The Archmage’s tower room looked exactly how Aithne remembered it, down to the table bearing his notes on Labyrinthian. The door-knocker-thing that unlocked the door was not, at this point, anyway, being used as a doorstop.

 

Also, she noted with annoyance, the books that rightly belonged in the Arcaneum were still there. Maybe taking some of those back would give her an opening to talk to Urag.

 

The thought pushed a wave of lonely sorrow through her strong enough that she missed Savos Aren’s opening words to their conversation.

 

“…hear you claim to be the Archmage of this institution, is that correct?”

 

Aren also looked exactly as she remembered, from the narrow angular head to the pitch-black eyes to the disapproving scowl. His voice, likewise, grated on Aithne’s nerves just as it always had. She blinked.

 

“Yes.”

 

The dark elf steepled his fingers. “You understand that we cannot just let anyone walk in here claiming to be Archmage and simply hand the College over to them.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“And you understand further that, even if dragons do somehow begin showing up after all these centuries, that will not completely substantiate your rather outrageous sounding claims.”

 

“Certainly.”

 

“Then what did you hope to accomplish in coming here?”

 

Aithne sighed. She had debated whether to press her claim, but being Archmage would require too much focus on the needs of the College. She needed every second she could spare to do her dragon research.

 

“I do not wish to take your position, if that is what you are afraid of.” Which he was – she could see it on his face even without hearing the thoughts that spilled out of his mind.

 

His emotions switched to cautious relief that he hid behind a raised eyebrow. “No? Then what do you wish?”

 

“I want a suite as close to the Arcaneum as possible and unlimited access to the books therein.”

 

For the first time, Aithne saw emotion flash across Aren’s face.

 

Savos: ^strong anger^ Over my dead body!

 

The emotion was wiped off his face almost immediately and none of leaked into his outwardly calm voice, but Aithne could still feel it churning inside him.

 

“With apologies, that will not be possible. Only teachers, students, and staff are allowed to live within these walls. There is an inn in Winterhold, if you are looking for a place to stay. And access to the Arcaneum is completely out of the question.”

 

Aithne smiled. She had been hoping she wouldn’t have to play her trump card so soon, but he had left her no choice.

 

“Atmah Naku says hello.”

 

Savos’ dark skin managed to turn pale as he froze in place. Blatant fear flooded him from head to toe and it took him a couple attempts to speak again.

 

“How…how do you know that name?”

 

“I met her. Well, her projection of herself, at any rate. Also, I lied - she doesn’t say hello. She seemed to be quite cross with you, in fact. ‘An all-around despicable creature,’ I believe she called you.”

 

The Archamage cast a quick glance at the Labyrinthian desk and then turned back to Aithne. For the first time since she had met him, his voice held a tone other than his usual even keel.

 

“I don’t know who you really are, but you are to leave. This instant!”

 

“Leave? Like you did to Atmah and Hafnar? No, you probably wouldn’t want to be stuck forev…”

 

“SILENCE!” Savos was on his feet, his body swept through with anger born of deep fear. His thoughts shouted at Aithne but she kept face as blank as she could manage.

 

“You all left poor Takes-In-Light as well. I can’t blame you for not going back for Gir…”

 

“I SAID SILENCE!!”

 

Magic was beginning to pool around the Archmage – he was getting ready to do something drastic. Aithne stood and stepped back a couple paces.

 

“And, of course, poor Elvali, your own cousin, dragged away without anyone even notici…”

 

“SHUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUP!”

 

Thanks to her strange new mind-reading ability, Aithne was forewarned that Savos had chosen a psychic attack, which likely saved her life – psychic energy required an extra ward to protect the brain. She gathered in Savos’ power, siphoned it through her body, loosed it back out, let it coalesce around her in a pretty lavender haze.

 

“Don’t worry, I have no interest in spilling your little secret. It was, what, 108 years ago? Does anyone else here even remember they existed?”

 

Savos’ fear remained, tempered now by a sense of wonder and disbelief. He stared at the shifting purple energy as he responded, “103 years. And no. I am the only one. Except, apparently, for you.”

 

“Oh, of course. This is the year 201, isn’t it?” Aithne sighed and released the energy into the only place she could without damaging the room or its contents – through the lone window, which shattered as the power blasted through it. “Sorry about that.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“I already told you. A suite. Access to the Arcaneum. Oh, and the doorknob thingy that opens Labyrinthian.”

 

“What?” His fear, which had faded to a more manageable level, spiked back up. “Why do you need that?”

 

Aithne shrugged as she let herself relax a little – the Archmage’s thoughts told her she had won. “Because we’re going to need the Staff on Magnus. Soon.”

 

*************

 

The suite was nearly identical to the one she had shared with Urag, including, Aithne was very pleased to discover, a smaller but just as functional tub. The first thing she did after moving her few possessions and the books Merks had procured was take a long (long long) soak.

 

Then she filled out a requistion for breakfast, teleported down to the kitchen to drop it off and beg for food for today, then teleported back to the suite, where she found herself face to surprised face with her once-upon-a-time husband.

 

After a long hanging moment, they both blurted out at the same time, “What are you doing here?”

 

 

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