Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

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Chapter 14

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Evening

Responding to the sound to his wife's voice, Forester stirred.

"Wha… wha's goin' on?" Rena's voice sounded slurred.

Forester didn't try to immediately reply. In general, he felt just as sluggish and groggy as she sounded. Added to that, he was not feeling at all comfortable. The dull ache in his left shoulder seemed to represent at least some part of that discomfort. With a start, he quickly recalled where he was and those last moments before his mind became engulfed by a pressing darkness. His eyelids parted to inform him that a dim light source was located nearby.

Forester quickly learned that his free movement was quite restricted. He found that his hands were restrained. A set of manacles on a very short chain had been fitted to his wrists and his boots appeared to be strapped together in some fashion. With some effort, he managed to wriggle and swing himself up into a sitting position. That relatively minor exertion seemed far more difficult than he anticipated, exacerbating the aching in his shoulder.

From that raised position, Forester could see the burning lantern sitting upon the stone floor just a few paces beyond his feet. He had no idea of what happened to the other two lanterns. Nevertheless, that light informed him of the nature of the restriction upon his legs. His boots has been firmly bound by long leather strips, in a manner that would prevent any free movement. It required some amount of effort to part his knees just a little. Without assistance, there seemed little hope of managing to work those bindings loose at all.

Near to Forester on his right, Rena was still lying down on her back upon the stone floor. Her hands were bound at the wrist with rope. Her arms folded up across her chest, so that her fists sat just below her chin. Her boots were bound in a similar manner to his own, but by making use of strips of linen in place of leather. He could see no outward indication of serious injury. Unless he'd been dreaming, he was prepared to assume that she must have awoken, since it was her voice that brought him to full wakefulness. However, her eyes remained closed, with a slightly pained expression.

Forester quickly noted Ras'Dar lying upon his side just next to Rena. Since he had back to them, he couldn't quite see the state of the Khajiit, but assumed he was similarly restrained. Quickly turning his head to the left, Forester saw that Alex was lying just next to him, then Monika, with the Penitus Oculatus Inspector at the far end. As far as he could tell, each of them had been restrained in some similar fashion to his own bindings, except for Alex. It seemed that Alex had his hands bound at his back and he'd been gagged as well. He had yet to properly consider the possible rationale of that particular circumstance.

Forester returned his attention to his wife. Uncertain of the whereabouts of their captor, he tried to keep his voice to a harsh whisper. "Rena. Rena, are you alright?"

She still hadn't opened her eyes. "Hmm? Yeah, thinkso. Got a headache… an' a sore arse. Pro'ly landed on it."

"Why haven't you opened your eyes?"

She opened her eyes partway, wincing. "Cos I got a headache. Tolja."

"Are you certain you're alright. You're voice… you're slurring."

She sighed. "Yeah, well. I'm feelin' like… likethe mornin' after… after puttin' down a coupla bottles of wine the night b'fore."

"Did you hit your head?"

"Dunno. Might've. Can't be all that bad."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but I'm good 'nough. See anythin'?"

With passing awareness of a dry mouth, Forester hesitated. "Not much. All of us appear to be bound, but I have not yet seen who might be responsible for our…"

With his arms beneath him, Alex wriggled about on his back in a state of alarm, bumping Forester with his legs. A muffled angry grunt emerged from behind his gag. He shook his head in frustration, unable to gain purchase to raise himself up from the stone floor.

Forester tried to shift position, moving his manacled hands over toward Alex's head.

A deep male voice rang out from the shadows, from beyond the reach of the pool of light cast from the lantern on the floor. "Leave the Nord's muzzle in place. There's no need to make this any more difficult."

With some hesitation, Forester stopped trying to reach Alex. He turned his attention toward the shadows where the voice had come from. He repositioned himself slightly and brought his manacled hands up a little.

The voice spoke again. "That won't have any affect. You will find that the enchantments upon those shackles will keep you from summoning magicka."

Forester noted a subtle tingling sensation through the cold iron of his manacles. He suspected some sort of 'silencing' enchantment capable of doing precisely what his captor suggested. That understanding brought him no comfort.

The stranger had yet to show his face. Though he spoke quite clearly in the common tongue, the accent seemed terribly difficult to identify. Forester thought it was possibly a mix of more than one accent, though he couldn't quite place which ones that might be.

Forester strained to see where the voice was coming from. However, the glare from the lantern interfered with his ability to see into the shadows beyond.

Only a brief moment passed by before a tall figure stepped forward from the darkness. His dark cloak provided little indication of anything of note. A mane of long white hair represented a start contrast to the cloak. Apart from his height, his gaunt facial features and pointed ears revealed an obvious Altmer heritage, if nothing else.

Forester did think that he saw something unusual as the stranger passed from the dim periphery into the pool of lantern light. For just a brief instant, he thought that he saw the blood red eyes more typical of a Dunmer. The stranger's eyes seemed to quickly flicker toward an orange colour, then resolved to a yellowish shade more common to some Altmer. Though unsettling, it seemed to be no more than a trick of the light.

Pausing just near the lantern, the stranger spoke again. "Since all of you are now awake, there are matters to be discussed."

Forester's gaze darted quickly to the right, then the left. Though he was aware that both Rena and Alex were awake, he'd seen no indication of anything from the others.

The tall Altmer bent down and took hold of the lantern. He took two steps to his left, setting the lantern upon an old wooden crate by the stone wall. Forester had not noticed the crate before that moment. With the elevated lantern casting the light a little further afield, he then saw the pile of weapons, shields and other items sitting well beyond their reach, near that wall on the right. He could just barely see the entrance to a dark passageway off behind the Altmer and another dark passage situated some distance away off to the left. The two darkened drainage outlets in the ceiling up above led him to think that they might still be in that same chamber where they'd fallen, but he couldn't be quite certain of that. After all, it was fair to presume that many of the chambers of that part of the sewer probably looked just like that.

In a matter-of-fact tone, the stranger resumed. "The Khajiit has been awake for some time, trying to maintain the appearance that he is not. It is the same with the Imperial spy. The half-breed female is remaining silent, but she has been trying to observe my movement though the shadows for some time now."

Responding to the verbal slight, Monika broke her silence. "Who are you?" After two attempts, she managed to awkwardly swing herself up into a sitting position.

Maintaining some distance, but shifting a couple of steps closer, the stranger folded his arms behind his back, looking toward to her with an affected air of indifference. His tone remained impassive. "My name is unimportant. You can be certain that it would hold no meaning for you."

Rena added her voice. "Still wanna know who you are." She hadn't bothered with trying to sit up.

The tall Altmer's outward expression seemed to indicate that he was unmoved by the demand. Then, he tilted his head slightly to one side. "Very well. You may call me Ancient."

Forester came to a conclusion that suddenly seemed quite obvious to him. "I believe that he's a vampire."

Rena struggled a little, trying to improve her view. "Doesn't look like one."

Though his colouring seemed typical of any Altmer, Monika seemed to require less convincing. "He's a vampire… of some kind. But still a vampire."

With a slow movement, the Ancient inclined his head slightly, in something like a nod of acknowledgment. "Yes, of some kind. Though not of any kind that any of you have likely encountered before."

"Still a vampire." Monika made no effort to conceal her contempt.

The Ancient paused a brief moment, but reflected no outward reaction to her contemptuous tone. "Yes, if you like. There are however many different kinds of vampires across the lands. I do not expect that any of you have known the likes of myself. To the best of my knowledge, I'm the last of my kind."

Ras'Dar managed to wriggle about until he was also sitting up, but maintained his silence. Also remaining silent, Baywater hadn't tried to sit up, but shifted slightly so that he could see their captor a little better.

Forester cleared his throat. "So then, do you mean to kill us or feed upon us?"

The Ancient looked directly to Forester with knitted brow, then quickly relaxed his expression to a more neutral state. "No, not if I don't need to. Neither of those options would be among my first choices." He paused to glance at some of his captives. "I certainly have no taste for Khajiiti blood or life-force. I suppose that there are at least two of you that might provide for more interesting flavour. However, I have no plans to indulge such idle curiosity."

Though she didn't really want to know, Rena pressed him. "So, what ARE you planning, bloodsucker?"

The Ancient glared at her briefly with an expression of distaste. Her antagonistic tone seemed to have strained his affectation of civility, if only momentarily.

Forester drew attention back toward himself. "If you're not planning to kill us or hold us as cattle, then what? Are you meaning to enthral us as servants? Are you intending to make more of your kind?"

The Ancient shook his head in an exaggerated fashion. His expression conveyed that he thought that Forester's words seemed suitably absurd. He glanced upward, as though he could see through the stone to the city overhead. "In light of current circumstances in the city above, I do not expect that the disappearance of five members of the Fighters Guild would go unnoticed. More so, given your current task. An agent of your Emperor's soldier-spies going missing during that task would only add further unwelcomed complications. It has already become inconveniently crowded down here."

Baywater appeared slightly agitated as he again shifted position on the stone floor, struggling a little with his restraints. It was fair to think that his unease was reaction to the vampire's words. The Ancient seemed to know far too much of things that were not outwardly evident. Baywater's status with the Penitus Oculatus was one such example.

Suspecting that Baywater might be up to something, Forester tried to keep the Ancient talking. "I take it that the vampire that we killed earlier was one of yours?"

"Yes, he was. In my service, at least." His expression hardly altered at all.

"Killing one of yours has not angered you?"

"No, not at all. I suppose that you've done me a favour or sorts. Soon or later, I was going to have to dispose of him." The Ancient paused. "He was not of my kind and not at all worthy of my trust. The disobedience of Strabo drew me back to this part of the tunnels. He'd already repeatedly ignored my summons, as he'd done before upon a number of occasions. He was under orders to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. Instructed not to feed or kill unless by my direct consent." He shook his head in disappointment. "The return did not readily balance with the effort of trying to maintain his servitude."

The ancient vampire casually turned toward Baywater. "As you have already learned, the sharpened trinket was removed. You needn't bother to attempt reaching the blade that was in your boot, or those other items that you thought hidden. I have been quite thorough."

For the first time, Baywater seemed like he might have been struggling to suppress his anger. Nevertheless, he remained silent.

Since Forester's words had apparently provoked no direct hostility and seemingly appealed to some talkative aspect of the Ancient's nature, he kept to that tactic. "Am I to surmise that you are an agent of some sort, from the Aldmeri Dominion? Were those foreign Bosmer under your instruction? Assassins sent to kill the Emperor and the royal family?"

The Ancient blinked in an unexpected fashion, shaking his head just barely, as though a moth had just flittered about his face. "Don't be absurd. Those Valenwood Bosmer are of no interest to me. If anything, their activities have brought me unnecessary inconvenience. I hold little interest in the affairs of current political turmoil. If anything, I'd much prefer that your Emperor was doing a better job of maintaining order across the lands."

That wasn't exactly what Forester was expecting to hear. "So, you have no affiliation with the Altmer of the Aldmeri Dominion?"

"Of course not. Such things are of little interest to me. Though I was once of Altmer bloodline, that is clearly no longer the case." He waved a hand dismissively. "In my view, that so-called Aldmeri Dominion seems nothing more than another flawed endeavour. An energetic folly built upon the conceit of an ill-informed notion of forgotten times." He shook his head. "A future which fails to recognise the past… Well, it did not succeed on the previous occasion."

"So, you are saying that you do not support the current Altmer regime?"

The Ancient released a heavy sigh, if only illustrate his thoughts. "As I said, no."

Forester silently stared at the Ancient for a lengthy moment. Given what he'd already observed of the ancient's tendency to freely elaborate with only a minimum of discretion, he was expecting something more. He waited a further moment with an expectant expression.

The vampire obliged. "Brief lives lead to short memories. Though those Altmer of the isles live longer than your kind, it seems that they do not endure long enough to recall the past with any lasting clarity. The world has changed far too much to rationally pursue any goal of returning it to an imagined state of past glories. Whether by rule, or by other measures of alliance, the future of Tamriel would be far better served by the relatively peaceful coexistence of the races and regions. Were the Akaviri to return to these shores for a third time, in any great number…" He paused to shake his head again. "Still, those matters are only indirectly related in this particular moment."

Forester's expression conveyed his sense of confusion. He seemed at a loss to recognise the motivations of the ancient vampire. "I do not understand. Since you seem clearly capable of… well, placing all of us in this position… You say that you have no intention of harming us or feeding upon us… and you claim no political affiliation with the Aldmeri Dominion… What is it that you want of us?"

The Ancient pursed his lips before responding. "If it were not for the poorly executed and perhaps ill-advised actions of those Valenwood Bosmer, none of you would even be down here. None would be aware of my brief and passing presence below this city. I would have been and gone from this place without causing further concern for anyone of note. Least of all, myself. However, since circumstances have served to disrupt the privacy of my activity, I see an opportunity to negotiate for a mutually favourable outcome."

Rena responded in an incredulous tone. "You wanna make a deal?"

Forester shot her a sharp glance, silently urging her restraint. The Ancient seemed to have been making quite an effort to maintain an air of civility. Given the severity of their current situation, Forester hoped to explore the possibility of anything that did not result in the vampire deciding that it was just easier to kill them and depart. "What is it that you are proposing?"

Maintaining a generally neutral expression, it appeared that the Ancient had chosen to ignore Rena's outburst. He kept his focus directed toward Forester. "As I suggested, a mutually favourable outcome." He paused momentarily. "You and yours have been tasked with apprehending those Valenwood Bosmer, alive if possible. After a fashion, that also suits my liking." He paused again. "I'll see to it that the fugitives are apprehended and delivered to your Emperor's people. With all due credit to yourselves, of course. I only require that I be permitted to complete my business and depart the city without interference."

Forester noted that both Rena and Monika were struggling to remain quiet. Both seemed as though they had something inflammatory to say, and it looked as though some measure of effort was required to contain that instinct. Alex had little choice in that respect, but his eyes spoke volumes, still radiating his sense of anger and frustration. Both Ras'Dar and Baywater had evidently chosen to remain perfectly silent. Both seemed a little harder to read.

Though the notion of any negotiation appeared clearly one-sided, Forester pressed just a little. "What kind of business? Are you here in the city to kill someone else or something of that nature?"

Before returning to his neutral expression, the Ancient raised and lowered his brows, expressing passing surprise that Forester was even asking those questions. "No, nothing of a sort. I only mean to retrieve an item of importance to myself and then be on my way."

Forester furrowed his brow. "Some sort of magical artefact? An item of rare power, perhaps?"

The Ancient pursed his lips before responding. "No, nothing like that."

Forester appeared somewhat dissatisfied with that terse response. It stood in stark contrast to most of his previous lengthy musings. "I would imagine that the fall of the Septim Dynasty might well have begun with an agent of the Mythic Dawn cult seeking out an unspecified item."

The ancient vampire seemed just slightly annoyed at the tone of Forester's veiled accusation. "It… it is a personal item. Something of sentimental value. Of no tangible value to anyone but myself." He paused, restoring his composure. "It was taken from me. I want it back in my possession. It is as simple as that."

"How's this deal s'posed to work?" Monika kept her question as direct and short as possible.

Forester tried to maintain the Ancient's focus. "Am I to believe that you intend to bring the Bosmer assassins to us and merely send us on our way?"

The vampire held Forester's gaze. "No, some assurances will need to be met. I still have three in my service. Two local vampires and a mortal thrall. I have already tasked them with monitoring the activities of those Valenwood Bosmer. They will be instructed to apprehend the five remaining fugitives, alive if possible, and bring them to me at the proper time."

"Five?" Rena interrupted.

The Ancient continued. "Yes, I understand that you are aware only of those three that escaped into the tunnels below that fighter's arena. There are two others that were below the trading segment of the city. I expect that circumstances may force them to regroup shortly."

Forester frowned. "What circumstances?"

"The Imperial soldiers above have secured all the accessible ways in and out of these tunnels. I suspect that the fugitives will either try to wait them out, or else they may choose to make use of the poisons they are carrying. That would make it rather difficult to bring them in alive. In that respect, the passage of time may soon become an urgent matter."

Forester sounded suspicious. "How is it that you know all of this?"

The Ancient waved his hand outward, then returned it to his side. "I have maintained regular contact with each of my remaining charges. They have kept me well informed."

"Contact?"

"I have my ways. I am an Ancient."

Forester interpreted that as indication that he wasn't about to learn the specifics. He suspected that an ancient vampire might well possess abilities of which he was not aware. He also reasonably suspected that he might be well versed in other certain magical skills that were not commonly known to even the most knowledgeable scholars of the Arcane University.

Forester returned to the matter at hand. "So then, how do you intend to enforce the terms of any agreement?"

The Ancient nodded slowly. "As I said, some assurances will need to be met. Of course, I will consent to releasing some of you to return to your superiors, in order to secure this agreement. I'm fully prepared to secure the apprehension of those fugitives and deliver them in the best state possible. However, there can be no purpose to this agreement, if I am not granted what I require."

"Some of us? You intend to hold hostages?" Forester sought clarity.

"Yes, of course. That would only be prudent." His expression indicated that he thought that aspect was perfectly evident. "Know also, that once I have completed my business, I will dispose of those two vampires and their mortal disciple. They would cause no further concern for anyone of this city."

Rena reacted. "You'd kill your own kind, just to seal a deal?"

The Ancient held his composure. "They are not of my kind. Though they believe they might find advantage in attaching themselves to my purpose, I hold each of them in rather low regard. No more than convenient tools. They are merely rogues, dismissed by the remnants of the Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order. By your own measure, they are already dead."

Rena glowered, but offered no verbal counter.

The Ancient appeared either unaffected or disinterested of her opinion. He shifted his attention further toward his right, gesturing directly to Baywater. "You hold a position of only limited authority. However, you have access to those with the authority necessary to secure agreement to my terms."

With some effort, Baywater swung up to a sitting position to look directly up to the face of the Ancient. He tried to reflect the neutral expression of the vampire. "Assurances?"

The Ancient raised his eyebrows. "You have my word."

"Your word?" The inspector kept his tone mostly in check.

"The transaction is simple. I have my requirements. You have your requirements."

Baywater paused before responding. "You don't seem like you can be trusted."

"Trust is hardly at issue. Mutual precautions to achieve a mutually favourable outcome. Even so, the greater risk is my own."

Baywater paused a moment. "You talk too much and know too much. And there still has to be more you're not saying."

The Ancient waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Exercising appropriate caution, I have remained as open as I am willing to be. The terms are perfectly simple. I will deliver the Valenwood Bosmer and dispose of the threat of those others under my influence. Provided that my own requirements are met, the hostages will be returned unharmed."

After a further moment of silence, Baywater responded. "Understood."

The Ancient resumed. "Of course, if I am forced to pursue alternatives to ensure my own freedom of movement, there will be unfortunate consequences. I would prefer that it did not need to come to that."

"The hostages?" Baywater probed for clarification.

The Ancient returned his gaze in Forester's direction. "The hostages will remain unharmed, provided my requirements are met. I will hold the mage and the Nord with the unusual bloodline."

Forester glanced to Monika, noting her disagreeable expression.

"No, not her." The vampire gestured toward Alex.

Alex's eyes flared, but he was in no position to utter a verbal protest, or otherwise offer anything of his opinion on the matter.

Forester cleared his dry throat, noting his growing thirst. "Why us?"

The Ancient hesitated before offering his reasoning. "As I stated, the Imperial agent is in the best position to negotiate for my requirements with his superiors. Of course, the Khajiit is of no use to me. The two females are best motivated to see that each of their mates are returned to them unharmed. Added to that, I understand that both of you are known to the son of the Emperor in a favourable light."

With a frown, Forester opened his mouth.

The Ancient anticipated the likely question. "Never mind how I know. It is enough that I know."

Forester looked to Monika again, seeking her view.

Monika glanced down to Alex. Her expression conveyed her frustration. She held up her bound hands. "Don't like it one bit, but doesn't look like we got a whole lot of choice."

Rena spoke up. "I don't like it either."

Forester turned to look to his wife with apprehensive concern.

Stepping over toward the stone wall, the Ancient spoke again. "None of us have a great deal of choice in this. Each of us will do what we must." He bent down to retrieve two satchels, an unlit lantern and a short blade.

Ras'Dar appeared alarmed as he saw the blade in the vampire's hand. With a sweeping hand gesture from the Ancient, the Khajiit slumped back down to the stone floor.

The Ancient gestured again and Forester slumped forward onto his knees.

Rena sounded alarmed. "What are you doing?"

The vampire maintained his calm demeanour. "No need for concern. They are merely sleeping."

Monika leaned over Alex. Evidently, he'd also been rendered unconscious.

Slinging the two satchels about his shoulders, the Ancient set down the lantern and approached Ras'Dar's prone body with the blade in his hand. With swift movement, he cut the straps binding the Khajiit, then tossed the blade back toward the pile of weapons and other items.

The Ancient spoke calmly. "When the Khajiit awakens, he can release the rest of you, so that you can be on your way. I will be taking these two with me to another location."

"Taking them where?" Rena glared up at the Ancient.

"Another location." The vampire returned the glare. His expression seemed to carry enough menace that he deemed it unnecessary to issue any verbal threat.

Though her expression clearly conveyed her contempt, Rena held her tongue.

The Ancient reached down and forward. Gripping Forester by his manacles and the bindings about his boots, he slid him away from his wife toward the centre of the chamber. After offering Monika a similar expression of warning, taking care to lift his head, he moved Alex in a similar manner.

Shifting the two prone forms into position, the vampire hooked the unlit lantern to Forester's manacles, then hoisted both he and Alex, to hold one under each arm.

He paused a moment to make a final address. "Do not attempt to follow me. Once you have secured agreement, return to this place. I will know when you have arrived. I will also know if you have returned with additional forces. That would be most unwise. Do not place the lives of your companions in unnecessary jeopardy."

With Forester and Alex held firmly under his arms, the Ancient turned about and departed quickly, leaving via the darkened passageway leading deeper into the sewers.

~O~