#varona

It was rare to see the old bastard set aside everything for one person — especially for someone who could, for all he cared, have been anyone, a nobody. Nyenna was powerful, though. Any mage could tell. Neloth had said something similar. The old wizard would respect that, even if he never directly acknowledged her skill or talent. And Teldryn knew her strength now, more than most, and likely would never be allowed to forget. He cleared his throat, disquiet settling over him before he had a chance to shove the thought away.

The Healing spell had been far too taxing. Each attempt they’d made to pull Nyenna out of her state drained everyone involved down to the dregs. Neloth had been at this game a long time — that he had struggled still sat sideways. What was it about the situation that pulled him out of his routine? Was it the challenge of fixing a problem he’d never encountered before? Teldryn wasn’t sure, and didn’t have the words to ask. Especially after the events of the past half hour. Everything ached worse than it had in the last two weeks.

He rubbed a sore spot just left of his sternum. A Stalhrim scar crossed there, raised and angry. He’d taken that, and would again, for her. To save her. But she wouldn’t have needed —

Focus, you s’wit, he thought. You can’t afford to dwell.

He shook his head with a sigh. She was already at the front his mind, and that wasn’t changing, no matter how he berated himself for it. She might have blamed herself for everything that happened, but the truth was he should have known better than to reach. He wasn’t thinking of anything at all during the fight. His mind had been a blank slate; the only goal was to get out of the situation in one piece. Her voice had pierced through the silence, somehow, as pervasive as all that had been. It was all he could hear. All he wanted to hear, if he was being honest. And it still was, regardless of his better judgment and wiser advice.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the mushroom wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Not that magic was useless, exactly, but he’d never been so aware of it before. After he put in the work to get a spell down, it became second nature. He knew a few good ones, and that had always been enough for him. And now — this. This fucking echo. He could feel where she was, like he was bits of rusted iron and she was a lodestone. She clearly did not expect or want this, but — where would he go, really, where he would not be drawn back to her side?

He let out a long sigh and unfolded from the wall. The arguments had ceased and Talvas had ended up pouring the tea. Varona had left, likely to steal more sleep before Neloth realized they’d not taken to his new schedule easily. Disarray brought out the worst in him once his focus became less all-consuming. Teldryn sighed and waved Talvas away. He needed the distraction of something menial to do, and he’d centuries more experience putting up with Neloth’s attitude, anyway.