Fenra stood next to Vilkas as they hid in the shadows. They had come across a group of Necromancers doing a blood ritual. She knew how he felt about their kind and what he had been through. Since their small truce the night before he had opened up a bit more to her. Since they had to make camp during the day for her benefit there was a lot of time to fill and silence was driving them both crazy. Vilkas thought if he talked to her he could ease some of the hate he had for her. He jumped a bit feeling her lips at his ear so they were not heard.
"How do you want to do this?" He turned to her and shrugged. He just knew he wanted them dead. What they do was monstrous in his eyes. Using the bodies of the dead as experiments was unforgivable. He still woke up some nights in a cold sweat when he dreamed of his parents. Farkas had been blessed by not remembering or he does, but he handled it better he never thought to ask. He was afraid if he did ask and Farkas hadn't remembered he would have to tell him and that was something Vilkas just could not do. To give voice to it was to give it power over him and he would be damned if that happened "I would prefer not to let them get done what ever ritual they are doing."
"Agreed. Draw their attention and I will attack from behind." Fenra nodded and slipped into the shadows out of his sight. It unnerved him a bit how quiet she was and how easy it was for her to disappear. He realized she could have killed him over a hundred times by now, but didn't. Maybe she wasn't the monster he thought she was.
"My, my what have we here? You do know in Skyrim it is illegal to use a body in blood rituals right?"
"Move along or you will become part of it."
"I think not. You see I happen to like my blood and bones right where they are.
"You are a fool to cross us. Kill her, but try not to damage her body too much. She would make a good thrall." Fenra sneered at the mages and waved them forward. Vilkas took this as his cue to move. The necromancers did not know what hit them. Fenra pounced on one of them breaking his neck quickly while Vilkas made an arching swing slicing two of the others across the chest dropping them. The last two standing started throwing spells making both Companions dive for cover. Vilkas cursed loudly as a bolt of lightning hit him in the arm. He felt someone lift him off the ground and pull him over into cover. Once his vision cleared he saw it was Fenra that had rushed him to safety.
"Stay here." She disappeared and it wasn't long til he heard the screams of the necromancers. Peeking his head around the rock Fenra had placed him behind he grimaced at the sight before him. Fenra rended one of the mage's arms from his body with her bare hands. The unearthly growl she let out chilled him to the core. Images flashed in his head of the vampires that killed his parents and he closed his eyes. Once the screaming died off he got to his feet and looked for Fenra. She was nowhere to be seen, but he heard a sound like someone sobbing. He followed the sound and found a young woman dressed in rags chained to the alter. Her hair was a matted mess and she was covered in dirt and filth. He pulled his dagger and went to cut her bindings.
"Here let me help you out of that." He took a step forward and the girl lunged at him. Her face was gaunt and her eyes were a hellish red. He saw the long sharp teeth marking her as a vampire. She struggled against the chains holding her to get to him. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun and found himself face to face with Fenra. Her eyes were clouded by sadness and she pushed him back behind her.
"This is what happens when master vampire starves his minions or when necromancers happen to catch a fledgling."
"Surely there is something we can do..."
"No her mind is gone. There is nothing left to do but put her out of her misery." Tears streamed down Fenra's cheeks as she drew her blade.
"Let me do it." She nodded and turned away. Her body flinched when she heard the sound of metal hitting bone. Vilkas had made it quick and clean.
"Thank you."
"Is that common?"
"More than I would like to admit. Most do not take well to being vampires. We lose our minds, our pasts. If your lucky you have a master that wants you strong so you can defend the nest. If your unlucky you have a master like mine who wants you broken. I could have very well been like her if not for the fact I wanted revenge more than I wanted to die."
"Is that what he did to you?"
"Sometimes, but I was lucky he prized me more than that. He would starve me just enough so that I would be in pain. Enough that I would tear into whatever helpless victim they threw in the room with me. He wanted me to hate life to want to kill whatever was put in front of me. He wanted me to be like him, cold, evil. I couldn't do it."
"Fenra...I'm...I'm sorry."
"Coming from you that is something. Thank you Vilkas."
"Do vampires and necromancers normally work together?"
"Not as a norm, but some will ally themselves with powerful master to achieve immortality. It is not all it is cracked up to be."
"Neither is being a werewolf." Both of them laughed a bit and Vilkas waved her on to start walking. "We should be to Driftshade right before dawn."
"Good, I am itching for a good fight. They will pay for what they did to Kodlak and Skjor."
"They will."
OoO
"We killed their leader and took their precious pieces of Wuuthrad. They now know fear, the beasts are now the hunted. We will not stop til they are gone from our land." Fenra and Vilkas had made good time and were now hiding in the fort listening to the Silver Hand leader spout his hatred.
"When will we take out the others?"
"Soon, we have received word from someone that they have let a blood drinker in their midst. There is no end to their depravity."
"We should just kill them now. Why wait for them to breed and spread their filth?" Fenra turned her head and saw Vilkas was just as angry as she was. She also was curious who knew she was a vampire outside of the Companions. It hit her that it might be Tark or one of his lackeys. She was not about to wait around and find out.
"Have you heard enough?"
"Aye, it is time to end this."
"My thoughts exactly. Do you want first blood?"
"Yes."
"Then I will cover your back. Fight well."
"Fight well." She waited to hear his battle cry and broke cover right behind him. Screams and blood filled the room. The leader of the Silver Hand ran like a coward while his men died. Fenra held off the remaining men so Vilkas could go after the leader. Fenra battled, but her focus was elsewhere. The last time one of them went running into battle without a shield sibling it ended badly. She promised Farkas that his brother would come home alive and she was not about to break that promise. She growled at the remaining warriors and let her eyes turn red. Ending this quickly was the only way. She used her speed and strength to rip one of the men in half with her swords. The other two one man, one woman ran screaming from her. She caught up with the woman quickly and ripped her throat out with her fangs. The fresh blood empowered her to move faster to get to the man. He was running blindly, scared out of his mind. It was too easy. She hated resorting to her more beastly nature, but there was too much at stake. The man was easy to take down and with his heart beating so fast it filled her up quickly. Once he was dead she ran for the door she had seen Vilkas disappear behind and prayed he was alright.
OoO
"So we meet again little wolf." Vilkas stared at the armored man in front of him. He must of look confused because the man took off his helmet and threw it to the ground. Vilkas felt his blood run cold. "Remember me now little wolf?"
"I saw Jergen cut you down...how?"
"You can't kill an immortal so easily. I played dead. It is rather easy when you have no heartbeat and can hold your breath." It was then he smelled the scent of death he had smelt before on the girl he had killed just a day before. This man was a vampire.
"I will not make the same mistake."
"Yet you came with only one other person. You have to know I will not be easy to kill boy."
"Neither am I." He growled and ran at the name his sword thrust in front of him as he charged. The vampire smiled and moved faster than Vilkas had ever seen anyone move. Vilkas felt his grip break on his sword as he was thrown to the ground.
"Foolish boy, your friend is probably dead already and now I will finish what I started with you all those years ago. Pity your brother isn't here, no matter I will get to him in time." He lifted Vilkas up by the hair and tilted his head enough to expose his neck. Vilkas struggled, but could not break the vampire's grip.
"Get your filthy hands off of him Calmar!" Ferna skidded to a halt, her teeth bared at her old tormentor.
"Fenra, I am very surprised to see you back in Skyrim. Tark did not tell me it was you that had allied themselves with these mongrels."
"I guess it slipped his mind."
"I have so missed your wit my dear."
"Don't call me that you sick son of a bitch! Let him go!"
"What is he to you? A friend, oh no, maybe a lover? You would chose a beast over a god."
"Tark is no god, neither are you. I will not ask again, release him now or I swear I will drag you into the sun myself."
"Such passion Fenra, I remember it well. I would love to acquiesce, but I owe this little wolf for escaping me all those years ago." Fenra screamed as Calmar bit into Vilkas' neck. Time slowed down and she felt like her feet could not move fast enough. She jumped onto Calmar's back and dug her nails into his cheeks making him break his hold on Vilkas. He fell back and slammed her into a stone wall to shake her off. She flipped off of him and put herself between him and Vilkas.
"Hurts?" Calmar ran his hands over his face and found she had torn deep gouges in to his cheeks. He hissed at her and glared.
"I will enjoy killing you. Tark made a poor choice when..." Calmar doubled over and held his stomach.
"What's wrong Calmar his blood not sitting well?"
"I'll...I'll kill you bb...both." Fenra grinned and picked up his disguarded silver sword.
"No I think not." She grunted and chopped his head from his shoulders. "Vilkas!" She heard him groan and ran to his prone form. "Let me look at the bite."
"It's nothing, I'm fine."
"Don't be a fool, let me look at your neck." He sat up and let her tilt his head. The wound was already closing and she shook her head. "Do werewolves heal quickly?"
"Yes, and you didn't let him get much of a bite in." She threw her pack on the ground rummaging through it til she found a cure disease potion and she thrust it into his hands.
"Drink that."
"Why?"
"You were just bitten by a vampire. I don't want you to become one." Vilkas began to laugh and Fenra glared at him. "It's not funny Vilkas. I do not want to explain to Farkas that I let you become a vampire."
"You won't have to. Werewolves are immune to any and all disease, even Sanguinare Vampiris." Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes went wide.
"Really?"
"Yes, really so you have no need to worry. I will not becoming a blood sucker anytime soon."
"Can I tell you I am glad of that."
"So am I." He looked at the Calmar's headless body. "You knew him?"
"Unfortunately. He was one of Tark's higher ups. He...enjoyed torturing me as much as Tark did. Killing him gives me some satisfaction."
"He's the one who killed my parents. If Jergen hadn't..." Fenra placed her hand on his forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"You and Farkas are alive, don't dwell on the past Vilkas lest it consume you. Live for the day and the future."
"Now I see why my brother loves you. You are not what I expected."
"I will take that as a compliment. Come on let's get you off the floor and burn this bastard's body. I am not taking any chances." She held out her hand and lifted him to his feet. He walked over to the entrance door and opened it. Sunlight poured into the room and Fenra backed away from the light.
"We will have to stay here for the day. The sun is up."
"I can see that."
"At least it will give us time to find the shards they took from us." Fenra nodded as she picked Calmar's body up and threw it in the fireplace. Vilkas tossed his head right on top and watched it burn. "I wonder why your blood made him double over like that?" Vilkas gave her a side glance and opened his mouth to answer her, but closed it quickly. He made the decision to tell her, but back at Jorrvaskr where he had to other help. He was not keen on trying to corral her by himself when she changed. "Wolf blood must not agree with our palates."
"Must not. I'll look over there if you want to search the other side of the room."
"Might as well we are stuck here for at least six more hours. At least I am you could go if you wanted."
"No, we return home together. If I return without you my brother will have my hide."
"He would never hurt you Vilkas."
"You haven't seen his temper. You think I am bad, he does take longer to get mad, but when he does it is not pretty."
"It's always the quiet ones, he must have picked that up from Jergen. He was always a very even tempered boy, but make him mad and Divines help you."
"He was a good man. He treated both of us like we were his own flesh and blood."
"I am glad he grew into such a honorable man. I knew he was in good hands with Vignar and the Companions. It eased my mind after..."
"He spoke of you often, but the name he used was not the one you call yourself now. I forget the name." Fenra winced and let out a laugh.
"He was the only one I let get away calling me by my full name. Fenra is the short version of it."
"What was it?"
"Nyphenra. I hated it. My grandfather before he died started calling my Fenra and it stuck. Jergen was the only one who ever used my proper name. I really think it was my father's doing since he was the one who named me."
"I can see why you changed it. Nyphenra doesn't fit you, it sounds too much like a milk drinkers name."
"And we were doing so well with getting along. I hate being called that."
"I didn't call you that I just said it sounded like it. You are far from a milk drinker. Ah, I think I found them. Their all here."
"Good, once we get back to Whiterun we need to decide what to do about the witches."
"We do what Kodlak wrote down in the back of that book. We take their heads and try to break the curse."
"Then we better rest, we have a lot to do."
"Yes, yes we do."
