Urgent Tidings

The hawk glided down, leaving the favorable winds that had sped it on its trip from Whiterun to Solitude. For a few seconds, it searched the landscapes it had been taught to memorize; then it landed in the window of the house it had been directed to. There was noise inside: good. It was the right place. It rapped at the glass with its beak, hard.

Nevano was absolutely inclined to ignore the very slight interruption, as he had for the past day. Or more? He couldn't remember anymore. They could have been here a week and he probably wouldn't have noticed. Except the hawk was persistent. And the longer it went ignored, the louder it got, not merely banging on the glass, but shrieking as well.

"Vaermina's rotted tits..." He muttered, finally looking up. "That better have a message on it saying something about death and destruction."

Serana lifted herself up with a groan and peered at the window, where the noisy bird was now smacking its wings against the glass as well as its beak. "Ohhh...it's a Dawnguard hawk. And I think I can see the letter on its leg."

Nevano sighed and got up. He had the slightest hitch in his step as he pushed the window open...though careful not to shove the bird off. Thing hadn't gotten him that annoyed yet. It quieted instantly, balancing itself and holding out the leg with the letter bound to it. When he took it, it hopped back, now quiet, and settled itself down on the windowsill to wait.

He took it to Serana, not willing at all to try to read the small writing of a hawk-sized letter. Normal sized was bad enough.

She sighed, lifting herself up out of the nest of blankets and taking it in one hand, nestling against him as she opened it and began to read. Then she frowned, her relaxed attitude changing to one alert and alarmed.

"I think I'm about to regret what I said earlier, aren't I?" He asked.

"Well...you were right about what it's talking about. Another hybrid attacked them. Apparently, it took down-" She broke off and stared. "How in the world could it bring down the Great Porch?! That's built on the back of Whiterun's mountain, it's solid rock beneath it! It's not-well, this says it brought down half the Great Porch trying to kill Drizzt, Zak, and Veleth, though Cattie-Brie was on the alert and got them out before they could be caught in the landslide. Then it tried to attack Ravenlight while she was speaking to the jarls and faction leaders. Gyrmallion killed it, but was badly hurt, she says he was nearly killed."

"Well...feck." Nevano breathed. "I didn't mean that much destruction! Vith!" He looked around. Their clothing and armor was scattered all over. "We probably should think about heading there ourselves. Don't want to attract a hybrid here to Solitude by being here. Next one might try to drop the palace into the sea."

"Yes." She rose with a sigh. "Oh-wait. There's a little more...it says to ask you what you know about Sleepers? Because she and Nevusa think these attacking hybrids could be something similar."

His face paled so fast she was worried he would pass out. He opened his mouth but it took him a few tries before noise came out.

"Sleepers?" He sounded slightly strangled. "Gods...they were people who could not resist Dagoth Ur muttering to them while they slept. Ordinary people, suddenly spouting nonsense about the Sixth House, especially if I walked by. Once the Ash Vampires were killed, they were okay again. Dreamers were worse...they willingly accepted it. They were crazed in their devotion. Ran around with no clothes, attacking anyone who didn't follow Dagoth Ur. After his fall...they only got worse. Couldn't snap them out of it. Bal...doing this...I think I might be sick..."

"There's a basin." She pointed, rising, and looking ill herself. "She said she thinks it'll be limited to his followers, and she's going to take some of the Chii Chare and try to find a Thalmor cell that's been killing conjuration mages. Wants to know what they might know about all this; maybe bring them in as well."

Nevano hung his head down in an attempt to settle it. "If, if, it is similar...we'll never be able to guess a sleeper or a dreamer unless they start stripping down and spouting nonsense. By then...but to transform them too..." He shuddered. "He learned too much. See, the ash beasts I saw. All of them. They were once mer. Once members of House Dagoth. They had been mutilated. Faces missing, appendages growing where they shouldn't. But even the powerful ones could be defeated. Jorun killed a few himself, without me. What's going on here is taking that and twisting it even further. But how? How is he transforming ordinary people into these children of Vivec? I know I doubt the sermons but Nerevar seems to think Vivec did kill them..."

"What if...it's not simply transforming ordinary people?" Serana bit her lip. "We... worshipped Bal before there were any limits placed on the power of the Daedric Lords. He could...he would-physically manifest when his altar was invoked. What if this is similar? What if he promises his worshippers power, if they will...offer themselves? And then...after some kind of ritual..."

"Wait...didn't Drelasa say that the Titans were created?" Nevano asked. "That Bal would...experiment?"

"Corrupted, yes." Serana shivered. "I don't remember much of the worship of him. Some of it I never saw, and a lot I blocked from my mind after...well, you know. But...that's something I may have to look into." She paused. "And I...may have to ask my mother about it, too.."

"If he experiments..." Nevano ran his hand over his hair. "He might be transforming them through some means other than straight magic."

"I'm wondering...if there might be possession going on. Willing...maybe even requested possession."

"Ugh. Why would anyone..." Nevano shuddered. "Though Nerevar isn't bad, it sometimes is uncomfortable for both of us."

"Power," Serana said quietly. "The only reason anyone would ally with Molag Bal. Because he offers them power."

"We need to go then." Nevano said. "As much as I don't want to leave our little den, it's time to go back to work, sugar tooth."

She stepped up to him, putting her arms around him, and letting him hold her for a few more minutes. "I know. I know...a quick way to travel across Skyrim and reach Whiterun from here. Not always the most pleasant way...but we can make it there before the night is over."

Nevano pulled her into his lap, his blood heating up despite the rest of his body groaning in exhausted overuse. "Faster than stealing a horse?"

"Much faster. You probably won't like it that much." She kissed him. "I know I don't. But it's fast; and right now, we need fast."

He kissed her back. "I can handle a bit of discomfort."

"All right. Let's get dressed, then."

"If we can find all of it!" He laughed. "We tossed it all over the place. Though..." he glanced at the waiting hawk. "Guess we oughta send the hawk back. Slightly unnerving to have it stare at my bare arse."

"I'll write a quick reply and send it off while you're retrieving our clothing." Serana smiled. "Fortunately for us both, I got ready for the wedding here, so my normal clothes, and my armor, are here as well."

"I'm fairly positive someone grabbed my weapons and bag." Nevano reluctantly let her go and slid off. "Wouldn't leave those alone."

"Probably Drelasa. She strikes me as the sort of person who would be sure to take those."

"She definitely is." Nevano picked up various bits of armor and clothes off the ground. "I'd've lost my own arse if it weren't for her."

Serana gave said arse a long, sly glance from where she sat by the bedside table with the ink and paper. "Well. I suppose I'm responsible for making sure it doesn't get lost now."

He shot her a smirk over his shoulder. "I think my very owned arse is quite happy to stay now."

The heat in her eyes might have sent them back onto the bed-or simply the floor-if the hawk hadn't shrieked at that moment. And the glare Nevano shot the bird might have turned it into roast chicken if looks could kill.

Serana scowled at it too, but sighed and bent back over the desk. "All right, all right. Impatient little thing." She blotted off the extra ink, tied the letter into a roll, and fastened it to the hawk's leg. "Take it back to her," she ordered. The hawk shrieked one last time, then took off.

Nevano sorted through the pile he had amassed. "Missing a boot..."

"Under the bed." Serana opened her dresser and pulled out her clothes, pulling them on. "Old and new leather has an...unusual scent, and I can smell it."

"I think that's the first time anyone has mentioned the smell of my boots and the look on their face not been horrified." Nevano dug it out before reluctantly pulling clothes on.

"I was in the house when she ripped the lining out." Serana giggled. "If she hadn't, I would have probably thrown them both out the window while we were getting undressed. They were...potent, to say the least."

"Lucky. They were lucky." Nevano insisted. "And quite possibly thirty or forty years old..."

"Well, thanks to our cousin, they can now last another thirty or forty before your wife with the very good nose insists something be done about them again." She kissed him.

Nevano laughed and kissed her back. "I think I have more incentive to deal with these things now."

For a moment, Serana looked as though she wanted his clothes and hers back off...but she sighed and got control. "We can't leave...that way until it's fully dark. And we probably shouldn't get, um, distracted again, or we might not remember to leave until tomorrow morning. So...why don't I show you around Solitude until then?"

Nevano, strongly suspecting her way of travel would be something he'd consider 'batty', pulled on his last boot and offered her his arm. "Lead the way, sugar tooth."


Ravenlight's eyes opened, and she jerked up, panting. It took her a moment to remember where she was: Jorrvaskr, the Harbinger's quarters. Her children, along with Veleth and Dreyla, were in Breezehome; the twins at the Bannered Mare, along with Ahmetia, Larifa and Rellino; Drelasa was staying at Dragonsreach to keep an eye on Gyrmallion, though Elealda had joined her earlier that evening.

She suspected Nevusa and Farkas were back together. She had tried to impress upon the Dunmer that their wedding night would be all the better for their waiting...but wasn't entirely sure Nevusa got the concept.

She stood, not sure what had awakened her, but aware that it was more than just a dream. That was fading, too quickly to be anything more than a normal dream. Something else had caught her attention.

She rose, pulled on her clothes, and went outside, looking up for whatever had caught her attention. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. In fact, it was almost too ordinary. The wind blew, making the trees rustle like conspirator's whispers.

She turned slowly, ready to call on her magicka and her Thu'ums if needed, straining for sign or sound of anything strange. Then she heard something she knew she hadn't before: wings. She looked up sharply as a cloud drifted over the moons, finally allowing a figure cloaked and winged with darkness to emerge. Serana spotted her and drifted down to land in front of her, Nevano clinging to her for dear life.

"You were right..." Nevano cringed as they drifted down. "That was...a bit unpleasant."

"Hence why I prefer not to shadow-jump if possible." She felt the cobbles under her feet and released her grip on the shadows. "But...it sounded urgent, and we did need to come fast."

"Yes. We did." Nevano seemed very glad the strange journey was over. "Oh, hi, Ravenlight."

"Glad to see you're both in one piece. We were a little worried that Bal would take advantage of your isolation." She stepped forward and hugged them both. "Shadow jumping?"

Nevano actually returned her hug, not tensing much at all at her touch. "Not a sight, as far as I know. Picking through the noise in my head, it's because it was far too lovey and sweet where we were. Apparently that's something that makes Bal gag."

Ravenlight considered. "Hm. Something we might want to remember-and possibly take advantage of." She laughed suddenly. "He's probably seething over the results of his assassination attempt. Dreyla was very relieved to see Veleth in one piece after all was explained to her...and the only reason Drizzt and Cattie-Brie aren't making enough noise to keep the town awake is because they'd wake up the baby if they did."

"Not to mention the other couple isn't about to waste an opportunity." Nevano laughed. "So much sickly sweet love all around. The kind that makes Azura excited."

Ravenlight rolled her eyes. "I am going to have to freeze Nevusa in place until the wedding, almost. I'm honestly wondering if she and Farkas have even taken the time to eat since we arrived in Whiterun."

"Probably not." Nevano didn't sound hugely concerned. "But, I'm not surprised. She's found a man who wants her and will treat her right. She's going to ride him like a racehorse long after that race is won. Dunmer don't like keeping their clothes on when they are within arm's reach of those they love." He put his arm around Serana. "I'm honestly shocked Veleth kept himself in check for this long."

"They're driving Vilkas crazy already." Ravenlight smirked. "I'm tempted to warn her that he told me that if she turns him into a cat for interrupting them one more time, he's going to make use of her clothing."

Serana frowned. "Make use of her clothing?"

"His exact words were, 'I'll piss on her clothes and shit in her boots.'"

Nevano facepalmed.

"I'm honestly tempted to just let it happen," Ravenlight admitted. "Certainly be a strong deterrent for the next time she's tempted to abuse that little gift of hers."

"Or you'll have a screaming naked Dunmer woman and a pissed off cat she refuses to change into anything other than perhaps a toad." Nevano sighed.

A grin spread across Ravenlight's face. "No, because we have someone here from the Mage's College who's also mastered that art, and is very adept in undoing transformations of that sort. How do you think he was turned back to grumble about this last time?"

"I'll talk to her." Nevano shook his head. "Can't say it'll do much because interruptions suck. Especially when a damn bird decides to. Ah, word of wise...don't interrupt Veleth. Even I'm not brave or foolish enough for that."

"Veleth hasn't had enough opportunity to be interrupted, except perhaps by Dusty," Ravenlight said dryly. "Rather like Drizzt. And no, I'm not planning on barging in on either of them. I'd be a little more sympathetic toward Nevusa if she hadn't been at it since the minute we arrived in the city." She shook her head. "Good thing the wedding's as soon as it is, because she's probably going to have triplets, the way this is going."

"Hence why I said I'm surprised he's held himself in check." Nevano shook his head. "Gods above and below, does the girl not remember she's far more likely to get pregnant with a human? You know what? Never mind. Just freeze them both to the damn bed. She's all over Farkas but I don't think he wants to stop her either."

"Farkas, I think, understood what I was asking. But at the same time, all she has to do is look a little bit sad or angry, and he'd do anything to cheer her back up." Ravenlight shook her head. "I'm going to report this to Drelasa and let her deal with Nevusa." She grew serious. "Speaking of Drelasa. This last one was capable of some...exceedingly nasty things."

"Yes...a little birdie mentioned that."

Ravenlight beckoned. "Come on. It's late, but the damage is still...obvious, and if we're quiet, we won't wake anyone."

Nevano nodded and held Serana's hand as they followed Ravenlight through town.