“It’s time for me to go back” – Lena looked at Dylan and took his hand. “Don’t get too lonely without me – find something to do. I’ll be back.”

“How do you deal with it? When you leave your friends for a time?”

“You get busy with something else, and you make new friends.”

“I’ve left the Mazken order. They won’t talk to me.”

“No… Well… Two things I can suggest” – Lena looked pensive. “First – ask Sheogorath to release you. Then you can travel to Mundus and to other realms, this will take your mind off things.” Dylan shook his head. “Second – talk to the mortals living here. They might surprise you.”

“Mazken don’t talk to mortals!”

“No? You’re talking to one now…” – she smiled.

Dylan looked confused.

“Well… May be I’ll just get lucky and Sheogorath will banish me again… until you return” – he said hopefully.

“I think he won’t” – Lena recalled her conversation with Sheogorath. “I think he’ll let you learn to live like mortals do – without escapes.”

She hugged Dylan and kissed him on the cheek.

“You’ll figure it out. Ask Jayred Ice-Veins – he’s around here somewhere. He’s a nice guy and fun to be with – you can go hunting together.”

“He’s that crazy Nord hunter” – Dylan looked perplexed.

“Perhaps. But he can tell you a thing or two about being mortal.”

“You mortals are confusing” – Dylan finally gave up trying to make sense of it all. “But perhaps you’re right. And you can bring your friend next time – I won’t stay away. After all, if it weren’t for him, you would have died in that cave with the chalice.”

It was now Lena’s turn to look perplexed – and outraged.

“What?!”

“Nothing. Ask him.” Dylan smiled. “Go on – do your thing. And I’ll go look for Jayred.”

…

Jowan was staying at the Mages Guild, so when Lena returned from the Shivering Isles, she found Hauk alone in her house in Bravil reading a book.

“Ah, you’re back!” – he greeted her. “Good to see you.”

Lena sat by the fire, keeping her gaze on Hauk as he went back to his book.

“What?” – he felt it after a while.

“I saw Dylan.”

“About time.”

“You knew he’d be there?” – she said, her eyes narrowing.

“No, I didn’t. But I had hoped he’d show up without me around. I made some enquiries last time.”

“I nearly died! Thadon tried to kill me with that felldew.”

“Which is why I made enquiries after he gave you that task last time. I didn’t trust him. But I too would have had to take felldew to enter the cave, so my blood would not have saved you. Mazken don’t need felldew to enter.”

“Right, so you knew that Dylan would show up.”

“I knew that someone would come to your aid, I was promised that. Seducers can be friendly, you know” – he winked.

Lena was torn between anger and gratitude. Then something else rose in her – doubt.

“So you weren’t jealous?”

“Of Dylan? Oh yes” – Hauk looked at her, searching. “With a good reason, I see. But I’m glad you had fun.” He went back to his book.

Lena opened a bottle of Tamika West Weald, poured a goblet for herself, got a bottle of mead for Hauk.

“Dylan doesn’t want to come to Mundus” – she said. “And there was something he said… about choices.”

“It’s too early” – Hauk replied not looking up from the book. “You’re not ready yet.”

They sat in silence for some time, Hauk slowly turning pages, Lena wondering why several people had been telling her the same thing recently – that she wasn’t ready to make any choices yet. When would she be ready? Would she ever be?

“You worry unnecessarily” – Hauk suddenly put down his book. “It’s written all over your face” – he smiled. “You have some real friends – myself included – there is no need to choose between us, there never will be a need to choose between your friends. It hasn’t been all that long since you returned from that long stay in the Shivering Isles. There are other people in your life that you need to get to know better, people who…” Lena looked up. “Ah, you know who I mean.” Hauk nodded. “And yes, I’ll be jealous. But I love you – and that means I have to let you find yourself. There, I said it now.”

He kept his eyes on Lena for a while, then went back to his book. He wasn’t turning any pages.

Lena sat watching him, sipping her wine. Then she got up and went over to sit next to him on the settee. She put her head on his shoulder. He pulled her close. They sat together, like that evening in Ansilvund, but this time Lena wasn’t crying. She was quietly smiling – she found peace. She knew what she had to do next.