In the mountains west of Winterhold, Tolfdir led his students to Saarthal. The surface portion of this ancient Nord city had long since vanished, but a considerably vast and deep area remained underground. The entrance was on a hillside; following a decrepit wooden walkway from a high, snow-covered pass led to a carved black iron door. The College had taken over this site, and Tolfdir held the key.
Along the way, piles of sacks and wooden barrels were visible everywhere, evidence of past extensive looting. These rampant individuals had even set up temporary resting places and pathways. Although the ruins had been scoured so thoroughly that not even a rat could survive, there was one benefit: the thieves had cleared out many areas buried under earth and stone, allowing the post-disaster city to regain some semblance of its former appearance.
Stepping into the crypt, unlike typical ancient tombs, the structure here was urban in nature, featuring support pillars, suspended stone bridges, strongholds, dwellings, and waterways.
The air was somewhat heavy but not suffocating. The underground humidity was high, yet the temperature was slightly warmer than outside, prompting comfortable sighs from the teachers and students as they entered.
Tolfdir led the way, with another instructor named Gane Inn, a kind-hearted Breton with a receding hairline, bringing up the rear. The students walked in between, chatting and laughing, occasionally eating snacks and drinking water.
Jonas and Brelina Mayo walked side-by-side without speaking. The boy looked around, while the girl gazed straight ahead, occasionally glancing at Jonas. Such behavior inevitably led to snickers from others in the group.
Tolfdir: "Students, you must cherish this valuable opportunity. Although due to some safety concerns, we couldn't visit the Dwemer ruins, Saarthal isn't bad, is it? Being able to study the ruins of such an early civilization is a rare chance…"
A Khajiit apprentice hissed, "This opportunity is so rare that even the teacher had to force Bilazzago to come…"
Gane Inn, the Breton with the receding hairline, coughed a few times and chuckled, "No complaining!"
The cavern wasn't as dark as expected. Many areas were lit by Candlelight, making the damp ground gleam. Some places had mist, faintly emitting a pale blue light. Jonas knew from the burn rate of these candles that the instructors had secretly lit them last night. He was speechless; while it was true that some ancient tombs did have eternal Candlelight, like the one in Windhelm's Candlehearth Hall, such things were extremely rare and couldn't possibly be everywhere.
The instructors were really putting on a show; they might as well be called directors, and the College should just rename itself the Winterhold Acting Academy.
Tolfdir solemnly assigned tasks, sending some students to check for enchantments, others to detect energy reactions, and a few to stay behind to light fires and prepare for rest.
Jonas and Brelina were assigned to search for valuable items, including bottles, jars, and sculptural decorations. The boy secretly rolled his eyes a few times, looking at everyone else's eager and motivated expressions, and could only think, 'I'll do my best to play along with your charade.'
The eerie atmosphere of the ruins effectively stirred the students' emotions. The two instructors repeatedly warned them to be careful, which only made everyone more boisterous, running around and chattering. After three minutes, Jonas found something quite absurd: some dilapidated boxes hidden in the crumbling walls, which, when opened, contained various materials. Although attempts were made to make them look old, it was clear at a glance that they couldn't be genuine Saarthal antiques.
What was this supposed to be? An adventure game?
Brelina enthusiastically collected pots, pans, and bowls from a box into her backpack, saying, "Look at the patterns on these things—very primitive designs. They must be quite valuable. The instructors were thoughtful."
Jonas was immediately astonished. "You know it's fake and you're still having so much fun?"
"What if it's fake? The most important thing in life is to be happy, you know."
"…" This woman is silly; I should keep my distance from her.
Jonas waved his hand and said, "I'm going to look around," then walked deeper into Saarthal.
"Wait for me!"
"Why are you following?"
"Curiosity."
"Curiosity?"
"Is that not allowed?"
Jonas felt a pounding in his chest and couldn't help but frown. Had this old woman cast some evil spell? Why had his heart skipped a beat?
Cheers erupted from over there; a classmate had found an enchanted ring, making everyone even happier.
Jonas curled his lip. "Boring."
Brelina chuckled at his childishness. "Why do you have to be so unconventional?"
"I like surprises, do you understand? Every day brings new discoveries; those are the happiest days. My teacher once said that one shouldn't live like a stagnant pool. Even if you fall into the mud, you should be a lively, jumping loach. I originally thought Winterhold was a serious place, but who knew the people here were so…"
"So lively, right?" The Dark Elf covered her mouth, her laughter reserved yet bright, like a large cluster of fairywood swaying in the moonlight.
Jonas turned his head away, not looking at her. A strange joy filled his heart, yet beneath the turbulent surface lay a suppressed heaviness. This place gave him a sense of déjà vu; that old man named Gauldur was wandering around, standing on high ground, beckoning to him. Behind him was a rock-sealed wall, from which a faint light emanated.
"Look over there," Jonas said, pointing in Gauldur's direction, "Do you see a light?"
"What light? No, I don't."
Jonas swore he wasn't imagining it. The beautiful, golden-orange light, as comfortable as afternoon sunshine, whispered a loving summons in his ear: "Come, come."
"Let's go check it out there."
"Huh, isn't that a dead end?"
Jonas, with a straight face and standing ramrod straight, adopted the demeanor of a High Elf noble, "Oh, my beautiful lady, the Secunda in the sky is not a fraction of your beauty, and the spring flowers on earth cannot adorn your loveliness. Might I, a humble one, invite you to explore that place of decay and rubble?"
Brelina was tickled, laughing like a wind chimes, "Do another performance, another one!"
Jonas grumbled, "Hey, it's exhausting to say these things against my conscience, you know."
"What do you mean? Are you not speaking the truth?"
"Of course…" Jonas saw five fireballs being juggled by the Dark Elf lady, and immediately, cold and hot sweat poured from his pores as if fleeing for their lives, "…it's true."
The two walked to where Gauldur had been. This was originally a passage, but it was blocked by several boulders and very inconspicuous; even with careful searching, it would be difficult to notice such a secret passage in a ruin. Jonas used Alteration magic to turn the blocking stones into dust. He saw a bright small room, and Gauldur's phantom walked in first.
Brelina, however, seemed unable to see the light, complaining, "It's so dark, and you've made dust fly everywhere." She conjured a strong wind to disperse the smoke, saving herself from the dusty predicament.
Jonas involuntarily walked into the secret room. Here, there was a pointed archway covered in patterns. In a groove on the door was a rectangular bone tablet, which was one of the fragments of the Gauldur Charm.
He took off the Charm and wore it on his chest. Brelina asked, "What is this?"
"This is what I told you about, the parricide's treasure."
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