Arc 2—Chapter 5:

I spent the next few hours training, but it was soon obvious that I had most of the weapons skills they were teaching in the main class with the other recruits, so I was switched to an advanced, one-on-one class with Durak focused on vampire fighting techniques. The man was fast, powerful, and helpful, so I was learning a lot. It wasn't long, however, before Isran was watching us with another man I'd seen but not met earlier.

"Hold!"

We lowered our weapons, giving me a much-welcomed moment to catch my breath. Isran approached us and said, "Dragonborn, this is Tolan, a Vigilant, a disciple of Stendarr."

Still holding a weapon in each hand, I nodded to him and he did the same.

"Tolan brought evil tidings to us earlier today. The Vigilants' headquarters in The Pale has been sacked by the vampires. While I'm sorry for their loss since I believe some of the deceased were once my friends, he also brings us even more important news. Tolan?"

The man nodded. "One of my fellow Vigilants believed that he had discovered—in an intercepted communication—what may be an ancient vampire relic that the vampires now seek to retrieve. He's been looking into this for a while, but I don't know what he'd found. However, if he was correct, it is vitally important that we not let the vampires succeed."

"What is it they're seeking? And where is it?"

"We don't know what the item is, but Vigilant Adalvald said it was of great power, that it could turn the tide against us and all peoples of Skyrim and possibly all of Tamriel."

I must admit to being a bit skeptical about such high claims, but some months ago, I would never have dreamed that Alduin the World Eater could have been such a danger to our land, either. Therefore, with the deaths of my friends still fresh on my mind, I gently nudged him to continue, hoping to get as much helpful information as possible. "Please, Tolan, continue. Where is the place?"

"We don't know for sure. Adalvald said the letter he intercepted indicated that it may be in a place called Dimhollow Crypt. Unfortunately, names of places change, often drastically, over long periods of time associated with immortals, so we're not completely sure where this it, but it happens that there is a place by that very name located west of our headquarters—well, former headquarters—the Hall of the Vigilants. If this is still the same Dimhollow Crypt, we have heard rumors that it is a most dangerous place. Vigilant Adalvald went there once, but—"

The man hung his head before he continued, "we didn't believe him so we didn't give him the help he needed. I found evidence that he may have been at the Hall when it was attacked, but I didn't find his body, so I'm going there to seek him and the relic."

Isran shook his head forcefully. "Tolan, don't be a fool. You can't go there by yourself. There is strength and safety in numbers, and you don't have either."

"There is no safety when it comes to vampires, in numbers or otherwise. As undead beings, you have to kill them, deader than dead, before they kill you. Dragonborn, don't ever forget that. As for strength, I have enough. I'm going now."

"Wait!" Isran's face was red as he snapped at the Vigilant. "Just a minute!" Turning to me, the boss said, "It's going to take a while to make this place defensible, so I need someone to take the fight to the damn vampires while we're doing repairs. Go to this Dimhollow Crypt and see what you can find. Maybe the vampires will still be there; perhaps you can kill some of them and maybe even keep something important out of their hands. First though, go resupply as needed, get a good night's rest, and then you guys can leave first thing in the morning."

Tolan shook his head. "No, Isran, I'm leaving now, heading to Dimhollow Crypt. Dragonborn, if you want to come—"

I nodded that I would.

"—I'll meet you there when you arrive, but this way, I can keep watch and gather information until you get there." He nodded to me, gave Isran a determined look, and then was on his way.

It was Isran's turn to shake his head in frustration as he watched Tolan go. Turning to me, he said, "Dragonborn, impatience kills as many warriors as arrows and bolts. Of course, arrows and bolts are often the delivery method of death when lack of patience is involved, but charging off without a good plan and proper backup is just asking for disaster. Be careful."

I was going to gather my supplies when Isran called, "Say—are you sure you don't want a crossbow?"

~ESV~

Two days later, I was standing in front of the burned out Hall of the Vigilants. Most of the building had collapsed, but I made my way into the part that was still accessible and found a few charred bodies. It was late afternoon so I left them since they looked like they would collapse into ash if I tried to move them.

The next hour was spent searching the area behind the former hall, but I found nothing except lots of frets and ample frustration that Tolan's description of the crypt's location was so poor. Was it a hundred feet behind the hall or ten miles? Furthermore, Tolan's footprints, if he'd even come this way, had been covered by a thick, fluffy layer of new-fallen snow. Not knowing where to look and with darkness coming soon, I decided to visit the fort I'd passed just a short time before arriving at the hall. I headed there to try to get some help.

The guards at the gate were wearing Stormcloak livery and they gave me an unwelcome look when I told them that I wasn't there to enlist. They were about to send me on my way or try to throw me in their brig, so I told them the truth. "I'm here to speak with the fort commander about a certain threat in the mountains to the west."

Perhaps my wording had been carefully chosen and just maybe my facial expression was a bit exaggerated to give the implication that the "threat" was of an Imperial nature. Fortunately, it worked, and soon I was ushered into the office of the fort's commander.

When I told him the actual nature of the problem, the man looked as angry as anyone I've ever seen. He leaned forward across his desk and practically spit in my face as he shouted, "You bring me an outlandish tale when I'm in the middle of fighting a war? If you're not here to help us, or, better yet, join our cause, you're to get out of here! Now!"

I was doing my best to avoid equaling him in anger, but I restrained myself from my initial urge so I slowly leaned forward as he stood up straight. Speaking slowly but firmly, I replied, "Listen, commander, my cause isn't one side or the other in this stupid war that only hurts our land. My cause is the people of Skyrim. And these vampires, which are very real, are a threat to all of the people, no matter their background. I'm sure someone here in this fort saw the smoke from that fire a few days ago. Those Vigilants that died there may not have been the best fighters in Skyrim, but they weren't exactly wimps either. The vampires wiped out everyone in their hall and they burned it to the ground. Now you think about that, Mr. Stormcloak officer: when they get the chance, the vampires will wipe out whatever else they can, including, if they can find a way, this fort."

I'm not sure what it was, but something seemed to click in the commander's mind. He studied me for a few moments before saying, "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately so."

"Gods!" he exploded. "That's all we need in the midst of all of this." He gave an immense sigh of frustration as he acknowledged the reality of the situation.

I almost felt sorry for the man, but I still needed help so I decided to try to lighten the mood. "Sorry, but I didn't ask for it either, and, I must admit, my initial reaction on hearing it wasn't much better than yours."

The commander looked at me, saw I was serious, and laughed. "At least it wasn't just me. So, what do you want? I don't have any troops I can spare to assist you."

"Thanks, but I'm not looking for that. I'm actually looking for an old crypt, supposedly called Dimhollow, and probably located somewhere in the mountains west of here. The vampires may be using it as a base. Would you know where it is?"

The commander didn't. So he had his adjunct bring in more of their officers. None of them had heard of it either, even those from the general area, so he agreed to look at their map. Since it showed the disposition of troops, he told me to have a seat where I wouldn't be able to see, and then he nodded to two of his men to keep an eye on me.

He and the adjunct poured over the map for a while. I couldn't see where, but each finger jab that gave me hope ended up with a frustrated headshake, sometimes sooner and occasionally later. Each such headshake lowered my hopes.

He finally stepped over to me and said, "The location doesn't appear on our maps, but that doesn't mean it's not there. You might visit Jarl Skald in Dawnstar. He or someone there might know the location. If you leave now, you'll be there well after dark, but Jone is full tonight and will be up shortly."

I nodded. "I understand and will be on my way. I greatly appreciate the assistance you've provided."

"Sorry we couldn't do more, but with the current situation being so dire..."

I nodded and thanked him again before giving a little salute and turning to go.

He called after me, "Do you want me to give you a letter to allow you to get past any Stormcloak patrols?"

I thanked him but said no. While it would help if stopped by a Stormcloak patrol, being stopped and found with that by an Imperial patrol would be a certain death sentence.

~ESV~

It was twilight as I left the Stormcloak fort and made my way to the north toward the little city of Dawnstar on the northern coast. A jackrabbit kicked snow from under a snowberry bush to expose some tender shoots below the plant, so a single arrow bought me a latenight dinner in case I couldn't complete the trip before exhaustion took me. I said a word of thanks to the Divines for their bounty as I tied it on the side of my pack and continued on.

The last rays of twilight faded into blackness as I continued to try to follow the road toward Dawnstar. Jone, the Sorrow of Stendarr, soon topped the horizon and started to shine down, as if to expose the evil that had befallen the land, but dark, low-lying clouds appeared to be aligned with the vampires. They did their best to hide the small moon's glow and keep me from finding my way.

Fresh-fallen snow covered the road and only the ruts created by a passing cart sometime earlier that day allowed me to follow it. With the snow half way up to my knee, I trudged onward, hoping to reach Dawnstar before my energy was gone. I stifled one yawn after another as I continued to push forward while trying to stay alert.

It was a blur, as if shifting snow, that caught the corner of my eye as Jone peeked out from behind yet another cloud. I had a couple of seconds, if that, so Bloodthorn was drawn and my shield was made ready even as I turned toward the threat. Not knowing how outnumbered I would be and hoping for help in the wild, I shouted, "Raan Mir Tah!"

The white streak came to a sudden stop about 20-feet from me just as it was about to launch itself in the air.

In the pale light of the moon, I saw it, a large white sabre cat, shaking its head as if confused. It had been prepared to eat me, but then something much stronger than hunger had compelled it to stop and look for how it might help me instead. Seeing no threats, it shook its head repeatedly, trying to shake off the unnatural feeling, even as I began to speak.

"Stay calm, boy. It will be okay," I said in what I hoped was a soothing voice. "Sorry about the allegiance shout, but I thought you might be a troll and that I might need a distraction. I can't tell you how much I hate trolls."

The giant cat snarled at me, still unsure about the situation. I continued, hoping something was getting through to him. "We're out here, a long way from anywhere, so I don't want to hurt you and sure don't want you hurting me either. Let's just keep calm and we might both get through this."

My comment about trolls a moment before had caused the kids to laugh, but Aerica now has a questioning look on her face. "Daddy, were you trying to turn the big cat into a pet?"

I shake my head. "No, dear. That big sabre cat was a wild animal. I could bend its will toward me temporarily, but I could never force it to be friends with any of my family or friends. It wouldn't have been safe." I recall a similar situation where I made a bear be an ally once upon a time for a few minutes. Unfortunately, while reasonably "friendly" to me, it was quite protective and almost killed my dog before I could stop it.

I sigh at the memory of that good old dog, now long gone. I look back at my daughter. "Aerica, do you understand?"

She shakes her head slowly. "I guess, Daddy. Wild animals can be beautiful, but they probably wouldn't be very good pets."

With nothing for the beast to fight, I honestly wasn't sure what would happen when his required allegiance expired, so I called him and started moving, as quickly as I could, on toward Dawnstar. The cat followed along, just a short distance back and a bit to the side, covering my flank against anything that might come against us, but also putting himself in a great position to pounce on me once his geas had ended.

When his time of allegiance was growing short, I stopped and turned back toward him. "Okay, easy boy. You'll be free of it in a minute, but don't get any ideas. You've been a big help," I praised, "so let's leave it at that so nobody gets hurt."

He was twitching his ears and curling his lips to completely expose those great big teeth as the shout's effect ended. He still looked unsure about what to do, so I used Bloodthorn to cut the little cord that tied the rabbit to my pack. Still holding the shield between us in case he charged, I got a good grip on the jack and said, "Here, take this with my thanks, and go, my friend."

The cat grabbed the jackrabbit out of the air as it sailed toward him. I'm not sure if the cat sensed that I meant business or if he just figured the rabbit would be an easier meal than me, he snarled defiantly at me once more and then turned and disappeared into the darkness.

~ESV~

Like the Stormcloak commander, Jarl Skald, who'd been on his way to bed when I arrived, didn't believe my report of the vampire threat either. "Ludicrous! There are no vampires in The Pale! Be gone!"

Fortunately, Jod, the jarl's housecarl and defacto steward spoke up. "Sir, I'm not...exactly sure...that's correct."

"What? What are you babbling about, Jod?"

"Well, sir, there have...actually...been several sightings of possible vampires in recent months, and at least six families in the countryside have been burned out in that same period. I didn't bother you with such reports because I couldn't be certain the reports were credible."

"But the Dragonborn walks into my hall and you suddenly believe they might be? There are always people in the countryside, traveling from place to place, that might be viewed suspiciously, and there are houses that burn down every year. Suddenly you think they might be vampires!" Skald laughed. "What are you, Jod? A man like in our days when we were warriors, or have you become a mouse?"

"It's true that I'm more cautious, sir, but in this day and situation where anyone, including old friends, could be ally or enemy, it pays to be. In this case, though, I hadn't associated the two events until hearing the Dovahkiin's report. True, there are people in the countryside, including Imperial scouts or even spies, but they usually haven't disappeared without a trace when a patrol passes by. And it's also true that houses burn down every year; that's the nature of our homes and our fireplaces. However, it's usually only one or two houses each year in the entire Pale and there are usually some survivors. That's my recollection from over twenty-five years of service to Dawnstar, sir. This year is different; we're talking about a half dozen homes burned in the past few months without a single survivor, sir. It could be coincidence...but then again, it just might not be."

The jarl sighed as he pondered Jod's report. "Dovahkiin, assuming what you say is true and Jod hasn't become a complete milkdrinker, you say you're going after the vampires? We will allow you to do this, but we are quite shorthanded at the moment. I will not be able to send anyone to help you."

"That's fine, sir. I wouldn't want to endanger them anyway," I replied. "If you tell me where to find a place called Dimhollow Crypt, I'll be on my way."

The jarl bowed his head and rubbed his temples as if in heavy concentration. He said nothing for close to a minute before looking up at me. "I think I know the map of my province as well as anyone alive, and that name means nothing to me." Turning to his advisor, he added, "Jod, get with Frorkmar and the two of you locate that crypt. Frorkmar may have seen a reference to it in his studies of our countryside. Dragonborn, as for you, get some rest. If this is what you say, you'll need it."

Jarl Skald had seemed to be at a stopping point as he closed his eyes and slowly bowed his head again. Suddenly, though, he snapped his fingers and sat up straight. "Jod, get Madena involved, too. I doubt she would be much help in regard to the old records, but maybe she'll be willing to use a bit of her magic, if that's what it takes, to help find the place. That way we might get at least a little use out of her."

I gave the jarl a questioning look, but he waved his hand and shook his head lightly in reply. "Nevermind. Just get your rest. If the place exists and anyone in the Pale knows its location, we'll have it for you in the morning, even if it takes my advisors all night."

~ESV~

Author's Note:

Sorry this has taken a while. I'm swamped at home and work at the moment, so many thanks are to extended to everyone for reading this story. Thanks, also, to all who have commented, followed, or favorited it, too. Your feedback and encouragement are greatly appreciated!