AN: Hello. As always I want to thank everyone reading and reviewing this story. Let me know what you think because I plan on having a few twists and turns in the next couple of chapters that I'm really hoping you will enjoy :). Thanks again everyone, on with the story!
Thank Talos she decided to keep her royal vampire armor instead of changing back into her ebony one. She could not recall a time she moved with the speed her legs were providing for her. Even as a wolf. Her heart was pounding so loud in her chest it started to give her a headache at the sheer volume. The whole sneaking out if the castles sewer bit was...well awful to say the least. She shuddered at the memory. Desperate times, called for desperate measures she supposed. She hated leaving Serana behind more then anything. It pained her but she had to. She knew she would have tried to talk her out of it but if she stayed in the castle she knew she would slip back into darkness. She couldn't let herself become that way again. She had worked so hard to prevent it and yet as a vampire she was basically a slave to her dark powers. Even now her stomach demanded blood but she refused to listen.
The anxious and fearful feeling running through her was enough to keep her focused. She knew when Harkon warned her about the punishment that would befall her if she escaped was real and the very idea of getting caught was enough to make her shiver. Even with everything that had transpired between them, it wouldn't sway him to let her get away with it. She was afraid of that outcome, so much so her mind even explored the idea of turning back. She couldn't go back. It was better this way. The only vampires of any real use had already left the castle before she escaped, so sending word to them to keep an eye out for her may be difficult to accomplish in a timely manner. That could give her some leeway. Elvi was impressed with her energy as she continued to run at top speed. It felt like she had only been running for a few minutes when in reality she had swam all that distance from the castle to land and she had been hoofing it from that moment on for at least an hour now. She may have passed out from all the exercise by now were she still mortal. When she felt like she was a decent distance away from the castle she paused. Taking in a sweet, sweet breath of fresh air. She never knew she would miss something so simple as the clean night air as much as she had.
She started to run again when she recognized the path she was on. Solitude was not far now. She could buy a horse there and continue on her way to Fort Dawnguard. She only prayed that Harkon had left them alone after they abducted Dexion and not silently ordered to finish them off without her knowledge. When she made it to the Solitude stables she hissed in frustration. It was probably at least three in the morning, of course no one was awake to sell her a horse! Elvi looked behind her on to the road anxiously. Not knowing when Harkon would realize she was gone, but since he expected her before the sun rose it meant she could have already been discovered for all she knew. The vampires and thrall's could already be on her trail. She couldn't pause for a single moment, not if she didn't want to get caught. She looked back to the stables and sighed. Well...she had already committed crimes she never imagined herself doing...why not add thievery to her list? She crouched to the ground and silently made it over to one of the stalls. She carried only a few lock picks with her at a time since she no thief and never bothered to unlock any old chests she found in caves or forts. If she needed gold she would just run a mission or two for the companions. She said a silent prayer hoping she could pick the lock on only a few tries.
The metal snap of the first pick breaking made her cuss out loud. The second one made her want to scream. The third made her consider giving up all together. Thanks to some Divine up above she was able to pick the lock on her very last set of lock picks. When she opened the stable her welcome was the horse neighing loud enough it made her ear drums cry out in agony. She couldn't blame the horse. Seeing a creature with evil glowing eyes that probably still reeked of sewer despite her extremely long swim in the sea was enough to make anything want to get far away from her. When the horse reared back on it's hind legs Elvi shot both of her hands into the air and whispered kind words to the steed. Elvi was thankful to see the horse return all of it's legs on the ground. It snorted and stamped a couple of times but seemed to have calmed down. Elvi moved closer and lightly pet the it's nose a couple of times. Continuing to speak soft words to the horse. She admired it's light brown and white checkered coat and she was relieved to see the steed already had a saddle strapped on it. Soon enough the horse seemed to be normal and Elvi chuckled. Serana once joked that she had a voice that could calm even the most savage of beasts after she had sang an old war song one night. Seems there was a little bit of truth behind her jest. Elvi searched her knapsack until she found a pouch of gold. She dropped it onto the ground, in hopes the owners would find it. Careful not to startle the him again Elvi mounted the horse and without further head attention they took off. Hoping a guard or even the owners of the Solitude Stables wouldn't stop her.
Everything seemed to be going well once she had found the horse. She decided the best course of action would be to keep to the back roads and even make her own trails in the wilderness. She was not accustomed to being hunted so she assumed this was the correct way to go about it. She had a map of Skyrim in both of her hands while she let the horse take a slow walking speed for a little while. She didn't want to ride the poor creature to death but her fear and shame made her keep moving. She could see over her map that the sun was starting to rise on the horizon. She sighed. Well this would be new, and probably unpleasant but if she had an idea about vampires she knew most of their movement would be at night, so if she kept up her pace even in the daylight, she could put a good distance between her and the Volkihar. If the sun was now rising that meant Harkon had to have looked for her by now. So the hunt for her was going to begin, if she could guess tomorrow night. She didn't like the idea of being chased or followed but it's not like she could stop him.
Slowly...she began to feel it. As the sun made it's way up into the bright blue sky, more and more pain befell her. Was it always this damn bright? She had to squint to try and see her own hand in front of her let alone the road. Tears rolled down her cheeks from the sheer amount of light. Before, the sun could warm her pale skin but now it burned. As though someone was holding a torch to her flesh and she could do nothing but squirm to try and get free. She panted to even bring air into her body. It felt like half of her stamina had been drained along with her health. She reached for her knapsack behind her to shove the map back inside. She searched for the hood Serana had given her to try and shield her face from the suns harsh rays. Then she remembered that Harkon had thrown the hood away the night she had been freed from the cage and he demanded that she never wear it again. Great. Her Nordic helmet would provide her little shade and all it would do is weigh her head down more then the pressure she already felt pushing down on her.
She steered the horse to under the tree's as they continued to gallop along the forest line, hoping the shade might help. It provided her very little relief and she grimaced. She even considered finding a cave or something to wait it out but she forced herself to keep going. She was glad that she had the foresight to get the horse otherwise if she had been left out on her own two feet she would have collapsed. After only a few hours she relied solely on the horse to hold her up. Like an injured solider she clung to the horse for support and even rested her head on the back of the horses neck. Letting it gallop at whatever speed it desired and only steered him when he started to go on the wrong path. She chuckled at her own pitiful state. How she hated, ever putting Serana through this. How many times had she asked her to walk in the daylight while they traveled? Just so they could get a little farther ahead. If she had known this is what she had felt...then she would have never asked it of her. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. It was like a million tiny shards of glass had burrowed themselves into every pore in her skin and if she concentrated she swore her blood was literally boiling. She was alive yes, but she truly didn't know how much longer she could handle the sun beating down on her. As the horse continued she started to realize...what could make a vampire such as Harkon lose his mind over that prophecy. To have the strength, speed, and knowledge superior to most creatures in this world but only being able to use it during the night could be...maddening. If a low no named bandit were to stumble upon her right now she did not know if she could fend him off. She prayed and prayed that, it wouldn't happen. She had never pondered over her own death as often as she had the past couple of months and even though it was to late, she didn't want to die by something so simple as a bandit attack. Maybe she could still meet her end by trying to save the world. The way she should have. Truth was if she was given one wish at the moment it would be that the sun would disappear so she could have a second of relief from it's unrelenting rein.
The tyranny of the sun...she could see that with her own eyes now. The vampires should remain in the shadows and only run free in the night but she could understand why a man would be willing to throw away everything to end it. She had never felt this weak. Even in the very beginning of her life was a warrior in Skyrim she held more power then she did currently. She supposed it was just nature. While the vampires slept the mortals lived out their lives and when it was their time to sleep vampires awoke to live theirs. She realized because of this she could never have anything remotely close to her old life. It's not as though she had any close vampire friends except Serana, so was she supposed to live eternity...alone? She chuckled bitterly again, which made her throat sore. It was so dry she could hardly stand it and just to add to her discomfort her stomach continued its angry growl. All she could look forward to in life now...was a good death. Maybe some proud and capable vampire hunter would be the one to complete the circle. She couldn't find any real happiness like this. It was sad how often her mind roamed to Serana and even Harkon. She...missed them. Well she missed him which was the strange thing. Missing Serana was something she had gotten accustomed to but Harkon...she had no reason to miss him. All he had given her was inner turmoil and he had successfully made her forget who she really was. She wondered if they ever see each other again. If a century passed, would they have anything to say? Would he even recognize her? Eh...what did it matter? Once he found someone else capable and more willing to bend their knee to him, she would be nothing more then an after thought in his corrupted and depraved mind. The only reason she felt special to him, was because it was all apart of his manipulation. Something he was well experienced with.
A small wave of anger and strength swept through her. Giving her the motivation she needed to sit up properly and focus on getting as far away as she could. She had to get to Fort Dawnguard soon. It didn't help that the vampire head quarters and the Dawnguards were on opposite ends of the damn province. Who knew how many days It would take for her to get there. All she could do was hope that no unwanted visitors found her along the way. She realized having to travel in the day was going to be pretty much impossible if she did so on her own. Feeling like an idiot for not coming up with this solution sooner she decided the next major city she came across she would stop there and pay a carriage driver to take her to Riften and then she could just run to Fort Dawnguard. If they arrived at night, that is. She hoped she could restrain herself around polite society. With the sun beating down on her it only made her thirst and hunger all the more extreme. Like her body was trying to compensate for the agony she was experiencing. Being a vampire was such a strange thing. It's like her body did everything it could to preserve her even when she was unwilling. She decided she would throw the remainder of her gold at the carriage driver so she could convince him to let her steer the carriage at night while he slept. She couldn't afford to stop and if she had it her way she wouldn't.
(xxxx)
At long last Elvi walked across the familiar path to Fort Dawnguard. For a little while she sincerely thought she would never see it again. When she had made it to Riften she changed back into her Ebony armor in The Bee and Bard. Knowing it wouldn't take to much longer to get back home and that she would probably seem less...conspicuous wearing the heavier armor versus vampire armor. With each step she took the more and more nervous she became. Not only because she wasn't sure if she was ready to come to terms with who they lost and she was horrified of the Dawnguard's reaction. It may not be an obvious change in her features but all they need do is look into her eyes and they would know. She sighed and walked a little faster. When the fort was in sight she ran up the hill. Mortified with what she had already seen. Thanks to Akello's obvious love of the flame spell the entrance to the fort looks like it had been blown apart. Rubble and ashes littered the ground as she stepped closer. Looking at all the damage it was actually miraculous that they had only lost three members. When she was only a few feet away from the door she was actually thankful to see Celann and Durak standing in the entrance way. Probably to serve as lookouts since the door was in shambles. Cleann turned his head in her direction and when his blue eyes found her, she watched him smile. Immediately moving from the door frame and running towards her.
"Elvi..." he shouted in disbelief and she watched Durak move from his spot and chase after Celann. The smile on Celann's face changed the closer she got to him. When he froze in his tracks Elvi mimicked his action. Not sure if she should chance moving closer or not. When she gazed behind him she saw that Durak had already drawn his crossbow and if her vision was correct it was aimed straight for her heart. She had to stop herself from looking behind her to see if their was a threat charging up the path before she realized...his only target was her. It was painful but she accepted the fright, and surprise at seeing her...different. Okay, so that couldn't be a good sign already. Celann took a step backwards and it was a deep stab in Elvi's heart when she saw his expression change to one of repulsion. She sighed. She hoped it wasn't to late to try and talk to them. To him especially. Cautiously she extended her arms in a surrender like fashion and she inched a tiny but closer to Celann. Her eyes locked onto his.
"Celann...it's still me okay. I'm not here to hurt anyone."
Celann shook his head and a gleam of anger now raged in his eyes. It bothered Elvi to no end but she could understand. Almost every member of the Dawnguard had, a horrible experience with vampires and now that her eyes glowed as theirs did it must have caused a lot of bitter memories resurface. Especially if they had assumed she was dead.
"Elvi...what the hell happened to you?" He spit the words out like merely speaking to her was making him sick. Elvi felt her heart clench in her chest. The nervous twists and turns in her stomach was making her nauseous. Must she really say it? They knew what she was now or else they wouldn't be acting this way. Did she really have to confirm it for them?
"Well, in case it wasn't obvious, I was turned. I was trapped in Castle Volkihar for a long time before I could escape. As soon as I did I returned." she reasoned. It was the truth. She had no intention of going back to the castle and the only place in the world she desired to be was where she was currently.
"You let one of those things turn you?" she heard Durak say from behind Celann, but her eyes weren't about to leave the Breton man for a second. If she had grown close to any of the Dawnguard it would be him and Isran. At least they were the one's she had gotten to know the best. Yes her eyes were different now but surely he could recognize the look of desperation in them. The silent plea to listen and now jump to rash conclusions.
"I didn't really have much say in it Durak. If I had enough strength at the time I assure you, that it wouldn't have happened."
"What were you doing there anyway? You know Isran wanted to keep from attacking the castle until we knew more about those demons! And you sure as Oblivion shouldn't have went alone." Durak continued to argue. She knew he would be one of the one's that would be difficult to convince. His hatred for vampires wasn't far behind Israns.
"Serana and I decided to check the castle for the missing elder scroll. We had reason to believe the vampires were in possession of it." Elvi said in a less elaborate way then why they had decided to check the castle. Celann was the only one she had informed of her intentions before leaving and though he advised against it, he didn't exactly stop her either. Both sides of this war were desperate to find the last scroll and any lead or imaginable way they could get their hands on it, they were willing to try. Biggest proof of this was Harkon's scheme to go so far as check Oblivion for the damned thing. She noticed more and more members of the Dawnguard were spewing out of the Fort and onto the front lawn to see what the commotion was about. Elvi's eyes kept flashing upwards despite the situation to see if she could make out for herself who might have perished from the fight the Volkihar had brought to them.
"Bah, sounds to me like your so called friend delivered a naive and easy meal to her family." Durak continued. His orcish voice was so deep she could feel his words shake through her and cause her to jump to the defense of Serana.
"It wasn't like that!" she shouted. Probably not the best course of actions but she was furious with the accusation. No one here knew Serana and if they had they wouldn't say such things about her. She noted one of two more crossbows were pointed at her and the sight was heart breaking. Did they not see that it was still her? She had fought along side each and every member of the Dawnguard at least once so the concept that her brothers and sisters could so easily turn their weapons on her was hard to accept. She knew they would react poorly but she didn't think any of them would try and kill her on sight which most seemed content to do.
"Enough of this." Celann stated turning head slightly towards Durak then he redirected his attention back on Elvi. He outstretched his hand and demanded "Return the elder scrolls to us Elvi. Isran has the final say in this Fort but if you hand over the scrolls...maybe he can be more understanding."
Elvi felt even more sick then before. She had completely forgotten about trying to retrieve the Elder Scrolls from Harkon. She was just so happy that she had found an easy exit out of the castle she ran as soon as she could. Now what was she supposed to say?
"I...I don't have them. They stole the scroll's from me when I was unconscious. I couldn't find where they hid them in my time there."
"So you just left them in our greatest enemies stronghold? The ones who are willing to do anything to destroy the sun? What are we to do now Elvi? Our only option to get them back is to storm their gates. Having to kill every vampire in the hold just to find them and if we could do that already then we wouldn't need the scrolls as urgently as we do." his voice was irritated and even mournful. Not being able to withhold it a second longer Elvi blurted out
"I know about the attack the Volkihar made on the Fort and I know they took Dexion. Who didn't make it out?"
"What do you care?" she heard the familiar voice of Igjard say. When she looked for her she found Igjard standing behind Durak. Her crossbow remained on her back but her scowl and crossed arms were sign enough of her disapproval. "If it meant so much to you then why didn't you do something to prevent it?"
"Excuse me?! Do you think if I could have done something about it I would have let it happen to begin with?! I didn't even know about the attack until after the fact."
"You even left Dexion in the castle. Did you feed off of him too like the rest of your cannibal family, vampire?" Igjard added. Ouch. That hit a little harder then she thought it would have, to be jeered and mocked like she was the same as the vampires that trashed the fort. Did they really see her in that way now? She ignored it the best she could and continued her plea.
"He was turned into a thrall, by Harkon the lord of the castle. In order to free him I would have had to kill Harkon and that's not exactly an easy task. If we get to the last scroll before them, they still can't complete the prophecy. We still have a chance! When we gather enough strength we can attack the castle and once the lord vampire is dead, he will be free. They are not my family, you guys are. Do you think I would have came back if I saw them as family?"
"Returned to kill us all in our sleep maybe, vampire spy!" she heard another jeer but she could not make out who had said it and frankly she did not want to know.
When she scanned the crowd not a single face wasn't scowling at her. It seemed to be a silent mutual agreement between them all, to not even give her a chance to defend herself. Elvi started to panic. No it couldn't be over. Not like this. She could still fight for them! In fact it was all she wanted. Could they not see that? Yes, she had made the mistake of bringing the scrolls with her and letting them fall into enemy hands but it was just that, a mistake. Now they were even acting like she just let Harkon send his goons here to capture Dexion and even waved goodbye to them as they left.
"Everyone...it's still me. I am on your side. I would have been back sooner if there was a way, you have to believe that. I want nothing to do with any of the vampires in that castle, I want to help. Let me help you. If anyone cares to remember it was I who insured the two scroll's were with us to begin with. I can continue to help you guys, I know what I am now but believe me when I say it does not alter my course at all." She kept her voice firm so it didn't sound like she was pleading but her heart really was. If they turned her away...there was nothing she could do to change their mind.
"You look like Elvi but you are not her. The Elvi I knew would have died before becoming some blood sucking demon!" the Breton Sorine stated. This was to painful. If it were not for Elvi's recruitment that woman wouldn't even be in the Fort, she would still be near some Dwemer ruin rambling on about gyro's and how everyone was out to get her. Just because she was a vampire now, it erased all the good she had done for them? Elvi bit her tongue so she didn't snap at her.
"I made a mistake okay...I was afraid. I can admit to that but-"
"Can you blame us Elvi?" Celann had finally had the nerve to speak and Elvi paused in her explanation. His fine brunette hair was now littered with a few strands of gray hair and a few more in his beard. The stress lines on his face stated better then his own words how this blood war had gotten to him. He had always been the light and joking type despite the situation which kept everyone in high spirits. To see how he had taken to all the suffering the Dawnguard had endured just made everything all the more real. Another stab of guilt hit her heart and she wanted to take all that pain away from him but they'd have to give her the option first. "You were gone all this time...we ask for the Elder Scroll's you say you don't have them, and you had always claimed you would never become a vampire no matter the cost. Yet here you stand as one of them? You went on your own accord into the lions den and were supposed to believe that being as you are now wasn't intentional? Your past with the vampires in that castle suggest they would kill you, not turn you into one of them. Unless you begged for it at least. Not only that but you say you had no idea about the attack here, but you ask who fell, so you obviously weren't to in the dark about it. You could have been here to protect them, or you could have prevented it but you didn't. That alone makes me question everything about you."
Elvi could not believe what she was hearing and coming from Celann out of all of them is what made it all the more shattering. Now because of his bold accusation she no longer cared to keep her anger under control. Did they think she had been on vacation all this time? That she aspired to be a vampire?
"I will not be held responsible for what happened here! I found out about the deaths and Dexion while over hearing the vampires discussing it, and how dare you accuse me of going to that castle in hopes of becoming a vampire! I went there to try and find the last scroll while the rest of you were content to sit around and wait for it to just fall into our hands! I will take responsibility for letting myself be turned, but I do not deserve the damnation from any of you. We will get the scrolls back and we will stop this prophecy. I apologize that they are now with the Volkihar but I didn't plan for this to happen. You have to believe me. Look I know what they are planning, the vampires are on the lookout for someone who has-" But she was cut off.
"How can we trust you?" Celann continued. "Even if we could, you are a vampire Elvi. Eventually you will have to feed and then what are we supposed to do? Turn our heads and let you drain people of their life? Do you remember anything that the Dawnguard stands for? We protect people from your kind. I should kill you...do you realize that?!" he shouted at the end in his frustration.
Elvi was speechless. It really seemed like there was no getting through to them if they weren't even willing to listen to her warning. She watched another member of the Dawnguard walk over to Celann and whisper something into his ear. If she guessed correctly someone had ran and informed Isran of her presence there and now his decision was about to be unveiled. Noting that Isran hadn't come out of the Fort to see her couldn't be good for her. Celann closed his eyes and tightened his fist. When his eyes found her again she saw a fresh look of hatred in them. No sign of forgiveness or leniency shown in his crystal stare.
"I'm sorry Elvi, but you know our laws and our views. You are not one of us anymore, you separated yourself from us the moment you let that...filth into your veins. You have shamed the Dawnguard and yourself. We will let you live in consideration of the mortal you, but if any of us see you again after tonight we will kill you. If there really is anything decent left in you and you want to help, do so by staying out of our way. The Dawnguard don't fight along side vampires and the only reason we let Serana into our graces was because of the Dragonborn's word and well...that's not worth much anymore. This is something we cannot forgive Elvi. That is our final word. Now if you don't mind, I have lost someone I considered a friend this night and I need to grieve. The woman you once were meant a lot to me and she deserves some respect." At that he pushed past all of his fellow Dawnguard roughly and made his way into the Fort. Watching him turn his back on her was a different kind of pain she had yet to experience.
"No...Celann I'm right here! This didn't change me can't you see that! Celann you know me!" she shouted and he did not stop or even whisper a response. One by one the Dawnguard followed him into the Fort and Elvi was convinced this was some kind of nightmare. She knew it would be difficult to mend but she didn't think it was broken.
"No...everyone please...you can't shut me out like this! Let me help you!" she was pleading now and she didn't care. There was no way her pride could suffer anymore at this point. If they really weren't going to take her back then she was alone. She was nothing...she dropped to her knees and it felt like the very ground underneath her had opened up and swallowed her whole. This was not real. It couldn't be. After everything she had done...all the sacrifices she had made, it was over? She was shunned?
When she was alone in the canyon she watched the shadows shift from the tower above. She looked up and saw Isran standing in the balcony. She didn't say a word but she knew with her position on the ground and the look on her face and in her eyes the message couldn't have been any more plain. Only to confirm everything she watched the redguard vampire hunter slowly turn around and make his way back inside the fort. The glare he had cast down on her held the same bitterness and disgust he always had when faced with a vampire. She had never felt anything like what she was experiencing before. She felt like the unwanted leper of society, despised and unwelcome anywhere she went. Like a mindless zombie she rose from her position on the ground and walked back up the path. She tried to think of something to do, somewhere to go but she couldn't push past the blow she had just received. It was bad enough that the Dawnguard had exiled her from their faction but what left a horribly bitter taste in her mouth was knowing...that Harkon was right. She had thought his bold assumption to their treatment of her was stated just to hurt her but the reality of the situation was he had predicted it perfectly.
Now what was to be done? Now she going to be hunted not only by the vampires but by the Dawnguard as well. She wondered if she just stood in an open field for a couple of days which would make it to her first? As she continued to walk up the path she didn't know where she was going she only knew she wanted to get as far away from the fort as she could. Maybe if she passed out from the hunger that was tearing her apart she could pretend this was all just another demented nightmare. When she made it out of the canyon she felt like the weight of the world had crashed down on her shoulders and she collapsed. Tears falling freely from her eyes and her fists clenched and beating at the dirt underneath her. Both out of anger and frustration with herself for crying. She needed to find some form of shelter before she was forced to endure the sun again but what was the point? She couldn't go to her home in Whiterun for surely the vampires would check there, she couldn't go to Jorrvaskr and risk the companions safety. As strong as they were their numbers were to few to fend off wave after of wave of vampires that would come after her. Even if they could she would be putting the entire small city in danger. If the companions reacted the same way as the Dawnguard did upon seeing her, it would rip the remainder of her heart out of her chest. She was content with never finding out how they would take it and maybe they would just move on and find a new Harbinger to lead them. One they deserved. Not the sad weeping mess now covered in dirt that they had currently. Was this her life now? Not fitting in anywhere and having to look over her shoulder constantly. She didn't belong with anyone.
A part of her wanted to run back to the fort and demand that they listen to her. They hadn't even given her a chance to tell them what Harkon had been planning. She knew though...maybe she had known the entire time. She wasn't going to be welcome as one of them ever again. She was just a beast to them now. Celann referring to her as already being dead stung deep into her very soul and she didn't know if it would lessen anytime soon. If anyone...anyone should have accepted her it should have been him. If he despised her now it was probably a miracle that he hadn't ordered them to kill her. If she ever faced any of them again would she...be forced to kill them? Even if her heart held resentment and anger for them now she didn't know if she could bring herself to do it. It was all to much. She was hated and different from everyone now and she didn't even want to pull herself up from the ground. Just once she wanted to remain and wallow in her own self pity for a little while. It's not like she had anywhere she could go so, why not right?
She felt a presence right next to her and she grit her teeth. Dammit. The Divines couldn't even give her a moment to grieve could they? She slowly pulled her Nordic sword from it's sheath and when she turned her eyes towards the presence she pushed her sword back to it's resting place. Instead of a defensive move like she had planned she wiped her eyes roughly with her gauntlet so that the offensive tears were not be visible. She almost couldn't believe it. Somehow Serana was standing right next to her, and she had beat every other member of that clan in finding her. Serana didn't scold her nor did she ask any irritable questions. All she did was extend her hand to her and still stunned, Elvi took it. Serana lifted her from the ground with surprising ease and Elvi tried her best to dust herself off and regain her composure but it was the most difficult thing she had ever had to do so far.
"Are you okay?" Serana asked after a few moments of silence. That was her only real concern at the moment. They could worry about the rest later. Elvi wondered how she could answer that. She wasn't okay. She wasn't even sure what okay was anymore. With her voice hoarse and strained she merely stated
"I saw the Dawnguard..."
"I figured that was the first place you would go...I take it you didn't get the result you wanted?" Serana worded cautiously. She could never bring herself to tell Elvi but she feared they would react exactly the way they had. People with prejudices and hatred that strong never compromised with anyone. Not even the Dragonborn. She hated it for Elvi but it was one of the costs of being a vampire. That's why they stuck to their own kind the way they did. Mortals would always fear and loathe them. Even if one or two were trying to help the human race.
"I've been exiled. They don't want me this way..." Elvi said firmly. Saying it out loud made it even more real but she used the remainder of her strength to keep herself together in front of Serana. She hated breaking down in front of someone else. It made her weak.
"It's their loss then." Serana said with a smirk. Determined to get Elvi out of this funk if it killed her and she refused to keep saying 'i'm sorry' over and over again. "When we stop the prophecy and they come crawling back to be in your good graces, shun them as they have you. You forget, you have me for eternity now. Need you more company?" She grinned and placed her hand on her hip. Elvi chuckled and sighed.
"No, I guess I don't." Elvi stated. Amazed at the loyalty and commitment from her. She had left her without a single word and she had even well...done some questionable things with her father who she wasn't exactly on good terms with and still she was the best friend she had ever had. If there was any sign that the Divines still cared for her it was Serana. Without her she would have probably truly died long ago.
"Look Serana...I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving. I knew you would try and talk me out of it for my safety but I just had to get out of there. I was losing myself in that castle and if I had stayed any trance of the Elvi you once knew might have been erased." she explained and they both started to walk down the road. Neither really sure where they were going.
"Don't worry, I understand. Actually pretty clever on your part, I never would have thought to use the sewers as an escape and obviously neither did my father or else he would have had a guard down there at the minimum. You made some pretty good time too, I had to hire a carriage to take me to one of the towns then ran the rest of the way. The only thing now is if there is any significance to the courtyard we will never know and were going to have to fall off the radar for...well a long time which isn't exactly your expertise."
"I had to hire a carriage too...how did...how did he take it?" Elvi could not help but ask. It would be a lie if she said that Harkon hadn't crossed her mind a ridiculous amount of times during her escape. If she was honest with herself she was terrified of him now. Yet...she wanted to be near him again. Especially now that she had hit rock bottom. That comforting feeling that always seemed to come from him really could do her some good at the moment. Not that if she actually was near him, he would be anything but comforting.
"I didn't stick around to find out. As soon as I saw that you left I packed my things and chased after you. I have to say though Elvi...you really have some guts to do what you have done. My father doesn't take well to betrayal and whatever you have seen from him that you think was his anger you really have no idea. I have seen people do less to upset him and well...the result isn't good. Honestly our number one priority needs to be keeping you hidden from him. He'll cool off...eventually but even then it can't end well for you if you're captured. Oh and drink this, you look terrible." She added with a smirk. Making Elvi smile but only for a breif second.
"Wonderful." Elvi said and popped the lid off of the potion of blood Serana had tossed her. It gave her, her strength back but she really did loathe the taste. Guess she was right, an eternity of running around and avoiding being seen. Surely there were all kinds of stories about such things in Sovngarde. Serana froze for a moment and Elvi stopped too. When she faced Serana she had a look of contemplation on her face and Elvi started to get a little anxious.
"I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want to get your hopes up. For you I hope it's true and it will defiantly send my fathers soldiers off your trail. I...overheard a few of Darius' crew discussing a rumor they heard. Apparently there is a man in Skyrim that can cure vampirism. Even vampire lords such as we. There has been a cure for vampirism since our creation but very few know it and even fewer can execute it properly. Since were on the run anyway, I figured we could at least investigate it. It could be just a rumor but if it would free you from my father's clutches and make you smile again then I am willing to try if you are."
Elvi could not believe her ears. Was this real? There was a cure? She thought she had just imagined that there could be once since there was a cure for werewolves, but she didn't know it was actually possible. She could be alive again. She could be free. Serana went on to explain something else but Elvi couldn't focus on another word. Instead she pleaded
"Where, who?!" she shouted and Serana sighed when she was how enthused Elvi already was. Gods she hoped the rumors of Skyrim were true in this case. She said only two words
"Falion. Morthal."
At that Elvi took off into a run in what she assumed to be that general direction. Leaving Serana to sigh and chase after her again. After everything Elvi had been through she hoped this one thing could turn out the way she wanted it to. It probably wouldn't stop her father's pursuit of her but it would make it more difficult for him to track her down. When she thought about it the only thing that would make her father more furious then he was currently would be if Elvi was returned to him as a mortal. Then there was no doubt in her mind...he would kill her. To throw away the gift of his blood that he had bestowed on her would be probably the biggest insult in the world to him. She gulped and ran faster to catch up with Elvi. Hoping that she hadn't just made a very big mistake.
