Lucia wanted to scream and run away when she got the chance, but she wasn't going to leave her brother. The armored people purposely kept the the children separately during camp to prevent such a plot, but at that point, she just wanted to huddle with her brother. They were adopted separately, but being month younger than him, Aventus took the role of being the eldest with pride. During the night, she didn't sleep and neither did Aventus as he was calling the guards all sorts of names that he could think of and some that he made up on the spot until one guard backhanded him. She was about to run to her brother's side.

"You killed our mother!" He shrilly screamed. "Our father will find you and he will kill you! All of you!"

"He's a vampire," the dark-haired Nord spat. "We hope he shows up so we can run a blade through–"

"Ortar!" a woman snapped, standing up from the fire. "That's enough. They went through enough as it is."

Lucia glanced at the several guards in the camp who were all watching at the scene. She held her breath, then scurried across camp to her brother and held him.

He held onto her like she was his lifeline.

"Let them stay together," the woman hissed, sitting back down.

Throughout the night, Lucia and Aventus couldn't stop crying and wouldn't let anyone try to comfort them. Lucia wanted to wake up in her bed with her favorite dolly in her arms and her mother softly singing to her. She wanted her father to be safe downstairs while making his wife her favorite nightly tea.

In the morning, the children wouldn't eat and the group was back on the horses headed to the Fort Dawnguard. It was a day's journey on horseback. It was so beautiful in the Rift at this time of year. It was autumn, but up north and in Lucia's eyes, it was winter. Arriving at a strange cave outside of the city of Riften, the group meandered through the small cave that opened up to a beautiful river and wondering path. They carried on the path to a massive castle of a fortress with wooden gates just outside. There was a lovely garden with people camped by it. It reminded her the garden at home, but theirs had a variety instead of just potatoes and cabbages.

Mother loved her garden. Especially her only lavender plant.

They dismounted the horses and the children were led up the path to the fort's doors. Lucia only heard stories about the Dawnguard through rumors and what her father had told her and her brother. He didn't tell them much, but told them that they would do anything to put vampires down if given the chance and showed them their symbol of a sun so they knew who to avoid. Upon entering the fort, the little girl couldn't help, but gasp in awe and the incredibly high ceiling. It seemed all so much bigger inside.

"So," a low voice spoke as a Redgaurd dressed in heavy armor stepped out from one of the halls, "what happened?" He suspiciously eyed the two children before looking at several of his men.

"We burned down the manor," the man called Ortar answered. "The housecarl is dead because he attacked us. The wife, too."

"She wasn't a vampire!" Aventus shrieked. "She didn't even attack you! She was trying to hide me!"

The Redguard's dark eyes widened. "What?"

"It's true!" Lucia cried. "She never was a vampire!"

"She was still married to that monster!" Ortar snapped.

Lucia wanted to bite him. She squeezed her eyes shut as balled her fists so tight to the point her nails were digging into her skin.

"Enough!" the leader boomed, making the girl's eyes spring open with a jump. He looked at the nice woman. "Take them to get clean clothes." He looked at the man. "Ortar. A word. The rest of you: dismissed."

Feeling her brother's hand on her own, Lucia noticed she was breathing as if she had been underwater. Aventus wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the woman led them to a spiral staircase.

"We have spare clothes for children who are refugees from the vampires," the woman explained. "My name is Freya."

The children didn't say anything.

They walked onto the circular balcony and Freya led them into an odd room of storage. She rummage through a chest, pulled out neatly folded clothes, and handed them to the children. "I hope they fit."

The siblings exchanged silent glances, then accepted the clothing.

"You can change in one of the rooms."

Lucia quietly disappeared around a corner and removed her filthy nightgown. The blue dress fit perfectly, but she didn't have shoes. Her feet were dirty and sore from running in the marsh. At least she didn't step on a bug. She bundled up the nightgown and returned to Freya, who handed her some shoes and carefully took the nightgown. "Your brother is changing. We'll get you cleaned up, too."

Lucia sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the stoned floor as her brother walked into her room and sat beside her with his head hung low. For thirty minutes after her bath, Lucia sat in the same position even though her neck was starting to get sore. She didn't care. She was too tired to move.

"We should escape," Aventus murmured.

She glanced at him. "How? It's a fortress."

"We can figure it out."

"There's guards everywhere," she sighed.

"Can I come it?" a low voice gently asked.

No, Lucia wanted to snap. "Sure," she murmured, forcing herself to look up.

The large Redguard entered her room and stood by the doorway. "My name is Isran. I am the leader of the Dawnguard. Ortar made an awful mistake. He took the mission too far. I," he heavily sighed, "am sorry– about everything. Truly."

She returned her burning gaze on the floor, glaring at it as it murdered her mother and burned her home.

"None of this was meant to turn out this way."

"Then let us go!" Aventus demanded.

"I cannot. If you get sent to the orphanage, he will find you. I understand he's your father, but he is a monster. Unless he is cured of the disease, then you may return to him. Until then–"

"You hunt him like an animal," her brother venomously spat. "You think he's going to go into hiding? He will stop at nothing to find us and you will be the prey! All of you!" He hopped off the bed. "You killed our mother and kidnapped us! He will get the vampires and the assassins to kill all of you!"

Lucia shot her head up to him with narrowed, brown eyes. "Aventus!"

Isran's eyes slowly grew. "Assassins? The Dark Brotherhood?"

Aventus kept going. "He's the Listener! And all of you are dead!"

The softness on Isran's face turned into cold anger as his eyes narrowed, darting between the two children. "You know your father is the Listener and a vampire as did your mother?"

An eerie smile formed on the boy's lips. "I am the reason he became an assassin. I was his first contract! That's also how our parents met! Our mother hired him to kill her ex-lover and some former friend. We all knew."

The man's gaze drifted over to Lucia. "Did you hire him, too?" There was a danger in his voice as if wanting to make her think carefully about her answer.

She shook her head. That wasn't how they met, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She wasn't going to tell him anything!

Isran gave them a final glare before storming out.

Lucia looked at her brother. "Why did you tell him that?" She hissed. "He shouldn't have known!"

Aventus sat back down. "Just so he knows who he's really dealing with. May Sithis curse them all."

She returned to staring at the floor. She remembered when her father adopted her, he told her that he was Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she knew he was the leader of assassins. It scared her at first, but when she saw how his wife adored him and how Aventus was always so happy to see him, she figured he wasn't that bad. Over the months, they were a happy family. He wasn't an assassin at home, but a loving father and husband. When he became a vampire a six months ago, it scared all of them, but he assured them that despite the path he choose, his love for his family remained the same. He never disrespected any of them. Now, they were a broken family after almost two years.

Was it smart of their father to risk his own live to save them? It was practically a suicide mission. He and the rest of the vampires or assassins– whoever he brings– could be slaughtered upon entering the fort. That man was one of the most dedicated people Lucia has ever met and he would die for his family. What if…he didn't look for them? What if he thought they were better off without him?

Lucia's stomach began to knot up as her eyes were widening.

What if he was going to leave them?

"Lucia? Hey!"

A firm shake of the shoulder snapped her back to the present. "What if…Papa doesn't want to find us?" Her voice was so quiet and fragile.

"What?" Aventus gasped.

She bowed her head, ashamed.

"Why would you say that?"

She couldn't answer.

"Do you know who our father is? He's terrifying! He'll cut down all of these people just to get us back and to avenge Mother! He'll save us."

Before Lucia could prepare herself, she began to wail. She felt herself get pulled into her brother as the tears were not stopping. She covered her face with her hands as her cries echoed through the stone walls. She silently prayed to anyone who would listen that her father was not going to abandon her. She preyed that her mother was watching over them and their father right now.