A New Dawn 5

After he had finished explaining his plan to Isran and the man had left to inform the rest of the Dawnguard, Aeros immediately began gathering his gear. Serana watched him as he moved about the room, buckling on various pieces of his armor.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and rest?" she asked. "You've barely gotten more than an hour or two of sleep since before Darkfall Cave, maybe even Ancestor Glade."

"I can rest later," Aeros said as he picked up one of his swords. "Right now, I need to alert as many allies as I can about what's going on."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Serana asked, making sure to put an emphasis on the 'we.' "The closest hold is Riften, and I don't think they're going to be able to lend us all that much support."

"Like I said, I had a feeling it would come to this," he said. "When we stopped in Whiterun, I asked Lydia to contact the rest of my housecarls and have them explain the situation to the jarls. On our way back from Darkfall, I sent a message to Lydia and the others, asking them to hurry and meet us here at Fort Dawnguard. I also asked the Companions for help and contacted the College, but there are a few others I wasn't able to get in contact with that might prove useful. If they'll even listen to me, that is."

"Well, unless they're within walking distance, I don't know how you're going to be able to talk to them."

Aeros glanced over at her and grinned. "Who said anything about walking?"

- Outside Fort Dawnguard -

Aeros and Serana walked past the members of the Dawnguard that were rushing about as they worked on preparations for the assault. Walking down the path and out of sight of Fort Dawnguard, Aeros found a large clearing. He glanced around to make sure that no one was nearby.

"So how is this going to get us anywhere faster?" Serana asked.

"Just watch," Aeros replied with a smirk. He looked up at the night sky and took a deep breath.

"OD AH VIING!" he shouted, his Thu'um echoing through the air. Serana glanced at him questioningly. The clearing fell silent again as Aeros's Thu'um faded, but he simply stood staring expectantly at the sky. Before she could say anything though, a dragon's roar sounded in the night.

She looked around in alarm. The dragon cried out again, this time sounding closer. A dark form swept over them.

"Look out!" she cried as the silhouette descended towards them. But Aeros didn't move. Instead of attacking though, the dragon slowed its descent and landed in front of them.

"Greetings, Dovahkiin," the dragon said. "Lingrah ruzun mu tinvaak. It has been a long time since we last spoke." In the pale light of the moons, Serana could see that the dragon had red scales and based off of its voice, was male.

"Hello again, Odahviing," Aeros said in reply. Serana could only listen in shock as Aeros talked to this powerful looking dragon like an old friend. "I've been a little busy lately, and haven't had much time to talk with old friends."

Odahviing laughed at that, a low rumble that seemed to make the earth shake. "You never stop rushing about, Dovahkiin. Daazun. It never ceases to amaze me. But why have you called me here? Surely it was not just for conversation."

"No," Aeros sighed, and he explained the whole situation to the dragon.

Odahviing listened until the end, before laughing again. "So you need to move quickly? Ro laan. Very well, Dovahkiin, I will carry you and your companion where you need to go. After all, there is no better way to travel than flying through the sky!"

He shifted slightly, turning so that they could climb on his back. Aeros got on first, climbing up with the practiced ease of experience. He leaned down and offered Serana a hand, pulling her up behind him. She took a while to find a comfortable spot, but finally managed to find one.

Aeros turned and looked at Serana over his shoulder. "You might want to hold on to something," he suggested.

Odahviing, sensing that they were ready, thrust off the ground with a flap of his wings. Serana lurched forward and threw her arms around Aeros as they rose off the ground.

As Fort Dawnguard dwindled quickly behind them, Aeros laughed aloud at the feeling of flying again. It had been far too long since he had flown through the skies, and he felt a surge of elation as they soared high above the ground.

Behind him, as she got used to the rhythmic movements caused by Odahviing's wings, Serana slowly eased her grip around Aeros, before finally letting go completely and looking around. She had to admit, she had never seen a view like this before, and it was perhaps the most breathtaking scene she had ever seen, even more than the Ancestor Glade or the Forgotten Vale. But as Odahviing banked to the west, she had to grab Aeros again to steady herself.

"Aeros, I swear if we fall, I'll make sure to kill you myself before we hit the ground!" she growled. But that just made him laugh even more.

- Sky Haven Temple -

"There it is!" Aeros shouted over the wind, pointing down below towards a mountain at the southern end of the valley. As Odahviing circled overhead, Serana could make out a large, flat area near the peak of the mountain, with several several buildings built in the Akaviri style, the largest of which was actually built directly into the side of the mountain.

"Odahviing, set us down at the base of the Karthspire," Aeros said to the crimson-scaled dragon. "We're trying to convince them to help us, and a dragon landing in the courtyard will only make things more difficult than they already are.

The great dovah dipped his head slightly in a nod of acknowledgement. "Very well, Dovahkiin. Mu daal wah golt. I will look for a spot to land." With a lazy flap of his wings, he began to spiral down towards the base of the Karthspire, where the remains of Nordic ruins and a more recent Forsworn camp lay. However, the camp lay empty and abandoned, the Reachmen who had once occupied it killed or driven out more than a year ago, and kept from returning by the Blades who had taken up residence in Sky Haven Temple.

With a grace belied by his size, Odahviing set down on the ground in front of the cave entrance to the Karthspire. The moment he landed, Aeros slid down from his back, before turning to help Serana down. Once they were both on the ground, Odahviing turned his head to look at Aeros.

"Zu'u fen saraan. I will await you here," he rumbled. "The joor inside would be even less pleased to see me than they will be to see you. Pruzah faraan. I wish you good luck, fahdon."

Aeros nodded in understanding. "That's fine," he said. "I don't know how long we'll be in there, so feel free to do as you please. I'll call for you when we're done."

Odahviing dipped his head in acknowledgement, and with a powerful flap of his wings, he took off into the sky, wheeling about overhead before disappearing beyond the nearby crags.

Aeros gazed in the direction the dragon had disappeared in for a while, before he eventually turned away and faced the cave entrance. "Well, no use in putting this off any longer," he said with a sigh, as he strode towards the entrance.

"Who are we here to talk with?" Serana asked as she walked alongside him. "And why did Odahviing say that they might not be happy to see you?"

"We're here to talk with the Blades," he answered as they entered the cave and made their way through the remnants of the Forsworn camp inside. "Specifically, their Grandmaster, Delphine."

"The Blades?" Serana repeated in surprise. "The former bodyguards of the Emperors? But I thought you said that the Blades helped you in stopping Alduin; why would they be unhappy to see you?"

"Because I refused to do as they asked," Aeros answered. "They asked me to betray and kill an old friend for his past crimes, and I refused to go through with their demands. We haven't exactly been on speaking terms since." He was prevented from elaborating further as they emerged into a wide fissure in the mountain that opened up to the sky above. The fissure was fairly wide, and contained several stone pillars and bridges that led up to a structure that led further into the mountain.

"Halt," a voice commanded suddenly, startling Serana. Glancing up, she found four men and women above them; one of them stood alone on the first of the stone drawbridges that crisscrossed the fissure, while the remaining three stood on the second bridge, blocking the path leading deeper into the mountain. They all wore the same style of armor, heavy steel plating reinforced with multiple overlaying bands of steel on the shoulders and upper arms, and open faced helmets that allowed Serana full view of their suspicious glares. While the foremost warrior had not drawn his weapon, his hand firmly rested on the hilt of his sword, a katana forged in the Akaviri style, and the three in the rear all carried bows, fully drawn and with arrows aimed at the intruders, ready to let loose at a moment's notice.

Aeros, however, did not seem at all surprised by the presence of what Serana could only assume to be members of the Blades, or perturbed by the weapons being pointed at him, and instead did as they directed, holding his hands up in the air to show that he meant no harm, with Serana quickly followed his example.

"Why are you here?" the lead Blade, a male Nord, demanded. "It's obvious that you didn't just accidentally wander in here by happenstance, as you move as if you are familiar with the location. So who are you?"

However, despite the man's sharp tone, and the bows being pointed at him, Aeros merely gave an easygoing grin in response. "Now is that anyway to greet an old acquaintance, Golldir?" he asked carefreely. "Don't tell me you don't recognize me?"

The Nord, Golldir, frowned at him, but his eyes widened in recognition as Aeros removed his helmet. "Aeros!" he said, startled. He immediately began to apologize for his hostile behavior. "I'm sorry, it's been a while, and I didn't recognize you in that armor. And we've had some issues in the past with Forsworn and bandits wandering in."

Aeros simply laughed. "It's fine, it's fine," he replied easily. "Although," he added, "perhaps you could do something about those rather pointy looking arrows your friends there are still pointing at us?" He nodded in the direction of the three archers, who even now had not relaxed their stance, their bowstrings still drawn tight and pointed at him and Serana.

Golldir quickly glanced back at his companions. "It's all right, everyone!" he called. "They're not a threat."

The other Blades all relaxed somewhat, and lowered their weapons. However, they didn't completely lower their guard. "Are you sure about this, Golldir?" one of them, a Bosmer, questioned. "The Grandmaster won't be happy to find out that we welcomed strangers into the temple-"

"Open your eyes, Fardel!" Golldir snapped, interrupting the elf. "This here is the Dragonborn. Show some respect!" Fardel's eyes widened in shock, and one of his two companions stifled a gasp as they stared at the new arrivals in awe.

Ignoring his comrades, Golldir turned his attention back to Aeros. "What are you doing here, Aeros?" he asked. "It's been more than a year since you last visited Sky Haven Temple, and rumor has it that you and Grandmaster Delphine parted on less than amicable terms."

"I'm well aware," Aeros replied dryly. "But I don't have time right now for past arguments and disagreements. I have something important I need to discuss with Delphine and Esbern, so can you let us through?"

Golldir gave his request some thought, but eventually nodded. "Of course," he said. "Mira, return to the temple ahead of us and notify the Grandmaster of our guests. Fardel, Alana, stay here and keep guard, while I escort the Dragonborn and his companion to the temple." The other three Blades all snapped a salute at his orders, and one of them, a Breton woman, ran off to inform Delphine of the situation, while the wood elf, Fardel, and a Nord woman, Alana, returned to their lookout posts as they kept watch for more unexpected visitors.

Golldir turned back to Aeros and Serana. "If you'll follow me," he said politely, once they had joined him on the bridge. When they nodded, he led them along the stone path, passing by the old traps that had once protected the temple from intruders and eventually reaching the ledge that led further into the mountain. As they passed through a small tunnel, they emerged in a large, stone courtyard, it's most notable feature being the large, intricate stone seal in the center, and the large doorway beyond it.

"An Akaviri blood seal," Aeros murmured to Serana as they followed Golldir, noting her stare at the seal in the center. "It was created after the construction of Alduin's Wall, and was consecrated by Emperor Reman the Second, and would only respond to the blood of a Dragonborn."

Serana eyed the seal with interest, before her interest was stolen by the massive, stone face hanging over the entrance of the temple, which Aeros informed her was supposed to be the face of Reman Cyrodiil.

Passing under the stone face, they ascended a flight of stone steps, Akaviri reliefs and imagery carved into the stone on either side. As they reached the top of the stairs, Golldir pushed open the pair of stone doors and strode inside. Aeros paused momentarily and took a deep breath, reminding himself to remain calm and keep ahold of his temper, before entering Sky Haven Temple proper, with Serana close behind.

The temple was cleaner and more well-lit than he remembered; it actually felt like someone lived there now. Glancing around the room, he spotted several men and women all going about their business, be it caring for their weapons and armor or idly chatting with each other. However, many of them had stopped what they were doing and shifted their attention to the new arrivals. Turning his attention to the great, stone table in the center of the chamber, Aeros saw an elderly Nord and a Breton woman waiting for him in front of it.

"Greetings, Dragonborn," Esbern said politely. "It is good to see you again."

Aeros inclined his head in return to the elderly Nord. "It is good to see you again as well, Esbern," he replied. "I'm glad to see you're still in good health." He then turned his attention to the woman standing next to Esbern. "Delphine."

"Aeros," she replied curtly. Despite being inside the temple, she was dressed in full Blades armor, and carried a katana at her side. "Why are you here?"

He felt a sudden spike of irritation and anger at Delphine's tone, but forced himself to remain calm. "I have something I need to discuss with you and Esbern," he answered as civilly as he could. "It's of the utmost importance." Delphine stared silently at him for several long moments, before she finally nodded. He felt a small sense of relief knowing that she was at least willing to hear him out. "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?" he asked.

Delphine nodded. "Yes, we can talk in the courtyard," she replied, before abruptly turning and walking away without another word.

Aeros sighed at her curt behavior. He glanced at Esbern, but the elderly Blade could only offer him a sympathetic shrug. "Well, this is going to be about as easy as I thought it would be," he muttered. Turning to Serana, he started to ask, "Serana, do you mind-"

"I'll wait here," she said, already knowing what he was going to ask. He nodded in thanks, before following after Delphine. Esbern paused long enough to tell her to feel free to look around as much as she liked before he followed Aeros and Delphine.

As the doors to the courtyard closed behind them, Serana curiously glanced around the main hall. She poked around a few rooms, and spent some time in the temple's armory, fascinated by the designs of the Blades' weapons and armor. She even took the time to converse with a few of the Blades, including Golldir and the Breton woman who had gone on ahead of them, Mira. Many of them were rather friendly and polite, and were just as curious about her and the Dragonborn as she was about them. Inevitably though, her attention was finally pulled to the centerpiece of the room, the huge, stone wall known as Alduin's Wall.

She gazed at Alduin's Wall in awe, staring in fascination at the elaborate reliefs carved into its surface, an ancient prophecy engraved in stone, depicting the events of Alduin's banishment and his eventual return, and of the rise of the Last Dragonborn, of Aeros. She ran her fingers over the stone carving depicting his battle with Alduin, marveling once again at the fact that she was travelling with a living legend, someone straight out of the myths that she had loved to read as a child. Of course, she thought with amusement, Aeros hardly fits the stereotypical image of a hero from those stories and myths. She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of shouting.

"This isn't some small little problem that can just be ignored, Delphine! It's something easily equal to Alduin's return!"

The doors leading out to the training grounds burst open, and in stormed a furious Delphine followed by a frustrated and equally angry Aeros. A number of Blades followed them in nervously, and those already in the main hall stopped and watched the confrontation between the Dragonborn and the Grandmaster with apprehension.

"Turn around and look at me, Delphine! Tell me to my face that you're okay with allowing Skyrim to be overrun just because of an old grudge!" Aeros was trying to keep his anger under control, but wasn't having much success.

"You know the terms we gave you, Aeros." Delphine's voice was icily calm, barely masking a fury as great as Aeros's. "Until you kill that traitor, the Blades will not assist you in any way." She turned away.

"So you're content to just sit here as the rest of Skyrim burns? As all of Tamriel falls into darkness? I never thought you were such a fool, Delphine! No, you're worse than that, you're nothing but a Nikriin, a coward!"

Delphine whirled around with a snarl, blade drawn. But Aeros was even faster. Her blade stopped several inches short of Aeros's neck, prevented from going any further by his iron-tight grip on her wrist. At the same time, the edge of his own sword was pressed against the side of her neck, the razor-sharp blade drawing a slight bead of blood from where it pricked her flesh.

It all happened in a split second, in a blur of motion almost too fast for the eye to see. But in that brief moment, Aeros sent a very clear message to Delphine.

The entire room was dead quiet as the two warriors stood staring at each other. Serana shivered at the look in Aeros's eyes. She had grown used to the warm and caring man who risked his life for the sake of others. But in that moment, all emotion was gone from his eyes, leaving only deadly intent.

"Enough of this, you two," Esbern said, placing a hand on both of their arms. "We should not fight each other."

Aeros closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Serana saw the Aeros that she knew return.

"Delphine, you have to give up on this hatred," he said quietly. "It's consuming you and makes you see every old wound as a fresh cut. You keep saying that as long I allow Paarthurnax to live, as long as I believe in a possible peace between us and the dragons, I disgrace the memories of fallen Blades. Is it so wrong of me to want peace, to seek an end to all this bloodshed?"

He sighed and lowered his sword. "If you won't help us, fine, but you can't allow your thirst for revenge against the Thalmor to turn the Blades into your own personal army to use against whomever you see fit. If you do, your hatred will kill the Blades before they even have a chance to reform."

He sheathed his sword and turned to Esbern. "Thank you for meeting with us, Esbern," he said with a respectful nod to the elderly Blade. "We'll be going now."

Motioning for Serana to follow him, Aeros left Sky Haven Temple. He didn't say a word the entire way down the mountain, not even while waiting for Odahviing to arrive. But Serana could feel the anger and frustration boiling inside him, and knew he was just barely managing to keep it under control.

As the great red dragon landed, he tilted his head upon seeing the expression on Aeros's face. "Ah, so they still still refuse to help you," he guessed.

"Of course," he grated out. "After explaining everything that was going on and asking for their help, the first thing Delphine said to me was 'Have you killed Paarthurnax yet?' The first thing! It's been over a year since I killed Alduin and it was like she didn't even hear a word of what I had said. Mey! Koraavnu pahlokaal mey!"

In his anger, his voice slipped into the dragon language, and his Thu'um made the earth shake and nearby trees to quiver. With a great force of will, he forced himself to calm down, allowing everything to return to normal.

Odahviing seemed amused by it all. "You can not expect such a strong hatred like that to disappear in such a small amount of time, Dovahkiin. Grik los lein. Even you cannot change the hearts of joor so easily."

"I know that," Aeros said with a sigh. "Even so…" He shook his head in frustration. "Come on, let's get back to Fort Dawnguard. Hopefully we won't need the Blades, if everyone got my message."

- Fort Dawnguard -

When they arrived back at the fort, Aeros and Serana were greeted by the Companions, the mages from the College, and his own housecarls. All around them, men rushed to finish preparations for the assault.

But none of those men were sent by the jarls or the Legion.

Aeros didn't even need to hear his housecarls' reports to know what had happened. The jarls had not believed him about the threat these vampires posed, and were unwilling to risk their own men for something that could be seen as an act of aggression by the other jarls.

"Not even Elisif or Balgruuf sent us any men?" he asked with a weary sigh.

Jordis shook her head. "Queen Elisif wanted to help," the blonde housecarl answered, "and was prepared to send more than two dozen of her own men and Legion soldiers, but her advisors and General Tullius recalled the men, saying that you were exaggerating the threat."

Lydia told a similar story. "Jarl Balgruuf believed you regarding the threat that the vampires pose, but the majority of his men are off dealing with a resurgence of Stormcloak activity in the southern portion of the hold and are not expected back for several days. He promised to send men as soon as he could, but it is unlikely that they will arrive in time."

"Gods damn it, I hate politics," Aeros growled. He looked at his housecarls and the others. "Well, we'll just have to make do with what we have. Thank you for trying, all of you. Is there anything else?"

One of the mages spoke up. "The leader of the Dawnguard, Isran, is holding a war meeting to finalize our strategy for the assault on the vampires' castle, and asked you to attend."

He frowned, but nodded. "Very well. Tell him I'll be there shortly, as will Serana. As for everyone else, go help where you can with the preparations. We're moving at dawn, before Harkon has a chance to learn we have the bow and strengthen his defenses even more, which means there's still a lot left to do."

They all nodded, and dispersed to assist the various members of the Dawnguard with their preparations. As the last of his allies left, he sighed tiredly. He would love nothing more than to be able to rest for even a few hours, but he couldn't just yet. That could wait until after the strategy meeting. Pushing his exhaustion aside once more, he and Serana made their way to the strategy meeting, which was being held inside Isran's "war room" inside Fort Dawnguard. They were joined by Isran and the other senior members of the Dawnguard, the Circle, and the representative for the mages from the College. Once everyone had joined them, Isran started the meeting, and they meticulously began going over the strategy for the assault and determined what each group's role would be in the battle. It went on for several hours before Isran was finally satisfied that everyone knew what the plan was and brought the meeting to an end.

Everyone slowly filed out of the war room and went their separate ways, to accomplish their assigned tasks or to inform the others as to their roles. Even Serana disappeared somewhere. One of the last to leave, Aeros stumbled into the fort's central chamber, where he leaned wearily against a wall, closing his eyes and sighing. He could feel his muscles aching, screaming at him to rest, and he was no longer able to ignore his exhaustion. But there was still so much to do, so many preparations to finish and supplies to gather...

I'll rest for just a few minutes, that's all. Just a few minutes, and then I'll get back to work...

"Harbinger?"

Aeros opened his eyes to find the Circle standing in front of him. Farkas and Vilkas looked at him in concern, while Aela simply stood back, frowning. They had noticed that he had seemed out-of-sorts during the strategy meeting, and how he had practically staggered out of the room.

"Are you all right, Aeros?" Vilkas asked. "You seem...different than usual."

Aeros waved him off. "I'm fine, Vilkas. I'm just tired. Everything's been moving so fast, I haven't really gotten the chance to rest. The past several weeks have involved me running from one end of Skyrim to the other, all the while having to keep an eye out for vampire pursuers." He saw that they still seemed concerned and laughed weakly. "Don't worry, I'll be back to normal in time for the battle. I just need a little extra rest is all."

That seemed to satisfy the brothers, although Vilkas still didn't seem fully convinced. But before he could say anything, Aela spoke up. She had been watching Aeros carefully as he talked, and moved up next to him.

"Don't worry, brothers," she said. "I will make sure our Harbinger gets the rest he needs. Now, how about you two go make sure these people know which end of a sword to hold?"

The two of them nodded and followed everyone else outside. Once they were gone, Aeros and Aela walked down the hallway towards the stairs leading up to the second floor. They walked in silence for a while, neither saying anything, before Aela finally spoke.

"So, what's really wrong, Aeros?" she asked, glancing at him out of the corner of the eye.

"I told you, I'm just-"

"Don't lie to me," she interrupted, in a voice that brooked no argument. "I've traveled with you a long time, and I've seen you run yourself ragged more than once. But I've never seen you like this. You're pale and as weak as a newborn pup. So tell me the truth. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," he replied, not looking her in the eyes. "I'm just a bit drained is all."

Aela stared at him intently, before his words clicked and her eyes widened in understanding. She stopped, and Aeros had no choice but to stop as well.

"It's because of that vampire you've been traveling with, isn't it? The one who was with you in Whiterun." He didn't answer her, and instead looking away. That was all the answer Aela needed.

"She's been feeding off you, hasn't she?" she said with a sneer. "I thought you said she wasn't like other vampires. Don't tell me you didn't know?"

"Of course I knew. I'm the one who made her drink my blood!"" Aeros said suddenly, not willing to let her pin all of the blame on Serana.

Aela was caught off-guard by that. She had been expecting him to say he had caught her feeding on him and had forgiven her or something like that, since it was in his nature to be forgiving of others. But she hadn't expected this turn of events.

"You made her...I don't understand?" she said in confusion.

Aeros sighed and leaned against a wall. "Tell me, Aela, what do you think happens to a vampire if they don't feed regularly, if they didn't drink a drop of blood for centuries?" He slowly explained what had happened on their way to Darkfall Cave. How Serana had collapsed, how he had carried her into an abandoned shack, and how he had slit his own wrist and forced her to drink his blood. He also mentioned how long he suspected it had been since Serana had last fed. The memory of how pale and weak she had looked still made him shudder.

"I'm surprised she didn't drink you dry," Aela whispered at the end.

He grinned morbidly. "She almost did. That's why I look like shit. But if she needed me to, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"And you're still recovering?"

He nodded. "We fought that crazy snow elf less than a day later. That, combined with all of the little encounters with sabre cats, Falmer, and dragons inside the Forgotten Vale, and an entire week of being pursued by vampires without rest, means that I haven't really had the chance to recover my strength. Even my magic is fizzling out right now. I barely managed to fix my ribs after Vyrthur decided to drop a roof on me, and could barely keep a flame going right now. I've pretty much kept going only through sheer willpower."

"And you still plan on facing this Harkon before you're fully recovered?" Aela questioned in disbelief.

Aeros closed his eyes. "I don't have a choice," he told her grimly. "I'm not going to let him continue to threaten Skyrim or Serana. The plan is to leave tomorrow morning just after dawn. If we're traveling by horse and wagon, that means that we should have at least a few days before we reach Castle Volkihar. That will give me plenty of time to rest and recover."

He flashed her a grin, one that looked more like the Aeros she knew. "Don't worry, you're talking to the man who killed the dragon god of destruction. I'll beat Harkon, even if it's through sheer Nord stubbornness and not knowing when to give up."

Aela stared at him. She had known for a long time that he was a brave and honorable man, always thinking of others before himself. It was one of the reasons why Kodlak had chosen him to be the new Harbinger of the Companions. And what she was hearing right now only added to her admiration and respect for him.

"You really care for her, don't you?" she asked softly. "To push yourself so far for her sake…"

"Of course I do," he replied. "She's a good friend and...someone very dear to me. Being with her, I feel happy and at ease in a way I haven't felt for a very long time." He accidentally revealed more than he meant to, but he was so exhausted that he simply didn't have the energy to keep up the charade any longer, either to himself or others.

Aela smirked at him, her expression a strange mixture of respect, envy, and what almost looked like regret. "Finally being honest with yourself, huh?" She nodded slowly. "All right, I'll believe in you, Harbinger. After all, you have not let us down before."

He smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, Aela, that means a lot. But can you do me a favor? Don't tell anyone else about this, not even Vilkas and Farkas. They'll all have enough on their minds once the battle starts. The last thing they need is to be worrying about me and get distracted during the battle.

Aela hesitated, but finally nodded reluctantly. "Very well," she promised. "I won't tell anyone about this. It'll be just between you and me. Now come on, let's get you upstairs so you can rest."

The two of them slowly made their way upstairs. Neither of them noticed the flicker of movement as someone darted around the corner. As they ascended the stairs, Serana pressed her back against the wall, her eyes stinging as she blinked them rapidly. She had come back to check on Aeros when she noticed that he hadn't left with everyone else, and had inadvertently eavesdropped on his and Aela's conversation, and now struggled to come to terms with what she had overheard.

She had known Aeros had been in bad shape ever since their fight with Vyrthur, maybe even before that, since he had given her his blood. But she had never realized just how bad his condition was, as he had never mentioned it to her or given any hint, not even when they had been fleeing for their lives from the Volkihar. And now here he was, preparing to go up against her father while he was still recovering, even with both his magic and body threatening to give way, all for her sake.

"Oh, Aeros," she whispered, unable to stop the tears in her eyes from spilling over. "You stubborn fool…"

Author's Notes: The final preparations for the attack on Castle Volkihar! Everything is rushing together, as the Dawnguard prepares to battle the vampires. Also, I've always thought Delphine was kind of a bitch to you after you defeated Alduin. "Good job! Now go kill Paarthurnax." Just my personal opinion.

Characters:

Odahviing: The former right hand of Alduin. In order to find where Alduin had retreated to after your battle with him on the Throat of the World, you managed to capture Odahviing in Dragonsreach, with Balgruuf's help. He revealed the location to you, and flew you to Skuldafn, later swearing allegiance to you upon your defeat of Alduin. In this version of events, Aeros and Odahviing have since then become close friends, and Aeros often calls upon the red dragon purely for a bit of conversation or companionship.

Golldir: A Nord warrior, Aeros once helped him rid his family's resting place, Hillgrund's Tomb, of a necromancer who had taken it over. Aeros later on recruited him into the Blades as part of his effort to help rebuild the order.

Fardel: A Bosmer, and a member of the reformed Blades. He was brought into the order after Aeros cut ties with them following Delphine and Esbern's demand that he kill Paarthurnax.

Mira: A Breton, she joined the order after Aeros left. However, she and many others have heard tales of how the Dragonborn helped reform the Blades from their seniors, and hold him in high regard.

Alana: A Nord, she joined the Blades along with her friend Mira, after hearing rumors of the order's reformation. Like Mira, she looks up to Aeros, despite Grandmaster Delphine's rather hostile attitude towards him.

Delphine: One of the last surviving Blades and the current Grandmaster. Her role was to help you discover why the dragons were returning. That, and be a total bitch.

Esbern: A surviving member of the Blades. He was one of their archivists and he assists and guides you throughout your quest to stop Alduin. The voice for the original Skyrim trailer.

Jarl Elisif the Fair: Widow of the late High King Torygg, and Jarl of Solitude. Following the conclusion of Skyrim's civil war, she was elected High Queen by the Moot.

Jarl Balgruuf the Greater: The Jarl of Whiterun, Jarl Balgruuf plays a key role in the events of Skyrim, such as allowing the Dragonborn to use his keep to capture Odahviing. He is well known for his refusal to take sides in the civil war, his first loyalty being to Whiterun and its people. He eventually agrees to join the Imperial side after the Stormcloaks move to sack his city.

General Tullius: Leader of the Legion in Skyrim. Despite the civil war being over, he is kept busy helping maintain the peace in Skyrim and dealing with remnants of the Stormcloak army.

Kodlak Whitemane: Former Harbinger of the Companions. Sought to cure himself of the beast blood and go to Sovngarde, and was granted his wish after death thanks to the actions of Aeros and the Circle. He served as a mentor figure for Aeros when he first joined the Companions, and was always a welcomed source of advice.

Dragon Language:

Lingrah ruzun mu tinvaak = Long since we last spoke

Daazun = Amazement

Ro laan = Balanced/Fair request

Mu daal wah golt = We will return to the ground

Zu'u fen saraan = I will await

Joor = Mortals

Pruzah faraan = Good fortune

Fahdon = Friend

Nikriin = Coward

Mey = Fool(s)

Koraavnu = Blind

Pahlokaal = Arrogant

Grik los lein = Such is the world