"I get what you're saying, but the point still stands, I owe them and they need somewhere to live." Lokir retorts adamantly, not backing down as he stares me in the eyes.
"Huff, fine, we'll just add a kid's room to your house plans. They should be fine in the camp until then." I sigh before finally agreeing.
"Let's deal with this dra- Lydia what are you doing?!" I shout seeing her rip one of the dragon femurs out causing the entire skeleton to fall to pieces.
"Sorry my Thane, I thought it would make a great weapon." Lydia says sheepishly hiding the bone that's the size of a giants club comically behind her back.
"It's fine… Someone go grab a cart… And the horses…" I sigh trying to think of how we're going to move this giant skeleton back to the base.
And with that, we start loading up our spoils as the villagers stare on in awe, though for once it's not me they're looking at, but Lokir. And a number of them whisper and point as he hefts the mighty dragon bones onto the cart.
After about an hour we get the most useful parts loaded onto a cart and we see Rorik and his friend, Jouane? I think that was his name? Come up to us with the girls, Britte and Sissel, carrying little bags.
"Rorik, I think you need to go and have a private talk with your son. I'll keep the Commander and the girls company until you're done." Jouane says motioning for the two of them to go off.
Lokir looks at me before I give him a nod as he goes to leave with his father to have a much overdue talk.
Once out of earshot, Jouane deeply scrutinizes me, "What fool taught you how to use magic like that?" He chastises me, completely throwing me for a loop.
"Um… Myself?" I reply in confusion, I don't think I did anything wrong? I mean my spells hit the dragon.
It's then that Jouane's scrutiny becomes even more intense as a strange look goes across his face before he says, "Interesting, I thought some fool corrupted yet another with potential in the arcane arts, instead it seems this hidden gem cracked itself from the ground. That explains why you use magic like a hammer, I guess your natural affinities make up for your lack of practical knowledge."
"Um… Thanks, I guess? I'm sorry, but is this conversation going anywhere?" I ask, still confused as to why he was talking to me about how I cast magic.
"Well, I was wanting to make sure my disciple was going to receive the education they deserve, but despite what Lokir told me earlier if the mages in your employ aren't good enough to correct your inadequacies, then they aren't good enough to teach my disciple." Jouane derides my Company once more, starting to get on my nerves.
"I think it's best you get to your point before I show you just how crude my magic can be." I say starting to gather some frost magic in my right hand.
Jouane gives me a knowing smile before I feel three simultaneous thuds across my body, one to my forehead, one to the center of my chest, and one to the back of my knees, like invisible bats smacking me out of nowhere and all I see is the sky in front of me when my senses return.
"Damn, my friend, are you alright?" Inigo asks with concern as he looms over me.
"Shit, why are you upside down Inigo? You should really get that taken care of, the blood might rush to your head and make you a red Khajiit." I try to explain to him in concern.
"How about this? Is this better my friend?" Inigo asks as he moves around to my front and starts to help me up.
"What happened how did I get on the floor?" I ask looking around in confusion.
"I don't know how my Thane, but I think the air knocked you down. I wanted to hit it... But it was air... I can't defeat air..." Lydia says dejectedly.
After recalling that I was about to hit that old mage I look around and finally noticed that he's disappeared completely.
"Shit, where'd that old bastard go?" I say before I feel a presence behind me making me leap forward in shock as I feel something sharp just barely miss my back.
"Hmmm, not bad. Your magic knowledge is laughable, but it seems your combat instincts are spot on. Alright, I'll teach you as well." The old man says, finally making his presence known.
"What the fuck?! When did I ask you to teach me? And how did you even attack me?" I ask in shock.
"Beginning the lesson so soon? Alright, all I did was use a simple telekinesis spell to knock you off balance before casting both muffle and invisibility in the confusion, allowing me to sneak behind you with ease. It's really rudimentary magic that anyone with the most basic of proper arcane educations could anticipate and counter. Though, your fighting instincts seem to cover your inadequacies, despite the magic currently afflicting you, which drastically lowers your physical prowess." Jouane lectures matter-of-factly, though he makes sure to underscore his points by using his walking stick to draw diagrams in the dirt.
"Hmmm, I see, but I didn't think telekinesis could be used in such a way?" I question him, slowly getting over my anger at being attacked, since I might be getting a talented teacher out of this.
"There we go again, another confined to the 'rules' of magic, most modern schools of magic have built so many theorems and so-called laws of magic that these have completed killed the 'art' in the arcane arts. Haven't you ever tried doing something unexpected or unique with your own magic? Or do you just simply do exactly as those tomes suggest?" Jouane asks in exasperation.
"Well, I've been experimenting with infusing my weapons with elemental magic, but it quickly degrades their quality." I tell him which makes his old eyes sparkle.