Chapter 29: The Chase

Alessia

The morning was cool and blessedly dry. Only a light dew clung to the grass and leaves. A slow moving fog lingered in the fields and on the roads. The air smelt fresh and clean. For a few hours, the world seemed peaceful. Jasa rode on to the east at a slow, lumbering pace. Though the sky was clear, the road was still a bit muddy and hard to travel through. No matter. Alessia's wound and vision were fully healed. She'd taken the time that morning to stitch her leather armor too. It was quick, sloppy work, but it would hold until they found better accommodations to repair it properly.

Serana at her back sighed happily and pulled herself closer to Alessia. Wolf thrummed, satisfied to have her mate so close. They'd spent the entire afternoon and night wrapped in each other's arms. It had been one of the best days in Alessia's recent memory. They were married. Part of her could hardly believe it. Perhaps not in the eyes of some people, those who believed in the blessings of the Gods for such things. A formal wedding at the Temple of Mara and such. But there was no need in Alessia's opinion.

It was not uncommon in the more remote parts of the world for an exchanging of vows to be acceptable when priests or monks who performed the "proper" ceremony were scarce. Alessia, though she herself wasn't very religious, had asked for Mara's blessing nonetheless. Done so while Serana slept in her arms that very night. As per her wife's wishes, and Serana was her wife, a formal ceremony at the Temple of Mara wasn't going to happen. So the prayer would have to do. Mara, the Mother-Goddess and Goddess of Love, could either accept it or not. Didn't matter to Alessia either way. If anyone had anything to say about it other than "congratulations", they were going to lose some teeth.

They rode until the sun started its slow descent from the sky, stopping to give Jasa a break and for a rest themselves. Serana helped Alessia brush the big mare down, and even snuck her a few apple slices while she thought Alessia wasn't looking. Their loyal horse cared for, the two settled for a small meal of bread and cheese under a large pine tree before continuing on their way.

When night fell, they were relieved to find a fairly large Falkreath garrison in the ruins of Helgen. The guard captain, a man Alessia had only seen a handful of times, welcomed them warmly and offered them shelter for the night. They graciously accepted, claiming a small area within Helgen's walls and a fair distance away from the other guards for themselves. The tent was the work of a few minutes. Jasa was unsaddled, brushed again, fed and watered. Their meal was simple, one of the younger guards was kind enough to offer them a portion of the meal the guards had prepared for themselves. A hearty beef stew with a mix of root vegetables. They thanked him, and he left seeming pleased with himself.

"I think he likes you." Serana teased. "Your bowl is fuller than mine."

"Too young." Alessia chuffed and winked at her wife. "I like an older woman. Emphasis on the woman."

"Older by four thousand years." Serana's eyes gleamed with amusement as she sipped at the bowl. The young guard hadn't given them spoons, and neither really felt like leaving the tent and digging through their supplies to find them. "Guess that means I like younger women."

"Cradle robber." Alessia grinned as Serana nearly choked on her stew in laughter.

Once she'd regained herself, Serana paused. "You know… It just occurred to me, I don't know how old you are."

"Three and two." She said.

Serana blinked. "I wouldn't have guessed. You don't look a day over twenty-five."

Alessia nodded. It was a common mistake, but one that wasn't unexpected for a werewolf. "I've been a werewolf for over a decade. I stopped aging normally when I was nineteen."

Her wife was quiet for a few moments, glaring into the remains of her dinner. Alessia was about to ask what was bothering her, when Serana smiled. "I was twenty-nine when I became a vampire."

"Huh." Alessia returned the smile. "So aside from the four thousand years you were asleep, which I don't think should count towards your age since technically you didn't live those years, I am actually older than you are."

"That's just when I became a vampire, not when my mother sealed me away. I spent a few decades as a vampire before that."

"Well, damn. You really are a cradle robber then."

Serana laughed again. "You're terrible."

"Maybe." Alessia grinned impishly as she sat the empty bowl aside. "But then again… I didn't marry a virtual toddler."

Her mate let out a disgusted sound and took a playful swipe at her. Expecting it, Alessia caught Serana's hand and pulled her towards her. Her wife could have resisted, but she didn't. Alessia kissed her fiercely then lay her mate back onto their bedrolls. Her hands gripped Serana's breast over the cloths, and thrummed at the small gasp.

"Alessia," Serana said breathlessly once Alessia released her mouth in favor of her neck. "Should we do this here? I know I- Oh, Gods… I-I know I said I didn't care when we were in Riverwood, but…"

Though her words were reasonable, Serana's body contradicted her argument. She'd wrapped one leg around Alessia's hip while her hands clawed into her back. Wolf chuckled, releasing the first button on her wife's shirt with her teeth then licking at the exposed flesh. It made Serana moan.

"The guards aren't on the other side of the river, Love. They're right over-" Her mate gasped again when Alessia's hand snaked under the rim of her pants and solidly gripped her backside. The talk was amusing since she knew very well Serana didn't care about being overheard. Hell, all the patrons at the Dead Man's Drink had heard them having sex. Repeatedly and loudly. But…

Alessia lifted herself up, removing her hands from her wife with an exaggerated sigh. Poor Serana looked disheveled and exasperated. A little irked even. "Alright. If you really don't want-"

Quick as lightning, Serana leapt upwards and viciously pulled Alessia back down. Though there would be an attempt to be quiet, but it appeared they were going to make a racket after all. Good.


The old dirt roads were still slightly damp from the rain. It appeared to have followed them from the Pine Forests all the way to the eastern mountains. From the garrison at Helgen to Lake Honrich the two had raced against the storm clouds. They might have considered continuing on to Fort Dawnguard had the weather not turned so foul. It was just lucky they'd made it to Riften before the really bad weather set in.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed all throughout the night, letting Alessia sleep for no more than half an hour at a time. If not the crashing thunder, than the persistent dreams. Eventually, she gave up on sleep and pulled herself from the bed and her sleeping Serana. Her wife snored gently in her dreaming. Alessia grinned, touching her cheek lightly before going downstairs to work on repairing her armor. Maybe even get her wedding ring enchanted. How Serana could sleep with all that thundering racket was beyond her.

Oh, well… The armor really did need fixing. Now was as good a time as any, she guessed.

Honeyside hadn't a proper forge like Breezehome, but the small space she'd set aside as her workshop away from home would serve just fine. At least for the time being. Though she feared the armor might be on it's last leg. Even before all the injuries she'd sustained these past few months, the armor was in dire need of a replacement. If Alessia only had the time to remake the design. But that wasn't going to happen. Maybe it was time she pulled her other suit out of it's retirement. Though just as light and mobile, the dragon scale was nowhere near as… stealthy as the leather she preferred. It would, however, hold up better in a fight. Alessia sighed and began restitching the punctures made by Arnbjorn's fangs. Damned wolf…

The dragon scale would most certainly, and most royally, piss off some of the Dov. Others would approve whole heartedly at the display of her victories over their kind. Paarthurnax and Odahviing were of the latter. They not only approved, but encouraged the demonstration of her power and status among the Dov. Perhaps it was something she would consider. Wings weren't something she'd tried to create for herself, though she had no doubt a Thu'um could be crafted to do so. Part of the reason was because Alessia honestly had no idea where to start. Nor did she believe she had the power to create a Thu'um of her own. The armor would have to do, should she choose to go that route, but…

"Hmm." Alessia looked at the armor in her hands, satisfied with the repair, and thought. There was one person she knew who might be able to help with the Thu'um. He was dead, but that hadn't stopped him from helping her kill Alduin. "Hun Kaal."

The Shout was whispered as to not wake Honeyside's two other sleeping occupants. Slowly, the ghostly form of an old man appeared next to Alessia's worktable. His hair was long, white and braided from both temples down to the nape of his neck. The robes he wore were dark with a bit of unidentifiable fur coming out of the sleeves. Though she could see through the apparition, the swirling tattoos on his cheeks stood out quite well. He looked around the room for a moment, gathering his bearings, then focused on Alessia.

"Hello Felldir." She said in greeting.

"Dovahkiin. It is good to see you." The old hero smiled. "Gormlaith has not stopped speaking of your battle against an undead dragon. Hakon is quite perturbed."

Alessia chuckled. "Tell him I promise to call upon him when next I am of need. But that isn't why I called you from Sovngarde, old friend."

Felldir looked about them, a mischievous grin on his face. "Yes, seeing as how no one is trying to run you through at the moment, I can only assume you need information."

"Someone has already run me through lately, and I'd rather not repeat the experience any time soon."

"Then what do you need of me?" Felldir sat calmly in the one remaining chair by the desk, apparently sensing they were going to be having a nice long chat.

"Dragon Rend." Alessia started. "How was it made?"

Serana

Serana awoke in bed alone. Not so unusual. Alessia was not one to linger in bed when sleep evaded her. Which was also not unusual of late. Ever since the ritual in the Ancestor Glade, her wife had had a hard time with sleep. The dreams were, from what Alessia had told her of them, quite bizarre. Often disturbingly so. At first they'd thought the dreams no more than her normal lycanthropic induced nightmares. Alessia didn't seem to think so anymore after a very detailed dream of a massive stone and ice temple. She believed it was the Elder Scrolls still trying to give her the information they needed without doing any more damage to her vision or psyche. As she'd once explained, the Scrolls were believed to be sentient.

The day was still early. Very little light shone over the horizon. Even the morning birdsong hadn't started, which was one of the things Serana most looked forward to at the start of her day. That, and the affections of her beloved wolf. She yawned and stretched her back as she rose out of bed. Quickly she slipped on one of Alessia's robes, pausing before going downstairs to sniff at the wolf scented fabric. Lovely.

Barefoot, the stairs creaked slightly as she descended. The herbal scents of her alchemical working table tickled at her nose, reminding her she needed to stock up on Alessia's tonics. Further in, Serana could hear the snoring from Wujeeta's room. The female had taken the offer of remaining in Honeyside while the two were present. She'd done so reluctantly, but Alessia had insisted. The manor was Wujeeta's home too, after all. Other than the argonian sleeping soundly, there were no other sounds aside from a slight scratching sound. Much like a quill on parchment.

Alessia was seated at her worktable, her back towards the door and the quill in her hand swishing back and forth over her shoulder. Serana leaned against the door frame and just watched for a moment, admiring her wolf while she piddled away at whatever project was her current fancy. While Alessia's right hand scribbled, tangled in the fingers of her left was her wedding band and gold chain. Her wife was glaring at it, face scrunched in concentration.

After a short time Serana padded forward, making little to no sound. Even so, Alessia didn't flinch an inch when Serana touched her. With the palms of her hands she slid them over Alessia's shoulders, wrapping her arms tightly around her wife's neck. She nipped at an ear and purred, "Morning."

"Mmm." Wolf thrummed. "And good morning to you, Love."

Slowly, she rounded the chair and slid into Alessia's lap. Having her undivided attention, Serana kissed her wife thoroughly for a good long while. When satisfied, she let Alessia up for air and pressed their foreheads together. Sighing happily, she asked, "Have you been up long?"

"For a time, yes. The thunder kept me awake."

Sensing more, Serana pulled back to look at her mate. "And the dreams?"

Alessia nodded. "That too. Eventually I thought to get some work done. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No. I slept like a log." Serana stole one last kiss before turning her attention to the absolutely wrecked desk. There were various shades of scrap leather hides, thick thread, cutting instruments, bottles of various and foul smelling liquids, needles, shards of what appeared to be Soul Gems, both scribbled on and blank parchment, ink and quill, and a whole other slew of random objects. Quite the mess. "I see you've been busy."

"I got a lot accomplished. The armor is more or less repaired. It won't fall apart at least, though I think it's time for a replacement. And," Alessia held up the gold ring and chain for Serana to admire, "And the enchantment on my ring is completed. Or at least I think so. It needs to be tested during my next transformation."

"Are you going to shift today?"

"No, I'll wear the chain as I have been and see what it does. I'd rather not spend the rest of the day recovering from Wolf's appetite." Just as she said this, Alessia's stomach rumbled loudly. She gave Serana a lopsided grin. "Speaking of which."

Serana chuckled and kissed her wife's brow. "Wujeeta is still asleep. I'll start on breakfast. Fried pork and eggs sound alright?"

Alessia's stomach answered with another growl. "I'll eat whatever you make."

Thankfully, Wujeeta had just recently gone to the market. Serana found more than enough pork and eggs to feed them all. Even the ravenous appetite of her wolf. While Alessia cleaned up her workspace, she made quick work of the simple meal. As she plopped the numerous slabs of bacon and fat omelets on a plate, her wife appeared at the stairs sniffing hungrily. She'd prepared half as much for herself and set aside more for when Wujeeta awoke, then joined Alessia at the table.

"Mmm. This looks good." Alessia said as she bit into the pork. "Thank you, Love."

Serana smiled. They ate in silence for a time. She was always amazed at how much food her wolf could put away. Within minutes more than half Alessia's meal was devoured. Serana ate slower, taking to time to sip at the small cup of blood her wife was kind enough to provide for her.

"Have you decided what you're going to say to Isran?" She asked.

Alessia chewed thoughtfully. "Somewhat. Though, everything I think might convince him is pure conjecture. With no real proof, he could just as easily turn things around on us."

"Is there nothing we can do?"

Her wife was quiet for a long moment, thinking and chewing thoughtfully again. When Alessia finally spoke, there was a bit of mischief in her eyes. "Well, we could just… poke the bear."

Serana's eyebrow raised to her hairline. "Poke the bear?"

"Poke the bear." Alessia nodded. Once it was clear she didn't understand, her wolf sighed dramatically. "Kick the hornet's nest? Ruffle some feathers? Cause some trouble?"

Finally understanding, Serana shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"

Alessia's dramatics turned into a wolfish grin and that mischievous look in her eyes. "This will be fun."

Alessia

Rainclouds blissfully gone, the two astride Jasa marched their way from Riften to the old Dawnguard Fortress. It was a cool day. One of which Alessia took great joy in. Though things like hot or cold whether tended not to bother her, the cooler days were her favorite. Serana at her back, hooded from the rays of the sun, hummed an unfamiliar tune under her breath. Peaceful, or at least trying to appear that way. Her wife hadn't much liked their plan of "kicking the hornet's nest". Honestly, Alessia didn't much like that plan either. But aside from making the accusations to Isran, and him possibly have him lash out at Serana, simply wasn't going to happen. Alessia would try to handle the situation, but Wolf would see it as an attack on their mate and act accordingly. Alessia sighed internally, attempting to hide her worry from Serana. At the very least she could appear confident enough for her wife, even if it was just an act.

The wind shifted slightly, her short locks twitching gently in the air. Alessia stiffened. Along with the fresh scent of trees, grass, various types of animals, and rain kissed dirt, there was another unwelcome scent in the forest. The dry, cold scent of the undead. Jasa stopped walking and made nervous horse sounds, going so far as to even stomp her massive hooves a few times. She smelt them too.

"What is it?" Serana's grip tightened on Alessia's waist, probably in reaction to Jasa's unexpected agitation.

Alessia sniffed again. The scent was faint, but unmistakable. "Vampires."

She felt Serana flinch and swivel her head about lowly, her eyes scanning the surrounding area. Alessia knew her mate's sense of smell wasn't as strong as a werewolf's, but her eyesight was on par. Though she hadn't seen anything amiss in the trees or on the road, Serana might. They remained where they were. Jasa still gave nervous noises, her ears and head up and alert.

After a time with nothing apparently wrong, Alessia dismounted and handed the reins to Serana. "Follow at a short distance. I'm going to see if I can track the scent."

Serana nodded and Alessia started off in the direction the scent was most strongest, bow in hand. She let her beast bleed through, Wolf's hunter's instincts far greater than her own. Wolf padded swiftly but silently through the underbrush. The scent was old by maybe a day. Possibly less. The forest grew quiet at her passing, sensing the hunting predator in their midst. The lack of birdsong or chirping bugs made Serana and Jasa's following stand out. Though they were in actuality fairly quiet, Alessia's heightened senses missed very little.

When finally she came across a small game trail, the smell of rabbit, fox, and a few deer fresh, the alien scent of vampire stuck out like a sore thumb. Wolf howled in her head, excited that they had found solid evidence their quarry's trail. She sniffed at the ground, the nearby bushes and tree trunks. The scent was old, yes, but no more than a day. Half a dozen at least. She sniffed at the air, the breeze tickling her nose. East.

She followed the trail, Wolf instincts gaining more and more control over her movements. Alessia moved like her beast, graceful and light. Within minutes, she'd covered a great distance into the forest. The game trail ended at a small stream, and the scent of vampire veered off in another direction. Alessia followed, careful not to disturb what few booted footprints she found in the mud. The footprints led to a small clearing, which was where she found their camp. It was abandoned. The small scraggly tents left standing with a few in disrepair. Six in all, and all empty.

As Alessia sniffed around, Serana rode up on Jasa. The mare snorted and shied unhappily from the overwhelming scent of vampire in the clearing, but her wife calmed the beast easily. Serana glanced around the space as she approached Alessia, her nose stuck inside a tent. Wolf hadn't quite faded from the forefront of her mind just yet. Apparently seeing this, Serana loudened her approach as to not unintentionally startle Wolf.

"An attack party." Alessia's voice was gruff, so she cleared it and tried again. "It's an attack party."

Serana shook her head. "It's not a force large enough to attack anywhere around here. Even a dozen wouldn't be a match for Riften or Fort Dawnguard."

"Or even the guard post near here." Wolf successfully restrained, Alessia thought. The Black-Briar estate was nearby, within a few hours march, but that wouldn't be important enough to attack. Or wise. She'd snuck into that lodge once before and pitied anyone who would attempt the same. So, what? She growled a bit, the remains of Wolf's presence making itself known. "I have a bad feeling."

"Which way did they go?" Serana asked, peeking underneath a downed section of tent.

Alessia took a few moments to sniff around the outskirts of the clearing. There was a strong scent of blood, which meant the vampires had either kept or captured someone to feed on, but there was no trace of a body left behind. Perhaps they had turned whoever it was and taken them along. Finally, she caught their trail. Again, they were heading east. Towards Fort Dawnguard.

"I think we'd best get to the Dawnguard quickly." Alessia grunted as she mounted Jasa and pulled Serana up behind her. Seeming to sense the urgency, the mare took off in the direction her mistress indicated. Despite the horse's massive bulk, she was incredibly agile and swift through the trees. With any luck, they would catch up to the attack party before it accomplished its task. Whatever that may be.


The fort was… a bit anticlimactic really. The two rode up expecting the place to be in absolute chaos. Or at least a buzz with after battle activity. As they dismounted Jasa, the young man at the stables accepted the reins and carried on as usual. Not wanting to cause alarm where there was no need, they walked towards the main gate swiftly but calmly. What soldier or camp followers who made their camps outside the fortress walls were going about their normal, everyday activities. Cookings, cleaning armor, laughing, talking, training and more. Many waved welcomely to the two as they passed by. Some even saluted to the Harbinger.

"This is a little odd." Serana muttered as they passed their first set of Dawnguard sentries. They nodded at the two females as they walked on by.

Alessia made a noncommittal noise. She needed to speak with Isran right away. At best, the vampires were lying in wait somewhere preparing for an attack. At worst, they'd already carried out their plan. She feared they would come across a group of dead or dying soldiers either outside or inside the fortress walls.

At the last guard post Alessia approached one of the men. "Guard, where might I find Isran?"

"In the mess hall, I suppose." The young man answered. "It being midday meal and all."

Alessia nodded her thanks and hurried inside. As per usual, the building stank of troll. But for the first time, she didn't flinch at the smell. The main lobby was unchanged. Dawnguard soldiers walked to and fro with whatever their duties entailed. Nothing seemed amiss. The two continued on towards the mess hall, easy enough to find with all the chatter and clanking of pewter plates, utensils, and the like. The scent of roasting meat filled the air, and, even though they were on a mission, Wolf took notice of the food.

Scanning the rows of tables, Alessia didn't see Isran anywhere. Even a few soldiers she stopped hadn't seen the man since that morning. Not yet worried, she started off towards the training area. Perhaps the man had remained to bark orders at some poor whelp of a recruit. It wasn't unheard of. Once there, the soldiers claimed the same thing. No one had seen Isran since that morning during their drills. Frustrated, Alessia turned on her heel and made for the crafting area. Last she remembered, Sorine was working on a new crossbow design. Maybe Isran was there speaking with the woman about her progress.

Alessia froze. Her nose twitched. Aside from the strong scents of roasting meat and troll reek, under the many less potent scents like sweat and unwashed bodies, there was the dry and cold of vampire. Unless the Dawnguard had paraded a handful of the creatures through the fortress halls, that scent was one that certainly didn't belong.

"They're inside." Wolf's hackles rose, the alarm in her tone something Alessia struggled to contain.

Serana drew in close, her eyes scanning the many surrounding armor clad individuals. "Are you sure?"

Alessia nodded, not able to speak with her throat clenched so tightly. How had they gotten inside? There was no trace of them at the main gate. Either way, that question would have to wait. At the moment they had vampires lurking around the fortress under the guise of Dawnguard soldiers. Not a difficult task if they were cautious. Spoke to few people. Hid their eyes and fangs. Avoid the war dogs, who could sniff out a vampire easily enough. Doable, she supposed. Most recruits had never seen an actual vampire before and might not be able to see through their disguise. And none of them had her sense of smell.

They followed the trail. The scent wasn't hard to pick out or follow. Stone wasn't the best material to hold a passing vampire's scent, but she made due. Eventually, the vampires had made their way upstairs and away from the main part of the fortress. She followed, sensing they were close. Her sword came free of its scabbard silently as they reached the top of the stairs. The options were limited as to their direction. It was either further up and out onto the fort roof, or into Isran's private chambers. No contest.

Isran's door was shut and locked. Muffled voices could be heard from inside. Alessia placed a finger to her lips and an ear to the door. Serana followed suit. Though the wood was thick, her werewolf hearing could easily pick up what the voices were saying.

"Give it up, blood bag. We already know about the glade. Now tell me what I need to know about the weapon and I might let them live." There was the sound of impact, a pain filled grunt, then a crash.

"Tell them nothing, Isran." Alessia recognized Dexion's old, frail voice. There was a slight wheeze to it, like he'd been punched in the stomach a few times.

"Silence, old man!" The first voice hissed. "Or I will rethink my plans and kill you here and now."

There was a growl, someone big and imposing that she didn't recognize. "Just try it, vampire."

"Heh, such bravado." The vampire chuckled. "I think I'll keep you too. We had to drain our thralls on the way up to this damned mountain."

Isran spoke next. "Even if I knew what you were talking about, I wouldn't tell you."

There was the sound of another blow. "Do you think me a fool? I know the princess and her bitch report to you, Isran. They are in the Pine Forests right now, in fact. We've been tracking them for days. Just waiting for the right time to strike. By now, Princess Serana is on her way back home and the Harbinger is long dead."

The big growl came again. "You bastard!"

"Calm yourself, Torlir." Isran said, exuding calm. "Alessia is way too stubborn to die. And I doubt she'd let anything happen to that betrothed of hers."

Alessia straightened at that. Serana glanced at her with a bit of worry on her face. Word certainly traveled fast. Not unexpected, but… They really need to get in that room. Carefully, and quietly, Alessia pulled out her lock picks and began fiddling with the door.

"You lie! Our Princess would never stoop so low as to bed that mongrel!" A vampire, not the main speaker, snarled and struck someone. More than likely Isran.

There was a bit more commotion, quite a few more impact sounds, then the leading vampire spoke. "Do not let him get to you, Rolif. He lies. Our princess deceives the wolf. Keeps the bitch close until the time to act is at hand. Our Lord Harkon has assured me of-"

Isran laughed. "Boy, are you stupid. Your Master just wants to save face. His own daughter turned from him. And did so just to get some good pus-"

Another blow. "Silence! I will hear no more of this!"

Click! The bolt on the door snapped. Slowly, Alessia pulled on the door. It cracked, but she wasn't too worried about being overheard. The head vampire was still shouting obscenities at Isran, who was in turn detailing exactly what occurred between two rutting females. Gods… If she didn't know any better, Alessia would believe Isran knew they were there and was trying to keep the vampires distracted.

Thankfully, the door didn't creak very loudly. The crack revealed the scene. There were a group of five enemies all dressed in various articles of Dawnguard issued armor. The helms and hoods would have done wonders to hide their eyes from the untrained soldiers downstairs. Clever. Aside from the vampires, four men were also in attendance. Isran was on his knees, obviously restrained by rope, in the center of the room. Dexion was held in the iron clad grip of a very large vampire off to the side. The old man looked worse for wear, still bindfolded. The big brute next to Dexion had to be held by two vampires. Alessia guessed this was Torlir.

The last man was someone she didn't recognize at all. He was tall with dark hair and dark features. Possibly a dark elf. He paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, arms crossed and apparently nervous. Unlike the other men in the room, this one had no vampires guarding him. Alessia swallowed a growl. It looked like this man was their leak. He had somehow slipped a fair number of vampires into the fortress and led them straight to the Dawnguard leader. Damn it.

"We can't stay here, Otillus." The dark elf said finally. "Patrols will be here any time now. Get what you need and let's go."

"Patience, Rayel." The lead vampire, Otillus, said then turned back to Isran. "If you are finished smearing the name of our good princess, answer my question."

Isran huffed. "Go suck an egg, tick."

"Very well then. We have what we came for." Otillus sighed then turned to the other vampires. "Bind the old man's mind. I want him complacent when we walk out of here. Kill the rest."

Alessia cursed under her breath. They had to act fast. Now. The two female's readied themselves, then threw the door open wide and charged in. The loud bang was enough to startle the room, more than enough of a distraction for Torlir. While Alessia went for the leader, the big man shirked off one of his captors and rammed his battering ram of a shoulder into the other. The vampire hit the wall hard, Torlir following and driving the blow home. Serana went for the male holding Dexion.

As she'd expected him to do, Isran ducked and rolled into Otillus' legs. The vampire stumbled, leaving him wide open for Alessia's sword. The male died quickly with a swift strike across the neck. Blood spewed from the cut, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"Cut me loose, Harbinger!" Isran bellowed. She did so, and the two went to the aid of Serana and the still bound Torlir.

Serana had succeeded in recovering Dexion. The poor old man hadn't a clue as to what was going on. Her wife had him stashed away in a corner and was currently standing between him and one of the vampires. She was a fearsome sight, lightning arcing and popping loudly between her fingers. A clear warning for the vampire to keep his distance. To Alessia's surprise, Isran tackled that particular vampire before he could strike at Serana and Dexion. While the two grappled on the stone floor, Alessia made for the two vampires currently being bashed around by Torlir.

The man had somehow freed his hands from the binds. While one vampire was on the ground, shaking his bleeding head, Torlir was punching away at the other with large, meaty fists. Alessia made short work of the disoriented vampire, decapitating him. There was a loud crack and the vampire struggling against Torlir stopped moving. Another second later, Serana zapped the last vampire and Isran tossed the dead body off himself with a disgusted grunt. That was four. Alessia glanced around the room. The dark elf, Rayel, was nowhere to be found. She cursed out loud.

While Dexion shuffled to a seat, the massive Torlir growled. "Where did that little rat go?"

"Torlir, alert the men. I want that bastard found." Isran ordered. "And I want to know how those vampires got in here!"

Once Torlir saluted and left the room in a dead run, the Dawnguard leader staggered to a chair. Alessia went to help him, but thought better of it. The man was most certainly in a bad mood. She couldn't blame him for that. Instead, she glanced to Serana to be sure all was well with her. Her wife nodded, then went to see to Dexion. Alessia crossed the room to a pitcher of water, dampened a nearby cloth, then handed it to Isran. The man's lip was bleeding. As was a cut on his brow. Outside, she could hear the echoing shouts and running footsteps. Hopefully the traitor hadn't gotten very far.

Isran grunted his thanks and took the proffered cloth. She crossed her arms and leaned on a nearby support beam. "So, I imagine you can guess the vampires didn't kill us in the Pine Forests?"

"Never crossed my mind." The man spit a bit of blood on the floor. "Did you get the information you needed from the glade?"

Alessia nodded. "Forgive me if I keep it to myself for now. Apparently the walls have ears around here."

"Probably for the best anyway." Isran sighed and glanced towards Dexion. "How you doing, old man? Still with us?"

"I'm alright. Just a bump on the head." Dexion groaned.

"Here. Let me." Serana said as she placed her hand on the said lump. Small bits of ice formed around her fingers, and the old man sighed in relief. "Better?"

The Moth Priest said nothing, but nodded. Alessia turned her attention back to Isran. The man was glaring up at Serana. She expected him to say something prejudice, as was his usual attitude towards Serana, but his face softened a bit. When he spoke, it was a mere mutter. "Thanks for your help."

Obviously surprised, Serana looked to him and nodded.

"Don't get your hopes up, vampire. I still hate you and your kind." The man growled.

Serana rolled her eyes and turned her back on the arrogant man.

"What happened?" Alessia asked, doing her best to ignore his blatant rudeness.

"Exactly what it looked like. A traitor. Rayel must have snuck the vampires in somehow. Gotten Dawnguard armor to disguise them." Isran growled again, gripping the wet cloth tightly. "Why didn't I see this? How could they have gotten to him without me knowing? Without anyone knowing?"

"I suspect he wasn't enthralled."

That snapped the man's head up. "You think he betrayed us? Aided the vampires willingly?"

Before she could answer, Serana stepped in. "It's not unheard of. My father has quite a few men and women who serve him of their own free will. Very, very loyal individuals. Cultists for the most part."

Isran grunted. "And we just let him walk right in. Learning our strategies, our weakness'. I sent him on secret missions myself. Damn… And he's been feeding that information to the vampires the whole time."

"It's not all on you, Isran. We should have expected something like this." Alessia argued. "Right now we need to focus on finding him. Whatever his plans are, he can't be allowed to make it back to Harkon."

"Right." The man stood, tossing the cloth on the table. "Harkon can't know you two made it out of the Pine Forests in one piece, or that you, uh… what was the purpose of that ritual exactly?"

"The location of Auriel's Bow. The ritual told us where it is." Alessia answered, gazing a little worriedly at the Dawnguard leader. "Maybe you should take it easy for a while."

"Not a chance. That bastard invaded my home. I want him found and I want him found now." He growled and stalked out of the room.

The two watched him go and said nothing for a long moment. Eventually, Serana shook her head. "Tell me why we saved him again?"

To their surprise, Dexion chuckled. "Oh, don't fret over him, my dear. Our leader is harder on himself than anyone else. He is grateful to you both, but has a hard time expressing it."

"It appears we have a bit of a chase on our hands. Will you be alright here?" Alessia asked.

"Aye, dear. Go on."

Alessia strode from the room, careful to close the door behind her. Serana waited patiently at the head of the stairs. "What do you plan to do?"

"Like I said. We chase him down."

Serana

Backtracking was quite an interesting idea. Alessia sniffed about the stairway, looking for all the world like a bloodhound on the trail. Serana would have laughed if the circumstances weren't so dire. Her wife followed her nose back down the stairs and through the same halls they had traveled before. Eventually, they came to the spot where Alessia had first picked up the scent. Her wolf paused, glancing about the area as if trying to puzzle out where the vampires had most likely come from. Serana had only been in the fortress twice before and only knew a bit of the layout. At best, she could only keep out of the way.

Soldiers ran about making a terrible racket, but none of it seemed to reach her wolf. Alessia stood frozen, almost eerily so, in concentration. Wolf was on the surface, bleeding through in subtle ways only someone who knew her could see. The way she kept absolutely still, like a predator with eyes on its prey. The tense shoulders and back, ready to spring into action. To give chase. Alessia sniffed once more, then started forward. Serana followed a step behind.

Her wife led them through the halls through the training area and towards the troll pins. Alessia had made no bones about how much she disliked the foul creatures, but it proved unimportant. They walked right on by in favor of the war dog pins. The dogs growled nervously as Alessia passed, seeming to sense what she was. Wolf paid them no mind at all. Her eyes were on a particular rock formation a little ways beyond the pins. It seemed to be an entrance to a cave system.

"A hidden exit?" Serana asked as she poked her head into the mouth of the opening.

"Its an old mine. Supposedly this is the only way in or out. Or at least we thought so. I think I know how they got inside the fortress." Her mate crouched and touched the rough stone. A light powder came off the wall and coated her fingers. She sniffed at it, flinching away. "And how they got past the dogs and trolls."

Serana touched the powder and sniffed it herself. "Powdered mammoth tusk. It's a component for a sneaking potion. I've made it many times."

Alessia grunted her response as she stood, dusting the powder off her hands. "They somehow found their way through Dead Drop Mine from the outside and used the mammoth tusk to mask their scent from the dogs."

"Clever."

Wolf growled low. "Rayel passed through this way. I can smell his fear."

"What do you want to do? Should we tell Isran?" Serana asked.

"No time." Alessia stepped into the dark. "We wait and he'll have a better chance of getting away."

Serana followed her mate inside. It was not unlike most caves. Damp and dark. There was evidence of some mining, the yellowish gold veins in the stone walls easy enough to spot. Alessia would know better than she exactly what metal was mined here. Pick axes littered the area, as well as rock filled wagons, shovels and extinguished lamps. Further in, water dripped from the ceiling and puddled in various places. Eventually, the tunnel opened up into a large cavern. Her wolf sniffed about a bit, then pointed towards a stone bridge leading down into the darkness. They followed the scent, circling the path down. An underground lake eventually came into view, its waters calm for the most part. There were small fish swimming about in the shallower end.

"This way." Alessia's voice echoed in the open air. Their path led around to the side of the space, revealing a thin walkway towards another tunnel of which most of the water was flowing down into.

Before heading inside, Serana grabbed hold of one of the many unlit lanterns. Though their night vision was exceptional, neither one would be able to see in absolute dark. The lamp lit easily and Alessia accepted it as she led the way. The footing was slippery, but thankfully manageable. The light reflected off the wet walls as they moved. Serana found it hard to believe that Rayel had somehow managed to move through this tunnel without a light of his own. Unlikely as he wasn't a vampire or a werewolf, but the dark elves did have some racial abilities. It might include night vision, though she doubted it. More likely the man had done the same with the lanterns and was just a fair distance ahead of them.

When at last the tunnel opened up again, it did so to the open air. Looking out, there was at least a hundred foot drop straight down. A rope had been secured to a boulder just at the mouth of the opening and hung over the lip of the rocks. Unfortunately, Rayel couldn't be seen currently climbing down the rope. From their vantage point, they could see a small corner of the fortress and the roof of what Alessia believed to be the stables.

"Well, at least now we know how they got in." Alessia growled as she began scaling the rocks down.

It took a short time to climb down. While Serana made the trip, Alessia sniffed about the area to see which way their traitor had gone. Towards the stables. The two followed and found one very agitated stable boy. The young man, no more than fifteen, cursed loudly and rubbed at his head. When he heard the two females approach he leapt up from his seat, raised a shovel, and shouted out a challenge. "Who goes there?"

"The Harbinger." Alessia answered as she entered the lantern light. "And her companion, Serana."

Instantly the boy relaxed, dropping his makeshift weapon and groaned in relief. "Oh, thank the Gods. I thought it was that Rayel bastard again."

"What happened? Where did he go?"

"Came in all panicked and angry like. I told him to leave since he was frightening the horses. Bashed me over the head when I tried to stop him, but he grabbed Isran's stallion and rode off on him." The boy pat the nose of a curious horse that stepped up to their gate to see what was going on. It was Jasa. "The fool tried for your mare first, but she wasn't having that. Bit him right good on the arm, she did."

Alessia nodded and Serana saw the determination in her eyes. "Rayel betrayed us. Led a group of vampires inside to attack Isran."

"What?" The boy stiffened in surprise.

"We got there in time to stop him, but he slipped away from us. Go to the fortress and tell Isran what you just told me. Tell him about a hidden entrance into the fort just a few minutes north of here. He'll see the rope." Her wolf unlatched the gate to Jasa's stall. The mare seemed eager to get going. "Also tell him Serana and myself are going after the traitor."

"Yes, Harbinger." The lad saluted before darting off up the road.

Alessia led Jasa out of the stables and into the nearby tree line before looking around. Luckily, the stable boy hadn't gotten around to unsaddling the mare just yet. Serana did the same, not seeing anyone even remotely close by. Her wolf handed the reins to her, then unslung her bow and unbuckled her sword belt. When she began undoing her armor, Serana asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to shift. Jasa can't catch up to Rayel while carrying two of us." Serana helped with the torso armor, as Alessia continued. "And this way I can track him easier."

Once the armor and underclothes were safely packed away in the saddle bags, Serana noticed the gold ring and chain. She almost reached for it, but stopped. Alessia had told her she wanted to test and see if her enchantment worked with a transformation. Instead, she gave her wolf a quick kiss. "Be careful."

Nodding, Alessia started her change. As usual, it was a painful thing to watch. But her wife was taking her time with it, despite the fact they had little time to spare. Serana comforted Jasa when the mare began to react to the grunting and growling. Easy enough since Alessia had trained the horse to accept her werewolf scent. Still, Jasa shied away and stomped nervously. The process took all of five minutes before Wolf rose from her crouch. Serana never could quite get over the sheer size of the beast. She watched as her wolf stretched a bit, working out the aches and pains from the transformation.

Wolf sniffed a bit while Serana looked about the grass for the gold ring and chain. Nothing. Hopefully that meant the enchantment worked. Wolf gave out an excited yip to draw Serana's attention. The werewolf was looking off towards the distant hills to the north.

"Ready Big Girl?" Serana asked. Wolf thrummed in response. With an excited grin of her own, Serana mounted the mare. "Alright then. Let's go."