Chapter 35

Ragnthor

A few weeks of travel they rode up to the fort. They met up with Sorine just inside the entrance and they rode up to the fort together, the entrance now wide enough for horses. Sorine looked up in shock.

"He has done a lot of work to this place. It looks almost defensible. I mean the right spell there and some good sapping, and I mean damn good, stone good, paired with one, well maybe more, of those fire glyphs, remotely activated, would bring a lot of the large walls down in a flash."

Ragnthor nodded. "It does look good. Better than when we last saw if a few months ago. And I don't know about spells. Give me 3 good Nord miners and I could break through into one of the lower rooms in a week. More reliable than magic."

She smiled at him. "But you use magic yourself."

He turned in the saddle. "But only to help and even then only at a last cost."

"But an advantage once gain should be used."

He glared at her. "Only the mad or evil will do anything." They finished the ride in silence.

As they entered the building they found Gunmar waiting for them on the steps. He nodded at them at them as they all walked into the fort.

As soon as they entered the main chamber gates shot up, trapping them. Ragnthor stood stark still, scanning the walls and gates, looking for the easiest way to climb them should Isran turn traitor.

Gunmar snarled at up him. "All right, you have us here. What do you want with us?"

Sorine nodded. "Yes. And why are we trapped like beasts?"

Suddenly a bright light erupted in the center of the room, blinding them. "Checking to see if you're not one of them."

Then the light faded. "And you're not. So welcome to Fort Dawnguard. I'm sure you have heard what we're up against. Vampires. Powerful one they have someone got their hands on an Elder Scroll. And if anyone is going to stand in their way, it's going to be us."

Sorine snorted. "That's all well and good but do we actually know what they're doing? And what is your plan?"

Isran chuckled. "We'll get to that. For now, get acquainted with the fort. Sorine, you'll find a place that you can tinker at. Just do some work on improving our crossbows while you're at it. Gunmar, you'll find a place large enough to round up some trolls and show me what you have learned over the last few years."

They both nodded and walked off as Isran turned toward them. "And you are going to tell me why a vampire showed up looking for you 2. Let's go have a chat."

As they walked up the stairs, Lucia looked over at him and opened her mouth. He quickly motioned for her to stop.

At the top of the stairs they walk into what was, at least at one time, was a torture room. And standing there was Serana.

"I bet you weren't expecting to see me again." She gave a small smile.

"So this vampire showed up while you were gone. Guessing it's the one you found in Dimhollow. Says it's got something important to tell you. So let's hear it."

Lucia spoke before he had a chance to. "Why are you here Serana?" Her voice changed to a loud whisper. "We hunt vampires."

Serana put a hand on her head. "I know. But its important enough to risk coming here. It's…well it's about me. And the Elder Scroll."

Ragnthor stepped forward. "What about you?"

"The reason I was down in the crypt. And why I had the scroll. It all comes back to my Father." She took a breath before continuing. "As you may have guessed, my father is not a good person. Even by vampire standards. But he wasn't always like that. There was…a turn I guess. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and lost himself in it."

"What kind of prophecy?"

"It's pointless and vague, like all of them. The part he latched onto was that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. And that's what he's after, he wants to control the sun, have vampires control the world. But anyway my mother and I didn't think inviting a war with the whole of Tamriel was a good thing, so we tried to stop it. That's why I was sealed away with the scroll."

Ragnthor nodded. "You took a big risk coming here."

She nodded. "I did. But something about you told me I could trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."

Lucia spoke and he smiled. "You weren't wrong. Ragnthor will help, won't you."

He rubbed her head. "Of course little lass. Let's go talk to Isran."

Isran spoke as they walked over. "All right, you heard what it had to say. Is there any reason I shouldn't kill this blood sucker now?"

Ragnthor felt a smile play at his lips. "Because we are going to help her."

Isran sputtered. "Help it?! Don't tell me you believe that story she told you about the darkening of the sun!"

Ragnthor sighed. "Why else would she come here?"

"Because she has a death wish."

Ragnthor felt the fury rising in him, the last few months wearing down, and he snarled at Isran. "Set you hatred aside old man. Have I not earned your trust?"

Isran gave a low chuckle. "Set my hatred aside? Never. It's what keeps me alive. But you have earned trust. No one will lay a finger on it. But if it touches one of us, I will kill it." He turned to Serana. "You hear me. I will kill you if you touch one of mine."

She smiled, showing her fangs. "Thank you for your kindness. I will remember it when I'm hungry. Now we need to find someone to read this scroll. Any ideas?"

Lucia spoke. "What about a moth priest?"

Ragnthor smiled. "Now where did you learn about them?"

Lucia smiled. "We, as in me, had a lot of time while you were off in Cyrodiil. So I would go to the keep and listen. Farengar thought I looked bored one day so he lent me a bunch of books. Moth priests may have been mentioned."

Ragnthor rubbed her head. "That's my girl. Now did these books tell you were to find one?"

She shook her head. "But I may have overheard the Jarl talking about one coming to Skyrim. He told both Farengar and Proventus that he might stop by."

Even Isran looked impressed. "She's not wrong. Hell, her knowledge is as good as mine. I might need new sources if a girl can have the same knowledge." Lucia glared at him and he laughed. "I might have to employ you as ears sometime."

Ragnthor shook his head. "Alright, you have some of what we need but where do we find him?"

Isran shrugged. "I have nothing. Lucia knows as much as I do if not more."

Lucia smiled. "Ask Hulda."

Ragnthor hit his forehead. "Of course." He looked over at Serana. "You're coming with us. I'd wager you'd like to get out of here."

She smiled. "No. I was having a wonderful time. Under guard in a bloody torture room."

2 weeks later they rode up to Ragnthor's house. It was empty. They put their horses in the stable and walked into the house. There was a thick layer of dust on the table and Ragnthor brushed it off.

"Now you 2 will stay here while I sneak into the town after they lock the gates for the night. I don't plan on running into Lydia tonight so I'm going to scale the walls then sneak through the town. Any objections?"

Lucia spoke. "What do I get to do?"

"You can clean the house. It needs it."

Lucia surged to her feet. "Why do I have to clean? I'm 18, damn it, and it's my plan we're following."

Ragnthor's face lost all humor. "Because you are following me and I give the orders. Do you want to change that? Then beat me in combat."

"Fine. I'll clean the house."

Ragnthor stood and hugged her with one arm. "I know you don't like it but you can't climb and sneak as well as me. I'll have to work on that if you keep coming with me."

He turned to Serana. "Serana , you can help if you chose. If not watch the road and if you see any guardsmen, hide our horses and yourselves. I don't want them to know we are here. My wife would kill me if she found out." She nodded as he left.

By the time he reached town it was dark. He had trimmed his mustache so it matched the length of his beard and undid his braid and messed up his hair so it was falling in his face. He rubbed some mud on his face before he pulled on a hooded beggars cloak and tied a staff on his back.

He smiled as he picked his way up the wall, hands and feet remembering every ledge. He had made the top in side of 3 minutes.

He hunched over, making himself as small as he could, and unslung the staff and hobbled to the inn, keeping to the shadows as a beggar would. When he got there he sat outside, holding his hands out for coins from the few passersby, working out if Lydia was there. When he determined she wasn't, and had enough coins for a meal, he went inside.

As he hobbled to the bar Hulda shook her head at him. "We give no food for free."

Ragnthor nodded and spoke in a rough voice. "I know. I have coins."

Hulda sighed. "Alright, come back in by the stove. I should have some scraps for you." As she walked he followed her. She motioned to a seat by the stove and he sat, finally stretching himself while pulling the hood back a bit.

He smiled at her shock. "Greetings Hulda."

"Ragnthor…"He held a hand up.

"No Hulda, today I am a beggar. I need to move about the town without being seen. I have a few questions."

She nodded as she brought him food. "And what are they?"

"Have you seen a Moth Priest?"

She looked at him. "And why would you need to know that?"

"So I can finish the damned quest I'm on so I can come home."

"What quest?"

"Ask Lydia. Will you help me?"

Hulda sat down across from him. "You don't look good Ragnthor. And I mean apart from the mud and hair. Are you fine?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm probably too old to be doing this but I'm the only one who can. And Lucia is probably too young."

Hulda's eyes widened. "Lucia's with you?"

Ragnthor nodded. "She is. She is the only reason Lydia is here. But don't worry about her. She has a fighter's spirit. She will come through this with a will of iron."

Hulda laughed. "The poor Battle-Born boy. She will run over him in an instant."

Ragnthor nodded and finished his meal. "We know. That's why we may have chosen someone for her. A lad who works the farm down in Cyrodiil."

She Laughed. "You chose someone for her?"

He smiled. "More like we are going to stick them together and see what happens. But let's get to get down to the meat of the matter. I know a moth priest came through. I need to know where he went."

Hulda sighed. "If it was anyone but you they wouldn't get a word from me. But he was headed toward Dragon's Bridge. And shortly after he left, Ysolda told me some men in hoods were following him."

He quickly stood, pulling the hood back down. "I need to go, and quickly. His life is in danger."

Concern flashed across her face. "What is going on?"

He limped toward the door. "Ask Lydia. But don't let her know I was her." He smiled. "I don't want her to know. It would raise her fury to the of a saber cat."

As soon as he got outside he moved as fast as he could to the wall. And climbed down as fast as he could, sometimes dropping so far when he finally grabbed a handhold his arm felt like they were being torn from their sockets. As soon as his feet hit the ground he was running. He felt time was running short and it was almost 2 weeks to Dragon's Bridge.

Lydia

Time seemed to be passing extremely quick and slow as sand through the glass for her. Winter was just around the corner and it seemed like Ragnthor had been away for years. To fight off the worry she felt she had taken to sparing with Aela again, while Kodlak would teach Bryta and Ragnar little things. The old man never had any of his own and loved them.

After their last bout they had stood there, glaring at each other, mirroring the day Ragnthor had come home. Then Aela had smiled at her.

"Not bad for a woman who hasn't held a sword in more than 2 years and has a child."

Anger flashed through her, so much Ragnthor would have been proud, stopping the shaking of her limbs. She swung so fast fear flashed through Aela's eyes as she struggled to block the blow, the practice sword craving a great gash in her shield. Then Aela laughed and the fight began again.

Lydia grapple with a rage that would fuel the passion of a man insane, her iron will forcing it to follow the paths she chose.

Suddenly Aela caught her sword between hers and her shield and twisted, wrenching the sword from her grasp. As she shook her numb arm Aela thrust at her chest.

Lydia surged into the blow, turning to avoid the blade. As she saw the blade go past her she continued the spin and slammed her shield into the side of Aela's head, knocking her to the ground.

The Companions training gave a roaring cheer and Kodlak smacked her on the back. "The student has finally surpassed the master."

Aela spat out a tooth, a molar, and smiled as she stood. "Your man has taught you well. What I would give for a private lesson with him."

Lydia dropped her shield and pulled her dagger from her boot, another habit picked up from Ragnthor, and grabbed Aela by the front of her armor. "I'm no longer the starved and weakened woman I was the last time you mentioned that."

Aela smiled and pulled her lip back, showing the hole. "I know. What I would like to know is how well he fights. You have the unbreakable will you gained during his years away and that guides the anger. But he could throw himself into the fray with an abandon only the feral know."

Lydia felt Ragnar's hands on her leg and smiled, letting him have the dagger. She watched as he ran off and Kodlak caught him and had him and Bryta fence, the daggers being almost as long as swords in their hands. "Maybe when he gets home I will get him to duel with some of you. He might teach you a few things. He can handle a greatsword like you can handle a dagger."

Her eyes shown with a fierce light. "A joy indeed."

Lydia nodded and took her dagger from Ragnar and sheathed it then grabbed him and Bryta by the hand.

On the way back thru they ran across Olfina, Jon and their little boy. Egil waved and Bryta and Ragnar looked up at her with such pleading in their eyes she had to let them go. As they ran around the square, Jon waved her over.

"I have a question for you. And Hulda has the same. Where is Ragnthor?"

Lydia shrugged her shoulders. "Somewhere doing something. I don't know."

Jon just looked at her, his bard's eyes digging into her soul. "I know you too well for that Lydia. And I was there for the fight you had this spring before he left. It raised some questions. They have recently reappeared and I will like the truth from you."

Lydia sighed. "Ragnthor's duties as Dragonborn have risen again. This spring vampires took me and Ragnar. Hoping that it would convince Ragnthor not go get involved with stopping their plan, whatever in the nine hells it is. Well you know him well enough to know what he did. He rescued us and took Lucia and joined the Dawnguard."

Jon shook his head. "Dragons and now vampires. Ragnthor just can't keep away from mythical enemies can he. So why did he come home a month or so ago?"

She gave a small smile in spite of herself. "Because he missed me. And he felt like he was running Lucia ragged, and he was. He had taken her from a farm life and made her live like an out of luck soldier of fortune. Long days in the saddle, constant fighting. And Lucia hadn't even turned 18. She had lost a lot of weight and had the look of an old merc, drawn with the fight beat out of them. He was planning on leaving her. But she still had the fire in her eyes to fight."

She shook her head. "And to be honest, he wasn't much better himself. He pushes himself like a man 10 years younger than he is. He's 32 and has scar and broken bones enough for 6 men his age. And the almost 2 years of rest are showing. He almost looked like Lucia."

Jon put a hand on her shoulder. "I know he is safe. He would fight through the hells themselves to get back to you. And to keep Lucia safe. I remember the dragon at the farm."

She nodded. "I'm just worried."

He smiled. "And if it gets too much, then go. Me and Olfina will watch the little ones."

"Thank you Jon."

He nodded. "It's nothing. It must be hard since he came back you have spent more time together than apart."

She nodded. "It is. But it's time to get the little ones up to the keep for dinner. See you later Jon."

She waved and Bryta and Ragnar came over and grabbed her hands. She smiled as they walked back.

Ragnthor

A week and a half of hard riding got them to Dragon's Bridge. And right before it was a burned out wagon surround by corpses.

Ragnthor shook his head. "Let's search them."

Lydia nodded and swung off her horse but Serana didn't. "Why? This is just a random accident. We shouldn't be wasting time better spent stopping my father."

Ragnthor smiled and stood up from the corpse he had been searching and with one hand threw it at her, the other holding a note. "A vampire. And she had this on her. 'Take the priest to Forebear's Holdout for safe keeping until I can break his will. Malkus.'"

Serana scowled. "Malkus."

Ragnthor shook his head. "You're missing the point. We hadn't stopped to search we would never have know." When he didn't get a reply he shrugged his shoulders. " Ready your weapons."

They walked up the hill to the cave. They saw no one until they got into the cave. Someone was speaking.

"The more you fight, the more you will suffer priest."

"I will resist you, monster!"

"How much longer can you keep this up priest? Your mind is strong but I can smell you exhaustion from here."

"Must…Resist…"

"YES! I can feel your defenses crumbling. You want this to end. You want to surrender to me. Now, call me master."

"Yes…Master."

Ragnthor drew his sword. "End this madness."

Over his shoulder flew an ice spike that impaled the vampire standing on a ledge over the magically trapped priest through the shoulder. Ragnthor followed it with a shout "Su Fus Bo", flying through the air toward him as Lucia slammed her sword into her shield and charged.

Ragnthor flew through the air sword first and slammed into the middle of Malkus's chest. Ragnthor tore it sideways, tearing the flesh and breaking ribs. As he fell to his knees from the pain Ragnthor took his head.

He turned around and saw Lucia fighting 3 below him, with Serana dueling spells with another. Ragnthor shook his head at what he was going to. "This is going to hurt." And then he jumped.

His fully armored body landed feet first on one and he sunk under Ragnthor's weight, bones snapping. Ragnthor turned and swung, cleaving another in half. The last turned in shock, giving Lucia an opening to drive her sword deep into the woman's side. Lucia the pulled it out and spun, taking off her head.

He turned and saw Serana roar as she threw 2 ice spikes into the last, ending him.

Ragnthor saw the priest was still kneeling in the ball of energy and shook his head. "Search the bodies. We need to find a way to dissipate that."

As the search the bodies Lucia found something and darted past him toward a pedestal. He reached out to stop her but was too slow. As soon as it touched the barrier dropped and the priest stood and drew his sword.

"You slew my master. Now prepare for your death!" He charged, sword in hand.

Ragnthor caught the blow on his forearm as he swung his other fist into the priest's head, instantly flooring him.

As soon as he hit the ground, he raised his hands toward him. "Stop, stop stop. That wasn't me you were fighting. I could see everything but couldn't control it. Thank you for breaking that fiend's hold over me."

Ragnthor held out a hand and pulled the priest up. "You alright?"

He smiled and spit a tooth. "Aside from seeing double, I'm fine. May name is Dexion Evicus, Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower. Those Vampires claimed they had something in store for me, but never told me. Most likely holding me for ransom, the fools."

Ragnthor smiled. "I know what they need you for, for we need you for the same thing."

His smile faded. "Let's dispense with the riddles shall we."

Ragnthor shrugged. "We are part of the Dawnguard and we need you to read a Scroll."

His eyes widened. "You have a Scroll?"

Ragnthor smiled. "We have 2."

"Remarkable! And if my knowledge of local history serves me right, The Dawnguard were formed in the…Second Era by the Jarl of Riften because he refused to kill his son how had contracted vampirism. So he hired men to watch him. Eventually their descendants were forced to put him down when he became blood mad. They continued as a group, hunting the whole of Tamriel until just before the start of the Third Era. When they fell apart due to lack of vampires and loss of respect. Or was it because they became vampires themselves. Or because they…raided villages, causing the lords whose land they lived in the end them. But anyway, I hope you live up to their legacy."

He nodded. "We can only try."

"So where am I going?"

"A canyon near Stendar's Beacon."

"Well I shall see to it, Sir…"

Ragnthor held out his hand. "Ragnthor of the Isles, Thane of Whiterun." They shook.

"Never thought I would meet Champion of the Isles. I had the privilege of watching you fight. It was…"

Ragnthor held up a hand. "A lifetime ago. All part of the past."

Dexion looked at him. "A strange past Thane." With that he turned and left.

Lucia shook her head as she walked up to him. "He is s strange man. Like Sorine."

Ragnthor laughed. "They will be great friends." He laughed as he rubbed Lucia's head. "Now let's go get our horse's and make for the fort. My gut is telling me things are about to get interesting."

Author's note: And here she is, another chapter. And more Lydia than I planned, ever for this arc. Which has lead to some Ideas that might come to light. This could be fun. And as for the next chapter, I don't know when. My job is up in 7 days and I will need some time to relax. Which means not wanting to kill every not a family member or good friend. it has been a rough 5 months. I hate this job. Well, happy reading everyone.