Mina woke up in her bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment, letting the dark and silent calmness of the room wash over her. Outside, she could hear the occasional conversation from a group of students on their way to study or to practice a new spell. She shifted slightly, turning to face Dahyun and silently laughing to herself when she sees her lover scrunch up her face from the disturbance. She’s so cute that Mina can’t help but lean in and peck the tip of her nose.

 

Their relationship is unorthodox. Mina having grown up following all the rules that Dahyun breaks on a daily basis.

 

Mina had moved with her family to this unknown land when she was still a child. She had to adjust to the cold temperatures that followed you no matter where you went. She had to get used to the new foods that were native to this land. She observed and learned from those around her that this land was unforgiving, taking more than it gave. Sometimes Mina got lost in her thoughts; thinking about why she stayed here after all it had taken from her. Her friends, her family, her home.

 

But then, she remembers all it has given her as well. Her home may be gone, but she found a new one at the college. Her friends might be gone for good, but through her grieving, she had met many kind faces, some who are still by her side today. And her parents who had been taken away from her to early could never be replaced. But those closest to her, slowly but surely, become her new family.

 

Then there was Dahyun.

 

Mina considered Dahyun a blazing fire in this frozen wasteland whose smile could melt all the ice in the ocean. A sweet summer breeze after a long day of hard work. A strong pair of arms that would always hold her tight and never let go. She always seemed to know when a week had been rough and dropped by to shower Mina with love and affection. Her small precious ball of sunshine was a professional thief, and Mina was glad to have had her heart stolen. 

 

Their first meeting wasn't quite as romantic as Mina would have hoped for though. Dahyun was with a fellow guild member when Mina first saw her. Her partner (Mina later learned was named Jihyo) was holding conversations with the Winterhold guards while Dahyun was emptying their pockets. The second time was in Windhelm. Mina was visiting a friend when she saw Dahyun sneaking into one of the resident's home. Not two minutes later, Dahyun had leaped out of the second story window with a sack full of valuable items. Mina followed the thief all the way to the Windhelm Stables where she saw Jihyo holding the reins of two horses.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Mina had her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. Both women turned to face her.

 

“Nothing that concerns you.” Jihyo threatened, moving her jacket to the side to reveal a sword strapped to her waist. Mina looked at the blade then back up to Jihyo’s death stare.

 

“Oh please.” Mina scoffed and raised her hands, a magical flame in each palm.

 

“Woah... that’s hot.” Dahyun stared at her hands awestruck. Mina blamed the reddening of her cheeks on the cold weather.

 

“You two better give those stolen goods back or else this is going to get ugly.” This time Mina threatened the two women, gesturing with the flames in her hands.

 

Jihyo looked at the flames on Mina’s hands then to the bag of goods in Dahyun’s.

 

“...Fine.”

 

Jihyo nodded at Dahyun to set down the bag and the two climb into their horses. As they trotted down the hill, Dahyun turned and called out to Mina.

 

”Be careful with those flames, I wouldn’t want someone as beautiful as you to hurt themselves.”

 

With those final words, Dahyun rode off into the snowfall and disappeared into the field of white. Since then Mina had been keeping an eye out for the pale girl whenever she left the college grounds. But never had any luck finding her.

 

“Hey there hot stuff.”

 

Until she found Mina.

 

“Excuse me?” Mina turned to see Dahyun leaning against one of the stone pillars on either side of the ramp that leads to the bridge of the college. ”What are you doing here. thief.” Mina’s voice was void of any emotion as she tried to hide her excitement for meeting the smooth-talking thief once again.

 

“Just passing through.” She responds smirking.

 

“Really? You sure you weren't sent here to steal anything.” Mina crosses her arms and turns to fully face the woman.

 

“Well, the only thing worth stealing here is the key to your house so I could see that pretty little face of yours whenever I wanted.”

 

That was how most of their interactions would go: Mina would be caught off guard, Dahyun always said something flirtatious, Mina gets flustered, and Dahyun leaves victorious. That is, until Mina gets the courage to flirt back. 

 

They continue meeting every other week for a few months until Dahyun stopped showing up. Mina tells herself that she shouldn’t care.

 

But she does.

 

Dahyun doesn’t show up for two months and six days (not that Mina is counting). On the seventh day Sowon, the guidance counselor of the college, came into the Archaneum looking for Mina.

 

“Sorry to disturb you Mina, but there is a woman at the entrance gate who is refusing to leave until she talks to you,” Sowon told Mina who just turns the page in the book she was reading.

 

“Can’t Solji deal with this? She is the gate guard after all.” Mina still doesn’t look up from her book.

 

“That’s the problem, Solji can’t get her to leave and you know we can’t call the authorities. They won’t help with college business anymore.” Informed Sowon.

 

With a heavy sigh, Mina closed her book and stood up to head outside with Sowon. The two made their way through the courtyard and across the bridge until they finally arrive at the entrance gate. To say Mina was surprised to see Solji wrestling a wriggling Dahyun on the ground would be correct.

 

“Dahyun?”

 

“Mina! Tell this crazy lady to get off me!” Dahyun tried to flip Solji over but the older woman had her very much pinned down face first in the snow.

 

“It’s okay Solji she’s a friend,” Mina told the red-haired mage. Solji nodded her head and climbed off the snow-covered thief.

 

“Dahyun what are you doing here?” Mina offered her hand to help the woman up.

 

“I’m here to see you,” Dahyun breathlessly said her while brushing the snow from herself. “I know it’s been a while but I can explain.”

 

“Can we be alone for a moment.” Mina politely asked Solji and Sowon who both nodded their head and crossed back over the bridge to the college. When the two are finally out of sight, Mina turned back to Dahyun. “Alright. Explain why you disappeared for two months without telling me.”

 

The thief took a deep breath before starting. “I was on a job with a guild member, you don’t know him, and we had to sneak into Markarth to plant some false evidence in Understone Keep. We got in fine. But when we were in a back room, my partner stabbed me in the back...no like... he physically stabbed me in the back. Look!”

 

Dahyun raised the back of her coat to show Mina a fresh scar on her lower back. “Anyway, he left me in that back room with the false evidence to bleed out and that’s how the city guards found me. I was thrown into Cidhna Mine for about two months. Other than the abusive guards and the silver mining it wasn’t that bad, I met some interesting characters in there and, get this, I even saw Nayeon’s special cell. I didn’t see her of course but there were always two guards posted outside the door, which had like 12 locks on it. Anyways, when I was finally released, Jihyo was waiting for me and took me straight home. I’ve been there healing ever since.”

 

“So you’re okay?” Mina worriedly asks.

 

Yeah, I’m fine—uhh” Dahyun’s sentence is cut off when Mina pulled the woman into a tight embrace.

 

“Never scare me like that again.” Mina squeezed her arms tightly around Dahyun’s waist.

 

“Anything for you hot stuff.”

 

 

~~~

 

 

Dahyun woke up to Mina sliding into her college robes.

 

“Where are you going this early?” Dahyun’s voice is raspy from sleep.

 

“The Archmage is coming back today with more information about the recent magical anomalies we’ve been seeing around the Pale area. Also, it’s not early, we slept in.” Mina tells her as she rolled up the sleeves of her yellow robes.

 

“You know, I love it when you talk all smart like that. Even if I don’t understand half the things you’re saying.” Dahyun smiles from her bundle of covers she had wrapped herself in.

 

“Flattery won’t get me back in bed. Now get up and put on some pants.” Mina finished tying the belt of her robes and looked over at a pouting Dahyun. Mina scoffed to heself then quickly planting a wet kiss on a smiling thief before leaving the room.

 

“Good morning miss Myoui.” College staff and students greeted Mina on her way to the courtyard. When she arrived at the magical fountain in the middle of the courtyard, she smiled at Sowon who was already sat waiting.

 

“Good morning Sowon.”

 

“Good morning Mina, where's Dahyun?” Sowon smirked and softly elbowed Mina in the side.

 

“Hopefully putting pants on and getting ready for the day,” Mina responds while giving a quick side eye to the taller mage.

 

The screeching of the metal entrance announced the return of the Archmage. She walked towards Sowon and Mina while another woman was trailing behind her.

 

“Good to see you two again.” She side hugged both Mina and Sowon.

 

“How were your travels? Did you find any information on the anomalies?” Sowon asks the Archmage.

 

“The trip was fine, Seulgi and I only ran into a little trouble on the way back but it was nothing to worry about.” She smiled and told them.

 

“And by little trouble, she means a herd of frost trolls.” Seulgi corrected the Archmage with a smirk.

 

“Exactly. Nothing to worry about. And about the anomalies, I took some field notes on what I observed I’ll show you when we get inside. Did anything happen while we were gone?” She asks.

 

Well,” Sowon begins. “Hoseok used a few apprentices to practice his alteration spells on and turned two into horses and the other into a chicken. Yuju cast a fire cloak spell on herself, catching anyone who came within three meters of her on fire. And Jin has lost his alembic a total of...eight times just this week.” Sowon informs the Archmage, having to count on her fingers for that last bit.

 

“Sounds like a normal Wednesday to me,” Seulgi joked while flashing her signature eye smile.

 

“Dahyun is visiting,” Mina spoke up for the first time since the Archmage and Seulgi has arrived.

 

“Dahyun’s here!” The Archmage excitedly turns towards Mina with a big smile.

 

“Yeah, she got here last night so she’s pretty tired,” Mina tells the two mages.

 

“I bet she’s pretty tired.” Seulgi winks at Mina, who smacks the monolid's arm and blushes at the comment.

 

“Mina! Where did you put my belt? I can’t find it anywhere.” Dahyun’s voice can be heard across the courtyard. The four turned to see Dahyun waking towards them holding onto her belt loops to keep her pants from falling down.

 

Mina blush darkened when she caught Seulgi’s smirk out of the corner of her eye.

 

“Hey there Dubu, how have you been?” The Archmage asks the belt-less woman.

 

“Momo? Momo!” Dahyun momentarily forgets about her wardrobe predicament and runs into the Archmage. The latter wraps her arms around the younger woman and hugs her with just as much enthusiasm.

 

“It’s good to see you again, how long has it been?” Momo asks while reaching her hands down to Dahyun’s belt loops and hiking them up.

 

“Too long.” Dahyun smiles up at the Archmage. “Oh guess what! I finally got a chance to use that fireball spell you taught me.” Dahyun happily tells Momo.

 

“Haha, I’m glad it worked out for you. Why don’t we move this inside, Seulgi and I have some stuff to set down.” The group migrated into the main college building, going up the spiral staircase to the third floor of the tower.

 

“Ahh, home sweet home,” Momo says as she walked into the large room that took up a whole floor. She set down the bag she had been carrying then continued behind the stone wall that separated her room from the living area.

 

As the Archmage of the college, Momo gets the entire third floor to herself. The large room is circular with an enchanting station in one-third of the room. The station includes an enchanting table and item displays filled with soul gems to use for enchanting. Another third has an alchemy laboratory. Potion recipes are stacked on a shelf in one of the cabinets lining the wall. The rest of the shelves are filled with ingredients that can be brewed into different potions and poisons. In the middle of the room grew a giant magical tree that helped illuminate the room. Alchemy ingredients grew around its roots as well as flowers Momo has collected from the surrounding holds. The curved stone wall behind the garden served as a backdrop and a divider that separates Momo’s bed and personal items from view.

 

“So how was your trip to... where exactly did you guys go?” Dahyun asks from her chair by the alchemy lab. her feet were to short to reach the stone floor so she swung them back and forth in the air above..

 

“The Jarl of Dawnstar sent a letter to the college about a magical disturbance near Windward Ruins, so Momo and I went to go check it out,” Seulgi told Dahyun.

 

Momo entered the living area from behind the wall in her Archmage robes holding a leg of jokbal in her hands. The blue robes were made of ancient enchanted thread and had been passed down from Archmage to Archmage. Momo refused to wear the hood around the college claiming: “If I didn’t have bangs I would look bald.” She walked up next to Seulgi and offered some of her jokbal to the monolid mage who gladly accepted the offering.

 

“You can go change now” Momo whispered into Seulgi’s ear. The mage swallowed her bite and then took her turn changing behind the stone wall.

 

“Momo!” Dahyun leaps up from her chair. “When did you and Seulgi become a thing?” Dahyun grinned at the Archage who proceeded to choke on her jokbal. Mina gave her girlfriend a stern look then walked behind Momo and patted her on the back to help her fight through her coughing fit.

 

“A what? No. Seulgi and I are not a "thing".” Momo said as she crossed the room over to her wine cabinet and proceeded to pour herself a goblet. Dahyun crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. 

 

“You just shared your jokbal with her,” Dahyun argued.

 

“So what.”

 

“You never share food! Especially jokbal!” Dahyun pointed at the leg of pork in the Archmage’s hand.

 

“She has a point,” Sowon spoke up.

 

“Not you too.” Momo whined.

 

“And I’ve noticed that you two have been going to the onsen together quite a bit lately.” Sowon pointed out.

 

“So what. I’ve been to the onsen with both you and Mina before.” Momo tried to defend herself.

 

“Well, we don’t spend hours in there together as you do with Seulgi.” Mina quietly spoke up from behind Dahyun. She had moved over to keep Dahyun from physically teasing Momo and ended up giving the thief a back hug.

 

“Yah! Mina!”

 

"Ooo, Momo’s got herself a lady friend.” Dahyun teased and tried to move closer so she could poke the Archmage in the sides with her fingers. She failed when Mina gave her a squeeze around the waist.

 

“I am feeling so attacked right now.” Momo hid her red cheeks by pulling her hood up and sulked over to a chair near the wall where she continued to eat her jokbal.

 

“Yah! You all broke Momo!” Seulgi came around the corner in her college robes, “what did you do to her?” She knelt down next to the Archmage and rubbed the pouting woman's knee. Embarrassed, Momo sunk deeper into her chair. Her cheeks were even redder than before. Mina covered Dahyun’s mouth with her hand before she can say anything to embarrass Momo further.

 

“Oh nothing, she’s just really tired,” Mina tells Seulgi.

 

“Oh, I see,” Seulgi turns to Momo. “Are you too tired to leave for the burning festival?”

 

“Burning?” Dahyun whisper asks back to Mina over her shoulder.

 

Mina loosened her arms around Dahyun’s waist and leaned her head down, “The burning of King Olaf is a yearly festival performed in Solitude by the Bards College. The festival includes the burning of an effigy meant to represent King Olaf One-Eye, who was sentenced to be burned for betraying the city of Solitude.” She whispers into Dahyun’s ear.

 

“No, I still want to go to the burning, plus it’s been so long since we've seen Seungwan.” Momo set her the jokbal bone on the table next to her and commenced to her fingers clean.

 

“Umm... could I come? I’ve never been to Solitude for something that wasn’t guild related.” Dahyun asked from her spot nestled between Mina’s arms.

 

“Of course, the more the merrier. Mina, would you like to come too?” Seulgi eye smiled at the pair.

 

“She better! She needs to get out of that damn library. Every time I come to visit her she’s always in there.” Dahyun pouted over her shoulder at Mina.

 

“It looks like I don’t have any other choice,” Mina says making Dahyun smile and press a quick peck against Mina's nose.

 

“Alright then,” Seulgi claps her hands together as she made the announcement. “It’s decided. We will leave for Solitude tomorrow morning. Until then please go back to your normal schedule.” Seulgi took Momo by the arm and led the still blushing woman behind the stone wall. Dahyun, Mina, and Sowon all laughed at the Archmage before heading down the spiral stairs to finish their day.

 

 

~~~