Flash Fiction February Day 13 Lush (Anna)

 Day 13 Lush:

It’s hard to imagine Morrowind as anything else than what it currently is, but still I listen to Master Neloth and his rambles about Vvardenfell and the mainland. “Morrowind was not always a place full of ash and lava.” the old wizard begins, pacing about the lab “It had swamps, verdant green hills, and lush flora and fauna, too.” He pauses “Of course most of that has been destroyed now by Red Mountain, but not all, and we are rebuilding. Still we are a shadow of our former power but once more as we always have the Dunmer will rise from the ashes like the Phoenix does.” and having finished his speech Neloth goes back to work after a brief and unrelated conversation with Talvas, who was in the middle of doing some reading on alchemy. As hard as it is to imagine, in my mind I can picture at least partially what things could have looked like, or possibly still look like as Neloth had mentioned the ecosystem is recovering and part remained untouched by the ash that occurred from the eruptions during the Red Year and subsequent eruptions. Giving the mages some time to do whatever it is that Telvanni mages specifically do, as their methods are somewhat peculiar to other Tamrielic mages such as myself, I decide to sit outside on one of the railings formed by the mushrooms that make up the various towers of Tel Mithryn. “Neloth is right, you know. Not everywhere in Morrowind looks like Solstheim.” A voice says from behind me, it's Talvas, he must have somehow managed to get Neloth to allow him a break. “What does it look like where you’re from?” I ask and Talvas sits on the railing opposite me “Not like this, Solstheim looks a lot like what Redoran territory usually looks like, cold and ash filled. But I’m not originally from Redoran, and I’m not originally from Telvanni who have their properties on the eastern and southeastern coast of Vvardenfell. House Dres, now called something else, but most people who are old enough or know older people like Neloth still call it the original name, is in the southern part of Morrowind.” Hesitantly I raise my hand, slightly confused, I have never heard of House Dres. “The agricultural house.” Talvas replies as if assuming my question. “And being the agricultural house, you need good land, not ash wastes.” He sighs “Sometimes I miss the lush green fields and open expanse of farmland, and then I remember what farm work was like.” When finishing the sentence his nose scrunches up in a way that signals via facial expression he’s rather displeased with the idea, which I find amusing. I wonder what he would think of the hills and forests outside of Daggerfall, perhaps I’ll take him to visit sometime, he seems like he could use the sight of a bit of greenery.