The journey out of the sands of Hammerfell and into the rocky forests of the Skyrim was a very welcome change for Elayna. To actually be able to breathe without choking on the dry, dusty heat and to actually see greenery was refreshing, to say the least. More had joined their ranks, all sort of terrifying in their own right. Marassa, Zaveed's sister, was as chilly as the Jeralls, though the Khajiit woman didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards her. Which was very much appreciated, given the large sword and thick armor. Cub...well, she didn't really know. For an Orc, he didn't seem too...Orcish. Tall and broad and somewhat threatening, sure, but there was a bit of a...different feeling about him that was throwing Elayna for a loop. She didn't bug him.
Urzoth, on the other hand, was what she'd expect from an Orc woman. Tough, brave, not afraid to get things done with her hands. Kind of reminded her of Gorzath...then there was Valsiore. The High Elf wizard. He seemed quite skilled, but not interested much in the group, so the Breton girl didn't care to pester him. If he needed a cure for something, she'd whip something up for him just like she would everyone else.
In the ruined tower, Elayna sat close to the fire, grinding up some Blue Mountain Flowers she'd managed to pick on their way with some water to make a nice poultice for small wounds. it was therapeutic, really, just sitting by the fire and getting back down to her roots. This was a remedy both her mother and Dominus taught her, a common home treatment used often in Skyrim when children get small cuts and scrapes. Her mother grew up in this land, brought here by the grandparents that they saved back in Chorrol, and Elayna saw plenty of these flowers dried as they came through Dominus' shop in the Imperial City. They were quite pretty and fragrant, in addition to their usefulness.
As the rain fell outside, Marassa proposed they move to Falkreath. That seemed well enough with the young Alchemist; she could have hiked it with Harding to Solitude to try and make it to High Rock, but she had doubts they'd make it there alive. Another part of her wanted to expand her alchemical knowledge and skill with Alteration and Destruction at the Arcaneum in the College, but such a large target would most likely be long gone, let alone the path there. She doubted the Dwemer would let such a powerhouse go. So, Falkreath and a chance to restock seemed like the best bet. The young woman nodded her head in agreement with Marassa.
However, Blade had a different plan it seemed. He spoke of going on the offensive, which seemed absolutely preposterous in their state. Hammerfell was in pieces due to their failures, and with Skyrim being littered with even more Dwemer strongholds, there weren't exactly the best of odds to begin with. He growled, Cub roared and praised Zaveed...who was gone. As was Vendel. They just couldn't catch a break...Francis had offered his expensive wine, and after Marassa had drank her fill and set them all straight, Elayna stood and took the bottle for a long sip. Gods, the burn felt good...a nice drink with this dampness in the air was just marvelous. She placed the bottle down, bowing her head in thanks to Francis. The man had to be taking Vendel's capture hard.
Elayna finally thought to speak. "They're right. While Windhelm is a logical choice, getting there would drain us of resources and probably get us killed." She stated, adding her approval to the pile. Though she felt somewhat bad for dragging Urzoth's idea down as well, it was just too impractical. Sion commented that the soup was done, and it made the young lady realize how hungry she was. Elayna looked at her mortar, contemplating using it as a bowl, but she remembered she had a small jar in her pouch. She removed it, pulled the stopper, and filled it with stew. It was hot, but she used a little bit of magicka to create a cool buffer between her hand the the glass, but not so cold as to shatter it. The Breton took a gulp of the soup, and gave a surprised look to the Khajiit mage. "Not bad, Sion, not bad at all." She smiled. Sure, it could have used some herbs, but...he didn't need to hear that.
