AN: So how am I doing? Do you like, do you hate or do you just read? Any feedback would be amazing... am I going to slow? Do you want me to hurry up the story to Ostigar or would you like to see more of Lucia in her own land?

I hope you like this new chapter!

He had been glaring at the back of her head for the past hour. Duncan rode ahead of them as Lucia and Alistair rode behind. Eventually they formed a single file line when the rode became narrow and so began the glaring.

Lucia had yet to speak to either of them since she had accepted the offer to join the Wardens, in fact she was sure that Alistair had not said a word after he had spluttered and argued with Duncan because of Lucia accepting the offer.

Since they rode in silence it gave Lucia time to think. She could still smell the others on her skin as they had embraced her at the time of her parting. Lucia missed them and would continue to miss them for all time. She had fond memories of them all, even of the Listener who had not come to say goodbye to her.

It was to be expected given how the Listener was the reason why Lucia was leaving. Of course each of them had gifts that they had scrounged up in such a small time. Lucia wore the most important one proudly around her neck.

Babette had given her a necklace with a blood ruby, a rare item that would help her with her thirst when she was sailing and did not have access to food. Its purpose would be to lengthen the times that she would need to drink, and Babette had also given her a water-skin filled with blood for the trip. Lucia was grateful that her sire would entrust these things to her. The others had given her things too.

Nazir had gifted her with a new bow that was carved out of dragon bone. She had only wondered how he had acquired such an amazing piece. Evan and his twin had given her a new dagger and engraved on its blade was an outline of the Night Mother before she was reduced to a corpse. Cicero had given her a bright red cloak that was to ward off the chill and to hide her leather armor until she could get a new set. The Listener had allowed her to take one of the horses with her, but other than that they had not said any other words to each other.

The first night Lucia cried away from the two wardens. She had left the only home that she knew and it was effecting her more than she had originally thought. Alistair had glared at her with no signs of stopping when they reached Solitude. Duncan made sure that the ship was correct while Lucia and Alistair were left alone in the Inn.

She had expected the questions to come up soon. Hostile air surrounded them and Alistair seemed to be more friendly when in a warm room or near fire.

"How do you live with yourself?" He hissed at her as they ordered stew and drinks from the barmaid.

Once she was away from the table Lucia answered his question.

"What do you mean? I believe that I live a very good life."

He snorted as he removed his gauntlets. She watched the skin being exposed, almost pale from cold. Their heavy gauntlets were lined with fur, but even that was not enough to help them against the chill of Skyrim.

"Killing innocents? lying and cheating to good people?"

She smirked when he said that.

"Learning stealth? Training my body to become the perfect killer? Protecting my family and providing for them? Tell me this is what your wardens do also."

"We don't kill innocents, don't steal or lie!"

"Really? What of those people who get the taint? Or those who do not survive the Joining?" His face lost his hardness and was replaced by fear, "What? Did you think that I have not heard of your special Joining ritual? At least my profession is honest about what it is that we have to do."

"Your profession is sick and twisted and not worthy to be called honest or humane."

In less than a second her dagger was unsheathed and stabbed into the table. Its point was buried in-between Alistair's ring and middle finger.

"My family does not judge you for what you are, or what you have done. People murder and steal because in most cases they have no choice. Evan and his brother came to us half starved, they had been hunted for most of their life because they were different. We gave them a home and taught them how to survive."

"I'm sure that they could've gone to any orphanage they needed to!"

Lucia laughed coldly at his feeble attempt to defend his race.

"They were being hunted because of their lycanthropy. Would you allow children who could transform into those "animals" into your home?"

"They were children! They cannot help it if they had been attacked!"

"Not many think that in this land, Alistair. They believe that things that are different should be destroyed."

"Prove it." He said. She smirked.

"Look at that man in the corner and tell me what you see."

Lucia watched as Alistair glanced to the bartender who was cleaning the table of a man who was laughing merrily with two others.

"So what? He looks like your average shopkeep."

"He took one of my kind and kept her in his basement for three days and nights with no food. After that he strapped her to a post in the middle of the market and once the sun came up it drained the life from her."

Alistair's face was white, but his eyes showed her that he had yet to believe her tale.

"He sells her ashes in his alchemy store, I can take you after he is done."

"I don't believe you, but if what you say is true which I highly doubt that it is, then he should have those ashes in his store."

"Then I'll take you after dark."

"Fine. But—we wont hurt him or steal anything."

Lucia smiled at his concern for the poor bastard. She would honor his wishes though. She pulled her dagger from the table once the barmaid came back and once she left again Lucia gave him her answer.

"Come now Alistair, if I'm going to kill him I'll do it publicly with much humiliation involved and of course for some money."

Alistair rung his hands in nervous tension. Behind him Lucia was working the lock of the shop with lock picks. He had made her leave her bow behind but let her carry her dagger. He hoped that she would not use it.

"Can you hurry up?" He hissed as he looked around for guards or for Duncan who had watched them walk out of the Inn some time ago.

"Do you want to let him know that we were here, or do you want to leave no trace. I would suggest the second one because it involves us not having to pay a fine or go into jail."

"Fine. Just, I don't like this—and I don't want Duncan to happen to find us here."

He heard her breath a chuckle.

"Alistair, is this your first break in?" Before he could stutter a reply there was an audible click and the door swung open. "If it is then you need to have more fun."

He felt her cold hand close upon his own and he was being dragged into the shop. A low fire helped give it dim light and minimal warmth but he had to blink a few times before he could actually see the shop.

He could smell it just fine, the smells were insane in here. It felt like he was breathing in the most foul and beautiful smelling things at the same time. He looked at the many shelves that held things like empty vials and butterfly wings.

"What in Andraste is this?" He hissed and he felt her come next to him. He flinched away but she didn't seem to care at this point.

"Giant's toe." She said and swept away from him.

He looked at the ugly severed appendage and wondered what the rest of the thing looked like. He shuttered and tried to keep that though out of his head. He had enough nightmares thank you very much.

"Over here!" She hissed and he quickly followed the sound of her voice to the front of the shop.

It was upon a display plaque and labeled with red.

Vile ashes of the vampire. Come in to see more! 10 gold per pinch!

Inside the bag was a silver dust. He snorted.

"Here's your proof of this. Even if I was lying that these were not real it's still sick and wrong."

"It doesn't prove anything!"

Alistair jumped when he heard a body hit the floor upstairs followed by a moan. Beside him Lucia drew her dagger in a blur and he shuttered. He hated to be reminded that she wasn't human or anything close to it. She stepped in front of him and he remembered that he had left his weapons behind at the Inn. A simple break in did not require a long sword or shield. He was cursing himself of his stupidity when slow calculated steps making their way down the stairs made his heart leap to his throat.

Slowly a pair of boots were exposed to the light. After was a black dress with a hood. The hood was pulled away to reveal the face of a man, his yellow eyes were rimmed with red. His lips were clean but when he smiled his teeth were stained with the color of blood.

"Sister." He said, his slivery voice washing over Alistair making him even more fearful. This man was not human.

Lucia stood from her crouched position to regard the man… or creature.

"The human who threatens our race deserved a death that was not quick. I sped it up because I sensed others in the house. You came for the same reason that I did, sister?"

"Unfortunately brother I am only here to show a human of his ignorance."

The creature seemed to accept this, "Pity. So he is yours?"

Alistair felt all the blood drain from his face. This conversation was taking a turn for the worse.

"Yes. I wouldn't suggest you try anything foolish brother. I will kill you if you try to take him against his will."

The creature looked straight into Alistair's eyes.

"Pity, I would have liked to hear him scream."

Alistair felt panic come into his form when he saw the vampire size him up and down.

"Brother. You have gotten your vengeance. Leave so that we can continue on our business."

"I will leave as soon as I get the last part of my vengeance." He said and Alistair quickly jumped out of the way as he blurred passed him. Alistair couldn't help but to flinch away from the creature before he blurred back to the door.

He had the black bag of ashes in his hand. He hissed when he looked inside of it. He took another bag out of his dress and dumped a vial of more silver ashes.

"She was one of the most innocent of us. Even when she was starved and at her strongest she did not want to hurt them. She begged and pleaded for her life and they killed her."

"I am sorry. You knew her?" Lucia asked as she stood in front of Alistair. There was sorrow in both of their voices.

"Yes. Humans did this to her." Bitterness filled his voice.

"Humans that hate do deserve this, but do not condemn a whole race for a groups faults."

"Shouldn't I? What have humans done for you? Have you ever received a single kindness from those who knew that you had been changed?"

Alistair really, really didn't like the way this conversation was turning. He suddenly thought that breaking into a shop tonight was a really bad idea. Lucia took a step toward the creature.

"I have had one who treated me with such kindness that I developed feelings for them. A true deep friendship sparked between us and still to this day I remain loyal to them, I still love them."

Alistair wondered whom Lucia was talking about. As far as he knew there were only three humans in the Brotherhood. That scary Listener, the deep voiced Speaker, and the mad Keeper. Two were cold and calculating on the outside and he knew that the Listener was colder to Lucia to the others, and the Keeper was mad and only loyal to the Listener. The Speaker was even colder unless you could be of use to him.

"Your trust in them is foolish. They will turn on you as soon as you are not of use to them."

"I am sorry that you have no faith in them, but I have learned that trust has to go both ways. Give them a reason to hate and the hate will go both ways."

"Enjoy dying then, goodnight sister."

"Brother." Lucia nodded to him. His eyes floated to Alistair's face.

He opened the door and as it shut Alistair breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lets go." Lucia said, her voice was neutral and tired. Alistair wasn't in the mood to argue with her so he followed her as they left the shop.

Somehow the issue of the dead vampire ashes was not on his mind. Neither was the dead man that they had left in the second floor of his shop. No, he was still trying to puzzle out whom Lucia had felt such feelings for. It seemed almost impossible to him because he had seen her reveal her emotions but she was an incredible actress and it was hard to tell what was real and what was fake.

The way that she spoke inside the shop seemed real. He was so confused. He had seen her kill, seen her show sorrow, and even had seen her protect. Who was she?