Sorry about the wait, it's been a tough month for me. I will be trying to update sooner from now on though as I really want to get this story moving proper...yep there is alot more to come yet XD Anyway, hope you like the chapter :D

Morgan smiled a little as she folded up the jester outfit in a neat bundle. It had taken hours, but it had been cleaned, repaired and had extra enchantments fitted within the fabric. She was amazed that the clothing had survived for so long from misuse, but Cicero had somehow managed to keep patching it together over the years with various pieces of clothing and crude stitching.

Two days had passed since the revelation about Marcus, and she felt nothing but a burning sensation within her, it felt as though a raging fire was swirling inside her soul. More than once, she had thrown something at a wall or a door in the last few days over little things. Like Cicero cackling as he ran by her closed door, the yells of Babette following shortly afterwards. The time when Astrid and Nazir were arguing about which contacts were trustworthy…Morgan had thrown a dagger at the door, and the blade protruding through the thick wood had silenced the two of them.

What is wrong with me?

Serana had stayed with her the whole time, and Morgan was comforted with the knowledge that she was there for her. She hated the thought of what may happen if Serana was not around, Morgan felt as though it was only her that kept her darker thoughts at bay. Thoughts that were increasing in number and magnitude as the days wore on.

Fucking Ulfric. Fucking Marcus. Fucking EVERYONE.

There was a polite cough from behind her, and Morgan slumped backwards in her chair as Serana sat on her lap, resting her arms on either side of her neck.

"If you keep growling like that, Scar will think there is something wrong," Serana remarked with a smile.

Morgan couldn't help but smile back. Scar had been hunting when she had returned to the Sanctuary, and upon seeing her mistress again, Scar had tackled Morgan to the ground and had tried to lick her face off, much to Serana's amusement. She glanced down and noted that the massive ice wolf was comfortably asleep under the desk.

"I'll keep that in mind," Morgan replied as Serana leaned forwards and gave her a soft kiss.

"Are you alright?"

That's the question, isn't it? Morgan was unsure about most topics right now, and this particular question was always the hardest to answer. She could tell the truth…and she would spend days trying to keep her mind busy and to not allow any of the memories to surface. Or she could lie, and add that lie to an ever growing mountain of lies.

"I don't know," Morgan muttered sadly.

Serana pulled her closer, resting Morgans head on her collarbone.

"I am here for you," she said softly. "Take your time if you ever need to talk."

Serana knew Morgan would never fully recover from what she had been through…she had never gotten over her own ordeal after several thousand years after all, but at least they now had each other for support. And she never had anyone to talk to, especially after she had single-handedly demolished a whole village.

Stop thinking about that and help her.

Serana tilted her lovers chin upwards and kissed her softly on the lips, trailing a finger across Morgan's cheek fondly.

Mine.

"It has been two days, we need to leave tonight if we are to get to Solitude before the Stormcloaks and their army are ready to attack the capital," Serana said.

She was inwardly pleased to see that lost expression vanish from Morgan's face, to be replaced with a fierce and more determined one.

"Is everything ready?"

Serana nodded. She had decided to become more helpful towards the Dark Brotherhood so she could keep her thoughts clear, and it had helped. She had assisted Babette with her poisons, Nazir with his contacts and even a few recipes that had been lost in time, and she had even managed to find some time for herself, sharpening all the weapons she had.

She had also noted that Morgan had done the same. In fact, Serana believed that Morgan's blade was so sharp, it almost sang when it cut the air…in fact she had managed to cleave one of the Stormcloak prisoners in half when he had yelled obscenities at her without even glancing at him. Babette had found it rather amusing to watch the man scream as he fell to the ground in two pieces, while Serana had simply rolled her eyes and sent an ice spike through the mans eye, silencing the screams.

Morgan hadn't said a word about the incident, and while Serana was worried about her, she knew that she couldn't force Morgan to talk about it. She would talk in her own time.

"Come on then, we better get ready," Serana suggested after a few minutes of silence.

Morgan smiled as Serana stood up and pulled her to her feet, trailing her hand through her hair gently.

"I am always here for you, never forget that."

Morgan smiled as she kissed Serana's fingertips, Serana smiling as she playfully swatted Morgan on the shoulder as she walked past her. She followed the taller vampire to the chest of drawers and began to don their armour, Serana opting for a newly enchanted set of vampire armour, black all over except for a dull red outline around the gauntlets and the boots. Morgan selected the black armour that Cicero had brought to the Sanctuary.

She shivered slightly as she pulled the light armour onto her body, the cool fabric almost melding itself to her skin.

It's like it's alive.

She buckled the straps over her chest and stretched slightly, smirking when she felt the fabric move to accommodate her motion. She fixed her gauntlets in place, and then the boots, pausing only briefly to make sure the leggings were not damaged in any way. She felt the enchantments weaving their way into her body, and she smirked now, knowing that after adding three full black soul gems to the already powerful enchantments had increased the efficiency of the magic within.

Then came the sword. She held the dragon blade out in front her, eyeing the end as though Ulfric Stormcloak himself was impaled at the tip. Then she sheathed it quickly into the sheath on her belt before turning to Serana, who had been leaning against the door frame with a grin on her face.

"Ready?" she asked with a humorous tone.

"Let's be off," Morgan agreed, picking up Cicero's new motley before leaving the room.

"Thank you Listener!" Cicero squealed as he capered around the room.

Morgan grinned at him and nodded before turning to Astrid.

"Keep everything running Astrid. Find people who will fit into our Family."

Astrid nodded, but Morgan hadn't finished.

"I will need two of you to accompany Serana and myself."

Morgan smiled when Brelyna and Solia instantly came forwards. She had been hoping the two of them would be the fastest to volunteer. She had wanted to spend more time knowing about Solia. She found her interesting to say the least. And she knew that the timid looking woman was hiding something, and she wanted to know what it was. Brelyna on the other hand…

She had been meaning to talk to her for so long, and had never even tried to make the time.

But no longer. I should have been there for her much more, especially after she saved my life by giving up her own.

"Get your weapons and armour, and pack some food. Or bottled blood in your case, Brelyna. I doubt Solia wants three vampires going dry on her for a few days."

The two of them nodded before sprinting to their rooms. Morgan smiled again as Golag raised his eyebrow.

"I need you to continue with our forge work. No-one else here is as capable as you are Golag."

"Of course, Listener," he said with a toothy smile. "Just make sure you don't dull your blade too badly again."

"As long as I don't have to kill five dragons at the same time, I should be fine," Morgan retorted with a wink.

She nodded to Babette, Nazir and Alva.

"Keep working with your own contacts like Astrid. Any contracts from the outside can be taken by anyone. I have a feeling that there will be more contracts to come with the war being the way it is."

"Kill well, Listener," Babette piped up with a grin.

"Only because you said it nicely, "Morgan grinned back at her before facing Cicero, who had finally stopped running around the Sanctuary and had stood silently in front of the Night Mother's coffin since.

"Cicero, look after Mother as always. And no stealing from Babette, understand?"

Cicero beamed at her and nodded enthusiastically at her.

"I will, and I won't Listener!"

Morgan heard Serana snort behind her and she couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"We will be back as soon as we can. Hail Sithis."

"Hail Sithis!"

She felt that cold sensation wrap around her when the entire Sanctuary echoed with the voices of the assembled assassins.

And she smiled darkly.

Enough games Ulfric. Let us see what you are truly made of.

Ulfric Stormcloak frowned as he stared at the map before him.

Whiterun is too heavily defended to attack again anytime soon. Dawnstar isn't worth the position right now, with Winterhold already taken…apart from that infernal College.

His forces had occupied Winterhold two days previously, and the Jarl had accepted his soldiers openly and without question. Ulfric smiled a little. He liked Jarl Korir. The man was a no nonsense sort and knew how to rule his lands.

And he hated the Dragonborn.

He looked back to the map after a soft bout of laughter.

Riften is safe for now. Morthal has a token force but enough to hold or destroy the place if need be. Markarth on the other hand…

He couldn't believe what that single scout had told him a week previously. He had sent out two dozen scouts to the dead city, hoping that the place could be taken quickly now that the Dragonborn and her whore had demolished the entire population. He still marvelled at that. The way that two lone vampires with their combined abilities had somehow demolished the inhabitants so quickly.

Saved me the trouble of finishing what I started all those years ago.

Or so he had thought anyway. The single scout had returned and had simply gasped out one word. A name.

Madanach.

He didn't know how that bastard had stayed alive, but he had, and had sent his only remaining scout back as a warning. And a grumbled and continued to study the map. He would deal with that man after taking Solitude.

Win here, and the rest of Skyrim will follow suit. The bitch is gone and has been for a month now. Elisif has no-one left who can help her now that Balgruuf is isolated. Elisif will cave in to my demands and the sons and daughters of Skyrim will finally have what they have sought out.

He moved away from the map and glanced outside his tent, nodding to Ralof who had been standing guard outside.

"All quiet My Jarl," Ralof reported. "No scouts from Solitude have left the gates and the bay has been covered with archers in case any try to escape via ship."

"It seems Rikke is not wishing to send any men to their deaths tonight. We need to be careful here, Rikke is not to be underestimated. Is there any other news?"

"Just one, my Jarl," Ralof replied after a few moments of silence.

Ulfric noted the slight tremor in his third in command and nodded for him to speak.

"Two dragons were sighted flying towards Solitude and haven't returned since."

"Was that red bastard one of them?"

"No sire. One was half hidden in the clouds but everyone who saw it claim it was green. The other…the other is a black dragon that was much larger than anything we have seen. Even the red one."

Ulfric raised his eyebrows at that piece of information. The red dragon that had allied itself with the Dragonborn was massive, so a larger one…

"It will fall to arrows like any of the other ones," Ulfric said eventually. Anything else Ralof?"

"That's it, my Jarl."

Ulfric slapped him on the shoulder and walked back inside his tent, pausing only for a moment when the twin roars shattered the sky above.

Elisif gave the massive black dragon a grateful bow and took a shaky breath. The dragon had landed a few minutes earlier and had introduced itself as an ally of the Dragonborn, and had then explained to her that he and one other had been sent to her as protection for the next few hours. Elisif had breathed out a sigh of relief at the news that Morgan was on her way.

Rikke had sealed the city completely, expect for a hidden route from one of the towers that led to the cliffside bay below Solitude. There were soldiers posted within the cave system, as well as a few mages and their conjured creatures.

She knew it was a stalling tactic at best however. Ulfric could wait for months and let the city starve, choking off the supply chains that kept the city running. But she also knew that he would not wait that long, especially when he believed that victory was his to gain. Elisif smiled at the massive dragon that was still eyeing her, the image of Morgan and Serana tearing Ulfric apart in her mind's eye.

"Thank you for your news. Solitude is in your debt."

"I thank you for your honoured words young Queen, I will serve you faithfully," Vuljotnaak replied with a small plume of smoke leaking through his nostrils. "The Dovahkiin will be here soon."

Elisif smiled a little more.

Come quickly Morgan, for all our sakes.

And then the sounds of the warning horns bellowed into the sky. The two answering roars of the dragons responding in kind.

Too late!

Elisif ran back towards the Blue Palace as she felt the air from Vuljotnaak's wings whip her skirts around her legs, her heart racing with every step she took. She hoped Rikke and the brave men and women of Solitude could hold the Stormcloaks at bay…

I am too late.

Idgrod collapsed to her knees as she leant against the tree, her lungs aching as she fought to breathe. She had been making her way to Solitude as fast as she could, hoping that she could get there before the Stormcloaks. She closed her eyes for a moment as the screams of men and women dying filled the air, interspersed with the cries for mothers and fathers from those who were not lucky enough to die quickly.

She felt her hands begin to shake and she took a few deep breaths, her heart pounding against her ribcage.

Is this how Skyrim is to end? Has there not been enough blood spilled?

The visions she had of Morgan were sill fresh in her mind. There had been no marks on her neck, but the blood had been real. She always prided herself on being able to pluck the visions out of her consciousness easier than her mother had been able to, but the vision of Morgan succumbing to her vampiric side frightened her more than anything else.

There was a sudden yell coming from the group of Stormcloaks closest to her, and she whipped her up upwards….to see them engulfed in a torrent of dragon fire, their armour melting onto their skin just before their bodies began to burn. The dragon stopped the flow, and Idgrod shivered as it swung it's head towards her, the green eyes fixing onto hers.

The dragon grunted and began to take to the sky, it's gaze still fixed on hers.

Idgrod never saw anything after that, for her head was already rushing towards the ground…

Ulfric coughed before spitting out a globule of saliva and blood. He had Shouted once too often, and now he was paying the price.

Fool! You were trained by the Greybeards, they told you the drawbacks of Shouting too much and too frequently. Only HER can Shout as much as she likes, and she is dead. A shame it was not myself who took her miserable life.

"My Jarl! It's coming back for another attack!"

He shook himself out of his musings and glared at the green dragon that was diving towards them. Out of all the dragons he had seen, this one looked as though it had died and hadn't noticed. Ulfric had seen the mucus dripping off it's massive body and he had to wonder if a cult of necromancers had managed to partially resurrect a dragon.

No time for such things. Kill the lizard then think about it afterwards!

Ulfric held his axe in firm hands, and swung as hard as he could when the dragon swooped over his head, two men unlucky enough to be caught within it's jaws. But it gave him the opening he wanted, and he grinned savagely as his axe dug deep into the scales. The momentum of the dragon spun him onto the ground, and he looked up, only to see the wound on the dragons underbelly begin to heal at a rate that a troll would be jealous of.

That was a firm strike! Scales or no, that would hurt even a dragon!

"My Jarl, we are making progress!" Ralof said as he ran up to Ulfric, extending his hand to him.

Ulfric took the arm and was hoisted up. He thumped Ralof on the shoulder in thanks and motioned for him to continue, moving behind a tree so that any archers on the walls of Solitude could not hit him.

"They have taken heavy losses on the walls, there are hardly any arrows being fired at us now. The gates are firm however and may take some time to breach."

Ulfric nodded. He knew that they would be making arrows within those walls as they spoke, but they would be poorly made and of low quality. He also knew that the main gate was heavy steel and impossible to breach with a ram.

"Send some men under the bay. There may be an entrance there. You know that smugglers operate from here all the time, there must be something we missed. Keep the pressure on those walls."

"And the dragons? They are in league with Elisif for some reason."

"They will fall eventually. That black one is massive and easier to hit. The green one…we have a few mages left yes? Get them to attack the blood thing, see if their magic makes a difference."

Ralof was about to reply when a massive roar echoed in the sky.

Ulfric looked up and he felt a cold sensation begin to creep down the back of his neck. Ralof looked up as well and saw a red dragon swoop from out of the clouds above.

"Is that…"

"Get the men ready," Ulfric ordered.

Ralof nodded and sprinted away as Galmar Stone Fist came alongside Ulfric, blood coating his armour from head to toe.

"Even without the bitch, that dragon fights for her," Galmar grumbled.

Ulfric made to respond but said nothing as two figures leapt off the dragons back and landed in identical feline crouches, blades already drawn and magic flaring from their fingertips. He blinked and narrowed his eyes as the red dragon landed on top of the men attacking the gates of Solitude, two more figures leaping off it's back and standing alongside the creature, weapons out and ready to use.

"What the…"

Ulfric moved forwards, his men rallying behind him. There was now only fifteen feet between him and the two figures that had jumped off a moving dragon, but there was no question as to who he was looking at.

Orange irises, black leather armour, dragonbone blade and a bad attitude to end with. Not to mention an ancient vampire who seems to be her sexual partner.

"It cannot be," Galmar breathed out slowly.

"Hello Ulfric, did you miss me?" Morgan snarled, her fangs already unsheathed and ready for blood.