Two Graves - The Song of Nephiah and Brelyna

Chapter 11: Slave to the System

Brelyna was crossing the courtyard to get to the Hall of Attainment, where the students were housed. They had a table there that the college chef kept full of food and they recently added a little fireplace. Kept warm on top of it was usually a pot of Horker stew. She had developed a liking to Nordic cooking since she arrived and she would be looking forward to those stews whenever they were on the menu. But right now she was thinking about something else.

Nephiah hadn't said much. But she didn't have to, not after what Brelyna had seen. It was all made clear the instant she laid eyes on Nephiah's scarred body. People did this to her. It was why she hunted them with such burning anger, why she didn't speak, why she thought she didn't exist. How long had she been their captive. How long did it take for the damage done to her body to be done to her mind as well. Brelyna shuddered. She was angry. She was disgusted. That this was allowed to happen to a being so beautiful, with such magical power over her. That this was allowed to happen at all. She reached the Hall of Attainment and entered.

Her racing mind was stopped dead as her eyes fell upon the old Dark Elf standing in the archway of her alcove. "Neloth!" He was dressed in masterfully made mage robes of Dunmer design. "Does the fine lady grace us with her presence.", he said sarcastically. Like her father, he was a powerful Telvanni mage. She was brought along on visits to his Solstheim estate a few times, he was not a pleasant man.

She carefully stepped closer. "What are you doing here?" Neloth didn't move, he kept looking at her disapprovingly. "I am not an errand boy, young Maryon. And were it not for your father's almost exclusive accomplishments which ensured that house Telvanni did not fracture and fade into nothingness after the Argonian uprising, I would not be standing here." "Ok?", she said carefully probing further. "So what does father want?"

"What does he want?!" He took a sudden step closer, Brelyna flinched slightly. "Maybe he wants to know how his daughter's studies are going, like any father would. Has it ever occurred to you that he invested a good deal in your development." "My development...", she laughed. "You are a Telvanni, young lady! Just as I am, just as your father is. And with that come certain responsibilities if the name is to mean anything tomorrow." He took another step forward, slowly this time. "On your father's behest I have come all the way from Solstheim to see how you are. And what must I find. You are absent, gone for days. Nobody knows where you are." Her eyes opened wider and wider with every step he took. "Against my council, he took a chance, letting you come here. He would have provided the same education in Morrowind, if not better. But he was convinced that you needed to have your space to thrive, as much as it pained him." He arrived right in front of her looking down, he was tall for a Dunmer. She nervously looked up into his eyes. "But apparently you use your freedom to disappear without leave, go on some adventure and bring back wounded strays." He knew about Nephiah. "Yes, I have spoken to your teachers. I have no idea what your relationship with that... rabble is but you are here to study. Not follow your every youthful whim." Brelyna couldn't look him in the eye anymore. She turned away and walked to the stairs that led to the upper level. "Excuse me, Neloth, but I was about to have a meal." She said, trying her best to sound calm. "Yes, you do that, young Maryon. I shall speak to your father and see if he thinks your behavior warrants... consequences." He turned and left the hall.

The food table was on the upper level. With shaking hands Brelyna grabbed a wooden bowl and filled it with stew from the kettle. She put it down on the table but absentmindedly placed it on the edge so that it instantly fell, spilling its contents over the floor. "Damnit!" she said with a quivering voice. She took a deep breath and found a chair to sit down in. She placed a hand over her eyes. "Damnit."

Nephiah pushed herself up and turned to sit on the edge of the bed. The healing stab wound made its presence know with every movement. She looked around to find a fresh novice robe that had been placed over the arm rest of a chair. She moved to slide off the bed, the stone floor was cold under her bare feet. She quickly moved to the chair and slipped into the robe. She found her boots at the end of the bed, at least they hadn't cut those up as well. She bent down to pick them up, the sharp pain in her shoulder let her know that it may be too soon for this kind of extreme position. She let them drop beside the bed as she fell back into it, giving off a moan. She moved a hand up to her forehead, noticing that the black linen cloth she liked to wrap around it was missing as well. Exploring further she noticed something else that was strange. As she ran her fingers through her hair she noticed how soft and straight it was, that she could run her fingers through it at all was a novelty. Puzzled, she pinched two fingers full of strands to examine more cosely. The edges were clean, cut more precisely than she would with her dagger.