Chapter 18: Making Right
Liv ended up clearing away snow to prevent too much cold and wet from seeping into Rossi's clothes, waiting a few hours beside him with a small fire until he woke.
"What happened?" he groaned, sitting up and rubbed the back of his head.
"An old friend came along, and found us. The portals are closed, now. There won't be anyone else coming through again," Liv said, looking up before shuffling over from where she crouched. "Doesn't look bad; it's probably just very tender. And sorry about not being able to heal that - I'll need another day before these burns are gone for good," she half-smirked, wiggling her fingers at Rossi after she examined his head again.
"So how long have I been out?"
"Couple hours; you were gotten good. But take some time to warm up, before we head back," Liv said, helping him sit up and closer to the fire.
"Thank you. You said an old friend?"
"Emphasis on 'old', and definitely a friend, in a lot of aspects, and not at all in others," she shrugged. "I'll share the story once we're back with the others, and they can add in their coppers on the matter. Well, cents?"
"Two cents," Rossi chuckled, rubbing his hands together before holding them close to the fire. "It's interesting how your idioms are so similar, yet different."
Liv smiled, shaking her head slightly as she stoked the fire. "I guess it's the same need that arose between the different cultures and languages."
"It seems so," Rossi said, rubbing his hands together. "I think I'm ready to make the trek down, get somewhere properly warm."
She nodded, standing up and started putting out the fire, helping Rossi to his feet. "Take it easy; it's a long walk but once we're closer I can signal to the others where we are."
"I'm sure I'll make it down all the way, Liv. I'm old, but I'm not quite that old yet."
She made a soft noise, shaking her head. "But almost," she teased back, smiling when he feigned offence and chuckled, the pair making their way down the mountain together.
Spencer was the first one to spot them, scurrying through the snow to greet them. "You made it back! We were pretty worried - we thought maybe something bad had happened, and you needed help, but because you couldn't really contact us you couldn't let us knowandthatwasreallyworryingandIamsogladyou'reokay," he gasped, looking for a moment like he wanted to pull them both into a hug.
"We're fine, Spencer," Liv said, nodding her assurance. "We just ran into a little hiccup, but the portal is closed for good, and there won't be any other problems around here with vampires and the like, probably ever again."
"You sure?"
"Yup, I'm sure," she smiled. "But we could do with getting warm; Rossi spent some time passed out in the snow, so it' best -"
"- that he comes in, yeah," Spencer finished, flashing a grin at Liv, frozen for a moment before Rossi cleared his throat and jolted the young doctor into action, and hid a smile behind a hand when Spencer hurried back to open the door and let them in, already calling for the others inside to make coffee and to stoke the fire.
"You're back! You're okay, wow," Garcia nodded, smiling at them. "Okay, yeah that's good. What happened? Are you okay?"
"We're fine, for the most part," Liv nodded, keeping an eye on Rossi until he seated himself by the fire with a heavy sigh. "Got a little cold while we were out, but we're okay. Rossi was knocked out for a couple hours, but he seems fine. And the vampire problem has been solved, too, which is a double bonus."
"We'll call the doctor -"
"That's really not necessary, Hotch. I'm fine," Rossi said, smile reassuring. "Just cold, so - blessed coffee, thank you," he smiled, taking the coffee mug from JJ.
"Alright... That's good news, then. Thank you Liv," Hotch said. "What happened?"
"Well, as I started saying to Rossi, the vampire turned out to be an old friend, Serana. She's one of the only two people I know who can open up a portal like the ones we saw around here. Anyway, she was the one who was opening them. Apparently she got wind of the fact that I'd gone to fight Alduin, and when people assumed I was dead, but she couldn't find a way to confirm it, she put two and two together to get eight.
"The Ideal Masters had apparently started whispering about a new source of souls, different souls to what they were used to, from somewhere else. Serana thought it might've been me, and that she'd try to come through here to see if her theory was correct. She's only just succeeded, so I suppose that the portals opening here are a kind of happy accident-on-purpose."
"Wow, okay. That's... a lot," JJ nodded, heaving a quiet sigh. "So no more vampires, or portals, nothing?"
"Nothing; we're alright," Liv nodded.
"What was that roar, then?" Morgan asked.
"Just the stable portal closing. Magic is noisy, sometimes," Liv said, offering a reassuring smile, and happened to catch Spencer's look. Well. Might as well explain to him that was Durny, she thought. "I guess that wraps us up? Mostly?"
"Yes, it does. Animal attacks, likely from something feral, and a case of extremely unusual weather phenomena," Hotch sighed, rubbing his forehead before running his hand over his hair.
Liv looked down, fiddling with the edge of Qahnaarin's sheath. "I'm sorry about how difficult things are, for you. I don't mean for this fight to become yours, or such a hassle for everyone who's involved."
"I know, and you don't have to apologize," Hotch said, offering her a small smile. "But I appreciate the sentiment. I guess we should wrap this up, close the case, and head back to where it's warmer."
"Oh my god yes please," Garcia grinned, blushing and placed her hands over her cheeks. "It's gorgeous here, sir, really it is, but I've had enough of the cold to last me foe a long while."
"I agree with you, Garcia," Prentiss grinned, the team's banter turning light as Liv stepped back and away with the promise of more coffee, and Spencer offering to assist.
"That wasn't the portal closing."
"No, they're a lot quieter."
"Was it Alduin?"
Liv glanced up with a bit of a smirk. "You'd've known if it was Alduin, but yes, it was a dragon."
"What," he hissed, eyes wide as he crouched down to get closer to Liv, eyes lighting up as Spencer even forgot to look busy with the coffee. "Really? Did you have to fight it? Was it a friend? Did it come through the portal?"
"Yes, no, yes, and yes, in order," she smiled, taking the mug from his hands. "His name is Durnehviir, and he has a particular interest in conjuration and necromancy, which led him to make a deal with the Ideal Masters back in the Mythic Era. He had to guard a woman in the Soul Cairn until she died, except that woman was Valerica, and she was a vampire."
"Oh. Oh that's tricky," he nodded, adding sugar to the various cups, to each team member's liking. "How long has he been in there?"
Liv hummed, shrugging slightly. "Millennia, probably. The Mythic Era was longer than the previous four put together, more or less, so it's hard to judge. But as a result, his flesh has started decaying, and leaving the Cairn for too long is painful for him, and... unpleasant for me," she snorted softly. "That kind of decay is, well, gross."
"Really? He's alive and decaying? But how does he stay alive?"
"Dragons are immortal, so it's not like he can actually die. As long as his soul isn't absorbed, a powerful dragon may resurrect him and return the flesh to the bones, bind the soul in something corporeal again," she said. "Or something like that. I know Alduin used to resurrect dragons like that, when they'd been killed by the races of man, mer and beast, but their souls weren't absorbed by a Dragonborn."
Spencer was quiet while the kettle boiled, then clicked off, and Liv filled the cups. "That sounds painful. And lonely."
"I imagine it is, yes," she nodded, looking up at him with a soft sigh. "Let's add the milk and creamer, then hand these out. I know we could all do with a little extra heat."
"Yeah, yeah you're right, Liv. Thanks for telling me," he smiled.
"Any time, Spencer," she smiled back, her heart warm as she lifted the tray.
The local authorities were both relieved and a little disappointed about the final verdict, but overall they seemed more pleased to have something reasonable to deal with, and saw the team off with friendly invitations to return on less serious business.
Liv was inclined to take them up on it, just to come back somewhere that was more like home than she'd seen in a very long time. The flights back were calm, filled with the team trying to finish their reports cohesively and without leaving any loopholes that could prove they weren't entirely truthful, and a few games to pass the time.
The Breton was made to catch up on two episodes of a tv show about people in space and surrounded by an alien crew, in that time; Spencer taking over her report and refused to write up Morgan's until he was adequately bribed with coffee and a promise to not need to do any other paperwork for the rest of the week.
Liv didn't mention that it was nearly the weekend, and it was very unlikely that they'd get any more paperwork, and judging by the amused glint in Morgan's eye, he knew it too. She exchanged a grin with Morgan, smiling to herself when he patted Spencer's shoulder before continuing on with a poker game with JJ, Prentiss and Rossi.
The rest of the week unfolded much as she'd expected, but only with the pleasant surprise that was a dinner party on the Friday evening, from Rossi.
"Just bring yourselves. I'll be cooking," he'd winked, and Liv resolved to at least find a good bottle of wine.
"And you actually managed to find this cave? Based on ancient scrolls and a prophecy?" Rossi asked, the team lounging on his couches after a wonderful dinner.
"I did, yes. It was deep in the mountains, and something of a pain to get to. I'm not entirely sure that the Volkihar knew about it, then, and they probably won't know about it now," Liv shrugged. "But we had no idea, and traveling through it was a bit of a nightmare. I was grateful for Serana while we were there, with her improved night vision, but it certainly didn't settle my nerves much."
"That's amazing, to find a lost place like that," Emily grinned. "Going adventuring like that sounds fun."
"Hah, it is," Liv grinned. "It's not easy, but it's... well I suppose enjoyable is more correct. Darkfall Cave wasn't fun at all. Caves are usually dark, but never that dark, and never as falmer-infested as that was. Serana could smell them out, sure, but there were so many living there, that it was hard to tell where they were coming from. We spent two very tense nights sleeping in falmer tents, hoping we wouldn't wake up to them standing over us," she chuckled, shaking her head at the memory.
"They sound like pretty dangerous animals," Morgan said.
"Well. They're not animals, exactly," Liv started, grimacing. "They're actually elves. Snow elves, but when the Atmorans came to Skyrim, they went to war against the elves, and to flee the Atmorans, the snow elves made pacts with the dwemer - dwarves, or technically 'deep elves'. And no, they weren't short people like in Lord of the Rings. They were called dwarves by the giants who lived in the areas they settled in. But. I've lost my train of thought," Liv frowned.
"Snow elves making pacts with the deep elves," Spencer said, chocolate eyes wide on her, his mug of hot chocolate, clasped between both hands.
"Right! Yes, the snow elves asked the dwemer for help, and the dwemer allowed them in, on certain conditions. But not long after that, it became apparent that the dwemer were enslaving the snow elves, their magic and sciences twisting them into the blind, feral creatures we know as 'falmer'. Darkfall Cave leads to the Chantry of Auri-El, an ancient temple the snow elves built. I think," she frowned. "It's mostly in ruin, largely overrun by more falmer. Apparently some snow elves managed to hide there, and tried to help their afflicted brethren? The exact history is a little fuzzy to me," she admitted. "I didn't study it and I didn't really have time to ask a lot of questions back then. But we made it through the cave, and the vale, and into the Chantry, past far too many falmer, where we finally met Knight-Paladin Gelebor," she grinned.
"Was he a falmer who'd somehow regained his senses?" Spencer asked.
"Yes and no, though more 'no' than 'yes'. He was a snow elf, but one of the last two who were unaffected by whatever took over the falmer. He was the keeper of Auriel's Bow, which we needed in order to stop Harkon from blotting out the sun."
"But if you have the bow, all the vampires need to do, is attack you and then they have it. Especially if that's the same bow you need for both sides of the prophecy," Morgan frowned, crossing his arms.
Liv nodded. "We were pretty much sitting ducks, once we left Darkfall Cave again... but aside from a few random attacks when we just set out to return to Fort Dawnguard, there weren't really any coordinated attacks against us, until we reached the valley leading to the fort. Luckily, we had the Riften Hold guards and the Dawnguard to assist us," she said, pursing her lips. "A lot of people got hurt, and several were afflicted with vampirism. Most of those people chose to rather end their life, than wait for word on healers that specifically treated the disease before it fully manifested."
"Vapirism is a disease," JJ deadpanned, staring at Liv.
"Oh, yeah. It's curable on many fronts, it just takes a lot of work and sometimes a lot more divine intervention," she smiled wryly. "Catching it before it manifests is the surest way to make sure you won't become a vampire, but even then, it's not really a guarantee."
Rossi hummed and shook his head, sipping his wine in the quiet while the team took it in.
"It's really that new for you, isn't it?" Liv smiled, a little amused and a little incredulous that they were so shocked by it. "I understand that the average person in Tamriel doesn't know that it can be cured, and especially not that it can be cured after it has taken hold, but is it such a surprise that it is a disease?"
"Quite a surprise, actually," Hotch said. "Most of the fictional depictions of vampires show it as a kind of curse, not a disease."
"And vampires are technically not human. They're like, a different species," Garcia added, nodding.
Liv chortled, staring between the team. "Really? A different species? That would be like saying manbeasts are a totally different species," she chuckled, then went quiet when they stared back. "You count those as a separate species too, huh. It shows that you only have one main race of mortals," she sighed, grin still in place.
"One day, I might like to go visit your world. But I'd like to see it a little more securely than you do," Rossi chuckled, winking at Liv.
"Oh, I'm sure we can work something out with the Companions. They owe me a favor or three, for helping them retrieve a couple fragments of Wuuthrad. It's the axe of Ysgramor himself, the man who led the Atmorans to Skyrim," she said. "But before you ask me, Spencer, that's a whole lot of history I really am not familiar with at all. The Nords - and the Companions especially - don't particularly like magic, as I've explained a few times before. They're suspicious of us mages, and apparently were long before the Thalmor came around. They just made everything... so much worse," she finished, heaving a sigh and ended up taking a larger gulp of her wine than she intended. "But it means that I couldn't get a lot out of the Companions about their history."
"They're the ones you said took control of Tamriel, after the... Crisis? The Thalmor?" Spencer said.
Liv hummed and nodded her agreement. "Yep, an organization of high elves, or altmer. Real bastards, to be frank. I know a couple people who were lost to them and their 'interrogations', and I've been in some of their forts three times in Skyrim, once for information and once to free someone. It's not pleasant," she muttered, setting her glass down.
No-one asked about the third time Liv had been in Thalmor company, the dark look on her face saying enough.
"But you mentioned that you were at a college for magic?" Spencer said, jumping on the topic to ease the heaviness. "Do you study it like we'd study science and history? Or is it just a controlled practice area?"
Liv looked up and offered him a tiny, grateful smile. "Yeah, it's a little of both, really. You can't learn magic without using it, and you can't always use it without studying it. I have to admit though, my... adventures with Alduin meant I really only went up there when I had down time, and the snows hadn't closed off the roads in winter. Nothing goes in or out of Winterhold with those blizzards... I sure as Oblivion don't miss them," she chuckled. "And I wish I'd paid a little more attention to the things Tolfdir used to teach about magic. They were usually the sort of practical, quick-and-easy hints, tips and tricks that make you a better mage. I always ascribed them as things only people without natural talent would need. I had no idea just how wrong I actually was," she said, laugh soft and wry as she shook her head, and delved into explaining magic and the schools, recounting a few adventures within the College, and finally circled back to vampires and Serana when Conjuration came up again.
"It's a useful school, no doubt, but I never really cared much for it. I had my weapons, I had my armor, all I really needed, to be frank. Most of the conjuration spells I would've learnt were conjured armor and weapons, some mage armor, maybe... but I had all that already, so learning that didn't make much sense. Plus, a hard enough hit and it disappears," she said, smile wry. "But I did learn to conjure a familiar, a couple atronachs, soul trapping... the standard stuff. Never really went into the necromantic side of it till Serana came along, and even then, it's not a field I'd find useful, personally."
"I should really not be as surprised as I am, when you start talking about magic and you mention some whole other new thing, but I really can't help it," Morgan said, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. "And I guess you really do raise the dead?"
"Yep; depending on the skill of the necromancer, it can even be nearly permanent. But it doesn't restore sentience," Liv added quickly, raising a hand. "It's just the body. The flesh, the physical. There's no soul that comes with the resurrection."
"That actually makes sense, in a weird way," Emily nodded. "Especially since you already know that the soul is a separate entity."
Spencer shifted in his seat, sitting up straighter. "But what if - hypothetically - you soul trapped someone before they died, then raised their body, and tried to tie the soul to that body?"
The room was quiet, with Spencer turning a soft shade of pink and muttered a small 'what' as he shrank a little.
"I, I don't know the answer to that. And I don't know that area of the school well enough to speculate. But I feel like that's something that some necromancers, at least, have definitely tried to explore," Liv said. "If I ever see Serana again, I'll ask her, and see what she has to say. I don't think it works that way, but I don't know."
"It would be interesting to find out. But I don't think I'd want to be the one who experiments it," Spencer said, lips pulling in a sympathetic grimace to the rest of the team's agreement.
"Anyway, while we're on this..." Liv continued, taking a slow breath and set her wine glass aside. "I'd like to apologize for my behaviour in Alaska. It wasn't professional, and while I can say that it was stressful and there was a lot of pressure, it's still no excuse. Even though it's been a year, I forget sometimes that this is a team, and that I'm not the one leading it. So, I apologize, Hotch," she finished, holding his gaze.
He nodded, trying not to squirm under the weight of her stare, with something else lingering just below the surface of it, straightening to face her. "It's alright, and I appreciate the apology. I also need to remember you have a certain, specific set of skills and knowledge that we don't have, that can be useful to us. It would just help if we have a more open communication about what you can and can't do, and what you put your confidence in when you say you can handle yourself, without weapons or magic."
Liv nodded, making a soft noise of agreement as she looked down. "Some things I can't really explain, because I don't know how to, or because it wouldn't make sense to explain it without showing how it works. And... some things tie into how Alduin and I can track each other, which puts everyone in danger. Just. Maybe give me some time to think over how to explain it, put it in words that don't just sound crazy, and... this goes against communicating effectively," she huffed, half-sneering at herself. "But trust that, even without my magic, without my weapons, as long as I still have the strength and ability to speak, there's incredibly little that will actually take me down. I can promise you this much. I just don't know how to put it in words, mostly because I don't really know and understand what it is and how exactly it works. My... training... neglected that aspect."
"Sounds like a story all on its own," Morgan said, raising a brow.
Liv snorted. "Yeah, you have no idea... You know, actually, maybe I should tell you about some of the general Skyrim culture that I remember. It might just make some things easier, down the line," she said, grin a little too sharp, a little too gleeful, when Morgan groaned and Spencer lit up like the dawn after a storm.