Dawnguard: The Daughter of Coldharbour

Preface: This story takes place in an alternate universe from cannon. Notable changes include no Skyrim Civil War, no White-Gold Concordat, and the preservation of the Dragonborn Emperors and Septim bloodline. References will be made to Vigil of Stendarr: Mehrunes' Razor, and certain characters will return. I am writing this so that it will be entirely capable of standing on its own, but know certain things in canon Elder Scrolls lore will not affect this universe. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Sought Out

"In dealing with the undead, certain precautions must be taken. This blight upon Nirn kills many, from the unprepared adventurer to the unfortunate farmer. For most threats of the undead, or indeed other monsters, the Vigil of Stendarr provides ample protection, and Vigilants are typically dispersed enough that sending for one shouldn't take too long. When dealing with vampires, however, even more technical understanding is required. To this end, the Dawnguard was formed. However, I digress. What follows is my meticulous research into all matters of vampirism. I only hope they benefit many." Introduction to Of Cursed Blood, by Galeven Nuledri.

The canyon outside Fort Dawnguard echoed with the sounds of steel off steel. The grunts and shouts of the warriors would follow each blow or parry. The daily sparring of the Dawnguard had been underway for nearly an hour now. Slowly, Magnus' rays had begun to fill the space. The thin mist carried the orange glow even lower than the actual beams struck. The dew made the ground slippery, finding footing was more difficult.

Just beyond the training grounds sat a great slab of ebony, in the shape of a dragon. It had rested here ever since the first days of the Dawnguard. Now, after having rushed across the path, a haggard Vigilant rested against it. He had been riding nonstop for almost a day, and was forced to leave his horse outside the gorge.

The warrior overseeing the sparring caught sight of the Vigilant. He raised his hand in welcome, recognizing the Breton's face. "Orment! All right you lot, that's good enough for today. Get yourselves fed and washed. Move it!"

The mass ascended the stairway to the fort, as Urieyn made his way to the statue. "It's been too long since the Vigil last paid us a visit. Come, you must need food and drink, we can ta-"

As he approached, he saw the color drained from Orment's face. "By the Nine. You look dreadful? Come, come, inside. What has happened?"

As Urieyn approached, Orment suddenly threw out an arm and grasped his friend's shoulder. "They burned it. One moment they weren't even there! The next, there was fire! Wings! Oh Gods, and the hounds! I… I…"

With that, he collapsed.

…

Amiatu and Adannea stood side by side on the outside walkways, high above the canyon floor. Amiatu watched as Adannea pulled back the string of her crossbow. The warm glow of the illuminated fog behind her seemed to make her auburn hair gleam. Through that hair, the very ends of her ears protruded. She let the bolt fly, and it struck the target dead center. She turned, smiling.

"Is it even possible for you to beat that shot?" She took Amiatu's place on the wall as he stepped forward. His tanned brow furrowed, like it so often would, as he stared down the distance. As he turned to her, his own rather long, black hair was caught in a brief wind.

"I doubt it. Gods know I'm going to try though." He loaded the bolt and drew back the string. Just as he was going to fire, however, the door swung open. A young Nord in chain stepped out, blue eyes searching quickly for the two.

"Ah, Amiatu, Adannea, come quick! The Captain needs us."

Amiatu groaned as he unloaded the crossbow. Adannea shot him a look before answering.

"Alright Sigvald, we'll be right there."

Sigvald nodded. "I suggest you hurry. This isn't a normal summons. Something's happened." Quickly he disappeared down the stairwell. Without another wasted moment, the pair descended after him.

…

Captain Aldfing paced, Orment sat in a chair before him. The Vigilant's head was in his hands, his hair a mess. He had painfully recounted the events of the night before. He told of the burning of the Hall of the Vigilant, the pack of death hounds that pursued him, the sudden aggression of the vampires. Now, the Captain and the three he had gathered were stunned, unsure of how to continue.

Hesitantly, Sigvald spoke up. "Um, sir. Perhaps this attack was from Morrowind? Has the Vampire King finally made his move?"

Aldfing shook his head. "Unlikely. He knows the Empire's already desperate to take him on. Provoking them doesn't sound like him. Besides, if it was an attack, an army would've been spotted by now. This was the action of local vampires, I'm sure of it."

Orment raised his head, fixing his gaze on Aldfing. "I agree. The Hall is a recent building. I doubt that Viantar even knows it exists."

Amiatu nodded, not moving from his place against the wall. "Do you have any leads as to the group that attacked you? Anything at all that could be of some help?"

Orment nodded, though he visibly winced. "Yes. Though now I fear. One of our people, Vigilant Tolan, was sure he had discovered something of note in Dimhollow Crypt. I was unconvinced myself. But if the vampires took action so soon after his departure… I'm now sure he has found something."

"Very well." Aldfing stopped his pacing, and motioned to the three as he continued. "I want you three to go investigate Dimhollow Crypt. Vigilant Orment and I will make way to what's left of the Hall. I need to see if anything was left that could give us a clue about our adversary. Take what you need."

The three saluted, and exited. As soon as the door was shut and they were off, Adannea began whispering. "I don't know any Skyrim vampires who would be so bold as to attack the Vigil quite like this."

Amiatu agreed. "Yeah. Honestly, I'm not sure whether to be thankful or annoyed that they didn't attack us. I mean, we're their real threat, right?"

Sigvald laughed nervously. "I'd still be thankful for that."

They separated briefly, gathering their own things and making different preparations. Amiatu set about tending to his armor and swords, making doubly sure the silver blade was to his liking.

Sigvald, after much fuss and many apologies, managed to borrow the arcane table. For the next hour he stood, lacing his gear and blade with various enchantments and upgrades. He then found the biggest pack he owned, and packed it full of magical tomes and texts on anything vampiric.

Adannea already had her crossbow and bolts, and never went anywhere without her daggers. So she ended up standing about impatiently awaiting her friends. Despite herself, she ended up drinking with some other Dawnguard just to make the time pass.

After an hour and a half, along with however much time it took to pry Adannea from the table, they were underway. The ride to Dimhollow Crypt would be a decently long one. They would thankfully be able to take the road for most of the distance, but they would need to scale a mountainside to reach the entrance.

As they rode down the cobbled path to Riften, a silent black bat shot across the morning sky. The pattern it took was jagged and wavering, clearly it was struggling to push on. But the information it carried could not afford to be delivered late.

…

At the same time the Dawnguard had about passed Windhelm, the bat flew through an open window to the Palace of Vivec. The antechamber to the great hall was empty, and so Menemir was unhindered in his quick transformation. He silently slowly swung wide the solid oak doors, a slight creak echoing through an otherwise silent stone room. Opposite these doors was a tall, black throne. A crimson strip of carpet, with gold lace decoratively twirling through it, stretched across the polished grey floor. A meager slit of sunlight broke the shadows.

Upon his throne, once more in his deep, trance-like state, was King Viantar. The Lord of Morrowind. Before him knelt a single Dunmer, a noble of House Redoran. It was not the King's donor, so clearly he was here on business. Menemir shut the door, quietly as was possible, and patiently stood a few feet before it.

A moment passed before Viantar's head rose from his hands. He nodded coolly to the noble. "Yes Braythyr, I think that will do fine. But you understand not all survive the rituals, correct?"

Braythyr nodded, hastily rising. "Of course my Lord, I know. But for my daughter to ascend to the Lorethius, I…" His head shook, clearly he was searching for words. "I am overwhelmed! The joy! I shall go tell her immediately!"

As Braythyr strode away, giving a quick bow to Menemir before disappearing, he could scarcely contain his cries of happiness. As the doors slammed behind him, Menemir quickly crossed the hall. As he once more stood at his master's side, he leant in to relay the news.

"My Lord. I came here in somewhat of a hurry, forgive my breach of protocol. However, it would seem as though the Volkihar family has taken a hostile action against Skyrim."

Viantar barely stirred as he delivered his response. "How so?"

"Well, master… They've burned the Hall of the Vigilant to the ground. Slaughtered those there. It would seem they're hunting any Vigilants still in Skyrim now."

Though his head shook in disapproval, Viantar still sounded entirely disinterested. "I did warn them that if they were the aggressor in any conflict, I could not help them. This seems to be a simple matter. Why have you come, Menemir?"

Menemir cast a quick glance around the room before responding. "The Vigil found out about Dimhollow. Now the Volkihar know too. I fear it is only a matter of time before…"

Viantar nodded. "Before she is discovered. What of the Dawnguard?"

"When I left Skyrim, reports suggested a Vigilant had gone to warn them. If this particular one knows about the crypt, it's entirely possible they have people going there as well. What should we do?"

Though there was a brief echo of the question, there was a long silence. Both were still. Menemir's eyes did not leave his master. Viantar's drifted occasionally as he thought.

Finally, he answered. "Nothing. If we were to do anything yet, it would make the Dawnguard uneasy. With the support they've been gaining in Skyrim, I don't want to do that. As for you, I want you to follow. Watch them, listen to them, and I shall keep my mind on you. I need to be able to more directly follow this."

"Yes, my Lord. It will be done."

He hurried away down the carpet and out the great doors. Viantar stood from his throne, and began pacing the length of his elevated platform.

…

The sun had begun falling about an hour ago, and it was an uncommonly warm day for the region they were in. There was only a foot of snow, instead of the usual two to three. The climb was long, but not very difficult. The actual finding of Dimhollow Crypt, however, took them a good hour or so. When they did find it, Amiatu was severely disappointed.

"Seriously? This is the place supposedly responsible for this mess? It's a crack in a damned mountain!" Even as he grumbled, his hand went slowly to his sword. Without lighting anything, in fear of drawing any unwanted attention, they entered quietly.

For a good while they walked in relative silence. Occasionally a drip from an icicle would sound off, but aside from that it was just their soft footsteps and the cold air blowing. As they went further in, however, they began to hear voices.

"Do you think anyone will be coming for him?"

"What, the Vigilant? Don't be paranoid. We burned their hall to the ground. Slaughtered them like the dogs they are. No offense." A bark rang out through the tunnels.

The three crept around the lip of an opening, where the tunnel they had found became a wide, open cave. Across a small and shallow fall, there were two figures in grey armor. The strange material came to their shoulders in a point. One of them wore a hood. From both of their eyes came a warm, orange glow.

"No one even knows he's here, let alone is coming to find him."

The death hound between them suddenly rose from the floor. It sniffed at the biting cold, and then hunched down. It glared angrily at the tunnel, and began to growl.

"What is it boy? Another wolf wander in? You can take him. Go on, get."

There was a strange mechanical sound, like the fast whirring of a wheel, and the snapping of cord. The death hound went silent and rigid, and collapsed. A small wooden bolt jutted from the skull, right between the eyes. As Adannea began loading another bolt, Amiatu came charging and bellowing out from the tunnel.

End Chapter 1