Cold. The frost nipped at her fingers as she trudged through the snow towards the college. Artemisia Elsinal always hated the winter in Skyrim, the inhospitable climate it brought with her and beyond all continued to long for her home in the Summerset Isles. Drawing her cloak around her more tightly, appreciating her own genius for inlaying it with weak fire runes, trying to stave out the rest of the cold. Sia admired the gold filigree detailing the cloak, making it seem like flames danced along its deep blue surface as she quickly neared the bridge and the initiate currently meant to be guarding it. With her amber eyes, tanned skin, and honey-blond hair, from which her ears gracefully poked through, many remarked that looking at Sia was almost like looking into the sun itself.

'Halt! Who goes there!' he shouted, summoning a weak firebolt in one hand as if to defend himself from a stranger wearing what looked to be a very exotic cloak, hood far over the face and a whole number of small vials and throwing knives dotted around on bandoliers and belts.

Fishing for her amulet and eventually flashing it exasperatedly, 'Truly you cannot even recognise your own archmage.' Raising one eyebrow beneath her hood, not that he could see it mind, 'Now get out of my way before I get Mirabelle to kick out your sorry arse. Seriously that is the most pitiful firebolt ive ever seen what on all of Tamriel were you hoping to do if I really was trying to attack hmm.'

'A-archmage i-im sorry please I didn't recognise you there I'm so sorry! It won't happen again and ill make sure to study harde-mmpf' he whimpered as Artemisia in all her impatient glory shouldered past him and rapidly made her way across what remained of the crumbling bridge to the college proper.

Quickly making her way into the college she sought her way to the library and for a quick research with one unruly orc.

'Urag there you are I'm afraid I need your help' she rapidly spoke in a bid to get to her quarry before it could vanish between the never-ending stacks of the magnificent library.

'Hmpf always impatient archmage, perhaps you should slow down for once and work on our speed instead of rushing off after one hare-brained scheme or another.' He remarked, looking wizened in his well-worn brown nondescript cloak and whitened beard.

'oh please don't get your tusks in a twist ive just had a hectic day, week, month, hell even year! I just want to get my cloak upgraded to help keep out this accursed cold before I get some other snotty dignitary begging me to save their hides!'

'What do you expect being archmage of the college, the last dragonborn who saved the world –'

'Yes yes yes I know you don't need to list out everything, I swear it grows ever longer each time I step outside! Anyway, I need you to help me look up stronger fire runes that I can inlay into my cloak without it burning up.'

'Hmm, there may be something that could help in the enchanting section, wait here ill fetch you something that could help'. Urag strode off into the rows of shelves, while not quite as quick as he once was, he could definitely still move when he needed to. Or when an impatient and slightly agitated archmage who just also happened to be the dragonborn herself needed something. After all it was always more peaceful when she wasn't there and the risk of a fire accident noticeably lessened.

'Ah finally, this book better be work otherwise ill have to come down and talk your head off again wont it' she said smirking all the while for it was almost legendary how much Urag absolutely hated to interact with anyone and anything that wasn't a book in the library.

'Here, this one the "Guide to highly dangerous fire enchantments – guaranteed to leave your enemies a roasted corpse" ought to fulfil your more pyromania tendencies' handing over the book relived that she may be out of his way and peace may fill his blessed hall again.

'One last thing, how do you manage to not burn under that cloak, it is something I have never quite managed to figure out.' grunting out those last words completely vexed as he just could not understand how active fire runes failed to leave horrible burns across her body.

'Ahh well it is as I say every time, fire cannot burn a dragon.' She smirked and strode out and up the stairs to her private chambers above where none but she can access.

While Artemisia did have a number of homes dotted about Skyrim, she loved none more than her arch-mage chambers. Filled to the brim with all sorts of esoteric items, highly powerful artifacts, enchanting and alchemy tables, and her own personal library, it was all a mage could dream of and more.

Along with this she did also have on her back wall a full-blown map of Skyrim large enough to pin markings on the wall and to easily see all the holds, towns and hamlets and even the various caves and structures she had frequented, of which there were many.

From an early age Sia knew she had an affinity for fire based magicka and had studied back in Alinor extensively mastering many of the different branches of destruction based magick. Upon taking her mantle as the last Dragonborn and undergoing many changes, Sia slowly managed to deepen her knowledge and skills to the extent that she could manipulate small pockets of flame. It is with this skill that she quickly shot out four small firebolts and suspended them around the room, quickly heating it to a suffocating temperature but one that felt just right for her.

Sinking into her favourite plush velvet lined chair, Artemisia sighed in relief, finally getting a moment to herself in her hectic life that seemed to lurch from one crisis to the next. After completing her studies in Alinor she moved to Skyrim to study under the college, rising through the ranks impressing all with her prodigal talents of destruction and eventually succeeding Savos Aren after his death.

Thumbing open her book she quickly started to read, hoping to find a nice medium between overpowered fire runes to keep her warm and toasty and runes that won't cause her cloak to be reduced to cinder. However, just as she was getting into the section on master level runes a large commotion sprung up below with a multitude of voices all shouting.

'Arghh, can't I have at least one night to myself! Is that truly too much to ask. By all the nine if this is another save-the-world dragonborn we are too much of a collective of puny impotent weaklings to save our own skin I'm going to come up there to Aetherius and drag you all down with me so someone else can save them for a change!' she barked staring up at her ceiling as she resigned herself to going down to the courtyard to see what the fuss was all about. She began to pray as she trudged down the stairs and even contemplated adding in some Daedra if she knew they wouldn't come to collect later, as she felt it deep in her bones. That horrible sinking feeling that you know something is about to happen that you won't want to be anywhere near around but know inevitably you will be stuck right in the middle of it. Sia's life had been full of events just like that to make her almost consider the possibility of letting whatever calamity had surely befallen now to just run its course.

Entering the courtyard proper she saw a number of ill-dressed men all waving torches shouting at a number of her college's trainers.

'We seek the arch-mage, she must help us this is a blight that could end the world!' one was shouting almost incoherently in the cacophony of voices.

'And this is how you want to see her?! Barging in dressed in armour demanding to see our arch-mage! She has far more important matters to devote herself too not some jumped up vagabonds that seem to think the world bows to them!' Mirabelle Ervine, always highly protective of the college and all who resided in it could always be counted upon to strongly rebuke all who intruded.

FUS – a wave of force sweeping over the grounds making everyone stumble quickly shut everyone up.

'Enough! What is with all this and how dare you enter the college like this?! If you know what's good for you surrender and lay down your arms or prepare to be ejected from the college with force!' Sia screamed from the entrance to ensure all knew exactly how enraged she was by the display of these as of now unknown brigands.

'Arch-mage please my name is Agmaer and these companions of mine are part of the Dawnguard. There have been a vast increase of vampire attacks all across Skyrim and we need your help to stop them! Our leader Isran has sent me here with this message to entreat you to join us at Fort Dawnguard by Riften. Please help us, we have reason to believe they are far more powerful and organised than regular vampires and desperately seek your aid.' the slightly better dressed younger man in the centre entreated to Artemisia in a bid to explain and hope she would help.

'pff really?! Vampire attacks? Hahahaha, honestly that's what's got you all so worked up? You seem to be strapping young men and you even said you have a fort. Go play at being saviours of the world and do it yourselves I don't see how this can concern me. Now leave or I will make you, I won't tell you again.'

'Please I beg of you, this threat is greater than we understand, Isran told me to do anything I could to have you meet with him. We need your hel-'

HI-BEYN-ZU'U, 'You dare scorn my words?!' With this Sia conjured and sent a firebolt, quicker than anything, before suspending it right in front of Agmaer's face.

'Leave now or die! You will see no help from me' snarling and yet hoping he would finally heed her words.

'Very well we will go now, I apologise for taking up your time but please here, this is a letter from our leader I will leave it on the ground and go now. Men follow me we will leave now' departing and taking the small group with him, leaving only the missive on the ground.

'Right, now they are finally gone we can go back to what we were doing. I am not to be disturbed tonight unless the college is literally burning down, and someone needs to go find out whatever the oblivion happened to that idiot who is meant to monitoring the bridge.' Picking up the letter Sia practically ran back inside to avoid all those trying to get a word in edgewise and retreated back to the seclusion of her chambers.

'Hmm, time to see what could possibly be so important as to send a stupid horde to get me. Lets see what this letter holds and it better be good or I might even be in half a mind to burn it down.' Chuckling to herself at the thought of going all the way down to this Fort Dawnguard just to burn it down. Oh how satisfying it would be to see their faces so full of joy at seeing her thinking she was there to help quickly morph into terror as everything went up in flames. Ah just the joy of thinking that sent shivers of pleasure up Sia's spine and relaxed her a bit.

Arch-mage,

I hope this letter finds you well. If Agmaer has not already been able to explain, vampire attacks are rapidly increasing all over Skyrim and must be stopped at once! These savage beasts threaten everything we hold dear and are vastly increased in number and raids they have committed. I have reconstituted the Dawnguard, an ancient cabal of vampire-hunters and now call for your aid in this fight! We will need all the strength we can bear against this threat. Our location is Fort Dawnguard, located in the Dayspring Canyon by Riften in the Rift.

I await your arrival,

Isran

After flipping the letter over once and then twice and even casting a detection spell to double check this seriously was it Sia was at once immediately enraged. Who did this 'Isran' think he was?! He did not ask for her aid nor truly explain why these vampires were such a threat except they were popping out of their caves a little more. No, instead he 'called' for her aid, as if she were some lackey and not Arch-mage of the College of Winterhold, saviour of the world, bane of Alduin himself, and a whole host of other names and titles she couldn't bear to recant. And if that wasn't enough, he ended the letter 'awaiting' her arrival as if she would just drop everything and run to this stranger like a stray lapdog awaiting the hand of any who would wish to call himself master. Seriously, he sent a group of men, invaded her college, demanded her arrival all the way to the other end of Skyrim all for four lines of script! It was almost as if he was a trumped-up egotist with an inflated sense of worth that probably thought Akatosh himself was meant to bow to his supposed majesty.

Suddenly, her earlier thoughts of going down to this fort and just setting it all alight came back in full force. It was with this Artemisia decided that enough was indeed enough. The best way of getting people to stop pestering her was probably to make them all afraid of doing so and what better way to start than by making an example of this "Isran". Her mind made up Sia decided this was exactly what she was going to do and it would probably be good to let loose some steam, crack a few skulls, roast a few idiots, all in a good days work. Perhaps she would see this whole exercising as releasing stress. Yes that was it, she justified to herself, mental health is so incredibly important she must go and kill them all if only to get some peace and quiet. After all, no one would come barging in to ask her to help if they truly thought she would kill them, she mused.

Packing her supplies, taking her trusty ebony and dragonbone shortsword and ensuring all her various vials and elven throwing knives were attached to her person, Artemisia set out of the college. She did tell Mirabelle where she was going and told her to expect her to be back in a weeks' time. As far as Artemisia was concerned, it was time to sort this out once and for all and began her journey down to Riften, deciding to catch a cart on the way down, thinking she would walk on the way back, humming merrily to herself.