Tomorrow came and went. This was followed by the day after and the day after. After three days of travelling the foursome had reached the settlement of Falkreath. They passed through it and up the hill. Several minutes trudging Stefan and Serana led their daughters through the thickets. The undergrowth cleared to reveal a large manor house. Valeria looked up at it. She recognised it at once as she had been here before. It had been the place where her and her father had taken refuge when Farkas was on a rampage to find her sister. For her older sister, it was her first time.

Stefan took out the keys from his pouch and inserted them into the door. He turned them. The lock clicked and the door swung open. He gestured for his daughters to enter before he brought up the rear, after Serana. Serana cast the candle light spell, illuminating the dark, dusty room. There was a sweet smell of burning filled the room as the candles burned off the layer of dust that covered them.

It looked pretty similar to how it was when they were last here. A thick layer of dust covered the floors and furniture. Valeria wasn't phased, she had seen the house in this condition before. Lucinda however, wrinkled her nose at the state of the accommodation.

"What's this place?" she asked looking around.

"My house," replied Stefan. "I built it. Well it's your house now."

Valeria looked at her father.

"Father," she began. "Are you serious?"

He nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It's a gift for both of your coming of age days."

Valeria gasped. Lucinda looked at her father.

"Sorry it's late Lucinda," he said.

She smiled at him. In one movement they both sprinted to their father and hugged him tightly. The force of their collision was so strong it almost knocked him off his feet.

"Thank you father," said Valeria.

"It's wonderful," said Lucinda. "Thank you."

They then released their father and turned to hug their mother. Serana, who was not expecting it, was knocked off her feet as he daughters hugged her.

"Thank you mother," they said in unison.

Serana chuckled and attempted to get up, but the strength of her daughters kept her pinned to the floor.

"Girls let your mother breathe," said Stefan.

The girls climbed off Serana and helped her to her feet. Serana dusted down her robes.

"You're most welcome," said Serana as she recovered.

She smiled at her daughters and dusted herself down.

"It's going to need some work though," said Lucinda looking around. "It looks like it hasn't been lived in for years."

"You're right," said Stefan. "Not since I married your mother."

Lucinda looked at him.

"That's over 20 years," she said with her eyebrows raised.

She looked around the house for another time. Her red eyes taking in all the details of this abandoned house.

"It will look wonderful once it's been cleaned up," said Valeria

"We will help you," said Stefan. "Don't worry."

There was silence once more.

Lucinda ran her hand along the wooden along the wooden table in the kitchen, pulling a large bunny of dust as she did so.

"So what do you think?" asked Serana looking between her daughters.

"I like it," said Valeria instantly.

Lucinda was silent for a moment.

She looked out of the grubby windows. Her eyes fell upon the spacious sitting room, the gutted fireplace and the spiral staircase. She looked at her father and then her mother.

"Yes," said Lucinda slowly. "I like it."

Her face broke into a large smile. Her parents returned the smile, followed by her sister.

"First order of business is to find a bedroom," said Stefan.

"I'm having mothers old room," said Valeria at once darting to the stairs.

"Mother slept here?" asked Lucinda.

"Yes," replied Valeria her foot on the bottom-most stair. "She left her wedding dress here."

"Oh I have got to see this," said Lucinda. She allowed her sister to lead her up the stairs. Serana and Stefan looked at each other.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Serana.

"Positive," replied Stefan. "They are adults now. They can't live with us forever."

"I know," she said. "It's just...difficult...to let them go."

Stefan wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. He held her close and kissed her forehead. From above them, they could hear the sounds of their daughters walking around.

Stefan lead Serana to the fireplace. He gestured for her to sit at a squashy armchair by the gutted fire. He cast the fire spell. Warmth washed over them as though they had just sunk into a hot bath as the fire light danced around the room. Stefan took a seat next to Serana. In one movement she hoisted herself onto her side and rested her head on his shoulder. Stefan put his arm around her and they sat in silence in front of the fire.

Lucinda sat on the bed of her mother's old room. Well, now it was her room. They had agreed that she was oldest so she has the largest room. Valeria had taken the room on the other side of the corridor. As she was an archer, it would also work defensively as she could shoot down any bandits before they reached the house. Valeria glanced out the window at the view outside. The garden stretched out as far as her eyes could see. She stared into the reflectionless window.

"Books!" called Lucinda happily.

Valeria jumped as her sister leapt up and bolted to the bookshelf. She picked up a book and glanced at the cover.

"There's a library next door you know," said Valeria.

Lucinda's eyes widened

"Really?" she asked.

Valeria nodded.

Lucinda slid the book back into the bookshelf and threw open the door. She bolted along the corridor and entered the library next door. She gasped as she saw all the books bulging from all the shelves. She picked up a book at random from the shelf. She glanced at the cover. The book was called, "A Song Of Ice And Fire". She carried it over to the armchair, sat down upon it. She then opened the book and began to read.

Valeria looked around the empty bedroom. She sighed and stood up. She crossed the corridor and entered her room. She closed the door quietly. She walked towards her window and hoisted herself onto the windowsill. She gazed out of the window to watch the sunset. She smiled to herself. Not only was this a good defensive point, it also was the room that had the best view of the sunset.

It took them several days to get Lake-view Manor back to its former glory. The foursome worked tirelessly until at last on the fourth day, the house was liveable once more. Every surface was shiny and dust free. The fabrics had been washed. The wood has been polished and reflected the light of the moon. They stood in the kitchen, a fire roaring from the fire pit. They looked around the house, admiring their hard work.

"This is much better," said Lucinda glancing into the firepit.

"Certainly," said Stefan. "Do you really think I was going to let you live here in the state it was in before?"

Valeria chuckled

"Thank you father, mother," she said looking at them.

"Our pleasure Valeria," said Serana sweetly.

There was an awkward silence.

Serana and Stefan knew that it was time to go. It was time for their daughters to live free from their parents but leaving was suddenly the hardest thing in the world. After spending twenty long years raising them, letting them fly the nest was near impossible.

"Perhaps we should let the girls enjoy their new home," sad Stefan quietly.

Serana looked at him.

"Perhaps we could stay one more night," suggested Serana.

Stefan knew what was coming before she finished her sentence. Lucinda obviously sensed it too because she cut in.

"Yes father, we should enjoy our new home."

He smiled at her. He attempted to lead Serana out but she remained frozen to the spot.

"Come on Serana," he urged. "We should get back to Castle Volkihar."

He tried to lead her off but she remained frozen on the spot. Then in one movement she grabbed both her daughters and hugged them tightly. She hugged them like she had never hugged them before. It was almost rib crushingly tight.

"Girls," she said but she was unable to complete her sentence.

"Will you be alright here by yourself?" asked Serana. "It's an awful long way from the castle."

"I'm sure we'll be fine mother," said Lucinda.

"Remember," she said. "You should send us a letter if you need anything."

"We will mother," said Valeria in a voice of slight suffocation.

She released her daughters and looked at them affectionately.

"My daughters," she said. "All grown up."

"It was going to happen eventually," said Lucinda.

"Yes," said Serana. "But so quickly."

She sighed.

There was a knock on the door. They all jumped, it was completely unexpected.

"That's probably Lilith," said Stefan. "I told her to meet us here."

He strolled over to the door and opened it. He was indeed correct, Lilith stood in the doorway carrying a wicker case.

"Sorry," she said. "There were...complications. I hope I'm not too late."

"Not at all," replied Stefan. "Enter."

He stood aside and Lilith entered the house. She looked around.

"Wow," she said. "This is a lovely house. You are lucky girls."

The sisters smiled at her. Stefan closed the door. Lilith carried the wicker case and placed it on the dining table.

"What's in the basket?" asked Lucinda.

"Oh no," said Valeria. "Is this some gruesome animal ritual we have to perform when we leave home?"

Stefan looked at her.

"Of course not," he said. "How barbaric do you think us Vampires are?"

Lucinda chuckled.

"No," answered Lilith. "This isn't a ritual. But it is an animal."

She opened the wicker case and pulled out a cat. A real, live, black and white cat. She was a female cat, with white paws, stomach and a patch on her nose. The rest of the body was pure black.

Valeria and Lucinda looked from Lilith to the cat.

"A cat?" asked Lucinda. "We're Vampires not witches."

Lilith chuckled.

"Trust me," she said. "She's not ordinary cat."

"Oh let me guess," said Lucinda. "She can talk."

"Good guess," said the cat in a cool female voice. "Do I get a treat?"

"A cat that answers back to Lucinda," said Valeria laughing. "I like it."

Lucinda gave her a dirty look.

"So what should we call you?" asked Valeria. "Do you have a name?"

"Betty," replied the cat.

"Betty," repeated Valeria. "How quaint."

"Thank you," said Betty. "Now, Dhampir, please put me down. You have exceedingly cold hands."

Lilith placed Betty on the wooden floor. She scampered off to the fireplace and leapt up onto a chair and made herself comfortable.

"Where in the whole of Skyrim did you manage to find a talking cat?" asked Lucinda.

"With difficulty," said Lilith. "She's the last of her kind left."

"I'm confused," said Serana. "How is a talking cat going to help protect the girls if a werewolf comes knocking?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Lilith.

She pulled out a scroll from her pouch. She unfurled it and chanted a spell. At once a werewolf appeared. It stood eight feet tall, drooling and snarling. The girls gasped. Lilith turned to Betty. She whistled. Betty looked over to see the werewolf. In one movement she leapt off the chair and transformed into a huge black creature. Her eyes glowed red and long teeth protruded from her mouth. She leapt at the werewolf and sank her huge teeth into its neck. She tore the flesh from its neck spraying blood everywhere. She landed. She looked up at the creature and hissed loudly.

If she could be given an animal description, it would have been cat. But there was something predatory about her. Her black and white fur had changed to a pure, jet black. Her front fangs had become that of a vampire. Her eyes glowed red and her body had grown several sizes adding more muscle. It gave her the appearance of a black lioness. Her ears were pointed and her whiskers elongated. Furthermore, her once tiny claws had become six inch long talons.

The werewolf roared at Betty. She leapt up at him. She dug her enormous claws into its flesh and ripped another piece of flesh from its body. The werewolf roared again. It fell to the floor and disappeared. The blood splatters also disappeared. Betty turned back to her usual state, licking her lips before beginning to wash herself. Her character was so nonchalant, as if nothing had happened.

"I think we will be perfectly safe mother," said Lucinda.

"I am inclined to agree," said Stefan.

Serana looked at Lilith.

"Thank you," she said.

Lilith nodded.

"Shall we leave them to it?" asked Stefan. "Let's go to Dead Man's Drink and celebrate our new freedom...I mean the girls new freedom."

He looked at the girls. They giggled as he lead their mother out.

"We'll come back tomorrow to see you," said Serana as Stefan and Lilith lead her out of the door.