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After her ship sinks in the far, frozen north, Aithne is forced into servitude.

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Aithne's story

Aithne’s story part 1 – Death on Ice

It made no sense, Aithne thought. The crow’s nest was the highest point on the ship, which meant it was the closest to the sun. That should make it the warmest spot, shouldn’t it? She glanced off-port at the distant mountains of Skyrim. They stared back, their icy crowns glittering in the bright light of day. They were even taller than the crow’s nest – they should be the warmest spots on the planet. Instead, they were the coldest.   It made no sense.   She sighed and re-focu
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Aithne's story part 9 - Stolen Property

She was awoken by a roar that filled the air and made the ground vibrate. She gasped as pain lanced through her arms and shoulders. She struggled to put weight back on her legs, though they had their own share of complaints.   The roar sounded again as the first tingling of feeling began to sweep over her limbs, and she twisted her head in every direction she could manage even as the refugees began to drag themselves from their tents. Soon the area was filling with muttering and cries
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Aithne's story part 8 - Stonehill

The sun had dipped partway into the distant horizon like a satisfied man in a bath when they arrived at what appeared to be a mine, except there were a number of ragged tents staked out around it. HE inquired and discovered it to be a makeshift refugee camp.   “Just our luck,” HE muttered as they she set up their own small camp on the outskirts, somewhat away from the refugees. “I had hoped to make some money tonight but these cowards don’t have a septim to split between them. Finish s
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Aithne's story part 7 - The Well-Traveled Road

It was the warmest, most comfortable bed in the world, fit for kings or emperors.  Delicious heat stroked her skin, cocooned her in its embrace like a mother’s womb, and she smiled and snuggled deeper into…   “Attention.”   HIS voice cut through the warmth like a shard of ice and her body fought to comply without hesitation. For some reason, it would not move as quickly as…   “Attention!”   A sharp smack on her thigh, and she cried out as she struggled wit
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Aithne's story part 6 - Broken

There was no sea. There were no ships. There never had been. It had been an illusion, a dream born of fever and nightmare, best left on the shoals of sleep, where all dreams founder upon waking.   Bright sunlight. The sound of the surf crashing and gulls calling and horkers shuffling their massive bulks across the shore. She noted them all in a distant part of her mind, but they weren’t for her. HE turned and began walking, HIS hand holding the lead to her collar in a negligent grip. S
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Aithne's story part 54 - Professor Aithne gro-Shub

“Professor?”   Aithne shook her head at the mess on the table as she sorted the books. Things had changed so much in her time at the College, but students leaving their study material all over the place was one thing that remained…   “Professor!”   The insistent voice stopped Aithne’s thoughts in their tracks and she blinked and turned. Two students, both fourth-years, stood at the side of the table, watching her.   “Oh! Um. Sorry!” Aithne gave herself a l
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 53 - Our Little Secret (Don't worry, it's not an April Fools prank)

“Hmm. You’re not supposed to be here. This is a tricky one. What to do, what to do...”   The voice came from nowhere. Or everywhere. It was deep and rich and sounded faintly alarmed. Aithne blinked, although there was nothing to blink at – all around her was darkness. She felt nothing, saw nothing. She wasn't sure if she had actually blinked or had just imagined it as a sort of habitual response.   But she smelled something - the sweet scent of roses. She inhaled it even thou
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 52 - All That Glitters is an Illusion

Hollow. Empty. A shell. A husk. Devoid of substance, of thought beyond the festering wound of memories. All was lost; nothing carried meaning.   Aithne meandered through the silent suite, wading through a pool of despair so deep, it threatened to drown her. Only her traitorous body and its stubborn insistence on continuing to breathe kept her alive.   That and her so-called friends, who came by from time to time and insisted on making her eat and bathe and sleep.  
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 51 - The Bells Sound for a Wedding Day

Everything was impossible.   The sky was impossibly clear. The sea was impossibly blue. The Observation Circle at the apex of the College of Winterhold was impossibly beautiful, boasting impossibly bright streamers and impossibly perfect flowers.   Aithne was impossibly happy. She had walked through a nightmare to end up in an impossible dream. Archmage Ervine spoke words but Aithne heard them only as if from a distance – all her attention was wrapped up in the orc who faced
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 50 - A Proposal for a Graduate of the College of Winterhold

“That was such a good speech! It made me want to go out and conquer the world! And the tribute for Savos was nice, even if I didn’t like him.”   Brelyna laughed. “You actually listened to it? I didn’t think anyone ever listened to graduation speeches!”   Onmund nodded as he stretched. “Yeah, I fell asleep.”   Aithne could not believe her ears. “Really? How could you fall asleep? This is so exciting!”   “For you, it is, J’zargo agrees,” agreed J’zargo. “You
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Aithne's story part 5 - Receding

Her first time on a Navy Sloop of War had been a revelation. The tight rigging, the prow as sharp as a knife, everything in exactly the right place. Every inch of space was built with purpose – not a hair’s width was underutilized. It was, as far as she was concerned, the peak of specieal knowhow. It moved through the water like it was…   “You’re doing it again.” A sharp crack and her right breast burst into flame. She cried out as the cave rushed back into focus, along with the ten-in
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Aithne's story part 49 - Storm Clouds on the Horizon

Chtonji beamed as the cake was set in front on him and immediately grabbed for it.   “No.” Aithne took his hand and held it, laughing. “Not yet. First we need to crush the box. Right, Da Da?”   Urag, beaming from the other side of the table, nodded, picked up the small box on the side of the cake, and set it in front of Chtonji. He placed his hand on Aithne’s, which still held Chtonji’s, and said, “Ready?”   Aithne nodded, her attention fully on keeping the toddler’
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 48c - Labyrinthian part 3

The absolute terror in Atmah’s voice snapped Aithne back to her surroundings, a transition so quick her head spun a little. Or perhaps the dizziness was from the residual energy wafting through the closed door. Something was in there. Something…   “What is that?” The words slipped from her before she realized she had spoken. Atmah turned to her, all traces of anything but fear wiped from her face.   “That is Morokei, one of The Eight.” At their blank looks, she added, “He was
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Aithne's story part 48b - Labyrinthian part 2

When the first two draugr appeared, Atmah started to shout, “Watch out, they…” but before the words even left her throat, the draugr were dead. Trendil moved with a speed that belied belief, slicing one of the monsters into pieces with her swords while Sloan seemed to disappear from Aithne’s side and re-appear behind the already-slumping form of the second draugr. As the creature’s chest exploded and it crumbled, Atma finished, “…’re deceptively quick.” Atmah blinked at them. “Um…”   S
Aithne's story

Aithne's story part 48a - Labyrinthian part 1

Trendil stared at the imposing double doors of Labyrinthian with her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Looks like this adventure will be over before it even starts.”   “Why doesn't the door have a way to open it?” Sloan peered at the smooth metal so closely her eyes appeared to touch the surface.   Aithne shrugged. “I guess they want to keep people out.”   “Well, then how did the original owners get in?” Trendil asked at the same time Sloan raised an eyebrow at
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Aithne's story part 47 - The Beginning of the End of the Beginning part 2

Aithne had Chonji calmed with the help of a plate of sweetrolls by the time a pensive-laden Urag returned to the suite. She said simply, “The Archmage?” and took his shake of his head as confirmation of what she had assumed. “Well. Not to speak ill of the dead, but I’ll not miss him.”   He snort-laughed. “No, I imagine not.”   “What happens now? Who chooses Archmages?”   Urag shrugged as he sat at the table and snagged one of the sweetrolls. Fortunately, Chonji alre
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Aithne's story part 46 - The Archmage's Secret

“Why haven’t you gone home?”    Aithne froze at the unexpected question as the darkness that still lapped the shores from the day before began to rise. It took her several panicked breaths before she could lift her head to look at Urag, let alone speak. Even then, she did not trust her tenuous hold on the darkness to say more than a single word.   “H…home?”   “Yes. I know you don’t seem like you want to talk about your past but… I thought…”   Aithne shook
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Aithne's story part 45 - The Secrets of Saarthal part 2

“This is kinda disappointing.” Shar’s voice echoing in the sparse stone chamber seemed to only interesting thing in it.   Kemle frowned as she looked up from something that may have been a carved tablet at some point but now resembled nothing more than a vaguely rectangular rock. “What do you mean?”   “Well, it’s all the same, isn’t it? We’ve gone through three rooms and they look just like the ones near the entrance.”   Leb snorted as Kemle stood and wiped her hand
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Aithne's story part 44 - The Secrets of Saarthal part 1

Aithne could not stop craning her neck – everything she saw seemed like the most interesting thing she had ever seen. The other students were not so enthralled but, of course, they had been here many times before. It was Aithne’s first time in an ancient ruin.   Professor Tolfdir motioned toward various things Aithne could not begin to put a name to as he walked beside her. “Saarthal was one of the earliest Nord settlements in Skyrim. It was also the largest. Sacked by the elves in the
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Aithne's story part 43 - A Challenge

Chtonji beamed as the cake was set in front of him and immediately grabbed for it.   “No.” Aithne took his hand and held it, laughing. “Not yet. First we need to crush the box. Right, Da Da?”   Urag, beaming from the other side of the highchair, nodded, picked up the small box on the side of the cake, and set it in front of Chtonji. He placed his hand on Aithne’s, which still held Chtonji’s, and said, “Ready?”   Aithne nodded, but her attention was fully on the todd
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Aithne's story part 42 - The Practical Application of Aslir’s Law

“How goes the studying?”   Aithne sighed and set the book down as Urag moved behind her and stroked her hair with his incongruously gentle hand. She closed her eye and allowed herself to sink into the moment, just for a bit, then opened it again and tapped the book in frustration.    “Why was it so much easier to read on my own than it is to read the same books for an assignment?”   Urag’s laugh turned into a surprised yell as Chonji zoomed past screaming something
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Aithne's story part 41 - A Day Out

“How are you feeling? You seem down.”   Aithne blinked and looked up from her book as Brelyna sat across from her. “Hm? Oh. Um. Fine. I guess.” She sighed. “It’s just…hard to be free. The world is too big. I don’t know how people cope with it.”   Brelyna laughed. “It’s only been a month. You’ll get used to it in time.”   “I know, it’s just…scary. I can’t face anything past each moment. When my mas…when I was freed, I went back with…with Urag…” she had to drag his na
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Aithne's story part 40 - Another Step Forward

“Why were you healing Merks’ head?” Aithne squeezed a wriggling Chonji to her chest. The child (who barely fit on her lap anymore – he had grown so much in five months!) was clearly long over the thrill of seeing his mother again and wanted down, but Aithne wasn’t about to let him go. Not yet. “I would have thought Colette would be doing that.”   “Professor Colette is generally only called in when there is something major going on. Most of the time…” Brelyna paused, grinned, shrugged,
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Aithne's story part 4 - On the Cusp

Aithne huddled at the end of her chain as she watched the door. Master had found a town some days or weeks ago. She wasn’t sure – she had lost track of time in this enclosed space, where the only hints of the world outside came when He opened the door to leave or return.   She heard His footsteps crunching outside and hastily pushed herself to her knees, then poised as she had been taught, with head bowed and hands open on her thighs. She heard the door open and peeked up as much as sh
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Aithne's story part 39 - A Different Reality

The first thing she saw was Merks. Which was as expected. What wasn’t expected was that he was still unconscious. He was lying on a bed while another student, a woman wearing blue robes who Aithne dimly recognized, stood over him. She seemed to have been doing something to his head but she jumped when the screaming slave and her latest captor appeared.   “What the…”   “Calm down! Divines!” The student who had caught Aithne at the bridge gave her arm a shake.   The w
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