The wind blew coolly against Serana's cheek, whistling past her ear in an endless stream. At first after having been freed from her tomb, the cold Skyrim breeze had been a welcome relief after spending centuries locked away in a dark and windless cave, however she had quickly come to remember just how much she had always hated the weather of her homeland.
Of course, as a vampire, the cold did little faze her, but being struck in the eye by a snowflake every five seconds was not exactly what she would have called a good time.
Pulling her hood over her face slightly, she chanced a look at her stoic companion, standing directly in the path of the oncoming snowfall, and was unsurprised to find her remarkably unbothered by the conditions.
In the month or so that Serana had gotten to know the Dragonborn, she had learned very soon that the woman was most unusually and unequivocally indifferent to almost everything. In fact, she was so unaffected, that the entire range of her facial expressions seemed limited to an astute and unreadable glare, or a small, roguish smirk that often tugged at one corner of her lips. Each would usually be accompanied by a calculating glimmer in her cold, grey eyes and very occasionally a raised shapely brow, which served to make her always seem either incredibly unimpressed, or frustratingly arrogant.
For the most part, in fact, the words unimpressed, frustrating and arrogant seemed to sum up the Nord very easily, though reticent would have worked equally well.
One of their first conversations – less a conversation Serana reasoned and more of a rather one-sidedly near monosyllabic question and answer – had revolved quite heavily upon the other woman's uncommunicative nature. At the time, it had been barely a few hours since her saviour had albeit inadvertently rescued her from the confines of her tomb, and Serana had still been marvelling at her new found freedom.
"Gods, it feels so good to be outdoors again. There's nothing like being cooped up in a stone coffin for centuries to make you appreciate the little things," she had said.
The hooded woman had seemed to nod almost imperceptibly in response, not once taking her eyes off the horizon.
Serana appraised the woman properly for the first time in the light, but little more was revealed of her in the waning rays of sun as it had been in the dark of the cave, a result of the half-mask and hood that sheltered her face. She wore a fitted, grey, leather tunic and chest piece that was clasped at that front by a buckle, with what seemed to be an engraved sun on its surface. An intricately decorated sword hung from her waist and two finely cut daggers where crossed on her lower back, sheathed at her belt. Her countenance looked no less dangerous and brooding than it had in the dark of the cave. If anything, the brighter atmosphere outside seemed in complete juxtaposition to her companions dark demeanour, as if she didn't quite belong there.
'A creature of shadow' Serana had thought idly, at once sympathetic to a woman who similar to her, was suited much better to the night.
"You don't talk much do you?"
"Not really." Her harsh, native Nordic accent, that had remained undiluted by the intermingling of races and nationalities, only served to make the words sound even more dismissive than they undoubtedly already were. Serana had always been slightly jealous of those of her countrymen who had retained such an accent, with her own family's speech – like much of the continent – having adopted a more understandable and 'sophisticated' Imperial drawl.
"So, are you always such a great conversationalist, or did you save the strong and silent routine just for me?"
At first, Serana had thought the woman wasn't going to answer, remaining quiet for some time. Eventually however, she had nodded slightly and hummed in agreement- though to which question Serana was unsure - without even turning to face the vampire.
"You said your name was Laine right?"
The woman continued walking, obviously feeling that an answer was unnecessary as the muffled crunch of her boots in the snow was the only reply Serana received.
"Great, you spend a few thousand years underground and suddenly you find the whole world has forgotten how to speak."
Though one side of the woman's face was hidden by the cover of her mask, the amused glint in her eyes was unmistakable; the corners of her lips quirked the tiniest fraction.
"Not the whole world."
For a moment, Serana thought she was going to leave it at that, until Laine turned to her more fully.
"Alright, since you're so desperate to talk…" the brow visible to Serana rose in waiting.
"No thanks. I would hate to ruin the mysterious air you have going on."
"Mysterious?"
"Well you are wearing quite an effective hood."
Laine had just hummed again, marching off ahead, drawing her hood tighter around herself as if it being mentioned had only just reminded her she was wearing it. Thinking on it many weeks later, Serana could only smile, grateful that the more she had gotten to know the other woman, the more words she had managed to squeeze out of her, until they had eventually managed to establish quite an impressive rapport. It seemed once you got past the whole 'mysterious loner' mind-set the Nord had obviously developed, she could be as chatty and sarcastic as her vampiric counterpart when the need arose.
Serana would hesitate to call what they shared a friendship – at least out loud - mostly because she knew Laine would deny it in a blasé manner with her now all too familiar barely-there smirk, maintaining her independence and assuring anyone who would doubt it that she was only 'putting up with her' while it was necessary. She seemed to have the unique ability to look completely, hilariously amused at someone else's expense, while barely smiling at all.
Still, Serana enjoyed her company; in fact she enjoyed it a lot if she was totally honest, and was finding herself more deeply invested in her wellbeing with every day that passed and with every little morsel of information she managed to pry from her mysterious companion's lips.
It was a slow going process, learning everything there was to know about someone so unforthcoming, but she had made progress. She hadn't exactly been breaking down any walls so to speak, but she'd certainly pulled enough bricks out to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond.
"How much further is it to this hide-out of yours anyway?" Serana queried, breaking the companionable silence that had shrouded most of their journey since leaving Riften.
"Not far."
"Well thanks for clearing that up for me."
"Ugh, by the Nine, are you whining again?" Laine sniped, though the playful glint in her eye made it clear she was joking.
"The Nine? And here I thought you were on the Thalmor's side, 'Legate'."
Laine instantly stiffened, noticeably irked. Serana fought hard to supress a grin. It was always amusing to see the other woman actually, visibly bothered by something, such a rare occurrence as it was.
"Not the Thalmor." She spat the word like venom. "The Empire. And we still believe in Talos; we're just biding our time. Something Ulfric was too fool to manage." She grumbled the last part to herself, rolling her eyes with annoyance.
"Well from what you told me, this Empire of yours isn't all too perfect either. How did you get involved with them anyway?"
"It's a long story."
Serana heaved a sigh, having expected the answer. "In case you hadn't noticed, this journey we're on is pretty long too. We have time."
"Not anymore we don't." She stopped at the brow of a small outcrop that peeked over a fast flowing river. "We're here."
The vampire scanned the woodland before her thoroughly, a brow raised in confusion.
"I don't see anything."
"That's kind of the point." The Dragonborn smirked slightly, clambering down the side of the outcrop onto a rock that jutted out from the surface of the river. "Come on."
Serana eyed the rocks dubiously before following. They edged along the river bank a few steps until they were just below the outcrop they'd been standing on moments before. There, hidden beneath the hanging moss and grassy reeds was a dim alcove that seemed to stretch as far back into the hillside as she could see.
Serana's shoulders instantly sagged.
"Another cave. You take me to all the nicest places." She remarked drolly as they both trudged through the water into darkness.
A few lit torches wavered at the end of the tunnel, lighting the way into a relatively large cavernous structure and seemingly, a dead end. A large statue of Talos overlooked the room, and two small wooden platforms were situated above the water to house a forge and a storage area. Laine ignored both however and disappeared behind a curtain of falling water on the eastern cave wall.
"Home sweet home." The Dragonborn murmured once Serana followed, watching as a section of the cave wall shuddered and moved, a low screech accompanying its descent into the ground before them. It opened the way to a well lit room, and a set of double doors that Laine went about unlocking, swinging them open to reveal her very own underground home.
"This is…" Serana gasped, taking in her surroundings, "not what I expected." That was an understatement to say the least. In truth, she didn't know exactly what she'd been picturing, but the well-lit expanse of wooden ceilings and smooth stone floors was not it. An alchemist's nook was to her right, looking barely used despite the various ingredients that sat on the desk beside it. On the opposite side of her, glorious weapons hung proudly on the wall. Following the hooded woman further along the hallway, Serana was greeted with the warmth of a forge and the sound of rushing water, drawing her attention to a circular bathing pool, flanked on either side by intricately carved Dibellan statues.
Laine ignored it all however, heading straight for the large bookcase that stood further down the hall, heaving the rucksack from her shoulder and onto the bench in front of her, before silently retrieving various books from its depths and placing them with the rest of her collection.
Serana marvelled at how practiced it all seemed, how worn the rugs were beneath her feet, how carefully decorated the bedroom she had spotted seemed to be. It was quite apparent, that this hidden cave of the Dragonborn's was much more than just some hideout. It was a home.
"You live here, don't you?" Serana asked, though it was more of a statement than an actual question.
Laine continued to pull books from her satchel; many more than would have seemed to be able to fit in it by natural means. "I live many places." The corners of her lips turned up slightly, clearly amused with how vague she was being – or at least, Serana was sure, with how much the woman knew it would annoy her.
Without another word, Laine turned, pulling down her hood as she headed into the bedroom, revealing her long golden hair, tight braids on either side of her head pulling it all away from her face and falling in with the rest of her luscious locks. Every time Serana saw her hair, she thought it a shame that it was always hidden beneath her hood. She thought much the same about the woman's face as well, feeling a light sensation in her chest as she watched the blonde take a seat on her bed, undoing the straps that kept her half-mask in place. The sensation only increased when the hardened leather and metal shelter that Laine hid behind was finally lifted. It was the same feeling she got every time she was graced with an example of the trust the Nord had bestowed in her, every time she allowed her the privilege of being truly face to face. It was a trust few other's shared.
Serana remembered well the first time she'd seen the other woman unmasked; finally understanding what it was she hid from the world.
It had been an accident, in the midst of a fight. The woman had as usual been wading into the thick of battle, slaying bandits left, right and centre like she'd been born to do it, when one particularly large brute had reached out at her from behind, wrapping a large hand around her head and ripping at the only firm hold he could get: the mask. He pulled for all he was worth, dragging her to the ground before him. The second the straps had snapped, she'd screamed, dragon tongue filling the air around them in a devastating shout that had her captor burning in a vicious burst of flame.
When the fighting was done, Serana had found her on her knees, scouring the ground with one hand while covering her face with the other. Her movements were furious and frantic. Ashamed.
When a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, Laine had finally looked up to see the vampire standing over her, mask in hand. There was a moment of silence as the blonde stared up at her, still holding one palm tightly against one side of her face. There was defiance in her eyes, but it was edged with no small amount of panic and fear - as if terrified that the mask would be withheld from her, but angry enough to still attempt to disguise it with her usual stoicism - until the mask was held out to her, offered without word.
She cautiously reached to take it with her unoccupied hand, finally getting to her feet. Another moment of inaction passed between them, Serana silently waiting for the other woman to do or say something - anything – when suddenly, Laine surprised her.
Swallowing noticeably, the blonde set her jaw, before finally lowering her hand from her face. Tumultuous grey eyes never left Serana's, watching for the vampire's reaction with none of her usual confidence.
She was beautiful, of that there was no doubt. Stunningly so, Serana would have said, had she felt the compliment would have been accepted. She seemed to have had a face carved out of the finest marble. All her features were perfectly symmetrical, sharp and balanced. Everything about her was almost artistically defined to the finest detail; the straight and delicate nose, the captivating eyes, the cheekbones that looked deadlier than any sword. It was almost laughable, how long Serana had lived and yet to have never seen a creature that captivated her so.
But the reason for the mask was clear.
Marring the perfection that was evident in one side of her face, was an expanse of severe scarring that twisted the other. Puckered and broken flesh decorated her pale skin from brow to chin, disfiguring burn patterns stretching across her cheek. One side of her mouth was cut through, pulled slightly into a permanent frown.
Serana had asked many times after that how she'd come to acquire her burns, to which Laine had made up a new story every time, each more ridiculous than the last. At that point however, Serana had remained silent.
She'd wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, to ask how this perfect creature could ever think that she was anything but. She'd wanted to say that she didn't have to hide her face from the world, and explain that never in the thousands of years that she had lived had she ever seen someone so exquisite.
She didn't. Instead, she simply smiled in understanding, grateful that her friend had trusted her enough to show her. And when the woman seemed to relax, finally fitting the mask back into position, Serana had simply stepped behind her, helping with the straps. Anything else, she knew, would have been more than the Dragonborn would have been willing to hear. She was, after all, a woman of very few words, and actions always seemed to speak louder to her.
Ever since, Laine had uncovered her face whenever they were alone, in private, behind closed doors. Every time she did, she seemed more at ease, until they had finally reached a point like now, where she could sit as comfortably unmasked before Serana as she could when she was hidden away.
Laine heaved a sigh, throwing herself back onto the bed unceremoniously and stared at the ceiling. She wouldn't say it, but she was waiting for Serana to follow suit, and lie beside her like they did when staying the night in a temporarily set up camp. The vampire didn't need to sleep all that much, and certainly not at night, so she usually just claimed watch from her position beside the Dragonborn. If she was honest however, the woman beside her was the only thing she was ever watching.
"You'll have to stay in here tonight." Laine said once her companion finally reclined by her side, sunset eyes staring at the same wooden beams above them as the blonde. "I have some business to attend to. I won't be back until morning."
To her surprise, Serana didn't offer any argument, nodding thoughtfully instead. "It's a full moon tonight."
Laine shot up at that, brows furrowed as she scrutinised the woman on her bed. "You know?"
"Jolaina, I'm a vampire. I smelled it on you the second you opened my tomb."
"You smelled it?" She raised a brow. "And pray tell, what does lycanthropy smell like?"
Serana smirked fiendishly. "Like dog. Disgusting really."
"Well you did say you'd always wanted a pet."
"I did, didn't I?"
The two shared a smile, though in Laine's case the humour was more evident in her eyes than on her face. It was strange, Serana thought, the way her irises had taken on a silvery sheen as the full moon drew closer, as if reflecting the lunar cycle in her gaze.
"Don't worry. If it's any consolation, you actually smell a lot better than most of your kind."
"Well thank the Gods. I was about to develop a complex."
Serana let her tongue dart out between her lips, wetting them subconsciously as she inhaled the intoxicating scent in question. "There's something about your blood. Your scent is actually quite… delicious."
She watched as recognition sparked on Laine's face, something predatory settling into her demeanour as she lay back once more onto the bed beside her, silver eyes surveying the vampire's features. They were face to face, mere inches between them.
"Is that so?"
Her voice had a familiar smug ring to it, as if she knew exactly where this sudden turn of events was leading. It would have been a lie to say there was nothing between them, yet the Dragonborn was certainly not one to wear her heart on her sleeve. It had been nigh impossible for Serana to tell if she could feel it too. But there was no mistaking the desire in those eyes, watching her vampire with a clear hunger amidst her usual arrogant stoicism.
Being a vampire, Serana had no need of oxygen, yet somehow, she couldn't help but feel short of breath. Her gaze flickered to Laine's lips, enthralled by the way they quirked upwards a fraction under her inspection. After the first week or so of travelling with the blonde, Serana had been sure that there was nothing she would ever want more than the taste of her companion's blood, the blood of the Dovah. As time progressed however, she came to realise that she would much like to taste her mouth even more.
"It's probably something to do with," she paused, her mind clouded, her sentence a distant second to the anticipation building within her, before she continued, "your weird… dragon thing."
Laine released a brief chuckle. "How articulate."
"You know me." The brunette leaned forward, brushing her fingertips lightly against Laine's scars, using her thumb to trace her full, bottom lip. "I never really know when to shut up."
But now would probably be a good time to start.
As the distance between them closed, Serana could only think 'finally'. The build-up of anticipation that had curled up in her chest was about to be released, after so long waiting, wondering. She could feel warm breath on her cool skin, the contrast sending shivers through her body. Just as she was about to claim her kiss however, she met with nothing but air.
Laine pulled back like she'd been stabbed, the hiss of a deep inhale of breath sounding through gritted teeth. She clawed a shaking hand against her chest, as if trying to stabilise her racing heart.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Serana sat up, wide eyed in alarm as she studied the grimace on the blonde's face.
"It must be later than I thought." She managed between deep steadying breaths. "The sun is setting. It's almost time."
She made for the door, rushing through them as she went. "Stay here. Lock the doors behind me." Laine winced, speaking hurriedly. "Lunar transformations are harder to control than forced ones. I'd hate to rip you to shreds accidentally." She offered a sly grin, before all but breaking into a run, undoing the buckles on her armour as she went.
Serana followed quickly, stopping short at the stone archway they'd come in through. She pulled the lever to close the stone door, watching Laine shrugging out of her leather chest piece, body shuddering violently as the door's mechanism slowly began to work.
Before she was obscured from view, and the transformation took hold of her completely, Laine managed to shoot a strained smirk in Serana's direction. "Especially not now I can finally just about stand you."
With that the stone door shuddered to a close, and the vampire was left with nothing but the muffled cries of agony that echoed through the cave on its opposite side. It was only when the screams morphed into a thunderous roar that she turned away from the stone wall, heading back into the underground home she was to spend the night in. She could barely just hear the deep rumble of howling in the distance and silently prayed that Jolaina would return safely when the moon had retired once more.
Slowly making her way back to the bedroom, she dropped herself onto the bed again, the wooden beams of the ceiling gaining her attention for a second time.
The almost kiss played in her mind more than once that night, how close she'd come to tasting her Dragonborn, to claiming her. She wondered what it meant. Desire was clear, natural, and she'd finally come to understand that Laine's desires very much matched her own.
But it was more than that for her.
There was no doubt about it; Laine was a puzzle, but one Serana was uncovering more of day by day. She had endless time to solve her. However, it was a luxury her friend didn't share, and the thought of that alone was enough to replace the lightness she'd felt in her chest with a weighty stone of dread.
She knew that she would spend an eternity working on her puzzle; even if Jolaina remained unsolved forever, even if she never learned the story behind her scars, or the nightmares that woke her in the night. She would occupy an infinity with thinking up every question of the other woman she could, even if she never got the answers.
And for the shortest, most horrifying of moments, she even thought that she would forget forever completely, and devote a mortal life - so ephemeral, so fleeting - to just living, if Laine asked it of her. The thought was banished the same moment it occurred however.
She briefly wondered if this was love, but didn't care to hear her own answer. Mortals wither and die. It was a sickness, and she had been given the gift of escaping it. A gift she had suffered for. A gift she had lost everything to. She could not discard it now, after everything she had given.
She would share it though, if Laine would let her.
Oh, who am I kidding? She could hear the words echo as loudly as if she uttered them out loud.
The Dragonborn -her stoic, sarcastic, fearsome, enigma of a companion – had stepped right out of a storybook, a legend. She had a destiny of world shattering proportions and Serana had no doubt that Laine would see it through, like the hero she had such a hard time admitting she was.
Even if someone so illustrious, so elevated beyond her peers in the grand scheme of fate, would deign to spend her life with a monster – even a one as fantastic as myself – she would never choose immortality. Jolaina was no simple Dragonborn; she was a Dragonborn that hunted vampires in her spare time. If their friendship had been an unlikely one, a romance between them would be even more implausible.
But then, Laine was unpredictable, if nothing else. And with her lips still tingling with the mere thought of the kiss that almost was, Serana had to concede, nothing was impossible. When it came to the other woman, what did she really know anyway?
AN: So there you have it, my first dip into the Elder Scrolls pond as it were. Let me know what you think. I may continue to add more with these two if there is demand, and if not, I hope you enjoy it as a stand alone anyway.