#ask talvas

[ask-neloth]

Archmagister Neloth,

It is well-known that being a Telvanni Apprentice is the best magical education anyone in Tamriel could hope to achieve. Is there a formalized application process to become an apprentice to a Telvanni Wizard? Are there prerequisites? What sort character and personality traits make one successful as a Telvanni apprentice?

Hello, um…citizen! Thank you so much for submitting your inquiry! Master Neloth felt as though this question would be best delegated to me. 

My name is Talvas Fathryon, and I’ve been Master Neloth’s apprentice here at Tel Mithryn for about seven years. (Seven…long years). Yes, there was an application process…kind of. I don’t know if I’d call it ‘formal’. I first wrote to Master Neloth asking if he was accepting apprentices and received no response. Then, I just showed up in person to ask instead. He told me that he could sense that my magicka pool was sufficient, but that I was too weak-willed to be his apprentice. (Haha he always tells it like it is!) I asked him how I might strengthen my Will, and he simply said: one cannot fill a teacup that is already full. Then he told me to get out of his tower or else he’d have me defenestrated.

So! I devoted the next year of my life to strengthening my Will, mostly through concentration exercises—meditation, memorizing spellforms, visualization—standard practices, for the most part. I thought about his riddle a lot and how it applied to everything I’d learned so far, and that’s how I solved it: I had to let go of everything I’d learned so far. So, when I returned to Tel Mithryn a year later and told him that I was ready to re-learn the ways of Magnus as an empty teacup, he accepted me as his first apprentice in over two decades.  

I’d say if you want to be a successful apprentice, especially under someone like Master Neloth, you have to be able to take criticism (and not take it personally). A lot of people think Master Neloth is mean, and…well, he is. He’s very mean. But most of the time he isn’t mean in a dishonest way, if that makes sense. Everything he says has some form of truth or logic to it. So you have to hear what he’s saying beyond the usual insults. 

Secondly, I think you need to have a high pain tolerance. I won’t elaborate.  Anyways, I hope this was helpful! I’m aiming to become a Journeyman here soon, so he may be taking on new apprentices! If you decide to apply…good luck.

#ask talvas #talvas fathryon #skyrim #tesblr

[thana-topsy]

So I never thought talvas was attractive because he kinda wears rags all the time. I have him as a follower and I handed him my nightingale armor because I had too much stuff and he put it on. I was like yeah OK I see it now.

Talvas is definitely one of those NPCs were you kind of have to squint, tilt your head to the side, adorn the Skyrim goggles, and then create an entire fanfiction for him to finally be like "oooh okay you're kind of cute!"

#topsy's asks #talvas fathryon

[silusvesuius]

neloth getting cuteness aggression becuz of talvas, but talvas is just terrified and thinks neloth wants to do something insane to him again

aw mui followers have learned to read minds; this is actually what i've been thinking about for the past 3 hours

#ask #neloff -❤-> talvas is astronomically genius no matter how 'easy' and basic it may seem U just gotta think yk #not only is talvas clueless he is also kinda put off by his behavior #but doesn't register it as attention at all #neloth u blew your chance at bagging a twink; you've been mean too many times and now he just thinks any sign of attention from u - #- is you being mad at him #my tags got put out of ORDER UGH i just deleted them I'm not writing all dat again

[the-sunlit-earth]

Hi I'm todd Howard and I need your help. We at bethesda would like yo port Skyrim to reality and if you gave us 5$ we could make this come true. DM me at [email protected] or give me a call at 301-354-4254 for discussion

I love you Todd, but my child already has trouble studying, as you can see :'(

#asks #the return of todd Howard!! <3 #Skyrim VR: Ultra Realistic Port.. sounds like another Daedric plot to try Planemelding again :/ #elder scrolls #skyrim #dunmer #Neloth #Talvas Fathryon #Tel Mithryn crew #my art #my posts

[otvlanga]

What do u think bout Neloth x Talvas? Seems fine to me since theyre both grown + consenting fictional adults. Sure it’d be weird irl for college student to get with their 65+ senior citizen professor, but. Neloth hot. Dunmer mans = sexy even if old. Can’t blame Talvas there

It’s not my favorite ship but I really don’t mind it at all. If it’s well written I can probably enjoy it a lot, but in my personal universe it would never happen. Also good art is good art so even if it’s a ship I don’t love I’ll still eat it up lol

Also i don’t really headcanon Talvas to be as young as everyone thinks he is. Sure he’s ditzy and a little dense, but realistically I don’t think he’d be a Telvanni apprentice if he didn’t have some life experience under his belt. He’s also a master at conjuration, good enough to even be considered as a Telvanni apprentice, so even with the Dunmers’ extended lifespan I’d say he’s probably a seasoned adult lol. While there’s still a huge age gap, I really don’t think it would be THAT terrible.

This is also the elder scrolls so I’m pretty sure it’s safe to assume that society is much more lenient on things like that than in our world.

I can see talvas being a little ho and doing some *ahem* savory favors for Neloth to butter him up into revealing some top secret Telvanni info. He’s definitely an ambitious guy

#love them separately #have the capacity to love them together under certain circumstances #neloth #talvas #telvanni #anon #asks #Skyrim #morrowind #tes #tesblr #tesv #the elder scrolls

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

Nixiel Veres, praying: Thank you, ancestors, for passing down detailed and cautious instructions on how not to get seduced and stolen away by mischievous male spirits, which I have lovingly transformed into How To Find Me a Husband Real Quick manual.

Talvas Fathryon, turning on the light: What are you doing?

Nixiel, surrounded by ashes and pretty rocks: Praying.

Talvas: Uh, okay.

#don't ask tal just don't ask #oc: nixiel veres #talvas fathryon #house telvanni #tel mithryn #nerevar queue and star #incorrect quotes #incorrect elder scrolls #incorrect skyrim quotes #tes #the elder scrolls #skyrim #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #source: tumblr

[ladytanithia]

Ok put why was pouty Talvas so cute?

"So what are you doing?"

"Not me, apparently... -~-" LIKE OMG XDD He's jelly.

Can't you just hear that in Jason Marsden's delicious voice? How could Miranja resist that?

#skyrim #elder scrolls #tesblr #miranja #fanfic #ao3 #tes #dunmer #talvas fathryon #tanithia's asks

[crysdrawsthings]

Hey, FMK: Neloth, Talvas, and Ildari. House Telvanni🍄

Fuck-Marry-Kill/Kiss prompts, accepting more!

I must say, that I know exactly nothing about all three of these people, so answering is really hard.

I guess kill Neloth, I don't feel like being berated.

Fuck Talvas? And marry Ildari? She seems to be better dressed.

#tes #the elder scrolls #skyrim #neloth #talvas fathryon #ildari #fmk ask games #fuck marry kill #crysandthings

[dynamite124]

I have to ask... how would Tally react to Talvas and Neloth? xD

complain about there being Ash magic now.

complain about there being mushroom houses.

Can't spell fungus without FUN.

Pity the Talvas. But call him an idiot. In Tally's defense, he IS one.

YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE SUN

Probably be turned into a bug by Neloth.

#skyrim taliesin #taliesin #Neloth #Talvas

[skyrim-forever]

WIP Whenever

Here is a snippet of the latest thing that's been giving me brainrot; it's a Neloth/OC fake dating fic called A Solstheim RomCom (until I find a better name)

Tagging @thana-topsy @thequeenofthewinter @ladytanithia and @a50e10 for their interested in it <3

Thanking Captain Gjalund, she moves the crate to the side, stopping to read the letter before the journey back. The envelope is sealed with the crest of her brother-in-law's family, the Redwort Flower in matching red wax. Rochelle reads the letter:

Dearest Sister, 

Congratulations on your nuptials! I had no idea

you married, how I do wish you invited the family!

Nevertheless, Father will be quite pleased to have 

both his daughters being taken care of. 

As I am so curious as to who could capture your heart, 

I shall be coming to visit! I’ll be leaving shortly after 

this letter is sent, see you soon!

Love, 

Your darling sister

Oh no Rochelle thought, her mind scrambling no no no no. Her plan had backfired, her plan could not have backfired anymore. Rather than get Colette off her back, she has enticed her even more. I need to leave, I need to run, I need to fake my death! No, no, Colette is already on her way, it’s too late for that. Tucking the letter into her waist satchel, Rochelle begins to head back to Tel Mithryn at a speed of which Solstheim had never seen. 

Floating up the Tower, Rochelle immediately runs towards Talvas, who is currently in his bedroll, having a rare nap. 

“Talvas!” She whispers, as to not let Neloth hear. “Talvas! Wake up!” 

“Rochelle? What’s going on? Is everything okay? Are we being attacked?” He goes to ready a spell when she speaks. 

“Oh no, it’s far worse than that, far far worse.”

“Huh?” A groggy Talvas says “What are you on about?”

“My sister is coming to visit” Confused as to why this is a bad thing, Talvas asks:

“And that’s terrible because?”

“Because” Rochelle answers, adding emphasis on because “I wrote to her I’m married and now she wants to meet my husband” 

“But you don’t have a husband?”

“Yes Talvas, that is precisely the problem. I need to find someone to pretend to be my husband long enough to convince my sister I’m taken care of. Someone wealthy and impressive.” Talvas starts to wake up a bit and with a cheeky smile, he brings forth a suggestion. 

“What about me? I could pretend to be your husband.”

“You’re like a son to me Talvas”

“But I’m older than you��

“And yet you fail to be responsible, Master Neloth and I always need to remind you how to cast correctly.” Talvas huffs a bit, Rochelle may be kinder than Master Neloth; but he seems to be rubbing off on her, in more ways than expected. “Besides you are neither wealthy nor that impressive.”

“Alright, tell me how you really feel” He says, before his face forms a pondering look, signaling he is formulating an idea. 

“So your letter said you married a wealthy man?”

“Correct” Rochelle answers, unsure as to why he is repeating information she knows back to her. 

“And you’re looking for someone to impress your sister but also someone who supports your research?”

“Correct again” She pauses for a moment “Talvas, I’m not sure what you think you’re accomplishing here?” He laughs, although she is not sure she said anything funny. 

“I’m just thinking out loud Rochelle” He looks to his left, to  which she follows, casting her gaze to where Master Neloth is reading. “But what about Master Neloth?” 

“What about Master Neloth?”

#skyrim #the elder scrolls #tes #skyrim fanfic #skyrim fanficition #master neloth #neloth #neloth/oc #skyrim oc #oc: rochelle #talvas fathryon #this is so silly #and that's what makes it so fun! #I may stay up all night writing honestly

[miraakulous-cloud-district]

WYGTYA lines

@sheirukitriesfandom tagged me in this most wonderful tag game and I am so happy! Thank you for the tag :D Since WYGTYA is my longest work, I'm going to include lines from this fic of mine that I love so very much <3

A line from your fic that makes you laugh (not really a line, but it made me laugh while I wrote chapter 13)

“What on Nirn is a rock’s weakness?” He asks, casting a calm spell to no avail.

“Scissors?” Ravonna responds, chuckling.

“You think this is a good time for jokes? Master Neloth is going to kill me if he finds out!” 

“Scissors, that’s it! Big sword!” she says, the lightbulb of an idea almost visible above her head, making Talvas even more confused. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Wait here, I know just the thing!” She immediately levitates rapidly to the main tower, doing a backflip before entering.

"But paper beats rock!" Talvas shouts, but to no avail, Ravonna is already in the tower.

A line from your fic that makes you sad (of course it's a Miraak line, from chapter 6)

“I – yes. I just – ” but he has to turn around before the tears start falling down his cheeks. ‘Be a man’s man and don’t cry. Crying is for weaklings, you soft-hearted little boy! Why can’t you be like your brother? You’re a failure!’ his father’s words ring into his ears and he shivers, wanting nothing more than the earth to swallow him. And so he climbs the stairs as fast as he can and heads straight to his chamber. There, he can finally cry for hours.

A line from your fic you're proud of (not yet part of wygtya, but it will be, this is my Ralof/Hadvar ficlet, and I'm so proud of that watetfall metaphor)

“We were drunk and happy and we thought we had our whole life ahead of us.” Ralof begins, trying to be brave himself and just let his thoughts flow into words like a river turning into a waterfall

A line for your fic you think could have been better (There are a lot of things that could have been written better, but I refuse to beat myself too much over it and embrace the fact that I am evolving and I don't want to over analyse my old writing, so this is from chapter 1, I hate this because Hjaldir's story changed a bit over time! When I wrote this, it was all unclear, and so many things have changed since then, I'm hoping my version of him now isn't too far from this brief first description of him)

“Well, Inigo, it’s actually quite a funny story. Hjaldir turned out to be a runaway pirate. He ran away from his crew because he got tired of getting seasick and stealing from innocent people. So, one night, he just ran away. Decided to become a bard and make honest coin. Ended up at my dad’s tavern.”

A line from your fic that makes you want to punch a character (from chapter 12, DAMN IT, LUCIEN, THEY WERE HAVING A MOMENT)

“Am I… interrupting something?” Lucien asks. Right, Lucien. Fenrik’s almost forgotten about him. How could he not, when all he did was sleep his hangover off?

“No!” both Dragonborn respond at the same time, letting go of each others’ hands.

A line from your fic that makes you go 'aww' (from chapter 13, Ravonna trying her best to comfort Miraak is so precious to me, she is trying her best! And this is a big moment for her, to try to be so comforting to one person who once tried to kill her. It's a lot of progress and I feel like she can see their situation from a mature point of view and she can let go of the vengeance.)

“There we go.” she says as she gets a good look of Fenrik’s teary brown eyes. “Now listen to me: no one is upset with you. I’m starting to think that it’s impossible to be. You didn’t ruin anything, okay? The self-sacrificing healer in you got out. And that’s commendable. Now, please don’t cry because I have no idea what to do with someone who is crying.” She says, making him laugh the tears away. “You’re doing great. I mean, if you need to cry, just let it out, I’ll figure something out. Maybe sparkles? Everyone loves sparkles, right?” She makes small sparkles dance around her other hand

A line from your fic that's full of symbolism (from chapter 12, not sure if this classifies as symbolism, but the snake thing is something that I am so proud of)

"I still felt my soul in there, wrapped tightly in the threatening embrace of all those dragons’ souls. I felt it trying to fight it, to escape, like a small animal trying to escape the python snake’s fatal grip."

A line from your fic that contains an Easter egg (WWDITS reference with a medieval and lore-friendly name replacement! From chapter 3)

"His name was Mikael, if I recall correctly.”

“Fucking Mikael!” Ravonna says, full of spite.

A line from your fic that's shocking (from chapter 13, MIRAAK SAID HIS FIRST ON-SCREEN BAD WORD!! Everyone was shocked hahaha)

“Holy shit!” Fenrik says as they get closer to the Silt Strider, making Ravonna’s job to cheer up much easier. She turns to him with wide eyes, and then looks at the rest of the amused fellowship. Even Teldryn was struggling not to smile. 

A line from your fic you want to talk about more (from chapter 2, IT'S RUMCURIO, CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT RUMCURIO I'M IN RAREPAIR HELL, MY FIC IS LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE WITH THE RUMARIN/MARCURIO TAG I'M GOING INSANE)

“Just come back alive, or I will kill you.” Marcurio says, his forehead resting against Rumarin’s, still pulling him down. It’s not the most comfortable position for Rumarin, but he won’t have it any other way. It makes him think, really. About all the ways he is going to kiss him as soon as he returns from Solstheim. 

Tagging my beloved fellow writer mutuals, only if you want to participate, of course! @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @thelavenderelf @mareenavee @dirty-bosmer @blossom-adventures @nerevar-quote-and-star and I'm also tagging @sheirukitriesfandom back to do this challenge!

#tag game #thank you so much for this <3 #wygtya #wygtya stuff #miraak x ldb #oc: ravonna #miraak #lucien flavius #inigo the brave #rumarin 3dnpc #marcurio #rumcurio #teldryn sero #ralof/hadvar

[ask-neloth]

"As I value both my time and my sanity, inappropriate, rude, or distasteful questions shall either be delegated appropriately or outright ignored." - Neloth; Archmagister of Tel Mithryn, Master Wizard of House Telvanni

---

This is an RP Blog for Master Neloth of House Telvanni, his apprentice, Talvas Fathryon, and other denizens of the Tel Mithryn settlement. Most posts will be in character voicing. Any non-character voicing will be designated in small text such as this. Meta posts will be limited to announcements, blog status, and the like.

---

GUIDELINES:

Ask box will be closed at 9 asks and will re-open when all asks have been answered

There will be an inbox tally in the blog description as asks are being submitted (i.e. ask box 5/9)

Not all answered asks will have accompanying artwork

Violent, disrespectful, or sexually explicit asks will be ignored and users will be blocked

No guarantee that all asks will be answered - some may be delegated to other members of Tel Mithryn

Questions are accepted from both canon NPCs and OCs

RP is encouraged! Scene-setting and descriptive context are welcome.

An FAQ list will be created as needed

SCOPE:

The starting canon of this blog does not include any previously written fanfiction or relationships outside of the base game canon

References to the Dragonborn will remain nebulous and the blog will predominantly deal in NPCs from Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, and ESO canon

The blog's timeline will be allowed to emerge organically, but will be predominantly pre-Dragon crisis

[ASKS ARE CLOSED]

Thank you, and may Azura guide you! (Edited 1/31/24)

#ask neloth #master neloth #neloth #house telvanni #ask blog #skyrim ask blog

[thana-topsy]

Ohh enthir is one of your babygirls? Please tell us more! I'm oddly attached to that bastard

Uh oh, my secrets. My deep dark secrets.

So, I accidentally developed A Thing for Enthir during the process of writing "Liminal Bridges", in which he's just an overall prank-playing, smooth-talking, blackmailing bastard man.

But then I decided "Haha, y'know what would be fun? Writing some smut! I bet he's a horny guy." And the person I ship with him the most at the moment is Urag (because uptight grump/chaotic prankster, hello wonderful dynamic). So the spirit overtook me and I slammed out some smut in a fit of passion, only to reach the end of it and realize "WOW Enthir has serious issues and this is depressing as hell...." Smut ended on a total downer note and now I just want to write a slowburn between the two of them and get my little claws into that man's brain. With what time, you may ask? Exactly my problem.

Anyways, I'll include some Enthir snippets from Liminal Bridges below the cut, both the published stuff and some unpublished stuff:

------

As it turned out, Enthir was only half-helping decorate. He dumped the snowberries on a table on the opposite side of the hall, earning a sour look from Nirya as she began to incorporate them into the table setting. He beckoned for Talvas to follow him back out of the hall, sauntering unhurriedly down the left wing of the college. 

“Are you one of the scholars?” Talvas asked, falling into step beside him. 

“Not really.” 

“Oh.” The way he said it made Talvas think he wasn’t really a student, either. Now he was too afraid to ask. “So, what did you need help with?” 

“Gathering some ingredients.” He looked up at Talvas with a grin. “I want to pull a little prank on Urag. All in good fun, of course.” 

A pang of nervousness soured Talvas’ gut. He immediately regretted offering his help. “You won’t… hurt him, will you?”

“Of course not!” Enthir barked. “Urag is a good friend. He’s also…” He made a vague hand gesture. “A tight-ass.” He stopped abruptly in front of a narrow door, fiddling with a set of keys hooked to his belt. “I’m sure you’ve noticed.” 

“He seems more scary than anything,” Talvas admitted, feeling guilty for saying so. 

Enthir let out a gravelly laugh. “He’d like you to think he’s scary. Truth is, he’s got a real soft underbelly.” He pulled a long slender key from the ring, sliding it into the lock with a satisfied sight. “Alchemy supply closet, if you were wondering.” He turned the key and Talvas heard the tumblers click into place. 

-------

“Well, well, well… Young Master Fathryon,” came a familiar, gravelly voice. “Did you lose your way?”

Talvas’s blood turned to ice. 

Standing in the archway of the stairwell, wearing a thick coat and a shit-eating grin was none other than Enthir.

“I believe that’s… Miss Maryon’s room, isn’t it?” he said. 

“What are you doing here?” Talvas fired back, his voice quivering. “It’s a bit late, isn’t it?”

“Well, I live here,” Enthir replied, speaking slowly as if Talvas were simple. “Just up there.” He pointed up the stairs. “And as for the hour, I’m returning from an activity that I assume you were also partaking in.” He grinned. “Except I wasn’t with a student.”

“Please,” Talvas whispered. The panic was back, threatening to consume him from the inside out. “Please don’t tell anyone. It was a mistake.” 

“Hmm, that’s an awfully avoidable mistake.” Enthir shrugged. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone…” He turned, as if preparing to walk away, but then paused, looking over his shoulder with a casual lift of his brow. “If you agree to do something for me.” 

Talvas’s jaw flapped open and closed for a moment, his voice stolen by disbelief. “Are you… blackmailing me?”

“Heavens no!” Enthir barked, and Talvas flinched. The mer wasn’t exactly being quiet. “It’s just a little errand.” He smiled and his face looked rather like that of a toad in the harsh light of the magicka font. “But it’s late, or… early. And you don’t look so good. Meet me in town tomorrow at the Frozen Hearth Inn. Dinner time. We can talk there.” He offered a dramatic bow before fully turning to stroll up the stairs. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Master Fathryon.”   

-------

Talvas wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but as Enthir lit the wall sconces with a wave of his hand, the room he found himself in was not at all remarkable. It contained a few bookshelves crammed with mismatched books, journals, and loose leafs of paper bound haphazardly in twine. There were at least six trunks of varying sizes that he could count, all elaborately locked and warded. In the center of the room sat a sturdy wooden desk littered with scrolls and journals, a single chair on one side, two on the other.  

“Please, have a seat,” Enthir said, motioning to one of the two chairs. He rounded the desk and began to clear away some of the clutter. 

“What is this place?” Talvas asked as he lowered himself into the chair. 

“My office.”

“Why is it at the inn and not at the college?”

Enthir paused mid-tidy to give him a withering look. “I can’t tell if you’re playing dumb, or if you really are that stupid.” 

Talvas prickled, pinning Enthir with his most indignant scowl. 

“Oh, Mother Mara, you were serious.” Enthir let out a tremendous sigh, stepping over to one of the packed bookshelves to shove more contents onto its overcrowded shelves. “Even before our lovely new Arch-Mage came along, I’ve guarded my work from prying eyes. My colleagues and I have an understanding as to my role at the college. But still, one can never be too careful. And, as the expression goes, never shit where you eat.”

“I’m not familiar with that expression.”

“Of course you’re not.” Enthir returned to the desk and sat down, folding his hands pleasantly in front of him. “Please, eat. Before it gets cold.”

“Just tell me what you want from me and let’s get this over with.”

“Eat,” Enthir said again, and it somehow managed to sound like a threat.

---

Anyways, I'll probably post that smut eventually, but for now I'm just passing around a google doc between friends like it's a middle school notebook.

Thanks for indulging me!

#topsy's asks #topsy writes #enthir #skyrim fanfiction #talvas fathryon

[silusvesuius]

Do you imagine them with the voices they have in game or with another voice or does it depend?

Usually I'd always go with whatever they have in game regardless of I think they should have another voice, it's embedded into me, but with your depictions of talvas or cicero specifically, I can't imagine them with their given voice. Elenwen too, but I'm. Not sure the severity of how much different they'd be. Hope this makes sense 👍

UMMM i'd say i always imagine them with the voice they have in-game, but that's only if i can clearly remember it. if i don't there's something close to canon somewhere there deep in my mind but it's not quite on point.. LMAO rly though i hear talvas' voice very clearly... Good day friend. Keeping well?

#ask #i love talvas so mu🥺🥺🥺🥺ch #but i get the shishiro point though cause it's hard for me to hear his very peculiar voice in my head .. he doesn't sound like what i draw - #- him like either #elly voice is there too. it's faint though #but her voice iirc is just soft (to me) and mean nanny - esque #so maybe it fits #if it was different i'm not sure what it'd sound like

[the-sunlit-earth]

Hi I'm todd Howard and I'm looking for a sugar baby to take care of their needs, rents and pay their weekly allowance of $50,000, Dm if interested ...

#asks #Neloth #Talvas Fathryon #Telvanni #really Todd you cheapskate >:( #normally i ignore weird asks but this was hilarious to me #have fun in your hot tub rolling in ur Bethesda money TODD #my art #my posts

[mareenavee]

The World on Our Shoulders | 29: Something Broken About This

10th of Sun’s Dawn 4E 202

Teldryn leaned his back against the wall in the kitchens as he watched Talvas and Varona argue over Neloth’s tea. Both of them looked about as exhausted as he felt. The days had begun to blend together, leaving the semblance of any kind of order in shambles. Not that anything around here made sense at a glance, but it had become comfortable, as it always did whenever he spent too long in these Godsforsaken towers. He could almost tell the time of day just by listening for Neloth’s shouting.

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.

“I’ve got this,” he said. “You’d be wise to take a few minutes to yourself while you still can. Nyenna and I are heading out as soon as we’re able.” -> Read the rest on AO3.

#MareenaWrites #The World on Our Shoulders #Nyenna #Teldryn #Neloth #Talvas #Varona #LDB/Teldryn Sero #Teldryn Sero #Nerevarine Teldryn #Nerevarine Teldryn Sero #Nerevarine #Dragonborn and Far-Star Marked #tes #tesblr #elder scrolls #fanficblr #writblr #writeblr