The Hall of the Elements
We were all of us swaying in our saddles when we arrived in Winterhold late in the afternoon the day after we emerged from Labyrinthian. We had ridden as hard as we dared in darkness cross-country, traveling north of Whiterun, through the WaywardPass, down past Saarthal, then up over the pass above Winterhold. Lydia and I had been awake for thirty hours, and the mages for longer.
“Thank goodness you’re here!” shouted a villager, running up to us as we dismounted. It was the first time I had received a warm greeting in the town. Usually they were suspicious of college mages, if not openly hostile. “Something terrible is happening up at the college! They need help! Please, don’t let the rest of Winterhold slide into the sea!”
A glance at the college was enough to show he was right. A glowing cloud enveloped the circular walls, and here and there within it were flashes of light and bright, moving things.
“We’re on our way there now,” I said.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!” said the villager.