Chapter 54 The Truth About Falmer
We settled into the chamber, the ancient Dwemer room humming faintly with residual warmth from the machinery buried deep within its walls. The fireplace cast a dull amber glow across brass plates and carved stone, its light flickering like a tired heartbeat in the cold ruin. Alex unrolled a bedroll near the hearth, the worn fabric whispering softly against the metal floor.
One by one, he and Astrid changed into more comfortable clothing looser, softer layers meant for rest rather than battle. The tension of the journey slowly peeled away with each discarded piece of gear, replaced by a rare sense of safety. Nearby, the fire crackled as Alex crouched beside it and set a small pot in place, the scent of chicken and herbs beginning to rise and mingle with the dry, metallic air of the Dwemer ruin.
As he stirred the soup, the spoon tapping lightly against the pot, Alex spoke in an easy, almost playful tone.
"Hey, Astrid… do you know the joke in Skyrim?"
Astrid shifted where she sat, drawing one knee up and resting her arm over it. She glanced at him sidelong, one eyebrow lifting in mild curiosity. "What joke?"
Alex didn't look at her right away. A crooked grin tugged at his lips as he continued stirring, watching the broth swirl lazily.
"If you kill a chicken," he said, barely holding back his laughter, "the entire population of Skyrim will hunt you down."
"Hahahaha!"
He threw his head back, laughter echoing off the metal walls, sharp and loud in the otherwise quiet chamber. The sound bounced around the room before fading into the low crackle of the fire.
Astrid blinked, clearly caught off guard. She stared at him for a moment, her expression flat, trying and failing to understand what was supposed to be funny. Slowly, she exhaled and shook her head.
"You're weird, Alex," she said bluntly, her tone dry, though the faintest hint of amusement flickered in her eyes as the firelight danced across her face.
When the soup was finally done, Alex lifted the pot from the fire and, with a brief shimmer of light, summoned a pair of wooden bowls from his system inventory. The rough grain of the wood was warm to the touch as he filled them, steam curling upward in slow, ghostlike spirals. The scent of cooked chicken and herbs spread through the chamber, briefly overpowering the cold, metallic smell of the Dwemer ruin.
They sat facing the fireplace, eating in companionable silence. Each spoonful sent warmth spreading through their chests, the heat of the soup seeping into tired muscles. The fire crackled softly, embers shifting and popping as orange light danced across brass walls, frost-stained stone, and the ancient mechanisms half-buried in shadow. For a moment, the ruin felt almost… lived in.
Halfway through the meal, Astrid slowed her eating. She lowered her spoon, her gaze drifting away from the fire and settling on Alex instead. There was a faint crease between her brows, curiosity gnawing at her thoughts.
"Hey, Alex," she said quietly, breaking the stillness. "You said those Falmer were Snow Elves… so why do they look like that?"
She hesitated, then added, her eyes flicking toward the dark corridor beyond the chamber. "And why are they living all the way down here?"
Alex stopped mid-motion. The spoon hovered briefly above his bowl before he set it down with a soft clink. He placed the wooden bowl aside and leaned back slightly, one hand rising to scratch the back of his head. His eyes drifted to the fire, watching the flames writhe and collapse in on themselves, his expression turning heavy and distant.
"Hm…" he murmured. "This story could be described as a chain of revenge… and greed over an artifact."
Astrid exhaled slowly, her shoulders sagging as if the weight of countless old wars pressed down on her. She leaned back, staring into the fire as well, its light reflecting faintly in her eyes.
"Why is war always started by greed?" she muttered with a tired sigh. "Haaah…"
Alex glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He gave a small, helpless shrug, lips pressing into a thin line, as if he had no answer worth offering. After a brief pause, he straightened slightly, drawing a breath ready to continue the story as the fire crackled on in the ancient Dwemer silence.
"Long ago," Alex began, his voice steady and low, "the Nordic ancestors the Atmorans migrated from Atmora to Mereth."
As he spoke, the firelight painted soft shadows across his face, highlighting the seriousness in his eyes. He leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely clasped as if holding fragments of the past itself.
"At the time, Mereth was already inhabited by the Mer. At first, they lived together in peace. But civil wars and relentless, brutal weather drove more and more Atmorans to flee their home. The numbers kept growing… until they built a large settlement and named it Saarthal."
Astrid found herself watching him rather than the fire. She tilted her head slightly, her chin resting on her palm, eyes tracing every small movement his brows tightening when he emphasized a point, the faint shift of his lips when he searched for the right words. A gentle smile slowly formed, soft and unguarded. There was something deeply attractive about his focus, about the way knowledge flowed from him with quiet confidence.
Her gaze lingered, filled with admiration like someone proud to stand beside a partner whose mind was as sharp as his blade. Without realizing it, her chest warmed, and her feelings for him deepened, settling into something tender and unmistakably sincere.
Alex continued, unaware of the effect he was having.
"There were two reasons the Snow Elves massacred the Atmorans," he said. "First, the rapid growth of their population. Second…" He paused, lifting one hand to rub his chin, eyes narrowing in thought. "An artifact the Atmorans discovered the Eye of Magnus."
He let out a small, thoughtful hum. "But honestly, the second reason seems far more likely."
That was when he finally noticed her stare.
He turned toward her, blinking once. "Hey… why are you looking at me like that?"
Astrid didn't look away. Instead, she met his eyes directly, a playful spark flickering in her gaze. The corner of her lips curved upward, teasing but warm.
"Just ignore me," she said lightly. "Keep going."
Then she leaned in just a little, her voice dropping to a softer, more intimate tone meant only for him.
"You know… when you get this serious, it really turns me on."
Alex frowned slightly. "What?"
Astrid straightened at once, her smile innocent now, though her eyes still gleamed. "Nothing," she said quickly. "Just continue."
Alex hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded, turning back to the fire. But the warmth in the room no longer came only from the flames and Astrid's smile lingered as he resumed the story.
"The Snow Elves attacked at night," Alex continued, his voice lowering as if the darkness of that moment still lingered in the air. "They nearly slaughtered the entire Atmoran population. Saarthal was reduced to ruins burned, broken, drowned in blood and grief. Only three survived… Ysgramor and his two sons."
He paused, the fire popping softly as embers collapsed inward.
"That tragedy became known as the Night of Tears."
Astrid's breath hitched almost imperceptibly. She bit her lower lip, not from fear, but from the intensity with which she watched him. The firelight traced the sharp line of his jaw, the seriousness in his eyes, the quiet strength in the way he held himself. Desire stirred in her chest, slow and heavy, but Alex remained oblivious his mind still walking through ancient history.
"The three of them fled back to Atmora," he said. "And later… Ysgramor returned."
Alex straightened slightly, as if honoring the weight of the name.
"He came back to Mereth with the Five Hundred Companions the strongest warriors Atmora had to offer. That moment was called The Return. They massacred the Snow Elves. Some were enslaved. Others fled, desperate for refuge."
His voice stayed steady, controlled, though the story itself was soaked in violence and sorrow.
"Some of the Snow Elves sought help from the Dwemer," he went on. "But they were betrayed. The Dwemer forced them to consume strange fungi in Blackreach. It drove them mad blinded them, twisted them. They were turned into experiments."
Alex's fingers curled slightly against his knee.
"Those Snow Elves became what we now call the Falmer. And the few who didn't lose their minds…" He exhaled quietly. "They were known as the Betrayed."
He fell silent and stared into the fire once more, eyes reflecting the flames as memory sparked something else.
"Oh almost forgot," he added. "There was one Snow Elf commander. They called him the Snow Prince."
Alex's tone softened with respect.
"Even the Atmorans honored him. They considered him the strongest of their enemies. After his death, they buried him with honor recognizing his courage, his skill… his worth."
Only then did Alex reach for his bowl again, taking a few quiet bites before lifting his gaze.
He froze.
Astrid was staring at him not with curiosity, not with admiration but with raw hunger. Her eyes were dark, intense, the firelight dancing within them. Her lips were slightly parted, her earlier restraint long gone.
For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke.
The cold air of the Dwemer chamber seemed to retreat, pushed back by something warmer thicker. The quiet hum of ancient metal faded beneath the unspoken tension curling between them. The fire burned lower, but the space between them felt charged, intimate, alive with desire that had finally surfaced.
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