Lucia was giddy. "Her name is Qo! She can speak, mama! I can still hear her! But I can understand her!"

Lyra smiled as Lucia squealed in delight. "We have a pet dragon!"

To the dragonborn's relief, Lucia was thrilled about Qo. Lyra had been anxious that upon her return to lakeview, the more placid of her adopted children would be afraid of the creature, but it appeared she had nothing to worry about. Runa was equally thrilled, albeit for different reasons. Her first though had been that one day she might be able to train with it, her second that she might be able to ride it. Lyra got the feeling that Runa would probably make a good dragon rider, however she wasn't exactly jumping with excitement at the idea. For the first time ever Runa had been reluctant to leave the house to train with Barbette that morning.

"Nice and simple. Ends in a vowel so the name will carry. It'll be easy to scream a warning when she comes to burn down the villages." Serana remarked.

Lyra rolled her eyes. "We're not going to let that happen. Look at them," She said gesturing to Lucia and the little dragon struggling playfully in her arms. "That dragon will be tamed within hours never mind months."

Serana sat back in her seat. "What does Qo mean? I'm assuming it does mean something."

Lyra nodded. "Lightning. Not sure what the connection is. Maybe it's her eyes, they're very blue."

Serana murmured her agreement. There was a crash behind them and they both turned to see Lucia looking at them sheepishly. Qo was rocking around in circles in a pot as it settled on the floor and actually looked like she was rather enjoying the experience. She made a loud clicking noise and scrabbled out of her new play thing pawing at Lucia's dress to be picked up. Lucia scooped her up and jumped up and down in happiness. "Mama, can we really keep her?"

Lyra nodded. "Yeah, we really can. But you know it wont be long before we wont be able to fit her through the door anymore and then she's going to go and live with Paarthurnax on the mountain. She can learn to fly then, and speak aloud and all the things we can't really help her with."

Lucia's face fell. "Awww... But we can visit, right?"

Lyra nodded. "Sure. I'm sure she'll miss you far too much to let you not visit."

Lucia squealed and giggled as Qo puffed out a little plume of blue-grey smoke and croaked, stretching her wings out and shuffling as Lucia fought to hold onto her.

Serana smirked. "She'll be the end of him."

Lyra had to agree. "Yeah, I hope he knows what a handful she's going to be." She looked over her shoulder at the small blonde. "Lu, take her down into the basement where there are fewer priceless things to break if you want to play."

"Okay!" The child set Qo down and ran through the doorless arch that lead toward the back of the house. The dragon scrambled along behind on her little legs, tongue lolling rather like a dog. Lyra sighed. She was going to have to keep an eye on those two.

Serana sipped from her glass. "Well, so far so good."

Lyra smiled. "I'm not sure my basement is going to agree."

Serana sighed. "I still can't get over the fact that my own mother had me blessed behind my fathers back by Paarthurnax. I can't believe she never told me. Most of all, I can't believe she got away with it."

Lyra looked thoughtful. "I definitely like her more than her husband. I've never met her, but I like her."

Serana chuckled. "Well she's bat-shit crazy in my opinion, so you'd probably get along."

Lyra scowled playfully. "I'm not crazy!"

Serana laughed. "By the eight, a title Lyra doesn't like. Now there's world news."

Lyra laughed. "Crazy isn't a title, it's a full time occupation. I wouldn't have time."

Serana grinned as she glanced towards the door. Lydia held something up as they noticed her. "What the bloody hell is this, and why is it all over the stable?"

Lyra squinted at it. "Oh. That would be coughed up ancient dragon rock."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"We've adopted a dragon." Lyra said matter of factly.

Lydia put her hands on her hips. "...What?"

Lyra shrugged. "Her name is Qo and she's in the basement with Lucia. She has a tendency to spit out little globs of molten rock. She wont be here too long, because in a few months she's going to be bigger than this house."

Lydia looked incredulous.

Lyra held her hands up. "If I wan't a pet dragon, that's my business."

"Oh well it's nice to know you got a small one so you could keep it to yourself!" Lydia cried.

"She is small. About this big." Lyra reasoned, motioning with her hands.

Lydia sighed and started up the stairs. "If she eats my bed, I'll kill you."

Lyra nodded. "Seems fair."

Serana drank the last of her wine and stood. "Well, I'm going to hunt."

Lyra looked at her for a long moment. "Why don't I need to?" She said quietly. Serana sighed. "I don't know. I've heard of it happening before but... They were all sons and daughters of cold harbor... And they were all killed by my father."

Lyra frowned. "Why?"

Serana ran her hand through her hair. "They were too powerful for his liking. I think it was mainly jealousy though. He didn't like it that they had an advantage over him. Told you he was paranoid."

Lyra looked down at the floor. "So... It might not be a bad thing?"

Serna smiled softly. "No, I don't think it's a bad thing. There's nothing wrong with you."

Lyra stood and nodded. "Thanks."

Serana touched her arm and then turned to leave.

"Serana," Lyra said as the older vampire was about to slip out of the door.

The other woman looked over to her. "Yeah?"

Lyra hesitated for a moment then sighed. "Be careful."

Serana smiled. "You're the one with a dragon in your basement."

Lyra smiled back and watched her disappear into the dusk that shrouded the world outside. She stood there a moment before making her way down to the aforementioned basement. It was way past Lucia's bedtime. She found Lucia asleep on the floor, curled up next to the forge. Qo was actually curled up in the forge, snoring contentedly and seemingly unaware of the metal-melting heat below her. She really was unique. Lyra had to stand a minute to work out how in hell she was going to get it out. After a while she decided it was probably best to leave her there, scooping Lu up and carrying her back upstairs to her room. As soon as she had the child in bed she retired herself. She stared up at the ceiling and hoped Serana really would be okay. The woods could be dangerous at night.

That bitch. Harkon drilled the tip of his dagger further into the arm of his chair small shavings of wood curling up and quickly falling onto the floor below. Both his literal and metaphorical face was still throbbing. He couldn't believe the audacity. The humiliation. Found in a heap on the floor by the hounds, the hounds. He'd have the traitors killed. Both of them. Bitches. He glared into the flames of the fire before him, still chiseling at the wood under his arm. Bitch.

"My lord."

Harkon growled at the interruption to his thoughts and turned to find Garan lurking in the doorway.

"What?" He snapped.

Garan wasn't put off. "A visitor for you, my lord."

"Who is it?" He drawled.

"He says his name is Isran, my lord. He has a proposition for you."

Harkon shrugged. "I know no Isran. Tell him he may take his leave."

Garan took a deep breath. "He believes you can be of benefit to each other, my lord. He comes about the dragonborn."

Bitch. Harkon growled. "Fine. Bring him here."

Garan nodded deeply and left to reappear moments later with the man in question. He had a clean shaved head, but a relatively long beard and word a foreign brown plate armor Harkon didn't recognize. A war hammer was strapped to his back and a heavy chain was fastened tightly around his waist. Garan slunk out of the room and Harkon turned back to destroying his arm rest. "You wished to speak with me?" He said, skipping formalities. The man grunted. "My name is Isran. I represent the Dawnguard. Usually the only time I'd go near your type would be with a crossbow."

Harkon rolled his eyes. He had heard of the Dawnguard and he honestly couldn't say they were on his christmas list. Still, the man had balls. "My name is Harkon. I represent clan Volkihar. You have 30 seconds to state your business before I have you thrown in with the rest of the cattle."

For a long moment, the two men glared at each other with equal disgust. Isran grunted again and sat down in the available chair, neglecting to ask beforehand.

"Recently, I took on a new recruit, Lyra. She has since betrayed me heavily and I'm not a man to tolerate that. I've heard that she has a new... Friend. I've heard this friend happens to be your daughter. From what I know, you don't care much for either of them. So here's my offer; for the time being, I'll call off my men. I propose a truce, a joining. Clan Volkihar and the Dawnguard to put aside their differences and work towards a common goal. The Dragonborn isn't a force to take on lightly, especially with her connections. Any move I make alone could be countered by the dark brotherhood, the influence of the Blackbriars, the Thieves Guild, The Legion, the Grey Beards themselves. Together, our amassed numbers would leave us both in a better position to get what we want if it came to serious fighting. There are whispers on the wind that the lost egg of Eidolon has been released. If the dragonborn is as great as the songs say, I can believe that. I also believe that that dragon, if it exists, will be sent our way sooner or later regardless of what we do- your daughter would make sure you at least got well acquainted with it and I couldn't say Lyra wouldn't turn it on us too, being that she is now of your... kind. Alone, neither of us can take on that sort of power. Together, we stand a chance. I get Lyra, you get your daughter."

Harkon stirred. "And what reason do I have to trust you, a vampire hunter? How do you even know all of this?"

Isran chuckled. "None at all. I have many people out day and night listening to whispers. That's all i'm going to tell you. But without us, that face of yours is gonna go unavenged. And I'd really like to get my sword on that Dragonborn and live to tell the tale. It's your choice. When I leave, the offer does too."

Harkon thought for a moment. This could really could be in his favor. The absence of the egg in Serana's room hadn't gone unnoticed and if the bitch's really had themselves a dragon...

"Fine. A truce. The joining temporary of the Dawnguard and clan Volkihar."

Isran looked satisfied, holding out his hand. Harkon took it, and they shook before the flames in the hearth before them. Rain began to last against the windows and somewhere in the distance a wolf howled to the new moon.