Ch. 1: The Past Arch-Mage
I awoke to a bitter cold breeze blowing over my face, burning my cheeks and nose. I stirred in my sheets before finally sitting up with a yawn as the bed squeaked beneath me. I glanced over at the window. The curtains were pulled back and revealed to me the blue-orange dawn sky, flicks of snowflakes falling from the clouds. A pile of this snow had settled on the window ledge, and was beginning to leak onto the floor below. I sighed and willed myself out of bed. What a beautiful sight was the outside world from inside the dark stone walls, though, it only meant another winter storm was coming soon. The cold here was much different from the warmth of Summerset Isle I had been born into. Pacing over to the window, I dusted off the fragile snow, watching the small pieces flutter in the sky as the harsh winds pulled them in. The sheets began to rustle yet again and I could hear Brelyna getting out of bed to stand besides me.
"Wow, that's impressive," she whispered into my ear, resting her head on my shoulder. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the scene in front of us. It was amazing how she could still see wonder in such barren, harsh lands.
I remarked, "This riel sight only means more storms to come, and the Divines know we need no more cold." My heart grew heavy at the thought. Brelyna rolled her eyes and moved away from me, going to sit down on the bed and stretch. I shut the curtains and found a match to light a small candle so we would not be blinded in the dark. I carried it over to her.
"I do not know how you can be so negative, Astaria. Ancano is defeated and you are the Arch-Mage. The College is restored, and everybody is happy and safe. We get all the time on Nirn to read and work on our spells, or do whatever pleases us. What more could you possibly need?" She questioned, looking me over. I shrugged and hugged my arms to my chest. Sometimes I resented Brelyna's innate ability to adapt to nearly anything. Though she was born in Morrowind, not as hot as Summerset Isle, but not nearly as cold as Skyrim, she never seems to mind the frigid temperatures. Beyond that, nothing seems to phase her. Not the civil war, not the evils of the world, not even the fact that the world was almost destroyed by Alduin. It is almost like she lives in her own world. Maybe it is the amount of time she spends reading, or maybe she just has a clear conscious. Whatever it is, I can only wish to have it.
"It is not that Brelyna," I sighed, "the world is crumbling beneath me. Everything is going wrong. Nothing is right anymore in this miserable province," I admitted, feeling the anxiety rise in my chest. Brelyna smiled, and wrapped her hand around mine, squeezing it tight.
"The threat of the college is gone," she soothed, "and we need not to worry about the rest of Nirn, or even Skyrim. We have these stone walls and the water below, and that is all we need. Nothing will happen to you in the college." Of course she thinks that, she doesn't know the truth, I think bitterly to myself. Not the whole truth, anyways.
"You're safe here now. Well, as long as you don't go in The Midden," she joked, her eyes shining. "You don't know what you'll find in there!" I laughed half-heartedly alongside her, sitting down and staring at the floor. We were close, sure, but I wasn't sure if I felt comfortable telling her about... it. About the dreams. About everything.
"You know," I began, "being Arch-Mage is a lot harder than it looks..." My face was twisted as I spoke, troubled from my thoughts. I have to confide in her. She's the only one I can trust. Brelyna raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah? How so?" she challenged, grinning. I know she's not taking me seriously, but her happiness is my everything. I hate the thought of destroying it but this was something that needed to be discussed. I opened my mouth.
"It is like this place is haunted or something," I said quickly, looking around and wringing my hands nervously.
"By who?" Brelyna giggled. "Ancano? Don't be so silly." She waved her hand, grinning. She really did find this amusing. I shook my head. I knew the minute I told her the grin would be wiped straight off her face.
