth’s ice dragon.

*

Lopov- Thank you. Buffy’s story is so long that I do like trying to review pieces of her history like using the whole butterfly incident to review the role of totems in Buffy lore as well as her father being Breton.

SubRosa- Thanks for the help you provided so Buffy could do a little bit better job of trying to explain the difference between mages and witches to Mirri – albeit from a mage’s perspective. Mirri linking Buffy’s second totem to their quest did not occur to me until we were actually drafting that scene.

Rider- Hah! I had almost forgotten how Mirri hates it if you accidently kill a butterfly or torchbug when reaching for a flower because I use an addon that (among other things) eliminates the ability to interact with (kill) butterflies and torchbugs. Thankfully, Willow accepted Buffy’s offer. I admit that the terms witch and mage are imprecise and that Buffy’s perspective, of course, is that of a mage. Mirri is perceptive enough that, over time, I suspect she’ll gradually unravel more of Buffy’s secrets. Agree on the horses in ESO – convenient but Buffy misses being able to sleep under the stars with her mare.

Grits- Thank you! I wrestled a bit with the realism monster trying to work a butterfly into snowy Eastmarch. I was delighted to discover that there actually is a butterfly that can tolerate it. Mirri is quite perceptive to so readily grasp the implications of a Bosmer woman having such a powerful totem, as well as seeing how appropriate both Buffy’s totems are.

Kane- Buffy was indeed devastated when her mate was killed during the final battle to free Kvatch. She ended up having to lose herself in Valenwood (Book 2) to begin to find her way before she could return to Cyrodiil.

Renee- I hadn’t thought of it in D&D terms but mages behaving lawfully enough to comfortably operate within society seems about right. Witches (in Buffy lore) seem less lawful for sure but can probably run the gamut from good/neutral/evil. Overall, I’d comfortably call Buffy ‘chaotic good’. She has her own morale compass, but most would judge her actions as good. I appreciate the opportunity to provide a tiny review of how Phantom fits in here: Phantom was Acadian’s ice dragon mount when the two perished during the Merethic Era. The spirit of Phantom ended up bonding with Superian in Book 2 as the dragon briefly took over the body of Buffy’s mare to fly her out of mortal danger. That’s why Buffy sometimes refers to Superian as her dragon-mare. Book 2 is also where Buffy learned of her two totems. Drodda is siphoning the residual magic from Phantom’s frozen corpse, and this – if not stopped – could prove disastrous for both Superian and the spirit of Phantom. Kynareth’s involvement here includes the fact that she is the one who created Phantom as Acadian’s mount.

* * *

Episode 36

By midafternoon, the temperature had dropped noticeably. My robe, and the heat rising from Superian, kept the chill at bay though. For now.

“A rabbit,” I whispered as I drew my mare to a stop.

Mirri and I both dismounted. The rabbit, in winter white pelt, had found a struggling sprig of green and was munching busily.

I thought of Carsomyr then closed my fingers around the materializing weapon. I pointed to my staff, then to myself.

Mirri nodded and stayed put.

I crept forward a bit and lowered the end of my staff toward the small target. I wanted a mercifully clean kill. Carsomyr’s bolt of magic instantly dropped the rabbit. I quickly closed the distance and verified my prey was dead. After dispelling my staff, I knelt beside the animal. “Thank you small one, for your gift of sustenance. Rest now, until Kynareth guides your spirit back to her forest and you once again hop among us.”

I picked up the rabbit and stood to see a nearby Mirri smiling with no judgement in her eyes about the little prayer ritual my archer master, Daenlin, had taught me the first time he and I took a deer together. We made our way back to the horses.

“I thought some fresh meat might be welcome this evening,” I remarked as I tied the rabbit’s rear feet to Superian’s pommel and mounted.

After less than another hour of travel, Mirri said, “Both our destination and darkness are near. We should look for a sheltered place to camp so we’ll be fresh to enter Direfrost Keep in the morning.”

Soon enough we saw a cliff face, well-screened by a copse of trees. Mirri pointed and said, “That looks promising. Let’s investigate.”

We rode closer. Hidden behind the trees we spotted what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. We dismounted and Mirri drew steel as we approached. The opening was just wide and high enough that I figured one horse with its head lowered would be able to enter. Mirri and I slipped inside. Light from the doorway behind us and several small gaps over our heads revealed we were indeed inside a cavern.

Mirri lifted her sword and was almost able to touch the ceiling.

I illuminated myself with Divine magic so we could better investigate. It was a single chamber about three horse lengths wide and two deep.

“Empty,” Mirri commented as she stowed her sword and shield. She nudged a couple bones on the floor with the toe of her boot. “These are old. No signs of recent nesting or scat. Nothing’s used this small cave for quite some time.”

“The ceiling’s height can accommodate the horses and,” I pointed up, “those gaps should be able to draw out enough smoke to allow a fire inside. I think we’re in luck.”

I dispelled my light aura and we stepped back outside to find both horses grazing where the trees had largely sheltered the ground from snow. Willow hovered around Superian’s hindquarters, searching for and removing tangles from the mare’s tail.

I summoned my elven hunting knife and cut the rabbit free of Superian’s pommel. “Let me skin and prepare our dinner for roasting. Perhaps you could build us a fire?”

Mirri looked at the ground around the trees surrounding us and nodded. “Plenty of firewood here. I’ll gather it if you’ll light it.”

Within the hour, horses, elves and nixad were inside and we had a cheerful fire. The rabbit was roasting on a spit of green wood that Mirri held. I had summoned my storage trunk and removed what we needed for the night. Our teapot – filled with snow – sat near the fire.

Dinner was delicious. Even Willow enjoyed several small tidbits of rabbit, though she expressed little interest in the flatbread I offered her. By the time our bellies were full, a peek outside revealed the sky was dark enough to display both moons and enough stars to promise a clear, cold night.

“Buffy, do you want first or second watch tonight?”

“Neither,” I replied. “Superian will watch over us all night. She’s done so for me many times, waking me at the slightest threat her keen ears or nose detects. I turned my head toward the mare. “Superian, can you show Mirri?”

The mare lifted her head and issued a sharp neigh.

Mirri looked from Superian back to me then slowly shook her head with a smile. “Why am I not surprised? You dance with butterflies, carry a dragon within you, pray over bunnies and talk to your nixad and horse – who clearly understand you.” She looked up and smiled at my mare. “Very well, then. Thank you, Superian. You can rest tomorrow while your mistress and I hunt down an ice witch.”

“Look who’s talking to her now,” I said. “Be careful, lest Gray become jealous.”

“Oh, I confess that I talk to him sometimes as well.”

“We’ll make a wood elf of you yet,” I teased.

She shook her head. “Don’t hold your breath. I’m not about to start chasing butterflies or dancing in treetops.”

While Mirri added wood to the fire, I topped off our waterskins from the teapot and refilled it with snow, again placing it near the fire. I then cast Radiant Glory several times into the floor and lower portions of the cave’s wall and was well-pleased with how it warmed the small cave.

“Willow,” I said, “I expect we’ll need your help tomorrow in Direfrost Keep so I’d like you well-rested.”

She lifted the flap of my mage pouch, flattened her wings along her back and crawled inside.

Mirri and I each wrapped up in our wolf pelts. I lay close to and facing the fire. Mirri curled up against my back like the larger of two nesting spoons.

When I awoke, my back was cold. I pulled down the pelt just enough to look around. Beyond the cave’s entrance, I could see the promise of dawn through the trees.

“Good morning, Buffy.” Mirri was seated close to the freshly stoked fire, her pelt covering both shoulders. “A cold night, but between our fire and body heat of the animals, I hope you were warm enough?”

“’Morning,” I said, managing a crooked smile as I stiffly stood. I recast Radiant Glory several times to warm the stone floor and lower walls again.

Willow climbed out of my mage pouch and, after a yawn, joined Mirri by the fire as I led the horses out of the cave so they could walk around some and perhaps graze. I summoned a bucket, filled it with snow and, with the weak fire spell I knew, melted it for the horses to drink. I then moved a bit farther away and passed my own water near the patch of yellow snow that, clearly, Mirri had made earlier.

Upon returning, I went into my storage trunk to retrieve some provisions. “I’ll make some tea for us.”

Mirri had reheated the small amount of leftover rabbit which we soon enjoyed with ginger tea and flatbread. Willow accepted some rabbit and water.

After breaking camp, we rode the short distance to Direfrost Keep. It was an imposing fortress of stone but eerily quiet. At least outside. We dismissed the horses and entered the courtyard in search of an entrance into the keep itself.

“Damn, locked,” reported Mirri after we found the door.

“Let Willow try,” I offered. The nixad chittered happily as she stuck both arms into the keyhole. After a few moments we heard a satisfying click. Sure enough, we were then able to open the heavy door and slip inside.

I hadn’t thought it possible, but it was even colder inside. “Mirri, I’m already wearing everything I have including my enchanted toe ring of resist cold. . . but I think I’m going to have to drink one of those resist frost potions.”

“It’s not just you, Buffy,” she replied as she tied her woolen band around her head to cover both ears. “The enchanted doublet under my armor helps, but I need one of those potions too. They’re supposed to last an hour or more and we have six each. That should be plenty.”

Mirri drank one. I drank most of another and offered the last bit of mine to Willow. “It’ll help keep you warm,” I explained.

She accepted the vial, sniffed it, looked at me, then trustingly drank what remained inside.

Mirri and I crept forward. I was impressed by the potion’s effectiveness. Willow seemed content to quietly follow above and behind us.

“There is evil here,” I reported in a low voice. Carsomyr filled my hand.

From behind me I heard Mirri’s blade slide free of its scabbard as she replied, “I don’t doubt you. . . but how can you sense that?”

I shrugged. “All paladins can detect the presence of evil.”

The keep – fortress, really – was of stone construction but patches of ice liberally decorated its walls and ceiling. Upon turning our first corner, we saw two pale blue figures ahead, unmoving. As we drew closer, it became clear they were victims of ice magic, frozen forever in midstride as they were apparently trying to flee.

“Poor bastards,” breathed Mirri.

I nodded grimly and replied, “I think we’re in the right place.”

[Kane]

The hunt is on! Hopefully Buffy and Miri aren't biting off more than they can chew with Dreanna!