Blood Runs Deep part 2

With the sun rising and a cool breeze blowing through the windows, Serana woke up. She could smell the trees and plants outside and all around the house hung the smell of clean nature. The summer storm had passed and the clouds broke open to reveal a blue sky. The first thing Serana did was turn around to see if Tarrion was asleep, but the place next to her was empty. She felt an half urge to turn around again and fall back asleep, but she decided to get up. After a huge yawn, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and putting her hair back to normal she grabbed a few simple robes and left for the main dining area downstairs. She found that all was quiet and normal, except for a small opened box on the main table. She inspected it but found it empty with a note next to it.

Archmage Tarrion

Thanks to our combined effort I was able to find the last bits of details we needed for the spell. I am fairly confident that it will work, though I am still unclear as to what purpose. But as you said it was a private matter I shall not ask again.

I cannot say this enough times however; I do not know if it will work. This is the first time I have ever tried this and even from our research did I find no clear evidence that it has worked in the past. I am fairly confident it will work, though I cannot be certain.

For the time being I do hope you will find a good use for it and not store it away on a display case and not use them as you have done with many other artefacts you have found in your travels. Don't blame me for knowing this, I heard it from others.

With the kindest of regards

Sergius Turrianus

Serana read the letter again and found herself more and more puzzled. Tarrion had been working on a spell, that was certain, and he had asked Sergius, the master enchanter of the College of Winterhold to help him with this, but the letter did not say what kind of spell. A curse? A cure? To what end? For whom? And why? She had too many questions regarding this, but only Tarrion could answer them.

But he was nowhere to be found. Other than the note there was no sign of him. Behind the house, in the garden, Serana did find Rayya. She was relaxing on a chair under one of the trees and seemed to be asleep.

"Morning Rayya."

She opened one eye and nodded. "Good morning."

"Do you know where Tarrion is? I can't find him."

Rayya sat up straight. "No, I don't know where he has gone, but he left something for you."

The Redguard woman grabbed a small note from her pocket and gave it to Serana. "He left but he didn't tell me where to. He said you would understand it."

"A note? That's all?" Serana asked confused.

Meet me where we first kissed

Serana stared at the few words that were written.

'Where we first kissed?'

"I don't know where he has gone, but he told me you would know."

Serana slowly nodded. "I think I know where…. But I don't understand why." She looked at the housecarl. "He didn't tell you anything else?"

Rayya smiled and threw her hands up. "If he didn't tell you, he sure wouldn't have told me."

Serana looked at the note again, and found it more and more curious by the second.

"Alright…. But this place is not exactly close by. A day's travel… and then you're fast."

"That means I have two days for myself here?" Rayya asked with a smile. "Good. I needed the rest. Maybe I'll throw a party."

Serana snickered and smiled.

Half an hour later Serana said goodbye to Rayya and left on a horse for the location. She knew it could only be one location. Technically two, since the first time she kissed Tarrion was in a small shack at the edge of the Rift, but she found it highly unlikely, and highly unromantic, to pick that as the first time. No. she knew it could only mean Ancestor Glade. Where she and Tarrion finally confessed their growing feelings for each other. She remembered what it looked like. The trees growing inside this underground glade. The deep scent that filled your nose. The small pools of warm water and the steam that came from them. The moths flying around Tarrion as he tried not to shake them off while they were crawling over his arms.

She smiled to herself as her horse followed the main road that lead to Falkreath. Before too long there would be a path that lead into the forests and she knew she would have to follow it. She knew Tarrion would have a surprise for her. He wouldn't have picked that place otherwise, and he would have told her otherwise. She knew it would be a surprise and she was looking forward to it.

It was night when she finally reached the entrance to the cave. Without stopping the entire day, her horse was exhausted and as soon as Serana stepped away, it sunk through its knees into the snow. The climb up the mountains was long and tiring, but she knew she was at the right place, because she saw another horse standing next to another tree. She recognized the large black horse as Tarrion's, and she walked toward the cave. Fresh footprints lay before her and she realized Tarrion must have known she was coming.

Outside the cave she felt the cold of the snow and the mountain wind, but inside the cave it was warmer. She followed the same path she had followed a year before and with her Vampiric eyes she was able to see everything as clear as day.

After the small cavern she followed a narrow path further down and suddenly stepped into the massive open cavern known as Ancestor Glade. The only difference she saw was the light that fell from the large hole in the ceiling. It was now a pale, silver light from the moon and stars that shone through and all was illuminated by it. The silver mist that hung everywhere was warm and soothing.

As she walked down the path, she saw something hanging on a small rock. As she neared it she saw it was a cloak. Serana gave herself a sly smirk as she walked on, and after a few more steps, she saw two boots standing by a tree. Knowing perfectly well what game Tarrion was playing she decided to play along. She took off her boots and placed them next to his before walking on, and as she continued she found more pieces of clothing hanging from branches or placed against boulders.

She heard a deep breath as she reached the bottom of the glade. Her eyes pierced the pale light and she saw a man lying in one of the pools, the water reaching to his chest. She saw his chest was bare, while still wore her trousers and a simple tunic.

"Good evening miss." she heard him say. "What brings you here on this fine evening?"

"I am supposed to meet someone here." she answered. "Have you perhaps seen someone here?"

"I may have. What does he look like?"

"Tall…. " she answered with a sultry voice and she walked toward him. "Dark hair, and so muscular."

"I see." the man answered and Serana could see his smile. "Is he strong?"

"Very strong."

"Is he good?"

"The best."

"Is he handsome?"

"So very… very handsome."

"Very interesting. And a coincidence, because I am waiting for someone too."

"May I ask who?"

"A very old woman, yet still exceptionally good looking."

"Is she now?" Serana asked, and she pouted her lips when she heard how he called her old. "What does she look like?"

"Young…. Hair as black as the night, and her skin like ivory."

"Does she have a good body?"

"The best."

"Is she nice?"

"Nicer than her is impossible."

"Is she pretty?"

"No… she is beautiful."

Serana had reached the man who still did not look at her. She stood right behind him and looked down at his scars and black hair.

"And how is her taste in men?"

"She seems to have a thing for werewolves…. I'm not sure what to think of it."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I know. And this man you are looking for, what of him? How is his taste in women?"

"Just as crazy as this woman you are waiting for," Serana softly said, and she kneeled behind him. "possibly even crazier. He seems to like Vampires… and I am not sure if I should be worried or not."

With a soft and gentle touch she slid her hands down his shoulders and over his chest. He tilted his head backwards as she reached down and she kissed him. His hands reached upwards and cupped her face.

Serana felt how she kissed Tarrion upside down, and it was a strangely good feeling. Her hands still reached down to his chest and abdomen and she could feel his scars. The cuts, lacerations and burns that have healed over the years, yet left their marks on his body… she could feel them all.

Suddenly his hands grabbed her by her waist and before she could react he threw her into the water. She came back up coughing and soaked, but before she could say anything, he grabbed her again and pressed his lips against hers. Her body fell limp again and she could only cup his face, close her eyes and let it all happen. No matter how often he had kissed her, no matter what would happen… this would still be her greatest weakness.

"You find me alright?"

"Of course… it wasn't a difficult clue you left."

"Still…. It could have meant a different place."

"You mean that little shack? I know you, Tarrion. Long enough at least to know that you have a sense of romance and drama."

Tarrion chuckled and squeezed her hand. They both lay next to the pools, trying to dry themselves in the steam that came from the water. It didn't really help, but they didn't care. Serana's clothes hung on a nearby tree branch drying, and the two lovers lay beside each other holding hands.

"I'm still wondering why, though."

Serana raised herself up and leaned on her elbow. "Why did you suddenly leave? Why did you want me to come here?"

Tarrion gave her a smile and turned around to reach for a small backpack. It was placed next to a tree, beside a sword and his remaining clothes. Serana looked intrigued as he pulled out a small, polished box.

"I brought you here to ask you something…. And give you something."

A blush had become clearly visible on his face, and it made Serana want to burst out in laughter. Tarrion was almost always someone who would either be good humoured, or tough and strong…. But now he blushed like a young boy who is about to give freshly picked flowers to a girl he has a crush on. He sat up straight and faced her. Serana followed his example and her smile lessened a bit. It seemed to her that Tarrion was serious, not light-hearted and the blush on his face was sincere. She glanced from his face, to the box, and back.

"I have known you for a long time now, Serana." Tarrion started and Serana could hear that his voice was dry. Like he practiced saying this, yet still tried to find the right words. "I know that we have been through a lot together… yet it never drove us apart. I…."

He swallowed and took a deep breath. "I know I have already asked this before, yet… not the way I wanted. I wanted to do it right. And.. and I know you actually need an Amulet of Mara for this, but…"

'An Amulet of Mara?' Serana though to herself. 'What do you need an Amulet of….' And her eyes widened.

"I'm just going to ask it." Tarrion sighed. "Serana…. Would you…. Would you be….. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box and inside she saw a ring.

Serana knew that if her heart would still be beating, it would have skipped several beats now, but her stomach did make a few turns and twists, and all the warmth of the pools left her body…. Only to come back with renewed and overwhelming strength.

"I… I know you're supposed to ask this differently, but I didn't want to…"

But Serana flew at him and smothered his words with an array of snogs and kisses.

"Yes." she whispered as she kissed his cheek.

"By the gods, yes." she said as she felt his body writhing in her arms.

"For the love of Sovngarde, yes!" she shouted as she felt his nails scratch her skin.

"BY THE BLOOD, YES!" she screamed as they rolled back into the pool.

The night continued outside, but not a creature inside the cave was asleep. Not even the moths were able to rest under Serana's screams as she and Tarrion made love with a passion that exceeded even their night after the Blood Moon. Yet the only thing she was able to utter all night… was 'Yes'.

The next morning Tarrion woke up only to see Serana's glowing eyes stare at him with a passion he had come to adore.

"I know this is the part where I ask you if you're sure." she said with a smile. "but I already know that you are. I would ask you if you mean it, but I know that you do."

"Well…. There is no need to ask." Tarrion smiled and he pulled her close. "because I will say the same thing you were screaming all night. Am I sure? Yes. Do I know of the consequences? Yes. Do I know what others may or may not think of it. Yes. Do I choose you over any of them. Yes….. Do I love you? Yes."

They shared a kiss and Serana fell on her back and looked at the golden light that fell from the ceiling. It was slightly blinding and she held her right hand in front of her eyes to protect her eyes a bit. On her ring-finger they saw a new ring. It was made of incredibly light, and polished ebony with a diamond in the centre. On the band of the ring, she saw small runes made from countless, tiny shards of sapphire. She could not read them, yet she thought she knew the language.

Most rings would be made from either silver or gold, but gold clashed horribly with her pale skin, and silver would hurt her. The dark colour of ebony did not clash with her skin, it did not harm her and it was exceptionally difficult to break.

"What does it say?" she asked as she looked at the runes. "I would guess they're Dragon runes, yet I don't know what they say."

Tarrion snuggled against her and took her hand.

"In Dragon Tongue it says 'Dii Lokaal'."

Serana felt the power that came from his Voice and she shivered. "And in Common?"

"My love."

After a while the two decided to go back home. Tarrion put his clothes back on as they neared the entrance and Serana could not stop looking at her shining new ring. It sat comfortably around her finger and it fitted perfectly. The ring made her feel warmer than before, and she thought it was the feeling that this gift gave her.

But when they exited the cave and Serana put her hood back on, Tarrion stopped her.

"Would you mind not putting your hood on?"

"What? Why?"

"Because I may have another surprise for you… but I am not entirely sure it will work."

"And you need my hood for that?" she asked amused.

"No… not that. Just… trust me. Keep your hood down for now."

Carefully Serana lowered her hood and Tarrion lead her outside. The sky was clear, except for a few small clouds that drove by, and the sun shone bright on the snow. It blinded Serana and she squinted.

"Tarrion… this will hurt. The sun will…."

But the pain she thought she would feel did not come. Her eyes slowly became attuned to the brightness outside, and she felt the rays of the sun on her skin. But it did not burn her. She felt her face and it didn't feel scorched. It was smooth as always and the sun warmed it. Soothing and pleasant.

"…burn me."

She looked around her, trying to find if there was something different. She looked at Tarrion, and she saw a slight and unsure smile on his face.

"What? How is thi-…"

Then she looked at the ring she wore around her finger.

"What kind of ring is this?"

Tarrion came standing close to her and took the hand which held the ring.

"Remember when we went to the College? I had to welcome new students and all?"

Serana nodded.

"While we were there, there were a few nights that I stayed up late, remember? I said I would join you later?"

Serana nodded again.

"I used that time to ask Sergius to help me with a spell. An Enchantment to be precise. I asked him if he ever heard of an Enchantment that would negate the effects of the sun. He looked through dozens of books…. We both did, yet he did most of the research I must say… and eventually we found ancient notes on a spell that could do it. So… after a hours of practice and trying we were able to successfully cast it. But the first attempt was too weak to have any significance… but I knew it would work. Then I sent a letter to Eorlund Greymane… the man who works the Skyforge, and asked him to make me a special ring."

He rubbed Serana's finger. "This one. Then I sent a letter to Sergius…. He brought me the scroll for the spell… and it arrived yesterday night. You were still asleep when I cast it."

Tarrion shrugged. "I wanted to give it to you straight away, but….. I also wanted to ask you to marry me and I thought-…"

"… it would go nicely together." Serana finished his sentence, and he nodded.

When Tarrion saw Serana said nothing else, and just stared from him to the ring and back, a feeling of regret came over him. He suddenly started to doubt if this was a good idea. He started to fear that she would be offended by it. Like she thought he wanted a part of her to change.

"If you don't like it then… I mean I hope you don't think that I dislike that part about you. I don't, it's-…"

"No.. no, no." Serana shook her head. "It's just…. A lot to take in."

She looked out over Falkreath Hold as it lay below her. she could see the mountains in the distance and the gap between two rocky hills where their house lay. She felt different. Different in a way she could not describe.

"I… I don't know what to feel. I feel something I have never felt before. My skin feels…. Warm. But not in a normal 'warm' way. Yet I also feel I should know it. Like a memory….. or a memory of a memory."

"Are… are you happy to feel that way?" Tarrion asked carefully.

Serana answered slowly. "I think so."

Tarrion sighed deeply and felt how a weight fell off his shoulders. "I am relieved."

Together they walked to their horses who were desperately trying to find any green amongst all the white snow, and Tarrion's horse had already started to nibble on the needles of one of the nearby trees. They mounted them and started their descend down the mountains.

"Huh…" Serana chuckled. "It feels weird not having my hood on."

"To tell you the truth… you look better without it."

Serana became more and more accustomed to the feeling of the sun on her skin almost by the second. By the time they came at the slopes of the mountains she felt relieved and constantly rode her horse through the open areas to feel as much sun on her skin as possible. Tarrion saw how she smiled uncontrollably and it made him smile all the same.

After leaving the mountains and arriving in the large forests of Falkreath they stopped at a small stream where the grass was tall and thick. The horses immediately started eating while Tarrion and Serana sat next to each other, leaning against a fallen tree. Serana threw her hair back and closed her eyes as the rays of the sun warmed her face, and Tarrion smiled at the sight.

"So…"

"So..?"

"Yea…. Now that we are, officially, going to marry…" Tarrion smirked. "I guess we have some planning to do. How do you want to get married?"

"Well…. I don't know what would happen normally during a wedding in Skyrim," Serana remarked. "I have been away for several thousand years, so…. How does that happen? Any traditions I need to be aware of?"

Tarrion shook his head. "Not that I know of… when two people show interest in each other, they just go to the Temple of Mara in Riften and have the ceremony there. It is fairly simple… just invite your friends over, and within the hour you-…"

"WHAT?" Serana blurted out. "Is that it? That is not going to happen to us!"

She had raised her voice, but Tarrion saw a wide smile on her face.

"There is no way I get married to you in a small ceremony. Over my dead... undead body! I want a massive party…. A huge cake…. Lots and lots of treats… And don't look at me like only I want this, Tarrion." Because she saw the amusement on his face. "You are the Dragonborn, Thane in every city, etcetera, etcetera and so forth…. You can't get married just like that. And I won't let you."

"What? Is that really wha-…" Tarrion started, but Serana talked right past him.

"No… there is no way that will happen. We're going to have a huge wedding. A cake… no, two cakes!... Not to mention a feast that will last for hours… or days. Apparently royalty has events and parties that last for days….. Well, you're technically not royalty, but I kind of am… so we will have a huge party. Lydia will be one of the bridesmaids, and I think about Aela to be the other one…. Can we have more than two bridesmaids? And of course I need a good dress… I can't get married in a tunic like this… And you need a good outfit too, probably some ceremonial armour, not to mention..."

Tarrion smiled and noticed how she kept talking, despite that he closed his eyes and slowly drifted away. The sun gave him a warm feeling and his entire body felt tired. He felt happy… he felt how life was good. It was a beautiful day… he could enjoy it to the fullest… and the love of his life had just accepted to marry him. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep with a wide smile on his face.

The next day, while they rode past Pinewatch, Serana was still in her wedding-rush, and Tarrion heard it all, yet listened only half. He would nod and say 'Hmm, yes' every once in a while. He had no plans of getting married the next week… probably not even the next month, but he also had no intention of not planning it not at all. He silently tried to figure out what the best time of year was to get married, and of course have a good honeymoon destination.

"What is going on here?" Serana suddenly asked. "Tarrion…. Tarrion! Stop daydreaming."

"Hmm? What? Sorry, what did you say?"

"If I'm boring you, just say so…. But look."

Tarrion looked up to where his manor was, and saw indeed that something was going on. Several saddled horses stood by the road that led to the main building. Tarrion immediately saw that these horses were not from Skyrim. These horses were lighter and had a less sturdy build, but seemed to have a higher endurance. Each of the animals were beautiful indeed, and the saddles were ornamented and were made out of expensive leather. Three large carriages with were parked next to the small stable that stood away from the manor. They were large and high, but not open like the carriages in Skyrim. They were closed, with ornamented doors and windows with curtains hanging inside. Tarrion tried to find out who might be on his doorstep, and saw a crest on the doors of the carriages. The Imperial Dragon. He knew that the Empire was on his doorstep, and judging by the look of the horses and carriages… he knew that someone important was here.

"What in Oblivion is going on?"

Tarrion and Serana dismounted and lead their horses to the stables.

"There are people inside."

Serana nodded to the house. "I can sense them. At about a dozen of them, and two are standing by the doors."

Tarrion did not answer but looked around to see any other indication of who might be in his house, but saw none.

Then the doors opened and two guards walked out. Tarrion immediately recognized them as Imperials, and they both wore Imperial armor. As soon as they saw Tarrion and Serana they put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

"Who am I?" and Tarrion walked up to the two guards. "Who are you to walk into my house and ask me who I am?"

He now stood right in front of the two, and they barely reached his chin. "State your business."

"I suggest you lower your voice, sir." the other guard said, and he was clearly offended. "We are here on official Imperial business and you do not intimidate us."

"That was the wrong answer." He barked at them and took another step toward them, and saw how their hands grasped the hilts of their swords tighter. "Now… out of my way."

"Ha! Do you honestly think tha-…"

Before either of them could respond, Tarrion threw both of them out of his way. Through his incredible strength, both of them flew aside and landed against a wall on the ground. Tarrion ignored their curses and threw the large doors to his house open, with Serana right behind him.

=End of Chapter=

=Author's Notes=

They come back home and, Boom! Imperials have taken over the place. These two just can't catch a break now can they? But for what purpose are they here? You can find out… in the next chapter :)

(On the ring Tarrion gave Serana, there are Dragon runes, but i can't show them to you. It seems FanFiction does not support any other font than the standard one. If i type it down, i get something like #Font1 LokD :) sorry... but no Dragon Runes here