A/N: Hello all and welcome to chapter eleven! Last chapter we saw Astrid and Alana's long awaited confrontation, which went about as well as I'm sure everyone reading expected lol. For this one, I decided to give some spoils. I like spoiling my audience on occasion.
Whispers of the Night
Summary: One year after Serana died and she left Astrid, Alana has left for Solstheim to be alone and never harm another innocent. Enemies new and old are rising, and it is never easy for one to free themselves from the shackles of their demons…
*Book 2: Oblivion Walker Part 3*
When Alana woke up from her badly needed slumber, she found herself feeling much more rested than she had been in a long time. For too long she had sleepless nights plagued by her very worst nightmares and for once she could find herself at ease when she awoke. No cold sweat dripping down her body or her throat sore from screaming in the night.
She sat up and let the blanket fall from her chest, stretching her arms up above her head. 'I suppose it's going to take more than words to convince Astrid to calm down.' She touched her stomach where Astrid had hit her earlier and she winced when she found it was still sore. 'I forgot just how hard she hits. And with my vampire blood running through her veins, she's even stronger now.'
Astrid reacted about the same way Alana expected her to. She knew Astrid better than just about anyone and vice versa. 'I wonder where she went to. Hopefully not to kill someone; Talos knows the last thing this town needs is a random murder.'
She knew Astrid well enough to know that she was deadly serious about her promise her murder someone if Alana attempted to take her life again. She half expected Astrid to leave a body in her bed as some sort of threat.
Alana got out of bed and fitted on a plain white shirt and dark pants, looping the belt around her waist. 'For once, my mind is clear and I can actually think about what I want to.' She went over to one of the many chests in her home and opened it, pulling out a beautifully crafted ebony dagger. The usually cold metal felt warm in her hands and she remembered it being one of the many weapons she had made when she was still part of the Volkihar clan in Skyrim. As a superior blacksmith to the castle blacksmith Hestla, she toiled many long hours into making the weapon as deadly sharp as possible. It saved her life during the power struggle of the ancient vampire court, having been the weapon she used to slit Vingalmo's throat when he attempted to murder Serana.
She balanced the tip of the blade on her finger for a few brief moments before sheathing it and securing it to her belt. She didn't think anyone would be bold enough or stupid enough to try and assassinate her in broad daylight after the attempt to poison her failed, but it never hurt to be cautious during trying times like these. 'After that last attempt on my life, I ought to start carrying some sort of protection on me.'
Saoron was gone, possibly assisting the Redoran Guard with yet another task; it seemed like he was lending them his sword pretty much every day now. The blonde supposed it couldn't be helped. They had been stretched thin at certain times over the past year and they desperately needed the sword of another skilled warrior. Though perhaps with the ash spawn threat finally dealt with they would finally be able to breathe a little easier. Merchants could finally venture out beyond the safety of the Bulwark without having to worry about being burnt to death by one of the wretched abominations.
Alana slipped on a pair of boots and decided to venture out into town. If she was to make true to her promise to Serana, she needed to do everything she could to make sure that things could get better. Not just for her, but for the people she cared about and hadn't lost yet. She still had something worth fighting for.
First thing on her list was try and repair the damage that she had caused to Astrid. 'But the question is, how? How do I do it?' It wasn't impossible by any means; her mistress couldn't stay infuriated with her forever. But it most definitely was not as simple as cutting down a group of cowardly bandits or cooking a stew. It was a lot, lot, harder. A lesser woman would have given up hope if the lover they still had left hated them.
But Alana was much more than an everyday tavern wench. She was the one Akatosh chose to bear his blood. She was his chosen one, the only one who could be the savior of humankind in Tamriel.
Astrid's words rang in her ears. "I want Alana back. I want the warrior who could make a god tremble and the woman I fell in love with."
Maybe it was time she stopped operating in secret under the moniker of 'The Black Swordswoman'. 'Eventually. When the time is right, I'll come forth and reveal myself. But for now, I need to figure out what to do about Astrid.'
Her stomach growled and she rolled her eyes. No point in thinking on an empty stomach and she didn't particularly feel like going through her supplies for some salted meats and dried fruit. 'I doubt Garyn's stall is open now that it's late. Looks like I have no other choice but the cornerclub.'
Alana just hoped to the Divines that she wouldn't run into Councilor Arano. She never did get along with the pretentious and arrogant dunmer. He stuck his nose into matters that didn't concern him far too often for her liking.
The blonde Nord walked out into the town's streets and made a beeline for the cornerclub, however she was soon stopped by a young dunmer child. He couldn't have been older than eight or nine years old and he gave her a big smile. "Hey, you're the one I told about what that priest did to me, right?"
"No?" Alana tilted her head to the side. "I don't recall that."
"Are you sure? She was a Nord like you. Had golden eyes like the sun." The boy frowned. "Well, if you see her, tell her I said thank you."
He scurried off towards a few other young dunmer children and Alana felt a sinking sense of dread settle in her stomach. 'Oh gods, what did he tell Astrid? If he told her anything about being abused in some manner, she'd snap.' Alana was all too familiar with the assault Astrid had to suffer as a child and knew that one of the few things to set the woman off was someone in the same position. If that boy told Astrid that he was being abused by someone, Alana would bet a barrel of whiskey that she would murder them in a heartbeat.
Alana ran a hand through her long hair with a sigh. 'Well, great. So much for today being a day for me to rest.' She wasn't planning on getting involved with anything that wasn't her business, but this wasn't something she could ignore, was it? 'What would Saoron do if he were here?'
'…he'd get Astrid or myself to do the deed and make sure we didn't get caught by the law.' She huffed in annoyance and continued on her way to the cornerclub, giving a nod of greeting to Milore as she passed by. The alchemist hadn't closed up shop for the night and Alana reached for the alchemy pouch that contained the burnt spriggan wood from her and Saoron's mission to Fort Frostmoth.
"Sorry to bother you, but do you have a few moments?" she asked.
"Of course. Always have a few moments for a friend." Milore smiled. "What can I do for you?"
"I need you to tell me what this is and what I can use it for." Alana handed her the chunk of spriggan wood and Milore started to touch different parts of it with a quiet hum.
"Let's see…where did you find this?" Milore asked.
"Saoron found it when he went to Fort Frostmoth," Alana answered, being careful to not reveal her identity yet also not telling a lie. "He wanted to see what kind of potions he could use it for. As the resident alchemist he assumed you would know."
"Well I'll warn you, this is toxic," Milore warned. "Burnt spriggan wood is mainly used to damage an enemy's magicka regeneration, slow them down, or make them weak to fire magic. A few use it to make potions to boost one's alteration magic. Very hard to get. Quite valuable. It's fresh, too."
"Will you buy it? Alchemy isn't something Saoron and I are good with," Alana admitted. The art of brewing potions was one of the few talents she did not have. She could enchant a bow to dish out ice, shock, and fire damage at once and drain an enemy's stamina, make suits of supreme armor that were nigh impenetrable, and pick just about any lock in the world. But for the life of her she could not brew potions.
"Buy it? A perfect chunk of burnt spriggan wood? Oh yes I will." Milore grinned and reached into the pockets of her blue robes to pull out a decent amount of gold. "Here you are. Find any more of it and I'll pay you for your time."
"Thanks. I'll keep it in mind." Alana counted the coins and set them in her pockets. She stretched her arms above her head and started to walk down the dusty road out of town towards the Earth Stone. It was a pillar of magical energy that gave an incredible gift to one's endurance; however she had no intentions on using it despite the temptation that gnawed away inside her.
She just wanted to take a few moments to actually sit down and take in everything that had happened since Akatosh saved her.
She could feel the power that coursed through her body and it was a very strange sensation compared to vampirism. As a vampire she felt a never ending hunger that constantly burned and yearned for the sweet taste of blood. Now, she could feel as though she was in complete control and felt confident she could do whatever she needed to ensure a victory. It was remarkable.
Alana looked out towards the murky depths of the warm sea and took in a deep breath. The ocean breeze felt great on her skin and she continued on past the Earth Stone until she was right at the edge of the shore. The gentle crashing of the waves lapping against the sea was soothing and she closed her eyes to just listen. It was peaceful, something she never noticed until now.
'I've spent a year of my life here, but I never noticed just how beautiful this island was,' she thought. 'For so long I was unable to. My mind was constantly under attack from the daedra and I couldn't even enjoy something as simple as a gorgeous day on the sea.'
'Serana would have loved to see this, even if she wasn't a fan of the sunlight at all.'
The blonde wasn't sure how long she stood there, marveling at the sea. She lost track of time fairly easily and she was snapped out of it by a pair of footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw both Saoron and Astrid standing behind her, the former looking more than a little concerned.
"Alana, what the hell are you doing all the way out here?" he asked, one hand on the handle of his glass sword. "We've been looking for you all over the damned place."
"Just thought I'd go for a bit of a walk. Didn't think it was that big of a deal," she answered with a slight hint of irritation. She wasn't a damned helpless doe who needed to be looked after all the time. She was a warrior who could make an army quake like children. True, her arm was still broken and healing, but she wasn't helpless by any means. If push came to shove she could still fight if needed, albeit with a single dagger instead of her usual zweihander.
"Considering what you just pulled not too damned long ago, it is a big deal," Astrid snapped. "Especially when one takes your past history of neglecting yourself into consideration."
Alana winced a little. 'She's got a point. I have a bad habit of not taking care of myself. By Talos, it's almost pathetic the way I've treated myself.' "I'm not the same person I used to be."
"Forgive me if words don't exactly convince me," her ex lover hissed.
"Well, I'm not!" Alana snapped back, rising fully. "I'm not even human anymore!"
"Neither am I, thanks to you." Astrid bared her fangs as if she wanted to painfully remind just what Alana did to her, albeit by mistake.
"You don't understand!" Alana let her frustration loose and her power surged through her body, activating the gift bestowed upon her. The large black wing sprung out of her back and she relished a little bit in the brief shock that crossed Saoron's and Astrid's faces.
"Now do you see?" she asked rhetorically. "I didn't ask for any of this! I didn't have a damn say in whether or not I was chosen to save the world! Do you think I wanted to be the savior!? I didn't! But there is no point in me trying to run away from an inescapable fate, so I am going to at least try, whether you like it or not."
Alana turned her back, stroking one of the feathers that lined her single wing. "I'm not asking for your help in my personal vendetta. I know what I did wrong, so I'm going to be the one to make it right."
"You don't have to do it alone," Saoron murmured.
"Apparently I have to according to her." Alana let out a growl.
"That's a damn lie and you know it. You know she's only mad at you because she cares. If she didn't, do you think she'd have bothered to come all this way?" Saoron stood next to her to also look out at the sea, his brown hair ruffling in the breeze. "Don't be so stubborn about this. Show her that you care."
"Easier said than done."
"Is anything worth doing ever easy?"
"…no. You've got a point there," Alana admitted. "It's…it's just hard for me to get used to the fact that the gods chose me. Despite knowing of the things I've done, they picked me to be the one to save Tamriel."
"Are you going to?" Saoron asked.
"I am." Alana's hand felt the handle of her dagger and she drew it, looking at the deadly sharp blade. "I'm going to make amends for what I've done. Starting with what I know needs to be done now."
"That's the Alana I know. Although you might want to be a bit more discreet about that wing of yours, though," Saoron suggested dryly. "I doubt it will do you any good if some random person just happens to pass you by and assume that you're some kind of demon because they saw it."
"Oh haha. Very funny." Alana rolled her eyes and she relaxed, letting it fade away before she faced Astrid. The vampire had been quiet the entire time and Alana took a step forward towards her. "Astrid…I'm sorry."
"What for?" Astrid asked quietly.
"For everything." Alana lowered her head. "For abandoning you. For turning you against your will. For…for trying to assume that everything was my fault. I'm sorry." 'So much to make right. But Akatosh chose me for a reason. He believed I could do this, so I will.'
"Alana, look at me." Astrid's hand found her cheek, touching the exact same spot where she had slapped her earlier. Alana looked up and saw the same pain in Astrid's bright golden gaze. "I know how much Serana meant to you. Losing her affected you more than anyone else. But doing what you did? Now that was foolish and arrogant."
"I know," Alana admitted. "You were right about that. I just…I just was afraid that you would die as well. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you on top of losing Serana." 'Losing both of them, I wouldn't have had any reason to keep going. I care too much.'
"You don't need to take on that burden alone." Astrid stroked her cheek. "You think you have it so hard. You hate being alone, so don't shut us out. Especially me."
"I'm sorry…" Gods, Alana felt so damned ashamed of what she did. She could feel the guilt burn in her stomach; she had abandoned her lover and left her to be alone for more than a year without taking her heart into consideration.
"I know. And though I'm still hurt, know that you don't have to get revenge alone. I'll help you."
"Astrid…thank you." Alana wanted to kiss her. The only thing preventing her from doing so was the fact that Astrid still hadn't technically forgiven her for what she did.
"As heartwarming as this all is, there is a reason why I was looking for you," Saoron cut in, stepping towards her. "Councilor Arano wanted to speak to you about something."
'Arano? What the hell could he want from me? I doubt he knows that I'm the one who went by the Black Swordswoman.' Alana couldn't help but feel annoyed at the mention of the dunmer noble. She never got along with him from the very first meeting she had with him; he was arrogant and had a habit of looking down at others not of his standing.
"Did he say why?" Alana asked with a sigh. "I'm really not in the mood to deal with him."
"I have no clue. Captain Veleth just passed it on to me." Saoron shrugged. "Look, I know you two have had your differences, but he wouldn't ask for you specifically unless it wasn't important. This could be bigger, even more important than opening the mines or killing the ash spawn."
Alana bit back an irritated grumble and ran a hand through her long hair. "Fine. I'll entertain him for now. Should I get changed first and look more presentable?"
"No. Veleth said he'd be at the cornerclub waiting."
"Alright. I'll go see what the hell he wants."
Alana turned around and started to walk back to Raven Rock, a frown on her face. Why would the Second Councilor want to talk to her of all people? She kept to herself for the most part and barely interacted with the townsfolk save for Milore and Geldis. 'What does he want? There's no way he could've found out; I made sure no one saw me. Veleth only knows because Saoron told him and I doubt the captain would betray a secret so easily.'
Either she wasn't as careful as she thought she was or Arano was a hell of a lot smarter than she gave him credit for. 'Dammit. Whatever this is, it can't be good.' She kicked at a lone rock, watching it skip across the ashy ground, and she shielded her eyes as a brief gust of wind kicked up ash and sand. "Damn ash…"
She coughed a bit as some got into her lungs and she really felt the need for a drink. Her throat was practically parched. 'A pint of Geldis' brew ought to chase it away. Perhaps a bite or two to eat while I'm at it; dying made me famished it seems.'
The blonde really was starting to wish she took better care of herself right now. Her body was not as strong as it was over a year ago, when she could easily take on dragons and other beasts with ease. 'Been only a year and yet that strength started to fade. I need to get it back, whatever it takes. I will not let the daedra win.' Her fist tightened and she could feel the hot anger start to boil under her skin.
She squelched it immediately. Her father was right; she was prone to acting on her emotion. If she wanted to succeed in fulfilling her destiny, she had to keep a level head. 'Not exactly something I've been good at over my life as the Dragonborn. It didn't take much to anger me and send me into a rage.' Yet as funny as it sounded, it was probably her rage that kept her alive. Because of it, she survived the civil war and hadn't died against Vaermina's minions.
'Either it's my skill that has kept me alive or just sheer dumb luck. Not sure which one it is at this point.' Alana rubbed her shoulder and passed by a few of the Redoran Guard, the three elite soldiers grumbling something about missing an entire stock of alcohol. A faint smile formed on her lips, for it reminded her of the many nights she had spent out in the wilderness with her brothers and sisters in arms in the Stormcloak army. Too often did one of them lose all the ale and mead to a drunken night of debauchery and as commander of the camp at any given time, she usually blamed Sanguine. The daedric prince of debauchery loved seeing that kind of stuff, almost as much as he enjoyed watching Alana fondle the statue of Dibella in Markarth after she foolishly agreed to a drinking contest with him, unaware of who he was at the time. She doubted her goddess forgave her for that one.
Alana reached the cornerclub, giving the guard on duty outside a nod of greeting. The dark elf barely noticed her and kept his eyes straight ahead, letting out a ragged cough. There was an ash storm approaching and it would be better to be inside when it came.
The slight hint of ash that decorated the steps was almost too familiar to her now as she walked inside the cornerclub. True to Saoron's word, Councilor Arano was waiting for her inside. The dunmer noble was wearing his usual brown silk robes and he had a large plate of steak and potatoes in front of him. "Thank you for coming."
"Councilor." Alana forced herself to be polite to him. "What do you want from me?"
"Someone in need of your particular talents." He took a sip of water. "Don't look so surprised; you haven't been as subtle as you think, despite your best efforts."
"Damn. I must be losing my touch then." Alana grimaced. "Alright, so you know who I am. Why do you want me? Why not send Saoron?"
"Because as good of a defender as he's been, he's not a professional daedra hunter. Nor is he a master of being unseen." Arano took another sip. "You are. You've been helping Raven Rock quite a bit and I hate to have to ask anything of you, but I cannot risk Councilor Morvayn being killed."
"He's in danger of being killed? How?" the blonde asked. "I'm listening."
"It's…a personal matter. A rival Great House, House Hlaalu, has placed an assassination contract on his head, seeking revenge for a death of one of their family members ordered by Morvayn himself," Arano explained. "My contacts say that elements from the Ulen family, part of Hlaalu, are ready to strike."
"I'm not an assassin, Adril." Alana rolled her eyes and folded her arms, taking a seat across from him. 'Not anymore at least, but that doesn't concern you.' "I'm a demon hunter."
"Exactly why I want you to be my eyes and ears around Raven Rock. I need someone who can scout out undetected and report back to me. Geldis can provide you with tips; he's been with us for awhile." Arano went back to eating his food.
"If I were anyone else, I'd tell you that the bounty is on Morvayn's head, not yours. He gave the order and leaders have to deal with those consequences. But I'll see what I can find." Before he could say another word, Alana stood up from the secluded table and made her way over the cornerclub to the barkeep. Geldis looked up when he saw her and was ready to pour her the usual when she shook her head.
"Arano said you could help me," she said.
"Well, well, Adril finally got himself a spy. About bloody time; he's been chasing the Ulens for years." Geldis snorted. "Needs all the help he can get."
"Can you tell me at least why he wants the Ulens? He was rather quiet about it," Alana remarked dryly.
"In about 58 or so, Vilar Ulen came over and attempted to take over the town. He was persuasive enough to lead a coup. Half the bloody town joined his damn side," Geldis said with a disappointed shake of his head. "But he underestimated just how organized the Redoran Guard was. He was caught and executed by Captain Veleth himself."
"You think Adril's mistaken then?"
"No. He's just going about this the wrong way. You see, if you want to catch those slippery little bastards, you have to let them come to you."
Alana's eyebrow rose. "Hm. You've got any ideas?"
"I do." Geldis grinned. "There's an Ulen ancestral tomb, down by the Tribunal Temple. Someone's been leaving ash yams as an offering on the altar inside. I bet if you waited down there, you'll find whoever is responsible and you'll have some answers."
"Why haven't you told Adril this?"
"What makes you think I haven't?" Geldis scoffed. "Anytime Adril and the Redoran Guard made a move, the Ulens were one step ahead of them and didn't show up. The Ulens are smart; they know that Adril will be looking for them. They won't be expecting you."
"Thanks for the tip." Alana reached in her pocket to pay him but the dark elf shook his head.
"You can thank me later if it works. Until then, I'd go up to the tomb and wait to see who's behind this," he replied.
Alana headed on out of the club, but instead of going straight to the tomb, she went to go get changed into her combat attire. She felt the key in her pocket and fished it out to open the door of her house, a small smile on her face as she approached her zweihander. "Ha. Me, stealthy?"
"I think you got the wrong person for the job, Adril." She hefted the behemoth blade in her hand, flexing her shoulder to see how bad it was still broken. Still a bit stiff, even with her remarkable healing abilities, but she'd manage. If anyone could wield a sword of Clockwork's size efficiently with one hand, it was her.
And she was ready to finally be the savior she was meant to be.
A/N: Sorry this took longer to come out with than usual. I have been going through a lot of shit as of late and it got hard for me to really continue any of my works.
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