The return back to Fort Dawnguard was far less eventful than when he and Alarne had passed through the region. Blaise had them stop in at the Riften inn to await nightfall, for as he had told Runa and Sofie; it was far easier to find the opening to the canyon by moon light due to the braziers that acted as markers.
The moons were well on their way when he led them to the cave like entrance to the canyon. Blaise had been worried that even though he had passed through twice before, he would still be unable to locate it; yet here it was, right where he knew it would be.
The sight that greeted them, while still awe inspiring; held little importance to him, as his thoughts had been overrun with worry about what they would find waiting for them and then what would happen after that. Sofie and Runa on the other hand, had stopped dead still as the view of the thundering water falls came into view.
Both stood eyes wide open, taking in the majesty of the world that they had just stepped into.
Just as Blaise was about to say something, Sofie nudged her sister in the side and both started up towards the towering fort that was their destination. As they walked past Blaise noticed how strained their expressions were, the pair of them seemed to be trying desperately to keep up the appearance of calm, yet he could see in their eyes just how worried they were about Alarne.
*****
Alarne was awoken to the ever constant presence of the fog waiting on the fringes of his mind, by what felt like a frost troll banging against his exposed chest. Upon opening his eyes he could see that the one hitting him was far more terrifying than any frost troll he had ever heard of.
Standing beside his cot with her fists raised stood Runa, fury showing on her face while tears ran down her cheeks. He could see Sofie not far behind, his look went straight to hers, where it was evident that she too had been crying; but had recently stopped. And finally standing off beside the wall near the entrance to the small area they had given him to sleep in was Blaise looking as though he wasn’t really sure what to do next.
There was a soft thump beside him as Runa slid to her knees; looking over he noticed that Sofie had moved to their sister’s side and had her hand resting on Runa’s shoulder. She stood staring straight at him, awaiting the explanation that he would now have to give, as to why he had left without leaving any word of where he was going.
He was certain that Blaise had probably filled them in on what had happened since they had left, yet he recounted what he could remember of his reasons and what had happened. When he spoke of the fog that now bordered his mind, he could see the worry in both his sisters, Runa more so; her face was covered in it and sitting beside her Sofie maintained an expression of calm; only her eyes giving away what she really felt.
He completed his telling by showing them the amulet that Florentius had given him to stave of the fog. At this even Blaise came across from the doorway to get a better look.
Each of them studied the amulet to try and see what made it so special that it was able to keep Alarne’s wits about him. But all they saw was a simple amulet of Arkay, there was nothing that made it stand out from any other they had ever seen and yet it still seemed to have returned Alarne to a state of awareness.
Once they had heard their fill of what he had to tell Blaise started for the door; off to tell Isran that his task was complete. Runa was close on his heels, leaving Alarne alone with Sofie and free to be questioned by her in piece.
Before she could open her mouth Alarne sent one of his own questions her way instead “Did Tullius tell you where I had gone? How long did you know of my plans before I left?”
He knew he shouldn’t be angry at his father’s friend if he had talked, but the feeling at the betrayal that he was sure had occurred started to swell within him. Looking right at his sister he could see her trying to decide on how much to tell him, he had long ago accepted that she very much liked her secrets and as such was loath to release them.
“I knew you were planning something almost as soon as you had started to make the plans yourself. I also knew that the General was somehow involved in your plotting, be it giving you the reason to do so or helping you come up with how you would do whatever it was.” As she spoke she lowered herself into the only chair in the small alcove he had been given, and hugged her knees to her chest making her appear as though she was a small child trying to hold back what she was saying.
“I went to see him the day before you left; he seemed almost relieved to tell someone of what he had said to you.” At the look that stole across Alarne’s face she quickly added “Don’t worry; he only said that it was to do with father.”
“I was only able to make him tell me that you now knew of father’s last known location and I pieced together that you would be going in search of him yourself. I was certain that you would go, even though you were well aware of the searches that occurred at the time of his disappearance and how mother had left in pursuit of him and never returned. I knew this because you share the stubbornness of both our parents; something Runa and I are unable to claim.”
Her words shocked him, could his sister really believe that they were any less their parents’ children because they did not share their blood; it was nonsense.
“Of course you can, if anything I learned my stubbornness from the two of you as much as I inherited it from our parents. And I’m certain that you and Runa both learned it from them before I was born, you’re as much my sisters and their daughters as anyone that shares our blood.”
Sofie sat staring at him as tears started to well in her eyes and before he knew what was happening she was hugging him tightly to her.
“Thank you Alarne, thank you.”
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By doing it the way it is it lets the reader know who's PO... more
The return back to Fort Dawnguard was far less eventful than when he and Alarne had passed through the region.
Although you do explain exac... more