All was calm. The darkness of the otherworld was as he expected it. Salazar could bet the moment he'd open his eyes he'd see the colorful land of Quagmire, the land-dream. That is, if Vaermina hadn't decided to punish him for his insolence, dying without her orders. Hopefully she hadn't.
He had been a good acolyte all his life, hadn't he? Obeyed the laws of his superiors, and brought the will of lady Dreams to the mortals of tamriel.
He was definitely going to be rewarded.
But still he didn't dare open his eyes.
It was cold around him. The sound of waves clashing with the stone cliffs wasn't loud, but it was still definietly there.
Thd land beneath him was hard. Not at all like the soft sands and snow of dawnstar.
Quagmire wasn't seeming to be that pleasant.
Then he felt some warmness in his face, and a wet thing moving towards it. wait, what?
He opened his eyes. The two moons were up there, Secunda almost completely in front of Masser, both bright. The Bright Northern lights were dancing, and much closer to earth, a large palace was siting on a great cloud, majestically looming.
Salazar blinked. This wasn't, at all, like what the acolytes kept telling them about. Quagmire was different from what he thought.
Then something else covered his vision.
A thing was sniffing him, it's big eyes bright with curiosity. Then the thing barked twice, and took a few steps back, before sitting and panting. Almost like a dog. A VERY VERY LARGE dog.
A dog?
Salazar almost jumped from where he was lying. "ARGH!!!!!" He rose, "back! Back you beast!"
The wolf looked at him, with an expression on its face that almost said 'are you serious?' Before continuing with his panting.
"What...why in oblivion are you-" Salazar almost asked, the wolf looking at him with a proud expression on its face.
Salazar rose and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't in Quagmire. He was still in tamriel, and with a very mortal soul still in his mortal shell.
And there was a wolf near him. A tame wolf, who seemed more curious by looking at him than Hungry.
Only in tamriel. He shook his head. Then rose, looking around.
The majestic palace could only mean one thing. He was near winterhold. And that wad good. Maybe he could get some provisions there, before returning to the temple.
And so he started hiking. Even though it was night, the clear weather (and luck of snowstorm) helped a lot. At least enough for him to walk towards the base of the cliff upon which the city was built.
Now, how to get up there... Salazar looked at the cliff. If he had a really really long rope, and the ability to cast a Featherlight, he could probably climb the cliff. His current self had no chance.
Then he heard a quiet howl from somewhere. "Now what?" He groaned, but when he turned, the wolf was looking at the beginning of a small natural road that led all the way to the town.
"You've saved me again" said Salazar, with an amazed tone. Then shrugged, "but what to do now?"
The wolf gave him the 'are you serious?' Look again, before nodding his head at the road.
Salazar chuckled, and said "yeah. That would be a good idea, wouldn't it?" And began hiking.
The wolf continued following him. A few steps Later, he noticed it. "What in oblivion are doing?" And then closed his eyes, "leave. Go back to your pack!" He pointed at the sea, "go back to your own kind"
The wolf didn't. Salazar sighed, "look. I don't know why you're following me" the wolf barked again, looking The idea of 'following me', but Salazar continued "but you can't. The people up there would kill you, you know that"
Thd wolf looked at him. He shook his head, "yes. Men, Big men with swords and spears. They'll kill you if they see you"
Thd wolf howled, but got the idea. And stood there.
It's fot the best he thought, before continuing his hike.
Up to Halfway through the road, it was safe. But then, a few wolves attacked him.
"Really?" Salazar sighed, before Summoning the aura of Shock in one hand.
