#mathren galenus

[madamefluffnstuff]

TES Summerfest 2024, Day 3: Ghost

Day 3 of TES Summerfest 2024! Hosted by @tes-summer-fest.

Fandom: Elder Scrolls Online Paring: Yisara x Mathren Rating: K Warning(s): Spoilers for the Blackwood Zone quest "The Ghostwriter of Giovesse". Words: 932 AN: God I love this quest so much, I stayed up late just to finish it and figure out what happened.

Yisara is having a bit of writer's block, and Mathren convinces her to get some rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Egg and Hammer Inn was quiet. Peaceful, even, on the new moon night. A new moon meant there was more darkness than normal. If one wanted to do some late night reading, they'd need a very bright candle.

Yisara sat at her portable writing desk with not one, but two, very bright candles. Her lips pressed against a curled index finger, chin propped up with a tapping thumb. Soft brown waves of hair framed her face, having been set free from the confines of her bun. The candlelight starkly illuminated her facial features, especially her amber-green eyes, which were so unwaveringly focused on the half-filled sheet of manuscript in front of her.

She let out a soft sigh through her nose. Writer's block was hitting hard again.

Perhaps unironically, the quill in her hand had run dry some time ago. The lack of accidental ink blots in the margins was a testament to her careful planning with this piece. Even if it was only a rough draft.

The budding author set down the quill and picked up the first few sheets she had completed earlier. Maybe a quick re-read... Yisara thought. Alas, she ended up in the same spot as before. She let out another sigh, heavier this time, nearly all the air escaping her lungs. Perhaps she had stayed up too late and was running on empty again.

Just then, she felt something shift in her pocket. Yisara's head jerked a little as her hand frantically reached to grab the item. The tiny object practically leapt into her hand. Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled her hand from her pocket and looked at what she fished out;

Mathren's ring. She stared intently for a moment before rolling the coiled metal band between her fingers. Funny, she could have sworn she put it in the special jewelry pouch in her pack before she went to freshen up for bed. How did it get in her sleep clothes' pocket? Not that she was complaining, of course. Just confused.

As if on cue, the ring flipped itself over in her palm, where she could now see the tiny inscription on the inside. She jumped a little.

"Mathren, not right now," Yisara murmured to the trinket. "Now's not a good time..."

It seemed the aforementioned Imperial didn't like that very much, as the ring began to quiver against her fingers. An uneasy feeling began to creep into her, like she could sense his own unease. No- his worry?

Yes.

Her paperwork suddenly found itself being flung into her carrying case alongside the hastily capped ink pot. The Redguard woman knew very well Mathren was a spirit- she was reminded of it on a daily basis. She knew he couldn't physically touch her. But this sense of urgency... He wanted to talk to her. Needed to talk to her. And the ring was the only way.

Yisara pawed through her travel bags looking for the other essential piece to communicate with Mathren. "Come on, I know it's in here somewhere," she muttered to herself. Suddenly there was a solid thump and her head jerked to the side. She froze- There it was, in plain sight- the Spirit Lantern.

She blinked a couple of times before smiling. Of course he did. With the same care one would use holding a newborn babe, she picked up the lantern and set it on the nightstand. Then she reached for one of her slightly too bright candles and brought it to the burner. Once she blew on it to give it a strong flame and she was sure it would stay, Yisara snatched the ring up and slipped it on her pointer finger. The one that had been resting on her lips earlier.

Whether it was the magic in the ring or the smoke from the lantern, Mathren's ghostly form materialized at the end of the bed. Shirtless, of course.

"Yisara, my love."

She gave him a slightly exasperated but smitten smile. "Mathren."

He gently grasped her hand. Even with his corporeal form she could still feel the chill of his spectral fingers on her own.

"Are you being unkind to yourself again, dearest?"

She shrugged. "No, not unkind. Just having some writer's block is all. Again."

Mathren smiled back. "And how late is it?"

"...very late."

An echoey chuckled sounded through the room. Yisara was so used to that noise it didn't bother her anymore. Mathren shifted positions a bit, bringing one leg onto the bed and leaned against his knee.

"Perhaps it's time for you to rest. You've done plenty of good work today. And like you said once- you can always revisit it later."

Yisara nodded, acknowledging he was right. She sighed quietly. "I really should."

Mathren ran an ethereal hand along his love's cheek. "If you'd like, I can sit and watch over you so no one bothers you. I don't need sleep like I used to."

To anyone who didn't have the ring or the lantern, it was a rather strange sight- a young Redguard woman sleeping in an inn bed, with the covers moving on their own accord to tuck her in. Soon after, a large divot formed at the foot of the bed, as if someone was sitting there. A few out of place footsteps could be heard near the doors and windows, as if checking them out.

To Yisara, however, her spectral beloved was just making sure she was safe and sound. And for that she was very grateful.

Sometimes having a ghost for a partner has its' advantages.