Four
A wooden door opened at the foot of a mountain. It hadn't been opened for such a long time that it needed some persuasion. She pushed it open, upsetting a bunch of cobwebs and a spider. She blasted the spider with flames. However, they extinguished soon after. Her magicka had remained dormant for so long that it was almost unusable. She would need a lot more practice to make it useful in a combat situation. At the moment, burning spiders was adequate enough.
The beautiful blonde warrior stepped out onto the stone road carved into the terrain. She looked left and right. It was her first time away from the mountain. She had been given a scruffy paper map of Skyrim. She pulled it out of her pouch and opened it. All the major cities were drawn upon it with Markarth circled in red. The map told her that Markarth was to her South-West. She turned left and began to make her way on the silent roadway.
The eerie mist encircled her as she walked. It was almost comforting, something she was used to. As she travelled further and further South East, the mist began to clear to reveal a sky bathed in weak autumn sunlight. She blinked in the cloudless sky. The weak sunlight burned her skin. Her kind was unaccustomed to the sunlight, or perhaps it was because she had been up the mountain for several centuries. Her blonde hair shone in the sunlight. She squinted ahead of her. A tavern could be seen. It materialised in front of her as she approached it. She walked up the path leading to it. She opened the door and entered.
The tavern was completely empty. The only occupant was the innkeeper. He was wiping down the bar with a filthy rag. He looked up as Ruby approached him.
"Good morning," he said. "What can I get you?"
"I wonder if you can give me directions for Markarth," replied Ruby.
She pulled out her map and placed it on the bar top.
She pointed to Markarth. The innkeeper looked at the map.
"It's South-West isn't it?" asked Ruby.
He looked up at her. She smiled sweetly, her pearl white teeth were perfectly straight and glinted in the candlelight.
"No," he replied. "You were reading the map upside down."
He turned it the right way up.
"Markarth is to the North-West," he replied. "You need to turn left out of the tavern and follow the road North. You'll come to it after a few hours walking."
"Thank you," she said sweetly folding up the map.
"Is there anything else I can get you?" asked the innkeeper.
"Give me one of those bottles of mead," said Ruby.
He placed a bottle on the bar. Ruby uncorked it and down it all in one go. She slammed it on the bar. The innkeeper looked at her in awe.
"Give me another," she requested.
The innkeeper placed another one in front of her. She uncorked it and carried over to a free table in the corner.
"I'll be over here," she said. "I'll give you the gold before I leave."
The innkeeper nodded. He watched her walk away from him. His eyes fixed on her slender waist, her long hair and her shapely legs. He was transfixed by her beauty. She sat in the corner facing away from him. She placed the bottle on the table.
Serana picked up the bottle of mead on the table. She took a deep swig and placed it back on the table. Stefan emerged carrying firewood in his arms. He carried it across the room and placed it next to the fireplace. He placed two pieces into the fire and poked the fire. Serana watched him before turning to look at her bottle.
"It's so quiet without the girls here," said Serana quietly.
Stefan smiled.
"Yes," he said. "You do get used to them being here."
He looked in the direction of the South Tower.
"Do you think they will be alright out there on their own?" asked Serana.
"I'm sure they will be just fine," said Stefan soothingly. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage them, as if trying to calm her down.
"But what if something happens to them?" asked Serana. "We're too far to help them."
"Don't worry," said Stefan. "Lilith is staying at Falkreath. She'll be close by if anything happens."
Serana sighed.
"I suppose that's a comfort," she said.
"Plus they have Betty," said Stefan.
Serana chuckled.
"I am not in favour of putting the life of our daughters in a domesticated sabre cat creature," said Serana.
He massaged her shoulders once again.
"Don't worry," he said. "Our daughters are adults now. They will be fine."
Serana sighed as he massaged her shoulders. She was feeling a little more relaxed than before.
"Plus," he continued. "Valerica has discovered a new type of magic."
"How does that help?" asked Serana.
"It can assist us to communicate with our daughters from far away," replied Stefan.
Serana sprang up suddenly.
"Show me," she said at once.
"As you wish," he said.
He took her arm and led her across the Great Hall, through the courtyard and into the Under croft.
He pushed open the door to Valerica's study. A familiar blazed past them out into the corridor. It cantered the length of it and disappeared into nothingness.
"Damn and blast," cursed Valeria.
"Mother!" called Serana.
"Sorry Serana," said Valerica.
Stefan wasn't sure why she was apologising, he had heard much worse than that from his mother. But Serana, of course, was high born so he understood.
"I've never heard you curse Valerica," said Stefan in surprise. "What's it in aid of?"
"Oh Stefan," said Valerica in surprise. "I apologise for letting you hear that."
She was quiet for a moment.
"This magic is quite challenging," said Valerica.
"What are you working on?" asked Serana.
"Stefan," requested Valeria. "Please stand in the corner over there."
Valerica raised her hands. She lowered them and muttered under her breath. A ghostly wolf issued from her hands. It bounded clean across the room towards Stefan. In one movement he raised a ward. The ghostly wolf struck the ward and dissipated.
"Stefan!" she called. "Why did you do that?"
Stefan lowered his ward.
"In case you hadn't realised you were casting a familiar at me," said Stefan. "Those teeth hurt, even if they are magical."
"No, no, no," said Valerica. "That was a messenger. It doesn't deliver bites, just messages."
"Well you could have told me that before," said Stefan.
"What's a messenger?" asked Serana.
"It's a familiar that delivers a message to someone close by," said Valerica. "I invented it while I was in the Soul Cairn."
"That's very impressive," said Stefan rejoining the two some at her desk.
"Why thank you," said Valerica. "Sadly it's proving trickier than I thought. It requires a lot of magicka. The further you want it to go, the more magicka it requires."
"So soon I won't have to walk across the Castle to get a goblet of potion," said Stefan. "I can just send a messenger to Serana to get it for me."
He smiled mischievously. Serana giggled and pinched his arm.
"Get your potion yourself," she replied. "Or I might have to give you a matching bite on the other side of your neck."
Stefan smiled wickedly. That wasn't a punishment. She knew he would enjoy that experience.
"Yes," said Valerica also chuckling. "That's the general idea Stefan."
"Let me have a try mother," said Serana.
She pulled the scroll towards her and read it quickly. She then made her way into the corner of the room.
She raised her hands and muttered something under her breath. A large spectral wolf issued from her hands. It bounded across the room towards Stefan.
"Get your own potion," it said in the voice of Serena as it approached him. It then dissipated into nothingness.
"Thank you Serana," he said. "Very droll."
Serana beamed at him flashing her fangs. Valerica however looked at her daughter in awe.
"How did you do that?" she asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "I just read the scroll."
"That's very advanced magic," said Valerica.
Serana attempted not to look too pleased with herself.
Valerica pulled the scroll close to her and read it again.
"There must be something I'm doing wrong," she said.
She raised her hands and attempted to cast the messenger again. The black spectral wolf bounded from her hands. It ran playfully around the room towards Serana. However, it died as soon as she reached her. She closed her eyes, sighed and tried once more.