Sorry, this took longer than normal. Lots of stuff happened, like me getting C.R.U.D. Amongst other depressing matters. I thank xTRESTWHOx and NaanContributor for their support. Hopefully, I can pick the pace back up closer to how it used to be soon.

5th of Evening Star

It's finally done. I'm leaving my homeland, long after it had ceased to feel like home. I'm leaving behind my two daughters, who I could never call my own. As far as they know, they are the daughters of their father's wife. Just as well, I hope they are happy and that they never know. But first, I wish to write down my tale, in the words of our old tongue that my mother first taught me.

My name is Ellemhes, but the Men called me Ell, elf, or slave. I was told I was a half-blood of Man and Mer, but to them, I would always be an elf. Where others were made to work and toil, the man who bought me saw my beauty and thus fancied me. Compared to others, I have lived comfortably. As they wasted away in quarries, mines, and fields, I cleaned the house that I lived in, warm by the hearth as they froze. Sometimes my master took me to his bed. I hated it for a long time, wishing they would just take me out and bury me beneath the walls of their city as my brothers had been. Yet I was always told to live. Even as they passed by with their ribs threatening to tear through their skin, they always told me to stay. To live long and be happy.

My master had a wife who, at first, was disgusted by me. But after some time, she saw my use in keeping the house clean, cooking, and performing other household duties. Then things changed drastically when I was with my first child. For a short time, there was a fury. She could not bear children, yet there I was with her husband's child. But then she visited a priestly man and her fury was gone. My first daughter was born, looking for all the world like a child of Man. They gave her a Nordic name and called her their own. I was to be but a wet-nurse to my own child, who I would never be able to call mine. The same thing happened with my second daughter, and both times a part of me felt as though it had died inside. They called her mother and me by my name, if not just seeing me as an elf. I was as much their property as their father's, and it broke my heart every day.

My master died last week, years after his wife had parted. My child decided to do me what she sees as a kindness, and has made a deal with one of our Chimeri kin across the Velothi. I'm to be sold to one of their houses. The deal was made yesterday, and now I'm being led across to this new land, away from all the Nords and their bitterness. Away from the snowy land that should be red rather than white.

But they are happy. My two daughters who will never know the truth. Already they have husbands, and one has a child of her own coming. I want this to be my last memory of them, of them both smiling at me happily as I leave. Of them imagining their nanny having a happy future among other elves.

I don't know where I am going, but it doesn't matter anymore. Their smiles are all that matters now, and I will always have them.

Blake set the page down and then dropped her hands onto the table while staring forward. The page had been a translation of what was known as Ellemhes' Note, which had been displayed in a Dunmer museum for thousands of years, along with what the people she had told about wrote down. While people knew the general idea of the text, no one ever made a complete translation, until Enthir did it just now with a copy of the famous note as a form of 'practice'. It was exhausting and mind-numbing at times, taking hours of grueling work just to decipher one page, yet in the end, Blake felt it was worth it. Much had been learned from the endeavor, which she knew historians would cherish for years to come. At the same time, she couldn't help but note the parallels between Ellemhes' tale and similar ones from back home, ones where Faunus slaves were with child from their human masters. They usually didn't end as 'happily' as Ellemhes' did.

As Blake sat back and looked forward with a numb feeling in her mind, she took out her scroll and checked it for any updates. Nothing had come from anyone so far, so she let her arm back down and pocketed it again. She then turned her attention back towards Enthir and Karliah. While Blake herself had been working on deciphering Ellemhes' Note - separately from Enthir's practice, in case she might need to use this skill in the future -, the Bosmer worked on translating Gallus' journal. He had only recently finished, and now he and the Dunmer thief were poring over its contents with a fine-toothed comb.

"Hmm. This is intriguing," she heard Enthir say from where he was working, "but highly disturbing. It appears that Gallus had suspicions about Mercer Frey's allegiance to the Guild for months prior to his assassination. He had begun to uncover what he calls an '...unduly lavish lifestyle replete with spending vast amounts of gold on personal pleasures.' The specifics are...quite sordid, if I must say."

"Does the journal say where this wealth came from?" Karliah asked him, having stopped her pacing to listen to him.

"Yes. Gallus seemed certain that Mercer had been removing funds from the Guild's treasury without anyone's knowledge."

Blake filed that little bit of information away at the back of her mind. Her thoughts drifted back to when she, Brynjolf, M'rissi, Inigo, and that Argonian stole from Volgahrotru. Now that her mind was no longer clouded by his Semblance, she could see that Mercer was eyeing the gold with a particular glint in his eye. Something told her that, if Mercer had indeed been stealing from the Guild back when Gallus was still in charge, he undoubtedly still did.

'Might be a way to show proof,' she thought.

"Anything else, Enthir? Anything about…the Nightingales?" Karliah asked tepidly. Blake still had no real idea of what Nightingales were. The most she could figure out - from a book titled Nightingales: Fact or Fiction and not from the annoyingly reclusive elf herself - was that they were a secret sect of super thieves renowned across the entire continent.

"Hmm." Enthir hummed to himself while trailing his finger across the page. "Ah yes, here it is. The last few pages seem to describe 'the failure of the Nightingales' although it doesn't go into great detail. Gallus also repeatedly mentions his strong belief that Mercer desecrated something known as the Twilight Sepulcher."

"Shadows preserve us. So, it's true..." the Dunmer woman muttered.

"I'm not familiar with the Twilight Sepulcher. What is it? What's Mercer Frey done?" Enthir asked, mildly concerned, but Karliah shook her head.

"I'm sorry Enthir, I can't say. All that matters is we deliver your translation to the Guild immediately." Karliah then smiled warmly and bowed. "Farewell, Enthir... Words can't express..."

Enthir, still seated, waved her off. "It's alright, Karliah. You don't have to say a word." He handed over the book after letting the ink dry, and Karliah looked through it once more before stashing it away.

"Now then, we don't have any time to lose. Let's get back to Riften," she said to Blake before walking out of the room and down towards the exit of the College. Blake shared a look with Enthir, and the Bosmer sighed.

"Listen, all I want is the truth to be revealed to the Guild. They respected Karliah, and she deserves better. Do whatever you can and I'd consider it a personal favor."

She nodded and smiled. "Don't worry about it. We've got this. And…thanks."

"It was no problem." Enthir smiled. "And hey, if you're ever in Winterhold and need something…discreetly acquired or sold, just look for me."

The Faunus shook her head as she took after the Dunmer woman, but paused as her scroll began to vibrate. Enthir looked confused once he heard the strange (to him) sound, but Blake merely pulled the device out to see that it was Ruby who was calling her. Smiling despite herself, Blake answered the scroll and brought it up to her head.

"Hello, Ruby. Anything come up?"

A few minutes into the conversation, which mostly consisted of simple status updates on both Ruby's and Blake's end, Yang managed to join the conversation. She told them that Anum-La had decided to stay in Morthal following the incident with her former leader, and now she was heading back to Whiterun to meet with the Companions. Weiss, understandably in her teammates' eyes, was unable to join them due to her currently being embedded in Castle Volkihar, but her presence was no less felt.

"Alright, so now that we're all here, we can talk about why I called," Ruby started, bringing everyone's attention to her. "I received another letter from Capric earlier today, telling me about how a dragon has gone missing in the Pale. The problem is that, by the time I got the letter and could feasibly head back down, any trail I might have been able to find will have gone cold."

"Is the dragon dangerous?" Yang asked. She remembered that Weiss had mentioned something about how a group of thralls possibly fought against a dragon while she was on her mission in the Pale, one that she managed to 'successfully accomplish', and she wondered if the two were interconnected.

"No, apparently he mostly kept to himself. The problem is that we have no idea why he's gone, and I'm unable to go down and find out why."

"Because of the distance, or the time it took to get the letter to you?" Yang pointedly asked, and Ruby sighed and nodded.

"Both. Remember how I got the letter about Horvutokinah burning up the White Shore and teleported to Whiterun? Even though we were there almost instantly, much of the damage was already done. Which is why, after Weiss forwarded me the schematics, I made this." Ruby then held up a rectangular laptop-like device. It was silver in color, with a grand soul gem embedded into its center. Opening it up revealed a crude glass screen on one half of the device, while the bottom stand contained a rudimentary speaker, microphone, and keyboard. "It's the latest version of Weiss' communicators. I made two of them, one that will stay here with the Greybeards, the other I'm sending to Capric with Lydia."

"You're sending Lydia on her own?" Blake asked, still somewhat apprehensive about handing Capric such a sensitive piece of technology. Apparent ally or not, he was still a Thalmor, one that rubbed her the wrong way.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, she's gotten pretty good with her Aura and Semblance. Plus, I can't really leave at the moment. Either way, I trust her."

Blade nodded in agreement with that assessment. The housecarl had undoubtedly proven herself these past few months, to the point where she could consider Lydia the unofficial fifth member of team RWBY. Still, she couldn't help but press caution.

"You sure you want him to have that?"

Ruby, understanding Blake's concern, nodded. "I already know the oath I want him to make. Pretty straightforward and no loopholes to exploit. He can't share the technology without one of us directly giving him permission to do so. If he tries, Malacath will drag him to the Ashpit." Ruby then paused and blinked at the ease with which she just explained how a demon god would, essentially, drag someone into what was ostensibly a form of Hell.

"At least he'll be able to get that dragon info to you quicker," Yang figured. "If the White Shore was more populated than it was, who knows how many people that jackass dragon could have killed before we ever heard about it."

"Yeah. Plus, now that I think about it, he might've been able to teleport with us," Ruby mused.

"If he's as good a mage as Blake described him being, it really would have been useful," Lydia agreed. "At the very least, we might have not been so cornered."

"Yeah. A good mage," Blake muttered under her breath. She then looked up to see Karliah looking in from outside with both of their horses, and with a sigh, Blake waved at her. "Guys, Karliah's looking at me like Weiss after one of us takes too long to do homework. I gotta go. Tell me if anything comes up."

"Will do. See ya', Blakey," Yang replied, as did Ruby and Lydia. Blake then hung up and pocketed the scroll, wrapped her furs around herself, and stepped outside into the harsh Winterhold air. She shivered for a brief moment before hopping on top of Patches, taking the reins from Karliah.

"We should be able to get to Riften in a few days' time. You sure Brynjolf will let us in?" Karliah asked, and Blake nodded as they began to trot away.

"Yes. I have no guarantees the rest of the Guild will listen, but at the very least he will. Besides, I think I may have a way to convince everyone about what Mercer's done."

Weiss flipped through the yellowed pages of the old journal. Valerica Harkon seemed to have been both an expert enchanter and alchemist, especially for her time. The different concoctions she had developed were quite wondrous, and her particular enchanting technique had allowed Weiss to increase the power output of her own works by a fair amount. Now her 'Semblance Rings' could actually pack a decent punch, and be used more than just a handful of times before running out of magicka. Of course, these were secondary and side effects to what Weiss and Serana's real goal was: to find out what happened to her.

"What about under Solitude?" Serana asked. "I know there were some places under the streets there that she could hide."

"Doubtful. There was a recent…incident concerning a necromancer trying to come back to life. A friend of mine went through those catacombs. While she ran into a few vampires, she defeated them all and found that they were, and I quote, 'not nearly as tough to beat as that draugr with the scythe'."

The vampire princess let out a beleaguered sigh and laid down onto her bed. "Damn it all. She couldn't have left any real clues?"

"Well, to be fair to her, anything we might find your father could have found… And something tells me she wouldn't want him finding where she's been all this time."

"Yeah, that's…true, I suppose."

"At l-least we're learning together," Gilly offered from where she was reading through some books. "I f-f-figured out how to s-summon a…Cold-flame Atronach." She demonstrated the spell, screwing her eyes closed in concentration as she did. After several seconds of building up the magic, she released it, and a feminine spirit seemingly composed of blue fire and blackened stone appeared. Gilly smiled brightly at her success as Weiss felt the being seemingly sucking up the heat from the room, then it faded away.

"Ehehe, I can't k-k-k-keep it up for very long, th~ough," the girl explained while awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck.

"Still, that was very impressive," Weiss complimented her.

"Reminds me of that horse-shaped summon she'd bring up for riding," Serana added. "Might've been based on that, what with how the structure of an atronach can change depending on the needs and whims of the summoner."

The heiress actually found that quite curious. Just as Weiss was getting ready to begin discussing the techniques of summoning with Serana, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Serana said as she sat up. A thrall then opened the door and bowed to them.

"Good evening, mistresses. Lady Natha requests your presence in the main hall."

"Natha? What does she want?" The thrall could offer no answer but a shrug. Serana sighed and stood up. "I'll be there in a minute. Guess I have to do this sooner rather than later."

As the thrall left, Weiss looked at Serana inquisitively. "Sooner rather than later?"

"I knew Natha from…before. She's one of the few still around from all that time ago. I wouldn't say we were close, but…you know. I was the princess. She was the daughter of one of the Thanes. We knew each other by name and all. Still, it's a little strange, knowing what I know. I saw her as an actual little girl. I would have seen her grow up, but…"

"She became a v-vampire," Gilly finished for her.

"Yeah. It's…not something I really ought to talk about. Let's just go and see what she wants." With that, the three vampire women walked out of the room, locking it behind them, and then headed towards the main hall. Many vampires were enjoying their 'breakfast' at this time, but Natha was seated away from most of the others with her childers alongside her. She waved them over and they sat across from her, Weiss ending up in front of Ocadur, who was calmly eating.

"So, you wanted something?"

"Mostly just to show you something, but it may take a moment. Don't worry, though. It's worth it." She smiled brightly at them, then looked over to Weiss. "I heard you might have gotten an admirer. How is that for you?"

The heiress' eye twitched at the memory coming forth.

"Maybe I could clean your room for you? I could wash all your clothes? Ooh, yes! Please, let me do that," the man practically begged Weiss. She contemplated throwing him out of the nearby window but then decided that the window had done nothing to deserve such treatment.

"For the last time, I don't need you to do anything for me."

"Surely there's something, my lady. I can be of most use to you if you'd just let me."

"It was sickening."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Serana commented.

"H-h-he was looking at her like…a starving animal," Gilly explained. "I think he started d-drooling at some point."

"Between your fair appearance and the power and dominance you've displayed, you've quickly become the sort of master many weaker vampires wish to have," Natha explained before putting her hands together and resting her chin on them. "Hm, but whatever did happen to him?"

"I finally figured out a way to get him away from me. I sent him to gather ingredients. And I gave him a very…long list."

"Twenty pounds of troll fat. Five preserved skeever tails. Twenty deathbell blossoms," Gilly listed off as examples.

"I don't think deathbells are in season," Serana pointed out.

"Well, I did tell him not to return without everything, or I would be displeased. So that should get him out from under my feet for a good long while."

"Or we'll all be lucky and he'll die and never be seen again. He wasn't even-" Natha stopped as she looked out the corner of her eye, then everyone else followed her gaze and saw Harkon coming. All the vampires stood and bowed to him, and the lord of the castle waved his hand to set them at ease.

"Good evening," he said towards their table. "Serana, I'm happy to see you out of your room. How has everything been?"

"Just getting used to the times. Figuring out there's been not one, but three empires out of Cyrodiil was pretty surprising."

"Yes, they were quite the events. Ah, and dear Weiss." The Huntress felt his eyes upon her. There was a discomfort, but not the same as when Talia or that annoying man tried to undress her with their eyes. This gaze was far more bestial. It was more akin to a predator taking its time to assess whether something was worthy as prey or not. "I hope you have rested well. There is a new mission coming, and we'll need all able hands for it."

"I'm ready to go at a moment's notice, my lord," she answered him with a respectful nod of her head.

"Good, good. I'll let you all know once it's ready. Then…we'll be so much closer." He began to walk away, heading downstairs and beyond their sights. The vampires all sat back down, and Natha released a sigh first.

"Well, looks like he's visiting the lady elf," she said before taking a sip of her red drink. Her Orcish childer made a grunt and gestured to the side, indicating a vampire man who had just come in. Natha smirked and watched him from the corner of her eyes. Weiss looked over to him and recognized him as the one who had been planning to 'have' a little girl for 'dinner' some nights ago. He practically snarled towards them, arrogance and disdain all over his face.

A thrall brought him a dish with a sort of pie on, which he took and sat down with before digging into. A few moments later, he grimaced and forcefully swallowed his bite before looking back for the thrall, who was now gone. He made a retching noise and shoved the pie away, gaining a few laughs from his fellows.

"What is it? Not to your taste?"

"It's disgusting! Tastes like…rotten meat!" One of them sniffed it and then lurched back before chuckling again.

"Maybe they got you an old pie?"

"I don' know, still warm. Had to have been just cooked," another pointed out as he prodded it with a fork. "Well, hang on." He twisted the utensil and brought out something. The vampire grabbed it and then wiped it off, revealing a square-shaped piece of metal. "Groggil?"

"Wait, isn't Groggil the name of your death hound?" someone asked before everyone began looking at the meat pie. The one who had received it went still and wide-eyed as he looked at it, grasping his mouth before shooting up to his feet. For a second, he seemed to just stand there in horror, then grabbed the name tag from his fellow before looking around frantically and started to briskly walk away.

"Groggil? Groggil?!" he started shouting as he went down the halls. "GROGGIL?!"

Gilly, Weiss, and Serana were all silent and frozen as they saw the man run away while beginning to tear up. Some of the vampires seemed to empathize with him, others were actually laughing. In Natha's case, she had a wide smile on her face.

"Did… Did you…?" Weiss began to ask, disgust and horror seeping into her voice.

"I did say, dearie, that I don't care for being insulted." She took another sip of her drink, her smile never leaving her face.

"Wait, the bear was seriously as big as a mammoth?" Yang questioned with incredulity as the trio passed by Whiterun's walls, still in the process of being reconstructed.

"A small mammoth, I'll admit," Yngvarr answered. "All the same, I never saw one that big, and haven't seen one that big since. Valenwood is home to some truly terrifying creatures."

"Well at least they don't have rhinos, furry or otherwise," Rumarin commented. "If I have to climb up another tree to avoid one of those…"

"Wait, where'd you see a furry rhino?" If Rumarin was talking about what she thought he was, then that meant that Tamriel had woolly rhinos alongside mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed cats.

"Ah, you mean the neshorn? Yes, those can be pretty dangerous. Luckily, they mostly stay out in eastern Haafingar for most of the year, but we might see them coming into the tundra looking for food. A lot rarer than they used to be in the old days, unfortunately. I fear they might go the way of the unicorns."

"Honestly, that might be for the best," Rumarin commented disdainfully. "At least unicorns were magical and useful. Rhinos just want to spear you with their ridiculously long horns or stamp you flat."

"Hey now, being defensive is no reason to drive something extinct," Yang argued. "Woolly rhinos have as much right to live as you or me."

"Okay, but if the choice comes down to them or me-"

"Thane Yang!" the three heard from the side and turned to see Valdimar waving to them. "Good to see you!"

"Hey, Vald. Meet my buds, Yngvarr and Rumarin. Guys, this is Valdimar, my housecarl."

"A warm hello to you," Yngvarr said to the man with a bright smile.

"And you as well. I suppose you're back home for a time?"

"For a little while, I guess," Yang answered with a shrug. "We're gonna rest up our riding legs and talk with the Companions for a bit." Guards nodded their heads as they passed through the gates. "More than a few things happened while I was gone."

As she caught Valdimar up with some of the recent happenings, they dropped off their things at Breezehome and then made their way up to Jorrvaskr. The mead hall was rather quiet when they entered, but some of the older members started looking over and saw the big man behind Yang, and talk began erupting.

"Yngvarr?! Is that you?!"

"You massive beast! I haven't seen you in an age!"

"By Shor, when's the last time you had that thing trimmed!"

Yang saw Kodlak come up and smile brightly when he saw the man. He walked right over and clasped his arm before pulling him into a hug, the two old men laughing as they embraced.

"Here I thought I was going to pass on before I ever got to see you again," the Harbinger said as they separated.

"Well, part of me didn't want to ever come down. Luckily, I came across a young warrior who gave me the little shove I needed to get out again." He patted Yang's shoulder, and Kodlak beamed at her. "And what's this I see? Is that Aela Blackblade? Couldn't be. She doesn't come up to my knees."

"I was nearly grown when you left, you old codger," the woman said mirthfully as she crossed her arms and smiled. Yang then saw the twins come up from the lower level and saw them pause in their steps when they caught sight of the big man.

"Is that…?" Vilkas began.

"Uncle Yngvarr?" Farkas asked.

"Boys, look at you both!" The werebear walked over to the two men and then wrapped them both in a hug before lifting them off of their feet, armor and all. "Does an old man good to see the next generation growing strong."

"Right… Can I…breathe now?" Farkas asked as he tried to wriggle loose. Yngvarr let them both go and laughed heartily before patting their shoulders and then pulling them to his sides.

"Oh, I bet you both got some stories to tell! In fact, I bet everyone does."

"We certainly do," Kodlak told him. "And I think you might have one or two to share as well."

"Ah, nothing too recent. Unless you want to count when I came down with the fury of Shor on some vampires attacking a pair of fair maidens."

"That was me and Anum-La," Yang inserted.

"What, you contesting the fair or the maiden thing?" Torvar asked with a laugh, only to receive a punch across his jaw a second later.

"So, right now, Sorine should be on her way to Fort Dawnguard. Last letter I got about Gunmar said he was heading towards Mixwater Mill. I sent a message to him, so hopefully he either heads over to the fort or at least waits for me." Yang then released a sigh. "Unfortunately, last I heard from Weiss, our attempt to stop the Volkihar from getting that woman failed. I don't know if the Dawnguard guys did their own thing or if it was just bad timing, but they were killed and the vampires got her."

"What do we know about this woman, other than that she's a member of the Direnni clan?" Vilkas asked.

"Honestly, that's about it. Though Weiss' message mentioned that the master vampire sent some thralls to do something about a dragon that was in roaring distance. I didn't think nothing of it at first. Maybe he wanted dragon pieces, or he was making a deal with him? Then my sister got a letter from a guy monitoring dragons saying that one in that same area just went missing."

"Did they kill it?" Farkas asked.

"I don't know, but I think that would have been mentioned if it were the case."

"So, the vampires got their prisoner, and now something to do with a dragon," Kodlak mused while stroking his beard. "Not good. We were already at a great disadvantage, even combining our forces."

"What about the mage college?" Vilkas tried. "We could get them to help, surely?"

"No doubt, but the Volkihar still have twice as much as whatever we can get," Yang pointed out. "And that's if the college brought all their novices along. Doesn't even factor in their terrain advantage."

"What about the other vampires?" Farkas asked, causing heads to turn towards him. "The, uh, Duskfall guys?"

"Hm, well, that would work…" Yang figured. "Buuuuut…"

"I highly doubt the Dawnguard would want to work alongside vampires, even if they are helping against a far worse coven," Kodlak concluded. "Besides, most of them live in relative peace. They are more thinkers than warriors. Asking for their help should be a last resort."

"So, our best course right now would be to move forward," Yngvarr concluded. "See if Yang's friend can't undermine them from within, and if the Dawnguard can't come up with a solution."

"Looks like it is. Well then, no point thinking ourselves to death over it." Kodlak stood up and stretched. "Let's get ready for supper. They were putting on salmon last I smelled."

"Ooh, yes!" the werebear beamed as he and Vilkas followed the Harbinger from out of the room. Yang was about to go after them, but Farkas waved her over.

"Hey, Yang. I need to…tell you something."

"What's up, man?" she asked him as the other three left them behind.

"It's about…Aela and what she's planning." Farkas looked and sounded worried, immediately putting Yang on edge and causing her to sigh.

"She didn't try running off to something on her own again, did she?"

"No, no. She's bringing me and Vilkas with her, but…she's purposefully leaving Kodlak out. I think she was going to ask you to come…but she hasn't yet."

"Okay. What is she doing?"

"Aela!" Yang called out as she approached the woman practicing her aim out back. The Companion turned towards her with a smile as she lowered her bow and let her stance loose.

"Hello, Yang. Is everything all right?"

"It can be," Yang replied tersely, staring deep into the Companion's eyes. "Farkas told me about your plan."

Aela's eyes went wide and then she breathed in deeply. "I know what I'm doing."

"I'm not saying you don't. Trust me, I see how big of an opportunity it is." The huntress' brow went up at that and Yang shook her head. "How did you even learn about the Silver Hand's leaders gathering anyways?"

"Ran into one that begged for his life. When we asked what he could possibly offer us, he told us about the meeting. I didn't believe it at first, so I brought it up with another Hand, and he got worried and started demanding I tell him who the traitor was. Of course, I didn't. I've been quietly looking around, and I found where their meeting place is."

"And you're sure nothing ever got back to them?"

"Dead men tell no tales."

Yang paused for a moment, then awkwardly scratched her neck. "And you're sure it's not a trap?"

"If it is, then it's being set up perfectly. Everything I've listened in on points to it being a real meeting. They've actually tried setting up bait away from it."

"Well, all right then. Still, I do have one problem with this," the blonde said while holding up a finger. "You've been keeping Kodlak out of the loop."

Aela sighed and averted her gaze from the other woman for a moment. Yang stood in place and patiently waited for her to turn back to her.

"Look, he's an old soul. Whatever he might say, we can all tell. He's tired of fighting. And he's starting to get scared for the rest of us."

"It's because he cares," Yang quickly shot in. Aela was about to say more, but Yang raised up a hand. "Look, you know as good as I do that he's not going to make you stay here if you want to go out and fight. He said it himself to me when I joined; he's not really in charge. He just guides the Companions. He can't forbid you from going out and doing your own thing. And even if he wanted to, how would he stop you?"

A moment of silence stretched between them, then Aela released a sigh and nodded.

"Fine. We'll talk to him about it. But no matter what he says, I'm doing this. This could be our chance to really cut the head off the snake. No more culling them like rats in a cellar. We could finally be rid of them once and for all."

Yang nodded. "As long as we're on the same page."

The blonde made her way down towards Kodlak's room, seeing him sitting on a chair just outside of his door and reading through a book. He looked up at her as she approached and offered a smile before closing the tome and setting it down.

"Everything good?" she asked while taking a seat across from him.

"I believe so, yes. Thank you, for convincing Aela to speak to me. I was afraid of her bottling everything up since…Skjor's death." The older man took a deep breath and shook his head. "She took it harder than most. Lately, I have been afraid that every time she left the city it would be the last time."

"Yeah. I was afraid of her doing something too."

"I wasn't just fearful for her life, but for her mind and soul as well," Kodlak explained. "People leave the Companions all the time. Some are more like Yngvarr, always a part of us, but away for a long, long time. Some are very detached from the rest of us, and only come in to join their shield-siblings occasionally. Some leave us forever. And many times I have felt like it was partly my own fault."

"Hey, don't get yourself down like that," Yang gently told him. "Everyone's got their own course in life, ya'know. You can only really give them advice and tips." She then snapped her fingers. "Ah, that's it! You're like a counselor."

"Hm, certainly sounds right. But you must admit, the title of Harbinger sounds far more grand."

The two lightly laughed for a moment before sitting in a companionable silence, listening to the crackle of fire in the room next to them and the din of people above. After a minute, Yang shifted in her seat and looked to Kodlak again.

"So, about Aela's idea…"

"While I must advise caution, I can see the merit of her plan. The Silver Hand…" Kodlak sighed deeply.

"They've been hurting you guys for a long time."

"Something…that is partly my fault."

Her eyes went wide at that, and the old man leaned forward and rested his elbows onto his knees.

"I didn't tell you the whole tale. Back when we were still unknown to the Silver Hand, there was a capable young warrior among the Companions. He was skilled, bright, and an all-around good man. There was so much promise in him. I was willing to promote him to the Circle, and everyone else agreed that he had earned it. But…when we revealed what we really were…" He sighed again. "At the time, we were unwilling to let someone become a member of the Circle without the Beastblood, but when I saw how hostilely he rejected it, I rethought our stance. Just when I was ready to convince everyone that it was no longer necessary, I found that he had left us. No notice, no notes, nothing. It was only a couple of weeks after that that the Silver Hand began targeting us."

Yang blinked a few times, then looked down at the floor. "He betrayed you guys?"

"Perhaps. I never saw him again after he left us, but the timing of events certainly points to it. But even if he did, it was I who gave him the secret. I told him before he was ready. Perhaps he would have never been ready."

Yang shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. If they didn't learn it from him, they might have found out on their own eventually. Or someone else would have spilled it."

Kodlak just nodded and gave her a brief smile. "I suppose you were planning to join Aela on this hunt."

"You got me. Honestly, if this does finish them off, then that's a huge burden off of our backs. I trust those three, but I'd like to be there to at least make sure it goes down all right."

"Yngvarr's already offered to go with them."

"Oh damn. Then it really is good as done. No way can the Silver Hand bear it." The two laughed at that. "How about you?"

"Sorry, but…not this time. I'm not as young as I once was, and even Yngvarr's kept a hold on some of his young spirit. Battle like that…"

"It's cool. You don't need to excuse yourself to me, Kodlak."

"Thank you, Yang. I just don't want people thinking I've lost my nerve, or that I've grown afraid."

"Well, I don't think that. You just gotta move on your own time."

"I suppose. Doesn't sound a little selfish, does it?"

"Nah. Even if it was, we're all allowed to be a little selfish from time to time. Can't live for everyone else."

He chuckled at that. "No, I suppose not."

Blake woke up with a slight start and an intense sting in her chest. She groaned in agony for a moment while turning over, clutching at the scar. Her breathing slowly evened out, but there was still a dull ache in her chest.

'Damn,' she thought to herself. It wasn't the first time the scar had such a sudden flare of pain, but it was definitely the most intense so far. Part of Blake wished that they could stay in the sprouting village of Onsen a little longer, if just to soak in the hot springs and let it ease the pain in her body. However, they were in more than a hurry. When Karliah came into the room to check on her, Blake was already up and getting ready.

"We should be able to leave by the time the sun nears the tree line," the Dunmer woman said. "Did you rest well?"

"As well as someone running against the clock to stop their attempted murderer could."

"Sorry. Once we're at Riften, things will finally be straightened out for you."

"Hopefully." Once Blake was dressed for the weather, they headed out and towards the stables. As they neared the edge of the settlement, a whoosh of air was felt above them, followed by a small shaking of the ground. The two turned to see Vulgahrotru, his head just a few meters away from them.

"Hello again, little thief," he greeted Blake.

"Hey…you," she said nervously before clearing her throat. "Sorry again about robbing you."

"Wait, what?" Karliah asked in bewilderment, but Volgahrotru ignored her as he gently waved his wing around in a light circle.

"Hm, it is over now. What's that mortal phrase? A bridge over water?"

"Water under the bridge?"

"Ah, an apt metaphor then. Just as the water flows under the bridge, then past it, and forever remains beyond the bridge, these events have passed us both and are long gone. There is no need for us to dwell on it any further."

Blake raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "If you say so."

The dragon nodded at her, then narrowed his eyes knowingly. "Yet, I sense you are in a hurry. There is something of importance going on?"

"You could say that." Blake nodded while placing her hands to her hips. "Man tried to kill me over secrets and treasure. We're going to stop him."

The dragon laughed. "Then I hope you fight him with at least half of the vigor you used against me. Tell your other thieving friends that Vulgahrotru sends them greetings." He then turned in a leap and took to the air, flying above the village, the foothill, and then over the craggy lands. The two went back to their goal, though Karliah eyed Blake for a moment.

"What was that about? You robbed a dragon?"

"It's a long story. And possibly partly your fault."

"My fault?"

"Honningbrew Meadery ring any bells?"

"…How did that lead to you robbing a dragon and living to tell about it?"

"Like I said, it's a long story."

"Okay, so you've got your bedroll, your winter coat, and-"

"Lyd, I'll be fine," Ruby reassured the woman. "Besides, you're the one going off on your own. I'll be up here with some of Skyrim's most powerful people, who can yell really loud and make a person fly off the mountain while on fire. I should be worrying about you." She smiled. "But I'm not, because I know you'll be fine."

Lydia nodded and sighed. "I'm sorry. I just… No, you're right. There's nothing to worry about." She looked up towards the peak of the mountain, seeing and feeling the intense maelstrom of wind and ice swirling around it, and frowned. "Well, almost nothing."

"I have a feeling that'll be fine. This Shout is supposed to clear the way, after all. I think they meant the sub-zero, threatening to freeze us solid winds too."

"True, but then you'll be meeting this man, this Paarthurnaax. And if you find the way while I'm gone…"

"He's a Greybeard. I doubt he wishes me any harm. At worst, he'll put me through another test like the others did after my first round of lessons." Ruby shook her head slowly then reached over and patted her housecarl's shoulder.

The two walked together to the front of the monastery, exiting the front doorway and then stopping at the stairs. Ruby turned to look at her and nodded.

"Call me once you reach Seletar. If he doesn't know what to do about Ilmaasi, then no one does. Well, except maybe those other Magne-Ge. And just maybe Capric."

"I'll call you on the way, as well," Lydia promised. "Take care, my Thane," she said before walking down the steps, heading down the mountain slope.

"Bye, Lyd. You take care of yourself." After they waved and the Nordic woman disappeared around a bend, Ruby turned back and headed into the stone building. The Greybeards were going through some sort of meditative exercise. Ruby tried it before, but right now it took more concentration than she had to give. Instead, she made her way outside and towards a spot with three braziers arranged in a triangle. Taking a few handfuls of incense from a clay jar, she threw a little into each of the fires and inhaled the sweet scent wafting up into the air and around her. She then sat between them and closed her eyes, feeling as the breeze took away the smell and brought it to her. She then looked up at the sky, took in a deep breath, and released it. Inside her mind, she could envision the forms of dragons flying around the great, red pillar. She took herself closer to them and listened as each one spoke, slowly saying the words they saw as Truth, looking for the words she wished to hear.

"Sky," she muttered to herself. "Sky."

"No horses," Rumarin noted as he walked over to where Yang was packed up and waiting for the rest of the Companions. "Or giant pigs. I guess there's one big positive with your group."

"Yeah. Sorry we can't bring you along for this one, bud. It's just…"

"No need to explain it to me. You're all greedy for avenging your fellows and whatnot, and that happens to be keeping me out of harm's way. I have no complaints. Unless you have fun without me. That'd just be insulting."

"Yeah, I sincerely doubt it'll be too much fun. This is all business." Her gaze shifted over as her shield-siblings appeared, coming down from the gates of Whiterun, moving around the workers tasked with repairs on the walls' tops. Oddly, she saw Kodlak at the rear of them, talking with Yngvarr about one thing or another from their past.

"And after that, no one ever emphasized the 'frail' part again." The men chuckled while Aela merely smirked and shook her head.

"Hey Kodlak," Yang greeted the Harbinger. "Change your mind about coming?"

"Just seeing you all off, child. Perhaps next time I'll join you."

"Don't worry about it, friend," Yngvarr assured him. "I'll keep an eye on these cubs for you. We'll be there and back before you know it."

"And when we do get back, there will be that much more we won't have to worry about," Aela said with a glint in her eyes. "We'll only be a day or so out. We should be back before four have passed."

"Best of luck to you all, then," Rumarin told them as he headed back up towards the gates. "I'll just lie around and eat all of Yang's food until you return."

Aela eyed the Altmer for a moment then looked back at Yang.

"He has a mouth on him."

"Eh, he makes up for it by being a good fighter. Plus, I actually find him funny a lot of the times. Can't wait for my team to meet him. Weiss' reactions alone are gonna be hilarious."

"That's the hoity-toity mage, right?" Farkas asked, to which Yang nodded.

"Yes, but don't tell her that. Or do, just make sure I'm there to see it."

"Let's get a move on then," Aela said. "The sooner we can get into place, the better we can plan our strike."

The five werebeasts began to move, with Yang waving goodbye to Kodlak after a bit. The old Nord waved back and offered her a smile before heading back into Whiterun and Jorrvaskr. He was confident in their success for this mission, Yngvarr's presence alone making it so that they would almost certainly come out the victors. However, a different part of his heart ached.

As he took out his journal and began jotting down his thoughts, he stopped and flipped back a few pages.

Then I see every next Harbinger turn away from Sovngarde and enter the Hunting Grounds of their own accord. Until it comes to me, and I see great Tsun on the misty horizon, beckoning me. It appears I have a choice. And then, at my side, a stranger I had not seen before. As I look into her eyes, we turn to see the same wolf who dragged away Terrfyg, and she and I draw weapons together.

He remembered the dream. It was not a vivid memory, but part of it was. How the warrior woman's hair burned like a golden fire. How she smiled as she readied herself for combat. The striking violet of her eyes. The dream had ended before any battle began, but he could tell she was a warrior through and through.

It seemed almost unreal when she appeared in the waking world. Kodlak wondered for a time if it had simply been a coincidence, but he couldn't deny what his dreams had shown him. And he could not deny what the world showed him even now.

He finished his words and let the ink dry before closing his journal again. A ghost of a smile found its way onto his face as he stood up and made his way to the practice yard. The rot might be keeping him from truly swinging his hammer, but there was nothing keeping him from teaching the youngbloods how to go about it.

6th of Evening Star