A strange finding (Valan)

Ugh, I hate the cold. Why would anyone ever willingly move to Solsthiem?! Clutching my coat I walk through the bitter cold until I get to Tel Mithryn, Master Neloths other home aside from Tel Naga on Vvardenfell. Closing the door behind me I take off my coat and go up to the main part of the building where Talvas greets me. “Oh hi Valan, what're you doing all the way out here?” I give him a slight smile, still shivering a bit. “Hi Talvas, nice to see you. Is Neloth in?” He points over to the other side of the large room where Neloth sits hunched over at a table. I sigh and walk over, creeping up behind him and putting my hands on his shoulders and looking at him “Hello.” Neloth turns his head towards me with not quite rage filled eyes, but he's certainly angry, not noticing his raises hand I only realize it after his hand has passed my face and I flinch backwards rubbing my cheek where he slapped it. “Why'd you do that?” Neloth stands up and begins to walk the other way, gesturing me to walk with him “Because you annoyed me. Could be worse Valan, you could have been like those spriggans the other day, they got incinerated.” I frown and roll my eyes, oh Neloth, You snarky wizard, how I've missed you. Neloth continues to scold me on my behavior but I don’t hear a word he says, my attention has become fixed on a more interesting sight, in the corner of Neloth’s makeshift library, as most of his books and materials are either scattered throughout the space or still in Tel Naga, sits Alarian. “What are they doing here?” I ask quietly to Neloth, who shrugs. “Showed up yesterday looking for you. In the meantime Talvas has kept them entertained and they’ve scoured my library. Rather remarkable how fast the kid reads, really.” He scrawls a note for later and goes to speak again, “If you are about to even think of proposing to conduct experiments on my friend I’ll have you  know the answer is a very definitive No.” Neloth slumps his shoulders “I mean I conducted one on your friend in Skyrim, what’s her name? Anna?” I clasp my hands together in annoyance and turn to him “Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?!” I manage to say through clenched teeth. “Probably thought you didn’t need to know.” Talvas interjects and Neloth gives me a falsely innocent nod before going back to his usual scowl “Between you Talvas, Valan, and everyone else today I’ve had an unreasonable amount of young people annoying me and questioning me. Neloth what’s this? Neloth why’d you do that? Blah blah blah didn’t your parents teach you to respect your elders?!” he throws his hands up in despair and walks away to another section of the building.  With Neloth gone I go and approach Alarian, whos over looking at a book and nibbling what seems to be a cookie. I pull up a seat next to them “How’s it going?” I ask and they glance at me and close the book “Good, where’ve you been? Sammie told me you would be here two days ago.” I tap my foot against the floor, a bit of a tick I have. “I uh...got sidetracked.” Alarian raises an eyebrow and turns their head to show their confusion, as I’m usually rather punctual when I can. “Don’t tell Neloth I found this.” I withdraw a piece of Stalhrim from my coats inner pocket, enchanted ice. I turn it over in my hands watching Ali’s eyes fill with a mix of curiosity and wonder, they reach out to touch it “What is it?” I let them hold it “It’s a kind of ice like material called Stalhrim” they feel the smooth surface “Ice? But it’s not cold.” I grin and take it back “That’s because it’s enchanted.” Alarian gets up and looks feverishly for a certain book before taking it off the shelf and bringing it back over to me “I think it popped up somewhere in this, aha!” they point to the page and under the text is a small illustration of a piece of Stalhrim. “So why can’t you tell Neloth about it?” Ali asks me as I conceal the material once more within my coat. “I want to run some tests on it. This was a rather strange finding. I found it just southwest of here, in a cave. The ancient nords would bury their dead in coffins covered in Stalhrim, apparently it would keep the body better, but I’ve never come across it this far south. So, what do you say, want to help me figure out it’s origins?’” They nod in agreement. “Well, first we need to go back to Vvardenfell, Tel Naga has a bigger lab space, plus we won’t have Neloth barging in and then taking credit for any findings. Does Leliana know where you are?” As it turns out, Leliana is busy in Orlais, doing whatever it is she does. I’ve never asked, frankly I’m a bit scared to. Alarian told Sten they’d be gone for a week or two as they had “Stuff to do” and knowing Sten he wouldn't question whence he knew where it is they were going, which happened to be to see us. I tell them to sit for a while as I finish fixing a few things with Neloths staff enchanter, talk to Talvas and make sure he’s alright...Neloth occasionally uses him as a test subject for some things. Poor guy. By sunset I’m done with all I needed to do here and so I grab my bag and overcoat. “Ready to go?” I ask Alarian who pulls on their boots and clasps their ever so constant green cloak. “I hope you’ll be warm enough. We have to walk back to Raven Rock.” I pull up scarf over my mouth to keep the ash from getting into my lungs and take Ali’s hand. The two of us set off towards Raven Rock as the sun slowly sets behind the mountains...I hope we don’t run into any Ash Spawn.

LATER IN RAVEN ROCK

Alarian and I walk into the Inn, place our ash covered coats by the door and walk down to the main room. I go over to the bar where the owner, Geldris Sadri, stands cleaning glasses. “Hiya Geldris, my friend.” He looks at me “What can I do for you, Nerevarine? Need a room, just a drink, food?” I point to Ali who stands looking around. “In fact I need two rooms. One for myself and another for my friend.” He nods and holds out his hand. I place the money in it, 20 septims. “Right this way.” I get Ali’s attention and gesture for them to follow. Geldris shows us to the two rooms in the far right hallway of the inn before going back to his place behind the bar. Alarian bids me goodnight as it’s rather late. I wander back to the common room and talk to Geldris a bit more, as I know some relatives of his in Windhelm. “Who was your little friend there? Too small to be an Altmer, but too pale to be a Bosmer, where’re they from?” I take a sip of my drink “You are correct, they’re neither of those. In fact they are not even from our Universe. Alarian is from a continent called Thedas, and while they live in the country of Ferelden they were born in a place called Tevinter. Though due to being locked in a tower for nearly sixteen years their skin is not as pigmented as it should be...Thedas isn’t very big on mages I know what you’re going to ask.” Geldis nods slowly and seems a bit startled on the whole locked in a tower thing. I finish my drink and bid him goodnight, as he continues to stare blankly trying to process my words. On my way to my room I poke my head into Alarians room to check on them and they seem to be sleeping soundly, now to go try to sleep at all.

THE NEXT MORNING

I wake up to a cold feeling and go to grasp the sheets only to find them not there, and thus I open my eyes to find a pair of bright green eyes staring down at me. “Good morning sleepy head.” Ali says letting the sheets drop from their grip and clump at the end of the wooden bed. “It’s almost 9:00 in the morning. I got you breakfast.” They hand me a small plate and the two of us go over plans while I eat. After finishing I order them out as I get dressed then meet them chatting with Geldis and Captain Veleth. “Shall we be off?” I throw them their things and we go out to the docks, and after some negotiating and possibly a small bribe secure passage to Vvardenfell. The ship sails away from the frozen desolate island I’m sad I know my way around and towards the ashy wasteland I call home. I twirl the small fragment of Stalrhim in my hands and throw it up to test its weight. Now to begin to unravel the mystery of this strange finding.