Gold On The Ice
By: Ezsme
“Get out of the way, Elke.”
The tall Nord growled at his sister. He stood in the doorway holding the limp body of an unconscious Altmer girl.
“Is she all right?” Elke motioned to the bed, where she pulled back the covers. Bjarn gently laid the girl down and covered her with the heavy furs. “Bjarn?”
“I don’t know, Elke.” The words came out more harshly than he intended. “I’m sorry, Skatt , just get me some cold water.” Bjarn turned his attentions back to the young Altmer on the bed. “Nia. Aslenia, wake up.” He shook her slightly.
“What happened?” Elke tried to keep calm.
“I need to wake her up. I need to see if she’s still…herself.” Bjarn shook the girl again, more briskly this time…more desperate. “Nia!”
“What do you mean? Bjarn, what happened?” Elke, pleaded. She sat on the stool near the bed and placed a cool, damp cloth on her friend’s forehead. The Altmer’s skin was sallow, with a yellow tinge; not the rich, almost luminescent gold Elke was used to seeing.
“It was after the blast, as we were all getting back to our feet.” Bjarn stared down at the ailing girl. “All accept the mages. Some looked like they were having fits. Others were just dead.”
“Dead?! Oh Bjarn.” Elke put a hand on her brother’s knee. “She’ll be fine. She has to be.” Elke searched her brother’s face for reassurance, but found none.
“Nia? Please, you have to hear me. It’s Bjarn.” Bjarn shook the girl again.
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It was dark. “No, that is not right,” she thought. Dark implies that there was light somewhere, and she knew there was none. She was in a void where light had never existed. The silence made her head feel thick, and was broken only by the occasional moan of an old man in the distance. She tried to walk toward the sound, but in the darkness her senses could not confirm that she’d moved at all.
Suddenly, a scream shattered the black silence. Her heart jumped, and she felt her body begin to shake. She flung out her arms to steady herself and felt something solid. “A way out,” she thought, her mind creating hope where there seemed to be none. She pounded her fists against the “wall” and willed herself to scream.
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“Nia. No, it’s me.” Taking a blow to the jaw, Bjarn struggled to calm the girl. “Sssh, it’s me. It’s Bjarn.” He clasped her face in his hands, “Shh, look…look at me…it’s Bjarn.” He searched her gold eyes for recognition.
Aslenia breathed in deeply; leather, sweat, and sandalwood. “Bjarn.” She whispered. She knew instinctively, she didn’t even need to see his face.
“Nia, are you all right?” Elke begged.
“I am now.” She glanced from Bjarn to Elke, her protectors and two closest friends. Then she laid her head on Bjarn’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
Hopeful and reassured, the brother and sister let their friend sleep.
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“Tell us what you remember?” Bjarn helped Aslenia sit up in the bed and motioned for Elke to bring a cup of water.
“What’s a Wabbajack?” Aslenia asked.