Difficulties in the Night
You know those times when you're almost victorious, but you weren't. No, you lost. This is the story of how I got here sitting next to you. I was barely able to hold my own against a troll. I had just bought a dwarven great blade and suit of armour with the added confidence boost that comes from a good upgrade. So when a khajit caravan needed an extra guard I was more than happy to help. Not to mention it paid pretty well for a run from Whiterun to Riften. It was easy compared to moving a load of silver and weapons for the imperials from Cyrodiil to Highrock. But when you're being hunted things get much more difficult.
One member of the caravan was a quiet one. Her name was La'dahra she liked the night watch. But she wasn't bad at all she had a pretty, striped pattern and piercing green eyes she was kind and polite. Plus, she the best archer I had ever seen. She could take out wolfs from atop the wagon that where a good 90 yards up the road or in the woods. On the last night of the three or four day trip she woke me and the others when she spotted something moving in the woods around us. As she drew her bow and I readied my sword one of them charged. As it reached about ten or so feet away she let an arrow into its head. The beast hit the ground and slumped over. Then it all fell apart as dozens more of them emerged from the shadows just outside the campfire.
As they formed a circle surrounding us, I asked La'dahra how long till sun up. But it wasn't her who responded. It was a massive creature with a scar across it's eye and greyish white skin. Standing about twenty feet in front of me. He was taller than a troll and carried what I could only describe as a tree with a boulder tied to it. All it said was "Enough time to take you and be inside the safe place!" Then its minions charged.
We held a line for a good ten maybe fifteen minutes. Then the monster just walked up to me and threw me like a stone. I could do nothing. All I could see was it ripping the caravan leader in two. Then I blacked out.
I awoke hours later to this dog in armour plating sniffing my face. As it noticed I was waking up, it howled. Minutes later I was in a cart with someone setting my broken the healer finished with my shredded rear I managed to sit up and look at where I had slept just a few hours ago. The tents were no more and La'dahra was even worse off than me. She had a set of claw marks across her ribs and chest. When I called her name she just let out a low moaning that hurt just to hear. The soldiers that helped me into the cart where rushing over to the the person they had thought dead and gave her a potion to help her recover. After nearly twenty minutes she was able to be moved to the cart and sat next to me. It then occurred to me to ask what happened. So I did and soldier next to me said one word: "vampires". I felt the blood drain from my face and I checked my neck for bite marks. I found none. They had killed the rest of the caravan only La'dahra and me had survived barely.
As the soldiers started to move the cart i asked who they were and they told me that they were the dawnguard. Warriors that work to protect the people from creatures of the night. they found the vampires as they were about to drag us off and they put their lives on the line to keep us from being taken to the vampires lair to be turned or worse. While we travel I told them what I remembered of the night before. Then La'dahra told her side of the story whilst we traveled toward their fort.