Chapter 10 – Shrieking Winds

Tai frowned as he gazed down at the book Serana had placed in his hands. It was heavy in his hands, although it was quite a lightweight book. Its old leather cover was rough bone to his touch, and the golden trim that embraced the edges of the text shone like the lights in the Soul Cairn. The torchlight shone across the room, bathing the library in shadows. They had been in the library for hours, flipping through book after book for information that might aid them in their quest for children. While Serana seemed content to read book after book after book, Tai had grown tired and his difficulties with reading had grown more and more present. He needed to feed, to feel the warmth of blood flowing through his undead veins. He hated himself for longing for blood, yet he had long since accepted the fact he would be this creature forever. He had died twice for love, he could, he would read books to give his love what she desired. He also desired a family, craved the thought and clung to it like a lifeline. With a soft sigh, he lifted his eyes to gaze at his reason for his new life.

Serana was standing in the torchlight, holding a book in one sprawled hand and tracing the words with the pointer finger of her other. She appeared so elegant and collected as she gazed at the words, her brow furrowed in concentration as she mouthed a few different words. Tai knew Serana was reading a book on sigil stones, one that many couldn't begin to comprehend. Her eyes seemed softer in the light, as if the flare of defiance had melted away to reveal a woman who was truly happy. Tai couldn't help but smile at the thought, before his attention drifted to her open throat and collarbone. She wore her usual garb, minus her cloak that was so often clasped around her neck. The torchlight caught the dips of her skin, sending shadows across the flesh that made her look tempting in all the right places. It only lasted a moment before Serana turned her body slightly, lifting the book into the light before bringing it down and continuing as if there had been no interruption.

"Serana" he whispered, as if he was ashamed to speak. Instantly he saw Serana lift her head and gaze directly at him with softly burning eyes. Tai swallowed hesitantly. He was ashamed. How could he admit he was having trouble reading? How could he admit that he was a grown up man with no education? Serana wouldn't want him, he knew it. She would throw it in his face cruelly, or perhaps laugh. He had never admitted something as embarrassing; aside from the itch in his pants once, which Serana had laughed at and informed him was a prank with a poisonous plant. She would laugh again, but this time it wouldn't be a prank. He trembled slightly as Serana gazed at him, waiting for him to speak. Suddenly Tai's throat was tight, closed up so not a sound could escape. He could barely breathe as Serana walked towards him, hope shining in her eyes.

"Have you found something?" She asked hopefully, walking straight towards him with long strides. He couldn't stop time and rewrite the moment. Why, oh why hadn't he told her sooner? Now he would have to see the hope fade from her eyes, and he would have to see her in pain. His hands trembled as he fought to get the words out of his mouth, even a small sound would be better than his petrified silence.

"N-No" he stuttered softly but it was already too late. Serana took the book from his hands, frowning as she gazed at the words. She suddenly froze, as if she had seen death's avatar and lost her courage in a soft yet steady stream, or to the whispering wind. Her skin paled, her hands trembled slightly and her jaw clenched, as if she was clamping her jaw shut to prevent a terrified whimper escaping her. Tai recognised the look of pained memory on her face, and instantly reached out and grabbed her around the waist gently. He pulled on her softly, guiding her back until she fell into his lap. She sat on one of his thighs for a moment, still as stone left untouched for centuries. Then, like a gargoyle breaking free from its stone tomb she shifted backwards, settling on Tai's leg before he wrapped large arms around her.

"Did you read this?" Serana asked him softly, seeming almost angry at him for allowing her to read the book. Tai tried to appear confident, he really did, but his hesitation shone through. Serana seemed to get the wrong message and she crossed her arms over her chest angrily. Her chest puffed out, as if she was trying to appear larger and more intimidating. It was then; trapped between his humiliation and Serana's anger that Tai decided he could admit he had trouble.

"I… I can't" He confessed in a low voice, hanging his head. Serana didn't miss a beat as she placed the book beside her and reached for Tai's face. He lifted his head at the soft pressure under his chin, gazing straight into Serana's eyes. Her expression was soft and understanding, and the pain in her eyes had evaporated into something that wasn't quite pity, but Tai felt it was. He was ashamed, embarrassed and he wanted to hide away from everything. Instead, he held Serana's gaze for a moment longer before he dropped it again. He felt warmth creep over his hand as Serana placed hers over his; wrapping her fingers around two of Tai's in a soft yet sure grasp. Tai smiles hesitantly as he closed his hand around Serana's fingers, allowing his thumb to graze across her knuckles.

"You never learned?" she asked in amazement. How could Tai explain? He had learned, a little, but he had always had trouble. The ink seemed to move and fade as he gazed at it. His mind played tricks, making the letters and lines rearrange themselves right before his eyes. For short periods he could fight the terrible effects of his deceptive mind. He could resist the queasy feeling and storm through the reading. He was slower, but he could grasp the general concept of the words. However, the longer he fought to read the weaker he became. His stomach churned from the spinning lines, the lines began to dance in more erratic patterns and eventually his eyes began to blur from his frustrated tears that he would never allow to fall.

"I learned, a little. It's just… I have always had trouble. The letters move and change, and I get tired" Tai explained hesitantly. Serana smiled reassuringly at him for a moment before she reached for the book and opened it. Tai closed his eyes to prevent the swimming letters from making him feel sick, which did not escape Serana's notice. She removed her hand from his, holding the book still before she cleared her throat.

"As brighter grows light, darker becomes shadow. So it passed that the Daedra Molag Bal looked on Arkay and thought the Aedra prideful of his dominion o'er the death of man and mer, and it was sooth." Serana began in a soft yet strong tone of voice. She was telling the story, and she was also feeling it. Tai found himself enchanted by her voice, the way she became part of the book. He opened his eyes, gazing at Serana's snowy neck as one of his hands came to the corset strings and began to undo them. He had a plan, one that would hopefully amuse Serana. He also hoped that Valerica wouldn't walk in on this one as well. Serana seemed not to notice his actions as she continued to read.

"Bal, whose sphere is the wanton oppression and entrapment of mortal souls, sought to thwart Arkay, who knew that not man, nor mer, nor beastfolk of all Nirn could escape eventual death. The Aedra was doubtless of his sphere, and so Molag Bal set upon Nirn to best death."

"So Molag created vampires to scorn death?" Tai commented, disbelief and anger laced through his tone. Serana frowned at him for his interruption, albeit playfully.

"Yes, he did. Is it hard to believe?" She answered with a question of her own. Tai shook his head.

"I just dislike the fact I have to thank the king of rape for changing the world so I could meet the love of my life" he answered sincerely. Serana gazed at him for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to be insulted by the suggestion Tai would thank her rapist, or surrounded in a cloak of happiness that he had called her the love of his life. She eventually smiled and tapped him on the nose, as if smacking a dog. The joke about his former state as a Werewolf was not lost on either of them, and for once was not remembered with the feeling of pain. Tai frowned at her as she chuckled, then pressed her lips to the tip of his nose. Tai gave her a gentle squeeze, noticing the small intake of breath before she continued to read.

"Tamriel was still young, and filled with danger and wondrous magick when Bal walked in the aspect of a man and took a virgin, Lamae Beolfag, from the Nedic Peoples. Savage and loveless, Bal…" Serana trailed off, choking on her memories yet again. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling his claws across her body and the feeling of his teeth in her throat. She remembered how roughly he had violated her, having her chained and burned for his amusement. She had to remind herself of where she was, of who she was with. Tai seemed to sense her concern and tightened his grip on her. He did not say a word, but instead projected his love into his soft yet firm embrace.

"Bal profaned her body, and her screams became the Shrieking Winds, which still haunt certain winding fjords of Skyrim. Shedding a lone droplet of blood on her brow, Bal left Nirn, having sown his wrath."

"He did that … Serana, you don't have to continue" Tai spoke up. Serana was breathing a little faster, her eyes taking a faraway look of horror. He thoughtlessly slid the corset off, trying to make it easier for Serana to draw breath. She allowed him to slide the article of clothing away, shuddering as she remembered her torment at the hands of the king of rape, the lord of Domination. Her breathing did not even out, instead she continued to gasp softly. While a vampire couldn't die from lack of breath, Tai knew it was incredibly unpleasant. A Vampire could very well resist falling unconscious even without air, kept awake to endure the pain of struggling for breath. In a panic he drew Serana back against his chest, running his hand over her shoulder and face gently as his other arm held her around the waist. Her breathing settled quickly as she turned her head and rested her nose against his throat. He felt her relax in his hold, steadily calming herself before she placed a soft kiss to his throat and sat back up.

"He did the same thing to you too." She said as she lifted the book. Tai wanted to scream at her to stop; he wanted to destroy the book in her hands. Yet, despite it all he understood where Serana was coming from. He knew he couldn't always protect her from her past, and that she was strong enough to face her past and beat it. She had survived without him before he had found her, just as he had survived without her. Their difference lay in the fact Tai knew he would be lost without Serana. Lost and incredibly volatile and dangerous. He didn't have long to think before Serana continued reading.

"Violated and comatose, Lamae was found by nomads, and cared for. A fortnight hence, the nomad wyrd-woman enshrouded Lamae in pall for she had passed into death. In their way, the nomads built a bonfire to immolate the husk. That night, Lamae rose from her funeral pyre, and set upon the coven, still aflame. She ripped the throats of the women, ate the eyes of the children, and raped their men as cruelly as Bal had ravished her. And so; Lamae, (who is known to us as blood-matron) imprecated her foul aspect upon the folk of Tamriel, and begat a brood of countless abominations, from which came the vampires, most cunning of the night-horrors. And so was the scourge of undeath wrought upon Tamriel, cruelly mocking Arkay's rhythm of life and death through all the coming eras of the et'Ada, and for all his sadness, Arkay knew this could not be undone." Serana finished reading and closed the book with a soft thud. Tai let his breath go as she put the book aside and yet again leaned back until her head was on her shoulder. She seemed to relax in his embrace, which as always set Tai's undead heart fluttering. It wasn't a literal beat, as his heart was dead in his chest, yet Tai felt it anyways.

"I'm glad that's over" Serana mumbled to Tai softly. He smiled at Serana as he let his hand roam until his fingers were under the hem of Serana's shirt. She seemed peaceful as she lay, which amused Tai. He knew what he was about to do was childish, but he hoped it would at least give them both a well-deserved laugh. As suddenly as he could he yanked the hem of her shirt up, pulling the shirt up so it covered Serana's face. She yelped in startled panic as she reached to pull the cloth from her face, giving Tai the opportunity to tickle Serana's sides. Her yelps became laughter as she writhed in his lap, trying to avoid the playful torment she was enduring. Tai was also laughing as he tickled her, happy to hear laughter instead of sounds of sorrow. His laughter was cut short however as he saw an ice spike flying for him. Without thinking he pushed Serana to the side and shouted.

"Fus!" his shout sent the ice spike flying away, straight towards the caster. Valerica fell over from the shout, landing on her finely aged hindquarters with a grunt of alarm. Her cloak fell across her face, hiding her enraged face from Tai's view. The ice spike flew over her head and shattered against the door harmlessly. Serana and Tai stared with open mouths as Valerica shifted her cloak out of the way then glared at Tai with wide eyes and an open mouth, revealing her fangs. The look of surprised rage on her face was almost too funny for Tai to bare. Serana and Tai turned to look at one another for a moment, a small snicker escaping them.

"That was not funny" Valerica declared firmly, her eyes narrowing as she focused her wrath on Tai. Before Tai could comment it was Valerica who had attacked, presumably having heard Serana yelp and taken it he was harming her, Serana cut in.

"Tai, it's very impolite to Fus my mother" Serana managed to appear completely serious for a few moments, as did Tai. Then they burst out laughing, much to Valerica's annoyance. Karma had come around on poor Valerica. Instead of complaining, the Vampire got to her feet slowly yet surely, struggling to appear as dignified as possible without compromising her chance of staying on her feet. While Valerica's display was amusing to Tai he couldn't solely focus on it. Shriekwind sounded so familiar and yet not. He couldn't help but ponder where he had heard it, and soon he began to ponder aloud.

"Shrieking winds, sounds like Shriekwind. Where have I heard that before?"

"The Shriekwind Baston. It is a location overrun by feral vampires" Valerica informed calmly, reaching down to dust her hands off on her pant leg. Tai watched her hands rub over the cloth covering her thigh and yet he saw nothing. His gaze simply was directed in the direction, yet he did not see. He was far too lost in his thoughts. Valerica brought her hands back in front of her, resuming her regal posture as Serana gazed at her. The two women frowned at one another, then turned their eyes to Tai. Serana's expression became concerned as Tai turned his gaze to her, eyes weighed down by something. She could see the touches of his hunger in his face, which seemed to hollow out a little. She felt he would say something that would dampen her spirits; her instincts told her to flee. Somehow she managed to remain seated, grounded by her determination. If she ever wanted a family she had to endure the pain of her past, and she had to look forwards to the happiness her future could hold.

"We have to hurry if we want any of those vampire's alive" Tai said, beginning to stand up. Serana got to her feet, feeling disappointed at the feeling of loss when she broke contact with Tai. His brow was furrowed as he walked towards the door, taking long and hurried strides as if lives depended on it. Serana blinked for a moment, Tai had said lives did depend on it. He rarely said something so serious, but when he did Serana was usually quick to act.

"Why?" She asked before she could stop herself. Tai paused at the door, grabbing the frame before leaning back and gazing at Serana.

"Because the Dawnguard are headed there… now"